Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 72. She Is Back...

After his sisters left, Lip remembers feeling a bit hollow. Still, whenever he really thought about it, considering the circumstances, it wasn't that bad. Fiona got what she deserved, and Lip found Debbie annoying—even if she was his sister. He kept justifying it to himself.

But when Ian left, the hole grew bigger.

It was when COVID first started. Y/N got fired from the restaurant. The world turned to shit. Quarantine forced them into isolation, and although they were still sharing one big house, the mental decline definitely hit them. Still, they had each other, and that was what mattered—but it was only a matter of time before one of them snapped, and that one turned out to be Mickey.

Mickey being Mickey, he got caught up in some mess, which only got worse when he refused to comply with COVID guidelines. As a result, he got arrested and eventually ended up in jail. Lip remembers Ian having a major fight with him before everything happened, leaving their relationship in a questionable state. And although the older brother wasn't there for most of it, he always pictured it through what Y/N told him.

It was the night after Mickey got convicted. Heartbroken, Ian was left overwhelmed with emotion and went somewhere isolated to deal with his feelings, all the while drinking. Lip offered to go find him, but he remembers not feeling well, with Y/N offering to do it instead.

And so, once Y/N found Ian, they talked about everything that had happened. The Russian eventually joined Ian for a drink, despite never usually drinking.

"I just feel so... fucked up..." Ian muttered, his voice shaky. "The entire world turned to shit...! Mickey left me...! Monica died...! Is anything ever going to be fucking alright!?"

"Ian... I learned in my life that the more blows you take, the more good times you get in return." Y/N said gently. "After all the fights with Lip, I got a husband and six children."

He gave an assuring smile, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know the world feels like shit, and it feels like it always will—but there are good things in it. I know you don't want to think about that right now, but one day you're going to find an amazing guy who loves you."

"Love me?" Ian scoffed. "Some bipolar freak?"

"Don't say that about yourself."

Ian looked back, staring into his friend's eyes.

"Even if you are, you've got plenty of good qualities." Y/N continued softly. "You're amazing with the kids, good-looking, sweet, caring. Do I need to go on?"

Ian couldn't help but smile a little at hearing compliments he had never received from Y/N before.

"And hey." Y/N added. "Maybe if you go out, turn a corner somewhere, your future husband is right there. Life is full of possibilities. Don't forget that."

"You're right..."

Although Y/N said it just to cheer his friend up, Ian didn't necessarily take it that way. After many wholehearted conversations, they both ended up drunk—though Ian less so than his friend. Eventually, they headed back home.

As Ian helps a drunken Y/N to his bedroom, he spots Lip sitting on the couch, fallen asleep after taking care of the children. Carefully, the redhead helps his friend get downstairs. Once there, the Russian flops onto the bed and sloppily removes his shoes.

"God... I feel so dizzy..." Y/N slurs. "How could Lip even like this...?"

Ian watches Y/N struggle with his shoes. "Let me help."