Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 93. Reunion At The Funeral

As the inevitable reunion comes closer, Lip is once again haunted by his nightmares. Flashes of the past torment him—whether it's Fiona's neglect, Debbie's disappearance, or even Ian's betrayal. Even losing contact with Carl, and Liam leaving. It all weighs on him again, and with the constant reminder of what he's lost, he can't help but breathe heavily in his sleep.

However, it all stops when he feels gentle shaking, which makes him open his eyes wide.

"Lip, wake up!"

Still a bit sluggish, Lip turns around and sees Y/N's concerned face. His husband is met with just how anxious the blonde looks.

"Are you alright?"

"No..." Lip admits quietly, looking distressed.

Without hesitation, the taller man pulls his husband into a hug. With his head resting against Y/N's chest, Lip hears a steady heartbeat. He snuggles in tighter, feeling warm and protected by the strongest man he knows.

"It's going to be alright, Lip." Y/N gently soothes him. "No matter what happens, I'll be there. Keep that in mind."

"I-I..." Lip sounds shaky, gripping his husband a bit tighter. "I'm not ready..."

"We still have time... and if you really don't want to go, we can skip the funeral." Y/N offers. "It's not like we ever cared about Frank."

"No... I want to say goodbye..."

"Alright then..."

There are a few seconds of silence before Lip speaks again. "Y/N?"

"Yes?"

"Don't let me go... please..."

Y/N nuzzles into his husband's hair. "I won't."

He presses a gentle kiss to Lip's head.

-

As the family continues living, having another breakfast in the morning, the children aren't fully aware of the state of their dad. Since Frank's death, Y/N thought it was a good idea to take a couple of days off. Lip insisted he's fine, but looking back, it's probably for the better. Still, he isn't sure what to do right now, as his husband is mostly taking care of the funeral.

As minutes pass, the table becomes empty. With Y/N taking the children to school, the only ones left at home are Lip, and downstairs in the living room Vlad teaching Mikhail. Getting more bored by the minute, the blonde stands up and goes upstairs.

Once in the bedroom, he looks at the nightstand. Walking over to it, he opens it, seeing the letter Frank left for him. Grabbing it, he sits down at the edge of the bed. While staring at it, he hesitates. He doesn't want to deal with this. Not now, not ever.

It feels strange. In terms of character, Lip considers himself pretty brave, and yet he can't even face his own family. Thinking like that, he can't help but view himself even lower. Thus, after a deep breath, he opens the letter.

"Hey kid,

Guess I'll be six feet under when you're reading this, assuming you haven't just tossed it in the trash where I probably belong. To be honest, I didn't think I'd end up writing something like this, but here I am, making sure you know what your dear old dad thinks of you before I kick the bucket.

So let's get one thing straight: I didn't see you winding up with a guy. But hey, kudos to Y/N, I suppose, for managing to win over the most stubborn Gallagher (and a Russian too—didn't think you'd go for someone that attached to vodka). That whole 'kidnapping me and shipping me to Russia' stunt? That wasn't exactly a warm family moment. Can't believe you actually sided with him on that one. Family over foreigners, Lip. Always thought you knew that. But what can I say? It's a Gallagher move—going against what's best.