15

The weather was nice on the South Side today.The kind of nice that tricks you into thinking life's easier than it is. The wind was crisp, the birds were out, and I woke up next to Lip.

Everything's been going... weirdly great lately. Lip and I have been getting along better than ever. No major fights, no passive-aggressive jabs—just us. He's been bouncing back and forth between my place and the Gallagher house, depending on where the chaos is lighter.

Conner and Lucas are doing good in school, turning in homework and only fighting twice this week—progress. There hasn't been any real drama for weeks, which feels like tempting fate even saying it out loud.

It's Friday. 8 a.m. The boys are already on the bus. The house is finally still again, until I hear the unmistakable sound of Lip galloping down the stairs like he's being chased.

I turn just in time to see him barreling into the kitchen, shirtless and in just his boxers, hair a mess, that sleepy scowl still on his face. I can't help but smile.

"The meniscus already at school?" he mutters, voice still rough with sleep as he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

"Yeah, I got them on the bus about thirty minutes ago." I watch him pour himself a cup of coffee, squinting at the machine like it might attack him.

Just as I'm about to say something, my phone dings.

Fiona Gallagher:Party at the Gallaghers tonight!! 8pm. Be there!!

"Your sister's throwing a party tonight," I say, chuckling as I read the text out loud.

"For what?" he says with zero enthusiasm, taking a sip from his mug.

"She didn't say."

He sighs and sets the cup down. "Well, I got an AA meeting at nine, so I gotta head out soon."

"Can I come with you?" I ask without thinking. His face drops, not in a rude way, more like I asked something that caught him off guard.

"I mean... uh, shit. Yeah. Sure," he says, scratching the back of his head like he's not sure if it's a good idea or not but doesn't want to say no.

⸻

Later that day

The meeting's in a beat-up community center, chairs in a circle, fluorescent lights flickering overhead. I sit in the back while Lip takes a seat near the middle, fidgeting with the ring on his keychain. He glances back at me once like he's checking if I regret coming.

I don't.There's something about watching him in here—quiet, attentive, respectful—that makes me feel like I'm seeing a side of him most people never do. Like this version of Lip isn't just a smartass from the South Side but someone who actually wants better.

On the walk back, he shoves his hands in his hoodie and says, "You didn't have to come, you know."

"I wanted to," I shrug.

He nods, like that means more to him than he wants to admit.

⸻

By 7:30, we're back at my place getting ready.

Lip's rifling through a pile of mostly clean clothes while I stand at the mirror trying to tame my hair. He holds up a wrinkled black shirt.

"This smell like ass?" he asks, sniffing it.

"Only mild ass," I say. "Passable for a Gallagher party."

He throws it on, then comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"You look nice," he murmurs.

"You look like you just crawled out of a donation bin," I reply.

"Hot," he grins and kisses my neck.

⸻

8:02 p.m. – We walk into the Gallagher house.

The living room is already packed. Music's blasting, lights are dim, and a few of the neighbors are already two beers in. Fiona's in the kitchen with a bottle of wine in her hand and a spatula in the other like she's hosting Thanksgiving.

"HEY!" she yells when she spots us. "You made it!"

Conner and Lucas are already here, running through the living room like it's a jungle gym. Carl's chasing them with a water gun and a cowboy hat.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Lucas yells dramatically, diving over the couch.

"Boys," I warn, pointing. "No breaking furniture that isn't ours."

"Got it!" Conner calls back as he flings a throw pillow at Carl's face.

Lip pulls me into his side as we watch the chaos. "It's like a zoo if the animals were drunk and unsupervised."

"So... a regular Friday."

He leans in and brushes his lips against my cheek. "Wanna go find a closet to make out in before someone puts a baby in the dryer?"

I elbow him, laughing. "You are so romantic."

"Yeah, well," he shrugs. "I'm just a guy trying to get laid at his sister's party."

"Gross," I mutter, grabbing his hand anyway.

We're barely two steps toward the kitchen before Debbie runs past us wearing fairy wings and yelling, "Who took my glue gun?!"

Lip sighs. "And here I thought tonight might be normal."

"You know what they say," I grin, pulling him toward the food table, "South Side normal is just chaos with snacks."

Fiona grabs a drink off the counter and holds one out to me.

"Want one?"

I shake my head with a laugh. "No thanks. What's the occasion?"

"I get to keep my job!!!" she says, throwing her arms in the air like she just won the lottery. She's clearly already drunk—or high—or both.

"Oh, nice!" I say, smiling as she stumbles a little and catches herself on the table.

I turn around and spot Lip standing near the stairs. He catches my eye and gives a little nod, the kind that says, Come on, I got something.

We head up to his room. The second the door shuts behind us, he beelines for his dresser, rummaging through a drawer filled with boxers and random socks before pulling out a little Ziploc bag packed with joints.

"If I can't get drunk," he says, pulling one out and lighting it, "might as well take advantage of the Earth's finest creation."

He takes a long drag, then holds it out to me.

I take it, inhale—and immediately start hacking like I swallowed a cloud.

"Jesus Christ, you okay?" Lip says through a fit of laughter.

"Yeah," I cough, hand on my chest. "Just... clearly it's been a while."

We sit on the bed, legs crossed, shoulders touching, and pass the joint back and forth, falling into that easy kind of conversation that only happens when you're a little buzzed and feel like the world finally slowed down.

By the time the joint's gone, we're both way past baked.

"Wanna do something fun?" I say, standing up and wobbling just slightly.

"Yeah. Always," he says, flashing that lopsided grin that always gets me in trouble.

I push him down on the bed and climb on top of him, kissing him hard. The kind of kiss that makes your whole body feel warm. His hands are immediately on my waist, then my ass, pulling me in closer. I gasp into his mouth.

I break the kiss to pull his shirt off, and he helps me out of mine. "Looking good, Gallagher," I tease.

He smirks and cups my boobs like they're the best thing he's ever touched. I moan softly and kiss him again, deeper this time, until—

"FIONA!!!"Debbie's scream cuts through the house like a gunshot.

I freeze. Lip's eyes go wide. "What the fuck—?"

We scramble to pull our clothes on and rush downstairs. The second we hit the bottom step, the world stops.

Liam is lying on the floor, motionless. White powder is smeared across his nose and mouth.

Fiona is bent over him, sobbing. "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god."

"Has someone called 911?" Lip shouts, kneeling next to Liam, checking for a pulse.

"Yeah, V did—they're on the way," Kev says, voice tight. His usual calm is gone. Everyone's scared.

I feel Conner and Lucas latch onto me from either side, clinging to my legs like they're trying to disappear into me. I wrap my arms around them, holding them close.

Carl and Debbie cling to Lip, both of them shaking.

The house is chaos—music still thumping in the background, people yelling, but all I can hear is Fiona's voice breaking over and over.

"I only turned around for a second," she cries.

The sirens wail from down the block. The EMTs push through the crowd and rush to Liam. They check his vitals, load him onto the stretcher, and wheel him out without saying much.

Fiona follows behind until a cop steps in front of her.

"Ma'am," he says. "Whose cocaine was it?"

She doesn't hesitate. "It was mine," she says, her voice shaking. "But I didn't mean for— I just— I only turned around for a second."

The officer sighs. "You have the right to remain silent..." he begins as he pulls her arms behind her back.

Debbie sobs. "No! No, no, no—please don't take her!"

⸻

At the hospital

The waiting room smells like bleach and fear. The overhead lights are too bright, and everything feels frozen, like we're holding our breath.

The boys are curled up on either side of me, fast asleep but holding on to my hands like they'll float away if they let go.

Lip's pacing. Back and forth. His hoodie's half-zipped, his hair's a mess, and he's got that wild look in his eyes that only shows up when he's scared and trying not to be.

A doctor finally walks into the room, clipboard in hand. "Is there a parent or guardian here for Liam Gallagher?"

Lip stops pacing. "Yeah," he says, walking forward. "I'm the closest thing you're gonna get to that."

The doctor raises an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"I'm his brother. Philip Gallagher. Look, his mom's a bipolar addict who's probably halfway to Indiana by now, and our dad is a drunk who only gives a shit about whatever bar stool he's glued to today. You want someone who gives a damn? That's me."

The doctor nods slowly, clearly taking that in. "Alright, Philip. Let's talk."

Lip glances back at me once, then follows the doctor down the hall.

watched Lip disappear down the hallway with the doctor, his shoulders tense like he was carrying the whole damn world on his back. I stayed behind with the boys, one on each side of me, curled into my arms like they were afraid the hospital might swallow us whole.

The waiting room was too quiet now, like everyone was afraid to speak, afraid the walls might hear. Carl sat slumped in a chair across from us, eyes glassy. Debbie kept pacing, wiping her face with her sleeve. V sat beside her, rubbing slow circles on her back, and Kev stared blankly at the vending machine like it might give him answers instead of chips.

I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I saw Lip coming back.

He looked like he'd aged five years in five minutes. His jaw was tight, but his eyes were red. Not crying—but close. Real close.

I stood up. "Well?"

"He's stable," Lip said. "They pumped his stomach. He's gonna be okay."

A wave of relief hit me so hard I almost dropped to the floor.

"But," he added, rubbing his hands down his face, "he ingested way too much coke for a toddler. Like—way too much. They said it's a miracle he's even breathing. They're keeping him overnight in the ICU to monitor him."

"Oh my god..." Debbie sobbed, collapsing into V's arms. Carl dropped his head into his hands.

The boys stirred beside me, still groggy, but I could feel them start to tune in.

"Can we see him?" I asked gently.

Lip shook his head. "Not yet. They're cleaning him up, putting him on fluids. One of us can go in later. Not all at once."

"Did they... say anything else?" V asked, her voice quiet.

Lip nodded, expression darkening. "Yeah. They said DCFS is gonna get involved. Obviously."

Everyone froze.

"They're gonna want to talk to all of us. Not just Fiona. They wanna know how a toddler got into coke at a family party."

"Jesus Christ..." Kev muttered. "This is bad."

"This is Gallagher bad," Lip said bitterly, then looked at me. "And I gotta be the one to clean it all up."

I stepped toward him, slowly. "You don't have to do it alone."

His jaw clenched. "Yeah, I do. That's what we do. We clean up after our fuck-up parents and hope no one dies in the meantime."

I reached for his hand. "Lip."

He didn't move. Not at first. But then he exhaled, finally looking at me—really looking at me—and he let me wrap my arms around him.

For a second, he didn't hug me back. His hands just hovered, like he wasn't sure he deserved comfort. But then he gave in, holding onto me like the world might slip out from under him.

"I hate this place," he whispered into my hair. "I hate that he almost died. I hate that this is normal for us."

"I know," I whispered. "But he's okay. He's okay, Lip. That's what matters."

He pulled back just enough to press his forehead to mine. "I didn't even get to see him. They said only one person right now. The nurse said I didn't count as a legal guardian, so..."

"You are his guardian," I said firmly. "You're the reason he's alive."

He didn't respond to that. He just leaned back, ran a hand through his hair, and looked over at Debbie. "You okay?"

Debbie sniffled. "No."

Lip nodded like he didn't expect any other answer.

⸻

About an hour later, a nurse came out and let one of us in to see Liam. Lip didn't even wait for anyone else to volunteer—he just got up and followed her.

I watched him go again, this time slower, his head down.

The boys had both fallen asleep again, this time leaning against each other. Carl was curled up in a chair, and V and Kev were sitting side by side, silent.

It was quiet again.

But this time, it wasn't terrifying silence. It was just the kind that fills a room after the worst has already passed.

⸻

Inside the ICU

Lip stood beside Liam's bed, staring down at him. He was so small, with tubes in his nose and an IV in his arm. His chest rose and fell in soft little movements, like none of this had happened. Like he wasn't just inches from dying tonight.

Lip sat down beside him and just stared for a long time.

"Hey, kid," he said finally, voice hoarse. "You gotta stop scaring the shit out of me, alright?"

Liam didn't respond—just kept breathing, small and steady.

Lip leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You don't get to die before you even know how fucked up this family really is."

He was quiet for a while. Then added, "I promise I'm gonna fix this. I don't know how, but I will."

A/n- Sorry for the lack of updates guys, haha! I have just been SUPER busy, i just started a new job, so i won't be able to update as frequently, but i will definitely get some stuff out on my days off! Don't forget to comment and vote!