#deb thinks out loud

[sunnysideprincess]

Tony ADORES ugly plushies.

Steve doesn't know that. He just needed to find a hobby that wasn't too painful like art and too unfamiliar like cooking. So making stuffed plushies was comfortable.

Except none of them turned right. All of them came out oddly crooked and creepy.

He leaves them in the common room. Because he can't bear to throw them out. Even though they're ugly, he made them.

When the plushies disappear, Steve assumes someone threw them out.

But then one day, he goes to Tony's lab and finds all of them at one corner, arranged into a soft looking pile.

[gen-is-gone]

the torment nexus works at the desk next to mine and won't get off her phone and stop live-commentating her doomscrolling

[robinsgrl]

Rafe with weird girl is a bit more nonchalant and tame compared to JJ with weird girl. he WILL match your freak and that’s a threat and yeah you might be weird but he’s much weirder he makes you shy. YOU.

weird girl masterlist

MDNI 18+

you’re talkative. You’re never not talking someone’s ear off. Most people can’t handle it. Sometimes your own friends need a moment of silence. But never JJ.

you’re laid back on your bed, legs spread open as his face hides between you. “deb deserves so much better. her boyfriend is such an asshole.” you breathe out shakily as he laps at your cunt.

he hums into you, nodding. “she does, mama. much better.” he dives right back in, your fingers threading through his hair.

“yeah, and the weird thing is she doesn’t think she does,” a small moan leaves your lips but you continue. “we tell her all the time. oh! I forgot the worst part! when they were on a break, he came to the store and-and bought condoms. at her register.”

this makes him pull his face from your heat, eyes wide as he looks down at you. “no fucking way.”

You nod, just as exasperated. “yeah, i know, it was fucking crazy” you tell him as you push his head back down

you’ve gone fishing with him and you’re so damn bored. you came to tan but the suns slowly going down and you're sure you’re as tan as you can be. he adds bait one last time and throws it far into the water. your eyes trail on his strong arms that are flexing under the soft hue of the sunset.

you dont even question your thought. you lean over and chomp down onto his bicep. he’s not even phased. “what’s my sunscreen taste like?” he asks as he glances over at you with a pretty smile. it makes your cheeks flush.

“delicious. wanna try mine?” it’s a joke. but you should know better than to joke like that with him. he doesn’t hesitate to drop his rod and rush to you.

a loud laugh leaves you as he tackles you in a hug, making you land on him as he falls to his back on the boat. he’s nipping at your neck, biting and sucking on you. “jj!” you can’t stop the happy laughs that leave you.

“you taste so good, mama!” he trails his lips down to your chest and bites the side of your boob that’s pressing out of your bikini. it doesn’t take long for him to fully take your tit out and bite your pebbled nipple.

“JJ!”

you’re in bed with jj when you realize something. he’s butt naked. “bro, where are your pants?”

“bro, i like letting my balls get air”

“bro, are you clenching your cheeks right now?” You ask with a laugh as you smack his ass. He lets out a fake moan and pushes his ass to you.

“Bro, i loved that. Do it again.” He’s laying on top of you now, feeling his everything against you. Your hands fall to his butt and you easily squish his cheek. “Bro, im getting a boner.”

“Your bro is giving you a boner? Bro, that’s fruity.”

He nuzzles his face into your neck as you keep smacking his naked butt. “Your little butt is so cute” you comment.

“My butt is NOT small”

“Yes, it’s a tiny lil bubble butt”

“There’s nothing tiny about me, mama” you laugh as he rolls his hips into you.

“JJ! Oh my god!” You laugh and try and push him off of you.

Yeah, no one can ever truly grasp JJ’s freak— he leaves you miles behind. Moral of the story…… he wins.

[oscquinn]

𝐢 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 || 𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫

pairing: lip gallagher x fem!reader

summary: just lip being a cute bf + debbie and ian being little shits

warnings: lowercase on purpose. poorly written tbh. swearing but y’all know how it is. heavily unedited. gen said yolo so i’m posting

A/N: i’ve been on hiatus for god knows how long but my roommate and i started watching shameless and i can’t get this mfer out of my head. things w school and life are hard rn so i just wrote this comfy cozy little thing in my notes app. yolo asf.

wordcount: probably like 500 or less idk i wrote it in my notes app at 1am

— — — — — — — — — — —

you’re nestled in lip’s arms, high up on his rickety top bunk. somewhere between finishing your nails and kissing until you could barely breathe, you had fallen asleep right against his chest.

you stirred now, your cozy world interrupted a squeaky little voice. “are you in love with her?” debbie questions.

lip shushes his sister, “be quiet, she’s sleeping.”

you were wide awake now, but much too comfortable to move and make that little fact known. plus, you wanted to hear his answer.

“i asked you a question dummy. are you in love with her?”

lip stutters, “i-i dunno. i really like her, okay?”

you’re satisfied with that answer. “in love” was a little too much too quick. but “really like” was something that made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“what d’ya like about her?” ian presses.

you can practically hear the gears turning in lip’s head as his siblings impatiently await a response.

“she’s- i dunno, she’s pretty?” lip replies. you hold back a scowl, annoyed at him for not having a better answer.

“yeah, great rack,” debbie comments.

“jesus, deb!” lip’s head falls back in frustration, one hand coming to cradle your head as not to wake you with the sudden motion.

“cut the shit lip,” ian interrupts. “tell us what you really think.”

you hold your breath as you wait for his response. his lips brush your hairline before he sighs. “she’s sweet, yeah? real kind.”

“a real woman of the people,” ian snorts, “princess diana type.” then “ow!” as you hear debbie shove him.

“and- and she’s real smart, too,” lip continues. “really, really fuckin’ smart. an’ she works hard. she just tires herself out sometimes.”

he strokes your hair gently, pressing a few more fleeting kisses to your forehead.

“you’re so whipped.”

you hear debbie shove her brother again, and this time ian fights back, the two making a ruckus as they push each other back and forth.

“come on guys, out. now.” lip orders his siblings around with that same stern voice you’ve heard plenty of times before.

debbie pouts. “but-“

“no buts. go on, she’s fuckin’ sleepin’ in here an’ you’re gonna wake her up. fuck off.”

“we were just-“

“fuck. off.”

“jesus,” you can practically hear ian roll his eyes. “alright, alright. we’re going.”

debbie yells for fiona as the two shuffle out of the room, not bothering to close the door behind them.

you smirk to yourself as lip groans above you, showing your cards. “you’re awake?”

you peer up at him through your lashes, a smirk planted on your lips that he’s just dying to kiss off. “can’t believe your little sister said i have a great rack,” you whisper.

lip laughs, loud and genuine. “yeah, she’s been stuffing fi’s old training bras. growin’ up an’ shit. i don’t like it.”

you’re quiet for a moment, admiring him. you know how important those kids are to him. he’d do just about anything for them, including the minor crimes you find him tangled up in on a weekly basis. he loves them like they’re his own kids, which honestly they kind of are. they may shove each other around, curse each other out, yell and scream at the top of their lungs, but at the end of the day lip has been more of a father to his siblings than frank ever was.

“you really meant all that?” you ask.

lip looks down at you, his blue eyes soft in the dim light. “yeah. yeah, i did. meant every word.”

you smile, leaning up to place a solid kiss on his lips. “for what it’s worth,” you murmur, “i really like you too.”

[thelostmagicians]

Unlucky | Lip Gallagher

Summary: Lip Gallagher has a shitty life, but he still has a chance of a happy future with you. [2.4k]

Fluff, comfort, slight angst, insecure Lip

♡

Lip Gallagher has always considered himself unlucky for as long as he could remember. If you asked him to describe his life in five words he’d use shitty, really shitty, and extremely shitty.  

He was dealt a crappy hand since the beginning not standing a fighting chance even as a kid. 

There was always so much crap to deal with, whether it was bills that needed to be paid, kids that need to be taken care of, or anything dealing with Frank and Monica, sometimes he felt as if the weight of the world was resting on his chest and the only breath he’d be able to take peacefully would be his final one. He’s grateful for all the help he has because everyone pulls their weight as much as they can, but sometimes he just wishes life was just a little bit kinder to him. He wishes that he was able to do something with his high IQ, make something of himself and finally get out of this hell hole, but that didn’t roll over so well. But just as he was slowly losing hope the universe finally took pity on him and gave him you, so now he’s hanging onto you with everything he’s got. 

_

It’s quiet in the Gallagher household when Lip shuffles out of bed. He can’t remember the last time he was able to sleep past 7am, so when he wakes up to birds chirping at 9am instead of the usual yelling and chaos, he’s surprised and even a little scared. He makes his way towards the bathroom getting ready to fight whoever is next in line, but finds it empty and even clean. He’s shuffling around, looking through doors to find a sense of life in his otherwise loud home when he hears a squeal from the backyard. He doesn’t think twice before grabbing a nearby bat and hurtling through the backdoor towards the pool, but he stops once he sees the atmosphere is anything, but fearful. Frannie is being tossed back and forth between Carl and Mickey in the pool, Fiona and Ian are chasing Liam with the garden hose and Debbie is bringing in watered down lemonade from the kitchen. 

He has no idea what caused this change of pace, but he isn’t mad about it. Just as he’s about to make himself known, he feels a soft touch caressing his back. 

“Hey baby,” you whisper, brushing your lips against his neck. 

He turns his head at your sweet voice finally fully awakening his sleepy trance. Lip tugs you towards him by the belt loops of your, too short, cut off shorts and breathes into your neck. Hands slowly creeping down towards your ass to grab and pet, not socially acceptable in front of family, but he couldn’t care less. 

“Hi, sweetheart,” he rasps into the valley of your chest, slightly picking you up to hug you closer. “What’s going on out here?”

“Thought everyone could use a day off especially in this heat, so Debs and I planned a pool party. Wanna join me?”

He pulls back on slightly to finally get a look at your face, your eyes are kind and happy followed by a mischievous smile. 

“Sure, let me get my trunks on and I’ll be down soon.” You reward him with a soft peck on his chapped lips and an arm squeeze before moving out of his hold and grabbing some leftover toast. 

The day goes by without a hitch. Everyone enjoys the much deserved break filled with laughter, junk food, and only a few fights. You’re nearly on top of Lip as you cuddle as close as you can basking in the happiness before you get ready to go out. There are only a handful of days that you and Lip both get off at the same time, so any day given is taken as a golden opportunity to spend some time together, leaving your worries at home. You plant a small peck to Lip’s cheek before untangling yourself from his hold as he answers the ringing phone. 

You don’t hear much of the conversation, just faint hmms of acknowledgement as you're flying past rooms trying to get ready as fast as you can. You’re struggling with your heels as Lip comes over and steadies you, your smile meeting with his frown.

“Sweetheart, they called me in to cover someone else’s shift and you know I hate to do this, but they’re offering me time and half..” he trails off.

A quick look of disappointment flashes on your face, before you cover it up with a reassuring look. You’re disappointed, sure, but not at Lip. Never at Lip. Just the shitty circumstances that forces the both of you to work as much as you can just to make ends meet.  

“It’s okay, I get it. We can always reschedule, don’t worry about it.” You pull him in and hold on to his waist hoping to ease his guilt, but your efforts go to waste as his eyebrows stay furrowed and his frown deepens. 

“I’ll make it up to you, I swear it,” Lip murmurs against your lips before squeezing your arm and letting you go. 

You watch him leave, slowly pulling off your heels and plopping yourself on the old couch, sighing already missing Lip. Your eyes shift trying to think of things to do now that your night opened up, but your mind keeps drifting back to Lip. You had eaten dinner earlier with everyone, skipping out on dessert and opting to get your fill when you go out, but now that plans have changed you were now missing both your boyfriend and something sweet to nibble on.

You quickly change out of your clothes and put on a pair of old shorts before deciding to make a batch of brownies. Lip works hard and if you guys couldn’t go out for dessert tonight, then you were going to bring dessert to him. 

He’s halfway through his shift when he spots you coming in, hands holding a tupperware to your chest. 

“Honey, what are you doing down here,” he shouts from across the room.

“Wanted to spend some time with you before I leave for my shift. I made some brownies since we missed dessert, care to join me?” you plead hopefully.

Lip’s heart aches with love and a lot of guilt. He can’t believe you would go through all that trouble just to see him. He calls out to say he’s taking his break before leading you to a secluded corner. 

“I’m really sorry about today,” he hugs you from behind swaying back and forth, mouth opening occasionally as you feed him a chunk of the sweet treat. 

You squeeze his wrist in response, “s’lright you can’t help it. I just like spending time with you.”

He smiles softly for the first time that night, stress immediately leaving his body. “Though, I love that you did all this for me, I don’t love the idea that you were walking alone this late at night.”

“Guess I’ll have to keep you company until you can walk me home then,” you compromise. 

Lip’s shift goes by somewhat fast now that you’re here to keep him company. He’ll leave his station sporadically to check up on you and to keep you from falling asleep. He’s in the final stretch now, only 30 more minutes before you get to go home and fall asleep holding each other, after a long day. He looks over hoping to catch your eye and send you a smile when he feels his face slowly morphing into a glare. A glare aimed at the guy standing way too close to you, a guy whose intentions go beyond a friendly conversation, and a guy who on paper was everything you deserved, but Lip couldn’t be. 

You finally glance at Lip sending a small wave and smile as you keep nodding along to the fucker next to you. He had fluffy brown hair and honestly looked quite plain if it wasn’t for the gleaming rolex on his wrist and the shiny Gucci emblem on his belt. He was a rich kid, probably from the nearby university, wasting away mommy and daddy’s money, chatting up pretty girls and sweeping them off their feet with his money. Lip’s never felt insecure about your relationship, you never gave him a reason too, but once he compares his ratty jeans and stained shirt to the pristine polo of Richie Rich he can’t help but wonder if he’s good enough for you when you can do so much better.

_

Lip was struggling. He never learned how to tie a tie before and now that the time has come, he’s racking his brain trying to get the knot perfect. He knew you couldn’t care less about a stupid tie, you were anything but superficial, but since that dreaded night when he witnessed you being chatted up by Richie Rich, Lip’s come to the conclusion that he was going to try his hardest to give you the perfect life. 

When Lip proposed going up to the north side for dinner, you were shocked. You’ve been there a few times mostly on walks or running errands, but you’ve never been there to spend actual money considering neither of you could afford it. The most you and Lip would do is windowshop and daydream about the things you would buy if you had the money, before being chased off by the glaring sales people.

He picks you up at your door, pecking your cheek softly and telling you how beautiful you look. He takes your hand and leads you to the borrowed car before pulling out an expensive bouquet from the backseat. Your hands flatter as you mutter a quiet thanks. You’re a little confused at the grand gesture since Lip’s never gotten you flowers before, at least not without reason. He’s gotten you flowers exactly four times since he’s known you: the first on your first date, the second for your graduation, and the last two times for your anniversary. And all those times the flowers were below 5 bucks, something he picked up from the corner store. But the bouquet he gave you now had to be worth at least a day’s salary, you and Lip had a mutual understanding since the start that since money was scarce you wouldn’t spend it on materialistic things for each other, but lately it seems like he forgot that promise. He’s been taking you out to eat nearly everyday, always putting money down and never letting you pay, surprising you with little gifts, but worst of all he’s been running himself haggard, taking up as many shifts as he possibly could. 

He notices your quiet demeanor as he starts driving, “You okay, baby?”

“Yeah, I just…” you hesitate, not wanting to offend him. “I’m grateful for all of this Lip, really I am, I love everything you’ve gotten me, but I’m confused about where you’re getting all the money from and why you’re doing all this in the first place.”

Lip tightens his grip on the wheel, “Isn’t this what you want? Isn’t this what all girls want?” Lip scoffs the memory of Richie Rich slowly coming into picture. 

“I don’t understand what changed, everything was fine before, why are you spending money you don’t have? You don’t think I know that you’re working yourself to death trying to afford this shit?” Your voice raises in annoyance. 

“Yeah, well that’s my problem, it’s none of your concern how I get all this as long as you get it.”

“It is when you’re burning money on materials that won’t even last the year instead of investing in our future.”

Lip pulls to stop as the words leave your mouth. “Our future?” He asks. 

You lick your lips, trying to think of a way to backtrack but his eyes plead with you to tell the truth. “Yeah, our future. You know when we eventually move out, get a place of our own and have a kid or two?”

Lip smiles at the thought, “You want all that with me?”

You nod incredulously, “What did you think this was you idiot? That we were just playing boyfriend/girlfriend? Look I appreciate all these gestures, but the way I see it you’re burning 50 bucks on flowers that are gonna wither in a week instead of spending that money on something like our future house.”

Lip cups your chin in endearment before pulling you in for a quick kiss. “I’m sorry, I let everything get away from me.” He huffs in frustration before letting your chin go and clenching his fists. “It’s just when you visited me at work a few weeks back you were talking to this guy. This very rich guy who… I don’t know… I know you aren’t like that, but I couldn’t help but think this is all I’ll be able to offer you, at least right now. I will never be able to whisk you away on a private jet or buy diamonds just cause.”

You giggle as you hold his face in your soft hands, his head tilting to lean into your palm. “Lip Gallager, for someone with an insanely high IQ, you are so incredibly stupid, ” He huffs out a laugh in embarrassment as you continue, “That guy, that fool was annoying as fuck. I was just trying to get him off my back. And not to mention incredibly fucking stupid. Everything that was coming out of his mouth made me cringe and thank the stars that you’re nothing like him.”

He kisses your palm before pulling you into another kiss. “Can we skip the fancy restaurant now?” you ask as he presses kisses to your pouty lips. 

“Where do you wanna go instead?”

“Family dinner, and then out for ice cream?” you suggest. He nods before putting the car back in drive. 

_

Lip Gallagher was all sorts of fucked up. But somehow in his fucked up life, he managed to find you, his light at the end of a dark, narrow, and gloomy tunnel and he thinks, maybe, he isn’t so unlucky after all.

[wynnyfryd]

Trailer park Steve AU part 33

part 1 | part 32 | ao3

Chapter 8

cw: period-typical attitudes/language

"Steve," Robin hisses through the phone, and he can practically hear her nostrils flaring. "I have been trapped at Uncle Bobby and Aunt Deb's house for six. days." She drops her voice to a harsh whisper, the tone somehow even more disapproving at a lower volume. "HOW have you not kissed him yet??"

"It's not like I didn't try!" Steve throws his hands up; nearly knocks his broom to the floor. He's finally sweeping up the shards of glass in the living room, because he's tired of wearing shoes in his own house (and because at some point he's going to have to have the kids over whether he wants to or not. He's kind of surprised Erica hasn't shown up demanding to hang Christmas lights yet; that girl is aggressively festive.) "He was all 'ask me in the morning,' so I was gonna ask him in the morning! Not my fault it was Monday morning and his stupid uncle barged in yelling about how he was going to be late for school."

"You really shouldn't call him stupid," she interrupts, "that man is a saint."

"No, you’re right. Wayne's awesome."

It’s true. Wayne walked in on them that morning, like, fully spooning in their sleep — Eddie pressed all along Steve's back with an arm over his waist, their ankles intertwined — and rather than beat Steve's ass and ban him from their house like Steve expected him to, he just awkwardly grunted 'breakfast is ready' and shut the door.

"I'm always right," Robin gloats in his ear.

"You're always the worst."

"You love me." Steve hears shuffling as she adjusts the cord — probably wiggling around to lie on her stomach on the bed and kick her feet up in the air the way she likes — and then she says, "I'm still not seeing how this explains the other five whole days, though."

Jesus. Five whole days. Like she's his unimpressed boss and he’s late with the quarterly reports. "Our schedules kept not lining up! And then he went out of town with Jeff's family for the holiday."

"And you haven't called him?"

Steve glares flatly at the phone; hopes she can feel it through the line. "Literally how would I do that, Robin?"

"Well— I don't know! Maybe..." She hums in thought then snaps her fingers, talking fast. "Ooh! You could ask Wayne for the number? I mean, he'd have to know it in case he needed to reach Eddie, right?"

"Uh huh." Steve loves her solution-oriented brain, he really does, but that's one of the worst ideas he's heard in a while. (And he's including Mike and Dustin's attempted kidnapping last month.) "Yeah, let me get right on that," he snarks, switching the phone to his other ear. "I’ll just call them up and say, 'Hey, Mr. or Mrs. Jeff's Grandparents! This is Steve Harrington, may I—? Oh. Who's Steve Harrington, you ask? Nobody, sir or ma’am, just the kid who stood by and watched while his teammates gave your grandson a swirlie two years ago, so I'm sure he fucking hates me still for that! Anyway, can I please flirt with your house guest now?'"

Robin's whinnying into the receiver by the time Steve finishes his rant, and he begrudgingly laughs along with her, shaking his head as he stoops to pick up the dust pan.

"Okay," she concedes. "You may have a point."

"Thank you."

"But you still have to do something to make up for this when he gets home! Otherwise, he's going to think you're, like, having a straight boy crisis or something and get all weird."

"I'm not having a 'straight boy crisis,'" Steve rolls his eyes. He's having a bisexual boy crisis — at least, according to the three hour phone call he had with Robin the other night (which was humiliating, by the way; he never thought he'd be quietly crying tears of total confusion while saying the words 'I still likes boobies, though' out loud. Jesus Christ. Sexuality is embarrassing.) "And I already have a grand gesture in mind, anyway."

"Oh?" Robin perks up. "Do tell."

"I was thinking we could, like..." Hmm. It's sounding less grand when he goes to say it out loud. "Well, shit, I don't know. I thought we could go to one of his shows together when you get back, but now that sounds kind of lame?"

“No, that's good! That's perfect, actually. We can get a whole group together to go support him, then he'll see that you're not embarrassed to be seen around him with your friends."

"Wait, was that a concern?" Oh, god. He dumps more glass into the trash can; hisses when a little shard gets his fingertip; sucks the wound into his mouth. "Are you sure it’s not-? I mean, I want him to know I mean it in a romantic way, not just a friendly gesture."

"Well, yeah, obviously. But you can't just go by yourself; his bandmates hate you."

Oh, right. “Yeah.” That would be pretty awkward to loiter in a booth by himself all night while Jeff and Gareth and the other kid glare daggers at him. "Do you think you could get a group together? If I do it…"

"…We'll be hanging out with a group of dorky freshman all night?”

"Rude."

"Accurate."

"You know what? Tell Deb and Bobby they can keep you."

"Ah!" Robin gasps. "You would turn to stone like a troll in the sun without me, and you know it!"

Man, he misses her. "Yeah, I know it." He puts the broom back up on the hook. "When ya comin' home?"

"Soon, I hope. I swear to god if I have to hear Deb and Patty fight over the leftovers one more time—!" She cuts herself off with a strangled noise, and Steve laughs at her plight. "Anyway, yes. I'll ask some friends at school—"

"—Is one of those friends Vickie?"

“I can multi-task; shut up."

"I love you," he smiles.

"Love you, too, dingus.” Her voice dips soft and sincere for just a second; there and gone. “Hey, I have to go, Carrie wants the phone.”

“You have too many relatives.”

“Ugh, I know. Okay. Leaving for real now; can't wait to see you for Operation Woo Your Man!”

"Robin, no-!”

“Got to go byeeeee.”

“We’re not calling it that!” He holds the phone out with both hands so he can yell into the receiver. “Robin? Robin!"

The line's already dead.

—

part 34

tag list in separate reblogs under '#trailer park steve au taglist' if you'd like to filter that content. if you want to be added tomorrow please comment and let me know (must be over 21; please either verify in the comment or have your age visible on your blog)

[sapphicscholar]

Hacks Episode 4.03 Thoughts

I get that this episode did some narrative work insofar as it introduced a writer’s room (who since then we’re mostly just seeing in glimpses…so…meh), showcased the difference in Ava’s and Deborah’s approaches to running a writing room (one of the few areas where Ava has a little more experience than Deb, but only as a participant, not as a leader—so different! And with way different stakes!), and brought us a glimmer of much-needed hope at the end. And it had a few delightful moments! But it was overall a gimmicky-ass episode that relied on tropes more than actual character work, and it felt like it was largely a set up for 1) some green screen or big stage scenes they wanted to film and 2) the introduction of Stacey as an assigned mediator (the latter of which could easily have been accomplished with literally any of the things they’re already doing in the workplace!)

I actually thought the decision to go back to Las Vegas was a great set up as a way to bring Deborah back to her home turf, but this was so very different than what we’ve seen of Deborah inhabiting her world in earlier seasons that it didn’t land. I think about the opening to S1 where we see that Deborah knows everyone—and knows them well enough to call them by their names, joke with them about their spouses, tease them about things in their life! She was a regular in the world that isn’t full of tourists, in the world that staffs and thereby makes possible the façade of glitz and glam that the tourists see! Deborah in this ep was barely more at home than her writers were—like, yes, it was played as a kind of victory lap in a world where people are jazzed to see her, but also… it just fell flat for me.

Also, I adore Poppy Liu and miss Kiki, but I’ve been exhausted by the way they trot Kiki out for one episode per season to come in as the magical sage Asian stereotype who says exactly what needed to be said jumpstart a development arc for Ava or Deborah (or their relationship’s reconciliation). It was different back in S1 when we got the car ride scene of Kiki’s telling Ava that Deborah’s shit is ugly, but the quality is there, and it’s on Ava if she can’t figure out how to make it work. Because back then, Ava didn’t know Deborah at all! We needed the push from someone external to the dyad—and specifically, one who Ava didn’t see as an enemy—to get her to try to make things work with Deborah! At this point in the show, though, we shouldn’t need this deus ex machina shit to do character work via monologue for us. ESPECIALLY not when we already had the psychic basically tell us half of this last episode (and even then, unnecessarily!)

Things I *did* enjoy:

“What are you doing here?” / “Good question…” – it’s so very Deborah to be wrenched out of the moment in such an abrupt way as the reality of the timeline comes crashing down around her in a strip club of all places. She could pretend to be a Vegas tourist for a little bit, but at heart she’s always part of the town’s hidden backdrop there to work, not have fun—and her face says it all.

The conversation in the back of the cop car – in the midst of an overly loud, flashy episode, getting to zoom in on Ava and Deborah and have them both say their part even as it lands on (mostly) deaf ears felt like a necessary first step—not a step that’s going to lead to anything tangible, and in fact a step that likely opens the door for things to get worse because on the heels of an attempt at reconciliation and rebuffed vulnerability, there’s only ever going to be one outcome! But it took us back to the heart of the show where it’s at its strongest

Ava on an electric scooter (loser [affectionate])

“I know she goes there to poop” – tell me more about how much you know about the banality of Deborah’s day please, Ava

Ava plugging her ears while the mayor and Deborah work out the terms of their quid pro quo lmao

[redundantharpoons]

Hacks S3 Finale Thoughts

spoilers, obv

The S3 finale continues to torment me.

The "Wouldn't you?" line is doing so much invisible work.

Let's look at some points of context:

We think back to Season 1 when Deb left Ava in the desert and basically told her she needs to put everything on the line if she wants to succeed.

We think about how Deb tells Ava she needs to be a shark, and Ava says she doesn't want to be a shark.

We can think about how Deb "pushed Ava away" in S2 to climb her own mountain, urging Ava to get what she is capable of.

In a way, we can see this all as Deb forcing Ava's hand, and in some ways giving her permission to do what she did. "Wouldn't you?" tells Deb exactly this. "This is what you told me to bring, so I'm bringing it."

But the thing is . . . I don't buy it, and I can't truly imagine Deb or Ava does, either. I can see in lots of other contexts Ava being willing to "be a shark" and put herself and her career before Deb and Deb's career and their situationship. But I don't think anyone see Ava's character and think she would in general, even to a stranger, blackmail a woman with a sexual indiscretion. Bringing shame on a woman for having sex? Airing a woman's sexual encounter to hurt that woman's career? Ava wouldn't do that to a stranger, let alone to Deb. And not just because of her fondness for Deb, but because she knows how much Deb regretted the encounter, how much shame she already feels abut it herself. And Ava knows it also had nothing to actually do with Deb getting the show. There is no way Ava would do this. It must be a bluff.

And the thing is, Deb has to know that. She's heard more of Ava's woke lectures than anyone else, she knows Ava wouldn't actually do this if she called her on it. So why didn't she call Ava's bluff?

She didn't want to. We know she wanted Ava as the head writer from the beginning, she wanted that for them both. But her meeting with whatshisface put fear back into her heart. Deb is such a hurt, scared character at times; Ava's always pushed her to be brave. Fuck the old material, fuck the Palmetto, go for what you want. And when Ava is there, Deb is brave. Deb can be brave, with Ava's support. But taken out of it, she remembers the hurt in her past, and she's so scared. We heard it in the frat guy's room.

She wants Ava as her head writer, but the fear paralyzes her and makes her second-guess the decision, makes her fear losing her dream. And so she returns to her old ways. A residency at the Palmetto and the same jokes every night-- if you do what worked before, it should work again, right? She forgets she can be brave with Ava there.

And so I think she knows that Ava is bluffing, but she can't "call her on it" because it will shatter the illusion that Ava is creating for her. Ava is doing this for her; she is giving Deb the opportunity to have no choice but to get what she wants. If she told Ava she would never do that (because they both know Ava wouldn't), Ava's threat wouldn't even have the illusory power. So she pretends Ava means it, and Ava pretends she means it, and they both get what they want: Each other, right where they want the other to be alongside them.

This must be the dynamic, in my eyes, and so it just leaves me saying: Where do they go from here?

They still have the dynamic of a blackmailer and the blackmailed, a re-envisioning of the plaintiff and the defendant in the S2 lawsuit. They can keep that up in some weird way. But would they? Does Ava worry that Deb thinks she's serious? That she would ever do something like that to Deb when of course she would never? But what if Deb doesn't realize she was bluffing, and saying the truth out loud shatters the delicate balance?

I feel that S4 will begin with this crazy mindfuck of 4D chess of who is going to acknowledge the bluff, and if so, do they then acknowledge that the reason for the bluff wasn't that Ava wanted the job but that Ava wanted Deb to get what she wanted and she was going to force her if she had to in order to get Deb past that crippling fear? Do they talk about how Ava isn't a shark because that's not what she needs to be for herself or for Deb? And that Deb needs Ava to not be a shark, because everyone else in Deb's life has tried to bite a chunk out of her or drag her under, and Ava simply protects her even at her own expense if necessary?

This woman dresses as shitty as she can to let DJ sell photos to TMZ so that she can fee "self-sufficient." She will damn well "let" Ava blackmail her too, and she'll say she's doing it for Ava's sake, to let Ava feel powerful or like a shark.

Was her feeling when she sat across the table from Ava one of pride that Ava was being a shark? Or was it the overwhelming feeling of being known and understood, seeing what Ava was doing and feeling so grateful that Ava, like no one else ever could, saw her fear and knew how to push her through it to get them both the ending they wanted.

My brain, it hurts. also they should kiss.

[lost-in-the-bookshelves]

Okay SO Dexter Fic Idea

I read a lot of fanfic but I’ve only written a very small amount myself.

But I’m SO tempted to start a Dexter Fic.

Bc like - I love the show.

And it drives me batty how many of the interpersonal issues could be solved or at least HELPED if anyone on that show would willingly talk about their feelings out loud at any point ever.

But like none of them do! And somewhat understandably! Bc none of them actually know how!

So I really want there to be a character with some emotional intelligence who could go up to these people and be like ‘let’s chat for a minute’ and help them figure out how to talk through some of that rampant emotional turmoil.

Then the gremlin part of my brain is like “but what is the most chaotic way to go about this”.

And I’ve decided the funniest & most chaotic OC with emotional intelligence I could create would be the affair child of Laura Moser & Harry Morgan.

Bc I think the sheer existence of said affair child would make Dex, Deb, and especially Brian’s heads explode simultaneously.

Like just imagine an AU of S1 in which there’s just this gal around Deb’s age who shows up and is sticking her nose into any & all things related to Laura Moser & her death. Bc she knows that was her mom’s name & she had two older brothers, but they all got separated when her mom was horrifically murdered. So she’s just very openly digging into this and bringing up ALL KINDS of secrets from the past & whatnot. They wouldn’t find out that Harry was her Bio dad until later in the season/fic bc I think it’d be most dramatic & upsetting for everyone involved if they find that out only AFTER she’s become friends with everyone.

Also I think Deb would refuse to interact with her if she knew this was her dad’s Affair Baby right off the bat.

And I also just really want Deb to have a sister/female bestie who can be there for her.

I think Dexter would have a strong emotional reaction that he wouldn’t know what to do with, at being faced with a person who is both tied to his Before Family, and his After Family.

And I think Brian’s head would probably explode as he tried to figure out whether it mattered more to him that she was Laura’s daughter or that she was ALSO Harry’s.

[sagittariussupernova]

“And i’d give up forever to touch you”

Summary: Reader and Debra respond to a homicide where the suspect is still in the house. Reader gets shot and Debra comforts her at the hospital.

Paring: Debra Morgan x reader

Word Count: 1,038 words

A/N: This is my first story so sorry if it’s shit!

˖ ࣪⭑ ˑ ִ ֗⸰ 𖥔 ͙ࣳ 𓏲 ๋࣭ ֺ⭑ ˑ ֗ ִ  ˖ ࣪ ִֶָ  ˖ ࣪ ٬ ˖ ࣪⭑ ⸰ 𖥔 ͙ࣳ     

It had started out like any normal call in the station. You, Deb and Angel had been called to investigate a homicide downtown.

The car ride was quiet, with you and Deb smiling softly to each other the whole way there; this helped you to calm down. To make sure you remember that it will all go okay. When you arrive you get out first and hold the door open for her.

“Such a lady!” Debra remarked, laughing at your sweet antics while you do a curtsy, a way to make the job seem less depressing than usual.

As you get led into the crime scene, the three of you go to inspect the body inside the house. The exterior clearly showing the usual signs of wear and tear, clearly been forgotten by its now deceased owner. The man later on the floor, painting the floor with his blood seeping from a hole in his torso. He’d been shot. No matter how many years you had done this job, seeing a dead body never got easier.

“Could you two have a look around the house, see what else you can find?” Angel says, gesturing towards the two of you.

“You got it.” You reply, leading Debra upstairs.

“Think we can run off and have a moment to ourselves?” Debra whispers, her voice making its way to your right ear.

“As much as i’d like to, i don’t quite think Angel would like that.” You answer, both of you now giggling to yourselves.

The house didn’t seem the right fit for a break in. No signs of anything broken. You think back to how one of the police officers had said they had yet to find where the suspect had broken in by and was yet to be found.

You both make your way to the primary bedroom. The yellow door caught the sunlight, making it an obvious place for your eyes to catch first.

Debra made her way to open the slightly ajar door. A flicker of movement catches your eyes, a clash of brown and black; a jacket, possibly from the suspect? you think to yourself. You barely have time to react when Debra opened the door, making direct eye contact with a man who was clearly covered in what was the victims blood. A crimson river running from a small cut underneath his eye, down his neck. The victim must have fought back, you think, a mixture of pride and pity clashing together in your brain.

Fuck.

You saw him reach for his gun, your breath hitched at the thought of her (or yourself) being killed at the hands of this man.

You knew you had no choice. You couldn’t live with yourself if you had to failed to protect her, the one you love more than anything.

You pushed yourself towards Debra, knocking her towards the floor like metal being pulled towards a magnet.

Bang!

The thud of Debra hitting the ground was all you could hear, the aftershocks of the gun going off ringing in your ear. You looked down and saw a pool of red seeping into your (now ruined) blouse. Huh. The red almost didn’t look real, almost as if it was paint, fake.

You feel your body falling to the floor, too weak to keep itself up. You could make out shouting around you. Muffled shouts swirling around, he must’ve escaped, you thought to yourself.

“Shit! You shouldn’t have done that, you should’ve let me get fucking shot!” Debra exclaimed, who was now by your side. You don’t remember her ever looking this beautiful. Her brunette hair tucked behind her ears. Her brown eyes now filling up with tears.

“Hey, it was my decision to do this, i’d protect you any day you know.” You murmured, you didn’t quite know if you’d said it out loud. You feel yourself slipping, Debra’s hands now around your own. The terror in her eyes is the last things you see before the world turns dark.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The repetitive sound of the machine hums softly in your ears. The lights around you too bright, and the room smelling all too familiar of chlorine.

You pull yourself up letting yourself take the surroundings in. Your eyes quickly find Debra sitting on the chair next to your bed. She was still in her work clothes, obviously too worried to go home. Your stomach fills with a warm sense of happiness with the knowledge that you have someone who cares about you deeply.

“Hey sleepyhead.” You say. Your voice still raspy and broken.

“Oh my god, shit you woke up and i missed it!” She looks at you, taking in your weak appearance.

“It’s fine, i’m just glad your here” You say smiling at her. She smiles back, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

She sits up in the chair, reaching her arms out the hold your hands again. “Y’know they said you had a tough time in surgery, the bullet hadn’t gone all the way through. But hey at least on the good side you’ll have a badass scar” She explained.

She starts to ramble on, telling you everything she had found out about the case. That they had found the son of a bitch who had shot you and was now in a jail cell being interrogated. “Fucking justice” were her exact words.

“I’m gonna be fine” You insisted. Knowing she was worrying inside trying to hide it from you.

“You really scared me. I don’t know what i would’ve done if you had died” She confesses softly, not making eye contact and instead made herself look like she was studying a poster in the room.

“But i didn’t. And you’re not gonna be able to get rid of me that easily” You promise, now laughing and squeezing her hand to prove it.

You shuffle across the hospital bed and pat the now empty space next you. She get up and lays down next to you. She puts her chin on your shoulder and her hand over your steady beating heart. A way to make sure you don’t get taken away from her again.

“I love you so much” She whispers, pushing your now tangled hair behind your ears.

And it that moment you know that she will always be there, and you would be to. Always together and always protected.

[wistfulwatcher]

I found kinda funny Ava saying "you shouldn't have done that you should have fired me and kept the show" and like, i do believe that she's sincere, she is insanely devoted to Deb, even when she is heartbroken by her or kinda"hates" her, but like, girl you almost had a meltdown in the thought that she didn't mean what she said. But i also found it interesting because she was desperate for D to choose her, to have this kind of affirmation from her, but she is afraid to say it out loud again

NO EXACTLY like I agree, I truly do believe Ava was being sincere once it had already been done. But had it gone the other way, I don't think Ava would ever have been able to get over Deborah choosing the show over Ava. There would have been the reasonable part of her that could identify that losing late night full stop was different than the threat of losing late night that drove her to rescind the writing offer. But a much bigger part of her would just have been hurt for many many years, far beyond the chance to repair their relationship.

I do think that part of her sincerity too, is the fear now that, once the resolve of this choice has worn off, that Deborah will resent her for the choice. Deborah's blamed her in fits of career frustration so many times, that I think it's super valid for Ava to fear that neither choice Deborah made would allow their relationship to survive, and she cares enough about Deborah that she'd rather hate Deborah than have Deborah hate her???

[sunnysideprincess]

"What happens to him," she asks the hunched soldier next to her. They are both watching Tony play with the dog, happy and loud in a way he could never be around Howard.

"Nothing," Steve says, eyes hard and jaw tight. "Nothing will happen to him here."

Peggy doesn't want to think of this as a threat. But it feels like one. A threat handed to the whole universe. Bare and menacing. So much that even the stars might shudder.

"Not on my watch."

[lizzieislife94x]

Damn It! Pt.2 (e.o)

Requested <3

LizzieG!PxFem Reader

Couple of people wanted a pt.2 so here ya go 😇

Y/ns POV:

I hold my stomach stopping all movements as I feel slightly nauseous the feeling quickly passing "y/n hello y/n!" I'm snapped out of my thoughts with a worried looking lizzie "yeah I'm ok just a second of not feeling good it's passed" I smile reassuring her with my hand on her cheek and a gentle kiss on her lips "thank you for your concern miss olsen" I tease with a smirk as she bites her lip "behave" she whispers pulling me close her lips ghosting mine "that's a bit hard miss olsen when you do things like this" I whisper closing my eyes waiting for to kiss me my wait very short as her lips come crashing against mine "I'm so glad you decided to fuck me last month work has become better than it ever was" I grin as she slaps my ass "even though I make you cum like a slut I still need you to get that sexy little ass in gear and go grab the files from debs on the 5th floor princess" I nod and bite my lip "ok mommy" I say as I turn and walk towards the door a sudden dizzy feeling taking over me as my body sways suddenly going limp "fuck that was close what happened y/n are you ok talk to me babe" I come round to a panicked teary lizzie "I'm ok I don't feel so good though " I mumble as she looks at me relief washing over her as she quickly helps me up carrying me to the couch laying me down gently "you scared me honey" she whispers kissing my head "I feel weird should I be scared, I felt sick about half an hour ago" lizzie plays with my hair "do you take funny turns when you're due your periods honey" I look at her and shake my head "no I never have any issu... oh fuck" I say a little to loud scaring lizzie "what" I sit up holding my stomach "my period should have been here almost 3 weeks ago" I say as I completely forgot about them "wait sick and dizzy no period, fuck" I look at her and frown "you knocked me up you horny fucker" I say as I slap her leg she looks at me shocked before standing up "hey it takes 2 to make a baby" she laughs "you wanted to fill me if you remember " I say standing up walking towards her my arousal starting as I think about our first time "I told you I wasn't on birth control" she looks like a deer in headlights as I try not to laugh pushing her onto the couch "so yes you are the horny fucker who couldn't keep it in her pants" with that I climb ontop of her surprised to feel her hard cock pressing against my covered cunt "now I'm litterly full of your seed carrying your child" I whisper against her lips as I feel her cock throb "fuck I can't lie I'm really fucking happy" she confesses as I kiss her, her hands wrapping around me as it quickly turns heated "fuck me mommy" I pant against her lips as quickly flips us pressing my back against the couch "no no no.. mom..my" I moan "I want to be on top I wanna slide down your dick then you can take over" I grin as she stands pushing her pants and boxers down "anything for you sweetheart" she quickly sits as her cock stands hard the sight making me wetter "come sit on mommy's cock sweetheart "

I bite my lip as I climb over her a leg at each side of her leg as her cock tip brushes against my core "fuck I always forget how big you are mommy " I whimper as she helps line her dick up with my entrance "there you go baby sit like a good girl " I nod as I start to sink slowly onto her dick my eyes shutting as we both moan lizzies hands moving to my ass gripping tight "fuck that feels so fucking good princess your pussy is so fucking tight and wet and" she stops leaning to my ear "mine all mine" I open my eyes as I start to bounce a little faster "all yours mommy I'm all yours" I squeal as her cock hits deep inside me my hands gripping her shoulders tightly "that's the spot that makes you squirt" she smirks as I roll my eyes I hate that she knows me so well knows my body so well but I also fucking love it "I want you to bounce baby mommy wants to make that pussy cum don't worry I'll help you bounce" I nod trying to hold back my moans as I start to bounce faster lizzie using my ass to help me bounce faster "fuck that's it princess just like that Holy shit" she moans as I continue to bounce the sounds of my wetness echoing with our moans "I.. I.. fuck mommy so close" I feel my bouncing getting sloppy as my orgasm threatens to snap, I rest my head against her shoulder still bouncing as I moan into her ear her cock pulsing inside me letting me know she's close too, I let out a surprised yelp as she holds me up taking over the thrusts her thrusts faster and harder than I could manage "fuck gonna fill that pussy every day of our lives baby " I nod as the pleasure takes over me lizzie fucking me with no mercy as my orgasm snaps "cumming mommy!!!!!!" I scream out as I gush all over her cock after to final slams lizzie pulls me down making her cock burry deep inside me as she shoots her hot sticky load deep inside me I hold her tighter my head buried in her neck both of us moaning and panting her arms wrapping around me "fuck" she mumbles as I sit up slightly to look at her "no condoms or protection when we fuck everyday?" I question hoping she agrees "that is up to you my love I will respect whatever you want it's your body, you're the one who will have to go through 9 months of pregnancy" I feel my heart melt "I love you" I cover my mouth as the words slip out lizzie looking at me shocked and amused "I love you too princess" with that she kisses me after 10 seconds I pull away "just to clarify I don't want protection I want all of you and I'm willing to take the risks if we have a few kids I'm ok with that" I say leaning my head against hers as I look at her with love I really do love this woman "you are something else and I fucking love it, I love you princess " I smile as I cuddle into her as she cuddles into me.

AN: another update damn yall are being spoiled 🙄 🤣 hope yall enjoy remember all feedback is welcomed and appreciated I also want to say thank you to the people who always vote on my one shots it really does mean alot to me yall are fucking amazing 👏 remember drink water stay hydrated my loves, word count 1.2k

[fictionalcharactersaremypassion]

That Time Franny's Uncles Made Her Birthday Better

This does contain Debbie bashing. Anyway, carry on!

---

Lately, Ian was trying out new recipes he'd found online, most of which his husband grumbled about. Mickey had simple taste, none of which wanted anything to do with the healthier dishes Ian was wanting to incorporate into their diet. 

Unfortunately, time might have gotten away from him while trying out this one. He stared down at the pan full of charred chicken and vegetables in dismay. 

“Guess we're ordering pizza, Chef Boyardee?” Mickey drawled. 

Ian scowled, shoving the pan into the sink and turning on the cold water. 

“This wouldn't have happened if you didn't distract me.” 

As expected, Mickey wasn't remorseful at all. If anything, he seemed proud, smirking as he came around the countertop to stand in front of Ian. 

“Didn't see you trying to stop me,” Mickey hooked his thumbs in between Ian's jeans. 

Already sensing where this was going, Ian placed his hands over his husband's. “We can’t,” he mumbled, eyes closing automatically when his lips were captured in a soft kiss. They shouldn’t, not when they’ll be heading to Debbie’s apartment for Franny’s twelfth birthday party. But he could feel his resistance crumbling with the way his husband’s hands traveled up his back, the kiss deepening until he wasn’t sure which one of them had moaned out loud. 

“Tell me to stop, Red,” Mickey said, a wicked undertone that was too damn sexy for his own good. 

All of Ian’s common sense, pointing out that they were short on time, flew out the window. He shoved Mickey against the counter, the kiss rougher than before. His husband was steadily unzipping his jeans, and started to pull them down when the doorbell echoed, effectively interrupting the moment. 

“Fucking hell,” Mickey hissed. Ian reluctantly pulled away, making himself look presentable again. “If it’s that on site manager bitch again, I’m gonna fucking explode.” 

He threw open the door, and from Ian could see, all his anger evaporated right away the second he realized who was there. 

“Franny?” Ian said in surprise, coming around to stand with Mickey. 

Their niece smiled weakly at them, using the end of one of her sleeves on her oversized hoodie to wipe away her tears. “Is it okay if I crash with you guys for a bit?” 

They don’t hesitate to let her in. 

“What’s up, Kid?” Mickey asked after he shut the door. He wasn’t showing it, but Ian could see for himself how concerned he was. “Thought you’d be at home.” 

“I was,” Franny shrugged, taking in a shaky deep breath. 

The two men glanced at each other, wondering what could have possibly sent her over here at this time of day. The sun had already started to set and Debs’ apartment was a little further out than they’d want her to be walking to get over here. Just wasn’t as safe as it used to be for them-if it’d ever really been that way. 

“Why don’t you go wash your face?” Ian suggested. Her eyes were swollen, bright red, standing out against her normally pale skin. 

She nodded without a word, closing the door to the bathroom behind her. 

“The fuck is wrong with her?” Mickey had lowered his voice so Franny wouldn’t hear. 

“I don’t know. I just hope it’s not what I think it is,” Ian said, causing Mickey’s eyebrows to furrow in confusion. 

His sister and Franny were getting more argumentative lately. Some of it, he suspected, was normal mother-daughter spats. Franny was on the cusp of becoming a teenager, seeking out independence and being her own person. 

Not that it could all be blamed on that. Debbie was his sister and as much as he loved her, Ian knew very well that she wasn’t always the greatest mother. Not with her tendency to force her own interests on her daughter, completely disregarding what Franny wanted, or putting her happiness before that of her daughter. 

Ian put on a small smile when Franny came back out, quiet and avoiding meeting their eyes. 

“I didn’t know you guys were about to have dinner,” she was referencing the oven which was still counting down. Ian had forgotten to turn it off after taking out the ruined meal. 

“We’re not,” Ian shook his head. 

“Your least favorite uncle burnt the fuck out of it,” Mickey said, trying to lighten the mood. Franny didn’t react to it like he’d hoped. “Come on, little Red, what’s up with you?” 

It seemed like a switch had been flipped; Franny was hesitant, chewing on her lip. “It’s not a big deal.” 

“It’s big enough that you came here,” Ian pointed out. When Franny’s lip trembled, her eyes going glossy again, he guided her to the couch so she could sit down. He was next to her with Mickey plopped down on the arm. “You can tell us anything, Franny. You know that.” 

Their little niece buried her face in her hoodie sleeves that covered her hands, shoulders shaking when she let out a quiet sob. “Mom forgot my birthday.” 

A surge of anger shot through Ian, but he kept himself under control. He knew Mickey was just as furious, and placed a hand on his thigh to remind him not to explode right now. “She did?” 

Franny nodded, sniffling. 

“Who’s she fucking now?” Mickey demanded. 

Ian pursed his lips. That was another one of Debs’ problems. She went from woman to woman in search of a lifelong partner. Unfortunately, she had a habit of choosing the wrong kind of woman; the irresponsible kind who yearned for fun and recklessness and wanted no part in being part of Debbie’s life for more than a couple months. Or, she drove them away like she had with Sandy. 

She laughed humorlessly. “You’d think that was the problem, right? No, she’s just working a lot. Had some client she was meeting almost an hour away. She said there’s hot pockets in the freezer for me to eat if I got hungry.” 

Mickey was openly scowling by now.

“Does she know she forgot?” Ian asked. “I thought you were having a party later?” 

“I thought so too,” Franny muttered. “Guess not. I said something and then she remembered but she was already on her way out so...” 

“So you came here,” Ian finished. 

“After we...got into it,” Franny ducked her head like she expected them to scold her for it. 

“Eh, she deserved it,” Mickey shrugged. 

“Mickey,” Ian muttered, although he didn’t really disagree. 

“Don’t Mickey me, Gallagher. You know it’s true.” 

Franny laughed wetly. It was soft, brief but it was a good sign nonetheless. 

“You know what the worst part is? I kind of expected it. She’s been constantly working. I barely even see her anymore, not that it’s such a bad thing...” 

Her voice drifted off towards the end, sounding unusually bitter. 

“What does that mean?” Ian asked softly. 

“Nothing,” Franny clammed up, shaking her head. 

Mickey wordlessly got off the arm of the couch to sit next to her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders, and she instinctively leaned into his side. Ian’s heart warmed to see this. He loved the close relationship those two had ever since Franny was really young. 

“Not gonna work, kid,” Mickey told her. “You’re gonna have to spill eventually.” 

Franny wiped away the remaining tears on her face, she’d been calmer these past few minutes. She glanced up at him, suddenly looking much younger than she was. “It’s just...” She struggled to get the words out, “Mom doesn’t like my style.” 

Franny was a tomboy through and through. Ian had thought after the princess party went wrong, Debbie would have backed off. Sandy even mentioned sometime after that she’d admitted the whole thing had been for herself anyway. 

That was just the tip of the iceberg, he’d soon learned. 

Debbie continued to pick out clothes her daughter despised, clothes she would have worn at her age. She was desperately hoping Franny might change her mind and join in on the girly activities she tried to introduce to her. Ian didn’t think that was going to happen anytime soon. 

Franny much preferred her oversized t-shirts and ripped jeans. 

“She was nagging me about that pink sweater she bought me two weeks ago. She knows I don’t wear pink or sweaters!” Franny said, frustrated. 

With the arm that had been around her, Mickey ruffled her hair. “Give it to us, Little Red, We’ll take care of it.” 

“Really?” Franny looked up at him with hope. 

Ian was giving him a look as well. Really? 

“Really,” Mickey confirmed. “It’ll give us something to give to the brat two doors down.” 

Ian rolled his eyes. He’d agreed on their behalf to attend the woman’s daughter’s birthday party. “We need to start being sociable, Mickey.” 

“Fuck that.” 

Franny scooted closer to Mickey, seeking more comfort. “I just don’t get why Mom hates what I wear.” 

“Peppermint Patty has issues,” Mickey said with a shrug. “Don’t let it get you down, Franny.” 

“Kinda hard not to when she’s telling me how much prettier I could be if I tried.” And fuck, Franny looked defeated, like her mother's words were really sinking in. 

“There’s nothing wrong with how you look,” Ian told her firmly.  “And there’s nothing wrong with your clothes either.” 

“Yeah,” Mickey nudged her, nodding at her Black Sabbath hoodie. “You got some good taste. Surprisingly.” 

Franny rolled her eyes, a smile peeking out. “Uncle Mickey, have you ever even listened to them?” 

“Kid, I was listening to metal before you were born,” Mickey smirked. 

Ian observed them for a moment or two. He didn’t want to have to send her back to the apartment, knowing she would be there all alone and on her birthday no less. “Franny,” he addressed her, “why don't we have a party for you now? Just the three of us.” 

He looked past her, right at Mickey. His husband was on board immediately. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah,” Ian nodded. “You pick what you want for dinner and Uncle Mickey can go get you a cake. We already have your gifts. No reason why we can’t do this tonight.” 

The bright smile he got from Franny made him smile too. 

“Okay,” she said happily. “Cool. Uh...can we have pizza?” 

“You got it,” Ian said with a grin. “Chocolate cake okay with you?” 

Franny agreed. That was her ultimate favorite. 

“You guys are the best,” she said when Mickey grabbed his keys, preparing to leave. 

Twenty minutes later, their stomachs were full. Mickey, being the softie he was, had also grabbed two kinds of ice cream for her. God, he loved that man. 

Franny was beaming the whole time, dunking her pizza into the ranch, listening intently to one of Mickey’s less traumatic childhood stories. She thought I spy, you shoot was hilarious, and he’d looked back at Ian with visible smugness. 

Finally, it was time for her to open her gifts. 

It wasn’t hard to tell who had given her what- Ian’s wrapping was much neater than Mickey’s. 

Franny was ecstatic to find four books from that horror series she liked to read. Her excitement continued when she opened Mickey’s- a new black hoodie. 

“This one’s from both of us,” Ian pointed at the last one, a semi long box. 

“Oh my God!” 

Franny pulled out a skateboard. She’d been wanting one for a while now, eager to learn how to ride it. 

“Thank you! Thank you!” She shrieked, lunging at them, hugging them both tightly. “This is the best gift ever! I love you guys so much!” 

Ian laughed, kissing her on the head. “We love you too, Franny.” 

“Just remember this was your favorite uncle’s idea,” Mickey interjected, holding her for a few seconds longer. 

“It was our idea,” Ian snorted. 

Franny couldn’t stop smiling. It was stretched across her face. “Can I go ride it now?” 

“Sure,” Mickey agreed, already slipping on his jacket again. 

“Can you get a picture of me doing it, Uncle Ian?” Franny asked on their way out the door. “I wanna show my friends.” 

He’d deal with the fallout and Debbie tomorrow. He knew she’d probably bitch about Franny being but Ian couldn’t care less about that right now. 

“Sure, thing, Franny.”  ---

Might make one more chapter where Ian and Mickey deal with Debbie's wrath (and they lay into her for how she's treating her daughter)

[madsworld15]

Just Know I Learned to Hide It Well Part 2 (Brian/Justin WIP)

This portion takes place right after my previous post and is still Brian POV. If he seems out of character know that it’s intentional since I feel the writers really dropped the ball on his emotional growth by s4.

But then, Vic died, and everything got pushed to the side in favor of making sure Deb and Mikey felt supported in their grief. Vic’s death hit me hard, but I still couldn’t admit that out loud to anyone. So, instead, I used my blunt but honest way of speaking, which got me thrown out. I had hoped Justin would leave with me, but even he seemed angry at me. My head spun, trying to identify if he was mad at me or the world in general.

That night, instead of going back to Babylon and picking up a trick like I so desperately wanted, I stayed in my loft drinking Beam and trying not to think too much about all the pain around me. I wasn’t sure that Justin would come here after he was done at Deb’s, but my heart hoped for it. In fact, I couldn’t stop myself from continually looking over my shoulder toward the door as I pretended to work on an upcoming campaign for Eyeconic Optics.

Around midnight, my door slid open, and Justin came in without a word. By that time, I had retired to my bed with a joint and a bottle of water. I was still thinking heavily about what Ted had said the day before. Justin fits himself into other people’s worlds instead of making his own. I thought about how Justin was currently camping out on Daphne’s couch instead of using his Rage money to rent an apartment of his own. It seemed as though Ted’s observation had been right. I just couldn’t figure out why Justin refused to make a world for himself.

Justin scrambled onto the bed and wordlessly took the joint from my fingers. He leaned back on his pillow and exhaled smoke. It lingered in the air between us as I continued to ponder Justin’s motives and desires, and he lay there deep in his own thoughts. Then, I heard a sniffle from his side of the bed, and I turned.

Justin was crying. Not the typical quiet tears that you’d find in someone who’d lost a person they knew but weren’t extremely close to. I knew Justin had lived with Vic when he was at Deb’s right before the bashing, but I’d never gotten the impression that the two had bonded all that much. But here he was, sobbing so hard his nose was also running. Without another thought, I pulled him against my chest and held him close. I let him cry until he was ready to talk or sleep, whichever he preferred.

Justin eventually pulled his arms up to wrap around me and squeezed us closer together. The young man seemed to be unable to stop his emotions from spilling over. Not for the first time, I wondered how much of this was related to Vic’s passing and how much was an emotional release regarding his past trauma. (Don’t get weird on me. I do know certain psychology terms. In fact, I see a guy every once in a while who offers me a few insights.)

Finally, Justin turned his head so that he lay against my chest and stared toward my closet and attached bathroom. His fingers started to doodle things on my arm as he tried to steady his breathing, most likely muddling through his thoughts to create a coherent sentence. I let my hands run up and down his back, hoping it would help him calm down.

“Deb’s still mad at you, by the way.” Justin finally muttered.

I groaned both at how stubborn Deb was being and at Justin’s refusal to open up about anything of importance. But, then again, he learned from the master – me.

“You know, Vic would agree with me. He was damn lucky to have been given those years. And I’m not going to take back my words to make someone feel better.” A silence fell between us before I added, “But I’m sorry you had to face the family alone.”

“It wasn’t so bad. I mostly sat in the kitchen while Em flitted around making food.” What he didn’t say, but I knew to be true, was he sat in the kitchen because everyone crammed into the living room was too much for him.

Justin started to kiss my neck and then pulled back my shirt and kissed my clavicle. I knew where he was headed, so I stopped him. I didn’t want to have sex. I tried to get him to talk. But I also didn’t want him to think I was rejecting him because that would make everything that much worse.

“I was thinking. What would you say to have half of the closet back to store your clothes? And why don’t you set up a space here for your art? I could get you whatever you need.” My eyes followed his every move as he processed what I was saying.

“Are you asking me to move in permanently?” Justin looked like he wanted to bolt. Before Ethan, that question would have been enthusiastic; now, it just made him uneasy.

“I’m saying I want you around as much as you can handle. I want you to feel like you belong here because you do.” I rubbed my hand up and down his back in comfort.

Justin bit his lip and looked around the loft. “But this is your place. I don’t want to be in the way of your tricks.”

The tail end of his statement stung a little. I know he meant well because I did still occasionally pick up tricks. Mostly out of boredom while I waited for him to get off the graveyard shift at the diner. But I digress. Ted’s words echoed in my mind as I worked out the right words to say to keep him comfortable.

Have you ever considered that Justin molds himself to fit into other people’s worlds instead of demanding that others fit to him?

“What would make you most comfortable when you are here? I don’t want you to ever think you are in my way. Because you’re not.” I made sure my hand was on his back as I spoke to him to be sure he knew he was loved and wanted.

“But you don’t want me to move in.” Justin’s tone was broken and forlorn. I truly didn’t know what to make of him in this state.

“I didn’t say that. I am simply giving you control over what you want. I know you don’t want to be alone, or else you would’ve used your Rage money and gotten your own place instead of crashing on Daphne’s couch. If you’d much rather be here, I’m telling you that I wouldn’t mind it either.” I moved my hand from his back to his cheek, cupping it gently as my thumb rubbed his skin to soothe his racing thoughts.

“Can I decide later?” Justin whispered, turning his body away from me. It was a sure sign that he wasn’t in the mood to continue our conversation. So, instead of responding, I reached out and pulled him back down so that we were lying in each other’s arms once again.

I rubbed my hand through his hair as I felt his breaths even out against my chest. My mind was still racing, unable to stop. I wanted Justin to open up, but it seemed that all the things that had happened between us in the almost 3 years since we’d met had forever affected his ability to fully trust what I was saying to him. I will never admit it out loud, but that hurt more than him leaving me for the fiddler.

Eventually, I fell asleep, soothed by the sound of Justin’s breathing and the weight of him.

—

Two days after Vic died, Justin seemed to have perked up a bit. He was back to joking and laughing. He’d even given me an answer about making my loft a bit more of a joint space for the two of us. He’d done so by bringing his computer back to the loft along with a small desk that he’d bought for himself. Justin still hadn’t brought any of his clothes or personal care items, but I knew that the computer was a huge step toward him being with me more permanently.

We were enjoying an after-work sex session. It was so nice to finally feel the tendrils in my mind unfurl at the mere touch of the one person I would ever allow access to my body more than my standard couple of times. Justin was the only person I would ever allow inside the walls that guarded my most intimate thoughts and feelings. He was the only one who knew every inch of me better than even my most favorite of tricks.

���Uhh, Brian?” Justin repositioned himself away from my cock midblow job.

I looked down at him without adjusting my position. Looking at him through my lashes was always something that I kept stored in my memory to look back on when I was jerking myself off, and he wasn’t there. Only, this time, he wasn’t shining up at me with his usual enthusiasm. This time, he was looking at me very concerned. That alone forced me to sit up, putting a bit of distance between us. Something was up. My mind immediately jumped to Justin, deciding he wanted to leave me for good this time. It didn’t matter that this particular thought was extremely irrational, considering what we were in the middle of doing.

I couldn’t find my voice, so I simply raised an eyebrow at him in question. Justin got the idea and immediately started to speak once more.

“Were you aware that you have a sort of lump on your ball?” Justin looked nervous as hell as if he expected me to lash out. Which considering my emotionally immature history, he wasn’t wrong.

“A what?” I managed to croak out. My mind raced with fear over what the lump could be. Lumps on body parts were never a good thing.

“A, um, lump. It’s about this big.” Justin held up his hand, two of his fingers connected to make a smallish circle.

I leaned forward and placed my hands on his shoulders, “No, but I promise I’ll get it looked at. It’s probably nothing.”

I then got up and walked toward the bathroom. Justin had enough going on in his own head; he didn’t need my insane thoughts, too. But the young blond followed me closely. I knew he was probably switching into that annoying caretaker mode that he loved so much. I also didn’t have the heart to turn him away. Now that I was more open to admitting that he was important to me, I had found that I wasn’t as prickly about him seeing me when I was not my best.

“Brian?” Justin finally spoke as I leaned into the shower to turn on the water stream. I didn’t respond. Instead, I silently looked at him and nodded my head toward the shower. I wanted him in the shower with me even if I wasn’t ready to talk about the possible problem we’d just discovered.

Justin nodded silently, understanding, and rubbed his hand on my back as he followed me inside. Under the water, we both looked at each other before connecting our mouths in a way only the two of us knew. Feeling the love and support ooze from him with every move of his mouth on mine reminded me why it was never a challenge for me to agree to only kiss him on the lips. Even when we were broken up, I couldn’t bring myself to kiss anyone else because, after him, nothing was ever quite as good.

I was in the midst of washing his back when Justin finally spoke again. I knew he would eventually. If I was the epitome of walls and silence, Justin was openness and communication – usually.

“What if it’s cancer?” Justin’s voice was wet, and I knew it was from more than just the shower stream. Without responding, I wrapped my arms around his chest and pulled him against my own. I kissed the side of his head before I nuzzled his neck.

“Then, I’ll deal with it.” I finally whispered. “It’s all going to be fine.”

Justin turned in my arms so that we were now eye to eye. His gaze wandered across my face. “How can you say that when your dad died from cancer?”

I kissed him again, this time on the forehead. “Sunshine, my father ignored his health, and so the cancer spread beyond the point of help. I swear, when we get out of the shower, I will call my doctor and see what he says.”

“On a Saturday?” Justin looked unconvinced.

“You know, most doctors still practice on the weekends.” I ruffled his hair and reached behind him to turn off the water.

“Can I go with you?” Justin asked, his voice soft and timid.

I tossed his towel at him and started to dry off my own body as I thought over how I wanted to respond. If this had been before our breakup, I wouldn’t have even hesitated to push him away from something so intimate. But now we’d been through hell and back together, and for some reason, I found I could trust him better than I ever did Mikey. I found my heart aching for Justin to be there while I got the news, one way or the other.

“Sure.” I shrugged to make it seem like this wasn’t as monumental for our relationship as it was.

“Seriously?” Justin lit up like I hadn’t seen him do in weeks. He bounced up and down, pulling on my arm.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it, or I will retract the invite.” I rolled my eyes and turned to my closet to change.

By the time I had carefully selected a comfortable pair of jeans with one of the soft t-shirts I never wore out in public and had called my doctor to make an appointment, Justin was sitting at his computer, dressed and already immersed in some kind of art piece.

I smiled to myself while watching him work. His intense focus whenever he was creating made my chest ache in the most comforting way. I’d long wondered why he did that to me in the midst of art, but I was too terrified to put it into words.

I walked over to his desk and leaned over to nuzzle his neck once more. The smell at the point where his neck and shoulders met was always my favorite. It put my mind at ease every single time, though I would never tell him that. Or maybe I will someday.

“Monday morning at 9. What are you doing?” I finally asked, trying to gauge how committed he was to attend my appointment with me.

“I have a class, but honestly, I can skip it. It’s art history, and let’s just say I already read the entire textbook.” Justin turned slightly to kiss my nose with a smirk.

“Of course you have.” I roll my eyes, pretty sure Justin could detect that I did so fondly. “What do you say about going to the oncologist with me?”

Justin turned his computer off and gave me his full attention. I stepped back to give him room to get out of his chair. I watched him, nervous that he would go back on his offer. Even if I would never say it out loud, I was scared, and the idea of him being there made me happier than I ever thought possible.

“You were serious about letting me join you?” Justin looked incredulous.

“I never say or do anything I don’t want to.” I shrugged as if my response was remotely close to satisfactory.

Justin approached me, a smile growing on his face, and he wrapped his arms around my neck, locking me in place.

“Of course, I’ll come with you.” Then Justin laid his head against my chest, and we just stood there in silence for a bit. It was nice just existing with him. No expectations needed.

We spent the rest of the weekend dividing our time between Justin’s work hours, family obligations, and Lindsay begging me to come to the park with her and Gus. By the time Sunday night rolled around, Mikey was at the loft begging me to go to Babylon with him while Justin was across the room working on a project for school. Despite them making demands of him, I was glad Justin had finally decided to go back to school.

“Come on, Brian!” Michael whined. “You haven’t been to Babylon since before Vic died.”

“I’ve been grieving.” I deadpan, my gaze sweeping over to Justin, who snorted just as I finished speaking.

“Sure, you have.” Mikey looked between us enviously. Then he leaned over the kitchen counter so he could whisper to me without Justin hearing. “I thought you guys were keeping it casual.”

I look at Michael and then shake my head, “Mikey, what I do in my own time is none of your business. If I want Justin to suck me off all weekend long, then I’m allowed to. We are both consenting adults.”

“Barely,” Mikey whined again. “You never come out with me anymore.”

“You have your own hubby and child now, Mikey. I wouldn’t want to take you away from them.” I snark in a way that I hope will get Mikey to leave. The longer I watched Justin create, the more I wanted to make him come undone on my bed.

“They’re at some HIV group thing tonight.” Mikey shrugged. “Come on, I’m sure Babylon is much better than just staying home with him.”

Justin got up from his computer and stretched his arms above his head. Then, he brought his hands together to massage his damaged one. I strode from the kitchen, ignoring Mikey’s jab at Justin. I gently took his hand in mine and started to massage it like he always liked. Without a word, I knew the pain was slowly receding as he looked into my eyes, and we silently communicated.

“Mikey, my answer is no. Please leave.” I responded after some time, still not taking my eyes off Justin.

We heard the door open and then slam close. My eyes never once left Justin’s, which means I caught when he ever so subtly relaxed in Michael’s absence.

“You know he’s just…” I stopped myself, unsure how to explain what Mikey was doing.

“Brian,” Justin cupped my cheek to focus me, “It’s fucking Mikey. I never take what he says to heart. At least not anymore. He knows you’ll never love him, but he can’t handle you actually loving someone else.”

“Is that what you think this is, Sunshine,” I smirked and put my tongue in my cheek.

Justin didn’t respond, instead, he kissed me deeply on the mouth. I gave his tongue entrance, and soon we were wrapped up in each other, Mikey a mere memory. Before I wanted it to, the kiss ended. Justin smirked up at me and patted my bicep.

He walked back toward the desk to continue his art but turned slightly to respond, “Whether you want to admit it or not, you love me.”

And you know what, I do. Woah, that’s a terrifying thought.

The next morning, Justin was up long before our joint alarm, so I knew he was just as nervous about this appointment as I was. I was never a naturally comforting person, so I was at a loss for how to reassure him while my own fears were building up. My mind turned to Deb and how she always seemed to know the right thing to say. I couldn’t come up with anything. Instead, I got up and found him staring out of the bay of windows. I quietly walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his torso, letting my chin fall on his shoulder. It was one of our favorite ways to comfort each other without speaking.

“What if you have cancer?” Justin’s question from a few days ago comes out of his mouth once more. He says it very quietly with as much caution as I’ve ever heard in his tone.

I squeezed him even closer to my chest so he could feel my heart beating against his back. Then, with a kiss on his neck, I responded.

“Then I’ll have cancer. What’s one more thing for us to handle?”

Justin fell silent once more, but I didn’t push him to respond. I wanted him to process all his thoughts and then speak to me.

“Maybe I shouldn’t go today. If it’s bad news, you’ll want to sit with it for a while before you tell me. Like always.” Justin shrugged away from my embrace and plopped down on the couch. I ran my hand down my face before I turned around to face him.

“I wouldn’t have told you to come if I didn’t want you there.” I didn’t sit down; based on Justin’s body language, he needed some space right now. “I know I’ve been guarded in the past. But, I thought we were past all that after what happened with Stockwell.”

Justin sighed and then looked up at me; his eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He angrily wiped at them to make them retreat. Something was bothering him, making him emotionally vulnerable, but he didn’t want to talk about it. I needed to do something fast if I hoped to salvage what little ground I felt we had made since he found the lump. I crossed the room in three quick steps and sat down, angled toward him with our knees making contact.

“Justin, what’s going on?” I reached out to hold his hand, but he moved it away.

“Ever since I was running around with Cody, I haven’t been able to get Chris Hobbs out of my head, and then my thoughts morph into a version where you break up with me.” He paused to take a few deep breaths. “I know in here,” he pointed to his chest, “That you wouldn’t do that. Just like you wouldn’t stop me if I left. But,” He shrugged and stopped speaking. It was as if he’d lost his nerve.

Then he pointed to his head, “But up here, it tells me all the time that I’m a waste of space. That you think I’m always in the way. That no one really wants me. After all, if my parents, who are supposed to love me no matter what, could abandon me, how can I rely on anyone else?”

It was the most he had ever spoken to me about his mental health and how he felt. I knew that in the past, I hadn’t been very receptive to feelings or emotions. It made me feel good knowing that he now trusted me to hear his issues and not react badly.

“Sunshine. You are never a waste of space, and I will never think you are in the way. I l-” I faltered on that one four-letter word that came so easily to so many but not to me. “I care about you. I have for a very long time.” Then I pulled him into another hug, this time I made sure he could feel every breath I took.

“Let’s get ready for my appointment. I figure we could have some fun in the shower.” I winked at him with a mischievous smile. Justin just shook his head and smiled at me.

[myocsfanfictions]

South Side Story

Shameless Fanfiction Season 1

Desna Hills has come living in the Southside of Chicago four years before. Taken in by Kev and V, Desna is close friends with the Gallaghers. Let's see how this Southside story unfolds.

MASTERLIST

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CHAPTER 10

They were all in Gallagher’s living room, and each one of them was talking on the phone, asking whoever they could reach if they had spoken to or seen Frank.

Desna had been calling every single person she had on her phone, but no one had come across the man. She didn’t know how to take that information; it could be a good sign that maybe he was just passed out under a bridge or at the side of the road or in an old abandoned house; he did that sometimes. But it could even mean that if he hadn’t been seen, it was because he could be dead as well.

Suddenly, a noise made them all turn towards the window, just to see the phone V was using being pulled back from the window.

“Motherfucker!” Veronica exclaimed before running out of the house. Probably, Kev had woken up.

“Anything?” Fiona asked.

But nobody had seen Frank from the night before. How was this even possible? He was loud, rude, and bothersome, so someone must have seen him.

Their attention was caught by Debbie, who started to cry. Poor baby, even if her father was an asshole, she could not stop loving him. Desna walked closer to her as Fiona tried to soothe her, “Don’t worry, Debs,” she said, “We are going to find him.”

Desna was really hoping that Frank Gallagher hadn’t died on his kids.

“We split up,” Fiona said, looking at all her siblings, “All the regular spots, okay?”

Desna’s phone buzzed in her hand to alert her that someone had just sent her a text.

“Shit,” she muttered, before walking to Fiona, “Fi, I’m sorry, Kev asked for me to help him today,” Fiona touched her arm, shaking her head.

“It's okay; you’ve done a lot,” she said, and Desna touched her hand to try to comfort her.

“The Alibi is a regular spot,” Desna said, trying to sound encouraging, “I’ll keep my eyes open.”

“Thank you,” Fiona said before turning towards her sibling to decide where they would have to go. Desna took her bag and jacket and headed to the door, but as she did, she didn’t miss the look that Lip was giving her. He had his arms crossed as he observed her, but when their eyes met, he turned away, giving his attention back to his sister.

“Finally!” Kev exclaimed as Desna entered the bar, frowning at his tone.

“Whoa! What got you all worked up?” She asked as she put her bag down behind the counter.

“Bills get higher, no fucking phone, had a fight with V, want for me to go on?” Kev answered as he moved past her to go to the back of the bar.

“Then go home, fuck her, and come back with less steam!” Desna protested before noticing her colleague looking at her. “Hey, Jess,” she greeted her with a small smile.

“Someone is nervous,” the woman said, owning a glare from Desna, who took a rag to go and clean some tables. She looked around to study the faces of all the customers: Tommy drinking at the counter, Billy sleeping on the counter, four men laughing loudly in the corner of the hall, a woman drinking her beer, her eyes glued on the TV, clients waving to Desna’s direction to make an order, but there was no trace of Frank Gallagher.

“Jess?” Desna said, walking back towards the counter. The woman looked up as she was cleaning a glass.

“What?”

“Did you happen to see Frank Gallagher today?” She asked. Jess seemed to think about it, but then she shook her head.

“No, didn’t see him,” Desna scoffed before thanking her. She took a look at her cell phone, but there were no calls or texts. It was becoming worrying. How could it be possible that no one had seen the man? Where the fuck was he? Did he leave the fucking country?

“Des! Clients!” Kev shouted, and Desna turned to him with wide eyes.

“The fuck, Kev!” She argued back, “You wanna argue with me as well?”

“Can we stop thinking about fucking Gallaghers for a day or two?!” He asked in exasperation.

“That’s why you argued with Veronica?” She asked.

“Take orders! I love you!” Desna looked at him with a frown.

“Jeez, calm down, man…” she said, walking towards the clients.

She had worked for two hours, checking her phone as often as she could, but there was no sign of the Gallaghers. She could not believe she was actually worried about Frank Gallagher. She had never liked the man. He was selfish and narcissistic; he left his children with no money but would spend everything that he had on alcohol and drugs. Parents who didn’t act as such were one of the things that Desna hated the most. Nobody forced anybody to have kids, just don’t fucking have them if you have to make them struggle all their life.

Suddenly, the door of the Alibi opened, revealing Lip entering with Karen on his heels. Lip aggressively threw Kev’s cell phone on the counter.

“What the fuck, Lip!” Desna exclaimed, but Lip was glaring angrily at Kev.

“You can shove your phone up your ass, alright?” He said, “No more freebies from me, like doing your taxes every April because you can’t understand the instructions!”

“You didn’t want him to use your phone?” Desna asked Kev in disbelief, who stuttered without answering.

“Fucking asshole.”

“Hey! Don’t talk to him like that!” Desna argued, moving towards Lip, who glared at her, too. But before he could answer, Kev talked, arms raised.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey, take it easy, all right?” he said, moving to the front of the counter. Lip turned to look at the man, who was now using his usual laid-back tone. "Look, Frank isn’t far, okay? He never goes far?”

“I know, but it’s last Friday,” Lip explained, his tone much calmer.

“Last Friday?” Kev asked, “So what?”

“Kev, the disability check,” Desna explained, “This is the check day,” finally realization got him.

“Oh, Jesus! Fuck me!” Kev exclaimed, “Jess! Frank Gallagher, did he leave with anybody when we kicked him out last night?”

“Name me one person who would be caught dead with him in that condition?” Jess answered, and Desna’s eyes immediately moved to Lip, who turned away from biting his lips.

“Steve was definitely gone by then, so Frank wasn’t with him,” Kev thought out loud before turning to the customers. “Hey, anybody seen Frank the Plank?”

“Steve?” Asked Desna.

“W-which Steve?” Lip asked, looking at Kev.

“‘Steve’ Steve. Fiona’s new Steve,” Kev answered. Then Karen moved forward.

“In here?” She asked.

Kev nodded, “Talking to your dad. Friendly enough.”

“What time?” Desna asked, and Kevin thought about it for a moment.

“Hours before closing,” he answered. Lip was silent, thinking about what Kev had said for a moment before starting to walk towards the door.

As he made a step, Desna spoke, “If you need anything-“

“Don’t worry about it,” he answered, avoiding her gaze, “Karen.”

“Thanks, Kev,” she said in that annoying fake sweet tone, then tuned to Desna, “See ya.”

Desna ignored her, finding herself looking at the ground, turning only when she heard the door close.

“Sweet, Jesus,” she heard Kevin say. "I didn’t understand it was that bad.” Desna fought the tears that threatened to fill her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Kev,” she said, walking back behind the counter, avoiding to look at Kevin.

“Have you heard?” A man shouted, entering the bar, “A body has been found under the EI!”

Blood froze in Desna’s veins as she and Kevin looked at each other in dread. What if it was Frank?

“Shit…” Kevin muttered.

“Kev, we have to tell them,” Desna said and the man nodded immediately.

“Take your things,” he said to her, rushing to her belongings as Kev turned to Jess.

“I’ll leave it to you,” he said, opening the door so that Desna could run out.

“You think it’s him?” Desna asked as she and Kev made their way toward the Gallaghers, “I mean, could it really be him?”

“I don’t know, bug,” he said, his body tense. The chances that the body was Frank Gallagher were high; nobody had seen him in more than twelve hours, nothing. Frank was an asshole, but his kids cared about him: Fiona was going out of her mind, Debbie cried, and Lip…

She just hoped that it was not Frank.

“Hey,” Kev announced their entrance, immediately moving towards V, “Can I talk to you for a second?” Desna’s gaze fell first on Debbie, sitting on the coffee table sobbing, surrounded by her siblings; then she noticed Lip and Karen in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. They had probably just arrived. Desna wondered if Lip had already talked to Steve since he was in the house with them.

“They…” she muttered, getting everyone’s attention, “They’ve found a body under the EI.”

Their faces all paled as they looked at her.

“When?” Fiona asked, getting up, her voice shaking.

“N-not so long ago,” Desna said.

“We… we gotta go,” Fiona said, turning to her siblings, “Get your things; we have to go,” they all started to get their jackets, and as they were ready, they began to exit the house. As Lip passed by her, they looked at each other silently. He bit his lips, trying not to show his worry, but she knew he was. Her hand moved to his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. Lip nodded his head lightly before walking out, followed by Karen. The two girls shared a glare but didn’t say anything to each other, too busy to follow the group to see if the body was actually Frank’s.

They ran all the way to the EI, and they saw the police already making the measurements. Desna could see the body as she put her hands on Carl's shoulders, standing in front of her. From where they were, it was not possible to see the face; his clothes could resemble Franks, though, and that made her pull Carl close to her. When she saw the forensic medic getting closer to the body, her breath got stuck in her throat. Then he finally turned the body, and Desna closed her eyes as everyone screamed with joy.

It was not Frank Gallagher.

Carl turned in her arms, hugging her around her waist, and she immediately hugged him back with a little smile. Turning to find Lip glancing in her direction, her lips moved in a small smile, and he gave her a little nod, his gaze finally more relaxed.

Frank Gallagher wasn’t dead.

Then... where the fuck was he?

******

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