#kev looked cute here too

[samijey]

[thestarrynightslover]

Maybe We Could Do It Again

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Word count: 4,632

Warnings: bickering and fluff.

Summary: Jay meets the Reader as they’re both babysitting Makayla for Adam and Kim and they end up tangled up on the ground and kissing.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the One Chicago shows, or its characters, also not associated with it in any way, or know anyone involved with it.

A/N: Okay, so this is one of the longest fics I’ve written, which might be a little too long but I hope you guys like it and feel free to send feedback! By the way, this is the first time I insert Burzek in one of my fics but I think I got their energy right ;)

(y/n) = (your name) (y/l/n) = (your last name) (y/n/n) = (your nickname)

| masterlist |

“Oh my God, Adam! I can’t believe that even when you’re not supposed to do something you get it wrong!” Kim yelled at her boyfriend.

“What the hell-” He even tried to respond but got immediately interrupted for his bad language.

“Adam!” She hissed again, not believing how he could still curse so much now that the two of them had a child in the house.

“Sorry, sorry!” He said, nervously raising his hands, as Kim already peeked through the kitchen doors to see Jay and Makayla pretend like they hadn’t been listening to every word of their conversation in the living room. “It’s just… I remember you specifically telling me to find someone to babysit the kid, so I did it! How is it possible that I’m the one who-”

“Yes! I did ask you two to do that! On Monday! And do you remember what you told me?” He didn’t dare to say anything. “Oh, no? Because I do! I remember you saying, and I quote:” she said, even making finger quotes to emphasize the whole thing, “‘Where the hell am I supposed to find a babysitter for Makayla? None of my friends have any experience with kids!’” Kim shoved it in his face, making a very good point for herself. But, as usual, Adam decided to go against any sign of good judgment and continue to defend himself. He knew he could never let Kim in on it, but Jay himself was one of those who had already heard the officer saying how much he loved bickering with his girlfriend and getting her all fired up against him.

“No, uh! That won’t cut it! You told me, and I quote: ‘Then hire someone! I don’t know! But you’re the one who came up with the date night idea, so don’t come and throw something that should be your responsibility on my shoulders!’, so I knew that I needed to find someone! Kev and Vanessa are visiting his siblings this weekend, so I thought: why not Jay? He’s good with kids, and he offered to help us with Makayla!” Adam concluded, absolutely proud of himself while Kim just rolled her eyes.

“Oh. My. God!!! You do know he didn’t mean that literally, don’t you?” She was already fuming by that point.

“Err-” He had to admit that he’d never stopped to think about that possibility…

“No one means that literally!!” She shouted, this time, making even the neighbors hear their arguing. “No one means that literally, and, now, you’re just making us both look like the cops who can’t take care of their own kid in front of the entire unit.” She stated, in a lower, tone while pinching the bridge of her nose.

“But this is not the entire unit! This is Jay! Our friend Jay, who had offered!” Adam stood by that argument and Kim had already opened her mouth to shoot a remark back when Jay came into the kitchen.

“Makayla’s distracted with the tv.” He started with that so that they wouldn’t be worried. “Uh... Guys, Kim, you don’t have to worry about me telling anyone about this, okay? I won’t. Besides, I did mean what I said before. I’m here to help. Whatever you guys need. Plus, for someone who had plans of watching a game rerun alone at home on a Friday night, babysitting that cute little girl is almost like hitting a jackpot!” Jay assured, giving them a small smile and shiny eyes headed towards Makayla’s direction. Babysitting a kid, when he was probably never gonna have one of his own, was one of the things that he, personally, missed the most about when Will and Natalie were together. Back when Lindsay lived in Chicago, he used to be sure that, someday, he was gonna find someone. Settle down. Build a family. But, now… After everything that had happened, he couldn’t help but feel like his time to do all that had run out. So, instead of mooning over it, he could gladly babysit Makayla.

“Well, um, thank you, Jay,” Kim started, nervously tucking a string of hair behind her ear, “that’s really nice to hear. And we very much appreciate it. But-” She didn’t get a chance to finish as the doorbell rang and Adam rushed towards the apartment’s entrance to prevent his very excited little girl from opening the door by herself. When he got there, followed by the other two adults, Makayla was already standing on her tiptoes, hand-in-handle.

“Hey! Watcha doing, you little adventurous?!” Adam asked while picking her up from the floor and tickling her sides, which made her become a giggling mess. “You can’t just open the door like that, darlin’! You gotta check on the peephole first,” he said, as he lifted her up enough so that she could look through the hole, “like this. See someone?”

“Yes! It’s (y/n/n)!” She squealed out. “Can we open the door now? Please, Adam?” Makayla asked, shooting him pleading eyes, while her body buzzed with happiness.

“Ah, (y/n/n), right,” Adam said simply, opening the door and fearing that Kim would want to restart the whole discussion with him.

“Hey, princess!” And that simple greeting was all it took for Makayla to throw herself from Adam’s arms straight to yours. “Wow,” you laughed at her sudden movement, which had caused you to lose your balance a little, “you excited to see me?”

“Yes!! Did you bring the bakings???” She asked you eagerly, bakings being what she called your cooking utensils.

“No, not today!” Your answer made her face, almost immediately, turn into a sad frown. “But I brought this!” You told her while lifting up a box that read ‘karaoke set’, above a few drawings of a microphone and musical notes. Seeing that, Makayla’s saddened expression shifted in two seconds, eyes lighting up.

“Look, Kim!” The little girl shrieked, more than ready to have what she already knew was about to be the time of her life.

“Yeah, I see that! Seems like you girls are gonna have a blast…” Your friend weirdly trailed off, as her mind tried to find a quick solution to the mess her boyfriend had made.

“Uh…” Was all that a very handsome man you hadn’t met yet managed to let out.

“Jay, um, this is my best friend (y/n). (y/n/n), this is our friend from work Jay. I’m sorry about the mess, guys, it’s Adam’s fault.” Kim spoke again, bluntly accusing her boyfriend.

“My fault??? Are you kidding??? You told me to find someone to watch Makayla 'cause you didn’t want us to keep bothering (y/n)!”

“Guys! It’s no bother at all, really. Hanging out with this little princess is in my best interest, believe me!” You said, quickly defending your case.

“Well, thanks for saying that, (y/n/n). What happened here is that Adam told me he wouldn’t be able to get anyone,” Kim started while shooting daggers into her boyfriend with her bare eyes. “So, since I wasn’t about to just wait for a miracle, I called and asked you to do it. But someone didn’t think about telling me that he had already gotten Jay to come. And now you’re both here, ugh!” She finished, rather dramatically, while pointing a finger at Adam.

That was, seriously, the best couple you knew when it came to bickering.

“Okay, so, um, it’s not gonna be any trouble. I can leave since your colleague got here first and you don’t need to be stressed on your date night, friend.” You tried to bring things to a peaceful ending before Kim turned it into a murder scene.

“Oh, I do need to be stressed! I need to-” She started to debate but got cut off by Makayla’s cute pleading voice:

“But you can’t leave, (y/n/n)! We’re gonna play karaoke!” The little girl clearly had already gotten worked up by your idea for the night.

“Makayla, baby, please don’t be difficult. You hang out with (y/n/n) all the time, and uncle Jay is already here…” You watched as Adam tried to reason with his daughter while she held you really tight.

“No, uh…” Their friend started to say. Was it too weird for you to be thinking about how incredibly cute he looked when scratching the back of his neck like that? “Relax, man, I can go. I bet that you’re gonna have a lot more fun with her than with me, anyways, Mak.” He completed, talking to your little friend with a sweet smile, to which she reacted with a confused frown.

“But- but why does Jay have to leave? Can’t he play karaoke with us, (y/n/n)?” Makayla asked you poutingly.

“Now that’s something I’d like to see!” Adam started to mock but stopped when Kim punched him in the arm. “Ouch! That hurt, you know?”

“I know! That was exactly the result I was hoping for!” She squealed out sarcastically, “Makayla, honey, you can’t just ask both (y/n/n) and Jay to play karaoke, of all things, with you.” It was lovely to watch Kim interacting so patiently with her kid but the young girl still didn’t seem to understand.

“But why???”

“Well, they don’t know each other, Makayla.” Kim tried again but Mak still wasn’t ready to give it up.

“But they know me!” 

“Good luck explaining now, ma.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, all of you 𑁋 Adam himself included 𑁋 knew what was coming, fortunately, Kim just punched him in the arm again.

“You know, guys, you don’t need to fight over something like this, okay? Uh… Since he’s your coworker, I’m gonna assume that he’s one of the good guys, therefore I wouldn’t really have a problem with hanging out with him…” You said because you were never one to say no to little kids. “I mean if that’s okay with you, too, officer…”

“It’s detective, actually. But you can call me Jay, uh, (y/n), right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Well, I don’t have any problems with hanging out with you either,” Jay said and, Jesus, was that really his smile? “I mean, Mak should get all the babysitters she wants!” He told her with a wink. It was official. You were so done for the night.

“Ha!” Kim nervously let out a laugh, “let’s go easy there, cowboy! You can’t just come into my house offering the kid everything she wants.”

“Okay, okay,” the detective started to say with a gesture of surrender while the couple started to get out of the house to give you the space to properly go in. “Sorry ‘bout that, ma!” You could have sworn that you saw him tremble 𑁋 just a little 𑁋 under the deadly gaze your friend sent his way. Adam, who seemed to be off the hook for the first time that night, took the moment to laugh and hope that his girl would forget she had been so mad at him.

“C’mon, darling. Let’s get going before we decide it isn’t very safe to leave Mak with those two.”

"Yeah… I'm already deciding that but maybe they'll prove us wrong." Kim said, voice absolutely faithless. "You behave, Makayla!"

"It's more than obvious that she's going to be the best tonight. Get outta here already!" You heard Jay yelling a little in response to her, as you and Makayla started to get the karaoke set up.

But you, being the lucky person you were, obviously couldn't find your way around your friend's old stuff.

"Uh, you need any help there?"

“No! No, not all! Um, I got this!” You quickly responded because you could be pretty skeptical when it came to admitting your weaknesses and, from your point of view, not getting a simple karaoke set to work was a huge one.

“Alright, then…”

“Are you sure you don’t want Jay to help, (y/n/n)?” Mak asked, sounding way more reasonable than you, the actual adult there.

“Um, err, I guess maybe I could use some help… It’s just that this TV setup is quite different from mine…” You said, still unwilling to let how confused you were really show.

“Yeah, I can help!” you heard Jay as he left his spot in the corner of the room. “I was just ordering us pizza but I can totally help out 'cause Adam and I actually shopped for these TVs together, so I have the same one!” He said, this time, already gently getting the device from your hands before you could even react, which was probably him sensing that you wouldn’t give it up so easily, like he could see right through you.

“Okay, well, since you already ordered the pizza, I’ll go make us some juice.” As you said that you got both of your companions making weird faces at you, so you amended: “Or not, because you already ordered soda too… Just keep in mind that if Kim gets mad because of all the junk food that kid is eating, I’m telling on you, detective!” You said, making a point to stare right into his eyes 𑁋 God, they were so beautiful, was there nothing but beauty in this man’s body?

“Okay, so I think we’re all good here with the karaoke! Who wants to go first?” Hearing that you came of your very dangerous thoughts and Makayla jumped up and down, screaming:

“Me! Me! Me!”

“Alright, little lady, then come pick a song!” Jay told her and stood by to help her with her choice.

About three hours later all three of you had already sung your hearts out 𑁋 Jay having had gone for ABBA, which surprised you and Mak, to say the least 𑁋 eaten lots of pizza, drunk lots of soda and had begun watching a movie, cause you told Jay that that always did the trick when it came to Mak falling asleep. But, God, it was hard to pay attention to the movie you were supposed to be watching when sitting next to a guy like that. And he wasn’t just really handsome. He was sweet and kind and funny. Also, he was so good with Makayla. It was like everything you’d always imagined the perfect man being like was right there, reunited in the detective’s goof self. But you couldn't be thinking those thoughts about him. Not when he was so close. And definitely not when your best friend's daughter was lying on both of your laps.

So, in order to calm your thoughts for a minute, you gently put Makayla’s head on a cushion as you got up 𑁋 because she was already asleep 𑁋, and said I’m gonna get started on cleaning over there.” It was indeed necessary since Mak had dropped all of the content of a big ice cream container near the dining table, the ice cream being very sticky and sort of liquid 𑁋 which was obviously beyond your understanding but who were you to judge Kim and her preferences? 

"Oh God, lemme help you!" You heard Jay saying, as he quickly made his way from the corridor over to where you were cleaning the floor, by the dining table.

"Ah, there's no need for it. I'm used to spending time with Mak, and, then, cleaning up before Kim sees it." You told him with a sly smile.

"Ha! Well, I don't doubt it! You're really good with her."

"And she's really good at making giant messes."

"Right." He said, chuckling lightly. "But, this time, I bet you felt like there were two kids, huh?"

"Your words, not mine, detective."

"Anyways, I'll help. Don't tell Kim and Adam, cause they might spread it across the district, but I'm actually pretty good at cleaning. Especially, when compared to someone who's doing such a lousy job." At that, you instantly snapped your head in his direction.

"What did you just say?" You asked, pretending to be mad while standing up and raising your sponge, as if it was a weapon you were threatening him with.

"Uh… Uh, d- did you know that pulling a weapon on a cop is a crime?" He asked, trying to play along, but stuttering a little.

"And what are you gonna do?" Now that Makayla was asleep… "Huh? Arrest me?" Jesus Christ, you definitely weren't thinking straight, you thought as you watched Jay drop his mop, also spilling all the soapy water on the floor. He even motioned to take care of it but stopped when he realized that you were, now, standing closer. Closer than it was safe for him to be near a woman like you. So he decided to take a step backward, not remembering the floor situation and slipping. As a reflex, you grabbed his shirt when you were obviously not gonna be able to prevent him from falling.

So, you ended up falling with him. On top of him. Oh God, was that living room always so hot? Your thoughts were cut off by Jay's laugh, it was an open-mouthed laugh, just like when you two were interacting with Makayla. He didn't seem to be the kind of guy who got to laugh too much, especially given his job. But it definitely suited his features. His smile, that bright, was so beautiful.

"So you're seriously not even gonna try and get up? Just gonna stay there staring?" Hearing that, you blushed instantly, because you hadn't even realized you were staring.

"Ah, uh… Right." Now, that was your turn to stutter, and Jay was loving every second of it. He thought you looked absolutely adorable like that. Even more so than you had looked all night.

But you weren't feeling adorable at all. You were embarrassed. By the situation at hand, sure, but, also, by your entire behavior that had, pretty much, gotten the two of you in that position. What was going through your head? The answer was simple: nothing. Or, better yet, Jay's gorgeous face, body, and behavior. Just, Jay being gorgeous all night. Now, what really made you wanna dig a hole and jump right into it was when you tried to get up but the floor was so slippery that you just fell back on him.

Needless to say, he was having a playfield. Laughing like there was no tomorrow. In fact, he had relaxed completely under you, laying his head on the soaked floor.

"You know what? This is pretty comfortable. I think I'll stay right here." It was official: you had no self-shame.

"Are you serious?" He asked, trying hard to hold back from laughing.

"Look, I don't know what else to do, okay? And my brain is clearly affected by your little charm, because I just keep mortifying myself over and over-"

"So you think I'm charming, huh?" Damn it. A thousand times damn it.

"Uh… That's not exactly what I-" You couldn't finish your sentence, as Jay started pulling you even closer to him. Kissing you. Oh boy, how he kissed you…

"Oh. My. God." Both you and Jay jumped away from each other, as much as you could, the second you heard Kim say that, her being followed suit by Adam:

"What the hell is that?!?" He half-asked, half-barked at the both of you, trying hard to not burst into laughter.

"Uh, it's, um, it's not what you're thinking, guys-"

"It's not what I'm thinking?!?" Yeah… It was safe to say that Kim was pissed. "Are you sure it isn't? Because the image actually seemed pretty self-explanatory to me!" As the both of you just kept working out a way to get up from the floor, she continued: "I come back home thinking that everything was gonna be perfect because my daughter had two adults babysitting her! People that I thought were quite responsible but, then, I come home to find those very adults making out on the floor in my living room! My very dirty living room! And, by the way, where the hell is Makayla?"

"She, um, she's in her bedroom. Asleep." Jay finally spoke. "And, about the mess… We were just, uh…"

"Yeah, man, we saw what you were just doing," Adam said, looking like he was having the time of his life.

"No! That's not what he was gonna say-"

"Ah, so the two of you got along so well that now you even know what he was going to say, (y/n)?" Kim said, while glaring at you.

"All I meant was that, well, the place got a little dirty…" Jay started to explain but not fast enough.

"A little???" Kim was really, really mad, you realized.

"But dinner was great!" At that, both you and Kim just stared at him incredulously while Adam started laughing on his way to the kitchen.

"That's what you were going to say???" You ask him, not believing you'd just tried to defend him for some joke. "Kim, I'm sorry things ended up this unfruitful…" You began to tell your best friend, to try and patch things up, when Adam chipped in from the other room.

"You know, darling, Jay wasn't wrong! This pizza is great!" He barked, mouth full. And that's what got Kim to go over the edge.

"Don't you realize what just happened here, Adam??? And, you two! I still haven't heard an explanation on what the hell I just saw!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry! We were cleaning up and then it just-"

"It just what, (y/n)??? It just happened? That what you were gonna say?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, it is! It just happened because you and your boyfriend made me babysit with this ridiculously hot guy and I'm human! Now, before you have another crisis, Makayla didn't see anything and I'm leaving because I just humiliated myself more than enough for a lifetime!" With that said, and your flight or flee instinct activated — cause you were never much of a fighter —, you did the smartest thing possible and stormed out of there, hoping to be able to get into some sort of protection program for embarrassment victims.

Meanwhile, Adam and Kim simply had to laugh, even more so when they noticed Jay's shocked twinkling expression.

"Jay! What is wrong with you?" Kim asked, taking him out of his daze.

"What?"

"Go after her! If I hadn't been so upset about the circumstances, I would've been the first one to say that what happened over there?" She asked, pointing to the floor. "What happened there was hot." The officer finished her trail of thought bluntly, as if it was the most obvious thing.

"But… What about your living room?" Jay asked, still unsure of what to do.

"Are you kidding me? Look, Halstead, if you promise not to break her heart… I won't hold it against you." Kim stated, making her stance on the whole matter very clear. She thought it was a good way to start apologizing to you after freaking out like that.

"Uh, uh, alright!" The detective rambled, looking like he had no idea of what to do next.

“Go!” With that last push, he left his friends’ house to go try and get the girl.

“You know, this is quite a mess but they do have the potential to be a great couple!” Adam happily pointed out, as he kept eating all he could find.

“Ha! If she’s as lucky as I am…” Kim ironically muttered, as she watched her boyfriend impolitely shoving food in his mouth.

“Then she’s a very lucky lady!” He confidently stated with a grin while all Kim could do was laugh at his messy childish ways.

Outside burzek's apartment — burzek being the ship name you used to tease Kim and Adam with —, you had been slowly walking towards the subway. You wanted to move faster but your mind was too full at the moment. And, sometimes, when you needed to get your head back on straight, you couldn't really do anything else, having a hard time concentrating on your flow of thoughts.

It was right when you were beginning to think you had stopped the spirals in your mind that you heard him: "(y/n)!" You recognized the detective's voice on the spot. How could you not, after how he had managed to disrupt your thoughts and actions all evening? But you weren't about to turn back around and have your very own movie ending with him. You just knew it wasn't gonna play out like that and decided to keep walking in order to preserve the little dignity you still had. "Oh, c'mon! Just give me a minute! Please!" That pleading made you turn around, to let him down more politely, which ended up with the two of you almost hitting each other. Once again, that same night, he was too close to you. The proximity with his body sending all sorts of heatwaves through yours. He seemed to be feeling it too, given the way he started to look at you, the damn smirk back on his lips.

"Nu-uh. You don't get to look at me like that. Not after what it did to me the first time."

"Huh. Care to elaborate on that? How exactly am I looking at you?" He asked, moving even closer to you altogether. "And, more importantly, what exactly did it do to you?"

"You don't need me to answer any of that." You pointed out, crossing your arms over your chest — clearly going into defensive mode.

"Maybe not," he started, tilting his head slightly — the damn smirks never leaving his face. "But. I'd like to hear it nevertheless."

"Well, you're not going to."

"Ah, okay." Wait, was he really giving up that easily? "Then maybe I can just try and see what it does to you one more time? For the sake of curiosity." All you could think to say was an enthusiastic 'Yes, please!' but, when he started leaning in to kiss you, you seemed to come back to your senses, pushing him away and taking some steps back of your own.

"Oh my God! Don't you get it? We can't be doing this right now. Not after the way I left things with Kim because of our previous, um, actions!" At that, Jay just gave you a confused look. "I stormed out of there but just because I was feeling too ashamed about it all and I honestly don’t think that I want any more embarrassment for a lifetime.

“Okay, okay. I get that but maybe it would feel less embarrassing for you if you knew that I was feeling all of that too: all of that buzzing energy and the goddamn butterflies and everything. You were doing exactly the same I did to you to me. And, as embarrassing as it was to be caught like that by Adam and Kim, I still can’t say I regret any of it. In fact, I was thinking that maybe we could do it again? You know, minus all the mess and the kid 𑁋 I mean, I adore Mak but that would be-” 

You didn’t care to listen to the rest of all he had to say. Instead, you threw yourself into his arms, even making him lose his balance for a second, and started kissing him, except that this time it was a slow, hot, and thought-through kiss. And the second you did kiss him, you heard clapping and whistling from afar, as you turned to find Kim and Adam there, once again witnessing you and Jay kiss. And that had Jay whispering to you:

“Let’s get out of here?” To which you responded simply with a:

“Yes, please!”

[fangirlfrom-hell]

How Many Detectives Are Needed To Sleep A Baby? || Jay Halstead x reader!

Cute and fluffy Jay, wife and baby + babysitter detectives

*re-posting this because I'm stupid and accidentaly delated my blog 🫠

Summary: Intelligence unit takes care of Jay's newborn baby while he and his wife are in court. Turns out it is the most difficult case they have worked on.

-"You can't go in there". Platt muttered in a scolding tone to Adam, who wanted to go into the coffee room.

-"Why not?" He asked strangely.

-"Shhhhhh". Kim gave him a punch on his arm. -"Keep it quiet, you're gonna wake her up".

-"Ok, alright". Ruzek kept his voice low. -"What the hell is going on, girls?"

-"Halstead's baby is sleeping in there. Don't you dare to interrupt her sweet dreams, bro". Kevin said from his desk.

-"Look at her. You can see her smile even from here". Hailey said, peeking through the window.

Trudy and Kim followed her.

-"She's so lucky she didn't get her father's mad face". The Sergeant enquired.

-"What do you think she's dreaming about? She looks so peaceful".

-"What's going on? Where's Jay? Where's her mom? What is she doing here all alone?" Adam was losing it, increasing his voice volume once more.

-"She's not alone. We're taking care of her!". Hailey frowned.

-"Adam, please". Voigh silently got out of his office and rushed towards him whispering. -"Would you keep it down? I can hear your voice even with my door closed. Let the baby rest, she's only weeks old and already has seen too much".

The detective opened his arms in a defeated gesture. He had just arrived and didn't understand anything.

-"Y/N is testifying right now, we couldn't avoid it. She and her colleagues published the investigation under their names, so...I couldn't stop it. Jay is by her side. The baby is here for protection".

-"She really is a hell of a journalist". Upton mentioned with admiration.

-"And a very brave woman. We owe her a lot in this case". Hank stated.

-"You know? You would have known about this if you had arrived in time to work". Burgess teases Adam.

-"Is there any news about the trial?" Platt wanted to know, worried about you.

-"Not yet, but Jay said he'll be in touch". The boss stated. -"You know these trials take time".

They weren't conscious about it, but the whole Intelligence squad looked hilarious talking with whispers and walking in tiptoes as they went back to their workplaces.

Time passed and the girl was still sleeping safe and sound, until Adam decided to stand up to stretch a bit and stumbled with some cables on the floor. Naturally, the clatter woke up the little baby.

-"It had to be you, right?" Kim mocked her husband as she helped him stand up.

Hailey and Kevin ran to the coffee room as if they were running a race. It was him who got there first and held the baby girl.

-"There, there. Uncle Kev is right here". He tried to reassure her. -"I had siblings and took care of them when they were babies. I can manage another one".

But after a few minutes, she was still uncontrollable.

-"Ok, it's my turn". Burgess got into the game and took the baby off his partner's arms. -"I'm the only mom here, the only one who has a real daughter. I know how to do it".

-"What are you talking about?" Trudy Platt laughed. -"Makayla was already a grown up when you adopted her!" And she grabbed the baby to accommodate her in her chest. But the crying did not stop.

-"Oh, no. What are they doing to you, sweetie?" Upton grabbed her and laid her in her arms. -"I am her godmother, she knows me better".

The baby Halstead slowed down her crying, but she was still restless.

-"Well, how many detectives do you need to sleep a baby, hum? You don't know anything". Hank Voight gasped. -"Give her to me, I'll show you all". But as soon as she was in the arms of the boss, her crying increased. -"Oh. I've lost touch!"

Jay and Y/N were already at the bullpen, waiting in the stairs. They got in time to witness the fluffy scene.

-"Hey, guys? She's not a rag doll, you know?" Jay said laughing at the scene and his friends turned around with surprise. -"She just needs her daddy's arms''. He took his daughter to stroke her and almost immediately she calmed down.

-"That's not fair". Platt crossed her arms.

-"We brought you coffee". You smiled, leaving the box you were carrying on one of the desks. -"There's not enough caffeine when you take care of a newborn. There's one for each of you, just as each of you like it. Look for your name in the tags".

-"Geez, thanks!" Adam said gladly and balanced the table. -"I was denied entrance to the coffee room the whole morning".

-"I'm sorry". You turned red.

-"Don't listen to him". A chorus of detectives said.

-"She's really calm, it was no problem". Kevin asserted and everyone else agreed.

You approached your husband and as soon as you were in your daughter's sight, the baby started to smile and giggle, throwing little kicks into the air.

-"What? Why are you laughing so much, baby?" You raised your hands and freed Jay's arms. -"Come with mommy, sweetie".

Everyone stared at the scene with tenderness, especially Kim, whose eyes started watering.

-"You wanna hold her?"

She just nodded and took the opportunity.

-"How was the trial? Are you alright?" Platt inquiered.

-"Yeah, I mean it was really scary, but I think it went fine". Y/N hands started to shake a little bit, but she was fast enough to hide them in her pockets. Nobody noticed, except for Jay.

-"She did a great job". He hugged you by the waist, trying to secretly ease you.

-"I have no doubt about it, she already showed us how much of a badass she is". Hank smirked.

-"I will just be more comfortable if you stay in here at least until the Jury deliberates, or as soon as I can go home with you. It's just a precaution, I'm not being paranoid or something".

-"Yes, I agree". Voight followed the idea.

-"Sure. Whatever you think is better".

The baby yawned and stretched herself so adorably, that she caught everyone's attention again.

-"I should put her down to sleep".

-"Alright. Take my seat, Y/N. We don't know how much we're staying here". Jay pointed out.

-"C'me on, Kim. Give the baby back to her mommy".

-"If you need help with the baby or you get bored of these people around, I'll be downstairs". The desk Sergeant winked at you and you smiled back at her back.

-"She won't be bored. She has me here". Hailey pulled a face.

-"I'll take provisions just in case the little one takes the coffee room again". Ruzek rushed to the kitchen.

Everyone else rolled their eyes in a funny way.

[lovergirly]

I read the lip fic with opposites reader can you write a oneshot on when they first met or when she first met his family?

Hiii!! another one shot of rich reader x Lip gallagher! hope you enjoy 😘

"Ian... I'm nervous I don't think they'll like me."

"will you relax.  Of course they will!"

You and your best friend Ian were about to go meet the entirety of the Gallagher family.  You were beyond nervous.  the only reason you knew Ian was because you had a crush on him and you asked him out.  He obviously said no which upset you at first until he explained he was gay.  after that, you two were inseparable. 

Pulling up to the Gallagher house, you felt nervous butterflies enter your stomach.  what if they hated you? what if they were mean?  what if-

"ready?" ian pulled you out of your thoughts as you got out of your BMW. 

"you might want to lock the car." he chuckles. 

As you walk closer to the door, you can hear more and more commotion coming from the inside of the house.  Instead of knocking, he barges right in and allows you a few seconds to really take in the scene.  Two kids, boy and girl, arguing over a computer, a baby crawling around, and a girl probably in her twenties scrambling around the kitchen.  Finally, you see a boy probably your age smoking a blunt on the couch while watching "to catch a predator". 

He was a sight.  He was hot.  you've seen him around school before, but you don't know his name.  He's known for doing kids homework if you pay him well enough. 

"well well well, look what ian brought here." he gives you a smirk and a once over before adding, "ian found himself some rich girl to smooch off of."

instead of letting ian talk, you immediately say, "sounds like someone's just jealous that you need to do loser's homework to get money."

he looks shocked for a second before adding, "big mouth too.  You smoke?"

"no of course not.  it's terrible for your lungs and I do cheer."

"oh she does cheer?!  her little lungs can't handle it." he mocks a sad face before you add

"at least I'll be alive when my grandkids are born."

he chuckles before taking a drag and going back to his show. ian takes this as invitation to take your hand and lead you to the kitchen.  Where it appears people multiplied as there is now another girl and a guy, you're inferring are a couple. 

"hey guys,  this is y/n.  I invited her over for dinner I hope that's okay." he looks at fiona as the commotion stops for a second.

"Yeah that's fine.  I'm fiona." she gives you a slight wave as she continues scurrying around.

the little girl is the first to run up to you.

"I'm debbie!  you're like soooooo pretty!! are you and Ian dating?" she was so cute. 

"umm no we're just friends"

"then who is your boyfriend?"

"alright shut up debbie!  I'm carl, but you can call me yours."

"yeah i think you're just a little too young for me."

"give it time sweetthing, give it time."

You found yourself getting along really well with the Gallagher family, plus Kev and V you learned.  During dinner, you and the Lip kid kept staring at each other.  You thought he was giving you dirty looks. Maybe it wasn’t going well. You, Fiona, and V end up in a deep conversation about boys, when V mentions, "i saw how you were looking at Lip, it's around 9 right now so if you want to go outside he'll be there smoking a cigarette." Fiona slaps her arm while V defends, "what?! I know sexual tension when i see it!"

"thank you V, but i don't think it's anything like that." you say while standing up to go outside.

"then why is your ass getting closer to the door?" she laughs.

"you know those things will kill you, it's not just a myth."

"that's okay. I’m experimenting to see if i’m the expectation.”

“is that your car?” you point to a beat up car sitting in their yard.

“yeah and no. It doesn’t drive, but i do bring girls here everyone once in a while. wanna hop inside?”

“if you’re insinuating what i think you are-“

“i’m not trust me.”

“whatever Gallagher.”

you two made your way inside the crammed car and it did definitely smell like weed and sex. He wasn’t kidding…

“so… you and ian?” he seriously didn’t know yet?

“umm no just friends. i’ve truthfully never had a boyfriend.”

“a girl like you never having a boyfriend? let me guess… too rich for all the south side boys? or maybe just too hot for all the losers at our school.” that comment made you blush, you were just praying he didn’t catch on.

“you know i’m not some stuck up rich girl right?”

“oh really? Let’s see, your whole family could buy mine. are you sure you’re not that rich?”

“ok fine but i’m not stuck up.”

“you are a little…” he adds wirh a small laugh

“oh yeah? give me that cigarette” you demand. he hands it over and watches curiously as you put it to your lips and suck. immediately, you start coughing which causes him to laugh, “oh god you weren’t kidding that you’ve never had one.”

“you thought i was lying?”

“maybe. thought you might have some secret life behind all the cheer and money.”

“well I do. I’m not like my family i promise.”

“well if you’re not like your family, how about you stay the night and we can just hang out.”

“you better not be insinuating anything again or i swear i’ll-“

“i’m not, you can sleep in ian’s bed, or even mine and i’ll sleep on the couch.”

“thank you Lip. I’d love to.”

little did you know that was the beginning spark of a beautiful relationship

i hope you enjoyeddd!! what else should Lip and y/n get into?? maybe some drama?

[whowantslovergirl]

Kevin Ball x daughter reader ?

An: YESYESYESYES btw this is not a biological daughter so you can be yourself 💖💖😍😍💋💖😍🤓💖🤧 hope you enjoy my lovers 🤍

The Balls

Kevin ball x daughter! reader (THIS IS PLATONIC WE DONT DO THAT INCEST SHIT HERE but reader is female with she/her pronouns 🤭)

warnings: just cursing and suggestive cause its kev and reader is in a secret relationship with lip (just wanted to add that in) and that’s it hope you enjoy my lovers 🤍 miscellaneous masterlist

Summary: Cute moments with Kev and his daughter

posted: June 18,2023

first time you snuck out for a party:

You were walking downstairs to see your dad and your stepmom V dancing and making out in the kitchen. You make fake gagging noises. They turn around to see you.

“Blah! You guys are disgusting.” You say while laughing and getting something to eat out of the fridge.

“Ohhh but Y/N you are going experience this ‘disgustingness’ sooner or later.” Your dad said while going next to you to steal your bread. “Hey give me my bread back!” V laughs while seeing this cute little moment between you two. While you guys are chasing each other your phone buzzed.

V heard this. “Ooo who’s texting us?” She said with a smile. You check your phone. “Oh it’s just my friend Maddie-.”

“Ughh is that the weird one with all the piercings?” Kev asked while being disgusted.

“No that’s Mandy babe.” V answered for you.

“Hey back to my text. Anyway it’s just her asking to go to a party together but don’t worry I’m not going.”

“Hey what! Why aren’t you going?” Kev asked. You just shrugged. “I don’t like parties. I sneak out every time you guys have one in the bar.”

“With who?”

“Li- Liza…” It was Lip but they don’t have to know that. They both narrowed their eyes at you but didn’t say anything. “I’m going to the Gallaghers for a little bit.” They both nodded and you walked to your neighbors.

_____

You were in Lip’s room just talking and giggling with each other. “You know if my parents ask you anything about me sneaking out of the bar that one night, I snuck out with Liza ok?” He just nodded with a confused look on his face. “Do you wanna go to a party later tonight?” You nodded and realized that you already told your parents that you weren’t going.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing it’s just I told them that I wasn’t going.”

“Just sneak out.”

_____

As you were sneaking in after the party, you see your dad under a light.

“I thought you weren’t going to that party Y/N?”

fuck

“Ok before you get mad Liza convinced me and-.” You cut yourself off when your dad held up his hand. “I’m so proud of my little girl!” He got up and squeezed you in a hug. You are so confused. “You’re not mad?”

“No! Wait did you have sex of any kind?”

“No dad!”

“Then I’m not mad!”

when they find out you have a boyfriend:

You guys were sitting in the living room watching tv. And you get a text. You check to see who it is and it’s Lip saying and showing some dirty stuff. You giggle and put your phone face down. V saw this and nudged Kev.

“Why are smiling at your phone Y/N? Who’s texting us?” V asked with a smirk on her face.

“Nothing just Liza sent something funny.”

“Well can we see?” Kev asked.

“No it’s an inside joke.” You said while giggling.

They made a face at each other. You can hear them whispering and your dad gets up to the kitchen. “Y/N can you help me in the kitchen?! I need help!”

As you were getting up V got your phone, put in your password and saw ‘L ❤️’

“This picture definitely is not from a girl.” She whispered to herself.

You turn around since it was way too quiet and you see V on your phone. “Hey!” You run over and snatch your phone. “You have a boyfriend!”

“Oh my god my babygirl has a boyfriend!” Kev said while cheering.

Then you got bombarded with questions.

“Do we know him?”

“No he’s from the north side.”

Then the questions got worse.

“Oh my god you have a rich boyfriend!”

“Does he buy you stuff?”

Why did he have to send that?

when they find out the boyfriend is Lip:

Since your parents were out at the bar. You guys were in your room, making out and smiling at each other. “So they know you have a boyfriend now. What did you tell them?”

“Well I said that he’s from north side and my dad calls you you my rich hot daddy boyfriend.” He let out a little laugh. “And he’s right except for the rich part.” You laugh at the face he makes.

“Now let’s stop talking and keep making out with each other.” You lean in and he smiles into the kiss.

“What the fuck.”

You guys jumped off each other.

“Lip is the rich hot daddy boyfriend?!” Your dad yelled. He ran out to tell V.

“V come in Y/N’s room!”

She ran in and gasped. “Lip?!”

This is the worst.

An: HEYEYEYEYEYE guys ik y’all probably are like ‘this bitch said they were gonna be posting then haven’t posted’ SO IM SORRY im rewriting shocked and scared bc it was fucking terrible but until i post again my lovers 🤍 *hint: it’s a surprise* (i have no idea)

[theitgirlnetwork]

Better

Ch. 15: A Gallagher (Happy Birthday Charlotte Part 2)

Note: Helloooo! I'm backkk! Thank you for all of the love and appreciation you all have been showing this story. I took a break and now, it's time to get into act two, married life with Lip and Charlotte. As always I love the interaction and am extremely inspired by it so thank you for all of the reblogs, notes, and messages. It's a short one while I get back into the swing of things, but I'm excited for what's next. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Love ya! <3 MDNI!!!!!

Warnings: Mild sexual content, strong language

“Go ahead, baby.” Lip says smugly, his head cocked back in arrogance as Charlotte bounces up the steps, keys jangling in her hands as she twists open the lock.

“It’s…it works, s’ours?” she gasps, whipping her head to look back at them. 

He follows her up the steps at a slower pace, relishing in her happy squeal when he lifts her into his arms and carries her inside. The place is big, but not too big. There was room to spread out. To grow. It looks like what she’d described to him, her dream starter house. Maybe it was smaller. A townhouse and not a big four floor home like the one she was used to. But it was the one she pictured them in.

“Ready? Go ahead and press it, babe.”

The little junkyard robot (if you can call it that) whirs to life and starts spinning in circles in the small space Lip and Charlotte had cleared on the floor. Charlotte gasps and leans forward, leaving Lip’s chest cold as her back bends to look at the little invention closer. “He’s like a real robot. That’s so cool, bubba.”

“He’s a piece of shit model. Lost me a hundred bucks when I took him to one of those fights, embarrassed the fuck outta me.” 

“Aww, he’s so cute though. Like Wall-E.” Charlotte hums, poking at the moving scraps and smiling as the machine rolls backward again. She turns to face Lip, shifting in his lap while wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re so smart.”

“Yeah?” he leans in, lips just a breath away from hers, cheek dimpling with his smirk. “Say it again.”

“No, your head already too big”

“Yeah, okay, c’mere.” he grunts, pulling her weight completely against himself, trapping her with his arms as his fingers start tickling her sides, dodging her flailing limbs. “Say, ‘Phillip, you’re so smart.’”

“Ph-phillip-” she giggles, catching his hands in her own and lowering them to her waist, rolling her eyes as she feels their descent to her ass. She brings her own hands up to his cheeks, rubbing his nose with her own before pecking his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” he murmurs, blue eyes locked on brown as he leans forward to capture her lips again. 

A crash sounds from downstairs and the pair jolts apart, Charlotte immediately crawls out of his lap and holds her hand out to him to help him off of the ground, only to squeak when he tugs her back against him. “Leave it, Fi and Ian are home.”

“Yeah, but, if we don’t check they’ll come up soon to get us anyway.”

It’s true. Lip thinks through all of the times people have just barged in on him and Charlotte. His siblings. Frank. Monica. V or Kev. The cops. He’s realized for the first time that he’s tired of it. 

Obviously, it's not the first time that he’d considered the concept of privacy with the thousands of children Monica and Frank dump off here, the constant inward and outward flow of fuck buddies until Charlotte and Mickey and the tendency of people to just run up into their house with no consideration. He’d come to the conclusion that he needed to escape numerous times. College was one. His professor’s house was another. Hell, sometimes depending on how old he was, his little stints with foster families when CPS got wise to their living conditions served as a nice little break from his family. Ultimately, Lip was not new to the idea of trying to get away. But he’d never thought of it in this way before. Never where he had someone he wanted to take with him. 

“Hey, Bunny?”

“Hm, yes, baby?” 

He glances away for a moment, willing away the blush that forms on his face when she says stuff like that. “You, uh, you ever think about where you wanna live?”

Charlotte tilts her head in confusion, absently brushing something off of his cheek as she thinks over his question. “What, like choosing between here and V’s?”

“No, like, when…uh when we move. Just us.” The girl damn near headbutts him. Her hair smacking his face as she buries her face into his chest, making a shriek-like noise and kicking her feet against his legs. “Uh, what the fuck?”

She lifts her head with a smug look on her face poking at Lip’s forehead, “You wanna live with me?”

His brows furrow as he smooths his thumb over the spot on her forehead she’d hit his chest with, “Fuckin’ careful, gonna knock yourself out. We already live together-”

“But it’s not enough.” Charlotte sings, continuing to poke at him. “You want me to yourself. That’s so cute.” 

“Shut the fuck up.” Lip laughs, smacking her ass with one hand, pushing off of the floor with the other and lifting her with him, walking them over to the bed with one of her legs dangling as he carries her with his arm hooked under the other. “I take the question back.”

“Nuh uh,” she hums, grunting a little as he drops her onto the mattress, pretending to ignore his hands sliding up her shirt. “You put the offer on the table. I want our house to be green.”

Lip stops and looks down at her as she smiles up at him softly. Keeping one hand on her chest, he slides into the bed behind her, resting his head next to hers. “Yeah? What else?”

“Phillip.” Charlotte pouts, turning back to her husband after taking in the room. There’s no furniture, but it’s decorated with little lights and a blanket and pillows on the floor along with all types of different kinds of snacks and more flowers. 

“Uh…I figured you’d wanna get the furniture with me. And…we’re gonna have to wait until our next paychecks to get some. But…uh, I had Ian and Mickey help me set this shit up. And then I kicked em out because…Mickey’s an asshole and wanted to control everything. He’s into this shit you know…but…um…happy birthday, Charlotte.”

Charlotte continues to gape at him in disbelief. Her eyes are wide, mouth opening and closing. She’s speechless as she stares at the man in the doorway. 

“You, uh, you like it?”

It’s a good thing he can carry her. Because the way she launched herself at him with no warning would’ve brought someone else to the floor. Instead he relaxes in her hold, wrapping his arms around her waist as she wraps her legs around his. 

Smoothing her hands over his blond curls, Charlotte looks at Lip. Really looks at him. She gives him that look only she’s ever been able to deliver him. The one he works for every time he busted his ass at work, or chose to skip out on getting a beer. Scraped together every spare penny he had for that look. “I love you.” she breathes, smiling at him. “You gave me a house.”

“You…you gave me a home so…it was the fuckin’ least I could do.”

All Charlotte could do is bury her face in his shoulder. 

But it was true. She saved him, gave him a purpose. She made Lip want to be a man. One that his family deserved. One that deserved her. 

“Wow.” 

Lip glances over at his sister from his spot in the empty kitchen, closing the fridge door before making his way over to her. “You like it?”

“This is…really nice, Lip.” Fiona slowly makes her way through the pace, peeking her head into the bathroom. “You can afford this?”

The blond shrugs noncommittally, crossing his arms. “Close enough. I never gave Charlotte’s dad back the money, and I’ve got my promotion, plus the money she and I have saved up…we’ll be straight.”

“Good. Good.” Fiona hums, looking around the room. She rolls her lips inward, taking a deep breath. “That’s good, Lip.”

Lip’s eyes narrow as he watches his sister’s demeanor as she takes in the extremely large decision he made and immediately feels a wave of insecurity wash over him. “Fuckin’ what?”

“What?”

“Why’re you actin’ like that? All…like what you don’t think she’ll fuckin’ like it? Or…or-”

“She’ll like it! Jesus! What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with you?!” Lip huffs, dragging his hands over his face. “Like, you think I messed up or somethin’?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“I’m proud of you, asshole!” his sister whips around to face him, pale face flushed pink as she sniffs, fresh tears pooling in her eyes. “I’m…I’m really fuckin’ proud of you.”

Lip stops, feeling the anger and embarrassment he had building drain from his body as it turns into concern for his eldest sister. He slides onto the wooden floor, leaning his back against the island and quietly pats the spot on the floor next to him. “And?”

Fiona sighs, dropping her purse to the side before slipping into the spot next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m really proud of you and…it should be me.”

Lip nods silently as he digs in his pants pocket and pulls out a pre-rolled blunt he’d been keeping to celebrate with Ian later. Fiona needs it more. Flicking his lighter to life he christens the townhome with the scent of weed, praying the neighbors wouldn’t complain before he even got to move Charlotte in. “‘Kay.”

“Like,” Fiona sniffs, grabbing the blunt and taking a deep drag. “I feel like all of a sudden you’ve got this normal ass life. Got a wife, a house, a real job. And I’m still here, still working bullshit jobs, still taking care of kids that aren’t mine, still fuckin’ the same losers-”

“Uh, that one guy had some money right? The uh…the drug addict’s brother? Jimmy-” Lip adds, glancing at her out of the side of his eye to see if he’d effectively lightened the mood.

Fiona nudges him with her shoulder, passing the blunt back. “Dude, fuck you, for real.” 

Lip chuckles, nudging her back before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “But uh…for real, I wouldn’t…I wouldn’t have been able to get here without you, like caring about us not bein’ complete hoodrats growin’ up. So…um…thanks.”

The brunette looks at her brother with an amused grin, shaking her head as she takes in the man before her, barely able to recognize him as the snot nosed little brat that used to get the shit kicked out of him at the playground for conning kids out of their ice cream money in order to get them one to share. “God, you better hope you never fuck things up with her. Wasn’t me. That girl raised your ass.”

The pair spends the night wrapped in each other. They eat in their new house and it feels surreal. The quiet. The comfortability. For the first time since they got married, they got to feel like husband and wife, not two teenagers with promise rings shacking up in their parents’ house.

They make love on top of the blankets on their living room floor, sharing air and clutching each other close. The only sound echoing in the empty house is their heavy breathing and there’s no sense of urgency.

And when they’re done they shower, peacefully and in hot water.

As he watches his wife drift off to sleep next to him, his body serving as a cushion for her from the hardwood floors all he can think about is how maybe all of the shit he tolerated earlier in life was to prepare him to really be able to appreciate this.

“You’re gonna live here?” Debbie frowns, crossing her arms over her chest as she glares up at her oldest brother. 

“Uh, yeah, Debs, me and Charlotte are gonna be stayin’ here from now on.”

The day after Charlotte’s birthday the couple invited the remaining Gallagher siblings, Mickey, Kev and V over to see their new place. They were all sworn to keep the new address a secret from Frank and Monica if she ever rolls into town again. Some of their family members were taking the news of the move better than others.

Debbie loves Charlotte. She’s the girly, fun older sister vibe that she’s always wanted. While she loves Fiona, she’d always acted more as a mother figure than a sister, so she couldn’t necessarily be the fun one. But the real heartbreak was Lip. Debbie had always been a Lip girl. Carl had Fiona, Debbie had Lip, that was the way it worked. How could he help her with her homework, or pick her up from the bus stop everyday from out here? 

She’d been glad he’d gotten a girlfriend at first. She was nice, and pretty and made Lip nicer. And happier. She didn’t think she ever saw Lip smile as much as when he was with Charlotte. And then he married her and it was even better. But now…now it felt like Lip was becoming a part of something that had nothing to do with the rest of them.

“Great, so Lip gets to take Charlotte and gets to move out of our shit house, what do the rest of us get?” Carl huffs, kicking a box that was clearly marked ‘Lip’s shit’ causing the vein in his brother’s neck to pop. 

“Make your own damn money, how about that, shithead.” Lip slaps the back of his brother’s head before picking up a box and carrying it into the kitchen. 

Distantly he could hear Charlotte promising the kids that they would get to visit the house all of the time and that she and Lip will visit them so often it’ll feel like they hadn’t moved at all. He rolls his eyes to himself in some fake showing of irritation, but is inwardly proud to be with someone so kind to his siblings.

They’d moved the bed they shared at V and Kev’s house to theirs early this morning. So, now, they officially had one singular piece of furniture. They plan to work their way to getting more as time develops, mainly because Charlotte was not okay with looking over the shit people had thrown away before it hit the junkyard. Lip had tried to explain to her that it wasn’t technically trash until it got there, but she was strongly against it. 

Kev gifted them a hot tv that one of his customers dragged into the bar about a month ago and was currently mounting the small screen in their living room. The place was sort’ve coming together. At least to their standards.

Lip’s siblings stay for a couple hours and decide to head home when the second bus heads out. As Fiona slings Liam’s diaper bag over her shoulder and Ian picks him up, Charlotte and Lip exchange a look.

“Hey, uh, Fi, can we talk to you really quick?”

Fiona places the bag down, shrugging “sure.” before following Lip and Charlotte into the kitchen. The latter pushes her way up to sit on the counter and Lip stands between her legs, her hands resting on his chest as he leans back into her, facing his sister. “What’s up?”

Lip hesitates slightly. He knows this topic is gonna piss her off. He rolls his tongue in his cheek as he thinks about how to approach the conversation in the least damaging way possible, rubbing his thumb along Charlotte’s thigh for comfort. “We uh, has CPS reached out yet?”

“Not yet.” Fiona starts, tucking her hair behind her ear, wrapping her arms around herself. “The house is…pretty cleaned up, so as long as Hurricane Frank doesn’t hit before they come we should be alright this time. But, uh, when they come I’ll call you.”

“Right, we were thinking. That um,” Lip sucks in a breath, scrubbing down his face before deciding fuck it he was gonna have to get it out sometime. “Maybe, maybe Liam should stay with us for a while. We talked about it yesterday, and we’ve got room for ‘em so-”

“Why?”

There it was. The kicked puppy, ‘are you tryin’ to say I’m not doing a good job’ look that he wanted to avoid. And now here come the dramatics.

“Fi-” he sighs.

“No. No, why would he stay with you? He’s been perfectly fine with me at our house. You’ve got this place for like, two seconds and you already think you’re better than somebody?” 

Lip can feel the irritation building under his skin. His jaw works as he breathes out heavily and he feels Charlotte’s hand tug lightly on the hair at the nape of his neck.

“It was just a thought, Fiona.” Charlotte cuts in. “Lip is his legal guardian right? We just thought it might make things easier for the CPS visit. Easier on everyone, you know? We just wanna help.”

Fiona’s lips twist as if she was forcing herself to hold her tongue. She opts for shaking her head, moving away from the pair to leave the kitchen. “Help yourselves. That’s what Lip wants to do anyway.” 

As the couple hears the rest of their family be ushered out of the house and the door slam behind them, Charlotte pulls Phillip to her, placing his face in her cheeks. “Are you okay?”

The man sucks his teeth and shrugs. “Yeah, she’s just dealin’ with shit. She’ll get over it. She’s sensitive about the whole, me being Liam’s legal guardian thing and now she’s being a bitch about it.”

Charlotte nods, with an easy smile. “Yeah, but I mean with all of it. You’re moving out of your family home. Away from your younger siblings. It’s different, and I wanna make sure you don’t feel like…rushed or somethin’.”

“Bunny, I’m the one who got us the house. I’m fine. That’s my old life, right? This is my new one. I’m startin’ it with you.” Lip smiles, pulling her into a kiss and tugging her off of the counter, holding her up by her ass as she wraps her legs around him. “Now we have to find places to fuck in this house that we couldn’t living with all 5,000 Gallaghers.”

Charlotte rolls her eyes as Lip flips her up onto his shoulder, landing a loud smack on her ass. “My prince charming.”

“Yeah, fuckin’ better be, I bought you a damn house!” 

“Ha! How long are you gonna milk that?”

Lip meant what he’d said about starting a new life with Charlotte. 

It was the one thing he still believes her father was right about. He’d have to choose. Not to cut off his siblings and old life completely, but he couldn’t stay the way he was and be with Charlotte. He couldn’t have the life he wanted. He didn’t even know that he could live like this. 

Good, happy homes were things of fairy tales in the Gallagher house just like unicorns and magic wands. Nothing was gonna happen to make their lives better, they just had to make do. It was a hard lesson they all learned. Hell, Debbie was starting to see now. You work, grind, steal, and have small bursts of mania where you get to taste happiness, and then you fall hard. And Monica and Frank show up to trip you on your way down to make your fall even harder.

Even when Charlotte showed up, she was the lone beam of light in the otherwise deep pit he was born into. He didn’t know there was anything else. Until he started to set a routine in this new life with Charlotte.

Somehow, waking up at 7:30 to get ready for work was easier for Lip when he was with her. Don’t get him wrong, was he a morning person? Absolutely fucking not. But, having his sexy wife laying in bed next to him, waking him up with kisses and the occasional handjob definitely helped. 

“Goodmorning.” she whispers, kissing him again. 

Lip smooths his hand along her jaw and just stares up in awe that this is what he wakes up to. That they can have moments like this, where there’s nothing else, no one else. Just them. 

He’s at peace, spending the first few minutes of his day running his hand from the nape of Charlotte’s neck to her ass as she lays on his chest and rambles about what the fuck ever. The girls at one job or the other. Something crazy V was doing. Some tv show that it was apparently a crime he hadn’t seen. 

She doesn’t try to force him to talk, knowing he’s not into talking early in the morning. He just wants her next to him. He just wants her there.

By 7:40 she’s dragging out of bed, despite his loose grip trying to pull her back into it. “Bubba, shower, you have to leave soon and I wanna have time to eat breakfast together.” she pouts. 

He raises a brow, resting his arm behind his head. “Gonna be careful this time?”

Charlotte huffs, flipping him off with her bandaged middle finger. One of three injuries she’s sustained since they now have a stove that actually gets hot. 

Lip chuckles as he watches her storm down the hallway and start jogging down the steps. “I’m rubbin’ off on you!”

“Yeah, that’s the only rubbing that’s gonna be going on around here, jerk.”

Shaking his head he actually gets up and showers. And its fuckin’ wild. There’s hot water. He doesn’t have to wait 30 minutes for it to come and hurry up and scrub before it turns cold again. He doesn’t have to call out to go first and race to get there anyway. He either goes first, because Charlotte heads in later than him or they shower together. Lip can take his time but he doesn’t because he knows there’s food downstairs. It won’t be spoiled. It won’t be stolen. Maybe a little burnt if Charlotte hurts herself again. And he doesn’t have to pretend he’s not hungry after grabbing his plate because he can see there’s not enough for his little siblings to eat. 

Maybe Charlotte’s dad was right, there’s something to be said about choosing to move on with the person you’re in love with. Maybe there’s a reason normal people move out and get married and only see their original family once or twice a year. Maybe Lip thinks he is better than someone, everyone in the fucking hood he grew up in and God or whatever else was overlording his bullshit life up until this point finally decided he deserves more. And so they gave him his fucking wife. And now all he needs to do is not fucking look back. 

So he doesn’t. He moves on. Just him and Charlotte. Aside from a few texts with Ian, who was very understanding about Lip’s new resolve to move on from their shit filled lives, he was disconnected from everything Gallagher. A full two weeks go by without him visiting their old shack of a house. Fiona never calls and the only Lip thinks to miss is the kids. 

Charlotte thought the whole situation was bullshit.

“Hey, bubba, you spoke to any of your brother’s and sister’s today?” She asks, leaning in the doorframe to their bedroom. Lip is sitting criss-crossed on the floor, using the laptop the company gave him to get some work done that he hadn’t finished earlier. He doesn’t look up from the laptop as he holds his arm out, scooting the electronic to one leg so Charlotte can sit on the other. 

She perches herself on his leg, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and leaning her head on his. “Uh nope. What do you want for dinner?”

“Hmm,” she hums, nuzzling her nose into his cheek. “For you to call your sister?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Charlotte.” 

“I know you miss them. Moving out doesn’t mean cutting ties!” 

“Yep, off.” He says, lifting her up and off his lap, placing her on the floor next to him. “It’s normal to grow up and not see your siblings every fuckin’ day, Charlotte.”

“Yes, but this is a tantrum, Phillip. There’s a difference.” She huffs, watching him put a headphone in, snatching it back out.

“I’m working.”

“We’re talking, Phillip!”

“No, you’re fuckin’ yelling.” Lip sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face. “But if you want to have a serious conversation, we could talk about your jobs.”

“Again.” Charlotte rolls her eyes, flopping back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“I mean you’re still working there so…”

“It helps, Phillip. And I like the people there.” 

“Oh my fucking god, yes,” Lip snaps the laptop closed, standing and crossing his arms. “Please, baby, tell me how much you like the limp dick perverts that come to your jobs to eyefuck you.” 

“I’m not talking about them and you know that.” Charlotte grumbles, grabbing the blanket from the bottom of the bed and tugging it over her head. “You’re being mean and I’m just trying to help you.” she muffles. 

“Fuckin’” Lip grits his teeth, taking a deep breath before sitting on the edge of the bed, resting his forehead where he knows her stomach is. “I’m sorry baby, you married a dick.”

“I know.”

“You know,” he laughs, leaning more weight on her and scoffing at her ‘oof’. “You callin’ me heavy or something?”

“It’s…like…an…elephant is stepping on me.”

“Fuck you.” he chuckles. Lip pulls lightly at the blanket. “Look at me, Bunny?” The blanket folds down and Charlotte gives him her big brown eyes, staring up at him. “Baby, I fuckin’ love that you love my family, despite the absolute shit storm that they are. But I’ve spent my life dealin’ with that shit. I’m fuckin’ tired of beggin’ and crawlin’ back to the clusterfuck I was born into. I’m fuckin’ tired, Bunny. This is the family I wanna focus on. Us, baby.”

She smiles at that, smoothing her thumb over his lips, squealing when he lightly bites the digit with his teeth. “Ow, okay, jackass. Stop being cute.”

“Where did you get that goddamn language from? Shit.”

Lip looks up from the small television as his ears hone in on the sound of Charlotte’s slippers shuffling across the wooden floor. His girl comes into view with an absent look on her face. She’d finished doing her hair, the long black silk now split into a half up half down. Her body is covered (barely) by her short, white tank top dress.

They had people over. Charlotte had insisted that Lip at least try to make friends with the guys from work if he refused to mend the bridge between him and his siblings and start hanging out with them again. After a lot of whining, nagging and actual kicking, Lip promised to invite the guys to their new house to watch the game.

The guys from work were trying to be respectful. He could give them that. Whether it be because they know about what happened with Eric or because they genuinely are trying to be his friends, as she skips into view, her thighs shining in the light from the lamp, the short dress fighting to cover her ass, they all work to fix their eyes onto the screen.

“Phillip?” she says sweetly, slipping an arm around his neck and hopping into his lap, blindly trusting him to catch her. He obviously does. 

“Yes, baby?” He tugs her dress down as he brings her legs over his so she can sit more comfortably.

“Are you hungry?” She sighs, pushing his hair back, smiling when his eyes slip closed lightly as her fingers scratch his scalp. “I’m hungry.”

“Uh, no baby, m’not hungry, but uh-”

She lets out an annoyed, high pitched whine that has Lucas’ eyes darting over briefly. Come on Luc, I fuckin’ like you, hold it down. “Are your friends hungry?”

Lip peaks around her to address them, brows raised and is quickly met with several panicked versions of ‘no thank you’ ‘I already ate’ and ‘my girlfriend will kill me if I eat without her.’ “Charlotte, just eat those leftover noodles we made earlier and when the game’s over I’ll take you somewhere.”

She huffs again before leaning in and meeting Lip in a kiss, he had never realized how noisily they kissed until they were in front of other people. When she fully pulls away to pad off into the kitchen, a final smack sounds in the room that has his cheeks reddening and his hand refraining from patting her ass like he normally would.

Charlotte moving around in the kitchen doesn’t serve as a problem. She’s not loud and seems to be perfectly satisfied just preparing her snack and chilling by herself. Lip is temporarily able to focus on the game again, talking to Noah about how it’s number 9’s retirement year and how they need this win to stay in the season. 

“Yeah, but he’s a fuckin’ idiot, they’re not goin’ anywhere.”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re watchin’ Gallagher, let him make the play and…”

Lip waits for Noah to finish his argument, ready to scoff at whatever bullshit response he has but it never comes. He looks around at the other guys to see them all watching something over his head. He turns, following their gaze over to the counter. “Fuckin’ shit.”

There’s his wife, sitting on their counter with not a care in the world. Her dress riding up, the flesh of her thighs spread on the cool countertops. Her head tossed back, eyes closed, mouth open and tongue out as she slurps down the noodles as if it was the first meal she’d had in days, stopping only briefly in between to pop her fingers into her mouth to suck up the fallen droplets of broth. Jesus Christ could he even blame them? 

He hops out of his seat as fast as his legs can carry him, blocking her from his guests' view. “Charlotte, c’mon baby, what’re you doin’?”

Her brows furrow as she fixes him a confused look, she swallows the noodles in her mouth and scoops more up with the chopsticks. “What? You said I could have ‘em, you wanted some?” she offers sweetly, bringing the food to his lips.

“Why are you eating on the counter?” He whisper yells, dragging her closer to him.

“You and your friends are in the only seats, where else was I supposed to go?”

“The bed?”

“I don’t wanna get food in there!” 

“I’d have given you a seat!”

“Or you could take me to pick out more chairs.” she hums, slurping the noodles he still hadn’t accepted into her mouth, moaning dramatically as she eats them. And then it hits him. “With my paycheck. From my job.”

“You little fuckin’ brat.”

“A brat who’s getting new chairs?”

Lip points his finger in her face, pushing her forehead gently. “You’re fucking irritating.” 

“I love you too.” She chirps, hopping down off of the counter. “M’gonna let you hang out with your friends. Go see what our family is up to. You want me to bring you anything back or…?”

“Just keep your purse close.” He mumbles.

Charlotte rolls her eyes, making a big show of kissing her husband before walking out of the door.

“Thanks for coming out to meet me. I know you have to work later.” Charlotte sips her water, running her finger along the cool condensation. “I’m really sorry about what happened a couple weeks ago, Fi.”

Fiona kicks Charlotte’s leg lightly. “I told you, stop apologizin’. I don’t blame you just because you’re my prick brother’s wife. I just don’t know where that kid gets off, you know? Acting like I can’t take care of our siblings, like I always have. I raised that little asshole too.”

Charlotte fidgets in her seat at that. While she still agrees it may be good for Liam to come live with her and Phillip, she also understands why the idea would hurt Fiona. Instead of arguing with the girl she just frowns and decides to address what she came for. “I understand that it’s not all on you or anything, but, don’t you feel like it’s been a while since you guys have talked?”

“Mm, not the longest we’ve gone.” Fiona says nonchalantly, eating a couple fries.

“But, don’t you guys miss each other?”

“Look, Lottie, Lip is being a fuckin’ Gallagher. He’s got something good goin’ right now so he’s jumping ship. Logging off, taking some vacation time from the job that it is to be part of this family. We all do it. Get high and mighty when we have something good we can latch onto.” She takes a sip of her soda before crossing her arms. “He’ll be back.”

“When?” Charlotte asks, shifting forward. “I know he misses you guys. I know you guys miss him. What about the younger kids?”

“This is what they know. Gallaghers get another offer and fuckin’ dip. And then we come crawling back when we absolutely fucking tank whatever good thing we had going. And the other Gallaghers know that we have to take them back.” Fiona sighs, resting her chin in her hand. 

“But…what we have isn’t going to end.” Charlotte says. “This time…this time aren’t you guys gonna have to learn how one of you can be happy and still keep a relationship with the rest of you?”

Fiona stares at Charlotte from across the table, lips pursed. The rational side of her brain tells her it’s true. It tells her that her little shithead brother was changing and evolving. That he’s a man now, with a family, and their dynamic would have to change if they were going to stay in each other’s lives.

But the other part of her still has doubts. It knows that Lip is Monica and Frank’s son at the end of the day. He’s a Gallagher. They break what they touch. Property, promises and people. As much as she loves Charlotte, she can only think it’s a matter of time before he fucks up and she leaves or he drags her down with him. As far as Fiona was concerned, Lip was playing house, and the game had to end eventually.

“Fuckin’ nasty.” Lip sneers, dumping the collection of beers his coworkers had left in the living room. Now that he has a generally clean house, it was easier to notice when it’s dirty. Dumping the trash bag next to the counter and making a mental note to take it out before Charlotte got home and made a big deal about it before dramatically tripping over it and declaring that Lip tried to kill her, Lip pulls his phone from his pocket. She’s been gone for a while.

His stomach grumbles and he decides to text her to see if she ever got around to getting food or if she wanted him to make her something too when he fed himself. He’d have to feed her before he dragged her to bed and taught her why she shouldn’t tease him while his horny, idiot coworkers are interloping in their home. 

As he’s sending the message the doorbell rings and Lip snorts. Taking his sweet old time as he shuffles over to the door. “Oh, someone forgot their fuckin’ keys again, huh, Bunny?” He smugly cracks his neck before pulling open the door, “How’re you gonna thank me for lettin’ you in, huh?”

“I…I just really needed to see you.”

Lip’s eyes shoot open and he immediately takes a step back in shock, almost reflexively slams the door shut. 

“Wh-Mandy what the fuck?”

[tapesfrom1980]

Hiiii can I poke you for a lip Gallagher x innocent reader request.

💜💜

“can everyone come here for a moment?” lip called out as he stood in the middle of the gallagher kitchen. he could hear their siblings footsteps and groans as they came closer.

“what’s up?” fiona came from the next room over folding a freshly dried sweatshirt.

“i’m uh” lip looked for the right way to word it without his siblings making fun of him. “i’m having…someone over. i really like this person and i don’t want them to be scared off. so when they get here can you just…act like normal people.”

“woah woah woah.” ian cut in with a stifled laugh. “this person must be very special if you don’t want us? to scare them off.”

“is it a girl? you always bring girls home.” fiona started to smile knowingly. “ she special?”

lip held back an eye roll as his siblings started discussing on who the mystery girl was and why he cared so much about her not being scared off.

“okay, okay yeah! i just…i think there’s something more that’s going to come out of this and you guys can’t ruin that.” he spoke loudly, cutting off his siblings conversations.

“she hot?” carl perked up. everyone gave him a look, even liam.

“you’re like 15 years old carl. she’s not gonna flirt with you.” carl rolled his eyes.

the doorbell rang, and lip knew it was y/n. he gave one last knowing look to his siblings and walked to the door, looking around to make sure the mess isn’t too big.

“y/n.” he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in when y/n came into view. she was so pretty and he felt himself be more and more enthralled everytime he saw her.

“hi lip.” y/n smiled warmly at him as he stepped aside for her to walk in.

“y/n, these are my siblings.” lip put a hand on her back as he led her to the living room.

“hey i’m fiona, it’s great to meet you.” fiona gave y/n a small but firm hug.

“i’m y/n, it’s so nice to finally meet you!! lip has mentioned all of you guys a lot.” y/n smiled.

“he mention me too?” carl stepped forward with a smirk. “if you ever decide you don’t like this loser, i’m here.” he winked.

“aw you’re so cute!!” y/n brought carl into an embrace with a big grin. everyone else was trying to stifle a laugh as they saw carls disappointment. y/n pulled away and walked towards ian.

“ian right? i’m friends with mandy, she said i’d love you.”

“oh lip i love her already.” ian put his arm around y/n and smiled at lip. he was a little tipsy and in that moment he felt like he had just met his bestfriend.

“oh guys i have to go, it was nice meeting you y/n.” debbie walked into the kitchen to grab her purse.

“where ya going?” fiona asked as debbie stashed stuff into her purse.

“just out.” the ginger shrugged.

“alright, don’t be back too late!” she called out as debbie speed walked outside.

“nice…meeting you?” y/n also tried calling out.

“don’t worry, she’s always like that.” lip reassured her.

“hey guys, kev and v are coming over with some booze. y/n, you drink?” fiona asked.

“yeah! i just have to warn you, i have a very low tolerance.” lip laughed as he recalled all the times he had to physically force y/n into a taxi while she demanded she got one more drink.

“okay, let’s get this party started then!”

-

“veronica where did you get those earrings? they’re so cute.” y/n asked loudly as she had her arms embracing v.

“how many drinks have you had y/n?” veronica laughed.

“oh she’s only had 2.” lip laughed.

“shhhhhhhh lip shhh.” she put her fingers on his lips to shut him up.

“i love your family lip you guys are so much fun!!” y/n started tearing up as she looked around the living room.

“please don’t start crying.” lip groaned.

“and you guys have been so welcoming. i don’t deserve this.” y/n put her head in her hands crying.

“alright i think it’s time for you go to lie down y/n.” lip laughed, helping the girl get up.

“you guys have been through so much and you’re still some of the most fun people i’ve ever met.” the girl continued as lip brought her up the stairs.

lip carefully walked into his room, laying down y/n as gently as he could.

“thank you.” y/n cuddled into lip and burrowed her head into his chest with a small sigh.

“for what?”

“for everything.” y/n smiled before dozing off. lip couldn’t contain his smile of awe at the girl cuddling him.

he normally wasn’t a softie, but seeing such a beautiful and innocent girl laying on him made him want to be perfect for her. to get better, to make sure no one harms her anymore.

[eddies-whoreee]

Ambushed

Summary: Steve hosts a pool party for the group and as the night fades away, you get ambushed in the kitchen by two horny guys.

CW: bestfriend!steddie, sexual touching, dirty talk, allusions to sex at the end. BASED IN MODERN TIMES!!

You had just arrived with Robin, the door was already unlocked so you headed straight for the back yard where Steve and Eddie sat smoking a joint. Their heads both turn as you open the sliding door. “Hey princess” Eddie says with a goofy smile passing the joint to Steve. “Hey Eds” you peep setting plopping down next to Steve making grabbing hands for the joint which Steve immediately hands to you. “Where’s Robin?” Steve asks. “She’s raiding your super fancy fridge” you tell him taking a hit. “That’s all she comes here to do I swear” steve scoffs. “You’re rich Steve, you have to expect it” you reply. “You’re rich too! Even richer than me you have a summer house” Steve states. Making you roll your eyes. “Whatever, enough talk about this, I have some important news” you tell them passing the joint to Eddie.

“Kevin Wilson, from swim team asked me out on a date” you say. “Kevin? Creepy Kev?” Eddie asks shocked. “Stop you guys! That rumor was proven to be fake. And he’s kinda cute” you state. “His dick is small” steve tells you. “No it’s average not every guy can have a monster cock like you, Steve” you huff. “ a monster cock? Never heard that one before” he chuckles. “Okay anything above 9 and a half is consider a monster, especially if the width is above 5 inches” you inform him. “Sweetheart do you do studies in guys dicks or..” Eddie jokes. “No, it’s human anatomy and I am studying to be a nurse” you state. “And knowing I have a monster cock helps that how?” Steve asks. “Ugh, should’ve never told you that!” You groan. “Yeah because now I have an inflated ego” he smirks. “C’mon harrington like you didn’t know you had a huge dick” Eddie speaks nudging Steve shoulder. “Well yeah, but not a ‘monster’ ” he laughs. “And remind me how you know y/n?” Robin comes behind you asking. “It all started one dark and stormy night” you joke making Eddie and Robin laugh. “Who hasn’t fucked steve he’s a man whore!” Robin states. You guys all look at her, “I’m lesbian so I don’t count!!” She tells you guys. “And I am no whore!” Steve tries to argue. Eddie puts his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “You’re a whore, no shame though.” Eddie says with a smile. “Whatever” steve rolls his eyes. “Hey guys!” Nancy speaks walking through the door with Jonathan. You roll your eyes and stay silent.

“Someone’s jealous” Eddie whispers in your ear. You snap your head at him, “of who?” Your ask slightly offended. “Of Nancy, you’re so jealous she used to date Stevie” Eddie responds poking your side. “First off, I did too and there is nothing she has that I don’t plus more” you reply flicking his forehead with your middle finger and thumb. “Whatever I’m ready to get in the pool it’s burning up out here” you state getting up and taking off your cropped tank and flowy shorts revealing your bikini that hugged your figure perfectly. Everyone stopped their conversation to look at you. “What? This is a pool party right? Was I supposed to wear overalls?” You ask. “No, what you have on is perfectly fine” steve stutters out staring hardly at your ass. “Dog” Robin mutters at him slapping his chest. “Who needs playboy when you have y/n” Eddie jokes making you roll your eyes playfully reaching to the sunscreen. “Can someone put sunscreen on me?” You ask going to open the bottle. “Me!” Steve, Eddie, and Robin.

You giggle handing the sunscreen to Robin who sticks her tongue at the boys which they retaliate by flipping her off. You lay down on your stomach so Robin can get easy access to your body. After her rubbing sunscreen on your legs, ass, back, and shoulders. You turn around laying on your back. “Can you also do this side, I’m lazy” you ask giving her sweet smile. “Sure” she says her hands diving for you boobs making you giggle as the cold substance makes contact with your skin. Once you are all covered in sunscreen you turn to lay your towel out and see Eddie and Steve staring you down. “You two okay?” You question laying out your towel on the chair. “Yep! Perfect, I’m gonna go get a beer” Eddie states getting up and walking toward the door. “M-Me too” Steve speaks following Eddie. You shake your head playfully and slowly enter the pool since it was freezing cold to you. Once you get you your midriff and below in the water you decide you submerge the rest of your body in the water. As you pull yourself back up hands running over your hair to get the access water out. “You gonna join Nance?” Robin asks. “Maybe later I’m gonna tan” she says laying back. “Well I’m gonna join” Jonathan states taking off his shirt and tossing it to the side. “Have fun babes” Nancy says. Robin and Jonathan both cannon ball into the pool making a huge splash. You all giggle and start splashing each other.

The night goes on and you end up getting out of the pool for good around 7 or 8. Everyone had left but Robin, Steve,Eddie, and you were there. As you exit the pool retrieving your towel and wrapping it around your waist creating a little knot on the side still revealing some of your hip. “I’m gonna go get a water do you guys need anything?” You ask walking towards the door. They answer no so you go in. As you got the water bottle your phone went off so you decided to check it. As you were scrolling through social media, you didn’t even hear anyone enter the house. “Hey princess” is all you hear from close behind you making you jump and yelp. “What the fuck Eddie” you turn around ready to slap him when you are faced with Eddie and Steve towering over you. It was always intimidating when anyone taller was towering over you but two, sexy, shirtless, men. “Oh hi guys, whatcha doin’ ” you ask as your voice pitched higher showing signs of nervousness. “Nice tits” Eddie says earning a nudge from Steve. “What happened to a subtle approach” he mumbles. “What he’s trying to say is you look good and we couldn’t keep our eyes off of you” Steve says softly. “You practically have us drooling over you” Eddie states pushing his body closer to you. You were cornered in the kitchen. “So, the only logical thing to do is fuck your brains out” Steve states with smirk. “B-But what about Robin? She’s still here” you ask. “She left a couple minutes ago we told her you asked to stay the night” Eddie smiles. You blush looking down to the floor. “C’mon baby, let’s us show you how bad we want you, yeah?” Steve asks you nod obediently. “Good girl, c’mon” Eddie’s says picking you and throwing you over his shoulder making you gasp. He lands a harsh slap on your ass as does Steve making you giggle with excitement. Tonight is gonna be a fun, looooong night!

[themultifandomgal]

Sweet Pea- Grease Is The Word

Summer Nights

I haven’t seen any Grease inspired imagines for Riverdale which I find a little odd. If any of you have read some let me know.

What a summer. Not only did I move to Riverdale but I met the cutest guy wrapped in leather at Sweetwater River. His name, Sweet Pea. He was tall and very handsome. Hopefully he attends the same school as I am, Riverdale High.

I walk through the halls with my new neighbour, Betty, to a cafeteria table where there’s a group of girls

“Hey guys. This is my new neighbour YN YLN. YN this is Veronica, Cheryl, Toni and Josie”

“Hi it’s nice to meet you” I say politely smiling

“So YN where did you move from?” Toni asks

“We moved from Atlanta, Georgia”

“How come?” Veronica asks

“My dad got a job with Lodge industries so we moved”

“So your dad is working for mine? Interesting”

“How do you like the school so far?” Cheryl asks

“It seems nice” I shrug

“What did you do over the summer, other than move” Veronica asks

“Well I spent most of my summer at Sweetwater River”

“Why?” Josie frowns

“I met a boy there” the girls all gasp “he was cute, handsome, tall. He had this leather jacket that just gave him a bad boy image, but he wasn’t” I sigh thinking about him

“Come on don’t leave us hanging tell us more” Veronica almost squeals

“We went bowling, we got milkshakes, talked for hours on end”

“Sounds like a drag” Cheryl huffs

“Ignore her keep going. Did you kiss?”

“Maybe. He was sweet though. Made me feel safe you know”

“So have you got his number?”

“Yes, but since we probably won’t ever see each other again we called it off at the end of summer. Those summer night were some of the best I’ve ever had. Just wish I could see him again”

“He sounded wonderful YN” Betty says giving me a sad smile

“Sounds like Sweet Pea” Cheryl mutters crossing her arms

“Did you just say Sweet Pea?” my eyes widen hearing his name

“Yeah why?”

“Is he the guy?” Josie gasps.

Toni and the other girls drag me to a student lounge where there’s a bunch of guys wearing the same leather jacket, but also a group of guys wearing a different jacket

“Well speaking of the devil” Cheryl says

“What did I tell ya. They’re always chasing me”

“Not you Reggie. Him” Cheryl rolls her eyes then points behind the guy Reggie

“Sweet Pea we’ve got a surprise for you” Toni says. That’s when he turns around and I’m pushed towards him

“Sweet Pea”

“YN!” he yells with a smile on his face he takes my hands in his making me smile wide “what are you doing here?”

“I go to school here now”

“This is…” someone clears their voice behind Sweet Pea making him stand up quickly “that’s erm, that’s cool. Guess I’ll see you round”

“Who’s this?” Reggie smirks looking at me up and down

“No one. Let’s bounce” with that they all walk out making me frown. I look back at Betty

“I don’t understand, he was so nice this summer”

“I’m sorry YN. Sweet Pea is a law on to himself” Veronica says putting an arm around me

“Hey why don’t you come over to my place tonight. Just us girls” Betty suggests

“Sure. I’ll have to ask my mum and dad but I’m sure they’ll be fine with it”

“Forget about Sweet Pea he’s nothing but player” Toni tells me. The bell rings signalling us to head to class “who have you got now?”

“Errm…” I take out my schedule “Mr Tommy”

“I’ll walk you there” Betty says linking her arm with mine. We arrive outside of the English room “hey Kev this is YN, she’s new. Can you look after her in class and walk her to her next lesson after?”

“Sure. Hi YN it’s nice to meet you”

“You too. Thank you Betty. I’ll see you later” I give Betty a little wave and walk into class with Kevin. We sit down next to each other

“So I heard you and Sweet Pea had a fling over the summer”

“Wow news sure travels fast around here” I sigh

“My boyfriend is his best friend, that’s how I know. Look, Sweet Pea has an image, but deep down he is a good guy”

“If you said that over the summer I think I would have agreed with you. But seems like he’s not who he said he was” Mr Tommy enters the room and our lesson starts.

[final-bae-stination]

Let Me Help You (Kevin Fischer) (FD3)

Prompt: Wendy having to help Kevin undress after an injury.

Scenario: After Kevin gets hurt, Wendy has to help Kevin in and out of clothes, and it's kinda funny, kinda cute.

Author's Note: In case anyone's confused, let me clear something up: In every fic/one shot/whatever, pretty much only a select few live: Wendy; Kevin; Ian; Julie; and maybe Erin, so keep that in mind!!

Third Person POV

It was a close call. Too close. Kevin remembered waking up every day back then, terrified. Was that hammer gonna go through his skull? Was the car gonna run him over, flatten his head? Or would he choke on a spoon? A Cheerio? But now, it was over. It was all over.

They'd lost people, yeah. Ashley, Ashlyn, Frankie, Lewis, Julie's Asian friend Perry...but somehow, they'd survived it: Erin, Ian, Wendy, Julie, and Kevin. And now, he'd broken his left leg in a fucking car accident. A normal one, but still pretty scary. And Wendy...was gonna have to help, he realized. "Um...hey, Wen," Kevin said slowly. Wendy peeked her head in the room. Her and Kevin were trying to date, seeing how it went, and they'd gotten a small apartment outside McKinley, two blocks down from Ian and Erin's place, with Julie somehow right in the middle, a floor down from Kevin and Wendy with Amber, her other friend. "Yeah?" Wendy asked. Her hair was longer, more reddish in the summer. Kevin huffed, "I...need help with something." She smirked. "I...kinda figured."

She tugged his shirt off, then carefully took his shoes off. "Wait, wait, not--no, leave." He said before she could touch his pants. She raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" She asked. "Am I sure that I don't want you to take my fuckin' pants off? Yes. Very much so." She snorted. "You're such a boy." She shut the door, and Kevin rolled his eyes. He quickly but carefully took his pants off, and then paused. "Uh." He frowned. How...was he going to get his sweats over his bulky cast? "I can help, you know," Wendy called through the door, as if sensing his struggle. "Kevin, you act like we're not dating or something." "It's weird, Wendy, no." "It is not! Just let me help you. I won't look." A pause. "Fine."

Wendy came in, keeping her word and her eyes above his stomach. "Okay, here." She kneeled, slipping the legs of his sweats over his cast, and then he jerked them up. "Thanks," He said, without looking at her. She kissed his forehead. "Course, Kev."

Time Skip: 3 days later

"So..." Erin drawls. Her, Ian, Wendy, and Kevin were at a small cafe. "Heard Wendy had to help remove your pants." Ian and Kevin immediately choked on their drinks, and Wendy went bright red. "Erin!" "What?! It was a fact!" Erin snapped.

"Wait..." Wendy smirked. "Don't you help Ian---" "Wendy!"

[omnidemidisaster]

Kevin x Goth Girl Reader

Request!!! CW: Cigarettes/Smoking. Also I know the request never said anything about Goth reader, I still like that opposites dynamic so. Also I love bratty bitch reader LMAO.

Y/f/c = Your favorite color

"Black Licorice"

Y/n sat on the curb in front of the Candy Club, smoking a cigarette and watching cars drive past. You constantly heard the Candy Club bell ring, so once you heard it again you didn't pay any mind.

Until..

"Uhm, Mam, can you not smoke right here? Dear lord its giving me a headache" A certain Candy Club member said, an annoyed tone lace with their words.

"Sorry Kev, but I don't think I wanna move" You spat at Kevin, turning around to face him. Kevin sighed heavily. "Mam please, this is the third time this week"

You smirked and tapped a bit of ash off the cigarette. "Well how about you make me" You teased. Kevin rolled his eyes, wishing that he wasn't in this conversation in the first place.

"Fine, what do you want?" He asked. You thought about it. He was confused, expecting something typical like free candy or something. Nope. He wasn't expecting what came out your lips.

"I want your number" You said. Kevin stepped back a little in surprise. "My number?" He asked, extremely confused. "Yea. Give me your number and I'll stop smoking here"

Kevin stood there for a few seconds. He sighed and walked into the store to find a sheet of paper. He took a piece of candy, opened the candy wrapper and popped the candy in his mouth.

Instead of trashing the wrapper, he grabbed a pen, laid the tiny paper wrapper put and wrote his number. He walked back out, seeing you still sitting there, awaiting him.

He handed you the wrapper begrudgingly. You smirked and put the number in your jacket pocket. You stood up, patted the dirt off your clothes.

"Thanks Candy Man" You teased, putting extra emphasis on Candy Man. You started to walk away, leaving Kevin just standing in the dark.

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

A week later

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

Kevin waited at the counter, humming a tune to himself. The bell alerted him, causing him to look over. He was met with a familiar face.

"Hey Candy Man"

Kevin cursed under his breath. "What are you doing here?" He asked, a bit of anger laced in his tone. "I said I would stop smoking here, never said I would stop coming here" You said, walking around the store.

Kevin sighed. He watched you as you looked at the candy in the store. He couldn't help but just look at you. He thought it was just to stare daggers at you, but something about you made him want to look at you.

Its just out of annoyance, right? I mean look at your stupid jacket with those cool looking patches. And that pretty (y/f/c) dyed hair didn't look good on you. And your makeup looks too pretty on you.

Wait....

He didn't think you were pretty, right? He couldn't have. You were the annoying bitch who smoked and asked for something just to leave.

All of a sudden a clank against the glass caused him to wake up from his random day dream. "Uhh Candy Man? You good?" You asked, laughing a bit at him.

"Shut up" He mumbled, scanning the items. You laughed and pulled out your phone. You scrolled mindlessly, unaware of Kevin looking over. He saw you were texting a friend and something told him to read.

"Yooo I'm at the candy store. Want anything?"

"Sure, they got red hots? Also ain't that the same place you met that guy?"

"Who Kevin?

"Yeah. Hes pretty cute tbh"

"Didn't he tell you off LMAO"

"Shut up lol. Man idc I've had worse thrown at me"

"Dont remind me"

"Your so sensitive bro that happened to ME"

His eyes reread the sentence "Hes pretty cute". So thats what you thought of him.

He pushed the bag of candy to you, causing you to look up at him. He took another look at you again. Dark and (y/f/c) dyed hair, dark makeup that compliments your face, your charming eyes.

Gothic beauty. That goth beauty thought him, a socially anxious college kid who works at a damn candy store, was cute.

"Kevin?"

That jolted him out his head. "You've been staring more often. What's with you hm? Weirdo" You teased, grabbing the bag and handing over a wad of cash. He reached for it, your hands bumping together.

Your hand was softer and smaller than his. Kevin tried not to think about it while counting the cash and getting change. Kevin wanted to say something to you. No matter how hard he thought though, he didn't think of anything.

"Yo, candy man, when do you clock out?" You asked, looking at your painted nails. "Uh- 1 am...Why?" He questioned. "Was thinking maybe we could go get some burgers and shakes from Burger Queen when you clock out"

His eyes widened. Why are you asking him out? Didn't you just jab at him a second ago? "Uhm...Like a...Like a uhm.." You snickered at him. "Like a date. Not the most romantic but hey I don't get a good paycheck till next week"

He stuttered before blurting out "YES", startling the hell out of you. His hands clapped over his mouth. "S-Sorry" He said, mumbling into his hands.

You laughed at his reaction. "Its 12:06 right now, want me to stay til you get out?" You asked. "If...if you want" Kevin mumbled. "Then Ima sit right here with ya"

You looked for an empty place on the ground where you would be out the way. Kevin noticed you looking around for a seat. He went to the back and brought out a milk crate. Sure it isn't the most comfortable but it was better than the floor.

You sat down on the crate, getting comfortable. You were going to stay for nearly an hour, might as well get comfortable.

Kevin was now suddenly wanting his shift to end quicker than usual.

[ladylooch]

Kev & baby Luca with matching pool shorts

“Babe!” Kevin yells into the house. He has Luca with him. Our son is babbling in his car seat, sucking on his hand. 

“Yeah?” I ask, poking my head out of the powder room. I’m finishing cleaning, then we are having a family pool day. The heat in the Midwest has reached ridiculous heights. Don’t even get us started on the humidity. The only way to stop me from going crazy is to be in our new, in-ground pool.

“Look at what I got!” 

“Hold on.” Kevin sighs with a huff. I’m obviously ruining his buzz of excitement. I wash my hands quickly, then come out patting them on my shorts to dry faster. He is holding a black bag in his hands, one hand disappearing into it. “Ready.” I gesture with a smile.

“Your boys… are gonna look so good in our new pool.” I bite my lip. Kevin whips out two pairs of swim trunks. Luca sees them and immediately squeals in excitement. 

“Rubber duckies!!!!!” I start laughing, coming closer to look at them.“He saw them at Target and was so excited. So we gonna match.” I grab Luca’s holding them up to admire.

“This is so cute, babe.” I murmur, then lean up for a kiss. “You’re so sweet.”

“Yeah. Thought you could wear your yellow bikini.” 

“Oh so we all match?”

“Yeah… and cause I like the way it kinda doesn’t fit quite right here.” He cups a boob. “Lil’ family time and a show, no?”

“You’re so desperate for a feel these days.” I joke. “I’m ready to go if you are.” 

“Yeah, I’ll get Luca ready.” Kevin takes him out of his car seat, then hoots and hollers all the way upstairs to his room. After hockey, swimming is Kevin’s favorite activity. I can never get him out of the pool when we are on vacation. I am hoping with having one at home it gives us more time to do other things now.

I meet the boys at the pool with a white cover up over my yellow bikini. Kevin frowns, gesturing to the back yard. 

“Take it off. It’s just us.” He knows I’m still a little self conscious about what pregnancy left on my body. I toss the cover up onto the chair and he whistles. “You’re so hot.” He groans. A blush dusts my cheeks as he cat calls me the entire walk to the stairs. “Making my rubber duckies stretch in here, baby.” I hide my face with my hand briefly, smiling behind it. “Squeak squeak!”

“Oh my god.” I giggle. He wades over to me with Luca. Along with the twining shorts, our son is wearing his blue sun shirt, bucket hat, and his life jacket. 

“Seriously. Wanna get you saddled up here.”

“Ah!” Luca yells, stopping my response. Then a high pitched squeal when Kevin brings his dripping fingers over to hit his bucket hat. 

“Are you having the best day? Went to work with daddy, got to go shopping, and now in the pool! You are going to take such a long nap.” I murmur, adjusting his bucket hat lid to flip up so he can see better. “Give mama and daddy plenty of time in here alone.” My gaze drags up Kevin’s chest, beyond his thick throat and plumped lips to his eyes. I can see his craving there. I suck my cheeks in, wading closer. He pulls me flush to him. He was not kidding about stretching rubber duckies.

Kevin and I work with Luca, helping him float on his back. At first he resists, then he likes the gentle rocking of the water. Kevin brought a few of Luca's water toys out too. Luca holds a purple octopus in his hand, squeezing it and watching as the pool water shoots out onto Kevin’s chest. He giggles, doing it again and again and again until he is beside himself, choking from laughter. 

“Our silly boy.” Kevin murmurs, bringing him back up from floating to rest against his chest. Luca settles in, long blinks starting. A yawn stretches his little mouth, then he rubs at his eyes with his fist. “Sleepy boy too.”

We leave the pool, going to the side where our chaise loungers are and a big umbrella to shield the patio with shade. Kevin gets Luca out of his wet clothes, then changes his diaper. He puts his swim stuff out in the sun to dry as I wrap myself up in a towel. Kevin replaces Luca on his chest, then drapes a towel over the two of them. Luca is out instantly as Kevin rubs his back gently. He looks so adorable with his smooched cheek and lopsided mouth.

Kevin reaches for my hand. I lace our fingers together, then kiss along his knuckles, thanking the universe for the sweetest boys being mine.

[eartheats]

[picture: ren, kevin, and lydia all have posed for a selfie together at levincia's pride festivities. kevin is wearing no shirt and has a rainbow pride flag painted on his chest, along with a genderfluid flag painted on his face. ren themselves is wearing the absolutely DIYcore nonbinary dress they made last night, and it looks passable! ...though the purple ribbons on them, giving the dress straps and decorating the poofy, yellow skirt definitely make it clash, though the white bows that seem to have been sewn into it make it at least look cute. and lydia, arceus bless her soul, is the most put together though she looks like she absolutely went spelunking in her asexual attire. a simple, striped dress with dirt and at least a few tear in the dress

the three of them are posed together holding selfie sticks, and while not all of the faces can be made out, at the very least @ribesrubrum's face can be made out and she seems to flash a peace sign at the camera]

GUYS, GALS, NONBINARY PALS! WE! HAVE! ARRIVED!!!

heehee!!! i think we've got everythin' set up for all the face times too, so we'll be rotatin' everyone out throughout the day! kev and lydia and i got here just in time for the paradin' to start, but we'll be getting to the stores in a bit too to pick some stuff out! ohhhh, i'm so excited, mads sent us each some money last night and said that she'll be here in spirit, so i'm gonna make some care packages for friends and other peeps too~

but yes!!! we're gonna get goin' now to get a nice spot to watch stuff go down! feel free to come say hey to us~

[theitgirlnetwork]

Better

Ch. 13: I've Got It

Note:....Been a while. I know boooo, it was very shitty of me, and I'll spare you the sob story but I'm back. Thank you all for the continued support, I am extremely grateful to everyone who gave and continues to give this story a chance. I am ready to get back to work. This chapter is a long one as the beginning of my apology. As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or just to chat, but all in all, it feels good to be back. Happy Valentines Day, babies <3

Warning: Toxic Family Dynamics, anxiety, angst and strong language.

“Now we wait.” 

Lip rolls his eyes as he sits on the bed in his and Charlotte’s room at Kev and V’s house, crossing his arms. “This is fucking stupid.”

V’s sharp elbow goes into his side as Kev shushes him, facing the opposite direction. 

The three of them are sitting and waiting outside of the bathroom door, straightening as Carol emerges from the room, blue and white stick in her hands and Charlotte in tow. “Auntie Carol, I told you I’m not pregnant-” 

“Hush, little girl, stop whining.”

“But Mama,” V tries, rubbing her head tiredly. “She just had her period.”

“You shut up, Veronica, you were supposed to be watching her, not letting her shack up while you did, lord knows everything but take care of your cousin. Now I’m gonna hear shit from her father and his wife the whole time they’re here.” The older woman huffs, squinting at the test, snapping her fingers and pointing to the bed, gesturing for Charlotte to sit. “The least we can do is make sure she’s not pregnant when they get here.”

Lip rests his hand on Charlotte’s thigh as he tries to hide his annoyance with the whole situation. The call with Charlotte’s dad had been disastrous, as he suspected it would be. The older man had cursed him to high heaven before demanding Charlotte be on the next flight home. When Lip heard that he’d panicked, snatching the phone back from his wife and hanging up. All they’d received since then was an eerie message that they were on their way. Because he’s him and he has literally no control over his own brain, he had no choice but to question why she hadn’t told her parents about them, about him. It seemed like her dad hadn’t even expected to hear from a boyfriend let alone a husband. They’d at least been together long enough that her parents should know he exists.

In fact that’s all he can think about, aside from the fact that he may have lost his job. And how the two may be related. 

“Fuck!” Lip growls as he punches the wall in the hallway. He’s unconcerned with what Fiona will say about it. He’ll just blame it on Frank. 

Charlotte’s head pops out of the bathroom with a freshly bathed Liam on her hip, both looking as innocently confused as ever. Liam claps his hand, squealing, mumbling out an excited ‘fuck!’ as he meets his brother’s eyes. “No, Liam, that's a bad word. Phillip didn’t mean to say that. He meant to say darn, right Phillip?”

The blond is in too foul a mood to concede for cuteness sake and instead squeezes the boy’s cheek and gives his wife an appreciative pat on the ass before scooting past. “Nah, I meant fuck.” 

Charlotte pouts as she bounces the child on her hip a little before taking him to sit with one his other siblings as she goes to figure out what’s wrong with her spouse. She’s noticed that Phillip has been on edge since her parents’ message, but she was beginning to think that wasn’t all that was bothering him. 

She finds him spread out on the couch, staring up at the ceiling with a scowl on his face. Her pout deepens as she climbs over the side of the couch, laying her body over his, pressing her chest to his and offering him a bright smile. “Talk to me, bubba.” 

“I’ve just got shit to figure out I guess, I gotta handle it or we’re fucked.” he huffs, rolling his big blue eyes, as she smooths the lines between his brows with her soft fingers. 

“Shit like what?” Charlotte asks, tilting her head lightly. 

“Watch your mouth.” He murmurs, softly, dragging his thumb over her bottom lip before pushing it into her mouth, humming with quiet satisfaction as she simply closes her mouth around it, brown eyes staring up at him intently. “That shit at the party, lost my cool, cause that fucker is trying to fuck you-” 

“Don’t want him.” she says around his finger.

“I lost my cool and sorta might’ve cost us a good thing.” Lip sighs, smoothing his other hand over her hair. “Daddy wants to talk to me in his office later this week. Fucked it up, sorry baby.” 

It almost feels worse. How quickly she shrugs off his failures. She doesn’t tell him he fucking sucks, or that he ruins everything. She doesn’t huff and push off of him. She offers him a soft smile, kisses him deeply, and tells him ‘they’ll figure it out’. They’ll do it. Another thing he just can’t do for her. He feels helpless. He loves her, and this job was the biggest step he’s made in showing her that. He might beg. He might literally have to set his pride aside and beg. 

That was part one in the hardest lesson life has taught him. Phillip Gallagher is not good enough for Charlotte Gal…Fisher.

“Yay, Debbie!” Charlotte screams , clapping along as Ian whistles. The family was gathering for Debbie’s first soccer game of the season and it was…not going well. Turns out Debbie’s team sucks and she doesn’t respond very well to the rules and restrictions of soccer. She was currently focusing more on digging her heel of her cleats into the shin of a kid who’d accidentally kicked her hand while the ball rolled past her. 

“Fuckin’ kill ‘em, Debs.” Mickey calls, lighting his cigarette. His brows furrow at the looks the parents around him send him. “I fuckin’ meant, metaphorically.”

“Figuratively.” Lip corrects, smacking away the middle finger that gets waived in his face. He sighs as Charlotte knocks his own cigarette out of his hand before he can light it, slapping her thigh, pulling her leg over his as she giggles in his ear. Lip relishes in the closeness and warmth he gets from this moment. His wife leaning into him, absently toying with his fingers as she cheers for his little sister. 

It makes him think. He thinks about the future. Doing this with his kids. Their kids. Kids he didn’t even think he wanted. Not until her. Just the idea of her opens a world of possibilities he hadn’t even factored in. It feels good. It would feel great, if some fucking idiot wasn’t staring at her like a piece of fuckin’ meat-

“Can I fucking help you, fuck face, or do you wanna keep starin’ at my wife?” He demands, standing immediately. Ian and Mickey are following suit soon enough, the latter, lifting Charlotte and placing her on the opposite side of all of them. 

“Woah,” the guy lifts his hands in surrender, eyes darting between the men nervously. “I just was trying to figure out where I know her from, I don’t want any issues.”

“Let’s just say you don’t know her from anywhere and you get to keep your teeth, alright?” Mickey growls. 

The three men settle back into their seats and return to the game. Charlotte waves off Debbie’s confused look that she sends to the stands. She whispers into Lip’s ear that everything is fine. That the guy probably frequents the bar she works at. But from the way she shifts uncomfortably in her seat, zipping her jacket up to her neck and crossing her arms over her chest, hoping he wouldn’t notice…Lip fucking hates himself. He really does. He hates the guys at the club that pay to see the love of his life essentially naked. He hates that they go around thinking about her after they leave the fuckin’ seedy ass building. He hates that she works there, because despite the fact that her body is beautiful and he’s glad she’s comfortable in it, his insecurity is making her insecure and now they can’t be at his sister’s soccer game, or the grocery store, or the park or the club without someone fucking eye-fucking his wife, pissing him off and making her uncomfortable in her own damn clothes. 

But mostly, mostly he hates himself for not being able to make her like the women sitting on the opposite side for the other team. The soccer moms who have husbands that take care of fuckin’ everything they need and have shit to spare to give them what they want. He hates that she’s not sitting here with one of those fancy, stupid ass purses that they all seem to fuckin’ have. He hates that while they got to drop their kids off at a nice ass school after they kissed their husbands goodbye and then went shopping or drinking or whatever upper middle housewives do with their days Charlotte was helping clean his shithole house. He hates that after the game he’s gonna drop her off to the club where she’ll meet more creeps who get off thinking about her and eye-fuck her in his face. He hates that he’s too pussy to go into the club because then he’s worried he’ll steal one of Mickey’s guns and air the bitch out and Charlotte’ll be forced to visit him in jail for the rest of her life. 

So Lip grinds his teeth and finishes watching the game. Leg jumping as he tries to soothe his temper. That’s part two.

Charlotte’s parents arriving is the nail in the marital coffin for Lip. They go pick them up from the airport in the attempt to make a good impression. The couple borrows Kev’s car and the whole ride their Charlotte tries to keep him in a good mood. He knew he must be walking into the lion’s den from how she’d been acting. They’d had sex twice that morning, and before he could start to offer to make her breakfast for her…efforts, she was pulling out the ingredients to make him pancakes. In the car, she didn’t whine about his music, just humming softly as it played, rubbing his arm as his hand rested on her thigh. He wants to be able to leave it at this. He doesn’t want to interrupt the great morning by asking the dreaded question, but he’s him and he can’t let it go.

“So, we haven’t really gotten to talk about it, but I need to ask…why didn’t you tell your parents about me?”

Charlotte takes a deep breath, staring straight out the window as they pull into a pickup spot. “They’re parents…you know, they didn’t exactly send me here to get married in three months.”

“They won’t approve. Fuck.” he nods.

“Bubba, it doesn’t matter.” Charlotte turns to face Lip, pulling her knee into the seat beneath her. “It doesn’t matter, I approve. I’m more worried about what you’ll think of me. My parents aren’t the nicest people, and…I’m not good with navigating them.”

“Charlotte, there’s literally nothing short of murder you could do that would make me change my mind, you’re not the one we need to worry about.” Lip pushes his tongue into his cheek absently, nervously drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, the reflection of the simple ring shining on his hand. 

“This is temporary, right?” Charlotte murmurs, leaning over the console and placing her hands over Lip’s. “They’ll come, and see how good you take care of me and they’ll go home. ‘Kay?”

The blond man just nods quietly, pulling her hand to his lips and kissing it, savoring their bubble one last time before they get out of the car.

“I hate the airport, it's dirty and busy all of the time.” 

Lip rolls his lips together as he drags his in-laws bags over to the car, listening quietly with Charlotte as her mother and father talk about how miserable their flight has been. Her dad, Victor, had given him a curt nod in introduction and held his arm out for Charlotte to obediently place herself into a hug that Lip could tell she didn’t want. Her mother Cynthia had kissed her cheeks in a European way to where they never actually touch. Both people looked polished, and barely tried to hide their wince when Charlotte said, “This is my husband, Phillip.”

Lip’s wife’s pretty brown eyes haven’t lifted from ground level since they met her parents at the terminal, an absent look on her face as her parents drone on and on with pleasantries.

“...and, honey, don’t you think it’s a little too cold for that outfit?” her mom finishes, as the three of them stand back and watch Lip load the car.

“‘M warm.”

“I am warm.” Her mother corrects.

“I am warm.”

“I don’t know how you could be, with this frigid Chicago air. Hopefully you’re not getting sick. Phillip, you always have to watch her, she never wants to wear a coat, always trying to walk around half naked and expect not to get sick-”

“We’d better hope she’s not having hot flashes.” 

“Victor!”

And that too. The snide remarks. Glances down at Charlotte’s stomach, and positioning himself between her and Lip as they walk back to the car. The muscle in Lip’s jaw jumps in irritation as her father continues to insinuate that the only reason he’s here is because he’s some white trash deadbeat that knocked his daughter up. 

“I’m not pregnant, Daddy.”

“As you’ve told me.” The older man grunts, sliding between his daughter and the car, climbing into the front passenger seat the second the lock clicks open, not even sparing her a glance. 

“Are you guys, uh, hungry? We could stop and get something to eat.” Lip sniffs, glancing up into the rearview mirror to get a look at Charlotte. She’s in the back, toying with her fingers as she stares out of the window. That is until her mom swats at her hand to get her to stop, and she takes to biting her lip instead.

“No thank you, young man, the hotel should be fine.” Victor huffs again, for the fiftieth fucking time since he’s been in the car. “Charlotte, I made you a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow, since you never took the time to find a physician yourself. Your mother will take you after we have breakfast. I assume you’ll be joining us, Phillip.”

Charlotte manages to look up at that, her voice resigned as she addresses her father. “Of course he will, Daddy, we’ll be with you bright early.”

The car goes silent for a moment before Victor mumbles under his breath, ‘you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.’

“Daddy?”

“I’m sorry, are we supposed to pretend that this is okay? Cynthia, I tried, but this is fucking ridiculous!”

“Victor! Please.”

“Okay.” Lip grunts, pulling the car into one of the hotel parking spots in the far corner of the lot. 

“No, Charlotte Andrea Fisher, you are 19 years old. You are away from home for the first time, against my better judgment. You have been away for only 3 months. You are naive, and impulsive, and for some reason want to be like your cousin Veronica so damn bad. You are going to take your ass upstairs to the hotel room your mother and I got you and you are not shacking up with this boy-”

“He’s not a boy, he’s my husband, Dad.” Charlotte whimpers from the backseat. Lip grinds his teeth and unbuckles his seatbelt, catching her mother roll her eyes and rub her forehead as he climbs out of the car.

“Oh, god, the waterworks-”

“You are a little girl, and that is a boy. You’re talking about marriage, that sham is getting annulled, if it was even legal-” Victor follows suit, climbing out of the car and slamming the door, opening his wife’s before walking, meeting Lip at Charlotte’s door. The older man goes to tug it open, only to be stopped by Lip’s hand. “Move.”

“No. My wife is coming home with me.” he says calmly.

“Your wife? Your wife, she’s my daughter, and she’s coming with me and her mother-”

“Her mother and I.” Lip says smugly.

“Oh.” Victor cocks his head, taking a step closer to an unflinching Lip. “You think you're tough, boy?”

“You tell me, we’re from the same place.”

The older man glares past him to the car window again. Shifting his attention to Charlotte. “Charlotte Andrea Fisher-”

“Gallagher.” Her muffled voice calls from behind the cheap glass. “My last name is Gallagher now, Dad.”

It’s quiet. Soft. Her voice waivers. But still. She said it. And still, it fills Lip up with pride as he leans against the car door, using its keys to click it closed as he watches her mother drag her husband away. Forcing him to the hotel.

After he watches the fancy, sliding double doors close behind them and the yelling becomes a little more faint, Lip unlocks the car. The way she falls into his arms crushes him. The tears, the shaking, the sobs of ‘I thought they’d give us a chance’ that part hurt. 

Lip Gallagher has watched his parents abandon his siblings. Hit them. Steal from them. Lie. Everything in the book of bad parents. He’s been watching it his whole life. He’s numb to it. It’s life, he tells them. Doesn’t matter, they don’t matter. Frank and Monica. They’ve never been anything to them, and never would be.

But watching this. Watching Charlotte lose her parents in front of him, because of him, he’s never seen anything like it. He’s sad for her. He watched them rip her to shreds with words and disapproving looks. They came here and broke the love of his life within an hour and a half.

This wasn’t the final straw.

No, because Lip’s girl is sweet. This is something he’s always known, and in anyone else he’d call it a flaw. She’s like Debbie, but less vengeful. She forgives. Gives second…third…fourth chances. Hell, its the only fuckin’ way he’s been able to keep her, and normally, he’d thank whatever shitty higher power that’s up there that dropped this woman in his lap for him to hoard to himself but not today.

“She says she wants to say sorry for him. I’m not gonna talk to him, just her. She promised.”

“Bunny, I’m not gonna tell you don’t see your mom-”

“Good!” Charlotte chirps as Lip watches her tug on some notably baggy jeans over her shapely legs, and pull an oversized sweater over her head.

“‘M gonna tell you it’d be pretty fuckin’ stupid though.” he finishes, grabbing the edge of her sweater and pulling her into his lap as he sits on the bed. 

Charlotte smoothes her fingers over his cheek before leaning her forehead against his. “Hm, like threatening your boss's son?”

“Fuckin’ defendin’ your honor.” he grunts, tilting her toward him and patting her ass.

“My hero.”

“Exactly, and now I’m the fuckin’ dragon, lockin’ you up in the tower so the evil people who made the princess cry yesterday don’t get to do it again.”

“That’s really not how fairytales work. And dragons can’t lock doors.”

“Fuckin’ smartass.” Lip breathes, connecting his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. He squeezes her tightly, trying to wring every negative thought out of her head. “They hurt you.” he whispers against her lips.

“They’re my parents. They think they’re doing what’s best for me. They’re not. But that’s what they think.” she whispers back, pressing one more kiss to his lips before pulling away. “So, I’m gonna go to this doctor’s appointment. Do another pregnancy test. Show them we’re married because you loveee me. And then, I’m gonna tell my mom our love story, leaving out some key details. And I’m gonna make her love you like I do, Bubba.”

Lip sits back and takes in her words. Because maybe that is what she’ll do. Maybe Cynthia will reconsider and maybe that will make things better. Maybe they’ll understand their situation and that they love each other and he’s pretty sure they won’t fuckin’ love him but maybe they’ll understand that he fuckin’ loves her. “Hopefully not like you love me. You’d have some competition.” she gasps at that, smacking his arm. “What? You look alike!”

The plan was clear. Charlotte was supposed to go and charm the pants off her mom on Lip’s behalf, he was supposed to be at home, hold down the fort, and figure out what the hell he was going to say to his boss, to get his job back. 

Lip had set up shop. He’d plopped back on the run down couch in his house, and pulled one of his little siblings toys from underneath his ass and started rolling a joint on the table. It was time for him to play his part. Think. For him, and for his family. 

But then there was the knock. And then it turned into knocking. It was incessant.

“Fuck! Hold on. ‘M fuckin’ coming!” He calls, tripping over the plastic bat on the floor when he makes his way over to the door. “What-”

“Phillip.”

“I…what the fuck are you doin’ here? Come to yell at me s’more?” 

Victor Fisher stands with his arms crossed. Polished with a neat sweater and ironed pants, looking wildly uncomfortable and out of place in his own old neighborhood. “No, I…think I did enough of that yesterday. At least that’s what Cynthia tells me.”

“Okay,” Lip shrugs, leaning in the frame and catching Victor’s glance at the chipped paint. “Well, she tell you that she and Charlotte are going to the doctor?”

“Yes. It was my own idea to come down here and ask you to come get something to eat with me while we wait.”

The blond’s eyes narrow as he laughs incredulously. “You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me.” 

“Not at all.” Victor sighs, crossing his arms. “I am extending an olive branch. For Charlotte’s sake. Grab the other end.”

For Charlotte’s sake.

“So tech. Good business.” 

“Technology and science are languages that I’ve always been able to speak. It pays too.” Lip shrugs, pushing a forkful of eggs into his mouth. 

“Well?” Victor asks without looking up. This has been their breakfast so far. Short, stilted conversation. Lip answering the questions Victor fires at him. Trying to gauge his reactions to everything he says. Pretending he wasn’t starting to hate this man.

“Gettin’ there.” 

“How many siblings do you have, Phillip?”

“Uh, five.” 

“Smart like you?” he asks, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“They’re smart.”

“But not like you.”

“Uh, no. Not like me.” Lip shifts in his seat, suddenly unable to follow the conversation.

“Hm.” Victor reaches to the side of the table, pouring more coffee into his cup and then into Lip’s. “Charlotte is an only child, you know that?”

“I know everything about Charlotte.”

“So, you know why we want her to go to the doctor so badly?” 

“Fuckin’- yes!” 

“You know she’s got chronic pain? That she suffers from sickle cell? She told you that?”

What?

Lip tries to keep a poker face as all of the wind is knocked out of his body. A thousand questions are swirling around in his head. His chest hurts. He didn’t know, why didn’t he know? He should have known-

“Do you know what happens when people who suffer from sickle cell go into crisis? What a flare up of chronic pain looks like for her?” Victor sighs, fully removing his glasses this time. “Probably not, you’ve known her for three months. But it happens, and it's bad. She…she can’t move. Barely eats, loses weight rapidly. The pains. The shakes. The crying. Are you prepared for that?”

“Yea-yes-”

“I’m sure you could. You’re a man. I understand that. You grew up here. You’ve had to be a man long before you were supposed to and that is unfair and I’m sorry that happened to you but the reality is, Charlotte is a girl. You two are a year apart, but you’re a man and she’s a girl. She grew up in a nice house, with me and her mother. She went to nice schools. We knew she was pretty, too pretty for her own good, so we protected her from the boys not worth keeping around-”

“Fuck you.” Lip scoffs.

“No, I’m not implying you’re not worth anything, Phillip. Boys like you from this area are diamonds in the rough. Just like me. I was just like you. And I got the girl. You have Charlotte, I had Cynthia. I know how it feels to hit the lottery.” Victor pauses to take a drink of his coffee, gesturing to the waitress for the check. “But Phillip, I don’t speak to my siblings. My parents. They were deadbeats. My siblings stayed here. I left them behind. They hate me. All of them. And over time, I’ve learned that I don’t care. I chose Cynthia. I chose me. They were holding me back. I let them go. Because you’ll learn, Phillip, that getting there only gets there, when you can focus. You can’t keep two families afloat.” 

Lip works his jaw irritably, feeling his skin heat with irritation as he weighs what his father and law says. “What are you trying to say? I should abandon my family?” 

“No. I’m saying it's not too late to choose them and annul your marriage. We both know you can’t take care of Charlotte. Not the way she should be. Not for a long, long time. So give her back to people who can. People who can make it worth you and your family’s while.”

“I…” Lip grits his teeth at the sound of his voice cracking. “I love her. I take care of her.” “She’s been living here, working as a stripper under your care. Want better for her, Phillip.” Victor says, snapping his checkbook closed as he slides the piece of paper across the table. The waitress comes over with the bill, dropping it between the two men and Lip absentmindedly reaches into his pocket to find some money, pausing when the older man holds his hand up to halt him. “Don’t worry, son. I’ve got it.”

Sending the message was hard, but it was the only way Lip knew how. 

He knew he couldn’t look Charlotte in the face yet. No. He needed more time. Time to think. Time to decide he was doing the right thing. Time to finish talking himself into this. 

Victor told him what he needed to do. Bend her heart, not break it. Neither of them wanted to see her broken. Just hurt her enough that she’s prepared to go home. Charlotte’s stubborn, so she won’t just give up. She won’t run to her parents so easily. So Lip would need to be able to hold out long enough that she would give up. Get tired. Realize it was over and go home. 

And Lip would be able to pay the bills in the house, for the next three months. One month for each one he and Charlotte had together. He would be able to get his family a car. He would have something to drive back and forth to work in. A real car. Not a run down busted up car barely off the junk lot. A real car. One that he could keep for years.

So, he came home. Her mom kept her out a long enough time, clearly in on this plan to write him out of Charlotte’s fuckin’ life. He went to his house. He looked his siblings in the face and told them that he was ending things with Charlotte. And they were fuckin’ pissed. The kids weren’t talking to him. Debbie said she hated him. But she’d get over it. That’s what Victor had said when he’d told him how they loved Charlotte. 

Carl mumbled something about a ‘waste’ and shoved past him. Liam doesn’t understand. And Lip knows that he’ll feel horrible when his baby brother wakes up tomorrow asking for her.

Ian and Fiona were the worst. Ian started rattling insults immediately. Telling him what a piece of shit he was. He knows. Telling him this is the only chance at something good, at love he’ll actually get. He fuckin’ knows.

Fiona just asked so many questions. Why? What happened? Are you sure? 

That all stopped when Lip shrugged, schooling an emotionless expression onto his face, dropping the check onto the kitchen table and snapping his phone closed as he finished his message. “It’s done.” 

All of that hurt. It fucking sucked and he felt like blowing his brains out when the flood of text messages started rolling in. But nothing could beat the crying. The begging. 

“Bubba, please.” Her voice is small on the opposite side of the door, the whining lilt to it has his entire body tense as he leans against the wood, staring at the wall over Ian’s shoulder, refusing to make eye contact with any of his siblings. “I love you. Why are you doing this?”

“Lip-” Fiona starts, cutting herself off when her little brother looks up at her, wide blue eyes watery with tears, an exhausted look on his face, jaw clenched so hard she worried his teeth would crack. She thinks this is a mistake. She loves Charlotte, and even more, Lip loves Charlotte more than anything, but this was his decision, and he was her brother. 

“I love you, what did I do? M’sorry.” she whimpers, soft thump letting the three siblings know she’d slid down the door. “Please, I love you. Please…st-stop.” 

The three eldest Gallaghers stand there in a stalemate. Ian shifts on his feet, quietly shaking his head as he looks away. Fiona watches her brother struggle somberly, wondering if she could have done anything that would have avoided this. 

And Lip, silent, straight faced, completely devoid of emotion as he rests his head against the door, staring forward. The only indication that he feels anything at all is the few tears that managed to escape down his face. 

It goes on like this for an hour and a half. At 40 minutes, Ian scoffs, mumbling under his breath as he storms his way up the stairs, slamming his room door closed, causing his sister to flinch. Once the standoff reaches 1 hour and 15 minutes, Fiona sighs, scrubbing a tired hand down her face before patting an unmoving Lip’s shoulder, retiring to bed herself.

The sobbing and constant knocking at the door had slowed to quiet pleas, still making Lip’s chest hurt just as bad. He’s doing what’s best for her. He knows that. It hurts now, but she’ll recover from this. She’ll be better, she’ll have a chance to do better than him. 

Lip will never recover. He knows that too. He knows that this is his better. His best. Being with Charlotte is everything. That’s why he doesn’t deserve it. He should’ve never tried to drag her down with him. He can’t give her the life she deserves, or the things she should have access to. He could only offer her hard work, and being bound to mental illness and alcoholism. Trapping her with a baby, forcing her to live in the fucking slums and dance for a couple of bucks from creepy frat boy fucks and drunk limp dick losers like his father. 

Soon he can hear footsteps approaching the doorway, Charlotte is immediately riled up by the presence of whoever it is. “No, no, no, he needs to talk to me. Something is wrong, I don’t know what I did- Phillip, please.” 

“C’mon Lottie, let’s go home.” Lip recognizes Kev’s muffled voice from the opposite side of the door. After some quiet arguing, he finally releases a breath when he hears the wood creak under the weight of them walking away. 

The man ignores the crushing feeling in his chest, the gut wrenching pain that comes with the realization of what he’d just done. A numbness spreads over his limbs as he hazily makes his way over to and up the stairs, breathing shakily. He reaches the doorway of his dark room and stops there. He wants his bed. He wants to climb under the covers and pretend he didn’t just blow up his fuckin’ life. But he can’t make it over the threshold. 

This is her room too. He didn’t think this through. She’s touched everything. How was he supposed to lay in the bed that they laid in together? Her clothes are still in the drawers. Pictures still taped to the mirror and walls. Fuck. 

It’s humiliating, the way he breaks down. Strong shoulders shaking with stronger sobs. Body curling over until his knees simply give out, he sits on the floor next to the crack in the wall where Carl had drilled a hole to hide drugs for Frank. The sound of miscellaneous toys left out squeaking under him. Lip pulls his legs to his chest and cries, because it’s all he can do. Despite every ounce of his being telling him, ‘stop being a bitch,’ ‘the fuck are you cryin’ about, pussy?’ he can’t help it. And he doesn’t stop. Not when his throat started getting sore, or his back started to hurt. Not when the sun starts to peak in through the half broken window in the hallway. Not when he feels his little sister lay a blanket over him before sitting beside him, quietly resting her head on his shoulder.

Charlotte doesn’t fare much better. She finally fell asleep with V rubbing her back, sleeping in her cousin’s bed while Kev slept downstairs. When she wakes she has a pounding headache, her eyes are puffy and burn. She wraps one of the blankets around herself before dragging to the bathroom, brushing her teeth and splashing water on her face. 

She’s hurt. Heartbroken and confused. She knows why he’s doing this. Her parents said something. Did something. Something that made him decide she isn’t worth the trouble. 

But she wasn’t going to give up without a fight. She loves Phillip. She loves her husband, and she didn’t take their time together lightly. She pulls on one of Phillip’s sweatshirts and jumps her way into a pair of jeans before looking at herself in the mirror. 

“Hey, honey,” V’s soft voice comes from behind her, Charlotte’s cousin appears over her shoulder, wrapping her arms around the younger woman. “I didn’t think you’d be up.”

“I’ve gotta,” she sniffs, combing her fingers through her hair. “I’ve gotta take Liam to daycare. And um, make sure Carl remembers his science project. See if Phillip wants me to have lunch with him at work today, I could…I could make him something-”

“Lottie.” V interrupts, “Didn’t Lip-”

“He’s confused.” Charlotte says sharply, swinging her purse over her shoulder, holding her hand out to her cousin expectantly. “My key to their house is in our room. I…don’t normally need it.” 

“Charlotte, listen. I’m not saying this to hurt you, but that boy left you crying on the porch in the cold, that sends a message. Don’t you think you two need space?”

The younger woman shakes her head stubbornly, looking forward to the door, refusing to look at V. “No. Space will let him spiral. My parents made him doubt me, I’m gonna show him that they don’t know what they’re talking about, that I’m what he wants and needs, no matter what they say.”

Determined, Charlotte makes her way next door, unlocking the door with V’s keys and gets to work immediately. Frank is passed out on the couch, so she nudges him awake with a beer at the ready, guiding the drunken man out of the door so he won’t be there when everyone wakes up. Next she starts on the bacon and eggs, brewing a cup of coffee before climbing the stairs to grab Liam, changing and dressing him. “G’morning Liam, did you sleep well?” she coos, pressing kisses to his cheeks as she makes her way back down the stairs. 

When she gets down there, Fiona is sitting at the table, eyes going wide as she sees her sister-in-law. “Lottie? I…when did-”

“Early this morning. I know yesterday was really weird, and I’m sorry you guys had to see that-”

“Hey,” Fiona smiles, taking Liam from Charlotte’s arms. “There’s no embarrassment with family. Gallaghers know no shame, girl, and you’re one of us.” 

And she means it. Fiona watches as a wave of relief washes over the girl bustling around her kitchen, dumping fresh bacon onto a plate. “Thanks Fi.” Charlotte tucks some hair behind her ear, sliding a bowl of cheerios in front of the toddler. “I’m sorry to even ask you this, but did he talk to you about anything? Like something they said or s-something I did-”

“Mornin.” 

The deep voice makes Charlotte’s heart drop to her stomach. She turns slowly, as if she’s approaching an animal that’s likely to scare. And there he is. Standing there in his pajamas, hair mussed, bags under his eyes. But still handsome as ever to Charlotte. “Phillip.”

The blond pauses for a beat. His blue eyes are cloudy for a moment as he takes in the girl before he slips past her, ignoring her extended hand, offering a mug of coffee, opting to open the fridge and grab the orange juice instead. “Hey, you come here to pick up your stuff?”

“My…my stuff? Phillip-”

“I uh, gotta get to work.” he sniffs, grabbing his bag from it’s place on the kitchen floor, slinging it over his shoulder with his jacket in his hand.

“But-” Charlotte flinches as the door slams shut, shoulders tense as she stares after her husband. Fiona quietly slips behind the girl, resting her hand on her shoulder, apologetic for her brother’s behavior, but unable to do anything about it. “He means it.”

Charlotte had whispered so quietly that her sister-in-law didn’t catch it, leaning in for clarity. “What?” 

“Phillip, he’s leaving me, and he means it.” It was like a rock landed in her stomach, both painful and grounding, Charlotte steels herself. “Fine.” she huffs, grabbing her own bag and storming out of the house, slamming the door shut behind her.

Phillip’s day had been absolute shit so far. He woke up to his boss’s daddy’s assistant calling him in for a meeting. No doubt calling him in to fucking fire him for beating the living shit out of his pussy ass son. Lip doesn’t regret it. Not really. But he regrets losing his fucking job. 

On top of that, he came downstairs to see the one person he couldn’t handle seeing. She looked so damn pretty, mixing up in his kitchen, bein’ with his family and shit. The hopeful look in her eye as she saw him enter the room. He didn’t deserve for her to fuckin’ look at him like that. He wanted to kick his own ass for how broken her pretty little face looked when he dismissed her. He loves her. That’s why he’s doing this. Her eyes were pink and puffy. She’d been crying for him. The fact that he was fighting with himself not to like that…he’s a sick fuck. Like he’s said, he doesn’t deserve her. 

Lip doesn’t even bother asking Kev to use his car to get to work, opting to take a walk to the train station to clear his head. He was in no real rush to be fired. As he blows into his hands to warm them, he lets his mind wander to the last place it needs to, but the only place it seems to want to go. 

“So, what the fuck are they mad at her for? They don’t wanna do the band shit anymore?”

Charlotte giggles, running her fingers through his curls as he lays his head on her lap, scowling at the television. She was educating him on Disney movies; it seemed that in the process of raising his siblings along with his sister, he’d never gotten the chance to experience sitcoms and original movies that were formative for her childhood. He’d said, ‘I’m not watchin’, put your shit on and I’ll take a nap’ but here he was, watching intently with a wonder that made her heart ache. “Guess they don’t have your work ethic, bubba.”

Lip hums contentedly, bringing her free hand to his lips, absently pressing kisses to her palm as he continues watching the movie. “Yeah, I know you liked her little rapping white boyfriend.”

“Um, excuse me? Even though he’s cute-”

“Knew it.”

“And you happen to also be a white, blonde with blue hair, most of my exes haven’t been white, I’ll have you know.”

He tried to swallow down the comment, really. But he fuckin’ couldn’t hold himself back, sue him. “Yeah, how many exes are we talkin’ about?”

He expects for her to get offended, or be evasive. Tell him to fuck off. That’s what any of his sorta exes would’ve done. Hell, that’s what he would’ve done. With anyone but her. He’ll tell her whatever she needs to know. But Charlotte has soft edges. Even when he’s being a dick, she has softness for him he’d never experienced before. 

“Not many, baby, just like, five.” She smiles gently, smoothing her hand over his hair again. “You’re the only one who matters now, Phillip.” she takes a deep breath, leaning down to press her forehead against his, and Lip can’t help but lean up to meet her, eyes trained on her face as hers slip closed. “Love you.” she mumbles.

She’s everything. “I love you, Bunny.”

With that, her brown eyes open, staring down at him with joy, she wrinkles her nose. “Ew, you like me?” she teases, squealing in his ear as he pushes himself up, grabbing her thigh and tugging her down on the couch.

“Fuckin’ brat.” he chuckles breathily against her lips, slapping her thigh lightly as he descends on her, her giggles ringing out into the air.

“Fuck.” the blond huffs out, roughly wiping at a stray tear before storming up to an abandoned car, left on the frozen grass and kicking at one of the doors, denting it slightly. He breathes heavily, shaking his head and turning to go back to his path to the train. Her laughter. That fuckin’ pretty ass laugh that she’s gonna end up giving to someone else makes him feel like he could vomit. He could hear it. In his head. It used to be nice. Now it feels like his heart is being wrenched from his fuckin’ chest. Damnit! 

Lip drops his bag onto the ground, lifting his leg and kicking the car again. And again. And again. Until he stops. Then, he starts punching the windows, his knuckles start getting bloody as the glass shatters and breaks under his efforts. But he keeps going. He just keeps punching, and kicking, and screaming…? When did he start doing that? 

He was so focused on what he was doing that he didn’t even notice someone approaching him.

“Lip…?” A familiar voice calls out. Familiar, but not the one haunting him now. “Well, it’s been a while, I can guess how you’ve been.”

He stops, turning to look at the person intruding on his break down, brows furrowed. The blond reaches in his pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes, raising it to pluck one into his mouth before offering it to them. “The fuck are you doin’ here?”

“Needed a nice bed, and food. Came to check on my mom. Aren’t you gonna ask me how I’ve been doin’?” 

To say Charlotte was pissed off was an understatement. Hot, angry tears stream down her face as she swings open the door to V and Kev’s house, throwing her purse on the floor. She tries to level out her breath as she pushes into the bathroom. Charlotte rests her hands on the sink as she watches herself cry in the mirror. Sobs racking her body she doubles over with the force of her crying. She was glad no one was home to see her like this.

She doesn’t even know what she’s doing when she climbs into the tub, bringing her knees to her chest. She raises her left hand to look at the small ring on her finger. It’s not what she used to picture. When she was younger, she would envision her life. She would dream about what her ring would look like. What her husband would be like. 

It was always a ring like her mother’s, a large house like she grew up in and the some faceless prince who spun her in circles but surprisingly never spoke. 

This life she was building with Phillip was nothing like that. They live in a small house with his siblings, he’d shared a room until he was 18 and got her ring from his drunken father. It was small, and wouldn’t pass as a kids toy where she came from. Phillip was quiet compared to his siblings, but generally loud, crass, and aggressive. With everyone except her at least. He was a prince. He does spin her around, and hug her, and kiss her and look at her like she’s everything. The life he gave her was better than she’d imagined. 

But he’s ready to throw it away. And it hurts. Charlotte is tired of being the one being hurt. 

She sits in silence for a few moments, staring at the tiles on the wall before she can distantly hear her phone chiming in her purse outside the bathroom door. She tries to ignore the clench in her chest, the little glimmer of hope that it’s Phillip, calling to say sorry, that he’d changed his mind and he was coming over so they could make up. Charlotte pushes out of the tub at the third chime, walking on unsteady legs over to the bag, sniffling and tucking hair behind her ear as she squints to read the messages.

It’s her manager from the club, asking if anyone was interested in working the day party for today because the promoter’s entertainment fell through. Normally, she’d turn this down. She knows how Lip feels about her new job, and for her it was only a means to an end. They were discussing alternatives until this shit started. But maybe working a party would be a good way for her to get her mind off of things, and make some extra cash. Especially since it seems she’ll be doing things by herself for now on. 

“So you got married? That wasn’t a joke?”

“Uh, nope, real shit.” Lip takes a final swig of his beer before sailing it into the street, smiling softly at the glass shattering before opening another. 

“Hm, never thought you were the marrying type.” 

“M’not.” 

Karen shrugs, sipping her own beer and looking up at him. “Must’ve been pretty though, to get you down the aisle. Or pregnant. Both?”

“Not pregnant.” He says, opening his phone and showing her a picture of Charlotte. He supposes he’s gonna have to stop having those at the ready, if he’s gonna move on. As if he could. 

“Damn, she’s sexy.” Karen’s eyes widen as she grabs the phone. She remembers the current situation and bites her lip. “Sorry.”

“S’fine. She is. Fuckin’ beautiful.” 

Karen looks out into the road again, hesitating for a moment before nudging Lip’s shoulder. “Want me to take your mind off of it? It’s been a while.” 

Before Lip had even met Charlotte he had told himself he’d never fuck Karen again. She’s better now, sure, but she also almost fucking ruined his life multiple times. Once he had met Charlotte, he hadn’t even thought of it. He really didn’t consider that he’d ever fuck someone else again. A realization that surprised himself more than anyone, considering he’d never been the monogamous type. 

But now he’s in pain. And he doesn’t think he’ll ever be with Charlotte again. That makes him feel cold in a way that he’s never felt before. Lip, desperate for any kind of break he can get from what he’s feeling, rolls his eyes to the sky. “Yeah, fuck it, why not.”

“Gee, you used to be a lot more excited for me to get you off.” she mumbles against his cheek before leaning in to kiss his lips.

Lip turns his head away, pulling his mouth from her reach, “Don’t um, kiss me.”

Karen looks at him for a moment before laughing. “Okay, kissing used to be your thing, not mine.” As she kneels in front of him, Lip finds himself squirming uncomfortably, looking everywhere but down when he feels her unzipping his pants. “Um…are you…is it like, too cold?”

“Uh, no, I’m…gimme a second.” He feels like he can’t breath, the ring on his finger feels like it’s literally fucking scalding his skin. 

“Oh-kay.” 

A few more moments pass and Karen speaks again. “Do you want me to help you? Is there anything I can do?”

“Nope, no, not at all. Just, shut up for one second, please.” He brings his hands together, tugging the ring off and putting it in his pocket and prays.

“You can think of her if you need to. I don’t mind.” she tries again. 

“Um, yeah, maybe.” He squeezes his eyes shut tightly, and lets the images of Charlotte that he’s racked up over time run across his brain. It feels good to think of her. To sift through the memories of her smiling up at him, holding him close, crying out his name. But he couldn’t trick his mind or body. He’s in love. Still. And she’s not the girl on her knees in front of him. “No, no.”

“No?”

“Yeah, sorry, I can’t I’m…I don’t think I can fuck someone who’s not my wife. At least right now.” Or ever. Shit. I’m never gonna get my dick wet again.

“Jeez, that’s serious.” Karen says. She hops up, tucking her hands in her pockets. “What is she? A contortionist?” Lip just looks at her and she sobers, her smile dropping. “Sorry. I’m serious. I’m talking to you as a friend, talk to me. Your wife is hot, and nice, and clearly has a hold over your dick, so what’s the problem, why’d you leave her?”

“She’s perfect.” Lip sighs, lighting another cigarette, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he works back the lump in his throat. He’ll be damned if he cries about this in front of Karen.

“Okay so-”

“She’s perfect. She’s everything, she deserves everything and I am stuck here. I live here. I was born here, I’m gonna live and die here and I don’t want her here to do it with me. So I can’t have her, that’s fine I’m teaching myself that it's fine but it fuckin’ sucks! It fuckin’ sucks Karen, and it’s fuckin’ worse because she’s willing to stay. I hate her for not making this easy!” He roughly throws the bottle into the street, barely missing a parked car.

“Oof. Okay. Clearly, you need to get your mind off of things.” She says, scooting the remainder of the six pack the pair of them bought from the liquor store across the street away from him. “C’mon, let’s get you a real drink and some recreational drugs.”

“You’re making some good tips out there girl, they’re loving you at this party.” 

Charlotte smiles briefly before leaning over the vanity, reapplying her lip gloss in the mirror. 

“Of course they are, they’re actually seeing her. Normally, guests only get a glimpse of the back of her head, before she runs into the back again to check in with her man.” 

“Well, he won’t be checking in today, so-”

“What?”

Trish leans back in her own seat to look at her friend. “Did something happen with you and Lip?”

Charlotte tries to ignore the quiver in her lip and stare forward into the mirror, focusing on the pink she’s applying on her lips. “I dunno, he’s doing his own thing, I’m doing mine, I guess.” 

“Well, that seems-”

“Girl, about time!” Kelsey, one of the girls Charlotte met through the club, claps, pushing her way into Charlotte’s seat. “All you talk about is that man and his gaggle of kids. Now, we can invite you to do fun stuff. We can go out!”

“They’re his siblings, first of all and they’re good kids.” Charlotte sighs, smoothing her hands over her hair.

“Gallagher kids? Okay.”

Charlotte’s eyes narrow, her mouth opening for her to ask her co-worker what the fuck she meant by that, something she would’ve never done a couple of months ago. But Trish beats her to it, patting her arm and shaking her head. Instead of telling her other coworkers about herself, Charlotte settles for rolling her eyes and mumbling, “We could’ve always gone out.”

“Please, the way you used to all but trip over yourself running out the door to climb back on Lip’s dick? When would we have the time to ask?” 

“There’s nothing wrong with the girl loving her man, Renee.” Trish intervenes, leaving her arm tossed around Charlotte’s shoulders. Was she really that pathetic? Did she really spend all her time running behind Phillip? She supposes that she never took the time to think about it while it was happening, but is this what everyone thinks? “Just because you don’t have one.”

“Well,” Kelsey shrugs, rubbing more glitter lotion onto her chest and meeting Charlotte’s eyes in the mirror. “Doesn’t seem like Lottie does either anymore. So, Lottie, have you dislodged yourself from Gallagher’s side or not? Are we going out”

Charlotte fully plans to say yes. For the first time since she’d met her husband, she thought that maybe this is what she should have been doing. She’s only ever had two identities in her life. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher’s daughter, and Phillip Gallagher’s wife. She’s never been Charlotte. Not when she left home, not when she got her first job, she just went from being one person’s possession to another. Maybe this is all a sign that she should focus on being alone. However miserable that sounds. That’s why, whether you believe her or not, she was going to say yes. 

Until her phone rings.

“What’d you even give him anyway?”

“Don’t fucking make it sound like that, it was just some weed and booze!” 

“Fuckin’ weed and booze, he’s on his fuckin’ ass Karen! Fuckin’ idiot!”

“Fuck you! How was I supposed to know he drinks and smokes like a little bitch now?” the blonde girl huffs loudly as she turns back to the drunk man in front of them, barely intelligible as he slams his hands down on the bar again, demanding to be served another drink. “Lip, seriously, we need to fuckin’ go-”

“Get the fuck off me, I’m married.” 

The bar owner emerges from the back again, his cellphone in hand, a scowl on his face. “Aye, Gallagher, she’s takin’ too long, he’s scaring the real customers, get him outta here before I gotta call the cops.”

Ian groans, running his hand down his face, “Yeah, good luck cleanin’ up all the coke you’ve got on these tables before they get here. Fuck off, your place is a dive, Billy.” Turning back to his brother, the redhead, tugs his arm, making the shorter brother stumble but ultimately not moving him at all. “Lip, come the fuck on man.”

“Just fuckin’ leave me alone. Not listenin’ fuckin’ idiot-” he slurs, shoving Ian a little before grabbing a half drunk beer from the bar and downing it. 

“God-fuckin’-damnit-” Ian growls snatching the already empty bottles. His brown eyes catch on something over at the door and his tense stance settles. “Thank god.” he mumbles under his breath.

Karen’s eyes follow his over to a woman who looks just like the one Lip had shown her earlier, a tense, concerned look on her pretty face. Her cheeks dimple as her lips turn down into a frown upon spotting the spectacle in front of her. Her hair is tied up into a clean bun, her body covered with a matching sweat suit. Her eyes look exhausted. So that’s the wife?

“Phillip-”

“Bunny, you’re here, come drink with me, baby.” The blond offers her a crooked, drunk smile that has the same knee weakening effect on both women. His muscled arm shoots out, wrapping around the girl’s waist and tugging her to him, all but dragging her into his lap. 

“No, Phillip, it’s time to go home. Let’s get you up.”

Big blue eyes roll closed, his forehead falling forward, uncoordinatedly thunking against the woman’s forehead. She doesn’t flinch, just keeping her tired, sad eyes on him as he inhales deeply, breathing her in. “We gonna go home together?”

It’s the softest voice Karen has ever heard the eldest Gallagher son use. He’d spoken to her softly before. They’d been best friends, lovers. He was always scared of her leaving…rightfully so. But this, it was like he was scared that she was going to break if he rose his voice too much. It was like he was whispering a secret that’s just for them and everyone else in the room is intruding. Karen hadn’t ever seen anything like it. She likes this for him.

The girl was ordering water, grabbing a straw from over the bar and guiding it to Lip’s mouth as he stayed close, rubbing his hands along her hips and mumbling about missing her between gulps. She hadn’t even looked at Karen, her eyes had locked on Lip since arriving. “Um, I’m Karen by the way.”

Big brown eyes finally take her in. There’s no disdain behind them. No hate. She doesn’t look at her like every other girl who’s ever loved Lip has looked at Karen. She just offers a tired look. Glossed lips parting briefly, snapping shut again when she feels the Lip’s head droop forward onto her shoulder, quick hands shooting up to cup the back of his curls. “I’m Charlotte. I’ve got to get him home, are you okay?”

“I’m..I’m sorry?”

Charlotte bites her lower lip in determination as she pats his cheek, getting him to stir awake again. Her eyes never return to acknowledge Karen. “Up, Bubba, up. Are you okay to get home? I…need to take him home, are you okay?” 

Oh. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay, Ian, can you please help him, help him stand?” Karen watches as this woman, Charlotte helps hoist Lip’s weight onto Ian, the redhead slinging his brother’s arm over his shoulder, nodding at Karen as they make their way out of the bar with her…ex? Best friend?

She can’t help but compare herself to the girl. She knew that they were both pretty, generally attractive in different ways. Both short. Big eyes. Round faces. Their difference physically was glaringly obvious, but that wasn’t what mattered. It was in the eyes. Everything is in the eyes. Not the color, but the looks.

When the evening started to turn sour, Karen had been fucking annoyed. She hates babysitting. Hates having to take care of people. That’s why she’s always loved being around Lip in one way or another. That’s why they’d been such good friends. He was the caretaker. He takes care of people. His family, neighborhood kids, her. He doesn’t ask for anything for himself aside from the occasional blowie, and it was mostly a joke. 

Until he asked for more. Until he asked for love, attention and care and a partner. Things that Karen had no interest in. Things that crazy bitch Mandy wasn’t able to give him. He needed too much. He went from something easy to do, someone easy to be around to being this person who needs things. 

It was hard, too hard. Being with Lip is exactly the daunting task people think it would be. But Charlotte, his wife, she’s doing it. She looks exhausted, pissed off, and just caught her husband hanging out with his ex. But she came. She managed to unclench her jaw and offer him a soft look and kind voice. 

Karen had been poison to him. She knows that. She was bad for him, and to be honest, she’d thought that even with the time had passed he wouldn’t have been strong enough to get her out of his system. But, she should have known better than to underestimate Lip Gallagher. He found something good. Someone for him. 

Good for him.

“I know you’re mad at’me.”

“Shut up, man, you’re just gonna make stuff worse.”

“M’talkin to my wife, motherfucker, you shut up.” Lip slurs as Ian all but drags him down the street. “Sweetheart-”

“Phillip, please.” Charlotte begs, voice cracking as she refuses to turn around and face him. Her arms are wrapped tightly around her own form, walking several paces ahead of the Gallagher brothers up the dark road. “Please.” 

It had been going on since they started walking. He keeps trying to talk to her. He keeps calling her all of these sweet names and they fucking hurt. They hurt like him telling her that they could get their marriage annulled. They hurt like him telling her to go with her parents. They fucking hurt like him let her sit on his front porch crying and begging just to see him as he sat on the other side of the door. And now, she understands that he’s drunk or high or whatever, but she needs him to stop talking. 

Her plea is answered with the silence she asked for. Shocked that he actually went silent, Charlotte whips around to see if he’d fallen asleep, but is met with big blue eyes with dilated pupils, brows softened as he meets her shaky gaze. 

The woman turns around so he can’t see her chin tremble as she leads the group onto the streets. Another voice breaks the silence, over the sound of three sets of footsteps, only one set steady, the other two, sloppy and wavering. “Lottie, what do you wanna do?”

She knows what he’s asking. They’re rounding their homes. Where should he put him? Is she going to stay with him? And she immediately feels shame wash over herself. She knows the answers to all of those questions. She should be embarrassed. This man has treated her like shit over the last 24 hours. She hates how he made her feel about herself. She didn’t understand how he could be both the man who strolled past her as if he didn’t know her this morning and the one who was just looking at her the way he did. 

But she’s weak, and he’s everything. 

And she’s already shifting his weight from his brother's arms into hers, stumbling a little under it as she guides him toward her cousin’s house.

“Charlotte.”

“It’s okay.” she breathes. “I’ve got him.”

And she struggles getting him to the door. He tries to help, she can tell. But he’s too fucked up, his motor skills are lacking and only set back any progress she makes. She grips the railing with her spare hand as she helps him up the last step. She tells him to watch his step as she leads him through the doorway, eyes locking V’s as the wooden floors creak under his steps. She ignores the disappointed look on her cousin’s face as she guides her husband to her room. Their room. 

But as she pulls the shoes from his feet and helps him into bed, she’s confident in one thing. Charlotte knows she loves this man. It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks the breaking point should be, or who they envision her with. She wants him. And she was going to keep acting like it.

Charlotte feels a tightness around her waist as she wakes up in the chair she’d dragged into the bedroom once she’d gotten Phillip settled. Her eyes are already watering as they peel open, burning from tears and exhaustion. 

“I fucked up, Bunny.”

“Yeah,” Charlotte sighs, sniffling a little and letting her head drop back against the wall. “How bad?”

“I fuckin’ hurt you-” his voice is muffled against her stomach, his arms tightening around her, fingers squeeing and releasing the fabric of her shirt. 

“Yes.”

“I hate that. M’just fucked up, y’know? But m’sorry, baby, m’sorry.”

Charlotte is annoyed by the sob that leaves her body involuntarily, causing him to pull her even closer to him, her butt almost hanging off of the chair. She’s even more annoyed that she’s wondering if his knees hurt from kneeling on the floor in front of her. She shouldn’t care. “You left me outs-side alone.”

“I know, baby, I know.” she feels a wet spot forming on her shirt and tries to stop her lower lip from shaking. “Fuckin’ supposed to be taking care of you. I’m a shitty husband, you deserve better. And I’m trying to be that, I swear, Charlotte I fuckin’ swear. I…I’m gettin’ to keep my job, and m’gonna save more, gonna get us some more money, just gimme a little more time, sweetheart. I know this fuckin’ sucks, but I’m gonna do better-”

“You’re hurting me.” Charlotte mumbles, staring up at the ceiling, letting the tears freely fall down her cheeks. 

Suddenly his arms are gone from her waist and he’s staring up at her, frantically running his hands through his curls. “M’sorry, I was holding you too tight-”

“Have I done anything to make you believe I won’t wait? Have I cheated on you? Made you feel bad about not having a house for us? Buying a car right now? Anything? What did I do to deserve you telling me you didn’t want to be with me anymore? Stop hurting me!” She finishes with a stomp, feeling childish. Lip is quiet as he listens to her, his hand running along her thigh in soothing strokes.

“You’re perfect. You didn’t do anything, Charlotte. That’s why I was fuckin’ tryin’ to do the right thing.” Lip huffs, clenching his jaw anxiously. “I was tryin’ to give you up. Because there’s somethin’ wrong with me Charlotte. I can’t get out of my head. Everyday I wake up and hear how too fuckin’ good for me on loop in my head, and then people remind me, and I can say fuck ‘em, they’re not you, I don’t care what they think, but then your parents came-”

“Fuck them too.”

“No,” Lip pushes up off the floor and paces in the room. “Not fuck them, because yes, they’re fuckin’ assholes, but they made you, and you’re fuckin’ everything, so they are pretty much the authority on what’s good shit and what isn’t. I don’t deserve you, they know it, I know it, for some fuckin’ reason, you don’t know it, so let me make this clear for you, Bunny. This shit shouldn’t be so hard. I’m hurting you. That’s not what being in love with you feels like for me. My love for you isn’t good enough, because it’s making you suffer. Being in love with you gives me a fuckin’ reason to breathe. So I was trying to be fuckin’ good. And let you go.”

Charlotte watches as he finishes, standing in front of her. Blue eyes bloodshot. The veins in his neck popping out, his chest rising and falling with effort. He looks so serious. And all she can do is laugh. Literally, put her head in her hands and laugh. 

“Um…what the fuck?” he asks incredulously, watching her shoulders shake with her laughter. 

“You’re such an asshole, Phillip.” she giggles, wiping her wet cheeks, gasping in an attempt to stop her own laughter. 

“I’m really not fuckin’ gettin’ the joke here.”

Charlotte shakes her head, crossing her legs as she sits up fully in the chair, trying not to break at the confusion on his face. “Don’t you think it’s a little too late for you to decide that you want to save me the trouble of being in love with you? You pursued me, you asked me to marry you, you made me love you and it's too late. I’m stuck. You leave, I’m still hurt. You stay, you can choose to man up, make good on your promises, stop feeling sorry for yourself and be a good husband. You want to stop hurting me, then stop hurting me. Stop talking about me deserving better and be better.”

The couple stares at each other from across the room, nothing but white noise from the house fills the air as Charlotte’s challenge hangs between them. A few beats pass before Lip begins slightly nodding his head, the same focused face he keeps when he’s working on a project from work, or doing people’s taxes for extra money. Lip smooths his hand over his jaw, clearing his throat. “Okay. I’ll be better.” 

“Okay.” 

“Can I…uh, hold on a second.” The blond murmurs, crossing the floor and places his hand on her jaw, dragging her up into a deep kiss, absolutely breathing her in as he nearly pushes her chair back with the force he pushes against her. He breaks away only lightly, his lips against hers, as he speaks. “I love you. I’ll be better.”

“I love you too.” she smiles. “And I know.” 

This is good…this is better. I’ll deal with the rest later.

[sunny6677]

Made some art thing for the Parenthood au, Tender Treats edition.

If you don't know what this au is; Kevin and Streber basically simultaneously both replace the role of Lila, but are also still kind of in their original roles too. Lila most likely doesn't exist in this au, or she does and just gave Skid up for adoption for some reason.

If you wanna know how Tender Treats would go in this au;

TWS: GETTING ARM RIPPED OFF, GORE, MURDER, TRAUMA IMPLICATIONS, A BIT DARKER THAN THE ORIGINAL EPISODE, SLIGHT PUMP ANGST, CANDYBATS ANGST, ANGST IN GENERAL, VERY DARK IN GENERAL, PROFANITY.

Streber probably would be working at a haunted house this time, so he would be absent for most of the episode.

In the scene where Skid would wake Lila up for Halloween, instead of that, in this au—Skid wakes both Kevin and Strener up, telling them to get up for Halloween. Streber tiredly wakes up, and says, "Wha..?.." Kevin grumbles in a slightly irritated manner, "My god.. your louder every year." But he then composes himself, and gently says, "I know, kid. Go ahead and get ready." Skid excitedly rushes out, Kevin immediately tiredly plops back down. Streber slowly gets up, and says, "Long day ahead of us, huh, Kev?" Kevin tiredly nods. Streber then asks if he can go and play with Skid before he leaves, Kevin says yes, as long as he doesn't interrupt his sleep.

In the next scene where Kevin shows up, Streber appears to be absent. Pump shows up, and both him and Skid excitedly rush off to have fun during Halloween. Kevin tiredly says as they leave, "Alright, you two kids have fun! And bring back some candy! I want some!" Kevin comments about how he misses trick or treating, and is about to say that he could probably go with Radford, but he then sees Bob outside of his house standing there ominously and has a flashback to the first episode, commenting about how weird he sounded back then. But he then notices Bob is gone. It doesn't play out much different, Kevin calls Radford in a panic while rambling anxious nonsense to himself. The conversation plays out the same sort of, except Radford calls Kevin "dude" or "man" instead of "girl" like Jaune calls Lila. Kevin drops the phone upon noticing Bob, who has now entered the house. Kevin tries to distract him, by throwing left-over candy at him. This doesn't work. Kevin then holds up a lemon, and after Bob taunts him, he squirts it in his eyes, throws some pepper at Bob, and then cooks bacon, and smacks Bob's stomach with the pan.

It doesn't play out much different from here either, but Kevin, upon realizing that Bob is going for his son, of course ends up mistaking the other devil mask guy for him. And ends up beating the hell out of him, while yelling at him angrily. He's a lot more angry than Lila, that's for sure.

Kevin gets a little impatient with the officers once they bring him home and tell him to stay home while they find his son, and slams the door shut in frustration. Kevin then runs up to the phone, and immediately calls Radford as he runs back out into the street, telling him in a slightly impatient and determined way to hurry the hell up and find him so they can look for his son.

When Skid and Pump find the haunted house, Streber of course is there. Upon realizing that it's Skid and Pump, he greets them in character, and lifts up Skid, being playful with him as per usual as Skid giggles cutely. He then breaks character for only a few seconds, and tells them to have fun while they're in there. As they rush in, of course, Bob shows up and Streber gets his arm ripped off, but Streber manages to still survive in this au. Skid and Pump still mistake his body for a prop though at first, though Skid is a little unnerved, wondering why his dad has a "prop" like that of himself. But they manage to realize that it isn't a prop this time. Pump stays with Streber, while Skid hurriedly rushes to Kevin to get help, now in a panic.

Kevin bursts into the candy store, thinking Skid and Pump would probably be there. And what do you know? He's correct, somewhat. He finds Skid in the candy store, and hugs him, asking him a lot of anxious questions concerning his safety. Skid tries to tell Kevin what happened with Streber, but Bob walks in and interrupts. Kevin manages to still save Skid in this au, and takes him to the back. He sighs out of relief, and attempts to tell Skid to hop into his arms so they can both go home(he didn't hear Skid tell him about Streber due to Bob interrupting them), but Skid is now gone, which sends Kevin into a panic again.

In the Hatzgang scene, Kevin and Radford can be seen running in a panicked manner in the background as Skid slowly approaches. Roy tries to mess with Skid, but Skid only runs off this time, wanting to tell the police about what happened instead and not wanting to worry his dad(Kevin) anymore and not wanting Kevin to get into any danger. The scene with Roy's parents still happens in this au, though Kevin does not encounter Carmen this time, since hes on an off day for the sake of spending time with his son.

Skid bumps into Bob, and becomes mad at him, being angry with him for hurting his dad. Bob chases after Skid, though Skid seems unphased, and somehow always narrowly avoids death during the chase. He doesn't seem afraid of Bob at all, but he's definitely mad at him. Skid is also only running because he's trying to still tell the police about what happened.

Kevin and Radford end up bumping into Skid though. Kevin becomes relieved again, though it's more intense this time. Kevin hugs Skid tightly, and insists that they should go home now. But Skid insists that they can't because of what happened with Streber. But before Kevin and Radford can comment any further on the situation at hand, Bob shows up, and begins to ominously chase them for a short period of time, before being fucking ran over by John and Jack.

Kevin, Radford and Skid get into the car, thinking Bob is dead. But of course, he isn't, and tries to still kill them anyway. Kevin tightly holds Skid, as Skid angrily screams at Bob, though Bob interrupts him and yells at all of them, before being shot down. After repeatedly shooting Bob, John and Jack get into the car. Skid and Kevin tell John and Jack about Streber in a panicked manner, which leads to John and Jack trying to start the car so they can solve the situation, but Bob is still somehow alive. Jack runs over Bob repeatedly, and finally, Bob fucking dies.

They take Kevin and Skid home. Kevin tells them while panicking to please help Streber and to find Pump, while Skid tries to distract himself by waiting at the door. John and Jack promise to do so, but look a little annoyed as Radford asks if they can look for his little brother, Robert.

Kevin does not know Bob in this au, so the plot twist at the end of the episode doesn't happen.

Toward the end of the episode in this au, it cuts to Skid and Kevin visiting Pump in the hospital. Pump isn't too hurt, but he is definitely traumatized now, since it is implied that Bob might have attacked him after walking out of the haunted house. They then visit Streber, and have a group family hug together. Skid gives Streber a card, and Streber thanks him. Kevin and Skid decide to go and get Streber some snacks. As Skid excitedly rushes out of the room, Kevin and Streber give eachother a sad glance, before Kevin then walks out of the room.

At the end of the au version of this episode, it cuts to Kevin and Streber cuddling on the couch, while Skid lays his head in Streber's lap. But even as Streber and Kevin smile warmly at Skid, it zooms in on Strebers face, his face slowly becoming visibly upset as he seemingly thinks about what happened.

[spaceacethespookypansfanfics]

Streber doing Kevin’s makeup?

Something sweet and cute

Hi! Sorry this took so long. I hope it's sweet and cute. I don't actually know anything about makeup haha.

"Alright, you ready to embrace your gothic beauty?" Streber starts pulling open drawers and cupboards on his victorianly gothic vanity.

Kevin groans, flopping backwards onto the bed, throwing his arms out like a starfish. "I guesssss soooo . . . this isn't going to take forever is it?"

He's not so much against makeup as a concept, and more against the time consuming process behind it. After all, he knows how good one can look with makeup, he's seen it himself with Streber every concert they go to.

"Not if you cooperate with me, Kev." Streber swivels in his stool towards the bed with some makeup supplies in hand. "Which starts with sitting up."

~

"Strebbberrrr, you said this wouldn't take long. Are you almost done?" Kevin's sure he's been here for an hour with his eyes squeezed shut while Streber paints his face. Though it seems that applying makeup is more than just the painting.

His skin feels so heavy under all the products he can't even name and his eyes are itchy from the pencil Streber's been using to line his lids.

Kevin's fighting every nerve in his body that's telling him to just <em>scratch, itch, smudge.</em> He can't, or he'll have to sit here for another hour.

"Stop whining, I'm almost done. You keep whining and I might fuck it up." No he won't, that's just an empty threat to Get Kevin to quiet down. After all, they are both aware how steady Streber's hands are. He'd never misapply eyeliner, not even on a tantruming child.

"And don't squish your eyes like that. Relax." Streber's orders are easy to follow but the defiant part of Kevin doesn't want to and he almost listens, but the prospect of this taking longer stops him and he forces his eyes to relax so Streber can put the eyeliner on properly.

~

"There see? You look awesome!" Streber sits Kevin down in his vanity stool, his hands squarely on Kevin's shoulders. They both stare into the mirror, Streber with a look of absolute egotistical pride, Kevin with a look of shocked awe.

He's paler, his lips darker, his eyes more pronounced and shadowy.

"Damn, I rock as a goth." His hands slowly inch to his face to touch but Streber swiftly swats his hands down.

"Yes you do, now don't touch. And go, go, goooo, so I can get ready now." Streber hauls Kevin out of the stool just as fast as he'd sat him down and drags him out of the bedroom. He's always been a little secretive of putting on his face, so this isn't new.

"Alright fine, just don't take too long," Kevin says as the door shuts in his face, leaving him alone in the hallway. He doesn't mind though.

This'll be a fun date.