Only You - [Lip Gallagher]

the ball is in your court

"You look great." Lip says quickly as he throws a tie around his shoulders, "Thanks, let me do it." I say as I see him struggle to tie his tie. "Thanks." He says, looking at me focused on his tie. "Why are you staring at me creep?" I tease, patting his chest once I finish the tie, "You're just gorgeous." He smiles as he makes me blush "What the fuck?" I hear Fiona scream from the other room, "Jesus Christ, Ian." I mutter, rolling my eyes and walking down the hall, "You ice her again?" I question, leaning in, "She deserves it." Ian mutters, pushing past me. "Here." I say to Fiona, tossing her a towel. "You look nice, where are you going?" She asks, wiping her face. "Court with Lip for his teacher. DUI thing." I say and she nods, "Good luck." "You too." I chuckle, walking downstairs. "Why's he keep icing her?" Lip whispers, "She took the church property he wanted for his shelter kids and he's pissed." I explain and he nods, "Should we get involved?" Debs asks as we walk past her, Franny, and Carl eating breakfast. "It'd probably be best if you guys didn't." I chuckle, taking a bite of Carl's syrup soaked waffle, "Fucker." He jokes, "You like my germs, creep." I tease back. "Come on, let's go." Lip says, guiding me by my lower back. "Love you guys, call me if you need me." I call out as Lip is rushing us out the door, holding Brad by the wrist.

"Why the hurry?" Brad mopes as Lip skirts off in my car, "Youens isn't answering." Lip grips the steering wheel, "Neither is Cami." Brad pouts making Lip and I scoff quietly.

++

"Sade, stay in the car. We'll be right out hopefully." Lip says, leaning over to give me a forehead kiss before running into Youens house. I let out a long, deep sigh; he's gotten too involved.

++

"Nice of you to show up." The lawyer scoffs as we walk down the court house hall. "You remember what you're gonna say?" Lip asks Youens, "I'm sorry." He says, smacking his gum. "No." Lip huffs, "I'm truly sorry." Youens sounds insincere and like a toddler. "And?" "I'm sober. I'm truly sober." He keeps the same tone as he smacks the gum Brad just handed him to cover up the faint smell of alcohol. "I don't want to spend years in jail, Lip." Youens changes his tone, "I know what I need to say." He pushes by us to follow his lawyer inside the courtroom.

My cold fingers slip into Lip's sweaty palm, we're both nervous. I'm nervous to lose him just as much as he is scared to lose Youens. Our fate is in Youens' hands, I won't get my Lip back if Youens goes down today. Youens, please don't fuck this up.

++

"You know he's going to jail right?" Brad breaks the silence as we wait for recess to end, "Shut up, Brad." I say, my anxiety is getting the best of me. "He drove his car into a house! He's guilty." Brad defended his point, "Just please." My voice almost cracks. "Fine." He huffs and leans back onto the bench. "All rise." The marshal calls as the judge enters the room, "Please be seated." She says, grabbing the documents in front of her. "Mr. Philip Gallagher, may you please approach the bench?" The lawyer calls and I give his knee a squeeze before he follows his order. "You promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" the Judge says "Yes, Your Honor." He says and she nods, allowing him to sit behind the stand. "Mr. Gallagher, as a friend and fellow AA member, you'd like to speak on behalf of Clyde Youens?" His lawyer begins. "Yes," He pauses and chokes down the lump in his throat, "There's been a lot of talk today about Professor Youens being a danger to society and I understand that it could sound that way." Each word he speaks grows my anxiety thicker and thicker. "He has a bad track record with alcohol, whenever he and booze have had a face-off he usually loses. I know Professor Youens well and he's not a danger to me, in fact I wouldn't be alive without him. A year ago, I was blacking out, violent, it was Professor Youens that got me into rehab along with my other huge support system," He looks to me quickly, "Without them, without him; I wouldn't be here today." Lip says, looking at the judge, "I know that this accident was a wake up call for him and he knows that he could've hurt Ms. Rodriguez, but he has remorse for what he did, Your Honor and he has the will and the desire to live a meaningful, sober life. Please give him the chance that he gave to me." Lip speaks beautifully. "Thank you, Mr. Gallagher. You may be seated." The judge says and Lip walks back over to me, slowly. "You did amazing." I whisper to him as he grabs my hand.

"Defense calls Clyde Youens." The lawyer speaks. My heart shatters as Youens stumbles up to the stand, he's drunk, how did he get drunk during a thirty minute recess and we didn't even leave the building? Fuck. My. Life.

++

My leg bounces up and down uncontrollably as Lip is inside the visitation room. "Did you fucking give him alcohol?" I ask Brad, "No! I swear I didn't." He says, I don't believe him. How else would he have got it? "When an alcoholic wants alcohol they're gonna get it." Brad says. My mind instantly goes to my dad, why do I miss him? Could AA have changed him or would he have just been like Youens?

My thoughts get interrupted by Lip coming out, "You okay?" I ask him, standing up to hug him. "Yup." He huffs and walks away without even hugging back. I knew it.

++

I lay in bed silently that night, the rest of the day was silent and heavy. I didn't want to give Lip anymore reason to spiral, I didn't want him to be mad at me.

He gets up immediately as I lay next to him, "What did I do?" I ask, finally. "You just don't fucking get it? You don't know what I just went through and fucking Brad. If he can't do it and he has a fiancé and a baby, how can I?" He yells at me, "What do you mean I don't get it?" I scoff, "You know all that anger and stress and that sick feeling you've had for days because of Brad and Youens? Well guess what, Lip? I've felt that every fucking day for the last six years because of you! Even when I didn't want to care about you anymore and I went on fucking dates with other people to try and forget you, I'd feel fucking sick." I yell back, he's silent for a moment, "Maybe we should break up for good then so you won't have to feel like this." Lip says and my heart bursts, "Is that seriously your response?" I laugh with hot tears burning the back of my eyes, "Yeah, it is." Lip says, choking down a lump. "Okay." I nod, grabbing my phone and keys, pushing past him and leaving.

"Sade, what's wrong?" Carl asks, breaking his makeout session with one of the girls he had downstairs, "Nothing. Call me if you need me and be careful with that." I mother him once more as tears are falling down my cheeks before I leave the house for the night.

I walk out the front door to see Ian sitting on the stairs, "You okay?' I ask, swallowing my sadness to focus on him. "No. Trevor succumbed to her. He looked at the other property she offered us. "At least she gave you one, right?" I ask, sitting next to him. "Not the point, Sade. He went behind my back knowing I was trying to stand my ground." He explains and I nod, "I'm sorry." I sigh, resting my head on his shoulder, "What's wrong?" Ian asks, "Nothing." "Your nose is red and your eyelashes look extra good." Ian chuckles, "The world just fucking hates us, Ian Gallagher." I say, looking up at him seeing his huge smile, "What?" "You said that six years ago." "The world still hates us." I say, lifting my head "When won't it?" "Never. Fucking never." I sigh and rest my head back on his shoulder. "Cuddle like old times?" He asks, "Please." I basically beg as he wraps his arm around me, lifting us both up and walking into the house together.

We spent all night cuddling and bonding again just like how we used to. We haven't done this in years, I missed this, this is just what I needed, what we both needed.