Only You - [Lip Gallagher]

protected.

"You okay?" I jolt awake asking as I hear Carl screaming next to me, "How'd you end up in my bed?" I ask, sleepily. "Sorry, I had a nightmare and I think I just came in here. Sorry." Carl throws my blanket off himself, "It's fine, you're just not a baby anymore. Gotta warn me. You okay?" I ask again, rubbing his back. "Poor Ester. I couldn't get off the bus, I shouldn't have left her there. It was her birthday." He beats himself up. "Babe, there was nothing you could've done. I'm just glad you're safe, okay?" I say, kissing his temple. "Let's go get you breakfast. You need to eat." I say, standing up. "Come on." I wiggle my fingers in front of him for him to grab my hand or at least get up; he sighs before grabbing my hand and lifting himself off my bed, "Good job." I pat his back and he walks in front of me to go downstairs.

"Morning." Lip says as he's making coffee, "How's the RV thing?" I ask, grabbing eggs out of the fridge, "I'm losing my shit." He says with a smile, "I told you I'd move out." I say, scrambling up three eggs for Carl. "Fuck no." He rolls his eyes and stacks plates and cups along his arms and hands, "Carl, help your brother." "No, I'm fine." Lip says, making his way out the back door. "What you making, Mitch?" Mickey asks, squeezing my hips and kissing my temple. "Eggs, bacon, and toast for Carl. He had a rough night." "Count me in?" Mickey asks, "Me too." Ian comes downstairs, "Fine, sit." I shoo them away from me as I make more food. "I have work today, make it snappy." Mickey says and I glare at him, "Who the fuck are you talking to?" I roll my eyes before serving Carl his plate, "Sorry just hate this job." Mickey huffs before I hand him his plate, "Thanks." He mutters before shoveling everything into his mouth, "What is it?" "He has to wear shorts and a tucked in purple shirt and walk around a store making sure no one steals." Ian chuckles, "Mick." I laugh, "Fuck off, both of you." He says, standing up, tossing his empty plate in the sink and leaving, "Love you, Mick!" I shout before he flips me off. "You work too?" I ask Ian and he nods, "Unfortunately." He sighs. "It can't be that bad." I try to reason, "She's a fucking nut." "Coming from the ex nut?" I tease, "Exactly." He says before leaving, "Bye love you." We say in sync, "Owe me a Dr. Pepper!" I scream at him before he does, "Fuck off." Ian chuckles before closing the door.

"Sade, you busy?" Debs come through the backdoor with Franny and two other kids, "Kinda have a lot of work to do and a few meetings. Are these the girls who saved Franny's ass?" I ask, "Yes, Bella and Stella. Is Liam home? I'm gonna ask him to watch them. Also, thanks for the help. You guy really helped get Peppa off my ass and not take her fully away from me." Debbie begins to ramble, "It's fine! Anything to help you and Fran." I say, tapping Franny's nose, "I'll be upstairs, if the girls need anything don't be afraid to come ask me okay? Franny knows where my room is." I tell all three girls before rushing upstairs, bumping into Liam, "Sorry baby. Debs is looking for you downstairs if you have a minute." I say to him sweetly, "Of course, everyone is always looking for me." He says, eyes glued to his phone. "How's being a social media manager?" "Better than ever." He says with a huge grin before going downstairs.

++

"Hey um really hate to ask you this but do you have any condoms?" Lip barges into my room, "We never used them." I say, keeping my eyes glued to my assignments so I don't laugh in his face, "Shit." He mutters and walks away. Just then I hear sexy R&B music coming from Liam's room, "What the fuck?" I mutter before standing up, "You hear that too?" Lip asks, walking out of Debbie's room. "Liam, we're coming in." Lip announces as he opens his door revealing him and Stellaon opposite sides of the room, Liam's eyes glued to his phone. "What are you two doing?" I ask. "I think she's stealing my stuff." Liam says as she is rummaging through his drawers, "Don't steal his shit. I'll give you twenty bucks to go back downstairs." "Sweet." She says, slapping the twenty out of my hand and skipping back downstairs. "You've upped your bribes to twenty?" Lip chuckles and I roll my eyes and walk back into my room. "Why is your ass out?" Lip follows, "I have shorts on." "Yeah but those show your ass cheeks." "I'm in MY house. Why don't you go back to yours if you're so offended?" I roll my eyes. He stands at my doorway in utter shock for a moment before going back into Deb's room to look for condoms. What a loser.