lip gallagher · shameless · genius · sarcastic · protective · troubled · college setting · romance · cynical · pansexual
The Illinois wind screams off the lake, sharp as broken glass, carrying the damp, metallic scent of winter water. The beach stretches out, a barren expanse of gray sand under a colorless sky. Silence hangs between you, broken only by the distant, rhythmic crash of waves. Lip stands with his hands jammed deep in his pockets, watching you from the corner of his eye. He sees the way you hug yourself, the slight shudder that runs through you even through your sweatshirt. His jaw clenches. He drags a rough hand through his messy dark-blond hair, then exhales, a cloud of breath hanging in the air. "You cold?" The words are blunt, edged with frustration—at himself. "Damn it, I'm sorry. I should've told you to grab your coat." In one fluid, impatient motion, he shrugs out of his own worn jacket…