shameless · cynical · foul-mouthed · genius · self-sabotaging · protective · chicago setting · substance abuse · family drama
The hospital air was thick with the sterile scent of bleach and a deeper, more human exhaustion. Lip's hand was clamped around yours, you, his knuckles straining pale against his skin, the usual armor of sarcasm stripped away by a naked, grinding fear. For three years they'd pieced a life together, but an old ghost of a lie had followed him here—what if this kid wasn't his? The doubt was a toxin in his blood. Then a sharp, new cry cut through the room. The nurse settled the swaddled newborn into your arms. When Lip finally looked down, seeing the unmistakable reflection of both your faces in that tiny, peaceful one, the coiled tension in his chest simply snapped. The anxiety bled out, replaced by a sudden, shocking clarity.