Work Text:
At thirteen, Lip was thinking about other things than his peers.
His sister Fiona was eighteen, and she was holding down two jobs. Three, if you count taking care of everything at home. Lip saw how hard she struggled, and felt he needed to do everything he could to help her. He couldn't get a full-time job yet, but he would find other ways to make money. This was how his homework business came to be.
It was after midnight when his sister came back from her waitress job. Lip was still at the kitchen table, the only light coming from the lamp above it. He had a calculator out and papers covering his end of the table.
"What are you doing up?" Fiona sighed and tilted her head in sympathy.
"I thought I'd do some extra homework. And I'm gonna need the phone, so I waited till you were home."
When Fiona had walked into the kitchen, she crossed her arms and put on her best 'mom' look. "Who's gonna answer at this time?"
"A kid in my class needs help with homework due tomorrow."
She narrowed her eyes knowingly. It went without saying Lip wouldn't just make a random kid's homework out of the kindness of his heart. "As long as it doesn't get you in trouble."
"It won't," he smiled as she tossed him the phone. Fiona wasn't their mother, and no one said it out loud, but she made the rules. If Fiona had said 'no' to Lip's new business, it would've been over and done with, just like that.
"And be in bed in half an hour or so help me-"
"Noted."
She lingered for a few seconds longer - her stare letting him know she was serious - before sighing again and heading upstairs. Fiona was tired. All the more reason to do this.
Lip would have to make it quick. He dialed the number he'd written and waited. He didn't have to wait long.
"Lip?" The girl's voice whispered on the other side of the line.
"Hi, Cathy. Just calling to let you know I did your homework for tomorrow, the subjects we talked about. So you can bring the money to me at lunch. I'll be in the cafeteria."
"Lip," he heard rustling through the phone. "Do you even know what time it is? If my parents find out I'm calling a boy, they'll kill me!" Cathy whispered angrily. She said 'boy' as if he was part of some unknown species. Lip had to smirk at that.
"Oh," he never had to worry about parents giving grounding him, or worrying about him. He didn't particularly tell that to people at school, though. They were trying to get child services off of them, after all. "Just tell them you're committing homework fraud, then."
Cathy cleared her throat, ignoring his joke. "You did all of it? That was like a month's work."
"It's not free."
A pause, and then,
"How's Ian, though?"
Lip frowned at the sudden change of subject. He hadn't seen his brother after school. He'd gone straight into these papers and Ian had gone to bed early, claiming he was really tired.
Weren't they all.
"He's fine?"
"Oh I'm glad to hear it," Cathy was saying. "Bullying can really get to you, you know, but it's good he's okay."
"Bullying?" Lip raised his voice a little unintentionally.
The line was silent.
"Cathy. What do you mean?"
"Sorry. I'll get you your money tomorrow. I have to go now, I hear mom's footsteps coming to my room." She hung up.
Lip blinked, seeing red at the thought of someone other than him tormenting his little brother. He also should've known this. He and Ian told each other everything, so why was this not included?
"Lip." Fiona said from upstairs, careful not to wake the others but loud and clear to him. He didn't have a parent like Cathy, but he did have a Fiona. And he knew he'd better go to bed now.
"Coming!"
—
"Yo," The next day, Lip walked up to Ian, who was taking a book out of his locker. "Where you headed?"
Ian shut the locker door and turned away from his brother to put the book in his bag. "Class? We are in school, Phillip."
"Don't get sassy on me. What class?"
"English. Why?"
"Meet me after school? I got something I wanna do, to help Fi."
Ian just nodded.
Lip knew how to deal with Ian. And how to bring up a sensitive subject. "Hey, I heard you're getting bullied."
Maybe not the best approach, but it did the trick. Lip was never one for avoiding the subject, after all.
Ian finally looked at him, showing Lip his face. "You think?" Lip felt like his heart stopped for a moment.
"Jesus, you're getting black eyes now?"
Lip reached for his face, but Ian slapped his hand away.
"The prick is trying to break a record. How did you even find out?"
"I didn't have to, look at you! This wasn't there this morning."
"Lip."
"Ian," he shot back. "Who was it?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Fuck you, yes it does. Just give me a name."
Ian groaned and swung his bag over his shoulder. "See you after school, Lip. For your thing."
Lip just watched him go as the school bell rang. He was going to find out who did that. And then kill them.
"Hey, nerd," A boy walked up to him. He wore all black and gray and looked like he'd just rolled through the dirt for a few hours. Smelled like that, too. "You Lip Gallagher?"
"Depends."
"My friend Cathy says you do homework. I need a book report done in a week."
Lip doubted this boy was friends with Cathy. "Why don't you write it?"
"I'm not gonna read the book, smartass. And I need the teachers off my back. So?"
"You're not gonna rat me out?"
"Do I look like a fucking snitch to you? I'm South side."
"And you got money?"
"I got twenty bucks so you better make this fucking worth it or you'll regret it."
"Great, we'll hash out the details later." Lip wrote 'book report' on his hand, since he didn't want to forget but didn't have any paper in reach. "Uhh, wait. What's your name?"
"Milkovich."
"You're Mickey?" he looked up at the kid. "Aren't you a year above me?"
"Not for long," Mickey grinned and walked off.
Lip didn't know if that meant he'd be redoing a year, skipping one or dropping out. Perhaps Mickey was planning to kill him. But Lip didn't really care. Mickey wouldn't be in his life for long.
He had bigger things to worry about.
Whenever Lip had to talk to Ian about something important, he made sure they were doing something in the meantime. This would take the focus and pressure off the conversation and made Ian speak up more freely.
This time, they were gathering leaves into a big basket after school. "Did you piss anybody off?" Lip asked, trying a casual tone.
"I didn't do anything. I told you, he's trying to break a record for most given black eyes in a school, or some shit."
"Why the fuck," Lip wasn't really asking, just overflowing with anger at this information.
"So this was the thing you needed my help for? Why are we doing this?" Ian gestured to the leaves, now a basket full.
This was part of the process. They would refocus on the task at hand, and then at a later time, Lip would ask again and get more information.
"Watch this," he grinned.
Together, the carried the basket until they were at the fancier houses. There, Lip checked if no one was around, and emptied the whole thing on someone's lawn.
Ian threw his hands up in protest. "What the fuck?"
Lip just put the basket down next to Ian, cleared his throat and knocked on the owners' door.
An older man opened it, looking grumpy. "What."
"Excuse me, sir. My brother and I were just walking around the area when we saw your lawn has a terrible leaf problem."
Lip pointed to the lawn. The man groaned.
"But, we brought that big basket there. For fifteen dollars, we'll gladly clean it up for you."
The man looked at his precious lawn. Then at Ian, and back to Lip. "I'll give you ten. Five dollars each. Let me know when you're done."
"Thank you so much, sir!"
The man closed the door. Lip rejoined Ian. "I was aiming for five," he grinned.
Ian laughed at this new way to make money. It felt good to see his little brother smile again.
They did this trick at two more houses before it started to get dark - and Fiona would have their heads if they were late for dinner - so they made their way home.
Lip was counting the money when, from the corners of his eyes, he saw Ian go still.
Pocketing the money, he looked up to find David Kazinsky looking down at them.
The kid was a couple years older, had friends with him and looked like he was expecting a fight. "Gallagher. I thought you'd had enough, after this morning?"
"Him?" Lip cried out. "That's not a fair fight at all!" He turned his attention towards David. "You feel good beating little kids? You motherfucker, I'll kill you-"
"Lip," Ian said.
Lip frowned at Ian. "He fucked up your face!" He said, like that wasn't obvious.
"Lip," Ian said again, calmly. "I got this."
He sounded so confident, Lip stepped aside without another word. However, if David would swing for one second, he'd pin him to the ground and beat him senseless. Surely he could take him.
Ian took a step forward with his hands in his pockets. Sureness radiated from him. "What do you want, David. Why do you really want to fight me?"
David made fists. "Shut up, I have a job to do. Or would you like to add your brother's name to my list of victims." He laughed back at his friends.
Lip was pretty sure steam was coming out of his ears.
Ian stayed calm, though. "You won't hurt us, I've had enough. No, I want to know why." He paused. "Is it because you know I know your secret?"
That shut David up fast. He even started blushing a bit, his face no less angry. He swung his fist, but Ian ducked effortlessly.
Lip strung forward, but Ian held his hand out to stop him.
He mumbled again, just for Lip. "I got this."
"I won't tell anyone, loser." Ian told David. "I am not scared of you. And you can't hurt me anymore."
For a few seconds, David was stunned silent. But he put his invisible mask back on and grinned. "Just say you're too weak to take me."
"Say you'll leave me and my family alone. And that you will stop bullying."
David laughed. For a moment, Lip thought Ian was going to just walk away.
He'd never been so happy to be wrong.
Ian punched the kid's stomach so hard, David folded over it and fell to the ground. None of David's so called friends came to his aid.
Even Lip flinched back in surprise.
"Oh, you are dead-" David started getting up, but Ian kicked his legs from under him.
"Stay down. Say you won't do this again." He pointed to his eye. "To anyone."
"Fine! Jesus!"
Ian smiled a little, and only now, did Lip recognise how scared he had been to face his bully, and how accomplished he felt now. Knowing Ian, he must've rehearsed this in his head.
"Great. Now, I have to go. Got to catch dinner or my sister will be mad. C'mon Lip."
He didn't have to ask twice. Still stunned from amazement, Lip picked up the basket and followed his brother.
Though, not without stepping on David's fingers on the way. It really wasn't his fault he was in the way.
Lip's smile widened as David screamed in pain behind them. He threw an arm around his little brother.
"I have never been prouder of you."
Ian just laughed and released a deep breath. "I think he'll leave me alone now."
"Dude. He will never hurt anyone again. You're a hero."
"Thanks," Ian said sarcastically, but Lip could see he knew it too.