Chapter 13.
I hope this chapter doesn't seem too rushed. I didn't want to keep dragging out Season 1. Hopefully, you enjoy.
Also, a LOT goes down in this one.
Special thanks to soccergurl382, Mrs. TylerLockwood, blueWren, ItsMalecNotLeviosA, daeb, cuteepiee1 and K920313!
Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless.
Daniela stood out the front of the police station, impatiently chewing on her lip. She was flanked by the rest of the Gallaghers along with Veronica and Kev. Tony had called them letting them know that the charges had been dropped. Daniela had practically ran to the station when she found out.
A smile lit up her face as soon as she saw the head of her best friend and his brother make their way out of the building. Lip and Ian looked exhausted as they spotted their family waiting for them. Daniela didn't waste any time.
Quickly, she moved towards Ian, who looked at her with a grimace as he more than likely knew of his friend's worrying. The girl embraced him tightly, not letting go. She felt her friend's arms wrap around her in relief and happiness.
"I'm sorry." Daniela continued to hug him.
"You smell," she mumbled against his neck. She felt the low rumblings of Ian's laughs.
Daniela pulled back, her smile gone. In its place was deep anger. Ian cringed at what he knew was coming.
"You idiot!" She cried, hitting her fists against her chest. Ian took it, finding it slightly amusing. She pulled him into another hug. "Don't do something so fucking stupid again."
Ian laughed slightly and nodded into her neck. "Okay."
The girl pulled back, letting his sister finally hug him. Fiona rushed towards him as well, before also hitting him. Daniela grinned at it, turning her head to look at the other Gallagher boy.
Lip stood, staring down at Carl and Debbie who were both hugging a side of him. Veronica was talking to him, most likely chastising him. After the woman was finished, she stepped away, going over to talk to Ian. Daniela stepped forward and met Lip's blue eyes.
Neither really knew what to do. She stood with her hands in her pockets. He shot her a small smile, the smile widening when she returned it, shook her head and stepped closer.
She surprised both of them when she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, resting her head under his chin. She heard his sharp intake of breath before it was slowly released and he snaked his arms around her frame. They stayed like that for a few moments, not seeing the odd looks from Debbie and Carl.
Daniela finally pulled back and threw a few well-aimed punches at Lip's chest.
"The fuck?" He grunted, rubbing the tender spot. The whole moment was shattered. Daniela fixed him with an angry look.
"That's for getting arrested you idiot." Lip stared back at her strangely, his frown lessening. His mouth turned up in the corners. Daniela couldn't help her own smile, giving him another playful arm slap.
Fiona made her way over, going to hit Lip in the head. The boy ducked with a laugh before being pulled in by his sister. Daniela moved to stand next to Ian again and weaved an arm around his side, laying her head on his shoulder.
"You guys popped your cherry!" Proclaimed Kev jubilantly. Both boys laughed, agreeing. The group began making their way home, arms around each other.
"Hey did you guys see my dad in there?" Asked the man, causing the others to erupt into a laughing fit once again.
/
"Did you guys meet any strange people while you were in there?" Asked Daniela curiously. They were home now, things easing back to normal. She, along with Ian and Lip was relaxing in the boy's bedroom.
Ian frowned, taking a moment to think and laughed. "Well, there was this one huge guy with two nipple piercings and a bull ring." Lip made a noise of recognition, turning his head to look at them from his top bunk.
"Oh yeah. He was really into Ian. Kept flirting with him and sitting close to him."
"It was uncomfortable," grimaced Ian. Daniela laughed from her spot beside him. "And I remember him being interested in you too!" Lip grinned, shaking his head at his brother. He pulled out his phone and typed in a number.
The door then opened with Carl entering.
"They give you a cavity search?" Asked the boy casually.
"No we weren't there long enough," answered Lip. "It was probably on the menu, though." The call he was trying to put through went to voicemail. "Hey, Karen, it's me. Uh, call me back when you get this message?" Daniela looked down at her fingers resting in her lap. Thoughts filled her brain of her visit to Karen's house earlier that morning. The things the girl asked her sticking in her brain like glue.
"See anybody get shanked?"
"We were cuffed to a bench in a hallway most of the night, Carl," sighed Ian. He was clearly exhausted from his long night.
Fiona knocked on the door, coming in with fresh towels. She threw one each at her brothers.
"Clean towels. You both need showers, you're rank."
"I'll go first," said Lip, hopping down from his bed and heading out.
"Did they take your shoelaces and belts so you don't hang yourself?" Piped up a very curious Carl. Fiona threw him a disapproving look and sent him downstairs to help Veronica with dinner. Daniela, noticing that Ian and Fiona wanted a moment, quietly excused herself.
She moved downstairs to see Veronica buzzing around putting pots on the stove and preparing the food. The girl helped with a few things until Veronica said that it was all basically done. Satisfied, she headed back up the stairs to see Ian.
The room was empty when she entered, Ian most likely having gone to the bathroom. She laid herself out on the bed once again, propping her head up with Ian's pillows. She waited, picking at the bits of fluff on her jumper.
The door opened and closed again, the smell of cleanliness following. Daniela glanced casually at the door, quickly doing a double take at the sight of Lip. Not just Lip, though. Lip, wet, with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
She threw curses at her traitorous mind as she willingly looked him over. There was a stirring deep in her stomach when her eyes traveled over his arms and chest to his toned stomach. Daniela tried to ignore the heat that took over the back of her neck. Lip seemed to notice her gazing in that moment.
Fixing her with raised eyebrow, he smirked. "See something you like?"
Daniela's eyes snapped to his, embarrassed from being caught in the act. She turned her chin up in defense.
"Hardly," she retorted with a roll of her eyes. Lip gave her look that told her he didn't believe her. Not wanting to suffer any more jokes from him, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up.
"I'll just let you get changed," sighed the girl, making to move past him. She found her path was blocked. Lip watched her expression change from surprise to annoyance. His head loomed slightly over hers despite the fact they were almost the same height.
"You don't have to go," he said cheekily. Little drops of water fell down from his hair onto his chest. Daniela stared at them, fixated. Turning her attention back to Lip, she narrowed her eyes. If he wanted to play that game, she'd do it right back.
Daringly, Daniela stepped even closer, giving them little to no space in between. She lifted a hand to press gently against his warm chest, relishing when she heard Lip inhale sharply. Her hand began trailing ever so slowly along his front, up his shoulders to the side of his neck. Both of their eyes watching her every move. Her gaze snapped up to meet his own darkened ones.
It was static.
The feeling both excited and scared Daniela. The girl questioned her actions, not sure if she should step across that line. She found that she kind of wanted to.
Lip's eyelids were hooded as he watched her take her bottom lip in between her teeth. He felt her soft hand trail up his neck even further, resting at the base of his hair. Daniela teased the hair at the nape of his neck, winding it around her finger before placing her hand on the side of his head. With a hard shove, she knocked him sideways.
"Asshole."
Lip grunted as he was forced sideways. Daniela threw him a smirk, laughing to herself before winking and leaving the room. As the door closed behind her, he let out a long, deep breath.
"Fuck." What was he thinking? He loved Karen. He knew he did. So why was Daniela so alluring to him?
Turning to his drawers, he pulled the towel closer around his waist.
/
Daniela swirled some pasta around her fork before shoving it in her mouth. Veronica and Jasmine had cooked up a feast to celebrate Ian and Lip's release from jail. Fiona's new friend continued to be bubbly to Daniela, occasionally throwing in a question about Jakob.
The girl was amicable to her, mainly because she made a mean stir-fry and because she didn't want to spoil dinner. Her personality was way too bubbly for Daniela's liking and the fact that the woman was married and still wanting to get in with her brother rubbed her the wrong way. She hated cheaters.
Ian sat back in his chair, relaxed. A beer was in his hand as he and his friend talked and laughed. Eventually, the topic of Ian's father came up.
"So how did the search go?" Asked Daniela taking another bite of pasta. "You know before you got arrested."
Ian laughed but shrugged. "We found him."
"Really?" The girl's eyes were wide. Her friend nodded, his own gaze on the bottle in his hands.
"Yeah. Clayton. Lives in a big house on the other side of town with his wife and son," explained Ian. His voice lacked any emotion- something his friend picked up on.
"And how are you feeling now that you know?"
Ian sighed. "Like I don't really care. I mean, sure, I know who he is. That's great. But this here, Fiona, Lip, Debbie, Carl, Liam, Kev and V. You. You're my family. And I would rather be here than there with him."
Daniela listened intently, her heart swelling a little. It wasn't often that her friend would show so much emotion like this.
She reached out placing a hand on his and squeezed it, offering him a warm smile.
Moving on from the conversation, they turned back to the table, joining in on Veronica and Fiona's talk. Jasmine started talking to them about some sort of form when Lip stormed through the doorway and up the stairs. The room silenced as they stared after him. Daniela raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ian who was already up and following after his brother.
Leaving them to it, she took a swig of grape soda as Jasmine began a new topic.
Later on, as Daniela was getting ready to leave, she decided to go and say goodbye to Ian. He and Lip had stayed up in their room, most likely getting high. Not surprisingly, as soon as she stepped in, the distinct aroma of weed filled her nostrils.
Only a single light was on, the window open to help air out the room. Ian was already asleep when she got closer. Daniela, not wanting to wake him, turned back around to leave. She stopped when she saw Lip sitting, awake on his bed, clearly deep in thought. She wasn't even sure he noticed her come in.
Tentatively, Daniela approached him. She wasn't completely sure how she was going to keep things casual considering how their last interaction went.
He had noticed her as soon as she entered the room but couldn't work up the effort to say anything or bother looking at her. His mind was too full of thoughts of Karen and wondering about whether or not he had fucked things up for good.
Daniela came up beside him, peering up at his face. A joint hung from Lip's mouth as he finally turned to look at her. The girl was taken aback at the drained look in his eyes.
"No offense, but I'm not really in the mood for anything," he drawled lowly. Daniela pulled her head back.
"I wasn't planning on to. I only did that because you were being a cheeky asshole and didn't move," explained Daniela. She fidgeted with her hands. "I just wanted you to know, despite what you may think, I do care about you." she shrugged casually. "We're friends now. And I don't like seeing my friends hurt."
"I don't need you comforting me," frowned Lip somewhat angrily. The girl nodded back.
"I know. I didn't come here to. I came to put the offer out. If you ever need to talk to someone besides Ian, you can always come to me." Daniela watched his face for any reaction. Lip's clenched jaw slowly began to relax. Finally, he nodded shortly.
Knowing that that was all she was going to get out of him, she bid her goodbye and left.
/
"Daniela!" Called her boss' voice. "Can you come unload these boxes for me?" The girl made her way to the back where the truck was waiting. Linda stood beside the boxes, a checklist in hand.
As the girl began unloading the boxes, Linda checked everything off, making sure all the orders were there.
"I would help," began Linda. "But I'm pregnant."
The teen smiled kindly at her boss. "Congratulations."
"Thanks, Daniela. Although not all of us may think the same thing." The woman threw a not so subtle look at her husband who was tending the cash register and flicking through a magazine.
Daniela couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Linda. It wasn't entirely her fault that her marriage was in shambles. Still, the girl thought that her boss would still be at least somewhat enthusiastic about the new baby.
She cut open the boxes before stocking the shelves, placing the extras in the back storeroom. The bell above the door chimed as Lip walked in. The boy nodded at her as he walked up to Kash at the register.
"Smokes?" Kash sighed and got them, not even bothering to ask for I.D. Daniela walked to stand beside Lip.
"How are you feeling today?" She asked, genuinely interested.
"Better," he shrugged. "I'm going to see Karen, so we can sort it out." The girl barely held back her eye roll.
Honestly, it was futile. The two of them didn't work. At least not how Lip wanted them to. They each had different ideas about what their relationship was and neither were in the position to make compromises. It annoyed Daniela, who thought that he should stop trying when Karen won't even put in the effort.
Nevertheless, Daniela nodded. "Sounds good. Good luck." With that she walked back to the shelves, picking up the boxes of extras.
/
Daniela sat at her kitchen table, textbook splayed out in front of her. She had homework, a lot of it. She had been so caught up in Ian and Lip's arrest that she had forgotten to complete an essay on the French Revolution.
After she finished work, she had gone to see her mother. Then her and Jakob had gotten take-out for dinner. He had just left on a 'hot date' as he put it, leaving Daniela to the peaceful silence. That silence was shattered around 7pm.
Knock-knock!
Came the first two at the door. When Daniela didn't answer straight away, they became more insistent. By the time she got to the door, they were practically banging it down.
"Fuck, I'm coming!" She yelled angrily, twisting open the door. She glared at Lip who was basically vibrating with anger. She didn't miss his glassy eyes.
"Ian's at work," was all he said before she stepped aside to let him stumble in. Daniela led him into the lounge room, warily eyeing him as he clenched and unclenched his jaw, his hands in solid fists. She was almost afraid he was going to break something.
"What happened?" Lip didn't say anything. Instead, he just paced and paced. Back and forth. He was shaking. Not in a scared way, in a furious way. This was bad.
"You know if you keep going like that, you're gonna wear a hole in the floor. And you'll have to pay for it," commented Daniela lightly, hoping he would ease up a little. He didn't.
"Lip?" She asked again, more insistently. "What happened?"
"Fucking Frank," he swore heatedly to himself. "Fucking Karen." Daniela was still confused.
"What did Frank do?" The boy wiped a hand over his nose, sniffing. At the mention of his father's name he snapped. His already-bloody fist connected hard with the wall.
"Fuck!" Yelled Daniela. Lip leaned his forehead against the wall, his fist still resting in the imprint it made. The girl warily made her way towards him.
"Hey," she said, softly this time. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to talk to me about it or just keep punching holes in my walls? Because if it's the latter, I'm gonna need you to leave." Her nose twitched at the smell of alcohol on him.
Twisting him around, she grabbed his face between her hands to observe him. "Are you drunk?" Lip scoffed and shook his head.
"Not yet. I'm getting there." Daniela rubbed her fingers over his cheeks, trying to gain his attention.
"Tell me what happened." The boy shook his head, the anger flowing back.
"Frank fucked Karen," he stated. Daniela's eyes bulged. "Yeah, can you believe it? Frank and Karen? I mean, I knew she was a whore but fuck- Frank?" He shoved the palms of his hands into his eyes and let out a groan of frustration.
"Holy shit," breathed Daniela, not really sure what to say. She couldn't deny the burning anger that built up in her own stomach. At both Frank and Karen.
The girl raked a hand through her hair and sighed.
"You're right," she nodded. Lip frowned at her. "We need to get you drunk."
/
A bottle of whiskey later saw Lip happily intoxicated. Daniela less so, as she had made it her job to supervise and make sure that he didn't get too out of hand. She had also washed and bandaged his hand as well as possible with what she had.
They were currently splayed out on her sofa. His legs were splayed out over her lap as his head rested against the arm of the seat. Daniela slumped in her own position, feet resting on the small coffee table.
"What is it you saw in Karen?" Questioned Daniela, tilting her head at the boy. His expression became more solemn as he thought it over.
"We both loved to fuck. She was smart, beautiful, a bitch. I liked it," he answered.
"I never liked her," admitted the girl. Lip scoffed a laugh.
"I would say the feelings are mutual between you two." He dropped his grin, his face taking on a more pensive look. "The worst part is I was falling in love with her."
The girl shuffled her feet around on the table. "What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. Try and forget about her and move on." Daniela was silent at this revelation. Instead, she gestured at the empty bottle on the table.
"All out. I'll go get another drink." She didn't have any more hard liquor left, just beers. They were good enough, now that Lip was pleasantly buzzed.
Lip watched her leave, putting his legs on the floor so she could get up. He leaned his elbows on his knees, resting his head in his hands. Daniela was being so good to him. He found he was extremely thankful he had her.
He thought of the moment they shared in his bedroom, in the kitchen, outside the police station, in the kitchen, all the shit with Monica. The girl had always been there.
At first, he found her constant help to be a nuisance, but over time he grew to accept it. Lip enjoyed her being around. He had learned a lot of things about her during their new relationship. One of them being that she was as sly as she was kind and generous. The situation the day before being evidence enough.
"Here you go," announced Daniela, walking back in with two beers. She offered one out to him, waiting till he took it before she sat back down beside him. The girl took a large swig, waiting for him to do the same. But he didn't. He twisted it around in his hand before finally placing it down on the table.
"You okay?" She asked with a frown. "You feeling sick? I'll go get a bucket."
"No."
Daniela made to get up again but Lip reached an arm out to grasp her own, stopping her. The girl eyed his hand curiously. Lip trailed his hand slowly down her arm to rest around her wrist. His electric blue eyes glued to her own warm hazel ones.
Daniela felt her heartbeat pick up as Lip moved his other arm out to clasp around her other wrist. She waited, intrigued to see what he would do next.
Gently, he pulled her down towards him. Her legs hit the couch, making her place them up on either side of his thighs. Her breath was ragged now as she watched him. Lip relished at her reactions, loving it all.
One hand moved to the base of her neck, pulling her more close to his own. Daniela thought about pulling away before quickly ending that train of thought. She wasn't thinking. They had completely thrown caution to the wind. That's what made this feel so good.
Her mouth was positioned directly above his. Lip's hazy eyes searched her own, ultimately deciding to take the plunge.
Their lips connected, lightly at first, testing out how it felt, before becoming gradually more heated. The kiss grew more insistent, their mouths working together perfectly. It was awkward and uncoordinated at first until they worked out a happy medium.
Daniela's hand raked through his hair, dragging his head higher up. Lip's own hands worked their way over the curves of her body, resting at the hem of her shirt. She pressed her chest as close as she could to his own, wanting to be as close as possible. Her teeth lightly caught on to his lower lip, tugging on it a little before fully connecting their mouths together once again.
Lip tugged at the bottom of her shirt. Daniela unwound her arms from around his neck and pulled away long enough for him to hastily remove the clothing. It was her turn to remove his.
She tugged it over his head before dipping her head into his neck, peppering his neck and collarbone with kisses. When she licked at a certain spot near the bottom of his ear, he let out a small groan.
Smirking against the skin, Daniela focused all of her attention there until Lip pulled her back to his mouth quickly.
His hands expertly worked at the buttons on her jeans at the same time, as she did the same for him. For the two of them, it was euphoria.
Until reality came crashing down.
"Karen," moaned Lip in a husky breath. Suddenly the fog cleared for Daniela as she pulled away. Lip, realizing his mistake, froze. They both stared at each other, the sad realization settling in.
He was still in love with Karen.
Daniela awkwardly raised from her position, bending over to get both of their shirts. As she began re-doing the buttons on her jeans, Lip reached out a hand.
"Wait," he said. "I didn't mean it." Daniela gave him a sad look. They both knew it was a lie. Defeated, Lip took his hand back and wiped a hand over his face in frustration.
"I guess I should leave." He stood up, only to remember that he was indeed drunk, and nearly toppled over. Daniela steadied him, letting him use her body to support himself.
"You're drunk," assessed Daniela rather obviously, not making eye contact. "You don't have to go." The boy gave her a weird look, ready to shoot her down. "If you go home drunk, you'll probably have to explain everything to your family."
Knowing she had a point, Lip agreed silently. No doubt Fiona- if she decided to not go with Steve- or Ian would ask. He didn't feel like telling them. Not tonight anyway.
"You can stay here tonight," said the girl, falling back into the role of 'helpful friend' instead of whatever it was they were just doing. "Plus, it's nice and quiet. My brother won't be back tonight so it'll be fine." Lip was genuinely taken aback by her kindness despite the fact he had just moaned another girl's name while they were in the process of having sex.
Taking his hand, she led him up the stairs into Jakob's bedroom.
"You know if you wanted me in your room all you had to do was ask," joked Lip half-heartedly, his words slurring slightly. Daniela laughed quietly to herself and shook her head.
"It's not my room you idiot. It's my brother's. He won't even notice you were in here." Now that Lip looked around the room, he noticed it didn't seem like it would be her room. It was barely decorated, screaming that it was only ever used as a place to sleep and that was all.
Daniela guided him onto the bed, pulling back the covers. She left before returning with a bin.
"Just in case," she said. Lip could feel himself drifting off and laid back. Once she was sure he was fine, Daniela turned to leave.
"Wait," called Lip. She swiveled her head to look over her shoulder curiously. "Stay."
The girl chewed on her lip, deciding whether or not too. They had already gone too far, crossing that invisible line between friends and something more.
Shrugging, she figured she would allow herself this night. The boy tugged her hand until she was under the covers with him. He pulled her flush against him, enjoying the feeling of her against him.
Placing a hand under her chin, he tilted her head up to place a light kiss on the corner of her mouth. Dropping her chin, he rested his head against the pillows, feeling himself quickly fade asleep.
/
When Daniela woke the next morning, the bed beside her was cold. She couldn't help the disappointment she felt.
Rising out of bed, she stretched. She began re-making the bed before going downstairs to clean up any mess her and Lip may have caused. After that was done, she took a good long shower.
Daniela let the scalding hot water rush over her, giving her tanned skin a pink color. Things with Lip had escalated further than she thought it ever would. The scariest part for Daniela was that she enjoyed it. It was exciting and fulfilling.
She could still feel his burning touch on her skin.
Before then, the thought of anything like that happening between them had seemed ludicrous. However, with Lip now ready to begin letting Karen go, things were starting to look up. Daniela ignored the small tingle of hope.
Once she was clean and clothed, she made her way to the Gallagher house, secretly wanting to see Lip once again. She felt silly. Like a little schoolgirl that had a crush on the cute boy in her class. She didn't have a crush. Definitely not. She was more level-headed than that.
Entering the kitchen, Ian, and his three younger siblings were in the middle of breakfast. They all cheerfully said their 'hellos'. Daniela took a seat beside Ian, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.
"How was your night?" Asked Ian conversationally, his voice still full of sleep.
His friend shrugged in response. "Uneventful. Just did some homework and then slept." She made sure to not mention the part where she almost had sex with her best friend's brother. Definitely not something to bring up over breakfast. Or ever.
Ian nodded, biting into his toast. "Have you heard from Lip at all? He didn't come home last night."
"Mm, nope. Sorry," responded Daniela easily. She was a rather convincing liar.
At that moment, the back door opened with Lip entering, Karen- much to Daniela's surprise and annoyance- following behind him.
"Hey," greeted Ian, looking at the two. "Where have you been?" Lip shrugged and held up a paper bag.
"We went to get breakfast." Daniela's stomach dropped as she observed the pair standing close and leaning on each other. They had made up.
She nearly vomited her orange juice back up.
Lip's eyes met hers. Did he even remember what happened last night? Her attention was pulled away from him to Karen when she said her name.
"I just wanted to apologize. For being a bitch to you the other day, and saying all that stuff." Daniela put on a fake smile. Lip frowned, looking back and forth between the two.
"That's okay, Karen. I understand." But she didn't understand. Why had Lip gone back to Karen when he told her he would do the opposite? More importantly, why did this affect her so much?
Clearing her throat, she downed the remnants of her glass in a record speed and stood up.
"Uh, I just remembered I'm going to see my Mom," she lied. "Jakob's waiting for me at home." Both Ian and Lip eyed her abrupt departure suspiciously. The latter knowing immediately that she was lying because her brother wasn't at all home.
Bidding a hasty goodbye, Daniela left, welcoming the sharp cold that hit her as she stepped out. Moments later, she heard footsteps following after her.
"Daniela!" Called Lip. She slowed, not wanting to turn around but not wanting to be a child about it. She cast a look over her shoulder. Lip stood, slightly flustered.
"I just wanted to say thanks." Daniela scoffed instantly. She couldn't help it.
Lip continued to explain, trying to be as gentle as possible. "Karen called me this morning, asking to talk. I couldn't say no." Daniela shook her head, not interested in hearing anymore.
As she began walking again, she heard him call out.
"We're still friends right?" This time she turned to look at him fully. She wondered if he was joking. Pursing her lips, she shook her head and laughed.
"Yeah," she confirmed after a few long, tense moments. "We're still friends." Clenching her jaw, she turned back around, storming away before he could talk to her again.
Was she surprised? Sadly, no. However, she did now know one thing.
She was an idiot. An absolute idiot.
It's done! Oh my god. This was so frickin' long!
How was it? I'm nervous. Let me know in a review, hint, hint...
Next chapter, Season 2!
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