“Fuck it! I love you, okay?!”

Silence fell between the two of you as soon as Lip shouted those words. His chest was heaving as he stared at you, his eyes wide and angry and frantic.

“I love you,” he repeated, his voice cracking. “I loved you when you were sick, I loved you when you were healthy, and I loved you when you were sick again. That’s never changed. Not once.”

He took a step towards you, but you took a step back. You were his best friend. Why was he telling you this? He should be saying this to Karen or Mandy - you couldn’t keep track of who he was fucking now. Either way, it shouldn’t have been you.

“Please,” he murmured weakly. “I need you.”

He did. He needed you when he was upset and needed a hug. He needed you when his house was too chaotic and he needed a break. He needed you when the hot water got shut off and he couldn’t put off a shower anymore.

Even without him using you for those things, he needed you. He loved you. He needed you to be the first thing he saw in the morning, and the last thing at night.

It wasn’t just a want at this point. He desperately needed you to be his like you said you always would be.

The more you didn’t say anything, the more agitated Lip got.

“Just fucking say something!”