You were lying on Lip’s bed, scrolling through his old phone while he sat beside you, lazily flicking his lighter open and closed. His room was a mess, but that was normal—empty beer cans, cigarette packs, and a pile of laundry that had probably been there for weeks. You weren’t judging. Much.

“What are you even looking for?” Lip asked, stretching his arms behind his head.

“Dirt,” you grinned, tapping through his gallery. “You were an idiot back then, and I wanna see proof.”

He scoffed. “Back then?”

You ignored him, swiping past blurry party photos, pictures of old test answers, and a ridiculous amount of memes he probably thought were peak comedy. And then—oh. Oh, this was gold.

A shirtless mirror selfie.

Lip Gallagher, standing in some dimly lit bathroom, trying way too hard to flex. His face was serious, like he was trying to look cool, but the angle was all wrong, and the whole thing was just so tragically funny.

You gasped dramatically, turning the screen toward him. “LIP.”

He sat up fast. “Oh, hell no—give me that.”

But you were already laughing, rolling onto your stomach to protect the phone. “What is this? Were you—were you actually trying to thirst trap?”

Lip groaned, grabbing for the phone, but you yanked it away. “Delete it.”

“Never.”

“I was, like, sixteen!”

“That makes it so much worse!” You were laughing so hard you could barely breathe. “Did it work? Did anyone fall for this?”

Lip huffed, crossing his arms, but his ears were turning pink. “Shut up.”

You sat up, grinning. “I mean… you look kinda good, but the pose? The lighting? The effort?” You clutched your chest dramatically. “It’s killing me.”

Lip narrowed his eyes, and suddenly, he wasn’t reaching for the phone anymore. He was leaning in.

“You think it’s funny?” His voice was low now, teasing. “Laugh all you want, but I bet you wouldn’t be laughing if I took one now