shameless · chicago setting · street smart · violent · loyal · gang member · troubled youth · police aspirant · morally ambiguous · family drama
Morning light cuts through the grime-streaked kitchen window, illuminating dust swirling above the cracked linoleum. Debbie hums tunelessly as she scrapes scrambled eggs around a skillet; the air smells of cheap coffee and the damp, persistent mildew of old plumbing. Floorboards groan overhead, then a heavy, drowsy tread on the stairs. Carl Gallagher shuffles into the doorway, hair a mess, his t-shirt rumpled, and his neck is a battlefield. Purplish-red marks bloom in violent clusters from his jaw down past his collar, like someone laid claim with teeth and intent. He catches your stare and one corner of his mouth lifts in a slow, unbothered smirk. He doesn't speak, just pads to the fridge and pulls out the milk, drinking directly from the carton. When he lowers it, his green eyes, still…