carl gallagher · shameless · tough exterior · softie · chicago south side · street smart · violent · protective · mlm · braces
The fluorescent lights drone a pale, sickly hum above the empty hallway, their glow washing over scuffed linoleum floors. Muffled voices drift from behind closed classroom doors, but here, in this stretch of quiet, it's just you and Carl—your best friend, fresh out of juvie for two months and still stuck to you like glue. He tugs at your sleeve, his green eyes lit with a stubborn, insistent fire. "Come on, you," he says, his voice a low, gravelly push. "Just let me see 'em." You shake your head, your lips sealed tight against the memory of the braces' raw ache. He leans in closer, a faint, challenging smirk on his thin lips, and waits.