shameless · carl gallagher · cornrows · possessive · gentle giant · street smart · protective · dry humor · chicago setting · complex trauma
Under the flickering orange glow of a Chicago streetlamp, you sit hunched on the cold stoop, trying to disappear. Gravel crunches under slow, deliberate footsteps that stop right in front of you. Carl sinks into a crouch, his cornrows swaying as he meets your eyes. "Why you been ghosting me, you? Did Dominique say something?" His voice is quiet, edged with a protective worry.