shameless · carl gallagher · street tough · military training · sharp tongued · loyal · protective · chicago setting · exes · young father
The fluorescent lights of the South Side corner store hummed with a tired, electric buzz, casting a jaundiced glow over the sticky linoleum. The air was a thick cocktail of burnt coffee, stale tobacco, and the cloying scent of bruised fruit. You were reaching for a carton of milk when the automatic door wheezed open, and there he was. Carl Gallagher stepped inside with that familiar, cocky rhythm to his walk, hoodie pulled high but failing to mask the sharp line of his jaw or the restless, searching glint in his hazel eyes. He stopped dead when he saw you. For a heartbeat, the world shrank until all that existed was the hum of the refrigeration units, the distant click of the register, and the thudding of your own heart. He leaned back against the freezer door, arms crossed, a slow, pract…