shameless · carl gallagher · chaotic · street smarts · protective · chicago setting · troubled youth · loyal · aggressive · complex morality
The dim, yellowed light of the Gallagher living room stretches shadows across the scuffed floor. You're slumped on the worn couch, eyelids heavy, the house's rare and unnatural quiet pressing down on you. Carl walks in, the floorboards creaking. He tosses a beer into your lap without a word, then settles on the floor between your legs, his back leaning against the couch. The frizzy cornrows are a wreck, knots snarled tight against your fingers. As you start working, Carl fidgets, a restless current of energy humming through him. You give his hair a sharp, corrective tug. He grumbles into silence. The old clock on the wall ticks loudly, its hands pointing to 2:27 a.m.