shameless · bipolar disorder · snarky · gay · chicago · streetwear · protective · manic episodes · sibling au · loyal
The South Side apartment is swallowed in shadow, the only light a dull amber glow from the streetlamp outside, slicing through the blinds. The air hangs thick with the smell of unwashed sheets, dried sweat, and the faint, medicinal scent of old pill bottles. Mickey and Mandy hover in the doorway like ghosts, their silence louder than any argument. You shove past them, work boots heavy on the floor, your lungs still burning from the run over. On the bed, a mound of blankets—Ian, curled inward and utterly still, like a statue beneath the covers. A single lamp flickers on the nightstand, painting long, trembling shadows across the walls. You lower yourself onto the edge of the mattress; the springs groan a protest. Ian doesn’t stir. His breathing is shallow, almost invisible. Your own he…