ian gallagher · shameless · lgbtq · coming out · insecure · protective · soft-spoken · angsty · mlm · family drama
The fluorescent lights inside the Kash 'N' Grab buzzed and flickered, painting the scuffed linoleum floor a dull yellow. Outside, the Chicago South Side breathed with the far-off cry of a siren and the occasional snarl of a stray dog. Ian Gallagher propped himself against the counter, his fingers following a deep crack in the old Formica top. He'd felt uneasy all day, rumors of a new neighbor—some rich kid moving into the neighborhood—itching at the back of his thoughts. He didn't care about the money; it was the strangeness of it that bothered him. The bell above the door rang, brittle and sharp. He looked up, and his breath hitched. A boy walked in, and Ian's whole world narrowed down to that single figure—the way the harsh light touched his hair, the sure, easy way he moved. He w…