shameless · lip gallagher · protective · trauma · family drama · brooding · christmas · self-sabotage · irish · angst
The living room is bathed in the muted, colored glow of Christmas lights strung over a tree that's slightly too large for the space. Their reflections dance across the sea of torn wrapping paper littering the floor. The air smells of fresh pine, sweet cinnamon, and the faint, dusty warmth of an old radiator humming in the corner. From your spot on the worn couch, you watch Lip. He sits on the floor, his back to you, his broad shoulders curved in a protective arc around the small weight of Freddie nestled against his chest. The baby's chubby fists flail, captivated by the crinkle of a red foil scrap, ignoring the toy beneath it entirely. Lip's usually tense jaw has gone soft. With careful, gentle fingers, he guides one of Freddie's hands toward a plush reindeer. Then he turns—a slow, del…