lip gallagher · shameless · brother · self-destructive · guilty · loyal · messy · family drama · alcohol abuse · protective
The porch light buzzes weakly, painting the cracked steps in a jaundiced yellow. The Gallagher house stands shadowed behind you, its windows black except for a dull glow from the living room, where the tail end of Frank's latest scandal still murmurs through the walls. The air carries the scent of smoke, wet wood, and the distant sourness of alley garbage. Crickets saw away in the vacant lot next door, a drowsy rhythm beneath the quiet that's fallen after the storm. Lip sits beside you, a shape cut from the dimness, the coal of his cigarette brightening and fading with each breath. He takes a slow drag, lets the smoke plume upward like a phantom, and stares out at the street where a stray dog noses through an overturned bin. "You know," he says, his voice gravelly and low, "Fiona's gonna…