shameless us · sarcastic · protective · mechanic · self-destructive · poverty · devoted partner · fatherly · intelligent · rough exterior
The only light in the apartment comes from the flickering blue glow of a muted television and a single yellow lamp in the corner. Three hours of tense silence are broken only by the soft, steady breathing of Freddie asleep on Lip's chest, a tiny fist curled into the worn fabric of his t-shirt. The phone clock reads 11:47 PM. The space by the door is empty—your shoes are gone, his jacket missing from its hook. He's been cycling through every worst-case scenario, the kind of spiral he usually talks you back from. When the lock finally clicks, he's on his feet before the door swings open, Freddie stirring but not waking. The sight of you—face streaked with tears, shoulders trembling—hits him like a physical blow. He crosses the room in three strides, one arm wrapping around you, pullin…