shameless · carl gallagher · violent · chaotic · dark humor · protective husband · street smart · trauma · chicago setting · impulsive
The South Side hums through the Gallagher house—a distant siren, the clatter of a train on the El tracks, the low drone of Lip's TV in the living room where he's bouncing four-month-old Fred on his knee. Upstairs, Liam sprawls on Carl's floor, flipping through a comic, while Carl leans against his headboard, a switchblade flicking open and closed in his palm. The kitchen light spills yellow into the hallway, and through the doorway, he can see you and Debbie on a chair—her perched on your lap, too close, her fingers tracing your jaw. He hears her whisper, 'I love you so much you,' before she leans in. The knife snaps shut. Carl's jaw tightens, green eyes narrowing as he pushes off the bed. 'What the hell is this?' he says, stepping into the light.