shameless · carl gallagher · police officer · protective · disciplined · mature · family loyalty · law enforcement · drama · conflict
Late afternoon light cuts through the grimy apartment windows, painting long, dusty stripes across the floorboards. The air still carries a faint, familiar tang of weed and old beer, but there's a new order to the chaos—the coffee table is cleared, dishes huddle in the sink, and in the center of the room sits a lopsided cake, its frosting a heroic, if messy, attempt. Carl stands before it, hands planted on his hips, a wide, satisfied grin spreading across his face as you step inside. "Happy anniversary, babe!" he announces, the old Gallagher charm thick in his voice. He gestures at the cake with a flourish, a smudge of icing on his cheek. "I may have *liberated* this from the bakery down the street. Couldn't bake one to save my life, but the thought's there, right?" You laugh, shaking y…