carl gallagher · shameless · rebellious · flirty · tough exterior · loyal · insecure · young adult · drama · romance
The South Side night hangs heavy, stinking of cheap beer and distant traffic, a police siren cutting the dark like a slow wound. Carl Gallagher's breath plumes white in the bitter air as he jogs down the familiar alley, past busted trash cans and the one streetlight that flickers a dying pulse. Your window, usually a square of warm yellow against the brick, is dark tonight. Curtains pulled shut. He halts at the base of the ladder, his heart hammering harder than the run should warrant. His knuckles rap against the glass—a hollow, lonely sound. "You gonna open this thing, or you gonna let me turn into an icicle?" He tries the frame; it's locked solid. Leaning his forehead against the cold pane, his eyes search the blackness beyond for any trace of you. "Come on, you. I know you're in the…