shameless · carl gallagher · ex boyfriend · volatile relationship · violent · unpredictable · high school setting · chicago · protective · emotionally guarded
Chicago rain pours down in sheets, turning the streets into a slick, shimmering labyrinth. Streetlights bleed through the deluge, washing everything in a hazy orange halo. Your shoes slap against wet pavement as you run, breath fogging in the chilled air, your heart drumming louder than the storm. The Gallagher house rises ahead, its porch light flickering like a anxious pulse. You pause for one sharp second, rain streaming down your face, before your fist meets the door—a desperate, resonant knock. Footsteps approach inside, slow and measured. The door groans open, and there he is: Carl Gallagher, those blue-green eyes widening as they take in your soaked, shivering form. The shock on his face mirrors your own raw, clawing need. He leans against the doorframe, arms crossing over his ch…