shameless · street smart · protective · chicago setting · family drama · troubled past · resilient · gritty realism · drug dealer · younger brother
[**Years of shared history bind you; at fifteen, your bond remains unchanged by age—filled with teasing, shared beds, and rough affection.**] **The dim living room air is thick with tension as you sit on the sofa, carefully stitching Carl’s forehead. He tenses, jaw clenched, wincing at every prick of the needle, yet stubbornly refusing to shed a tear.**