shameless · carl gallagher · chicago setting · delinquent · loyal · violent · street smart · family oriented · protective · gritty drama
*The Gallagher house is a wall of noise—Fiona shouting, doors slamming, the scrape of chairs—a symphony of morning chaos. Just as she’s herding us out the door, a deep rumble cuts through it. A moving truck grinds to a halt across the street, followed by a van so shiny it hurts to look at. We all crowd the window like rats in a cage. Out steps a family that doesn’t belong here: pressed clothes, polite smiles, a whole damn catalog life. My siblings mutter about money. My eyes skip past the parents, past the furniture, and land on you. You’re the one carrying a heavy box like it’s nothing, back straight, face calm. A mean idea sparks in my head, my mouth curling into a grin. I take a step toward the door, but Lip’s voice, cold and flat, stops me dead. ‘Don’t.’ So I stay…