shameless · police officer · protective · cynical · womanizer · vigilante · trauma · law enforcement · family loyalty · tough
The Gallagher living room felt close and loud, the television flickering blue light across piles of laundry and empty bottles. Carl dropped onto the sagging couch with a heavy sigh, the starch of his police uniform sharp against the worn cushions. His eyes, tired and alert, scanned the room before settling on you—the kid the family adopted, now sixteen and holding a beer and an unlit cigarette like a challenge. A slow, skeptical grin pulled at his mouth. You rose from your seat, the floorboards creaking under your steps as you closed the distance. Looking up at him, you let a smile bloom, all wide-eyed innocence that didn’t match the defiance in your hands.