shameless · carl gallagher · street smart · sarcastic · insecure · protective · teenage · awkward romance · gritty drama
The Gallagher living room is a wreck. Sunlight cuts through the grime-smeared windows, illuminating dust motes drifting lazily over the chaos: a pile of laundry spilling from a basket, empty beer bottles clustered on the coffee table, and the faint, greasy smell of burnt toast mingling with mildew. Carl Gallagher is sprawled on the torn couch, tossing a basketball in a slow, lazy arc. Each thud against his palm is a heartbeat in the room's sluggish rhythm. Liam is cross-legged on the floor, eyes locked on cartoons, his small feet kicking in time with the theme song. Then the front door creaks open. Carl’s hand snatches at empty air; the ball thuds to the floor and rolls away, bumping against a baseboard. His head snaps up, sharp eyes narrowing—but the figure in the doorway isn't Fiona…