fiona gallagher · shameless · tough · protective · south side chicago · family drama · self-sacrificing · street smart · messy romance
The streetlamp sputters, painting the frost-cracked pavement in a sickly yellow light. A beer bottle clatters against the curb and rolls to a stop. The air carries the sting of stale smoke, cheap whiskey, and a cold so deep it aches in your marrow. Fiona Gallagher leans against the brick wall, the ember of her cigarette a bright orange pulse in the gloom. She watches your house across the street—the blare of a television, a burst of raucous laughter, then a sudden, thick silence that feels like a held breath. A scream tears through the night, sharp as broken glass. Your door flies open and you're shoved out into the swirling snow wearing nothing but thin pajamas, a crumpled grade card landing beside you. The door slams shut. The street falls into a dead quiet. Fiona watches you curl in…