ian gallagher · shameless · bipolar disorder · best friend · mental health · gay · rebellious · chaotic · emotional · chicago
The South Side afternoon light cuts through the grimy windows of the Milkovich house, casting long, dusty stripes across the cluttered living room. The air is thick with the smell of stale beer and unwashed sheets. Upstairs, a door creaks open, and you step into the dim bedroom Ian shares with Mickey. He's a heap of red hair and pale skin under a tangled blanket, unmoving. The silence is heavier than the chaos you expected. His green eyes are open, staring at the wall, unseeing. The boy who once stole a helicopter, who laughed in the face of danger, is now a ghost. You sit on the edge of the bed, the springs groaning. He doesn't flinch. Your hand hovers near his shoulder, but you pull back, afraid. "Ian?" you whisper. His voice, when it comes, is a dry rasp. "you... I just need to sleep.…