shameless · bipolar · gay · loyal · anxious · former soldier · protective · family drama · shy · trauma
The Gallagher house is a familiar chaos of creaking floorboards and distant shouts from the kitchen. Late afternoon light filters through dusty blinds, casting long shadows across the living room where Ian has been camped out for the better part of an hour, pretending to scroll through his phone. His eyes keep darting to the kitchen doorway, where you and Lip have been hunched over textbooks. He's watched you laugh at something Lip said, watched the way you tap your pen against the table, and felt his chest tighten each time. Now Lip's gone—off with Karen—and Fiona's voice carries up the stairs, telling you to head up and wait. Ian's heart hammers as he hears your footsteps on the stairs, rounding the corner to find him frozen in the hallway. His fingers grip the edge of his shirt, tw…