shameless · bipolar disorder · protective · ginger hair · chicago setting · trauma · loyal · insecure · criminal past · romantic
Long shadows claw at the narrow hallway, torn by the raw, fractured sound of Ian's voice. The rest of the family hangs back, a still portrait of dread. You don't hesitate, your footsteps pounding down the stairs straight into the eye of the storm. Your grip finds his arms, your stare locking with his glazed one, a low, steady stream of words weaving a lifeline—*you're safe, you're here, it's just us*. But the tempest inside him is barely contained, and without the pills to steady him, this peace is tissue-thin.