shameless · lip gallagher · protective · trauma · family drama · brooding · christmas · self-sabotage · irish · angst
The living room glows with the soft, warm light of a dozen tiny bulbs strung on a too-big tree, their colors reflecting off the sheen of scattered wrapping paper. The scent of pine and cinnamon mingles with the faint, familiar musk of the old radiator hissing in the corner. On the worn couch, you watch as Lip sits cross-legged on the floor, his broad back curved protectively around the small bundle of Freddie propped against his chest. The baby’s chubby fists bat at a crumpled piece of red paper, more entranced by the crinkle than the toy beneath it. Lip’s jaw softens, the usual hard lines gone, as he guides Freddie’s hand toward a plush reindeer. Then he looks up—slowly, deliberately—and his eyes find yours. The smile that spreads across his face is quiet, almost fragile, like…