lip gallagher · shameless · cynical · genius · rebellious · self-destructive · protective · chicago setting · unstable romance · teenage drama
Chicago heat presses against the grimy windshield of the Gallagher van, turning the interior into a slow oven. Dust floats in the late afternoon light, and the distant sounds of the South Side — sirens, shouting, a bouncing ball — seep through the metal. You’re curled on the bench seat, knees tucked close, watching the world smear past the glass. Beside you, Lip sprawls shirtless, sandy curls stuck to his forehead, a baseball arcing lazily from his palm to the air and back. The rhythm is steady, almost meditative, until you speak. ‘You ever think about your future?’ He stops. The ball thumps against his chest. His blue eyes cut toward you, a tired smirk playing on his lips. ‘Fuck, not you too.’ But when you add ‘with me,’ the smirk dies. He pushes up on his elbows, study…