nicheshameless

[nicheshameless]

Monthly Niche Fics: August 2025

Please take the time to give kudos and leave a comment on fics you enjoyed! 💖

[New starting this month: inclusion of ‘x Reader’ fics posted on AO3 (they’re under the ship section). Simply because I know a few of you wanted them listed, and it turns out there aren’t many posted in the month, so they don’t add much to my workload.]

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Previous months:

June 2025 / July 2025

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Fics are split into 3 categories:

Ships: focuses on romantic and/or sexual relationship;

General: the focus is not on a romantic and/or sexual relationship;

Crossovers: can be shippy or not.

In each category, fics are placed in alphabetical order by author, then title (if there are multiple fics by the same author).

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Policy reminders:

1. Ship and let ship: I did not censor or remove fics based on ships, potentially dark themes, squicks or triggers. I hope this goes without saying, but don't send people hate or passive-aggressive comments! 

2. Abbreviated headers: For the sake of brevity, I sometimes cut out information from the original AO3 headers. It will be indicated with '[...]'. In the case of crossover fics, I prioritized keeping the information relevant to Shameless fandom. *If there's information you'd find important to see in the round-up and that isn't included, please let me know. (e.g. word count). I'm happy to adjust things in later round-ups.

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Ships

-> Wisdom and War by Athenapetrova

Relationships: Lip Gallagher/Original Female Character(s), Ian Gallagher & Lip Gallagher, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher & Original Female Character(s), Mickey Milkovich/Original Female Character(s), Lip Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Mandy Milkovich & Original Female Character(s), [...] Summary: Lip Gallagher’s got the smirk, the attitude, and the South Side grit down to an art. Athena Milkovich’s got the brains, the bite, and the kind of presence that makes him pay attention whether he wants to or not.

The banter’s quick. The chemistry’s quicker. What starts as irritation turns into banter, quiet challenges, and too many shared cigarettes.

What Lip doesn’t know at first — and what Athena’s not rushing to tell him — is that she’s Mickey’s little sister. And when a Gallagher and a Milkovich cross paths, trouble’s a guarantee. [...]

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-> Carl Gallagher x Reader by bats_and_skittles [WIP] 

Relationships: Carl Gallagher/Reader Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: After getting emancipated and moving out on your sixteenth birthday, you manage to move in to the shittiest neighborhood in Illinois. You pin down a job working the night shift at a 24 hour grocery store, but end up working with the not-so-agreeable Carl Gallagher. Carl and you are at one another’s throats from the start. Is there any shot this evolves past conflict? Tropes involved: Enemies —> Friends —> Lovers Forced proximity Tutor Neighbors

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-> Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain by BlazingScribe [WIP] 

Relationships: Lip Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Lip Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Rating: Mature Summary: Mickey knew they weren’t perfect, but he didn’t anticipate this. He didn’t know the word “cancer” would be applied to the love of his life. Just add it next to “alcoholic”, he supposes. Now, he has to figure out how to get Lip through this, without the engineer absolutely losing his mind. Lip will have to learn to balance AA and chemo. He couldn’t blame Lip for being hesitant. Mickey would be the exact same way in his position, but he would be damned if he let the Gallagher give up.

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-> Just a coworker right? by morgabba_3 [WIP]

Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Reader Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: You work with Ian Gallagher at the Kash N Grab

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-> Equals by Purple_Coffee_Goblin

Relationships: Beto/Jimmy Lishman Rating: Mature Summary: Jimmy is on his way out of chicago after his and Fiona's final break up, he stops at a bar to ponder the rest of his life, only to meet with Beto once again.

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-> Pulling the Trigger by SaturnianSorceress

Relationships: Lip Gallagher/Mandy Milkovich, Lip Gallagher & Mandy Milkovich Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: "She sees him. She always sees him, but it's different now. A different time, a different place, a different life." A short look at Mandy's thoughts during the restaurant scene in Season 4. *Originally posted on ff.net in 2017*

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-> I just wanted to be yours, can I be yours? by rotisseriechicken556

Relationships & Characters: Ian Gallagher/Trevor, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher, Trevor Summary: Trevor tried. He tried and tried and tried.

But he wasn’t Mickey. He never would be, not anything close.

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-> DOUBL3 TAK3 by Your_Denis [WIP]

Relationship: Lip Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich Rating: General Audiences Summary: It's been a few years since Ian and Mickey's sudden break-up. The Milkovich family all-but disappeared into thin air.

What happens when Lip spots a familiar head of black hair? What happens when it's not who he expects?

Aka. Transfem Mickey Milkovich gets herself a loser boyfriend in Lip Gallagher Ian is not happy

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-> ꀤꌗꈤ'꓄ ꓄ꃅꀤꌗ...ꉓꃅꍟꍟꌗꌩ? by Wolverineerr

Relationships: Carl Gallagher/Reader Rating: General Audiences Summary: After a long day of working at captain bobs, you walk home and share a sweet moment together.

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General

-> In the Space Between Childhoods by Anonymous

Relationships: Fiona Gallagher & Ian Gallagher, Debbie Gallagher & Fiona Gallagher, Carl Gallagher & Fiona Gallagher, Fiona Gallagher & Gallagher Siblings, Fiona Gallagher & Lip Gallagher, [...] Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Fiona’s been a mother longer than she’s been a child. She missed the sleepovers, the trophies, the love stories.

She didn’t leave like Monica. She stayed.

It just took her siblings a while to realize what staying cost her.

or: 5 times Fiona Gallagher gave up a piece of her childhood and the 1 time her siblings realized what she did for them.

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-> Some Things You Don't Grow Out Of by Anonymous

Relationship & Characters: Fiona Gallagher & Gallagher Siblings, Fiona Gallagher

Ian Gallagher, Lip Gallagher, Debbie Gallagher, Carl Gallagher, Liam Gallagher (Shameless US) Rating: General Audiences Summary: A poem about the parentification of Fiona Gallagher. Her failures, her mistakes, but most importantly, her care.

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-> It's All Your Fault by BadAssFemaleFighter

Characters & Relationship: Fiona Gallagher & Frank Gallagher, Frank Gallagher, Fiona Gallagher, Lip Gallagher, Ian Gallagher, Debbie Gallagher, Carl Gallagher, Liam Gallagher (Shameless US), Kevin "Kev" Ball, Veronica Fisher Warnings: Major Character Death Rating: General Audiences Summary: This is for all the Frank Gallagher haters everywhere. Scumbag goes to prison for a crime he can never escape from no matter how much drugs or alcohol he drinks.

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-> Im ok by Foodie0077

Relationships: Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Mickey Milkovich & Yevgeny MIlkovich, Mickey Milkovich/Original Male Character(s) Warnings: Major Character Death Rating: Mature Summary: Ian and svetlana die and mickey has to raise yevgeny alone.

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-> Home for the Holidays by Girlwithaheart

Characters & Relationship: Kevin "Kev" Ball/Veronica Fisher, Fiona Gallagher, Lip Gallagher, Ian Gallagher, Veronica Fisher, Kevin "Kev" Ball, Debbie Gallagher, Carl Gallagher, Liam Gallagher (Shameless US) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Lip’s still reeling from midterms and the pressure of pretending college hasn’t completely kicked his ass. When a brutal cold hits right before Thanksgiving break, he tries to tough it out alone — until a call home and a perfectly timed sneeze has Fiona demanding he get on the next train back to the South Side. Between couch snuggles, leftover stuffing, and relentless Gallagher-level bullying love, Lip remembers what it means to be taken care of — and that no matter how far he goes, home will always be there.

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-> “It’s my fault isn’t it?” by mangowatermelon

Relationships & Characters: Mandy Milkovich & Mickey Milkovich, Mandy Milkovich, Mickey Milkovich, Iggy Milkovich, Collin Milkovich, Terry Milkovich, Laura Milkovich Rating: General Audiences Summary: Mandy’s only ever heard stories about her dad, mostly silence, sometimes warnings, never anything good. But now he’s coming home from prison, and all she wants is for him to be good . Better. The kind of dad her friends have.

What actually happens changes everything.

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-> First Words by @picklelovestowrite [on tumblr]

Relationships & Characters:  Fiona Gallagher & Liam Gallagher, Fiona Gallagher, Liam Gallagher Summary: A sweet story between Fiona and Baby Liam.

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Crossovers

-> Beneath the Same Broken Sky by Buki_stories21 [WIP]

Crossover fandom: 9-1-1 (TV) Relationship & Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Fiona Gallagher, Fiona Gallagher, Ian Gallagher, Lip Gallagher, Frank Gallagher, Monica Gallagher [...] Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Sex Rating: Explicit Summary: He stopped in front of her, like he didn't know what to say. Fiona just stared at him. Lip stirred beside her.

"You got a baby," he said.

"Two," she replied, chin jerking toward Lip.

He blinked. Then, slowly, he dropped his bag and unzipped it. He pulled out a sandwich, squished, half-eaten, wrapped in a crumpled napkin, and held it out to her. [...]

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-> A Better Life Shameless/Grey's Anatomy by Fantastic_writer06 [WIP]

Crossover fandom: Grey's Anatomy Relationship & Characters: Fiona Gallagher & Gallagher Siblings, Fiona Gallagher, Lip Gallagher, Ian Gallagher, Debbie Gallagher, Carl Gallagher, Liam Gallagher (Shameless US), [...] Rating: Mature Summary: Clara Gallagher. The oldest Gallagher with the most potential. After Clara and her sister Fiona gain custody of their siblings, the Gallagher sister's decided to move to Seattle for Clara internship.

Clara had one thing in mind. Give her siblings the life they deserve. That was all Clara wanted. She didn't want to fall in love and meeting Denny Duquette and slowly falling for his charm was defiantly not Clara's plan. But being teleported to a movie room, meeting her future children and made to watch her life? That was absolutely not part of the plan.

Come and watch as Clara Gallagher life is put on the big screen for everyone to see.

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-> Dr Isabella Gallagher by Jamiedancer14

Crossover fandom:  Grey's Anatomy Relationships: Jackson Avery/Original Female Character(s), Meredith Grey/Derek Shepherd, Fiona Gallagher, Meredith Grey, Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev, Carl Gallagher, Debbie Gallagher Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Isabella Gallagher who would have thought it a gallagher doctor. Far away from home is it true a prodigy of Frank Gallagher is becoming a doctor.

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-> Buck is a Dad! by jwhitcher1976 [WIP]

Crossover fandom: 9-1-1 (TV) Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Lip Gallagher, Ian Gallagher, Debbie Gallagher, Carl Gallagher, Liam Gallagher (Shameless US), Fiona Gallagher, [...] Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: While Buck isn't allowed to speak to anyone because of the lawsuit, he suffers a personal tragedy that leaves him with children to care for. He doesn't tell anyone since they are not supposed to be talking.

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-> South Side Sorcery by KingRat77

Crossover fandom: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher Relationships & Characters: Harry Dresden & Thomas Raith, Fiona Gallagher/Thomas Raith, Harry Dresden & the Gallagher family, Fiona Gallagher, Lip Gallagher, Debbie Gallagher, Frank Gallagher, Kevin "Kev" Ball, Veronica Fisher Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: The Gallaghers thought they’d seen it all—drunks, scams, South Side gang wars. But when Harry Dresden shows up at their door with a staff, a story about missing kids, and a man who looks too perfect to be real, they realize Chicago’s got a darker layer no one talks about.

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-> Ballad Of The Dead by Saintsrowlover38 [WIP]

Crossover fandoms: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies), Fear the Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead: World Beyond (TV 2020), The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (TV), Dying Light (Video Game), 13 Reasons Why (TV), The Walking Dead (TV)  Relationships: Debbie Gallagher/ Elijah, Lip Gallagher/ Ezgi, Kyle Crane/ Fiona Gallagher [...] Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warning:  Graphic Depictions Of Violence Summary: Story takes place Durring The Hunger games The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in an alternate timeline where TWD apocalypse happened (post Main series ending including FTWD and World Beyond spin offs) with characters from Dying light 1, The hungergames movies/books, 13 Reasons why, and Shameless incorporated into the plot Along with TWD Universe characters I didn’t think deserved their fates in the shows. [...]

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-> The Births, Meeting and Unification of The Outcast Charmed Ones V.1 by witchguy1993

Crossover fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Wednesday (TV 2022), Charmed (TV 1998), Fairy Tail  Relationships: Polaris Halliwell-Romanov-Potter/Tyler Galpin/Ian Gallagher Rating: Mature Summary: Thousands of years ago, three prophecies were spoken and were soon fulfilled, thousands of years later.

This version is set before Charmed Season 1

Edited and slightly changed to add Mortica as one of the parents of Polaris, 26/08/2025. The story would be better this way.

[nicheshameless]

got a boy back home in michigan ...

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Favorite bonds

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under the table (fiona apple) - shameless (season 3)

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#9 for lip or mickey 👀?

haven’t drawn this guy in a while so I’m a little rusty lol

og post!

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IAN GALLAGHER || SHAMELESS - 5x12

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I loved your recent shameless headcanons. Ethel and Malik and framing their letter 🥰 someone would write a book and make all the profits other than a Gallagher. Debbie at the LGTBQ center.

Random thoughts…

I can’t decide if I see Liam growing up and being like a community organizer lawyer politician or like a journalist columnist poet playwright. I just see him being amazing eventually at whatever he does. Great at the NYT crossword everyday. Really good at taking portraits of people cause he sees clearly.

I have decided I want Clayton (both deadbeat dad and uncle) to run into Lip at Frank’s wake and they strike up a weird friendship. Lip wants to know how Clayton made it out of the Southside and his cozy domestic suburb sweater vest life. Does Lip want the suburbs… not per se… but he does want something better for his kids and I think Lip wants a dad figure in his life.

I wonder if Ian is put off from organized religion for life due to gay Jesus mania… or if he seeks it out again later in life in a time of need.

When Frannie is like 13 she gets to spend a summer with Fiona in Florida and it one of the best times of her life

Thank you!

I love the idea of Liam taking portraits. He really is a silent observer which can be a great trait for a photographer. Maybe he can do a series on people in the south side and highlighting all the people that make it what it is.

The fandom likes to bring up Clayton and Ian that I never considered Lip and Clayton. I think you’re absolutely right that Lip would want to know more about his uncle and how he made it out. Clayton and Frank were so close and Clayton seemed to be living a similar life, Lip would definitely want to know how he was able to turn it all around.

I think Ian would stay away from organized religion, there’s too much shame with the gay Jesus. Plus the Gallaghers are not a particularly religious family so it’s probably easy for him to stay away.

I love the idea of Franny spending time with Fiona. I would love to read a fic about her summer adventures with her aunt.

Thank you for sharing your headcanons ❤️ I always love when I read headcanons I’ve never considered before, makes be think about the characters in a different way.

[nicheshameless]

Pipher, M. (1995). Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. Ballantine Books.

Mandy pt. 1

(click here for Debbie pt. 1)

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Don’t ever say I’m not a man of my word again.

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Playlist by: Ian Gallagher Genres: indie rock, alternative, synth-pop Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

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God I wish Mickey had been around during the throuple era. Like, "Hi, I'm Kev. And this is my wife Vee. And that's our girlfriend Svetlana. And that's our girlfriend's gay husband, Mickey. And those are our three children."

imagine the four of them working at the alibi during that stint where it was a hipster bar? the debates going on about what the deal with the bartenders' polycule is... and how that one red head fits into it.

[nicheshameless]

female awesome meme // (3/10) lead characters - fiona gallagher

“so you wanna talk? fine. grab a shovel. talk your face off about how your dad gave a blowjob to a teenager, but dig while you do it.”

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anyway here's wonderwall

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it's too late, what's done is done ...