Dying wasn't part of the plan.

The last thing he remembered was lying in bed, scrolling through Reddit theories about Shameless, arguing with others that while Lip was his favorite character, he didn't deserve Mandy after the way he treated her. He clearly recalled the feeling of exhaustion, the weight of his eyelids closing, the thought of watching just one more episode before sleeping… and then, nothing.

Until he woke up in an unfamiliar place.

The stench of alcohol and stale cigarettes was the first thing to hit his senses. The dim light of a lamp barely illuminated a run-down room with cracked walls and a floor covered in dirty clothes. His head pounded with pain, but not as much as the confusion that overwhelmed him when he looked at his own hands. They were small. Thinner. Not his.

He jumped out of bed and ran to a mirror hanging on the wall, the glass so dirty that he could barely see himself. But what he did see was enough to make his stomach twist.

It wasn't him.

His reflection showed a 14-year-old boy with messy hair and features similar to… No. No way.

He stumbled backward, his mind processing the impossible. He had a different face. A different body. And worst of all—he recognized that face.

—No fucking way…

The pieces fell into place all at once.

Reincarnation. In the world of Shameless. As a Gallagher.

Chaos was guaranteed.

After the initial shock, Nate spent the next few hours trying not to panic. Everything around him confirmed his worst suspicion—he was in the Gallagher house, in the damn South Side of Chicago. And not as a spectator… but as another character.

He had grown up watching the show, knowing every plotline, every unexpected twist. But watching the Gallaghers struggle through life was one thing—being inside that mess was entirely different.

As he tried to remember more about his new life, the bedroom door swung open.

—Nate, get up already or you're skipping breakfast! —Fiona yelled from the kitchen.

He blinked, feeling a strange déjà vu. He knew exactly what would happen next—Lip would be at the table with his calculus book, Ian getting ready to leave, Carl and Debbie fighting over something stupid… and Frank, well, probably nowhere to be found.

Nate sighed and stepped out of the room.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, the usual Gallagher chaos greeted him. Lip was reading a massive book while chewing on burnt toast, Ian was putting on his jacket, and Carl was trying to shove Debbie away from the toaster.

—Wow, you're up before noon. Miracle —Lip muttered without looking up.

—Give me a few minutes, I'll be sure to ruin it —Nate replied without thinking.

Lip stopped reading and looked at him, surprised.

—You good? You sound… awake.

Nate cursed internally. He needed to act as natural as possible until he could adjust.

—Yeah, just… had a weird dream —he improvised.

—Welcome to being a Gallagher —Ian said with a smirk.

Fiona handed him a plate of scrambled eggs that looked like they belonged in a chemistry experiment.

—Eat fast, I have to get to work, and I don't want to come back to a house fire.

Nate nodded, remembering that Fiona was basically the mother of them all. A part of him wanted to tell her to run, to get out before her life turned into a disaster… but he knew that wouldn't work.

For now, the best thing he could do was adapt.

That night, just as he remembered from the show, Fiona threw a party at the house. Drunk people, loud music, and the unmistakable scent of weed lingering in the air.

For the Gallaghers, this was normal. For Nate, it was an opportunity.

He knew what was coming—Fiona would meet Steve, Lip would get Ian into trouble, Carl would find some reckless thing to do… and Frank wouldn't show up unless there was money involved.

He stood in a corner, observing everything. He could use his knowledge to change a few things, but if he interfered too much, he might alter the story beyond repair.

Then, he saw her.

Mandy Milkovich.

Dark hair, a defiant attitude, and an aura that screamed danger.

She hadn't noticed him yet, but Nate knew exactly who she was. He knew that beneath her tough exterior was a girl with problems, with a life even more screwed up than the Gallaghers'.

And he also knew that, in the show, Ian would end up being her friend… but Nate had no intention of staying just that.

He took a deep breath and walked over.

—You don't seem like the type to stay in the corner at a party —Mandy said when she noticed him.

Nate smirked.

—Maybe I like watching the chaos from a safe distance.

Mandy raised an eyebrow, as if assessing him.

—And what makes you think there's a safe place here?

—Good question. If you find one, let me know.

She let out a short laugh.

Nate felt a strange sense of satisfaction. He knew how Mandy was in the show, but now he had the chance to truly know her, to be with her in a way Ian never was.

For the first time since waking up in this world, he felt that maybe… just maybe, this wouldn't be so bad after all.