Just a Game ~ Lip Gallagher FanFiction

"It was a game, and she liked to play"

Morning. She opened her eyes and glanced over at the alarm clock. Shit. 8:15am, she was late for work. She got out of bed quick, jumped in the shower and put on some clothes. She ran down the staircase, grabbed her keys and purse and looked over at the table filled with bills to pay. She sighed. She locked the doors of the empty house behind her and hurried to get to work.

***

She walked through the doors of Patsie's Pies and put her hair up in a messy bun. Fiona gave her a quick look.

"You're laaaate" Fiona sang.

" I know, I know, sorry!" Riley said while putting on her apron and started taking plates off the counter.

Riley had been working over at Patsie's Pies for the past summer, she needed to make ends meet until she would receive financial aid for the fall quarter again.

"Soooo where's the hubby?" She smirked looking over at Fiona.

"Oh please don't even mention it, I have too much on my mind." She said, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Uh oh, trouble over at the Gallagher's?" She placed some plates in front of customers and cleaned up the messes

"When is there no trouble over at the Gallagher's" Fiona rolled her eyes. "What are you doing tonight?"

" Let's see...ah yes, eat some leftovers, open up bills I cannot pay for aaaand go to sleep half drunk."  She said sarcastically.

"Alright it's decided, you're coming over for dinner tonight."

This was pretty frequent of Fiona to do, she always considered Riley like her younger sister and felt the need to take her under her wing. After all, she had known her practically her whole life and knew she needed guidance. They had very similar stories, her parents were never there for her and she learned how to be an adult at a very young age, just like Fiona.

They left work together and walked over to the Gallagher's. The house was not far from Riley's. She was over all the time when she was younger as her parents would send her over there for Fiona to look after her every time they would leave town. And then one day, her parents just never came back. 

As they entered the household, screams could be heard through the kitchen.

" Dinneeeeer!" Fiona yelled through the staircase.

Riley made herself comfortable, took off her coat and started placing the dinning table. Soon enough, Carl and Debbie came rushing down and took a seat at the table.

"Hello monsters" She said smiling.

"Hey Riley!" Debbie said smiling back.

Soon after, Ian came down as well holding Liam in his arms. He smiled at the girl when he saw her and put down Liam in his seat.

"Hey stranger, what are you doing here!" He said cheerfully as he went over to give her a hug. Riley was always surprised at how cheerful he could always be, despite his condition.

"Well Fiona invited me over, and I thought it had been too long since I saw you" She smiled at him. "I'm gonna go for a smoke real quick, be right there!"

She put her coat back on and put her hands in her pocket, finding her pack of cigarettes and lighter. It was getting cold fast in the South side of Chicago. It was only fall but it was already freezing, it's going to be a cold winter, she thought to herself before sitting down on the porch stairs and lighting up her cigarette.

She took a few puffs in, clearing her mind of everything. This was her way of relaxing, sitting in the cold of Chicago, smoking her cigarettes in the dark and pure silent around her. She could see someone approaching from a far, she knew who it was, she could recognize him from miles away. He silently took a seat next to her on the stairs, she handed him her cigarette, and he inhaled the smoke before saying:

"Staying for dinner?" he let out the smoke through his nose.

"Yeah, Fiona invited me over" She took back the cigarette.

"Staying for the night?" Lip said looking over at her face with his piercing blue eyes.

She let out smoke through her lips and couldn't help but chuckle and smile as she looked at the ground. Lip Gallagher had this way about him. She couldn't put her finger on it and she didn't know why but somehow, he always made her laugh. She knew oh so very well that it was just a game. It was a game, and she liked to play. Nothing actually ever happened between Riley and Lip, they basically grew up together and yet it never felt like they were brother and sister. That's probably why they were comfortable flirting with each other without it being weird.

She threw her cigarette bud and stood up, she headed towards the house.

"We'll see." She said, before closing the door behind her.