#I get far too excited when Jughead gets angry

[13eyond13]

in Honor of Light's Birthday: is he the kind of person who celebrates his birthday? Or is it just another day for him?

Bonus; I think Light wouldn't care about zodiac but L would tell him being a Pisces increases his odds of being Kira just to see him get so. Angry. He's cute when he's angry.

I feel like he was probably quite excited about birthdays when he was younger because he's sort of the type who is always trying to grow up as fast as he can, and probably normally felt older than his actual age due to his smarts and whatnot as well. I feel like once he was a teenager/young adult he'd be fine with birthdays, if not exactly ever like STOKED about them? I think he'd get fussed over quite a bit by his family and teased/fussed over a bit by his classmates as well. He'd just be like "yep haha" and casually go along with it all, taking all the positive attention a little bit for granted, then go up to his bedroom afterwards a bit worn out by all the socializing and just like meh, that sure was another birthday, I suppose! Not one of those Riverdale Jughead "do NOT EVER wish me a happy birthday" angsty folks, but not one of those "EVERYBODY WISH ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOW" in the group chat at midnight on the day of his birthday folks, either. Haha, I can't see Light putting much stock into the Zodiac either, but it's funny to imagine L using that as a profiling technique. I sort of headcanon Near as doing things like that in all seriousness, actually... he's already into tarot cards and whatnot in canon, wouldn't seem too far-fetched to me

[arotechno]

Jughead (2015), Issues 7-8: Discussion and Commentary

Boy oh boy am I excited to talk about this arc!! These two issues hold a very special place in my cold little aro heart.

(By the way, do you see that? I managed to get a digital copy from my library via Hoopla, which means you are spared from my shitty phone grabs. I’ll fix the previous post, don’t worry. Try clicking on the screenshots if tumblr blurs them. And try Hoopla, if you’ve got a library card and have been looking to read these.)

Fed up with him sitting around the house playing video games all summer, Mr. Jones forces Jughead to get out of the house and do something outside. Jughead finds Archie at the pool where he’s working as a lifeguard, and convinces him to take time off to go camping in the woods with him at their friend Dilton’s cottage.

They take Archie’s car out to the woods, only to find that the lake is overrun with Reggie’s over-the-top relatives at the Mantle family reunion. Horrified, Jughead and Archie go out on a hike to get away. This is where things go downhill—literally.

Jughead calls Archie out for his growing fixation with Veronica Lodge, whose father is the one trying to clear out Fox Forest. Archie immediately goes on the defensive, but Jughead, understandably, really doesn’t get it. And here’s where we see that this is a divide that has been brewing between them for quite some time, even if Archie seemingly had no idea it was happening.

The boys end up getting lost, which only serves to fuel their frustrations. It occurs to Jughead, some time later, that the lake they’re camping at is not that far from Camp Lucey, an all-girls summer camp. Shocked and hurt, he accuses Archie of only agreeing to go on the trip to pick up girls, and not to hang out with him. He tackles Archie and they tumble down a hill into the woods below.

This is a really interesting story, from an aro’s perspective. Jughead can’t relate to Archie’s teenage obsession with girls, and it isn’t something they can bond over like other friends may have been able to do. On a simple level, all Jughead really wants to do is hang out with his best friend, just the two of them, just like old times—back when they were younger, before Archie’s interest in girls seemed to take over his every waking moment. Importantly, Jughead never objects to Archie’s romantic pursuits on principle (he does have an issue with Veronica, but that has to do more with her father’s actions than her). It isn’t that he wants to stand in the way of Archie’s happiness—he just feels left behind, and that’s something I think a lot of aromantic people, teenagers especially, can resonate with.

Eventually, Archie and Jughead run into Mr. Weatherbee of all people, who begrudgingly offers to help lead them back to camp. It’s at this point that we get one of my favorite moments in the entire series, one that I have waxed poetic about on this blog before and probably will again.

Archie insists that he is in fact here to hang out with Jughead, and that he’s just being dramatic. Jughead, on the other hand, insists that Archie’s the one being dramatic with his love triangle problems, to which Archie replies:

“Look, I’m not going to apologize for being a normal guy, I—”

And Jughead’s reaction to those words has stuck with me since the first time I read this. He’s shocked, hurt, and clearly a little angry that Archie would say something like that. And it’s a subtle moment, one that you might not even feel the gravity of if you didn’t know that Jughead was aro. What’s most important here, though, isn’t Jughead’s reaction, but the fact that Archie is clearly in the wrong, and he knows it. He tries to backtrack immediately (“Jughead! I didn’t mean it like that! Wait!”), but Jughead ignores him, as Mr. Bee has already gotten them lost again.

This singular page is, to me, a deeper and more nuanced portrayal than many works with “on-the-page” canon aromantic characters. This arc isn’t about Jughead being aro (in fact, none of the comics particularly are). But this is a meaningful incorporation of Jughead’s orientation into his daily life and his relationships with other people—namely, with his best friend. Although Jughead is being somewhat harsh with Archie, never does the narrative place him in the wrong for feeling abandoned, hurt, or angry because of Archie’s words and actions. Even Archie, his best friend, is capable of saying things that hurt him, and his words in this scene are never excused or justified by the narrative.

It also means a lot to me that Archie apologizes the second he gets the chance to, and that Jughead is quick to forgive him and explain that he just misses the time before Archie was so obsessed with girls. I wouldn’t want the story to just turn into a feud between them. You know when you’re on a trip with your friends and you get lost and you’re tired and frustrated you just end up airing your grievances and coming out of it with a new understanding of your friendship while trying to solve the mess you’re in? That’s what this arc is.

Anyway, after a run-in with Reggie’s relative and Mr. Weatherbee’s old high school bully Ted Mantle, the trio manage to make it out of the woods—after several hours of walking until the sun has come up. There, they find that Camp Lucey has actually been renamed, and is now a camp for elementary school girls, where Betty happens to be working. So after all of that, Archie just ends up making a fool of himself, like usual. Mr. Bee’s wife drives over to rescue them and brings the boys back to Dilton’s cottage, where she remarks that she’s heard a lot about Archie and Jughead, and that they’re inseparable.

At its core, this is a story about friendship. It’s about the difficulties that come with realizing you can’t always relate to each other, and you can’t always read each other’s minds, and you sometimes say the wrong thing without meaning to. It’s a story about growing up, but not necessarily growing apart, and being able to reconcile your differences.

Archie assumes that after all of their bickering, Jughead would just want to go home and not hang out with him anymore. But turning back now would be contrary to what Jughead wanted in the first place, which was just to hang out with his best friend.

All’s well that end’s well, and Jughead and Archie patch things over and vow that they will always be best friends. It’s a wholesome moment, and reflects a common struggle for aspec teens that I rarely see addressed in media, if at all. Sometimes, it feels like your friends are all moving on without you, and sometimes they don’t even realize it when they’ve been neglecting your friendship. It takes communication to work these things out, and I’m happy to see that illustrated here.

This arc is my favorite, I think, and there’s reasons for that even outside of the aspects I’ve already detailed here. The kids getting lost in the woods on summer vacation is a fun way of framing the deeper story, and there are a lot of funny and endearing moments in these two issues. (Archie falls on his face, a lot, and Mr. Weatherbee is stoically exasperated with both of their antics.)

These are the last issues written by Chip Zdarsky. So shoutout to him for some of the most nuanced representations of aromanticism in fiction to date, even if he never wrote the word down on the page (I’ll get to that, don’t worry). But these are the first issues illustrated by Derek Charm, whose art style I love (no offense Erica Henderson), and the rest of the volume has a lot of other good aro moments in store. Until then, here’s himbo Archie:

See? Pure of heart, dumb of ass. You can’t be mad at him for long. (He falls into a hole later on the same page.)

Yeah, me too.

[auroracalisto]

as fate will have it

request: Can I please request a Sweet Pea x sweet/innocent!fem!reader when soulmates meet, something important to themselves appears on their soulmate’s wrist as a tattoo. So since being a Serpent is so important to Sweet Pea, a Serpent tattoo appears on Y/n’s wrist, and since being loving is so important to Y/n, a heart would appear on Sweet Pea’s wrist. It would be especially cute if Y/n found out that she’s actually FP’s daughter/Jughead’s year younger sister (but was raised by her adoptive parents in the Northside and maybe FP didn’t know that he had another daughter because her birth mom never told him she was pregnant) because she has “Serpent blood” so it’s like it was fate.  Oooo also, I don’t know if this would be good to add to the plot, but it would also be interesting if Y/n’s adoptive parents told her she had to pick between them or FP & Jug, so an it’s us or them type of thing. Y/n picks FP, her birth dad, and her newfound older brother, Jughead, so she would go to live with them in the trailer.  — @kpopgirlbtssvt​

summary: request covers this 

word count: 2.4k words

warnings: rude parents?  adoption (idk if that’s something to trigger, but just to be safe).  being kicked out of home.  it’s also very possible that it’s ooc sweet pea BUT it’s fineeee

author’s notes: i wanted to clarify that it’s been like two years since i last saw the first season riverdale, so some things could be a little off.  the show is wack but i love the characters.  i also might have somewhat gone off from what the request was, and if i went off too much, just let me know and i will write something else!

Your friend quickly took her seat beside you, smiling.  "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?" you looked up from your book, slipping a piece of paper in between the old pages.  

She let out a soft giggle.  "Well, uh, I know you don't really care, but everyone else is busy—"

"—is that why you're talking to me?"

"Oh my god, no," she blushed.  "No, sorry, that came out totally insensitive, didn't it?  I just... okay, well, they're closing down the southside."

Your eyes widened a bit.  "What?"

"Yeah.  They're gonna consolidate the schools.  So everyone from the southside will be coming up here.  They're supposed to start coming in today.  You should try to see if anyone is your soulmate," she grinned.  

"Yeah, okay, but you've already found your soulmate," you sighed softly, standing up.  You had hardly touched your lunch at all.  From your book and the mention of your soulmate, you didn't want to touch it.  You wanted to meet your soulmate.  Oh, you wanted to love them like they deserved to be loved.  But here you were, finding it hard to believe that you had a soulmate.  

Your friend just smiled.  "You know I love you, right?"

You rose an eyebrow but you soon returned the smile.  "Yeah, yeah.  I know."

She just smiled before she rushed off, gods only know where.  

You stuffed your book back into your backpack, carrying your tray to empty it.  You needed to stop by your locker before your next class.  

Walking out of the cafeteria, you started towards your lockers.  New faces filled the hallway the farther you walked.  You could feel the anxiety start creeping into your veins, but not because of the southside—you had began to wonder if you would find your soulmate from the people who transferred.  

You sighed softly to yourself as you came to your locker—and you had even been prepared to get into it when you saw a man leaning up against it.  He was tall, his hair was dark, and he had gorgeous brown eyes.  He was talking to a short girl with streaked hair and another guy with equally dark hair.  

You cleared your throat to get the tall guy's attention and your blush only darkened as he looked over at you.  

"Would you mind moving?  You're on top of my locker..."

He stared at you for a moment before he nodded, pushing himself off from the locker.  But before he could move too far, a searing pain took over his wrist.  Just as quickly as it had came, it disappeared.  He quickly looked down at his wrist, only to realize that the same exact thing had happened to you.  And now, you were staring down at a serpent tattoo on your wrist, whereas a heart took its place on his own.  

The girl with streaks in her hair was smiling.  "Uuhhhh," she grabbed a hold of the other boy.  "Have fun," she quickly said, before leading him away.  

You blushed and looked up at the man.  "Uh—"

"—a northsider?" he asked, but he couldn't help his smile from forming.  He was about to tease you, but he couldn't help his happiness.  He finally found his soulmate.  "Do you know how much hell I'm gonna get for this?"

Your blush only darkened.  "I—I, well," you breathed out, but your own smile spread across your face.  "That's exciting.  I still need to get in my locker."  You were buzzing with happiness.  The boy moved out of the way and you quickly got into it, looking up at him.  He was far taller than you.  You couldn't help the grin that showed up.  

"I'm Sweet Pea," he said.  

You blushed.  "That's cute."  He rose his eyebrows.  "I mean—" you let out an awkward laugh.  "My name is [Your name]."

"It's nice to meet you, [Your name]," he blushed a bit.  He just smiled.  He would have said more, but his name was shouted from across the hallway.  He looked at you and bit his lip, before he suddenly grabbed your arm, taking a permanent marker from your locker.  He wrote down his number before he looked up at you and grinned.  "Text me, okay?"

You blushed and nodded, before you watched him leave.   

[]

That night, you were too excited to tell your parents about your day.  You finally found your soulmate.  And he was totally attractive.  And worth your love.  You had decided this just moments after he grabbed your arm to write his number down.  It felt like the stars were aligned, just for you.  Perhaps that's what it felt like when you found your soulmate—like nothing could go wrong.  

But as you walked in to your home, dropping your backpack to the floor, it was dead silent.  You walked into the dining room, seeing your parents sitting there with a couple of papers laying out.  Your mother was close to tears, but your father seemed angry.  He cleared his throat as he saw you.  

"[Your name].  Sit."

You did as you were told, beginning to frown.  You looked at your mom.  "What's going on?"

"[Your name].  Remember how we told you we had adopted you?"

You looked at your dad and nodded.  "Of course.  But that doesn't matter... because you're both my parents.  What's this about?"

"Your mother."  

You quickly looked at her, frowning.  

"Your mother fabricated a couple of papers.  She wanted a baby so badly that she would lie about who you belonged to just so she could have you."

"What?"

"You belong to FP," your dad said, staring down your mother.  You always knew that your father didn't like southsiders, but this was odd.  

"I don't belong to anyone, dad—"

"—don't," he said, frowning at you.  "Your mother decided that it was okay to adopt the child of a gang leader.  She put us in danger.  Your sister.  Your grandparents."

"What—they've never hurt anyone," you frowned at the man.  "Why would she have endangered them if they swear against violence like that—"

"—you'd be surprised," he snorted through his nose.  He clenched his jaws before he handed you the papers.  Before you could grab them, he just dropped them in front of you.  You picked one up, seeing your real birth certificate.  Your birth mother was listed, and then so was your birth father.  Your father was right—FP Jones was listed as your birth father.  

Your face paled and you looked up at him.  "What is this?  What are you trying to tell me?"

"Choose."

"Excuse me?"

"Choose.  The Jones.  Or us."

You looked over at your mother in disbelief.  "What happens if I choose you?"

"We will forbid you from talking with the Jones."

You blinked a couple of times, confusion washing over you.  "But if they're my biological family, I'd like to know them—"

"—if that's the case," your father frowned, "just go and live with them."

You stared at him, feeling your heart beat rushing in your ears.  You quickly got to your feet.  Your mother wasn't defending you.  Your father was kicking you out.  It only took a few moments for you to decide that you would leave.  You quickly rushed to the front door, grabbing your bag.  But not before you had grabbed the papers your father had sat in front of you.  The proof was in the ink—literally.  

You pulled your backpack onto your back, looking down at the papers as you pulled out your phone.  

It had been literal years since you last talked to Jughead Jones.  You had his contact, still.  At least, the one he had whenever the two of you were friends in your seventh grade year.  You began to hope that the stars were aligned for you once more as you clicked on the contact and listened to it ringing.  By the fourth ring, you were prepared to turn your phone off, but you almost gasped as you heard Jughead's voice.  

"Shh," you heard Jughead, before he said hello.  

"Jughead?  Uh, it's [Your name]—"

"—yeah, I have your contact."

"Right," you blushed.  "I, uh," you cleared your throat.  "Do you mind if I swing by your house?  I need to talk to your dad."

You didn't mention the fact that you had just been kicked out of your home.  That could come at a later point in time.  

Jughead blinked a couple of times and he leaned back in his seat.  "Yeah, of course.  When will you be here?"

"In about an hour," you said.  

"Alright.  See you then?"  

With that, he hung up.  He looked over at Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni.  

"Who was that?" Sweet Pea asked.  

"[Your name]."

[] 

You hadn't anticipated the walk to Jughead's house, but you still remembered the way.  It had taken you the full hour to get there from your house.  But you were there.  As you walked up to the trailer, you noticed two motorcycles parked by Jughead's dad's truck.  You walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.  You probably looked a mess—from the walk and from the cold air, you were sure you were as red as the red lipstick you always had stuffed in the bottom of your book bag.  

The door began to open and you quickly greeted Jughead, only stopping short when you realized Sweet Pea had answered.  

He smiled at you.  "Hi."

You began to blush and you smiled.  "Hi..."  

He moved out of the way and let you inside.  FP was in the living room, and he looked over at you, confused.  

"What has it been?" he asked, beginning to smile.  "Three years?"

"Four, sir," you weakly smiled.  

FP took notice and he tilted his head.  Sweet Pea frowned and led you over to sit down.  He looked at the papers in your hands as he sat on the edge of the armchair you sat on.  His eyes widened and he quickly looked over at Jughead and his father.  

"I... I wanted to tell you about this.  I don't... do you remember a Julie Harding?"

FP blinked harshly before he nodded.  "Yes."

You took in a deep breath as you looked down at the papers.  "She's my birth mother."

Jughead looked at you with a frown.  "You were adopted?"

You nodded towards him and handed FP your papers.  He took one look at the birth certificate and he looked up at you in disbelief.  "Are you serious?"

You weakly smiled, once more.  "They kicked me out when they realized you were my birth dad."

Sweet Pea's jaw was locked as he looked at you.

FP frowned.  "Well.  You're always welcome here.  I...  I can't believe this," he said.  His frown soon formed into a smile.  "I have another daughter," he breathed out.  

Jughead looked at the papers for a moment.  "We're siblings?"

"I guess so," you began to smile as well.  

Sweet Pea watched you for a moment.  You were always filled with smiles.  You were always happy, even in moments like this.  It astounded him, but he knew that he needed that in his life.  He knew that the stars were truly aligned in just the right way.  

He suddenly took a hold of your hand and you laced your fingers with his, blushing.  Sure, your parents hurt you.  But you took one look around the trailer and you realized that these people were the ones that you could truly make a family out of.  

[]

Two months down the road, you were still asking Sweet Pea to move out of the way so you could get into your locker.  But instead of him staring at you the entire time, he would just kiss your cheek or your forehead, or even your lips, and move to stand on the other side.  Which side truly depended on his mood, just like where he kissed you.  

Every time you would see Jughead, he would greet you with a smile and a short conversation, but when the two of you were with your new friends, you were truly yourself.  You found comfort in the serpents.  You found comfort in your biological family, and with your soulmate, Sweet Pea.  

Sweet Pea stood by your locker, his arms crossed over his chest as he saw you walk down the hall.  He couldn't help his frown from turning into a smile.  Before you could ask him to move, he leaned forward to kiss your cheek.  He quickly took your books and stuffed them in your already opened locker—Toni had memorized your combination and he asked her to unlock it for him.  

He took your hand.  "Come on.  I have a surprise for you."

You rose an eyebrow but you laced his fingers with his.  You tried to protest when you realized that he was about to lead you out of the school, but you stopped yourself.  FP wouldn't berate you for skipping a couple of classes.  

Sweet Pea brought you over to his motorcycle and her turned to look at you, smiling.  "Wear this," he said, handing you his helmet.  

You just blushed and did as you were told before you got onto the back of the sleek bike.  You wrapped your arms around his torso and he put on his helmet before he started his motorcycle and took off.  He drove fast, but not dangerously.  In a matter of minutes, the two of you were back at FP's trailer.  Sweet Pea helped you off and took a hold of both of your hands.  

"What—"

"I don't have anything to show you.  I just... know that your birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to celebrate alone while we can."

You blushed and gently shoved his shoulder.  

"Not that," he laughed.  "Get your mind out of the gutter.  Nah, I wanted to have a movie marathon with you, but if that's what you want—"

"—movie marathon," you blushed, taking a hold of his hand once more.  He smiled and led you into the trailer.  

He stopped in the doorway to look at you, just taking in your beauty.  He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to your lips.

"Did I ever tell you how thankful I am that you're my soulmate?" he asked.

You just blushed and shook your head as he let out a soft laugh and hugged onto you.  

Your soulmate acted tough in public—but around you and in private, he was a softy.  Your heart melted every time you saw him, and actions like this only strengthened your love for the man.  You wrapped your arms around his neck and smiled.  

"I love you, Sweet Pea."

His eyes widened as he heard the words, but his smile never left him.  

"I love you, too, [Your name]."

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Betty//crush culture

Request: Can I request a Betty/Reader where Reader and Kevin are friends and reader tells him she has a crush on Betty and Kevin lets it slip about the crush, maybe Kevin tries to set them up?

hey! again, this is another thing i wrote a while ago! but don’t worry, this is the last one of those for a while! so yay! sorry if the style is a little different than usual. i still hope you like it though!  

“So boys. Talk to me about them.” Kevin asks suddenly and you stare at him blankly across the lunch table. 

“They’re idiots?” You shrug and he sighs dramatically, dropping his sandwich back on the wrapper. 

“No.” He shakes his head. “Do you like any of them?” 

“Nope.” You reply casually as you continue to eat, not even glancing at him. 

“Come on. There’s got to be someone you like.” He says excitedly making you sigh and stop eating. 

“There is.” 

“So who is it?! Is it Arch-”

“Its not a boy, before you start.” You interrupt him and he stares at you, his eyes wider than before and his mouth slightly agape. 

“A girl?” 

“Newsflash Kevin Keller, this is the 21st century, not everybody likes boys.”

“Haha. So funny.” He says sarcastically and crosses his arms. “You never told me you liked girls.” He pouts. 

“You never asked.” 

“So, who is it?” 

“Just some girl.” You reply, your gaze slipping from Kevin and to the blonde girl walking past your table. 

“Hey Kev. Hey Y/n.” Veronica greets the two of you as she stops briefly by the side of your table. Betty stops just next to her and the two of you make eye contact for a few seconds before looking away. Kevin and Veronica make small conversation while you try to concentrate on eating and Betty looks around the lunch hall. The two of them finish their conversation and Veronica waves goodbye to the two of you before dragging Betty away to find Archie and Jughead.They sit opposite Jughead and Archie and they laugh loudly at something Archie has said making your lips curl into a smile.

“Y/n?” Kevin asks, tapping your arm and you turn to look at him quickly. Kevin’s eyes follow where you were looking, or more importantly who you were looking at and wide smile breaks out on his face. “Awww. You fancy Veronica.” 

“What? No!” You say loudly. “I like Betty.” You mumble and he slaps your arm in shock. 

“Ohhhhh. Betty Cooper. Yeah, I can see the two of you getting together, buying a house together, maybe get a few pets, getting married, having children, then dying together peacefully in each other’s arms.” 

“Well, that took a dark turn, even for you.”

“What do you mean for me?” He asks offended and you send him a look. 

“Do I need to remind you that you found a dead body in the woods and then tried to join a cult?” 

“No thanks. I don’t need reminding.” He rolls his eyes. “Maybe I should have stayed at that damn farm, they were better friends, nicer. Even if they did harvest organs.” He replies crossing his arms making you chuckle. 

“See, dark for you.” 

“Shut up.” He huffs. “So. You and Cooper huh?” He wiggles his eyebrows teasingly and its your turn to roll your eyes at him.  

“There’s no me and Cooper.” You reply, stabbing your fork into your food. 

“Not with that angry attitude there isn’t.” 

“Would you like to be in the foods position?” You ask and glare at him. 

“Not particularly no.” He shrugs. “But, you and Cooper.” 

“Kevin, I don’t care if you’re the ex sheriff’s son, I will put this fork through your eye.” 

“No you won’t.” He replies. “Because then how would you and Cooper get together?” 

“Right.” You stand up. “I’m leaving you now. I’ve got Chemistry homework that I’d rather do than listen to you go on an on about a non-existent, delusional relationship.” 

“You could always do you homework with Betty. Bit of Chemistry, definitely some...biology.” He wiggles his eyebrows and you flip him off. 

“Shut up.” You roll your eyes before walking away. 

“Okay!” Kevin shouts after you. “I’ll see you tonight?!” 

“Yeah!” You reply. “I’ll be round at about 6.” You add annoyed and he smiles to himself before grabbing his food and bag and making his way over Betty’s table.

“Hey, guys!” He greets everyone and they all smile and wave at him. 

“Where’s Y/n?” Betty asks quietly as she looks around the room. 

“Oh, she got annoyed with me so she went to do some homework.” Kevin shrugs while sitting down beside her. 

“Oh.” She replies and looks back at her food. If Kevin didn’t know any better, he’d think there was just a slight bit of disappointment in Betty’s tone at the fact that he’d come alone, instead of with you. 

“So, what’s are you guys talking about?” He asks, turning his attention to the rest of the table. Everyone looks at each other, and then at Betty before smirks appear on their faces. 

“Just crushes.” Veronica shrugs and Betty’s eyes widen. 

“Ooooo, tell me everything.” Kevin leans in closer to the table, excited to hear gossip that he doesn’t already know.

“Be-” Archie starts but she quickly glares at him making him shut up. 

“Elizabeth Cooper?!” Kevin asks dramatically. “Do you like someone?” 

“No.” She says far too quickly for it to be true and his eyes widen with excitement. 

“Oh, come on. Tell meeee.” He pleads. “I won’t tell anyone I promise. Y/n told me that she likes you and I haven’t told anyone.” He rambles quickly and everyone gasps. 

“Y/n likes Betty!?” Veronica practically squeals and Kevin sighs. 

“Shit.” He mumbles. “She’s going to kill me.”  

“Holy shit.” Jughead laughs. 

“She likes me?” Betty asks surprised and Kevin nods his head slowly, refusing to make eye contact. “Like, she like-likes me?” She asks again and he nods. 

“But you didn’t hear that from me okay?”

“Our lips are sealed.” Veronica smirks. 

“So who do you like Betty?” Kevin asks, trying to change the subject. 

“There is no way I’m telling you after you’ve just told everyone who Y/n likes.” 

“That wasn’t my fau-” 

“She likes Y/n.” Jughead interrupts. 

“No way!” Kevin shouts, gaining attention from a few students sat around their table. “You like Y/n?” He whispers. 

“Yes, fine. I like her too. Whats the big deal?” Betty replies. 

“Erm, the big deal is, you’ve just found out that the girl of your dreams likes you back and you’re still sat here when you could be asking her out and sealing your future together so you will get together, buy a house together, maybe get a few pets, get married, have children if you want and then die together peacefully in each other’s arms.” 

“What?” She asks confused, the rest of their friends also staring at Kevin with confused and concerned looks on their face. 

“Never mind that.” He shrugs off. “The point is. You like each other, now what are you still doing here?” 

“Coming.” She squeaks. 

“What?!” Everyone shouts. 

“No, Y/n. She’s coming back.” She replies and they all let out a breath before looking behind Kevin. 

“Shit.” Kevin mumbles. “She looks mad. Do you think she knows?” He asks. 

“How would she know?” Archie replies. 

“I dunno. She knows exactly what I’m feeling, sometimes even when I don’t know and she aways knows how to cheer me up. She’s very sensitive like that.” Kevin says to Betty and she rolls her eyes at him. 

“Are you seriously trying to talk her up to me when she’s literally five steps away from us?” 

“Mayb-” 

“Hi guys!” You greet everyone happily. “Hi-hi, Betty.” You mumble nervously when you make eye contact with her and she blushes before looking at the table. The rest of your friends take the awkward opportunity to share a look with each other before they come up with a plan in their heads. 

“What are you doing back? I thought you had Chemistry homework to do.” Kevin asks. 

“Turns out I’d already finished it.” You shrug. 

“Thats so responsible.” Betty mumbles in awe causing Veronica to choke on her drink. 

“Are you okay?” You reach across Betty to pat Veronica on the back and her breath hitches as your arm brushes past her. 

“Fine.” She chokes. “Just fine.” She reassures you and you smile at her while standing up properly. Betty’s heartbeat increases as she watches you smile and then laugh at something Jughead has said, and then everything feels a little too much. Because now that she knows you like her, and she likes you back, she has to do something about it because you don’t know that she likes you back and she doesn’t know what she’s going to do. She’s never asked a girl out, she’s never asked anyone out. And what if you say no? What if Kevin heard you wrong. Or what if it was Betty Thompson? Or Betty Daniels? What then? 

“Betty?” You ask, concern lacing your voice as you place a soft hand on her arm. “Are you okay? You zoned out.” You say and she looks around the table. 

“I’m, err, fine.” She replies confused. “I’ve got to gay.” She stands up quickly almost knocking you over. “I mean go. I’ve got to go.” She corrects herself before hurrying out of the room. 

“Is she okay?” You ask, sitting in her previous seat. 

“Yeah.” Archie replies. 

“She’s just found out some stuff about her crush.” Veronica says casually and your eyes widen. 

“Betty likes someone?” You ask quickly. 

“Yep.” Jughead says casually. 

“Who!-who is it?” You ask, trying to act naturally but you’re entire body is on fire. Who does Betty like? Just tell me who she likes!?!?!

“Just some girl.” Archie says through a mouthful of food and you can hear everyone trying to suppress their giggles. 

“Okay.” You cross your arms. “Whats going on?” 

“We just said. Betty likes someone.” Jughead says. 

“Hey, Y/n?” Veronica asks. “Do you like someone?” 

“Kevin Keller I swear to god I’m going to kill you.” You threaten angrily. “What did you tell them?” 

“Oh come on.” He says annoyed. “You guys promised you wouldn’t say anything.” 

“Sorry Kevin. Its too funny.” Veronica apologizes. 

“Collateral damage.” Jughead shrugs. 

“Fine.” He sighs. “I may have told them all that you like Betty, including Betty.” He says making you smack his arm. 

“You idot.” 

“But, plus point. Betty likes you back! Yay, isn’t that great.” He tries and you glare at him. 

“I suppose it is good, but you’re still dead Keller.” You reply and sit back in your seat. A few minutes pass and everyone makes small conversation around you until it hits you. “Wait!” You shout, standing up. “Fuck. She likes me back?! Betty actually likes me back.” 

“Oh, we were wondering how long it would take you to realize.” Veronica replies, not looking up from her food. 

“What do I do? Do I buy her flowers? What are her favourite flowers. Where does she stand with cats?” 

“Just ask her out for God’s sake.” Jughead says annoyed. 

“Yeah, obviously.” You reply. “Do you know where she is?” 

“Outside her next class.” Archie replies. 

“E-” Veronica starts but you interrupt. 

“English, of course.” You shake your head and grab your stuff, rushing off again. 

“Byeeee.” They call after you. 

“Am I still seeing you at 6?” Kevin asks. 

“What do you think?” You reply and he nods. “I’ll make it up to you!” 

“Of course.” He mutters. 

-----

“Betty!” You greet her, slightly out of breath as you lean against the wall. 

“Y/n. Hey.” She says startled as she takes in your breathless form. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I er. I need to ask you something.” You say. 

“I need to ask you something too.” She replies. “But, you can go first if you want.” 

“No, no.” You shake your head. “Its okay. Go ahead.” You say nervously.

“Are you sure. Whatever it was seemed important.” She replies. 

“Its fine. Really. Go ahead.” You smile at her a little and she returns it. 

“Okay.” She takes a deep breath. “Do you want to-” 

“Yes.” You interrupt and she stares at you. “Sorry.” You apologize quickly. “The answer is still yes though.” You whisper the last part making her smile. 

“But you don’t know the rest of my question though.” 

“Thats okay.” You shrug. “I think my question was the same as yours sooooo? Yes, I’ll go on a date with you.” 

“Date...yeah, that was what I was going to ask you.” She trails off and looks at the floor. 

“Everything okay?” 

“Yeah.” She smiles sincerely.

“So how about tonight? At Pop’s, about 6?” 

“That sounds great.” She replies and the two of you smile brightly at each other before the warning bell for your next class rings and the two of you sigh. 

“I’ll see you tonight.” You say and press a soft kiss to her cheek making the two of you blush brightly. 

“See you.” She waves you off. 

“Soooo?” Veronica asks once she appears by her side. “Did you as her to be your girlfriend.” 

“Not exactly.” She replies. “She assumed date and I didn’t want to scare her off, so I just went with it.” 

“Of course.” She laughs. 

------

“Y/n!!” Kevin shouts down the corridor and you slow down so he can catch up with you. “Did you ask her to be your girlfriend?” 

“No, she asked me on a date. I thought girlfriend would be a bit too strong at the minute.” You reply. “I’ll save that for after the date.” 

“...useless.” 

“What?” 

“Nothing! I’m really proud of you! And now you’re one step closer to dying in each other’s arms!” 

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Don’t Mind Me I’m Just Putting My Clown Makeup Back On.

So just finished watching episode 8. What was it Evan said before the episode, that it was ‘The Night of the Ships.’ Well actually it was more ‘the Night of the Shipwrecks.’ But more on that in my actual review for the episode which I’ll post later. I want to take time to process the episode and give it a rewatch. Naturally as a Barchie shipper this episode left me feeling alot by the end of it mostly, angry, frustrated and hopeless. But here’s the thing I’ve seen alot of comments saying that Barchie is dead and I am in two minds on it. Sometimes I think, ok maybe it is, but then a part of me thinks it isn’t. I think a big part of that is because we’ve been baited with Barchie so many times by now. I mean this is the third time we have been told that Barchie is over. So now whenever I see the words Barchie is over its like I am preconditioned to go, but is it though? I mean think about it, we were all told it was over between Barchie after they kissed in 2x09 and it became clear in the following episodes that nothing was going to come of it. Then we got told is over between them again in 4x18 when Betty decided not to take things further after their kiss in 4x17. And now once again it looks like the same thing is happening. But what I don’t want to happen but what I feel like they might do is, well if we’re being real here, Barchie causes alot of buzz in the fandom and gets a lot of chatter on social media whether its because people are excited or mad about it, but every time something happens with Barchie the fandom explodes. What I don’t want to happen is for them to go back to the original couples and then anytime the show producers feel like things are a bit too quiet and they want to generate some buzz just pulling Barchie out of storage to create that drama. As a Barchie fan the merry go round, of no their just friends to actually they do have feelings is exhausting. One thing I am mad about it if this is the end of Barchie like some are saying then RAS and the writers were really terrible to the Barchie shippers, even more so than usual because they have never pushed or promoted Barchie this hard before. Even right after the episode Evan was posting on his Instagram to the Barchie shippers saying that Barchie have a lot of history and not to give up hope. But its getting to the point where I don’t trust the writers and I am sick of being baited only for them to not go all the way through with it. 

I know some people are saying that this was closure for Barchie that they explored them they figured out that they don’t work and now they can focus on their friendship. And if that's enough for you then great, but for me I didn’t get any sense of closure. Before season 5 aired I made post explaining why I thought they needed to fully explore Barchie and one of the things I said was that in order from them to bring closure to them they needed to first have them in a full blown relationship. That hasn’t happened. To me I find it really baffling how Betty can decide that her and Archie don’t work when they haven’t tried being in a relationship which is very different from FWB. How is she or we suppose to know that they don’t work as a couple when they have never been a couple and we’ve never seen them as a couple? Though I do agree that they don’t work as FWB but then I knew that wasn’t going to be a long term thing. For me, again if this is really the end then the most unforgivable part was how badly written it was. It just happened far too fast, in fact the sudden change almost gave me whiplash. The last few episodes and even the beginning of this episode we’ve seen Barchie enjoying the time they spend together, also I never really saw any indication from Archie that he was having feelings for Veronica, their relationship was very much coming across as friendly. But then that all suddenly changed in the second half of the episode, suddenly Archie was having feelings for Veronica and after one bad booty call Barchie have decided that they don’t work together. It almost felt like this episode should have been much further down in the season like episode 11 or 12. For me it seems like this reuniting of V*rchie is just happening too quickly. And that’s exactly why I don’t think this is going to be a good thing for V*rchie and that it might not be as it seems. 

So I am going to try and inject a little bit of hope for Barchie here. Because like I said a part of me still thinks there’s a possibility Barchie might still happen and its not as clear cut as we think. I mean if we look at the Barchie ‘break up’ in the context of the episode I actually think its pretty obvious what’s going on here. It is heartbreakingly similar to what happened in the pilot. At the beginning of the episode we get that really romantic, sweet scene with Archie in his firefighter gear. I am going to be honest I was expecting a heated maybe playful scene here but it was actually a very cute and soft scene which made me love it even more. Which also made this idea that Barchie is over even harder to wrap my head around because why go through all the trouble of having such a soft romantic scene and then just turn around and go nope their just friends? I mean watching that scene I’m calling BS on the whole friend thing right now because that is not how friends look at each other. But anyway we also not long after get the scene where Betty tells Kevin about her and Archie and I think this really is very telling of where Betty is mentally when she decides to call things off between them. She describes Archie as being the lit window in the dark. But she also says that she doesn’t want to get in too deep with him because she doesn’t want that light to go out. She is very clearly afraid that if they take things further and go for a committed relationship and it goes wrong then she will lose him altogether. This in my opinion makes sense for her character as its very similar to what she did in 4x18 with Jughead, She shuts things down with Archie and goes back to Jughead because she is afraid if she doesn’t she will lose Jughead. With Jughead she is afraid not being with him is what will lead to her losing him and in a way she likely feels she was  right because they’ve not spoken in the seven years since they broke up. With Archie its the same but the opposite if that makes sense. With Archie she is afraid being with him is what will lead to her losing him. She is clearly afraid of her feelings and very afraid of losing someone who she deeply cares about. Again when you think about what she has gone through this makes sense. She lost her dad, she kind of lost Charles, her brother when he went to jail, she feels like she lost Jughead and now her sister is missing and Betty knows that she might lose her too. It makes sense then that Betty would be deathly afraid of doing something that might make her lose Archie too. 

Then fast forward a little and she has a nightmare about TBK. I loved that moment when she looked over and saw the light from his window and how that reinforced the idea of him being the light in the dark. For me this reference was really exciting because a while back when 4x18 had just aired I made a post about Barchie and Light and how I felt like Archie saw Betty as his light, so seeing that Betty also felt the same way made me really happy. She calls Archie over and whilst she admits that she had a nightmare she doesn’t open up to him about it or tell him that she was held captive for two weeks and now has PTSD. I think the other thing to remember about this scene is right before this there is a scene where Archie and Jackson are talking about Veronica and Betty and Jackson makes a joke about how he is juggling two women. At this moment Archie looks really guilty and troubled and I think alot of this is to do with the past and how he hurt both Veronica and Betty before because he had feelings for them both, so obviously he’s probably not feeling great at the idea that he might once again be in the same situation and is likely painfully aware that he could end up hurting them again. Then he shows up at Betty’s expecting it to be a booty call. He is expecting it to be fun and well like it was in the beginning of the episode with the fireman scene. But Betty is trying to escape her trauma and although he doesn’t know why he can probably tell that something feels off. The words he uses to Jackson are that it felt different and not great. I think alot of the reason why it felt different and not great was one like I said Betty was struggling and very shaken by the dream so as much as she was trying to escape I don’t think it worked as well as before, casual sex isn’t enough to help her and I think that is suppose to be the take away from that scene. On top of that I do feel like Archie was feeling guilty about his renewed feelings for Veronica and he might have felt like he wasn’t being honest with Betty and like he was hiding something from her. I think the combination of all this leads to a less than satisfying night and I think this only confuses them more because up until now they have been having a great time but suddenly its different and I think that throws them for a bit of a loop.

Then we get to the key party and again I think some things that happen here a really significant for what happens between Barchie later in the evening. Firstly there’s the fact that Veronica pulls Archie’s keys. This has two effects in my opinion. One Betty is very clearly jealous and not happy about this turn of events. The second is I feel like for Archie this might have seemed like a bit of a sign. Kind of like he might think it was fate that Veronica drew his key which when he is confused about how he feels about Veronica might have felt a little like a confirmation for him. Then of course the stand off with Chad happens and Veronica leaves with her husband. But one of the more significant moments is when Betty says that she is still traumatised by the spin the bottle game from the pilot. I think this is important because it shows that she is clearly thinking about that and the pain of Archie choosing Veronica and how she nearly lost Archie, I mean it nearly brought their friendship to an end. So when you look at it from Betty’s point of view she is remembering all those bad memories from the past and she has this fear of losing Archie and the light he brings to her life, and then he tells her he still has feelings for Veronica. In this situation I think that it makes sense for Betty to slam those brakes on. That bubble she was living in with him before has burst and she’s realising that she’s got to face the things that she had been trying to escape from and distract herself from when she was hooking up with Archie. One part I found interesting, but a little confused by, was the line that at their cores they are different people. At first I thought she meant that her and Archie were different from each other but thinking about it and how it came right after she was talking about how they should make sense because they are the all American boy and the Girl next door I actually think she meant they are different from those personas that are sort of forced on to them. The American boy and the Girl next door. At their core they are not those people which is something we have all been saying since the beginning. The other part that I thought was interesting but was again a little unsure of what it meant was when Betty asked they had a free pass to do whatever they wanted so why weren’t they, and Archie replies because we’re right on the edge. Now I could be reaching here but I wonder if what they are saying here is that what they have always wanted was to be together. Maybe Betty is asking why they aren’t taking that step when its what they’ve always wanted. Archie says that they are on the edge. Now being on the edge of something can be a very scary thing. It makes me think of the danger of falling and I think this is what Barchie are afraid of so instead of taking that leap they take a step back from that edge, back to where they feel safe. To be honest the more I think about it the more I think that at the moment that was the right thing to do. Betty is right in that she is facing some dark times and she is clearly struggling with a lot and I don’t think that right now she is ready for a relationship. I think she is right what she needs right now is a friend to help her through it and who she can rely on. Archie has assured her that's what he’ll be and I really hope that the writers deliver on this and show us them really growing as friends and supporting each other. I think the thing I am worried about is that now that V*rchie are back together and that Jughead and Betty are investigating together that they will fall back into those same patterns of it only being them interacting. I am hoping that the writers have learnt from past mistakes and will still show Barchie as friends, I have some hope that they might as we know that they were filming together for episode 10. 

Ok so lets say they aren’t really over how could I see Barchie coming back together? Well a few days ago I made a post taking about the FWB to Lovers troupe and how it usually follows a guideline. I think Barchie are still very much following this formula. 

I didn’t want to write it all out again so I just took a snapshot of it but as you can see at the beginning of this episode we were very much still in step 3, they were hooking up and having fun. Then I feel like the writers hit the acceleration a bit too hard and raced through the next three steps that I outlined in red above. I feel like they mostly skipped over step 4 but I guess it could be argued that Betty calling Archie after her nightmare might kind of come under that one. But we did see Betty getting jealous of Veronica and Archie in this episode which is step 5 checked off. Then we got step six where one of them realises they are starting to catch deeper feelings and the arrangement gets called off. I know some might say that neither of them started to get deeper feeling but I would argue that there is some evidence that Betty at least was. She was very giddy and happy talking about her and Archie to Kevin and I think the fact that she brought up not wanting to get in too deep with him indicates that she has had some thoughts about things deepening between them. Also during the ‘break up’ scene she says that getting closer to him has made her realise that she doesn’t want her darkness to overtake him. Again to me this makes me think her feelings for Archie were getting deeper and that made her afraid that she would taint him with her darkness somehow. The thing that is so heart breaking about this is its a direct parallel to how Archie felt in the pilot, like he would never be good enough for her. 

So if we are following this formula then what should happen next is they go on with their lives but when they see the other interacting with their other love interests, so when Betty sees Archie with Veronica for example they will continue to feel jealous and it’ll make them look at their feelings again. I did wonder about that line Kevin said to Betty about him telling Fangs to bring someone to the key party, he said that a part of him wanted to know if he would actually go through with it. I wonder if some part of Betty also wonders whether Archie will go through with it with Veronica. I am curious to know what her reaction will be and whether she’ll sort of convince herself that she was right when she sees them together but also feel a bit hurt and jealous or disappointed. I feel like this situation is currently lined up to mirror season 1 perfectly. We know that Betty and Jughead are investigating together next episode and I can’t help but wonder if seeing them interacting will cause some kind of jealously with Archie. I could also see a scenario where Glen comes into town and that causes Archie to feel some kind of way. Again this would be a direct parallel to season 1 where Archie rejected Betty, got with Veronica and then started to realise he had feelings when he saw B*ghead together. One thing that has always been consistent with Archie’s character is he is someone who really struggles to understand his own feelings and what he really wants. I’m sure the V*rchie’s will come after me with pitchforks for saying this but I actually don’t think Archie really does still have feelings for Veronica I think with them both they are feeling alot of nostalgia and that is blurring things for them. I think in the next few episodes they will start to realise this and ultimately they will once again come to an end. 

Another way I could see this happening is a similar situation to what happened with Hannah and Caleb from PLL at the end of season 5 where Hannah admits she still loves Caleb, they kiss and then she gets taken by AD and this makes Caleb realise that he still has feelings for her. Now to be clear before anyone starts trying to roast me I am not saying I want Betty to get hurt or captured again. But it is a popular theory that Betty will be taken by TBK again and considering the way the story is going its not an unreasonable theory. With episode 10 being the midseason finale and it being right before a three month hiatus I feel like its got to be a big shocking episode and we know that KJ and Lili were doing a lot of stunt work so it wouldn’t be out there to assume that one of their characters might find themselves in a dangerous situation. I could definitely see a situation where they kiss and then something happens to one of them which just confuses the situation more. The only thing with this is if it does happen and Archie is still with Veronica then they would once again be cheating. 

Another scenario I could see it going is similar to OTH’s Leyton. I mean to me there are so many parallels between Barchie and Leyton, I do find myself drawing comparisons between them alot. But it could be a similar situation to when she got shot and they were trapped in the library together. She thought she was going to die so she tells him she loves him and kisses him as a kind of goodbye. Again I could see something like this happening with Barchie where one or the other gets shot or hurt in someway but they are trapped somewhere. Thinking they might die they confess how they really feel thinking it’ll be their last chance to be real about their feelings and they kiss. Obviously I think help will arrive in time and they’ll survive but then they have to deal with what they admitted in that moment. 

Ok but if Barchie get together then V*rchie would need to break up so how do I think that could happen? Well like I said above I do think alot of what they are feeling is nostalgia and I think as time goes on they will start to realise that but I also think there might be a clue as to how they might come to an end in the title for episode 11. Now just to be crystal clear I am not sure yet if these titles are confirmed or not. So everything I am about to say relies on those titles being official. The title for episode 11 is Strange Bedfellows. Like alot of the Riverdale titles I think this is a reference to a 1965 film of the same name. In a previous post where I was theorising about the titles, I explained that the plot of the movie was about a couple who got married impulsively within 24 hours of meeting each other and then separate but then seven years later on the eve of their divorce being finalised they rekindle the spark before realising they are too different and decide to go ahead with the divorce. But then the male protagonist finds out his promotion relies on him being married so he tries to woo her back. In that theory post I talked about how I thought it could be where Chad and Veronica’s storyline goes. I predicted that they would separate in episode 8 and then in episode 11 Chad would come back to Riverdale to finalise the divorce. I also theorised that he would be offered a job that he could only have if he was married and so he would try to win her back. What else is interesting is in the film the female protagonist during the seven years apart got with someone else. This guy is described as the one she should have married years ago. They fit, they both have the same views on everything, they rarely fight, they seem like they would be the perfect couple. To me this very much sound like V*rchie. It’s the person she always figured she would end up being with. Also in the film the husband goes to great lengths to prove that he has changed. They also have alot of chemistry with each other and part of the problem is they keep ending up in bed together which only confuses things more. I could see a scenario where Chad comes back to settle the divorce but whilst back he tries to convince Veronica to give them another chance. During his time back he seems to have changed and is making alot of efforts with Veronica which reminds her of how things were between them and confuses her. It could also be that things are a bit rocky between her and Archie especially if I am right about something happening between Barchie is the midseason finale. I think come episode end V*rchie will realise that whilst they will always care about each other that they are better as friends. In regards to Chad I could see it going one of two ways either the show does a redemption arc for him and he and Veronica get back together. Or Veronica finds out about how he only gets a promotion if he is still married and realises he’s only done all of this so he could get the job he wanted and so she goes through with the divorce and ends the episode single. Personally I would prefer the second one as I feel like too many of Veronica’s storylines revolve around men. I just want her to be single and a badass for a little while and have a storyline that is all about her.  

SO to summarise I think episode 9 will be V*rchie and B*ghead interacting but we will see little signs that despite saying they want to just be friends Barchie are shown to have some jealous feelings to the other. I also think V*rchie will feel like something doesn’t feel quite the same even though they are back together. This will continue over into episode ten until Barchie finds themselves in a dangerous situation which leads to a confession that they have feelings for each other and a kiss. Episode 11 things are strained between V*rchie because they are confused about firstly how they feel about each other but also because Archie is confused about what happened between him and Betty in episode 10. Then as the cherry on top Chad shows up and seems like a changed person and this makes Veronica confused and causes even more tension between V*rchie. Then after finding out Chad was just using her to get a promotion she calls it off but she also realises that Archie isn’t the one for her either and they call things off as well. 

I mean I could be totally wrong about all of this, but this is just where I feel like the story is going. To me the V*rchie reunion just happened too fast for it to be a lasting thing. We have to remember that we aren’t even half way through the season yet so alot can still happen and we all know how quickly the Riverdale writers like to turn the tide. Who knows maybe Barchie really is bones as alot of people like to think but I for one am choosing to have a bit of hope.         

[thatiranianphantom]

Riverdale, Buffy, and the Musical Episode, an analysis.

Hey all! I have spent far too long writing out my thoughts on Riverdale vs. Buffy’s musical episode, from the perspective of a theatre nerd. Thoughts are welcomed!

To those who aren’t aware, I, your humble author, am a massive musical nerd. I have ALL the musical memorabilia, Broadway and the West End are places I’ve visited many times, my favorite genre of music by far is musical theatre, and I am just a musical nerd in all senses of the word. 

Which leads to a...perhaps more sharp criticism when a medium like TV attempts to dive into the world of musical theatre.

(Also, full disclosure, while I enjoy the music of Carrie, Heathers, and certainly Buffy’s musical episode, the music of Hedwig just...don’t work for me. It’s not bad music, it’s not a bad show, it’s just not my thing.) 

In this short analysis, I’m going to attempt to explain why Riverdale’s musical episodes fail, and why it IS possible to successfully mount a great musical episode on TV, by way of example, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s episode “Once More, With Feeling”. 

First, a short recap of both shows’ musical episodes. 

Currently, Riverdale has three musical episodes. These are all jukebox shows (performing pre-written and pre-performed songs), based on three popular musicals. They first did Carrie the Musical, then Heathers, then Hedwig and the Angry Inch. As to this point, all of them have occurred in a diegetic setting - that is, the characters were aware that the songs were being performed. Carrie and Heathers were explained as being the school musical of the year, and Hedwig was ostensibly performed to prove a point, and to support a student struggling with his own identity. 

Buffy’s one musical episode was in season six, arguably one of the darkest seasons Buffy ever had. It is also a diegetic musical, but not a jukebox musical. It features original songs, written by show creator Joss Whedon. The songs are given explanations and each one is written specifically to fit a character.

To sum it very basically, Buffy’s musical episode is much, much better. It is the first episode I would recommend if you were ever in the market for a musical episode, and it takes itself very seriously, while occurring in a very unrealistic setting. 

At the point Carrie occurs in Riverdale, the characters are dealing with a serial killer known as the Black Hood, who ends up murdering their friend and cast member by the end of the musical, on stage. Of the three musical episodes, you could make a pretty strong argument that the first two musicals tie themselves into the plot best. The role of Carrie’s mother is given to Alice Cooper, because she is also struggling with family issues. Purportedly, the song “Unsuspecting Hearts” is used to make up between two characters, as is “You Shine”. 

Buffy’s musical episode occurs at a time where the characters are all struggling with big secrets that they don’t feel able to tell. It’s driving a wedge between all of them, and there’s a large undercurrent of tension. Buffy can’t tell her friends about the depression she’s struggling with, Willow is becoming dangerously addicted to magic, which has caused her to cast two spells, erasing a memory of a fight from her girlfriend Tara’s mind. Spike is in love with Buffy, but is very much wrestling with what that means. Giles has made plans to leave, because he feels like he is hindering Buffy’s growth. Anya and Xander are having serious doubts about their upcoming marriage. The tension created by all these boils under the surface, but nobody plans to say anything. 

The catalyst for this episode occurs in the form of an unnamed demon, who is accidentally summoned and whose primary power is to make people sing and dance - until they can’t stop, and they burn up. It adds a note of risk to the episode. They are being forced into this, and the stakes are high if they don’t comply. 

And so, one by one, all the characters are forced to express their deepest secrets through song, and the demon leaves them to deal with the fallout. It did what Riverdale, fundamentally, has never managed to do: the songs force the plotline foreward. 

That would have been impossible without the songs. The characters are unwilling to open up to each other, and they feel unable to express themselves, until the demon literally musically forces them to do so. At the end of the episode, their biggest secret, the secret that will inform the rest of the season, is revealed: Buffy’s friends didn’t pull her out of Hell, they pulled her out of heaven, where she was at peace, and now the world around her is bright and violent and she is miserable. That revelation will literally carry us to the season finale. 

Riverdale’s musical episodes are, in a way, explained as above. High schools do musicals. It happens. But all of our main cast, and all in the lead roles? Not likely. And that explanation is made even thinner in the latest musical episode, where characters burst into song at random, like Betty and Jughead’s fight in the bunker, or Kevin and the girls breaking into “Wig in a Box” during a sleepover. 

The issue becomes very contrasting between the two musicals: Buffy builds their world around the songs. The songs are crucial to the plot. The episode wouldn’t work if these specific songs were not given to these specific characters. 

Riverdale, however, bases the songs around the plot, and the result is a very odd episode with songs shoehorned in. They aren’t necessary, they’re just...there. Buffy crafts a plot around the songs. Tara finds the flower Willow used in a previous episode to wipe her mind of a fight, and we can see the song naturally build off that. Tara sings Under Your Spell, which is meaningful because she is quite literally under Willow’s spell. Toni is shoehorned into the Heathers musical to be a choreographer, despite there being no previous indication of any experience with choreography, because they need to get her into the room to sing Candy Store, because Heathers features this song, which means they have to. 

The Riverdale musicals take none of the plot of their source materials, which strips the very songs they struggle to add in of all their context and meaning. For example, Hedwig is a show which features a domestic violence plotline as one of its main arcs. Hedwig herself is a pretty terrible person. You would never know that from watching the episode. Heathers’ entire premise talks about how it’s very easy to influence someone into cruelty to the very people who were kind to them, and how quickly a lie can spiral out of control. None of that features in the Heathers Riverdale episode. These songs are powerful because of the context that surrounds them, and that is just...gone. Hedwig’s final song (Midnight Radio) exists in universe as a song where Hedwig finds emotional catharsis and hands her stage off to someone else. It’s exceptionally meaningful, because the whole musical has been a journey to this point. None of that poignancy is able to be translated to Riverdale. 

In contrast, Buffy’s final song (Where Do We Go From Here) feels very earned because it feels like the end of a journey for the characters. All their secrets are exposed, and you can feel the ramifications that will last for a long time after this. And that’s not even mentioning Buffy’s solo Something To Sing About, where she is literally begging for something to make her feel more alive. This only works if Buffy is singing it. The song is designed around her, and it is where she admits her biggest secret. The song is necessary, it is crucial. NONE of the songs in the Riverdale musical episodes have this same power. 

(ALSO, RE: RIVERDALE HEATHERS,  J.D. IS ONE OF HEATHERS MAIN CHARACTERS, I WAS SO EXCITED TO HAVE SWEET PEA PLAYING HIM, AND NONE OF J.D.’S SONGS WERE GIVEN TO SWEET PEA. INJUSTICE. ALSO ALSO, THIS LINE:

Reggie: Just two single straight dudes doing some theatre.

OH SWEET REGGIE. NOBODY HAS TOLD YOU ABOUT KURT AND RAM HAVE THEY DARLING?) 

It should be noted that Riverdale’s songs in all three musicals are heavily reworked to fit the characters, and the TV network rating, better. 

Music has meaning. The songs should be there to do something, not just have extra content to churn out and look good doing it. As stated, Riverdale’s musical episodes aren’t necessary. There are no stakes to their expression through song. 

Fundamentally, Buffy understands what a musical episode is. They do only one, and that was a fight to get on the network as it was.

Think of it this way: did the songs affect the characters and plotline enough that it would still have ramifications a few episodes later? 

Buffy’s certainly did. 

One could theoretically say Midge’s death affected Riverdale, which did occur during the episode. One could also say that Betty and Jughead burning the trailer affected Riverdale. But those didn’t need the songs to exist. Again, they were just….there. 

And then there’s the issue of vocal performance. 

Look, musicals are a lot of work, and it’s hard on the voice. 

Buffy’s cast does feature several singers. Notably, Anthony Stewart Head, Amber Benson and James Marsters have had separate success in music outside of Buffy. 

Riverdale’s cast features a grand total of one person with professional musical experience (that would be Casey Cott, who makes that fact entirely obvious). I suppose KJ Apa counts too, so let’s say two to be generous. 

But again, Buffy wins this round. Make no mistake, their songs are autotuned. Just about every piece of music you’ve heard since the 80s has had some amount of autotune applied to it. Sarah Michelle Gellar would probably be the first to admit, she is not a singer. Actually, up until she received the music, she was fully planning on being dubbed, and is openly says she is not comfortable singing. And you can tell. In the musical, she sounds fine. She’s not amazing. That’s actually the point. She sings well enough to fully communicate the emotions she’s feeling, but it feels genuine. You can believe Buffy is actually singing, not in that full voiced, broadway quality voice that so many Riverdale episodes feature, but in a normal-person singing voice, the voice we all use when we sing in the shower. Willow is not a great singer, and Alyson Hannigan is clearly not comfortable singing either. Accordingly, she’s given the fairly meta line “I think this line’s mostly filler”, and it doesn’t sound heavily autotuned. It’s a normal person voice. 

In contrast, Riverdale’s voices are mostly a machine. I’d kill to listen to the raw tracks, but they are practically waterboarded with autotune. One can scarcely distinguish a real voice in there. They don’t sound like real people, they sound like professionally polished singers. And how many high schools have full choruses of broadway quality singers? It takes you out of the show. I actually would have liked Riverdale’s musical episodes far better, had they let them use their more natural voices. It would have sounded less polished, sure, but it also would have sounded more real. Lili Reinhart has a pretty voice naturally. I would have loved to see that being allowed to exist in these episodes. 

(On a slightly separate note, Casey Cott is very clearly a singer. His voice is full, trained and controlled. It stands out above everyone’s in every musical episode).

In summation, musical episodes are becoming more and more common, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to do well. However, if you understand the meaning you have to imbue music with on a medium like TV, and craft your context around the singing, it can work. 

And if you’re looking for a musical episode, for god sakes, watch Once More With Feeling. 

[theangriestpea]

The Killing Type | Two

Summary: Just when Lavender thought things were going great with Sweet Pea, a new girl comes back to turn to turn their entire relationship upside down. Now they have to navigate a world of drug dealers, rival gangs, and co-parenting. Sequel to Mercy Killing. <ao3> <masterlist>

Rating: Mature // Explicit

Pairings: Sweet Pea x OC // eventual Jughead Jones x OC

Warnings: Mild smut

Word Count: 5k+

A/N: I wish I had had the energy to post this last night but I didn't. Sooo here it is! A bit of soft pea in this one ;) I've been watching a lot of Ghost Adventures lately so I totally blame the inspo for the first half of this chapter on that.

Chapter Two: Heart on a String

As the days passed, it was slowly becoming easier and easier to avoid Sweet Pea. To be fair, a lot of his time was now spent in his trailer with his new family and Lavender spent probably too much of her time casually drinking and hanging out with Fangs and Toni.

Currently, Toni was working on her hair. She had let her roots grow out a bit too much for her liking. Sweet Pea had made some comment about how he’d like to see her natural hair color again so she hadn’t been keeping up with her touch ups like she had previously. Of course now, that was totally out of the window and Toni was more than happy to return to being her hairdresser.

“Why don’t you just try being friends with him. He asks about you all the time.” Toni asked, as she finished sectioning off her long hair. “Ghost Adventures comes on tonight and I know that was your favorite thing to watch together.”

Lav was posting snaps of Toni doing her hair and sending them to a group chat that contained Fangs, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Cheryl. She couldn’t help but notice that a certain ex was the first to view them.

She had been wanting to ask him to come hang out with her for the past couple days. It had been less than a full week, so naturally there would still be some awkwardness. “I guess it’s worth a try.” Lav mumbled. “What should I get him for this birthday next week?”

Toni made a face that Lavender couldn’t see, “what about the present we worked on together? We worked hard on those pictures. Honestly I think they’re some of my best work. I might just get into doing boudoir shoots from now on.”

“I think that would be highly inappropriate.” Lav replied. Two weeks ago she had asked Toni to take some photos of her in a new set of lingerie in hopes to give the pictures to her boyfriend for his seventeenth birthday. She had put heavy makeup on all of her scars, making them nearly nonexistent. “We’re not dating anymore, Toni. I’ll just get him something else.”

“I don’t understand why you just won’t take him back. Lily already said she was refusing to date him again after what he did.” Toni said as she began to apply the dye skillfully. “So what’s stopping you?”

Lavender chewed on the inside of her cheek nervously. “I want to work on myself first. He deserves to be with someone that’s not a broken mess.”

Toni was frowning, not liking the way her friend was talking about herself. “So...maybe after some more treatment you’ll reconsider?” She asked hesitantly. She fully planned on sending this new bit of info to Sweet Pea as soon as she got the chance. He had been driving himself crazy trying to figure out if his ex was mad at him for something Lily said or if they’re relationship was over for good. He didn’t like not knowing.

“Of course.” Lavender said, her mood lifting a bit. “I don’t think I should be dating anyone right now, but as soon as I’m ready to again then he’ll be the first I ask out. I care about him a lot, Toni...and I hate that I’m having to do this but I think it’s in both of our best interests. Plus he had a child he needs to help take care of. I don’t want to take him away from her.”

“I’m sure he can manage both.” Toni replied, “But can I ask what brought this on? Why did you decide to do this all of a sudden when it wasn’t an issue before?”

Lav had hoped that Toni wouldn’t ask her this, and she knew Toni could tell if she was lying. Lav wasn’t very good at it in the first place. “Lily made a comment that I was using Sweet Pea to fix myself and that it wasn’t fair to put that on him.”

Toni couldn’t help but let out a sigh of disappointment. “So this is over something Lily said…”

“Yes, what is that supposed to mean?” Lav asked, her tone erring on the side of accusatory.

“Just that she doesn’t even know you, Lavie. She was probably saying that to try and protect Sweet Pea because they were best friends growing up. She doesn’t want to see him being used, but you’re not doing that. You’re getting professional help. Sweet Pea helped you stick to healthy coping and was just a good boyfriend. I mean, sure you had your fights but they were never that serious. And it’s not like you haven’t been working on yourself at all….” Her voice trailed off, unsure of what else she could say to maybe convince her to change her mind.

However, Lavender wasn’t about to be persuaded by her. “I know that, Toni. I want to prove it to her. I want her to see that I’m not some viper trying to steal him. And I really do think he needs to spend time with Daisy. He’s missed out on so much already.”

“Alright, alright,” Toni said, totally defeated. “Can you at least tell him all of this? He feels like a piece of shit because you won’t talk to him.”

Lav wanted to nod her head, but couldn’t unless she wanted to risk Toni messing up. “I’ll have him come over tonight. We can talk about it then.”

Later that night, after the sun had gone down, Lav waited for Sweet Pea to arrive. She had made them popcorn and had a mix of soda and beer, whichever he wanted to drink, as well as various candy. She admitted to herself that she went probably a little too far in trying to make this not weird, and ended up totally overdoing it. Still she was excited to be spending time with him again, even if it was strictly platonic.

He arrived a few minutes after she had finished putting everything out. She opened the door for him and paused when she saw a certain little girl in his arms. Sweet Pea had an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry, Lily ditched me last minute and I couldn’t just leave her. She’s asleep though...I don’t think she’ll wake up.”

Daisy was indeed fast asleep in his arms, drooling all over his shirt. She was too cute to make Lavender upset. “It’s fine, Sweet Pea.” She said, her voice showing him that she wasn’t angry. “She can sleep on my bed if you want.”

Sweet Pea let out a sigh of relief as he walked inside. He took the sleeping baby into the bedroom and laid her down on the part of the bed that was against the wall. He put up a few pillows to stop her from possibly rolling off the other side just in case. Then he set her diaper bag down and rejoined his friend in the living room.

“If I had known you were going to wear your pajamas, then I would have to.” He said, his voice teasing her as he sat down. His eyes swept over all of the things she had bought. “Wow, what’s all this for?”

She blushed, sitting down next to him and crossing her legs. “I just thought I’d make a night of it. As...an apology for isolating and ignoring you when we said we’d try being friends.”

Sweet Pea let out a small uncomfortable sigh. All Toni would tell him was that she didn’t hate him and that she’d explain herself tonight about not getting back into a relationship with him. “Just friends?” He asked, his voice daring to sound hopeful of something more than just friends .

“Pea,” Lav said as gently as she possibly could. “I need to work on myself a little bit first. Lily said-” She stopped herself, “Lily accused me of using you to get better and that didn’t still well with me, okay? I want to prove to her that that’s not what I’m doing. I care about you a lot. More than any other guy I’ve ever been with. It has nothing to do with anything that you’ve done….And..I think you should focus on being a dad, right now. To make up for lost time.”

His face fell entirely. It still felt like a rejection, no matter how hard she tried to not make it sound that way. She quickly grabbed the sides of his face. “Look at me,” She mumbled softly, “I’m not going to make you wait for me. If you want to be with someone else…” Her eyes darted away from his before closing. She took a deep breath, “I’ll understand. Just...when the time comes...can we try again? I want to be with you, Pea, I do. It’s not fair for you to have to carry around all my baggage.”

Sweet Pea sighed again, gently grabbing her wrists and pulling her hands off of him. “Okay.” He said quietly, “We can do that. Just stop avoiding me.”

Lavender smiled sweetly at him, “I will. Just stop moping! I’ll even help you with Daisy if you ever need a babysitter. She’s cute.”

He cracked a rare smile as he put his arm up across the back of the couch. “So, is tonight a rerun or a new episode?”

“I think it’s a new one and then reruns.” Lav said as she cut on the TV and turned it to the right channel. “Do you promise you’ll come over and watch this with me every week?” She asked, a bit timidly.

“Yea, your commentary is cute.” He said, shrugging nonchalantly as she shook her head at him. “And you always have the best snacks. Is that a two pound bag of Sour Patch Kids? Where did you even find that?”

Lav laughed as he reached over to tear into the bag. “I’m the queen of sweets, Pea. I have my ways. They’re all for you anyway.”

He head snapped to her, “are you trying to make me fat, Rhodes? It’s two pounds of Sour Patch Kids but it’ll make me put on like twenty.”

She tried to control her giggles, “Just work it out or something. Whatever you do after a night of eating nothing but pizza and drinking beer. Pretty sure you put down more than two pounds of either of those.”

He scoffed at her, “rude.” He said back as Zak Baggins, the host of Ghost Adventures came on the screen. “There’s your boyfriend.”

Lav snorted back another laugh, “Please. I would never date a man with so many phobias.”

A few minutes into the episode Lav and Sweet Pea were silent. “This...this is about aliens? What the fuck?” Lav mumbled to herself, unsure what kind of weird one-off episode this was. “What about ghosts?”

“Aliens are cool.” Sweet Pea said coolly. “I’m glad they’re doing something other than ghosts for once.”

“The show is literally called Ghost Adventures, Pea. This is stupid.” Lav said, pouting now.

He rolled his eyes at her. “I bet it’s better than that stupid doll episode you love so much.”

“Stop disrespecting Harold, Sweet Pea. Or I’ll find him and bring him to you.” She hissed at him playfully, knowing he had an acute fear of dolls. He had drunkenly confessed how much they creeped him out. Harold had been a cursed doll in the episode he was talking about, the episode that was indeed her favorite.

Sweet Pea scoffed, pretending to not be at all afraid of such a threat even if the mere thought of having a possessed doll anywhere near him made him wildly uneasy. They fell into a comfortable silence as they watched, making commentary back and forth when something ridiculous happened, and making jokes at the investigators' expense. Things felt back to normal almost, the only difference was that he wasn’t touching her. Usually he had an arm wrapped around her waist or a hand on her thigh. It was strange to not be able to show any kind of affection all of a sudden. Still, being here with her was better than nothing.

As the next episode came on, he noticed Lavender slouching more and more, her comments becoming less frequent. He knew the tell-tale signs of sleep when he saw them. And while he knew he should stop her from falling asleep on the couch, he couldn’t bring his heart to do it. Instead he watched as she eventually leaned against his side, breathing softly with her eyes shut.

Sweet Pea let out a held breath, not knowing what he should do. He enjoyed the familiar feeling of her body against his, and he really didn’t want it to end anytime soon. He was definitely going to be having a talk with Lily later about the thoughts she seemed to have put in Lavender’s head. He couldn’t believe she wouldn’t renew their relationship because of something his ex said. His anger kept him from sleeping, despite how exhausted he was.

After all, how hard could it be to be a dad and a boyfriend? It shouldn’t be that difficult…

Eventually, Sweet Pea did fall asleep on the couch with Lav still laying soundly against him. Much later in the night, Lav awoke to the sound of a child crying. She frowned as she sat up, realizing that her and Sweet Pea had fallen asleep together. He was snoring heavily due to the position he was in and she couldn’t help but laugh lightly to herself.

She had figured she would let him rest a little more. He had looked so exhausted earlier when he first walked into her trailer with the little girl. She stood and went into her bedroom, cutting the light on to see Daisy crying on her bed. Lav picked her up, shushing her gently as she rocked her. “Did you have a bad dream?” She asked in a whisper.

Daisy looked up at her, in awe of her purple hair. “I have bad dreams too, Daze.” Lavender said, smiling softly. “They’re really scary sometimes. But it’s okay.”

She babbled back at Lavender, unable to form more than a few syllables. The only words Lav could understand were “Dada” and “Mama”.

“Daddy is sleeping right now.” Lavender replied, carrying her out into the living room to see him. “See?”

She was about to set Daisy down on the couch when Sweet Pea’s phone began to ring, the high pitched noise waking him up finally. He blinked sleepily, seeing the two girls in front of him. “Hey, what’s…” Then he realized his phone was what woke him up. He answered and Lav noticed his entire demeanor change.

“I’m at Shanna’s house.” He said gruffly and Lav could hear that someone was yelling at him through the speaker. “Daisy is fine. If you didn’t want her to leave my trailer then you shouldn’t have left her with me. I had plans.”

Lav began to feel awkward as a shouting match soon began. Daisy began to whimper at her father shouting, so Lav took her back into her bedroom. “I know how hard it is to have parents that fight.” She mumbled. “It’s awful…”

About five minutes later, Sweet Pea came into the room, his face red with anger. “I have to take her home.” He said. And while Lavender knew he wasn’t mad at her, the rage in his tone still made her flinch. He took Daisy from her arms and she instantly cuddled up to him. His enraged facial expression melted into a more somber one. Her affection was effectively dousing the flames.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked, not knowing what her plans were. “If I’m allowed to leave the house,” he added spitefully.

Lavender forced a smile. “Sure. We can do our homework together if you want.”

He groaned, obviously not liking the thought of doing schoolwork. “Fine. Bye, Rhodes.”

“Bye, Pea…” And like that he was gone again and she couldn’t stop the feeling of pain blossoming in her chest as she tried to go back to sleep.

The following week, Lavender and Sweet Pea spent plenty of platonic time together. Usually they weren’t alone, Fangs, Toni, Jughead, or occasionally Lily joining them, however it was still nice to still be able to have some kind of functioning relationship.

That brings us to today, Sweet Pea’s birthday, and while he insisted that no one celebrate it...Lavender may or may not have thrown him a surprise party at the Whyte Wyrm. She had ultimately decided to give him the photos that Toni had taken, because she didn’t want her time and effort to just go to waste. Plus, they’d be together again eventually right?

Fangs and Toni had helped her put up the last of the decorations. “Your aunt really made this cake?” Fangs asked, looking over the cake that was shaped and decorated to look like the Southside Serpent emblem. “This is amazing!”

Lavender grinned, “isn’t it? She gave me a great discount too. I guess she’s not so bad for a Northsider, huh?” Fangs just chuckled, shaking his head as he checked his phone.

“They’ll be here in a few minutes, everyone hide!” He ordered and everyone went to their places to surprise Sweet Pea when he got there. Of course, Lily would be with him. Mrs. Fogarty had happily agreed to watch Daisy for the night.

Soon enough, the two young serpents were walking into the bar while arguing with one another. Sweet Pea stopped and looked around at the decor, “What...Oh fuck-”

“Happy Birthday!” Everyone shouted as they jumped from their hiding places, Fangs poped a confetti bomb in Sweet Pea’s face just to annoy him. Sweet Pea didn’t look at all pleased. He really hadn’t wanted a birthday party.

Lav bounded up to him, a grin on her face. “I told you not to do anything…” He hissed at her and she just shrugged in response before grabbing his hand to lead him to the cake.

Sweet Pea stopped his grumbling when he saw it, “This is for me?” He asked, his voice nearly becoming a whisper. “Why?”

“To be fair, I planned all of this before we broke up.” Lav said, shrugging. “I didn’t want it all to go to waste! I know you never really had an actual birthday party so I wanted to throw you one so you could see how fun they are!”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Rhodes...you’re an idiot sometimes.” He grumbled at her and she just smiled at his griping. She knew his protests were not fully genuine. It wasn’t hard to figure out that he had always wanted someone to throw him a special get together. It took seventeen years but the wait was certainly worth it.

His eyes tore from the cake when he felt something press into his chest, he looked down to see a very small present being shoved into him. He glanced at Lav with a confused look, still was still smiling at him. “Open it, dummy.” She said with a small laugh.

Sweet Pea took the gift and unwrapped it, finding a USB drive inside. “What the hell is this?” He asked, looking it over.

“A jump drive, duh.” She said, pulling out her phone and pressing send on a message she had pre-set to send him. “Now look at your phone.”

He took out his phone and checked the text from her, his eyes widening at the images attached. “What-”

“I had these made before everything happened.” Lav said, sounding sheepish now. “And I didn’t want them to just sit on my laptop unappreciated. I thought...you know, it’d be something nice to hold onto for now. The original files are on the flash drive. Just try not to let Fangs see them. He’s been pestering me for weeks to get a peek.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off of the pictures. He hadn’t seen her in lingerie since her serpent dance. Obviously this was much different as he was the only one who could see this. “Who took them?” He asked, his voice raising slightly at the thought of another guy seeing her in this state of undress. “I swear to god if Jones-”

“Relax, Toni took them.” Lav said, rolling her eyes. “Calm down. You’re the only boy that gets to see me naked.” She froze before quickly back tracking, “I mean...you know what I meant.” She huffed at herself with annoyance.

“Rhodes.” Sweet Pea said, a little more firmly, “You can’t just give me something like this and not expect me to not want to... take care of it. ” He chose his words carefully in hopes that he wouldn’t offend her somehow. This whole friendship thing with her was brand new territory.

Lav blinked at him, not understanding at first until he shifted his weight uncomfortably in a somewhat awkward way. She had noticed before that he only did that when he was aroused and was trying to hide it.

“Sweet Pea, did my nudes give you a hard-on?” She asked in a sickly sweet voice, blinking up at him as if she were innocent. “I had no idea my body had such an effect on you.”

“You’re such a fucking tease.” He hissed at her, “If you don’t take care of this, then I’ll have to find someone that will.”

She rolled her eyes at him, “You’re such an asshole. Did you think I’d wind you up and not let you come down? It’ll be like July, no strings attached. Just friends with benefits.”

He pursed his lips, “I don’t see how that’s any different than just dating…”

“If you don’t want to fuck me, Sweet Pea, then you can go fuck someone else. Maybe Lily wants to give you some birthday fun instead.” She said bitterly, making him groan with annoyance.

“Just go to the storeroom. I’ll be there in ten minutes….I need a condom.” He grumbled to himself.

Lav rolled her eyes, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I came prepared, Pea. I already have one, but maybe you should wait to stir up less suspicion.” She turned and mingled through the crowd before disappearing behind the bar and into their favorite closet.

Sweet Pea couldn’t help but look through the pictures again, his pants starting to feel tighter. He cursed under his breath at her. Deep down he knew he couldn’t just do a physical relationship. Sure, with a majority of girls that was all he wanted. Lavender was different though. But still, he couldn’t turn her down. It would have been impossible for him to not partake in a round of birthday sex.

He waited ten minutes, keeping time on his phone. A few people had told him Happy Birthday and he shrugged them off the best he could. He really didn’t care for his birthday all that much, but he did appreciate Lav trying to make it special. Finally he made his way to the back room where they always seemed to end up.

He opened the door, finding Lavender already in her underwear, sitting on a small cot that was against the back wall. His brow quirked into a curious expression. “Someone’s eager.”

She couldn’t help but smirk at him, “It’s been over a week. I’m tired of having to do it myself.”

He shrugged off his leather jacket. “Is that so? Maybe you should have taken pictures of you doing that too.” He said, joking as he sat down next to her.

Lavender slipped into his lap, straddling him while she put her hands on his face. She kissed him passionately, unable to hold herself back any longer. She had missed him so much, that she almost thought about calling off their little break. She had to keep reminding herself that she had something to prove to Lily.

Sweet Pea kissed her back, his hands finding familiarity in the feeling of her hips in his grasp. She began to grind slowly, obviously not wanting to ease into things. He obliged her by kissing down her neck, nipping at her skin and sucking hickies into it. His hands slipped down to her ass, squeezing handfuls of flesh between his fingers.

She undressed him as quickly as he’d let her which was not quick enough. As she yanked his boxers down, she looked up at him from her position between his legs. “Can I have a taste?” She asked, knowing he wouldn’t turn her down.

Sweet Pea swallowed thickly before nodding. Lav took his cock in her hand and stroked it before sliding it into her mouth. He put a hand on the back of her head to force it down further, making her nearly choke.

Lav bobbed her head as she sucked and licked at him, earning herself small pleased moans from his throat. After only a few minutes he pulled her up by her hair. She pouted at him, wondering why he stopped her. “You’re going to ruin your makeup if you keep at it.” He said, a little out of breath.

She grinned at him before shaking her head when he released her hair. “This lipstick is blow job proof, Pea. My makeup would have been fine, thanks for the concern though. Lay back.”

He made a face at her, “I don’t like girls on top.”

“Well tough, I want to be on top, so lay back.” She said in a bratty tone. His eyes narrowed before he reluctantly laid back on the cot, his lower legs hanging off.

Lavender stood and took off her underwear. She grabbed the condom she had brought and tore open the gold foil package before rolling it onto his penis. “You say you don’t like it, but have you ever tried it?” She asked, knowing the answer already. Sweet Pea only grunted in response and she knew that was a no.

She straddled him once more, lowering herself down as he held his dick in place for her. He entered her as she slowly descended until their hips touched.

He had to admit, this was a nice angle even if he did feel less in control. Lav let out a breathy sigh as she began to move her hips, finding that perfect position that had him hitting her g-spot in the most amazing way.

Sweet Pea watched her facial expressions as she fucked him, entranced by them completely. She put her hands on his chest for support, while his own gravitated towards her hips again. She was moving much too slow for his liking. Using his grip on her he started to move them faster due to his impatience.

Lav let out a small mewl of delight, throwing her head back slightly as she allowed him to move her hips for her. She bucked desperately wanting more.

He pulled her down to hold her against his chest while he thrust upward, taking total control of the situation after he figured she had had enough fun. His hips slammed up against hers at a fast pace, groaning as he felt her teeth on the base of his neck right before his shoulder. “Fuck,” He gasped lightly.

“Oh god, Pea,” Lav moaned as he increased his speed, “right there, oh fuck .” Her whines made him only that more into it. If he could have flipped over and fucked her harder than he would, unfortunately that just wasn’t possible as there wasn’t enough room.

He reached up and pulled her hair, tangling it between his fingers. Her lips parted from his neck as her head was wrenched backwards. “Did you think I’d let you have control, baby girl?” He asked darkly as her eyes rolled back from the pleasure she was feeling, her climax building.

“No,” She gasped back before moaning a little too loudly. Luckily there was loud music playing out in the main part of the bar. “I’m gonna cum, Pea, I’m so fucking close.”

Sweet Pea roughly grabbed onto her ass to hold her in place as he continued to ram into her until she suddenly covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the scream that came out. Her inner muscles fluttered around him, squeezing his cock so much that he came almost immediately after.

Lav rested her head on his chest as she panted. “Let’s get cleaned up, we have cake to eat.” She said between breaths. She sat up and fixed her hair before standing up shakily, looking around for the rest of her clothes.

He sat up, taking the condom off and tying it off so that his semen wouldn’t come out. He watched her dress, still trying to regain his breath. “Wow, just come and go then.” He said with a hint of annoyance.

She turned and gave him a confused look, “I’m not going anywhere without you, dummy. Come on. Don’t you want to eat cake?”

“I swear, you’re worse than Jones when it comes to food.” He grumbled as he stood up and started to get dressed. Despite having just had sex, he found himself feeling incredibly empty. Maybe it was having her so close only for her to rip away from him when they were done. Normally they laid together for a while afterwards until he usually fell asleep. It hurt him more than he thought it would for her to act like sex with him was nothing but a physical activity. Now he knew what all of his one night stands felt like when he left immediately after they had finished.

Lav just shrugged at his insult, letting it roll off her. “Meet me by the cake when you’re ready. My aunt is an amazing baker, you’re going to love it.” She said with a bright smile before leaving, shutting the door behind her.

He sat in silence for what felt like forever, staring at the door where she had walked out. This shouldn’t hurt this much, he thought to himself. It was almost the same level of pain when Lily left a year ago. She was there but she wasn’t at the same time and it was slowly tearing him apart. He stood and started to dress slowly, taking in a deep breath to squash his emotions deep down inside of himself. Then, he opened the door and went to join the others...

Tag List: @the-gargoyle-queen​, @alexa-playafricabytoto​ If you want to continue to be tagged in the sequel, just let me know!

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[anotherficwriter]

Polaroid (How They Met)

Alright everyone!!! So sorry that this took so long to post. It has been done for a couple days now but I never got the chance to edit it with work! 

This story is set about 7 months before the events of A Serpent’s Secret Lover! I will be creating more one shots based around this story as I really love the dynamic between Sweet Pea and the reader that I have created so far! 

Let me know what you think!

Warnings: Cringe cuteness!!

As the end of day bell rings, you begin packing up your notebook and chemistry textbook and start to make your way towards your locker. Dropping off your books, you grab your photography stuff and head to Mr. Grating’s classroom for Photography Club. 

“Ready to take some pics, Princess,” as you turn around and shut your locker you see the one and only Reggie Mantle standing behind you. 

“I am, Reggie. I still cannot believe that you decided to join the photography club! Do you even like photography?” 

“I mean… I did go out and buy a camera specifically for the purpose of using it, so... yes?” 

“You bought a camera because you were hoping Cynthia would let you take nude photos of her!” 

“Ya know, I regret telling you that! I said that in confidence,” Reggie pushes open the door and holds it open in front of him for you.

“You told it to me when we were studying Stats! In the school library!!” As you walk into the classroom you greet Mr. Grating and take your seat as Reggie plops down next to Cynthia and turns around to give you a wink. 

“Alright everyone! Welcome to club. Let’s go around and do small wins of the week! Reggie, you can start.”

“Um, alright! I guess my win for the week is that I beat my personal deadlift record so I’m feeling pretty pumped about that!” When he finishes his words he glances over at Cynthia who is looking at him, impressed. You roll your eyes at the boy’s attempts and how they seem to be working. The rest of the class goes around and shares their small wins of the week and then it gets to you.

“Y/N? What is your small win?” 

“I think it would have to be my new camera! I figured I’d hop on the trend and get one of those updated Polaroid cameras! The InstaMax one!”

“Very nice! You can use that for today’s assignment which is to find something outside of your comfort zone and shoot that. If you normally do landscapes try portraits or something! Something new for you! Next week you can come back and we will share the photos, and learn some new techniques. Best photo gets a meal voucher for Pop’s!” 

As students start to get up and chat amongst themselves you take your camera out of its bag and head out the door trying to figure out what you would like to shoot. You typically did shoot things like landscapes so you figured you might try to give people a try. Those were definitely out of your comfort zone. You had always been too scared to take photos of people because they were so different and individual. One person would need different camera adjustments than the other and that wasn’t something you were fully comfortable exploring yet. But that’s what this assignment was for: to branch out and try new things. 

Walking the halls for a few minutes you try to find someone who looks friendly enough to photograph. After a little while of doing that you decide to give up and begin to pack your things to go home. Maybe you could take some photos of your mom or your animals or a cool looking car on the street. You place your headphones in your ear before walking outside where Reggie and Cynthia are out at one of the picnic tables taking some photos before letting out a chuckle to yourself and beginning your walk home. 

You took one or two test shots with your new camera, printing out photos of the sun shining through the trees and of a person walking their dog. The neon signs of Pop’s lays in front of you in the distance and you debate stopping in for a milkshake but decide against it. When you reach the intersection that stands a couple streets down from your house a wild idea pops into your head. Instead of taking the normal turn towards your house you decide to go in the opposite direction and walk down the street towards the southside of town. You know that you might not want to cross the line into the official southside but you might be able to spot a couple of cool looking motorcycles or cars down that direction.

You’re looking down at your camera when you hear the loud rumble of a motorcycle.Your head snaps up to watch it drive past but before you can snap a picture, it is out of sight.”A parked bike would be much easier to take photos of,” you thought to yourself. The bridge that officially marks the northside from the southside looms closer and with some long, deep breaths you begin to make your way across it. It is still bright daylight which you are incredibly thankful for as it takes a bit of the nerves off. 

As you walk, more bikes come and go but you see no stationary ones to photograph. Just as you are about to give up and turn around, you spot a motorcycle parked in a spot not surrounded by others. As you start walking towards a bike you notice that it is parked in the lot in front of Southside High. The other cars that are towards the back of the lot must be teachers who are staying late but the rest of the school has seemed to clear out. Before you allow yourself to question why this one bike would still be here, you ready your camera as you start trying to find the best angle and lighting. 

You take one shot of the bike and as you are waiting for it to print you hear the doors of the school open and close. You are silently hoping in your mind that this is a teacher coming out and not the person whose motorcycle this is but, of course, your hopes are in vain. 

“What the hell are you doing with my bike?!” you hear a booming voice and as you muster up the courage to turn around you see a very angry looking boy walking towards you. As he gets closer you realize just how tall and intimidating he really is and you swallow hard. “Are you deaf, princess? What are you doing with my bike?” His voice shows no signs in calming and you try to scramble your brain for a sentence. 

“I-uhm- I… I was taking a picture of it,” you have never sounded so small and you want to slap yourself for being so afraid but who wouldn’t be?!

“You got a reason?” He’s still mad but now there is a hint of confusion in his voice as he looks at you trying to figure out why this northside girl was all the way on the southside taking Polaroid pictures of his motorcycle. 

“Well I… um… I needed to take photos of something for my photography club and it needed to be out of my normal realm of comfort so I picked cars or people and then I thought ‘well motorcycles would be cool’ so I started walking and then I saw your bike and the sun was hitting it so it looked really nice and I thought I could take a few photos of it with my new camera. I’m really sorry! I didn't want to cause any trouble,” the words spill out of you at such a fast speed that you hope he was able to understand and process them. 

“So you needed photos and you decided to come to the southside to take pictures of motorcycles? Literally risking your safety for a club?” The confusion is there and evident.

“Yeah, I guess so. I realize how silly it sounds! Sorry! I’ll go now, okay? I don’t want any trouble,” you start to back away but he puts his hand out to stop you.

“I’m not going to hurt you, princess. I’m sorry if I scared you. You can never be sure who’s who, especially when I come out and they’re poking around my bike. Did you want to get a few more shots?” his voice is much softer now than it had been only moments ago. As he looks at you he has a gentle smile on his face and he gestures towards his bike. “You know, before the sun stops shining or whatever.” 

“You don’t mind? Because I can leave, it’s really not a problem.”

“You came all this way here. You might as well get what you came here to get.” 

“Okay, yeah… thanks!” You give him a small smile as you ready your camera again. He smiles back at you and then steps back as not to get in the way of your shot.

You crouch down and get a shot of the bike from below. It looks beautiful in the viewfinder and when you click the shutter button you are excited to see the print. 

“How long does it take to print out?” The tall boy is looking down at you while you are still crouched on the ground. You stand up to meet his face and tell him that it takes about a minute to fully reveal the photo.

“You said you wanted to take photos of people right? Take one of me,” the smirk on his face makes you want to scream but you keep your composure. The fear of the previous situation stopped your brain from processing who this boy was but now that you were fully looking at him you recognized him. You didn't know him but Jughead did. This boy was one of Jughead’s fellow Serpents. The cute one. You try desperately to hold back your blush as you cough out a response.

“Oh! I don’t want to impose,” you’re sure you sound just as embarrassed as you feel but you can’t help it. 

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!” His voice is filled with humor and amusement and you keep trying to decide if he’s making fun of you or trying to get you to engage with him. You decide on the latter and have him lean against the bike. 

You look through the viewfinder and your breath is swept away by how beautiful this boy truly is. It takes you a few deep breaths to finally take the photo because you are much too blown away to concentrate. 

“Think I look good?” Your mouth opens wide as you try to formulate an answer. “I mean the photo. You think the photo looks good?” Something about his smirk tells you that that is not what he meant at all. But he wanted to let you dangle.

“Yeah… um… I think so! I mean you looked good in the viewfinder. I meant the photo did. Not that you didn’t! You know what I mean,” you are back to the stumbling over you words and letting a blush crawl up your neck and cheeks. All he does is smirk at you knowingly. 

The print out feels like it takes forever to fully develop but when it does you look down and are just as amazed as before. It is a beautiful photo. 

“So, what do you think?” He’s bowing his head to look down at the photo your holding. “Am I a good subject for your assignment?” 

“It’s a really great photo! You are very photogenic,” that is the best compliment you can think to give him without embarrassing yourself even further. 

“And what about you, princess? Are you photogenic?” 

“Oh no no! I take the photos! I am never in them,” you are waving your hands in dismissal but he isn’t planning on letting you off that easy. 

“Let me take one of you! I want a picture of you sitting on my bike,” his tone is serious and as his eyes meet yours you are at a loss for words. “Please.” 

Before you can say no to him, he takes a gentle hold on your elbow and guides you over to the bike where he gestures for you to sit on it. You do. It feels incredibly strange to be sitting on a motorcycle. He is holding the camera in his hands but watches you as you try to make yourself comfortable on the bike. The way he looks at you makes you feel like there is no one else in the entire world and that terrifies you. How could a person you just met have this much of an effect on you? Before you could think to much into it he was telling you to get ready before holding up the camera and snapping the picture. 

“I wasn’t even ready! Not fair!” You weren’t actually mad but you didn’t want to be looking like a fool in front of this boy either. Not after that model-quality photograph of him. 

“You looked perfect to me!” Oh my goodness, this boy was going to be the death of you and this interaction could not have been longer than five minutes. 

“Oh...um...Thanks!” 

He waves the photo around to help it develop, like he saw you do. When it finally finishes, he looks at it with his mouth slightly agape. 

“You look amazing,” he wasn’t even saying it in a sarcastic manner. He seems genuinely taken aback and you feel pride swell up inside you. You were able to make this beautiful Southside Serpent lose his words. 

Before you can even say thank you he was reaching in his back pocket for something. He pulls out an uncapped pen. 

“Sign the back for me. I want to keep it.” 

“You want to keep a photo of me? Why?” Now you were the one to be confused as he presents the photo and pen to you.

“Because you look beautiful and that way if I ever see you around again, you can’t say you don’t know who I am.” 

“Do you take me as the kind of person who would do something like that?” You take the pen and picture out of his hands and lean down against his bike to sign your name on the back of it. 

“It was nice to meet you...Y/N,” he reads your signature on the back of the photo and hearing your name comes out of his mouth makes your heartbeat a little faster and you wouldn’t mind if that was all you heard for the rest of your life. “I’m Sweet Pea, by the way,” he holds out his hand for you to shake and you do. 

“It was nice to meet you too, Sweet Pea. What are you going to do with that photo?” 

He pulls his hand away from yours and reaches into his back pocket again to pull out his wallet. 

“I’m going to keep it right here and hope that I see you again soon!” The smile on his face is genuine and beaming so brightly that it lights up the surrounding area. He doesn’t allow you to say anything else as he walks towards his motorcycle and hops on to it. He reaches around towards the back and holds forward a helmet.

 “Want a ride back to your side of town?” 

“That would be great, thank you! You can just drop me off on the other side of the bridge,” as much as you wanted to spend more time with him, you didn’t quite know how people would react seeing the Northside Princess being escorted around the northside by a Serpent on a motorcycle. 

He gives you a little nod before turning on the bike and beginning to ride away. If you weren’t so caught up in how exciting this entire situation was you would’ve asked where his backpack was, what he was doing at school so late, why he was so nice to you, what his number was, and more. But the feeling of the wind rushing past you and the feel of his denim serpent jacket under your palms was overwhelming. 

When you finally reached the edge of the bridge you felt a pang of sadness for your time together was over. He cut the engine of the bike and put the kickstand out to steady you both. He swung his arm around to you so that he could grasp your arm help you get off the bike as gracefully as you could. You tripped slightly when your feet hit the ground and let out a little squeak of fear. A small laugh escaped him as he watches you steady yourself. 

“See you around, princess. Just hopefully not when you are wandering around the southside alone again, yeah?” 

“Yeah, sounds good,” you hand the helmet back to him and watch as he puts it back in its spot behind the seat.

With that he put the kickstand back up, turned the bike on and made a 180 degree turn back towards the southside. You watched him drive away until he was out of sight and when you finally turned around to start walking back home you couldn’t help but think of all the possible ways you might run into him again. Excitement filled your whole body for the day when it would finally come. 

Next week, at photography club you would turn in three pictures that you took. One of Sweet Pea leaning against his bike and two of just the bike. The entire club thought they were incredible and you ended up winning that meal voucher to Pop’s. If only you could take your new friend for a meal. Instead, you would probably have to settle for going with your favorite foursome.

[protectjugheadjonesiii]

The Lucky One

Pairing: Archie x Reader

Word count: 1,950ish but feel free to add more

A/N: if you didn’t see my post about my inactivity but I won’t writing imagines on this blog anymore. however, i’m posting all of my incomplete imagines and i would love it if you all would reblog them and add on how you think the imagines should continue and end. i’ll be reblogging every addition that i see :)

New to town with a made up name in the Angel city, chasing fortune and fame And the camera flashes, make it look like a dream

Unlike most kids in Riverdale, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) dreamed of bigger things she could do with her life, greater achievements she could accomplish outside of her small hometown.

Life in Riverdale wasn’t bad; she had her friends: Betty, Archie, and Jughead.  The four of them were known as the four musketeers, always stumbling around the quiet streets with barking laughter.  

The ten year olds made a home in Pop’s diner, their regular booth being touched by no one but themselves.

But even with her strong bonds of friendship, (Y/N) grew restless with her head full of dreams. Riverdale was too small of a town for her to go anywhere far in life, and that was exactly what she wanted to do.

“Do you think we’ll all grow old together?” Betty asked the table one night.  “Maybe we’ll be like our parents: we’ll go to school together, marry each other, and have kids that are best friends with each other.”

“Well then who are you gonna marry, Betty?” Archie inquired with a smirk.  “Me or Jughead?”

“How do you know she doesn’t want to marry (Y/N)?” Jughead interjected, withholding his laughter at the transition of Archie’s facial expression from confidence to shock. Jughead turned to (Y/N), who had been wistfully staring out the window in silence during the conversation, “What do you think, (Y/N)?”

“Hmm?” she hummed, turning to face her friends.  She bit her lip, not wanting to talk about her opposing life plans.  “Oh yeah, I’ll be here.”

You had it figured out since you were in school Everybody loves pretty, everybody loves cool So overnight you look like a sixties’ queen

Every year at Riverdale Elementary, the fourth graders did a project on what they wanted to be when they grew up.  They had to brainstorm ideas of what they wanted to be and then research some requirements for said profession.  At the end of the month, each student would present their project to the class.

“I want to join my dad’s construction company,” Archie announced during his presentation.  “He told me that when I’m older, I can spend the summer helping him, and that one day I can even own the company!”  He decided to not talk about the other ideas he had about what he wanted to be when he grew up.  Being a construction worker was good enough for him.

“I want to be a journalist, just like my mom and dad,” Betty informed the class.  “I would help them with their articles and eventually write my own.”

“A writer,” Jughead declared as soon as he stood up, not even allowing himself enough time to reach the front of the classroom.  “I want to be a writer when I grow up.  Not a journalist like Betty, though.  I want to write my own stories and publish books.”

When (Y/N) did her presentation, she hesitated.  She spent all her time researching what it took to become an actress, but as she stood in front of all of her friends whose plans let them stay in Riverdale, she grew unsure of herself.

“I-” she paused, giving herself one last chance to change her mind.  “I want to be an actress.  But I don’t want to wait until I’m grown up to become one.  When I did my research, I saw that a lot of famous actors started when they were little.”

“There aren’t many movies created here in Riverdale,” the teacher commented.

(Y/N) shrugged.  “Then I guess I’ll have to go find movie makers somewhere else.”  She ignored Archie, Betty, and Jughead’s stunned faces as she sat down.

Another name goes up in lights, like diamonds in the sky

A few weeks later, (Y/N)’s dad announced to the (Y/L/N) family that they were moving to Hollywood, which would allow (Y/N) to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress.  Her excitement only lasted for a few moments before she realized that she would have to leave her friends.

“Archie!”  She stood on his doorstep, waiting for him to open the door.

“(Y/N)?” he questioned, opening the door.  “What are you doing here?  It’s late.”

“I need to tell you something,” she said, rocking back and forth on her feet.  “I…” she trailed off, the guilt causing her throat to close up.

“You what?”

“I’m moving,” she blurted out.

“To a new house?” he asked, not grasping the severity of her statement.

“To Hollywood,” she corrected him, sadly watching as his expression deflated.

“Why aren’t you telling Betty and Jughead?” he questioned.

“I wanted to tell you first, Archie.  You’re my best friend.”

“Betty and Jughead aren’t your best friends too?”

“They are…” (Y/N) shrugged, digging her heel into the ground, “but you’re my best friend.”  Archie sadly nodded.

“You’re my best friend too, (Y/N).”  He enveloped her in a hug, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her face in his t-shirt, trying to memorize that feeling.

And they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one Yeah, they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one But can you tell me now, you’re the lucky one, oh, oh, oh

When (Y/N) landed her first role, the entire town of Riverdale went into a frenzy.  Everyone counted down the days until her movie would premiere.

Archie was confused about how he felt.  He didn’t know if he was happy or upset that (Y/N) played a part in a big move.  He knew it would result in her staying in Hollywood longer as she continued her career.  A small, selfish part of him always hoped that she would eventually give up and come back to Riverdale.

“(Y/N)’s movie comes out tomorrow!” Betty squealed as they sat in their booth, ignoring the one empty spot next to Archie.

“The Twilight Drive-In is gonna show it,” Jughead informed them.  “It’s gonna be so busy there.”

“All of Riverdale will go!” Betty exclaimed.  “The whole town is so excited for this.”  

When Archie continued to not respond, Betty and Jughead shared a puzzled look.

“Are you okay, Archie?” Jughead questioned, trying to make eye contact with his solemn friend.

“I’m fine.”  Archie shrugged.  “Just a bit tired.  I think I’m gonna go home early, get to sleep.  Gotta be wide awake to watch (Y/N)’s movie tomorrow.”

He exited the diner, leaving Betty and Jughead to continue their excited conversation over the movie.

Now it’s big black cars, and Riviera views, And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you And your secrets end up splashed on the news front page

As predicted by Archie, (Y/N)’s role in her debut movie attracted other producers, allowing her more opportunities to audition for more parts.  Each movie she was in became a success, and soon (Y/N) was the poster child of young Hollywood actors.

Her busy filming schedule prevented her from ever returning to her hometown, no matter how much Mayor McCoy begged her to.

Even if she were able to return, (Y/N) knew it wouldn’t be because of the mayor. It would be because of her red-headed best friend.

As much as (Y/N) tried to keep in touch with her best friend, it became increasingly difficult with each new movie role she obtained.  Even when she found a spare moment to call Archie, he never answered. She always brushed it off as her calling at an inconvenient time.  (Y/N) never even considered the possibility that Archie stared at his phone screen as her name appeared before silencing its rings, not daring to pick up and hear her voice.

And they tell you that you’re lucky But you’re so confused, 'Cause you don’t feel pretty, you just feel used And all the young things line up to take your place

“(Y/N)! (Y/N)!” The reporters yelled from all around the red carpet, camera flashes going off every second. Through the chaos, (Y/N) maintained a smile.  By now, she was experienced with the hell of red carpets.

“(Y/N), do you have a boyfriend,” one reporter asked, holding a microphone out towards her. Her smile faltered for just a moment, but she quickly recovered.

“Oh, god no,” she answered with a light laugh.  “I mean I’m only fifteen, and so much is going on in my life right now.  I don’t know that anyone would want to deal with me right now.”

“So many boys are pining after you, (Y/N)!” the reporter exclaimed.  “It can’t be because of that.  Could it be because you already have someone?  A secret lover?”

(Y/N)’s mind immediately jumped to Archie. She hadn’t seen him in five years, so she could only picture his ten-year-old face.

“No,” she said after a moment of hesitation.  “No, I don’t have a secret lover.”

“You hesitated though,” the reported pointed out.  “Maybe it’s just a crush?”

She thought, again, of her red-headed best friend back in Riverdale.  He was the first person she told that she was moving, the only person that made her hesitate before leaving Riverdale.

“No,” (Y/N) shook her head with a bitter smile.  “No crushes here.”

Another name goes up in lights You wonder if you’ll make it out alive

“Another successful movie by (Y/N),” Jughead sighed, flopping into the booth.  Betty nudged him as she nodded her head towards Archie, who sat across from them.  “Sorry, Arch,” Jughead apologized.

Archie shook his head and didn’t respond.

“Are you guys angry about that?” Veronica questioned.  “I mean, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) is an acting legend. Isn’t there some Riverdale pride here that this small town produced one of the hottest up-and-coming actresses in Hollywood?”

“We knew (Y/N),” Betty explained quietly, not taking her eyes off of Archie.

“Yeah, I’ve met her once, too,” Veronica said, not understanding the issue at hand.  “I met her at a club.”

“Veronica,” Betty reiterated, “we knew (Y/N).  She was one of our best friends.”

“Oh,” Veronica finally understood.  She glanced at Archie, who was picking at his French fries.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

Before she could finish, Archie got up and stormed out of the diner.

“(Y/N) was best friends with all of us,” Betty continued, slightly shaking her head, “but she and Archie were best friends.  Everyone always thought they’d get married.”

And they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one Yeah, they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one Can you tell me now, you’re the lucky one, Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

As Archie continued his studies in high school, (Y/N) continued to act in movies and guest-star in TV shows.

When Archie became captain of the football team, (Y/N) was nominated for an Oscar.

Slowly but surely, both Archie and (Y/N) began to let go of each other, not daring to reminisce upon their childhood friendship.

(Y/N) stopped attempting to reach Archie, finally accepting that he was, in fact, ignoring her.  She went on dates with other actors and musicians that she met, only briefly thinking of the red-head back home.  Archie dated girls, such as Valerie and Veronica, and he only thought of his long-lost (Y/N) a few times.

It was a few years later, I showed up here And they still tell the legend of how you disappeared, How you took the money and your dignity, and got the hell out

After Archie graduated, he decided to stay in Riverdale to focus on his music. He could’ve gone to college, hell he could’ve moved to Nashville or LA or New York to be in a better environment to work on his music. But he saw what leaving did to (Y/N), and he knew that he didn’t want to go down that path. She was living her dream. And even if music was his dream, Archie did not want the fame that came with a successful music career.

He posted his songs on YouTube and left it at that. No promotions, no running around begging for record deals.

(Y/N), thousands of miles away, watched every single video. She smiled at his talent (and blushed at his muscular form). She hadn’t seen him since he was ten; the only things that were familiar to her were his bright red hair and soulful eyes.

[petertingle-yipyip]

Lotta Love - Fangs Fogarty

//Requested by @slytherinqueenmer :  Can you do one with Fangs, where the reader is Archie's sister and they start to develop feelings for each other while Archie is in Canada and now that he is back they they are afraid to tell him?//

//Warnings: Language. I had a lot of fun writing this the first time. Pairings: Fangs x Andrews!Reader// 

//Part Two//

It felt like forever, not having Archie around. You knew he left to protect you. You knew he would’ve stayed if he could, but he saw no other way. He left you, your dad, Betty, and even Veronica behind. Even though Archie Andrews was a free man in Riverdale, he didn’t feel safe.

After you and your friends helped get Archie out of juvie, and after he was hiding out of the bunker, he came out different. You couldn’t blame him. Anyone would come out different if they had escaped a teenage fight club. But despite it all, you wanted to hate him for leaving even though you knew you couldn’t. His last words haunted you, everyday.

“I have to keep you safe, Y/N. You have to let me do this. I’m sorry I wasn’t better at this whole big brother thing. Guess I didn’t figure it out until now… I love you.”

But despite everything, being friends with Toni made things hurt less. Hanging out with her and her friends helped you feel less alone. You loved hanging out with Betty and Veronica but they just made you miss Archie even more. It wasn’t their fault and you all understood that fact, but seeing them made you remember your brother. So, until you could come to terms with what was happening, you had to keep your distance.

Toni and her southside friends welcomed you with open arms. You weren’t sure if it was part of Jughead’s influence or maybe Cheryl’s. Or maybe they just liked you as a person. Either way, you appreciated their company. You had hoped they could fill the empty space you had in your heart for family that Archie took with him, but it didn’t quite do the job.

“I still can’t believe Jones left us.” Sweet Pea muttered as the small group sat around the empty fire pit.

“We all know you’d do the same thing for Fangs and vice versa. He’s protecting his best friend. We can’t be mad at him for that.” Toni reasoned. “Speaking of Archie, how are you holding up, Y/N?”

“Little better everyday, I guess. Walking past his room isn’t at upsetting, same with his locker at school. And hearing people talk about him doesn’t make me wanna cry to yeah, making progress.” You shrugged nonchalantly. “It just sucks.. When we were growing up, Archie was always around. I’ve never been this kind of apart from my brother and it’s just kinda empty.”

It was far worse at home. Archie’s room was completely untouched. Everything was the way he left it. Neither you nor your dad could stomach to go in so you simply shut the door, thinking it would make the pain go away. It didn’t.

“He’ll come back..” Cheryl said softly. “Trust me, I know it’s not the same as me and JJ, but I promise it gets better. You just need someone to help remind you what it’s like to be happy again.” She squeezed Toni’s hand affectionately.

“Yeah, why are you still single, Little Andrews?” Sweet Pea asked, suddenly interested in your life. Sure, you and Sweet Pea were friends but not enough to really talk about your personal lives. Let alone ask questions with intent of a conversation behind them. “The Bulldogs are on you every day and you just wave them off.” 

“Huh?” You asked as the questioned registered in your mind. “Oh, uh, I don’t know. I guess I just haven’t been asked by the right guy.” You shrugged with a small smile, sneaking a glance at Fangs, who was distracted by the ring on his hand. “But I mean, I’m not the only single one in circle.” You stared pointedly to the boys.

“That’s right. Fangs, buddy. Where’s your lady love, hmm?” Cheryl asked teasingly. “Sweet Pea has his rollercoaster with Josie but at least it’s something. You however, are so lonely in that little corner.”

“Ha ha, Cheryl.” He rolled his eyes.

“You’ve got to have your eye on someone.” Toni urged, trying to squeeze a confession from him.

“And what if I do?” He teased as an answer.

“Serpent?” Sweet Pea asked eagerly.

“Not even close.” Fangs laughed.

You had to admit that Fangs had caught your attention since the Southside kids transferred to Riverdale High. He wasn’t as brooding and angry as Sweet Pea, but he wasn’t the outgoing and talkative personality that Toni was. He was the perfect balance of a Serpent and a regular kid. Not to mention he was beautiful.

“Hey, what if Y/N doesn’t want a Bulldog?” Toni realized suddenly.

“Who would?” Sweet Pea scoffed. “They’re all mangy and covered in fleas... Well, save for your brother, Little Andrews.”

You simply rolled your eyes with a small chuckle. Sweet Pea took any shot at the Bulldogs that he could. Old habits died hard, you supposed.

“I’m serious, Y/N... What about a Serpent?” Toni asked slowly, her voice hinting that she was asking for someone specific. “Maybe about five foot nine, dark hair...” She trailed off.

“I’m open to the possibility, sure. I mean, if girl-next-door Betty Cooper can survive dating the Serpent King, I can handle dating a Serpent... Should the opportunity present itself, that is.” You played along as if you didn’t know who she was talking about. You had no proof, but part of you hoped she was hinting at Fangs. “So long as they can get over the fact that my brother is an idiot.”

“Yeah, your idiot brother pulled a gun on then clocked me in the face.” Sweet Pea commented. “He’s lucky I didn’t-”

“Clearly, Pea isn’t over it.” Toni laughed.

The conversation shifted from your love life to school, to Serpent business, to Jughead, and then came to an end when Toni had to leave for her shift at the Wyrm. At that point, you thought it best you leave too. You didn’t want to be home alone since your dad would be working late on some blue prints he was creating. But at least you had Vegas.

“You’re leaving?” Fangs asked suddenly when you stood to gather your stuff, drawing a small smile from you.

“Yeah.” You nodded. “I have to pick up dinner for myself and then get some homework done. My dad’s gonna be late so I don’t want to still be up when he gets back, y’know?”

“Did you need a- a ride or anything?” He offered, nodding to his bike. “Or, do you want one even if you don’t need it? Not that you- that you have to. Only if uh... if you want.. to...”

“As much as I would love that,” You smiled. “I can walk. A little cardio would do me some good. Besides, I’ve locked myself away a lot lately. Maybe it’s better if I take my time in the fresh air.. Stretch my legs and fill my lungs, all that good stuff.”

“Want one of us to walk you home at least?” Cheryl offered. “It’s getting a little dark to be out on your own, don’t you think? Despite what Archie believed, the Andrews family is not the Bat Family. Plus, you’re as much of a walking time bomb these days as Archie was before he vanished. Maybe it’s best if you’re not alone?”

“I’m not going to do anything stupid. But if you feel so obliged, I can’t tell you where to walk.” You winked in their direction before turning on your heel and heading home.

You were only a few feet away when you heard someone jog up to you. You glanced over and saw Fangs next to you.

“Hi.” You smiled when he looked down at you after a moment of walking in silence.

“Hey.” He replied with the same smile.

“So what made you decide to walk me home?” You asked, pointing in the direction you were walking. 

“Eh.” He shrugged. “A little cardio would do me some good.”

“Clever.” You nodded slightly.

“Where you going for dinner?” He asked, trying to keep conversation.

“Probably just grabs Pop’s.” You replied casually.

“By yourself?” He asked before shaking his head. “No, that’s not right. Go with me.”

“Wouldn’t you be going with me since I was already headed that way?” You asked teasingly.

“Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean.” He rolled his eyes with a small smile. “C’mon. My treat.”

“Your treat, huh?” You contemplated.

“My treat.” He confirmed, side stepping and turning on a dime to stand in front of you. You had to quickly stop your own steps to not run into him.

You stared at him for a moment, mildly admiring his features. You had to tilt your head back to meet his eyes, which held just a bit of mischief behind the excitement that was mixed with worry. Maybe this was the opportunity to see if you were really compatible with a Serpent over a Bulldog. So far, all signs pointed to yes.

“So, what do you say, Y/N?” He asked, breaking you from you daze.

“If you insist, Fogarty.” You sighed with a small smile. “Vanilla shake, no cherry. Double dipper sliders with a side of fries.” You said as you and Fangs walked to Pop’s.

You two took the corner booth after being welcomed by Pop. Fangs ordered for you, getting it exactly right before ordering for himself. It was interesting, being alone with Fangs. Normally, you would hang out with him when you hung out with everyone else. It was nice to be alone with him. You didn’t feel so alone with Fangs. Life wasn’t as empty.

“How tall are you?” You asked suddenly, thinking about what Cheryl and Toni had said earlier that day. “Asking for a friend..”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Five eight, maybe five nine.”

“Nice.” You mumbled happily. “So why did you want to come with me? And not just here, like taking me home too.”

“Is it a crime to want to spend time with you?” He laughed a little.

“A crime, no. But I suppose it wouldn’t be your first.” You winked.

“Oh, aren’t you clever?” He joked.

“A little bit, yes. I am.” You beamed.

“I don’t get you, Y/N.” He said honestly. “You’re just the opposite of your brother.”

“Yeah, not everyone sees that.” You laughed a little. “A lot of the kids at school would call me Little Andrews growing up,  just like Sweet Pea did earlier. Everyone saw me as Archie’s little sister, and not Y/N Andrews. No matter what I did, everyone compared me to Arch. So I didn’t do sports in high school. I started doing Kevin’s theater productions and writing for the Blue and Gold.”

“Never would’ve pinned you as the theater type.” He said, pointing at you with a fry.

“Well yeah, no one does. But that’s what happens when you’re friend with Kevin. He can be very convincing.” You said with a slight chuckle.

“Y/N, hey.” Veronica said, approaching the table with Betty. “Oh, and Fangs. Hi.”

“Oh, hey girls.” You said with a welcoming smile. “What’s up?”

“We just wanted to see how you were doing, and if maybe you’d want to join us.” Betty answered.

“I’m okay, actually.” You nodded and looked over at Fangs, who was already looking at you. “As far as joining you goes… I’m good here, matter of fact. How about you girls come over to my place tomorrow and we can catch up?”

“Uh, okay. Yes, of course.” Veronica answered before slowly walking away with Betty, both of them glancing back at you before sitting in their own booth.

“You sure you don’t wanna go?” Fangs asked.

“Positive.” You nodded happily. “You’re the one who wanted me to go with you so leaving would be kind of a dick move, don’t you think? Besides, this wasn’t their treat.” You winked.

Once you two had finished eating, Fangs had elected to keep walking you home. He used the fact that it was dark as his excuse, saying that Riverdale isn’t the same anymore and you had to be careful. You two got to know each other more on your walk and it was rather calming. You felt happy, not just distracted like you’ve been in your recent misery. When you reached your porch, you asked Fangs if he’d like to go to Pop’s again next week, your treat. He happily agreed and that was the start of something truly great, something that did a lot of good for you.

You and Fangs turned once a week at Pop’s to twice a week. Then to every other day. Then it turned to going to your house after school, or you going with him to the Wyrm. You hadn’t realized that you two had begun holding hands, sitting next to each other, or being rather affectionate towards one another. It made sense that you asked him to be official after a couple weeks of it, and he didn’t hesitate.

For the next few weeks, you two kept your uphill climb. Fangs began spending the night at your house a few nights a week, with your dad’s blessing. You were his support system and he was yours. Suddenly, everything didn’t seem so hopeless. Birds chirped again. The wind wasn’t so cold. The sun was a little bit brighter. Your smile was a little bit wider.

Jughead came back after you began to normalize your new life without Archie. It sparked that hope in your chest again, but when he told you Archie wasn’t coming home, you deflated. Your dad was able to see Archie one last time and tell him goodbye. He even gave Vegas to Archie to look out for him. But upon Jughead’s return came a new set of problems to endure. You were seated towards the back with your boyfriend, listening to Jughead’s latest announcement. He called Cheryl and Toni to the front and demanded their jackets for breaking the new Serpent code. Fangs covered his face when he heard Cheryl drag him into the fuss.

“And in case you were wondering how we know, Fangs told Sweet Pea who told me.” Toni said in her defense.

“Who told me!” Cheryl interjected. 

“God, you just can’t keep your mouth shut, can you Blossom?” You said low enough to where she couldn’t hear but Fangs could. He chuckled slightly, dropping his head onto your shoulder.

“I’m fucked.” He sighed. Gently, you hooked an arm through his and held his hand. You squeezed it slightly, to show that everything would be alright.

“You’re asking for our jackets, shouldn’t you be asking for his as well?” Cheryl said confidently.

“Jug...” Betty said softly.

“You can’t be serious...” You muttered as Jughead turned around to face where you two were. 

“You’re right... Fangs, give me your jacket.” Jughead said, making eye contact with Cheryl again.

“Hey, what the hell, man?” Sweet Pea defended.

“It’s okay, Sweet Pea.” Fangs said, crossing the distance to stand next to Jones.

“Like hell it is!” You said loudly, hurrying to stand between your boyfriend and Jughead. “You can’t take his jacket, Jones.”

“Yes, he can.” FP clarified from behind you. “Stay out of it, Y/N.”

“No.” You shook your head. “Fangs isn’t the one on trial here. He shouldn’t have to suffer cause Cheryl can’t keep her damn mouth shut.”

“Oh please.” She laughed. “You latched onto Fangs the second he gave you a second look and you didn’t have your brother to hide behind. You were desperate for someone in your pathetic little life. I feel bad for Fangs, actually, since he’s stuck with you.”

“Oh yeah, cause you’re such a blessing?” You scoffed. “Toni, Fangs is practically your brother. How could you do this to him?” Your attention shifted. Toni’s eyes dropped.

“I am, actually. Glad someone around here other than T.T. finally noticed it.” Cheryl said with a cocky smile.

“Yeah, my life sucked for a while. It still does. But at least I’m not trying to take away anyone else’s happiness. Fangs and Toni have been Serpents their whole lives. This is their family. And you’ve had that jacket for what, a few months, so you think you have some sort of crown on your head? That you can’t be held accountable? God, Cheryl. Wake up and see the consequences your actions have on everyone else.”

“I know what my actions do.” She shrugged. “But do you? You’re not even a Serpent and you’re out here, yelling like what you say is going to make a difference?”

“Cheryl, Toni.” Jughead said, cutting off your next statement.

“We’ll go but we’re keeping our jackets.” Cheryl said, staring daggers towards you.

“Fine. But I need that egg back.” Jughead replied.

“Come again?”

“You gotta give me that damn egg, or Veronica won’t give us the protection contract.”

“Why the hell would I care? I’m not a Serpent anymore.” Cheryl laughed.

“Can you even say you were a Serpent?” You scoffed.

“You really wanna do this, you miserable little muppet?” She said calmly.

“Oh yeah, I do.  I have time today, Blossom. Because honestly, if you were really a Serpent or had the slightest respect for what being a Serpent really means, you would’ve been looking out for these people, this family. If you would stop looking down on everyone for a minute, you’d see how people are struggling here. Not everyone gets to go home to their four-poster bed like you and Toni do. If I could do something about this, I would in a heartbeat. But I guess if it doesn’t affect you, it doesn’t matter, right?” You ranted.

“Hey Andrews. We get it, alright? You’ve made your point.” Sweet Pea said, carefully approaching you. He gently pushed you back to stand closer to Fangs, who took your hand and continued to pull you towards him.

“No, I don’t think I have, Pea.” You said angrily. “Not until that pretentious, spoiled bitch realizes she’s wrong!” You shouted so you knew she would hear.

“Alright, Y/N.” Jughead patted your shoulder before facing Cheryl and Toni. “She’s right.” He addressed the now antsy crowd.

“I am?” You asked, taken by surprise. “I mean, of course I am.” You tried to recover.

“The Serpents are a family. And in unity there is strength... Cheryl, Toni. Bring me that egg and we’ll see about redemption.” Jones said before turning to you and Fangs. “Y/N, Fangs... You and I had a deal, right? No more dealing. And since you haven’t... Last chance. Use it wisely.” Jones turned to leave before adding one more comment over his shoulder. “And Y/N... Go home. There’s something you’re gonna wanna see for yourself waiting.”

“Thank you.” Fangs whispered to you, squeezing your hand slightly as he led you to his bike.

“Did you really think I was gonna let Blossom and Jones cheat you out of what’s yours?” You said quietly before he took off. “Not a chance in hell, Lover Boy.”

Once you got home, your house had a different aura. It seemed more like a home than it had before you left. Cautiously, you waked up the steps and through the front door. As you dropped your keys on the table and just before you could call out for your dad, you heard something clattering towards you.

“Vegas!” You exclaimed as your dog jumped on you. “Hi, boy! Hi! Who’s a good boy?! Vegas, where’s dad?”

Vegas barked once before leading you into the living room. Your dad sat on the couch with a surprise guest next to him.

“Oh my God. Archie?” You asked carefully, not sure if you were really seeing your brother. “Is this real?”

“Hey, Y/N/N.” He said with a smile, standing and opening his arms.

“Your hair, oh my god.” You laughed and you hugged him tightly. “Don’t ever leave me like that again, dumbass.” You mumbled against him.

“Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.” He replied happily.

After Archie got back to school, him and Veronica picked up where they left off. You and Betty helped get him caught up and prepared for the SATs. You had made amends with Cheryl and Toni after your stand off about the jackets. They returned the egg and Jughead gave them the same last chance he gave Fangs. You and Fangs were better than ever. The only problem was that you hadn’t told Archie that you two were together. Well, it may not have been the only problem.

Helping your brother readjust was hard enough. School was pressuring him, threatening to hold him back a year. He bailed on his SATs, despite all his cramming. He hadn’t been able to face Mr. Lodge since he returned, even when he went to check on Veronica after he was shot.

You blamed Hiram for your brother leaving. You blamed Hiram for the grizzly attack. You knew he didn’t have bears that worked for him, but you blamed him for putting Archie in that situation. But just as Archie did, you separated Mr. Lodge’s vendetta and actions from his daughter, who was one of your closest friends.

Archie had stripped his room to the bare necessities and a punching bag. You imagined his cell in juvie must’ve had more than what he left in there. Your brother wasn’t the same, but it made sense that what he went through had changed him. You didn’t blame him. You knew he felt strange, maybe even out of place. His home was the same, but totally different all at once. Despite it, he was home. He was socializing. Maybe he would be okay after all.

“So, now that the worst part is over and I feel like I can finally breathe again, what I miss?” He asked everyone as you were huddled around a table at La Bonne Nuit. “Y/N, anything new?”

“Nothing much.” You shrugged. “Gargoyle king still running around. FP is the sheriff. Oh, attorney McCoy and Mr. Keller got married. Did I miss anything crucial?”

“Serpents work protection for Veronica and La Bonne Nuit.” Jughead answered as Sweet Pea gave you a knowing look.

It was obvious that he was hinting about you telling your brother about your new relationship. But you weren’t sure Fangs wanted to tell him either. Neither of you had talked about it, assuming you were both on the same page. So neither of you mentioned in front of Archie. And you tried not to show it either.

“Oh, and Y/N nearly started a war with Cheryl.” Toni laughed.

“I didn’t think it was fair!” You defended with a smile. “Okay Archie, tell me if I was right or wrong.”

“Oh, cause we’re going to trust his judgement.” Pea joked.

“Hey, it worked out for me so she was on to something.” Fangs replied with a smile on his face as he winked at you.

“Don’t get too worked up over there, Fogarty.” You laughed, pushing him slightly.

“You sure I didn’t miss anything?” Archie teased, raising his eyebrows expectantly at you.

“So what had happened was that Jughead put new rules in place. Toni, Cheryl, and Fangs had broken those rules, but they broke two different rules. He granted clemency to Fangs because they had discussed it and figured out their own thing. Sounds fine, right? Well when he went to punish Cheryl and Toni, they automatically threw him under the bus. I jumped in, saying you can’t drag the whole world down with you. And then her and I got into it and I may or may not have called her a pretentious, spoiled bitch...” You trailed off.

“And I called her a miserable little muppet, so all’s well that ends well.” Cheryl added.

“You’ve never been able to keep quiet when you feel cheated, Y/N.” Archie commented.

“You’re definitely not wrong.” You laughed.

You left La Bonne Nuit before Archie did, wanting to spend a little extra time with his girlfriend. Fangs offered to take you home, saying that it was too dark for you to walk. While you knew he was right, you also knew that wasn’t his sole motive. He pulled up to your house and parked, allowing you to hop off and return his helmet. He propped his bike on the kickstand so he could get off and lean against it instead.

“Should we tell him?” You asked as Fangs pulled you close to him. You stood between his legs, your arm hanging around him lazily and his hands on your hips. “I mean, he’s doing alright so maybe it’s a good time.”

Moments like this made you feel so lucky. You admired your boyfriend, his eyes shining in the moonlight. His cheeks were pink from the cold wind, his hair blown wild.

“Whatever you wanna do, Babe.” He said calmly. “But what if he doesn’t like me?”

“Is that a serious concern or are you just being an ass?” You smiled.

“I’m serious! What if he starts a fight?” Fangs asked, a smile tugging his lips. “I could take him, but that’s your brother.”

“Alright, Pretty Boy. Cool it.” You laughed. “I’m seriously worried about telling him.”

“There’s no reason to be, Beautiful.” He shrugged. “Archie’s a dumbass but he’s not stupid. He probably knows something’s up by now anyways.”

“Cause you want to be obvious!” You laughed. 

“Oh, I was the obvious one tonight?” He accused.

“Yes, you were!” You agreed. “Come inside?” You asked.

“And if Red comes home?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Then we’ll deal with that when it comes.” You shrugged, taking his hands in yours and pulling him as you walked backwards towards your front door, carefully maneuvering the steps. “I mean, he’s going to have to find out eventually. Especially if you plan on sticking around.”

“Oh, I’m in it for the long haul, Andrews.” He winked, opening the door for you as you turned to face the right way.

As you stepped inside, you were bombarded by Vegas. Casually, your dog greeted you before excitedly jumping on Fangs.

“Dad!” You called, laughing at your boyfriend playing with Vegas. “I’m home! Archie stayed a little later with Ronnie. He’ll probably be home soon.”

“Sounds good, Y/N/N! Hey, did you want any of this- Fangs, hey! I didn’t know you were coming by.” Your dad said, coming from the kitchen to greet your favorite Serpent.

“Yeah, just thought I’d make sure Y/N/N got in alright.” Fangs said with a shy smile as he used your childhood nickname that your dad always used.

“We had a deal!” You exclaimed in embarrassment as you smacked his chest lightly. “You’re not allowed you call me that.”

“Alright, I’m sorry!” He laughed, dodging your hand. “Babe, I’m sorry.” He kissed your forehead and slung an arm over your shoulders.

“You’re lucky you’re cute or else I’d kick your ass.” You smiled as you leaned into him.

“You could try, but I think I have the upper hand.” Fangs teased.

“Were you staying over, Fangs, or just dropping in?” You dad asked once your laughter had faded.

“No, just popped in for a minute.” Fangs nodded.

“Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out how I’m gonna tell Arch.” You explained. “Cause I want him to know, of course. I just don’t want to overload him.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that anymore.” You dad said and nodded to you. “Looks like you didn’t have to say anything..” You turned your head and saw your brother standing in the doorway with his jaw on the floor. Veronica was next to him, keeping a hand on his arm and maybe even holding him back. You couldn’t read the emotions in your brother’s eyes, and it made you think that all your worrying was justified.

“Oh jeez.” You sighed. “Arch, just chill out, yeah? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I just kinda didn’t know how.”

“He’s gonna kill me, isn’t he?” Fangs said.

“He might try, yeah.” You answered with a small nod.

[kurokoros]

darling, dearest, dead | part two

Title: darling, dearest, dead

Rated: M (language, violence, sex, character death)

Words: 21K

Pairing: Sweet Pea x Jones!OC

Summary: Sweet Pea stares at her for a moment longer, fingers curling at his sides, as if he wants to touch her but knows he can’t. Not really, anyway. “You’re going to have to let me go,” he says, so much softer than she’s ever heard him before. His throat bobs with a harsh swallow, his dark eyes locking with hers. “You have to let me go, Sweetheart.”

She shakes her head, eyes squeezing shut tightly. Her throat goes tight, eyes itching and rimmed red. “I can’t,” she tells him. Fingers ghost against her cheek, close and cold and coaxing her to look at him again, and when she finally opens her eyes Sweet Pea smiles down at her, a broken little thing.

AKA: The Orpheus and Eurydice Retelling no one asked for.

Chapters: One | Interlude One | Two | Interlude Two | Three

Chapter Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2zYQDvZGYpW6b24nKFORh0 (copy/past because tumblr sucks)

AN: This fic has been over a month in the making and I’m so excited to finally be sharing it with everyone! This fic is also available over on AO3 (link removed because tumblr sucks) if that will be easier to read! This is a long chapter, so settle down somewhere and get comfortable!

There’s blood on her. On her hands, the ring on her finger, covering the front of her shirt and sticking to her skin. It’s soaked into the snow, almost black in the darkness, barely illuminated by the flashing blue and red lights casting a bright glow over the park. Something heavy and warm is wrapped around her shoulders, but she doesn’t react, numb to the people moving around her and the body sprawled across the snow.

Fingers curl around the leather of his jacket. He’s cold. Her lips form his name, but all that leaves her is a fragile and broken wheeze.

Jubilee is dead weight as a firm grip curls around her upper arm, hoisting her up, hands pulling her from the snow. She goes along willingly, worn leather slipping from between her fingers. Her legs tremble as she’s forced to stand, and suddenly she’s airborne, jostled as an arm slips beneath her knees.

Her head lolls against a shoulder, but her eyes don’t leave him, even as she’s carried to a car, a hand on her head trying to block her from looking—from having to see the unrecognizable mess of blood and leather crumpled into a heap in the snow. Jubilee looks anyway.

She knows that he’s gone even before the sheet covers his face.

  There’s still blood on her. On her clothes, beneath her fingernails, staining the delicate knotting etched into her ring, so deep she doesn’t think it will ever come out. Jubilee stares down at the dry, flaking stains on the silver, darker now than they were before. She tries not to think of it, warm under her fingers as she tried to staunch the bleeding, but it was too much, too many broken bones, and by the time she crawled to him she couldn’t be sure he was even breathing anymore.

Her ears ring, a high whine like white noise, and she barely reacts as she’s pushed and pulled, passed from one to the next and shoved into a hard, plastic chair that digs into her spine. She sits there for a long time, just staring at her hands, rubbed raw to remove the blood half-frozen to her fingers.

The ringing in her ears only grows louder as she’s left to herself, the hallway milling with people.

“Jubilee.” Her head snaps up as sound returns, the roaring in her ears dulling to nothing as a weight settles on her knee. Her wild gaze shifts, meeting familiar, concerned eyes. Tom Keller crouches before her, gaze leveling with hers, and Jubilee’s eyes follow him slowly, watching but not seeing. “Hey there, Kid,” he says, even though she’s twenty-three and he’s known her all his life. The concern in his eyes is palpable, thick and honest, and it chokes her, smoke in her lungs.

She curls up tighter in the chair, a slow, shaky breath slipping from her lips. “Sheriff Keller,” she murmurs back, honey-colored eyes searching his for something, anything, and there’s an apology there that makes her eyes start to burn once again. Her hands tremble as she wraps her arms around herself, nails digging into the blanket draped around her shoulders.

Sheriff Keller’s hand moves from her knee to her shoulder, holding her steady as she begins to shake, her gaze going watery as she turns back to her hands and the blood still stuck beneath her fingernails, bright against her pale skin.

“You’re okay,” Keller tells her, low and even, practiced, and she wonders how many times he’s done this before. “Look at me.” He squeezes her shoulder and her gaze snaps back to his, Jubilee unaware that she was wandering. “You’re okay,” he repeats.

Her lips quiver as she takes a deep breath. “Sweet Pea,” she manages to choke out, his name practically a whimper. The sob that rips straight from her chest leaves her feeling hollow inside, something missing.

“I know this is hard,” he starts slowly sympathetic, “but is there anything you can tell me about what happened tonight?” The questions makes her stomach flip, bile rising in her throat, but she swallows it back, a shiver wracking her body. “Anything at all?”

“I don’t…” She wants to say she doesn’t remember, that it all happened so fast, but that’s not true. She remembers too much. The crunch of the snow beneath her knees, the sick squelching sound each time Ezekiel hit him, the smell of cigarette smoke in the air. She remembers the smile Sweet Pea tried to send her, the look in his eyes, his mouth on hers just minutes earlier, whispering that he’s the happiest bastard in the world.

Jubilee wishes she could forget, that she could close her eyes and wake up and he’d be right there, snoring beside her and stealing all of the blankets.

She’s quiet for too long, gaze far away, and Sheriff Keller frowns, sighing as he nudges her shoulder again to gain her attention, trying to keep her focused on him. “Jubilee,” he snaps at her gently, voice rising just a tick, but it’s enough to make her jump. The Ghoulies’ cackling still ringing in her ears.

Exhaling shakily through her nose, Jubilee squeezes her eyes shut, tears slipping down her cheeks. “They came out of nowhere,” she tells his, so quiet he almost doesn’t hear her. “We were just…” Jubilee opens her eyes again, shaking her head as a broken noise slips from her mouth. “We weren’t supposed to be there. We were going to go home.” Something caught between a sob and a bitter laugh tears from her. “We were supposed to go home,” Jubilee repeats, softer than before.

They never should have gone out that night. They should have never seen the stars.

The numbness washes away in a great wave, and it all hits her at once. He’s dead. Sweet Pea is dead. He’s not coming home tonight. Something snaps inside her, a damn breaking, and when she starts to sob, great heaving sounds, her entire body quivering, she’s not sure how to make it stop.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, you’re okay,” he keeps repeating, hushing her, but it’s a lie and they both know it. Because it’s not okay. None of this is okay. And Jubilee can barely force herself to breathe even as Sheriff Keller tells her too, voice low in her ear, hands rubbing up and down her arms, stiff and half-frozen. “I know this is hard,” he continues, “but if there’s anything you can tell me to help me find who did this…”

“I—” She chokes off, shaking her head before burying her face in her hands. The blanket slips from around her shoulders, pooling at her waist.

Sheriff Keller doesn’t miss a beat. “Did you recognize any of them?”

Jubilee’s breath catches. Her throat constricts even tighter. She thinks of the malice in Ezekiel’s eyes, the pragmatic tone in his voice, the justification. An opportunity like this, he called them. Something he couldn’t pass up, like their lives were nothing more than a small victory in the ongoing war between the Serpents and Ghoulies. Wrong place. Wrong time. And he just wouldn’t stop—he wouldn’t stop hitting him, even when she begged him too. Even if it made her a coward, she would have done anything to make him stop.

Her hands drop into her lap, eyes locking with Sheriff Keller’s, Ezekiel’s name on the tip of her tongue—

There’s a commotion down the hallway, shouting, and her gaze drifts to the side, away from Keller’s. He follows her gaze, squeezing her shoulder, and they watch as FP Jones shoulders his way into the station, shoving away the hands of a deputy trying to hold him back, a wild look in his eyes. Jughead is close behind him and he catches sight of her before FP, blue eyes wide in horror as he sees her there, curled up in a chair looking smaller than he’s ever seen her before, bloodstains on her clothes, her eyes rimmed in red. Jughead grabs FP’s arm, mouth moving rapidly, and whatever he says must catch their father’s attention because FP’s gaze snaps to her, softening from a hostile rage.

Sighing, the Sheriff turns back to her, expression imploring, and her expression goes steely, eyes still on her family hurrying towards her, leather jackets standing out against the off-white walls of the station, the angry snake on their backs a warning to everyone in the room.

Sheriff Keller’s justice isn’t the kind she wants.

“Jubilee,” Jughead murmurs as he reaches her side, immediately engulfing her in a hug that’s practically suffocating as Sheriff Keller rises and steps to the side, guiding FP a few feet away to talk. Her name is tinged with relief and Jughead’s arms squeeze around her like a vice. She collapses into him, allowing him to be the only thing holding her steady, keeping her together. Fingers clenching in the leather on his back, Jubilee buries her face against his chest, entire body wracking with a sudden sob that’s barely muffled by his jacket. He only grips her tighter, one hand cradling the back of her head as he holds her to his chest.

Jughead doesn’t say anything else, only rocks the two of them as she sobs, the adrenaline gone and exhaustion settling in its place.

“I want to go home, Jug,” Jubilee whispers, trembling. “Please, take me home.”

Something cold has settled into her bones, an iciness creeping down her spine since they left the Sheriff Station, the dull ache of exhaustion making her feel heavy, a weight on her chest and on her shoulders. Her head throbs and her eyes itch, blood-shot and puffy.  Jubilee curls up tighter on the old pull-out couch in her father’s house, the same one that’s been there for as long as she can remember, with frayed edges and cigarette burns.

Her fingers pluck at a loose thread in the fabric absentmindedly, nails wiggling the strand further and further free, like she wants the whole thing to unravel around her. And maybe she does. Jubilee’s eyes slip shut, her head dropping sideways onto the back of the couch, a slow exhale falling heavy from her chest. Her toes dig into the cushion beneath her, cold and bare, the rough tweed scratching against her skin and making it crawl.

She thinks someone might have tried speaking to her, a low voice murmuring from somewhere in the room, but she ignored it, the words slipping around her like water, nothing but a dull hum in her ears. She doesn’t know how long it’s been since. Hours. Maybe less. Hard to tell with February’s pervasive darkness, the night all-encompassing.

Jughead and FP keep checking in on her, briefly, just to make sure she’s still curled into the couch and trying to make herself small. She hasn’t moved though, save for the twitch of her fingers and the slow, shallow rise and fall of her chest, so slight it would be easy to miss. They don’t try to talk to her, not anymore, not when they know she won’t answer them, lost somewhere inside her head they can’t quite get to. Their voices are a low hush in the other room, harsh whispers being passed between the pair of them, quiet enough for her to ignore the words but not the tone, the two of them spitting at each other, and then something softer, sadder with no replies.

FP curses from the other room, a loud fuck and the sound of smashing glass ringing sharply through the trailer. Jughead flinches, but Jubilee doesn’t.

The silence settles in after that, like a thick smog, choking them all as it curls through their lungs.

  FP calls a council. It’s the only thing he can do. A few of the older Serpents filter into the trailer, solemn with a restless fury about them, a snake in still waters. They try to keep their voices down as they speak, but it’s not easy in such a small space, their voices carrying. People Jubilee has known her entire life look at her with pity in their eyes, like she’s some broken thing, and she just goes back to staring at the wall, refusing to return the looks.

The life of a Serpent is hard, the men more than likely to end up dead or detained, rotting away in some cell while their families are left behind. It’s why her mom left, why so many marriages on the Southside end in divorce. No one wants to see their partner behind bars or rushed away in a body bag.

Jubilee never expected it to happen to—

She sucks in a sharp breath, eyes squeezing shut tightly. An arm curls tightly around her, leather and motor oil making her choke. Fangs’ grip around her only tightens, Jubilee half in his lap as he strokes her hair, whispering nonsense into her ear as she trembles, voice hoarse as he stumbles over the words. He arrived with Toni and Joaquin not long before the other Serpents, all bursting into the trailer, frantic gazes searching the room, almost like they didn’t quite believe it until they saw Jubilee, small and shivering on the couch.

Toni and Fangs immediately settled on the couch on either side of her when they saw her like that, almost protective in the way they curled around her, Toni’s grip on her desperate and Fangs’ hands shaking, like he wasn’t sure where to put them before grabbing both her and Toni into a bone crushing embrace, even as he shook right along with them, rocking them both. Joaquin lingered near the door, swaying slightly on his feet as it hit him, and he swore under his breath as Jughead came to stand beside him, the two not saying a word.

The older Serpents surrounding FP grow louder, angrier, and she stiffens, fingers squeezing around Toni’s. Each voice makes the sick twisting in her stomach grow worse, a churning in her gut threatening to spill out.

“What did the cops—”

“—couldn’t even recognize him.”

“What did they—”

“—baseball bat—”

“—beaten that badly?”

“Ghoulies.”

Fangs soothes her as a soft whine slips from the back of her throat. It goes unnoticed to the other Serpents, the small sound swallowed up as their voices grow with anger, a cacophony of sound swelling in the room with nowhere else to go, threatening to burst.

“How the fuck did this happen?” one of them snaps, not bothering to keep his voice down. Toni’s nails dig into the back of her hand. A slow, shaking breath leaves Fangs, and Jubilee tries to ignore the wetness sliding down her skin from where his cheek is pressed against the crown of her head. His hand smooths up her back to cradle the back of her neck, keeping her tucked against his chest protectively.

FP sighs, running a hand through his unkempt hair, a frustrated sound pulling from the back of his throat. “I don’t know,” he finally tells them, the other Serpents quieting at the sharpness in his tone. “Police don’t know anything yet. Keller said it’s too soon.”

The group goes quiet, the four men falling into silence. It’s only then that Jubilee is able to put names to them, her eyes opening just long enough to catch a small glimpse of the men standing against the far wall, her father’s back to her. Jubilee recognizes Hog Eye first, the bartender rubbing at the scruff on his face in thought, a nervous tick that she’s come to recognize in all the years she’s known him. Dutch and Hawk are on either side of him, friends of her father’s for longer than Jubilee has been alive and Serpents for just as long.

Hawk heaves a sigh, arms crossing over his chest as he glances at Jubilee over FP’s shoulder, staring for a long second before nodding in her direction. “Have you asked…” he trails off before finishing, a grim look on his face.

Joaquin and Jughead both stiffen where they rest against the wall, listening to the older men talk, but not participating themselves, and Fangs’ hand stills on the back of her head, his entire body going rigid. Toni’s nails did harder into the back of her hand before suddenly going slack.

FP’s shoulders go stiff, his back straightening, muscles tensing beneath his jacket. He doesn’t say a word, back still to Jubilee as the other three men begin to speak again.

“You want to ask her?” Dutch whispers, a harsh note to the words. His gaze flicks to Jubilee for only a moment, taking in her still frame squeezed between Fangs and Toni. He turns back to Hawk just as quickly, sheer disbelief in his eyes.

Hog Eye shakes his head, exhaling lowly, and Hawk’s jaw clenches tightly, his hands curling into tight fists. “We don’t have much of a choice,” he reminds the other men, defensive but apologetic.

For a long moment, nothing happens. The three Serpents turn to FP expectantly, waiting for an answer, waiting for him to take the lead. Joaquin leans further against the wall, crossing his arms, a muscle in his jaw popping as he grits his teeth. Beside him, Jughead runs a hand through his dark hair, beanie long since been tossed aside. He pushes off the wall, taking a step towards the Serpent King. “Dad,” he murmurs, shaking his head. The implication is clear. Not now. Not like this.

But FP sighs, eyes squeezing shut tightly, and he only hesitates a moment before turning his back on the other Serpents, footsteps heavy as he crosses the room, crouching when he reaches the couch. Fangs catches his gaze briefly, eyes red-rimmed from crying, traces of anger lingering in his russet eyes, and FP has to look away, clearing his throat harshly.

“Hey, Sweetheart,” he murmurs, placing a hand on Jubilee’s knee, giving her a soft squeeze. Her gaze slides to his hesitantly, her honey eyes weary and reluctant, but she looks at him anyway, eyes glossy though she doesn’t cry. FP’s shoulders slump, the life seeming to leave him as he looks up at his daughter.

Jubilee’s eyes slip shut briefly, her shoulders slumping before they open again, locking on his. She seems to wake up as she looks at him, some of the stillness slipping away. “Dad,” she murmurs back, the first thing she’s said in what must be hours, since they left the Sheriff’s Station. Her voice breaks, cracking on the single word, and he winces, something like shame in his eyes.

He exhales slowly through his nose, one hand rubbing at his jaw. “You gotta tell me what happened, Jubilee,” he says slowly, fingers squeezing around her knee again, almost placating. She inhales sharply, shaking her head as she tenses, curling closer in on herself. Her throat goes tight, her eyes squeezing shut. “Hey,” he continues, “I know this is hard, but we have to know.”

“I—” she starts, choking off just as quickly and shifting away from his touch. She doesn’t want to think about it, doesn’t want to say it out loud, because that makes it real. And more than anything, she just wants to wake up.

“Jubilee—” he tries again.

Joaquin cuts him off, shoving away from the wall to take a step towards the pair of them. “FP,” he starts, suddenly loud in the quiet of the room, drawing everyone’s attention. “Leave her alone.” There’s something in his tone that’s almost a warning, low and rough, and the Serpent King straightens, body tensing as he stands from his crouched position by Jubilee’s side.

“You think we have time for this, Joaquin?” he asks, exasperated as he stares at the younger Serpent. He clenches his jaw, rage flashing in his eyes, but Joaquin only glares back at him.

Shaking his head, Joaquin nods over FP’s shoulder to Jubilee. “This isn’t going to help,” he says quietly, ton low. “Not right now. Not when she’s like this.” Joaquin has always been close to Jubilee, friends even before she was truly part of the gang, keeping an eye on her, keeping her out of trouble. He’s as much of a brother to her as Jughead.

FP only sighs, a short, bitter bark of a laugh escaping him as the tension in the room rises, everyone on edge, uneasy as the Serpent King’s eyes narrow dangerously. “We need to know.”

“It can wait,” Joaquin argues back.

“Sweet Pea is dead!” FP snaps suddenly, the entire room flinching with the reminder, the first time any of them have said it aloud. A hush follows the affirmation. The older Serpents go silent, gazes dropping to the ground. Jughead winces and Joaquin takes a step back. A choked sob slips from between Toni’s lips. Fangs physically flinches away from FP, taking Jubilee with him. But she doesn’t move. “He’s dead,” FP repeats, softer this time. “It’s not going to get any easier until we know.”

“Ezekiel.” FP and Joaquin both turn, looking down at Jubilee in surprise. Her shoulders slump, entire body going slack as she leans further into Fangs, exhaustion weighing down on her body. Toni reaches for her again, their fingers lacing together. Jubilee sighs, eyes slipping shut for a moment. “It was Ezekiel,” she tells them again.

Her statements hangs heavy in the air, none of the other Serpents making a sound.

It’s Hawk who speaks up first. “Malachai’s brother?” he asks, a slight sneer to the question.

Dutch swears under his breath and looks away, his eyes squeezing shut, hands trembling.

“What the hell happened?” Hog Eye asks her, a softness to the question she’s never heard from him before.

Jubilee sighs, staring down as her hand laced with Toni’s. The other girl hiccups softly, tears streaking down her face, and Jubilee winces. “We were at the park,” she says, a pit forming in her stomach. “We didn’t—” she chokes off, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. “The Ghoulies came out of nowhere.”

FP stares down at her, swallowing back the lump in his throat. “How many?”

“Six. Seven.” Jubilee shrugs, resting her head back against Fang’s shoulder, her free hand finding his and squeezing. “Too many.” She wets her lips, chewing the inside of her cheek as she thinks back to what happened earlier in the night, about everything he told them. She sniffs. “Ezekiel said one of his boys went missing after ‘fucking some Serpent whore,’ ” Jubilee repeats. Fangs tenses behind her and Toni flinches, at the insult or implication she doesn’t know. Jubilee continues before any of them can say anything. “They found his body outside of Centerville,” her red eyes cut to FP, “but I’m guessing you already know about that.”

Nothing happens on the Southside without the Serpent King finding out.

FP winces, something like an apology flashing in his eyes.

“What is she talking about?” Jughead turns to his father, paling as the words register, the meaning clear. He shoves away from the wall, crossing the room quickly, stopping just before reaching his father. “What the hell did you do?” The Serpents have a code. They don’t kill people, not unless they deserve it, not unless they need to. Any slight against the Ghoulies would only lead to retaliation and more blood. More violence.

“It was business,” is all FP tells them, hand raking through his hair and squeezing his eyes shut. “God dammit.”

“Jesus Christ,” Dutch murmurs.

Behind her, Fangs shifts. “What are we going to do?” Jubilee glances at him over her shoulder. Fangs swallows, a shaky sound leaving him as he looks up, tears still running down his face. “FP, what are we going to do?”

He only shakes his head.

“Did he kill that Ghoulie?” Jubilee asks FP after the older Serpents have gone and the others have fallen asleep, grief leaving them hollow and exhausted.

Jughead looks up at them from his spot at the counter, eyes bloodshot. He hasn’t cried. Jubilee doesn’t think he’ll let himself. He and Sweet Pea were never quite friends, not exactly. They tolerated each other, respected each other, but aside from the Serpents and Jubilee they never had much in common.

She turns to face her father more directly, in shadow as the first rays of light spill through the crack in the blinds. “Did Sweets kill him?” FP doesn’t answer, just sighs and sends her a look she can’t quite read. Jughead turns back to his hands and Jubilee closes her eyes, heart aching in her chest.

Time moves slowly over the next few days, a crawl, everything hazy. Jubilee meets with Mei Hua to discuss funeral arraignments, even though they won’t bury him until spring. Her stomach flips at the thought of him frozen away in some box until the earth is warm again, spring chasing away the chill of winter with new life. They’re strangely numb as they talk about it, like it hasn’t quite hit them yet that he’s gone. That he’s not coming back.

There’s a hollow feeling in her chest, a quiet bitterness settling in place of where her heart is supposed to be. Jubilee keeps going through the motions of waking up, heart sinking further in her chest each time she realizes it isn’t just a bad dream.

It’s two days after that night in the park when she finally pulls herself out of bed, half-awake and still groggy in the haziness of the morning. And she forgets. Jubilee forgets until she goes to take a drink and her coffee mug is empty. She forgets until she doesn’t feel his arms around her, holding her tight to his chest as his grinning mouth presses to her temple.

A cold hand wraps around her heart and squeezes, choking her.

The mug splinters into pieces when it hits the wall.

Jubilee runs a frustrated hand through her dark hair, trying to keep her fingers from shaking as she hurries through the trailer park, jacket pulled tight around her frame and scarf practically suffocating her. Her throat feels tight and her eyes burn, but she blames it on the wind. The snow crunches beneath her boots.

Stiffening, Jubilee comes to a halt when she sees someone standing in her doorway, huddled against the wind. The coiled snake on the back of their leather jacket makes her inhale sharply, heart hurting, but she ignores the sting, steeling herself. Jubilee forces herself to move, crossing the short distance to her door, feet dragging. The figure looks up as she comes closer, raising a hand in greeting, and she frowns at the familiar face, not wanting to talk to anyone at the moment.

He doesn’t say a word as she walks up the steps of the porch, and Jubilee doesn’t look at him, fighting back the tightening in her throat. “What are you doing here, Joaquin?” she asks him, fishing her keys out of her pocket, fingers numb. She never used to lock the door. Most people know better than to break into a Serpent’s home right in the middle of their territory, but now that she’s alone…

Joaquin watches as she struggles with the keys, but stays quiet for a long moment, pulling his leather jacket tighter around his shoulders, eyes drifting from her to the sheet covered motorcycle sitting in the yard, untouched since the weather became bad. He clears his throat, turning back to her as she finally gets the door unlocked. “I thought I’d come see how you were doing. I was in the neighborhood.” It’s a half-joke, but the concern is still there, and her shoulders stiffen.

“Did my dad send you?” Jubilee glances up at him, hoping the bitterness hasn’t seeped into her tone. It wouldn’t be unlike him to send one of his boys around to check on her. She’s seen Isaac and Dexy hanging around recently, keeping an eye on her, as if she doesn’t notice them there. Joaquin’s gaze avoids hers and Jubilee squeezes her eyes shut, sighing before shoving the door open. “Come on,” she mumbles to him, leaving the door open behind her as she steps inside.

Joaquin follows after her, shutting the door gently behind him. Jubilee slips off her shoes, moving further into the house, and Joaquin follows her with his eyes, the weight of them heavy on her back as he tries to gauge her reactions. He follows her slowly, hovering just outside of the kitchen and frowning as she pulls two glasses and a bottle of scotch from one of the cabinets. “How are you feeling?” he asks her slowly, eyes narrowing at the bottle in her hands.

Jubilee scoffs, a short, bitter laugh slipping past her lips as she pours two shots. “Two days ago I was planning my wedding and now I’m planning a funeral,” she remarks casually, setting the scotch down a little too hard. “How the fuck do you think I’m feeling?” It’s unfair, her snapping at Joaquin like that, and she regrets it as soon as the words leave her mouth, but she’s so sick of people asking how she is when she can’t even breathe without the ache in her chest getting worse, bigger, like it might just swallow her up. She sighs, rubbing at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I—”

“Don’t,” Joaquin cuts her off, shaking his head as he steps further into the kitchen. “You don’t need to apologize to me,” he tells her softly. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

Shaking her head, Jubilee places her hands on the countertop, eyes apologetic. “Joaquin,” she tries again, but stops when he sends her a look. They’ve been friends for long enough to let things slide. She shuts her mouth, settling her elbows against the counter and taking one of the glasses, swirling the scotch absentmindedly as her eyes slip shut, Jubilee trying to ignore the weight of his gaze on the side of her face.

He stares at her for a moment longer, letting the silence overtake them for a handful of heavy seconds, watching as she lifts her glass but doesn’t take a drink. Jubilee suddenly looks exhausted as she leans against the counter, running her free hand through her tangled hair. Joaquin wets his lips. “You’ve been crying,” he states, not bothering with edging around the topic.

She sighs at the observation, wishing her eyes weren’t so red. “Yeah.”

“What happened?” he asks, lifting the glass of scotch she slides to him from across the counter.

Jubilee lets out a short laugh, no humor to it and sniffs as she stares down at her glass. “Mei Hua and I,” she starts, swallowing down the lump in her throat, “we had that meeting with the funeral director this morning.” Joaquin places his glass back on the counter, realization flickering in his eyes. She smiles bitterly, eyes growing glossy. “They recommended a closed casket,” she tells him softly, shaky voice barely a whisper.

Joaquin winces. “Fuck.” He rubs his hand down the side of his face, shaking his head in disbelief. His expression turns sympathetic as he looks at her, tears welling in her eyes. “Jubilee, I—”

“I knew,” she tells him, another breathy laugh slipping from her lips before she smiles at him, a sad, broken little thing. “I knew how bad it was. I just thought…” Jubilee shakes her head, not bothering to stop the tears spilling over. She doesn’t know what she thought. Maybe she was only hoping for a miracle. That maybe the last time she saw him wouldn’t be that night. She sucks in a sharp breath, turning back to Joaquin. “That’s not how I want to remember him, you know?”

“Then don’t,” Joaquin tells her, reaching across the counter to grasp her hand, giving her a gentle squeeze. Jubilee frowns back at him. “Just remember how much he loves you,” she winces at the present tense, flinching away from him, but he holds on tight, “remember how happy he was when you said yes to marrying him.” He huffs out a laugh. “God, he couldn’t shut up about it. I’ve never seen him as happy as he was that day at the bar.”

Jubilee traces the rim of her glass, eyes slipping shut. “I just want this to be over,” she tells him, downing the scotch.

There’s a vase of sweet peas at the front of the room, two-dozen of them, pale pink and twined together with baby’s breath and forget-me-nots, the petals soft as they spill over the rim of the dark vase. There’s something poetic about it, a deep bitter irony that makes her stomach twist sickly the longer she stares at the flowers.

Sweet peas and baby’s breath are what they would have had at their wedding, a kind of joke between them, because he always used to bring her sweet peas on their anniversary.

Her throat tightens the longer she looks at the flowers and Jubilee forces herself to look away, gaze sliding to the framed picture of him resting beside the table, but that only makes the burning in the back of her eyes grow worse. It’s a good picture, one Toni took where he’s smiling a big genuine smile, a crinkle at the corners of his eyes, so different from the permanent scowl he wore when they were younger. He’s staring over his right shoulder, the inky lines of his Serpent tattoo on display, the light around him making everything soft, something ethereal about him.

She remembers when Toni snapped that picture last fall. They’d gone camping, the three of them, with Fangs and Joaquin and Toni’s girlfriend, Natalia. It was spur of the moment, the thrill of the Harvest Moon in their veins as they ventured into Fox Forest. It was morning, just after sunrise, and they were listening to Fangs tell some story she can’t quite remember as they hiked along the rocky quarry leading down to Crystal Lake. Jubilee said something, a joke mocking Fangs, and Sweet Pea turned to her with that smile, his entire face lit up with absolute joy.

It was only luck that Toni got the picture. She was ahead of them with Natalia and Joaquin, waiting for the rest of them to catch up, but she caught the picture anyway, and it’s always been Jubilee’s favorite.

Now she wishes she hadn’t picked it.

Her eyes follow the familial lines of his face, mapping his features, wishing she could remember him like that, smiling. None of the fear or the blood from that night.

A cold numbness settles somewhere in her chest and she has to look away from the picture, eyes squeezing shut tightly as friends and family and people she hardly knows mingle around her, dressed in black and speaking in hushed voices.

Jubilee doesn’t look at the closed casket to her right.

Her head hurts. A dull pain spreading from behind her eyes through the rest of her head until her entire body aches with it. They’ve been worse than usual lately, her headaches. From the constant crying or maybe because Sweet Pea isn’t there with his hand on the back of her neck, whispering sweet things in her ear as he kneads at her skin, chasing the pain away. She can feel him there on her neck, breath hot on her skin, a memory or a ghost.

More than anything else, Jubilee is tired. Tired of people smiling at her and telling her things will be okay, that they understand how hard all of this must be for her. She’s sick of people touching her, hands on her shoulder or elbow, as if she might break if they don’t hold her together.

She’d rather they just let her fall apart.

Someone comes up beside her, as she turns back to the flowers, gaze far away. For a long moment, they don’t say a word, merely stand there, staring at the sweet peas and shifting their weight from one hip to the other, restless. The room is claustrophobic, too many bodies, and the flash of leather Serpent jackets in the corner of her eyes causes a heavy weight to settle on her chest.

“They’re pretty,” they comment, startling her out of her blank stare, and Jubilee glances to the side, catching sight of a familiar face she hasn’t seen much of since high school. Reggie Mantle stares at the flowers she was previously looking at, both hands in the pockets of his dark slacks. He doesn’t look at her, and that’s just as well.

They were never friends. Not really anyway. She never ran in the same circles as people like Reggie Mantle and he and Sweet Pea never got along, always at each other’s throats. Jubilee got along better with his girlfriend Lydia, but she isn’t with him today. For a moment, she frowns at him, unsure why he’s here, but this is Riverdale, and no one ever misses a funeral.

Jubilee stares at him for a moment longer before her eyes slide back to the flowers, unable to look away from them for long, as cold fingers wrap around her heart and squeeze, pulling her back in.

“Goodbye,” she tells him. Reggie glances down at her, eyes narrowing in bemusement. Jubilee meets his eyes for a second, gesturing to the flowers spilling out of the vase. “Sweet peas,” she elaborates, a bitter tinge to her voice, “they mean goodbye. Departure.” She swallows down the lump in her throat, arms curling around herself slowly. “Thank you for the lovely time and adieu.”

Reggie turns back to the flowers, clearing his throat as the bitter irony of their meaning registers. “So why’d you pick them?” he asks and Jubilee wants to say that it’s obvious. Sweet peas have always been important to her. The flowers were something of a joke between them. He used to leave single stocks of them in her locker from his mom’s shop before they ever got together, because they made her smile. It was always sweet peas.

It was always Sweet Pea.

And she should have known better than to think they’d ever get a happy ending in a town as fucked up as Riverdale.

Jubilee sighs, eyes squeezing shut tightly, and for a moment she can pretend she’s somewhere else, somewhere better, but the weight of Reggie’s gaze on the side of her face keeps her grounded, and when she opens her eyes again nothing has changed.

“He, uh, he brought me some on our first date.” A bittersweet smile curls at her lips. “He was being cheeky.” Sweet Pea always was a troublemaker in some of the best ways.

Reggie chuckles lightly, shaking his head. “Sounds like him.”

“Yeah.” Jubilee breathes out a laugh. “They were pink and white,” she continues absentmindedly, playing with the ring on her finger. “He got them from his mom’s shop one afternoon while I working and left them on the counter for me.” Reggie snorts and her smile widens a fraction, fondness swelling in her chest. “He took me to the Drive-In the night it reopened because they were playing one of my favorite movies.”

“The Breakfast Club.” She glances up at him, finding Reggie already looking at her. “He didn’t stop talking about that night for weeks,” he tells her, laughing a little. “How pretty you were. How you looked under the moonlight.” Jubilee rolls her eyes but Reggie holds up his hands. “I’m being serious! Dude was always a sap for you.” Snorting, Reggie turns back to the flowers and the framed picture beside them. “Man, he was already halfway in love with you before you even started dating. Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t marry you sooner.”

Jubilee stiffens, fingers stilling on her ring as her eyes widen. Her throat goes tight, mouth dry and tongue heavy. Reggie seems to realize what he’s said only a moment later, his shoulders going tense as he turns to her, expression more apologetic than she’s ever seen him. “Shit—I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay,” she cuts him off quickly, a slight crack in her words, and Reggie winces, shame in his eyes. Jubilee clears her throat, forcing a smile. “Really, Reggie, it’s okay,” she tries to reassure him, wishing she could make herself sound more convincing.

Reggie’s eyes tear away from hers and he shifts from one leg to the other. “I fucking hate these things,” he murmurs suddenly, and Jubilee snorts in agreement.

Riverdale has had plenty of funerals over the last ten years, ever since Jason Blossom was murdered to satiate a beast that Clifford Blossom called upon. There have been blood sacrifices, strings of murders and suicides, so much death in one little town, but they never seem to get any easier.

Reggie’s hand slips into the inner pocket of his coat as he fishes out a small, steel flask and unscrews the top, glancing around them to make sure no one is watching before taking a swig. He surprises Jubilee by offering it to her next.

“Whiskey?” she asks him, glancing between him and the flask with a raised brow.

“Vodka.”

She gabs the flask and takes a quick swig, wincing as the alcohol burns at her throat. “Thanks, Mantle.”

Reggie doesn’t say another word, only takes the flask after she takes another long drink and passes it back. He doesn’t touch her, doesn’t tell her everything will be okay when it won’t, and only sends her a halfhearted nod before he disappears back into the crowd.

The visitation stretches on, people filtering around the room, offering sympathies she doesn’t want until her head starts to pound, a migraine setting in. Briefly, she wonders how Mei Hua is handling things, but Jubilee hasn’t seen her since before the visitation started, while the two of them were setting up with Jughead and Betty’s help. The older woman didn’t say much, a far away look in her eyes as she muttered something in Mandarin that Jubilee didn’t catch, looking just as lost as Jubilee felt.

But that was over an hour ago, and Jubilee hasn’t had the heart to go looking for her.

Forcing a smile, she nods along with what the man in front of her is saying. He’s from the Toledo chapter, a representative her mother sent in her place, neither Gladys or JB able to make it to the funeral due to business. Something bitter settled into her heart when she was told they wouldn’t be there, and Jubilee understands it, she does, but that doesn’t make it any easier. It doesn’t make it hurt less.

The Toledo representative reaches out and Jubilee tries not to flinch as his fingers curl around her shoulder and squeeze in a way that’s meant to be reassuring. He lingers just a little too long, grip a little too tight, and her smile slips just the slightest before she pulls from his grasp, taking a step back. Jubilee murmurs a quiet apology, excusing herself before slipping away. The older Serpent lets her go without another word, disappearing into the sea of dark leather jackets in search of someone else to talk to.

By now her headache has only grown worse, tears burning at her eyes as her entire body throbs, but she ignores it as best she can, slipping away from the room long enough to down two Tylenol before coming straight back, knowing she can’t be away for long.

With her eyes squeezed shut briefly, Jubilee takes a deep breath before slipping back into the main room. She catches Jughead’s eye from across the room and forces a halfhearted smile that he returns with a shaky one of his own from where he stands with Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper. He sends her a look, a silent question there, asking if she needs him, but Jubilee only shakes her head.

She’s fine. She’s going to be just fine.

“Jubilee!” Her eyes rip away from Jughead at the sound of her name, her tense smile slipping into something more genuine when she recognizes the person calling out to her.

“Toni,” she greets softly, arms opening automatically as Toni worms through the crowded room, dragging her girlfriend Natalia behind her, both dressed in black, looking more put together than Jubilee feels. They reach her side quickly, and Toni latches onto her immediately, locking her in a fierce grip that almost puts Jubilee back together. She grips Toni back just as tightly, fingers clenching around Toni’s dark jacket, clinging to the shorter girl. Toni’s arms squeeze around her tight, one hand rubbing Jubilee’s back as she rocks the two of them.

A ragged breath tears from Jubilee as she drops her head to rest against Toni’s, the tears she’s been trying to hold back all day finally bubbling up to the surface, a whimper crawling out of her throat. Gently, Toni hushes her, cooing nonsense in her ear as Jubilee sinks further into her embrace, allowing herself to cry for the first time today, body quivering.

When Jubilee finally pulls back, Toni’s eyes are red and wet.

“How are you holdin’ up, Girly?” Toni asks her, fingers lacing through Jubilee’s as she takes a small step back, Natalia coming up beside her.

Jubilee squeezes Toni’s hand once before gently pulling away, arms curling around herself. “I’m okay,” she says, glancing between them. “Better than—it’s just…” She trails off, glancing down at the silver ring on her finger that suddenly feels much too cold against her skin. “It’s just a lot,” Jubilee tells them, shrugging slightly.

It’s too much too fast. She was barely getting used to calling him her fiancé, and then… And she’s trying, she’s trying so hard to be okay, but for the first time in over a decade you keeps looking over her shoulder and he isn’t there. She keeps expecting to wake up, open her eyes and see him there, but it doesn’t happen. It hasn’t quite registered yet, that he isn’t coming back. Jubilee feels like she’s in a free fall, just waiting to hit the ground but she just keeps falling instead, holding her breath.

The look in Toni’s eyes is too heavy and Jubilee has to look away, practically choking on the emotion welling up inside her. “Are you still coming to the Wyrm after this?” Toni fiddles with the sleeve of her jacket, and Natalia wraps an arm around her, pulling Toni flush against her side.

Jubilee squeezes her eyes shut, exhaling heavily through her nose and fighting back a curse. She forgot about the memorial being held by the Serpents tonight, the Southside mourning the loss of their fallen Serpent King, their family. Jughead mentioned it to her vaguely the other day, but she was too wrapped up in planning with Mei Hua to think much of it.

A part of her wants to say no, that she’d rather be home, because she’s not sure she can deal with the crowd, with people asking if she’s okay, but it’s only right that she goes. Jubilee is a Serpent by blood, a Jones, and more than that she’s always been Sweet Pea’s girl, even before it was ever official.

And a crowded bar surrounded by her extended family and whiskey is better than going home to an empty house. She’d rather be where people live.

“Yeah,” she finally tells Toni, gaze sliding back to the other girl. “I might be a little late because of…” She gestures around the room, shrugging slightly as her hand falls back to her side. The get-together at the Wyrm is supposed to start around six if she remembers correctly, but she has no idea how long it might take get everything settled here.

Toni shakes her head, a sad smile on her lips. “Don’t worry about it.” Again, she takes Jubilee’s hand in hers, squeezing tightly. “Everyone will understand.” Her smile slips, gaze sweeping around the room, and her voice lowers as she leans in closer. “What about Mei Hua?” Toni asks gently, still searching the room for the older woman.

Sighing, Jubilee grips Toni’s hand tighter. “I asked, but she just wants to be alone tonight.” And Jubilee can’t blame her for that. A piece of her might be missing with Sweet Pea gone, but Mei Hua lost the only family she had left. “Have either of you seen Fangs yet?” she asks, clearing her throat.

“No,” Toni tells her, softer than before. “I don’t know if he’s coming.” Taking her lip between her teeth, Toni crosses her arms, leaning further into Natalia’s side, the shorter brunette squeezing her waist. “You know how they were,” she tacks on lowly, and Jubilee sighs, running her fingers through her hair.

Fangs and Sweet Pea were practically inseparable, ever since they were kids, causing trouble wherever they went. Fangs took it just as hard as Jubilee did. After that first night he was a mess, drinking at the Wyrm for hours, not speaking to anyone, starting fights with whoever tried to cut him off. Jubilee hasn’t seen him all week, no one has, but hearing it from Toni only makes the worried knot in her stomach tighten.

Toni’s hand on her arm brings Jubilee back. Again, the couple shares a look, and Toni takes a deep breath before she sends a small smile to Jubilee. “We actually have something for you,” she says, turning to Natalia.

The shorter brunette wets her lips, shifting slightly before meeting Jubilee’s gaze. Natalia clears her throat, taking a step forward. “A couple of weeks ago, Sweet Pea asked me to make something,” she starts slowly, Jubilee frowning in confusion. While they both always loved Natalia’s work, neither had much interest in purchasing ceramics. The boys tended to roughhouse too much for them to own fragile art. “I don’t really know what it is, but he was supposed to pick it tonight. He wanted it ready for Valentine’s Day.” Natalia breaks their gaze, reaching for the bag looped over her shoulder. “I thought you might want it anyway.”

Natalia pulls a box out of her bag, plain with Sweet Pea’s name scribbled across the top in Nat’s messy scrawl, the familiar curves of the letters making her look away. Gingerly, Jubilee takes the box, frown deepening at how weightless it feels in her hands, but Natalia merely gestures for her to open it. She does, hesitating only a moment before unfolding the cardboard flaps, hand delving inside, feeling past the pieces of foam meant to protect what’s inside. What her fingers come in contact with is smooth, cold to the touch as she lifts it from the box, Natalia taking it back from her shaky hands.

It’s a bauble, a red ball made of glass small enough to rest in the palm of her hand, with delicate swirling gold vines and flowers curling all around the smooth surface, intricately woven through the deep burgundy glass. It’s hollow inside, and when it catches the light she can just barely see something coiled inside. Jubilee cradles it close to her, chest constricting as she realizes what it is.

“It has a piece of twine inside,” Natalia tells her, sending her a small, sad smile as Jubilee’s hands begin to tremble, “all knotted together. He said that part was important.”

A shaky sound spills from her, Jubilee’s eyes squeezing shut tight as the bauble suddenly feels so much heavier in her hands. “It’s part of the Old Religion,” she tells them, forcing her eyes open again as she traces a finger down one of the swirls of gold. “There’s a tradition… to give a bauble housing your heart and soul to your lover to keep in their home.” A breathy sound caught halfway between a laugh and a sob rips from her chest. “He was going to be away in March on business with the Toledo chapter.” Her eyes start to burn again, something swelling inside her, and Jubilee shakes her head, stepping away from them. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, gasping, “I can’t—I have to go.”

Her hand clenches so tightly around the bauble that for a moment she fears it might break, but the glass ball holds firm beneath her touch as she backs away from Toni and Natalia, entire body trembling as her throat tightens until she can hardly breathe. Toni reaches for her, concern swirling in her wide eyes, but Jubilee stumbles out of her reach. It’s like a blow to the chest, the bauble, that he was going to give his heart and soul to her, that he thought she would always keep them safe.

And now it’s too late.

“Jubilee?”

She ignores the calls of her name, slipping through the crowd of people, uncaring as she knows into others in her haste to get away. The room is too small. There’s too many people. She can’t breathe. Someone catches her by the elbow, yanking her back around. Blue eyes lock with hers, her brother’s gaze swimming with concern. Another sob bubbles out of her, her fingers tightening around the bauble. Jughead’s gaze flicks to the object in her hands, grip going slack as he recognizes it, and Jubilee rips away from him, slipping from the room before he can stop her.

Jubilee curls in on herself, sinking down onto the front steps of the building, dark hair falling around her face in a tangled mess. She runs a trembling hand through her hair, fingers catching in knots. The glass freezes in her hands. The cold February air bites through her, her coat still inside, Jubilee vulnerable to the wind, but it’s only a persisting, bitter numbness that washes over her as she squeezes her eyes shut, unable to contain the deep, heaving gasps ripping straight from her chest.

The shaking in her hands gets worse with the cold, the bauble nearly slipping from her fingers before she draws it closer, curving around it protectively. Her knees are drawn to her chest, Jubilee rocking slowly against the steps.

She barely feels it as something warm settles around her shoulders, a familiar weight that she would recognize anywhere. It’s the smell that she notices first, and her heart aches because of it.

If she closes her eyes and breathes in the scent of leather and motor oil she can almost forget that the last week was real, that that night was real, that he’s gone. But it isn’t Sweet Pea’s jacket draped around her shivering frame, and it isn’t Sweet Pea that settles on the steps beside her, arm curling around her shoulders and holding her tight to his side. It’s not cinnamon and wood smoke that floods her lungs, no matter how badly she wishes it was. She’s pulled close against Fangs, his grip around her tight as he drops down beside her and tucks her against his chest, letting her curl into him as she cradles the bauble to her breast.

Jubilee goes into his arms willingly, latching on tightly as his arm squeezes around her, one of his hands rubbing against her arm to chase away the cold. He doesn’t say anything for a long time, only holds her until she quiets, rocking them both. Fang’s head drops down to rest against hers and his body shakes just as much as hers, and she breaks.

“I couldn’t,” Jubilee gasps, “I couldn’t do it,” she tells him, murmuring nonsense as he strokes her hair, whispering a lullaby in Spanish against her ear. The words are lost on her as she sobs, looking so much smaller beneath his jacket than she’s ever been before, the leather swallowing her up. She’s not even sure what she’s saying, everything just spilling out there on the steps of the Riverdale Funeral Home, everything she didn’t say before, everything she wishes she said, it all just comes tumbling out.

It’s not until just now, on the steps with Sweet Pea’s heart in her hands and Fangs shaking against her that the free fall stops.

They sit like that for a long time, desperately clinging to one another. No one comes looking for them, and if they do, they simply leave them to their grief, even as the memorial inside begins. Neither Jubilee nor Fangs move to stand, too exhausted and numb to do anything but lean against one another. Fangs plays with a coil of her hair, winding it around his fingers because he needs to do something with his hands so they don’t start shaking.

Eventually, Jubilee finds the energy to speak, body going slack against his side. “You should go inside,” she tells him, the words sounding far away, voice cracking as her eyes slip shut. A quivering breath slips from her mouth, breath fogging in the air. She’s known Fangs long enough to know he would never forgive himself for not saying goodbye, but he doesn’t pull away from her embrace.

Fangs brushes her hair away from her face, grip only tightening around her. “I promised,” he murmurs, and she almost doesn’t hear him. He sniffs, squeezing her arm, suddenly louder than before. “I promised if anything ever happened to him I’d—”

“Don’t,” she cuts him off just as quietly, curling the bauble closer to her chest. “Please, just don’t.”

They both miss the memorial service.

Sinking into the bar-stool, Jubilee throws back another shot. The alcohol burns down her throat but she only sighs, settling further onto her seat, the bustling of the Wyrm a dull hum in her ears. It’s late, most of the Serpents have been here for hours now, drinking and sharing old stories about Sweet Pea, but Jubilee hasn’t wanted any part of it. The other Serpents have left her alone so far, giving her a wide berth after she disappeared from the memorial earlier in the afternoon. No one has said anything about it, not yet, but the wary stares of some of the Serpents burn against her back, everyone keeping a close eye on her, unsure what she might do.

She traces the rim of her glass with a finger, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Hog Eye raises a brow from further down the bar, silently asking if she wants another shot, but she waves him off, shaking her head as her fingers tap the side of the shot glass. She needs to slow down. As much as she’d like to forget for one night, she knows better than that. Jubilee has watched so many Serpents turn to alcohol, drinking away their problems until it all comes crashing down on them. She watched it happen to her father, her uncles, so many people, and as much as she hurts now, she knows that’s not who she wants to be.

She exhales slowly through her nose, eyes slipping shut as laughter breaks out on the other side of the room. Her lips quirk up slightly, Jubilee only guessing what they might be talking about. Sweet Pea was always a character, always causing trouble, especially when they were teenagers. They all got into so much mischief back then, enough to give the older Serpents like her father and Dutch grey hairs.

“Jubilee.”

Her eyes snap open, head twisting around as she tenses, only to relax again when she sees a pair of familiar faces. “Hey, you two,” she murmurs back to them, fiddling with the shot glass again.

Two younger Serpents, Isaac and Dexy shuffle awkwardly in place, avoiding her gaze, eyes bloodshot from crying, and Jubilee softens at the sight of them, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. They’ve been Serpents for a few years now, both recently turning seventeen. They were under Sweet Pea’s guidance back when they new to the gang, the pair of them causing just as much trouble as Sweets and Fangs used to when they were kids. Sweet Pea always had his hands full with them and Isaac and Dexy practically idolized him, following him around wherever he went, always trying to help. And as much as sweet Pea used to gripe about it, Jubilee knows he was just as fond of them, taking the role of an older sibling in stride.

Sweet Pea didn’t have many people to look up to when he was growing up, but he made damn sure to make time for the younger Serpents whenever they needed him.

The pair exchange a brief look and Isaac runs a hand through his dark, messy curls, looking paler than usual beside Dexy, who picks at the sleeve of his leather jacket, dark skin flushed. Jubilee spins the shot glass in her hand, bemused as she waits for them to speak. Isaac shuffles again, hands behind his back, and Dexy takes a deep breath. “We, uh, we have something. For you. We wanted to give you something…” he trails off awkwardly and Jubilee bites back a grin at their flustered expressions. Dexy clears his throat, nudging Isaac. “Here.”

Isaac thrusts out a hand towards her, a dark mass in his grip. Jubilee frowns slightly in confusion, but takes the object anyway, leaning over on her stool to pull it close. Her entire body goes rigid as she realizes what it is. The smell hits her first, cinnamon and wood smoke, something spicy that she would recognize anywhere, the scent engraved in the leather after all the years he wore it.

Jubilee chokes up as she brings the old jacket close to her, fingers clenching tightly around the aged leather. She didn’t know what happened to it after that night. She was given his things by the Sheriff, his keys and wallet, the dog tags he always wore, but not his clothes, not his jacket.

Her hands shake as she pulls it close to her chest.

Stepping away from her, Isaac rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “We tried to get the bloodstains out but—”

Dexy’s elbow slams into his ribs and Isaac yelps, wincing. “Shut the fuck up, Isaac,” Dexy hisses through his teeth, sending his friend a nasty glare that Isaac returns, rubbing at his side with a huff.

Jubilee inhales sharply, breathing in the scent of him as her eyes water, a thickness growing in her throat. A wheezing sound slips from her and the boys stop glaring at one another, eyes wide as they look back at her in concern.

“Shit,” Isaac murmurs, wincing again when he sees the look on her face, the way her fingers tremble just the slightest. Shame flashes in his eyes. “Jubilee, we didn’t—”

“Thank you,” she cuts him off softly, eyes slipping shut as she lets the cinnamon scent wash over her, her body relaxing against the stool. A tear slips from her as she opens her eyes with a watery, breathy-laugh. She looks up at the boys again, the concern in their eyes raw, something nervous there. “Really,” Jubilee tells them, cradling the leather jacket close to her, “thank you.”

Neither boy has the time to respond as Fangs returns to her side, only leaving earlier to talk with Joaquin about something outside, a smoke break even though the two of them quit years ago.

“Hey, Jubilee, you ready to—” He stops when he sees the tears in her eyes, expression immediately going steely as he whirls on Isaac and Dexy. “What the fuck did you two do?” he snarls. The younger Serpents both flinch, not used to Fangs raising his voice at them like that. He’s always been the calm one, the goofy Serpent that smiles too much and used to participate in their high school’s musical theater program.

Most people don’t know that Fangs has a temper when it comes to his family. He’d do anything to keep them safe.

Isaac shrinks back under Fangs glare, stumbling into Dexy. “We didn’t—”

Fangs doesn’t let him finish. “Christ, hasn’t she fucking dealt with enough today?” Fangs snaps, drawing the attention of some of the nearby Serpents, voice loud in the semi-hushed bar.

He moves to take a step towards them, but stills when Jubilee’s fingers curl around the sleeve of his jacket, grip firm but gentle. “Fangs, stop,” she tells him lowly. He tenses, glancing down at her over his shoulders, concerned eyes searching hers. “It’s fine. They didn’t mean any harm they just…” she trails off, a sad smile forming on her mouth as she holds the jacket tighter to her, Fangs noticing it for the first time.

His eyes widen as he realizes whose it is, expression softening, and he turns to face her fully, one hand coming up to cup her cheek, Fangs’ thumb brushing a stray tear away from her eye. He ducks down to press a quick kiss to her temple and she sighs, leaning into him.

“Are you ready to go?” he whispers, one hand rubbing her back between her shoulders, anger gone just as quickly as it came.

Jubilee nods and he pulls away from her. “Yeah, just give me a minute?” Fangs hums his agreement, settling onto the bar-stool next to her as she turns back to the two boys, both still eyeing Fangs warily. “Isaac, Dexy.” Their eyes snap towards her and Jubilee’s expression hardens. “I have a job for you.” She taps two fingers on the bar when she catches Hog Eye’s eye again, requesting one more shot before she goes. The younger Serpents nod enthusiastically, always eager to take on a request.

“Of course.”

“What do you want us to do?”

A part of her feels bad for asking them this now, a seed of guilt planted in them by Fangs, but she knows that she can trust them to do what she asks.

It’s been quiet on the Southside all week, the Serpents grieving and the Ghoulies hiding away in their holes in the walls, waiting. There should have been a meeting by now between FP and Malachai. Not only was a Serpent murdered, it was on their own territory, and peace with the Ghoulies was already tense, practically nonexistent. And she’s done waiting for her father or Malachai to make the first move.

“Ezekiel,” she tells them, a tight-lipped smile curling at her mouth, a nasty edge to it. Both boys flinch at the name and on the barstool beside her Fangs tenses, jaw clenching tightly as he shoots her a look out of the corner of his eye. Jubilee ignores it, lifting the shot glass that Hog Eye slides to her from down the bar. “I want to know if he’s celebrating tonight.” Ignoring their stunned looks, Jubilee throws back the drink and slides from the stool, folding the jacket over her arm delicately.

Fangs curses behind her, mumbling something to the boys she doesn’t catch before hurrying after her, Jubilee’s heels clicking loudly across the floor.

If the Ghoulies want war, they’ve got it.

Jubilee keeps his heart in a box, the glass too fragile to be kept anywhere but locked away. The wooden box is tucked into the back corner of their closet, beneath a wool blanket that Jubilee’s grandmother made years ago. The inside is lined in dark velvet, the bauble cradled gently in the swath of fabric. She takes it out more than she’d ever admit, holding it close to her when no one else is around, at night when it’s too quiet in the house. She’s used to his breath on the back of her neck, his body shifting beside hers, always restless.

It keeps her awake at night, the stillness in the room. It’s worse when she does sleep. In that hazy moment just as the sunlight is spilling in at dawn she can feel him there against her back, warm hands on her skin, lips on her neck, the echo of a breath stirring her hair. And then she wakes up and it all falls away. A memory. A ghost. And it makes her skin itch, something sick swirling in her stomach.

So she keeps his heart close, the warmth of it pressed against her chest in the darkest stretch of he night, a dull pulse coming from inside, almost a heartbeat, but not quite. But it’s enough. It’s enough to know she has his heart, even if she doesn’t have her own.

She never knew where he kept hers. It’s been missing since that night. Jubilee has looked, but it’s nowhere in the house, and she doesn’t know where else he would keep it.

There’s a myth she’s heard, a whisper from the others like her, that the glass hearts will break, that that they’ll shatter and turn to dust. A bauble can only be given once and never taken back. It’s something sacred to the Old Religion, a promise that can’t be broken, but can die with time. She’s contemplated asking her mother if it’s true, what the other’s say, but a part of Jubilee knows she couldn’t handle the answer.

She returns to the Godswood just over a week after the funeral, the forest so much colder than before, the last long stretch of winter before spring. The tree is just as it was during the blood moon, roots twisted in knots that spread all through the clearing, stretching out thorny arms. The great white trunk of the tree seems bigger than before, the leaves a more vibrant red, and Jubilee wonders if that’s a product of the Blood Moon, of the sacrifice, however small it was.

The forest falls into a hush as she crosses the clearing, steps slow and deliberate, eyes only on the Godswood. The wind falters as she comes closer, the air still and silent, and Jubilee takes a breath as she stares at the great tree.

She doesn’t know why she’s come here, what there is to gain from venturing this deep into the forest when she has nothing to offer, nothing left to give. It’s disrespectful to the Old Gods, to seek them out with nothing to exchange, but Jubilee doesn’t want council. The full moon passed just days after they buried him and for the first time that Jubilee can remember she didn’t wake with knots in her hair, flowers in the window. And she wouldn’t care, but something about it leaves her hollow, empty inside, and she can’t help but wonder if she lost more than just him that night.

Jubilee doesn’t stop until she’s standing just before the Godswood, closer than the last time she was here, unafraid even as the branches seem to bend and twist around her, moving even without the wind, so alive. Slowly, she reaches out, fingertips sliding along the rough surface of the tree, and it hums beneath her touch, warmth blooming under her palm.

And the forest whispers Darling, where did your heart go? but she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know.

She gets him tattooed over her heart, a delicate little thing, pastel pink blossoms curling along her collarbone above her breast, a splash of life against her pale skin. She’s been so devoid of color in the weeks since they buried him, cold and quiet, the bruises under her eyes growing darker. It was supposed to get better.

People say it gets better, but the anger and heartache are still there, bloody and raw like an open wound, lingering just under the surface of her skin.

It hurts and bleeds, the needle driving into her skin to the bone, but Jubilee relishes the sting, letting it mask the ache that’s grown familiar in her chest, if only for a little while. And it’s good, even better than the double-headed snake curled along her ribs, with clean lines swooping along the curve of her chest, and no seems surprised when they see it on her skin, like it’s meant to be there. They never mention it and neither does Jubilee, content to let it lie. One last piece of him.

In the days after going to the Godswood she starts to feel sick. Her headaches come back and exhaustion creeps through her, lack of sleep in recent weeks finally catching up. Jubilee can’t keep anything down, an acidic taste taking root in her mouth. At first, she thinks it might be a curse, a reprimand from the forest, but the Folk don’t deal in body aches for such minor offenses, only nasty tricks: missing left shoes, pens that won’t work, people speaking in tongue-twisted phrases. Never anything like this.

The sickness persists, to the point where she begins to worry as the days bleed from February to March, blurring together, the weeks too short and yet achingly long.  

Jubilee drops her head down against the rim of the toilet, sighing as the porcelain cools her burning skin. Her eyes slip shut, stomach still rolling slightly, though she manages to keep it down, having nothing left to throw up. The vibration of her phone on the counter makes her groan, and Jubilee squeezes her eyes shut tighter, head pounding at the incessant buzzing. She draws her knees towards her chest, curling into herself, sighing as the new position soothes her stomach momentarily.

A cold hand clenches around her heart until she can’t breathe as a fleeting though crosses her mind. Jubilee counts the days backwards in her head, hands shaking as she fists them in the too long, too big, too warm sweater she must have stolen from Sweet Pea. It hits her and she swears under her breath, choking up. Her phone rings again as she curls in on herself, taking deep, gasping breaths, panic welling in her chest.

Her skin is clammy when she finally peels herself away from the toilet. She stands on shaking legs, groping blindly for her phone. A series of texts and missed calls flash on the scene but she ignores them, searching her contacts for a specific name.

“Toni,” Jubilee breathes into the phone as she picks up, a whimper catching in her throat, “I need you.”

By the time Toni gets there, Jubilee is curled up in the corner of the bathroom, tucked between the shower and the toilet, knees drawn to her chest, making her look smaller than usual, younger, more fragile. Jubilee doesn’t react as Toni slips into the room, dumping her bag on the bathroom counter and crouching in front of her, eyes blown wide with concern. “Jubilee,” she murmurs, reaching out for her, movements slow and deliberate, “what’s wrong?” Her fingers wrap around Jubilee’s arm and the other girl’s eyes snap up, puffy and red.

Jubilee’s mouth opens, but the only sound that leaves her is a fractured, wet, crackling sound. She shakes her head, eyes squeezing shut as she inhales sharply through her nose, a subtle tremble to her hands. “I think I’m pregnant,” she murmurs, looking back up at Toni, who goes still.

“What do mean you—” Toni chokes off, grip going slack around Jubilee as she shrinks back at Toni’s tone. Immediately, Toni’s hand finds Jubilee’s, squeezing tight. “When was your last—”

“December,” Jubilee cuts her off, gaze flicking around nervously, unable to linger on Toni long. She drops her head back to rest against the wall, nails digging into the back of Toni’s hand. “I didn’t think anything—I thought I was just—I thought—” She stumbles over the words, quaking. Thought it was the stress. The lack of eating. An Old God’s curse. “But it’s been two months and I don’t—”

Toni hushes her, dropping Jubilee’s hand and grabbing her by the shoulders instead, holding her steady. “Hey, look at me.” Her grip is firm as she ducks down to better meet Jubilee’s eyes, shaking her slightly. “Jubilee, look at me.” She does, taking a slow, shuddering breath. “It’s gonna be okay,” Toni tells her, a firm edge to her voice.

“Is it?” she asks, gaze snapping up to meet Toni’s, a fierce look in her eyes. “How is any of this okay?” A humorless laugh spills out of Jubilee, one hand fisting in her hair. “Toni, what the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t—” She doesn’t finish, jaw snapping shut. She can’t do this, not with everything else, not with the hollow feeling in her chest that carves in deeper every day.

Toni is quiet for a long time and Jubilee drops back against the wall, boneless and exhausted. She worries her lower lip, taking it between her teeth and chewing until it bleeds. Plucking at a loose thread in her sweater, she stills as Toni’s hand curls around hers, lacing their fingers together. “Did you take a test?” she asks softly, thumb rubbing across Jubilee’s knuckles. Jubilee shakes her head, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “Okay.” Toni takes a deep breath. “Okay, we’ll figure this out.”

Jubilee nods absentmindedly, not quite believing it. She goes willingly when Toni opens her arms, leaning in to engulf Jubilee in a bone-crushing embrace that almost puts her back together. Almost.

“It’s gonna be fine, JJ,” Toni says, and it sounds like a promise. The use of the old nickname makes Jubilee cling to her tighter.

But it’s not fine. Jubilee takes three tests and they all end up positive. The little pink lines are almost mocking as she stares down at them and it makes her sick. Toni convinces her to schedule a doctor’s appointment, just to make sure, because it could be a false positive, though they both know how unlikely that is.

She doesn’t know what to do, and neither does Toni, and when Fangs comes looking for her, concerned by her radio silence, it all comes spilling out. She ends up curled between them on the couch, the three of them sitting in silence as an old movie plays on the TV. Fangs has an arm locked around her, hand smoothing over her hair as he murmurs clipped phrases in Spanish against her ear to sooth her, while Toni has her hand locked in a vice grip. And Jubilee goes back to where she was a month ago. A different house. A different night. The same empty feeling in her chest.

Her appointment comes the next morning and Fangs insists on taking her, a hand on her back holding her steady as they walk into the clinic. Her hands shake and she looks small, swallowed up in Sweet Pea’s Serpent jacket as she’s lead to the front desk to check in.

It all happens in a blur. The room. The tests. The doctors. The results.

And Fangs knows. As soon as he sees her face he knows. And if it were any other time she thinks he might be ecstatic. He’s always been good with kids, always said he would be the best uncle, and she knows he still will, but the situation is bitter. It doesn’t change the hollow feeling inside them both, just makes it a little bit bigger.

He’s halfway up from his seat when she bursts at the seams, unable to hold herself together any longer. She’s sobbing, trembling by the time he reaches her and yanks her tight up against him. Jubilee collapses into Fangs, eyes squeezing shut as her stomach rolls. He hushes her, stroking her hair and rubbing circles against her back, asking if she wants to go home, but it only makes her cry harder.

The trailer in Sunnyside isn’t home. Not anymore.

“Do you think it’s a curse?” she asks, later, at Pops after she’s calmed down. She swirls her straw around in her half finished shake, chewing the inside of her cheek. Fangs glances up from across the booth, pulling away from the pamphlet they gave her about what to expect in the coming weeks. “History repeating itself.” Her eyes leave his as he frowns, gaze sliding to the side to look out the window. “He never got to meet his dad either.” She turns back to Fangs and his expression is pained. Jubilee’s eyes water, her throat tightening up. “It’s not fair,” she whispers.

He reaches for her across the table, gaze soft, and Jubilee grabs for him blindly, catching his hand in hers and clinging to him tightly. “I know,” he murmurs back to her, thumb brushing against her knuckles slowly as her hand begins to tremble in his. “He would have been so fucking thrilled,” Fangs tells her, squeezing her fingers as he laughs breathlessly. It chokes off into nothing and he stares back down at his drink. “Absolutely terrified but so goddamn happy.”

Her lips quirk up just the slightest. “He would have been a good dad.” Jubilee rests her free hand over her belly, a strange calm washing over her as she thinks about how excited he would have been. They’d never talked about kids, but she can almost picture the smile that would light up his face, one she’ll never get to see.

It’s surprisingly easy, keeping her pregnancy from the Serpents, her family. She’s six weeks along, not showing yet, but the signs are there. The morning sickness gets worse and she stops drinking and Fangs is even more protective than usual, taking up his role of uncle and godfather without so much as a word, but everyone writes it off the same way as she did. They know she hasn’t been sleeping, that she’s been sick, but they think it’s only the grief, loss still clinging to her like a second skin.

So no one asks, and Toni and Fangs promise to keep quiet until she’s ready, not wanting to press too hard too fast. A lot has happened in the last month, too much to process so quickly, and so they let her be, keeping close in case she wants to talk and distracting her when they need to.

Somehow she ends up with Hot Dog. Two days after her appointment, Fangs showed up with the big sheepdog and a bag of kibble, handing them off to her without an explanation. Briefly, she wondered how Fangs talked her father into allowing him to take the dog, but the thought left her as soon as Hot Dog wagged his tail, nails clicking as he skittered across the floor to greet her, sniffing and nosing at her until she crouched down to pet him.

It was the first time she really smiled since the night he died.

Jubilee dropped down in front of the excited dog, the floor cold against her skin, and Hot Dog nearly knocked her over, licking at her face and hands. Fangs only watched from just inside the front door, a slow grin tugging at his mouth as she giggled, squealing as Hot Dog shoved his cold nose against the side of her neck.

Things are better, having someone—something else in the house. Something alive. It isn’t the same by any stretch, but she feels better knowing she’s not completely alone. Jubilee let Hot Dog sleep on the bed with her the first night and he hasn’t left her side since, following her around through the house and curling up next to her on the couch, head on her lap and tail wagging.

She breathes just a little bit easier with him around.

Somehow, Jubilee ends up with Betty Cooper sitting across from her in the living room, looking out of place in the small trailer, fidgeting awkwardly. Despite how long they’ve known each other they’ve never been friends, not even after Jughead and Betty began dating in high school. And maybe it’s because of Jubilee or maybe it’s because of Betty, but they’ve never found common ground. Jubilee has never liked the smugness of the Cooper women and Betty never quite forgave Jubilee for denying her entrance into the Serpents, and that’s always been fine. Jubilee has never had an interest in befriending the Cooper girl.

And she knows that Betty isn’t here to make friends, not really. She’s here because Jughead asked her to, because he’s gotten it into his head that she shouldn’t be alone right now and Betty is the only option left. Jughead has some meeting with their father. Fangs and Joaquin are off on a run in Greendale. Toni is working. Jubilee would be too, if Mei Hua would let her.

She hasn’t said anything, but Jubilee gets the feeling the woman knows more than she’s let on. At first, she let Jubilee stay, let her throw herself into working at the shop at odd hours, let her work herself into the ground. Valentine’s Day was the worst of it. It was hard, putting on a smile two days after she buried her fiancé, seeing couples in the shop. It was almost too much, but Jubilee begged Mei Hua not to send her home. She couldn’t be alone. Not that day. And Mei Hua let her stay. But lately she’s been firm about Jubilee having certain days off, and Jubilee hasn’t had the heart to fight her on it.

“I know how you feel,” Betty says suddenly, disrupting the uneasy silence they’ve fallen into. She shifts slightly on the couch, tucking her feet beneath her as Jubilee frowns, gaze flicking up from her book and pinning Betty in place.

Jubilee doesn’t respond right away, book settling in her lap as she stops absentmindedly running her fingers through Hot Dog’s fur. The big sheepdog whines, nosing at her hand, and she ruffles his ears until he flops back down at her feet. “Excuse me?” Jubilee purses her lips, eyeing Betty critically.

Betty bites her lip, fidgeting. Her green eyes flit around the room and she swallows, finally meeting Jubilee’s gaze once again, hesitant but determined, and it leaves a sour taste in Jubilee’s mouth. “I know how you feel,” she starts slowly, clasping her hands in her lap and leaning forward.

Betty’s gaze is suddenly soft, empathetic, and it makes Jubilee’s jaw clench. Her stomach fills with ice as she closes her book, placing it on the side table with more force than necessary. “What the hell are you going on about, Cooper?” Hot Dog makes a soft sound at the sharpness of her voice, Jubilee narrowing her eyes at Betty in confusion.

“I know how you feel,” Betty repeats gently, “about what happened to Sweet Pea.”

Scoffing, Jubilee shoves herself from the chair, a laugh of sheer disbelief spilling out of her mouth as her hand rakes through her hair. She chokes up just as quickly, eyes squeezing shut. It’s his name that does it. Everyone has been so careful not to say it around her, not since the funeral. And it’s so good to hear someone say it. It’s good and bittersweet and it makes something inside her ache.

Betty stands slowly. “Jubilee,” she tries again, taking a small step forward, “talk to me, please?” Jubilee’s hands shake, nails biting into her palms. “Look, I understand how horrible this all must be.” The smile Betty sends her is tight. A little practiced. A little forced. “When I almost lost Jughead—”

“Shut up,” Jubilee bites out, but she just keeps talking. “Betty, shut up!” The other girl takes a step back as Jubilee glares at her. “You have no idea how I feel,” she spits at Betty. “This isn’t like when we were kids. Sweet Pea isn’t going to wake up and everything will be fine. He’s dead.” Her heart lurches, stomach flipping. It’s the first time she’s said his name since that night and it makes her feel sick. Jubilee wraps her arms protectively around her middle, a sob sticking in her throat. “Sweet Pea is dead,” she chokes out, softer this time.

It’s quiet. The words hang heavy in the air. Betty chews her bottom lip, refusing to meet Jubilee’s gaze as she fiddles with the hem of her sweater. Finally, she sighs, green eyes flicking up to meet Jubilee’s. “I realize that, I just—”

“Don’t.” Jubilee’s shoulders droop, exhaustion overtaking her. “Just get out.”

“Jubilee.”

“Get out,” she repeats firmly. Betty stares at her for a moment, mouth opening like she wants to say something, but thinks better of it. Eventually, she straightens, gaze on the ground as she slips around Jubilee.

The door slams shut behind her and Jubilee sinks back onto the chair, curling her legs close to her chest. Hot Dog whines at her feet until she pats the cushion beside her and the shaggy dog hops up, sitting in her lap, wet tongue lapping at her face until she wraps her arms around him, burying her face against his shoulder.

The front door is thrown open without warning.

Hot Dog is off the chair in a second, snarling as someone storms into the trailer. Jubilee’s reaction is slower, half-asleep where she’s still curled into the chair. The book slips from between her fingers, clattering to the floor, and she snaps around. With one hand, Jubilee grabs Hot Dog by the collar, yanking him back before he can go barreling towards the intruder.

“Hot Dog!” she hisses, shushing him once she sees who it is. Her eyes narrow as her brother slams the door shut, glaring at her. She’s taken aback by his entrance, and even more so by the look in his eyes. He should know better than to break into someone’s home like this, especially on the Southside. It’s a good way to get hurt, bursting in like this. “Jughead, what—”

“What the fuck is your problem, Jubilee?” he snaps at her before she can finish, so much venom in his tone that it makes her flinch. Because he’s never shouted at her like that, not even when they were teenagers and would argue about anything and everything. Not once in the twenty-three years they’ve been alive has he ever talked to her like this.

Hot Dog growls at Jughead’s raised voice and Jubilee’s grip around his collar tightens as the dog strains against her.

She can only stare at him, taken aback by his tone. Jughead stands in the entry way fuming, waiting for a response. Jubilee opens her mouth, then closes it again just as quickly, her eyes narrowing. “Did Betty send you to talk to me?” He tenses and she scoffs.

He’s quiet for a moment, watching Hot Dog and avoiding her gaze, shifting from one foot to the next. “Look I get it, okay?” Jughead says, softer than before though there’s still an edge to the words. “I get that you’re angry and upset right now, but you don’t need to take that out on her.”

“Then maybe Betty should stop sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong,” Jubilee snaps back at him. She lets go of Hot Dog, who looks up at her as she slips from her spot, still glaring at him, ready for an argument if it should come to that. Jughead still won’t meet her eyes, and she crosses her arms, stomach dropping. “You’re not here for Betty,” she murmurs.

His gaze flicks to hers for just a second and he swallows. “Dad wanted me to talk to you.” Jughead pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing, expression apologetic.  “They’re talking about making me the new Serpent King. I wanted to tell you before…” He shrugs, but the implication is there. Before they make it official. Before they announce it to the entire gang and the news spreads across the Southside. Before she had to hear it from someone else.

“Three weeks.” Jughead sends her a bemused look, eyes finding hers, and the smile she sends him is mean. “That’s how long he’s been in the ground. Three fucking weeks.” Jughead flinches and she laughs. “you and dad have no fucking shame.”

Jubilee shoves past him, heading towards the kitchen, Hot Dog on her heels.

Jughead twists on his heel, following after her. “We can’t have the Ghoulies know how vulnerable we are now,” he reasons, though it sounds bitter coming from him. A part of her knows he’s right. Sweet Pea was the next Serpent King and he was murdered on Serpent territory. That leaves them vulnerable, the Serpents rattled by what happened. They look weak in the  eyes of the Ghoulies, and they can’t have that.

But that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

“Then maybe we should do something about them.” She keeps her back to Jughead as she opens the refrigerator, immediately going for the bottle of whiskey tucked into the back. Jubilee swears under her breath, shaking her head as retracts her hand and slams the door shut. “Like I’ve been saying for weeks.”

“You can’t just go after the Ghoulies like that, Jubilee, you’re going to get yourself killed.” Jughead’s voice is strained, exasperated, anger still burning beneath the surface as he hovers in the entryway.

Jubilee whirls on him. “I don’t care!” She doesn’t mean for it to slip out, but the words leave her in a rush and she can’t take them back. Jughead’s eyes widen, his arms going slack at his sides as he stares at her. There’s something horrified in his gaze that makes her sick. Jubilee curls her arms around herself, leaning back against the counter. “I don’t care anymore,” she repeats quietly, squeezing her eyes shut. “I’m tired, Jug. I’m so, so tired of waking up without him.”

And maybe that’s pathetic, but she’s beyond caring anymore. Everything that’s happened in the last month has been too much too soon and she doesn’t know how to handle it anymore. She can’t keep doing this.

For once in his life, Jughead doesn’t seen to know what to say. He takes a step further into the room, murmuring, “Jubilee?”

She sniffs, finally lifting her gaze to meet his. A strained smile tugs at her lips. “I wish they’d killed me too.” Jughead blanches and she trembles, the weight of those words settling over them both. “I wish,” Jubilee says, swallowing the lump in her throat, “Ezekiel had have just killed me.”

Jughead shakes his head. “You don’t mean that,” he finally chokes out. “Jubilee, you don’t mean that.”

“I do.” A part of her is startled by the easy confession, but she lets it all come spilling out, exhaustion overtaking her. “Every single day.” A short, bitter laugh tears from her. “Sometimes I forget. When I first wake up. That he’s not there.” She fiddles with the sleeve of her top. “Sometimes I wake up and I swear, I swear I can feel him breathing on my neck, but it’s not real. It’s just a dream. Wishful thinking,” she murmurs. Tears build in her eyes, and she barely registers Jughead coming closer to her. “And it’s hard, it’s just so hard. And I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Warm hands latch onto her shoulders, firm as they hold her upright. Jughead ducks down to meet her eyes, a flicker of fear in his gaze. “It’ll get—”

“Don’t.” She shakes her head, trying to pull away from him, but he refuses to let go. “Don’t tell me it gets better, Jughead.” None of this can get better. She’s still pregnant and Sweet Pea is still dead and they’re still on the brink of war with the Ghoulies. Jubilee sobs, tears finally overflowing, and she swipes at them with her sleeve. “God I am so sick of crying.”

Jughead doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her fully, drawing her into a bone crushing hug that knocks the breath out of her. He squeezes so tightly it almost hurts, but it’s the safest she’s felt since that night at the park and she clings to him. Jughead cups the back of her head as Jubilee trembles against him, fingers fisting at his jacket. “I’m sorry,” he whispers in her ear, voice thick. “If I could make this better…”

She shakes her head. “I just want him to come back,” she tells him. “We were supposed to go home.”

“I know,” he hushes her, rubbing her back between her shoulders as Jubilee hiccups. “I know.”

The news of Jughead becoming the next Serpent King spreads quickly through the Southside. The Serpents are rattled by the news, especially so soon after Sweet Pea’s death. A month isn’t a long time, and the Serpents have always been loyal to a fault. It feels like a betrayal, crowning a new king so soon, but Jughead was right. They don’t have much of a choice anymore. There’s already blood in the water. It’s only a matter of time before an all out war starts on the Southside, and the Serpents need to pick themselves back up. Move on.

Only it’s not that easy.

Jughead never wanted to be the Serpent King. And while his loyalty to the gang has never wavered, there are some who still don’t believe he should be king, that he hasn’t earned it. A part of Jubilee agrees, the part that feels guilty, the part that hates her father for asking her to be okay with this. And the other Serpents look at her in pity or sympathy when FP announces the news at a meeting. She hates the looks, and when FP tries to talk to her afterwards, she walks out of the Wyrm without sparing him a look. There’s nothing he can do to fix this.

More than anything, the news forces FP’s hand, a meeting finally being called between the Serpents and Ghoulies, just over a month since Ezekiel murdered Sweet Pea. The tensions between the gangs just grow thicker after that. Skirmishes break out, mostly between the younger Serpents and Ghoulies. Everyone is looking for a fight, and things come boiling over.

They meet at the Wyrm, per tradition, with FP calling the meeting. Beyond that it’s also a show of strength, the Serpents presenting a united front, allowing the Ghoulies onto their territory, proof they aren’t broken.

FP closes the Wyrm for the day, the meetings between the gangs private, a select group. For the Serpents it’s the three members of the Jones family, though Jubilee had to argue with FP to allow it, and three others of their choosing. Jubilee and Jughead choose Fangs and Joaquin respectively, and FP brings in Dutch, who Jubilee hasn’t seen since that night at FP’s trailer.

Jubilee is at the bar with Fangs and Joaquin standing on either side of her when the Ghoulies finally come strolling in.

The grin on Malachai’s face knocks the breath out of her, and Joaquin and Fangs shift as she tenses. Malachai has three Ghoulie officers behind him, none of which are Ezekiel, and Jubilee isn’t sure if she’s disappointed or relieved. She hates him. And Jubilee isn’t ashamed to admit that she wishes he was dead, but she’s also terrified. She saw the sick glee in his eyes that night, the calm reasoning, the planning. He beat Sweet Pea because it would start a war and because it was fun.

Malachai and his lieutenants head for the table near the bar where FP, Jughead, and Dutch are already waiting, but Jubilee’s gaze flicks back to the door as the men exchange greetings, her jaw clenching as Penny Peabody slips into the room.

Penny’s gaze slides around the room, flicking between each person, and her eyes light up when she catches sight of the people at the bar. “Jubilee!” the former Serpent greets as she walks up to the younger woman, gaining the attention of the rest of the room. Joaquin and Fangs both stiffen, but Jubilee doesn’t react. “It’s good to see you again,” Penny continues, voice dripping with faux cheer. “I was so sorry to hear about Sweet Pea.” She’s smiling while she says it.

Jubilee scoffs, returning the smile with her own tight-lipped one. “I’m sure you were, Penny.”

Her smile wavers just the slightest, Jubilee not giving her the reaction she wants. “I suppose I should offer my condolences,” Penny says, and Jubilee rolls her eyes, turning away. Penny just keeps talking, switching tactics. “I’m sorry you had to watch that. Ezekiel can get messy sometimes. Over excited. You know how boys can be.”

It’s so off-handed, but it hits Jubilee right in the chest. Tears burn at the backs of her eyes, pregnancy hormones setting her off.

Fangs takes a threatening step towards her, one hand clenched into a fist. “Fuck off, Peabody,” he snaps. The other Ghoulies look over at them, amused.

Penny’s expression shifts to one of sheer delight at Fangs comment. Smile too big. Too bright. And Jubilee stiffens, knowing they’ve made a mistake somehow. “So is the baby Sweet Pea’s? Or did you move on to Fogarty that quickly?” Penny asks her suddenly. The rest of the room goes quiet.

Joaquin inhales sharply on her left and Jubilee winces. This wasn’t how she wanted people to know. She doesn’t bother wondering how Penny knows, the woman has eyes all over Riverdale.

“Jubilee?” her gaze flicks to Jughead as he stands from his spot at the table. He glances between her eyes and stomach rapidly, expression a mix of shock and hurt that she didn’t tell him before. “You…” He can’t finish, mouth moving but nothing coming out. Behind him, FP stares at her, absolutely horrified, and Jubilee’s eyes snap back to Penny, jaw clenched.

For a long moment, Jubilee just stares at the former Serpent. She hasn’t forgotten the blackthorn. Penny worships the Old Religion just like Jubilee and her mother, and she knows exactly what the plant means. Bad luck. Misfortune. Struggle. Strife. Penny knows exactly what she did, offering it to Jubilee like that. Not quite a curse, but close enough.

“Martinez.” Malachai glances at her as Jubilee speaks, voice low and even. His head cocks to the side, waiting for her to continue. “Get Penny out of my face before I kill her.” Jubilee means good on the threat and they know it too. And Jubilee thinks she could get away with it, not that Penny shared her little secret. The Ghoulies may not have much respect for women, but they aren’t complete monsters. Not anymore.

Malachai is quiet for a minute, just staring at her, but then his gaze shifts. “Peabody,” he starts lowly, cutting off when Penny grins and slinks back to his side without another word.

Jubilee leans back against the bar, eyes squeezing shut, the weight of FP’s gaze still heavy on the side of her face. Fangs shoulder brushes against hers, a silent comfort, and she takes a shaky breath. Her hands shake and she clenches them into fists, feeling the Ghoulies watching her.

She doesn’t pay attention to most of the talk, the Ghoulies and Serpents passing around the blame, making accusations about who started what. The Serpents drew first blood in defense of a Serpent Adjacent. The Ghoulies attacked unprovoked. A breach in territory. Usually, Jubilee would be more involved with the politics of it. FP and Jughead have never been diplomatic enough for it. But with another migraine building she tunes it out, leaning into Fangs just the slightest.

“I can’t give you my brother,” Malachai says suddenly, gaining Jubilee’s attention once more. “You know that.” The Ghoulie King looks between FP and Jughead, something indecipherable there.

FP leans back in his seat, crossing his arms. “That’s not why I wanted a meeting, Martinez.” He wets his lips, glancing sideways at Dutch, who nods just the slightest. FP straightens in his seat, making himself look taller. “I wanna make a deal with you. No more blood.” FP sighs. “We have bigger problems than each other right now.”

Jubilee’s stomach drops. “What?” she chokes out, head snapping around towards her father. Fangs and Joaquin have gone still on either side of her, and Fangs swears under his breath.

Jughead also turns to their father, eyes wide. Clearly, FP hadn’t mentioned this to him either. “Dad?” He exchanges a look with Jubilee for half a second before turning back to the Serpent King.

FP doesn’t look at either of them, gaze still on Malachai, who seems just as taken aback, though far more pleased. “Joaquin,” FP barks, gesturing with his chin towards the upper level of the bar. “Take her up to the office.” Jubilee clenches her jaw, raw anger flaring inside her. A protest dies on her lips as FP snarls out a “now!” when Joaquin hesitates.

He pulls her upstairs without a word.

Jubilee paces the length of the office for what seems like hours as she waits for the meeting to be over, agitation growing with each pass she makes. Joaquin watches her from his place in front of the door, blocking her way out, eyes apologetic. Jubilee isn’t mad, at least not at him. Joaquin had as much choice in the matter as she did. He can’t disobey the Serpent King, especially not in front of the Ghoulies like that. Such blatant disrespect would only make them look weak.

They don’t talk as they wait, their nerves on end.

The sound of footsteps pounding against the stairs makes Jubilee pause in her pacing, turning to the door. The door to the office is pushed open, and she sneers when she sees her father standing in the entryway. “Get out,” FP tells Joaquin without once looking away from her. Joaquin follows his gaze, looking at Jubilee questioningly, but she only purses her lips, nodding for him to go.

It’s only after the door clicks shut behind him that FP softens. He crosses the room quickly, reaching for her. “Jubilee.”

“Don’t,” she snarls, stepping out of his reach and glaring. “Don’t fucking touch me right now!” She can’t believe him right now, making peace with the Ghoulies after what they did to Sweet Pea—to her.

He stops, leaving a few feet of space between them, expression remorseful, and she scoffs, turning away from him. “You’re pregnant,” he finally says, so quiet she barely hears him. Jubilee squeezes her eyes shut, arms crossing over her stomach. She doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to. She wouldn’t have reacted to Penny like that if she wasn’t. “Is it Sweet Pea’s?”

She shoots him a nasty look over her shoulder, half turning to face him. “Of course it’s fucking his,” she spits, insulted that he would think otherwise. FP winces, shame in his eyes and she knows he didn’t mean it like that, he’s just surprised, but it doesn’t make it hurt less. “You made a deal with the Ghoulies.”

He runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “We can’t have more blood right now,” he explains to her. “Not with the Wolves moving in. We pick a fight with the Ghoulies and more people get hurt.” FP takes another step towards her, expression softening just the slightest when he sees the tears burning at her eyes. “Malachai won’t just give up Ezekiel that easily.”

“They beat him to death.” FP’s jaw clenches at the reminder, his eyes squeezing shut. “Ezekiel forced him onto his knees and didn’t stop beating him even after he was already dead. Then, he spit on him.” Jubilee takes a single step towards him, glaring up at her father. “Sweet Pea didn’t have a chance. And you’re just going to let that go?”

“Jubilee—”

“What if it was me?” she asks him, gaze cutting through him right down to the bone. Jubilee settles back against the wall, arms crossing over her chest. “What if they killed me? Would you do something about it then or would you still be acting like a coward?”

FP rounds on her. “You’re my daughter,” he snaps at her, voice strained. There’s a flash of anger in his eyes.

“And he was going to be your son,” Jubilee reminds him.

He has the decency to look ashamed. “Sweetheart, I—”

Jubilee shoves past him before he can finish.

“You know I don’t need a babysitter,” she says breezily. Joaquin looks up at her from the couch, tensing at the look in her eyes. His jaw twitches, but he feigns confusion, and Jubilee sighs, tired of them going around in circles like this. Things have been tense since her talk with Jughead, since they made the deal with the Ghoulies. “You and Fangs are hovering.” Jubilee uncurls herself from the chair, leaning towards him as she places her book on the table beside her chair.

Joaquin sits up slowly, wetting his lips as he shifts to face her directly. “We just want to make sure you’re—” He cuts off just as quickly, mouth snapping shut and she scoffs.

Swallowing, she looks down at her hands, fingers curling into loose fists. “Well, it’s starting to get on my nerves,” she tells him, fighting the shakiness of her voice, adding more bite than she means. Joaquin flinches just the slightest and she winces, a seed of guilt pooling in her gut.

He only sighs, rubbing the back of his head in frustrating. “Look,” he starts again, softer this time, placating, “we care about you.”

“Save it, Joaquin.” Jubilee stands, not sparing him a look as she takes off towards the kitchen. It’s not a conversation she wants to have, not now. She doesn’t want to hear that they think she’s spiraling, that she’s depressed, because they just don’t get it. Because it’s different for her, for someone who practices the Old Religion. Because she didn’t just lose her best friend; she lost her heart, too.

He’s on her heels. “You’ve said some things—”

She barks out a laugh. “And there it is.” She whirls on him, leveling Joaquin with the nastiest look she can manage, stopping him in place. “Maybe next time just lead with that.” Her patience has worn thin lately, temper riding the knife’s edge between a slow burn and an explosion, building and building with nowhere else to go.

He takes a deep breath, running a frustrated hand through his hair as he turns his back on her. Joaquin circles back around to face her. “Jubilee, you told Jughead you wished the Ghoulies had killed you,” he reminds her, voice wavering, and she squeezes her eyes shut. “That’s not—”

“I know!” she snaps. Jubilee runs her hands over her face, letting out a humorless laugh before dropping her hands and glaring back at him. “Jesus, Joaquin you think I don’t know how fucked up that is? How awful that sounds?” Her fingers rake through her messy hair. Joaquin takes a step towards her, but she backs away, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. “We were together for seven goddamn years and now he’s just gone and I’m pregnant and I don’t—” she shakes her head, sending Joaquin a half-hearted shrug and stumbling over the words. “I don’t know how to do this without him.”

Joaquin is quiet for a long time, and Jubilee turns away from him, beginning to pace, not wanting to see the look in his eyes. She’s tired of the pity. It’s been weeks since they buried him but she still feels stuck in place, everything around her moving too quickly. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shoves her hair away from her face, fingers catching in the tangled knots she hasn’t taken care of. Jubilee drops her hand with a frustrated huff, angry tears building behind her eyes.

“Come with me.” She stills halfway across the room and half-turns to glance at him over her shoulder. His gaze is hard, jaw set, and Jubilee sighs, knowing he won’t leave unless she goes too. It reminds her of the look Sweet Pea always had, the determination she always loved in him, and it makes her soften, shoulders slumping.

Jubilee sighs, expression tired. “Joaquin…” she starts, voice trailing off into nothing as he crosses the room and comes to stand in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“Come with me?” he asks again, voice softening as he ducks his head down to meet her eyes. “Just for an hour, please?” He squeezes her arms and she opens her mouth to speak, but Joaquin continues before she can say anything. “And after that if you want to come home, I’ll take you home, I promise. You just need to get out of here for a little while.”

Sighing, she wraps her arms around her middle, the sincerity in his eyes making her falter. “Okay.”

Joaquin drives in silence, occasionally glancing at her from the corner of his eye, as if expecting her to disappear. Ignoring the looks, Jubilee leans her head against the window, glass so cold it burns against her skin. is fingers tap against the steering wheel, a steady beat, and she allows her eyes to slip shut, not knowing where he’s taking her but simply deciding to trust him. Joaquin has never lead her astray in all the time she’s known him, and he wouldn’t start now.

Jubilee’s palm presses to the flat of her belly, fingers drumming against her side as her stomach churns. Morning sickness or nerves she isn’t sure.

They aren’t in the truck for long before Joaquin takes a turn out of Riverdale, the forest surrounding them as he drives towards Sweetwater River. Jubilee stays silent, watching the trees pass by them in a blur. It isn’t long, until they reach the bridge overlooking the river. With narrowed eyes, Jubilee stares at the other car parked on the bridge, frown twisting at her mouth. She doesn’t recognize the figures standing outside the car, but Joaquin doesn’t hesitate to leave the car, not saying a word as he circles around to her side of the truck.

Jubilee unbuckles herself, popping open the door, but doesn’t move to leave until Joaquin reaches for her, taking her by the hand. “Trust me?” he asks, and she’s known him too long not to, so she nods and lets him tug her from the truck, helping her down. Jubilee sends him a small, apologetic look, but he only smiles, curling an arm around her, and she knows they’re okay.

The figures become less hazy as they get closer, and Jubilee recognizes Joaquin’s boyfriend, Kevin, alongside—

“Moose?” she murmurs, frowning in confusion as Joaquin urges her another step forward with the hand pressed protectively against her back, her steps faltering when she sees the former Bulldog, someone she hasn’t spoken to since they were in high school together.

He sends her a slow smile, shifting slightly beside Kevin, who exchanges a meaningful look with Joaquin. “Hey, Jubilee,” Moose greets quietly.

Her gaze slides away from his, stomach flipping again. She glances up at her companion, frown twisting at her lips. “Joaquin, what…” she starts, only to trail off as her eyes drift back to Moose. She realizes what’s happening even before Joaquin leans down to whisper in her ear, turning her to face him.

“You need to talk to someone who understands,” he murmurs, hand dropping from her back as he takes a small step away from her. A part of her wants to argue, but she knows he’s right. She needs to talk about what happened that night, how it lingers. Fangs and Joaquin and her family, they can all listen, but they don’t know how to talk to her about it, not entirely. Jubilee nods absentmindedly, and Joaquin’s fingers curl around her shoulder. “Call me when you’re ready,” he tells her. “I’ll be here.”

Jubilee hesitates before taking a step away from him, feeling suddenly smaller without Joaquin hovering behind her, and she glances back at him once to make sure he’s still there before turning to Moose. She’s never really spoken to him before, not about anything important. He’s always just been Moose, a friend of Kevin and Reggie, who she only knows through their relationships with those around them. She wouldn’t consider Moose a friend by any stretch, hardly an acquaintance at that.

He’s just some stranger that might be better able to understand her than the people she’s known her entire life.

Kevin leaves Moose’s side, sending her a brief look as he slips past her, but says nothing as he heads to Joaquin’s side. The couple doesn’t go far, Kevin’s hand slipping through Joaquin’s as they turn and head back down the way they came, leaving the bridge and wandering down towards the water. Jubilee follows them with her eyes until they disappear, then turns back to Moose, who hasn’t moved to come closer to her.

Slowly, she forces herself to move, and Moose turns away from her, instead looking out at the water as she moves to his side, arms tight around herself as the wind picks up, tossing her dark hair around her face. Jubilee sighs, eyes slipping shut as the breeze curls around them, the pine scent of the forest causing the tension to drain from her shoulders.

Neither of them speak for a long time as they look at the river.

“Congratulations,” Moose says, startling her out of her thoughts. Jubilee pulls her gaze from the swirling water back to him, and he gestures with one hand to her stomach, a slight grin on his face.

She tries to return the smile but it falls flat. “Word spreads fast.” She can’t say she’s surprised. The news is all over the Southside by now, after the meeting between the Serpents and Ghoulies. It was only a matter of time before the news spread North. No one can keep a secret for long in Riverdale, and with Sweet Pea’s death so recent, so soon after their engagement, Jubilee’s been just one more part of the town’s talk, no matter how much she hates it.

Moose hums faintly. “More like Kevin can’t keep his mouth shut.” It cracks a grin from her, though it doesn’t stay long. Kevin’s always been the biggest gossip she’s ever known, especially when he’s excited. He’s been around more than usual lately, an extension of Joaquin keeping close, she hasn’t minded much. Kevin is good-natured, different from the Southsiders she grew up around. He keeps her mind off things.

When she doesn’t say anything, Moose continues, racing his forearms against the railing on the side of the bridge. “How far along?”

“A couple weeks,” she tells him, dimly aware of voices coming from below the bridge, Joaquin and Kevin keeping close. Jubilee takes a deep breath, the cold air a shock in her lungs. “I didn’t know until…” She shrugs, pulling her jacket tighter around herself as she glances over the guardrail, just barely able to see her reflection in the water.

He only nods, empathy flickering in his eyes. “Sorry I couldn’t make it to…” he trails off as well, unable to say the word, and it chokes her as well.

“Doesn’t matter,” she tells him honestly, and a wall breaks down between them. Jubilee loosens her grip around herself, turning to Moose and offering him a ghost of a smile.

They don’t talk about Sweet Pea. Or Midge. Or the broken pieces of themselves that were lost with them. Instead they fill the silence with mindless chat, about anything and everything else, and slowly she begins to relax, snorting when Moose tells her about the things he and Reggie used to get into back in high school. And Jubilee smiles, leaning forward against the bridge and looking out over the water, half-frozen, thawing with the coming spring. She never imagined herself here, standing on the same bridge where the Serpents and Red Circle had their rumble so many years ago, talking with Moose Mason of all people.

Jubilee never would have thought they’d have anything in common, especially not like this.

“Does it ever get better?” she asks him quietly, watching the water stir below. Her stomach lurches with the river, and her fingers find the slight curve of her belly, still hardly noticeable beneath the flannel she must have stolen from Sweet Pea years ago, colors faded and fabric frayed, though his scent still clings to it, wrapping around her like a blanket.

Moose is quiet for a long time as he rests his forearms against the side of the bridge. “I don’t know,” he finally tells her, gaze shifting from the river over to her. Jubilee worries her lip, arms curling around herself. Moose sighs through his nose, closing his eyes as a breeze curls around them. “I don’t know.”

She calms after her conversation with Moose. The ache in her chest doesn’t disappear, doesn’t hurt less, but it doesn’t need to. She’s not okay, maybe she never will be, but she’s better. She can breathe again. She doesn’t flinch when people say his name anymore, even if she can’t bring herself to say it most days.

A slow exhale slips from her, Jubilee curling up tighter on her bed, eyes slipping shut. Hot Dog rests his head over her thigh, tail thumping against the mattress as she plays with his ears, enjoying the silence. After her talk with Moose her friends have become more lax about leaving her alone, even if it isn’t for long. Someone pops in everyday to check how she’s doing, make sure she’s eating okay.

Fangs has taken it upon himself to track her pregnancy, keeping her up to date on things. Jubilee is sitting at just about seven weeks right now and still can’t quite believe it. Her free hand settles over her stomach, a low hum slipping from her.

Jubilee lies there with Hot Dog for a while, dozing until the dog perks up his head. His tail wags wildly and Jubilee cracks open an eye, hearing the front door shut with a soft click. Hot Dog doesn’t move from the bed or bark, so Jubilee puts her head back down.

She only looks up again when there’s a soft, almost hesitant knock on the door. Jubilee sits up in a rush when she sees who it is, her stomach flipping at the sudden shift. “Dad,” she murmurs after a moment, surprised to see him there. They haven’t spoken since their fight at the Wyrm. Jubilee hasn’t been back there since, and FP has been keeping his distance, giving her time.

FP doesn’t move from the doorway, staring at her for a minute as she sits up, folding her legs beneath her. He clears his throat, gauging her reaction as he steps further into the room. “I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, Sweetheart,” he says softly, getting straight to the point. “But I had to do what was best for the Serpents. So no one else gets hurt.”

Her gaze drops to her lap, teeth worrying her lip. She wants to say that she knows, that she understands, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less, and she doesn’t say anything.

He must not expect her to, expression soft as he crosses the short space between them, crouching in front of her so that she’ll meet his eyes. He reaches up, thumb swiping across her cheek as a tear slips out. “I thought you might like to talk to someone.” He nods towards the door.

Following the movement, Jubilee stills when she sees someone unexpected.

Gladys Jones smiles at her from the doorway. “Hey there, Baby.”

Jubilee sucks in a sharp breath, eyes narrowing. “Mom?”

FP presses a quick kiss to her temple before leaving her with her mother, and Jubilee isn’t sure what to make of Gladys’ sudden appearance. She hasn’t seen her mother for months, not since the festival back in October, before she gave sweet Pea her heart. Gladys has always been unpredictable that way, coming in and out without so much as a word, and Jubilee would be angry if she didn’t understand why.

They talk about everything. Every detail of the last month. Jubilee lets it all spill out. And Gladys listens, sitting on the bed beside her, Hot Dog between them. She takes one of Jubilee’s hands in hers, thumb swiping across her knuckles soothingly. As Jubilee tapers off, Gladys flips her hand so her palm is facing upwards, tracing the lines on her hand absentmindedly.

She stills when her finger touches the scar on her palm. “Jubilee,” she murmurs, voice shaky, “what’s this?”

Jubilee looks up, rubbing between Hot Dog’s ears gently. She frowns at her mother’s tone, glancing down at the scar as well. It’s healed well in the last two months, just a pale sliver of skin. “The Blood Moon,” she murmurs, shrugging. “The tribute.” Gladys sucks in a shaky breath. “I didn’t know another way.” A fond smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as Jubilee brushes her hair away from her eyes. “He surprised me, you know. I didn’t think he would do it too. Sweets never liked the rituals in the woods. He never said it, but I think it scared him, sometimes.” She smiles at her mother, though it freezes on her face when she sees the troubled look in her eyes. “What?”

“Jubilee, do you know what you did?” Gladys asks her slowly, the words shaky. When Jubilee only frowns she sucks in a sharp breath. “You and Sweet Pea made a blood oath,” she explains. “You spilled blood together beneath the eclipse. You promised blood for blood. It’s carnal, binding.”

“What are you talking about?” Jubilee turns to face her mother more directly and Gladys’ clings to her hand, holding her tight.

She releases Jubilee’s hand, cupping her face gently, making sure to look her in the eyes. “There’s power in the Blood Moon, sweet girl,” she tells her, barely above a whisper, like it’s a secret. It very well my be. “It’s effects linger. Jubilee, you both shed blood for the Old Gods. That’s not something they so easily forget.” Gladys twists around suddenly, glancing out the window before turning back to Jubilee. “The March moon, do you know what it’s called?”

“The Worm Moon,” Jubilee answers automatically, staring at her mother in confusion. “But what does that—”

“Why do they call it that?”

Jubilee shakes her head, not sure what her mother is getting at with these questions. “Because it’s the last full moon before spring. The worm’s are crawling out of the earth. Waking up.” Jubilee’s breath catches, the realization hitting her. “It’s the moon of rebirth.”

[ghanswrites]

Riverdale, The Danger of Bloated Storytelling and Why the series should move to Netflix

The phrase, too much of a good thing comes to mind when someone brings up Riverdale. To be totally clear, I love Riverdale, warts and all and I believe that’s how the show is intended to be enjoyed. That said, there was something really special about season one, something that people seem to be unable to totally agree on. Was the magic of season one how grounded it seemed to be both in its characters and world building? Was it in how almost each character had a satisfying arc with an exciting set up for their journies in season two? I think it was both of those things and more but more than anything, the root of it is very simple, the reason why season one was so good was that it had fewer episodes. 

What?

How dare? 

Hear me out. 

To reitterate, I am NOT by any means saying I dislike seasons two or three, some of my favourite moments happen in those seasons, but most of my least favourite moments also happen and generally, the fandom has had mixed responses to it. A wise queen once said, “one voice may speak you false but in many there is truth to be found,” she read it in a book once. Point is, angry tweets aren’t the best resorces for writing advice or direction in story telling but they are a great place to go to get feedback on the broadstrokes of whether or not people are fond of the work and the general reasons why. The reasons you tend to hear brought up again and again as to why Riverdale allegedly sucks are A) lack of direction, B) lack of satisfying character development, C) Inconsistencies in the writing. All of these issues could be mitigated by shorter seasons and more of them. Let’s break it down.

The first season was fun and campy but also very tight, there wasn’t much filler and every episode took us one step closer to solving the mystery of who killed Jason Blossom. While the conclusion to that mystery was, at best, just fine, the logic behind it also completely tracked. Personally, I wasn’t disappointed by who the killer was and the reveal was pretty epic and well built up. I walked out of that season feeling energized and hyped to see what happened next, I was excited to have more episodes because I thought it would help the pacing instead, the pacing somehow got worse? When you are doing an episodic kind of series, more episodes is fine, more episodes don’t impact anything but when you are telling one big story with a season you need to be able to justify each episode or it will feel bloated. There are a lot of characters now to account for, sure but shorter seasons also means you can make more seasons, a shorter season allows for you to press the reset more often and a shorter season makes it easier to organize your story. Cheryl played a big role in season one but maybe in season two she could have faded to the background and we could have gotten more of Toni and then in season three maybe we could have gotten more of Ethel. By having shorter seasons and more of them, you don’t have to worry as much about ballancing your enormous cast of characters. By Trying to get everyone some screentime, the story can feel directionless, unmoored, too frenetic and not driving toward a clear endgame. 

Speaking of endgames, what are the character endgames from season to season? I used to know but now I’m super confused. In season one, there were clearly defined arcs set up, for Betty it was defining herself beyond people’s expectations, for Jughead it was learning to rely on others, for Archie it was learning how to ballance his life and for Veronica it was reconciling her past with what she hoped to be her future. These days...um...well I don’t know, it seems like Betty and Jughead are the only characters with clearish arcs while the other half of the core four are left flapping about in the wind. Archie and Veronica get screentime but its used to have them going in circles because like...how are you going to stretch out their story to fit a twenty two episode season? It worked okay in season one, keeping their stories more within the realm of typical highschool experiences, grounding the series in a way. Now? Ever since Hiram Lodge stepped onto the scene Veronica has gone in circles, she’s had good moments but has utimately suffered from the bloat because they needed a way to justify her continued involvement with her criminal father. Hiram also could have had an arc if they didn’t need to justify twenty two episodes of them being in more or less the same place in their development but that isn’t a horrible loss. The Adults can stay the same, the kids can not. The Kids have to grow and develop, Archie dipped his toes in a little too far into the Evil pool so his redemption felt cheap, likewise for Veronica but they had to do it because, you guessed it, twenty two episodes. Threads for characters are teased and never made good on, important relationships happen off screen because the story is simply too big. 

Speaking of being too big, (I know, yikes what a cheesy writing scheme), Every episode is written by a different person...ish. You don’t have the same people writing be stretches of episodes, the writers are peppered all over the place. If you’ve ever done RP on tumblr, you’ll have noticed that the depiction of a character and the character themselve’s will warp and change depending on who’s writing them, the same can be said for TV. Even Betty, the most consistant character on the show is different from episode to episode. If you have more episodes you need a bigger writers room, too many chefs spoil the soup and too many writers make a mess of a character. Archie and Veronica’s characters could both use more consistancy and fewer writers handling them. 

Now picture this. A Riverdale that airs thirteen episode seasons biannually on Netflix. Smaller stories, tighter character arcs, each season really delving in to some of the interesting side characters. Being a show on Netflix, they can take more risks, cross over with, say, Sabrina more frequently, hell, they could bring in the aliens if they wanted. The Archie comics could get weird so why not go there? They could even set an entire season in the forties if they felt like it. The point is, network television is limiting them on a creative level. 

As much as I would like to see this happen though...I know the CW won’t let this cash cow though. Seriously. For all Riverdale has done wrong, as far as the industry goes they’ve gotten right what they need to get right. Ultimately, as a creator, if your general audience is at least content with your work you’ve cleared the main bar you need to but it’s a shame to watch potential be squandered on selling covergirl lip gloss on TV when it could be used to sell covergirl lipgloss on Netflix. 

[fangirl--of-everything]

The Snake Handler (Sweet Pea x Reader) Part 2

A/N. I am so sorry this took so long! But here it is, and hopefully part 3 goes faster. Also, don’t get me started an riverdale season 2 and the way they handled Penny’s return and the plot twists and the finale and all that shit. Just... I mean do get me started but be ready for a rant. 

word count: 2388

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

Alright enjoy :) 

Riverdale High is a pretty cool school, Sweet Pea had to admit as he walked out of his science class. He had just conducted an experiment where every student got to dissect a digital frog using an iPad. This freaking school didn’t get frogs for the kids to dissect. No, they just bought twenty-five iPads and let the kids use those! He was still reeling from that when he slammed into a hard shoulder. Without looking he grabbed the back of the person’s jacket, and spun them around, fist stopping inches from their face. He cackled at Fangs’ frightened shriek.

“Fuck you dude!” The smaller serpent swore, straightening the collar of his shirt.

“Don’t walk into me and I won’t have to beat the shit out of you.” Sweet Pea said it like a fact. To him, it was.

Fangs immediately grinned, and the two began playfully shoving each other around the hallway. Eventually Sweet Pea had his friend pinned against the locker, ruining Fangs’ hair, when his phone started buzzing in his pocket.

“Are you getting a call, or are you just really excited to have me pinned?” Fangs asked.

Sweet Pea shoved his friend’s head playfully, and then reached into his pocket. “It’s been ringing all day, shit must be hitting the fan.”

He didn’t recognize the number, so he knew it wasn’t something wrong at the gang. He considered ignoring it, but his phone had rang three times in the last hour. Clearly someone was desperate for his attention. He accepted the call, using his free hand to keep Fangs pinned to the locker. “What’s up?”

“You never used to take this long to answer my calls.”

Sweet Pea froze. Fangs must have felt the change, because he broke free of Sweet Pea’s hold. “What’s going on?”

Sweet Pea held up a hand. “What the hell are you doing calling me?”

He could hear Penny Peabody’s smirk through the phone. “You know who didn’t take a long time to answer?”

“Penny, what the fuck are you--” He growled.

“Miss (y/n) was very sweet.”

Sweet Pea’s stomach dropped. Fangs was watching closely, brows furrowing. “Penny? Peabody? Tell me what’s happening man.”

“She’s actually on the way to the Parlour to help me look for you.” Penny continued. “Tell Fangs I say hello.”

“I--” Sweet Pea opened his mouth, but the words got drowned by a wave of hot anger. “What--”

“Listen honey, I’m not phoning for your brain. If my calculations are right, your girlfriend will be here in twenty minutes. Think you can beat her here?”

His knuckles were white around the phone. “If you touch her--”

“What are you gonna do to me?” She laughed. “Last time didn’t stick. Now do you want me to settle the score with your girl, or are you gonna get here before she does? It looks like she’s only about eighteen minutes away, so you’d better hurry.”

The line clicked as she hung up, and Sweet Pea was left staring at his phone with his mouth hanging open. What the flying fuck just happened? For a second he was frozen, completely in shock.

“Dude!” Fangs shook his shoulder hard. “What the hell is going on?”

It was like Fangs’ words shattered the ice that had frozen Sweet Pea’s blood. He saw red. His fist slammed into the locker, the metal denting around his hand. The entire hallway fell silent, forty pairs of eyes whipping around to look at him, but he didn’t care. He was practically shaking with fury. Even Fangs’ voice, which was pretty good at snapping him out of any bouts of rage he managed to find himself in, did nothing to calm him down. He grabbed the smaller boy’s collar and dragged him through the hall, shouldering past a junior who took too long to get out of his way. Once they got outside Fangs elbowed him hard in the ribs, and the pain was enough to distract him and get him to loosen his hold enough for Fangs to wiggle free.

“What the hell is going on?” Fangs snapped. He wasn’t angry though, instead it was with concern that he looked at his friend. “Did you say Penny Peabody before?”

Sweet Pea nodded, spitting out the most necessary details in the time it took him to get in his bike. “Don’t follow me.”

“You need back up man,” Fangs said, already pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Jug and Toni are gonna wanna know about this.”

“Penny’s pissed.” Sweet Pea snapped, too furious at himself to soften his words. “If she hears bikes she’s gonna get jumpy, and when she gets jumpy she shoots things. So no one is telling anyone anything until I get (y/n) the hell out of there.” Something in his face must have told his best friend that now was not the time to argue with him, because the smaller boy just held up his hands in defeat and took a step away from Sweet Pea’s bike.

“If I don’t hear from you in half an hour I’m going to the Serpents.” He threatened.

“If you don’t hear from me in half an hour then Penny’s already killed me, so there’s really no point.” Sweet Pea revved his bike’s engine, drowning out the other boy’s protests. He didn’t even wait for Fangs to take another step back before he peeled out of the space. He was pretty sure he didn’t run over the other boy’s toes. But honestly he was moving so fast he wouldn’t have felt it if he had.

He broke about 27 laws of the road on the way to the tattoo parlour, but he didn’t care. There were no cops in the north side of Riverdale. The south side was more densely populated by police officers, but even here, there were worse parts of town that they focused on. And Sweet Pea was an expert at avoiding them.

He slid into the parking lot of the tattoo parlour just as the engine of (y/n)’s truck turned off. It was sunny back here, and the parking lot was empty. It was at the back of the building, which meant it was nice and private. Its border of dark fence and weeds and garbage isolated it even more. And Penny had a reputation in the community. People knew when to turn off their ears.

He jumped off his bike, making no attempt to catch the heavy metal as it teetered and fell on its side. He could fix a dent or two later. He sprinted across the lot, panic making him clumsy, and reached the truck just as (y/n) was closing the door. Her eyebrows were drawn together with concern as she saw him, and she opened her mouth to speak. He didn’t give her the chance.

“Get back in the car.”

“Sweet Pea, thank god you’re--”

“Get back in the car.”He grabbed her arm, too tight but he didn’t care, and tried to find a way to get the door back open while keeping (y/n) safely between himself and the truck. Penny was a serpent if ever there was one, and he didn’t know where she would pop up. Or when. His only concern was getting (y/n) the hell away from this before she got hurt.

“What are you doing?” She wrenched her arm free, slamming her back against the side of the truck in the process. She was glaring at him now, angry from the rough handling, but there was still that damn concern on her face. “Your aunt called me and said you were missing, and I hadn’t heard from you in a few days, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Why the hell are you shoving me?”

He wanted to laugh at how gullible she was, but she hadn’t grown up in the same world as he had. It wasn’t drilled into her that no one could be trusted, and that the sweeter they sounded the sharper the knife they were going to drive into your back. He couldn’t fault her for not knowing.

“You’re so stupid.” His anger made him harsh. “Get back in the fucking car and stay away from the south side. Especially Penny Peabody.”

Her glare grew sharper, but he saw hurt underneath. Good. Maybe now she would use her head instead of rushing into a serpents nest.

“I came here to make sure you were okay,” she snapped, “because I got a call from a very concerned woman who was scared for your life. Next time I’ll tell anyone who calls me asking about you to go to hell.” She yanked her arm free and gave him a hard shove backwards. “If you want me to go I’ll go.”

“Nobody’s going anywhere.”

Sweet Pea whipped around with a growl, planting himself between (y/n) and the blonde woman emerging from the back door of the tattoo parlour. Penny smirked at his reaction, and Sweet Pea’s stomach turned. She was so pissed. And he was so fucked. Penny wore her traditional leather jacket, the serpent’s patch on the back acting as a massive ‘fuck you’ to Jughead and all the serpents who has helped him exile her. She wasn’t taking it lying down, and there was going to be blood to pay. Better his than (y/n)’s.

The tiny girl was sandwiched between him and the side of her truck, and she kept trying to sidestep him. She had no survival instinct. Sweet Pea’s every instinct was telling him to haul ass out of there and take (y/n) as far from the south side as he could, but she kept trying to step around him and walk towards the venomous bitch waiting to strike. He had to grab both her hips to keep her behind him.

“Sweet Pea!” Penny’s voice was filled with mock concern. “Thank god you’re here! I’ve been worried sick.” She took a step forward.

“Back off.” He snapped, keeping one hand on (y/n)’s hip, the other reaching into his pocket for his switchblade.

Penny looked at him sadly, maternal concern all over her face. Damn she was good. “I’m just trying to help you kiddo. Please calm down.”

“Sweet Pea,” (y/n)’s voice was soft behind him. “You’re scaring me.” It was so full of genuine concern, the kind that was incredibly rare where he was from, that he couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder at her. In doing so his hand left her hip.

Her fingers dig into his sides, two sharp jolts of pain that jerked up his body and caused him to convulse for a second. She took that opportunity to slip out from behind him. He could have kicked himself. Not only had she manipulated his soft side for her, she had actually tasered him to get away. He was such a fucking idiot.

“(Y/n), are you alright?” Penny asked, still with that fake concern. Sweet Pea could punch something.

“Yeah,” (y/n) nodded, sliding a few feet to the right, putting more distance between herself and Sweet Pea. And putting herself closer to Penny. When he moved towards her she flinched, watching him warily, like he was the threat.

“What did you tell her?” Sweet Pea turned to glare at Penny, who had triumph blazing in her eyes even while her face looked worried.

She blinked at him innocently. “I just told her the truth hon. I was worried about you.”

Sweet Pea whipped his head to look at (y/n), who tensed as he moved. “What did she say to you?” 

“She told me about the drugs.” (Y/n) said quietly. She was looking at him with pity. “She said you went on a bender and that last time this happened you hurt yourself. I just want to help.”

Sweet Pea barked a mirthless laugh. Oh, Penny was good. She was really fucking good. She had played (y/n) like a fiddle, and now anything Sweet Pea said would look like drug crazed paranoia instead of genuine concern. He had to give the snake handler some grudging respect. She was a psycho bitch, but she was smart.

And he clearly had to change tactics. “I’m not on drugs.” He said quietly, trying to calm down. If he could just get (y/n) close enough, he could keep her safe.

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow, and Penny shook her head sadly, eyes dancing with laughter. “Denial isn’t going to help you Pea. Come inside, and let’s talk.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, and neither is (y/n).” Sweet Pea snapped. (Y/n) took another step away from him. Shit.

His mind worked desperately to try to find some way to prove Penny was the crazy one, not him. Every action he could think of would just drive (y/n) further away.

“Do you want something to drink?” Penny asked (y/n).

The younger girl blinked in surprise at the topic change. “I’m sorry?”

“If me and you go inside, he’ll follow.” Penny said. “Clearly he doesn’t trust me right now, but he trusts you. Maybe if you come inside with me he’ll see that it’s safe.” She met Sweet Pea’s gaze as she spoke. “Otherwise someone might get hurt.”

The threat was obvious, but just in case he didn’t get the message Penny reached behind her, for the gun she had tucked into the back of her pants. There was nothing he could do. (Y/n) shot him a nervous look and stepped closer to Penny.

“Don’t.” This time he made no effort to hide his panic, and something must have tipped her off because (y/n) stopped. She took another step, this time towards him.

“Alright that’s it.” Penny’s voice was hard, and the gun was in her hand, the safety making a sickening click as she disabled it. (Y/n) froze when she saw it, eyes the size of saucers. Sweet Pea’s stomach dropped. “Both of you, inside now. Sweet Pea, if you reach for the knife I shoot your girlfriend.”

If you see any typos, let me know. I hope you liked it :)

Tag list: @oksrslytho, @jolomez, @johnmurphys-sass, @idonthavehusbandsihavelovers, @half-way-0ut-0f-the-dark , @daya-thelastunicorn, @pancahke, @benobodyelsebutyourself, @ijustwantahugfromtennant, @love-is-the-fear-of-loss, @infinitewcr, @buckybarnes4lyfe, @sweet-peas-serpents

[moon--mama]

Summer School

Jughead Jones slumped onto the couch and ran one hand through his hair--no, not ran, more like tore. He looked up at the ceiling. Finding no answers there, he looked out the french double-doors that led to their back deck.

Any other day, he’d get up without a single complaint and quietly make his way through those doors, trying not to disturb the angel that let him live in her house and sleep in her bed. She was sipping a cup of iced tea as she frowned at the screen of her laptop, moving her hand every once in a while to highlight something in the document before her. Betty was just adding comments, but like everything she did, she poured herself into her work to the point that she became better than the best of all her peers and colleagues. If it was perfect, she could still find some way of making it better. Jughead was pretty sure that she had the power to make the sun shine brighter, if she wanted to.

Today, he couldn’t bring himself to join her on the deck. Any other day, he would sneak up behind her, snake his arms around her, and press his lips against the perfect soft curve of her neck. She’d laugh and squirm like she was still as ticklish there as she was when she was sixteen, and they’d talk briefly before they gave themselves over to one another. Brief kisses would become decidedly less chaste, hands would wander, and he’d inevitably end up carrying her through those double doors to ravish her far from the prying eyes of Riverdale.

But that was any other day. Today, he just closed his eyes more tightly and groaned like a wounded soldier, letting his head loll toward the kitchen instead.

The sound must have alerted his goddess to his presence, because he glanced back as she quietly let herself back inside. Confusion was etched across her features--likely at his break from their usual afternoon routine--and she carefully set her glass on a coaster before depositing her laptop beside it.

Betty alighted on the couch at his side, one hand reaching out and smoothing over his forehead. “Are you okay, Jug?” she asked, her brows drawing together with concern.

He groaned again, shifting under her hand, straightening as much as his battered soul would allow. Meeting her gorgeous, ethereal, worrying green eyes, he forced himself to utter a few words and clue her in to the cause of his personal hell.

“Summer school,” he managed to rasp. He coughed a little to clear his throat, quite pitifully, and then tried again. “They’re making me...teach summer school. Betty, I’ll die. I can’t do it. I can’t grade another paper...my hand will fall off my arm.”

As understanding dawned on her face, a gamut of emotions passed over her. Jughead, having known Betty since they were children, understood her emotions quite intimately and found that he tended to accurately interpret her expressions. First, a flicker of understanding softened her face as she realized exactly what he was complaining about. Then, amusement. It was chased by a chastising look, which smoothed out into a sort of frown. Jughead didn’t like it when his bride frowned--he made it a personal goal every day to bring a smile to her face.

Feeling like he’d hurt her in some way, he groaned again and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against her arm this time. Betty shifted. She reached out and caught his chin in her fingers, drawing her gaze up until he met her eyes again.

“Is that all?” she asked, her tongue clicking. He didn’t even think that she realized she’d done it. Jughead’s spirits sank even lower--she must have been really irritated, if she was absently tsk-ing him. “You big baby, it’s just work. Most people do it the entire year, in case you forgot.”

In defense of himself, he held up his writing hand so that she could see the side. Her eyes flicked to his permanently red-tinted skin, then back to his face. There--he could see that she was biting back a smile when she tucked the edge of her lip between her teeth. So she wasn’t angry, per say, but she obviously wasn’t on his side, either. “I was hoping to get some of my own writing done, actually. Even though RIverdale High is on the Northwest side, they’re paying old Southside wages.” But she knew that, of course.

Betty rolled her eyes and leaned forward until she could kiss the edge of his jaw, her body curling against his automatically, easily finding the places where they comfortably fit together. He felt himself responding to her immediately. When she nipped his skin with her teeth, blood went rushing south.

“Well, I work all summer. Excuse me if I’m not too sympathetic,” she purred against his skin, turning her lips toward his ear, draining all reasonable thoughts out of his mind.

Jughead answered by pulling her onto his lap and adjusting his hips so that he could press up against her--letting her know exactly how she’d affected him. In response, Betty cupped his face in her hands and slid her lips against his, drawing his lower lip between her teeth and biting him--hard. He moaned, entirely differently than he’d been grousing before, and his hands slid below the hem of her shirt.

She caught his wrists, smiling against his lips.

“Betty,” he whined. Didn’t she understand that he’d had a terrible day, and this might be one of the only highlights before the clock marched onward to tomorrow?

The love of his life tsked again. “C’est la vie, mon amour,” she said, shaking her head. “And if I hear any more grumbling or complaining out of you, then you’ll have to fend for yourself for dinner. Don’t bother calling Archie, either. He’s on a cleanse right now, and we all know how pitiful you were when I made you drink that kale smoothie.”

Jughead gaped up at her, scarcely believing the trash that was spilling from her perfect mouth. Personally affronted, he scoffed. “My body is a well oiled machine running on hamburger grease, Betty. We established this and you swore that we’d never mention that dirty word in our house again. Whatever Archie chooses to subject himself to, it’s none of my business.”

She bumped her nose against his, trying to hold back a smirk and failing. As her lips twisted, she said, “I mean it, Mr. Jones. I’m not going to listen to you complain for ten weeks. For both of us, you had better let it go now that you’ve gotten it out of your system.”

He weighed his options, even as his hands twisted out of her grip and slid over her pleasantly soft rear. Betty shifted over him, reminding a particular bit of his anatomy of what was at stake in this conversation. It was one thing for her to threaten him with food--but food and sex at the same time? Jughead was the first to admit that Betty knew exactly how to control him.

He sighed sufferingly, pitifully, and stroked his thumbs over the curve of her hips. “I promise,” he grumbled. “I’ll do it, and I won’t complain. But know that I’ve agreed to this under extreme duress,” he pointed out, narrowing his eyes. “And I’ll be dying on the inside the whole time, so please don’t forget, since you won’t let me remind you.”

Betty’s lips really curled up then, a smile breaking across her face at his dramatic oration. With a little roll of her hips, she slid her hands around the back of his neck and clasped them together. It gave her the leverage to draw herself up. Jughead had the immediate impulse to pull her hips back down, lifting himself to meet her. Betty gasped, gratifying him, and reached to one side to unzip her skirt.

After she’d made love to him, deep and slow, right there on the couch, she pressed her forehead against his and met his eyes with a smile. “It will be too bad you won’t be around here all summer to keep me satisfied like that,” she teased. Before he could dramatically respond to that statement, Betty quickly added, “But I do have a surprise for you. I was going to tell you on your first day off, but since it seems like that won’t be until the weekend…”

Jughead raised his eyebrows. Naked, sweaty, and too warm beneath his wife, he’d thought that he might be able to restrain his curiosity. But he was a simple creature, when it came down to it, and he said, “What is it?” with more excitement than a grown man should express when teased with a mysterious surprise.

Betty grinned. “We’re flying out to San Francisco over the weekend of the fourth. We have an oceanfront suite, right on the beach. You and I can lay in the sand and watch fireworks after the sunset.”

Mentally, he raced over the school calendar. Jughead recalled seeing a week’s recess around the beginning of July. If it turned out that Betty’s surprise vacation fell on days when he was supposed to be teaching, then the school would just have to get a substitute. It was inhumane to expect someone to work two years back to back without a break, right?

“That sounds almost perfect,” he replied to her statement, reaching up to tug a lock of her hair. Betty tilted her head, like an adorable confused puppy, and Jughead added, “The only thing it’s missing is food. Well, two things. My favorite things.”

She laughed lightly. “The room has a private hot tub,” she revealed. “And room service will be fulfilled by several local Michelin-rated restaurants. I think you’ll get plenty of both.”

He smiled finally in return. Maybe, thanks to the best wife in the history of marriage, his summer wouldn’t be so torturous after all.

[staliasjeronica]

In Cold Blood - Partners in Crime Jeronica AU

A/N: Day four of @everything-jeronica‘s Jeronica week, and the prompt is Partners in Crime, and I am very excited for this one because I have been wanting to do something like this but since many have already done I didn’t want to be criticized for it... so now I have an official reason to do it!

“Where the hell is Reggie?” Jughead’s angry, booming voice was heard throughout the Whyte Wyrm’s entire building, even though it was filled with chatter from the gang members, the South Side Serpents. Veronica sat on one of the stools, twirling her finger in the sunset red and orange cosmopolitan drink that Toni had made for her. She was bored, and was dying for action. The door to Jughead’s office was thrown open, his jaw clenched as he glanced around the hangout, knowing one of their runners was definitely hanging around someplace nearby. “Pea, do you know where that son of a bitch is?”

“Last I heard of him, he was fixing something up with the North Siders,” Sweet Pea crossed his arms, tongue wetting his lips. “Do I finally get to fuck that shit head up for almost killing my boyfriend?

“Mmhm... not yet,” Jughead spoke, narrowing his eyes as he though about what he was going to do next, what this plan was for the Mantle boy. “I heard he was checking out one of our girls here, wouldn’t leave them alone. Since you and him have some business to work on, you can help me fuck up his face until he begs for mercy.”

“One of our girls?” Cheryl’s high heels clacked on the floor as she approached the three men, Fangs silently standing beside Sweet Pea like he normally did. “You didn’t know that he was eyeing Veronica? I don’t think he’s dealing with the North Siders, I think he’s running away.”

“He... what?” Jughead turned his head to meet Veronica’s gaze, storming up to her at the bar, already knowing that Fangs and Sweet Pea were following suit. It wasn’t a command that he had to give out, because it was automatically a given since he was the leader of the South Side Serpents. “Ronnie, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Everyone is making it such a big deal,” Veronica rolled her eyes, sipping at her Cosmopolitan. She then smacked her lips a couple of times before placing the drink onto the bar and hopping down to meet Jughead face to face. Despite being shorter than him, her aura screamed that she was a force to be reckoned with, and currently she was oozing with intimidation, authority. She ran this place just as much as Jughead, maybe even a bit more since he always tried to make her stay behind and, thus, safe. “He accidentally ran into me and when we fell, our lips touched. It’s not like he held me down to the ground and kissed me. If he is running, it’s because Jughead doesn’t know how not to be a controlling dickhead.”

“I believe you’ve had too much to drink, Veronica,” Jughead sighed, placing his hands over hers, knowing she was upset. She always did when he went overboard, which considering how protective he was, was a constant battle between them. “Toni, please give her some water and Excedrin. We have a heist tonight, thanks to my beautiful, wonderful, incredible girlfriend.”

“Flattery will not make up for you being a possessive, controlling douche-bag, Jones,” Veronica scolded him, pointing her finger at his face. “Remember that time when I had to kiss Sweet Pea because we were playing spin the bottle? You attempted to beat him up, even though he was, and still is, dating Fangs.”

“To be honest, though, it was kind of hot,” Fangs whistled innocently, rocking back and forth on his heels as he avoided looking at Jughead. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. I was incredibly horny when we played the game, and you always had Sweet Pea off doing something, so I was lonely.”

“Then buck up and fuck your boyfriend on the bar for all I care,” Jughead teased, lifting a corner of his lips into a tiny smirk. “You do know you can come to me about anything, or even Veronica, right?”

“Yes, i’m going to ask our boss if I can keep his number-two behind to fuck him,” Fangs shot back, crossing his arms as he knew Jughead would probably have said no. “You’re only bullshitting because Veronica will call you out on it.”

“He’s right,” Veronica sang, smiling as she pinched his cheeks in a playful manner. “Still, Reggie better not come back with a black eye, or a broken nose, you hear me? We need him whether you like it or not.”

“What about Fangs and Sweet Pea’s revenge?” Jughead countered, cocking an eyebrow. When Veronica remained with her arms crossed and narrowed eyes, the gang leader knew he wasn’t going to win. “Fine. Some other time, when we don’t need him to help break into your house and steal your parent’s shit.”

“Good. Now, in an hour, I want all of you at the club. We’re going to go over our plan one more time to make sure everything is in order,” Veronica demanded, looking at each and every one of the Serpents who were currently involved in the heist. “If you fail to be there on time, you’ll have to earn your place back into our group by working at the club, or some other activity. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Reggie, glad you’re back,” Veronica started off, noting that everyone, indeed, was on time to the meeting. “You have nothing to fear, I smoothed everything over with Jughead about you bumping into me. You might want to get into Cheryl’s good graces, because she could have ended you with one wrong-worded story. In other words, man up, Mantle.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Reggie nodded, meeting Jughead’s gaze as he began to speak.

“Okay, so far, we know that Reggie is the distraction if the Lodge’s are home. If not, he keeps watch with Dilton. The rest of us will sneak in through the back. Since Veronica used to live there before her father cast her out, she knows all of the ins and outs when she would sneak away to meet with me,” Jughead winked teasingly before continuing. “Therefore, nobody makes a goddamn step that Veronica doesn’t. If we alert the Pembrooke’s residents to our presence, our heist will be cut short, and anything you don’t get is what you’re going to owe us. And, knowing how rich they are, you’ll quickly want to throw yourselves to the Ghoulies as a human sacrifice.”

“I know an old woman who’s agreed to let us set up our stuff in her room. She owes me after I saw her steal some shit from my parents and I didn’t rat her out,” Veronica smacked her lips, smirking as the memory passed by her thoughts. “If someone gets caught, we can seek refuge with her. I promised her that we would save a couple of items for her, so she’s more than willing to let us ride out the heat on us after my parents find out. You know, if we’re still there when they’re looking for us.”

Jughead watched Veronica with admiration. When Veronica first joined the Serpents, and ultimately Jughead’s entire corporation, she was only supposed to be a dancer in their club. However, after a few months, Jughead and Veronica pursued a relationship, and she quickly proved herself and rose up the ranks. She brought a certain rational quality to the group, and made them much harder to catch, much more wanted by the cops than then used to be. Because, with Veronica in the group, they were sneakier. Unlike Jughead, she always came up with back up plans to make sure that nothing could go wrong. Now, it was rare to have a Serpent being caught by the police, unless they decided not to listen to her. It was their dynamic, and all of them were happy that Veronica was a part of this. She calmed Jughead down, kept him in line and stopped him from doing anything stupid because of his impulsiveness. And in turn, he brought out her inner criminal, never doing anything without consulting her.

“Do we all know what to do?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the group nodded.

“Okay, guys, we leave in an hour, make sure you stay on your toes.”

“Stay on your toes? What... the hell?” Veronica nudged Jughead, who groaned as she she grinned. “I know, you’re attempting to sound relatable, but that’s my job.”

“Okay... let me have some moments, okay? It’s not fair that I started all of this and you’re their favorite.”

[theangriestpea]

Red Handed

A/N: This is based off of a very wild dream I had last night. It went a little differently than this, some details have been changed. I’m still on break so expect real updates next month :>

Pairing: Sweet Pea x Reader

Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: Shameless smut, Gang activity, Dirty talk, Unprotected sex (pls be safe xoxo)

((image by @dailyrivermale​))

You listened to the light clinking of metal as your fellow Serpent picked the lock to the auto parts store. Your eyes kept drifting over to his broad form, hunched over with small curses falling from his lips. His ass in particular looked perfect, even in the dimly lit alleyway.

The lock finally gave away and he straightened to his full height, towering over you as he turned to meet your eyes. A proud smirk was on his lips, his tongue teasingly running across them as he looked over your figure.

You wore your own take on a cat suit, a tight black leather jacket and a form fitting black mini skirt. It probably showed way too much skin to be conventional, but you wanted to look hot tonight.

No one would be seeing you but your counterpart, but you’d been trying to catch his eyes for weeks now. You teased one another and flirted relentlessly, yet nothing ever came of it. The sexual frustration alone had you on edge and not the good kind.

Jughead had given you this job to prove yourself to the gang. You were to steal some much needed bike parts from one of Hiram Lodges’ auto parts stores. Sweet Pea had so far been like your mentor. It took him some time to warm up to you, but once he did the energy between you both became like static – electrifying and exciting.

Needless to say you were quite happy to be paired with him in this venture. You didn’t really know much about motorcycles or what parts that the Serpent King needed. Luckily Pea knew plenty and planned on grabbing the parts while you kept watch.

“Remember the plan, doll?” Pea asked, his eyes lingering on the exposed parts of your thighs. The pet name sent a thrill through you and your legs unconsciously squeezed together to try and stop any wetness forming from the sound of his voice.

You nodded your head, “I’ll keep watch while you look for the parts. If I see blue lights then I call for you.” A coy smile spread across your lips at him.

“Good girl,” Sweet Pea said teasingly, patting you on the head before heading inside. He went to the alarm system and quickly deactivated it. Part of your mission was to scout out the place beforehand and figure out what the pin code was.

Your lower lip caught between your teeth as you now had to separate from him. You paused, taking in the look of him in the security lighting. Sweet Pea noticed you staring at him and waved you off into the direction that you needed to go.

“Better go look for cops instead of looking at me, princess.” He said dismissively before walking off to another part of the store.

You moved to the main window, getting down on your knees to hide beneath the sill. Your eyes stayed on the parking lot and the main street outside, the darkness lit only by yellow street lights.

In the distance you could hear Sweets rifling through the shelves, grabbing things he needed and putting them into the black duffel you two brought with you.

Frustration was welling inside of you, overcoming you completely as your fingers trailed the hem of your black skirt. You slid the hem up slightly, your digits moving to your inner thigh.

The pads of your fingertips lightly pressed against your already swelling clitoris through your underwear. A tiny gasp left your lips at the spark of pleasure that ran through you. Your vision started to become hazy as you rubbed your clit in small, electrifying circles.

You quickly moved your hand inside of your underwear so that your touch was unobstructed. Moaning softly, your other hand snuck in so that a finger could ghost your entrance. Your eyes became hooded as you inserted your finger fully into your already wet core.

You leaned over so your forehead was pressed against the ledge of the window, hips moving to grind down against your finger in an attempt to feel more. A whimper escaped you, the danger of being caught thrilling you more. What if he saw you right now? What would he do? Would you be kicked out for not doing your job?

Your head lifted slightly so you could at least try to look for cop cars, hot breath fogging up the glass of the window. You heard footsteps behind you, making your heart leap into your throat.

Sweet Pea was staring at you, watching you touch yourself and ride your fingers. Your first instinct was to hide yourself from him, but you couldn’t pull your hands away from their workings. Him seeing you in such a state practically had you gushing with arousal. Your hips moved even more furiously, fingers moving expertly, and you couldn’t help but moan.

Your eyes dared to slip closed as his steps came closer to you, bag landing heavily against the ground when he dropped it. “Are you in here fucking yourself while I do all the work?” He asked in a low tone. It wasn’t angry, more teasing and amused.

All you could do in response was whimper again. “Does breaking and entering make you that horny, baby girl?” He asked, voice still deep with an indiscernible emotion. “That’s so dirty.”

He moved even closer and you inserted a second finger. “Pea,” You breathed out, turning your head and opening your eyes to look at him. Your eyes widened when you saw that his cock was already out, hard and practically throbbing as he stroked it. When had he even unzipped his pants? Were you too wrapped up in your own edging to hear him?

“Yes, sweetheart?” Sweet Pea asked, his voice laced with desire as he teased himself with his thumb.

“Fuck me, please,” You begged, feeling an orgasm building from your own effort. But you wanted more, seeing him out and standing at attention had your fingers suddenly feeling small and inadequate.

He breathed in sharply at your request. Not that it wasn’t clearly obvious that it’s what you wanted him to do, it was just more a turn on to hear you say it. “Only if you keep watch.” He said, “if you think you can do that, then take your panties off.”

His order had you groaning in frustration. Could you focus enough to keep a look out while he was ramming you from behind? You didn’t know but hell it was worth a try. You removed your hands from yourself and hooked your fingers over the elastic of your underwear, pulling them down and perking your ass up for him.

Sweet Pea moved so that he was positioned behind you, a rough unoccupied hand pushing up your skirt so that your ass was bare for him. He ran his palm over one of your cheeks before smacking you hard.

A whimpered tumbled out of your mouth at the sting. He grabbed your hip roughly, and teased you by running his tip along your slit. “Fuck, baby, how are you this wet from just touching yourself?” He asked you, surprised that you were dripping for him.

You weren’t sure if the question was rhetorical or not, but chose not to answer regardless. He aligned himself with your core before easily pushing in. His size stretched you, making you moan loudly. “Look forward.” Sweet Pea ordered as he pushed into you all the way to his hilt.

You both let out a pleased sigh, taking a moment to feel one another. The peaceful moment only lasted a second before he pulled out and slammed into you again. Your body jerked forward and you had to put your hand on the glass to keep from hitting your head.

Pea started with a relentless pace, hands gripping your hips to hold them into place. Since you were already on edge to begin with, it only took a minute or two before you were on the brink again. “Don’t cum yet,” Pea said, leaning over to whisper into your ear. “Hold it.”

You moaned out a whine as you struggled to keep your eyes open and looking outside the window. The glass was foggy now from body heat and heavy breathing, and it was getting hard to even see outside of it. Still you worried that if you stopped trying then Pea would pull out and leave you unsatisfied.

Sweet Pea moaned out your name as he increased his pace. Your muscles were tensed tight as you held back your orgasm, an almost overwhelming amount of pressure was building up causing you to feel like you were going to go insane if you kept this up much longer.

He grabbed a fistful of your hair and pulled on it, causing your back to arch. You put your other hand onto the glass as well to prop yourself up. One of his hands snaked around your body to grab onto your breast and tease your nipple.

The sensation put you over the edge completely and you could no longer stop yourself as you came hard against him. He tugged on your hair in response as your body spasmed, completely unhinged. Moans loud enough to bounce off the walls of the building filled the room.

“I didn’t tell you, you could cum.” Sweet Pea hissed threateningly. His pace didn’t let up and he showed no signs of stopping. You couldn’t even tell that he was getting more desperate for his own release. He tugged on your nipple hard enough to make you whimper in a pleasing kind of pain.

“Pea,” You tried to say warningly but no other words would come out. After a few more minutes of rough thrusts, skin smacking hard against skin, Pea released inside of you. His hot seed filling and warming you simultaneously. He let go of your head so you slouched forward against the window. “Pea!” You managed to say again through heavy puffs of breath.

He made an acknowledging sound, unable to actually say anything either. It was too late, the door was being bust down and Sheriff Jones was standing before them.

“Boy, you couldn’t have gone one night without keeping your pants on?” He shouted, turning away to avoid seeing too much of their exposed skin. Sweet Pea just laughed as he pulled out and pulled your skirt down to cover your ass respectfully. That didn’t stop his semen from dripping down your leg.

FP shook his head, still not looking directly at them. “Get dressed, get the parts, and for Christ’s sake get the security tape before you leave.” He spoke into his radio, telling dispatch that the coast was clear and it was a false alarm.

Pea helped you stand so you could pull your underwear up. You had to lean against him as your legs were still wobbling from the intensity of the orgasm. He rolled his eyes playfully before throwing you over his shoulder, earning a squeak of surprise. He grabbed the back with his free hand effortlessly. His display of strength was enough to start turning you on all over again.

“If that gets you going, princess, just wait until I get you back to Sunnyside. Then we’ll really have some fun.”