Sweet PeaxReader: Riot Night From Hell, Part 2
Author's note:
This is the second part to this, so if you haven't read the first I highly suggest you do, or this won't make sense! I'm trying to figure out how to make a masterlist so that all the imagines will be in one place, but it's not up yet. Again, italicized text indicates a flashback or memory.
AnYWaYs. Here's the last part to this two-shot
TRIGGER WARNING: Violence against women, semi-graphic violence described.
Jughead POV:
“Hello?”, I answered the unknown number with a sickening feeling of dread.
“Juggie! Long time no see”, a very familiar voice practically sang.
“Penny. Called to brag about the impending war?”, I practically snarled. She giggled with her disgusting, sickly sweet facade.
“Oh Jughead, why brag about something so certain? You should know by now that isn't my style. No, I was calling because there's someone here that I thought should get to speak with you before I take care of her”, she quipped.
I furrowed my brows in confusion. Surely she didn't have Betty? I'd narrowly gotten Toni back from those assholes; there was no way that they'd had time to find Bets, right? The growing pit of fear tightened and took hold in my middle. Before I had a chance to formulate any semblance of a response, my anxious mental rambling was abruptly cut off by the angry shouting from an all too familiar voice.
“JUGHEAD DON'T LISTEN TO THIS BITCH”.
“Y/N”, I managed to choke out. My heart had officially sank into the very bottom of my being. They had Y/N. There was an electric crackling sound followed by an agonizing shriek that made my knees turn weak. This couldn't be happening, not to her. Y/N was like the sister that Jellybean never got the chance to be for me; she'd been a constant in my life ever since we were in diapers. Hee homelife sucked, and more often than not she stayed in the trailer with me. She knew me better than anyone, even Betty. She was the first to support my novel about Jason Blossom, the first to welcome me into the Serpents. Hell, on more than one occasion she’d even beaten up the morons that bullied me. All of the memories of Y/N and I flooded my mind; all the times she showed up to my trailer in the middle of the night to escape her father, every movie she and I watched and dissected together, the stupid jokes, each time she fiercely protected me, everything.
I leaned against the wall, arms crossed firmly against my chest as I surveyed the student lounge with my usual mix of disdain and disinterest in equal parts. It was just another day in hell,with the exception of the eerie sense of foreboding; the discovery of Jason’s body had cast a dark cloud over Riverdale High’s student body, that much was clear. Students walked a little faster to class, people walked in groups, and the entirety of the students seemed on-edge. Well, almost everyone.
My attention was fading in and out as Reggie ripped into Moose and Kevin before spouting his insane theories about Jason’s murder. I watched Archie struggle with the vending machine with limited interest, thoughts turning to my own theories and ideas regarding the Blossom investigation, until I heard Reggie utter my own name.
“What was it like Suicide Squad? When you shot Jason?”, the dark haired jock addressed me with a sense of near gleeful malice. I rolled my eyes back so far I almost worried they would get stuck that way like my mom used to tell me. “You didn’t do stuff to the body...like after?”.
“It’s called necrophilia Reggie, can you spell it?”, I replied, disgust and disinterest written all across my face. Reggies face went from smug to angry in seconds, and it wasn’t long before he leapt over the side of the chair he previously occupied and charged at me like a bull released at a rodeo.
“Come here you little--”, Reggie started.
“Leave him alone Reggie”, Archie stepped in front of me, placing himself between the Bulldog and myself. I didn’t quite expect him to step up for me, but I guess it was just part of Archie’s personality. He was never one to allow the Bulldogs to walk all over anyone, unless of course it was only with words.
“Yes Reginald. Do leave him alone”, I heard a voice come from just across the room. I pulled myself out of my musings about Archie to turn and find Y/N leaning against the lounge's doorway. Her arms were crossed, leather jacket pulling lightly against her broad shoulders, and one of her combat clad feet leaned casually against the frame. Her face probably appeared impassive to the rest of the students, but I had known Y/N my entire life and I knew that she was pissed. Her Y/C/E were alight with anger, and her fists were tightly clenched against her arms. Y/N wasn’t fond of any of the Northside kids, but she especially hated anyone that talked down to me or Southsiders in general. She had always been overly protective of me; she always half-teased that she was my ‘big sister’, which I always refused to accept because I was 2 months older than her. She would always say that didn’t matter, it was her ‘maturity’ that made her the ‘older twin’. Regardless, his was going to end poorly for Reggie if he didn’t back off quickly.
Reggie didn’t appear fazed by her sudden arrival for more than a second or two. He scoffed, head turning from Y/N to me and back.
“And what are you going to do about it if I don’t?”, he sneered. Y/N smiled her most terrifying smirk; it was the kind of smile that always looked so out of place on her otherwise sweet face, the kind that should be more than enough warning for it’s target. I noted the way Reggie’s face fell fractionally before his cocky facade returned, and I shook my head. Reggie always was a special kind of stupid, and now it was finally going to get him into trouble.
“Well Reginald, I just thought that you should have a fair warning before I’m forced to step in”, she stated simply, choosing to circle the Bulldog slowly like a snake circling its prey. It was almost poetic really; most Serpents didn’t have the correct mannerisms to actually be compared to a snake, but Y/N fit the gang’s name to a T. She was beautiful, but in a completely different way, cunning, smarter than most people, and always slow to strike-- but when she did, you were going to regret ever underestimating her or not heeding the warnings she was so clearly giving. Reggie snorted once more before turning his back on her and facing me once more.
“What, can’t fight your own battles Jones?”, he glowered. “Gotta get your butt buddy here and your Serpent Slut to step in for you?”.
I shoved to make my way past Archie but the redhead blocked my path. Y/N tapped Reggie on the shoulder in a way that seemed too gentle for the occasion. If I hadn’t been present for the previous events I wouldn’t have thought she was doing anything more than trying to gain his attention. But this was Y/N and Reggie and there was nothing innocent about it. As soon as the football player turned, he received a solid punch to the nose. He immediately reeled backwards, blood spurting from between his fingers and profanities spewing from his lips. Y/N chuckled and kicked his shins, making the Reggie fall to his knees clutching his nose and groaning. Her hand flicked out quick as lightning, long nails digging into the soft part of his right ear causing the bloody boy to howl out in pain.
By now we’d gathered the attention of everyone in the lounge. Moose and several of the other Bulldogs stood and rushed over to their friend, but not one dared step in between Y/N and her target. They all just stood tensely, watching the entire thing unfold with looks mixed between disgust, fear, and slight admiration. Veronica, Betty, and Kevin stood together off to the side watching the chaos with wide eyes. I relaxed back into a bored stance, more than happy to let Y/N do her thing. Most people would be worried about the girl in the midst of a fight with a jock twice her size, but I knew better. I watched with a sort of pride as Y/N leaned in close to Reggie’s ear, fingers still pinching his other so hard that it was beginning to draw blood.
“Now, I can let the Serpent Slut comment slide because, honestly, I don’t put much stock in the opinion of a flea-ridden mutt, but the comments about my brother over there need to stop. So, if you value the use of your pathetic face or dick again, I suggest you leave Jughead alone. Permanently.” she hissed. “And don’t think that just because I don’t go to school in this Pep-filled nightmare that I won’t hear about things. Trust me when I say I have my ways Bulldog. This is your first and final warning”.
She released his ear and stepped back. Then she turned to me with a bright smile and a new twinkle in her eye, all signs of her terrifying persona gone as quickly as it came on.
“Ready Jug?”, she asked kindly. I smirked and headed over to the door with her, exiting the school and leaving behind the still shocked faces of the students left in the lounge.
“You know I could have handled that on my own”, I teased, only half-serious. Y/N laughed out loud and shoved my shoulder with her own as we made our way down the steps outside the school.
“Oh Juggie I'm sure you could have, but what kind of big sister would I be if I didn’t help?”, she giggled, stopping for a moment to pinch my cheeks playfully. I swatted her hands away, smile still planted firmly on my face as we stepped out into the cool fall air.
Y/N was so much more than a sister to me. I'd always teased her about calling us twins, but truth be told she was right. She was my family, even more so than my parents or Jelly, because she had chosen to be in my life and actually stay in it. Y/N was the one constant factor in my life.
“Mhm, I gotta say this girl has more fight in her than the last one”, Penny simpered. “Of course we're obviously a bit more impatient than we were previously, and besides Y/N/N and I have some unfinished business of our own”.
“What do you want Penny? What's the endgame here? You've already got all of the Serpents ready to enter the Colosseum and fight, when you and I both know there's no chance of survival. What more could you possibly want at this point?”, I rasped, still reeling in shock and fear.
“I'll tell you the same thing I told your pathetic, fake little twin: don't play stupid with me Jones, you're too smart for that. You,Y/N, and your teenage wastoids did me dirty and I haven't forgotten”, she snarled. “So you'd better show up soon because while I am loving watching Riverdale burn, my patience with you Joneses is running dangerously thin”.
“Surely you know that this won't end well?”, I stated trying futilely to sound more strong than I was feeling. Penny chuckled darkly.
“Oh I know it won't Jughead, but I'm not the one that's going to lose everything. Because if you bring anyone along with you, including your dad or this one's anger management case of a boyfriend, I'll kill her on the spot. No little Red Riding hood hiding out in the woods either. You come alone or don't come at all” she threatened.
“Whichever works for me really”, Penny continued nonchalantly. “Either way I get a Jones all to myself”.
“So if I come to you, no tricks, you'll let Y/N go?”, I asked evenly.
“Course kid. Just show up alone and I'll let the little Serpent Slut go”.
“NO JUG DON'T. SHE'S A LYING FUCKING--”, I heard Y/N start to shout before her voice abruptly cut off. The sounds of sickening groaning and thudding filled the phone line.
“I'd hurry up and make a decision here Jughead. With the mouth on this one we may have to start the party early”. Penny laughed before ending the call.
My eyes were filled with unshed tears, and I threw my fist against the side of the Wyrm in anger. There were no options left, no reprieve from the shit show that had overtaken Riverdale. Y/N didn't deserve this, none of the Serpents did. I wiped my eyes futilely as the tears continued to stream down my face, and dialed the one number I knew could maybe get Y/N out of there alive.
“This is Hiram”, Mr. Lodge answered curtly.
“Fangs getting arrested, the riot, the Ghoulies showing up the night of the riot, with Penny in tow, taking Y/N. None of this is happenstance”, I said, half to Mr. Lodge, half to myself. It was hard to believe that all this could be orchestrated by one mad-man, but then again this was Riverdale.
“Jughead I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about”, he sighed.
“You’ve been buying up everything you could, but you couldn’t buy us, so you paid the Ghoulies and Penny to go war with the Serpents, so you could finally get rid of us once and for all. How much is this costing you?”, I ground the words out of my mouth, still in slight disbelief that they were even real. But they were. This was real, and Y/N, my dad, and the entire Serpent population were in danger thanks to the coward I was currently speaking to.
“I’m hanging up now”, Hiram replied after a few seconds.
“ ‘Cause I have a counter offer”, I practically cut him off. His line went nearly dead; he was silent. “Mr. Lodge?”.
“I'm listening”, he answered finally.
Y/N’s POV:
I sat, or rather perched near a crackling fire while I watched, with more hate in my eyes than I had ever felt, Penny who sat calmly across from me. The orange and yellow flames crackled with a relaxing, sweet glow that did not fit the scenario. My hands were bound behind me with the thickest, sharpest fucking rope in existence. I swear Penny had gone and found the oldest, most uncomfortable length of rope in Riverdale just to piss me off and add insult to injury. Speaking of injuries, I was 99% certain that I had a concussion based on the pounding in my head that was unlike any other I’d ever felt before and the blood that I could feel dripping down my neck. It was as if one minute I was riding with FP, and in the next I was awoken in the worst way possible. Malachai had decided that the best way to rouse me was to shove his taser in my ribs. I awoke screaming, confused and in more pain than I could describe. Being tasered was like someone shoving an electrified fork into my core that was ripping my muscles apart. I would have much preferred the sternum rub that cops used to wake drunks, or even a punch to the face over their chosen method.
“Good morning dollie, did you have a nice nap?”, Penny giggled as I attempted to stand up. I could still feel the remnants of the electric shock coursing through me and it made me feel as if I was going to be sick. One of the two Ghoulies that were holding me up by my armpits decided that I wasn’t moving fast enough. He yanked my head up by the roots of my hair, causing my eyes to water with pain and the wound on the back of my head to throb. Penny walked up to me slowly, eyes staring into mine the entire way. Penny’s eyes were a disgusting pool of emotionless darkness; though her eyes appeared to be a light blue in color, as she got closer I realized that they were speckled with black spots. How fitting. She finally reached me, smiling at me sweetly before sucker punching me straight in the gut. All the breath left my body in a single whoosh, but I refused to cry out in pain. I would not give Penny anymore satisfaction in seeing me suffer. The same putrid Ghoulie grabbed a fistful of my Y/H/C hair and made me look up.
“Aw, what’s wrong? Nothing to say?”, Penny snarled before punching me across the jaw. Stars danced across my vision and I fought hard not to pass out once more. I used every ounce of strength I had to lift my head on my own.
“Penny”, I growled. “What the fuck do you want?”.
“Awww come on now, don't play stupid with me love, you're too smart for that”, she pouted with fake concern. “I want payback from you and all your backstabbing teenaged Serpent pals. Although it seems like the town has already taken care of one of you for me. Pity, he would've been such fun to beat; that sweet little face all twisted in pain”, she risked wistfully. Then she grinned like some kind of demonic Cheshire cat, leaning in dangerously close to my face.
“Speaking of sweet, at least I will still have the pleasure of explaining to your loser boyfriend all the ways I'm going to make you scream before these guys-- ”.
I spat at Penny's face, hitting her directly under her eye. My spit had turned bloody from her punch, and it now adorned her scowling face. Though I knew I would pay dearly for my action I couldn't bring myself to regret it once I watched the Snake Charmer's face go from smug and all knowing to disgusted and furious. I felt a twisted sense of pride in that moment. Penny could do her worst to me, but I would die before I let her speak like that about Fangs, Sweet Pea, or anyone else I cared about. The Ghoulies holding me yanked me down by my arms and kicked my knees out from under me; I fell to the ground in a heap, knees taking the brunt of the fall. Penny wiped my bloody saliva from her cheek with the inside of her jacket before chuckling lightly and kicking me directly in the face. I couldn't help but cry out in pain as I felt my lip split in several places and heard the sickening crunch of my nose breaking. Fresh, hot blood squirted and sputtered from my nose like a faucet, and I tilted my head forward in a useless attempt to keep myself from choking on it.
“Think it's time we gave your little brother a call, don't you?”, she asked while cracking her neck in a businesslike manner.
“Leabe him out of this”, I hissed, trying to sound like the bitch didn't just break my nose. Penny laughed.
“Aww that's adorable. You think you call the shots around here doll?”, she asked condescendingly. “Bring her over to sit. Wouldn't want her to pass out again before the real fun begins”.
The men holding me shoved me roughly onto a chair as I fought with every ounce of strength I had not to lose consciousness. I vaguely heard Penny speaking to someone, but largely my thoughts were filled with Sweet Pea. The only reason I was even clinging to reality right now was him; I still wondered if he was okay, and hoped he would be smart enough not to avenge what was about to go down. As I struggled against the darkness that threatened to overtake me, I heard Penny more clearly call Juggie by name, and I fought against all my pain to warn him.
“JUGHEAD DON'T LISTEN TO THIS BITCH”, I screamed with all my might. Surely he must know that there was no way that Penny was going to let me go no matter what he did. I was dead no matter what, but Jughead was an idiot if he brought himself into this too. I didn't have too long to catch my breath before Malachai shoved his crackling taser into my ribs once more. I couldn't hold back the cry of pure pain that ripped it's way up my chest and out through my bloody lips. The taser had dug into me in nearly the same spot as before, and I vaguely smelt the sickening aroma of burning flesh as I began to black out once again. Malachai was having none of that, and he slapped me across the face in order to rouse me. Through the ringing in my ears that hadn't stopped since I'd awoken I vaguely could make out the sounds of Penny luring Jughead to this pit of terror, using me as bait.
“NO JUG DON'T. SHE'S A LYING FUCKING--”,
I was cut of abruptly by one of the Ghoulies tipping my chair backwards harshly until I felt my back hit the ground with an agonizing thud. As if this wasn't enough, he also kicked me twice in the stomach for good measure. I couldn't fight the darkness this time, and I allowed the waves of numbness to overtake me.
I don't know how long they'd left me unconscious, but I did know that they'd moved me once more. I now sat across the fire from Penny, no Ghoulies holding me up. They'd positioned me awkwardly in a chair, the ground around me filled with the gruesome sight of my own blood. As I waited in silence I internally wondered how much blood I'd lost tonight. If my constant struggle against unconsciousness was any indication, probably a lot.
“Look who decided to rejoin the party”, one of the Ghoulies practically giggled. I struggled against the ties that dug into my wrists futilely, anger reigniting as I recalled the events of the night. Penny laughed from her place across the fire.
“Oh please Y/N, by all means please get out of those ties. I’d love to see what you think you can do with all of us here”, she laughed mercilessly. I huffed, ignoring the screaming protests from nearly every part of my body. I settled myself more comfortably in the chair, although there was no way any position was going to be in anyway comfortable given the state of my injuries. I glared at Penny before sending a sickly sweet smile her direction. If I was going to die all because of this raging bitch I was at least not going to afford her the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart.
A twig snapped from somewhere behind me.
Jughead entered the grounds through the brush and for the first time since I was brought here I felt my eyes fill with hot, salty tears. I couldn’t believe he was stupid enough to come here, without any backup. He was going to end up with the same fate as me, and the unnecessary sacrifice from the boy I considered closer than family was too much for my heart to bear.
“You fucking moron”, I mumbled, unable to think of anything else to say. Jughead eyed me up and down with a look of pure sorrow as he assessed my injuries. I briefly wondered if I looked worse than I felt, but quickly dismissed the thought. Nothing could possibly look worse than the way my body was feeling at the current moment.
“The sacrificial lamb arrives”, Penny exclaimed as she stood. Ghoulies flanked her on either side, and the orange glow from the fire made her gaunt face seem even more evil. Jughead reluctantly turned his attention from me and he turned to face her, his expression stoic.
“I’ll remind you of the deal I made with your boss, Hiram Lodge”, he stated lifelessly. “I turn myself into you tonight and there’s no bloodshed tomorrow. Y/N goes free”.
“Yes, apparently getting you two out of the picture is more important to him than an all out Serpent annihilation”, Penny replied. “Kudos”.
“What do you mean the two of us?”, he ground through his teeth. “Y/N is leaving. Now”.
Penny just laughed, the sound of her witches cackle echoing throughout the clearing.
“Let’s just say that Mr. Lodge and I may have, re-negotiated a bit after you called. We agreed that one less Serpent to deal with tomorrow the better off we’ll be”, she sneered. Jughead hung his head, eyes closed and lips pursed in a thin line. “Come on kid, did you really think your sacrifice was really going to save anyone? Y/N gets it, she’s known from minute one. You really should have listened to her”.
“You son of a--”,
“So do I at least get one last cigarette before this thing or what?”, I interrupted Jughead, voice hoarse from screaming. His face snapped up to meet mine, blue eyes filled with so much sadness that I couldn’t help but send a small smile his way. I was really going to miss him.
“That’s your last request?”, Penny chuckled with disdain. I held my ground, staring into her empty eyes with as much contempt as I could possibly convey. Penny shrugged, and motioned to one of her tagalongs. He stepped up to my now standing form, switchblade flicking out in what I’m sure was meant to be a threatening motion as he waved it in front of my face tauntingly. Did he really think the threat of death was really going to faze me at this stage of the game? His uneven teeth glinted against the flickering light from the fire as he leaned down and swiftly cut the ties binding my hands. I grabbed my pack from my back pocket, lighting up quickly and walking slowly over to Jughead, unsure the whole way if my legs would really be able to take me all the way there. I savored the taste of the sweet nicotine as it hit my throat, blowing the smoke out through my nose.
I reached Jug after some difficulty; the eyes of every insane asshole in the clearing were trained on each of my movements, but I mentally blocked them out as I took in the boy in front of me. He looked about twenty years older than I’d last seen him, and I felt a pang in my heart at his change in demeanor. I brought my hand up to his arm, gently squeezing it and smiling lightly.
“Y/N…”, he started, voice cracking. I held up my other hand as a way of silencing him.
“Me too Juggie”, I said simply, trying to show him how much he meant to me through my eyes. Being my twin had its perks, and Jug seemed to understand what I was getting at immediately. He brought his arms around my shoulders gently, hugging me to his chest like he used to when we were kids and I was hiding out from my father. After what felt like only seconds, I disentangled from my brother and turned back to the group with as much strength as I could muster. I took one last puff from my cigarette, flicking it absentmindedly into the fire.
“30-2 huh. You guys that scared of us?”, I sniggered. Malachai and the rest of his posse stalked towards Jughead and I slowly.
“The only scary thing is what we’re going to do to your not-so-little boyfriend when we find him”, he snarled. I blinked once, turning to Jug and giving him a blank look. Then I felt all the rage that had been building all night, hell my whole life, snap from inside me like a rubber band. I was nearly blinded by the intensity of the anger that was aching to come from every pore in my body.
“DON’T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM”, I bellowed as my fist swung out of its own accord and landed solidly in the center of Malachai’s ugly painted face. From that moment all hell broke loose; all the Ghoulies attacked Jughead and I with a kind of insane vigor that I couldn’t describe if I tried. I attempted to fight back at first, but waves and waves of blows were coming down on me like the downpour of rain during the sad montage part of a rom-com. After the first few hits my body became mercifully numb, and I just lay on the ground waiting for the comforting curtain of darkness to overcome me once again.
As I faded in and out from consciousness my mind was flooded with thoughts of my Sweetest Pea. I'd always thought it was all bullshit when people claimed they saw their life flash before their eyes during experiences like these. I also never dreamed that this kind of thing would ever happen to me. But it was, and I could confirm that my entire life with Pea was playing through my mind as I lay brokenly on the cold ground. I couldn't really feel my face at all, but in my head I was smiling as I enjoyed watching each of my memories like a comforting movie.
I recalled the way Sweet's dark curls bounced across his forehead as he laughed that truest laugh that only a select few, me included, could draw from him. I thought of the way his smooth lips would perk up into a smile whenever he saw me and the way his strong jaw felt under my fingers as his lips connected with mine. I heard the moans of pleasure that I took such pride in pulling from him in our more intimate moments. I re-lived the countless lazy days that we spent in our trailers, his strong arms holding me protectively. Nestled in the way I loved to lay on his solid chest when we cuddled in bed; how he would always tighten his hold around my middle and whine whenever I attempted to get up. I was soothed by the memory of his steady heartbeat against my cheeks as his fingers grazed over my back and arms gently. I felt the way his calloused fingers felt when they danced across my cheeks, leaving a small trail of electricity in their wake no matter how many times he repeated the action. I heard the deep, soothing bass of his voice, lips tickling the shell of my ear as he told me he loved me. But above all, I heard my own voice echoing as I promised him that I would never leave him. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that I would be breaking my promise tonight, and I prayed as the world faded from view that he could find some way to forgive me.
Sweet Pea's POV:
I skidded to a stop and barely switched my bike off before I began sprinting to the spot Toni had identified. There was an abandoned fire crackling, with no sign of Penny or her Ghoulies. FP and I shared a glance; his eyes were open as wide as they could go, and he looked almost as terrified as I was betting I probably looked. I only spared a second before sprinting off into the thicket, FP hot on my heels as we entered the brush to search. My head whipped around frantically for any signs of Y/N. I probably looked like a fucking mental patient with the way I tore through the uneven terrain, but I couldn't be bothered to care. The fires of anger in my chest had died down to make way for the anchor of fear, guilt, and panic that was weighing me down the longer I went without Y/N in my arms.
“PEA”.
FP's frantic howl rang in my ears like the sound of the shot that killed Fangs. I whipped around to find him kneeling on the ground a couple of yards away from where I stood. I sprinted faster than I ever had, ignoring the way my legs screamed in protest and the way my heart sank into my feet. I dropped to my knees as soon as I reached my destination, giant unshed tears forming in my eyes and the back of my throat burning at the sight before me.
Next to a badly beaten Jughead lay my beautiful Y/N. Her face was nearly unrecognizable with the multiple cuts and swollen bruises forming across her once gentle features. The plump lips that I loved so much were nearly indistinguishable from the rest of her face they were split so badly, and there looked to be teeth marks on her slender neck. Her Serpent jacket was missing, and I could see several areas of her exposed skin had been either burned or slashed in some way. Her long Y/H/C locks were matted and covered in blood and dirt, and there was blood under some of her nails. The knuckles on her right hand were swollen and bloody; I noted with a sick sense of pride that she likely fought back against the Ghoulies, even though she was outnumbered. That's my girl, never one to go down without a fight. Her body was still, and even as I gently scooped her into my lap she remained cold and motionless; I felt my breath hitch and a sob leave my body when I found that I could not tell if she was still breathing. My shaking fingertips lightly grazed the spot where her once smooth cheeks resided.
“Y/N, baby please. Don't do this to me, you've gotta wake up princess”, I pleaded softly while standing and gathering her up in my strong arms. I began running out towards help. The way I felt her long limbs dangle lifelessly from my hold nearly tore a hole in my heart. I couldn't be too late, it just wasn't possible. She swore she'd never leave me. She promised.
“Pea…”, I almost missed the nearly inaudible rasp that came from her lips as I ran. I came very close to stopping when her unusually tiny voice reached my ears, but I kept going towards the area where I knew Toni had brought her truck.
“I'm here babydoll, don't worry. Everything is going to be alright”, I choked out. She tried to speak again, but I shushed her gently.
“Don't speak Y/N, I'm getting you help. Just stay with me doll. Can you do that for me baby? Just open up your beautiful Y/E/C eyes and stay with me, okay?”, I pleaded, moving more quickly as I spoke. Her dark fan of lashes fluttered weakly as she struggled to do as I'd asked. My heart broke, and I wished with everything I had that my Y/N would be alright.
It’d been an agonizing 2 weeks spent in the confines of a tiny, white, too sterile looking room in Riverdale General. Y/N had been rushed into surgery as soon as Toni and I brought her to the hospital, and since that day had undergone 3 others to attempt and repair the damage that those Ghoulie scum had inflicted. Her internal bleeding was out of control when she arrived, and her lung had all but collapsed from the blunt force she was subjected to. She had nearly half her ribs broken, a broken wrist, broken orbital bone near her eye, and a severely sprained ankle. Her skin was slowly recovering, most of her bruises shifting from deep purple to light shades of yellow and green as time went on. Her skin was stitched in multiple places from either the surgery or the cuts she sustained that night. In total she had over one hundred stitches covering her once smooth skin. She’d also required a skin graft to her upper rib area from some burns that the doctor said were likely from some kind of electrical element. Despite all this, as I sat next to her in the most uncomfortable plastic chair I’d ever encountered and stroked her hair gently, I still couldn’t help but feel like she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever known. Her swelling had gone down significantly, and the splits in her lip had all but healed. I spent hours stroking the back of her hand with the pad of my thumb, staring at those gorgeous lips and wishing that they would part and begin speaking to me in that musical voice that I missed so dearly.
I hadn’t left the hospital for more than an hour at a time since she was admitted. I missed everything from the rumble with the Ghoulies, Jughead’s release, and even Fang’s discharge from the hospital. The others came and visited nearly everyday, most of them trying to gently pry me away from the room for any length of time. I refused each time, berating anyone that would even try to take me away from my Y/N. How could I leave her? It was my fault she was even in here, laying in this bed, broken. I should have protected her better, should have rushed to find her as soon as we got separated at the Sheriff’s station. Guilt washed over me in giant waves as I thought of all the ways I could have saved her. But she swore to me that she would never leave me, and I believed her. She was going to come out of it one of these days, and I was going to be there to hold her once she did.
Currently, it was day number 16 of Y/N’s stay, and just like all they other days she laid motionless on her bed with her chest lightly rising and falling with each breath she took. They’d taken her breathing tube out a few days ago and ever since then I’d sworn I’d never take any of her soft breaths for granted ever again. I used to lay with her on my chest as she slept, my hands lightly resting on her waist as I relished in each gentle snore and soft sigh that left her. If she ever laid on my chest it was an inevitability that she would end up sleeping at some point. Not that I really minded, she was adorable when she slept. She used to say that it was because she loved the feeling of my heartbeat against her face; she said it reminded her that I was still there with her, that I was safe. I always teased her about it, taking pride in the light blush that adorned her face as she stated proudly that my heartbeat was like her own personal lullabye. Now I as I listened to the steady beat of her heart monitor I understood more and more what she meant. I yearned to go back to that time and savor in the moment more than I had. I was situated on one side of her with her smaller hand nestled into mine as I sat and stared quietly at her beautiful face.
Jughead sat on her other side, hands folded across his lap as he stared off silently into space, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Jughead visited more than anyone else, even after he was discharged himself. He always sat stoically on the other side of her bed, and he was the only one who never pressured me to leave the room. I appreciated his silent support more than he could ever know, and I took a large amount of comfort in the fact that Y/N would be so proud to see her “two best boys” getting along for once. I only wished that it were under different circumstances. Jughead seemed like he understood how I felt better than anyone else.
The amicable quiet of the room was broken as he cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, rising slowly. I didn’t even have to glance at the clock to know that it was nearly 9pm. Though they’d made a special exception for me, most visitors were booted from the room at 9. Jughead put his coat on slowly, and bent down to press a light kiss to Y/N’s temple.
It was funny, I’d never pegged Jones for a softie, but when it came to Y/N he seemed like the most affectionate person. I wasn’t very fond of him at first, but over time I came to understand that he and Y/N really did care about each other like, well, twins. They had an odd relationship, that was for sure, but I was more okay with it than most people would probably assume. I trusted Y/N with every fiber of my being, and if she said that Jughead was nothing but a brother then I believed her. With one last nod in my direction, Jones exited her room and I was left alone once more with my girl. Grabbing her hand in both of mine I began to smooth out the rings that I’d insisted be placed back on her fingers. Y/N was so particular about her rings, even more than me, and it seemed wrong that her hands should be bare. It just didn’t fit her. I sighed brokenly as tears filled my eyes for what felt like the millionth time since she’d been here.
“Hey babydoll, it’s me, Pea. I don’t know if you can hear me or not, the doctors claim that you can, but I’m not sure if I believe that or not. But anyways, I just wanted to ask you again to please come back to me. Please”, my voice cracked as my tears fell like rain onto her soft hands, soaking down into the thin hospital sheets that covered her. I went through this speech each night, begging for her to open her eyes and look at me. Begging for her to squeeze my hand or give me some sign that my Y/N/N was still in there. Each night I lost a little more hope that she would respond, and each day the cement block that had lived in my stomach since the day I carried her here in my arms became just a little heavier.
I continued to speak to her until my voice was hoarse. I talked about whatever I could think of, rambling on for as long as I could. Sometimes Betty or Jughead would bring by some of Y/N’s favorite books, and I would spend the lonely nights reading out loud to her. Some nights, like tonight, I just spoke about nothing like we used to do together.
Eventually I faded off into a restless sleep, head laying on her lap and hand still connected with hers. My dreams, if I had any at all, were always filled with her smiling face. Tonight was no exception, and my head was filled with images of her smiling face. She was just as beautiful as ever, clad in her favorite outfit with her radiant laugh echoing over and over. She held me close to her, and she seemed as happy as I’d ever seen.
“Pea…”.
I heard her musical voice call out to me as she beckoned me closer to her.
“Y/N…”, I murmured.
“Sweet Pea... handsome…wake up”,
I frowned. What did she mean? I didn’t want to wake up, my dreams were the last place I still had with her. I shook my head sleepily.
“No…”, I muttered stubbornly, reaching out for her quickly. Her dream-face broke out into a devious smile and she quickly hopped away from my reach. I stared in utter confusion, and it wasn’t long before I heard her beautiful chuckle echo and felt the ground around me shake lightly.
“Baby, please wake up”.
I groaned and sat up slowly, neck sore from the position that I had slept in. My eyes blinked rapidly as I tried to re-adjust to the bright lights of the room. And once they had, I needed a double take to ensure that I was really seeing what it looked like I was seeing.
Y/N was sitting up, albeit a bit awkwardly, in her bed with her eyes wide open and a fond smile on her face. Her hands were tangled in my dark, unwashed locks as she brushed my hair back from my face. Her eyes were filled with such love that it took all the breath I had in my body away for a moment as I gaped dumbly at her. She chuckled lightly, removing her fingers from my hair and taking my hand in hers.
“Boy, and here I thought you’d be happy to see me”, she croaked playfully, squeezing my hand. I finally snapped myself out of my trance and practically attacked her with a hug. I couldn’t believe it, she was finally awake, and I had almost fucking slept through it. I held her in my arms for an immeasurable amount of time, taking absolute pleasure from the way her arms tightened around my body and her slender fingers danced through my hair once more in a soothing motion. I could’ve held her like that for the rest of my life, but after what felt like only a moment I heard her slightly muffled voice come from the depths of my chest.
“Uhm carefully Pea, ouch”, she muttered. I immediately pulled back from her as if shocked by an electric current. Of course that hurt moron, I thought to myself. Sitting myself on the edge of her bed, I decided to gently rest my hands on the sides of her face instead, thumbs gently rubbing across the healing bruises on her smooth cheeks.
“It’s really you”, I murmured softly, still not convinced totally that this wasn’t just a dream. I felt her smile against my hands before she took one of my hands and kissed my palm lightly before returning it to its place on her cheek.
“Of course it’s me baby, who else would it be?”, she whispered. As she leaned her face further into my hold, her eyes fluttered shut slowly, and I panicked.
“Y/N?!”, I cried. Her eyes shot open and she frowned resting her hands over the tops of mine, rubbing soothing circles with her fingertips.
“What? What is it?”, she exclaimed, eyes wide. She removed her hands from mine in order to grasp my face gently, mirroring my previous position. Her soft hands stroked against the tense muscles in my jaw, patiently waiting for my response. Realizing I had overreacted I cast my gaze downward as I removed my hands from her face and attempted to slow my now shallow breaths. Y/N was having none of that, and she brought her two fingers to tilt my head back by my chin.
“Pea, handsome?”, she questioned softly. I sighed.
“I just...please don’t close your eyes like that”, I muttered, slightly embarrassed. “I thought I lost you again”.
Her eyes were immediately remorseful, and I nearly got lost in the deep pools of emotion that I had been missing for far too long. She patted the spot next to her in her bed.
“Come lay with me Pea”, she said nearly inaudibly. I shook my head.
“Not a chance babydoll. You’re still too injured for me to pull that off without hurting you”, I reasoned, grabbing her hands in mine and squeezing them softly. She frowned.
“I don’t care Sweets. I just want you to be here with me, that’s all I’ve wanted for the last however long it’s been”, she said softly, tears forming in her big Y/E/C eyes. My resolve nearly crumbled at the sight of her sadness, my heart screaming to do whatever she said. But my more rational side wouldn’t let this go on without a fight.
“Babydoll… “, I started to argue with her, but she shook her head wildly.
“Sweet Pea please….”, she pleaded. I sighed once more, any ideas of denying her what she wanted out the window. I slowly slid up the bed and gently brought Y/N to my chest, tucking her head gently under my chin and savoring the way she let out a sweet sigh of contentment. I nestled my face into her hair, and she mirrored my action but into the crook of my neck. For the first time in nearly 3 weeks I felt at peace. We laid like this for a while, Y/N’s hand circling the place over my heart lovingly like she used to do back in my trailer. I nearly fell asleep once more, but fought the urge in favor of savoring the moment for as long as it lasted. I’d waited half a month for this day, and I was damned if I was going to let sleep ruin it. I was so lost in my musings for a moment that I almost missed the soft words that came from Y/N’s mouth.
“Pea…”, she murmured sleepily.
“Yeah baby”, I answered softly. She yawned.
“I’m going to fall asleep handsome. Please don't be scared”, she said, eyes nearly closing again. “I meant what I said when I promised not to leave you. It’s gonna take a lot more than Penny fucking Peabody and some Ghoulie trash to take me away from you. I love you Sweet Pea”. My heart soared as she slowly moved to kiss my neck, just where my Serpent tattoo was placed. I unintentionally shivered and she smiled her trademarked little smirk, though her eyes remained closed.
“I love you so damn much Y/N”, I murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head gently. She tightened her hold around me slightly. “Get some rest babydoll, I’ll be here when you wake up”.
“You promise?”, she muttered, already halfway asleep. I chuckled lowly.
“Yeah baby, I promise. I’m not going anywhere”, I vowed.
“I don't want you to worry”, she whispered. I chuckled lightly, placing the gentlest kiss I could muster to her forehead.
“Little late to that game babydoll”, I teased lightly. My cheeks hurt from the smile that had been etched on my face since she woke, but I couldn't bring myself to care. “It's alright beautiful, sleep. I'll be here when you wake up”.
“I know you will be”, she muttered, eyes finally creeping shut as she snuggled in closer to my side.
“Sweets…”, she breathed after a few minutes of silence. I'd thought she'd fallen asleep in all honesty, and my eyes were closed too as I sank into the easiest sleep I'd had in weeks.
“Mmm”, I answered quietly.
“I promised you I'd always be there”, she murmured against my neck. “I still will be, I love you Sweetest Pea”.
I opened my eyes to see her, seemingly asleep. Her hair was covering part of her face, and I gently brushed it to the side. She didn't stir at my action, and I took it to mean that she was now fully asleep. I smiled once more in utter peace as I whispered in her ear.
“And I love you my gorgeous, smart, badass, loveable babydoll”.
