Her heart dropped to her feet as she entered her bedroom.
"These are incredible." His eyes flashed to hers but stopped there. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. She held a white box in her hands as she slowly approached him.
"Can I have that back, please?" It was full of nerves, Sweet Pea didn't understand but either way handed the sketch book back to the girl. Even though he wanted to keep looking.
Sweet Pea tried to sit still as she dabbed his face with the alcohol pad, he couldn't help but bare his teeth at a few spots almost hissing at the pain. She had whispered an apology to him.
Sweet Pea couldn't help but stare at the girl as she wiped the blood off his knuckles. Her eyes still that same blazing gold her remembered that first day he saw her. Their close proximity made him notice something else too, a scar on her forehead. A decent size too.
"What happened?" He had asked, using his cleaned hand to push the hair away from the mark.
Asher had laughed slightly, "You want the truth or the hospital report?"
Sweet Pea smiled with a shrug, "Both."
Asher looked up at him before slowly looking back at his hand, griped firmy in hers. Despite it being clean of blood she continued to run the wet washcloth over it. She was full of nerves, she never talked about it. Asher felt like she could talk to Sweet Pea though, like he really wanted to know.
"I fell out of my treehouse." She spoke quietly with a sad smile before continuing, "My mother knocked me out with a lamp."
Sweet Pea stared at her for a moment, "Why? Max out her credit card or something?" He couldn't really imagine her having a bad life in this nice house. He almost didn't believe her.
For a second she just stared at him, his comment hurting her feelings. She let go of his hand and stood quickly, "Yeah, something like that Sweet Pea."
Asher was deeply frustrated. Just because she was a Northsider didn't mean she had it easy. She didn't want to talk anymore. So, she went to the bathroom and changed into her PJ's and when she came back Sweet Pea was in the same spot staring at her white carpet.
Sweet Pea knew what the stain was, despite the fact they obviously had a professional come in and try their best at removing it. He glanced up at her as she entered the room again, she didn't meet his eyes. Instead she walked to her bedroom door, he was prepared for her to kick his Southside ass out. Not wanting to have to worry about him stealing or breaking something.
Sweets was shocked when she locked the door and walked back to the bed, Asher reached to turn off the lamp in front of Sweet Pea. The skin on her side becoming exposed to him, he couldn't help but reach out. Her skin was soft as she straightened back out, standing in front of him in the partially dark room.
Sweet Pea moved his hand up and down her side before moving his other palm to the back of her right thigh. He gave Asher a slight push with this hand, he himself not even really knowing what he was asking her for.
After a moment of hesitation though Asher decided she wanted to give him whatever it was, even if it was just for this moment, just for this night. Even if when she woke up he would be back in his Southside trailer and she'd be stuck in her lonely Northsider mansion.
She moved both legs to straddle Sweet Pea, her arms wrapped around his neck as she stared at him. She wanted him to make the move, she refused to be rejected by him again.
Asher watched his eyes go from her eyes to her mouth multiple times before his hands pulled her even impossibly closer to him. She couldn't contain the gasp that left her mouth at the friction against her, his deep eyes looking back into hers. Sweet Pea moved his hands, running them against her ass and then up her back. She was surprised when they wrapped around her, in seconds he had lifted her up as he stood.
Just as quickly though he moved them to the middle of the bed. He was leaned against her mountain of pillows, just staring into this beautiful girls eyes. "Why'd she do it?"
Asher stared at him, a slight shock in her eyes. She didn't think she could tell him anything due to his prejudice of Northsiders, that all of them were spoiled brats with amazing families.
"The truth." Sweet Pea cleared, he was curious. And he believed her.
Asher slowly turned her head to rest against his chest, "My mother was Bipolar. She would get in these episodes when she was off her medication. She always had so much anger towards me."
"So she would hit you?" Sweet Pea was a little confused, he wasn't super informed about mental illnesses. Just that they could be scary and harmful to the sick and those involved with them.
"I-It was more than just hitting." Her face brushed again his chest and slowly he moved a hand over her hair. "It was like she was trying to kill me."
That part she had whispered, as if it was a big secret. That someone was listening in on them. "Is she better now?"
Asher was silent for a moment, "Yeah, in a way."
Once again he was confused but he could tell she was uncomfortable. He didn't want to upset her anymore than he already had.
"I'm sorry I've been so mean to you." He couldn't help to say as he stared at the ceiling.
That was until he felt her chin on his chest. "Sweet Pea, you don't owe me anything."
He wanted to kiss her. He knew he couldn't though so instead he continued to play with her smooth hair.
"What's your guilty pleasure?" He couldn't help but want to know about the picture. She laughed a little.
"So you noticed the picture? My guilty pleasure is.. everything." It was a breathy finish to her sentence almost as if she was thinking back on memories of her being high.
"What's yours, Sweets?" Ash looked back up and the beautiful man in her bed.
"I'd consider you my guilty pleasure, Princess." Asher had stared at him with a smile as he tucked hair behind her ear.
Sweet Pea felt more confused than he had in his whole life. He was supposed to hate her, why was he always feeling the need to search her out? Going to parties she might be at, dealing with hanging out with Jughead. Hell, even telling Blondie to leave her with him that night at the party. Even tonight, agreeing to get in her car. He kept trying to hold himself back from her, but it felt inevitable.
She was his guilty pleasure, he hadn't lied.
"I don't know whether to be offended or not." Asher had laughed, knowing she was ashamed of her own guilty pleasure.
"No. I just can't stay away from you, Princess. And my pride hates it." Sweet Pea stared up at her ceiling.
"Is that such a bad thing?" Asher asked quietly, running her fingers around his covered stomach.
"For us? Yes." He sighed out, a Northsider and a Serpent? It would absolute hell for her, Betty and Jug had it rough but even then it wouldn't be anywhere close to how bad Sweet Pea imagined Asher getting it. The Bulldogs were all clearly enamored with the girl.
"It doesn't feel like a bad thing to me, Sweet Pea." Her voice comforted him. It made him feel weak, he wanted to agree with anything and everything she said.
"It doesn't feel bad to me either. It's weird really." He tried to explain, but didn't want to give her the impression he liked her. Sweet Pea didn't want to like her. He didn't want her to like him, it would all be so much easier if she hated him.
"That first day I saw you at the bar it felt like I knew you. Like you were someone who comforted me, and I didn't even know your name." Asher laughed slightly at the memory.
Sweet Pea ran a ring covered hand down her back.
"You definitely caught my attention too, I won't lie to you." She could hear his grin.
"Is it weird? To feel like I'm supposed to be around you?" Asher asked quietly, embarrassed at her feelings.
"It is but we both feel it. It feels like we're magnets, destined to connect." His cheeks turned red as his mouth ran.
"I agree. Are your friends okay?" Asher spun to look at him, a concerned look covering her face as she remembered them.
In the same second his phone rang out, with a sigh he answered.
"Hey." His eyes flashed to hers, almost in confusion. Sweet Pea didn't understand how she could say that and him immediately get a phone call from Toni.
"Hey, where are you? We didn't see you take off and you're not at the Wyrm." Toni's voice was full of worry.
"I'm sorry. I'm at a friends." Sweet Pea covered, looking to Asher.
"A friends? Sweet Pea, Fangs and I are your only friends and I'm right next to him." Sweet Pea rolled his eyes.
"You know- Fangs saw that Northsiders car pull off with someone tall in the passenger. Are you with her? Did you finally agree with my advice? She's so pretty, Pea. If you don't I wi-" Sweet Pea hung up on her before she could finish.
Sweet Pea pulled Asher back to his chest, "My friends are fine, Princess. Maybe they need another hit, actually."
Asher slapped his chest but laughed, "You didn't kill any of mine right?"
Sweet Pea laughed a little, "You made sure I didn't, Princess."
Asher thought back to her yell of his name across that parking lot.
"I won't lie, Archie deserved it. He's my best friend and going through a lot. But I think he needed that reality check of being kicked in the chest." Sweet Pea laughed, her head moving with the motion of his chest.
"I'm glad you agree." She looked back up to him, his eyes shining back into hers.
"I think you could get me to agree to anything, Sweet Pea." His heart softened even more at this.
"I'd kick anyone in the chest for you, Angel."