Light flowing in through the blinds covering my window and my alarm blaring next to me break my sleep. I smack my hand on the bedside table until the beeping from my phone stops then push myself upright with a yawn, as I look across my room I see Sweet Pea slumped in a chair in the corner sleeping. A frustrated groan escapes my mouth as I realize he sleep there all night. I toss my blanket to the side and step out of my bed then make my way to him.
I shove his shoulder lightly, "Pea, wake up." I say but he doesn't budge, he's always been a heavy sleeper. Again I shove his shoulder but harder this time, "Hey, get up." He takes in a sharp breath as he straightens up, he blinks a few times before he relaxes again, "Why are you still here?"
He runs his hands over his face, "Fell asleep." He says simply.
I roll my eyes, "I gathered that when I woke up and saw you in this chair, I meant why didn't you go home after I fell asleep? I only asked you to stay until then."
Sweet Pea shrugs his shoulders, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, okay? Are you okay?" He asks.
My gaze drops to the floor, "Yeah, it's just been a little harder with Jughead being around. Especially with him drinking like that. I know he thinks I don't notice but I can tell he's completely sober all the time. I'm worried about him." I admit although it hurts me to do so. I can just see that he's not himself, not completely anyway.
"I'm worried about you." Sweet Pea says, "You been taking your anxiety meds?"
"Of course." I settle back down in my bed and glance at the pill bottles sitting on my bedside table, "Ya know, it feels like ever since we met you've been taking care of me."
He pushes himself up out of the chair and sits next to me, "I like taking care of you." He slips his hand up my back.
"Well, you shouldn't have to, I'm a grown woman. I should be able to handle this shit myself." I whine.
"Isn't that just too fucking bad because I'm gonna take care of you whether you like it or not." He says and a reluctant smile makes its way onto my face. He presses a kiss to the side of my temple causing me to look up at him. Suddenly his hand on my back sends shivers up my spine and my mouth goes dry with the way he's looking at me. He places his other hand on my knee and I can feel him leaning closer. My heart rate picks up and I keep telling myself I should pull away but I don't make any effort to move.
"Hey, Stevie have you seen my- Oh, my bad." Tabitha swinging my door open and then abruptly leaving causes the both of us to jump.
Sweet Pea pulls both of his hands away and clears his throat before checking the watch on his wrist, "I should probably get going. I gotta get to work."
I nod, "Right, me too."
He quickly grabs his jacket and throws it on, "Call me if you need anything, okay?" I nod and he slips out the door.
I fall back on my bed, place a pillow over my face and scream into it once I hear the front door shut.
"Are you good?" Tabitha asks as I feel her sit down. "What the hell happened last night?"
I toss the pillow aside, "Literally nothing. I just asked him to stay until I fell asleep, I should've known he'd stay all night."
"Well, I'm sorry I interrupted your very weird booty call." She jokes.
"You're not funny." I sigh, "What am I supposed to do? This just friends thing is getting harder and harder everyday, every time I'm around him I just want to kiss him."
"Then why don't you, oh I don't know, kiss him?" Tabitha suggests.
I scoff, "I can't."
"Why not?" She asks. "I mean, it's pretty obvious he wants to kiss you too."
"Look, Tab, I gotta get ready for work." I say.
She shrugs, "Fine. Don't talk to me." She says and walks out with a huff. I know she's just trying to be a good friend and help me out but I can't bring myself to tell her about the awful things that have been going on in my head for the past however many years. I'd just be burdening her because there is absolutely no way she can help me. No one can.
_________
I walk into Toni's office to see her working on paper work behind her desk, "Hello, Ms. Topaz."
She looks up for only a moment, "Hey."
"I've heard some rumors about a certain someone showing up to River Vixen practice." I say as I sit down, "Care to elaborate?" Toni brings her eyes up and a smirk appears on her lips. "So, I take it your little plan worked. Now what?"
"Well, hopefully, co-captaining the Vixens will keep Cheryl out in the real world with the rest of us and maybe things can progress from there." She says simply.
I hum with a nod, "Things like rekindling your high school romance?"
Toni smiles brightly as her cheeks redden, "That's could be a possibility that I've thought about."
"Have you thought about how Cheryl fits into the whole baby situation, given if you two do get back together?" I ask and Toni's smile fades.
"Two different situations, if we get to the bridge then we'll figure something out." She says, although her voice is not as confident as it was moments ago.
I reach across the desk and grab her hand, "You know, you're going to be a great mom, no matter what happens, right?"
She smiles and rests her free hand on her stomach, "Thank you, Stevie." She glances down, "This kid is going to be so loved, you don't know how lucky you are." She whispers the last bit to her stomach.
"Absolutely," I agree, "I can't wait to spoil the mess out of him."
Toni looks up at me, "You know, I was planning on doing this in some really cute way, but it just feels right to do it now." I look at her confused, "Stevie Jones, would you do me the honor of being my baby's godmother?"
"Are you serious?" I ask in complete shock and she just nods excitedly, "Of fucking course, are you kidding me!" The both of us jump up from our seats and engulf each other in our arms. "I'm gonna love this kid so much, I promise."
She pulls back, "I know you will, that's why asked you. You've been my bestfriend for like ten years and there is just no other person that would be right for this."
"Thank you for trusting me with this. I won't let you down." I say, "Oh, who did you ask to be the godfather. Not that this kid doesn't have enough dads to spare." I joke and she gives me an awkward smile. "You didn't?"
________________
I set the beer glass down on the counter with a long sigh, "So, Toni asked us to be the kid's godparents."
"Yep." Sweet Pea murmurs as he takes a drink. "I told you they're never gonna stop trying to throw us together. Not that I'm complaining." I give him a side glance and he just tosses his hands up in defense.
I shrug my shoulders and shake my head, "Well, nothing is ever gonna happen to Toni so we'll never have to actually be the kid's parents."
"Aw you don't want to have a kid with me?" He asks sarcastically but it makes my chest tighten and my heart ache.
I start to say something to change the subject when I hear a shot glass slam against the bar. Jughead tosses a couple of bucks down and walks past Sweet Pea and I up the stairs.
Amy, the bartender that just served him, walks over to me and she puts away the whiskey bottle and hands me the money. "By the way, that's the third time he's been in today." She whispers and goes back to her side of the bar. My throat runs dry as every terrible scenario runs through my head.
"You okay?" Sweet Pea asks.
I shake my head, "I'm really worried about him. And I want to do something but at the same time I'd be just as happy getting to bash his stupid head in and never speak to him again."
Sweet Pea scoffs a laugh, "I'd pay to see that." He jokes.
"This is serious, Pea." I scold. "I don't want him ending up like our Dad was. Always half sober, one kid and a wife in another state while the other two kids are at home practically raising themselves because he was too far down the bottle to notice there wasn't any food in the fridge." My voice shakes and I chew my cheek to keep from breaking down. "I don't want that."
He places his hand over mine, "I know. And if I know anything about you, which I do, you'll never let it get to that. You care too much."
I take in a deep breath, "That I do. It's both a blessing and a curse." I glance down at his hand over mine and for a moment I just want to flip my hand over and hold his. Just for second, to remember how it feels but I don't. I pull away and shove the money in my other hand into my apron.
Sweet Pea lets out a low huff, "What's with the monopoly money?" He asks diverting the conversation.
"Uh, it's Riverdollars?" I answer as I look down at the red bills with Veronica's face plastered on, "I'm not entirely sure how but Ronnie says its gonna help Riverdale's economy. I didn't ask too many questions."
He shakes his head a moment, "Why doesn't she just give us real money? Isn't she rich?"
I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know. I think it's apart of a lesson for one of her classes, she probably doesn't trust a bunch of teenagers with actual money. I know I wouldn't, but then again if I had as much money as her we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Well, I hope whatever this idea of hers is works. This town can use all the money it can get." He says.
"You can say that again. Speaking of, my bike is kinda on the fritz. You mind looking at it for me?" I ask with a faux pout.
He rolls his eyes with a groan, "Seriously? Again? How long is it gonna take you to realize that thing is done for? You look at it the wrong way and it breaks down."
I put my hands on my hips with a huff, "Well, are you gonna give me the money to buy a new one?" He just looks at me blankly, "That's what I thought. So will you please look at it? Pretty please?"
He contemplates for a moment before giving me a sly grin, "Alright fine."
"Thank you!"
"On one condition."
I look at him quizzically, "And that would be?"
"You go on a date with me."
_____________________________________
After what felt like the longest shift of my life I can finally lock up the Wyrm and head home. I step through the door and onto the Pop's floor, which is empty except for the sole person behind the counter. My brother.
I lock the door and make my way over to the counter, "What are you doing here so late?"
He looks up at me over the glass of coffee in his hand with surprise. I have hardly said a word to him since he got to Riverdale, I'd be surprised too. He sets the cup down and straightens his back, "Graveyard shift." He says simply. "You going home?"
I nod, "Yeah, if my bike decides to get me that far." I say half joking. I sit down on a stool in front of him and a waft of liquor hits my face. I glance down at the half filled coffee mug which appears to have black coffee inside but my nose tells me its so much more, "Listen, Jug, I wanna talk."
"Okay, about what?" He asks and adjusts his glasses.
"You're drinking." I say abruptly, "All the time. I know you think that no one can tell but I can. And honestly I'm worried about you."
He scoffs, "It's not all the time. I drink a normal amount."
"I can smell it in your coffee, Jug." I say and he gives a downcast look to the drinking sitting between us. "I'm not trying to judge you and as much as you have pissed me off, you're still my brother and I don't want to lose you. So, you need to get your shit together."
"I'm fine, Stevie." Jughead says with as much faux confidence as he can muster.
I shake my head, "No you're not. I can tell."
"How?" He asks angrily.
"Because-" I start but get cut off by the jukebox suddenly playing a song. "What the hell?" I say under my breath but Jughead just brushes it off. Then his mug starts shaking and coffee sloshes onto the counter. Then the whole building starts to shake and the lights flicker. "What's happening?"
"I don't know." Jughead says and comes around the counter to me. I stand and he grabs my arm tucking me into his side.
Suddenly the lights go out but the coffee makers starts brewing and the cash register pops open, "Jughead, what the fuck?" A bright light like a truck passing by outside engulfs the shoppe and Jughead starts to tug me outside with him. "No, I don't want to go out there!"
He pulls me out the door with him and the wind is howling causing my hair and clothes to fly all different directions. The light has disappeared and the lights to Pop's all come back on. Suddenly a bright white light shine directly over us and then nothing.
___________________________________________________
AN
Hey guys, sorry it's been so long but if you saw the announcements I posted then you'll know why. If you didn't I was away helping my sister move across country and then members of my family contracted covid so I wasn't able to be home until recently. Everyone is fine, which I'm very grateful for. Please make sure to be safe and wear your mask, get vaccinated if you can. Love you, guys.
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