If We Had 5 More Minutes

Stay With Me. Forever

Sorry about the long wait for the update, I injured my neck and typing there for a while became a bit painful. That being said from now on I will probably be updating once or twice a week. I'm also going to try and work better on communication, this is my first story, and again sorry for the long update.

Once again Toni was met with a dark room with a door in the short distance, so she did what she did before and jerked the door open, no hesitation this time, she thought to herself. This time she wasn’t met with the halls of Riverdale High, but instead she started off in the halls of Thistlehouse itself. This time Toni was alert, and aware of her surroundings, she had assumed she would be returning to the exact same moment, considering not much time had passed in the real world.

“Toni. You know I love you with every ounce of my soul.” Cherly choked out, and the strain in her voice was oh so familiar to Toni, she made her way closer to the living room, where it all happened, and there before her was Cheryl and other Toni sitting within inches of each other on the couch. The two were completely focused on each other, they hadn’t even noticed the fact that Toni was standing a few feet away from them, hiding behind the hallway frame. She didn’t think she could revisit this memory again, it was too painful. It was a memory she had buried many years ago, when Cheryl broke her heart, it never really healed, her heart always seemed to be missing a few crucial pieces. She thought about walking away for a few minutes, afterall that’s all it took for Cheryl Blossom to shatter her, but for some reason, she just stood there to soak it all in again. 

“But I don’t want you to have to choose between your family and me.” Cheryl continued. Toni would never admit to Cheryl, but going to Highsmith college was never on her agenda, sure she wanted to go to college but any college would have worked. She went because of Cheryl, and when Cheryl broke up with her, Toni didn’t really have things planned out so she just went along with the original plan. But the original plan was with Cheryl, without her there were a lot of bumps in the road. Bumps no one knew about, like the drunk nights that turned into weeks where she didn’t remember anything, or the occasional sober nights where she cried herself to sleep and woke up her eyes raw and lips chapped. She was left utterly alone, something she wasn’t used to, even before Cheryl, she was constantly surrounded by  Fangs,  Sweet Pea and the other serpents. Growing up everything had always seemed so crowded, living in Sunnyside trailer park, no privacy, no silence, constantly moving around, constantly surrounded by people who loved her. In no means was her childhood perfect especially with her parents and uncle, but she never felt alone. She always had somewhere to go. At Highsmith she finally had a place to sleep every night, a meal to eat, but the nights were lonely at her empty dorm as she stared over at the empty bed on the empty side of the room that was supposed to be Cheryl’s. She tried to understand where Cheryl was coming from, she really did, but every reason she came up with felt selfish. Toni would never admit it, but she was angry at Cheryl for making the decision without giving Toni some sort of say in it. Cheryl took the easy way out, it was one sided, and Cheryl was selfish for it, and staring at Cheryl now, reliving it all, reminded Toni of all the bitterness she harbourded towards the redhead.

“And perhaps if I'm successful you won’t have to. And we can be together with their full blessing” Cheryl smiled back hopefully, but the smile quickly faded, and was replaced with the tears that had been brimming in her eyes. 

“But, in the meantime.” Cheryl uttered, and all Toni could do was watch. She let out the breath she was holding, closing her eyes, and swallowed the lump that had developed in her throat, preparing herself to hear the words that once left her heart crippled. 

“No.” Toni stood in disbelief at the words she heard, eyes wide open now.

 “I won’t let you push me away Cheryl. I’m not leaving you.” The other Toni had sternly reassured the redhead.

“Oh Tt, I don’t want you to grow to resent me as the years pass us by.” Cheryl whispered, scared anything she said would scare her away. 

“Cher, I'm staying with you. Forever.” 

Cheryl and the other Toni embraced each other, crying tears of joy, Toni presumed. Toni averted her eyes, and slumped down against the wall facing away from the two. She placed her hand across her mouth to silence her cries as the tears spilled out. All she had to do was put up some sort of fight, and everything from that moment would have been entirely different, they would still be together, Toni knew it, she could feel it. She thought back to what Heather said earlier, about Cheryl being happy in the Sweethereafter, she was right. Cheryl was happy here, they had hurt each other over the years, countless times without either of them knowing,  Cheryl’s biggest regret had been fixed by the Sweetherheafter, maybe Toni should let her be. It was a thought that had briefly passed through her mind, and left just as quickly. She thought about how Cheryl had been selfish to make the decision to break up all on her own. Well now it was Toni’s turn to be selfish, Cheryl was coming back with her, even if she had to drag her there her damn self. Toni wiped her tears and regained her composure, she peered around the corner to see other Toni had gone somewhere else in the house, and left Cheryl smiling as she looked down at a photo album, a photo album Toni recognized to be from their summer vacation out west. Toni stepped out of the shadows, not having any idea what to say.

“Cheryl.” Toni muttered under her breath, and the moment the redhead looked up, a familiar warth filled Toni’s heart, making eye contact with her after being afraid it would never happen again. 

“Toni” Cheryl asked, her face twisted with confusion “What are y-” Toni quickly cut her off stepping forward, so that they were close enough to not be heard by anyone else. 

“Cheryl, I need you to trust me, and listen.” Toni whispered, grabbing Cheryl's hands and placing them into her own.

“This isn’t real, none of it, the comet, you stopping the come-” 

“What in Gaia’s name are you rambling on about Antionette, and that was a nightmare, you told me so.” Cheryl spat out, jerking her hands away from Toni.

“No. no it wasn’t, it was all real, all this.” Toni emphasized waving her hand around “Isn’t real, we broke up years ago, and it hurt like hell, and I know it's easier to hide the truth away, but it doesn’t make it go away.”

“No.” Cheryl shouted, causing Toni to flinch. “I don’t know who you are, but-” 

Toni grabbed Cheryl's hand again and pulled her closer once more.

“Cheryl, do you remember when you came for me in the Sweethereater? You told me I died on my wedding night, and I denied it. After you left there was this feeling, I couldn't shake it, and I just knew.”  Toni stared into Cheryl’s eyes, trying to read them, they weren’t the same eyes she used to look into years ago, these eyes were heavier. 

“Do you feel it Cheryl?” Toni muttered under her breath her face inches away from the redhead’s. She scanned her face looking for some sort of emotion, but all Cheryl wore was a blank expression. Toni thought back to when she was looking at Cheryl in her casket earlier, and how she joked about a kiss waking her up, and it being that simple. So she dropped Cheryl's hands, and cupped her face pulling it closer, her eyes flickered up and down between her eyes and lips, and she could feel Cheryl’s breath on her lips. 

“Toni” Cheryl spoke softly, a single tear falling.

“I know Cher. I’m so sorry.” Toni spoke as she quickly wiped the tear away with her thumb. And without another thought Toni closed the distance between them, her heart racing as their lips crashed together for the first time in a long time. It was far from passionate, and more of a cry out for help that was filled with confusion and desperation as they cling to each other, scared that if they let go of one another, they would disappear forever. Toni opened her eyes and pulled away, watching Cheryl flutter her eyes open, their foreheads still touching.

“Come back to me Cheryl. Stay with me. Forever.” Before Cheryl could say anything back, Toni felt herself being pulled away moments after their lips connected. She held onto Cheryl for as long as possible before being  ripped away, and everything in her mind went white.