𝓛𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓑𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭

𝓈𝒾𝓍𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

On the other side of Riverdale, the Coopers are trying to hide a murder. Waiting for their savior to come and help them. A knight with scales instead of a noble stead. 

A knight whose armor is made of leather.

+ + + + 

"We'll talk later, Nellie," F.P. replied, his eyes darting towards the stairways that led outside. "I promise we will but right now, there's somewhere else I have to be," 

With that the Serpent leader stalked away, not glancing back and leaving the Wyrm behind him. 

Nellie let her head drop back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Approaching F.P. didn't exactly go as planned. She had hoped he would be eager to take down her father, that perhaps his hatred towards the man was enough to stop whatever he was doing and help her. That planning Hiram's lodge would be as quick as ripping a bandaid off.

"What was that all about?" Sweet Pea called after her. 

She snapped her head back in his direction, afraid that she looked guilty to a crime she hadn't even committed. Yet.

"I just need to talk to F.P." Nellie started. Her guts twisted at the idea of letting Sweet Pea know about her true intentions. She wanted to end the man that had ended her mother. That wasn't just something to say in between drinks. "You know, about the whole housing situation," she said, trying to nonchalantly roll her eyes.

Sweet Pea squinted, "Wanna move out?" he crossed his arms over his chest. The fabric around his biceps tightened as he did. 

Nellie took a step back, eyeing the Serpent closely. "I want to know how to repay you for your kindness," she let out, tearing her gaze away from the tall boy.

If she hadn't, she might've noticed the playful smirk as suggestions popped into Sweet Pea's mind. However, he shook his head, ran his hand through the dark strands of hair and looked back at the innocent girl in front of him.

"You're already paying us, remember? Your job at the Four Seasons isn't just for fun, right?" Sweet Pea remarked. 

When her employment was brought up, Nellie thought back at Mr. Kowalski and Waverly, the girl who had rescued her from being used by the man. A bitter smile danced around her lips, "I wouldn't exactly describe it as fun, yeah,"

Sweet Pea laughed, unaware of what had transpired at the Hotel the last couple of days. "Well, then, let's have some fun before you have to go back tomorrow,"

He threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him as he guided Nellie back to the pool table. When they arrived, he ignored the suggestive glances Azure and Fangs were throwing him. 

For the rest of the evening, they drank and laughed. They goofed along with the other Serpents before it was time to return home. 

Sweet Pea and Nellie were still talking about everything and nothing as they walked towards his motorcycle. Her shoulder bumped against his arm a few times, enough for Sweet Pea to have to keep himself not to pull her closer. Something about her presence calmed him. As if she neutralized all the anger that built in him during the day. One smile of Nellie could chase away the gray clouds in his mind.

As per usual, she scooted closer to him, to wrap her arms around his waist before they took off. He felt her fingertips burn through the simple white shirt he was wearing, his Serpent jacket flying open as they raced over the asphalt. 

When she stood up and walked towards the trailer, he already missed the feeling of her touch. She waited for him in front of the door, suddenly aware he wasn't following and still seated on his motorcycle. Oblivious to the effect she had on him, Nellie turned around. Her face was only illuminated by the porch light. The rest of her figure was hidden in the shadows. 

"Are you sleeping outside or what?" she mocked him, breaking the trance that had him observing her ever so closely. He tore his eyes away, shrugging as he went. 

When he looked back up, she had already went inside, leaving him alone. 

He took a deep breath. It was becoming harder and harder to ignore Nellie's presence. Wherever he went in his trailer, Sweet Pea found little clues of her staying. It could be her shoes kicked underneath the table, a magazine still opened on the surface. Or his shampoo bottle that emptied twice as fast as usual. A hairbrush lingering on the sink. She wasn't messy but her stuff got mixed with his, and Sweet Pea didn't know how he felt about it.

He wasn't used to letting people in. The night he told her about Tall Boy, he hadn't known what had come over him. The only ones who knew about his admiration for the older Serpent were Toni and his brother. Not even F.P. knew how much Tall Boy had meant to him when his parents were gone. And now the stranger in his trailer knew more than the Serpent leader. 

Sweet Pea shook his head. He couldn't let Nellie come too close, no matter how easy it was to hang out with her. She would leave as soon as she got the money. This was only temporary. After all, he knew almost nothing about her past, just that her mother had passed away a few months ago. 

Stuck in his own mind, Sweet Pea entered his trailer. In the cramped space, he bumped into Nellie who just exited the bathroom, where she had just brushed her teeth. Without thinking he grabbed her shoulders to avoid her from losing her balance. When he looked at her, he saw her big brown eyes staring at him. 

It would be so easy to kiss her, he thought. His eyes flickered to her lips. They were slightly parted, surprise still locked on her expression. 

"There you are," Nellie let out, tearing her eyes away from his complexion and looking at the edge of his T-shirt. "I was starting to believe you were actually going to stay outside," 

Sweet Pea didn't realize he was still holding her, too enthralled by the proximity of her. His eyes spotted a bit of toothpaste left in the right corner of her mouth. Without thinking, his thumb quickly swept it away. Nellie's eyes rounded at the intimate touch. 

It was then that Sweet Pea noticed the situation they found themselves in. He cleared his throat and took a step back. 

"You got some toothpaste," he explained, but his confident attitude wasn't enough to hide his nerves. He knew he should know better than to start liking Nellie. She was on her way through. She wasn't going to stay. She shouldn't take a part of him along the way. 

"Well, good night," he said turning around and stalking towards the coach that served as his bed. In doing so, he broke whatever enchantment had entered the trailer. 

Nellie stood fixed for another moment, still processing what had just happened.

Finally she said, "Good night," and left the tall Serpent alone.