𝓛𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓑𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭

𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎-𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉

"I aim to be lionhearted but my hands still shake and my voice isn't quite loud enough."

+ + + + 

Thoughts coiling through her mind, Nellie bursted into the cramped trailer. Her footsteps dashed on the thin wooden floor, cabinets shaking as she passed. 

The Serpent lounging on his bed, barely had the time to cock an eyebrow at her entrance before the door smashed closed. 

Inside the small bedroom, Nellie batted from the door to the window and back again. 

Where did Hiram Lodge get the nerve to demand her to leave Riverdale? How could he think she would just comply to his wishes?

Nellie didn't even hear the knock on the door. A small beam of light illuminated the otherwise dark room just an inch. Sweet Pea's tall shadow preceded his appearance. Once more, it was clear how tall he was, his hair barely touching the doorframe. 

"You alright?" he asked, afraid to completely enter the room. Instead he pushed the door further open and leaned against the frame. He looked so utterly casual, so unaware of the turmoil in her mind, Nellie couldn't grasp her mind around the last couple of events. Coming to Riverdale was supposed to make things easier not more difficult. 

She should've known better. "People like us don't deserve happy endings," her mother had once told her. It had been one of the rare moments where Dahlia had spoken about her relationship with Hiram Lodge and unawarely had planted the seed that would haunt Nellie long after. People like us,  Dahlia had said, not people like me. Her own mother had known that Nellie was born to find trouble. 

She let out a frustrated groan, surprising the Serpent by her unlikely expression. She clenched her fists against her eyes, memories long forgotten streaming in thick tears over her chilled cheeks. 

People like us don't deserve happy endings.

A mistake, mija. 

Not some scrawny, poor thing we find on the side of the road.

You can't run away from me kid.

You're a coward, Nellie.

Some girls have all the luck. And. Some. Simply. Don't.

Nellie didn't know when Sweet Pea had taken her into his arms. Suddenly, she could feel the warmth radiating from his body, strong arms protectively holding her. A hand cradling her face as sobs filled the room. She was tired. Too tired to remain strong and she hated herself for it. Not once had her mother cried during her illness, yet Nellie was spilling tears over the unfairness of it all. 

"I want my mom," came out, ragged and painful. 

Sweet Pea didn't respond, merely held her. He had never seen her so out of sorts before. He had seen Nellie pensive, chaotic and messy, even on the verge of a breakdown. The sight of her misery was heartbreaking, though he had seen his own fair share of distress. 

He held her for as long as she needed, feeling her hands grasp the back of his T-shirt and wrinkling the fabric underneath her iron grip. He felt her ragged breath, hiccuping and sniffing as she fought for control only to lose her patience when new tears formed at the corner of her eyes. She pressed her face into his chest, unaware of staining the white with thick mascara streaks. His large hand rubbed her back gently, pressing her closer to himself.

He knew that sometimes all you needed was someone to hold onto. When his parents died, he'd clutched on Bear for hours, refusing to let his older brother, the only survivor of his family, go. Right now, he refused to let go of Nellie, afraid that if he did, she too might leave. 

Finally, Nellie silenced, enough to merely relish in the warmth of Sweet Pea's embrace. God, she liked him, she thought as she pulled herself closer, selfishly enjoying his touch. He did make her feel better though their relationship was one of the reasons of her worries. She needed him in this mess that was her life. 

Gently, almost afraid of breaking the peacefulness that had replaced the mad sobbing, Sweet Pea stroked her cheek, slightly pushing her face away from his chest. 

He pressed a tender kiss on her forehead and proceeded to kiss her temple then the salt that was smeared across her cheeks. Nellie merely held on, grateful for every touch, every caress on her skin. 

She was a big mess. Yet, Sweet Pea didn't mind. She momentarily forgot about the lies she had told him, the things she had hidden. She liked him so much, she wanted to be nowhere else but in his embrace, in his cramped little trailer on some lousy trailer park on the outskirts of Riverdale.

Finally he spoke, his own voice soft and careful as if hard words would break the girl in his arms. "How long have you been holding all of this in?" he muttered. He didn't expect an answer for he just started kissing her again. Reaching for her hand, he untangled each finger separately from her clenched fist, kissing each knuckle, each fingertip. He went so slowly, she could only focus on the warmth that spread through her cold fingers, sending shivers all the way to her heart.

"You're so strong, Nellie. I am sometimes scared of the secrets you hold," he hesitated before he continued, grabbing her wrist and placing a kiss tenderly on her pulse. "Your so brave and strong, I can't imagine you hurting." 

"I need to tell you something," Nellie started, unaware of the sound of an engine cutting off right next to their trailer. 

Before she could finally clear her conscious, the pink haired Toni Topaz, dashed into the cramped trailer. The little Serpent had no idea of the mess Nellie found herself in when she encountered Sweet Pea's arms protectively wrapped around the girl. Her big doe eyes connected in surprise to Toni. 

"Well, lovebirds, let's go or we'll miss Fangs' play."