Sweet Pea reaches out for her, beckoning her closer, “Not gonna dump my ass for a Northsider, are ya?”

She puts the ball in his lap, curling her fingers around his cheeks to tilt his head upward, “You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, Sweets.”

He smiles, a rare occurrence if she’s not present, and purses his lips to kiss her chastely. A hollering comes from across the court where Reggie makes obscene gestures with his hands. Sweet Pea is stood to his feet before Lilith can grab ahold of him, his steps echoing in the otherwise empty gym.

“You know, if you and your little demon-girl want to make out, you can do it away from the rest of us.” Reggie spins a basketball on his fingertip, smirking across the court at Sweet Pea. He flinches as the Southsider gets too close, fists balled up at his sides.

“Reggie, you son’ve a bitch,” Sweet Pea’s biceps flex with the muscle memory of how to sucker punch. He tilts his head, “You’re lucky I don’t lay you out in front of the whole damn team. I already tripped you up at practice this morning, and in gym, and this is what you think you should do?”

Reg’s dark eyes take in Sweet Pea’s taller frame, packed with dense muscle. He holds his hands up, pouting his full lips, “Hey, Sweets, I just-oh shit!”

Sweet Pea has decked him in the face, shaking his fist from the impact, “Damn, Reg, got a hard head, don’t ‘ya?”

Reggie is reeling, falling backward into the arms of the rest of the basketball team. He seethes through his teeth and surges forward, ready to return the favor, when Lilith steps in between the two of them, palms on either of their chests.

“I swear I’ll give him a good talking to, Reggie,” Lilith looks towards the Northsider, his eye already swelling. “You should go get some ice on that.”

Despite everything telling him to slug Sweet Pea, Reggie turns and walks to the locker room with the other athletes in close tow. Lilith shakes her head, chuckling to herself as she turns to look Sweet Pea in the eye, “You’re a sap.”

“What?” Sweet Pea narrows his eyes, “I-I am not.”

Lilith grabs him by the shirt to yank him down to her level, only to press a kiss to his nose, “You literally just got angry with him because he called you my nickname for you.”

The Southside Serpent blushes just enough for Lilith to know that she’s gotten it right. She pats him on the cheek before releasing him, wrapping an arm around his waist, “Drive me home?”

“Pfft,” Sweet Pea tucks her under his arm, kissing the top of her head, “Like I’d let anyone else do it.”

“I dunno,” Lilith trails off. Her eyes dart in every direction, “Maybe I could ask Reg for a ride home?”

Sweet Pea’s fist curls around her bicep and he starts to grumble and growl, but she squeezes him around the waist with a giggle, “Sweets, babe, calm down. I’m kidding.”

“Damn right. Like Reg could even put up with your smart ass.” Sweet Pea leans down to grab her up, tossing her over his shoulder, a pert slap landing on her backside as he does so. Lilith squeals, holding him around the torso to keep herself steady, “You dick! Put me down!”

He laughs, “Not many Southsiders let their girls call them dicks, sweetheart.”

“I’ll call you anything I like.” Lilith huffs into the fabric of his leather jacket, pouting even though no one can see her. Sweet Pea walks with her strewn over his shoulder through the Northside parking lot until he reaches the spots where all of the Serpents’ motorcycles are set up.

After placing her back on her feet, Sweet Pea pats down her hair and clothes to get her back from her disarray. He rolls his eyes at her facial expression - eyes unable to focus and a bright flush on her cheeks. He’d never admit it aloud, but he loves the innocent fullness of her cheeks and roundness of her eyes. The way her amethyst eyes sparkle when she looks at him makes him sure that he’s doing the right thing most days, when otherwise he’d feel like he were failing.

Lilith pokes her index fingertip into his ribs, glaring as menacingly as she can when she looks like she’s embarrassed, “Listen here - I don’t like-oh.”

Sweet Pea grabs her by the waist and pulls her upward, kissing her square on the mouth. He laughs as he pulls away, leaving her dazed at the sudden action. Pushing her curly locks away from her face, he nods to his bike, “Wyrm first - you got that test tomorrow, right? Can’t have you flunkin’ out on me.”

Her eyes are shining up at him once she shakes out of her stupor, fingers wrapped in the cloth of his flannel. Lilith leans forward to thump her head against his chest, “And here I was, trying to get you home so I could have my way with you.”

A mischievous smile tugs on Sweet Pea’s lips, “Finish that studying and you can have your way with me in the Wyrm’s supply closet. C’mon.”

-

a/n: IT WAS SO BAD. BUT. I’VE GOT TO GET MY TRAINING WHEELS BACK ON SO I CAN FINISH FORBIDDEN FRUIT.