“Sure, GoT sounds good.” The petite girl replied in an absent-minded, airy tone. Toni looked over to Sweet Pea, who seemed to be doing everything but whistling to the side as if he wasn’t the topic of the conversation. Fangs and Gorgon, on the other hand, were anything but subtle, laughing so loudly that a couple of people in the school cafeteria turned and stared.

“So, your plans are going on a date with Sweet Pea?” Toni pushed with a smug smile, getting a wild reaction from almost all the occupants of the table. Sweet Pea spit out his water and then tried to save his dignity with a cough. Though, his cheeks were too red for that. Gorgonhead and Fangs, on the other hand, had no qualms about laughing it up. They looked like they were ready to fall off the bench and roll around the floor, by the way they were holding onto one another. Ruby, apparently, was too focused on texting.

“Uh-huh.” She replied absent-mindedly, making Sweet Pea’s expression take on quite an interesting form. Toni, on the other hand, looked more than pleased with herself. Since Ruby and Sweet Pea had gone on their first ‘semi-date’, which had just been the tall biker filling in for FP’s kid, Toni hadn’t gotten any insider info. They’d told her that the movie was fine, that they got wet from the rain and that they both had fun. For anything else, she was very much in the dark. And, Toni hated being in the dark. To top it all off, their stories were a little too perfectly matched. They quoted each other word for word, even when she’d spoken to them separately. Not even Fangs had gotten anything more out of Sweet Pea. So, Toni knew that she needed to get those two on another date. This time, a real one. Not just him filling in or her not knowing that it was a date. And, Game of Thrones sounded like the perfect binge watch for their little rendezvous.

Things between her and Sweet Pea had been odd since their impromptu semi-date which had ended in a kiss. It wasn’t that Ruby was uncomfortable. She had never been uncomfortable around Sweet Pea. They had their own dynamic, a magnetic push and pull, which she very much enjoyed. However, ever since she twisted her fingers in the lapels of his flannel and pulled him down for a kiss, she had been feeling a bit odd. Weird. Like she was outside of their usual push and pull element. Because, it wasn’t just offhanded flirting anymore. At that point, it was definitely something more. Because, he was definitely into her as much as she was into him.

So, learning that she’d agreed to go on a proper date with him, all the while thinking that it would be a group hangout, got Ruby to panic more than a bit. She spent over half an hour with Mattie on the line, picking her outfit. She wanted to be both pretty and casual. Even if it was a date, she didn’t want to look over the top for an evening of binge-watching Game of Thrones at his trailer.

Luckily, Sweet Pea was quite the talker over IM. They’d exchanged over a dozen messages, debating on snacks, drinks and who should bring what. In the end, Ruby was in charge of snacks, which were her specialty. She managed to bake some easy chocolate chip cookies, and bought the rest on her way to Sweet Pea’s trailer. She found the place easily enough, as it was close to Toni’s home. Sweet Pea opened the door before she was done knocking, looking surprised at himself for doing it.

“Hi,” Ruby awkwardly greeted and watched the way he had to gather himself before replying. Good, he was just as nervous as she was.

“Hey,” Sweet Pea’s voice was a bit higher than usual as he welcomed her inside. The trailer was pretty much what Ruby expected. A perfect man cave. There were minimal clothes around, luckily, which didn’t trigger her cleaning impulses. She had a pet peeve about wearing shoes inside or throwing clothes all around that drove her father insane. But, Sweet Pea seemed like he was tidier than Jo. Or, he had at least made an effort for her. “We’re in here. Netflix’s all set up,” then, he smirked at her mischievously and she felt her knees buckle. “I logged into Fangs’ account.”

“Naughty boy,” Ruby teased right back and placed the bags with snacks and the box of cookies on the table in the living area. She saw that Sweet Pea’s laptop was there, as beat up and taped up as she remembered it. Sure enough, there was the Netflix logo on the open browser, Game of Thrones seasons listed. “Where are we starting?” Ruby asked.

“From the beginning, if you don’t mind?” Sweet Pea tossed a few extra pillows onto the couch and brought glasses, along with a few different bottles. He had cola, juice and club soda, as far as she could see. “Fangs and Toni have been raving about me not watching the show, so I finally decided to give in to their nagging.”

“Sure,” Ruby nodded. She shrugged off her jacket and tossed it on the sofa chair in the corner before getting comfortable on the couch. “I’ve seen the show once, fair warning. So, I’ll try not to spoil anything.” Sweet Pea shook his head with a laugh, also plopping down.

“Feel free to squeal or look away. You can’t be worse than Toni.” After a bit more easygoing conversation, mostly concerning who was eating what and who wanted to drink what, Sweet Pea started the first season from episode one. Ruby found herself comfortably pressed against his side, not minding the way his arm casually draped around her shoulders not even halfway through the first episode. Sweet Pea complained about the low volume of the laptop jokingly, telling her to stop chewing the chips so loudly when there was important dialogue. Ruby, on the other hand, enjoyed how expressive he was as he watched the show, sometimes even yelling at the screen for a few chosen stupid decisions. Altogether, it was turning out to be an easy, comfortable date.

Halfway through season one, the two teens started singing along to the theme song in the beginning. It began with Sweet Pea humming it under his breath, and Ruby picking it up. Over the next three episodes, though, they settled into quite a duet while the theme played, laughing at the end. Sweet Pea proclaimed that Khal Drogo was his absolute favorite character, and Ruby didn’t have the heart to deliver the bad news which he would have to face sooner or later. She, on the other hand, admitted that she liked Arya Stark the best, to which she received a biting comment about height. All in all, their night progressed with easy conversation and plenty of hours of straining to hear the show’s dialogue.

“Oh, Gosh!” Ruby pulled away from Sweet Pea’s embrace, hitting the spacebar and stopping the episode in the middle of Littlefinger’s monologue.

“Urgh,” Sweet Pea groaned, turning away from her in order to grab another bag of chips. “If you’re going to pee again, please make it quick. I’m actually curious if they’re gonna kill him.” Ruby’s hand slapped his biceps at the crude comment softly.

“I’m not hitting the bathroom again,” she made a face at him. “It’s just, I remembered that I have earphones in my jacket pocket!” At that, Sweet Pea pushed her towards the other end of the couch, so that she could reach the jacket without getting up.

“C’mon, get them. Seriously, why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve been straining my ears for the last five hours!” Ruby managed to lean over the arm of the couch, digging out her earphones, and then slither back to the tall biker as she untangled them.

“I forgot, okay?” The girl defended, offering him one earphone and plugging the cord into the laptop. Then, she pressed the spacebar again and actually had to lower the volume a bit so that they wouldn’t go deaf. But, when Ruby settled back into Sweet Pea’s side, with the earphones stretched in between them, she felt a comfortable warmth. Even pulling away in order to get the earphones had been too long without his body heat. With a small smile, Ruby remembered their kiss at the Drive-In and smiled to herself. Just as Sweet Pea offered her the chips bag and she raised her head to ask him about their relationship and what it meant at that point, everything went dark.

“W-what happened?” Ruby whispered, a little shocked. It was pitch black everywhere around her. All that she could feel was Sweet Pea’s body pressed against hers and couch underneath her. The earphone fell out as Sweet Pea moved a bit, hands tapping around in the dark.

“Just a power outage,” the tall biker told her. “We get our fair share of them. Nothing to worry about,” then, his phone screen lit up and Ruby saw the outline of his features in the dark. “Sorry, but my laptop battery sucks.”

“Noticed,” Ruby laughed. The machine had crashed as soon as the power had gone out. “Anything I can do?” Just as Sweet Pea was about to answer they heard giggling and cackling under the window. Familiar giggling and cackling.

“I’m going to murder them.” Sweet Pea spoke in a low, icy tone that promised bodily harm. Ruby’s hands were on his forearms before he could get up and find Fangs and Toni with murderous intentions.

“It’s okay,” she shrugged with a small smile. “They’re just trying to prank us, right?” When Sweet Pea still looked ready to bolt and perhaps grab an ax on the way, she continued. “If we don’t react, they’ll turn it back on, no?”

“Hopefully.” The tall biker finally grumbled and slouched in his seat. Ruby shook her head with a laugh as she took her earphones and rolled them up. Toni and Fangs really could be beyond childish sometimes, she decided. The girl made herself busy by tidying up the little bits of the snacks on the table which she could see under the light coming from Sweet Pea’s phone. When the table was surface was clean, she realized that there was nothing else to do and leaned back into the couch. There was giggling and cackling from under the window again. Ruby smirked, moving closer to Sweet Pea and grabbing his shoulder for purchase in order to reach his ear. He flinched, head whipping around to face her in the dim light of his phone, eyes wide.

“Say,” Ruby whispered, noting how his shoulder muscles instantly relaxed under her hand. “Let’s give them something to talk about?” Sweet Pea stared at her for a few moments, like a deer in headlights, before asking in a low, uncertain tone.

“Give them something to talk about or give them something to talk about?” Ruby shrugged, her hair cascading to the front with the motion. Sweet Pea’s eyes followed the long chocolate waves on their path.

“Former, if you’re uncomfortable with the latter.” The girl told him. Sweet Pea grinned at her.

“Former, because I sure as hell am not doing the later for Fangs’ and Toni’s amusement.” He shot back. Ruby giggled, pushing away from him and grabbing one of the pillows on the couch.

“Fair enough,” she smirked devilishly at him, before the light completely went out, his phone screen going dark. Then, there was a thump, which sounded like a body falling over. But, Sweet Pea felt the pillow hit the back of the couch and quickly caught onto the game. He grabbed his own pillow as Ruby moaned. “Oh, Sweet Pea!” He could barely reign in his laughter as he smacked his own pillow into the back of the couch. “Right there! Oh!” She was loud, unlike the tender quiet Ruby during their kiss and the little bit of snuggling they’d done at the Drive-In. It made Sweet Pea wonder if she was usually vocal during intimate moments. “Oh, God!” Snickering could be heard from underneath the window.

“You like that?” Sweet Pea growled out in a husky tone, having to catch Ruby as she fell over onto him, soundlessly laughing. He could see the outline of her face and those pale eyes in the dark, having a ton of fun. Then again, he was no better. He was doing everything he could to stop himself from laughing. “What else do you want me to do?” There was a gasp from under the window, followed by a thump. Ruby managed to gather herself enough in order to reply.

“Touch me,” she spoke in a fairly loud tone, smacking the pillow against the back of the couch again. “Help me get my shirt off,” Sweet Pea would be lying if he said that the whole charade wasn’t hot. Because, as much fun as he was having giving Fangs and Toni a vocal show, he would’ve loved to experience all of those things for himself. “Pans, pants.” Ruby panted, her lips pulled in a wide smile. Sweet Pea did the only thing he could, he responded with a dirty comment and enjoyed the snickering from under the window.

Soon enough, Ruby and Sweet Pea found themselves standing on top of the couch in the dark, holding hands as she jumped up and down in a slow rhythm, obviously creating the sound of a couple getting busy on the furniture piece. They kept yelling out random dirty phrases, moaning and trying not to laugh when they heard Toni and Fangs start a commentary on their ‘technique’ from under the window. Ruby actually had to stop jumping a few times and physically hold onto Sweet Pea so that she wouldn’t burst into loud laughter. Those were undoubtedly his favorite moments.

Her small fingers would squeeze his forearms and her head would press into his torso, muffled snickering coming from her shaking form. But, Sweet Pea reveled in the way she was completely comfortable in his presence. In the way her body heat transferred to every part of him that she touched, setting his skin on fire, despite the layers of clothing between them. He simply couldn’t wait until they got to that part of their new relationship in reality, and not just in a teasing fantasy.

“Go, go, go!” Sweet Pea heard Toni whisper-yell, undoubtedly pushing Fangs away from their hiding spot. Ruby was still jumping and shaking with laughter and he was still grunting and telling her obscene things when they heard their purple-haired friend say. “Our job here is done.” Then, all the snickering and talking vanished completely. After a few more moments, Ruby stopped jumping and looked at him. Sweet Pea couldn’t help himself. He started laughing loudly and it was like a dam broke. The two dissolved into uncontrollable giggles and cackles, holding onto each other in order to stay upright. Despite all the efforts, the two teens somehow ended up sitting on the couch after a small stumble, Ruby halfway laying on Sweet Pea’s lap.

“That,” she gasped out through her laughter. “Was legen-fucking-dary!” And she was giggling again.

“Yeah,” Sweet Pea gasped out through a chuckle before he realized that he was positively on fire. Everything was so hot. He was too hot. Like he was running a fever or something. But, it wasn’t the kind of fever that hit his head. Instead, it was the kind of fire that lit up everywhere Ruby touched. He slowly stopped laughing and stayed looking at the giggling girl. And, in his moment of realization, Sweet Pea found that Ruby was positively beautiful like that, chuckling uncontrollably in his lap. “Ruby?” He called out, making the girl compose herself a bit and look up at him.

“Yeah?” She asked, mouth still in a smile from all of the giggling. Sweet Pea’s hand came up, dwarfing her face as he pushed some of the wavy hair behind her ear. The darkness suddenly seemed like it was charged with electricity. Ruby’s mouth was open, short gasps coming out from all of the jumping. But, she wasn’t laughing anymore. Instead, her eyes looked like they had laser focus kind of intensity in them. Sweet Pea left his hand on her face, his thumb caressing her cheek gently, watching the way she shuddered and leaned into his palm.

“You’re beautiful.” He wasn’t aware of the words leaving his mouth. And, he certainly wasn’t aware of how breathless he sounded. He was only aware of her, Ruby, in his lap, with those utterly inviting lips popped slightly open in shock. And then, he had his other hand on her face, as well, pulling her in. Before either of them knew it, Sweet Pea was kissing her. Unlike last time, when she’d been shivering and cold, her lips were warm and soft. And, inviting. Very inviting.

The kiss was slow, made even more intimate by the darkness around them and their position on the couch. But, neither teen seemed to be uncomfortable. In fact, Ruby took charge of her position as soon as Sweet Pea deepened the kiss, coming to straddle his lap and pull him in even more, her arms around his waist. She gripped his sides with legs and twisted her fingers into the material of his flannel shirt, holding on for dear life. Then, their kiss came to a slow end, the two separating to breathe.

“Can you do that again?” The breathless, whispered words set a kind of fire in Sweet Pea that made all of their previous teasing moaning and groaning pale in comparison. For a few seconds, he tried to gather himself. Calm down his heart. Get some air into his lungs. But, he realized that it was absolutely futile. Those wide, pale eyes staring at him, waiting, would definitely be his undoing. So, Sweet Pea gave a shaky nod and obliged soundlessly, for once in his life, surrendering to another’s wishes without a fight. His lips came up to meet Ruby’s in a gentle, exploring kiss in total darkness.

And he did the same again, again and again.

Hope that you all enjoyed :D

“Um, Ruby invited me over to study,” Sweet Pea’s eyes were still glued to the substance dripping from Jo’s mouth. It was blood-red and positively terrifying. “sir.” The biker quickly added.

“Do I have something on my-“ Jo’s hand went up, wiping at the side of his mouth, and it came back red like blood had been smeared on his knuckles. Sweet Pea suddenly remembered a nightmare he’d had of Ruby’s father chasing him down the Wolfe house driveway. “Oh. That’s unfortunate,” Jo licked the red substance. “I’m trying to recreate this recipe Lisa used to make, strawberry jelly something, but I think it’s just coming out as some cheap version of a Halloween decoration.” The man shrugged and laughed at his own ineptitude in the kitchen. But, to Sweet Pea, the image of Ruby’s father trying to cook, which was a running gag in their family since his retirement from the army, was even more terrifying. Kitchens had multiple knife drawers, after all.

“I’m certain that you’ll figure it out, sir,” Sweet Pea was glad that his voice sounded completely normal despite his growing panic. With Ruby in between them, he managed to get along with Jo fairly well. But, she often mediated those encounters like a court-appointed counselor or something. “Is Ruby home?” Jo stopped trying to wipe his hand on the edge of his already stained shirt.

“I’m sorry, she isn’t. Left an hour ago. I think she went to that picnic area in Fox Forest?” Sweet Pea nodded, pulling his phone out to call the girl and ask her what in the world was she thinking when she left him to the mercy of her father. “You can just go and surprise her, though?” Jo smiled at him and Sweet Pea was torn between running and accepting it as a peaceful action. “She had her books with her.”

“I think I’ll do that,” Sweet Pea nodded. “Thank you, sir.” Jo still had a smile on his face.

“You’re good for her, you know?” Ruby’s father said, making Sweet Pea’s eyebrows rise. “She’s finally found someone more reckless than she is. Forces her to reassess and take care of both herself and you. It’s a good thing, I promise,” Jo added once he saw the disbelief on the biker’s face. “I went through the same thing,” then, Jo’s expression changed and he literally lit up. “Hang on a second, let me give you some stuff to take up there.” Sweet Pea didn’t dare deny the man.

And, that was how the tall Serpent ended up trekking his way up the dirt road which led from the Wolfe house and into the Fox Forest, with a cooler in his hands. He felt positively mortified, seeing as the thing was an obnoxious, hot pink color, but he couldn’t exactly say no to Jo. After following the man’s instructions as to which way to go without too much trouble, Sweet Pea found himself in the middle of the forest, a large loop of the road coming up ahead. In the middle of the half circle was a small picnic area. Wooden tables and benches, a few swings, seesaws and an old-school merry-go-round. It looked pretty nice and quite nostalgic from his perspective.

Sweet Pea spotted Ruby easily enough. She was sitting at one of the tables, books, and notebooks all around her, head thrown back and pen in hand. So, deciding to be a bit of an ass in return for her bailing on their study date, he snuck up behind her slowly. Ruby had her eyes closed and she seemed to be enjoying the sun on her face. Sweet Pea spotted that she was working on her English Lit essay, about halfway done. He bent down, right at her ear level, and made his move.

“Boo.” The simple word, spoken in a low tone, along with his hot breath on her ear, had Ruby jumping up from her seat. Unfortunately for Sweet Pea, that meant that her forehead collided with his with a loud sound, making them both gasp and groan.

“Oh my God!” the girl exclaimed, dropping her pen to hold onto her head. “Jesus, sasquatch! What did you do that for?” she rubbed the red spot before letting it go. Sweet Pea, on the other hand, stood stunned. “Are you alright?” Instantly, her hands were at his forehead, feeling the sore spot.

“I’m fine,” he snapped out of his shock. “And, that was for forgetting our study session, running off to the woods and leaving me to face your father.” Ruby winced. She loved teasing him about this and that, but even she wasn’t so cruel as to leave him in a bind intentionally.

“I’m sorry I forgot,” she pulled him down to her height by the lapels of his flannel shirt and kissed the sore spot on his forehead. “The weather was so nice that I decided to head out to this spot for a bit. I guess I forgot to check the time.” She giggled.

“Dumbass tater tot,” Sweet Pea shot back and slid on the bench next to her. “Here, your father sent this.” He placed the hot pink cooler on the table in front of them.

“Oh, picnic food!” Ruby instantly perked up. She opened it and started rummaging.

“How much coffee have you had?” Sweet Pea asked, noting her peppy behavior. His Ruby wasn’t like that. She was the calm before the storm. The thunder and lightning rumbling right under the cool surface. This excited little beast appeared only when chocolate was mentioned, or after a large amount of coffee was consumed.

“Um… Three cups?” She asked nobody in particular, starting to take out different snacks from the cooler, along with two cans of soda.

“In the past hour?” Sweet Pea sarcastically asked.

“Before I left, sooo… Past three hours?” Ruby’s smirk told him that she was messing with him, as usual. She never backed down from a good verbal battle.

“I want compensation for having to deal with caffeinated Ruby.” Grumbled the biker. Instantly, Ruby closed the cooler and her hands found purchase on his shoulders. From her position with her knees on the bench, she was taller than him for once, giving their kiss a new angle.

“Enough compensation?” She asked breathlessly when they finally untangled tongues.

“Not nearly.” Sweet Pea pulled her back and onto his lap with a gentle hand at her waist, swallowing her giggle with his mouth. He figured that he’d enjoy the loving before Ruby realized that he hadn’t even started his English Lit essay.

That’s all for now, folks!

If you’d like to be added on the tag list, let me know :)

You can find the previous parts here:

Day 1: A way to memorize Day 2: How to prepare for a study date (?) like a proper gentleman Day 3: With proper motivation, anything is possible Day 4:  PG13 PDA sugar can be good motivation  Day 6: It’s best when we can compete Day 7:  Master of procrastination and his jailer Day 8: Take me anywhere, everywhere, away from here   Day 9:  Dirty French for beginners   Day 10:  I need… sleep?… no, you…   Day 11:  Delirium   Day 12: Stay still for me   Day 13:  Debate? Apparently, a turn-on   Day 14: Two-seater and Chinese   Day 15:  Unintentional intentions  

But, what Ruby hadn’t been privy to was the information that he actually didn’t understand half of the material. Most specifically, the physics material. She wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t pay attention in class or because he simply didn’t get the tasks, but Ruby knew that more than seventy percent of his work was always wrong. So, she made it her own, personal goal to get him to pass physics without him noticing how much she was trying.

The first step had been roping Sweet Pea into a study session every day except the weekend. Ruby had managed that easily enough. Promises of alone time in her room or doing something he wanted when they were done got the biker to eagerly oblige. The next task on Ruby’s list had been getting Sweet Pea to actually study during those sessions. He was like a small child, constantly distracted and pulling her attention away from the material. So, she set up an odd reward system, which she didn’t voice to the boy, instead only acted upon it. Ruby would hold his hand, kiss him, sit on his lap or even go a little further when he did a good job in order to encourage him. When she got to her third step, the actual testing, the teen realized her mistake.

Sweet Pea spent the first half of the practice exam trying. His hand kept going to his hair, messing it up when he didn’t understand something or hit a wall. He kept scratching out his answer and progress, before going back to the top and trying again. However, by the time Sweet Pea started the second half of the practice test, Ruby could clearly see that he’d given up. A small curse here and there, a shrug before writing down the answer and not even bothering with his calculator were all setting off alarms in her head.

“Is it too difficult?” Ruby finally asked when she’d finished her own test, sitting still and watching the biker struggle for the last half an hour or so.

“It’s fine,” Sweet Pea countered, eyes not leaving the page. “Just like at school.” Ruby saw him scratch out an answer and write another one.

“Then, what’s wrong?” She asked. Sweet Pea sighed, his head rising and eyes meeting hers.

“I’m just stupid for this school shit, cupcake,” the biker shrugged like the words meant nothing, but Ruby could see the way his fingers were clenched around his pen. “Sorry to disappoint your dreams of me being some kind of hidden, dyslexic genius underneath all the leather and Serpents pride.” Sweet Pea’s grin pissed Ruby off to no end.

“Give me your test,” she held her hand out, waiting, tone icy. Sweet Pea obliged soundlessly. “Now, get your butt over here and listen to my explanation or we’re going to have an issue.” The chair rolled over, crackling along the old floor of Ruby’s room. She grabbed the armrest, making Sweet Pea lean back slightly. He knew her pissed mode was on. “Listen to me. You’re not stupid, Sweet Pea,” he huffed, making Ruby smack his arm with the back of her hand. “You’re not. Otherwise, FP and Tall Boy wouldn’t be grooming you to take over as second-in-command.” His dark eyes met her pale ones, reluctantly shifting to the side.

“Whatever you say.” Do you really think so, he was asking. She knew. Ruby knew Sweet Pea better than he thought.

“I know I’m right,” she adamantly told him. “Now, just like you listen to them when they’re teaching you the ropes of gang bullcrap,” when he opened his mouth to correct her, Ruby put her finger up readily. “No, that I don’t want to know. But, just like you listen to them, you listen to me,” he didn’t reply and Ruby frowned. “Are we on the same page here? Do you want to pass this?”

“Yes.” Sweet Pea grumbled.

“Good,” Ruby smiled. “No more texting in class and you pay attention. You also have to stop procrastinating when we’re studying.”

“Alright, Miyagi,” He was grinning at her. “Lay it on me.” And Ruby took up her red pen, getting started on his test.

Toni and Fangs picked up Sweet Pea on Monday at his locker, the tall biker looking like he hadn’t slept in a week. The purple haired Serpent gave him a once-over before leaning on the wall and smirking.

“Ruby riding you hard?” She caused Fangs to choke on his coffee and attempt to prevent it from spilling out of his mouth and all over his travel mug and front.

“You have no idea,” Sweet Pea groaned, making his two friends stare in shock. “She’s an absolute beast! I think I’ve studied this weekend more than ever in my life. Please hide me or something if she comes looking.” The two bikers exchanged glances.

“Sure, because your tall ass is easy to hide.” Toni shook her head.

“C’mon, man, can’t be that bad having a study session with a girl?” Fangs tried to diffuse the situation. But, Sweet Pea turned to him with a clear face of absolute misery.

“You try it.” He spoke with conviction. “She won’t let me step out of line, like some military camp. I need Ruby-free time.”

“Then you’d better start running now,” Toni remarked, nodding her head at something behind Sweet Pea. “Here comes your jailer.”

“Shit.” Sweet Pea tried to grab the right books and close his locker but didn’t make it. Ruby had already bounded over to him with a cheerful smile on her face.

“Morning, everyone,” she greeted, the two Serpents returning the gesture. “Sweet Pea.” Her hand extended expectantly. With a groan, the tall biker fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. A piece of paper was placed in its spot. “Study hard!” With that, Ruby bounded off again. Sweet Pea slumped against his locker. Toni’s eyebrows rose while Fangs’ smile widened to an impossible size.

“Oh, wait! I have something!” He cheerfully said, digging out his own phone and searching before playing a soundtrack. A whip swishing through the air and cracking sounded out in the busy hallway, making Toni lose her cool. The girl barely managed to stay upright against the wall.

“Ha ha.” Sweet Pea glared at Fangs. “Laugh it up until she sees your grades.” Fangs paled.

Sweet Pea found focusing in class much easier without his phone. While his hand did constantly go to his pocket on impulse when he got bored, only to find it empty and have a small heart attack, he kept his eyes on the board and his notebook filled with lines of examples and explanations. And, Ruby’s little notes also helped. She kept passing him small pieces of paper whenever they saw each other, each spelling out a little encouragement in her writing. Some were quotes, others were her own words of praise at how he had done well in class and the last kind, his favorite, were promises of rewards which he would get for his efforts.

So, the tall biker did his best. He actually sat in his chair, for once, instead of on his desk, in physics and wrote down problem after problem. When the exam came, he didn’t find it a head-scratcher, as usual. Instead, Sweet Pea turned his paper in less than thirty minutes after it had been handed out to him by the teacher, surprising everyone. He even got permission to leave the classroom early, which made Toni and Fangs gape after his retreating form. Ruby found him that day, after finishing her own test, by his locker.

“Hey.” She greeted in a soft tone, the hallway still empty because class was in session.

“Hey.” Sweet Pea shot back halfheartedly, expecting a reprimand for leaving early. However, Ruby surprised him, yet again. She took his hands gently, interlocking their fingers and standing on her tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

“I knew you could do it.” She whispered against his skin, their breath mingling.

“I had plenty of help and a merciless jailer.” Sweet Pea joked, taking her bottom lip in between his teeth gently and pulling a bit. Ruby groaned and her arms wrapped around his neck, tugging him closer to her. He loved the way she pressed the whole length of her body against his, a rare show of intimacy in a public place.

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” The girl asked between kisses, which became longer and more heated with each passing moment.

“Fangs has a new ringtone for you now,” Sweet Pea told her, pulling his head back a bit to see her reaction. “It’s a whipping sound.” Ruby lost it, giggling against him, her forehead hitting his chest.

“Alright, I was pretty bad,” She concluded with a sigh. “Here.” Sweet Pea felt her slide his cellphone into his back pocket, where he normally kept it, coping a feel along the way.

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one squeezing your ass, tater tot?” He cheekily commented, their heated mood from before gone. They were back to their usual teasing push and pull. Ruby didn’t reply, though. In fact, her face was as red as a tomato and she was staring at the contents of his locker.

“You kept them?” There were two dozen small papers there, carefully left beside his books and notebooks. All the encouragement she’d written for him along the way.

“Of course, I did.” Sweet Pea shot back, watching the way she hid her face from him. He actually had her embarrassed, for once.

“Throw them out, stupid!” Ruby tried to take the notes, but Sweet Pea slammed his locker shut with a smirk.

“No, they’re mine now. I decide what to do with them,” he told her smugly when he saw her incredulous expression and red cheeks. “Besides, isn’t it your ongoing theory that I’m not stupid?”

“I take that back, you’re stupid and you’re a jerk!” She was already planning to get his locker combination somehow, he knew.

“No take backsies.” The comment earned him a slap across the chest. Sweet Pea laughed and leaned in, kissing Ruby one last time before pulling her towards the cafeteria, ignoring her grumbling about revenge and never doing anything nice for him ever again.

That’s all folks!

Taglist (still open): @enticinghell

You can find the previous parts here:

Day 1: A way to memorize Day 2: How to prepare for a study date (?) like a proper gentleman Day 3: With proper motivation, anything is possible Day 4:  PG13 PDA sugar can be good motivation Day 5: Autumn time is picnic time Day 6: It’s best when we can compete  Day 8: Take me anywhere, everywhere, away from here   Day 9:  Dirty French for beginners   Day 10:  I need… sleep?… no, you…   Day 11:  Delirium   Day 12: Stay still for me   Day 13:  Debate? Apparently, a turn-on   Day 14: Two-seater and Chinese   Day 15:  Unintentional intentions  

He struggled to get up, his limbs a bit heavy and head pounding. But, he figured that it was all because of last night’s Toni’s bright idea to try and climb one of the trees by the quarry in her semi-drunken state for the perfect position for her picture. That, in turn, had resulted in Sweet Pea having to go up halfway in his slightly inebriated state and help her get down once she’d taken her photos. He felt the scrapes on his hands as he washed his face and brushed his teeth before Ruby came over. One glance in the mirror told him that he looked like hell. Drinking was bad, Sweet Pea repeated to himself, as he usually did after a night out with the Serpents.

But, it wasn’t just the usual grogginess of drinking that was slowing him down. As he went around the living room of his trailer, collecting some of his discarded worn clothes, he felt a heat on his face and a tightness in his throat that weren’t common after drinking a lot. But, he would make do with a cup of hot coffee and he would bounce right back, the biker was certain. He hadn’t managed to collect all of his dirty laundry before there was a knock on his door. His head pounded.

“Coming,” Sweet Pea wobbled over to the door, opening it and leaning on the metal doorway, enjoying the feeling of the cool surface against his forehead. “Hey.” He greeted the petite girl on his porch. Ruby’s eyebrows were furrowed.

“Hey,” she greeted back and stepped inside when he moved. “You don’t look so good. Are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine. You got some breakfast?” Sweet Pea replied, going to the living area and plopping down on the couch. He immediately felt better when he was off his feet. Ruby came over, giving him a bag from Pop’s and looking at him intently as he opened it. “What?” Sweet Pea asked.

“You really don’t look good.” She told him with a worried look.

“That’s what every guy wants to hear from a hot girl, cupcake.” Sweet Pea tried to brush her off with a comment that he knew would spike her temper, but Ruby was a woman on a mission. As he dug into his cheeseburger, she placed her hand on his forehead.

“You’re a little hot. Where’s your thermometer?” Sweet Pea’s head was pounding, despite her soft tone.

“Haven’t got one. And, I thought I was a lot hot?” He gave her a cheeky grin.

“Crappy flirting won’t get you out of me taking your temperature.” Ruby gave him a stern look which made him groan. The cheeseburger tasted like carton in his mouth, but he still swallowed.

“Please, I’m fine. It’s just a little hangover,” Ruby’s glare intensified. “A little one. Besides, you came over to study.” The girl dug out her cell phone and moved away without saying anything, her fingers typing away on the keyboard. Sweet Pea focused on eating as quickly as possible, both to get through the tasteless food and to hide his lack of appetite from the girl. If she noticed that, she would definitely go all Dr. House on him, diagnosing a zebra instead of looking for the horse. She was a worrywart and tended to assume the worst first.

“I’ll be right back,” Ruby told him and left the trailer. Sweet Pea sighed while she was out, wrapping the rest of his burger up and rising to place it in the fridge. He would get to it later. Before he could return to his spot on the couch, Ruby was back. “Here, Toni lent me hers. Take your temperature or I will.” She sternly told him.

“You’re cute when you’re bossy, you know?” Sweet Pea tried to distract the girl again, his arms coming to her shoulders, but Ruby’s hand rose in between them, the thermometer stopping his attempt to kiss her and successfully distract her.

“Do you really want to go down this road with me, Sweet Pea?” She asked in a warning tone. “I will dropkick you into bed and tie you up, if necessary.” Obviously, flirting wasn’t getting him anywhere, so he abandoned the tactic. He took the thermometer.

“I thought that we were going to study?” He asked, placing the tip in his ear and pressing the button. It took a few moments for the automatic thermometer to beep and he took it out. He was running a slight fever. Ruby pointedly looked at him. “Fine, here.” Sweet Pea gave her the thermometer. The girl read the number and her frown deepened.

“Bed. Now.” She instructed him.

“Oh, come on, Ruby, I’m fine.” He tried to protest. However, her small hands grasped his shirt and she pushed him back, guiding him backwards into his room. Sweet Pea’s knees hit the edge of his bed and he allowed the girl to push him down and cover him with his blanket.

“You’re not going to be doing anything in this state.” She adamantly told him.

“So, let me get this straight,” Sweet Pea grumbled from his pillow as she made sure that he was tucked in well. “You can bulldoze through finals with a fever and a cough, but I can’t study with a cold?” Ruby immediately stopped tucking in the sides of his blanket around him and he honestly thought that she would hit him. But, her expression was soft in the dim sunlight which poured through his bedroom blinds.

“These aren’t the finals, Sweet Pea,” she told him, brushing his hair back from his forehead gently. “Now, will you let me take care of you without protesting or do I have to bring back-up?” Sweet Pea paled at the thought of back-up. She could only mean Toni and Fangs. Or, worse, she could call FP. Neither option appealed to him in his groggy state.

“I’m going to be good, I promise.” He told her cheekily. With a slight smile, Ruby bent down, kissing his forehead gently.

“Then, get some sleep while I go grab you some medicine and head to the store.” Sweet Pea wanted to ask what she was going to buy, but the warmth of his blanket being wrapped up around his body so snugly and the soft smile Ruby was giving him were too much. He drifted off.

Sweet Pea remembered waking up at odd times, fairly vaguely. His fever had spiked, even more, making him more than a little delirious. He could recall Ruby propping him up and giving him some pills and water. He could also remember opening his eyes and smelling something nice cooking. He could definitely recollect spying Ruby going around his room in the dark, collecting things from here and there. He wasn’t sure if it was a dream or not, but when she noticed him watching, she dropped her task and came over, talking to him in a soft voice about something he couldn’t remember, holding his hand and kissing his forehead gently.

The first thing that Sweet Pea could recall well with certainty was Ruby waking him up with a bowl of hot soup. She’d arranged his pillows so that he could sit up and eat, before tucking him back into his blankets. And, the next thing he remembered very well was waking up and calling for her, only to have her rush into the doorway of his bedroom and smile at him brightly. Then, she’d sat behind him, letting him lay his head down on her stomach as she played with his hair and talked to him in soft tones.

Sweet Pea couldn’t remember a better time in his life. Sure, he was sick. But, for once, someone was taking care of him and not the other way around. His mother hadn’t been the caring kind. In fact, she’d been the whiskey bottle and cigarettes kind. And, his father had been overseas serving most of the time. When he was sick, Sweet Pea had been left to figure it out on his own. He would go to the pharmacy alone, get his medicine and hope that it worked quickly. He hadn’t counted on Toni or Fangs to help, even when they’d offered. His friends had other things to do other than to take care of a boy with a cold or the flu. He didn’t want to be a bother. Besides, Sweet Pea could take care of himself. He was always fine.

But, not to Ruby. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. She took care of him on her own time, with surprising gentleness. All in all, a small part of Sweet Pea was happy that he was sick, for once in his life. He didn’t have to worry about his mother drinking herself unconscious and dropping her cigarette. Instead, he had a girl making him chicken soup in the kitchen. He didn’t have to lie to Toni and Fangs and tell them that he had plans for the evening, while he was shivering in his bed. Instead, he had a girl who wouldn’t go away even when he’d asked her and said that he would be fine after sleeping it off.

That was the moment Sweet Pea was absolutely certain, one hundred percent, that he was completely and utterly in love with Ruby Wolfe. And, in his groggy mind, the realization didn’t scare him one bit. In fact, he welcomed it like an old friend, happy to finally see them. The panic set in the next morning, when his head cleared.

Sweet Pea got up, feeling his forehead. It was covered in a layer of dried sweat, but a normal temperature. He was surprised to be able to walk through his bedroom without any trouble, no clothes were strewn about messily on the floor. Next, he headed for the living room of his trailer, seeking out his caretaker. On his way, he noted that every surface of his home had been cleaned and tidied up meticulously. Curiously, he peeked into the kitchen, seeing it sparkling. Giving in, Sweet Pea opened the fridge, finding it full, for once. Fruits, vegetables and a number of Tupperware containers sat on the shelves, replacing cold pizza, wrapped up burgers and beer bottles. Ruby had obviously made herself at home.

He found the girl in question in his living room, sitting on the couch and folding his freshly washed clothing on the coffee table neatly.

“Hey,” she got up as soon as she saw him, abandoning her task. “How’s your head? Do you feel hot? Groggy?” She was instantly in front of him, hand rising to touch his forehead gently. Sweet Pea didn’t reply, instead ducking down and kissing her lips, hard.

“I love you, Ruby.” He told her when they parted, making her cheeks redden.

“Uh-um-w-wait, what?” She stammered, so Sweet Pea kissed her again, his arms wrapping around her petite form. For a moment, she was too shell-shocked to accept his affection, but she quickly recovered, her hands coming to grip the back of his shirt gently and her lips moving against his in soft motions.

“I said that I love you.” Sweet Pea told her in a soft whisper when he was done thoroughly kissing her.

“Oh,” Ruby said, breathless, a dazed expression on her face. “I guess… I love you, too?” She returned.

“Why is it ‘I guess’?” Sweet Pea groaned. “And, why is it a question?” He laughed, making her dissolve into giggles.

“I don’t know! You didn’t exactly give me any thinking time here!” She protested, making him groan again.

“You need to think about it?” He sounded exasperated. There was a coy smile on her lips then and Sweet Pea groaned again. She was teasing him, as always.

“Oh, I knew I pretty much loved you from the moment I told you that I’d get that tea with you,” Ruby said with conviction. “I just liked watching you squirm and try and figure out your own feelings.”

“Jesus, don’t you know that it’s not nice to tease a sick man? Some might even consider it cruel, in fact.” Sweet Pea chuckled.

“Sick people should stay in bed.” Ruby’s eyes connected with his, telling him that it wasn’t a request at all. Sweet Pea groaned again, but obediently headed back for his room, Ruby in tow.

Oh, gosh… That’s all for now… I wanted to something a bit more Sweet Pea, from the last chapter, which was very Ruby-centric :D

Taglist: @enticinghell @projectcampbell  @sweetscamille

Previous parts: Day 1: A way to memorize Day 2: How to prepare for a study date (?) like a proper gentleman Day 3:  With proper motivation, anything is possible Day 4:  PG13 PDA sugar can be good motivation Day 5: Autumn time is picnic time Day 6: It’s best when we can compete Day 7:  Master of procrastination and his jailer Day 8: Take me anywhere, everywhere, away from here Day 9:  Dirty French for beginners   Day 10:  I need… sleep?… no, you…   Day 12: Stay still for me   Day 13:  Debate? Apparently, a turn-on   Day 14: Two-seater and Chinese   Day 15:  Unintentional intentions  

Let me know how you liked it :D

                                                      Bonus

Ruby: Do you have any of the cold medicine left over?

Sweet Pea: What for?

Ruby: Your idiotic ass kissed me while you were sick and now I’m sick and dad’s out for a week on a job.

Sweet Pea: I’ll be over in a few.

Ruby: Thanks.

Sweet Pea hopped up from his seat at the Whyte Wyrm booth, grabbing his keys from the table and tossing a few bills in the middle of their drinks.

“Where are you going?” Fangs asked, looking between Sweet Pea and his unfinished drink.

“Gotta return a favor.” The tall biker told his friends and headed out with a small smile on his face. He didn’t know how to prepare chicken soup, but he knew where he could get some to go.

When they got to the Drive-In, Ruby took her time looking around. She’d never had a proper date, much less an occasion which would take her to a place like that. The only movies she’d watched was with Mattie or her father, either in the girl’s room or at the cinema. And then, Mattie had insisted on huddling together in a couple’s seat like two idiots, because she’d been too curious as to what booking a space like that meant for her own good. Afterwards, it had become tradition for the two girls to sit in a loveseat at the cinema, just for kicks. But, the Twilight Drive-In was definitely not a cinema.

Archie had carefully instructed Ruby where to drive the family truck, which she only struggled with for a bit due to the stick that was a tad different from her trusty old Mustang. And, once they pulled into the southernmost part of Riverdale, he directed her to get off Main Street and enter the small parking lot in front of a large screen. Sure enough, there was a sign which spelled out that evening’s showing, Mamma Mia, right in front of the turn. As Ruby parked the truck, turning the front towards the small booth in the back with drinks and popcorn like Archie requested, she had a chance to look around some more. In essence, it was a parking lot. There were a few more cars and a couple of motorcycles in the back, people buzzing around before the showing. But, other than the booth and a large screen on the other side, it was just that, a parking lot.

“Popcorn?” Archie asked, nodding towards the booth.

“Oh, yeah.” Ruby eagerly agreed and the two friends walked over, Archie instantly perking up when he saw the server behind the counter.

“Hey, Jug!” he greeted the boy in an odd beanie, which Ruby was certain seemed familiar to her for some reason. “This is Ruby, who I told you about. The girl from the Wolfe house,” the boy behind the counter examined her with a surprisingly analytical look in his pale eyes. But, he didn’t seem hostile. “Ruby, Jughead.”

“The one who’s writing a book?”

“Novel.” Both boys instantly corrected.

“Right,” Ruby nodded sheepishly. “It’s very nice to meet you, Jughead. I’ve heard a lot about you,” the boy gave his friend a look which seemed accusing, more than anything. “I promise that I pressed him for details and that everything he told me was good.” The girl tried to diffuse the tension.

“Um, sure, yeah,” Jughead sounded a little awkward. “Welcome to Riverdale.” He didn’t seem to mean it. Regardless, Ruby chose to take the high road there.

“It would be awesome if you could join us for the movie, unless you’re working the whole evening?” She asked, looking between him and Archie. “I got only one side of the story, after all,” Ruby gave Jughead a mischievous smile. “I’d love to hear some embarrassing tales about this one.” She nudged Archie with her elbow and, instantly, the atmosphere changed. Jughead gave her a smirk right back.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he promised. “What will it be, guys? You’re holding up the line.” Despite Archie telling Ruby that it was unlikely that Jughead would join them, the beanie-wearing teen did. They huddled together, with the girl in the middle, in the back of the truck, a few buckets of popcorn in between them and a blanket over their feet. While Archie had actually been paying attention to the movie, as he hadn’t seen it before, Jughead and Ruby took the time to whisper and get to know each other a bit better. Unsurprisingly, the boy had plenty of funny stories about his childhood friend, making the girl giggle when she wasn’t singing along to the soundtrack.

By the end of the evening, Ruby had the awkward boy’s number memorized in her phone with a promise to hang out at Pop’s sometime soon. While they didn’t have a lot in common, they did realize that there was a long list of movies both had watched and desperately needed to discuss with someone. All in all, it had been a fun evening for her, despite it definitely not being a date in the end. Ruby, in all honesty, had preferred it that way. She liked Archie well enough, but she wasn’t one to dive into anything romantic before getting to know a person better. He seemed only interested in hanging out platonically, which was right up her alley.

Ruby had always gotten along with boys better than girls. When she counted the schools she’d attended, she realized that her only real girl friend was Mattie. The teen in question wasn’t exactly girly material, either. Ruby suspected that she had her father and their mutual obsession with martial arts to thank for her ease with befriending boys, even though Jo had voiced his worries over only boys coming by their home on a number of occasions.

Mattie was awake when Ruby got home from the Drive-In and called the girl after texting her half a dozen questions to make their conversation easier. There was just something lost in the voice messages and typing for her.

“So, spill. How was it?” Mattie’s voice was eager, even though she had dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep.

“We watched Mamma Mia!” Ruby eagerly supplied and the two girls started singing to each other, hitting some painfully shrill notes that made Jo pop his head into the kitchen to check on the situation. When he saw that it was just a facetime call, he retreated again, not wanting to disturb the two. And then, Ruby started telling Mattie all about Archie and the odd new character in her life, Jughead.

The last day of the Southside Serpents working at the Wolfe house came all too soon for Ruby. She’d built a nice friendship with Toni, a strange combination of pun exchanges with Fangs and the usual push and pull with Sweet Pea. Ruby had spent more than a few hours with Toni in her room, deciding on color schemes, furniture positions and various decorations together. While the purple haired Serpent wasn’t a fan of the girly setup the room had been steered towards, she was still a huge help. She had a whole bunch of fashion and DIY magazine subscriptions on her phone, showing Ruby various options which could change her room in different ways. Mattie was ecstatic to see all the new ideas and demanded that she meet Toni one day, hopefully in person. All of their brainstorming on decoration ideas got FP to send Sweet Pea to hunt down the girls more than a few times with a disgruntled expression.

Fangs and Ruby, on the other hand, had a different dynamic. While Toni was the perfect design and clothing advisor, the boy turned out to be gossip central. Ruby had always known that most boys had an affiliation for sharing funny stories, but he was in a whole league of his own. Fangs had plenty of stories from his time with Toni and Sweet Pea as kids which he was eager to tell. By the third day of hauling stuff around the house and painting walls, the two had a number of inside jokes which pissed off Sweet Pea to oblivion once he figured them out. That was without even mentioning Fangs’ love of bad puns. If there was a person who could make Ruby crack up at a bad joke in a single second, it was definitely him. Her retaliation had required a bit of Googling, but pretty soon they had been separated when it came to carrying heavy items around due to their tendency to lose their grip on them while laughing.

The only thing Ruby regretted over those few weeks was not spending more time with Sweet Pea. He always seemed to look for an escape when they were with other Serpents, so that he wouldn’t have to talk to her. The few times they’d been forced together by a food run or Ruby directing traffic in the house their conversation had been a bit strained. For the life of her, the teen didn’t know what she’d done to cause that kind of reaction from the tall boy. At times he would be doing their usual push and pull, piling on ridiculous nicknames that made fun of her height, and then, he would be frowning angrily down at her and grunting out one-word answers to her eager questions. Ruby was definitely miffed. But, also, intrigued. She couldn’t help her own curiosity sometimes. She liked things with character, after all.

When the last day of the Serpents working at the house arrived, Ruby was on a mission. She didn’t know if she would see some of the bikers again and she wasn’t sure what kind of a situation she would be facing at school with the younger Serpents. Ruby definitely wasn’t going to be pledging a gang and she’d already heard from numerous sources that South High was very segregated. So, she remembered Mattie’s request and started her work as soon as the bikers arrived.

“Hey, Toni,” Ruby entered the kitchen where the purple haired Serpent had made herself at home with a cup of coffee. “Look good for the camera!” And she snapped a photo as soon as Toni gave a soft smile.

“Am I finally getting a contact picture?” Asked the girl.

“Sure!” And Ruby bounded off with a small wave. She’d already tricked FP and Tall Boy into snapping a photo of them, which they’d laughed off. Now, she had an image of the Serpent King and his second in command standing side by side at their bikes, looking quite intimidating. Next, she needed Gorgon, Fangs and the dreaded Sweet Pea. She was honestly fearing the last name on her list. With the quicksilver temper he had, her phone had a fifty percent chance of flying out a window or something. Gorgonhead was easy enough, the teen eager to make a scary face and point at the camera like Uncle Sam.

“Fangs,” Ruby addressed the boy, sneaking up behind him as he was attempting to open a drawer of an old wardrobe. “I’d offer my advice on that,” she pointed to his current problem. “but telling a demolitionist how to do his job is destructive criticism.” There was a moment of silence before the two completely lost it. Ruby took the chance to snap a quick picture of Fangs trying to gather himself in front of the tall antique wardrobe.

“Oh, man,” the biker didn’t even notice. “How am I going to live without you when the job’s done?” He asked, shaking his head.

“You can always text me and we can hang out?” Ruby helpfully supplied. She saw Fangs’ eyes go to the side, avoiding her gaze. That was a telltale sign that something was wrong. But, when he just shrugged and nodded, Ruby decided to give him some time and space to figure it out. “C’mon, give me your phone,” the girl asked and Fangs obliged. “Here, text me whenever so I have your contact, too.” She smiled at him and bounded off, looking for a certain tall biker. The short teen didn’t see the way Fangs’ eyes stayed on her back until it vanished behind a corner, almost sad.

Sweet Pea was glad to get out of the Wolfe house. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the home in any way. He just didn’t think that he could stand Ruby being around him any longer. In the short few weeks, which seemed like months to him, Sweet Pea had worked beside her on numerous items in her new home. She’d been nothing but kind to him, he had to admit. Nothing but nice. However, a single glance at her clothing, the house which surrounded them and the items they were carrying out had Sweet Pea’s vision going red and his brain muddled with anger.

Ruby Wolfe was nice enough, sure. But, regardless of her personality she was a rich Northsider in the end. While she might be slumming it down with the bikers who were working on her property during summer vacation, Sweet Pea knew how their little ‘friendship’ would end. She’d shown him that by repeatedly ditching cleanup in order to hang out with her little Northside boy-toy. As soon as Ruby started school at Riverdale High, she would become one of those girls. Head held high, daddy buying her expensive things and occasionally wandering over to Southside for a thrill. She’d forget that Toni had put hours into helping her pick things out for her room. She wouldn’t remember that Fangs had lent her a hand in carrying almost all of her belongings upstairs while exchanging jokes. She certainly wouldn’t recall him driving her for a food run on his bike in the afternoon. Sweet Pea reminded himself a number of times that Ruby was a privileged kid. It was best not to form any kind of attachment. Except maybe to her dog. He could be attached to Chili all he wanted, because the pooch was a wonder.

On the last day of their work at the Wolfe house Sweet Pea’s suspicions were confirmed, though. With an eager look on her face, Ruby had told all the bikers how they could take whatever item they wanted from the maybe or discarded pile, like some kind of a charity dump. He didn’t need her charity, much less her trash. Sweet Pea hadn’t taken a single thing from the Wolfe house, despite eyeing a couple of old bike parts from the garage longingly. Instead, his temper had flared and he’d sat on his bike, listening to Fangs and Toni talking excitedly about repurposing some of the items and restoring others.

It wasn’t that Sweet Pea didn’t like doing that. In fact, he’d always been good at fixing things. As a young boy he’d helped his father with numerous old bikes and cars. Then, he’d somehow gotten roped into a number of DIY projects by Toni. She’d been surprised at how good he was with his hands and sworn to secrecy by Sweet Pea with a menacing threat of bodily harm. To that day he still enjoyed working on old things. There was just something about working on an old carburetor that made his fiery temper cool down. He could spend hours playing with a piece, figuring out what exactly was wrong and tailoring odd parts in order to get it back into action. However, Sweet Pea was above charity from a rich Northsider. He wouldn’t take a single thing.

He got pissed when he saw Toni restoring an old lamp Ruby had personally given her, despite wanting it for herself according to the purple-haired girl. It was an antique which looked pretty darn good when the female Serpent was done painting it with glassware-friendly substances. It now sat on her school desk at her trailer, a constant reminder for Sweet Pea of the dump it had been taken from. Fangs, on the other hand, hadn’t said no to acquiring a new kitchen table for his abuela, calling it the score of the summer. Sweet Pea had stopped going to his place for dinner, the telltale dark wood of the charity item making his blood pressure skyrocket. He wouldn’t be a pity case for some rich Northsider.

Yet, Sweet Pea still hadn’t gotten rid of the small piece of paper with a few digits on it. He had found it in the pocket of his denim vest with the Serpents logo on the back when he’d been checking the contents before putting it in the washer. Apparently, Ruby had managed to slip the small note with her number on it and a message to ring her sometime at some point. It wasn’t that Sweet Pea hadn’t tried to get rid of it. In fact, he’d tossed it in the trash bin in his kitchen a number of times, only to fish it out later. Now, it sat in his math book, a thing he’d gotten from one of the Serpents’ juniors for his sophomore year at South High. Frankly, Sweet Pea didn’t know what to do with the number. Or, if he wanted to do anything with it.

Days passed rather quickly for Ruby. Before she even knew it, her father was pulling into their driveway with a whole bunch of fireworks in the back of their old Mustang, singing a happy tune. One would think that, being a former army man, he wouldn’t enjoy the 4th of July. However, ever since Ruby was aware of herself, Jo became utterly giddy during the holiday. He bought so many fireworks that they barely managed to set them all off in their backyard during the night. True enough, he jumped whenever someone else used their own colorful ammunition, his hand flying to his side, where his gun used to be. Yet, he still set up his own arsenal and set it off with complete glee.

“Are we going to war?” Ruby asked, leaning in the doorway and watching her father jump around the car, deciding which monstrosity to take out first. He looked up at her and smiled wide.

“Oh, we’re going to war, honey,” Jo shot back. “I’m going to announce to the whole town that I’m back in my all former glory.” Ruby shook her head, but walked down the front steps regardless, Chili following. He eagerly rushed to the car, sniffing and trying to see if anything inside was meant for him. Jo took out a ball from the front seat, showed it to the eager dog and then chucked it as far as he could towards Fox Forest. Chili tore after it, wheezing in happiness.

“You’ve unleashed the monster.” Ruby chuckled, grabbing one box of fireworks and taking it to the porch.

“He likes it and we both know it.” Jo retaliated, carrying his own load of colorful tubes.

“You’re an unleashed monster, as well.” His daughter shot back with a grin.

“Says the girl who scared all the kids away from our building on Halloween.” So, Ruby went a little crazy on Halloween. So what? It was normal to do so. It was completely normal to scare kids during the holiday. It wasn’t her fault that the youngest ones couldn’t take it and ran back to their mothers, crying. It wasn’t her fault that the others were cowards and couldn’t pass her maze of horror doom and get to the good candy.

“They were spineless,” Ruby grumbled. “You’re supposed to scare them on Halloween.” Jo sighed as they continued to carry fireworks to the porch.

“Not enough to cry,” he was using his fatherly voice. “And certainly not enough to make them avoid our home on their second run.”

“Hey, you were happy eating all the candy.” She shot back.

“That I was,” Jo grinned, letting sleeping dogs lie for once. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with my workshop.” And he bounced away with a devilish smirk. Ruby slapped her forehead, knowing that her father wasn’t up to any good.

Ruby’s suspicions were confirmed when Chili started barking like mad, running at the iron gates of their property that afternoon. She poked her head out of the window, seeing the Sheriff’s car parked out front.

“Chili! Be cool!” The girl shouted and rushed down the stairs to greet the policeman. By the time she had the door open, the Sheriff was already walking up the front steps of their porch.

“Ruby, hello,” Tom Keller greeted with a friendly smile. “Is Jo around?” He eyed the pile of fireworks on their porch with a wary look. Ruby had a feeling that she knew what this visit was about.

“He’s in the shop out back,” then, she tried to diffuse the situation. “I swear that they’re all legal.” When the Sheriff gave her a dubious look, Ruby sighed. “He does this every year. I checked all of them, God’s honest truth.”

“Where is this shop exactly?” Sheriff Keller asked. Ruby smiled, waving him over and started leading the way. Chili followed them, his new ball in his mouth, slobbering happily.

“Jo’s secret shack of wonders.” Ruby introduced in a deadpan voice when they reached the small building, similar to a garage, with closed doors and an ominous sound of metal being cut coming from inside.

“God, he hasn’t changed at all.” Sheriff Keller sighed. Then, he pounded on the door with his fist, making them shake.

“He’s worse, if my mom’s stories are anything to go by,” Ruby laughed. “I’ll leave you to it. If you’d like coffee after that, I’ll be at the house.” She tossed over her shoulder. The last thing she heard before calling Chili to come back with her was the Sheriff asking her father if he was mad. Ruby could answer that question without thinking. Yes, on the 4th of July her father was quite mad.

Ruby had texted Toni first, asking if the girl had any plans for the holiday. And, she’d gotten a quick reply, as always, saying how the purple haired Serpent was planning on setting off some fireworks down at the quarry with the guys. Regardless, Ruby invited her over if she wanted to hang out later. Toni didn’t make any promises, saying that the guys usually brought booze and stayed the night at the quarry, not being sober enough to ride until morning. For some reason, the image of Fangs, Toni and Sweet Pea drunk got Ruby giggling.

Next, the girl texted Archie and the new contact in her phone, Jughead. The former never replied, but the latter told her that he could come over if she wanted to pick him up at Pop’s, because he was on foot and the Wolfe house was on the other side of the town. Ruby readily agreed, after yelling to Jo that she was having a friend over for the evening. The man offered only a muffled agreement from his workshop, hammering stopping for a second. So, Ruby grabbed the keys to the Mustang and allowed Chili to hop into the front seat.

Entering Pop’s reminded her of all the times she’d gone there with Sweet Pea. She had to open the door herself this time, after all. The teen easily found Jughead on the far left of the small diner, sitting with his laptop open. And, instantly, her memory clicked into place.

“I remember where I know that beanie from!” Ruby exclaimed, sliding into the seat on the other side of Jughead without a proper greeting. He looked over the top of the laptop, face illuminated by the light of his screen.

“Hello to you, too,” he sarcastically remarked. “Wait, you know my beanie from somewhere?”

“Yeah, I came here with one of the guys working on our house,” Ruby chose to leave Sweet Pea’s name out of the whole mess. She’d gotten the feeling that Jughead wasn’t a big fan of the biker gang. “I remember thinking that it’s a cool beanie when I saw you sitting here.” She laughed, shaking her head.

“Oh, um,” the boy was as awkward as always. “If you say so.” He replied with a small shrug. Ruby nodded.

“Super cool,” she told him. “Dad and I were gonna get some burgers for dinner, have you already eaten?”

“Do you really need to ask me if I want food?” Jughead laughed, finally in his element.

“Silly me.” Ruby hopped up, waving off his offer to pay for dinner. She just asked him what he wanted and went to the counter to order takeaway.

That’s all for now folks!

How did you guys enjoy the premiere? I found Archie’s car totally bitchin’ and I’m a bit sad about the dog abuse (Poor Hot Dog and poor Vegas!)

Here if the taglist (still open):  @enticinghell@projectcampbell@sweetscamille@xoxodege@mlvgren@this-is-the-way-it-ends @yerawizardharry99  @dinglemember

And, you can find the other chapters and my other work by visiting this Masterlist.

“So?” Ruby asked, turning in a slow circle. The skirt was quite short, Sweet Pea realized with a small smile and rising eyebrows. It hugged her waist high, quite snugly, and then it flared around her thighs, showing a perfect amount of skin if anyone asked him. But, he still thought that she needed something extra. Something to spice it up.

“I think that that skirt would go perfectly with a pair of heels,” Ruby gave him an unamused look, but went into the storage room which used to be a walk-in closet, but now served as her space for numerous pairs of shoes. Sweet Pea dropped back on the soft pillows and tucked his hands behind his head, waiting with a wide grin. Soon enough, Ruby came out again, this time walking in a pair of red heels skillfully. He gave her an appreciative look, top to bottom and she twirled, humoring the scenario. “If you ask me, the skirt should stay.” Ruby groaned, throwing her head back and sending a ripple through the long wavy hair over her shoulders.

“You’re really not helping, you know?” She smiled, walking over to Sweet Pea. Instantly, he was up from the pillows, sitting at the edge of the bed, legs opening wide to accommodate the girl stepping closer to him. Ruby’s hands came up, trailing up his flannel-clad arms and stopping at his shoulders where she kneaded the flesh gently.

“Let’s be honest, smol,” Sweet Pea whispered, his hands coming up to the bare thighs the skirt exposed and fingers trailing patterns upwards. “You knew what you were getting into when you asked me for help.” He leaned in, waiting for Ruby to bend down, for once, but she didn’t. Instead, she let go of him and walked away, back to her large closet. She bent down, searching through one of the bottom drawers, which made Sweet Pea groan. He had the most perfect view. Ruby red heels, toned bare legs and short navy skirt. He was going to make absolutely certain that she kept that one.

“Close your eyes,” Ruby told him, her face peeking on the side and telling him that she knew exactly what he had been up to with that familiar coy smile. Sweet Pea shut his eyes tightly and even went as far as slapping his hand over them. There was a moment of shuffling before Ruby spoke again. “Do you think I should keep these?” Then, he opened them and his breath was successfully taken away.

Sweet Pea was up on his feet and across the room in mere seconds. Ruby reached up, standing on her tiptoes to accept the kiss. It was hot, open-mouthed and with plenty of tongue. Sweet Pea’s hands didn’t keep still, but went to the small of her back and slid down her skirt, making him bend awkwardly to accommodate the angle. But, when he felt the red lacy garters and thigh-high socks she’d pulled on, it was worth it.

“Keep,” Sweet Pea said in a hoarse voice when they came up for air, taking her hand and pulling her with him to the bed. He sat down again, settling the giggling girl in between his legs and trapping her there with his arms. His hands were back on her thighs, fingers playing with the fabric there, squeezing the flesh occasionally. Then, they trailed up to her backside. “Keep for both.” And Ruby bent down to kiss him, for once.

“What is this?” she asked in between haphazard kisses and groping hands. “An attempt to distract me from my charitable mission of donating to the less fortunate?” Sweet Pea nipped at her neck and trailed down, pulling on her loose top to access more flesh. Ruby felt heat all over her skin as she looked down, seeing his eyes locked on hers and teeth holding onto the red fabric.

“Just attempting to level the height difference,” he cheekily told her when he let go of the top. His hands trailed further up from her skirt, trying to pull the shirt off her small frame. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re kind of short?” Ruby raised her arms to help him take off her shirt and her hands settled back on his shoulders once more, one tangling lazily in his hair, fingers twisting around the longish strands.

“Good that you told me, because I hadn’t noticed.” Their kisses were brief, but numerous, and Sweet Pea kept pulling the girl closer and closer, until her stomach pressed flush against his torso.

“Did you plan this or something?” He asked her, head motioning to her fancy navy bra, which made the girl laugh.

“No, but I’ll try next time?” she offered, giving him yet another kiss. “Maybe I can get a red corset and a whip?” Sweet Pea groaned, his head falling to her neck. “A gag?” At that, he took in a sharp breath. “Or, are you more of a blindfold person? I remember that we both enjoyed that one…” Sweet Pea’s eyes met hers after he took a deep breath of her telltale scent mixed with her usual rich perfume.

“You,” he told her in a strained voice. “Are the literal devil incarnate, you know?” Ruby gave him an absolutely patronizing pat on his head that made him frown.

“They say that dynamite comes in small packages, tol.” She mused with a tilt of her head. Sweet Pea grinned and leaned up to give her another small kiss.

“I thought that quote said that good things come in small packages?” He played oblivious mockingly and Ruby shrugged her shoulders, bringing a finger to her lips.

“So, you want me to be a good girl for you tonight?” She asked in an overly innocent tone that finally made Sweet Pea’s control snap. He grabbed her smaller frame and flipped them over, tossing Ruby onto the soft mattress and looming over her. She shrieked, hands flying to grip his arms tightly, but didn’t seem uncomfortable. So, Sweet Pea decided that it was time to enjoy himself. He pushed her hair back from her neck and bent down, letting his mind float away and simply enjoyed the moment.

Ruby’s hands came up to push his flannel off, shortly followed by his shirt and then she pulled him closer to her, skin meeting skin in an intimate embrace, lips clashing yet again. She managed to toe off her heels and reached for his dark jeans, which Sweet Pea was all too happy to help her push off. But, he stopped her when she reached to unbutton her skirt.

“Leave it.” He gasped out, hand coming to halt her fingers. Ruby’s lips pulled into that coy smile he’d become very familiar with and she slowly kissed him, taking her time to positively torture him.

“Tol is a kinky boy tonight.” She whispered against his lips.

“Tol is discovering that he’s a very kinky boy tonight.” Sweet Pea told her before their teasing conversation was completely forgotten, along with any notion of clearing out Ruby’s closet, as his hand snuck under the fabric and into her underwear. Sweet Pea was only certain of one thing in his mind – she would definitely be keeping the skirt.

This was such a cool thing to try out! It turned a bit steamier than I planned to, but, oh well xD You guys can enjoy the steam ;)

                                                         Bonus

Jo came home around one in the morning, only to hear an unusual sound for that time of day from upstairs. He frowned slightly, tossed his keys on the old shoe organizer and toed off his boots. Then, he slowly made his way up the stairs, a little afraid of what he would find in his daughter’s room. When he knocked on the door, there was no reply. However, as soon as he poked his head in, he saw why. Ruby and Sweet Pea were cleaning, actually cleaning, the top rock classics blasting from her stereo. She was folding her clothes as she sang, tossing them in boxes or her wardrobe and he had a vacuum, trying to get all the dust from under her bed, only to get distracted with a bit of air guitar on the solo riff. Jo shook his head, at both their antics and obviously ruffled hair and clothing, before silently closing the door and deciding to pretend that he’d never witnessed the scene.

“New sophomore, I’m showing her around.” Replied Lucas easily. He turned to Ruby, motioning with his head to his friend.

“Ruby Wolfe.” The girl introduced herself, offering her hand. The curly haired boy laughed, but accepted it, shaking it in a strong grip. He was dressed similarly to Lucas, like he’d just hopped out of a punk band’s gig. Dark skinny jeans, hanging chains and a tattoo on his arm, large and clearly visible. It depicted some kind of a mythological beast, similar to a snake.

“Levi,” he introduced himself back with an easygoing grin. “Like the Leviathan.” Levi elaborated, showing off the tattoo which covered almost his whole forearm. Ruby looked from him to Lucas.

“Does everyone here have odd nicknames?” The two boys shared a look at her dubious tone and laughed.

“Pretty much,” Lucas explained and waved them all over to a table in the middle of the cafeteria. “They’re mostly gang nicknames and people tend to take pride in them, preferring them over their real names.”

“I see,” Ruby nodded, which made the two boys share an amused look as they all sat down. “I’ll get used to it eventually, I suppose.” She shrugged.

“Has Silver shown you all the ins and outs yet?” Levi asked, looking around as he straddled the bench. There was a group of students heading for the other side of the fence, as if segregating themselves from the rest of their peers. Some went towards the doors in the back, leaving the cafeteria and walking into the summer sun.

“I think I’ve got all the info I need for now,” Ruby nodded. Lucas seemed to beam from his spot. “I’m going to head out, if that’s alright? I’ve still got some errands to run.”

“Of course,” Lucas nodded. “Take care, Ruby. I’ll see you in August?” Ruby turned as she was leaving, offering them both a smile and small wave.

“Definitely!” And, the girl followed another group of students towards the back door, leaving the school halls. She exited on the other side, the small parking lot to her right and the main entrance even further that way, after taking another right at the corner. There was a group of students with green snake logos on their jackets walking in front of her, and Ruby shamelessly followed them.

Soon enough, she reached the parking, spotting her car. The leather-clad group of teens settled down on the steps that led down to the lot, taking out some snacks and spreading them in the middle of the circle. Ruby wondered how they weren’t cooking in those leather jackets. It was too hot for those. She looked up, seeing a few more groups sitting in their own spots. Five students were near her car, talking and laughing, passing some kind of a small ball between them with only their feet. She made a mental note to try and avoid them when she went to her vehicle. They were too loud for her liking.

Luck wasn’t in her favor that day, apparently. Ruby passed the group on the steps that ignored her and headed for her car only to hear a catcall from the loud boys with the ball. With a glance at them, she saw one of them making a crude motion with his hips, before sending her an air kiss. Ruby chose to ignore that and headed for the driver’s side of her car. But, luck was definitely not in her favor.

“Why’re you in such a hurry, Northie?” The boy who’d catcalled appeared in her path, cutting her off from her car. From the Archie book of Riverdale trivia, she’d gathered that the nickname was supposed to be demeaning. Had she really dressed too fancy that day? She would need some more leather and chains, then. The boy in front of her was taller than her and had more muscle on him, but she knew that that didn’t mean anything in a one on one fight. She could take him, if it came down to it.

“Yeah, stick around Northsider. We’ll show you a good time.” Now, there was a body behind her, the heat transferring to her back from how close the student was. Ruby looked over her shoulder to see that it was the one who’d blown her the air kiss. The other three from the group were also stalking forward, abandoning their ball.

“I’d advise you, from the bottom of my cold heart, to get out of my way.” Ruby’s tone had a warning to it, but it just made the boys laugh. By then, almost everyone in the parking lot was looking at them, waiting to see how the scene would unfold.

“Northie’s got spunk!” The boy in front of her came closer, his hands going for her hips. In an instant, Ruby moved, pulling out the familiar rectangular object from the back pocket of her jeans. She had been reluctant to take it with her, but she was glad that she had. Just in case.

A buzzing noise rang throughout the parking lot and the boy in front of her fell to the ground, shaking with the aftershock of being tasered. There was a moment of silence, before the remaining for boys moved in on her quickly. The one behind her grabbed her arms, successfully preventing her from using her taser again. Though, Ruby didn’t only have that to protect herself with. She let out a whistle, which was followed by a loud bark.

Chili threw himself out the open window of her car, sleek body rushing towards her with a loud growl. Instantly, the boys backed off, frightened expressions on their faces. Chili’s teeth were bared and his eyes were going from one to the other teen. They had bothered his mistress.

“Chili, be cool,” Ruby instructed, petting his head when he nuzzled into her knee. “Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to see a good time with you guys anytime soon,” she told the four teens who were watching the large Staffordshire warily. “I like my men with a little more backbone.” And Ruby walked away with Chili hot on her heels, ignoring the laughter and cheering coming from the other students in the parking lot.

“Hey, dad! I’m back,” Ruby greeted in a loud voice, entering the home and heading for the kitchen to wash her hands and make some coffee. She felt a little groggy after her exploration of the school. “Want some coffee?!”

“Sure,” Jo’s voice startled her, coming from the doorway to the living room. She had expected him to be upstairs, in the attic, fixing the roof with Fred and Archie. “How was the school?”

“It was… interesting,” Ruby laughed and he chuckled along. “Where are the Andrews?”

“Fred got a job and had to bail,” Jo sighed, leaning back onto the kitchen table. “I get it, that job’s more lucrative and gives him work for the rest of the summer.” Ruby poured the coffee, adding cream and sugar to hers. She placed the two cups, obviously meant for tea back in the day, on the table. They were white and decorated with a dark green forest all around the rim.

“We can push a little harder and get it done ourselves, no?” She asked, watching her father take a small sip of his coffee, before sighing.

“I think it’s time I went to the Wyrm and saw if they wanted some legit work.” Jo grumbled, as if surrendering to the inevitable.

“The Whyte Wyrm?” Ruby asked curiously. “Isn’t that a gang headquarters or something?” Jo laughed.

“It’s a bar. But, yeah, it doubles as the Southside Serpents’ base of operations,” the man told her. “They are a rowdy bunch, but they do take a lot of legit jobs on the side for extra cash. If they’re interested, it could be a good way to get all of that ruined stuff down from the attic and fix up some of the furniture down here.” Ruby nodded.

“If you think that’s a good idea, I’m fine with it.”

Jo returned home in the afternoon with half a dozen leather-wearing men on motorcycles following his Mustang onto the Wolfe property. He had been surprised to enter the Whyte Wyrm and ask to see the Serpents’ King, only to be led to his old high school buddy, FP Jones. The man looked a little worse for wear, but years hadn’t been too kind on him. His wife had left, taking the younger of their two children with him. And, shortly afterward, his son had moved out, living God knows where, and leaving FP to find solace at the bottom of a bottle. But, Jo had easily convinced the head Serpent that taking a legit job for once would be both good pay and good work. So, after FP had made a few phone calls, Jo had a small demolition crew of about a dozen gangsters. The ones present at the bar had followed him home right away and the rest would be coming straight from the quarry, a popular hangout spot for the younger members.

“Damn, Jo,” FP looked the house over from the outside, unhooking his helmet and nudging out the kickstand of his motorcycle with his foot. “That doesn’t look too homey.”

“You should’ve seen it a week ago,” the former Navy SEAL grumbled. “Ruby and I have done some work and Fred helped out with the roof. It’s mostly leak proofed now.”

“Fred Andrews?” FP asked.

“The one and only,” confirmed Jo. “He got a better job offer, though. It’s just us now.” FP motioned for the Serpents to follow them into the house and they entered. The inside smelled of slightly stale air, dust and old wood.

“Jesus, you plan on living here?” FP asked, turning in a circle and looking around the living room. There was a sleeping bag tossed over the old couch and there were cobwebs along the tall shelves, filled with pictures, decorative porcelain dinnerware, and other items. They looked like they hadn’t been touched in years.

“What can I say?” Jo shrugged. “It’s still home,” then, he grinned. “Besides, Ruby hasn’t gotten to this floor yet. She started on her room and spread like a cleaning tsunami across the upstairs.” Laughed the man.

“When will we get to meet this elusive daughter of yours?” FP joked, heading to the fridge like he was at home. And, he felt like he was. In their youth, Jo and FP had hung out at the old Wolfe house a number of times. He still remembered his way around, despite the years that had passed since he’d last stepped inside. FP grabbed a few beers, giving them out to his crew and Jo. The man shook his head at the offer. “Come now, Jo,” FP teased. “You work with us, you have to drink with us. Right?” His men chuckled, nodding.

“Maybe when we’re done,” Jo replied. “Let me see if Ruby’s still out. I think she went for a run with Chili. You still know your way around?” He took out his phone, nodding at FP.

“No worries, we’ll get started on the crap in the attic, if it’s still there?” FP could still remember the old tradition of the Wolfe family. If something broke, they wouldn’t fix it or toss it. Instead, great-grandfather Wolfe would demand that they kept it, just in case, in the attic. Hence, the space was mostly filled with broken and unusable items.

“You know it.” Jo laughed, placing the phone to his ear.

Ruby got home after an hour long run in the Fox Forest with Chili. The area was rather nice and the trail was solid, leading her deep into the woods, before looping around a small picnic area with nest swings, teeter-totters and even an old, wooden merry-go-round that you pushed with your legs. Ruby had discovered the place a few days ago, when she’d dared to switch up her usual run along the highway and headed into the woods. These days, it was her favorite afternoon jogging spot. The trees provided a nice shade and there was a small drinking fountain that you had to pump for water in the middle of the area. Chili loved it, too, as he had a chance to chase after more than enough squirrels on the way.

The teen arrived back at the Wolfe property comfortably sore from her run and a bit tired. Her hair clung to her neck with sweat, ponytail messy. She was a bit flushed and honestly looking forward to a shower. However, that would have to wait. After all, there were a dozen motorcycles parked in their driveway and she could see a number of men and boys, looking like they’d just stepped out of a biker bar, moving unusable stuff out of the old house. Most of them had their shirts off, or had stripped down to wife-beaters. There was a lot of chatter in between them, jokes being exchanged as they worked. Jo had called her and told her that the Southside Serpents had accepted the job, but Ruby hadn’t been quite prepared for this kind of a scene. She’d expected them to be a bit more intimidating. Maybe blasting hard rock from a speaker as they worked, or something?

“Ruby, right?” Asked one of the tallest men in the yard as he placed down his end of an old bed with broken legs. “Your father’s somewhere in the attic, directing traffic.” He told her, wiping his forehead and tossing his long hair back with a motion of his head. Chili wandered over, sniffing the man, before continuing to inspect their guests one by one.

“Thanks,” Ruby replied with a small smile. “Thanks for helping out, too. We really appreciate it.” The man grinned at that.

“We appreciate the work, too,” he nodded. Ruby headed inside, waiting in the doorway for two men to take out an old sofa chair, half eaten by moths, before jogging up the stairs. When she reached the second set, however, she was faced with a huge armoire and a colorful curse word.

“Fangs!” A deep voice shouted out from the other side of the armoire, only black hair visible over the top of it. “I swear if you don’t come back I’m pushing this thing down the stairs,” Ruby wondered for a second if she should help, say anything or go look for this Fangs person. Though, she’d hesitated a second too long. “Alright, man, this one’s on you.” And the armoire moved towards her like an ominous wooden wall.

“Holy crap!” Ruby squeaked out, quickly jumping up the ten steps to the furniture piece in order to help steer it down the stairs safely. The armoire was made out of heavy wood, though, which instantly made her arms ache and knees buckle as she tried to brace it the best she could. “Woah, woah!” Ruby yelled and the armoire stopped pushing her down the stairs in an instant.

“Toni?” Asked the same gruff voice from above.

“Ruby,” the girl poked her head to the left, her arms still hugging the heavy piece of furniture, terrified that it would bulldoze its way over her if she let up. “Hi,” she greeted through the narrow space in between the armoire and the wall. Then, a head appeared on the other end, peering at her curiously. The teen was around her age, and fairly handsome in his own, bad boy bike gang member, kind of way. She could see his large hand holding the side of the armoire and her eyes followed it to his strong biceps, before refocusing on his face. Now, it had a frown on it.

“Who’re you?” He asked rudely, making Ruby return the expression.

“Ruby Wolfe,” she shot back in a similar tone, making him startle, eyebrow raising. “Free citizen and resident of this house. Definitely not Toni or Fangs.” At that, the boy laughed in a deep sound which made her stomach do a flip. He was hot. And, unfortunately for her, Ruby had inherited her father’s suave ways around attractive people, coupled with her mother’s sass. She knew that smartass word vomit would be coming from her mouth without her say so. “Now, I’m tiny, and extremely aware of that fact. But, I’ll try and help get this monstrosity down the stairs.” The boy’s face contorted before he burst into another bout of laughter.

“Alright,” he agreed. “Let’s switch, I’ll brace it better.” The boy shifted the armoire once, and then another time, making it stand in an awkward position on the stairs, the narrow space on the side a bit wider.

“Okay, we’ve got this.” Ruby agreed, slowly letting go of the heavy piece. It was standing still. She slipped into the crack on the left, going up the stairs sideways. Halfway up she was met with resistance, though. The boy had apparently had the same idea, making them a bit stuck in the narrow space. Ruby looked up, and not just because he was a step above her. The teen was a fricking giant, towering with at least two heads over her. But, damn, was he a sight for sore eyes. Stripped into a grey wife-beater and dark jeans, his red and black plaid shirt tied around his waist and hair slightly damp from the workout. His dark eyes were curiously looking her over. “I’ll just,” Ruby began, motioning with her hands before trying to squeeze past his front. “Yeah, like that,” she didn’t pay much attention to how that could’ve sounded to an unsuspecting passerby as her chest pressed against the boy’s toned stomach while she attempted to squeeze by him. “Sorry,” his hands went up, bracing against the armoire and making it shift and sway, sliding off a step with a loud sound.

“Shit.” He grabbed onto it, pushing his weight forward and trapping the armoire against the wall and Ruby against it, his toned body like an iron fence.

“Crap, sorry,” Ruby looked up, her hands flailing at her sides. They were in an awkward, hug-like position, pressed against one another, locking eyes. “Since we’re going to be cozy for a while, I’m Ruby.” His eyebrow rose in a perfect motion that made her mouth water.

“Yeah, you mentioned that,” his voice was a low grumble, almost a whisper. “I’m Sweet Pea.” At that, she lost it, dissolving in a fit of giggles.

“Seriously?” She asked, trying to gather herself, but she was still shaking with laughter. The armoire shifted again, making Sweet Pea curse once more, pressing even further into her. “Sorry. Do they call you Sweets or Pea?” She couldn’t stop her mouth.

“They call me Sweet Pea.” He told her with finality in his voice.

“They call me awesome.” Ruby shot right back, their eyes locking for a second, before both started laughing. The armoire shifted ominously again.

“Damnit.” Sweet Pea pushed his forearm against the length of the top part, managing to brace the wooden piece before it could fly down the stairs. “Fangs!” He yelled out over Ruby’s head. They waited for a few more tense seconds, still pressed against each other. Ruby shifted a bit, causing Sweet Pea to gasp and move his hips back. But, it had been too late. She’d noticed his issue. Her eyes met his and her lip quirked up.

“I’m flattered.” She cheekily told him.

“It’s a natural reaction, ankle biter.” Sweet Pea shot back with a straight face, but she could still see his cheeks redden due to their close proximity.

“Hah,” the girl huffed. “I’m anything but!”

“Alright, short stack, no need to get defensive.”

“Oh, shut up you sasquatch!” Ruby tilted her head back, yelling. “Fangs!” Sweet Pea lost his cool again, dissolving into laughter.

“It’s not nice to call out another guy’s name when we’re so cozy, tater tot.” He pressed himself forward again, hips meeting her stomach and showing her that he was very much enjoying the moment. Ruby couldn’t help the gasp that left her mouth.

“Would you stop with the crappy nicknames, cheese king?” She hissed. “Fangs!” She yelled out again, but there was no reply. Sweet Pea was shaking with laughter, making Ruby finally snap. “You know what? We’ve got this.” She told him. And, before he could stop her, Ruby wriggled to her right, slipping from under him and hurrying up the stairs once she was free of his hard body. The armoire shifted as she practically gave it a hug from above, moving it away from the wall and settling it down from its titled position, Sweet Pea steering from the side.

“We good?” He asked, waiting for a second while gripping the top of the wooden piece as hard as he could.

“I am if you are.” Ruby answered from the top. Then, Sweet Pea slowly let go of the top and hurried down the stairs, careful not to touch the huge piece. When he got to the bottom and grasped it, he braced it with a knee.

“Alright, let’s do this, shortcake.” The push she gave from the top of the stairs almost knocked him over.

Sweet Pea and Ruby managed to get the armoire not only down the remaining stairs, but also through the hallway and down the next set of steps with minimal bruising on their fingers and the boy’s side. The drawers and decorated doors of the piece didn’t close well and swung wide whenever the armoire leaned to the side. The first time they realized that problem, Sweet Pea had almost dropped the wooden piece, hissing out a loud curse when a drawer ‘bit’ his fingers. However, now that the armoire was on the ground floor, Southside Serpents buzzing all around them, they had a few extra hands to help out.

The tall man who’d spoken to Ruby in the driveway had called over three more people and they managed to heft the armoire up and out the front door, right next to the ruined sofa chair. Ruby brushed her hands off, before pushing the stray hair from her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Well, that was wild,” she commented with a small chuckle, making the men laugh. “I’m going to head up, if you guys have it covered here?”

“Go ahead.” The tall man dismissed her and Ruby ran back to the house, taking two steps at a time. She passed two other teenagers in the entrance hall, a girl with dyed hair and a muscular boy with a wide grin on his face. They were carrying some kind of an old antenna, completely rusted.

“Fangs!” Sweet Pea’s unforgettable tone rang out when he spotted them, too. So, that was Fangs, Ruby mused, sparing another look at the boy’s back. “Where did you go, man? You left me with that monstrosity on the stairs!” Ruby didn’t hear the reply as she was already hurrying up the stairs and soon, entering the attic.

It was like a war zone there. Men hauling things from one side to the other, checking what could be used, repaired or repurposed, before sending the useless things down the stairs. She saw her father easily enough, by the window all the way in the back, looking over every item and directing the Serpents what to do with them.

“Dad, hey,” Ruby came over, moving out of the way for an old TV to pass. “Where do you need me?”

“Hey, hun,” Jo greeted, looking up at her. “FP, Ruby,” he introduced to the man standing next to him. “Ruby, FP Jones, the most badass Serpent in here.” There were a couple of groans and muted complaints, followed by laughter, coming from the crowd around them.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” FP said, offering his hand, before pulling it back and wiping it on his slacks and then extending it again. It was still covered in dust, though. “Gosh, you’re the spitting image of your father. Except those eyes.” Ruby shook his hand, the strong grip and callouses making her feel right at home.

“Yeah, I have my mom’s eyes,” she nodded with a smile. “Don’t worry about the muck, by the way. I’m in the same boat.” She showed him the front of her, previously white, spaghetti strap shirt. It was now covered in dust from the armoire she’d battled earlier.

“Still, you’re a girl,” FP gave her a smile with a twinkle in his eye. “Gotta be courteous.” Laughter rang out from the crowd in the attic again.

“Kiddo, can you get us some food?” Jo asked, directing one of the Serpents to toss some old binders filled with rain-ruined papers.

“The boys downstairs can give you a ride to Pop’s, if you want?” FP piped up. “Just ask for Sweet Pea and tell him that I said to take you.”

“Oh, we’ve met.” Ruby replied with a nod.

“Oh?” FP frowned. “He didn’t get smart with you, did he?”

“I was smart right back, no worries,” she grinned, making her father burst into laughter and FP break into a smile. “Alright, any preferences?”

“Food.” Most of the Serpents grumbled in agreement. Ruby nodded and bounded off, heading down the stairs. She didn’t even think to change her shirt before she found Sweet Pea again.

Now, I’m super curious to hear what you guys thought of this one :D Let me know!

Here is the taglist (let me know if you want to be added):  @enticinghell @projectcampbell@sweetscamille@xoxodege@mlvgren@this-is-the-way-it-ends  @yerawizardharry99  @dinglemember

Tell me how you liked it :D

But, with all the perks came a certain level of work you were required to do in order to pass classes. There was no more storming off when he got bad news about something. There was no more fighting in the hallway. There was no more tagging his locker. There were no more Serpents, Ghoulies and the hazy in-between. There were school uniforms and preppy, expensive clothes. Sweet Pea hated the uniforms with passion. They’d forced him into a pair of waist-high pants and a turtleneck to cover his Serpent tattoo. He loathed the uniforms. Yet, unlike Fangs, he had rolled over like a good boy and worn the ugly thing to class, despite the humiliation.

Ruby had easily fit in, much to his annoyance. She’d pulled out a peppy outfit, clearly bought at the mall and not the dollar store, and worn it like she was completely at home. The girl had noticed his discomfort with the idea of wearing a uniform, though. So, she’d suggested an idea he hadn’t thought would work. Yet, Sweet Pea was willing to try anything, especially if it could both get rid of the ugly uniforms and get him a better grade. With the help of the petite girl, he’d volunteered for the debate Riverdale afterschool club. The topic was student-suggested and would be presented in front of the students and staff alike. They had chosen the question of school uniforms being a good or bad idea. Or, as the official title went - Should uniforms in schools be abandoned?

“I’ve got five points, but I can’t think of any more,” Sweet Pea grumbled as he and Ruby sat in the student lounge of Riverdale High, tossing his notebook at the girl. She caught it without looking up from her phone. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I don’t know how to argue these.”

“Alright,” Ruby finally looked up from her phone and her eyes met his. “I’ll do the pro-arguments. Let’s give it a go,” she tossed his notebook back and Sweet Pea opened it on his lap, ready to begin. “The first question is usually something along the lines of ‘do school uniforms create a sense of belonging somewhere’?” Sweet Pea glanced down at his notebook, seeing that he hadn’t touched on that topic. He would have to wing it.

“No, not really,” he told the girl and Ruby raised her eyebrows, motioning with her hands for him to continue. “School uniforms are a way to stifle all originality regarding style and preferences of the students,” Ruby nodded and waited. Sweet Pea groaned a bit and then realized that he should elaborate even further. “Choices are important, especially for teenagers. If we can’t be allowed to choose something as small as what to wear, we’re essentially being told to forget our preferences and originality later in life. In addition to that, teenage years are the time when building one’s personality happens. Having the freedom to choose what to wear helps a person find their own self and identify with similar people.” Ruby smiled at him.

“In my opinion, school uniforms are a good idea when it comes to creating a sense of belonging, especially with the new students coming from Southside High,” Ruby countered, making Sweet Pea open his mouth to reply. But, she put up a finger and didn’t let him. “Wearing the same uniform as everyone, no matter which side of the tracks they come from would help students feel like one. It would create a sense of belonging and help them get along better, without discriminating against the newcomers from Southside High. In the end, originality is still a choice, as uniforms can be decorated freely as long as the dress code is being respected,” then, the girl looked at him pointedly. “You’re not allowed to interrupt during the debate,” Sweet Pea tried to speak again, but Ruby cut him off. “Now, the next question is if school uniforms can help scrap the social inequalities.”

“Wait, wait,” Sweet Pea put his hands up, stopping her. “Don’t I get a chance to reply? A rebuttal, or something?” his face lit up and the biker smirked at the petite girl. “Redirect, Your Honor!” That sentence got a bit of laughter running throughout the crowd which had steadily been gathering around them.

“This isn’t a court, sasquatch. But, sure, have at it.” Ruby shook her head and motioned for him to continue.

“If the aim of school uniforms is to level the playing field, so to speak, and create a sense of belonging, why are only the Southside students being asked to wear them?” Ruby nodded to him furiously.

“That! That’s a point which you should definitely be making within your argument,” she smiled at him brightly and Sweet Pea felt his face heat up at the praise. “Write that down,” Ruby waited for him to do so and then asked the next question again when he looked up. “So, about uniforms helping with social inequalities?”

“Is that about gang paraphernalia?” Sweet Pea asked, frowning.

“It can be,” Ruby shrugged. “For example, an argument against school uniform could be that, while it may help exterminate bullying against students with lower income and cheaper clothing, it will also increase a ‘gang state of mind’,” when she saw him frowning, Ruby elaborated. “School uniforms create a larger ‘gang’, so to speak,” her fingers quoted the word. “By having a uniform, there is a rivalry being created with other schools. In essence, while it may not be the Serpents or the Ghoulies, it’s still a ‘gang’.”

“Oh, I see,” Sweet Pea wrote down the basic points and then looked back up at the girl. “What about the counter?”

“School uniforms would stop the rich from competing against each other and bullying the less fortunate,” She shrugged again and Sweet Pea huffed at her wording. Ruby instantly glared at him. “Don’t you huff at me! You’re going to be called out as less fortunate up there, so be ready for it.”

“Alright, alright. Anger is going to be in check,” when she raised her eyebrow Sweet Pea groaned. “I promise to do my best.”

“Okay, next question could be whether school uniforms are practical or not.” At that, the tall biker’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Oh, let me get started,” he proudly puffed out his chest and grabbed his notebook. The onlookers laughed, hearing Sweet Pea begin to list off a number of reasons why uniforms weren’t comfortable or practical. He started with the quality of clothing and ended with religious reasons, highlighting the Muslim tradition of girls having to cover their skin, which the uniforms didn’t accommodate. In the end, their mock debate turned more into an actual battle, rather than Ruby explaining each question and making suggestions regarding arguments Sweet Pea could make. The crowd around them changed, students coming and going, but, there was a steady group of about a dozen people applauding whenever one of them one-upped the other. In the end, Ruby stopped Sweet Pea from talking and turned to the onlookers.

“So, what do you say, jury?” she asked. “All those in favor of school uniforms being introduced to Riverdale High?” a couple of hands rose. “All those in favor of having a dress code only?” a majority of the students put their hands up. “Well, Sweet Pea, looks like you’ve just won your mock debate.” The tall biker stood, making a show out of bowing to the crowd which applauded. Then, he turned to Ruby and took her hand, making her get up and get pulled into the hallway, scrambling to keep his notebook in her hands, along with her bag and phone. Sweet Pea didn’t stop until they reached the boys’ bathroom, which he tugged Ruby into and closed the door, locking it by sliding a piece of wood under the frame.

“Have I mentioned how hot you are when you’re arguing debate?” The tall biker turned to the girl, the look in his eyes making her brain short-circuit.

“Ah, um, no?” She stuttered out.

“Insanely hot.” And Sweet Pea kissed her against the tiles of the bathroom, his notebook and her bag falling to the floor.

And, I am happy to give you guys this piece of smut and sexual tension xD I hope you enjoyed!

Taglist:  @enticinghell @projectcampbell @sweetscamille @xoxodege @mlvgren @this-is-the-way-it-ends 

You can find the previous parts here: Day 1: A way to memorize Day 2: How to prepare for a study date (?) like a proper gentleman Day 3:  With proper motivation, anything is possible Day 4:  PG13 PDA sugar can be good motivation Day 5: Autumn time is picnic time Day 6: It’s best when we can compete Day 7:  Master of procrastination and his jailer Day 8: Take me anywhere, everywhere, away from here Day 9:  Dirty French for beginners   Day 10:  I need… sleep?… no, you… Day 11:  Delirium   Day 12: Stay still for me   Day 14: Two-seater and Chinese   Day 15:  Unintentional intentions