#topaz!reader

*Toni’s POV*

Riverdale was never a safe place, but as long as I was alive, I was going to make sure my little brother made it through unscathed. Y/N Topaz was only two years younger than me, so we went to Riverdale High together. But while I was toughed by the Southside, growing up around the Serpents and learning how to fight my own battles, Y/N was different. He was soft, sweet, and too pure for this town. He still believed in the good in people. That’s why I never let him out of my sight. 

“Hey, Toni!” Y/N called as he caught up to me in the hallway, a bright smile on his face. 

“Guss what? I helped Ms. Haggly carry her books to class today, and she gave me an extra credit point!” 

I smirked, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Look at you, being a little teacher’s pet.” 

He pouted. “It’s called being nice.” 

“In this town? That’s called putting a target on your back.” 

Y/N rolled his eyes. “You worry too much.” 

I sighed, knowing he wouldn’t listen. He never saw the bad coming, not until it hit him square in the face. Which is exactly what happened that afternoon. 

I was standing by the lockers, chatting with Sweet Pea, when I heard a commotion in the courtyard. My stomach dropped when I heard Y/N’s voice, panicked and confused. Pushing through the crowd, I found him cornered by Reggie Mantle and his goons. 

“Come on, Topaz.” Regie sneered, gripping Y/N’s backpack. 

“You’re too soft to be Toni’s brother. What are you, the Serpents’ charity case?” 

Y/N shook his head, clearly flustered. “I’m not a Serpent.” 

“Yeah, no kidding.” Reggie laughed. “You don’t have the guts.” 

Before Y/N could respond, I shoved through the crowd, standing protectively in front of him. 

“Touch my brother again, and I’ll make sure you regret it, Mantel.” 

Reggie put his hands up, smirking. “Relax, Topaz, we were just playing around.” 

I narrowed my eyes. “Funny, I wasn’t laughing.” 

Reggie backed off, but not before shoving Y/N’s backpack at him. 

“Guess being a Serpent makes you blind to jokes. Later, Topaz.” 

As soon as he was gone, I turned to Y/N. “Are you okay?” 

Y/N sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah, I just… I don’t get why people have to be like that.” 

I softened. “Because they’re insecure idiots who think bullying makes them look strong.” I placed a hand on his shoulder. “But you? You don’t have to be like them. You’re better than that.” 

Y/N gave me a smile. “Thanks, TT.” 

“Always, little T.” I threw an arm around him, leading him away from the courtyard. 

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I had a bad feeling the second I heard the front door creak open. It was late- too late for Y/N to be coming home from anywhere other than school or the arcade, and both closed hours ago. I pushed off the couch, eyes narrowing as I saw his silhouette in the dimly lit living room. 

“Where the hell have you-” I stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening when he turned toward me. 

A black eye. 

My blood boiled instantly. “What the hell happened to your face?” 

Y/N flinched at my sharp tone and quickly shook his head, trying to brush past me. 

“It’s nothing, TT. Just some stupid accident.” 

I grabbed his arm before he could escape. “Bullshit.” 

“Toni-” 

“Don’t lie to me, Y/N. Who did this to you?” My voice was demanding, but underneath it was pure concern. 

He sighed, hesitating for a moment before finally caving. “It wasn’t a fight, okay? Sweet Pea and Fangs were… teaching me how to fight.” 

I blinked. “What?” 

“They were helping me learn to defend myself. You know, be more like a Serpent.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. 

I crossed my arms. “And why would you need to do that?” 

Y/N sighed, avoiding my gaze. “Because… maybe I need to toughen up. Maybe being nice isn’t cutting it in this town. People are mean, Toni. And maybe if I was more like you- more like Sweet Pea and Fangs- Maybe they’d leave me alone.” 

My heart clenched. This was exactly what I never wanted for him. I placed both hands on his shoulders, making him look at me. 

“Listen to me, Y/N. You don’t have to change who you are just because this shitty town is full of assholes. You hear me?” 

“But-” 

“No, shut up and listen.” My voice softened. “You’re better than this place. You’re better than all of this Serpent and Ghoulie crap. You actually have a future, Y/N. You’re smart, you do well in school, and you have a real shot at getting out of here.” 

Y/N looked down, but I gently nudged his chin up so he had to meet my eyes. 

“That’s what’s gonna get you out of Riverdale. Not throwing punches, not proving yourself to anyone but yourself. You’re gonna go to college. You’re gonna make something of yourself. And you’re gonna do it by being you.” 

Y/N swallowed hard. “But what if I don’t want to leave you?” 

I smiled softly, squeezing his arms. “Then you’ll visit me, dumbass. But I swear Y/N, you’re not gonna end up stuck in this town like the rest of us. You deserve better.” 

He was quiet for a moment before finally sighing. “Okay… I won’t do the trials.” 

I let out a breath of relief before playfully nudging him. “Good. Now go put some ice on that eye before I let Sweet Pea and Fangs know they’re next.” Y/N chuckled, and for the first time that night, I saw a hint of my innocent little brother again. 

*Four Years Later*

Riverdale hadn’t changed must, but I sure had. After finishing law school in New York, I returned, diploma in hand, ready to do what I set out for. To fight back. Hiram Lodge was long gone, but his legacy of corruption still ran deep. The town was still trying to rebuild, but they needed someone who knew the system. Someone who knew the law better than the people who used it against them. 

That’s where I came in. 

Toni was waiting for me at the bus station, leaning against her bike with a smirk. 

“Look at you, all fancy and educated. Gotta say, Little T, you clean up nice.” 

I chuckled, throwing my bag over my shoulder. “You act like I didn’t just spend the last four years drowning in textbooks and legal jargon.” 

She rolled her eyes. “And now you’re back to save the town, huh?” 

“Something like that.” 

Toni grinned, but there was something in her eyes… pride. She always believed in me, even when I doubted myself. Now, I was here to prove that belief wasn’t wasted. Back at the Whyte Wyrm, things were different. The Serpents weren’t just a gang anymore, they were a community, a family trying to build something real. They had a legit business front, owned by Toni and Fangs, and they were trying to help the town instead of just surviving in it. 

But of course, nothing in Riverdale was ever easy. 

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Toni asked, arms crossed as we stood outside the Serpents’ new HQ. 

I exhaled. “I’ve spent the last four years preparing for this.” 

She smirked, ruffling my hair like she used to when we were kids. 

“Still my little brother, no matter how tough you act.” 

I laughed. “Yeah, yeah, but I’m not that kid anymore, TT.” 

She nodded, a rare moment of seriousness crossing her face. 

“I know, and I’m proud of you.” 

Riverdale had taken a lot from us over the years, but now? Now, it was time to take something back. And this time, we weren’t fighting alone. 

A week later and the first time I walked into the courthouse as a lawyer, it felt different than I expected. There was no grand fanfare, no dramatic moment of realization, just a quiet weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders. Riverdale’s legal system wasn’t built for justice, it was built to keep people like us, people from the southside, down. That was exactly what I intended to change. 

Toni and I had spent the last few days catching up. She had stepped up big time while I was gone, leading the Serpents with a level-headedness that made me even prouder to be her brother. Fangs has his hands full with the bar and their kid, but he was still involved, still fighting. And Archie? He was still running the Community Center, still trying to keep the next generation from falling into the same cycles we grew up with. And now, I was back to help. 

“Alright, hotshot, let’s see if all that law school was worth it.” Toni said as she sat across from me in the Wyrm, arms crossed. 

I smirked. “You really doubt me?” 

She shrugged. “Nah, but I still gotta give you shit.” 

I chuckled, shaking my head before sliding a case file toward her. 

“This is the one. My first case.” 

Tonie picked up the folder, scanning the pages. As she read, her expression darkened. 

“Shit.” 

“Yeah.” 

The case was about a young Serpent, barely eighteen, who’d been arrested for something he didn’t do, vandalism at a Lodge-owned property. The charges were bogus, but the kid was being railroaded, just like so many before him. The prosecutor was pushing for jail time and his public defender had done the bare minimum. 

“He was set up.” Toni said, her voice laced with anger. “We know that.” 

“I know. But proving it? That’s the hard part.” 

Toni leaned back, drumming her fingers against the table. “So, what’s the plan, lawyer boy?” 

I smirked. “First, I dig. I find out who actually trashed that property, and I figure out why they pinned it on our guy. Then, I go to war in court.” 

Toni grinned. “Now that the Little T I know.” 

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “It’s not gonna be easy. The Lodges might not be running the town anymore, but their influence? It’s still here.” 

“Yeah.” Toni agreed. “But so are we.” 

I met her gaze and nodded. I wasn’t that kid who left Riverdale four years ago, and I wasn’t just another Serpent trying to survive anymore. I was a fighter. And this town? I wasn’t done fighting yet. 

Three days later, the trial had barely started. I could already tell how this judge felt about my client. The way she barely glanced at him, the way she entertained every little objection from the prosecution, it was all too familiar. But I didn’t come back here to lose. 

I stood, buttoning my suit jacket as I walked toward the jury. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, my client is not a criminal. He’s a teenager from the Southside, accused of a crime with no real evidence against him. What he does have, however, is a record- one that the prosecution is hoping you’ll see instead of the truth.” 

The prosecutor, an older man with a smug look, scoffed. I ignored him and continued. 

“This case isn’t about justice. It’s about control. About keeping people like us in our place. But I’m here to tell you-” I turned to the judge, to the prosecutor, to everyone in the room. “-that ends today.” 

From the corner of my eye, I saw Toni in the gallery, arms crossed, her smirk proud. This was just the beginning. I was ready for war. 

A week later, the air inside the courtroom was thick with tension as I stood, palms flat against the defense table, staring down the prosecution. The case had dragged on for days, with the prosecution throwing every trick in the book at us- trying to paint my client as some delinquent, another Serpent punk looking for trouble. But I knew better. 

Now, it was time to prove it. 

The prosecutor, a man named Richardson, rose from his seat with an air of self-importance. 

“Your Honor, the evidence is clear. The defendant was seen near the scene of the crime. He has a history of troublemaking- 

I shot up from my chair. “Objection! Character assassination. My client’s past has no relevance here.” 

Judge Whitmore gave me a tired look before nodding. “Sustained. Stick to the facts, Mr. Richardson.” 

Richardson sighed dramatically. “Very well. The point remains- there were no other suspects, and the defendant was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” 

I smirked, feeling my confidence grow. “Funny you say that, but I have evidence to prove otherwise.” 

The prosecutor narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?” 

I turned to the jury, pacing slightly as I spoke. “This entire case hinges on the idea that my client was the only possible suspect, that no one else could have committed the vandalism. But that’s simply not true.” 

I walked over to my table and picked up a file before a copy to the judge and then the prosecution. 

“I had an independent investigator review the security footage from a nearby gas station the night of the crim. And guess what? My client was there, blacks away, at the exact time the vandalism occurred.” 

Grapes rippled through the courtroom. Richardson quickly flipped through the papers, his face turning red. 

“That’s impossible-” 

“It’s not.” I turned to the judge. “Your Honor, this footage proves my client was not at the scene of the crime. It also suggests that someone else was involved.” 

Judge Whitmore adjusted her glasses as she reviewed the documents. 

“Mr. Richardson, do you have a response?” 

Richardson sputtered, flipping through the pages again before finally slumping. 

“No, Your Honor.” 

The judge sighed and turned to the jury. 

“I believe we’ve heard enough. We will now move to closing statements.” 

The jury had only been deliberating for an hour when they returned. I sat beside my client, who was practically shaking in his seat. Toni and Fangs were in the gallery, waiting just as anxiously. 

The foreman stood, clearing his throat. “In the cae of the Sate of Riverdale versus Daniel Gomez, we, the jury, find the defendant…” 

I held my breath. 

“...not guilty.” 

The words rang in my ears before the room erupted. I let out a breath, barely managing a grin before Daniel turned to me, eyes wide. 

“I-I’m free?” 

I nodded. “You’re free.” 

He let out a laugh of disbelief before hugging me. Toni cheered from the back, and even the judge, as much as she tried to remain composed, looked like she agreed with the verdict. As the courtroom emptied, I stepped outside to fine Toni leaning against the wall, arms crossed. She grinned at me. 

“Look at you.” She said. “Riverdale’s own legal badass.” 

I chuckled, shaking my head. “It was a good case, but it won’t be the last.” 

Toni nodded, the amusement in her eyes dimming slightly. “You know, there are a lot more kids like Daniel. More people Hiram’s influence has screwed over.” 

I glanced at the courthouse doors before looking back at her. “Then I guess I’ve got a lot more work to do.” 

She smirked, throwing an arm around my waist. “Good. Because Riverdale’s not done fighting.” 

Neither was I. 

Coming back to Riverdale after a year in New York felt… strange. The streets still looked the same, the buildings still had that old, worn-down charm, and the Whyte Wyrm was still standing- barely. But there was something different in the air, something heavier. Maybe it was the fact that I’d spent the last year in a city that never slept, where life moved fast and people didn’t stop to stare. Maybe it was just me that had changed. 

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder as I walked toward my old house, taking in the familiar streets of the Northside, where the Serpents now lived. The Serpents weren’t what they used to be. After Hiram Lodge took over as mayor, things only got worse. The town had been shifting for years, but now, it felt like a ghost of what it used to be. Before I could knock, the front door swung open. 

“Little T!” Toni pulled me into a hug so tight I almost dropped my bag. I laughed, hugging her back just as tightly. 

“Hey TT.” 

She pulled back, looking me over. “Damn, look at you! You got taller.” 

I smirked. “Or maybe you got shorter.” 

She scoffed, punching my arm. “Shut up, college boy.” 

I stepped inside, and the familiar scent of leather and Toni’s hair dye filled the air. It felt good to be home, even if everything around me had changed. 

“God, I missed you.” Toni said, flopping onto the couch. “Tell me everything. How’s New York? Are you surviving? Are the people as mean as they say?” 

I chuckled, setting my bag down. “New York’s insane. Loud, busy, and expensive as hell. But I love it. School’s tough, but I’m handling it.” 

Toni grinned. “Of course you are. I always knew you’d kill it out there.” 

I hesitated before adding. “It’s weird, though. Being back here, it feels… smaller.” 

Toni nodded, her expression shifting. “Yeah, Riverdale’s not the same, Y/N. Ever since Hiram became mayor, the Serpents have been barely holding on. He’s been buying out everything. Southside High is gone, Pop’s almost got shut down, and he’s got his hands in everyone’s pockets.” 

I clenched my jaw. “That bastard’s still screwing over the town?” 

“Worse than ever.” She sighed. “But enough about that. I wanna hear more about you. Any new friends? A girlfriend, maybe?” 

I rolled my eyes. “No, no girlfriend, but I made some good friends. One of them wants me to intern at this office with him next year.” 

Her eyes lit up. “No way! That’s huge!” 

Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door. 

Toni got up, smirking. “Speaking of people who missed you.” She swung the door open, revealing none other than Archie Andrews. 

He grinned, stepping inside. “Well, if it isn’t Y/N Topaz. Look at you, man. You’re all grown up.” 

I laughed, shaking his hand before pulling him into a quick hug. “Archie, good to see you, dude.” 

“You too. Toni told me you were coming back for a visit. How’s New York treating you?” 

“It’s crazy, but I love it.” I said. “How’s Riverdale? Besides, you know… the Lodge infestation.” 

Archie sighed. “Man, it’s a mess. Hiram’s got his hands in everything. He’s even messing with the Community Center now, trying to push us out.” 

I clenched my fists. “He won’t stop until he owns the whole town, will he?” 

“Nope.” Toni said, popping the p. 

Archie ran a hand through his hair. “It’s good to have you back, though. Even if it’s just for a bit.” 

I smiled, looking between the two of them. “Yeah, it’s good to be back.” 

Even if Riverdale had changed, even if Hiram Lodge was still making life hell for everyone, some things stayed the same. Toni was still my sister, and Archie was still one of the most loyal guys I knew. No matter how much time passed, this town would always be a part of me. But I wasn’t the same kid who left a year ago. I wasn’t the naïve little brother who needed protecting. I was different now. Stronger. And if Hiram thought he could keep tearing this town apart without consequences, maybe it was time someone reminded him that Riverdale still had people willing to fight back. Learning Law would come in handy for this town.