Purple Rain
Sweet Pea's POV
"Remind me again why we're doing this Jones?", I said as Fangs, Toni, Jughead, and I pulled up to his trailer.
"This is important Sweet Pea, Bea deserves to be involved too", Jughead replied. "She lives for this kind of shit. You think you're a hot-head, well you haven't seen anything until you've seen Bea's temper" he chuckled.
"Can confirm", Fangs said. "I had to hold her back from jumping a guy at the Wyrm because he whistled at her". Toni and I chuckled as Jughead shook his head. "Seriously guys, she was like threatening to castrate him. I've never been more scared of a girl in my whole life!".
I rolled my eyes, but followed them to his trailer anyways with a small smirk on my face. It was true; though she hadn't been here long, we'd all learned to steer clear of Bea when she became angry. I personally admired the hell out of her when she stood up for herself or her friends, not that I'd ever say that out loud.
Jughead walked into the trailer as the rest of us trailed in behind. As soon as the door was open the sound of loud music hit my ears, and the sight of Bea's tall frame standing near the kitchen sink wearing only a pair of small pajama shorts and an oversized sweatshirt found my eyes. I felt my face unintentionally heat up at the sight of her long, thick legs in minimal clothes and immediately worked to control the thoughts that ran through my mind. Bea smiled at the four of us, soapy water covering her hands as she finished washing a set of dishes.
"Hey guys, what's up?", she asked, practically yelling over the music as she dried her hands on a nearby dishtowel.
"Are those my boxers?", Jughead groaned, looking Bea over. She looked down at her attire and shrugged.
I used this moment to appraise her gorgeous frame once more, noting with dissatisfaction that she was indeed clad in a pair of men's boxers. I felt a wave of pure anger over take me, and I couldn't help but clench my fists at my sides. The thought of Bea with any man besides me made me physically ill, though I knew I had no right to feel that way.
"I feel like you want me to say yes, but that would be a lie", she giggled, winking at her cousin. Jughead pretended to gag, causing Bea to laugh a bit harder and my jaw to tense uncomfortably as I tried not to wonder where she'd gotten them if not from Jones.
"Girl can you turn down the oldies, I can't even hear myself think!", Toni said, walking up to Bea and giving her a quick hug.
"Seriously, what even is this?", Fangs complained. Bea stood, phone in hand, music lowered significantly, and jaw dropped.
"Are you kidding me Fangs?", she exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips. "This is PRINCE you uncultured child".
"Who?", I asked, eyebrow raised. Bea put her hand over her heart in mock pain and gripped the counter with her other hand like she was about to faint. Jughead groaned.
"Oh good. Now you've gotten her started on this. We're never going to hear the end of this guys, thanks", he said exasperatedly.
"THIS IS PRINCE ROGERS NELSON AND YOU WILL ALL RESPECT HIM IN THIS HOUSE", Bea cried dramatically. I chuckled a little at her fierce expression, wondering how one person could be so cute and so frightening at the same time. "You guys can't seriously tell me that you've never listened to Prince before, he's a national treasure! I can't even, I just, ugh!", she fumed.
"Sorry drama queen, but not all of us grew up in his backyard", Jughead chuckled. She shook her head.
"That's no excuse!", she exclaimed. Toni smiled with pride.
"Hey I don't know about these knuckleheads, but I have absolutely jammed out to Prince in my time", Bea hugged her closely before leaning back and grabbing her face between her hands.
"Thank Jesus for you Topaz. I knew I could always count on you", she said with such solemnity that I found myself chuckling.
"I can't be the only one who has no idea what the hell we're talking about", Fangs said, turning to me. "Do you have any idea what the fuck they're on about?". I shrugged.
"Guessing this Prince guy is the one we're currently listening to", I said, feigning nonchalance. Bea looked between Fangs and I, her facial expression ranging from sadness to looking like she was going to smack the two of us. I secretly found it adorable.
" 'This Prince guy'", Bea said mockingly, "is the single greatest artist in American musical history. I mean, he is quite literally the most brilliant musician in the last hundred years, easily. He's progressive as fuck, his lyrics are pure god damned poetry, and his beats are…"
"...iconic", Jughead chimed in at the end of her rant sarcastically. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Please Bea, I've heard this exact monologue at least 3 times. Although, you two should count yourselves lucky; when she lectured Archie last she also ended up smacking him upside the head". Toni, Fangs, and I chuckled at the mental image while Bea simply shrugged passively.
"What kind of so called musician doesn't know about Prince", she stated remorselessly.
"To speed this lecture along, Prince is a singer", Jughead started, as Bea smacked him upside the head, "Erm, musical artist, sorry, that was super popular in the late 80's and 90's. He's famously from Minnesota, and Bea is obsessed with him". Bea nodded proudly.
"Duh. He's the best. When Dad shipped me off to Minnesota and I was all alone, Prince's music and movies are what got me through it", she stated more softly than she did before. My heart tugged for her; though Bea was obviously fond of her temporary hometown in St. Paul (evidenced by the oversized University of Minnesota sweatshirt she wore currently) it made me feel strangely guilty that she was left without any friends or semblance of family for so long. This girl was going to be the death of my image if anyone found out about how soft she was making me. And we weren't even together for Christ's sake, it was becoming somewhat pathetic on my part.
"...it can wait Juggie, they have to listen to at least one song!", I heard Bea cry as I shook my thoughts away and returned to the conversation at hand.
"Personally, I'm very interested in what has gotten our Bea so fired up", Fangs offered. "What about you Sweets?". I shrugged again, although I was definitely intrigued. Jughead sighed again.
"Fine, one song. Then we head to the Wyrm to talk about the protest", he said finally. Bea narrowed her eyes.
"Full album or no deal", she countered firmly, crossing her arms across her chest. Jughead crossed his arms too, and I internally snickered to myself as they stood in some kind of faceoff.
"One song, and I'll play Purple Rain next movie night", he negotiated. Bea narrowed her eyes, and stuck her hand out for Jughead to shake.
"Deal", she said with finality. Then she turned to Toni and her face broke out in her beautiful, ear splitting smile. "TT, you've known these doofuses way longer than me, so help me out here. What song is best to educate them with? Classic and soulful like Purple Rain, or upbeat and jammable like When Doves Cry?".
"When Doves Cry for sure", Toni answered quickly. Bea nodded, and grabbed her phone so she could find the song. I lost myself in watching the absolute joy and anticipation that graced her features. This girl had me so whipped it was insane.
Bea's POV:
I bounced on my toes in anticipation as I searched my playlist for the correct song. I could not be more excited to share my love for Prince with my new little family. Prince was an ethereal artist that was so transcendent and iconic; it was beyond me how anyone could find fault with him. I selected the song, and as soon as the synthesized beats of the opening graced my ears, I smiled feeling complete. I began to bop along, and as Prince's dulcet tones hit my ears with the opening lyric, I pointed to Toni.
"Dig if you will the picture
Of you and I engaged in a kiss
The sweat of your body covers me
Can you my darling
Can you picture this?"
I pointed to Toni and danced over to her to grab both of her hands in mine as I lip synced the words to her. She smiled widely.
"Dream if you can a courtyard
An ocean of violets in bloom
Animals strike curious poses
They feel the heat
The heat between me and you"
She reciprocated by lip syncing the next line and we both acted like morons, snapping vogue-esque poses as Prince sang. I giggled lightly and we both bopped around to the chorus.
"How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied (She's never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry"
Turning to Sweet Pea and Fangs, I noted with pride that they both seemed to be enjoying the song. Fangs stood near Toni and I and appeared to be swaying and tapping his feet to the beat. Sweets, ever the cool guy, still stood with his arms crossed but I wasn't fooled. His deep chocolate eyes betrayed his mirth and interest, and I could tell that he was much more intrigued than he cared to let on. I danced my way over to the pair and began lip syncing to them as well.
"Touch if you will my stomach
Feel how it trembles inside
You've got the butterflies all tied up
Don't make me chase you
Even doves have pride"
I pulled one of each of their hands in an attempt to get them to groove with me as TT had. Fangs followed willingly, but Sweets simply shook his head. I scoffed; of course Mr. Too Cool wouldn't be caught dead dancing. I shook my head and began two-stepping goofily with Fangs.
"How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world so cold? (World so cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied (She's never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (A world that's so cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding (Maybe, maybe I'm like my father)
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold (Ya know he's too bold)
Maybe you're just like my mother (Maybe you're just like my mother)
She's never satisfied (She's never, never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other (Why do we scream, why)
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
When doves cry (Doves cry, doves cry)
When doves cry (Doves cry, doves cry)"
I laughed freely at Fangs as he spun me around the room, clearly as into the song as I knew that he'd be. I'd always loved that part of Fangs that wasn't afraid to be exactly who he was, no matter how seemingly different from the tough guy image that he had. It was moments like these that reminded me why I had found it so easy to open up to him, in a completely platonic way. He never judged me for anything, and wasn't scared to be goofy with me unlike some other serpents I knew. Speaking of tall, brooding serpents, I turned to Sweet Pea to gauge his reaction and was immediately confused. Though he hadn't changed his position nearly at all, I noted that his handsome features were much more rigid than before and his usually chocolate eyes had turned a dark shade of nearly black, the mirth completely gone. I tossed a concerned look his way, and his posture seemed to relax a smidge. I smiled at him, all thoughts of Prince temporarily gone from my mind. The song ended, and I turned to the boys once more.
"Well?", I asked giddily, head turning from Sweets to Fangs and back. Sweets seemed to soften even more as he smirked once more, an action that made my legs go embarrassingly weak for a moment. I matched his smirk with one of my own.
"I fucking loved that Bea", Fangs interrupted. I (somewhat reluctantly) turned to him, beaming.
"Yeah that wasn't too bad", Sweet's deep voice chuckled. I narrowed my eyes at him but softened slightly as he threw up his hands in mock defeat. That damned smirk was going to be the death of me. It was somewhat baffling to me that after all the guys I'd dated or hung out with that I could be so hung up on one that had never made a move on me. Sweets had this sort of undeniable pull on me; even now I was hanging on his every reaction, praying that he ended up loving Prince as much as I did. It was borderline pathetic.
"Great, so now that we've gotten that sorted, can we please go be productive", Jughead practically whined, effectively pulling me from my thoughts. I rolled my eyes.
"Yes mother. Let me go change, and I'll meet you all at the Wyrm", I replied sardonically. I sighed; I love my cousin and all, but he was seriously such a buzzkill sometimes.
A few days later, Sweet Pea's POV:
The promised day had finally come; it was the weekly movie night at Sunnyside that Bea and Jughead put on, and as planned, Jones was showing a movie by that Prince guy. The whole thing was pretty genius actually; Bea had come up with the idea of using old drive-in equipment to project movies against the trailers shortly after she moved back to Riverdale. She said it was purely to counter Jones' excessive complaining about losing his old job, but she wasn't fooling me. She was just as big of a movie nerd as Jughead, and she lived for the weekly showings. Tonight she was practically buzzing with excitement, as her self-proclaimed favorite movie was being screened. Serpents and, to my slight annoyance, a few Northsiders milled around on blankets on the chilly ground as Jones queued up the film. Bea sat snuggled up adorably against the side of an old couch that she always claimed was 'her spot'. She was a notorious cuddler during movie nights, and whoever was lucky enough to claim the spot next to her on the tattered couch had the guarantee of her sharing both her blanket and her body for warmth. I usually made a nonchalant attempt to sit near her, but to my extreme annoyance, Toni was sitting in between the two of us on the couch. Bea was practically sitting on her lap with a blanket covering the three of us and her head on Toni's shoulder. I sat on the other side of Toni, silently wishing that it was my shoulder that she was leaning on and my legs that she tangled her long, thick thighs with. I longed to feel her soft heartbeat against my chest and smell the sweet scent of her shampoo as she quietly watched the movie.
Luckily for me, Topaz left our trio as soon as Cheryl showed up, vowing to come back even though Bea and I both knew that she wouldn't. Bea pouted slightly as she dismantled from Toni, and turned her beautiful blue eyes towards me with a hopeful expression. I rolled my eyes in fake annoyance and opened my arms to her, praying she couldn't hear how hard my heart thrummed with anticipation. She grinned cheesily as she scooted impossibly closer to me and snuggled her comparatively small frame into my side, legs thrown atop mine and arms around my waist. My hands found rest on her hips, and a lovely content sigh left her plump lips as she settled.
"You know you have a real problem with personal space", I muttered good naturedly into her ear as the main title began to play. She turned her head up towards mine and smiled softly.
"Oh please, you know you love it", she said lowly. I smirked at the way I felt her face heat up marginally, loving the effect I sometimes seemed to have on her. We remained intertwined for a while, watching the movie in a peaceful silence. She watched the film with rapt attention (though judging by the way she mouthed the words she'd seen it a fair few times) and I watched her mainly. The way her ocean blue eyes followed the characters and the way they twinkled and danced as a new song was played. I was mesmerized by her reactions, staying completely still for fear that this nearly perfect moment would be ruined.
"So tell me, why is this so important to you? I mean this goes way beyond just loving the guy's music Bea", I murmured in her ear after a while. I felt her tense up slightly and my arms wrapped tighter around her, instinctively rubbing small circles on her clothed hip. She seemed to sigh, though the noise was so quiet that I almost missed it.
"When dad decided to run away to Minnesota, I had a really hard time at first. I was young and in a new place where I knew nobody and no one knew me. Other than the sketchy ass people that dad had in and out of our apartment whenever he decided to re-appear, I was completely lost and alone. Eventually I left dad, realizing that being homeless was better than living with that asshole…" she started as I felt my fist that wasn't caressing her hip tense at the mention of her father. She'd made it clear before that there was no love lost between the two, but she'd never went into great detail about why that was before. I felt sick at the realization of what he'd done to her and the fact that she was now reliving it because of me.
"Bea, you don't have to tell me", I started to whisper, but she shook her head against my chest.
"It's okay Pea; I trust you and I want you to know", she stated firmly. I felt my heart and stomach flutter at her admission, listening with rapt attention as she continued. "Anyways, it was coming up on winter time and my days of staying in playground tunnels was coming to an end. You all think Riverdale winters are cold, well you've never felt anything as cold as a Minnesota winter. I was scared and trying to figure out how I was going to survive the next few months. That's when Shirley found me", she smiled softly for the first time since she started explaining.
"Shirley was this badass, old tattooed cat lady that found me sleeping in a playground slide while she walked through Harriet Island park. She immediately scolded me for my lack of jacket in the late fall weather and my worn through converse, and took me away practically by my ear to a department store. She bought me new clothes and shoes and insisted that I stay with her. I lived with her for a few years before she ended up passing away, and in that time she turned me into the person I am now. She was fierce; she didn't take shit from anyone and taught me to be just as tough. No fooling me though, she was a complete softie when it came to me; she always made sure I was fed and clothed and that I was actually going to school. She was my favorite person", her voice cracked a little and I pulled her impossibly closer to my body, burying my face in her hair.
"Shirley loved Prince even more than me, if you can believe that", she chuckled. "She always claimed that she inspired some of his music when she was younger and always had his old cassettes playing. I visited his old spots and became just as obsessed as her. Hell, I even always dreamed of having my first kiss be with Purple Rain playing in the background. It unfortunately wasn't by the way, but hey a girl can dream! When she died, all of her stuff was given to her son that she hadn't spoken to in years. He was a giant dick, and just ended up throwing it all away. I snuck back later and grabbed all her cassettes, knowing that if I didn't she would probably roll over in her grave. Still have them", she stated proudly. I laughed into her hair lightly.
"Anyways, it probably seems dumb, but whenever I listen to him I feel close to her again. The time I spent with her was the closest thing I had to a childhood. And besides, Prince is a god-damned American prodigy", she concluded proudly. If it were at all possible, I felt even more attracted to her after hearing her story. I always knew that there was a certain darkness within her, a darkness that maybe could match my own. I wanted to speak up, to finally tell her how I felt about her. Even if she didn't feel the same, I felt compelled to let her know the effect she had on me.
"Bea…", I started softly, only to be shushed by her long slender finger being drawn to my lips. Her eyes were back on the screen, wide with attention and nostalgia.
"Shhhh Sweets. This is the best part of the movie, he's going to perform Purple Rain", she chidded quietly. "This part always makes me cry, so get ready tough guy". I once again tightened my grip on her sides, and whispered in her ear.
"Don't worry Bea, I've got you".
Time Skip, a few days later, at the Quarry:
Bea's POV:
I was the proudest mother hen in the world right now. Some serpents were hanging out at the quarry around a fire, just listening to music and pretending for a few hours that we were normal highschool kids and not the brooding tough gang members that we portrayed. It was Fang's turn to choose the music, and to my extreme delight I'd heard a number of Prince's singles in the mix of his usual stuff. I sat on a stump near the fire, beer in hand, just quietly taking in my surroundings when Purple Rain began playing softly. I smiled in contentment, memories flooding through my mind as I closed my eyes and began to sway slightly. I was snapped back to reality as I felt a hand gently make it's rest on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see an uncharacteristically anxious looking Sweet Pea peering down at me. I raised a brow in question, and he cleared his throat before motioning to the edge of the trees.
"Walk with me a minute?", he asked softly. Curious, I nodded and hopped up to follow the tall boy. We walked over to the mouth of the forest in companionable silence as the surrounding conversations faded from our ears and the music seemed louder than ever. I felt my heartbeat thud in my chest in anticipation of what the handsome boy wanted and hoped to every deity available that he couldn't hear it. When we finally stopped walking, I looked up at him expectantly, wanting to search his deep chocolate eyes for answers but found that his eyes were cast downward. His posture was still tense, big hands fumbling with his rings, a sign to me that he was unusually ill at ease. I'd never seen him so uncomfortable. Almost without thinking, I grabbed his giant hand in mine and began smoothing out his rings out of pure concern. His eyes snapped to mine, and I smiled lightly in another attempt to calm his clearly troubled mind. His eyes remained dark and unreadable, and he cleared his throat once more before speaking.
"Bea… I have to tell you something", he started. I nodded, hands still fumbling with his own.
"Of course Sweets, you can tell me anything", I answered honestly. His eyes seemed to search mine, and though I was unaware of what he thought he was going to find I didn't mind the excuse to trace his defined facial features with my eyes in the process. He seemed to find the answer he was looking for, and after a few seconds he spoke once again.
"Can you just close your eyes? Just for a second", he asked, clarifying once he saw the confusion written on my face. I smiled softly, and complied, eyelids falling closed lightly. I wondered internally what had gotten the usually confident serpent so riled up.
I didn't have to wonder long; mere seconds after my eyes closed I felt a pair of soft lips attach to my own. My eyes snapped open of their own accord as I struggled to comprehend what was going on. Sweet Pea, handsome, smart, wonderful Sweet Pea was kissing me. As my eyes snapped open, Pea moved back and detached himself from me. He looked even more disheveled than before, and immediately began sputtering apologies. It took me only a few seconds to process what had just happened, and as soon as I did I placed my hands on his chiseled jawline and closed the gap between our lips once more. Eyes closed, I savored the way his defined face felt under my fingers and the way his soft lips moved against mine. I'd long since dreamed of this exact moment, but even in my dreams his kisses had no comparison to what I was currently experiencing. His lips were impossibly soft and molded perfectly to mine. His face was smooth and strong under my careful caress, and I felt my stomach flutter at the way I felt his muscles twitch and then soften under my touch. I stepped up on my toes, selfishly pressing more of my body against his, in desperate need of more contact with his tall frame. Once he realized what was going on, his hands found their way to my hips and his mouth became more needy against mine. I moaned unintentionally into his mouth, moving my hands to rest in his long, raven locks as our embrace intensified. Eventually, needing to come up for air, I settled for resting my forehead against his. This was evidently not enough for Sweets, as he continued to place tender kisses against my jawline until he had worked his way up my face, leaving one last delicate kiss to my forehead. We stood for an immeasurably long time, foreheads against each others, hands softly exploring each other's body while we both smiled with genuine happiness. It was my curiosity that eventually broke the peaceful silence we'd enjoyed.
"Not that I am in any way complaining, but what on Earth brought that on?", I questioned gently. His smile widened fractionally, and he grabbed my hand in his as he led me back to the group. It seemed as though none of our friends had noted our absence, and I internally wondered how long we'd been gone. Our moment had felt like it had lasted an eternity, but in reality was probably only a few minutes long. Pea pulled me over to one of the blankets spread out on the ground, sitting down and pulling me to rest in-between his long legs. I readily nestled into his chest, my back resting on his sturdy frame, his fingers still intertwined with mine. I felt his chin come to rest on my shoulder and I inadvertently sighed, impossibly comfortable. We rested like this for a few moments, me not missing how Toni and Fangs eyed the two of us with knowing smiles. After a while I felt Sweet Pea's deep voice tickle the shell of my ear and I shivered lightly, enjoying the way his chest vibrated lightly against my back as he spoke.
"You mentioned before that you always wanted your first kiss to be during Purple Rain. I heard Fangs start playing it, and I saw you sitting over there looking so beautiful and happy I just had to", he said lowly. I turned my head slightly so I could look at him. He looked so sweet in this moment, eyes as light as I'd ever seen and face tinged lightly pink with his admission. "I know it wasn't technically your first kiss, but I just thought, I dunno, maybe I could make up for whatever asshole didn't make it everything you deserved".
Unable to help myself, I snuggled myself into his neck as his hands left mine in order to protectively encircle me in his arms. I kissed his serpent tattoo gently, living for the way I felt him shiver under my touch and mentally filing that information away for later. I finally brought my lips up to his ear, whispering softly.
"So, if that was just making up for my first kiss, can I assume there will be more to follow?", I whispered cheekily, my eyes looking up through my lashes to find his. His dark eyes lightened a shade and he smiled his real, genuine smile as his lips dipped down to murmur his reply into the crook of my neck.
"When the day turns into the last day of all time, I can say I hope you are in these arms of mine", he quoted softly and I felt my insides melt in response. "If you'll have me doll, I hope that there will be many more".