I smelt the strawberry scent in her hair as we lay in my four-poster bed, looking at the ceiling in complete awe. In the past, there had been so many nights where I would stare at that very ceiling blankly with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Previously, it was a bland white colour that screamed how hopeless my mind and life was. Now, it had transformed into a sky full of stars and meteors. It was filled with excitement, hope... and love.

It was all thanks to her. Toni Topaz.

Gently, I ran my fingers through her tinted pink hair. She had fallen asleep twenty minutes ago but I didn't have the heart to wake her up. In that state, she looked so peaceful, honestly so beautiful. She wore one of my scarlet red t-shirts, a colour that she definitely pulled off better than me. Meanwhile, her favourite flannel, which was paired with a lacy bra, clung to my skinny frame.

'Tee-Tee, I am so in love with you,' I muttered under my breath, 'You have no idea.'

I interlocked our fingers together with my free hand and smiled. Through all the hardships that I encountered throughout my life, being with her filled the void that my grief created. My mind had roamed into very dark territory in the past to the point where I thought it would never leave.

Within Riverdale, Jason's death was common knowledge but it was a topic everyone had to stop talking about. I witnessed with my own eyes his murder on video and to make matters worse, his murderer had been our father. Likewise, my mother was almost equally as cruel an individual. For as long as I could remember, she had an issue with my homosexuality to the point in which she was willing to exile me to the Sister's of Quiet Mercy. She even attempted to murder Nana Rose, constantly shot crude remarks at me and found relief in being the prostitute of Riverdale.

Well, that's pig people for you.

Toni could never be a pig person even if she tried. Her heart was too pure. There was something about her that could light a fire in any darkness. She was the warmth and light to my heart and mind. Whenever I was with her, I felt like I could let my Regina George façade down and show my vulnerable true self. Somehow, she understood me in ways that everyone else was unable to do. Maybe it was because she was always able to see through my guard, both with and without our current strong bond, like how she had when we watched Love, Simon those many months ago. Regardless, she was a blessing and I was forever thankful.

After her seizure, anxiety pumped through my veins as if it were my bloodstream. Although these fits had somehow become common within Riverdale, the fact that she personally experienced one petrified me. The thought of losing her was unbearable. I had experienced enough emotional losses and tortures in my life to know that losing her would completely ruin me. For that reason, I asked her to move in with me so that I could protect and look after her. Besides, the house was practically mine and Nana Rose's anyway as my mother now resided with Claudius in the barn. It wasn't like anyone was going to stop us. I mean, it was a lot better than her staying alone in Sunnyside Trailer Park.

'Cheryl...'

I glanced down to see that she had awoken. Her eyes were puffy from sleep and an innocent expression was written all over her face.

I whispered softly, 'How's my sleeping beauty?'

A blush spread across her cheeks and she beamed, flashing her teeth, 'I'm much better thank you. I had the weirdest dream about-' Realisation entered the tone in her voice as she stopped what she was saying.

'Dreaming about what, Tee-Tee?' I cocked my head to the side curiously. She shrugged her shoulders nervously and claimed that it didn't matter and was something that wasn't important. However, I had an inkling that she dreamt about something memorable so I asked her to tell me, or at least to hint the topic area to me.

'Well... it was about you,' she started, 'And about the future. Beyond all the chaos in Riverdale.'

'What about our future?'

I watched as she licked her chapped lips. I leaned in closer and kissed her jawline before pulling away again. My kiss left a lipstick mark. At this point in our relationship, I was certain that I wanted a future with her. We both always envisioned ourselves to succeed academically but recently, I also pictured a world with mini Cheryl's and Toni's running around. Depending on our circumstances, we would either stay here or live further up Sweetwater River. It honestly depended on the future of the town and Hiram Lodge's dictatorship.

After a silence, it was evident that her insecurities and awkwardness prevented her from preceding with her explanation so I leaned my head on her shoulder and said, 'Toni, I want to be with you until death. You're the only girl I want to be with. I promise and love you.'

'I love you too Cheryl and also always want to be with you.'

I changed the subject by handing her the specially made herbal tea that the family doctor recommended, 'Would you like to get some fresh air with me? I want to practise my archery so that my arrow hits whoever's responsible for the seizures head.'

Glancing over at my personalised Serpent jacket, which was hung around the chair next to my desk, we both let out a laugh. We both knew that I was psycho enough to do that. After all, one of my arrows previously pierced through Hal Cooper's shoulder on the night where he tried to kill me. In all fairness, that wound was an act of self-defence rather than anger.

Toni kissed me and said, 'Fresh air has never sounded more appealing to me.'

if you enjoyed this one-shot, please let me know by either reviewing or favouriting! it was inspired by the mid-finale season 3 episode. should I do more one-shots like this? if so, which characters would you like to see it between? please say!