Toni Topaz was many things.

A cheesy romantic she was not.

But as Jughead murmured a deliciously—almost sickeningly—sweet proposal into her ear, she couldn't help but contemplate his words. He wanted to go stargazing with her. It was perhaps out character—especially for them being them—but she always did savor the brief moments they spent together. And Jughead's words caused her head to swim because those words were exactly those of a cheesy romantic.

"Don't worry," he chuckled. "Don't look so panicked. I'm not turning into one of those lovesick fools."

She let out a soft breath of relief. "Mmm."

"I just thought it would be nice," he said, almost defensively. His blue eyes seared into hers. "The sky is usually clouded with...clouds. I don't like that."

"That's the whole point of clouds, Jug," she murmured.

He snorted, an angry snort. "Clouds. Damn them."

Then, there was a breath of silence between them, but not the God, this is awkward kind. Toni dared to look up and meet his gaze. He was looking right back at her, and she had a sense of deja vu, of the night that she had kissed him—and how he had kissed her back! They had looked at each other in a similar way to now, and the thought almost made her smile. Almost.

Instead, she said, "I've never gone stargazing before."

"That's too bad," Jug said, with a perpetual smirk. "Now you'll never get to compare how awesome the night's going to be with me."

She rolled her eyes. "Slow down, cowboy"—he wrinkled his nose at her words—"I never said 'yes.'"

He smirked. "Oh?"

"You're crazy."

"That might be true," he conceded. "But one of us is right, and the other one is wrong, so you might as well admit that you're the one who's wrong, so we can get this conversation over with."

She shook her head in disbelief and amazement. "You have a creative way of winning arguments."

"Oh, if only it was an argument."

Living in the Southside, you had to develop a tough shell. You had to be prepared for anything.

Being a Serpent felt right. It fit Toni like a well-worn glove. She knew that was who she was, and she was comfortable with that. And she was comfortable with Jug, too, as crazy as that might sound.

Which was why it was so weird that she felt so out-of-wack as he led her through the forest and into a secluded meadow. The forest part she didn't mind. She spent most of her childhood trekking those very grounds to avoid hearing her parents argue so loud she swore the Northsiders could've heard. The meadow was just a flat piece of land. There honestly wasn't much coverage, and for someone who liked the shadows quite a bit, this was unnerving for Toni.

"God, Toni, stop being so tense. They're no Serpents around here."

She shot him a dirty look. "That's exactly the point, Jug."

He smirked. "Don't you like your alone time?"

"I'm not exactly alone."

"Oh? So you want me to leave?" He raised a brow at her as they settled down onto the meadow, and she resisted the urge to punch his pretty face for purposefully grating on her nerves. Then, almost nervously—or hesitantly—he reached over and laced their fingers together. She froze, unsure what to do. It felt so...crazy, contact like this. It was nice and sweet and surreal... It was almost dream-like.

It was also freaking her out.

When she peeked over at Jughead, he was looking right back at her, a slight smirk on his lips. Then, he turned back to the sky over them. Toni reluctantly took a peek, too, and was immediately dazzled by the beautiful display. The moon, almost full, was shining right over their heads, and the stars seemed to dance and glitter all around them. Clouds dusted the sky, and—

"Hey! Jug, you're a liar! There are clouds!"

"Of course there are," he answered, smirking. "This is Riverdale, Toni."

As the night progressed, their chatter dulled. They would merely stare at the dazzling display overhead, hands intertwined. A breeze billowed over them, and Toni didn't understand why she still felt so warm until Jughead gave her hand a brief squeeze. They touched in no other way, but his hand seemed to hold the warmth of the sun. She sensed his nervousness, and maybe...maybe he didn't want to screw this up, too.

The moment was so sweet in its own way, it was so—

"Toni, what's wrong?"

She stared at him, biting her lip. "Juggie..."

"Do you feel like you don't belong?"

"No," she said resolutely. "I feel like I do belong. And that freaks me out."

He laughed. "Of course it freaks you out," he commented. "But just shut up and enjoy the view, won't you?"

She might've made a snappy remark then, but though his words could've been displayed as harsh, the tone he delivered them was warm. The words wrapped around her, and warmth cascaded down her back. Toni turned back to the view overhead. A few clouds drifted over the moon, but the stars around the swirling sphere remained as bright as ever. The sky was beautiful—dark, with the stars lighting it up to brilliance.

Toni closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of Jughead mingling with the cold night breeze.

"You know what?" Jughead said suddenly. "I don't think I'll ever tire from this view." She hummed in response.

Had she opened her eyes, she would've realized that Jughead wasn't looking at the sky full of stars—or the moon that seemed to glow and emanate light.

He was looking at her.