Your Hand In Mine
This is a work of fanfiction, no copyright infringement is intended. I own nothing pertaining to the Archie Comic/Riverdale universe. I do however own Miss Rikki Roach and certain liberties concerning Malachai.
~Pardon my potty mouth. I refrained for the most part in the last chappy, it feels less genuine considering the extreme lives these people seem to lead. Things are about to get real though, FP's almost out and it's about to get real heated.~ S.C.
Chapter 8
}-{
A shrill beeping was coming from somewhere near the other side of the room. Rikki kept her eyes shut, she was hoping it would just stop, so she could sink further into the warmth of the bed she lay in. Pulling tighter onto the covers that smelled vaguely familiar to her, she settled her head deeper into the pillow. Behind her, the bad was warm, and soft, the warmth retreated causing the bed to groan from the loss of its occupant. She couldn't care less who was exiting the bed, it wasn't something new for her. She often left the clubhouse with a warm body, someone to forget with. She hadn't done such a thing for a couple years now, not since Isaac, not since she'd left Albuquerque. The bed dipped with the weight of the other occupant, his strong arms snaking around her naked torso under the covers. She welcomed it, she liked to be warmth, to be snuggled into a muscled body.
"Sorry about that Rik, go back to sleep babe." He whispered into her ear, then kissed her temple. Something he'd done a million times before.
Her eyes flew open, his voice was not what she was expecting. Her vision was blurry with sleep, blinking furiously, taking in her surroundings. There was a wooden bedside table, an old table lamp with a worn shade atop of it. A threadbare armchair was nestled into the corner, her jacket laid upon it, a trail of shoes and clothes led to the side of the bed. She cleared her throat, remembering the arms that held her, and the chest that rose and fell with each of his breaths. She couldn't remember how she got here, closing her eyes, she tried again to sort out the events after they'd left the cliff overlooking the town. She just couldn't remember. She'd drunk nearly the entirety of her bottle last night, surely smoking every cigarette she'd had in her pack.
"We left the cliff, drove around for a bit, I brought you back here. You seemed more inclined to use me for my body, but I denied you. At first." His tongue slid along the shell of her ear. She could feel the smile on his lips.
"Wonderful. That's the opposite of how I wanted to start this business relationship. What time is it?" She huffed and rolled out of his arms.
"Hmmm. Okay. Well, it's about five in the morning. I had a call from one of the guys. It wasn't important. We still have four more hours before we need to go anywhere. I'll just go sleep on the couch." He wasn't looking at her now. She hurt him and she knew it. She felt bad all of a sudden, for Malachi.
"No, jeez," She reached for his arm to pull back to the bed. The blanket falling from her bare chest. "Come on, come back. I'm sorry. I'm a just mad at myself right now. It's not your fault Chi." He turned his head where he sat on the edge of the bed, taking in her exposed breasts, licking his lips.
"I figured you'd be regretful, I never should have brought you back here." She was hyper aware of his tongue moistening his lips, she mimicked the action, heat spreading throughout her body.
"I don't regret anything, I said to come back, I meant it. Unless you'd rather lay on the cold couch." Laying back in the bed, she left the blanket where it slid from her body. His eyes raking over the body he'd been missing for years.
He said nothing, lifting the blanket and sheet to scoot back into the bed with his former flame. His legs tangling with hers, relishing in her smooth skin against his own. It made his mouth water, she always had this effect on him. She took his large hand in her own and laid it over her hip, moving the blanket further down her body. A satisfied rumble coming from his chest, he pulled her closer to him.
"Make sure I remember this Chi, make it count."
Jughead had been lying awake in his twin bed for what seemed like hours. He was half expecting to hear Rikki and Malachi tumbling around in Jellybean's old room; the silence was much worse. He ignored it last night when he heard the girl bumping around in the room next to his. Then again when he heard the doors shutting. He ignored the sound of her truck leaving from the front of the trailer. Instead, he called Betty and they talked for awhile before she yawned and he let her go. He had put in his ear buds and read until his eyelids grew heavy.
He never heard Rikki come back, never heard her stumble through the trailer with her dumbass Ghoulie ex boyfriend. He would try for Rikki, to get along with the moron, but that's as far as it would go for now. His alarm for school went off, alerting him to the fact that it was now seven in the morning. He decided to get up and at least start some coffee before he had to retrieve his Dad from county.
Upon exiting his tiny room he heard his phone go off, it was Betty.
"Hey! Good Morning! What's going on Betty?" He was surprised to hear from this early, usually she just text messaged him a quick line or two.
"I was wondering if you wanted me to go with you to get your Dad? My Mom offered a ride!" She was cheerful despite the odd offer from her uptight mother. "I know it sounds weird, but, she's trying to be understanding and supportive."
"It is weird, beyond weird. I do need a ride though, doesn't look like Rikki came back. What time would you be around to get me?"
Jughead moved swiftly through his home, drinking a few cups of black coffee before entering the shower. He would be quick with his clean up , Betty's mom would be swift to collect him. She was always one to be early, no matter the occasion. He shot a text to Archie after exiting the shower. They would meet at Pop's to get some lunch, then figure out what to do with their missing friend and the information he was given last night. He knew this day would be more trying than the previous. He waited outside on the steps for his beloved and her Mom, toeing the random cigarette butts in the dirt. He noticed the bird printed on the scorched paper, wondering what his friend had gotten into the night before. He didn't have much time to think, as soon as his thoughts took him to the farthest reaches of Southside, Betty and Mrs. Cooper arrived to get him.
Once again, Rikki found herself waking up in the warm bed. She could hear the sound of a belt being buckled, of jean legs scratching together near her side of the bed. She peeped her eye open, looking at Malachi. He was freshly showered, his dark curls brushed back on his head. His smile made her stomach flop, he was so much better looking now than he'd ever been. She was beginning to believe he'd changed, she hoped anyway.
"Hey there sexy. I grabbed some clothes from your car, set them in the top dresser drawer. There's a new toothbrush, and clean towels in the bathroom. Take your time. We'll hit Pop's before we head the clubhouse. I'm going to go get my bike. The house is all yours." He moved in to kiss her, smelling like spearmint toothpaste and his classic Old Spice body wash. She kissed him back, holding the back of his neck with her hand. She held his forehead to her own.
"Thanks Malachi, I appreciate it. Be safe okay?" She smiled at him and let him leave.
The shower was great, she took advantage of the hot water. She perused the collection of bottles in the stall. He hadn't changed his usual soaps from the ones he used to impress her. She smiled when she found new bottles of the soaps and shampoo she used to use, she even had a fresh razor. He had been awake long before her, collecting things for her to feel welcome in his home with him. She hadn't anticipated their reunion to be like this. She was expecting a full on war, for him assert his dominance over her. She was expecting him to go full on Ghoulie with her, own her like a dog. Deep down she still wasn't sure he wouldn't.
She rinsed the conditioner from her hair, running her fingers through her curls, massaging her scalp as the water lapped over her skin. She turned off the water and pulled back the shower curtain. There were fluffy slate grey towels hanging on the rack next to the shower. She brought one to her face, inhaling the scent of his dryer sheets, remembering years gone by.
This scent was the scent of their lives. She taught him to do laundry when they were still in middle school. They would go to the laundromat after school, finishing their homework while they waited for the machines to ding. She used the same detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets that Gladys Jones did. It was a bit on the expensive side, but it made a difference in the way her closet smelled.
Rikki tucked the towel around her body after wrapping one in her hair to dry it. She looked all over the bathroom for lotion and found none. Opting to use her hand lotion, she couldn't remember seeing her purse in the bedroom, so she made her way down the hallway of his house, in search of her black leather bag. She spotted it at the end of the hallway, near the kitchen. She definitely didn't remember coming home with him last night. She mentally scolded herself about the tequila and going home with strange men, her habits were awful. She picked up the bag as the front door swung open. Malachi walked into the living room, leather jacket adorning his torso and curls wildly splayed around his head. He looked like sex on legs and she almost lost her grip on her purse.
"Chi…" She damn near eye fucked him, and he welcomed it gladly.
"Rik…" He replied, returning the favor. "You look," He adjusted himself in his pants. "... real good." His smile devilish.
"I'm only wearing towels, and I need lotion." She pulled her bag closer to her, trying to shield herself from his predatory stare.
"I have that in the bedroom, on the dresser next to the chair with your jacket on it. I figured you'd get dressed in there, you always did before." She swallowed hard.
"Oh, I didn't even look in there." She turned abruptly, moving quickly down the hallway toward the bedroom. He followed her, not as quick as she was, but still right behind her.
She put her purse down on the bed and went for the lotion bottle on the dresser, it was exactly the same stuff she'd used for almost her whole life. Malachi beat her to the bottle, spinning the pump head of it in his fingers to unlock it.
"I can open it myself, I'm not a fool." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"I know, I just wanted to help." Handing her the bottle, he winked and walked to the dresser on the other side of the room.
"Thank you Chi." She started pumping the cherry almond lotion into her hand. She breathed deeply, the scent making her smile.
"I want to take you to get your stuff from FP's after lunch. If that's okay." He slipped a ring from his right pointer finger into a metal dish on his dresser. Another on from his left. The jacket was next to slip from his body, he laid it on the bed.
He put some lotion in his hand, rubbing both of his hands together. "Turn around." She obliged.
"Why would we need to get my stuff from FP's? Where am I going?" She asked as Malachi applied the lotion to her back. The towel slipping from her body while she awaited his reply.
"I mean, 'cuz you'll be here, with me." He moved his hands from her back to her shoulders and down her arms, before she turned to look him in his face.
"Seriously Chi? You just thought I'd move right on in?" She was furious that he'd just assumed they were falling into their old routines.
"I just figured, since you were going to be working for me, with me. We aren't strangers and since we were-" She cut him off.
"Since we were fucking already? Since I just fall over with my legs in the air for you, every fucking time?!" She angrily applied the lotion on the rest of her body. Her hands were shaking and she wanted to hit his smug face. What was wrong with her? She didn't have a reason to be so angry, but she did. She was still reeling from being bought and sold like a notebook. She still felt like a worthless item being fought over by children.
"That's not what I meant. You always do this shit Erica! Try to put words in my mouth! I'm trying to keep you safe! Tall Boy is trying to sell you like jingle jangle, like some ten dollar whore!" Malachi's voice booming in the confines of the bedroom. Her mouth fell open, words failing her for once in her life. She was acting like a spoiled brat. Like she hadn't let him inside of her heart hours previous. Like he hadn't been forgiving of her spicy attitude and shitty remarks over the last fifteen hours.
"You have some nerve Erica." His tone even and calm as he stepped closer to her shocked face. It frightened her. "I saved your ass, I could've let Penny buy you out. Let Tall Boy turn you loose in Greendale, and I mean turn you loose. I don't think that helping you out is a crime, or that you can shit all over me for it. I think I did you a favor, one your Dad couldn't even do for you. I suggest you show me some goddamn respect, because I could let you twirl around that pole in the Wyrm, or better yet The Bus Stop. My boys would love some fresh meat. Lord knows you can work a pole like nobody's business." His finger going to his temple while his tongue moistened his lips. "I remember the dance baby girl. I could never forget."
She had long since forgotten the Serpent Dance. She was just a girl then, all of fourteen when she found herself almost naked rolling over the cool metal bar in front of her Father's friends. Her Dad having stepped out when she shed her shirt on the the stage. He couldn't bare to watch the growing bulges in his brother's pants, as they watched his daughter writhe on the stage for them. She felt ashamed all of a sudden, and grasped for her under garments on the bed behind Malachi. He grabbed her arm before she could even touch the cotton of her panties.
"Hey! I'm not fucking around Erica! Most of the girls we employ end up getting sampled on their first night. Catch my drift? You aren't wearing a snake, and you certainly aren't wearing my ghost, so your ass is free for the taking. Make your choice though, 'cuz either you take my deal or you take Tall Boy's. No in between, you didn't make the conditions of this contract, I did." He let go of her, noticing the red on her skin where his hand had been. She seen the hurt and shame flash in his eyes before swiping his jacket from the bed, then he darted from the room.
It didn't bother her, that he'd grabbed her so roughly, she'd had worse at the hands of her own brother's at the Whyte Wyrm. She'd taken beatings from Old Lady's for simply cooking books for their men. She didn't think he meant to hurt her, he was pissed. It did bother her that she was taking advantage of his kindness. She knew him better than anyone, knew the things he'd done prior to her leaving. She didn't want to imagine the things he'd done since she had left. Swallowing down the ball in her throat, she put her clothes on and contemplated the terms he'd given her last night. He was being more than generous considering she how Ghoulies handled women in general. She should be grateful instead of acting like a petulant child.
In the bathroom, she flicked the light on, looking at herself in the mirror for just a moment. Removing the towel from her head, she searched the drawers for a brush. She found Malachi's, she ran it through her damp curls, willing herself not to cry. Using his frizz control product as well, she considered her situation for a moment. Was it really that bad to just live with him? She had already given him her body twice in less than twenty four hours. All he was doing was protecting her, she just needed to let go of the past. She could do that, let go of the hate she held for him, over kids stuff. They were adults now, they could come and go as they pleased. This was just the crash pad for her fiery landing. She didn't want to end up some nasty coked up stripper at The Bus Stop, giving head for a few extra bucks to feed her habit. Her mom had gone that route. She was probably still there, serving room temperature beers to sloppy drunks, wearing pasties and a g-string. That wasn't how she wanted to end up.
She decided to forgo a hair tie, opting to let her hair go wild. Taking a deep breath and turning off the light, she went straight for her shoes. She slipped her well worn converse onto her feet with ease. She stayed seated in the armchair for just a moment, looking around the bedroom. Would she be sleeping with him every night, letting him slip between her thighs when he felt the need? No, he said he took no concubines. He had no women staying in his bed, if he even let them in his house at all. She would likely take one of the unseen rooms she'd taken note of on her trip down the hallway.
She reached for her jacket behind her, stood up and pulled the leather over her arms, then took her purse from the edge of the bed. Exiting the room, she took a deep breath, praying for courage to face Malachi.
He was leaning against the kitchen counter, back to her, scrolling through his phone. She stopped for a moment, trying to see what he was looking at. She craned her neck to get a better look, but he clicked out of the app, turning his head to look at her. His eyes moving to her left arm, then to her face. He was all business now.
"How's your arm?" He slipped his phone into his back pocket,turning his whole body to face hers now.
"It's alright. I'm sorry for being a brat earlier, you don't deserve my shitty attitude Chi. I'm just used to fending for myself. I know you're doing right by me, I know you could be an asshole to me and you're not." She tried to keep her head straight, looking him in the eye, holding herself strong. She faltered when Malachi stepped forward, placing a hand on either side of her face.
"It's alright baby, I'm sorry I snapped. We're going to get through this, we'll figure it all out together. We just need to talk, lack of communication ruined us before." He kissed her forehead, and looked back into her eyes.
"I'm a little confused as to where we stand with each other. Like what do you expect from me, of us? Do you expect me to just fall back in love with you?" She had yet to reciprocate his affection, leaving her arms limp at her sides.
"We'll talk at Pop's Rik." Giving her a peck on her lips, he smiles at her and turns toward the front door.
He locks the door after she exits. Taking the steps two at time, he passes her to his bike parked in his driveway next to her Tahoe. Straddling the seat, he winks at her when she comes to stand next to him.
"You're real sure of yourself aren't you?" She says, pulling her purse strap over head to cross her body, then takes her place on the bike behind Malachi.
"Yeah girl, I am. I know what I want now." Stomping on the pedal, the bike roars to life. A thrill shoots through Rikki at the sound, this was always her favorite bike, even above her own.
"Mmmmmm." She hummed, lacing her arms around his body, holding tight, preparing for their take off.
Malachi smiled to himself, he knew his girl, knew this would bring her back to better times. It brought him back to better times. "Hang on baby girl!" She squealed when they pushed off and out of the driveway.
Fp sat at a table with his son, his son's girlfriend, and his former high school flame who just happened to be the mother of his son's girlfriend. The thought made him shake his head and laugh for just a moment. It was beyond his comprehension how this had all came to be. He was at his favorite diner, with his favorite people; both past and present. Today was a good day. His coffee had just been refilled by Pop's and he was waiting on a deluxe bacon cheeseburger and chili cheese fries. Things had been much different only twenty-four hours ago.
"So, what's your first order of business FP?" Alice asked, sipping from her own piping hot coffee cup. Her eyebrow arched in that inquisitive way she always had about her.
"Well, that's for me to know Alice, you don't wear your patch any longer." He smirked at her, causing her to drop her brow and lean forward.
"I never got rid of my snake bite FP, you know that." She winked at him now, and leaned away. Jughead and Betty looked from Alice to FP, then to each other.
Betty looked at Jughead questioningly. "Later." He whispered to her.
"We haven't had a meeting yet. They don't know Dad's out actually. There's…" Jughead looked around the diner, then back to Alice. "...some problems. Big problems." Alice's face fell, she looked to FP and waited.
"It's really none of your business Alice. You know I can't just tell you." His coffee was gone. He got up and went to the counter to talk to Pops.
"I know he thinks I'm beyond the club, but I was never actually removed. I'm still family. Look Jughead." She pulled up her right sleeve, a perfect snake bite adorning her forearm. She absently rubbed the tattoo. Then her hand went to her left shoulder. Jughead wondering if she had his Dad's snake there. They had all known about the legendary Alice and FP love affair.
"Mom, is that…" Betty asked, not finishing her sentence. She pointed to her mom's shoulder.
"Shhh, Betty!" Alice's eyes searching for anyone who may be listening in. Her paranoia written on her face.
"Mom, no one is looking, or listening. It's just us." Betty reassured her.
"Okay, yes. I never got it covered or removed. I added to it, but you're Dad doesn't understand anything about the Serpents anyway. I just never could bring myself to-" She stopped talking. Looking at FP leaning against the counter. Her eyes misting over.
The bell on the door rang, a couple came in, opting to sit at the counter rather than taking a booth or table. They were secretive and quiet, giggling to themselves. Something struck Jughead as familiar. He thought he knew the pair from somewhere. The harsh black curls they both owned, then he noticed the jacket that the woman wore; a serpent's jacket. At the same time realization hit Jughead, Fp noticed the patch as well. He pushed himself away from the counter.
"Dad!" Jughead shot out of his seat at the table across the diner, his Dad was already walking over to the pair. Betty and Alice turned in their chair to see what was going on behind them.
"Roach, Rikki?" FP was standing just behind the couple now. His heart pounding in his chest, there was no way she was with him.
Rikki turned around on her stool to the sound of her name. Her smile falling from her face when their eyes met. She pushed herself off the stool, standing before him, hands clasped together. Malachi had turned when she had, his face falling in the same way. He knew this was bad. He wasn't anticipating this meeting so soon. It would be at least a couple of days. Rikki would go to the trailer after lunch, they'd figure out a meet and go from there. This made things incredibly strained.
"What the hell are you doing with him?" FP's finger pointing to Malachi, his brow knit together in fury.
"Dad, we have some things to talk about. Maybe not here, but we have to talk with Malachi before you start going off." Jughead was trying to divert his Dad's attention from Rikki, it wasn't working.
"NO! What the fuck is going on Erica!" She wanted to die. She hadn't seen FP in almost nine months and this was her reception. "Talk now Roach, or so help me God, I'll strip your patch!"
