This one shot is of Lane coming to the southside already in a relationship, and for the most part everything that happens in Tower Over Me is the same just minus the romance with Sweet Pea. I didn't intend it to be this long, but I ended up loving even just the friendship between Sweet Pea and Lane.
V. this is what makes us girls
Sweet Pea didn't know what he was thinking. Maybe that was the problem. From the moment the Northsider showed up on his side of town with a dead body, she'd had him thinking. That she was like every other entitled rich-bitch Northsider with nothing but disgust in her eyes for the poor thug who had nothing more than his anger and the leather jacket he wore like a second layer of skin – he thought she was the worst.
For a while.
He'd made the mistake of getting to know her. And then he was thinking things like how sad she looked when she thought no one was watching. Or how pretty she was on the rare occasion she smiled. Or that she was so goddamn difficult all the time because it was the only way she knew how to keep from being hurt.
Those were the thoughts that stuck.
And so when Lane came to the Sheriff's office and figured out a way to get him and every other Serpent that'd been arrested during the raid released, he'd stopped thinking. Or at least he'd stopped thinking of excuses why he didn't want this, why he didn't want her. He dropped Toni and Fangs off so they could go to the street race and he drove Lane to Tall Boy's home, and as they stood in the doorway with her asking what was wrong with him he bent down to kiss her.
Lane had seen it coming for a while. Eventually his relentless stare that bored into hers with loathing and distrust had softened, his eyes left hers to notice other parts of her. So even though it was a surprise, she'd seen it coming. And she quickly raised a hand catching his mouth, meeting his hurt stare before he masked it with anger.
"We can continue the borderline friendly bickering, or go back to hating each other if you'd like. But we can't do this." She didn't wanna go back to him hating her, at some point she'd stupidly allowed herself to depend on his being there. Not that she'd ever tell him that.
There was something too warm in his chest and it made him want to lash out, to break something, anything to make this feeling go away. "Still think you're too good for this?" he demanded harsher than he meant.
"Sure," was her calm reply. She watched him scoff in a way that was both infuriated and disappointed before he left slamming the door behind him. And with him gone she wilted a little realizing it was back to hating each other. Sweet Pea had been there for her from the moment her world imploded when Lodge decided to send someone after her again, he hadn't wanted anything to do with her but he'd still been there. And now he wasn't, and she didn't know how to go back to doing this alone.
...
He was distant now, he stopped coming with Fangs to pick her up from the garage, wouldn't look at her when she and Fangs came by the Wyrm, didn't go home with her when she was tired of being out. "It's not fair," Fangs told her as they sat on the couch. "He won't tell me what happened."
"Then I won't either," Lane answered simply.
Fangs groaned slumping back, having honestly thought at the very least her and Sweet Pea might've been friends. "You know he's helping the snake charmer."
Lane turned to him unhappy at hearing that, knowing exactly where that was leading. "Yeah, Jughead's been talking to me about her." He wanted to get rid of Penny, he wasn't sure how yet but his father was only digging a deeper grave for himself and more Serpents were gonna get dragged in. The more Lane heard about this woman, the more Lane was thinking killing her might be the only solution.
Jughead was wholeheartedly against it, still trying to bring morality to his role within a gang. They talked round and round the next day about what would drive Penny away with the certainty she wouldn't come crawling back for revenge, and though Lane eventually dropped the idea of murder she still wasn't convinced Jughead was right. But she eventually grew bored of the conversation. "Is Kevin's secret santa today?" she asked instead.
There'd been no lead in, no moment of pause to let him know the conversation was over it just suddenly was. And that was just so like her, it almost made Jughead smile. "It is."
"Go to my house, in the top drawer of my desk is a gift for my secret santa."
He didn't feel like smiling anymore, instead his mouth pulled tight in a frown. "You're supposed to be hiding," he reminded her. Whether or not it was his fault she ended up at the sheriff's office he still wasn't happy about her having gone, it put her too close to Lodge and only by a minor miracle had he not yet heard she was here.
Now it was Lane frowning and she resisted the urge to hit him. "First of all, dumb ass, it's not a secret if my name's on it," she reminded him rather rudely, seeing the way he clenched his jaw. "And second, if anyone asks say I called you."
Still bitter over her being a bitch he ground out, "and what should I say when anyone asks why you chose to call me? It's clearly not out of any real care on your part."
This time he knew from the look that flashed across her face she was physically trying not to hit him. "Because I'm not your secret santa, and you're the only other one I actually tolerate out of that group."
He still didn't appreciate her tone. "Why are you even doing secret santa? You don't celebrate Christmas," he demanded as they came around the front of the trailer park, which they'd been walking around as they talked.
"You really think I had a choice in the matter?" she asked instead, and knowingly he nodded because he knew how she could get. "If I apologize for calling you a dumb ass will you take a video?"
Still frowning his eyes hardened unamused. "I take it that's my apology?" he asked, rhetorically because they both knew she'd never actually apologize.
She did hit him this time but in a more friendly manner as she clapped his arm and walked to where Fangs stood having noticed her. "There's my favorite grump," Fangs greeted with a wide grin. "What about you not celebrating Christmas?"
She wasn't surprised he'd been eavesdropping, she was however surprised by a sour-faced Sweet Pea glowering beside him. The first time in what felt like weeks since he'd stomached being this close to her. "I'm Jewish," she told Fangs, watching his mouth round to a silent, 'o'. "What's going on?"
"I have a thing," he told her vaguely, knowing if he said anything she would find someway of figuring it out. "And Toni's working so Sweet Pea's gotcha today." That wasn't entirely true, but Sweet Pea was one of the only ones against Lane joining the Serpents. Now, at least.
Before she could object, which she didn't care enough too but Sweet Pea did and he was the more vocal of the two and had already given an earful, Fangs quickly left leaving them stuck together for the next few hours.
Sweet Pea wouldn't look at her so she rolled her eyes and turned the direction of Tall Boy's house, which was only five minutes down the road. And she walked with her arms wrapped around herself trying to fight the cold hearing his angry shuffling beside her. "How was your day?" felt safe enough to ask.
"I'm not answering that."
She turned to him with a brow cocked and told him in a stern tone, "try again."
Grinding his teeth he answered, "fine."
"Better," she grumbled turning back to the sidewalk. A rather biting wind crept over her and she shivered pulling tighter in on herself. It wasn't but a few steps after that an irritable growl sounded beside her before the weight of his jacket fell over her thin shoulders. And without thanks she pulled her arms through and nestled in his warmth. "Ass," she muttered.
He shoved her and without missing a beat she turned smacking his arm. It was familiar, something close to what they'd been before he ruined it. And it hurt to be there with her still wanting her and now knowing she didn't want him.
They didn't say anything else, they went inside and sat on the couch watching TV. There was such distance between them it was like a tangible keeping them apart, and Lane truly regretted that when he was still the only person she trusted. It was a couple hours into their long night that his phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket having enough time to realize it was Lane's before she'd snatched it from him.
Looking him in the eye Lane answered the call and gave a quiet, "I take it you got my present." She was supposed to be hiding, she wasn't supposed to be answering her phone – all of this she knew, and it's why Sweet Pea's eyes were so dark, but it was Christmas and Lane had never missed it before. She moved to the door, hearing the achingly familiar voice on the other end, "thought you'd like it."
There was something so unbearably warm in Lane's voice as she spoke, and Sweet Pea blinked as she stepped outside to sit on the front step. And out of nothing but needy curiosity he inched closer and listened to the one sided conversation.
"I have to stay away," Lane said in answer to why she wasn't there. "It's just what has to happen right now." She paused as the other person spoke and then almost sadly replied, "yeah, maybe I should've brought you with me. You'd hate it here, but," she trailed off – not as much as I hate you being gone – "yeah," Lane agreed quietly. She hated it too. Their goodbyes were quiet, reluctant, having never gone this long without each other.
And with a sigh Sweet Pea sat on the step beside her after she'd hung up. "It has nothing to do with me being a Serpent," he said not needing to ask. She'd never shown any sign of the typical Northside prejudice against the Serpents, that was only ever in his head.
Looking up at his uncharacteristically calm face she gave him a simple, "no." Turning back to the dark cold night she exhaled heavily and let her head fall to his shoulder, feeling the same kind of safe she only felt with him. "You said you wouldn't leave me," she said in a soft breath of a voice.
The burning he felt in his chest this time he knew to be shame. "I was still looking out for you."
"I know."
But it wasn't the same, even he'd felt it though he hadn't wanted to. She looked out for him just as much as he did her, time and again she'd proved to have his back and even he'd come to count on that. He could deal with being friends. "Just tell me it's not that douchebag Bulldog," he said not thinking he could bear having to deal with him.
"Reggie?" she clarified, and smiled because if he only knew how much worse it was. "Not him, you big softie," she said smacking his arm lightly. And she settled leaning against him feeling his cheek resting over the top of her head, filling her with the kind of warmth that came with being cared for. Which she didn't feel too often, she'd miss this place terribly when she finally found a way to go home.
It left her realizing what Fangs was doing, the reason for Toni's interrogatory questions that ended in them arguing over that damn dance. "You told Fangs why I won't do the serpent dance," she said knowing other than Reggie Sweet Pea was the only one who knew because she'd told him.
Sweet Pea shrugged not wanting to admit anything when it still felt too close. "When they understand it's not you thinking you're above it, they'd never ask you to do it."
"It was your idea," she said, admitting what he wouldn't.
He shrugged again. "It suits you," was easy to admit. She'd taken out a ghoulie for him and Fangs, she'd gotten Serpents out of jail twice, and they all noticed how often Jughead met with her and knew she was helping him with something. "And it gives you a family you don't have otherwise."
She'd been thinking it awhile, how much she'd miss this, that she'd finally found something that felt like home when her empty shell of a house felt more like a ghost story. She just hadn't considered it was all leading to this, but it felt right in a way like it'd been leading to this from the beginning. But she didn't know how to say any of that, she'd never really been good with feelings. What she ended up saying was, "does this mean you're done pouting?" With a face hardened in only mild annoyance he raised a hand to her face shoving her away from him, hearing her faint laughter that always made him want to smile. And this time he did.
…
The day after Lane became a Serpent another shot was taken at her. They'd been at the store, Sweet Pea and Fangs idling behind her as she gathered everything she needed for dinner and occasionally tossed things they wanted over her head into the cart. But Sweet Pea stilled at a red dot appearing on her back, and without really understanding what was happening his body lunged forward throwing her to the ground as a box of cereal exploded around them.
"Stay down," he told Fangs as he scooted him and Lane forward toward the end of the aisle. Another explosion this time a glass jar as a bullet struck it, and at seeing it'd missed his head by inches Sweet Pea jumped up dragging her quickly around the corner and running to the back. He didn't bother turning at the sick thuds against the wall knowing whoever was outside was still shooting. "You alright?" he asked when they were finally in the backroom of the store.
No, she wasn't alright. She'd almost died the first time and technically the second time, but there was something about this time that had her shaking. Looking up at Sweet Pea's blanched face she realized it was him, she cared too much about him and the thought of him dead scared her and that was where this was going. "We need to move," she said knowing they didn't have a lot of time. With his hand in hers she walked further down the dim hall toward the wide receiving bay where everything was brought in on trucks.
They shared a look and a nod before moving quickly. They picked a running truck, and as they came around the side of it seeing the driver Sweet Pea hit him, hard. And they left him lying on the ground unconscious as they backed the truck out and took off.
Lane had two choices, she'd always only ever had two choices – spend the rest of her life running, or rise up and face it. And Lane was good at a lot of things, but she was too stubborn to back down. Which is how the unlikely yet severely loyal pair found themselves in the Pembrooke in the dead of night. Sweet Pea stood over the guard they'd knocked out while Lane sat calmly in Hiram Lodge's study asking for her life back, making a vague threat against his daughter in the form of a photogram of a dead body she and Sweet Pea had wrapped in Christmas lights. They were at an impasse one Lane knew wouldn't last, but it'd last long enough for her to come up with something else. And really all she needed was time.
Sweet Pea took her home, or at least took her to Tall Boy's house, and she closed the door behind them and looked up at him - and they were done. Done at least for now. And the relief of that, of not having to worry every time she stepped outside, had them coming together with their arms held tight around each other. Just breathing.
"What now?" Sweet Pea asked with his chin resting over the top of her head.
Lane had never really been one for hugging, certainly not now that she really only had one person who tried – but she liked the safety she felt in his arms, the sense of security that he really wasn't gonna leave her. "I don't know," she answered honestly.
Her reluctance spoke volumes, that she wasn't jumping at the first chance to leave the Southside. "You can always stay," he said with a shrug. "You are a Serpent now."
"A Northside Serpent," she said pulling away and looking up at him, seeing his brows draw together.
"So you are gonna go back."
She gave him an inquisitive look, her head tilting slightly as she appraised him. "The plan's still to leave as soon as I graduate," she told him. "Only way I can stay is if Lodge goes, and I'm not banking on that."
Sweet Pea nodded knowing that, knowing it was the only thing she had going for her – but he could see that same reluctance in her eyes. She now had something she didn't wanna leave. But the part of him that couldn't seem to let her go had him asking, "you taking your boyfriend with you?"
A small laugh snuck out of her before she could catch it, and at the sight of his frown she brought a hand to her mouth as though to wipe off her grin. "This is mean even for me, but I can't wait to see your face," she said still laughing. Leaving him to unhappily follow her to the couch wondering what the hell was so funny.
…
Lane was set up at a table in the Wyrm finishing the last of her assignments before she started back at Riverdale High. She'd missed almost three months, it'd taken her the entirety of winter break to catch up and even then she still missed the first day.
"Guess who's coming to school with you tomorrow?" Fangs said plopping down across from her at the table, followed by Sweet Pea, Toni and Jughead.
Without looking up from her paper Lane raised a finger and finished what she was writing. At least a full quiet minute passed as they waited, because they knew Lane and she wasn't stopping until she wanted to. Finishing her thought she looked at Fangs, who was waiting expectantly. "What'd I miss?"
She listened as he told her the Southside was being shut down and they were all being bussed to different schools, but she was getting to keep the ones that mattered and Lane was selfish enough that was all she really cared about. "Think we'll have any classes together?" Fangs asked innocently.
Both Lane and Jughead fixed him with mirrored confused expressions. "No," was her simple answer.
"Still think you're better than us, Vivian?" Sweet Pea asked from beside her, his foot propped up on her chair.
"Yes," she answered without hesitation, fixing him with a wry look. "I'm so much better than you I'm in a-whole-nother grade." She turned back to her work hearing Fangs asking Jughead if she was a year older than them, but she felt heavy eyes warm on her face and she turned to Sweet Pea.
"You wearing your jacket tomorrow?" he asked, wondering where her head was at in all this.
She thought about it, about how much trouble it'd cause and whether she had the energy to deal with it. But she looked around her at these people who'd taken her in, unwillingly, and yet they'd made a space for her to stay.
…
Come next morning Lane looked around the school she'd spent so much of her time invested in like any part of it actually mattered, surrounded by faces she knew but none she ever missed.
A familiar cruel voice caught her ear. "Listen up ragamuffins. I will not allow Riverdale High's above average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are overcrowded with underachievers. So please, do us all a favor and find some other school to deface with your hardscrabble ways."
"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face," Toni seethed stalking toward the stuck up self aggrandized girl who was the face of every reason they hated the Northside.
"Happily queen of the buskers," Cheryl said without backing down.
Archie stepped between them trying to play the voice of reason. Cheryl rolled her eyes unimpressed, in doing so they found a face she'd been missing for months. Her eyes widened as they raked Lane's form, Lane who wore the telltale leather of a Serpent.
Lane watched rage fill Cheryl's pretty features turning them into something almost ugly. Weatherbee ordered both sides to stand down and everyone to get to class, and though tension was still high they separated with Jughead ushering them out of this particular hallway so that everyone could just take a breath.
As she walked past Lane held Cheryl's infuriated stare, feeling her hateful eyes on her back catching sight of the tattoo on the back of her neck that was only visible because Lane intentionally chose to wear her up. "You gonna start a fight if I leave you?" Lane asked looking up at Sweet Pea, whose expression was still dark having almost started something with Reggie.
He scoffed nudging her in a way that could've been considered fond. "Only if they ask for it," was his smart response. Because everyone was asking for it today, and at that point he knew she'd have his back even if he was at fault.
He found her two periods later by nothing more than happenstance and he threw his back against the locker beside hers with a heavy sigh while she switched out books. "Lunch?" he asked refusing to hope. Another sigh when she said yes, relieved this time. "Anyone try anything?" he asked wondering what this day was like for her. They were Southside scum but Lane, she was supposed to be one of them.
There were a lot of stares and a lot of talking, but so far nothing was said to her. "It helps most of the people here are scared of me."
"Yeah, you and your tiny fists."
She didn't buy his scoff, and with a brow cocked she looked up at him. "Are you scared of my tiny fists?" she asked seeing the way he rolled his eyes, a smirk pulling at his mouth.
As she closed her locker he pushed off the one he leaned against and followed her down the hall, noticing the way most everyone stared at her. "Hell yeah," he agreed, "you hit me all the time."
She chuckled faintly at that, still remembering his complete and utter surprise the first time she smacked him. Before she could respond a shrill cry sounded behind them. "You vile, wretched, gutter-"
"Stop," Lane said in a commanding tone as she turned to where Cheryl was marching toward her. And she told Cheryl very plainly, "start over."
Taking a breath Cheryl collected herself as much as she was able. "How dare you?" she demanded.
"Better," Lane said, reaching a hand to grab Sweet Pea before he could move around her and place himself between them.
For two entire months Cheryl had been left with Lane's absence thinking she'd skipped town, that she left her without a word of explanation or a single reason why. Abandoned, that's what Cheryl had felt. And then the secret santa gift and the phone call with Lane sounding so horribly sad and wanting, and now here she stood in a Serpent jacket looking more beautiful than she had any goddamn right. And it made her want to say the meanest things. "If you think, for one second, I would ever stoop so low as to be with someone who is now the physical embodiment of dumpster diving then Lane Noa Vivian you have another thing co-"
Her words were smothered beneath Lane's mouth and Cheryl hummed as though still trying to speak before a breath left her and she gave in, the way she always did. And it felt like coming home, the way Lane had always felt.
Feeling her sigh Lane pulled back, knowing they needed to talk things through before they could be okay. "Cher, I love you but I'm gonna need you to dial back the crazy in order for this to work," she told her with stark honesty, the way they only were with each other. Cheryl opened her mouth wanting to speak, but it was still only filled with hate. So Lane raised a finger to her cherry red lips and told her softly, "think about it."
She smacked Sweet Pea's arm to spur him on and they walked away, with Cheryl standing in the middle of the hallway watching her leave. Her mouth opened and "I love you too," fell out.
With an almost sweet grin Lane turned to look at her. "I know," she told the only person left that she loved. Cheryl would get over it, she'd drag her feet and pitch a holy fit but she'd get there. And after leaving without a word to let her know why, Lane was prepared to wait as long as Cheryl needed.
Sweet Pea walked in stupefied quiet beside her, he'd been stuck with his mouth open from the moment he realized that was the boyfriend. "Seriously?" was all he could come up with. No wonder Toni had continuously tried to talk him out of Lane, she'd known the whole time.
Lane looked up at him adorably confused yet slow-understanding face and couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. He pushed her lightly. "You're an ass," he told her, realizing this is the face she'd been waiting to see. "Does she get better?" he asked finding that he couldn't understand why unfeeling Lane was with such an emotionally explosive person, and yet at the same time finding that there was something about them that just fit.
If it were possible Lane laughed harder, which was really nothing more than a series of chuckles but now her eyes were starting to water. "You were worried about Reggie," she said in between breaths. And after another round of laughter she continued, "she is so much worse."
Rolling his eyes he fought the smile pulling at his mouth and ultimately lost, and he reached a hand to her face and shoved her lightly. With a smile of her own she looked up at him, and he stared down at her finding in that moment he was really glad she was there. He took a breath and let it go, and he threw his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the hall together.
So this was just a bit of fun, because Cheryl and Toni might be the only relationship on this show I actually like. But Cheryl and Lane just had a fun dynamic and I couldn't resist.
Sneak peek: I'm thinking next chapter is going to be a snapshot of some of Reggie's POV regarding Lane, and her relationship with Sweet Pea. This was suggested by wickedgirl123, who I am so thankful to for their kindness and wonderful review.