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Toni had thought it was going to be a normal day.
But then again when has Riverdale ever been normal?
So it was lunchtime, it was the normal gang all hanging out in their usual spots in the rec room.
Minus Cheryl.
She was late. And Toni was surprised. Cheryl was never late to lunch.
Naturally she had the most dramatic entrance ever.
“Do you ever just feel painfully single?” Cheryl asked, sauntering into the room and sitting down next to Toni on the sofa.
Everyone just looked at her.
“Considering practically everyone here but you, Sweets and T are single… I’m gonna say wrong crowd.” Veronica drawled with an amused smile.
Cheryl rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.
“Come on, you must remember what it was like to feel awfully single.” Cheryl insisted. The couple glanced at each other before turning back to Cheryl and shrugging.
“Not really.” Jughead said slowly. Cheryl huffed and folded her arms. She leaned back on the sofa, her shoulder brushing against Toni’s before settling into her side.
Not that Toni noticed.
Nope.
Nor did she notice the way Cheryl’s bottom lip stuck out as she sulked, or the way her foot tapped on the floor every few seconds.
She most definitely didn’t feel her heart skip a beat when Cheryl rested her head on Toni’s shoulder.
“Don’t you get it TT?” Cheryl muttered, glancing up at Toni before looking back down at her shoes.
Toni cleared her throat, rubbing her palms over her jeans and considering her reply.
“I mean… I guess? But uh, not exactly.” Toni replied sheepishly.
Truth be told, she was too busy pining after Cheryl to notice the fact she was single.
Toni felt Cheryl sigh and almost swallowed her tongue when Cheryl moved Toni’s arm around her shoulders and snuggled closer.
“Well that sucks.” Cheryl mumbled.
Toni was practically frozen, Cheryl had never, ever been this affectionate in front of the group. Sure when they had their sleepovers and meet ups at Thistle House they were practically all over each other.
Just not exactly in the full sense that Toni wanted.
So no, not a normal day.
----
It got even less normal when the gang convinced Toni and Cheryl to cancel their study date and hang out at Pop’s while the sun was still shining and the weather warm.
Not only was Toni peeved that she didn’t get her usual alone time with Cheryl, but Cheryl was still stuck about being single.
“Bombshell, are you seriously that bummed out about being single?” Toni said with a light laugh. Cheryl just sighed and nodded.
“I just like having someone there for me.” Cheryl mumbled.
I’m always there for you were on the tip of Toni’s tongue before FP put their milkshakes on the table.
The rest of the gang where in the booth behind them, Toni and Cheryl slipping away ten minutes ago.
“I mean, we’re always there for you, you know that right?” Toni said instead with a small smile.
Cheryl grinned back and took Toni’s hand in her own.
Toni almost choked on her milkshake.
“I know TT, but I don’t know, it’s just different when you’re dating someone.” Cheryl said. Toni nodded and bit her lip.
“I know.” She replied softly. You could be dating me floated through Toni’s mind at the same time.
It was ignored.
“I just… nobody loves me. Not really anyway.” Cheryl mumbled, almost so quiet Toni missed it.
Toni was gobsmacked. She knew Cheryl’s mother was bad but really? Cheryl had to know everyone loved her, in their own little way.
She also realised what she was about to do was dumb as fuck.
And yet…
“Are you sure?” Toni asked, looking at Cheryl pointedly as her grip tightened on Cheryl’s hand just enough to be noticable.
“Yes, of course I am Toni-” Cheryl began with an embarrassed huff.
“Are you really sure?” Toni asked, her free hand pointing at her chest lightly. “Are you one hundred percent positive no one loves you?” Her finger brushing against the leather of her jacket with each word.
Cheryl just blinked at Toni blankly. Toni was almost worried she didn’t understand.
“Toni I know you love me of course I do.” Cheryl replied.
Toni opened her mouth before closing it again, frowning at Cheryl.
“You do?” She asked.
“Course I do.” Cheryl said simply. Toni blinked rapidly for a second before taking a deep breath.
“Huh?”
“T… you’re not subtle.” Cheryl laughed.
“Not to assume but why aren’t we together then?” Toni blurted out, already feeling the blush creeping up her neck. Cheryl raised her eyebrow and smirked.
“You haven’t asked me out.” Cheryl replied lowly. Toni released the breath she’d been holding slowly and pursed her lips.
“Cheryl, would you please for the love of God go out with me?” Toni asked. Cheryl snorted and rolled her eyes fondly, before setting a soft gaze on Toni.
“I’d love to TT.” Cheryl said softly.
Toni glanced over her shoulder before looking back at Cheryl.
“You wanna get out of here? Go do our study date?” Toni asked with a smirk. Cheryl laughed quietly and bit her lip.
“I think that’s a good idea.” She replied, already grinning as Toni pulled her out of the booth and towards the door.
The bell rung as the door opened and the others looked up.
“Was that Toni?” Betty asked.
“And Cheryl?” Jughead added. Archie turned around and glanced at the empty booth behind them.
“Uh yeah.” He said with a shrug. “Maybe they really did need that study date.”
Veronica snickered and Betty hid her smile with her milkshake.
“Oh I’m sure.” Veronica said with a smirk.
----
Now it was a normal day.
Cheryl was still late to lunch but everything seemed normal.
It was just as it usually was for Riverdale’s Scooby gang lunchtime.
Cheryl entered with a loud sigh before collapsing next to Toni.
“Still painfully single?” Sweet Pea asked, “‘Cause I totally relate.”
Cheryl laughed loudly and waved him.
“Bitch please being single was so yesterday.” Cheryl said, examining her nails briefly before glancing at Toni.
“Wha- Literally yesterday you were complaining!” Fangs pointed out with a frown.
“Like I said, single was so yesterday.” Cheryl explained impatiently. Toni sighed, her arm falling around Cheryl’s shoulder’s easily.
“How the hell did you get a boyfriend over night?” Sweet Pea grumbled.
“Who said it was a boyfriend?” Cheryl shot back with a perfectly arched eyebrow.
“Well- I just assumed- I mean- you- I. Never mind.” Sweet Pea stuttered before sulking on the sofa arm next to Toni.
“Wait a second…” Fangs mumbled, his eyes flitting between Toni and Cheryl before smirking. Toni shot him a glare and he sulked in his chair next to Kevin.
“So how was your date?” Veronica asked with a smile.
Toni and Cheryl snapped their gaze to her and blinked.
“Our what?” Toni asked.
“Your study date. We saw you two leave yesterday.” Veronica said with a faux frown.
“Oh that date. It was alright.” Toni said, a small smirk tugging at her lips. Cheryl snorted before covering it with a cough.
“What’d you guys study?” Sweet Pea asked. Toni clenched her jaw and looked over at him.
“Biology.” Cheryl replied instantly with a smile. Toni turned back to look at Cheryl with a shocked expression on her face.
“Your not in our biology.” Jughead pointed out.
“TT needed some help.” Cheryl replied slowly.
“I think you were the one who needed help Cher.” Toni shot back with a raised eyebrow.
“They’re talking about sex right?” Archie asked bluntly.
The room fell silent.
Everyone, even outside the group fell silent.
“Of course we are.” Cheryl said breezily, ignoring the bright blush over both her and Toni’s cheeks, “What else would we be talking about the day after T finally asked me out?”
“Christ it took you long enough.” Kevin mumbled.
“Yeah yeah shut it.” Toni snapped quietly. “Wait was yesterday a ploy to get me to admit it?”
Cheryl was uncharacteristically silent, merely tapping her nails against Toni’s thigh.
“Cheryl?” Toni asked with an amused smile.
“Yeah?” She asked, still not meeting Toni’s eye, hyperfocused on her nails scraping against Toni’s jean material.
“Was it?”
“Maybe.” Cheryl muttered. Toni shook her head and sighed, leaning over a pressing a kiss to Cheryl’s temple.
“I should’ve guessed it.” Toni laughed, “I mean since when does Cheryl Blossom complain about a problem she can easily fix?”
The gang laughed, promptly grilled them both on their newly found sex lives, to which no details were told, before Toni frowned.
“Hang on, how did you know what we were talking about?” Toni asked, turning to look at Archie curiously.
“You’re wearing the same things as yesterday.” Archie pointed out.
“I always wear the same when I’ve slept round Cheryl’s.” Toni said with a frown.
“Oh I just assumed you guys had been together this whole time.” Archie said with a grin.
“How can he be smart and dumb at the same time?” Cheryl whispered in Toni’s ear with a laugh. Toni snickered and shook her head.
“Well your dumb plan worked.” Toni sighed, leaning back on the sofa with a small smile. “I can’t believe it but it really did.
“But aren’t you glad it did?” Cheryl purred quietly, slipping her hand behind Toni’s neck and running her nails across her skin gently.
“I guess.” Toni replied with a grin.
Cheryl leaned in closer and bit her lip slowly.
“Then I guess I’ll have to show you how glad you should be.” Cheryl whispered. Toni gulped quietly and nodded.
“That uh.. Yes.” Toni stumbled over her words with wide eyes.
“Cheryl quit flirting and weigh in on this.” Fangs snickered. Cheryl rolled her eyes and pulled back from Toni to join the conversation.
Safe to say Toni never tuned into the conversation.
----
“So how long were you pining over me?” Cheryl asked casually.
Toni choked on air.
They’d gone to Thistle House after school and Toni had been in the process of taking off her boots when Cheryl had casually sat down on the edge of her bed, leaned back on her hands and looked at Toni with an almost sinful glint in her eye.
“What?” Toni choked out.
Cheryl reached out and caught the edge of Toni’s jacket in her fingertips, tugging her closer to the bed. Toni’s boot falling to the floor with a thud as Toni stumbled towards Cheryl, hypnotised by glinting brown eyes.
“How long were you pining over me?” Cheryl repeated slowly, pushing Toni’s jacket off her shoulders and throwing it behind Toni into her closet.
“Pining? Me?” Toni asked with a scoff, “I don’t pine.”
“You pined.” Cheryl deadpanned, “Hard.”
Toni stared at Cheryl with her lips parted and narrowed eyes.
“I didn’t pine.” Toni said slowly. Cheryl hummed, her hands moving to the back of Toni’s thighs and pulling her forward to straddle her legs.
“You did.” Cheryl mused. Toni swallowed, letting her arms loop around Cheryl’s shoulders.
“I didn’t.” Toni replied quietly.
“But you did.” Cheryl smirked, “So how long for?”
“A while.” Toni huffed, “So I’d rather we didn’t talk about it.”
“I mean I could make it up to you.” Cheryl said with a tilt of her head.
Toni felt her mouth go dry and her eyebrows shoot up.
“You.. could.” Toni agreed.
Cheryl pressed her lips against Toni’s throat, slowly moving down until her lips brushed the collar of Toni’s shirt.
“But considering we’ve probably been mutually pining for at least six months now… I think you should also make it up to me.” Cheryl murmured, her lips brushing Toni’s skin with every word, her breath causing goosebumps across Toni’s collarbone.
Toni smirked, her hands moving flat against Cheryl’s shoulders.
“Oh that, that I can do.” Toni whispered, pushing Cheryl down onto the mattress as she connected their lips as though they’d done this a thousand times already.
----
“Was it worth it?” Cheryl asked quietly, laying her head on Toni’s chest and tangling their legs together.
“Was what worth it?” Toni asked around a yawn.
“Waiting.” Cheryl whispered. Toni grinned and wrapped her arms around Cheryl tighter as she closed her eyes.
“Of course it was.”