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Toni was convinced that the Scooby Gang was up to something.
They’d been talking in half-completed sentences and knowing looks for the past week.
It had begun right after they’d found out Cheryl spent more time at her run-down trailer than she did at her literal mansion.
“Cheryl? The girl who lives and breathes money? At your trailer?” Jughead had stared at her with wide eyes; Fangs and Sweet Pea just shrugged.
“Use protection tiny.” Sweet Pea had a bruise on his arm that last for days after that comment.
“Why is this such a big deal?” Toni sighed when Jughead had brought it up at lunch the following day, drawing the attention of everyone else.
“Because this is Cheryl we’re talking about. Serpent hater, rich girl, top of the food chain.”
“Why are we talking Cheryl when she’s not here?” Veronica asked with an amused smile.
“T here mentioned Cheryl almost lives with her in the Southside.” Fangs said with a smirk.
“She does not live with me.” Toni grumbled as the rest of them processed the information.
“What’s her angle then?” Betty asked, leaning forward, full-reporter mode on.
“Studying?” Toni rolled her eyes and regretted ever mentioning Cheryl’s name to the boys. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the sofa.
“What’s happening here?” Toni’s eyes popped open and saw Cheryl’s face hanging over hers, eyes narrowed at the rest of their friends.
“Nothing.” Veronica said cheerfully. Toni rolled her eyes as Cheryl looked down at her. Toni grinned.
“I feel like Spiderman.”
“Does that make me MJ?” Cheryl tilted her head with a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips. Toni’s eyes widened and her jaw snapped shut.
----
So now Toni was convinced the Scooby Gang was up to no good.
She’d begun keeping a mental notebook of all the times they’d looked at her. It was off-putting to say the least and when she started to notice that it wasn’t just her they were keeping an eye on, she got nervous.
It was no secret that Toni had a bit of a thing for Cheryl. At least the Serpents all knew about it, which is why she blames Fangs’ whiskey on the trailer comment.
“What are they planning?” Toni jolted as Cheryl sat down next to her. Toni scratched the back of her neck and shrugged.
“Not a clue but I don’t like it.” Toni and Cheryl shuddered as their friends stared at them before going into a huddle.
It was when Archie turned to face them with an innocent, charming smile that Toni felt dread crawl over her skin.
“I’m throwing a party Friday night, you two comin’?” Toni squirmed under the eyes watching the pair of them and found herself almost using Cheryl as a buffer.
“Sure. There better be alcohol Andrews.” Cheryl said, her eyes drifting to Toni’s shrinking body and laced their fingers together. The effect on Toni was almost instantaneous; she immediately relaxed and let a smug smile grace her features.
“Sure thing Arch. Got a place I can keep my bike?” Archie nodded and Toni flicked him a thumbs up.
“Guess they were just planning a party.” Cheryl shrugged when they had turned back around. Toni narrowed her eyes at the mischievous grin on Veronica’s face.
“Uh huh…”
Toni would’ve thought harder about the lingering nerves sitting in her stomach but she was too distracted by the warmth of Cheryl’s palm against her own.
----
Toni barely gave a second thought to her party attire; it was barely different to what she wore daily. Just with a touch extra attitude.
She’d pulled up outside Thistle House, her bike rumbling in the driveway until the front door opened. Toni turned the engine off and flipped her visor up.
“Holy shit Cher.” She let out a low whistle as she watched Cheryl walk towards her. Toni had never seen such tight, red pants before. And the heels? Woah, Toni was suddenly struggling and feeling awfully hot under her leathers.
“Not so bad yourself TT. Rocking the biker look tonight?” Cheryl grabbed the helmet from the back of the bike and slipped it over her hair with a slight grimace. Toni bit her lip as Cheryl put her hand on Toni’s shoulder and slipped onto the bike, her arms circling Toni’s waist with a soft grunt as she got comfortable.
Toni didn’t even reply to Cheryl before she started the bike up and flipped her visor down, revving the throttle and taking off for Archie’s house.
----
That pit of nerves came back when Veronica started talking to her. They were all way past tipsy and well on their way to drunk when Veronica decided they were all just going to chat for a while.
“So Toni, Fangs here mentioned you had a rough break-up over the summer?” Toni groaned and rolled her eyes.
“Just a summer fling that apparently she didn’t want to end.” Toni explained with a sigh. She missed how Cheryl’s eyebrow rose and her eyes looked at Toni in a new light.
“She? You’re gay?” Archie frowned, he was almost lying on the floor, his head clearly doing whatever it wanted as he looked at Toni.
“Dude you know I’m bi. We’ve had this conversation.” Toni laughed, chugging more beer as Archie smiled before falling onto his back with a snore. The boys instantly started looking for pens and whipped cream, leaving the girls sat on the floor.
“Alright, I have question,” Betty slurred with a grin, “you ever liked one of us?”
Toni’s shoulders tensed, she could feel Cheryl looking at her intently. Toni had spent most of the party trying not to drool over Cheryl and in the process had missed Cheryl doing the same thing.
“That- I mean- I’m only human.” Toni stammered, waving her almost empty beer bottle around nervously.
“Whooooo?” Veronica gasped, wobbling forward and almost landing in Toni’s lap.
“TONI come help uS!” Sweet Pea’s cackle echoed into the room and Toni was on her feet in a shot. She let the room spin before ducking out quickly.
----
Cheryl wasn’t stupid. She really wasn’t. But she’s starting to think she doesn’t pay much attention to the world around her sometimes.
She’d swear to the moon and back that she knew everything about Toni; she knew where she hid her stuffed toys when the boys came round, where she hid when the elder Serpents were on the rampage, she knew how Toni once broke her knuckles punching the wall when she’d heard about Jason Blossom. Cheryl knew everything about Toni.
Except, apparently, that she was bi.
Now, Cheryl had come out to Toni months ago. And Toni had been the greatest help in accepting herself before she came out to everyone else.
Yet, Toni’s sexuality had never really come up.
Sure they flirted all the time but Toni had never mentioned anyone she dated. Ever.
Then again since Cheryl had known Toni, there hadn’t really been anyone.
So that little line of questioning at the party had taken Cheryl by surprise.
Veronica and Betty had known about Cheryl’s crush on Toni since they’d known Cheryl liked girls. Apparently she was not subtle. They’d assured her that to everyone else it seemed pretty gal-pal like.
How had she not known?
“How come you never told me you were bi?” Cheryl asks on one of their study sessions at Pops. Toni almost choked on her milkshake before she coughed and looked at Cheryl in confusion.
“I thought you knew?” Cheryl nodded slowly, toying with her pen on the table.
“I didn’t.” She replied softly. Cheryl bit her lip and leaned over the table slightly, not missing the flick of Toni’s eyes down to her open shirt and back up to her eyes.
“Toni-” Cheryl was cut off by the ringing of the bell above the door; the Scooby Gang’s chatter immediately filled Pops. Cheryl cursed internally and went back to her homework, leaving Toni watching her closely.
Toni had a small, hopeful, inkling that Cheryl was about to admit she liked her.
“Cher-” Toni almost stabbed Jughead when he came up to the table and leaned on it. “What?”
“We were wondering if you guys wanted to join us…” Jughead said, flinching at the sternness in Toni’s voice.
“Working.” Cheryl hummed, biting the end of her pen. Toni swallowed a groan as she stared at Cheryl’s red painted lips. Jughead snorted before wandering back over to the others.
Toni did groan then, letting her head flop to the table with a thud.
Fuck sake.
----
Vixen’s practice was sorely lacking today. Cheryl was not mentally present at all, mostly because she was too busy trying not to stare at Toni’s ass.
That and they’d both been dancing around talking about the very obvious elephant in the room for days.
The rest of the girls had noticed something was off with their HBIC but wisely kept their theories to themselves… or at least out of her earshot.
“Maybe we should just get Cheryl laid?” Someone said, slightly too loudly while they were stretching.
“I’m sorry what?” Cheryl looked over with wide eyes.
“Uhhhhh-”
“I mean come on Blossom, we haven’t seen you with anyone recently. Nobody. Zip.” Veronica drawled, pulling the other girl back behind her subtly. Just in case.
“And my dating life is a hot topic?”
“Obviously.” Betty scoffed. Toni stayed crucially quiet at this point, watching it all unfold.
“I mean duh, the only person you actually hang out with outside of school is Toni.” Veronica rolled her eyes as the two in question quickly avoided the other's eye contact.
“Well, you know, busy being better than everyone in this town.” Cheryl snapped back, staring intently at her nails, trying to seem aloof.
“Unless there’s another reason of course.” Betty mused, glancing at Veronica who nodded.
“Alright. That’s it. Get your asses into position so we can through this shit for the last time.” Toni finally spoke up with an eye roll. She was done seeing Cheryl pretend like she wasn’t uncomfortable.
Cheryl smiled at her softly and Toni gulped.
Suddenly Toni felt herself falling, stupid feet and stupid brain getting too distracted at Cheryl’s softness.
She winced and waited for the cold floor of the gym to meet her face but it never came.
Instead she felt a warm arm around her waist and a soft hand at the top of her spine. Toni opened her eyes and saw bright eyes staring back at her. Toni let out a sharp breath as she realised her hands were clinging to Cheryl’s biceps.
Toni vaguely realised the rest of the gym had gone deadly silent and that Cheryl had caught her in the most cliche romantic way possible.
“Holy fuck.”
The two of them jumped, almost sending Toni falling to the floor again. They scrambled upright and tried to act like that was normal.
“Alright, chop chop bitches. Let’s get this done.” Cheryl cleared her throat, daring anyone to comment on the voice crack on ‘bitches’.
Toni was frozen to the spot until Veronica nudged her forward into position.
Fuck.
This was a thing now.
F U C K
----
Things had been weird between them.
Not like they’d been avoiding each other weird.
Everything just seemed tense.
All their interactions had lost their sense of ease and normalcy.
You know, the one thing that kept Cheryl sane every day.
“Things are weird now.” Cheryl mentioned to Veronica and Betty. The three of them were at the Whyte Wyrm, sitting in the corner, away from most of the noise of the bar.
“Weird how?”
“Just… off? I don’t know.” Cheryl whined, leaning her chin on her hand as she watched Toni work at the bar.
“Like.. awkward?” Betty asked with a frown. Cheryl nodded with a huff.
“Awkward. Maybe I went too far with the whole catch thing.”
“That was a reflex,” Veronica scoffed, “a very hot, very romantic, very sexy reflex.” Cheryl and Betty raised their eyebrows and turned to look at Veronica. She shrugged and sipped on her drink. “I’m not blind. Or dead.”
Cheryl rolled her eyes as Toni wandered over to their table.
“Who’s not dead?”
“V here. For noticing how fit I am.” Cheryl replied in the same bored, slightly sad tone she’d had all night. Toni frowned at her and Cheryl seemed to remember who she was talking to; eyes going wide and sitting up straighter.
“I mean took her long enough but why are we discussing your hotness without me?”
“Well you’re working and we’re not- hang on what?” Cheryl blinked up at Toni who winked at her before heading back around the bar as the shouting started getting louder.
“Did that just happen?” Betty whispered to Veronica who nodded slowly.
“I think you’re gonna have to tell her.”
Cheryl whipped around to look at Sweet Pea. He pulled up a seat and waved Fangs over.
“What?”
“You’re gonna have to tell Tiny T that you like her.” Sweet Pea shrugged, toying with Cheryl’s empty glass.
“I don’t…” Cheryl trailed off when the four of them looked at her.
“She wouldn’t shut the fuck up about Vixen’s practice the other day.” Fangs rolled his eyes with a shudder. “The things I’ve heard… I should be asking you to pay for therapy.”
Cheryl felt her cheeks heating up, only feeling them glowing when Toni appeared by her side, wrapping an arm around Cheryl’s shoulder.
“Why does Cheryl look like she’s going to combust?” Toni laughed. Cheryl could feel her heart pounding, wondering why no one had asked her what that loud thumping was.
Toni had slid into the empty spot next to Cheryl, her arm still loosely around Cheryl’s shoulder as she joked with Fangs and Sweet Pea.
Cheryl couldn’t help the soft smile on her face as she watched Toni fool around with her friends.
She waited until Fangs and Sweet Pea had started talking with Betty and Veronica about some project they all had to do. Cheryl bit her lip and cleared her throat quietly. Toni immediately turned her attention to Cheryl. She would’ve teased her about her willingness to listen to Cheryl but she was too focused on her plan.
Toni was looking at her expectantly, waiting for Cheryl to speak.
She never would’ve anticipated Cheryl leaning forward the last few inches and softly pressing their lips together.
Toni felt her heart stop, her eyes slip closed and she immediately tightened her hold around Cheryl’s shoulder.
There was a squeal from across the table and Cheryl pulled back slightly.
“Fucking finally.” Sweet Pea grumbled before he yelped as Toni kicked him in the shin. Cheryl turned back to the table, tangling her fingers with Toni’s. Toni looked around the table at her friends and narrowed her eyes.
“Is this what you’ve been planning for the past few weeks?” The startled looks on their faces was enough confirmation.
“Dicks.” Toni mumbled as Cheryl pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Wanna go home?” Cheryl whispered as the other four tried to justify their involvement. Toni had never felt her heart soar as high as in that moment.
“I’d love to. My shift ended just before I came over here.” Toni replied quietly, turning to look at Cheryl, brushing their noses together with a quiet hitch in her breath.
“We’ll see you guys on Monday.” Cheryl said louder, eyes not leaving Toni’s. They ignored the calling from their friends as they worked their way through the busy bar.
----
“I can’t believe them.” Cheryl gasped as Toni’s lips worked their way down her neck. Toni paused and pushed herself up, leaning over Cheryl.
She’d dreamed this but seeing Cheryl’s red hair splayed against her pillows was more than her brain was willing to handle right now.
“You wanna talk about this now?” Toni glanced down at Cheryl, “We’re basically naked and you wanna talk about our nosy friends?”
Cheryl bit her lip, tangling her hands in Toni’s hair and shook her head.
“Never mind.”
----
The Scooby Gang had been feeling smug all weekend, no one had heard from Toni or Cheryl in days. Their plan had worked. They were all chatting as they walked into the rec room.
“We may not have thought this through.” Jughead sighed.
“Why no- oh holy shit.” Archie choked on his drink.
“They know they’re not alone right?” Sweet Pea said with a grimace.
“Shut the fuck up dickless.” Toni snapped, her cheeks flushed and her hair messy, even though it was tucked under a beanie.
“Well you lot thought it’d be fun to match make, so now you get to put up with the consequences of that.” Cheryl purred, her nails scratching at the back of Toni’s neck softly.
“They’re gonna make our lives hell.” Fangs groaned.
Toni and Cheryl would’ve had a comeback but they were too busy with each other. Smiling against each other’s lips at the loud complaints from their friends.
They shouldn’t have got involved…
And yet…
Thank fuck they did.