Chapter Text
Cheryl brushed her long red hair out, looking at her reflection in the vanity mirror, sighing as usual when she couldn't decide what to do with the red tresses. Getting up slowly, she opened the window, needing some fresh air in her stuffy bedroom. Thornhill never did have good air circulation. It was one of the very few things Cheryl hated about living in the old mansion. But it no matter how cold the winters were, or how stuffy the summers got, she counted her blessings every day that she was free of her former prison.
"I better not get arrested for being here," Toni whispered as she followed the redhead up the stairs of the home she'd been forbidden to return to. After what happened with Cheryl's parents yesterday on her doorstep, she was surprised she hadn't been arrested already. Not that she had done anything wrong, but the Blossoms seemed like they had the power to spin the story wildly enough to get her into trouble.
"You're so dramatic," Cheryl chuckled as they climbed up to the second floor, "They're at church for a few hours." She opened the door to her bedroom, immediately grabbing her suitcase from the closet. The first thing she grabbed was Jason's baseball cap, placing it on her head before she started to sift through her closet. She was surprisingly calm, considering everything that had happened in the past two days. Whether her parents were serious about disowning her or not, she took their demand that she never return home seriously. She never wanted to even see this house again.
"What can I get?" Toni asked, tightening her ponytail and looking around.
"Umm..." the younger girl pursed her lips and looked around. She didn't have a lot that she couldn't live without. Could you grab some of my books from the book shelf? Just the ones that have sticky notes in them?" She always placed a sticky note in books that had passages that moved her to tears. And some of them she read multiple times.
The brunette just nodded, going to the book shelf as Cheryl continued to pack up her closet. Even her clothes, she felt like she could live without most of them. They didn't feel like they suited her anymore. But she packed up the items she still enjoyed wearing and dumped her dresser drawers into the suitcase, not really worrying about organization right now.
"I know the trailer's small, but I can move some of my stuff around. I'm sure my uncle will understand..." Toni placed some books on the bed, her face sympathetic. They hadn't really discussed a plan for Cheryl yet. Planning to come here today while her parents were at church was the only thing they'd planned since yesterday.
"I couldn't impose on you like that, TT. I'll probably stay with my Nana."
"Are you gonna try to get emancipated like you mentioned...?"
"I doubt it would work with my parents being...well, my parents."
"It's worth a shot though, right?"
As much as Cheryl didn't believe it would happen, she was officially emancipated from her parents a few months later, only to be placed in the legal care of her Nana Rose for a few months until her eighteenth birthday. Her car had been returned to her by law (since it was in her grandfather's name and had been left to her in his will), and she never had to see her parents again.
Thornhill, as spooky as it could be sometimes, had warm, comfortable bed in the room she got to decorate any way she wanted. It had a pool that she and Toni spent most of their summer in. And it had no hidden prayer closet for anyone to lock her in for hours. The only thing she missed about her old house, besides the shorter drive to Toni's trailer, was Jason's room. Every day she thought and worried about what her parents would do with Jason's things after she'd left. But thankfully the memory of her beloved twin brother was alive and well here at Thornhill with plenty of pictures and stories of their childhood from her nana and the house staff.
Holding the curling iron in her hair, Cheryl bit her bare lip at her reflection, feeling a little calmer now that she had some air flowing into the room. She was so nervous. Tonight was the ten year high school reunion for Riverdale's graduating class of 1997. It would be the first time she set foot in that school since the day she graduated. It was rare that she came back to Riverdale at all after leaving for college, but when she did, the high school was low on her list of places to visit.
Sighing, she found herself staring into the warm eyes of her dear brother in the picture she had taped up on the mirror. It had been eighteen years since he died and of course, she missed him terribly. He would have walked across the stage at graduation with them ten years ago had it not been for the tragic accident. But ever since finding out the truth, she never once blamed Toni for any of it. The only person she truly blamed was her own father. Just a year after the finalization of her emancipation, the truth about her father was revealed to all of Riverdale.
As it turns out, Clifford Blossom had been secretly running a drug cartel under the guise of his father's maple syrup industry. He'd been overseeing the production and distribution of jingle jangle and other drugs since she and Jason were in diapers, paying everyone involved a chunk of hush money. And he'd been playing the pastor role for just as long, keeping his reputation around town clean as a whistle so no one would ever suspect him.
"What a way to end the summer," the redhead sighed as they pulled up to the courthouse. It was packed. Like the entire town wanted to get a seat for the event. Not to mention the local news station's van parked right by the door. She shouldn't be worrying about this right now. She should be more concerned with the fact that in two weeks she would be driving across the country to California with Toni for college, getting settled in for a new chapter of their lives.
"Is it insensitive of me to say that I can't wait to see him fry?" Toni snorted a bit, buttoning up her blazer as they enjoyed the last few moments of air conditioning before having to set foot in the stuffy old court house. Figures they would schedule the court date for the biggest scandal the town had seen in the middle of the summer.
"I just hope they believe my testimony," Cheryl wrung her hands nervously, "I don't want them to think I'm lying for him."
"Babe, they already know you were emancipated and all the shit he did to you. I doubt that thought would cross the mind of any of the nosy fucks in that building," Toni reached for one of her hands, squeezing it reassuringly as she leaned over to kiss her cheek.
Nodding, Cheryl pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She was right. Riverdale was such a small town, and gossip spread like wildfire. When she and Toni went public with their relationship, the news spread fast, same with her emancipation. But the news of Clifford and Penelope Blossom's arrest spread around town as fast as lightning.
"Hey," the brunette whispered, squeezing her hand again as she looked up at her through the thick frames of her glasses, "It'll be fine. He's guilty, we know that. He knows that, no matter how much he tries to fight it."
Cheryl just nodded again, leaning in to kiss her slowly. Almost two years together and Toni's kisses still managed to always make her feel better.
Her fingers twitched at the memory of how Toni squeezed her hand so tightly so many times that day. She nearly broke her hand when the older Blossom was up on the stand, confessing that he oversaw the production and made the prices so low to weed out the sinners in town. "Sinners like Tony and Violet Topaz," as he said, lumping them in with the addicts and junkies around town. Cheryl never thought she would be able to feel her fingers again with how tightly Toni had a hold on them. But she was there for her girlfriend, holding her close.
Toni had learned from her uncle not too long after that summer that her parents had gotten roped into the drug business, needing the money before Toni's mom had gotten her high-end job on the north side. But escaping that life was more difficult than either of her parents had expected.
Cheryl squeezed Toni's hand just as tight during the verdict that named her father guilty of multiple counts, sentencing him to a minimum of fifty years in federal prison. A week later, her mother had received a ten to twenty-five year sentence at a minimum security prison due to the fact that she not only knew about her husband's crimes, but her name was on all the business papers, whether she knew about it or not.
Toni, as relieved as she was, was understanding that Cheryl had mixed feelings on the whole ordeal. Despite how much the younger girl hated her parents for everything they'd done, there was a part of her that felt bad that they were both behind bars. That was one of the things Toni loved about her, how she never wanted anyone to feel bad. Even if it were her abusive, criminal parents, or the girl who bullied her for years. Cheryl was always kind and loving to everyone because she never wanted for anyone to ever feel even a little bit of the vast amount of emotional pain she had felt for years.
"I'm so sorry," she whimpered into Toni's neck. Her bed in her Thornhill bedroom had pretty much become theirs, since Toni seemed to spend more nights there than at her own house, "I'm so sorry he said that."
Toni just soothed her quietly, rubbing her bare back. Cheryl had only just started crying minutes ago, suddenly overcome with guilt over what her father had said about her parents. Both girls hated that the man had even put their names in his mouth. And Cheryl couldn't shake the pained look on her girlfriend's face.
"Baby, you have nothing to be sorry for. What he said wasn't your fault," Toni kissed the top of her head gently, tracing her spine with the tip of her finger as the cool, summer night breeze came through the window, blowing across her face and Cheryl's bare back.
The redhead sobbed as goose bumps rose on her fair skin, "He's just so h-heartless. I don't understand."
As much as she hated it, she felt a twinge of sympathy for her father. All these years he had to live with the fact that he was partially responsible for Jason's death. She assumed that it was the reason for his excessive cruelty and coldness towards her. She always knew she wasn't his favorite. He'd told her on multiple drunken occasions that he would trade her for Jason any day.
"Hey, I don't care what he says. The only Blossom whose opinion I care about is the pretty one laying right here with me," Toni smirked, trying to get her to pick her head up.
Cheryl just sniffled, wiping her eyes as she glanced up at her, "Really?"
"Well, and your Nana Rose. Can't have Nana-in-Law hating me," she chuckled, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.
"She loves you," the redhead smiled through her tears, wiping her eyes, "You two even have a bunch of inside jokes. I'm pretty sure she loves you more than she loves me."
"Doubt it."
Since the incarceration of the Blossoms, the maple syrup industry had been shut down. Mainly due to the poor reputation it had gained after Clifford's hearing. And when Cheryl's nana died just after her college graduation, all was left to her. Thornhill, the money from the business and the sale of the factories, everything. She decided not to sell Thornhill, despite the grand offers people had made her for it. Jason had been laid to rest in the private cemetery along with her Nana and Grandpappy Blossom. Besides, she didn't feel like it was her property to sell. And after a bit of redecorating, she turned it into a nice summer home. She saw it as a place where she could bring her own family someday, if she ever had one.
Satisfied with her reflection, Cheryl turned off her curling iron just before her Blackberry beeped.
[Betts]: Archie and I just dropped the kids off at my mom's. What time is the limo getting to Thornhill?
She smiled at her phone, flipping it open to text her back that she would be leaving in a few minutes. She'd arranged for a limo to escort them to the reunion. It wasn't exactly necessary, but she thought it would be a nice treat for her friends. Archie and Betty were expecting child number three now, and apparently hadn't had time to themselves for a while.
[Cher]: It should be here in about ten minutes, so we should be at your house in a half hour. I'm still surprised you didn't want to get there early. I mean, you arranged the whole thing.
[Betts]: I helped set up earlier. Kevin's got it all under control.
Cheryl smiled at the mention of Kevin Keller. He had become a great friend of hers not long after she and Toni had made their relationship known at school at the beginning of their senior year. He had approached her in the library and asked her, of all people, for advice on how he should come out. He was new to school and his father was the new sheriff. Last she heard, he and Frances "Fangs" Fogarty, the kicker on the football team, had moved abroad a few years ago.
She never thought that she would ever be a trendsetter or a person that people looked up to. But that first day of senior year was one of the scariest days of her life. She and Toni had tried to keep their relationship as private as possible for the remainder of junior year. It was Toni's idea. After Cheryl had left with her parents the day they showed up at her door, she found herself willing to anything to get her back. And that included letting the world know the truth. She didn't care about her image anymore. But ever since Cheryl walked away from her parents, Toni thought it would be best for her to only deal with one hardship at a time.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Cheryl gripped onto the steering wheel of her Impala, looking at the big brick school building as they sat in the parking lot. It was the first day of their senior year, and they had planned to make this the day they officially made their relationship known. All summer they had been so carefree, going to Pop's and the drive-in together, just the two of them like they'd wanted. They weren't exactly affectionate out in public, but they weren't afraid to be alone together around Riverdale anymore. They saved their PDA for Toni's trailer or when they would hang out at Thornhill.
"Yeah," she breathed, nodding, not taking her eyes off the school doors.
"Don't let anyone give you any shit, okay?" Toni reached for her chin, turning her to face her, "I know it's easier said than done, but no one's opinion matters. It's just you and me at the end of the day, right?"
The redhead nodded, taking a deep breath. She went to push her glasses up nervously, but forgot she had worn contacts today. Along with her makeup and bright red blouse, she almost seemed like a completely different person than last year. She hoped it wouldn't be too bad. Most people they went to school with saw them around town anyways. They knew that she and Toni were friends at the least.
"Love you," Toni bit her lip, brushing her brown wavy hair off her shoulder.
"Love you too, TT," her whispering voice shook as she nodded again, letting the brunette lean in to kiss her so gently that it almost made her forget her worries. "I'll see you at lunch if we don't have any classes together?"
"Of course," Toni smiled, reaching into the backseat to grab their backpacks for them, handing Cheryl hers with another kiss.
The girls got out of the car and Cheryl wiped her clammy palm on her jeans before linking her fingers with Toni's. The act somehow made her feel safe and nervous at the same time. But she was ready to get it out in the open.
When they walked through the doors, she tried her hardest to keep her head up and ignore all the stares from the students lined up along the sides of the halls. She was a different person than she was last year. She was emancipated from her parents, she had a girlfriend, she wore red for god's sake. She didn't have to be the meek little girl she had been all these years. She wasn't looking to be the new captain of the River Vixens or the prom queen, but she hoped that she could at least have more confidence this year. And it had to start with being honest about who she was.
The whispers of students around them sometimes still plagued her to this day, but with the whispers always came the reassuring squeeze of Toni's hand in hers, wordlessly letting her know that everything would be okay. There were days when Toni got more said about her than Cheryl did. It was mainly from her former friends who hadn't quite accepted the truth yet. But eventually, as more people started to get the bravery to follow in her and Toni's footsteps, the less they were talked about.
Cheryl,
Thank you so much for being so nice to me this year. Without you, I don't think I ever would have made it through my first year of high school. I promise I'll take good care of the Blue & Gold after you all graduate. Have fun in California and keep in touch!
Love always,
J.B. Jones
Cheryl ran her fingers over the yearbook message from the freshman she'd taken under her wing that year. The girl, like Kevin, had approached her and immediately saw her as a mentor, knowing that Cheryl was a lesbian like herself. She and Toni seemed to lead some kind of revolution at Riverdale High. Whether it was kids of different sexualities or cheerleaders dating kids in the glee club. There was an aura of acceptance around the halls towards the end of that school year.
"You almost ready?"
Cheryl snapped out of her daze and turned around in her chair, biting her painted red lip at the woman coming out of the en suite. Almost twelve years together and Toni still managed to take her breath away all the time. The brunette had on a plum colored power suite and black stiletto heels, her long hair with faded tints of pink was laid in loose waves over her shoulders as she put in her earrings. She had dyed it a few weeks ago for a themed event they'd gone to back in California.
"Yeah," the redhead looked her up and down as she bit down harder on her lip, getting up from her chair. She did a little spin in her slinky red dress, giggling when her girlfriend pulled her in. "You like it?" she grinned, leaning in to kiss her slowly and wrapped her arms around her neck.
Toni just smirked and ran her hands down the back of the short, silky dress. "Mmhm. Red's definitely your color," she mumbled, letting her hands come to a rest on Cheryl's toned backside.
"It's my favorite," she blushed, playing with the lapels of her blazer as her eyes locked briefly on the tarnished 'C' against her collarbone, "Aren't you gonna be hot in this?"
"You saying I'm not already hot in this?" Toni quirked an eyebrow at her with the same signature smirk that's been giving her chills since high school.
"You know what I mean, TT," she blushed again.
Toni chuckled and kissed her gently, "The blouse underneath works with the pants if the blazer gets too hot."
Cheryl bit her lip and nodded, distractedly reaching for the buttons of the dark purple blazer, unbuttoning them at a tantalizing pace.
"We're gonna be late..." the older girl whispered, her breath warm on Cheryl's face.
"That's okay..." Cheryl blinked her doe eyes up to meet hers, biting her lip again.
"The car's gonna be here any minute," Toni tried to reason with her, stopping her from undoing the bottom button of her blazer, "Come on, cutie. We'll skip out early and I'll be all yours for the night."
The redhead pouted playfully as her girlfriend fixed the buttons, reaching for the black clutch she'd left on the bed. The sound of a car horn came from outside and she smiled at Toni, holding a hand out.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as Toni squeezed her hand like she had so many times before. It still amazed her how she was still so madly in love with her after all these years. She could only imagine what would happen if she went back in time to tell her fourteen year old self that she was in a long term committed relationship with the girl who she thought hated her guts. It had been so long, she didn't even remember how it felt to not see and kiss Toni every day. There had only been one time since high school that she had to experience it, and she never thought that something like a break up would make her so miserable.
"Are you sure you don't wanna come along? It's gonna be fun and maybe it'll take your mind off of Toni," Evelyn, Cheryl's roommate, lingered in the doorway as the redhead curled up on her bed.
"Thanks, I'll pass," she mumbled, setting her pint of ice cream down on the nightstand and grabbing the photo album from the drawer.
The other redhead sighed and uttered a quiet goodbye before closing the door, leaving Cheryl alone like she had been for the past three days. She skipped her Thursday and Friday classes and had spent the whole day in bed today, moping and crying over old photos and memories.
Sitting up, she wiped at her eyes under her glasses and opened the album for the third time today. She didn't know why she was torturing herself like this. She missed Toni, and the brunette was probably too busy partying with her new friends to even remember who she was and everything they'd shared over the past three years.
She didn't know who she was more angry at, Toni or herself. The brunette had gotten so wrapped up in the typical college party scene, to a point where it seemed like she was partying more than going to class. Cheryl tried to be compliant, not fighting it when Toni refused her help with her assignments. She never said anything when Toni started skipping classes. But when she found the little baggie of pills in her pillowcase, she had had enough of staying quiet.
They had a big fight that night. Toni claimed that she was just holding the pills for a friend. And Cheryl, skeptical and scared, snapped, throwing Toni's parents and their drug use into the heated conversation. She regretted it immediately, but was left no time to explain or apologize before Toni was out the door. And she hadn't seen her since.
"Of all people, I never thought that you would be the one to throw what they did in my face," she remembered how hurt Toni sounded and it broke her heart all over again. She hadn't meant it like that, but she wasn't given the time to explain. She was just worried about her and wanted her to stay safe.
Flipping through the pages, her heart clenched at each individual photo. From the photo strip from the ski trip junior year to the Polaroid of the two of them at the pride parade they'd gone to in San Francisco a few weeks ago. Each photo told a thousand word story, each one as romantic as the next. And she wasn't sure if she would ever get that romance back. Reaching for her walkman, she sniffled, placing the headphones over her ears. Evelyn had threatened to take the device away from her if she kept torturing herself like this, but Evelyn was neither here, nor the boss of her.
Cheryl never thought she would ever become such a cliche. She'd never been a cliche a day in her life, and now here she was being so miserable after a break up, eating ice cream by the pint surrounded by tear-filled tissues. But she was truly heartbroken. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she flipped through the album, listening to the first track of the tape. "Wonderwall" was their song. It seemed to always play when they were together, starting with their first date. It came on the radio when they would ride together to school, it came on in the department store when they were prom dress shopping. The soft guitar of the intro was even the first thing they heard when they crossed the state line into California. It was their song, and Cheryl never thought that it would fuel her heartbreak.
She skipped ahead on the tape when the song was over, wiping her tears when Toni's voice came through her headphones.
"I just...I love you, Cheryl," brought on a fresh batch of tears for the redhead as she wondered if she'd ever hear Toni utter those words again. "I'm so in love with you, Cheryl Blossom.. I don't know what I did right to get to call you mine, but I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that-"
"Val, let me in! Fuck!" a loud bang on her door startled her a bit as she wiped her eyes and sat up straight. "Val! Come on, my key's not working!" it sounded like Toni. Cheryl's heart raced as she got out of bed, cursing her pale, flushed skin as she tried to look normal and composed before opening the door.
"What are you doing in my room?" Toni slurred, stepping into the small dorm room. She took off her shoes and laid on Cheryl's bed, not seeming to notice or care about the used tissues that were littered around the comforter.
"This is my room, Toni," Cheryl closed the door, sighing as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek, "Come on, I'll take you back to yours."
"It's my room, I'm here all the time. My key just didn't work," the brunette fought back, sitting up weakly and fumbling for the photo album Cheryl had been looking at.
Biting her lip, Cheryl glanced at the clock. It wasn't late, but it wasn't early in the night either. What was she supposed to do? Toni was nonchalantly flipping through her photo album with a hint of a smile on her face, as if nothing was different between them. Cheryl didn't know how much she had to drink, but she wouldn't feel right leaving her alone. And with how wild her roommate was, she wasn't sure she trusted her enough to leave Toni in her care.
Pushing herself off the back of the door, she crossed the small room to her nightstand, fetching two ibuprofen and a bottle of water. Toni barely seemed to notice her, too wrapped up in the album in her lap.
"Take these. You'll feel less like shit when you wake up in the morning," she whispered in the quiet room, holding the pills out.
"What are they?" Toni asked, looking at the pills.
"Ibuprofen," Cheryl deadpanned, handing her the opened water bottle after she downed the pain killers. "Lay down, Toni," she sighed, unable to stop herself from reaching for her long brown hair, tying it back in a scrunchie in case she got sick. Surprisingly, Toni obeyed, yawning as Cheryl cleaned up some of the tissues. She wasn't sure the older girl even knew where she was. "Close your eyes and get some sleep," she whispered.
"Are you gonna sleep with me?"
"I don't think that's a good idea, Toni."
"Then just lay with me. And call me TT, I like that," Toni pouted, pulling her down onto the mattress.
"I don't think I should," Cheryl's whispering voice trembled as she tried to keep her distance. But it was difficult on a twin-sized bed.
"Please, Cher Bear? For me?" the drunk girl bit down on her lip gently, her glassy eyes shining at her. Her warm hands ran up and down Cheryl's arms before reaching for the exposed skin of her sides under her tank top, making the redhead gasp. Toni knew that was one of her weaknesses. The simple touch on her sides always made her melt and she knew it.
She held back a whimper of desperation. She missed Toni so much and she craved physical contact with her more and more each day. Biting her lip, she relaxed down beside her, barely getting any time before Toni was nuzzled sleepily up to her side.
"G'night, baby girl," the drunk brunette mumbled, wrapping an arm securely across her torso.
"Goodnight, TT," she whispered, taking a deep breath as she stared up at the ceiling.
"Welcome back to Riverdale High," Ethel Jones smiled, handing name tags to her four former classmates.
With polite 'thank you's, Cheryl, Toni, Betty, and Archie walked into the gymnasium. It looked exactly the same, as did almost everything else in the building. The decorations were just as cheesy as every school dance they'd ever attended, and the DJ was playing all the songs that were popular between their freshman and senior year.
"Really takes you back, huh?" Archie smiled at the women alongside him. The summer before senior year, his teeth had straightened out and he had toned up his body enough to make Betty the envy of almost every girl at school.
"It doesn't even feel like it's been ten years since we were last here," Cheryl chuckled, holding tightly to Toni's hand, "Well, me and Toni at least."
"Trust me, there's days that I wish I didn't have to be here," Betty rolled her eyes, resting a hand on her swollen stomach over her pale pink dress.
"I thought you loved teaching," Toni cocked her head at her.
"I do, but high schoolers are so much more wild than I remember. I'd go back to teaching at the elementary school in a heartbeat."
Archie ran a hand up and down her back sympathetically.
"What about you, Arch, how's Andrews and Son?" Cheryl smiled, reaching for a small plastic cup of punch, handing one to Toni.
"It's going good. Dad's got me doing the books instead of working on site now. Better pay and my schedule's more flexible for the kids," he nodded, "What about you two? Are you still working on another book? Freddie's obsessed with the last one."
Cheryl blushed and nodded, sipping at her punch. A few of the children's books she'd written and illustrated had become pretty popular around the country. It started as a little project she'd started in college and she managed to turn it into a career with the encouragement of Toni and her friends. "I just sent it off for final approval two weeks ago," she smiled, blushing even more at the proud look on Toni's face.
"We're gonna need another autographed copy then," Betty smiled, "Are you still doing wedding photography, Toni?"
"Weddings, birthday parties, gender reveals, you name it," she nodded, holding up her cup of punch as Cheryl wrapped an arm affectionately around her waist, resting her chin on her shoulder, "It's keeping me busy."
Cheryl grinned up at her girlfriend, keeping her chin propped on her shoulder. "She's a hot commodity as of late." She was so proud of Toni. She remembered back in high school when the brunette didn't want anyone to know about her photography, and now people from all over the country wanted her to shoot for their special events.
"Come on, please?"
"Don't you have enough?"
"I can never have enough photos of you, babe, you know that," Toni smirked, snapping another while Cheryl hid her face. They were in Toni's dorm room like they normally were since her roommate was out more often than Cheryl's. Unfortunately freshman dorm assignments were randomized otherwise they would have chosen to room together.
"You're incorrigible," the redhead chuckled and rolled onto her stomach to flip to the next page of her Art History textbook, jotting down notes as the Spice Girls played on the small radio in the corner.
"But you're my muse," she whined, flopping down beside her, getting a shot from diagonally above her before putting the camera down and leaning down to kiss around her shoulder and the side of her neck, "Come on, Cher, please?"
Cheryl just groaned. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and she was a baggy t-shirt and pajama pants. "But I look gross right now," she pouted, pushing her glasses up as she looked up at her, resting her cheek against her own arm.
"Baby, you could wear a used trash bag and still manage to make it look good."
The redhead blushed and sat up with a sigh, looking at her girlfriend with a bit of a menacing, but playful, glare, her lips puffed out into a pout.
"You know you're hot when you're annoyed," Toni bit her lip from behind the camera, snapping a shot of Cheryl's face.
She tried to keep the same stern, annoyed face, but she lost it quickly, giggling as a blush came over her cheeks. One of these days she wouldn't get giddy at the littlest compliments from Toni. "Why do you like taking pictures of me so much? You see me all the time. You could be out there taking pictures of the flowers in the quad or something," she mumbled, resting her head on her bent up knees as Toni took another photo.
She lowered the camera from her face with the softest smile Cheryl had ever seen, "Because I only photograph beautiful things. And you, babe, are more beautiful than any flower in the quad." Toni put the camera down on the bed, reaching for Cheryl's chin and lifting her head for a kiss. "Also cause when I use you as a subject for my assignments, I get higher grades," she scrunched up her nose with a smirk as Cheryl giggled against her lips. She couldn't really say anything since the same thing seemed to happen whenever Toni was her muse for an art project.
"I love you," the redhead hummed against her lips before groaning at the click of the camera Toni was holding up beside them.
"Now to the most burning question, are you ever gonna get married?" Betty quirked an eyebrow, her face glowing with excitement.
The two women looked at each other as Cheryl pulled back from Toni's shoulder. "I mean, we're practically married already. It's not like it can happen legally anyways," the brunette shrugged as Cheryl nodded.
"What about like, a civil union or something? I mean, it can't be impossible," Archie frowned.
"We're fine with how things are now. I don't think we're in any rush to change anything," Cheryl smiled, a hint of sadness in her eyes. It was true, they were happy the way they were now, but she would love to marry Toni and make things official and legal.
After a bit more chatting, the four of them separated to go mingle with their former classmates. Toni met up with a few of the Vixens. Most of them had chilled out in senior year and kept in touch with Toni. Veronica had actually become very supportive of their relationship, much to both their surprise. Not long before graduation, the raven haired cheerleader ended up coming to terms with the fact that she was bisexual herself.
Cheryl was at the refreshment table, refilling her drink while Toni chatted with her old friends, glancing around the gymnasium.
"Hey, Cheryl," a timid male voice came from behind her. It made her nervous, but she turned around anyways, finding Moose Mason standing a reasonable distance from her.
"Moose," she took in a deep breath, unsure of what to say. She hadn't spoken to him since the night of the winter semi-formal.
"I know it was a long time ago, and it probably means nothing to you now, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry for...for what I did back in junior year. I was a stupid kid with stupid friends, and I made a lot of stupid decisions. I understand if you don't forgive me, but I just wanted to take the chance to apologize for it."
He looked so nervous to talk to her, and even though Cheryl hadn't even thought about what happened in so long, it wasn't something that she would ever forget.
"Thank you, Moose," she smiled a little, "I appreciate that."
He nodded with a smile and rubbed his hands together nervously just as Toni made her way over to them, wrapping an arm protectively over Cheryl's shoulders.
"Mason," she stared him down.
"Don't worry, I was just leaving," he gave them a half smile and turned around, walking in the opposite direction.
"You okay?" the brunette rubbed Cheryl's ivory shoulder with a kiss to her temple.
"Yeah," she smiled, kissing her gently just as the too familiar intro to "Wonderwall" came through the gym speakers.
"Well whatdya know?" Toni smirked, reaching for her hand, "Dance with me?"
The redhead smiled, nodding as a blush came over her cheeks, letting Toni lead her out to the dance floor. For the first time, she didn't care. They'd been to school dances together in their last year of high school, but the worry about what people would say or what they would think was always in the back of her mind. But now, all she could think about was how gorgeous and amazing her girlfriend was and how far they'd come.
"Are you still happy with me, TT?" Cheryl asked, linking her fingers together behind Toni's neck, playing at the baby hairs under the soft mane of brown and pink. It was a silly question and she knew it, but she never tired of the reassurance that Toni still loved her.
"Of course I am," she pulled her closer, swaying slowly to the tune as she smirked, "What about you? You sick of me yet, Blossom?"
"I could never get sick of you, TT," she shook her head, heat rising to her cheeks as she pressed herself closer to her long-time girlfriend. She moved the smooth strands of hair off Toni's neck, and ducked her face into the warm curve of skin, "You're my everything." Goosebumps raised on her skin as the brunette's fingers made a slow trail up along the zipper of her dress. For a moment, as the song and Toni's breathing filled her ears, she was back in her trailer, cassette tape playing in the stereo as they swayed alone in the warm living room. They had been together since they were seventeen. And now, eleven years later, Cheryl still felt like she did back then, like the relationship was new, fresh and exciting.
"Come on," Toni kissed her cheek and trailed her hands down her arms until their fingers were tangled together, starting to lead her off the dance floor.
"Wait, where are we going?" her eyebrows knit together, following her anyways.
Toni looked back at her, her wavy hair bouncing on her shoulders as she gave Cheryl a devilish grin. The redhead was ashamed at how long it took her to realize where they were headed. It had been ten years since she set foot in these hallways, but she could never forget the way to the photography lab. She could probably make her way there, blindfolded, from any corner of this school.
The halls and stairwells were empty, considering the alumni were all gathered in the gym. The sound of music faded the farther they walked from the gym, and the sound of clicking heels and girlish giggles were the only noise that bounced off the metal lockers that surrounded them.
"What if the dark room's not there anymore? I mean, everything's turning digital nowadays," Cheryl started to swing their arms between them once they got to the second floor.
"If Clemmons is still the photography teacher, there's no way he'd get rid of that room. Digital photography was that guy's biggest pet peeve. He wouldn't even accept Polaroids or disposable prints in class," Toni snorted a light laugh, already picking a bobby pin from her hair to pick the lock once they approached the faded wooden door of the classroom.
The redhead glanced around, making sure that no one else was rebelling and roaming the halls. Though there was no risk of detention or suspension, her heart still raced, worried about getting into trouble. But before she knew it, she was being tugged into the classroom and pressed against the door. "You're crazy," she giggled against Toni's lips, reaching back to lock the door behind them as the brunette's hands roamed anywhere between her hips and the short hem of her dress.
"Crazy in love," Toni smirked, chuckling.
Cheryl rolled her eyes, "Okay, Beyonce," she grinned as steamy kisses were pressed to her lips, making her head spin. She chased Toni as she slowly pulled back, pulling her in for one more kiss before following the woman to the dark room door. With the switch flipped on, the red lighting filled the room. "Wonder what these walls would say if they could talk," she sighed with a shy smile.
"I guess it's a good thing they can't," the brunette stepped further into the room, looking around. The walls and lines weren't covered in photos like they would be during the school year. The tables weren't loaded with equipment and tubs. But the room still gave them the same sense of comfort that it did in high school. They had a dark room in the basement of their home in California, but as extensive and personal it was, it didn't hold a candle to this one. This was pretty much where it all began for them.
Toni draped her blazer over the back of the cracked and faded desk chair, rolling it aside. "You coming?" she quirked an eyebrow at her girlfriend before crouching under the wooden table, sitting against the wall behind it.
"I'm in a dress, TT," Cheryl ran her hands over the red fabric that covered her torso.
"So?"
"What are you doing?" Cheryl giggled, watching Toni crawl under the table.
"Making myself comfortable," the brunette smirked up at her from under the wooden table, "You gonna join me?"
"I'm not really dressed for sitting on the floor," she glanced down at her denim pinafore dress.
"So?" Toni chuckled and leaned back against the wall, opening up her small bag of doritos.
She bit her lip as that simple Toni Topaz logic made her wonder what she was so worried about, crawling under the table to sit beside her. "So why are we under here?" she turned to her girlfriend, pushing her glasses up.
"Change of scenery?" she shrugged, holding the bag out to her and chuckling as Cheryl plucked a chip from it.
"I can't believe it's already almost summer vacation," the redhead sighed, leaning back against the wall, "Is it me or have these past few months flown by?"
"Time flies when you're having fun," Toni smiled before frowning, "I mean...waiting on your emancipation and dealing with shit from your parents wasn't fun, but-"
"I know what you meant. It has been fun with you, TT," she blushed.
"The fun's gonna keep going over the summer right?"
"Do you want it to?" Cheryl bit her lip nervously.
"Course I do," Toni nudged her gently with a smile, reaching into her backpack. "Don't freak out," she turned to the redhead briefly before pulling out a small pocket knife from one of the small zippered sections.
Cheryl's eyes widened as she flipped the knife open, her jaw slacking when the brunette started to carve into the underside of the table above them. "What are you doing?"
"Claiming this spot as ours," she smirked, her tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on her work. Cheryl watched as little shavings of wood fell from the surface. Toni blew on the wood, swiping her hand over the 'C T' she'd carved into it. "There."
The younger girl glanced up at the markings, biting her lip as her cheeks tingled with a blush. She wasn't sure what would happen if anyone ever saw this, but what were the chances that anyone else would sit under the table? Leaning into Toni, she captured her lips in her own, cupping her cheek affectionately. "You're crazy. And you taste like doritos," she scrunched up her nose with a giggle, still kissing her playfully.
Cheryl ran her fingers over the letters carved into the underside of the table, smiling as Toni scooted closer to her. "Looks like we're still the only ones to make this their hangout spot," she whispered.
"I mean, I couldn't imagine this being the hottest chill spot in school," the brunette shrugged, "We've just always been unique like that."
"I guess we have." Cheryl looked up at the letters above them as Toni sifted through her small handbag, "You're not gonna carve something else up there, are you?"
"No, I just figured, since we're having a blast from the past..." she pulled a folded up paper fortune teller from her purse, morphing it into shape and starting to work it between her fingers, "...Might as well add another touch of nostalgia."
Laughter bubbled up from Cheryl's chest when she saw the paper toy. "God, I haven't seen one of those in years. I'm surprised you remember how to make one."
"You saying you're too good for the cootie catcher?" Toni quirked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her.
"Never."
"Pick a color then, cutie," she held it out to her. The colors were all distorted from the red lighting of the room, but she had them written out on the paper corners.
"Pink."
P-I-N-K
"Why pink?" Toni asked, smirking, after flipping it four times in her hands.
"Cause it's your favorite color," Cheryl whispered, biting her lip, turning her body towards her.
"Pick a number," Toni held the fortune teller to her chest secretively.
"Don't I need to see the options?"
"Just pick a number."
"Twelve."
"Why twelve?"
"Cause that's how many years we've been together," she smirked.
Toni bit her lip and looked into the center of the fortune teller as she flipped it twelve times before handing it over to her.
"I think you've forgotten how to play," Cheryl chuckled, taking the toy from her and looking into the center, seeing no numbers written inside. She was confused, but one small section of the paper had 'Pick this one' written on it. Her heartbeat sped up. Toni was being so quiet. She looked up at the brunette, looking into her nervous brown eyes.
Biting her lip, she lifted the section of paper. It was weighed down, making her heart nearly thump out of her chest. And she nearly dropped the fortune teller from her shaky fingers when she saw the sparking diamond ring taped up on the inside with 'Will you marry me?' written above it in Toni's familiar handwriting.
"Toni..." she whispered, breathless as her eyes flicked back and forth between the ring and her girlfriend.
"Cher, I love you," the brunette started, placing her hands on Cheryl's bare, bent knees, "It's been you and me for twelve years now. You've been my whole world since junior year. And I knew I liked you even long before then, I just...had a shitty way of showing it. And after all that, I'm still in total shock that you even gave me the time of day. Even when things got rocky in college, you were there for me when I didn't deserve it..."
Cheryl's mouth hung open slightly as she ran her fingertip over the diamonds that lined the silver band.
"Baby, you're it for me. I've known that for over a decade now. We're not Betty and Archie, we can't get married wherever we want, or have kids whenever the hell we feel like it, but I know we can figure everything out together like we've been doing since '95," she watched as Cheryl peeled the ring from under the thin layer of tape, examining it in her hands as Toni's heart beat rapidly in her chest, "So whatdya say, Bombshell? You feel like figuring it all out with me?"
A tear slipped down Cheryl's cheek, her shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath she took. Each passing second was torture for the brunette, but she waited as patiently as she could for an answer. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as Cheryl slid the ring onto her finger.
Cheryl had been through plenty of scary experiences. She had been abused for a majority of her youth, bullied, drugged, and nearly raped. But there were experiences that scared her in good ways. Like when Toni brought her to Sunnyside for the first time, or when she left Riverdale for college. She never thought that she would ever find happiness. And especially not with Toni Topaz of all people. But this woman in front of her had helped her realize how strong and confident she could be. She made her feel beautiful and safe. She helped her realize her own power, helping her stand up to her parents, giving her the encouragement she needed to get through it all. Toni truly was her everything and she couldn't imagine life without her. And she didn't want to.
"Cher?" Toni's shaky whisper brought her back to reality, and the sparkling ring on her finger. Her tongue flicked out over her lips as she looked up into the brown eyes she loved so much, leaning across the small space between them to wrap her arms around Toni's neck. She kissed her fiercely, passionately, just like she had the night of their first date, shin deep in the freezing river after Toni asked her to be her girlfriend.
"Is that a-"
"Yes it's a yes, TT," she nodded against her lips, kissing her breathlessly, "I love you, I love you, I love you. I wanna be yours."
"You're already mine, baby. Nothing's gonna change that," Toni wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her into her lap, making sure she didn't hit her head on the table above them, "I love you, Cheryl."
"I love you too, baby. Forever."
"You promise?" the redhead pulled back slowly, wiping tears from her eyes before extending a pinky to her.
"Promise," Toni swiped a few tear stains from her own cheeks, linking their pinkies together tightly.