Love Him Like He's Yours [FPJones] [JugheadJones] [O.F.C]

1998

The first time it ever dawned on FP Jones that the most stable and reliable person he had in his life was just a kid, he was twenty years old.

For the most part, FP had gotten along pretty well with the Miller's, but in those months to come after his breakup with Gladys, it would be his ex's little sister who would repeatedly surprise him with her personal brand of steadfast loyalty and compassion.

By the time she was eleven years old, Nerys Miller had already proven herself more trustworthy and dependable than any of the so-called friends from FP's classes or after-school jobs.

As it would turn out, she'd go on to become a better listener and support system than even FP's own parents, or whatever girl-of-the month he'd be distracting himself with.

There would eventually come a point where even if he didn't disclose all of his latest goings-on, the kid somehow just seemed to know.

As though she knew him better than he knew himself, she would instinctually appear whenever backup was needed.
Long before FP and the other Serpent's would discover it for themselves.

FP came to the realization that if someone had tried to tell the fifteen year old version of himself that in his years to come with the Serpent's, he would have his skin saved by a fifth grader (on multiple occasions), and by a girl no less, he'd have laughed them up against the nearest wall, before punching them in the throat.

But yet, it seemed that was exactly how every bad Riverdale run-in would go, and soon FP would find himself not only accepting the girl's presence, but anticipating it.

The kid was their element of surprise, and however the situation seemed to be, it never ceased to give them the upper hand.

As FP and the other young Serpent's would learn, Nerys Miller was both cunning and fearless, and as a daughter of the Southside, would never leave home without an extra switchblade tucked in her sock.

Which is why FP would find himself, in the summer before her twelfth birthday, standing before the elder Serpent's, asking for them to make an exception on the young girl's behalf.

FP knew they had done it a few times before. For boy's that had been born into legacy families.
Boy's as young as eight, whose elders insisted they could withstand the gauntlet and become the youngest from their house to don the insignia proudly.

But not girls.

As far back as FP could find, the youngest girl's to complete their club initiation were no younger than thirteen, and FP knew damn well it was because of that stupid pole.

To FP, Nerys was already a Serpent through and through.
She had contributed more to their cause in the previous year, than seasoned members old enough to be her Grandfather.

But he wanted it to be official.

He wanted the kid to get the recognition he knew she already deserved.

He wanted every member to know how smart, and loyal, and useful she really was, even at her seemingly insignificant age and size.

But FP also wasn't willing to push for it, not if it meant old drunks leering at her, while dressed only in undergarments and having to shimmy on stage, and certainly not if it meant every other junior Serpent was to line up and tear a chunk out of her.

FP had been hoping against hope that the elders would accept some kind of alternative and find a different way to initiate his young friend.
After many drinks and much deliberation, they apparently had.

For the first time in Serpent history, the elders proposed that one of their members was to endure a second gauntlet.

If FP was to vouch for the girl and lobby for her membership, then he was to push through the trials once more, on her behalf.

It wouldn't be until FP was taking the second last hit from the Serpent's in line, that Nerys would appear and misread the situation.

At seeing the others strike her friend down, the young girl would scream at the top of her lungs before plowing into three teenage Serpent's at once.

She then sucker-punched the fourth, tripped up and kicked the fifth, and after revealing her small fist (complete with brass knuckles) punched the sixth completely unconscious.

The seventh and final young Serpent that had been waiting to deliver the next blow to FP's head was left standing across from her, looking down at his friends groaning and rolling about on the ground.

At being asked if "he was next" by the red faced girl, hyperventilating in front of him, the young Serpent would fervently shake his head and scramble to help FP back to his feet.

Once word had reached the elder's, Nerys was tested on Serpent's laws and it seemed that would be enough.
From then on, the older Serpent's would just laugh at the absurdity of it all and refer to Nerys as their "little hurricane".

As it turned out, she didn't need to be initiated to join them.
She had initiated them to join her.

FP didn't think he had ever been so proud. When her birthday finally rolled around and he gave her the well-earned gift, they would put their jackets on together and stop at Pop's for cheeseburgers, before making the Serpent's usual run out to Greendale.

FP's first of many roadtrips, with his best friend riding shotgun beside him.