Unlikely - Sweet Pea

Chapter 22.0

"Andy?"

"Sweet Pea."

She missed saying his name. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms and just stay there. Quickly remembering the danger, she brought herself back to reality. "We don't have a lot of time to talk so I'll make this quick."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the side of the bar.

"Make what--?"

"Look, I'm still in love with you-- Oh, shit that's not how I was going to start," Andy bit her lip.

"You . . ." Sweet Pea was astonished. She was in love with him?

"I'll start again. I want to accept your apology. If you're still looking for it to be accepted." Sweet Pea thought she was done with him. That he'd lost his chance. Andy took his silence as uncertainty and continued talking, gesturing wildly with her hands as she spoke. "I needed to think about it but I was harsh--"

He took her hands in his own. "No, you were right. I was an asshole. I'm still kind of an asshole," he admitted. He was overwhelmed. She was here in front of him, apologizing for . . . not accepting his apology? How nice could a person be?

"Sometimes you can be an asshole," she admitted.  ". . . but you knew you messed up and came to apologize to me right away. And I know you despise apologies, so it meant a lot." She held his gaze, her tone getting serious. "I remember watching as Jughead and Betty took turns pushing each other away. I don't want to do that with you."

"I . . . Don't you hate me? I said some pretty shitty things and then I almost killed your brother." Although he wanted her more than anything, Sweet Pea didn't think he deserved her. He needed to make sure she wanted him. Him and all his gang-related issues, violent tendencies, and as of now, homelessness.

"I fully believe in second chances when they're paired with a genuine apology. And I accidentally said this outright instead of at the end of my speech as I planned, but I really am in love with you." Her voice turned to a slow whisper at the end. "We're both still young and stupid. We're going to make stupid mistakes. I can't just let you go for having some flaws."

After holding her gaze for a few more seconds, Sweet Pea finally processed her words. She was in love with him. And she wanted him back. 

Thank goodness.

"You're a real miracle, Andrews," Sweet Pea breathed dreamily, taking her face in his hands. "And I'm in love with you, too."

Right as their lips were about to touch for the first time in a long time, the two were interrupted.

"I hate to break this up, and you guys can make out when we're safe, but we kind of need to focus right now," Jughead butted in.

"You've got great timing, Jones," Sweet Pea mumbled, drawing Andy closer to him as they made their way back to the group.

--

Sweet Pea sat casually at one of the tables in the bar, Andy pulled into his lap. Now that the two had made up, they had no intentions of separating any time soon. They had to make up for lost time.

Strangely enough, Archie of all people had come up with a plan for the Serpents that would ensure that they would be spending a lot of time together.

"Take only what you absolutely need and what you can carry with you. We need to move quickly and quietly. Sheriff Minetta's forces are all over the Southside and they're looking for our blood. If we want our skulls to remain uncracked, we have to go undetected," Jughead explained to the crowd of packed up Serpents.