Rule - Sweet Pea (1)

Jailbait

Rule sat with her legs swinging like a childs, making small talk with Sheriff Keller who'd kindly released her from a pair of metal handcuffs and lent her a white button up shirt that she tucked into her jeans due to the fact her regular shirt was soaked in Penny's blood. The best part was that Sheriff Keller was hardly even mad, hating Penny himself and anger lessening even more when Rule explained why. "How's Kevin doing? I haven't gotten a chance to see him much ." Sheriff Keller smiles sadly at the girl he's known since she was an infant, scratching his chin. "Me either." Rule pats his hand, making a mental note to check on Kevin when she gets out.

"Yo jailbait!" Rule whips her head to see Toni, a significantly taller Sweet Pea standing next to her with his arms crossed and a brooding look on his face. "Thanks Sheriff! See you... well not soon but you get the idea." Rule blabbers, squeezing his shoulder and skipping her way over to her friends. "Well, I need to go to the hospital because i'm pretty sure my hand is broken." Rule mutters awkwardly, holding up her bloody and bruised right hand. Sweet Pea rolled his eyes at Rule, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head as they walked. Toni drove Rules truck while Sweet Pea questioned his girlfriend, Rule spilling the beans on the entire situation.

Ten minutes later,  Rule sat in an exam room where Toni and Sweet Pea were pickering about marvel versus DC. "Jesus people! Marvel super heroes, DC villains." Rule snaps, surprising both parties that she would even know anything about those topics. "Agreed." Dr. Green confirms from the doorway, her blonde hair straightened today and wearing a marvel tee and jeans under her lab coat. Rule smiles at her favorite doctor, holding out her right hand and letting Annie look at it. "It's just a sprain." Annie smirks, a southside serpents tattoo just visible on her left arm beneath the lab coat. "She deserved it," Annie started, Rule confused at how she would even know "Penny came in earlier with a broken nose, and cheekbone... and jaw." Annie chuckled as she finished explaining, Sweet Pea flashing Rule a proud smile. "That's my girl." Toni and Sweet Pea cheer in unison, mock glaring at each other.

"You know you can always call me for help right?" Annie whispers with watchful eyes lowly for Rule to hear. "I know, your numbers still in my contacts." Rule replied. Annie had saved Rule from a suicide attempt a few years back, the thick scars on both wrists mixing with tons of tiny ones. "How bad is it? On a scale of 1 to 10?" Rule glanced at her friends who were paying no attention to the doctors questions. "It used to be a constant nine," Rule stared at her boyfriend as she answered "but it's a three now." Annie gave Rule a knowing smile, glancing at Sweet Pea herself. "He helps?" Rule nodded, a blissful smile on her lips. "How about you? You propose to Zoe yet?" Annie blushes a deep red, holding up an engagement ring on her left finger. "Actually, she did. We went to city hall." Rule jumped up from her chair, giving Annie a quick celebratory hug. Annie handed Rule some papers to sign shortly after, allowing the three teenagers to leave. "Rule," Rule paused in her step to look back at Annie "just remember he doesn't define who you are."

As Sweet Pea and Rule arrived home from dropping off Toni, she couldn't stop thinking about what Annie said. She knew he didn't define her but the thought of not being with him killed her, he'd become a part of not just her life but of Rule. Rule wasn't sure she could live without that part, and she never wanted to find out. It wasn't that she was a codependent person who always needed someone by her side and latched onto the first person she saw, Rule had survived basically on her own her entire life while still having loving parents. She'd just never felt this way about anyone, and couldn't help but think that it would feel like her parents death all over again if he wasn't there.

"What's wrong Angel? Does it hurt?" Rule hadn't noticed the tears falling down her face until that very moment, Sweet Pea hugging her to his chest with worried eyes. "Yeah, yeah it hurts." The double meaning in Rules voice was obvious as she choked on a sob, Sweet Pea pulling her up into his arms and carrying her to the couch. "What is it?" Rule paused her sobbing, curling up into his side. "My parents, Malachi and Nick, you." Sweet Pea froze at the mention of his name. "My parents were killed by some big business man from New York, they left me. I tried to end thing with Malachai when he started to pressure me for sex, but ended up getting raped and then he left. Nick, he was going to do the exact same thing." Rule elaborated, looking up at a pained Sweet Pea before continuing. "And you, you'll leave me too. I'm damaged and broken, there's so many people who would be better to love than me. Everyone I love leaves me Sweet Pea, and i'm just waiting on the day you join them." Rule looked down at her lap, going to stand up.

"You love me?" Rule stops dead in her tracks, turning around to look at Sweet Pea. "More than life itself." The words spill from her mouth, despite knowing it will be ten times harder now when he leaves. Rule shuts her eyes as Sweet Pea stands, his hands cupping her face."I love you too." he states simply, Rules eye flying open. They stare for a moment, silent thoughts passing between the two, before Sweet Pea grabs Rule by the waist and slams his lips against hers roughly. Kissing him was her air, and she never wanted to stop, but when he did she was alright with it because of what he said next.

"And I want to show you just how much I do, if you'll let me."