☆○o-。sticky maple - riverdale imagines 。-o○☆

Reggie Mantle x Veronica Lodge (mildly fluffy)

Veronica opens the door and there stands Reggie Mantle. It's been snowing for a while, so there's no surprise in him being covered in it. He must've walked. His car wouldn't have made it to the Pembrooke, not in this storm. It must be really bad. She pulls him into the house quietly and sneaks him to her room before anyone can catch them. He hasn't made a sound. He knows the drill. He knows that her parents are psychotic.

When they get to Ronnie's room Reggie crashes on her desk chair and she finally gets a good look at him as he turns on her nightstand light on. He has a black eye, and his cheek is cut pretty badly. The way he stumbled up the stairs earlier Veronica knew there was more damage than she could see. "Oh Reggie," she whispers. He tries to laugh it off like no big deal.

"It's nothing," he says with that same smile he always uses to hide his pain. "Just a little character building." "Reggie, I can tell it's more than that," she says reaching for the first aid kit. She starts to clean the cuts on his face as he tries not to wince at the stinging. He knows Veronica doesn't mind, they both know they don't have to pretend everything is okay when it's not. Like nothing's going on. She gets mad when he tries to pretend with her. He shouldn't.

"How've you been?" He asks as she tries to stick the cut together to avoid scarring. "So so," she says. No outbursts of late is what she means. Reggie has parents that hit him, hurt him in was that can be seen and witnessed, in ways that leave marks and bruises, in ways that could really damage him. Veronica's parents are criminals. No other way of explaining it. He dad had been in prison and does mafia work, and her mother just goes along with whatever her mobster of a husband says. 

Reggie tugs at her hand gently, bringing her back from her thoughts. "Ronnie, you're amazing," he says to her. She laughs a little sarcastically. "Maybe you can convince my parents that. Or even better convince them to not be selfish mobsters," She says. He looks at her hand as she starts to inspect his eye. It's not the worst she's seen it. The bruising is deep but not like the time she thought he could've lost his sight. No... Not like that night. God knows what would've happened if Veronica hadn't turned up in tear in the pouring rain on his doorstep. Maybe his dad would've stopped. Maybe he wouldn't have... Maybe he'd have killed him. Maybe if he hadn't turned up with a bleeding nose and torn lip that day her dad gave her hell for three hours about joining Lodge Industries and the SoDale project. Maybe if he hadn't knocked at the door her dad would've stopped threatening people... She'd never seen him that angry. Maybe Ronnie never have been sent to her room. Maybe she would've been... Maybe she would leave that day. Hell she wanted to run away with Reggie since day one. She knew that she was nothing but a pawn in her family's game. Maybe if Reggie didn't turn up she wouldn't have anything. Maybe her parents wouldn't have started grilling her about boys..About him. Maybe they'd never had kissed. Maybe I'd be all different. Maybe all the same.

"Ronnie, baby?" he says. "Yeah," she says nodding. Trying her best to not cry. He presses his forehead to hers, their noses touching. He looks into her eyes which are adverted to the floor. "Are you thinking about it again?" He asks. "That night or my thoughts that night?" she asks back. "Both," his answer coming immediately.

"I'm just...." Veronica hesitates. "You ever think about the maybes?" She asks him. He flashes her that cocky smile he always wears around her. He moves forward, his jaw clenching and moving his rough chapped lips up against her soft red tinted ones. He hesitates for a second before putting his hand behind her neck bringing her face closer to his, deepening the kiss. she sets the first aid kit down and slides her hands across his thighs to spread his legs as she sits on his lap. Reggie places his hands on her waist letting them rest and she tangles her well manicured fingers in his wavy dark brown locks. As the kiss gets heated Veronica moans in the back of her throat which gives Reggie the motive to slip his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues fight for dominance and Reggie obviously wins with a corresponding moan. Reggie leans back giving himself some space to breath as Veronica whines from the lack of touch. She lays her head on his chest as he plays with her raven colored hair. "I think about the better life we could have, and the maybes that lead us there," he says. "Us?" Veronica asks lifting her head up, her face showing complete confusion. "I'm not leaving this place without you," he gives her a chaste kiss and kisses her forehead leaving his lips there as he whispers to her,

"You're my salvation.."