Stuck With Me

15 | All By Myself

FP was doing the dishes as Alice tried to tell Adam their current living situation. They had discussed that his past as a prisoner didn't have to be a secret, so that is why she told him what had happened before. He truly didn't mind people knowing about what he did, but there wasn't a bone in his body that could stand Adam. Why the hell did Alice have to invite him over for dinner? They could have easily eaten somewhere else.

''We all make mistakes, bro.'' Adam said sympathetically, trying to bond a little with the housemate of the woman he was dating. FP scoffed a little and let the dish fall back into the water.

''Yeah, I am not your bro.'' He answered shortly, not even sugarcoating that he was annoyed.

''FP! Be nice.'' Alice warned him, as she just wanted to have a nice, peaceful evening. They didn't have to like each other, but at least Adam was trying, which was something she couldn't say of FP. 

She wasn't the only one feeling the tension in the kitchen, so Betty and Jughead gave each other a look that said enough. FP just needed to get out of there before he'd snap. 

''Come, we'll go watch a movie downstairs.'' Jughead tugged on his father's arm who willingly dropped his towel and plate, narrowing his eyes at Adam as he made his way to the basement with the kids. It was the right call to get him out of there because he was getting more worked up  every second. 

''What is it FP? Don't you like him?'' Betty asked carefully as they sat down on his couch downstairs. It was almost a rhetorical question as the answer was written all over his face. 

''Those kind of guys only want one thing, Betty.'' FP said lowly, trying to keep his calm now he didn't have to face his suck up behavior anymore. It was Alice her decision, but he wasn't going to pretend to be happy about having a guy like him around. 

''He seemed nice, do you think he'll take advantage of Alice?'' Jughead couldn't really see why his father was so against Adam, as he truly seemed to make Alice smile. 

''I don't think so, I know so.'' FP pointed out and let out a big sigh. He rested against the couch and shook his head. His intensions were loud and clear to him but it wasn't his place to tell her. He couldn't even explain to himself why he was getting so worked up about this. 

''You always say we shouldn't judge a book on its cover, isn't it?'' Jughead threw his own advice back in his face, which was still something he stood behind. He didn't want people to judge him on his past or his appearance, so it was a little ironic that he did exactly that to Adam. Maybe it wasn't even necessarily about him, maybe he just didn't want Alice to get hurt. 

''Some covers are exactly what they seem like though.'' FP answered his son, just so he could have a comeback. It was a lame thing to say, but for some reason that was exactly how he felt right now. 

''Come on, FP. She hasn't been dating someone for so long, give her a break.'' Betty stuck up for her mother as she was actually happy that she was dating someone again. If this man was making her smile, then so be it. No matter what she thought of him. 

**

''He seemed very protective over you out there.'' Adam carefully pointed out as they took a seat on the couch, both of them with a glass of wine in their hands. 

''Who, FP? Yeah, he got to tone it down a bit. Just ignore what he said.'' Alice huffed as she was still a little annoyed by the way he had behaved. He was a grown man, he didn't have to be so obvious about disliking someone. Besides that, it was her relationship and it didn't matter what FP thought of him. 

''And he is still living here because...?'' He waited for her to fill in the words, as it was hard to understand why she lived with someone who she seemed to have a connection with. It wasn't if Adam was blind, he could feel that there was something more there. Not necessarily romantic, but he would describe it as an undeniable tension.