#as opposed to y'know feeling actual *fear* of tight spaces

[e-adlirez]

So Frozen Fiasco has this one part where the group is uh locked up in a shed by some baddies who rolled decently in their Intimidation, y'know how it is

And y'know, Nicky while she's in the room is clearly very uncomfortable and expresses wanting to get out ASAP, y'know how it is

BUT THEN WE GET TO THE NEXT TIME WE SEE HER/HEAR OF HER AND

👀

THAT AIN'T A REGULAR "WE GOTTA GET OUTA HERE" KINDA POSE, THAT'S THE POSE OF A CHARACTER WHO'S IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN IF NOT A PANIC ATTACK

AND SCHOLASTIC GIVES US NOTHING

EDIPIEMME I AM BEGGING OUT OF MORBID CURIOSITY WHAT WAS GOING ON WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WAS BICKERING FOR ALL OF FIVE SCHOLASTIC SECONDS

[imaginejamesandsirius]

I love your fics so much, thank you for keeping this ship alive! I really appreciate your hard work and I love your characterisations for James and Sirius. There's no pressure to write this if you're busy, but a deathly hallows fic would be cool. Sirius survived the battle at the Ministry. Voldemort brought James and Regulus back (to use them as bait or to torture them, any reason is fine) but Peter has been guarding them? Mainly Sirius' reaction to them being alive? Probably angst then fluff :)

Naturally, Sirius's first reaction was to kill him. Considering how many years he'd been thinking about murdering Pettigrew, it wasn't exactly a surprise that that was his first reaction. And then he had some time to think about it, and that initial reaction didn't go away.

Unsurprisingly, Harry was the one holding him back. Rather, Harry was in his way, and Sirius wasn't going to risk hurting him. "Sirius, don't," Harry said as he slid in front of him, facing Pettigrew. It was a good thing there was no one else in this building, otherwise they'd be incredibly suspicious of what was happening between all of them.

"Move," Sirius said tensely.

"No. What are you doing here?" he asked Pettigrew.

"I- I-" Pettigrew swallowed thickly, looking as nervous as ever.

He was saved from having to continue when a head peeked around him. "Oh good," he said flatly. "Another Potter. That's what the world needed more of."

"Regulus?" Sirius said numbly.

Harry glanced back at him, looking as bewildered as Sirius felt. "Regulus as in your brother?"

"That would be me," Regulus confirmed, stepping half out from behind Pettigrew. He was then pushed further to the side so an extremely familiar figure could reveal himself with a wide grin.

"Sorry Wormtail," James said, not sounding very sorry at all, "but you were taking too long. Dark magic, Voldemort's got some strange ideas, and a nice heaping of something I'm going to call divine intervention. Like, seriously, if he knew he could resurrect people, wouldn't he have picked people that supported him?"

"He never was very smart on the small scale," Regulus said.

Sirius felt like his legs were going to give out. "What the hell is going on?"

James blinked at him. "Didn't I just say? Voldemort resurrected us. Still iffy on the why of it, but-"

"Aside from Dumbledore, he considers Harry and Sirius the biggest threat to his power," Pettigrew interrupted quietly. "With Dumbledore gone, he wanted to get rid of them next. He figured he could lure them into an ambush with the two of you as bait and then there would be no one to oppose him."

"And we're supposed to believe that you suddenly had a change of heart?" Harry asked.

"I'm not asking for anyone to trust me."

"Then what are you wanting in exchange for getting them out?" Sirius asked, because there was no way he was bringing them here purely out of the goodness of his heart-- not after he'd cared for Voldemort in Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts and helped him get back to his full strength.

"Someplace to hide," he answered immediately.

"You should-" Harry started to say, but he cut himself off before he could finish. He'd probably been about to say that if Pettigrew wanted protection, he should go to Dumbledore for it, not them. Harry was having a hard time dealing with it. Despite having more misadventures in school and having to deal with so many issues by himself, he'd still looked to Dumbledore as the wizard with all the answers-- the one that could save them, just as he'd saved the Wizarding World from Grindelwald all those years ago.

Sirius knew the feeling. Even for all the mistakes Dumbledore had made, he'd been a hell of a lot better at managing the situation than anyone else. Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "There's an old Black property you can stay at. Warded to hell and back, if you want to stay there, but after that you're on your own." It wasn't as good as Grimmauld Place had been, but that location was compromised, what with Snape and everything. The entire situation with Snape didn't sit right with him, but he didn't have the time to think about it now, and he hadn't had the time for weeks, and probably wouldn't have time for a while longer. Figuring out what was going on in Snape’s head wasn’t exactly a high priority for him.

Pettigrew nodded vigorously. He'd probably hole up there and not leave for a decade, or until he heard news that the war was over.

Sirius glanced at James, eyes lingering, then Regulus. What was he supposed to do about this? The obvious answer is that they'd stay with him and everyone else at the Black Manor-- Merlin knew it had the space to fit everyone-- but he should make sure it was them, right? Only he had no idea how to do that. It was supposed to be a rule of magic that no one could be resurrected. With a lot of heavy spellwork, people could be charmed to look like them, but voices were hard to pin down. There was a piece of a person's essence in their voice, which is why polyjuice was so time consuming to brew.

But their voices had been perfect. Maybe that was authentication enough. "Safe to say neither of you have grand plans?" Sirius asked, a touch flatly.

"Nope," James said cheerfully. "Open schedule. I'll be back to kicking arse as soon as I get a wand again."

"...You don't have a wand?" Sirius asked. It shouldn't surprise him, but it did. Mostly he was worried at how vulnerable they were without wands.

"I wasn't exactly brought back to life with all my possessions intact."

Sirius glanced at Regulus, wondering if he was going to answer, but he looked to the side shiftily. He did have things he wanted to do, but he wasn't going to say it. Sirius was going to choose to believe that that wasn't about him, but about Pettigrew's presence. He made a mental note to ask Regulus about it when they had a moment alone together. "We'll see about getting you wands tomorrow." He'd do it tonight if it wasn't so late, but buying a new wand wasn't exactly a two minute endeavor. "C'mon, we'll drop Pettigrew off and then go get some sleep."

"That's it?" Regulus asked. "You're accepting that it's us just like that?"

"I've got my reasons, Reggie," Sirius said, just because he knew Regulus hated that nickname.

Sure enough, there was a familiar twist to his mouth, but it eased when he caught the smile on Sirius's. Then he rolled his eyes with his usual long suffering sigh. It was strange that it had been so long since he'd been alive, and even longer since they were on good terms with each other, but this was as familiar as breathing.

Sirius winked at James, who stifled a laugh. "Let's go."

*

Pettigrew thanked him for the place to stay, and Sirius pretended like he still didn't want him dead. Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury of murdering someone right now, and he would settle for never seeing him again-- a courtesy extended because he had brought James and Regulus back; if Lily had been with them, Sirius might have considered actually forgiving him, but Pettigrew only operated out of fear, and Sirius would never be able to trust him.

The handful of other people staying in the Manor were already in bed, so Sirius was saved from having to explain the situation.

Regulus stood awkwardly in the corner, not sure what to make of being here with people he barely knew in a place he'd only visited during holidays as a child before their father succumbed entirely to paranoia and moved them to Grimmauld Place permanently.

James had some getting-to-know-you conversation with Harry before the kid got so tired that Sirius sent him to bed, and then James barreled into him, hugging him so tight it hurt. Regulus ambled off to his old room without saying goodbye, only making eye contact for a couple awkward seconds with Sirius before he left; they hadn't said anything to each other, and they'd probably make it through most of tomorrow morning without breaking that silence.

"Merlin, Sirius, I missed you so much," he whispered.

"Were you- were you aware of time passing?" It was a horrifying thought, that he might’ve been in limbo for that long.

"No, I meant- erm, y'know, me and Lily were in hiding, so I hadn't seen you for months." James pulled back a little, letting his arms drop to the side. "I imagine you've had it a hell of a lot worse, though. I mean, it's been... what, fifteen years?"

"Something like that," Sirius said, even though he knew it to the day. Moony said that he was obsessed, but he disagreed. He'd spent so long in Azkaban, letting the days meld together into a massive, horrible blur. Keeping track of how much of his life he'd lived without James was just a way of keeping tabs on that lost time.

"What've you been up to? I want to hear everything I missed."

"Not much to tell," Sirius hedged, knowing as he said it that it wouldn't be enough to deter him.

"I missed fifteen years and you expect me to believe that there isn't much to tell? If you don't want to talk about yourself, then how about Harry as a kid? It seems like he's turned out pretty great."

No one had told him. That made sense. After all, who would've mentioned it? Pettigrew wasn't about to explain everything, and presumably, the only other person he'd talked to was Regulus, who was similarly ignorant of what had happened. "James..."

"What?" he asked, frowning.

"I didn't raise Harry."

"What are you talking about? You're his godfather, of course you raised him."

Sirius sighed, walking over to the couch and collapsing onto it. "Did Pettigrew tell you why he was in a position to save you tonight?"

James opened his mouth, then closed it again. "No," he said quietly. He sat on the couch next to Sirius, close enough that he wouldn't have to shift his weight very much to make contact. "I assumed he was undercover or summat, but I'm guessing you're going to tell me that's wrong."

"Mate, he was your secret keeper in the first war. He betrayed you to Voldemort."

James didn't say anything, looking like that hadn't occurred to him before.

"I went after him because of it, wanting revenge. When I finally found him, he blew up the street. Cut off his finger and transformed so he could run. I got blamed for the deaths and went to Azkaban."

"What?" James breathed, aghast.

Sirius ignored that and rubbed his palms together just to give him something to do with his hands. "I escaped a couple years ago. Got my name cleared of the crime last month. There's... there's really not much to tell. I haven't done anything except been on the run and tried to help Harry when I could. Not that he needed it. He's a bright kid." He paused, letting that sink in. The Azkaban thing, not that Harry was smart-- the latter didn't require time to get used to. Then, "How long were you and Regulus back for?"

"I dunno, maybe a week? We talked a lot, got to know each other a little. He's pretty funny when he wants to be. You were really in Azkaban?"

"Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Yes. Where the hell was Moony?"

"Imagine, for a moment, a werewolf trying to force the Ministry into letting go a suspected member of the Death Eaters."

"How could anyone think you were a Death Eater?"

"The name Black carries a lot of baggage, mate. You know that."

James's expression made it clear that he did know that, and he thought it was shite; personally, Sirius agreed, but he didn't see the point in saying so aloud. James didn't push it. Whether it was because he didn't want to think about it or he knew that Sirius didn't want to talk about it, he left it alone, and Sirius was grateful. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Yeah, of course."

The first thing James did when the door to the bedroom closed was kiss Sirius. The second thing he did, immediately after, was go rifling through the clothes so he could change into something of Sirius's. Even when he'd had his own wardrobe, he'd still often chosen to wear Sirius's things. He'd always said that they were more comfortable, but Sirius had known it was because James liked the way he smelled. Even now, with perfectly legitimate reasons to need to change and specifically to wear Sirius's things, Sirius would be willing to bet that James's motivation remained unchanged.

For his part, Sirius was stood, frozen by the door, a hand brought up to his mouth, because James had kissed him so easily, like a good night peck to remind Sirius that he loved him, and it wasn't something that Sirius had felt in over a decade. He was as mind-numbingly in love with James today as he had been yesterday and the last time that he'd seen him alive. James had taken his feelings as a given, and he'd been right.

*

Sirius was the first one in the house up, trying to figure out the logistics of getting two people wands without letting anyone see their faces. A few cosmetic spells to change distinctive features would be the best option, but a lot of places had protections in place so that people couldn't do that now. A safety precaution for them, but a minor one. Mostly, it was an annoyance since it prevented Sirius from doing things the easy way, and it didn't do much to stop the wizards that wanted to hurt people. Polyjuice wasn't so easily circumvented, but they didn't have very much of that and Sirius would prefer to save it for an emergency-- not to mention part of it was already being saved for Bill and Fleur's wedding so that Harry could attend. It's not like he could just decide to brew more with everything else going on.

He was still trying to figure it out when Regulus walked into the room. Without a good morning or a nod hello, he said, "Do you know what a horcrux is?"

Sirius had rather forgotten how blunt his brother could be, as well as how light his footsteps were. He jerked so hard in surprise that he knocked over his cup and spilt tea all over the table. "Why do you know what a horcrux is?"

"The Dark Lord has at least one. Possibly more. We're never going to survive this if-"

"It was you," Sirius said, realising it all at once. Harry had told him about the locket and the cave he'd gone to with Dumbledore, and he'd said that there was a note inside, but he hadn't shown it to Sirius; he'd only summarised what it said. "You died stealing Slytherin's locket."

Regulus blinked at him, not betraying the shock he was surely feeling. "Yes."

"Where is it? Or did you manage to destroy it?"

A pause, then he shook his head. "I left it with Kreacher. I don't know if he was ever successful."

"You would've left it with him," Sirius said grumpily.

"You should be more kind to him."

"He believed in all our parents' blood purist rubbish, and you want me to be nice to him?"

"You were always cruel."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "After I get you a wand, will you go over to Grimmauld Place and see if he still has it?"

"Why don't you do it?"

"Because he bloody hates me, and I hate him. I'll go with you if you care so buggering much, but he won't tell me shite if I go there alone."

Regulus stared at him for a moment, then repeated, quietly, "I still think you could've been nicer to him."

"For fuck's sake, is this really an argument you want to have with me?" Sirius asked. "Consider, for a moment, what you used to believe and think if I'll ever be willing to concede to you about something, even if you're right."

Regulus continued to look at him. He'd always done that: stared silently and waited. Sometimes, even when their parents had asked him a direct question, he'd stayed quiet.

Not so suddenly, but rather as part of a growing emotion that had been building from the first moment he saw his brother alive and well again, he felt like dirt. What was he supposed to do about it? The answer was, obviously, change how he was acting. But he didn't know how else to act. Even having James back wasn't enough to fix everything. It made Sirius feel a hell of a lot better, no doubt, but it didn't actually help him know what to do. Creepy as it was to think, James was basically a kid. It's not like James would have all the answers he needed for how to win this, how to save Harry from any further harm, or how to help everyone that needed it.

"Your last wand was ash, right?" Sirius asked.

Regulus nodded.

"I'll try and get you something similar."

"You're not taking me with you?"

"It wouldn't be safe. James is going to stay here too," he added, thinking that that might make Regulus feel better. After all, this time, it wasn't personal. Sirius wasn't going to take anyone with him when he left today because the risk would be too great. For that matter, the sooner he got it done, the better. He cleaned up his mess and headed for the door. "I'll be back soon."

"You're leaving now?"

Sirius paused and turned back to face him. "The sooner you have a wand, the safer you'll be. I'll only be a minute."

Regulus didn't say anything. He just stared.

"What?" Sirius prodded.

"Nothing," Regulus said immediately, but that was clearly a lie.

Sirius waited for him to change his mind, but he didn't. "Fine."

*

"Are you alright?" James asked when they were alone again. Not alone by happenstance, but because Sirius had gone to the loo, and James, with his usual disregard for normal societal boundaries, had followed him. At least he had waited until Sirius was done to talk.

If it was anyone else, Sirius would say that of course he was alright. But this was James, and James would know in a flat second if he was lying. "It's wartime, mate. No one's alright."

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Calling me mate."

"Because you are?"

"Yeah, but it's just us here. We don't need to hide our relationship from anyone."

Sirius chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to think of how he should phrase what was on his mind.

"Is this about Lily?" James asked, because he could understand how that would complicate matters, especially with Harry around.

"No. It's- it's about you."

James swallowed thickly and tried to keep a brave face. "If you don't love me anymore, you can-"

"Don't be stupid," Sirius cut in, "of course I still love you."

"Then what's wrong?"

"You're... for Merlin's sake, James, you're practically a kid. You're only a couple years older than Harry now."

"Okay," James said slowly. "Does this bother you or are you worried because you think it should bother you?"

Sirius opened his mouth to say that yes, it did bother him, then he paused. "I- well, I don't know. I've been too busy for introspection."

"Either make the time or let it go. It's just me, Sirius. We've always got each other; we always will."

"You say 'always' a lot for a bloke that was dead a month ago."

"If me being dead for ages didn't change how you felt, I don't see what that has to do with anything."

Sirius chuckled. It was such a James thing to say that he couldn't help himself. "Fine. If it makes anyone think I'm being a pedo though, you have to explain it to them."

"I will. Happily. They'll have to sit there while I talk about you. Do you know how long it's been since people couldn't leave while I do that?"

"I'd imagine it's been a while."

"And you'd be right. Lily said that if I did it one more time, she was going to make me cook every night instead of switching."

"I thought you liked cooking," Sirius said. That's what James had always told him when Sirius said that he didn't have to cook him breakfast.

"I do, but not every single night for someone that's such a bloody picky eater. Not blaming Lily, but she had a whole list of things she couldn't eat. You would eat anything and everything I put in front of you and say it was delicious."

"It was delicious."

"And that's one of the many reasons I keep you around," James said with a grin.

*

"Reg, Regulus, buddy," James said, putting an arm around his shoulders and steering him away. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Don't think what's a good idea?" Regulus asked, frowning.

"You and Harry."

"Me and Harry what?"

"Dating."

"Okay?" he said slowly, clearly confused about where James was getting that from. It's not like he was attracted to Harry, and Harry certainly wasn't attracted to him either. "I'll keep that in mind, but you know that you're only sort of his father, right?"

"Excuse you, I'm definitely his father."

"A father that's the same age as an older brother," Regulus said.

"True as that might be, it doesn't change what I think of the two of you."

"There's nothing there to be thinking about, but okay." Regulus slipped out from under his arm and quickly left the room.

James huffed and stomped over to the study, where Sirius was trying to figure out the logistics of how many people could reasonably fit inside the Manor. James had offered to help, but Sirius threw him out-- with a laugh-- when James had sat on his lap and kept distracting him with kisses and invitations for more fun things they could be doing. "Your brother is being irresponsible," he said as he barged in.

"Yeah, he does that. I thought you knew. Or did the horcrux hunt not clue you in?"

"I think he fancies Harry," James said, hoping to get Sirius on his side.

Sirius snorted.

Maybe Sirius wasn't on his side; there had to be a first time for everything, he supposed.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about, love."

"You think Regulus doesn't fancy him?"

"I think that whether or not Regulus fancies Harry is immaterial because he'll never act on it, and if Harry is the one to initiate some sort of relationship, then it'll hardly be Regulus's fault if it all goes to shite."

James blinked once, twice, then said, "I don't think I like your parenting method here."

"Oh, you're right, I should go meddle in both of their love lives. That'll get them to like me." Sirius stretched his arms over his head and James considered abandoning his protection of Harry to give sitting in Sirius's lap another try. "So long as they aren't trying to hurt each other, I'm staying out of it."

"That doesn't sound like the meddling Sirius Black that I fell in love with."

"Tragically, I grew up," Sirius said, throwing a smirk in his direction.

James was weak, so he walked over and leaned against the desk, facing Sirius. "Tragic, indeed. I mean, look at you. You went and got horribly handsome while I still look like a kid. So unfair."

"Life's not fair," Sirius said, leaning forward and putting an arm around James's hips to pull him closer.

"I can see you're very upset about that on my behalf," James said flatly.

"Oh, extremely."

"Are you going to do anything to cheer me up?"

"The fact that I haven't kicked you out again should let you know the answer to that," Sirius said, pulling James's shirt up enough that he could kiss at his newly bared skin.

*

James sniffled, rubbing at his face with a sleeve to get rid of the tears before they could fall down his cheeks and make them itch.

"James?" Harry asked, since calling him 'Dad' had felt weird to both of them.

James glanced over at him, then rubbed harder at his face. "Hey. What's up?"

"Are you okay?" Harry asked. He pulled up a chair next to him.

"Yeah, just- y'know. Thinking about Lily. She would've loved all this," he said, giving a wave to encompass the room, the house, and everyone in it. "She always thought it was stupid that we split up. She always wanted a big family... friends around all the time."

Harry was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke again, it wasn't what James expected. "After being told about you and Sirius, I always wondered if you ever loved her. But you did, didn't you?"

James nodded. "It wasn't simple, and if she was here now, I'm sure things would be very different, but I do love her."

“Ah,” he said, then he shifted his weight awkwardly, unsure what to do with himself. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"Nah, you're fine, Haz. On the topic of love, has anyone caught your eye?” James gave another wipe at his eyes since he wasn’t crying anymore but still had some stray tears that had leaked free while he was talking to Harry. “Now that you're not, y'know, running from people that want you dead."

Harry grinned at him. "If there was, I wouldn't tell you," he said, jokingly giving his shoulder a shove.

"Oh, I see how it is. Pick on your old man."

"Yeah, you're so, so old, at the ripe age difference of four years."

"That's right. Respect your elders, you young whipper snapper."

*

James shifted so that his ear was pressed over Sirius's heart. His head rose and fell with every breath Sirius took. He'd been back for a year now, and he still wasn't tired of this. He acted casually when his death was mentioned, but every morning he got to wake up next to Sirius was a miracle. A miracle he never tired of.

Moony joked that he was clingy, and Regulus said that he was so over-the-top in love with Sirius because they were practically the same person so it was little more than an exercise in narcissism. James didn't care what anybody else said, because getting this for a year had been more than he thought he'd ever get. Getting it for the rest of his life? Definitely a miracle.

He knew the minute that Sirius woke because his breathing changed, and a few seconds later, Sirius's fingers threaded through his hair. "You awake?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"Nightmare?"

"Yeah." Nothing noteworthy. He didn't even remember it. All he knew was that it had scared him awake, and the only thing that could calm him down was wrapping himself around Sirius. It was a solution he hardly minded.

"You want to talk about it?" Sirius offered.

"No. I don't remember what it was. I just couldn't get back to sleep."

"Okay," Sirius said, and then they laid there for a long time in comfortable silence, the only sound the ticking of the clock.

[naancypants]

maybe this is perfect

Wrote this after 2x12 (+ updated to reflect news about 2x13 & 2x14, hehe) as a sort of speculative confession scene for the finale episode. I hope you enjoy, and I will be polishing this/publishing on Ao3 shortly 💜

2,096 words

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"Hey," Nancy says from behind, twisting both hands around the strap of her messenger bag. "Can we talk?"

At the sound of her voice, Ace straightens from in front of his locker. He lets out a close-mouthed sigh as her words sink into his stomach, and when he turns towards her, the discomfort she's feeling becomes evident in her body language.

"Yeah," he breathes out.

A beat passes where neither makes a move.

Nancy is the first to take a step. "You've been avoiding me for a while now. Ever since the whole.. life-and-death thing with Daniel West." she takes in a shuddering breath, "And I'm sorry that I was willing to let people die to save you. I thought that you would understand, that you would've done the same thing-"

"It's not about the list," Ace cuts in with a shake of his head, "That was a long time ago."

In reality it had only been a few weeks since Nancy and Grant traded a hit list to a professional killer to spare Ace's life, but time seems to move inordinately slow in Horseshoe Bay.

"I know. But that was also the same time I called in for a favor with Celia Hudson..." she allows her sentence to drift off there, urging Ace to connect the unspoken dots.

He hadn't tried to hide his feelings on the situation with Celia, especially whenever he and Nancy talked one-on-one. Yet still, her ability to pinpoint the root of behaviors she already notices in him never fails to surprise.

He clears his throat. "I just... wish you would have consulted me before you made a deal with the devil."

Nancy recalls a recent talk during which she was alone with Ace where he'd briefly confessed his dismay at Nancy's dealings with the Hudson matriarch. A string of monotone words all run together as she attempts to explain, "We already went over this, Ace. I-I-I had to figure out how to save you, there was no time to consider my options."

"Maybe it wasn't worth it."

Within a second, revulsion twists every feature on Nancy's face. "I'm sorry, what?" she demands.

Ace doesn't elaborate. Instead he lifts his raincoat from its hook and shuts the door to his locker, staring down at the garment in his hands with a shameful expression. It isn't long before Nancy has his elbow in a firm grip.

"Hey," she convinces him to whirl around and face her. "You're worth it to me."

You're always worth it to me. You're worth everything to me. A thousand times over, she wants to say. But she doesn't.

"I guess that's my problem."

"Your problem is that I care about you?"

"I don't want to be the reason you sell your soul to the Hudsons."

Nancy blinks, her ferocity weakening as she pulls away. "Aren't I allowed to make my own choices?"

"Of course. But... that doesn't mean I have to like them."

The way he says it is so casual, so lacking in venom that it makes her stomach wrench. He doesn't realize that the only approval Nancy craves is his; she is willing to stand up against even the closest of people in her life - Nick, George, her own father - but not Ace. His opinion of her serves as a compass whenever Nancy is too tired or worn down to trust her own judgment. His opinion is the one that matters most.

If there's anything Nancy can't stand, it's being clouded over with emotion, but the tightness in her throat only warns of an oncoming flood.

"Then what do you want from me? Tell me what I can do to make it better."

It's the most breakable, the most desperate she thinks she's heard herself. Nancy Drew is independent and decisive and strong. So whose voice is it that wobbles in fear, laying down her pride in the hands of another?

An exhale leaves Ace's lungs, heavy with the weight of uncertainties he can't quite place his finger on.

"Honestly? I don't know right now, Nancy. Maybe just... help me understand why before you make these kinds of decisions. I don't want you to get hurt."

Their eyes linger for what feels like an eternity, distanced by walls that neither of them know how to tear down.

When Ace moves, he turns decisively away.

Panic beginning to swell in her chest, Nancy pushes past all the other emotions running through her mind - fear, guilt, vulnerability - and takes one last step into the room before he has the chance to get away.

"I did it because I love you."

If anything could stop him cold in his tracks, it's that particular confession. His eyes meet the floor in front of him, speechless and calculating, each second ticking by in tense silence. He turns to face her once more.

There in the center of the room she stands, the bold and courageous girl detective herself, looking smaller than ever. Her voice is steady, but barely above a whisper now, "Ace... I think I might be in love with you."

Ace stands motionless in awe, save for a swallow and quick shift of his weight.

When Nancy gets nervous, she often rambles to relieve some of her tension. "I didn't know how to say it before, and I- have never actually been in love so maybe I didn't even know what I was feeling until recently, but, you were with Amanda Bobbsey and not in love with me and it's all... very confusing..."

Breath leaves her lungs as quickly as words leave her tongue, anxiety shaking her down to the core. She blinks when the self-awareness sets in, lowering her gaze to the floor for a length of awkward silence.

"Nancy."

Eventually she looks back up to find him just a few feet away now, having crossed the room sometime after she finished prattling on about nothing. His raincoat hits the bench.

"There are a lot of reasons why I can't do this right now." He indicates himself with a curved hand to his chest.

Though her heart sinks, Nancy's eyelids still flutter. "But you- you would? Hypothetically?"

His mouth flattens into something that's not quite a smile, eyes as earnest as ever. "It's just that... y'know, Amanda's only been gone for a week. And I don't want to lose what we have - what all of us have."

"You won't," Nancy states with a furrowed brow, "Why do you think you would lose us?"

He bobs his head a bit. "Things could get complicated between us. Especially considering... things."

"What do you mean? What kind of things?"

"Well, I'm not trying to point fingers, but... there is your track record. With relationships."

It doesn't escape her attention that he refuses to make eye contact when he says the last part. She tenses up and repeats, "My track record?"

Ace opens his mouth to soften the words, but the look on his face is enough to suffice as an apology. Nancy retreats on her own as three particular guys - Ned Nickerson, Owen Marvin and Gil Bobbsey - flash through her mind's eye. Guys she had used as a distraction, a rebound, and a means of empty sexual gratification, all of which Ace witnessed firsthand from the sidelines.

"Yeah I deserve that, don't I," she says quietly.

"No, you don't. That part's fine. It's about everything else."

"Everything else being the Hudsons, Amanda, and losing what we have."

He offers only a nod. Draws in a breath. "Nancy, I want to love you too. And I'm not saying that I don't, but..." his voice breaks, just a bit, but enough for Nancy to notice.

"...It's not the right time," she finishes for him with a resigned nod; "yeah," under her breath.

This time it's Nancy who won't meet Ace's eyes. She darts them all across the room in avoidance, lips pursing together. "I'm- I'm sorry. This is.. not really who I am and I probably shouldn't have said anything to begin with, but-"

"No - no, don't apologize," Ace says with the usual gentle firmness and a slight tilt of his head. "I'm glad you said something. Really glad. In fact, um, if you're not opposed... there is something I wouldn't mind trying before you go off to Columbia."

"Ha. Who says I'm getting into Columbia?" she asks sardonically, crossing her arms.

Ace gives a subtle grin of support. "You'll get into Columbia."

She stops to consider his words, but then emits a soft chuckle, smiling gratefully at her best friend as though there were no mistakes, no confession of feelings, no heartbreak to contend with.

Time drags on as his vague statement from before remains unaccounted for, though almost as if pulled by gravity, there's a mutual instinct that draws them closer together.

Along with instinct, however, is hesitation - a slowness in the way they line themselves up, a caution in the way they read each others' eyes. Gradually his hands find their way to her jawline and before she knows it, in stark contrast to their prior pace, her back is up against metal with the most satisfying warmth she's ever known on her lips.

Nancy's entire body lights on fire, so much that it takes a dazed moment before she is able to react. Her eyebrows lift as she takes full advantage of the moment and locks her hands around the space above his elbows, kissing him back with the fervor of months worth of pent-up feelings all finally coming to surface; hands crawl upwards from his arms, to his shoulders, and eventually land on either side of his neck.

For a few rapturous seconds, they allow themselves to melt entirely into each other with the realization that things won't be like this again for a while; not until they're able to overcome the doubts, the obstacles, the emotional walls that they both know would cause more harm than good if they were to pursue this now.

Maybe this is perfect. Maybe one kiss - one blissful, ravenous taste of just what it is they're missing out on is enough to satiate their appetites for the time being and prepare them for what's to come.

With one last surge forward, hands sliding down his chest, Nancy realizes that kissing Ace never even felt this good in her dreams.

Then, sooner rather than later, it's over.

Though their lips disconnect, everything else remains. A breathless minute comes and goes before either have any words to speak.

"Are you- are you sure you don't want to change your mind?" Nancy finally asks through her teeth, eyes drifting down to his mouth more than once.

A quirk tugs at his face as he steps back, hands remaining on Nancy's forearms for perhaps a touch longer than necessary. "Few more of those and I might."

Nancy gives a wistful giggle, using her shoulders to launch herself away from the lockers right when her phone buzzes.

Ace watches with curiosity as she opens her latest text notification, but waits silently to be filled in.

"It's George. She says they're waiting for us at the Claw," Nancy murmurs with her brow lowered, looking at Ace for a potential answer to her confusion.

Rarely one to disappoint, Ace nods in recognition. "Oh yeah, they took it upon themselves to reschedule game night. I was supposed to tell you."

Nancy raises her eyebrows in good spirit. "Ah. Well, I'm sure glad you told me with plenty of time to spare."

"Come to think of it, Bess pretty much insisted I be the one to tell you. The whole thing must've been a ruse."

Nancy shrugs. "Eh! You know what they say. What's done is done." she waits a beat before thumbing towards the back door over her shoulder. "Join me?"

"Yeah," Ace agrees as he grabs his raincoat and the pair start walking out. "Yeah but I have to warn you, none of what just transpired is going to have any affect on how mercilessly I demolish you in Absurd Code Word."

"Wow, Ace, I think you're underestimating my game night abilities. Have you ever seen me in Absurd Code Word?"

"Don't need to."

"I see. Is it because I'm a girl?"

"C'mon, Nancy. You know me better than that."

The ease with which they're able to shift gears serves as a delicate reminder of how intrinsically they are connected; the level of comfort and stability within their potential when the time is right.

Whenever that may be.

[h-eckers]

Shed Your Skin

Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

A/N: I am shamelessly in love with this story line, even though the writing may not be perfect and I’m really nervous about it. There is a part 2 already posted. This was always designed specifically to be multi-part, I’ll explain that more in the note on part 2. No spoilers.

P. S. This isn’t a Bughead fic by any means so I didn’t tag it as such (I’m sorry, guys), but the pairing is included in part

Summary: Being a newly inducted Serpent comes with unforseen benefits for Riverdale’s most poetic soul, like cool jackets and … personal bodyguards???

Word Count: 3,226

Warnings: gang activity, swearing, drug mentions, (Bughead angst, if that counts as a warning.)

Serpent sympathizers.

That’s what the Southside called them, and it applied to those in the area who weren’t Serpents themselves. These were the people who had no problem inhabiting the same space as a notorious gang, some had ties or dealings to members, others simply chose to approve because it did nothing to bother them. What turned out to be an unexpected blessing to Riverdale’s resident writer, was the family he was placed with on the Southside were exactly that, a family who openly referred to themselves as “friends of the Serpents.” When Jughead had confessed his connection to the gang, mentioning his father’s home left empty, the family under whose care he stayed simply allowed him to do what he pleased as long as he kept them out of it. In mere moments he had gained a freedom he was unused to, and yet one that so deeply comforted him. 

This freedom is precisely what led Jughead to be sitting on the couch in his father’s currently abandoned home, aimlessly flicking through channels to find a suitable background noise for his writing. After all, there was much to update in his book, many a mystery solved and waiting to be immortalized with words against a page. The night was cold, but the sanctity of familiar walls, and the old heater in the corner, coated with dust, provided a gentle and welcoming warmth as well as an obvious fire hazard. The light from the kitchen twisted and stretched itself, struggling to illuminate much past the room it was in, only lending a soft and muted glow to the living room where the young writer had found comfort, lost in his own words, alone in his home for the first time in years that felt like centuries. For a moment, he felt peace.

The problem with the current state of Riverdale, however, meant that peace was short lived, and Jughead’s serenity was destroyed with a loud and repetitive banging on the front door in place of a polite knock. He stopped for a moment, contemplating whether he should answer it or leave it and let them believe there was no one here, he decided on the later. Even from their aggression towards his front door he could tell it wasn’t a person he’d enjoy speaking to and right now, he was comfortable in being alone. So he didn’t move from where he was, letting the demanding pounding on his front door die down, hoping to fade back into contentment, but again his wish for that was completely shattered when he heard the unmistakable sound of a key being put into the lock. Standing quickly, he turned to the door expecting the only person he could think of who would have keys apart from himself, when his eyes met that of the newly arrived body, just through the door, he sighed a heavy sigh. 

“Hey, dude.” The unfamiliar girl smiled, shutting the door and shoving her keys back inside the pocket of her dark jeans, “I figured you might be here.”

“I’m sorry, have we met?” Jughead stumbled slightly, still caught up in the shock of the intrusion of a stranger.

“Nah, not yet, but I’m Y/N.” She grinned, holding out her hand for him, Jughead hesitated upon seeing the dirt and grease there. She chuckled, retracting her hand to wipe it against her leg, avoiding the leather on her jacket “Oh, shit, sorry, I was working on the bikes right before I came out here.”

“I’m Jughead…” His voice was strong, and yet carried a clear tone of caution, which one would expect in a situation such as this one, “and why are you here?”

“I know who you are, dude, your daddy talks about you all the time, I’ve seen you around. He actually gave me the keys to this place when I went to see him today… well, he asked the sheriff to give me the keys, same thing though really.” She explained causally, shrugging off the question and wandering into the kitchen as though the home was hers.

“Why?” Jughead asked, already growing impatient with her, perhaps because of her demeanour or maybe it was the fact that she seemed to know more about the situation with his father than he did. She walked over to the sink and started cleaning her hands, scrubbing the grease away with the dish soap left neglected on the counter, his eyes followed her, staring at her back when she turned to the sink, only then did he notice the Serpent embroidery across the back of her jacket, hold against the black and a perfect explanation of how she was acted.

“Us Serpents aren’t exactly the favourites right now, there’s been target attacks on us now and I’m here to house sit for the boss kinda, mainly I’m here because he said you would be.” Y/N shrugged, looking around for a clean dish towel and shuffling through drawers until she found something to dry her hands. “You’re one of us now, right? We look out for our own.”

There was a silence that crept up there, as Jughead’s eyes drifted back to the jacket they’d given him, sling over the back of a chair, on display. “I hadn’t really thought about it.” He admitted absently, his eyes moving back to hers, immediately he saw the worry on her face, as though she was looking at a child lost in a store, with no sense of direction. 

“It’s no problem,” she said quickly, noticing the hesitance in him and offering her most gentle smile, “even if you decide you don’t want to be, your daddy’s for you a life time pass to protection.”

He didn’t say anything, there wasn’t much to say. In all honesty, he had no doubt that she could protect him, She was scruffy, not the cleanest but he could only assume that was the fault of working under old bikes before she arrived, and there were tattoos showing from under the cuffs of her jacket even though she looked about his age, but her eyes made her seem older, there was no doubt she had seen things, things that age a person, things that change them. “Look, uhm, I know it’s bit weird but do you mind if I shower real quick?”

“Yeah, yeah, just through there.” He mumbled, pointing in the direction of the bathroom.

“I know.” She smiled again, partially awkwardly but overall it seemed apologetic, she scurried away to get clean. 

It was an unsettling feeling, despite everything, Jughead had always been resolute in how he felt. He knew what he wanted without a doubt at any time and yet he sat across the room, staring at the jacket he was gifted, thinking back to his short experience at South side high, and thinking about Betty, and Archie, and all he’d left in Riverdale and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he was completely unsure.

The truth was, the Serpents we’re beginning to look better and better as an option for him, they had welcomed him with open arms like no one ever had, despite how different he’d assume himself from them. This girl, though abrasive, seemed kind and open, she hadn’t tried to lie to him, and she’d accepted him readily as though they’d known each other for years, a nicer treatment than he’d received from some of his closest friends in the recent past.  It was a battle raging in his head between what seemed right and what felt right, and at the moment the feeling was what he was chasing.

The thoughts he had found himself consumed by all vanished at one with a gentle hand on his shoulder, he looked up at her, fresh faced, wet hair tousled about her cheeks in wild waves, and she was wearing one of his dads old shirts tucked into her jeans. “You alright? I came out like fifteen minutes ago and you’ve just been staring at that jacket.”

“Thinking.” He said with a tight smile, watching as she retracted her hand and pulled on her jacket again, falling onto the couch with a soft ‘oomph’. 

“Y'know, you don’t have to make up your mind straight away. It’s okay.” Her smile was genuine, gentle and purposeful, and he believed her entirely.

“You’re not really what I expected, considering you’re a member of a notorious gang.” He chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. She raised her eyebrow at his sudden attitude change, but chose not to question it yet for fear of scaring it away.

“What?” She grinned, “Dirty, scruffy, bike mechanic who almost busts down the door before using the key doesn’t work for you?” She mumbled, grabbing a cushion and hugging it to her stomach. There was something endearing about her, she was honest, and for so long living in a town with so many lies, and where everyone seemed to try to be someone they weren’t, it was refreshing to say the least.

“I guess you have a point, but in any case it suits you.” He said, her cheeks burned slightly and she couldn’t help the small smile that decorated her lips for a moment as she tilted her head, never breaking eye contact with him. 

“Your dad told me about how charming you were, said we’d get along. Even once said he thought we’d do good for each other.” She hummed softly, and he nodded, “You’ve definitely charmed me, Jug. I hope he was right about the rest of it.”

“I think he could have been.” Jug admitted, and perhaps it was too soon to say such a thing but it wasn’t as though it was a lie. 

Y/N opened her mouth to reply, when there was a knock at the door again. A normal knock this time as opposed to the vicious barrage against the door the girl in front of him had inflicted not long ago. Jughead looked to her for an answer and she simply shrugged, “We don’t knock like that.” She smirked and he could only laugh as he got up to answer the door. 

“Hey, Juggie, you didn’t answer any of my texts. I figured I’d come and check you were okay.” Her voice was already laced with worry, or anger, or possibly a cocktail of the two as she looked up at him. Jughead cleared his throat. 

“Sorry, I guess I just got distracted.” He sighed, smiling for her and a small smile is what he got in return, “I am sorry, you know I wouldn’t ignore you intentionally.”

“I know, I was just worried, especially when I called your host parents and they said you weren’t there.” The concern was clear, he felt it in his soul and immediately felt the guilt that came with knowing he’d upset her. “I figured you’d be here.”

“Uh, do you want to come in?” He asked after a moment, things seemed tense, he’d been living on the south Side for just under a week now and he’d seen or spoken to her every single day but the way they interacted had changed. Things seemed stilted when they spoke, their kisses grew more chaste and empty, and he was aware that it was all him. She hadn’t changed but in the space of a few days, he had, in ways he hadn’t even fully realised for himself yet. 

“Of course.” She smiled softly, moving carefully past him to wander inside, all of a sudden a fabricated image of Y/N flashed up in his mind, of her shoving past him ungracefully to get inside. For some reason, that made him grin. 

Y/N had become entirely absorbed in a late night re-run of Friends, focusing on the show as a way to tune out the conversation she wasn’t a part of, when Betty wandered in and saw her, she stopped, confused. After a moment of being ignored by the freshly showered girl on her boyfriend’s couch, Betty cleared her throat, as politely as possible given the situation. Her attention was pulled away from the screen and towards the blonde in the living room. “Oh, hi!” She said happily, muting the TV to give the newly arrived guest her full attention, Betty wasn’t in the same place. She turned to Jughead.

“Who’s this?” She asked, completely ignoring the girl herself. Y/N didn’t appreciate that.

“My name is Y/N, and I’m perfectly capable of introducing myself.” Her expression and tone didn’t change from that energetic excitement, and yet there was something different, something sarcastic, something threatening slipping out with her words. Betty blinked at her, eyes going wide.

“Sorry,” She stammered slightly, “I’m Betty.”  The other girls face lit up again immediately.

“Oh! You wrote that article about us right?” Y/N queried, “Thanks for that, sucks to hear what they did to your locker though, m’sure we’ll get ‘em soon enough though. You don’t have to worry for much longer.” She winked playfully, somehow making the incredibly ominous statement seem light hearted.

“You’re a serpent.” It wasn’t a question, nor was it something Betty appreciated apparently, she turned back to Jughead. “You know you can stay at my house if you need to, Jug.”

“I know, but it’s okay here.” He chuckled, as the blonde rested her hand on his arm, concern written across her face, “Really, everything’s fine.”

“Yeah, I’m just housesitting, body guarding.” Y/N tried to joke, perhaps ease some of the awkwardness she felt, it didn’t work, especially when Betty ignored her.

“Jug…” She said softly, like urging. Pushing him to say something else, to leave with her.

“Betty, every thing’s under control.” He said again, his brow furrowing.

“Okay,” She said tightly, obviously unimpressed with the decision, “well can I at least get that Blue and Gold stuff from you?”

“Of course. It’s in my room.” He mumbled, looking towards Y/N for a second, an indiscernible look in his eyes, trying to convey something Y/N couldn’t decipher, but whatever it was, it was near to worry. He turned his back hesitantly and walked into the next room. Y/N smiled.

“Yeah, so I’m just here to house sit while FP’s otherwise occupi-” She was cut off, Betty’s voice, low and quiet intersecting with her light-hearted attempt to make conversation.

“He’s not one of you. He belongs in Riverdale, with his friends.” Betty dragged out the last word, as though rubbing in some scathing insult like Y/N had been Jughead’s friend for ten years and not ten minutes. Y/N’s expression dropped slightly, not into anger but into a certain smugness, a serpentine smirk painting her soft lips.

“I think that’s for him to decide, don’t you?” She asked, that threat in her voice simultaneously drawing Betty to respond and urging her to run.

“He has decided.” She said, her strength of composure never wavering externally, though inside her heart quaked with an uncertainness. Y/N stepped forward menacingly, only an inch taller than the other girl and yet towering above her head.

“Maybe he has, but I don’t know if it’s what you think.” Y/N hummed, her tone close to sultry though it was only meant to scare the blonde girl before her, and it did, oh it did. “After all, you may have written a cute little article for his daddy, but I’ve been riding with FP since I was knee high. You could write a full trilogy and id still win by miles, sweetness.” She spat, her words dripping with venom that only a serpent could produce.

“That doesn’t matter,” Betty swallowed, a darkness coming into her eyes that made Y/N grin as the other’ hands clenched, nails to palm in violent collision, “you don’t get to win that easily. FP and Jughead are different people.”

“True,” Y/N shrugged, stepping back, “but who says they can’t grow to be closer. Bond over a pool table at the Whyte Wyrm?”

“Jughead would never. That’s not who he is.” Betty practically growled, only eliciting a chuckle from the other girl who simply fell back onto the couch, staring Betty down with narrowed eyes.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that snakes shed their old skin, princess?” She smiled. Betty opened her mouth to speak, interrupted only seconds before implosion by Jughead re-entering the room. The tension hit him like a truck, and he saw his girlfriend clutching her own hands, glaring at the other girl on his couch who had gone back to watching the TV as though nothing had transpired.

“Is everything okay?” HE asked, hesitant as to the response, Y/N didn’t respond, Betty turned to him with eyes aflame.

“I need to talk to you,” She growled softly, “alone.”

Jughead followed her outside. Y/N stayed put and listened, muting the TV again and sitting back on the couch to listen to the blondes hysterics, smirking to herself at Betty’s colourful description of her, terrible words falling from her innocent lips in vitriol of the she serpent. None of her words caused any injury, it’s not as though she hadn’t been called worse before, never though, had it been this entertaining. She listened to them argue for what felt like hours, noticing Jughead’s words in her defence despite their recent meeting, the argument had turned from her quickly though, to the decision Jughead was to make about his future, about where he was to belong. Eventually their voices faded into non-existence, with tense endings, she listened to Betty leave and waited while Jughead stayed outside for a few moments, gathering his thoughts she could only assume. During that time, she raised the volume on the TV again, though her attention stayed singularly on him.

When the door opened and he walked back into the room, Y/N said nothing. He said nothing. At first the two of them stayed locked in a mutual silence as he sat and rubbed his face, the frustration fading with each long breath he took. “She doesn’t like me.” Y/N finally spoke up, though her eyes stayed on the screen.

“I know.” He sighed, leaning back in the chair he sat in, though his eyes raked her form though searching for something he needed to find, as though she wore the answer on her body and maybe she did. Y/N rose from her seat, rolling her shoulders and grabbing the jacket they’d gifted Jughead from the back of the chair it laid on, walking over to him and holding it out to him in offer.

“It’s still yours if you want it.” She said seriously, there was something in her eyes he trusted and even more there that he was terrified of.

“I could lose her.” He said, as though asking for something. Some clarification or answer of the million questions racing through his mind at full speed.

“I’m not forcing you.”

There was a moment of quiet, and he stood to face her, stepping forward and grabbing the jacket still in her hands and they stayed for a moment, with locked eyes in wait, and locked fingers on leather. “We’re together?” he asked, and she knew exactly what he meant, it wasn’t about the two of them. It was about a family, about stepping into a world he knew nothing of.

“Ride or die, Jones.”

And he took it.

And he put it on.

And everything changed.

Jughead tags: @princessjughead @unicornqueen05 @andforthecoating @mrs-fangirl @aselfishllama

Everything tags: @gryffndor @itsjaynebird @vanessa-sanch-blog @lost-in-wonderland-x​ @annoyingsibling​ @bex09