Betty Cooper had ruined his birthday.

Jughead had been a little thrown when Archie had told him that it would be Betty accompanying him to the Bijou, but he'd mostly gotten over that. Archie'd been his best friend forever, and now that they were sharing the same room, it did feel so comfortable and brotherly that it was getting hard for Jughead to remember how it had been before. Given the bond he and Archie had, Jughead was surprised at how much the idea of going to the movies with Betty didn't bother him. They'd been spending a lot of time together too and, though Jughead didn't exactly know everything about Betty or could easily read her the way he did Archie, he found that, when he thought about it, the importance of his relationship with Betty had risen to be just about on par with Archie's steadfast, reliable presence in Jughead's life. In short, he was pretty sure Betty was also his best friend.

Ultimately, Jughead was happy to have either of them at the theatre with him for his birthday. Archie would be chill and act like it was just another night hanging out, laughing loudly through the films and staring at Jughead like he was from another planet when he offered some piece of cryptic literary commentary. He didn't expect Betty to get his birthday tradition in the same way, but he figured her blind devotion to him would more than make up for that. Jughead was just looking forward to being able to put an arm around his girlfriend without their entire circle looking on, analyzing them.

God, it sounded so simple! Why did she have to go and complicate it?

Jughead was sunk into his seat, breathing shallowly, and trying not to drum his fingers where they rested on Betty's shoulder. Colours flashed before his eyes, music rose and fell, looks were exchanged, and words were spoken, but he heard only those Betty had uttered before the film began. About "the beast within." Jughead couldn't see a way to interpret her words that wasn't sexual—or at least he couldn't see it right now, sitting next to Betty in the dark near-emptiness of the theatre. But to whom were her words referring?

Jughead looked over at Betty out of the corner of his eye. Her blue eyes were shining in the glow of the screen.

Was Betty secretly longing to dominate him? If so, she must have been keeping these urges carefully supressed under the fairly innocent kisses they'd shared thus far. Or, was she dropping hints, trying to egg him on into the sexual voracity that felt like every teenaged boy's birthright?

Jughead turned these ideas over and over in his mind for a solid hour of the first film, only returning to proper viewing mentality when Betty reacted to something on screen with a laugh or a jump or by some whispered comment in his direction.

When Betty laid a hand on his thigh and told him she was running out for a minute to use the restroom, Jughead realized they had reached intermission. In her brief absence, Jughead's gaze alternated between the scrolling credits and the place on his leg where her warm hand had alighted. His palms were sweating.

He couldn't stand it anymore. There was no way Jughead would be able to get to sleep that night with Betty's words still in his head. Hell, there was no way he'd be able to get through the next hour and forty-nine minutes.

Jughead saw Betty's blonde head shine as she made her way back up the row towards him. He pulled himself up in his seat and reached out, grasping the back of the chair in front of him. Betty stopped short and raised an eyebrow.

"What's up, Juggy?"

Jughead struggled to avoid any expression that screamed I've been trying to work out what you want from me sexually for the last hour and a half.

He shrugged. "I just wanted to sit with my girlfriend on my birthday and I'm not loving the armrest situation. Don't get me wrong, very convenient for soft drink placement, but when I'm trying to be close to you, this thing feels like the Berlin Wall." Jughead banged his fist against the hard barrier.

Betty crossed her arms. "And your proposed solution?"

Jughead's mouth edged up into a shy smile and he patted his lap.

Betty blinked quickly and looked back and forth, as though Jughead had just done something illegal and she was expecting to see cops pouring in the emergency exit.

"Come on. You're not going to get in trouble." He kept his eyes on her as she shifted from foot to foot. "There's like three other people in here."

Betty sighed and gave in, not willing to physically push Jughead's arm aside to get back to her seat. She sat cautiously in his lap.

"Betts, these aren't the crappy plastic chairs at the multiplex. Make yourself comfortable."

She smiled at him over her shoulder and scooted further into his lap until her back leaned lightly against his chest. Jughead could feel her heart pounding. Unless it was his heart. He was very aware of the curve of her ass resting over his crotch. He reached forward to take her hand and she leaned into him a little more, relaxing.

The credits of An American Werewolf in London concluded and the projectionist switched over to Animal House.

Betty turned her face slightly towards him. "So, how's the birthday going so far?"

"Perfect. Thank you, Betty."

He moved to kiss her on the cheek, but she tilted her head so his lips met hers. Betty drew back slightly, looking from his mouth to his eyes, and Jughead brought a hand up to her cheek, pulling her back in. She rested a hand on the outside of his hip and when Jughead pressed his tongue into her mouth and stroked it gently against hers, he felt her grip tighten. When he broke the kiss, they were both panting and her face was hot under his palm.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that to happen." Betty smiled at him.

"Yeah, it's not like we're here seeing The Notebook," Jughead joked.

Suddenly, Betty looked anxious. "Do you think I should go back to my seat?"

Jughead lowered his voice and brushed his mouth across her ear. "Don't you dare." The hand that had been holding hers on the armrest dropped to rub the denim of her leg. Betty gasped as his hand moved to the halfway point between her knee and her hip, his fingers trailing over to touch the inside of her thigh.

Slowly, Betty leaned forward, rolling her hips back so that her ass nudged Jughead's groin, then forward, sliding over him again. Jughead tightened his lips as a groan fought to escape. Her movement had been small, but calculated. To the eyes of any patron further up the auditorium who happened to look down at them, Betty would seem to simply be adjusting herself in her seat for comfort. But to Jughead, coming from Betty Cooper, the motion was provocative enough that he felt she was practically giving him a lap dance.

He stilled his hand on her inner thigh and inclined his head to kiss up the side of her neck. Betty repeated the motion with her hips and Jughead's blood, already pooling in his lap from sitting for so long, shot to fill his dick. The next time she ground against him, striking his stiffening erection, Jughead turned his face into her neck and made a soft choking noise.

His free hand found its way under the edge of Betty's sweater, touching the bare skin of her hip. It was very warm and Jughead dug his fingers in slightly, holding her to him.

As Jughead's heart pounded in his chest with every shift of Betty's hips, he found their careful motions nearly as torturous as sitting stiffly through the first movie of the double-feature. She moved over him in a way that was so sensual, and yet so graceful, that for the first time in his life Jughead could see the appeal of going to a club, if only so he could dance with Betty like this, holding her body against his. When her rubbing got to be too much, he turned her face to his, moving his tongue as freely and persuasively as he would have liked to move his body.

Not much of Animal House was getting through to him, but Jughead would have had to be deaf to miss the beginning of "Shout." And he would have had to be someone other than who he was not to get the idea he got.

The hand that had been keeping it fairly PG-14 down on Betty's thigh Jughead now drew back towards himself. His fingers pressed against her, tracing just above the inside seam of her jeans as though following a road on a map. Betty, concentrated on her movements against him, didn't really react until suddenly, his hand slid right up between her legs, pressing against her. The denim was damp under Jughead's palm.

Betty jumped a little, bumping Jughead's dick and causing his abdominal muscles to clench as he drew in a sharp breath through his nose. She jerked her head around to look at him, but Jughead, with as much control as he could manage, said, "Keep your eyes on the screen."

He pressed his palm against her firmly, rubbing upwards, and Betty reflexively pushed herself against his lap. Jughead bit the inside of his lip. His fingers found the button of her jeans and Betty reached down, squeezing Jughead's thigh. Jughead stretched his neck forward to look at her face, thinking Betty was signalling that he'd taken things far enough, but he found her eyes were closed and she was smiling.

"Eyes on the screen, Betts," he whispered to her. Betty shivered against him, but opened her eyes, glancing at him. Jughead smirked at her.

He flicked open the button and yanked the zipper down quickly. Jughead pressed his fingertips to the exposed skin of Betty's lower abdomen. She pressed back into his lap, her movement causing Jughead's hand to come in contact with the fabric of her underwear. It felt lacy—not what he would have expected—and Jughead's erection pulsed with frustration.

Jughead licked his lips, psyching himself up to get to third base, but Betty wasn't so patient. She grabbed his hand in hers, guiding his fingers far enough under the band of her panties that he knew she wasn't just teasing him.

He pressed his hand against her, sighing deeply into her hair as his fingers slipped through her wetness. Betty jumped as Jughead rubbed across her clit, so he pushed a little lower then dragged some of her arousal back up, really making her squirm on his lap.

Playing with her clit was making Betty a little too fidgety, so Jughead cupped his hand to shape her and rotated it down until he could feel her soaking entrance. Betty breathed in sharply and tipped her hips forward, making it less of a struggle for Jughead to fight against the tightness of her jeans. She held very still as he maneuvered a finger up inside her, hooking it firmly out of necessity from how they were positioned.

Betty parted her legs in his lap and Jughead slid his finger as far in as it was possible to. When she let out a moan, he knew his reach was just far enough. He pushed the heel of his palm back against her clit and Betty rubbed against his erection. Jughead rocked his hand forward, letting the end of his middle finger push against her g-spot. Betty wriggled her hips, forcing him to rub the area firmly as her wetness streamed down along his finger and onto his hand.

Jughead thrust his hips roughly against her, longing to feel Betty's tight squeeze on his cock instead of just his finger. He pressed her clit with the heel of his hand in a circular motion, as if he were kneading dough, and felt her thighs begin to tremble.

Jughead was electrified and drove his finger back against her g-spot, stroking firmly and probing millimeter by millimeter to discover the precise spot to give Betty maximum pleasure. She ground steadily against him, riding his hand as though she too were imagining it could be his dick instead. Jughead grasped Betty's hip beneath her sweater, driving his thrusts concertedly as she pressed her ass into his lap.

All of a sudden, Betty grabbed him by the wrist, working herself against his immobilized hand so that her clit dragged up and down over his palm. Jughead dropped his free hand to grip her inner thigh, feeling even from inches away the heat spreading from her core. Her breath had become ragged and she whined almost as though she were in pain, arching her back as she held Jughead's wrist for dear life.

Jughead leaned into her, kissing Betty's neck just below her ear. He felt her climax, clenching her muscles around his finger. What destroyed his restraint was the cry Betty let out as she released. Jughead broke into a smile at the thought of her making that noise while "Shout" was still playing, but couldn't hold it, his mouth dropping open as he came.

Betty slumped back against Jughead, her legs shaking as the aftereffects of her orgasm played with her nervous system. He drew his hand out gently and felt Betty refastening her jeans as he wiped his finger off on his pant leg. Jughead slung his arm across her lap, holding her to him through the rest of the movie and planting kisses on the side of her face, making her smile.

As their double-feature spun to its end, their handful of fellow movie-goers headed for the exit. Jughead and Betty stayed put until the final credit, then Betty hauled herself to her feet with the assistance of the armrests.

Jughead grinned. "Oh, so that's what they're for."

Betty turned to smile at him and nearly collapsed; her legs were as limp as cooked noodles. Jughead grabbed her by the hips, helping her get her balance.

The lights came on and he looked up at her. Betty's face was flushed and her lips were red in a way that suggested she'd been biting down on them as she fought to remain silent through his touches. She stepped out of his path, reaching for the jacket she'd left on the back of her original seat.

As she leaned forward, Jughead rose and closed in behind her. When Betty straightened up, Jughead spoke close to her ear.

"What was your favourite part?"

Betty blushed and turned her face to his. "Of the movie?"

"What movie?" He drew his eyebrows together, feigning puzzlement.

She laughed, looking down in embarrassment.

Jughead shrugged, offering no excuse for his blunt question and headed for the aisle. Before he could start down the stairs, Betty grabbed his hand, stopping him. She raised herself on her toes to murmur next to his ear.

"My favourite part was when almost nobody showed up to see it and we had the row to ourselves. I only wish the movies had been longer." She sighed against his skin and Jughead felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Well, a good way to lengthen the…" He cleared his throat. "…experience would be to not say something so mysterious to me that I'm driven to distraction for the entire first movie."

Betty stepped around Jughead to look him in the eyes. She was grinning. "It's not my fault it took you that long to interpret it. I figured an investigator for the Blue and Gold would have quicker powers of deduction."

She pulled his hand, started them down the stairs towards the exit.

Jughead was still hung up on something and narrowed his eyes at Betty, trying to read her.

"So I did interpret it correctly? You wanted me to unleash my inner beast?" He lowered his voice and raised an eyebrow. "Dominate you?"

Betty's smile turned seductive. "Are you sure that's really what happened, Juggy? I felt pretty in control. If you really want to dominate me, you're going to have to do better than that." She leaned into him, running a hand up the back of Jughead's neck into the lower fringe of his hair, and brought her mouth to his.

Jughead groaned and reached for her, but without the safety of the darkness, Betty was reluctant to linger on their kiss and stepped back from him.

"Come on, birthday boy. The night's still young." She smiled at him.

He groaned. "Fiiine, but no more double entendres."

Betty shrugged. "I can't make any promises."

They passed under the exit sign and Jughead grinned. Betty turned to him. She smiled at his expression.

"What?"

"That was a hell of a double feature."