Disclaimer: I do not own Archie characters!
Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper found themselves hunched over a computer together that late afternoon during a free study period at School. It was the end of the school day almost. Much of their "detective" work lately was spent in the Blue and Gold Headquarters or "Imagination Station" as Betty liked to call it. It was a Tuesday afternoon around 1pm, and things had felt a bit tense and gloomy around the campus all day, considering there could be a Murderer anywhere in Riverdale, and the fact one of their one had been the one murdered. Shot in the Head. Jason Blossom, ended. Many of the students in Riverdale High were scared, and it showed.
Normally Jughead would be able to push past this type of depression that clung to the air, but he had realized lately that he had been sucked into it like the rest. Betty was right in what she said when she was convincing him to join the Blue and Gold. It had changed things. Plus, drama seemed to loom around every corner lately. Betty and Archie.. Archie and Miss Grundy.. Jughead and the Drive In, and random things that just added up to their attitudes being on edge, and a bit down.
But something was different when he spent time with Betty. She was, of course, affected by all the things lately as well, but she always persisted through her problems. Jughead knew she had been feeling crazy lately, due to her heartbreak over Archie, her crazy Mother, and several other things. He realized no one had it perfect, but Betty had a knack for letting her own personal sunshine through it all. He suspected it was to help others first and foremost, as Betty had always been the crowd pleaser. She was happy making others happy, but lately she was breaking down and STILL tried her hardest to keep everything together.
They sat together looking at some old articles online, each skimming through the articles with quick eyes, looking for anything that popped out at them. They had about 45 minutes remaining for their free period, as it had just began only 10 minutes prior, Betty noticing that Jughead would arrive as quickly as possible lately. Sometimes she would see him slightly out of breath when they met in the Blue and Gold room, which led her to believe he truly liked being a part of this team with her. She had to admit to herself, Jughead Jones was an excellent partner when it came to writing the Newspaper for the School, and also when it came to being a sleuth. He was mysterious, as he had always been since a Child, but she knew Jughead Jones viewed the Town.. no, the World, with open eyes and different points of view. He was perfect to investigate this situation with. She was scared, but determined to find out why this happened, and what exactly was going on. It was hard to sleep at night sometimes due to wondering, the feeling of not being safe and just feeling like a blanket of darkness had fallen upon Riverdale.
Betty had arrived first that day, and wasted no time in starting up a computer in the middle of the room and searching for something she thought would give them some clues. Only 2 minutes had rolled by when Jughead barreled into the room, slightly out of breath. Betty smirked inwardly to herself, wondering why exactly he keep rushing to get there every school day. They hadn't even agreed to meet up here during their free period, they just started doing it every day for the past couple of weeks. Betty definitely looked forward to it. She always enjoyed Jughead's company, even if he was being silent. Somehow she didn't feel as if she had to impress him the way she felt about most of her teachers, her parents, peers and even some friends.. He made her feel like she didn't have to be done up and perfect. He was honestly a breath of fresh air for her.
"I'm not getting anything out of this article, Betts." Jughead admitted suddenly,bringing Betty out of her thoughts. She had learned to read and think at the same time.
"Nothing's really jumping out at me either.." she turned to look at him next to her, and was surprised to see he was staring up and out of the window located above the Computer they sat at. Her eyes followed his gaze up and saw the sky, dark clouds forming and swirling above. Jughead had his eyebrows furrowed, looking a bit concerned. "What is it, Jug?"
He turned quickly and saw her big blue eyes on his, and immediately relaxed his face. "Nothing!" He didn't want to give Betty any reason to worry, because she tended to go overboard when she knew her friends needed some help. He couldn't let her know the reason he was worried about a storm was because he hadn't found a good place to stay yet. Nothing with proper coverage at least. Maybe he would just hide out in Pop's all day after school.. he knew Pop's was good at not questioning him and he felt welcome there. A rarity in this Town. Maybe he could cruise by Archie's for a bit, but he still wasn't ready to admit his homeless problem yet to his Pal. They were still working on their friendship as it was.. and it had been going good. He didn't want anything to screw that up. "I was just thinking about how this storm matches the mood of Riverdale." He let out a slight chuckle and a smirk, just to convince her he wasn't worried about a thing.
"Yeah.. you're right about that." Betty smiled back at his smirk and leaned back in her chair, stretching out a bit. "It actually hasn't rained for weeks.. and you know what? It's making me tired. I always liked to take a nap if possible during the rain. It helps me sleep well. We've been working so hard on this Newspaper and our Investigation lately and nothing concrete is coming up.. it's exhausting!"
A nap. Jughead hadn't taken a good, relaxing nap in who knows how long.. He then started to imagine Betty in her very Pink room, with her window blinds open during a storm, taking a peaceful nap. She would probably be wearing something that made her look irresistibly cute, and her hair would most likely be sprawled out across her pillow, glowing and soft. Wait.. what are you thinking? Jughead shook his head then, trying to get silly little ideas of Betty like that out of his head. He was honest with himself that he always had a crush on Betty while growing up, but he knew her feelings for Archie ran deep and would only end up crushing him if he ever let his crush grow into something more. So his feelings for Betty became strong as in he admired her, he knew she was wonderful and he valued her friendship because he knew she was a genuine girl. Archie was so lucky..
Betty noticed the shaking of Jughead's head and quickly wondered what really went on inside his head. What did the mysterious, tall, dark, at times devilishly cute when he smiled or grinned at her, sarcastic, hungry, realist boy really think about? I just admitted to myself that he's cute. Well, duh, Betty, you've always known that. But you couldn't really show that knowing Archie might find it a bit strange! She though, and then had a crazy idea. The talks of naps had her longing for her bed, her safe spot, and she knew her Parents were busy at the News station, working hard on their own articles for the Town. They normally didn't show up at home until very late evenings during busy work days."Jughead?" She asked tentatively, knowing he would most likely raise an eyebrow to her question. "Want to just leave School since we are done after this free period and take a nap with me?"
His left eyebrow did indeed raise after her question. She wants me to nap with her? Betty Cooper? "Nap?" He voiced somewhat weakly and wondering what exactly she was saying.
"Well, yes.. I mean, we could go to my House, find a good movie and take a nap! My Parents will be gone all day, so you wouldn't run into my Mother of course. Trust me, She's been on super edge lately because of how busy they have been but she's dedicated to her work, so she puts in long hours! Especially early in the week, since they try to have the most important articles in the Weekends Papers.." She realized she was rambling, and he was just staring at her with a slight questionable look in his eyes. Something she hadn't ever really noticed about him before. Was he imagining this would be romantic? "I mean, I just thought it would be nice to relax! You know, snacks and blankets.. like we all used to do when we were growing up! We've been working SO hard lately with nothing to really revitalize us.. this storm looks bleak but maybe it's a blessing in disguise! Something to help us relax the tensions we've all been feeling!"
There she went, being a beacon in the dark. It was so like Betty too, and even though her question threw him off, he loved the idea. Especially when she mentioned the word snacks. He didn't know if he would be able to fall asleep in the den that was Alice Cooper's, but he knew Betty wanted to include him or she wouldn't have asked and that, he appreciated. He didn't felt like he belonged in many places, but it was nice to know he was wanted around when it came to her. I guess I have to accept the fact I'll always think she is the most special girl in town. I really almost hate Archie for not returning Betty's feeling and hurting her, but I know you can't force anyone to love anyone. I just think he's crazy for not loving her romantically. I know he cares for her, but maybe.. maybe this is a good thing. She deserves someone who truly loves her just as much as she loves them. I wish I could… Jughead stopped his thoughts then, knowing it was dangerous territory. He began to rise up out of his chair and gather his things when he noticed she was still seated, staring up at him with a slight frown on her face. "What, Betty?"
"So do you want to or not?" She blurted out. Why didn't he answer her? Did he think it was weird? Maybe he thought she was weird. She knew she hadn't had much luck in the romance department just yet, but did every guy close to her find her revolting?
"Betty, you do realize it's almost impossible to say no to you, right? I'm coming over for sure."
Her insecurities melted away at his response, and she smiled up at him sweetly, rising to grab her belongings as well and satisfied with their plan of action. It was a different plan, that's for sure, but for some reason she was bubbling with excitement in her belly.
They closed down "shop" and headed out of the door, laughing at a joke Jughead had made about how the room was half "dormant" still and the other half had been touched by Betty's golden touch. She managed to clean some of their areas of main use like magic, but hadn't finished the whole room yet.
"It would go a lot faster if my co-writer helped me clean as much as he has helped me get this Paper up and running again!" She teased and laughed at the situation. "But seriously, Juggie.. you have helped me so much lately. I want to thank you. " She reached up and grabbed the back of his arm as they walked side by side down the empty corridor, and for some reason, she didn't let go. It felt good to hold onto him as they walked. She dared a glance at his expression, seeing he looked content and natural, looking ahead as they walked and noticing he was a good height for her. A good height to lean up into and wrap her arms around his neck for a good hug. AGHHH. BETTY. Quit doing this! He's never going to think of you this way after Archie couldn't. I don't think he would want to make Archie feel uncomfortable either.. because even though Arch doesn't love me back, I know he's used to things the way they are. Wait. Have I ever really hugged Jughead? Not..lately. Not at this point in our lives, but when we were younger, yes… I wonder what it really feels like now.
"I wouldn't do it for just anyone, now. But like I said about saying no to you.. it's damn near impossible. You're easy to go along with, Betty." Jughead said after they exited the School's main entrance. Betty's grip left his arm as they took in the scenery outside. The campus was mostly clear except for a few students who had also took advantage of their free period at the end of the School day to leave, since the storm was brewing quickly. It was a bit windy, and had not started to rain just yet, but they could both smell it in the air. It was going to get Wet, and very soon. Suddenly, Jughead felt a bit mischievous and turned to Betty, challenging her with squinted eyes and a daring grin. "Your house is a couple of blocks from here.. we used to race when we were kids and you always beat me, but can you beat me now? I bet you a Sundae at Pop's that I can beat you to your house before it rains. "
"You think you can actually beat me? " Betty laughed out loud and smirked up at him, thinking his challenge was interesting. "Betty the QUICK?"
"Betty the LAST!" He yelled, taking off down the steps of the main entrance and heading for her House. He felt free, running in the cool windy air, a storm brewing above and he actually had gotten lucky enough to secure some shelter during the storm, and even more lucky to be spending some down time with Betty. This was the best he had felt in weeks.
She sprinted after him as quickly as she could, yelling "CHEATER!" at his sudden act of starting the challenge. She didn't mind whether or not she lost or not, but she felt happy running after Jughead, feeling as if they were kids again with no crazy murder, no lunatic parents, no friend drama or depressing situations to worry about. Damn he's quick! Way quicker than I remember, but he is almost 6 feet tall now, with those long, amazingly toned legs. He's so slim, but he looks powerful and fast like a panther running in his dark clothing! She laughed so hard at that last thought and sped her pace up as much as she could, gaining on him quickly. She was about 4 feet away from him when a huge bolt of blinding lightning striked nearby, thunder drowning out every sound with an insanely loud BOOM!
They both yelled in surprise, and then laughed like crazy, not wanting to stop their paces towards the Cooper's residence. Her house came within view as they rounded a corner, and Jughead felt Betty behind him as he lost a little ground when the lightning striked. He felt arms grab his backpack and tug him back a bit, and he tried to wiggle his backpack out of her grasp. "Cheaaaaating!" He bellowed.
"YOU cheated first!" She tried to stream past him but he caught her by the waist as she tried, and she tried to jump out of his grasp but he wasn't having it. "Oh no you don't, Elizabeth Cooper. I'M GETTING THAT SUNDAE."
She giggled uncontrollably, flinging her arms around and trying to wrestle free but his grip was strong. "Oh wow, Forsythe Jones the Third.. you have some strength to you!"
He then picked her straight up, bridal style, eliciting a gasp of surprise from Betty, and smiled with satisfaction at her. "I am the strongest Jughead in the World, thank you very much. "
She laughed and let him carry her down the street since they were only a few houses down from hers. Oh what a pair we must look like right now, Betty thought to herself. Jughead has me completely in his arms and it feels.. nice. He looks like he doesn't mind holding me at all. I think I might test this touching each other out a bit today.. It may not have been the smartest thing for Betty to do, but she was mind blown at the thought of them becoming closer like this. She felt deliriously happy being around him right now. Would it be so bad if Jughead and I started to have.. feelings for each other? What would everyone think? What would Archie think.. my Mom.. Betty then started to feel a panic rise up within her and her face showed. Jughead didn't notice, plotting to throw her off guard as they came up on her driveway.
"Madam Cooper, we have arrived. Now.. I have something to say." Jughead spoke, coming to a stop and still holding her in his arms. Betty's stomach dropped, wondering what he was gonna say next. If it was something serious, she was dreading it.
"I WIN!" He suddenly shouted, running towards Betty's yard and dropping her softly on the ground, and bounding up her steps to her door as the storm suddenly cracked open with thunder, and rain came pouring down heavily. "OHHH! And IT BEGINS!" he referred to the sky with open arms extended above his head, laughing at Betty, sitting on her butt in her yard staring up at him with an amused, shocked face.
"You deviant, Jughead Jones." Betty laughed so hard then she didn't realize she was getting soaking wet. "Oh! Crap!" She got up with quickness and joined him by her front door, reaching into her own backpack to get her keys and let them inside. They entered the house together, Betty wiping at her arms to get the wetness off, and reaching a hand up to free her damp ponytail, shaking her hair wildly around Jughead, hoping to shake some rain off on him. He tried to dodge her but failed, and they grinned at each other madly. "Okay. You win that Sundae.. but not fair and square I would say."
"Still, I win." Jughead entered her living room and looked around at the tidiness, the neatness that was the Cooper's Home. He knew her Parents worked a lot and wondered if they had a maid come by to help keep things so clean. The most Perfect family in Riverdale right here.
"Jug, I am going to go change into something more comfy. Do you have any extra clothes in your pack? You can change into them if you want so we can bundle up and watch movies!" She blushed at her last words for some reason, thinking of them bundling up TOGETHER.
"I always have a change of clothes, just in case I want to bundle up." He teased. "I'll pick out the movie if you want to get snacks for us? I am starving!"
"I've never known you to be full, Jug." She said, eyeing him with a smile, turning to go upstairs and change. When she came back down, she was wearing a big white teeshirt with Riverdale High's mascot on it, and some short blue gym shorts. Her golden hair was freed upon entering the house, and she gave it a light brushing with her fingertips upstairs, wanting to make sure it looked cute for some reason. Her curls fell into a light bounce at the ends of her hair, and looked quite messy from being slightly damp yet cute in her eyes. She couldn't help herself and added a bit of powder to her pace to stay on top of her light glow, and some strawberry lip balm to make sure her lips looked soft and lush. Not considering why she was even putting forth the effort for Jughead, she realized she didn't have to do much when it came to how she "looked" being around him. Somehow she knew Jughead would still want to chill with her even if she looked like a zombie. He was never really the judging type when it came to appearances, only bad attitudes.
Entering the kitchen, she threw some sandwiches together and made some popcorn. Popcorn was her favorite snack, and any form of meat and bread was Jughead's. She decided to bring out a bowl of chopped fruit and some chocolate snacks as well, to complete the snack variety. "So what are we watching? Wow, it is REALLY coming down outside.." Betty said as she came into the living room and looking out of the window to see the wind had really picked up, and the rain was coming down in heavy sheets.
Jughead had changed into some comfy track pants, and a big oversized black teeshirt. He had left his trademark beanie on, as usual, and had settled into her couch, looking at her with excitement. "The Goonies?" Betty asked, as she looked over to see the DVD case sitting on the floor in front of the television.
"It's my favorite thing to watch when it storms. I always feel like they had this awesome adventure during a dreary day and it always makes me feel like I'm about to go on an adventure" He told her.
"That.. is pretty awesome, actually. I totally get that." She laughed, and turned on her television to get things started. "Go ahead and dig in to the food if you want," she said as she was starting the movie, but when she turned around she noticed Jughead's sandwich was already gone and he was going in on the popcorn. "But save some popcorn for me!" She laughed at his typical appetite. He grinned back at her.
She also retrieved some blankets from their linen closet, and they settled into a silence together, snacking and watching the movie as it started. It felt good to relax like this. They listened to the 80's classic and it's music, the unforgettable movie lines and felt like it was just them alone in the whole World,with the rain drowning out everything else outside. They sat side by side on the floor, using her couch as a backing, each wrapped up in their own blanket, surrounded by couch pillows and snacks.
Jughead seriously felt like he was in a dream. This level of comfort was not visited by him often and he could definitely fall asleep right now if he wanted, and that was surprising to him. He had nothing to worry about when he was with Betty, it seemed. He didn't have to watch his back. He was content, and tossed a glance in her direction and saw that Betty had actually fallen asleep . She had been cuddling with a big blanket and some pillows and was sleeping sitting up. He knew she was truly exhausted, then. It was around the middle of the movie when he felt her move. He looked over and saw she had just slipped in her sleep and fell against his shoulder, still fast asleep. Her hair moved with her, and fell into her face a bit.
Gods. Jughead thought as he gulped nervously. She is so beautiful. Peaceful. Serene. Innocent. Just.. fuck. I like Betty. Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT. I like Betty. He knew it was a lot to give into. It was something that he had no idea where it would go, or if she would ever feel the same. Most likely she wouldn't. But then again, who knew her better other than Archie but him? He wasn't the type to kid himself. He just knew it would bring on even more drama most likely, and they had enough of it going on. Her lips slightly parted in her sleep, and he heard a sound escape her mouth, which brought his full attention to her mouth area. What did she say? Was she a sleep talker? She must really be out of it. He was beginning to feel weak, staring at her mouth like that and even reached out for the remote control with as much control as possible as to not wake her so he could mute the television. He wanted to hear what she was dreaming about.
"Juh.. plea.. don't leave."
Don't leave? Juh? Was she dreaming about him? Jughead wondered and leaned in even more to better understand.
"Juggghe… d.. don leave.. stay and kiss… me" Betty managed to say the last few words in her sleep very clearly, and Jughead stared wide eyed at her. Was she dreaming about trying to kiss him? There was no way. He had never wanted to kiss a girl so badly before that moment. Betty then started to lean forward in her sleep and slipped of his shoulder, her body weight falling towards his lap. Oh, Holy.. this is the most we've ever 'touched' each other and it's crazy. I should wake her up.. it might turn into a nightmare for her. He laughed inwardly to himself, and as he reached his arms down, the lights in the Cooper's residence flicked on and off, and a power surge rocked afterwards. The storm was mighty and trying to get to them, he felt. Her eyes flew open when a bolt of lighting and loud thunder boomed and she bolted up, reaching for Jughead and crawling into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into the crook of his neck.
"Don't leave me, Juggie!" She cried, and held him tightly.
Jughead, seriously shocked at the situation, raised his left arm up to pat her on the back lightly. "Betty? I'm not going? Betty, you were dreaming. Are you okay?" He was still sitting upright with his own blanket wrapped around his shoulders, but Betty had her face directly on the skin of his neck, and each of her legs were straddling his lap. Her grip wasn't loosening and he wondered what to do.
"Jug.." Betty sniffled out, realizing that she was indeed awake, and drawing her head back a bit to look at his face for confirmation. Oh my God, how did I find myself here? Hugging him like this, in his lap even.. I did want to know what it was like to hug him though. It felt better than she ever imagined. She loosened her grip slightly and moved an arm to lay flat against his chest, and kept another arm wrapped around his neck. "I'm.. sorry.. I guess I was having a bad dream."
Jughead realized she didn't mind holding onto him, so he dared to move his arms to wrap around her waist instead of awkwardly pat her back, to let her know HE didn't mind holding onto her to. He saw her face realize that as well. He felt courageous then, licking his lips and searching her face a bit before saying, "I'll say. Any dream where you want me to kiss you is sure to be a bad dream."
"What?" Betty asked. "Did I.. say that? Wha?" Why would he say that? How did he know she was dreaming about kissing him? This was a situation she had never expected to be in, let alone with Jughead, but it was true and and it was happening. She fell asleep earlier with him on her brain, wondering why their day included more physical contact that ever, and left her craving more. She usually dreamt about things that she was thinking about right before she fell asleep, and was told before that she was a sleep talker from sleep overs in the past with her girlfriends. Did I sleep talk!? She thought with a panic, her eyes scanning his face for an answer.
He let out a low chuckle, obviously amused at her panic. "I know what you think about, Betty. I know you very well, after all.." He let his gaze fall from her eyes to her luscious mouth, and back up to her eyes. He saw wonder and curiosity written all over her face.
"You..do?" She asked a little breathlessly.
He nodded at her, daring to move one of his hands up the side of her torso. She looked down at his hand and back up at him, finally giving him a small but shy smile. She was encouraging him and his actions, she realized. She wasn't having a bad dream because they were going to kiss, the bad dream part was about him leaving her along. She didn't want that. I like Jughead. Crap. I like him. I like Jughead. I want him to kiss me. She knew things were a bit sudden, but giving in to her desires with him felt so right for once. She was tired of doing so many things for others. Giving in to herself and her wants was important to her right now and took control of that, throwing the thoughts of "what would happen afterwards if they..?" out of the window and moving one of her hands to brush her fingers against his cheek.
They sat in silence for a few minutes then, gazing at each other's faces. The sound of the rain slamming against the House and the Earth outside drowning everything else out. The television was turned off from the power surge, and their hold on each other was becoming increasingly courageous, with her arms sliding around his neck and chest and her fingers playing with the ends of his slightly curled black hair that peeked out of his beanie, and his hands were exploring the space of her back and sides, finding every part of her that he touched to be soft and firm at the same time. Their eyes searched each others and details of their faces.
He saw her light freckles, all the shades of blue that danced in her wide, clear eyes, and the glow on her skin, the fullness of her mouth.
She noticed how his small mole markings suited his face perfectly, how perfectly shaped his nose was, and how amazing and sexy she found the way his eyes were shaped. They both found themselves breathing a bit slowly and deeply, scanning each other in a silent but curious way. She knew it was inevitable now, by their gravitation pull towards each other ever so slightly as the seconds rolled by. They were going to kiss.
"Betty.." Jughead breathed out as he felt his eyes starting to become heavy and lidded, his face slightly angling to better prepare for the collision of Betty and Jughead. He knew the impact would probably change him forever, but he wasn't going to back down now. Not when he had this powerful feeling racing through out every inch of his body, and he was feeling sparks erupt from his nerves. He had never felt this crazy, and immense, and energetic in his life towards another person. They were going to kiss.
Betty smiled at him brightly. She was going to fall straight into him and there was no stopping it now. The exhilarating excitement racing throughout her entire body fell with her, and she closed her eyes, embracing the impact with open willingness.
Their lips met in an explosion of want, both immediately straightening up to better grasp at eachother. She moved herself against him like water, feeling the fit of their bodies was a perfect match. They intertwined themselves together, losing grips on reality and giving into the storm. He parted his mouth to deepen their passionate exchange, and Betty accepted the invitation by opening hers and letting his tongue enter her mouth to dance with hers. She let him taste her, enjoying the way he felt and tasted eagerly. He was the right amount of everything. She was sure this energy was more powerful than anything she had ever felt with anyone.
She tasted of strawberries and slightly of chocolate, and Jughead realized he would forever have an appetite for this in itself. Only with Betty. She was so soft, and so lovely to hold and touch. He could have kissed her forever, but they eventually broke away to catch their breaths, resting their foreheads on each others but remaining holding onto each other. They both started to laugh after a few moments of breathlessness, and didn't stop until they both wound up on the floor, tangled with each other and all the blankets and pillows. He fell on top of her, his lower body made sure to stay against the ground so he didn't squish her, but his upper body trapping Betty in his arms. He hovered above her, feeling doped up on whatever it was they had gotten themselves into.
She grinned up at him, as lightning flashed outside and brightened everything around them, adding to the electricity already surging in the air between them. "I don't really know what's going on today, Juggie.. but I like it."
"I agree. Let's enjoy it?" He asked, smirking at her and causing her to blush at the firmness of his words. He sounded so sure of them doing this.
"Let's." She said, and they closed the gaps between their lips once more, exploring the newfound situation they had found enveloping them. The storm raged on, indicating what most of the people were feeling around town, darkness and pain. But inside the Cooper residence, everything felt warm, exciting and glowed richly as the storm darkened everything around them outside.
They could light up the sky with their collision.
