Stepping away from the MCU for a hot minute because this has been eating away at me and I needed to get it out of my head and down on paper, so to speak.
This is a two-part story. I hope to have the second half up before Monday but no promises.
I hope you like it!
DISCLAIMER:
I do not own, nor do I profit from, the CW Network program 'Riverdale' or the characters therein. They are simply used in the following story for my own entertainment. No copyright infringement intended.
XoXoX
PART I
"I don't know about this, V. I think I'm losing my nerve. If my mom ever sees me dressed like this she'll have me detained and sent away to a reformatory."
Elizabeth 'Betty' Cooper stood in front of her vanity, turning from side to side examining herself as she got ready for the high schools biggest party of the year – Cheryl Blossom's Halloween party at Thistle House. It was the social event of the season, yet the three previous years Betty had always found an excuse not to go- and then regretted it when it was all people could talk about the Monday after at school.
Everyone would always ask her where she was or why she hadn't attended, and she would make up some lame excuse as to why she couldn't go, all the while she was really at home in her sweats handing out candy to the trick or treaters and binge watching horror movies by herself.
This year- her senior year, however, she had a new best friend who absolutely would not take no for an answer.
Veronica Lodge had moved to Riverdale less than a year ago. A big city girl resigned to a small town like this one needed to have her outlets. She was not a pushy person per se, but she was persuasive and charming in her technique, and when she heard what a big deal this Halloween party always was, there was no way she was going to take no for an answer.
"Oh come on, B, it's 'come as you aren't' night! The perfect chance for a girl to get sexy and wild, with no repercussions," Veronica said as she emerged from Betty's bathroom, clad in her skin tight cat outfit. "And girl, you are sexy in that outfit."
Betty smiled to herself and turned to examine herself once again.
Normally suffocating in high-necked and tight-collared pastels, Betty had pulled a complete one-eighty for tonight- with the help of Veronica's old clubbing wardrobe. Not one to show a lot of skin, Betty felt invigorated in her low-cut lace-up black crop top T. It cupped her nicely and showed off an ample amount of cleavage, as well as a strip of her abdomen. On her lower half she wore a black leather skirt, held together by two snaps on her left hip. It was already shorter than anything she owned, other than her cheerleading outfit, and the slit up the side showed off her thighs in a very alluring way. And unlike her cheerleading outfit, there were no spandex briefs underneath. Only her simple black thong.
She turned and picked up a vibrant red lipstick and applied it carefully, pressing her lips when she was finished. The bold color paired with the extra heavy eye makeup she donned for the night, and Betty was almost unrecognizable.
Veronica came to stand beside her at the vanity, and Betty watched as the raven-haired girl carefully drew a black triangle on the tip of her nose and little whiskers on her cheeks with an old eye liner stick. She was cute, but still sexy. She made it look so simple.
"Josie might feel threatened when she sees you walk in the door in that outfit," Betty smiled to her in the mirror.
Veronica looked down at her cheetah print leotard and smoothed her hands over her ribs and down her hips. "Girl, please. She is going to be begging me to join the Pussycats when she sees me in this," she jested.
Betty chuckled back and turned toward her friend, her brows furrowed together as she smiled. "Do you think the wig is too much?"
Veronica reached up and smoothed her hands over the short black bob that Betty wore on her head. "No, I think it adds just the right amount of mystery. People will be doing double takes all night when they realize who this vixen truly is."
Betty took a deep breath in and nodded before looking herself over in the mirror once more. "Alright," she said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. She grabbed the old leather jacket from her closet and pulled it from the hangar. It was the last piece to her costume. Slipping her arms into it with ease and shrugging it up onto her shoulders, she exposed the large green snake on the back. A Serpent.
Her mother could never know she swiped her old jacket from the attic for a Halloween party. She would have an aneurism.
Veronica clapped her hands excitedly and nodded. "Yaaaas, queen," she said and Betty chuckled, popping the collar and posing with her hands on her hips and a sultry pout on her lips. Veronica stepped into her black pumps and locked arms with her, their eyes meeting in the mirror. "Let's do this."
XoXoX
Cheryl had designated the Conservatory as the dance floor, the eerie moonlight serving as the perfect backdrop for her Halloween themed gathering. Large speakers boomed music through the small space, and people moved their bodies to the chosen playlist.
Betty and Veronica danced, smiles on their faces and drinks in their hands. Their hips swayed to the music and their mindless chatter could barely be heard over the sultry bass line. They'd been at the party a little over an hour, Kevin had picked them up and the plan was for Archie to drive them home afterwards. Veronica would stay with Betty anyway since Alice and Hal were out of town. This way she didn't have to be alone in the house.
People had whooped and clapped when Betty walked through the door, none of them expecting the brazen outfit she showed up in. For a few, it took Veronica, Archie and Kevin's presence around her for them to realize that it was in fact Betty Cooper under all that black.
They settled in, grabbed made themselves some drinks and got to mingling and dancing.
Kevin had joined them and they had moved as a threesome for the duration of several songs, him spilling that his new boyfriend would be making an appearance with some friends and he couldn't wait. Both girls watched him with smiles as he gushed with excitement, happy to see their friend happy for once.
They took turns running for drinks and taking bathroom breaks, others like Archie and Josie joining their circle for songs here and there before disappearing again into the other room. She didn't miss the way Veronica and Archie had been making eyes at one another all night. It was obvious to anyone who looked that they were completely in to one another. She was happy for them.
Betty herself received lust-filled looks from many of her classmates as she danced, and if she was honest with herself, it made her feel good. She didn't usually get this kind of attention from the opposite sex, and while she had no intention of leading anyone on, she allowed herself to be flirtatious behind the mask that was her outfit for the night.
Over the course of her high school years she had only one serious boyfriend. He was cute and nice and treated her well, but there had never been that spark; never was that excitement in the pit of her belly for him the way that she felt there should be. She knew he felt the same way, and so at the end of summer when he was preparing to leave for college, they agreed to go their separate ways. She was honestly happier for it, but on nights like tonight when she knew Kevin would likely be going home with his new beau, and Archie and Veronica were gazing at each other with that look that said V might disappear next door for a while, she longed for someone to cuddle up with herself.
Betty knew all of her classmates, and of all the guys that were here and checking her out, none of them were doing it for her. She wasn't even remotely attracted to any of them, and while no one was giving her the thrill of excitement and wonder, there was one person definitely giving her the creeps.
One set of eyes that seemed to always be on her no matter which direction she looked, were those of Chuck Clayton. She didn't know him well on a personal level, but his reputation with the girls at school was not a good one, including with Veronica when she first moved to Riverdale.
He had made suggestive comments toward Betty before and she simply brushed him off as being that guy, but tonight there was something unsettling about the way he kept leering at her. She was sure to keep her hand over the top of her drink cup whenever she felt his presence nearby. Just in case.
The trio continued to dance and Betty swayed her hips seductively to the music, feeling good on her buzz and with her current company until the front door of Thistle House opened and a tribe of leather clad, tattoo-donning individuals sauntered through the door.
They all froze as Betty looked at the first man and the smallish girl that followed, and her gut told her that the Serpent jackets they were wearing were not costumes.
As most people stopped and stared at the would-be intruders, Kevin's smile only grew as he wedged himself between his two female companions and smiled toward the group of newcomers. "And that would be Joaquin," he said with excitement.
Veronica's eyebrows nearly met her hairline. "Your new boyfriend is a Southside Serpent?"
Kevin gazed, starry-eyed at the group at hand. "Isn't it fucking hot?" he exclaimed. "There is something so attractive about a bad boy."
Betty smirked at his reaction for a brief moment before letting the worry set back in. What if one of them confronted her about her outfit? Would they be angry when they saw what she was wearing? Should she take the jacket off and hide it in Kevin or Archie's truck before they noticed? If she did and then someone asked her what her costume is supposed to be, what would she say?
She looked around the room trying to find another way out that wouldn't put her directly in the line of fire, but there was none as the sound system blocked the only exit from the Conservatory. "Well thanks for the heads up, Kev," she scolded as she motioned to her own jacket. He gave her a sympathetic look that told her he hadn't even thought about it, and he was sorry.
She gave him a stern look for a moment longer before turning her attention back to the group still making their way through the front door.
The first man she now knew as Joaquin, Kevin's new beau. He was good looking, with olive skin and large, striking eyes. His black shoulder length hair was tucked behind his ears as his eyes scanned the room. His smile was adorable when he finally spotted Kevin at her side. He turned and spoke to the clan behind him but she couldn't make out the words.
The next to walk through the door was a petite girl with the most stunning purple hue to her long wavy hair. She had flawless caramel skin and her tiny leather jacket was paired with a white crop top and shredded black jeggings as well as high heeled booties. She had a black and white flannel tied around her waist as well. She was small, but something about the way she carried herself told Betty she was not one to be messed with. She could probably pack a punch if provoked.
Behind her was a very tall, broad shouldered man, a Serpent tattoo clearly visible on the side of his neck. His black hair was coiffed in such a way that it curled at his forehead in a retro nod. He was good looking, but held a menacing stare as he surveyed the crowd. His Doc Martins clunked on the hardwood floors as he worked his way through the threshold and deeper in to the foyer.
Lastly, a tall but slimmer man walked into the house, the scowl on his face not enough to deter from his handsome features. From this distance Betty could not tell what color his eyes were, but saw they were dark under his furrowed brow as he too took in the surroundings. His hair was also black, shorter on the sides and longer on top. It was parted in a purposefully messy way that allowed some of the hair to fall in front of his eyes. Small beauty marks peppered his jawline and neck.
Betty couldn't tear her eyes off of him, something in the pit of her belly tingling as she watched him look around. She wasn't usually one to put a lot of stock into someone's physical looks, and she certainly didn't ever consider the bad boy type when she would subtly check a guy out, but damn this man looked like sex on legs…
"What the actual hell, Kevin!" Cheryl exclaimed as she appeared out of nowhere beside them. "I gave you permission to invite your new Southside boy toy and some of his friends. You neglected to tell me they were part of that miscreant biker gang," she scolded under her breath.
Kevin opened his mouth to respond but Betty immediately cut him off, her eyes glued to the man who walked through the door late with a brooding scowl like she had never seen and a toothpick hanging from his wide pouty lips. "Who is that, Kev?" she practically breathed.
Veronica, Cheryl and Kevin all looked at her with surprise, her affinity for the new stranger clearly evident in her breathy question.
"Um," Kevin stated as he waved Joaquin and the others over. "Joaquin calls him Jughead. He's like, their leader or something, or being primed to be, I guess? I've only met him once. The others I've hung with a few times now. They're actually pretty great," he added towards Cheryl.
Betty's stomach did a little flip flop when the attractive man in question scanned the crowd and his eyes landed on hers. He quickly let them drop to her attire and she could see some form of recognition and confusion on his face. She assumed it was the jacket, though she had yet to turn around and display the embroidery.
"Wait," she said as her brain caught up with Kevin's words. "Jughead? As in Jughead Jones?"
Kevin shrugged his shoulders but nodded at her. "I don't imagine that Jughead is a very popular name so my guess is… yes?"
Betty's interest in the group was suddenly piqued. She had spoken to him via email before, and on the phone once for a school paper mashup special the mayor requested months back. Never would she have guessed based on their conversations that the talented writer from the Southside was a Serpent, let alone their leader. "He runs the Red & Black at Southside High," she breathed.
Veronica quirked a brow and crossed her arms as the leather-clad group of four approached them, their conversation falling quiet as Kevin excitedly began to introduce everyone to his new boyfriend. "Joaquin, this is Cheryl, our doting hostess for the evening. And this is Veronica and that's Betty."
"Pleasure," Veronica said with a quick wave.
Joaquin smiled and gave the semi-circle a quick nod before pointing over his shoulder with his thumb at his company. "This is Toni, Sweet Pea and Jughead. Nice to meet you guys finally. I've heard lots."
The man they now knew as Sweet Pea nodded at all of them and flashed a bright white smile. "Sup," he said and looked around. "Some beautiful ladies we have in this house tonight."
Toni pushed her way from between Sweet Pea and Jughead. "I'll say," she said with a smirk as she extended her hand to Cheryl. "Hi, Toni Topaz. Your house is positively frightening. Thanks for having us."
Cheryl was clearly taken aback at first, and Kevin couldn't help but smirk when he saw the blush that crept up the fair skinned beauty's neck as she reached out and grasped Toni's hand with her own. She cleared her throat in an attempt to gather her wits. "Yes of course. Any friends of dear Kevin's are always welcome here."
Veronica snickered at Cheryl's sudden change of heart and moved to roll her eyes at Betty, only to find that she and Jughead were still holding each other's gaze. A knowing smile spread across her face. "Uh, B… I'm gonna go find Archie. You good here?"
Betty nodded, "Yeah, V, thanks," she said without looking at her friend.
Veronica arched a brow at Kevin and jerked her head toward the pair on her other side before winking and disappearing. Kevin and Joaquin both looked and tried to suppress their knowing smirks.
Jughead shifted the toothpick from his front teeth to the corner of his mouth. "Betty Cooper, right?" he asked, extending his hand.
Betty's heart began to race and her cheeks flushed. He knew who she was. "Yeah," she breathed. Even his voice was sexy. "I mean, yes, hi. How did you…"
Jughead smirked at her reaction to him and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "The name Betty might be a little more common than Jughead but still, not that common. We worked on-"
"-the paper. Of course," she said with a slight laugh. She shook his hand back and regained her composure. "Nice to meet you in person, finally."
He nodded and looked her over, shifting the toothpick around in his mouth once again. "You look very different than your picture on the school's website."
Betty couldn't stop the blush that flushed her cheeks again. He had looked her up? When? Why?
"Uh yeah," she said as she motioned to her wig and the rest of her outfit. "Just a costume," she added awkwardly.
He would have been lying if he said he didn't like it, but it definitely was not in the realm of the Betty he had read about and seen on the school website. And she most definitely was not the rightful owner to the jacket she was currently sporting.
"Yeah, well," he started, his eyes darkening again and it made Betty blush with embarrassment this time. "Mines not." He held her gaze for a long moment, perhaps trying to convey his disapproval without using the actual words. Betty suddenly felt foolish and was at a loss for words.
Sweet Pea slapped a hand on Jughead's back, drawing his attention away from the girl in front of him. "Hey man, I'm gonna find the booze. You in?"
Jughead looked back to Betty once more, quirking a brow at her. He turned his body to move away and pulled the toothpick from his mouth, licking his lips. "See you around," he purred and with that he walked away.
Betty swallowed hard as she watched his retreating form before turning her attention back to where Cheryl and Kevin still stood with Joaquin and Toni.
She turned her head toward the hall the led to the kitchen , hoping maybe to get one more glance at the mysterious Jughead but instead her eyes connected with Chuck's, a hideous smirk gracing his lips as he tipped back his red cup.
XoXoX
It had been a little more than an hour since Jughead and Sweet Pea had sauntered away to find drinks. Betty had spent about half of that time with Kevin before she too wandered off in search of Veronica and Archie, though she had secretly hoped she would run into Jughead again.
In speaking with Joaquin and Toni she learned a few things about him that she would have otherwise never know.
He had actually gone to Riverdale Elementary and only transferred when his mom moved out.
He was working on a novel; writing was his first love and it never took a backseat to his Serpent duties.
He recently quit smoking, and that was why he could almost always be found with a toothpick to fill the void.
He did not have a girlfriend, much to the dismay of most of the girls his age on the Southside.
The last was maybe Betty's favorite fact at the moment, whether she cared to admit it or not.
She had gone into the kitchen to make herself a new drink when she spotted him talking with some other girl, and while Betty felt a pang of jealousy at the sight, she knew those feelings were not whatsoever within her right.
He had clearly felt some kind of way about her wearing a Serpent jacket, and while he didn't seem outwardly mad or annoyed, she couldn't help but wonder what his thoughts were. After all, she didn't know him and for all she knew he was just good at holding his temper.
Neither Joaquin nor Toni said anything about the jacket. If they or Jughead would have asked where she got it she would have told him, but they never asked and so she thought it best just to let the issue drop and not bring it up again.
Her friends had all disappeared on her so she moved from room to room looking for them, finally spotting them all in the den gathered around the coffee table. "There you all are," she said with a smile. "What are you doing?"
"Seven minutes in heaven," Reggie said with a bit too much excitement. A couple of random girls giggled and she looked around at the crowd who all looked anxious to play. She smiled but rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Betty. Play with us," Archie said from his spot on the love seat, Veronica planted close by his side. "It's just a game."
It was easy for him to say- every girl in the room hoped and prayed their spin would land on Archie Andrews, even if only to be in his personal bubble for seven minutes with no physical contact at all. He was an easy person to talk to, and funny at all the right times. He could make anyone laugh even in their darkest moments.
Betty had her heart-eyes for Archie back in sophomore year. A fleeting crush based on familiarity and comfort, but it was short lived as he had made it obvious that he wasn't in to her that way. He loved her, but he wasn't in love with her. She got over it, moved on and that was when she had met and got together with Trev. She and Archie had remained best friends and she was eternally grateful for that.
Veronica moved to town and it was clear that she and Archie had a thing for each other, they just hadn't quite figured it out yet. And Betty, well she was happy to be doing her own thing and finding out who she was meant to be, even if that meant she had to do it on her own. While she longed for someone to come along and knock her socks off, she was also content to at least be surrounded by people she cared about and who cared about her.
That didn't mean she wasn't allowed to have a little fun very now and then.
Betty looked around the room at all the eyes that were on her and smiled. Downing the rest of her drink she held the empty cup in the air and shrugged her shoulders. "You know what? Yeah. Let's do it, I'll play."
Cheryl stood from her spot next to Toni who had been by her side since they moment they were introduced, and made her way to the one end of the coffee table. "Alright then. You're up next…"
The spectators in the room all whooped with excitement, including Chuck who had a smug look about him that made Betty's skin crawl. If she had seen him sitting there before she may have reconsidered the game. Regardless, she took a spot at the opposite end of the coffee table and took in a deep breath, bending at the hip and placing her hand on the bottle, twisting it with a flick of her wrist.
The room watched with baited breath as the glass bottle spun on the table. Betty looked to Veronica who wagged her eyebrows back at her and it made her giggle and roll her eyes. This was very out of character for her to play this game, and she just hoped it wouldn't backfire on her.
Jughead and Sweet Pea stepped in to the room as the bottle began to slow, and Jughead's eyes immediately went to Betty as she watched the bottle, her bottom lip between her teeth as it creeped around the circle. Then his eyes moved to the man who he had seen watching Betty all night with a look, and his stomach sank. The bottle was barely inching around, so he quickly moved to stand behind the sofa where Chuck was sitting.
The bottle stopped, and pointed in their direction.
Whispers could be heard as the color drained from Betty's face. Everyone knew what a creep Chuck was lately, including his own friends. The discomfort was clear on Archie and Reggie's faces as Chuck made a show of spraying his mouth with a breath freshener.
Jughead jumped into action, slapping a hand down on Chucks shoulder as he moved to stand and giving it a warning squeeze. "Ready gorgeous?" he asked and Betty's eyes snapped from Chuck up to his, finding him looking at her with a grin.
The room all looked around and murmured to one another as their eyes shifted from Bettys to the mysterious Serpents to Chucks to Cheryl's.
"Oh hell no," Chuck whined as she stood and looked to Jughead. "That bottle landed on me, snake." He turned to look at Cheryl. "House rules?"
Cheryl caught Jugheads eyes over Chucks shoulder, and although he stayed silent, something in his stare spoke volumes. She knew Chuck's reputation as well as any, and his creep-factor staring at Betty hadn't gone unnoticed all evening. While she was a mistress of mayhem when she wanted to be, enabling a potential sexual assault was not on her list of to do's.
"Sorry Chuckles," she said looking over at Betty. She looked both relieved and terrified all at once. "Our dear sweet Betty is a Serpent tonight," she said and turned back to Chuck. "And Serpents never stand alone."
Jughead looked at Cheryl who gave him a subtle wink before she spun on her heels and made her way over to the closet in question and whipped the door open. "Come on kiddies, heaven is waiting."
"This is bullshit," Chuck seethed as he plopped himself back down onto the sofa.
Betty wasn't sure what to feel.
Moments ago she felt the pit of her stomach hitting the floor when she had thought the bottle landed on Chuck. Then the waves of relief washed over her when Jughead stepped in to claim it landed on him, and he wasn't taking no for an answer.
Now she felt a mix of anxiety and excitement over going into that closet with him.
She uncrossed her arms and walked slowly towards Cheryl. Archie stood from his spot on the couch, concern clear on his face and she felt for him. He had encouraged her to play along and now he clearly felt responsible. "Betty…"
"I'm good, Arch. Promise," she said as she walked by, touching him on the shoulder to convey her appreciation for his concern.
Archie was visibly torn about what was going down. He wasn't exactly comfortable with his best friend going into that closet with a Serpent of all people, but even he knew it was a better option than Chuck. He also knew Kevin would never bring people here who meant them any harm.
Jughead came around the other side of the sofa and glared at the people who snickered at them. He placed a hand on the small of Betty's back as he escorted her over to where Cheryl was waiting with a wide smile on her lips. They each slipped into the tiny closet and looked at her.
"You know the drill," she said as she eyed both of them. "See you in seven," she added with an overly chipper tone before the slammed the door in their faces, cloaking them in darkness.
"And here I thought only pre-teens played these antiquated games at parties," he mused with a light chuckle.
Betty shifted uncomfortably in the small darkened space, pulling her phone from her pocket to check the time. The light illuminated their faces in the otherwise black space even if only for a second.
She took a shaky breath in, raising her chin and trying to feel less nervous. "Thank you for stepping in. If Chuck-"
"Wasn't gonna happen," he cut her off. "One way or another." He didn't want to think about that ass wipe in here with her, or any girl for that matter. Chuck was someone that needed to be dealt with in this town before things went from creepy to bad, but he didn't want to think on any of that right now. He wanted to concentrate on her.
"So, you gonna tell me where you got that jacket?"
Betty felt his scrutinizing stare as she looked around the tiny closet for any pocket of space where she could tuck herself. Unfortunately there was none, and she was left to stand right in his personal space, her chest practically pressed against his.
She wasn't touching him, but she could feel the heat radiating off of his body. She took another deep breath in to try and calm her nerves. "It's my moms, actually, a relic decades old." When Jughead only raised his eyebrows at her she licked her lips and elaborated. "I don't know much. Just that she was a Serpent when she was a teenager but she's been out since before I was born. I found it in the attic and thought..."
Jughead crossed his arms, effectively brushing her breasts with his forearms, and tilted his head at her. "You thought, what? It would be fun to play dress up? Poke a little fun at the people just south of the tracks?"
Betty was nervous. She felt as though she was being interrogated by him and while a part of her was thrilled at the attention he'd been giving her all night, the other part was screaming at her to knock it off and throw in the towel before she got herself into trouble. She certainly wasn't aiming to poke fun at anyone.
"Did you come in here with me just so you could slap my wrist for wearing the jacket?" she asked boldly. She was a little disappointed that he only seemed to want to question her and not play the game as it was meant to be played. In the back of her head she knew it was better this way, especially having only just met the man tonight, but part of her desperately wanted to know what it felt like to kiss Jughead Jones, and to have him kiss her back.
"In that case, you don't need to worry. I won't be wearing it again after tonight." She looked at him with hard eyes, her bravery wavering as she watched the smirk reappear on his lips.
"You think we're scary, Cooper?" he asked her, his breath hot on her cheek when he leaned in close to speak. Betty's heart was beating out of her chest at the proximity, and also the way the mix of leather and the whiskey on his breath smelled. That, coupled with something that smelled so entirely masculine that it made her feminine parts tingle; it was intoxicating. "Is that why you dressed up as a Serpent?" he asked.
She studied his shadowy features as best she could in the dark. She had never thought she would be this close to him and she wasn't so sure she ever would be again after their seven minutes were up. His eyes were dark, but they sparkled a fantastic shade of seafoam green when the light hit them just right.
His brows were knit together in a slight scowl even as a small smile graced his lips. One unruly tendril of hair fell down in front of his eyes and she itched to move it out of the way; mostly so she could see his face better, but also because for some inexplicable reason she wanted to know how his hair felt between her fingers.
God, what had gotten into her tonight?
She swallowed hard and her lips parted. She didn't miss the way his eyes fell to them immediately and it gave her renewed confidence. After all, he had opted to come in here, she hadn't dragged him.
"Not all Halloween costumes are meant to be scary," she practically whispered. "Some are just… sexy."
Jughead's eyebrow raised in question as his lips twisted into a smile, clearly taken aback by her response. "You think the Serpents are sexy?"
Betty flipped the hair of her black wig out of her eyes, looking more closely at his features, namely his wide, pouty lips. "Some of you are," she said softly, and she could have sworn she heard him groan ever so slightly. "But if I'm being honest," she said as she took a tentative step toward him, her phone forgotten as her fingers reached up to rid him of the stupid toothpick he had been gnawing on all night, her chest pressing lightly against his. "I've only had my eyes on one since the moment you walked through that front door."
Jughead's smirk faded and instead he clenched his jaw as his dark eyes bore into hers, looking for any sign of her bluff. His heart was thudding away in his chest and his pants were feeling tighter by the second. Never would he have thought that Betty Cooper, of all the people on the Northside, would have this effect on him.
He felt no better than Chuck now as so many dirty images of her flashed through his brain.
He exhaled through his nose and looked into her big green eyes still visible in the darkness around him. "We're being honest now, hm?"
Betty just looked at him, her chest heaving noticeably as she concentrated on keeping her breaths even.
He didn't understand what power she had over him, but he felt a sudden need to tell her exactly how she was making him feel in that moment. "Since we're being honest…" he said quietly. Without warning his hand moved upward, his elbow brushing her cleavage as his fingers ghosted over her delicate eyebrow and settled at her left temple.
Betty trembled and watched his hand from the corner of her eye as he slipped his fingers up and under the black wig, successfully peeling it loose from her hairline and letting it drop behind them. With a pluck of his fingers he snapped the rubber band and she let out a small gasp when she felt her own natural hair breathe and fall freely once again.
Jughead took another step forward, his hips bumping into hers and pressing her back into the shelves behind them. His fingers snaked their way into her hair and he shook it loose, watching her eyes close for the briefest of moments as he freed it and let it splay in all its wavy golden glory across her shoulders.
"I like your blonde hair much better than the black."
His words were so quiet that Betty barely heard him over her own heartbeat or the blood rushing through her ears at a rapid pulse in response to his touch.
"And your lips," he said as he rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip, successfully smearing the cherry red lipstick onto his own skin. "Are much prettier in your signature pink."
Betty gasped and absorbed the feeling of his rough, calloused finger on her full lips. She wanted to wrap them around it and pull, but she opted instead for gripping the lapels of his open jacket and pulling him harder against her, feeling him press, with purpose, his groin against hers.
He was enjoying this just as much as she was, she could feel the proof pressing against her thigh.
Jughead let his eyes drop to her supple cleavage, unable to resist as he was right there pressed against him. The contrast of her milky white skin swaddled by the black of her impossibly tight shirt; he wanted to bury himself in her embrace and stay there forever.
"But black? Black is definitely your color. Bad girls wear black.."
Betty looked between his eyes and his lips, the ache between her legs growing exponentially with each moment she stood here with him. "I'm not a bad girl," she whispered against his ear. "But I could be if you want..."
Jughead let out a heady breath and leaned in to her, pressing his forehead against hers. He had only just met the girl in person for the first time little more than an hour earlier but something about her pulled him to her. He wanted to taste her.
All of her.
He leaned back and opened his mouth to speak, but it was a moment too late. The door swung open and Cheryl's distinct silhouette stared back at them, the bright light causing both of them to squint at the harsh and sudden intrusion.
"Well, well…" Cheryl smirked as she cocked a perfectly manicured brow at the pair and glanced at Betty's hair. "Times up, Gomez and Morticia. Save the rest for the honeymoon."
Jughead let out an exasperated sigh as he backed away from Betty. The spell had been broken, their fleeting moment come and gone already. It was probably for the best, because he was sure he would not have let her go after only seven minutes.
She, too, took a deep breath before finally raising her eyes to meet his.
He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. "Until next time, Betty Cooper."
Betty blinked a few times to compose herself before grabbing the discarded wig off the shelf behind her and cautiously stepping out of the small confined space, her cheeks a bright pink color as dozens of sets of eyes landed on her and tried to get a peek at the man she was leaving behind in the closet.
A few wolf whistles could be heard as people saw her usual mane of blonde hair exposed instead of the wig she had gone in wearing. Not to mention the smear of red lipstick below her bottom lip and at the corner of her mouth. She already knew what they were all thinking.
God, she had been thinking about it too.
Veronica rushed to her side and looked back over her shoulder at Jughead who shook his head as subtly as possible to her before he emerged from the closet as well. Sweet Pea appeared from the crowd with a concerned look on his face as he approached his bud with a questioning stare. "What was that about, Jonesy?"
Jughead shook his head at him with a warning, glare. Now was not the time, not will all the prying eyes. "I need a drink, man. Let's go." Sweet Pea knew better than to press it, and knew in due time Jughead would explain his motives for going in that closet. With that knowledge, the two Serpent men made their way into the kitchen to find the hard liquor.
Veronica turned her attention back to her friend who had raised her chin and took another deep breath. Betty met her eyes and gave her a pointed look. "Upstairs, now."
Cheryl turned to Toni who quirked a brow at her and smirked, hopping off her chair and following her boys into the kitchen. Cheryl turned back toward the crowd in the main room and smiled. "Well after all that excitement, who wants to go next?"
XoXoX
In the kitchen Jughead grabbed a bottle of Crown and yanked the pourer out, pressing the neck to his lips and tipping it back. There wasn't too much left, and he was claiming it as his own.
"Care to explain?" Toni asked as she approached with her arms crossed.
Sweet Pea looked from her to his best friend, the same question written on his face as they watched their leader finish off the bottle in a few short gulps and set it down.
Jughead winced for a moment as the amber liquid trickled down his throat. It hasn't been much, but it would hopefully be just enough for him to take the edge off and still be able to get his bike home in one piece.
"I don't know," he said shaking his head and crossing his arms. His friends stayed silent as he leaned against the counter and replayed the closet scene in his head. He let out a dry chuckle and shook his head. "I did not expect any of this when I came here tonight, that's for sure."
"Did she rock your world, or what?" Sweet Pea asked as he hopped up to sit on the counter beside where he was leaning.
There was a long pause as Jughead took a deep breath in and looked between his two friends. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly he looked over Toni's shoulder and his features hardened again.
"Yes, tell us, please?" Chuck asked from just inside the doorway, a crowd of people filling into the room around them. "We'd all love to know what we missed."
XoXoX
Betty hurried away from V and up the stairs toward the bathroom, not wasting any time in pushing past the person who was just emerging and closing herself in. She was warm, too warm, and she needed to cool down.
A rapid knocking seconds later told her Veronica had indeed followed her and she quickly opened the door to let her in, locking it tightly behind her and quickly moving to the shower and turning it on- cold water only so as not to steam up the room but at least create noise so their words wouldn't echo off the walls to any unwelcome listeners.
"What the hell just happened?" V asked with a smirk. "How exactly did that wig come off, Betty Cooper? You tell me right now."
Betty shrugged the jacket off and hung it on a nearby hook. She leaned back against the cold wall, welcoming the way it sucked the heat right out of her and raised her eyebrows at her friend. At first her expression was serious, then out of nowhere she began to chuckle, almost hysterically as she buried her face in her hands before running her fingers through her hair and expelling a chest full of hot air.
"V, I don't know what just got in to me," she said as she pushed off the cold wall and leaned against the sink. "I either just made a giant fool of myself, or…"
"Or what?" veronica cringed.
"Or I opened the floodgates." When Veronica just stared back at her she elaborated. "V, if that man had asked me to turn around and drop my panties in there, I would have done it, no questions asked."
Veronicas jaw hit the floor. "Oh my god. Betty! You're a closet, no pun intended, bad girl! Tell me everything, right now."
Betty blushed at the words Veronica had chosen; ironic, given the circumstances. She turned and leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms in front of her as Veronica moved over and grabbed a tissue, wetting it in the sink and coming to stand before her friend.
Betty eyed her appreciatively as the Latina girl worked to clean up the smudged lipstick off her face. "That's just it, V. Nothing actually happened. We didn't kiss, we didn't touch, we talked; albeit suggestively-"
"Suggestively?" Veronica asked with one brow high in the air and a smile on her lips. She decided the lipstick was too far gone to be fixed and motioned for Betty to just remove it all together.
Betty took the tissue and turned to look in the mirror once again, ridding herself of the lipstick as best she could. All that remained were her slightly tinged and swollen lips. "I may or may not have told him I think he's sexy," she said with a shake of her head. "And I admitted I'd basically been ogling him since the moment he set foot in the house."
Veronica chuckled and covered her mouth. "Girl, are you-"
"I want him, V. Like, want him in a way I have never wanted someone so badly. He makes me-"
"Horny?"
She turned and placed one hand on her hips as she ran her fingers though her hair with the other. "For a lack of a better word," she blushed. "Yes."
Veronica put her hands on her hips. "He does make leather look sexy in a way I thought only you could. He's easily a ten."
Betty smirked and bit her lip. "Eleven."
Veronica nodded and laughed.
"God, I've thought guys were cute before, V, but I think now I know now what it feels like to be so attracted to someone that I can't stand it."
Veronica opened her mouth to respond but was cut off immediately by a loud banging on the door. Both girls jumped and Betty quickly reached to shut the shower water off, nodding to Veronica that it was okay to open the door.
Cheryl stood on the other side with Toni right next to her.
"Sorry to interrupt your cold shower, miss popularity, but you might want to get downstairs before a brawl breaks out in my kitchen and all of mumsy's crystal gets broken."
Betty grabbed her jacket off the robe hook and draped it over her arm, confusion written clear across her face. "What?"
Toni stepped forward. "Jug and that creep from downstairs are barking at each other. No one else has gotten involved yet but it's getting loud."
Betty quickly moved between the two girls with Veronica in tow, making a straight line for the steps. She could hear the commotion in the kitchen as she made her way through the old house and her heart began to speed up once again.
"You just walk in here and think you're all that with your matching jackets and expect things to run your way?" Chuck spat in Jughead's face as Betty rounded the corner and came to a halt in the doorway. "That's not how it works on the Northside, punk."
"I don't seem to recall anyone asking me to leave," Jughead replied easily as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"Maybe if you hadn't slithered into the closet with Betty someone would have."
Jughead scoffed and stepped closer to him. "If you thought I, or anyone for that matter, was going to let you go into that closet with her then you're clearly on something. Take the hint, pal. She's just not that in to you."
Chuck visibly angered, his jaw clenching as he looked around the room and spotted Betty in the doorway. He didn't take his eyes off of her as a villainous smile broke out across his face.
"What happened to all that pretty red lipstick, Betty?" he asked with an evil smirk. He looked back at Jug and made a show of stepping back and holding his hands up. "I'm willing to bet there's a nice red ring around dudes-"
"You know what Chuck?" Betty seethed as she stepped between the men, her voice dripping venom as she glared at him. No longer just repulsed, she was downright furious. "I'd get on my knees for him before I ever even think about touching you," she said with a pointed brow.
Gasps and hushed whispers could be heard from the spectators all around them. Betty Cooper had just snapped.
Chuck let out a dry laugh as he leaned in dangerously close, bending so that his eyes were level with hers. "I guess that makes sense," he said making a show of looking her up and down. "If it dresses like a whore-"
Jughead didn't let him finish that sentence. He tugged on Bettys elbow and moved her out of the way before stepping in and pressing his chest to Chucks.
"You just died pal," he seethed.
Chuck scoffed and moved to turn away before quickly spinning on his heel and landing his fist on Jughead's face with a crack. He quickly took a second uppercut and jabbed Jughead in the abdomen, hard, causing the Southside Serpent to grunt in discomfort.
The people gathered in the room all gasped and shouted, some encouraging the fight and some just in horror. Reggie and Archie as well as Joaquin and Sweet Pea shoved through people to get to their friends.
Jug's head snapped to the left, a deadly scowl gracing his features as he turned back and swung, his knuckles landing quickly in Chucks eye socket before he pulled back and connected a second time on the other man's nose.
Betty watched in horror at the scene unfolding before her, people shoving and moving her with their shoulders as they all moved to try and get a better look at the fight. All she could see was the blood that already trickled from the split on Jugs cheekbone.
The rest of the boys made their way into the center of the circle and Reggie pulled Chuck back by the arms as Sweet Pea did with Jughead, both Archie and Joaquin getting between the two and pushing Chuck back while keeping the other arm extended in the dead space between them.
"What the fuck, Andrews?" Chuck spat. "You're seriously gonna back this Southside scum up?" Blood flowed from his nose which had surely been broken by Jughead's second blow. Archie held his hands up, ensuring the two stayed separate as he glared at his long time teammate and shook his head.
"You crossed a line, man," Archie said as he stepped up nose to nose with him. "You ever say anything like that about Betty again and I'll be the one taking the swing at you."
Chuck seethed as he shook Reggie off and gave them both a single finger salute, storming out though the back door as people cheered his departure.
Jughead shrugged off Sweet Pea who held his hands up in surrender and backed away at his friends warning glare. Joaquin gave Archie a quick nod of appreciation and they worked together to scatter the crowd. "Show's over people," Archie shouted and made a shooing motion. "Go back to the party or go home."
Betty stayed out of the way as people moved past her to get out of the room, making brief eye contact with Jugheads hard eyes before her line of sight was once again interrupted. Veronica was suddenly in front of her and gripping her upper arms and studying her.
"B, are you okay? Chuck's an asshole, don't take what he said to heart."
Betty strained to look over her friends shoulder as she saw a blur of black disappear through the back door. She shifted her eyes briefly back to Veronica as she shook her head. "I'll be right back," she said in a hurry and shot over to the back door, looking both directions but not seeing where he went.
She let out a puff of hot air and spun on her heel, shrugging the jacket back on as she rushed past Veronica and made her way straight to the front door, muttering her apologies to Cheryl on her way by the redhead and Toni.
She pulled her hair out of the jacket as she made her way out of the house and looked around. There was a flurry of people leaving and getting into various cars, clearly over the party now that the excitement was over. Suddenly she spotted Sweet Pea come back around and walk back up toward her. She hurried over to him and placed her hand on his arm.
"Where is he?" she asked breathless from her quick movements.
Sweet Pea gave her a light smile and pointed around the side of the house. "Better hurry, he'll be out of here like a bat out of hell any second."
Betty squeezed his arm as a thank you and took off, her heels clicking along the cobblestone as she rounded the corner of the house and peered around the thick foliage.
There he was, straddling a motorcycle and angrily pulling at the strap of the helmet.
Her heart sped up. "Jug!" she shouted as she hurried her way over to him.
He looked up and his scowl softened a bit. He tried hard not to but couldn't help his eyes landing on her bouncing breasts as she made her way over to him. He shook his head at himself. If he didn't knock it off he really was no better than Chuck Clayton.
"Jug, I'm sorry," she breathed when she finally reached him, stepping off the curb and placing her hand on his forearm.
He scoffed and smiled, not meeting her eyes as he continued to fumble with his helmet. "What for, you didn't swing at me…"
Betty swallowed and sucked in deep breaths. His hair was hanging in his eye again and he wasn't looking at her, hiding his wounded face from her. She wanted to see his eyes. She wanted to feel the tingle that washed through her when he looked at her.
She reached over and placed her delicate fingers gently on his chin, pulling lightly and making him turn his head. He sighed in defeat as he looked up and turned, allowing her to inspect his already bruising and bloodied cheekbone.
Betty felt the pangs of guilt as she looked at it. It looked painful, but he wasn't showing it if it was. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that for me," she said softly. "Chucks always been a prick and he'll always be a prick."
"Yeah I gathered that," he said as he looked her up and down again, unable to resist now that she had her own hair down and he could see hear clearer outside the dark closet. She was drop dead gorgeous. "I don't know you well, Betty, but I know you don't deserve to be called those things."
Betty felt the butterflies erupt in the pit of her stomach as she finally met his blue-green eyes. The pull he had on her was strong, and she felt like fighting it would but futile. Even if they went their separate ways tonight, she already couldn't get him off her mind.
On some level she felt like she did know him. For two years now she made sure to procure a copy of the Red & Black and every month she would read his work from cover to cover, fascinated by the similarities and the differences between Riverdale High and Southside High. They had spent weeks exchanging emails and trading information and story ideas for Mayor McCoy's Jubilee week. One phone call that was supposed to be brief ended up lasting nearly two hours because neither one of them seemed to want to hang up.
And then like that it was over and they went back to being strangers again.
Then he walked into the house tonight and turned her world upside down with a single look. Here he was, in the flesh, right in front of her, and she wanted to know more. Wanted to feel more.
Did he want the same?
She let her hand drop from his jawline. "Do you want to?"
Jug furrowed his brow at her. "Do I want to what?"
"Get to know me."
Jughead looked at her, her big green eyes twinkling at him and he could see a hint of mischief behind them. He couldn't even help the smile that tugged at his lips. "Yeah I do."
Betty bit her lip as she stepped closer still, the ache between her legs intensifying just looking at him. "Give me a ride home? I'm over this party and I can clean up that cut. We can start there."
Go home with Betty Cooper? Was that even a question that needed answered?
Jughead offered her the slightest of smiles as he extended his arm and held out his helmet to her. "Come on."
Betty took the helmet from him. She was nervous as he watched her place it on her head and adjust the strap so that it stayed in place. He held out his hand and she took it, feeling shockwaves at the contact as she used his leverage to swing one leg over the bike before she scooted herself up against him and placed her hands on his slim waist.
Jughead looked over his shoulder, his hair falling in his eyes again as he took her hands and pulled, wrapping her arms around his abdomen. "Hold on to me," he said as he grabbed hold of the handlebars and kick started the motor, revving it a few times and feeling he rumble before he looked over his shoulder at her and waited for her nod of approval before flipping up the kickstand and rolling down the driveway.
From the threshold of Cheryl's house Archie watched with worry as his best friend left on the back of a Serpents motorcycle. He turned to the mixed group behind him and looked at each of them before his eyes landed on Veronicas. "Are you sure about this?"
Veronica smiled and nodded, looking over at Toni who stepped forward. "You can trust him, red. He's a better guy than most of us."
Archie let out a nervous breath and nodded, looking out at the tail light that was fading into the distance with a roar until he couldn't see it anymore, and closed the door.
XoXoX
Please leave me a review and let me know if you like it so far. Reviews are the motivators for my muse!
Also, if you like this and would like me to write more for Riverdale please let me know! This is only my first and I have lots of ideas but I'm not sure if I should run with them or not.
Pretty please with a double cherry on top?