"Also.." His voice was shakier than he intended. She looked at him expectedly waiting for him to continue. The pressure was on now, he had wanted to tell her so many times since they had become this 'sleuthing duo' but he couldn't. She would be looking at him with those big beautiful eyes and he would lose his nerve. Now he had landed himself in it, there was no out that he could find. They were alone, in her bedroom no less, and there was no escape. He had started, he should finish.
"What?" She asked quietly, waiting for him to continue. She was worried it was unusual for him to be so quiet or to forget his words.
"What?!" She repeated herself, a nervous laugh accompanied her more urgent tone. He continued to look at her urging his words to tumble out of his mouth, but nothing came. He just wanted her, wanted to show her what she was doing to him, the effect that she had.
He was moving closer. She noticed his eyes flicking momentarily to her lips and his intake of breath. The next thing she knew he was holding her face and pressing his lips to hers. She instinctively moved her hand to his shoulder to steady herself. She felt as though she had forgotten how to breathe all she could think of was his lips and moving with him. it was gentle and soft, He restrained himself thinking that this may be the only kiss that they would share. As they broke away and she smiled to herself, to him. She brushed her nose against his such a small gesture that made his stomach give way. She had not pushed him away. He sighed heavily his shoulders slinking down again as if a weight had been lifted.
"Juggie..." she breathed out his name.
"I needed to." He explained, as though that was all he needed to say. It was the truth, he couldn't let another moment slip by him without knowing what it was like to feel her lips on his.
"I'm glad you did." She smiled again as she returned her lips to his. Taking control of the kiss, she slanted her lips over his, her hands moving up from his shoulders to loop around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the back of his neck escaping out from underneath his trademark beanie. She had found herself recently thinking about his hair and what it would be like to run her fingers through it. She was sure that he had caught her looking at him at times during the memorial her mind running away with her.
His arms encircled her waist pulling her flush against him, his heart was pounding in his chest, thundering in his ears. There was much less hesitation in his kiss, he knew now that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her and he poured himself into it fully. Feeling her mouth move against his. He felt her tongue touch his lips seeking entrance which he gladly gave. He had not kissed like this before. There had been the childish kisses in pre-school before they really knew what they meant. He had not thought much about it in recent years the thought of giving so much control to another person, putting yourself out there seemed foreign to him. He sat back and watched the other girls and boys dance around each other no interest in taking part. Until he had begun to spend time with Betty, to discover the real her and not the front and persona that she gave out to the rest of the world. He had begun to see the real her. She was strong and fierce and smart and so much more than the pretty blonde with the pony tail following Archie around.
He had wanted to kiss her at the Youth Home but had once again lost his nerve, he had seen those tears starting to well up in her eyes and pulled her into him without thinking, only wanting to provide comfort to make it better. She had looked up at him, nothing but kindness and appreciation in her eyes and he had stopped himself from bending down and touching his lips to hers when he saw the vulnerability in her eyes. She needed comfort and him to be strong at that time and he would not take advantage and push his feelings onto her.
Giving into the temptation she pushed her fingers underneath the beanie and into his locks, with the movement the beanie fell from his head and he reveled in the feeling of her fingers on his scalp, moving and pulling through his hair, a groan left his lips.
They broke the kiss coming up again for air and to process what was occurring between them. He searched her eyes to make sure she was okay, that she still wanted him. There was that smile again that secret smile that he thought would now just be for him and only him.
"Thank you." She murmured. "For your help with my parents and Polly, and THE CAR!" She exclaimed.
"The car? What car? I don't have one." He looked at her confused, searching her eyes for some hint to what was going on in her mind.
"No, not..." She let out a frustrated mind was racing and she felt as though she was trying to catch up with it. Polly said that Jason had a car out on route 40 ready to go. When they were going to run away. We need to find it, show everyone that she isn't crazy." She looked up at him, her eyes willing him to go along with her. He didn't need convincing he would follow her wherever she asked.
"Okay we'll go tonight. After dark, less conspicuous." He reasoned.
"Sooo we would have some time then." There was that smile again, infectious, he felt himself smiling as well. As he returned his lips to hers.