Hello everyone! Sorry for the long and unexpected hiatus I took from my other Riverdale story. This is definitely a one-shot to rekindle my writing skills. Season 2 episode 8 is the springboard. This is for all those Archie x Betty lovers. If you are a Betty x Jughead or Archie x Veronica fan, then this story might not be for you if you're not open to new possibilities. It kinda has a poem-type set up, you'll see.
Disclaimer: I don't own the CW or any of its characters, stories, or ideas, so please do not sue. However, any character or idea mentioned within this story that is unfamiliar to the Riverdale series is purely fictional, so please do not copy or duplicate.
As If For the Very First Time
Junior Year
"Your room has so much pink." His russet hair was disheveled, eyes unfocused, arms wide and inviting.
The blonde curled into his side. His body radiated heat like a summer wind. "Archie, my room has always been pink. You've been in here before."
"I know, but just…looking up at the ceiling, your walls. It fits you." He placed his nose in her hair. "You even smell like cotton candy."
She giggled, burying her face into his neck. "I love you."
"I love you too, Betts."
Summer
"Archie, I don't know how to water ski. The minute I get out there on the water, I'm going to look like a flamingo on ice skates."
"Come on, Betty," he chuckled. "If you can work on cars with your dad all day, then you can water ski."
Her emerald eyes caught his. She blushed as though they had just met.
She picked up the handle bars; he was quick to stand behind her and cover her hands with his.
Whether it was the intensity of the sun or his close proximity, Betty was quickly turning pink.
She envied Veronica, who could tan, and even Archie would fade from his sun-kissed tone in the colder months.
"You just hold on like your life depends on it, and enjoy the ride," he whispered in her ear. "You can do it, Betts." He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.
She fell back into his chest when his lips made contact with her cheek.
So this is what it felt like to fly.
.
"Do you know which colleges you're going to apply for this year?" The blonde popped another grape in her mouth.
The stiff, hot breeze of August swept over them. Thankfully, the trees created a canopy over their favorite spot.
"Yeah, I've been looking at a few: Dartmouth, Chicago State, New York State, Juilliard."
"Oh? Still interested in music?"
His eyes stayed trained on the clouds. "Not really. It's just a passing thought. Dad wants me to take up Carpentry."
Betty frowned a little. "You don't need a degree for that."
"I know. Which is why I…want to be an architect."
She continued to swing her legs, unmoving from her position on her stomach. He looked over at her, awaiting her response.
The blonde-haired girl grinned down at him, pride apparent in her face. "That's excellent, Archie."
"Yeah, I figured I'd take it a step further. I can design houses, buildings, stadiums—bring my creation to life."
"Okay, Frankenstein," she teased.
"Hey—where's my supportive girlfriend?"
Betty dipped her finger in the chocolate pudding her mom made. She tapped his nose with it and giggled.
"Oh, she's around."
In one swift movement, he had her on her back, their noses touching. "I don't know, this blonde-haired girl right next to me kind of looks like her."
She placed her hand on his neck. "You better hope your girlfriend isn't watching. She could get jealous."
His honey brown eyes shimmered playfully. "Betty knows she's the only one for me."
Senior Year
"I don't think…us was a good idea."
Her countenance fell. "What do you mean?"
"You and I should've stayed friends. Things got complicated between us too fast. We're going to different colleges."
"Then uncomplicate it; we can be friends again, Arch. We can keep in touch through email, texts."
The ginger shook his head. "We can't just forget the past year like it never happened. We were together. We walked down the hallways hand in hand. We've had dates. Friends don't go on dates."
Her eyes revealed their hurt. "I doubt you gave Veronica a hard time after you ended things with her."
"Because she had already moved on before we broke up. Reggie was just waiting for her to end things with me. You have a hard time letting go, Betts. Which is why we can't be friends anymore."
She looked as though someone had slapped her face. "Archie," she cried.
"I'm sorry."
College
He didn't know how she would receive him. It had been almost two years since they last spoke.
And they didn't end on good terms.
He didn't know why he kept hurting her. But he did. And she kept taking him back.
Archie wasn't so sure about this time.
Her email came two weeks later, and he could barely contain his excitement.
Just two words. Hi Archie. It wasn't much, but at least she was willing to respond. He could work with that.
It took two months of correspondence for her to start sending more than one sentence at a time. He was grateful for whatever she gave him.
After six months, he was frustrated. She never told him how she felt, yet he was pouring his feelings into his messages.
They were best friends.
Were was the key word. He had to remind himself of that constantly. From best friends, to high school sweethearts, to nothing.
He didn't know what this was. He had passed on the beautiful girls from other countries and states. He turned down party invitations. Even Veronica had reached out to him, since they attended schools within a few miles of each other.
Wanna get back to where we were, Archiekins? No strings attached—if you want.
He deleted her message immediately.
When Pops died, just about everyone from Archie's graduating class was there. Even Cheryl, who had moved to London after getting engaged.
Before everyone parted ways after walking the stage, he had signed up for Riverdale's social media page, Sweetwater Memories, to stay connected.
The Pussycats had disbanded, with Josie pursuing a solo career in Los Angeles. Melody decided to join another band as their drummer, and Valerie had left her piano playing days to become a nurse. Kevin had decided to stay local and be his father's right hand man as the Deputy.
Jughead didn't sign up, since he was technically a Southside graduate. He kept to his father's promise, and rode his motorcycle out of Riverdale, and didn't look back. He mentioned something about Boston, but it didn't sound absolute.
Veronica and Nick St. Clair had patched things up apparently. They were very cozy during the eulogy and repast.
He was looking for the iconic blonde ponytail, and was about to give up when he saw a flash of golden hair.
Mrs. Cooper was starting to grey, but her bright, flaxen hair still stood out. Hal was in tow with a glass of wine in his hand.
And there she was with them, holding one of her strawberry blonde nieces in her hands.
She had let her hair grow, with its ends reaching the middle of her back. Polly was with her husband, Lucas and the other twin. Even Chic was there with a woman that had curly black hair and caramel skin.
Archie felt his heart flutter in his chest. It had been two years since he saw her in person.
Just as he set foot in their direction, a tall brunette appeared with two glasses of wine. Mrs. Cooper took the baby from Betty, who took the second flute from him.
They shared a deep kiss on the mouth.
Archie felt the wind escape from his sails.
The paper mountains in his chest burned to ash.
.
It took him several months to gather up courage to look at her page. There were photos of her with Veronica on graduation day, the birth of the twins, her with her acceptance letter to Penn State.
And then her Milestone event: meeting Nathan. His heart withered, and his stomach flip-flopped.
Hands trembling, he continued on. They were going into their second year of dating.
And apparently, they were the perfect couple. He bought her nice things. He surprised her with a trip to Paris. They had dinner with prominent families. She graced the red carpet in Hollywood when his friend made it in his first movie role.
And the fated day came in the winter.
There was a picture of Nathan.
With him on one knee.
And a small red box in his hand.
The ring was rose gold. And the pear-shaped diamond was pink.
He removed himself from Sweetwater Memories. Pouring his heart and mind into getting his degree took his focus off of her.
The text messages came pouring in from everyone: Are you going to the wedding?
He couldn't answer any of them. He wanted an excuse. June would be a busy month. He'd be slammed with work on June 16th.
By March, he received an e-vite and an envelope with his name written in black cursive.
Overkill much he remarked to himself. He placed the pink rectangle in between his Physiology and Chemistry book.
Two subjects no longer of interest to him.
Several weeks later, he got a phone call from his mom.
Betty had reached out to her, evidently. She was wondering why he hadn't returned the envelope with his decision, or accepted or declined the e-vite.
People were beginning to wonder if he was even still alive. Ever since he found out she was getting married, he ignored all of his contacts from Riverdale. He knew they were going to bring up the wedding.
He just wasn't ready to deal with it.
To his surprise, his dad showed up at his dorm a few days later.
"It's a hard lesson to learn Archie. If you wanted her, you would've done right by her. You can't act like her getting married isn't real."
"Dad, we're not even friends anymore. Why would she send me an invitation?"
"Because she loves you. Just not in the way you'd prefer."
"I was afraid of losing her. We were going to different schools. We had different schedules, new friends. I…don't think I can deal with seeing her get married."
"You'll be a stronger man if you do. It's a form of closure. Acceptance. And then you can move on, date other women that actually like you."
Archie laid awake, unable to sleep for two weeks. Her wedding was in a month.
Finally, he checked yes and dropped the envelope in the mail. He opened the email that had been unread for months, and confirmed his presence at the engagement party and ceremony at the Town Hall.
Nathan and Betty's photo of him holding her left hand in the camera confirmed that his response had been received.
Affirmation. Acceptance. Closure.
Career
Archie's twenty-seventh birthday came and went like any other day. A few people in his office joked about getting old, considering they were interns barely out of high school. He had been a junior architect for three years already.
A part of why he enjoyed his work, was that he was able to choose his projects.
The Astros wanted a new stadium, he drafted it. City Hall needed to add a new wing, he was on it. The children's hospital wanted to design a building just for cancer patients, he was front and center.
His wall was lined with medals in modest, black shadow boxes. 'Archibald Andrews, young and accomplished architect.'
His desk had just two photos, one of him and his parents, and one of Vegas. His loyal companion had passed away the year before, and his dad had yet to get another dog.
"I'm not getting another dog that you want, and I'm gonna end up taking care of it," he said over the phone with a chuckle.
.
He was at home one night, binge watching a sci-fi show with his new dog, Dice, when he got a phone call from an unknown number.
When he picked up the phone, he recognized the voice as Veronica.
"Archiekins, I'm pregnant, and I want you here for the shower."
Unexpected, for sure, but a surprise, no. On a brave—and inebriated—whim, he had decided to reactivate his Sweetwater Memories account a few months back.
Reggie had finally grown up and married Josie; a football player and a pop singer—a parallel right out of a teen movie.
Cheryl had followed the Blossom tradition of chasing money and status and married the son of a Russian oil baron.
Dilton had joined the Navy and had been promoted to Sergeant. No surprise there.
Jughead had finally created a page with his real name, Forsythe. His hair was cut shorter than he had ever seen. He had moved to New York City, and was working on his second best seller.
Archie bought the book when it released, and the Forward photo surprised him. Toni no longer had her pink hair; it was shoulder length and raven black.
Veronica expecting a child was enough to make him choke on his chow mein all those months ago. Her and Nick had broken up months before her announcement. It only made sense to assume he was the father.
"Is Nick gonna be there?"
"Of course not. I dumped that loser."
"Isn't he the…y'know, father?"
"Gross. I would never reproduce with that troglodyte. My baby got his genes from someone with way more class."
When their conversation ended, his mind turned to a certain blonde. Although Betty and Veronica weren't as close anymore, he still associated one with the other. Even the thought of her made his palms sweat, and his stomach twist in knots.
He started to type in her name: B-E-T-T-Y C-O—and the page immediately displayed a message—'user not found'.
Confused, he typed in her full name: E-L-I-Z—and again, nothing.
He tried FaceSpace; she was gone. After all these years, he had filed her away in the back of his mind, and now she was at the forefront.
Archie decided to stay with his parents until Veronica had the baby; he didn't want to have to fly back from California a week later. Veronica was due any minute, and he was in no rush to go back to work.
The night her water broke and her husband rushed her to the hospital was a blur.
Anthony James Pelissero was born at 4:27 that morning, and now Archie was watching him sleep next to all the other newborns that had arrived.
He couldn't remember when he was that small.
A different kind of heat pooled in his heart. The sensation was so far removed from him. It felt like his heart was reaching out of his chest, and through the glass.
The tiny hands. The little nose. The delicate tufts of hair.
"I never thought we'd get this old, yet here we are, getting married and having babies."
He closed his eyes when he heard her voice. Her voice had deepened. It sounded mature. Seasoned. Certain.
Finally, he found his voice. But he refused to look at her. "I thought we'd never be in the same room again."
"Riverdale has a way of reigning people back in. First Pop's death, now Veronica's son."
"A life for a life, I guess."
"If that's how you want to look at it."
Silence.
The question was killing him. He was so nervous, his fingernails were starting to dig into his palms, his fists were so tight.
"Why didn't you get married?"
"I didn't love him."
Plain and simple. And not what he expected.
"Archibald Andrews, that's the first thing you ask me after all these years?" her voice was more amused than insulted. "Always a straight shooter." She chuckled softly, and he felt his cheeks starting to burn.
For one reason or another, he felt stinging at his eyes and he felt nauseous.
No. No way. Not here. Not now.
"I have to go." And at that, he escaped from the hospital before he made a fool of himself.
.
After he had dinner with his parents, he retired to his old room as if he was a teen all over again. His feet were sore, his eyes were tired, and he wanted to throw himself out the window.
He didn't want her to think he was a crybaby. But she probably had her own thoughts of him—and none of them good.
Archie, you're an idiot. Sighing, he removed his shirt and tossed it on the bed.
Something moved out of the corner of his eye, and he turned. His curiosity was piqued.
Her room was still pink, but all of the photos had been removed from the mirror and the wall.
He waited a moment.
And there she was.
A light pink, near-white tank top graced her shoulders. Her legs were covered by a dark pair of pajama pants.
Her hair was cut short, falling in waves to her chin.
His heart began to reach out through the glass. She turned, and caught his gaze.
Her emerald green eyes studied him for a moment, before a soft smile graced her lips.
He knew everything about her, and yet knew nothing.
He smiled back at Elizabeth Ann Cooper, with a flood of emotions washing over his heart.
As if for the very first time.
.
And there's the end! They're back to where they started, in their rooms, looking at each other out the window. But now they're much older, lived their lives, made their mistakes, and seemingly all obstacles are out of the way. How this ends between them, is up to you.
Go ahead and flame me for not having him date Veronica, or Reggie and Josie getting married, or Jughead ending up with Toni, or Veronica having a baby with a non-canon person. The fact of the matter is, this is fanfiction. It's not canon. I'm just using the characters to propel a story. I don't mean to be defensive, but I've seen how emotional people can get over the Riverdale relationships.
As I said before, I will get back to the other story I have, but I'll probably end up updating once, then write the other chapters before updating again, so that there are no long breaks between chapters. However, Reverse will not be long, and its writing style, moving forward will be very similar to this one: short sentences, not much dialogue, and not much background detail. It is supposed to be a short story, anyway.
If you have any concerns or questions, please leave them in your review and I will address them in either a PM, or post my response in the next chapter of Reverse.
Until next time!