"I was seven," Veronica began, smiling at the memory as she, Archie, Jughead, Betty and Kevin sat on the grass. It was a warm, sunny day in Riverdale, and they had taken lunch outside, onto the hill on the outskirts of the school property, just beyond the football field.

"He was six."

"Oh Veronica Lodge you cougar!" Kevin teased, causing Veronica to roll her eyes before continuing on with the story.

"He lived in the penthouse suite of our very first New York apartment building, before daddy bought it, of course,"

"Of course," Jughead breathed into Betty's ear, making her giggle. No-one noticed, too busy listening to Veronica's story. She leaned into him slightly, her eyes not leaving her best friend as she talked.

"So I walked up to him and I asked him why he hadn't asked me to be his girlfriend yet and he looked so surprised," Veronica let out a high, tinkling laugh, "and then I just did it. I kissed him."

Betty chuckled, and reached for Jughead's hand, which was supporting him behind his back. Gently, she placed her fingers over his, making sure to shift her body so that the others wouldn't see.

They hadn't told anyone about their kiss and… well, whatever this thing they had was. They were waiting for the right time.

"What about you, Arch?" Kevin asked. Betty and Archie blushed, and Jughead's hand covered Betty's, gripping onto it. He knew the story, and he knew it meant nothing, that she was with him, not Archie, but he just… just wished he could have been her first kiss. It was stupid, but he didn't like the idea that the ginger that Betty had been in love with for so long could have any sort of… claim over her.

Archie chuckled unevenly, as did Betty.

"Well, I was failing second grade, for a start," He began, looking at Betty, who looked back with a smile.

Jughead felt a posessive pull in the pit of his stomach. He shifted imperceptibly closer to Betty, who lent further into him as a sign of comfort. She liked this slightly protective side of Jughead. It wasn't overbearing, but it reminded her her cared. Not to mention she felt less crazy when she got jealous of whatever girl he was talking to.

"And Betty was so desperate to have me stay in her year…"

"Desperate?" Betty retorted with a laugh, "You begged me to help you pass. You said you'd never hear the end of it from Reggie if Moose passed the second grade and you didn't."

Archie waved a hand in the air.

"That's neither here or there,"

"Nor," Jughead corrected under his breath, not that anyone heard him.

"Nor," corrected Betty, unable to resist.

"What?" Archie asked, thrown.

"Neither here nor there. Did I teach you nothing in the second grade, Arch?"

Jughead smiled. Archie gave a grin laced with nostalgia.

"Ah, Betty, always the teacher," he reminisced.

"So, anyway," He continued, "I passed, and I was so grateful I gave Betty a kiss and asked her to marry me, to which she replied -"

"Oh, little Archie, ask me again when we're eighteen and then I'll say yes!" Betty joined in, laughing.

Jughead forced a smile. Where was all of this jealousy coming from? She'd chosen him, not Andrews… but he still worried. She'd told him he wasn't, but what if he was just a rebound? A dummy to move on with?

A soft warm hand encompassed his and he relaxed. Betty's touch always seemed to sooth him. He was hers. She was his. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

"Time's running out, Arch," He joked, "Only a year before you gotta pop the question"

Jughead hoped his voice sounded light.

"What about you, Juggie?" Veronica asked, smiling at the raven-haired boy across from her. Despite their attempts to hide it, Veronica had seen the close contact he and her best friend had been in. "Found anyone special to share that first kiss with yet?"

Archie chuckled, about to answer for his friend. It was an absurd thought. Jughead had never shown any interest in… anyone, really. And he'd have known if Jughead had had his first kiss.

"Actually…" Jughead trailed off and Archie's head shot up. Had his friend really… and not told… he supposed there was that time they weren't speaking but…

"Well," Jughead swallowed, looking at Betty from the corner of his eye. She seemed unfazed, so he continued. "It was with Betty, too,"

He could have lied, but what was the point? They were going to find out sooner or later. Betty's head shot up to look at Jughead. She was his first?

She supposed it made sense, he was something of a loner but, for some reason, the thought had never occurred to her. It brought a smile to her face. She liked it.

Kevin looked up, intrigued, and Archie, who had already been staring at his friend, raised his eyebrows in surprise. He supposed it made sense, when they were children, Jughead had spent as much time with Betty as he had… they might have been playing families or something.

"It was last week…" Jughead shifted, no longer needing to hide the fact that their hands were joined. Betty blushed, but didn't let go.

Archie felt something stir in his stomach.

"After we went looking for Polly, I was upset and, well, Juggie climbed in, through my window like a true Romeo," Betty supplied.

"And, well, that's my story, I guess…" Jughead finished, uncomfortable with revealing more than he had to.

Veronica smiled happily at her two friends.

Kevin bombarded them with questions, which Jughead let Betty answer.

Archie stared at his best friend, wondering how he had missed something so big in Jughead's life. And why did he feel so… weird about the whole thing?