FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED since Betty moved in with Jughead. She was a good roommate to him, just like he was a good roommate to her. They'd split rent, give their fair share for everything, they'd both help maintain the cleanliness of the apartment.
But of course, they weren't just roommates. In those five years they've known each other, both Betty and Jughead have realized that they were more alike than they initially thought they were when they first saw each other at the Le Bain Nightclub. They'd comfort each other whenever they felt down—Jughead rarely cried, so it was mostly him who was the 'shoulder to cry on'. They'd even get time off on most nights and cuddle at the couch together, eating whatever it is Betty cooked for both of them as they binge watched on Netflix.
Their friendship was the best thing that's even happened to both of them, and they were scared shitless that they might lose it if they confess to each other.
Which is why they won't confess.
It's easier that way.
※※※
JUGHEAD
She kept moaning his name in pleasure, and Jughead wasn't satisfied at all.
"Yes! Fuck, Jughead!"Jughead thinks her name is Cathleen, or something (it was Ethel, she told him earlier when she approached him at the bar). He had gone out to clear his head, waiting for Betty to arrive home from her trip to Riverdale to visit her other friends, Veronica and Archie. Ethel was the one who approached him, was the one who made the first move, and was the one who asked him to drag her back to his apartment—which he has shared with Betty for five years now—so they could have some mind-blowing sex.
Those were her words, not his.
And from the looks of it, she was having mind-blowing sex. But Jughead was sure he wasn't.
There were times when Jughead would fake his orgasms so he could kick the ladies out sooner, and there were times when he would think of Betty when he was fucking someone else, and only the thought of her being the one with her legs spread under him was enough for Jughead to bring himself to completion. Like him, she would bring people—mostly men, sometimes one of each gender—home, and she'd fuck them in her room.
That's how it's been for the past five years. They'd end up in bed with other people, but never with each other. At least, not together in a sexual way.
It's always been platonic.
Jughead would often hear Betty screaming and moaning in her room, and he couldn't help but wish that he was the guy who made her come undone. He wanted to be the one who made her fantasies come alive, who made her writhe under him and made her scream in pleasure.
"Oh my god, Jughead!"Ethel whimpered, arms above her head, gripping on the headboard, which was barely slamming against the wall. Jughead thrusted into her in an even pace, leaning down to rest his head in the crook of her neck. He thrust deeper, harder into her wet heat, but there was still nothing. No release to chase.
He had been thrusting into her for over twenty minutes now, flipped them to three different positions, but there was still nothing. It's like his soul had parted from his body, and his physical body was on autopilot, wired to do whatever it was he would do if there was a woman under him.
"I'm so close, Jughead!"Jughead grunted as a response, hoping it was enough for her to think she was pleasuring him just as much as he was pleasuring her. She had orgasmed six times already in the one hour he's had her in his apartment, and he hasn't. Not even once.
Earlier that night she went down on him, after he's gone down on her, but he actually pulled her head away from him and pushed her to the bed and started fucking her instead.
"Fuck, come on, cum for me."Jughead grunted, one hand reaching down to rub fast circles on her clit, not even caring anymore. Her walls were clamping around his length, gripping onto him as he thrusted fully into her, barely letting him go. Just fucking cum already, and we can get this over with and you can leave, Jughead wanted to tell her, but he would be a complete asshole if he said that to her, considering that he hasn't done so much of an effort to even remember what her name was—he still thinks it was Cathleen.
"I-I don't think I can,"Ethel winced, feeling her climax so close, but so far away from reach. She wanted to thrash around, but Jughead has her pinned down. And he's told her to keep her hands were he put them, which were above her head, if she knows what's good for her.
Jughead growled. What the heck is this woman's problem? Can she just cum so I can politely kick her out and I could take a shower and hopefully cum in there?
"Yes you can, now cum."Jughead had slipped further into his dominant self, his tone dangerous, and if Ethel wasn't so aroused by it, his tone would've made her curl up in terror and run. But, if anything, it only turned Ethel on more.
"Oh fuck! Juggie!"Jughead cringed at the nickname, fingers assaulting her sensitive nub of nerves in an attempt to finish her off as soon as possible. It seemed to work, because her pussy only clenched arond him more, gripping onto his length tightly as her orgasm washed over her. Jughead stilled from his thrusting and let out a deep grunt, pretending to cum as well. He can pull off a fake orgasm, especially since he's worn a condom and she won't notice it was fake. She'll just think that he emptied himself into the condom.
Fucking hell, can you leave now?
Jughead pulled out of her quickly and stood up, grabbing his robe and put it around him. Ethel remained on his bed, her legs still spread, her body spasming from her multiple orgasms. Jughead walked over to the bathroom and disposed of the condom nonchalantly, as if nothing happened, like his cock wasn't just buried inside a woman seconds ago. He tied the robe around himself to cover himself, leaning against the threshold connecting his bathroom and bedroom. Ethel showed no intention to move.
"That was...amazing."Ethel breathed out in pants, attempting to catch her breath from all their activities. "We should do it again."Ethel said excitedly, bouncing on her knees on the bed, all energy rushing back to her.
Jughead shook his head, sighing softly in reply. "I can't."He told her, as politely as he could. It makes him look less of a jerk. Ethel's face slacked in disappointment, the sadness evident on her face. "Oh, why not?"She asked him.
"My roommate is coming back in an hour."He said, grabbing her clothes for her and set it on the bed beside her. "I need to clean up the place."It was a half-lie. Betty was indeed arriving home in an hour or less, but he didn't need to clean anything up. Everything was always in its place, and everything was clean.
Ethel didn't question him. She picked up her clothes and got up from the bed, dressing herself again with the clothes she's worn earlier that night. Jughead disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him, staring at himself in the mirror. He wanted to punch something—he was still hard, and that was because he was still thinking about Betty.
As much as he wanted to keep his hands off of her because she was like his sister already, but his body can't deny the attraction he has for her. It wasn't just attraction, though. It was something more, he just wasn't sure what it was.
"Jughead?"Ethel called out, snapping Jughead away from his thoughts. He let out a sigh as he stepped out of the bathroom, seeing her fully clothed already, hair tied into a messy bun. "I'll show you out."He said, already walking out of the door with ethel following behind him, leading her back to the front door. Jughead swung the door open, stepping aside to let Ethel go. She stood there, frozen.
Ethel didn't want to go. None of the girls Jughead fooled around with wanted to go. Everyone knew that both Betty and Jughead rarely sleep with the same person more than once, everyone knew they always picked up random people at random places and they end up in bed. But even if everyone knew that, everyone was willing to take the risk and spend at least a night with either of them. But of course, they all thought one night would be enough.
But it wasn't.
One night leaves you wanting more, and it also leaves a stab in the heart because you know that the one night you had was all you could get.
Unless you're lucky. There's a reason it's called a One-night Stand.
"You'll call me some time?"Ethel asked, willing to cling onto every single thread of hope, if there is hope left. Jughead stared at her, unsure of what to say in response to her. He rarely called them back, normally, if he did, it was to ask for a favor.
"Yeah."Was all he managed to say, before Ethel gave him a smile and a nod content with his response and now more confident in herself as she exited the apartment. Jughead closed the door as soon as she stepped outside, rushing to the bathroom so he could finish himself off in the shower.
He stripped himself from the robe he had on and stepped straight into the shower, turning the warm water on and he let it run down his skin. He stood under the showerhead for a solid five minutes, eyes closed, before his hand begun to form a fist around his cock, giving his thick length a few strokes, thumb circling the tip which already had precum gathering on it.
"Shit,"Jughead's breath was ragged, one hand pumping his hard cock and the other with his palm flat against the tiled wall, maintaining his balance as he felt himself get closer to his release.
Thoughts of Betty hit him like a fucking truck.
As soon as Betty filled his mind, the knot that was otherwise known as his orgasm began to form in the pit of his stomach, his hand beginning to pump faster and harder on around his cock.
"Fuck! Betty!"He grunted out deeply, throwing his head back in pleasure, eyelids shut tight with images of Betty stuck in his head. Betty, with her blonde hair splayed around her head like a golden halo, her bare chest flushed red like her cheeks and presented as a blank canvas he could paint marvels on with his tongue, her legs wrapped around his hips and urging him to bury himself deeper inside of her—
"Oh god! Yes! Fuck,"Jughead muttered incoherently, his hand only stroking his hard cock faster, until he let out a loud moan and thick ropes of his hot, white cum spurted out of his cock, some of it landing on the floor, some on the walls, and some splattered across his hand.
Jughead was panting, struggling to catch his breath as he fisted himself slowly, up and down, working himself through his orgasm, hips bucking and snapping against his hand. He imagined it was Betty's hips, snapping against his when in reality it was just his hands and mostly thin air.
Jughead was wet—he wasn't sure anymore of the droplets that decorated his body composed the thin layer of sweat that has formed on his skin as he masturbated, or if it was the water from the showerhead, which washed away his sweat.
"I'm so screwed."Jughead sneered at himself, letting go of his cock and picked up the loofah and poured an adequate amount of liquid body soap on it, scrubbing the stench of sex off of him. He wouldn't want to make it obvious to Betty that he's been fucking someone else right before she arrived home. He could still remember the night when all this started—all the one night stands and late night booty calls.
Betty and Jughead had gone out to celebrate the end of the semester, deciding they'd waste the night away in a bar that's ten minutes from their apartment. One second, she was telling him she'd be going to the bathroom to powder her nose despite his protests that she didn't need to, and the next thing he knows is that she's sent him a text saying that she won't be spending the night in their apartment, but rather in someone else's.
Jughead felt so heartbroken that night, so heartbroken that he didn't realize until later on that the reply he's sent to her was just as stupid as the text she's sent him.
That's alright. I was planning on bringing a girl home anyways.
BETTY
Jughead didn't know this, but Betty was heartbroken too that night.
The guy she went home with that night was a guy named Trevor, who, in fact, was a sweet guy. She had tripped on her back to Jughead and was caught by him, and what was supposed to be her treating him one drink as a show of gratitude turned into him offering her to head over to his apartment. Betty sent Jughead the text that she wasn't going home—Trevor didn't say anything about doing anything sexual, and so Betty didn't plan on doing anything with him, at least anything that's remotely close to any kind of sex.
Hey, I met someone, won't be going home tonight xx
It was after she read his reply that Betty's heart was crushed and she had nothing left in her heart. Jughead didn't want her, what's the point of having a heart that loves romantically? Since then, it's always been sex for them, individually, and with other people.
Betty still thought about that night, and once again found herself thinking about it as she drove her car back home (to Jughead).
He must have had another girl over while I was gone, She thought to herself, remembering how she had driven back home the day after that night and got back just i time see him bidding the girl goodbye, subtly waving at her as she walked further down the hallway. She remembers that girl's name as clear as Jughead remembers Trevor Brown—the girl's name was Toni Topaz.
Who has he brought into his bed this time? She wondered with a sigh, but felt a pang of guilt in her chest. He must be thinking the same about her, whose bed she's ended up on in her trip. She can't blame him for thinking that, nor could she get mad at him for doing so.
This time she's managed to go screw a guy who was named Sweet Pea.
Why do you keep doing this, Elizabeth? Why can't you just walk straight up to him and tell her how you feel and ask if he feels the same way. He'll give you an honest answer, for sure.
She wonders if he's thinking of the same thing.
JUGHEAD
Jughead was heating up some of his leftover pizza from the night before. It was just past eleven, nearly an hour after his encounter with Ethel—though he still thinks she's named Cathleen. He had already deleted her number from his contacts, not wanting to contact the girl again, and for some reason it makes him feel like some kind of hero.
He did just save her from the heartbreak monster machine named Jughead Jones.
If Jughead tried getting in touch with her, she'd think he liked her even the slightest bit and that she would get her hopes up until Jughead finally decides that he's in love with Betty Cooper.
"Love."He muttered to himself, staring at the blank wall across him, frozen on his seating position on the couch. He didn't know what love is, romantically, or something. All he knew was that couples always announce how much they are in love with one another.
"Love?"
At that same moment, the doorbell rang, and Jughead's attention snapped to the front door. One more ring later, he was on his feet, bolting to the front door to welcome Betty back into their home. She had been gone only for four days, but to Jughead it felt an eternity.
"Betts!"Jughead was first to greet her, reacting quicker than she did. Her breath was taken away as soon as the door opened, and Jughead stood in front of her with a look that says something about him loving her or something. He had a wide, genuine smile on his face, and it warmed Betty's heart.
"Juggie!"Betty giggled softly and wrapped her arms around his torso, feeling the hard planes of his chest and front against hers. His arms were around her too, with him standing at a protective stance. Jughead buried his face in her blonde hair, inhaling her scent, etching the details of it into her head.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
