chapter seven

oh my god, i think i like you


If there's anything that has become glaringly apparent to Betty Cooper, it is that it's very difficult to avoid your own roommate for over 24 hours.

Not impossible, of course.

But definitely not easy.

The night following their fight, Betty stays over at Veronica and Archie's. She says it's to help her with the last-minute details for Archie's big party - Veronica went all out. Appetizers, open bar, even a DJ. She had done everything she could to send Archie off right. Betty had been there helping her make sure everything was perfect, but in reality… she just couldn't go home.

Couldn't face him.

Because she knows him.

She knows Jughead is pushing her away - she's seen him do it multiple times in his life. Hence why no relationship he's entered has ever actually stuck. Because Jughead is damaged. He doesn't allow himself to really get close to anyone - which is exactly why she was hesitant going into this whole deal in the first place.

It isn't until right before her date that she sees Jughead. She has spent the evening getting ready, knowing that afterward she'll be meeting everyone at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown for the party.

Betty walks out of her bedroom in her slim fitted, black dress. It fits her like a second layer of skin and she's not sure if she wore it for herself, or Jughead.

But when she sees him in the living room on her way out, sees the way his jaw just slightly unhinges, and his eyes widen, his pupils blown with awe, she knows the answer.

It's all for him.

"Betty… you look-"

"I won't be home tonight," she utters out quickly before she loses her nerve. His face falls, and she knows his brain has gone to the worst possible conclusion: that she plans on staying the night with her date. She shakes her head as though she can hear his thoughts, "I just mean… I'm staying at the hotel." She shifts nervously on her feet, "alone," she clarifies.

He looks relieved as he gives her a brief nod, "oh, yeah. Me too. I guess Veronica got a block of rooms at the hotel? Didn't want anyone drinking and driving."

Betty can tell he's stalling her… trying to make small talk. She licks her lips, pulling her purse strap more securely on her shoulder, "yeah. So… I guess I'll see you there." She watches him, watches as he worries his brow. Watches as he swallows the lump in his throat - swallows down all the things he wants to say, but never seems to be able to.

His eyes fall from hers, back to his laptop.

"Yeah… see you."

And now, here she is: sitting across from a charming, conventionally handsome, and (seemingly) emotionally available guy, and yet all she can think about is Jughead's face when she left. Who is she kidding - all she can think about is Jughead in general.

When she should be noticing the spark of electricity when Adam's hand brushes hers, or the way he orders wine off the menu like a French wine connoisseur, she's too busy thinking about Chinese take-out and fighting over the tv remote.

She's too busy picking out all of the ways he's not Jughead.

"Where did you grow up?" he asks, and she's brought crashing back down to earth. She feels guilty that she's only been partially tuned in for most of the date.

"Um…" she stammers when she is caught off guard by his seemingly simple question. She clears her throat, "A small town upstate. Riverdale."

"Oh, I've never heard of it."

"Yeah," Betty mumbles, pushing her food around on her plate.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be frank here but… are you… not interested in me?" He asks her, point blank. Her eyes widen, and she shifts in her seat, sitting up straighter.

"What? No, I'm just-"

"Distracted," Adam finishes for her. He leans back in his chair, "yeah. I noticed."

"Adam, look," Betty sighs, feeling her eyebrows slump sympathetically. She leans forward, her hand resting on his arm on the table, "it's not you. I just… I shouldn't have agreed to come here with you tonight. It was selfish of me. To be honest… I'm sort of-"

"In love with someone else?" he finishes for her.

Betty's head whips back like he slapped her, "what?" she chuckles nervously.

"Or at least into someone else. But the way you keep checking your phone and haven't asked me one question about myself sorta… gave it away." She feels the blood pool to her cheeks - is it that obvious? And has she really been that rude?

"I've been a pretty lousy date, huh?"

He chuckles, shaking his head, "believe it or not, I've had worse."

"I find that hard to believe," she smirks back at him.

"So. This guy, this other man," he starts, refilling their wine glasses. "If you're so into him then why aren't you with him?" Her mouth drops as she struggles to find the words. His reaction is… surprising to say the least. Especially when he waves her off, "oh, c'mon. It's fine. Let's enjoy ourselves until the bottle's gone. Then, I'm outta here," he jokes. And it makes her laugh, despite the tears stinging her eyes. She is so relieved.

"Um… I'm not with him because… it's complicated."

"Love usually is-"

Her eyes narrow at him, "You keep using that word."

"Alright. Fine. Matters of the heart, then. Never uncomplicated."

"Well, ours is dangerously complicated," Betty assures him, taking a sip of her wine.

"Okay... why? What makes your situation so special?" He muses.

"Well, firstly, he's my roommate."

"Okay, that is pretty complicated," Adam gives her.

"And also, he's my best friend."

"You know, love is messy. And hard. And complicated-" Adam says after a moment's consideration.

"Exactly," Betty says, nearly throwing her hands up in defeat.

"It's doesn't come easily... but I will say... most things that are worth it don't."

"Huh," Betty breathes, taken aback by his simple explanation. He shrugs again. He's like a love spirit guide, pointing her in the right direction.

"So, I guess you just need to ask yourself... is it worth it to you?"


Betty walks into the party - alone. Her eyes instinctively scan the room, looking for that familiar, grey beanie, but it's nowhere to be found.

"You're here!" Veronica squeals, throwing her arms around her friend.

"You're really good at popping up out of nowhere," Betty drones, hugging her back. A fancy waiter walks by with a tray of champagne and Veronica snags two with ease, handing one to Betty.

"So?" Veronica purrs, looking past Betty for her date, "where's Adam?"

"Um-" Betty barely gets the sound from her lips before Veronica is already rolling her head around, groaning. Betty scowls at her, "what?"

Veronica's hand finds her hip over her deep, velvety purple dress, "you ditched him, didn't you?"

"V, it's fine-"

"Adam is a good guy!" Veronica laments. Betty's hands reach up to rest on her friend's shoulders.

"Adam is a great guy."

"Then what's the problem?"

Betty gives her a small, sideways smirk and a shrug, "Just not the guy for me." Veronica doesn't get a chance to respond before Betty wonders, "Hey, have you seen Jug?" Veronica waves over in a general direction.

"Somewhere over there getting cornered by Midge," she replies, uncaringly before she's pulled away by another party guest. The name takes Betty aback - she hadn't even thought about the fact that Midge might be here.

She looks around the lavish, elegant party again, and this time, she sees him. He's not wearing his beanie, and he is in fact, being cornered by Midge across the room.

Betty doesn't hesitate. She gulps down her glass of champagne and grabs another on the way. As she approaches, she can hear snippets of their conversation.

"-it wasn't even until I got to your apartment and saw Betty that I even knew you were alive," Midge scolds him, her face full of concern.
He shrugs, "I've been oka-"

"Seriously. You have my number, right?"

"Uh... yeah," Jug stammers, his eyes finding Betty's nervously as she nears them.

"I know it's going to be tough for you with Archie leaving. If you ever need anything, please just call me or text me. I'll be right there," Midge offers. Betty is completely puzzled by Midge's 'kindness,' and it appears from his body language that Jughead is too. Betty could see the faintest appearance of a blush spreading across his cheeks.

"He's fine," Betty snaps before she gets a chance to catch herself, correcting the sudden lashing with a smile.

What the hell was that?

This fiery feeling in her chest and cheeks... jealousy? Jughead furrows his brows, his eyes flitting between the two, suspiciously.

"Thanks, Midge. That's real... nice of you?" Jughead mumbles.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom and then how about I get us a drink?" she suggests suddenly, loudly. "Whiskey, right?" she adds with a wink. Betty can tell she's already had her fair share to drink tonight.

And how did she know that he prefers whiskey?

Jughead doesn't have a chance to respond, and with a quick kiss on his cheek, Midge spins around happily and bounces back into the party, towards the bathroom. Jughead glances down at Betty, confusion painting his features. Betty just clenches her jaw, then forces a smile, trying to appear cool and collected. But if she is honest with herself, she would admit that Midge's interaction with Jughead has just left her head spinning a bit.

"That was... interesting," Jughead says, quietly. "Was she just… flirting with me?"

"Yeah," is Betty's curt reply. She crosses her arms over her chest, sulkily. "And literally a few days ago she delivered your shirt back to you in pieces so… have fun with that."

"Jealous, Betts?" he wonders - he almost sounds amused by the idea. She rolls her eyes.

"Nope. I just need a drink," she mumbles under her breath, leaving Jug to make her own way to the bar to order herself something (much) stronger than champagne.

This is going to be harder than she thought, not telling anyone about her and Jughead. It is especially conflicting because she meant what they'd agreed on - to keep their relationship (whatever it might be) on the down low.

But the last thing she expected is to come to this party and see Midge fawning all over him - especially after he blew Midge off before.

She stands at the counter of the bar, ordering herself a vodka cranberry with 2 shots on the side. The bartender gives her a slightly judgy look, but she just glares back at him - she said what she said.

"Thanks," she says before tipping one of the shot glasses back. It burns down her throat, and she chases it quickly with a gulp of her drink. She retches, the aftertaste lingering in her throat. She doesn't usually drink like this, but she has no idea how she is going to stomach this night if she has to watch Midge make moves on Jughead completely sober all night.

And it isn't as though she can just tell anyone about her and Jughead. Not after she'd made such a big deal about keeping it quiet. But now suddenly her stubbornness seems to be overriding any form of logic – which is exactly Betty's problem with love and feelings is in the first place. It makes people do stupid, illogical things.

And she can't stand not being in control of her own emotions like this.

She tosses back another shot.

"Whoa there, turbo. Save some for the rest of us," Midge laughs, appearing beside her.

Great, just the person she wanted to see. Betty feels a tight, ever-polite smile stretch across her lips.

"I think you've already drank enough for the both of us," Betty quips, taking a small swig of her drink.

Where is this coming from? Midge is her friend! It isn't her fault, she didn't know any better. She hated feeling like this. She tries to shake it off but then,

"So, what's the scoop on Jughead? Did he ever mention me?" she asks, like it is just typical, everyday girl-chat. Like her words have no meaning or repercussions. "Because I could certainly go for a round two," she says into her drink. Betty turns to her, folding her lips at first to stop the first thing she thinks from toppling out of her mouth.

"Okay. Midge. Jug has made it pretty clear he is not into you. Why are you putting yourself through this again?" She feels the alcohol going straight to her head, making her dizzy.

And brave.

"And secondly, don't you think that if he were interested in you, he'd tell you?"

"I hear you!" Midge interrupts, shaking her head. She clicked her tongue, staring off in Jughead's direction. "Poor guy. He's just so closed off. It's like he doesn't want to let anyone love him," she says, and the intimacy in that comment almost makes Betty's blood boil. They hooked up once or twice, but she talks about him like she knows him.

Knows intimate, special things about him that Betty thought only she knew.

Midge shrugs, "I mean, at the very least, the guy can stand to get laid tonight."

"I'm am sure the last thing on Jughead's mind is getting laid," Betty scoffs, her nerves jangling just under the surface.

"I'll letcha know," Midge teases, walking off to go find Jughead with an extra drink in her hand. Betty's mouth runs dry as she tries to steady her breathing, but it feels like the wind had just been knocked out of her.

'What am I even doing?' She thinks to herself. She had literally just arrived here from a date with another dude. She knows she has no room for all this jealousy. And while she also thinks she should just go get Jughead and leave before Midge has successfully sank her teeth into him for the evening, it wouldn't be fair to Archie.

The whole reason they are here.

"Why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?" Kevin appears before Betty can leave, taking a sip of his drink and snapping Betty back to reality. His attentions are somewhere else, however, as Betty traces his gaze over to a tall, dark, handsome guy on the other side of the room. Kevin leans in, "Can you believe he's just over there, shamelessly flirting with the waiter?"

"Who is he?"

"Oh, my date? Nis name is Brandon. I literally met him two days ago. Sort of a last-minute decision," Kevin snorts into his drink. "But I'm pretty sure he's not interested, though.

"Maybe he's… friendly..." Betty says coolly. This is a wonderful opportunity to focus on anything other than Jughead and Midge. She shoves an elbow into his side, playfully.

"You gonna chicken out just because of a little ol' competition?" she asks, raising her eyebrows, until she instantly realized the parallels.

Her gaze involuntarily trails back to find Jughead, and Kevin's follows. He is clutching a drink, backed into a corner again by Midge. Although, he doesn't seem to mind it as much as Betty would prefer. At the very least Betty is glad he seemed to be having a good time. Maybe she was overreacting... She knows Jughead cares about her. And she knows he is definitely not interested in Midge…

Although, he was at one point-

"Okay, is it just me, or has Midge has been all over Jughead tonight?" Kevin observes, his voice dripping with disbelief.

"Right?!" she exclaims a little too excitedly, her eyes wide. She calms herself, trying her best not to react too much. She just can't help the constant waves of jealousy welling up every time Midge's hand devilishly found Jughead's bicep or her beautiful eyelashes batted a little too much.

"Oh, well. At least someone's gonna get laid tonight," Kevin sighs with a shrug. Involuntarily, Betty finds herself hitting Kevin in the arm.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" she huffs through gritted teeth. "Jughead doesn't need to get laid!"

"Ow, relax, Muhammad Ali, it was a joke. What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," Betty utters back at him, quietly, peering back down at her drink in her hands.

"I just meant... I'm clearly not gonna be getting anywhere with my date tonight. Someone might as well-" Betty can't hear any more of this.

"Excuse me," Betty says abruptly before peeling off from Kevin, heading back out through the crowd and out the back door for some much-needed fresh air.


Archie and Veronica are so in love.

Betty watches Veronica as she run around the party with the world's biggest, proudest smile on her lips. But she knows she's just trying to stop herself from breaking down. Betty knows that when Archie leaves tomorrow, that facade will shatter.

Veronica is going to need her.

But for now, they are happy. Avoiding the inevitable. Wrapped up in their own little world.

Betty just watches them from her seat as they hold onto one another tightly, swaying back and forth while Josie sings a slow rendition of 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"

She can't help but feel ever-so-slightly forlorn as she stares on.
"So… what happened with your date?"

Jughead is suddenly right up near Betty's ear. She glances back at him over her shoulder, trying not to roll her eyes. She is still quite irritated with him from before. His deep blue eyes search hers intensely - she hates when he looks at her like that. It makes it hard to hard to think - makes it even harder to lie.

He nudges her softly, "Oh, c'mon. I'm a big boy. I can handle it-"
"Nothing," Betty snaps back at him shortly, and she is glad that wasn't a lie. Nothing did happen.

Nothing was ever going to happen.

"Are you still mad at me?" Before she can answer, he chuckles without humor as he frustratedly runs his hand through his hair. She can tell he's feeling nervous without his hat - nothing to hide behind. "At least tell me why you're mad. I mean, you are the one who went on a date-" Betty turns in her chair, facing him. She stares at him incredulously before chuckling and shaking her head. He is so impossible

"You reeeeally wanna fall down that rabbit hole?"

He closes his mouth and sits back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest sulkily, in defeat. Betty scoffs to herself and turns back to the watch the couples on the dance floor suddenly feeling very… alone.

Usually, in instances like this, Betty never feels too lonely. She is used to being the third, fifth, even seventh wheel. But something about watching Archie and Veronica on the dance floor right now makes her heart ache in her chest.

"You look beautiful, by the way," she hears Jughead nearly mumble from behind her. She tries in vain to hold back the involuntary smile. It breaks through when he adds,

"fuckin' gorgeous. Just like… all the time."

Betty sighs one of those deep sighs that fill up her lungs and makes her feel like she's actually alive. She turns to him once more, and now she is only slightly irritated with that handsome, endearing smirk plastered on his face. She feels her smile grow with his.

"Ohh, Betts. Just can't stay mad at me, can ya?"

She gives him a light push, "Shut up..."

His smile dissipates, and she can see his wheels turning. It always makes her wonder what is going on behind those eyes. He leans in, his face more somber than before.

"Betty… um…" he begins. She feels her chest tighten because she never has any idea what is going to come from his mouth.

"Yes, Jughead?"

"Listen… about before… I was being an asshole. I'm sorry about that." She wants to tell him it is okay, that she understands him - maybe more than he knows. Definitely more than she'd care to admit.

Which was why she is so mad at herself for only shrugging nonchalantly and responding with, "whatever. It's cool."

That's the thing… she's been feeling a lot more for him than she wants to, these days. Sure, at first it was fun and hot and wrong and… so many other things.

But lately, she finds herself missing him when he isn't there. She wants to know how his day is going or what he is doing. More than all that… she had started really getting used to the idea of having him around forever. When he pushed her away, it just made her realize that she is too vulnerable in this situation.

"Shit," he mutters off, quickly. He gestures towards the dance floor, "I didn't even ask you to dance. Do you wanna dance?"

She does, actually.

But the song is almost over, and she doesn't trust herself around him, anymore.

And she doesn't really trust him around her heart, either.

She doesn't reply with words, merely shakes her head. If she speaks now, she knows her voice will give her away.

"I feel like I'm always doing this stuff wrong," he admits quietly before taking back the last of his champagne. Little does he know how well he is doing… too well.

That's the problem.

The few days leading up to her date with Adam had been… maybe the happiest she's ever been. But until he pushed her away, she had forgotten how complex and difficult Jughead could be. He wasn't easy to love - he never let himself be.

"We don't need to give those two anything else to talk about," Betty shrugs when she notices Archie and Veronica noticing them.

"Right," Jughead says sharply - it's clear from his tone alone that he doesn't agree with her. Betty closes her eyes, even feeling the beginnings of tears - what the hell is this?

Why is she feeling so much, so hard right now? She wants to blame the music. She wants to blame the champagne.

"Why don't you ask Midge?" Betty asks him mockingly with a cavalier shrug, before she can stop herself. Jug stares at her for a moment before a big smile spreads across his face, then he starts to laugh. "What? Stop laughing at me!" Betty demands, frustratedly.

"Aw, Betty... are you jealous of Midge?" Jug teases. He reaches over, taking her cheek in his hands. "Betts, you don't have to-"

"I'm not jealous," she lies, pulling away from him. Jughead's face takes on a more serious appearance when he realizes she is truly upset. "You can do whatever you want, Jug. It's not like you're my boyfriend or anything," she adds, ruefully.

Betty regrets it the moment it leaves her mouth, but between the alcohol and her raging jealousy she couldn't stop it from coming out. Jughead leans back from her and nods; he can't hide the hurt in his face.

"Ah, yeah. Nice," he mumbles, embarrassedly. Betty sighs, wishing she could take it back.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"I told Midge I wasn't interested," he tells her, flatly. "I told her it wasn't going to happen for us - ever." Her shoulders slump, and she feels even worse.

"Jug-"

"And I might not be your boyfriend, or whatever. But I still care about your opinion. And I'm not a total asshole who's just going to hook up with someone to spite you…" he tells her heatedly, but his voice softens, and his gaze falls to his fidgeting hands as he adds, "And it makes me sad you even think that-"

Betty twists in her seat toward him, "I don't think that."

"What do you want, Betty?" he asks, looking like he is at a complete loss. "You want to date other people? Fine. You want to be exclusive? Let's do it. But what do you want?"

She turns back away from him, so he doesn't see the tears burdening her eyes.

"I don't know," she chokes out, honestly.

Betty hears Jughead shift in his seat behind her. He leans in again, this time sliding a gold hotel room keycard on the white tablecloth in front of her. Betty just stares down at it, her throat suddenly feeling dry.

"I'm going upstairs," he murmurs into her ear. It takes everything out of Betty not to shudder at the feeling of his hot breath on her. "You can come up… or not. It's okay, either way."

She feels his presence leave her, and still she stares down at that key like it is the biggest decision of her life.

In a way… it kind of is.

Ever so slyly, Betty takes the card and slid it down onto her lap, then into her purse. She isn't sure what she will do with it just yet… but she is glad she has the option.


Betty paces her hotel room now, occasionally looking at Jughead's room key sitting on the table by her door. This is stupid, she thinks to herself; why is she letting it torment her so badly?

Nothing has changed. Sure, they'd gotten into a little fight and in the heat of it, she went on a date with someone else.

But he wouldn't have given her that key if he doesn't want her to use it.

One might argue he is giving her the power. Instead, she is just trying to figure out how to use this key without being the 'one who caved first.' - As if that even matters!

Is it even important at this point? Is he not the first to cave, giving it to her in the first place?

"Fuck it," she says under her breath. She's overthinking. She hurries over to it, straightening it on the table, but then stepping away again.

For some reason, knowing that Jughead is only a few hallways down from her sets her on fire - which is strange, considering if they were home they would literally be in the same 800 square feet. But something about being away from him and missing the way his lips mold so perfectly over hers or the way he makes her moan his name like she's possessed by something she can't control makes Betty snatch up the key and leave her room in a hurry. She would never admit she's been missing him since the moment she stormed out of the apartment in the first place. And she decides she isn't going to deny herself of what she wants any longer - Life is too short.

Betty doesn't even give herself a chance to change out of her black, strapless party dress. She could tell that Jughead had been wanting to get her out of it since he first saw her in it, so she is going to grant him that wish.

Betty is fast on her way down the first hallway, but as she rounds the second corner, she sees Veronica. She almost calls out to her before it occurs to her that she is literally on her way to Jug's room. So, instead, she decides to take the long way around - no harm in making him wait a little longer. But when she gets to his room, turning the room key card in her hand over and over and over again, she fears she might lose her nerve.

Sure, she has the key, but it feels so… wrong. So invasive. She was never that kind of girl.

So, like the well-mannered, polite girl Betty is, she brings her hand up to rap lightly on his door.

There is no sound on the other side, no rustle of footsteps. She waits a moment, tries again.

Still nothing.

Betty checks the room key number - it is correct. She hates doing this, because it is so out of her comfort zone, but she is determined to see Jughead one way or another. She slides the card through the reader, pleasantly surprised when the little light on the door flashes green and a small beep emits from the machine. She grips the door handle and slowly, hesitantly, lets herself in.

The first thing she notices are the candles everywhere. They are shining and illuminating the place like a cheesy Nicholas Sparks movie. It almost takes her breath away - the soft music and the candles made her feel almost giddy with anticipation just knowing it was all for her.

"Jughead?" she calls out, hearing the hotel room door click behind her as she steps in. She barely makes it a few steps before she feels arms wrap around her from behind, pulling her into that familiar frame of his.

"Gotcha!" he says into her ear. It takes her second to process everything, then relaxed in his arms. She feels his lips press against her jawline from behind. She smiles, her hands resting on his arms wrapped around her belly and leans into his lips, his breath.

"How'd you know I'd come?" she wonders aloud, her own voice feeling far away.

"I didn't," he admits, "Just hoped."

Betty slinks around, her body refusing to leave his as she faces him, her forehead pressing to his. She gives him a soft headbutt, a groan.

"What's it gonna take to make me stay away from you?" she asks him, her lips pursed and ready for his, but he doesn't kiss her.

"All my effort goes into not asking myself that same question," he teases back.

"Juggie... about before-" she begins, her apology ready, but then his hands rub up and down her back before his eyes pop open excitedly. He pulls away from her, the empty space between them now feeling like too much for her.

"Wait wait wait," he instructs. He pulls out his phone. After a few moments of fidgeting, music changed, filling the echo-y hotel room. It was instantly recognizable to Betty. She glares at Jughead.

"Is this the song from before? When you didn't ask me to dance until the end?" she asks him skeptically, but she still pulls him back to her by his suspender strap to her. Jughead leans in close, falling into her.

"I'm making up for it now, aren't I?" Jughead tells her, swaying her body with his.

"You're still not off the hook, buddy," Betty says quietly, and then admits, "okay maybe a little bit off the hook." Jughead doesn't tease her anymore, just holds her body close to his.

"I wish we could have danced downstairs," he says somberly, changing the subject. "I should have just asked… I don't know why I never say what I want to say to you..."

"You're smooth, Jones," Betty hums, letting his hands roam her body freely.

"You have no idea. I haven't even shown you my best moves yet…"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, they are preeeeetty good. Irresistible, even." Betty perks up onto her tiptoes, kissing him deeply, completely lost in the moment. She doesn't care in the least that they didn't dance downstairs - this is far more perfect than anything else she could have imagined.

Alone. Private.

When their breathless kiss breaks, they linger close to one another, unsure what to do next.

"See?" he says, his low voice raw, almost. "I told you."

She catches some lyrics to the song playing softly nearby:

"I'd like to know that your love

Is a love I can be sure of

So, tell me now and I won't ask again

Will you still love me tomorrow?"

"This song is so…" Betty begins, and for some reason she's out of breath. "Cheesy..." she finally snorts. Even though she loves the song, she suddenly feels very silly swaying with Jughead to it. Especially as it basically spills all her unspoken feelings toward him. Jughead laughs along with her.

"Oh, c'mon, Betty. You love it." Her eyes flutter open and meet with his, and she nods.

"I really do," she confesses. "Jug, what I was saying before. I'm really sorry about... how I acted. And what I said-"

"I wasn't much better yesterday," he admits. "Maybe... some of these rules... maybe they're just a little bit..."

"Unrealistic?" Betty finishes for him. He nods, looks a little relieved she said it first.

"Betty... I know we aren't labeling this and I don't want to put more pressure on whatever this is but-"

"Jug, I don't want to date other people," she blurts, her hands slinking up behind his neck, and the look of pure relief on his face is something she thinks will forever be burned in her memory. "And I don't want you to, either."

"The Midge thing really got to you, didn't it?" he asks, and she just gives him a weak smile, a small roll of her shoulder. "I was a mess thinking about you out with that guy tonight. I almost didn't come. But I couldn't skip Archie's party. And then you came alone..." The end of his sentence lingers, a puzzle for her to finish for him.

"We didn't even finish dinner. He knew I was into someone else. I guess I made it pretty obvious." Jughead just smiles, sighing through his nose before he leans down, pressing another kiss against her lips softly.

"I have… another surprise for you," he says against her lips, "But, if you're not into it, that's okay…"

Betty pulls herself from him slightly, eyeing him nervously.

"Uhhhmm…"

He laughs again quickly, "No, no, no, nothing weird," Jughead laughs, letting go of her and walking towards a door to the left of them. He opens it up, nodding towards her to follow. Betty creeps forward, foregoing her shoes on her way and dropping in height. Jughead stands in the doorway, waiting for her to figure out what he was showing her.

Betty swallows hard when she sees it - the full bathtub. The steamy bathroom was full of candles, the tub full of bubbles. She glances at him; he's got a sheepish grin on his face and a shrug on his shoulders.

"I just know how much you love baths… you take up the bathroom at the apartment for hours, sometimes. And this one is a soaking tub, so… didn't want it to go to waste."
Her bare foot finds the cold tile of the bathroom as she steps in, her arms wrapped protectively around herself as she nears the bathtub. There is still steam coming off the water - he must have just run the bath. He slowly shuts the door behind them, and Betty can't seem find words to escape her lips for such a sweet gesture… all of it, actually.

The candles, the music… now this? This was a side of Jughead Jones she's never seen before.

She nears him slowly, her hand finding his cheek before dropping down to her side, lazily. She turns around, pulling her hair over her shoulder, giving him a clear view of her zipper.

He doesn't even ask if she wants him to unzip her as his fingers find the metal tab - he listens to the gentle buzz of the metal clasp sliding down, exposing the soft, milky white skin of her back. As soon as the zipper hits the bottom of her dress, Jughead's hands slink in through the open back, wrapping around her belly as he pressed a soft kiss to the back of her neck, her shoulder.

Betty can't help but shudder this time, being touched so softly and kissed so sweetly.

"Jughead," she whispers as he helps her out of that dress he's been dying to peel off her all night. "You have to get in with me," she tells him, a weak smile on her lips as he continues to pepper kisses across her shoulder, her spine.

Once her dress falls to the floor, Betty turns around and began to disrobe him, one article of clothing at a time. She unbuttons his shirt with ease, then his pants. Jughead kisses her neck, her cheek. She is so glad he slipped her that room key.

After he is fully undressed, Betty nods toward the tub and he gets in without hesitation, settling into the hot, soapy water. He stares at her, leaning over the edge of the tub as she unclasps her bra, steps out of her panties. Betty feels like she is being studied, and yet is somehow at ease under his admiring eyes.

"Come on in…" Jug starts, leaning against the wall of the tub. "The wat-"

"If you say the water's fine I might kill you." He splashes at her.

"How rude, Betts. After everything I've done for you…" he tsks. She sees the two flutes of champagne waiting on the counter. She fetches them first, handing one to Jughead before slowly, hesitantly, stepping in between his legs and into the warm water.

Betty is already in heaven calf-deep - he was dead right. Betty loves baths.

She lowers herself in, clutching her champagne in her hand and trying desperately not to spill it in the water.

After a moment, she settles in perfectly between his legs, her back pressing up against his chest and her head leaning on his shoulder.

"You good?" he asks. She nods with her eyes closed, exhaling deeply.

"Sooo good." She takes another sip of her champagne, her head already dizzy from the two flutes she had in her own hotel room before, and everything she'd drank at the party.

"Seeee? I've got moves," he whispers lowly in her ear, and Betty feels the bliss of his fingers ghosting over her skin under water, the comfort of his heart beating against her back. Still, she doesn't answer him - her heart is beating fast and she's not sure why. Maybe it was the way his hands smoothed over her thighs, resting comfortably between them.

She hates to admit how much she loved that feeling - that he is already so familiar and comfortable around her that this is like second nature now.
Betty tips back her champagne, setting the glass down on the edge of the tub before rolling over, their slippery bodies never losing contact as she rests against him, her chin on his chest. She looks up at him through her half-lidded, lovesick gaze. Jughead reaches up and moves a wisp of golden hair from her face.

"Why'd ya do this?" she asks him.

"Because I know how much you love baths. And I don't want you to be upset anymore," he tells her. Betty grazes her thumb against her own bottom lip, feeling a little tipsy.

She slides up his body, kissing him on the lips, softly.

"And you don't want me to be upset at you anymore, right?" she whispers into his mouth. Jughead says nothing, just nods gently.

Betty sighs, collapsing against him and pressing her cheek up against his shoulder. Jughead ran his hands down her back, comfortingly, just trying to make her feel safe and protected - Betty is worried she might fall asleep right there.

"Betts?"

"Yes, Jughead?"

"You like me, right?" he asks, a slight crack in his voice that's hard to ignore.

"Yeah, of course."

"But I mean you… like me, like me."

Betty's head rises and she tries to look into his eyes and gauge just how serious he is. With Jughead, she can never truly tell.

"Why are you asking me this now?"

"I've liked you since high school," he says, pulling her closer as he feels her body slipping down his. "Middle school, actually," he corrects, then thinks back even further.

"Maybe always."

A wry, knowing smile crossed Betty's lips.

"I know," she tells him, softly.

"Why did you always come around after my mom and Jelly split?" he asks, suddenly taking the conversation in a heavy direction and Betty's smile wavers. "Was it because you liked me?"

"Jug," she begins but chokes on her words. She's been realizing more and more that even if she is feeling things for him lately, she still didn't totally know what these feelings meant. It was still so new. And so intense. And she was still so uncertain what their future held.

"Was it?" It came out as a plea, and Betty felt her heart crack ever-so-slightly.

"It was because... You needed me," is her diplomatic response, and she knows it is like a dagger to the heart for him, so she quickly adds, "and I needed you, you know? My life wasn't particularly great at that time, either."

Betty brings her wet hand up, pressing it against Jughead's warm cheek.

"I still need you," she whispers, and Jughead's eyes softened at her words. She can tell he is surprised that she said this to him - she is surprised, herself. It is the most vulnerable she's ever let herself get around him. And although this moment is intimate and loving and tender… there is nothing sexual about it.

Maybe that's what scares her the most.

They stay in the bath, laughing and enjoying each other's company until the water gets cold before he gets out, wrapping a towel around his waist as he slips back into the hotel room. Betty gets out, wrapping herself up in a towel, as well. She shivers; the tips of her hair were wet, and it sends chills down her feeling it swipe across her neck and shoulders.

Betty steps out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She walks past a mirror hanging on the wall, and she stops at it. She admires her reflection, taking in the gentle curves of her heart-shaped face. She smiles when she sees Jughead come up behind her. His hands softly rest on her shoulders. He looks at her reflection, but she was looking down, seemingly lost in thought.

"Betty…" he says her name in such a way that she looks up into his reflection. His hands move from above her shoulders and down her arms as he outlined her body. He stepped closer to her; she could feel the heat of his body behind her.

His eyes close as he tilts his head just slightly. He breathes in, parting his lips and letting out a warm exhale, the air flowing around her ear.

Betty's own lips part at the sight, her eyes becoming half-lidded at the heat sweeping through her. She stares at his face as though she is seeing it for the first time. Why does everything feel different now?

"So gorgeous…" she murmurs subconsciously - for since this all started, and probably even before then, Betty could not deny her physical attraction for him.

He cracks his eyes open at the compliment, his gaze meeting hers when he raises it to the mirror. He raises a hand again, this time sweeping all of her hair over her right shoulder.

He lowers his head further, his breath finding her neck and she almost hates herself when she has no control and tilts her head to feel him better, "You are so…unbelievably…sexy…"

His words hit her skin and she had to bite her lip to keep herself from moaning.

His mouth, a mere centimeter away from her skin, trails the curve of her neck to her shoulder. His breath enters her soul as goose bumps rise up on her skin. She can even see the sharpness of her skin in the mirror and knows Jughead is aware of the reaction as well. Her knees quake at the sudden desire to fall back into him. As his breath ghosts back up to her neck, manages to grip her towel in one hand as her other one presses flat against the mirror. Her breath becomes heavier as she exposes her neck as much as she could and when she felt how it teases her collarbone, she lets her head fall back.

His warmth reaches her throat and her mouth drops open when she found she wanted him to sink his teeth into her.

"God…" he mutters in the space between them, "Look at yourself, Betty…"

Swallowing roughly, Betty's eyes flutter open and look down her nose into the mirror like he commands.

She releases a breathy moan and brings her head forward again, this time pressing her forehead against the mirror. For how chilled she was before, and for all the goosebumps on her skin, she was now feeling rather flushed and the cool mirror helps relieve her in one way.

His lips linger on the back of her neck, over the back of her shoulders, and planted the softest of kisses between her shoulder blades.

She folds in her lips and shakes her head, wanting to speak but afraid it will come out as nothing more than an unadulterated moan. She feels the area between her legs begin to tingle and is pretty sure she hates herself for it. He has hardly touched her, and yet she is longing for him more than she ever has.

She can feel his bottom lip being tugged down as he lowers his mouth down the top of her spine. When he pauses, she curves her back, reflexively trying to urge him to continue. But her towel is in his way from continuing any further down.

Jughead slides back to her shoulder, his lips hovering. He nuzzles his nose against the spot above her ear, his breath warmly entering her brain through her auricle.

"I'm... so crazy about you, Betty," he whispers loudly, and his words made her whimper, the sound both desperate and pleased.

Betty releases the grip on her towel, and she feels it slide softly down her back and to the floor around her feet. He takes that as an open invitation as his breath swims down her spine, and the warmth radiating from his hands encloses her as he traces her small frame; it is like he is an artist that was trying to become his work.

She feels his breath in the space of her lower back and it is making her dizzy. And as his feather soft kiss landed on her lower back, she curves her back more and her knees continue to weaken. Her hand slides down the mirror as her body gives out until she is on her knees. He is on his as well, and she leans back into him, her eyes remaining closed.

He breathes her name against her temple before kissing her there. She slides her legs out from under her, as he lays her down on the carpet, the softness welcoming as her mind became fuzzier.

But then Jughead is hovering above her, breathing against her sternum. He travels to the valley between her breasts and to her stomach; He breathes down her right thigh, turning his head to let his lips slide down her inner thigh, then back up the other.

Betty bites her bottom lip hard when her legs spread because her body is demanding something she no longer has control over. And then she feels him against her center and she arches her back and clenches her fists, her nails scraping over the carpet in a failed attempt at grasping onto something.

"Jug," she gasps, her words caught in her throat and her fingers rake through his hair just to have something to grab on to as he tastes her. The initial contact makes her eyes roll back and her legs quiver - She feels his face press against the creases in her thighs as he began swirling his tongue around her most sensitive area. It only takes a few seconds before she realizes that she wants - no needs - something more than this.

Betty's breath hitches as she pulls herself up until she was sitting. He looks up at her and she can see the burning look in Jughead's eyes again as she takes ahold of his face with her hands and forcibly brings his lips to hers. He scrambles up the length of her, falling to his elbow nearly on top of her when his lips collide with hers.

Her hands are in his hair, her fingers clenching when his tongue finds hers.

"You're really gonna make it impossible to leave," he murmurs against her, his voice somber.

She freezes for a moment, not remotely sure what such a cryptic statement like that could mean.

"What?" she asks, breathlessly. His eyes pop open, as though he didn't realize he'd said it aloud. He shakes his head.

"Nothing, nothing," he says quickly, and his lips are back to hers so fast she can't even begin to care to decipher it.

Betty jumps a bit when she feels his fingers ghost over her inner thigh before his hand presses firmly against her most sensitive area.

"Does this feel good?" he asks her, but her words get choked up in her throat and as she feels two fingers slide inside of her, all she is capable of is a short nod to answer his question. She feels her back arch involuntarily, noticing the way her body seems to move on its own accord at this point.

Jughead's lips drag along her collarbone as he continued to work his fingers inside of her, and Betty feels how slick they became the more he moves. She grabs ahold of the first part of him she can reach, his bicep, as she squeezes her fingers into his skin and bit her lip to keep from moaning. This just seemed to encourage Jughead even more, and he seems to be getting worked up just by seeing Betty's enjoyment.

Betty excitedly brings Jughead's mouth to hers to lay claim to once more, imagining she was marking her territory for good. Something about this experience with him tonight makes her feel like a goddess.

Empowered.

Jughead slips his hand from her before he centers himself more upon her, Betty's eyes crack open as she feels him graze against her, a different sensation. Betty lets her legs fall more open, and studies the concentrated, intense look on Jughead's face as he prepares to enter her. Betty's hand lightly touches his face and his eyes connected with hers, the final permission.

Jughead presses his hips forward into Betty once, cautiously, caringly. He feels searing hot inside of her, she wishes that they could stay like this forever. She wraps her arms tightly around him, pulling his chest close to hers in an embrace. She wants to feel everything: his staggered breathing against her neck, his dewy skin rubbing against hers, while she placed fleeting, sporadic kisses against his shoulder.

Jughead presses forward again, and he was gone. He begins to move against her with more stamina, and Betty begins to rock her body beneath him. They've done this before... plenty of times. But it never felt like this.

"Fuck," Jughead's low voice growls, most likely involuntarily. He runs his hand up her sides and Betty's body spasms and slacks beneath him, unsure what sensation to focus in on more.

Although she is taken aback by the sudden feeling of his hand cupping over her breast, Betty focuses on the sensation of him sliding in and out of her, slipping against her wetness.

Jughead thrusts deeply into her as he slides his tongue deeper into her mouth, where he catches her soft moaning. She feels the tingling, hot sensation growing from deep within her. The way he is hitting her seems to be the right place, and when he kept deeper and closer contact it begins to send her over the edge.

She moans again, louder this time and again it just seems to encourage Jughead even more. Betty finds herself falling in love with the sounds of their mingled breaths and whimpers. Betty clenches her legs around him even tighter as she held back his name, which she wanted to say over and over and over again.

"I love you," She hears him whisper, his voice rough with passion, raw and poisonous and carnal, and it causes her orgasm to hit her hard. Betty feels an unmistakable wave wash over her, then another. She tenses beneath him, her head falling back and her mouth opening for a soundless yell. Jughead catches sight of her ecstasy, a grin spreading across his lips as he quickens his pace.

It only takes a couple of Betty's uncontrollable moans near Jughead's ear and feeling her clench and flutter all around him before he moaned in accepted defeat as he came with her. His movements halt, shuddering a bit. Betty bites her swollen lip, her heart beating in her throat and her breath rapid.

She pulls Jughead's agape mouth to hers once more. She opens her eyes and after his body begins to relax, he opens his as well. Their serious, intense faces don't last, and before they know it they both break into delirious laughter. Jughead groans, and Betty doesn't want him to leave her just yet.

But he does anyway, rolling beside her but quickly extending his arm out for her to lay her head on his chest. He reaches beside him and pulls over the forsaken towel, covering them lazily, with many parts of them still exposed.

Betty rolls onto her stomach, her chin on his chest as she stared up at him through glassy eyes.

"Well, that was pretty incredible," Jughead announces, and Betty just groans playfully, her hand draping across her face. She can feel her hot cheeks and imagines they are bright red from the excursion and the sheepishness.

"Oh-ho-ho … suddenly we're shy?" he says teasingly, poking her in the side. Betty giggles, removing her hand from her face to slap his prodding finger away from her.

She thinks about what he said right before the end... she could have sworn she heard him say he loved her.

Oh my God... she thinks to herself. She loves him, too.

She wants to tell him that, her mouth even geared up to as she quickly said, "Jug?"

He opens one eye peeking down at her before propping himself up on his elbow to get a better look at her. He stares back at her, waiting, but instead, she just says, 'thank you.'

She doesn't know why.

He offers her a sideways smirk, pushing away a blonde lock that keeps falling into her eyes and then resting it against her cheek.

"So, is it safe to say we won't be seeing other people?" he drones, his voice lower than usual. Betty leans into his hand, and he softly and lovingly grazes his thumb against her skin. She doesn't take her eyes off of him as she leans down and kisses the skin of his chest once more.

"Sounds like a plan," she exhales.

Betty loves the feeling of their sticky skin reconnecting as she leans her head down and presses her forehead to his. Jug's hands run up the length of her back as he promises, "Because you and I? I think we might be endgame."

Betty just smiles and presses a lingering, soft kiss against his lips. She nuzzles her face into the crook of his neck, taking in the scent of him, feeling complete as his arms wrap around her tightly. She lets out a long exhale, her heart finally feeling like it is beating at a normal pace and frequency.

She wishes the night would drag on forever, especially when she thinks back on what he said earlier, about how much harder it was going to be to leave.

What did that even mean?


Betty wakes up early.

She stayed the night.

However, she figures rules are completely out the window now. As they lay in the darkness together, Betty can focus on nothing more than the consistent, gentle sound of Jughead's breathing. She studies his silhouette from her pillow, still wondering what he meant, before. Still wondering if she just imagined him telling her he loved her.

She leans over to the nightstand, checking her phone for the time - it's almost 5 am, and the low battery sign is flashing on her screen. She carefully gets out of the bed, creeping around and peeking at the outlets to find a charger, but not finding one.

She crouches down to his overnight back, rooting around inside on the off chance that he packed one. She uses the remaining light on her phone as a flashlight as she searches, hearing something crinkling in the bottom of his back.

She pulls out a folded piece of paper, slightly crinkled. Curiosity gets the best of her and she unfolds it.

It's a letter from Time - the internship she has watched Jughead pine over years now.

She wants to be happy for him, but her stomach sinks at the word, 'congratulations.'


tbc