A/N: I've had trouble posting here but I think it's worked out now. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 10

Jughead firmly believed that there were certain things he should never have to experience and high up on that list was overhearing his best friend consummate a relationship. The day started out innocent enough. Him and Betty went for their usual walk around Central Park, eating ice cream cones until their stomachs ached. They watched a small jazz troupe nestled in one of the areas of the park with less traffic, and Betty convinced Jughead to dance with her after a promise of more ice cream. They trudged back to her apartment and went into her room, closing the door behind them and collapsing onto her bed in a jumble of exhausted limbs.

"I didn't know it was possible to be this tired," Betty said, resting her cheek on his chest. "We didn't even do that much."

"I did squire you around the dance floor," Jughead said, running his fingertips along her spine.

Betty smirked and murmured, "How could I forget about the squiring?"

"I'm a little offended right now."

Betty snuggled closer to him, propping her leg up over his. She loved quiet moments between them. It felt like both of them were running around so much, it was nice when they had time to just be together. No deadlines. No expectations.

"I could stay here forever," Betty said softly.

"Really?" Jughead asked. "I thought you'd aspire for something bigger than an apartment above a questionable Lithuanian restaurant."

Betty hit his side. "You know what I mean."

He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, I do. Although, if we're going to stay here forever, we may want to invest in better sheets."

"What's wrong with my sheets?" Betty asked.

"To be honest, they're a little scratchy."

"I love these sheets."

Betty and Jughead heard the front door of the apartment open and the tell-tale clack of Veronica's heels. Betty looked up at him and asked, "Should we go say hi?"

"No, I think we should stay here," Jughead said, yawning wide. "Besides, Veronica's been using me as her personal Nerd Herd lately. I don't want to get dragged into fixing her computer again."

"Fair point."

Outside the door Veronica said something and a male answered. Jughead sat up a bit and said, "Archie's here."

"Does that mean you're going out there now?"

Jughead considered it for a moment and then said, "Nah. I'm good. I see him enough as it is."

Betty snorted and said, "Your friendship is a thing of beauty."

"You're ignoring your best friend right now," Jughead pointed out.

"Yes, but I live with her. Very different."

"How?"

"It just is," Betty held.

"Your lack of explanation really has be doubting your logic and -" Betty interrupted him with a kiss, her hand tracing the curve of his jaw. When she pulled away, Jughead blinked slowly and said,"-and I don't really care anymore."

He returned his mouth to hers, fingers slipping beneath the hem of her shirt as their mouths moved languidly. They were past the days of frantic make out sessions, their movements rushed, as if they were afraid if they didn't move fast enough the moment would disappear. Now they moved slowly but deliberately. Her hands slipping under his shirt. His mouth pressed with just enough pressure on her neck to leave a slight mark. Betty mewled contently, pressing his mouth harder against her neck. She was met with a similar, albeit louder, noise from outside the door, and the pair froze.

"Did you just…" Betty began, eyes widening when she heard the same noise, followed by a throaty laugh. "They're not…"

Jughead scrambled off the bed and slowly opened the door just enough to see into the living room. He quietly closed it again and turned back to Betty who gave him a questioning look.

"So, our friends appear to be having sex on your couch."

"Oh gross," Betty said, wrapping her arms around herself. "Out on the couch? Really? Do they at least have a towel down or something?"

"You know, when I saw my best friend without pants on, I pretty much stopped looking."

"Do you think they know we're in here?" Betty asked.

"I can't speak to Veronica's sexual proclivities, but Archie really isn't into exhibitionism. So, I doubt it."

"We can't leave, right? I mean, we'd have to interrupt them then. We shouldn't interrupt them. What if this is, you know…"

"What?"

"Come on, Jug. You know."

"No, actually. I don't."

Betty sighed and said, "What if this is the time."

"You mean their first time?" Betty nodded. "Do you really think they're consummating their relationship on your couch?"

"I don't know," Betty said defensively. "Maybe? Veronica always tells me how she lost her virginity on a trampoline. So, I don't think a couch is out of the question."

Archie made a noise that was a cross between a moan and a yelp, and Jughead winced.

"This is something I should never be hearing," Jughead said. "I may never recover."

"Maybe it'll be over soon?" Betty returned hopefully.

Jughead shook his head, for some reason feeling like he needed to vouch for his best friend's sexual prowess, and said, "Unfortunately, I think we'll be here for a while."

Betty picked up one of her pillows and walked over to the door and stuffed it against the bottom. It somewhat muffled the activities outside.

"So, Veronica really lost her virginity on a trampoline?" Jughead asked after a moment, watching Betty sit on the edge of her bed.

Betty smirked. "From what I know, it was at a musical after party with her high school boyfriend. They actually broke the trampoline."

"I don't know whether to be impressed or horrified."

"Probably a mixture of both."

"What about you?" Jughead asked.

"What about me?"

"How did you lose your virginity?"

Betty grew silent, suddenly finding the top of her bed spread incredibly interesting. She picked at a pilled bit of the bedspread, wishing that he would stop looking at her. He sat down next to her and took one of her hands in his.

"Betts-"

"I'm not some freak," she said softly. "I've dated. And those guys, you know, they wanted to…"

"I don't doubt that," Jughead said, running his thumb against her hand.

"And I did, too," she said. "It's just, I kept waiting for it to be the right person, and none of them were. So, I didn't do it."

"I understand."

"I know it's weird," Betty continued. "I mean, most people by my age-"

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me," Jughead interrupted. "What you do with your body and when you do it is entirely up to you. And if anyone judges you for that then they're not worth having in your life."

"You're not freaked out?" Betty asked slowly. Her last boyfriend hadn't taken the news as calmly, reading some sort of frigidity into her still being a virgin. Once it became clear that he wouldn't claim it in the near future, he disappeared. But Jughead didn't seem phased by the reveal. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth softly against hers. The kiss was light, nothing more than a quick brush of his lips against hers. It was the type of kiss that didn't ask for anything in return.

"I love you, Betty," he murmured. "All of you. So, no, I'm not freaked out. Not even close."

Betty kissed him quickly, relief flooding her stomach. She hadn't exactly kept this information from his intentionally, but she hadn't been looking forward to the conversation. Now that it happened, she didn't know why she waited so long in the first place.

"You're pretty great, Jug. Do you know that?"

"You know, I always had an inkling but it's nice to actually hear it," he joked.

"So, what about you? How did you lose your virginity?"

"After prom with my high school girlfriend," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "It was pretty cliché. Local motel room. Both of us tipsy from cheap whiskey that our friend snuck into the dance. It lasted all of, I think, thirty seconds."

"You're really selling yourself right now."

"I just want you to know what you're getting," Jughead returned. His cheeks turned red when he realized what he said, and he quickly added, "Not that I think you're – I'm not just assuming that-"

"Take a breath," Betty said with a soft smile. "I know you didn't mean anything."

They heard shuffling outside the door, and Veronica and Archie's voices were associated with words instead of just noises. The pair exchanged a look and Jughead hopped off the bed and slowly opened the door a crack again. He turned back with a pump of his first.

"The maiden voyage has come to a close."

"We can never tell them we were here," Betty said, standing up. "We'll just stay hidden until they leave?"

Jughead nodded, and their plan may have worked if Betty didn't trip on an errant shoe, yelping as she caught herself on the way down to the floor. A moment later Veronica's voice rang out with, "Betty?"

Betty look at Jughead with wide eyes as he gestured for her to respond. She winced before grudgingly opening the door and stepping out to an amused Veronica and stricken Archie. Jughead joined her and Archie said, "Seriously dude?"

"We heard nothing," he promised, hands held up in yielding. "Well, okay, maybe we heard something. But, it was really all just nondescript noises."

"Betty Cooper, who knew you were such a voyeur," Veronica said with a Chesire grin.

"Okay, Jug and I are going to get going," Betty said, grabbing a hold of Jughead's hand and dragging him along behind her. "Congratulations to you two. We're just…bye."

Betty closed the door behind her and Jughead, who asked, "Did you just congratulate them for having sex?"