Since the first time together, Jughead has had a hard time being around Betty in the presence of others. When they're alone, lip to lip, skin to skin, it's as if nothing in the world exists outside of her bedroom. Outside of that bubble that Jughead finds comfort in almost nightly now, he's not sure how to act around her. It's on a day like many others have been throughout the summer, the now three musketeers enjoying the sunshine at Sweetwater River with friends, that Archie finally speaks up about it in the most embarrassing of ways.
At the river's edge, Jughead remains seated on a fallen log, his body slumped forward over his lap as he watches Betty in the water with Veronica. He's been staring for far too long and he knows she sees him looking with the playful glances she shoots his way every so often. He's feeling terribly hot, not due to the heat of late summer but by the way her large breasts are barely contained by the strapless bikini top she'd chosen to debut today. She'd mentioned last night that she'd bought a new swim suit just for him but it's what came after that keeps replaying in his mind. He knows exactly what lies beneath that tiny scrap of fabric, her budded pink nipples and perfect round breasts. The way they look squeezed together around his cock and after, slicked with the sticky sheen of his welcome mess.
"Hello, earth to Jug," Archie calls, snapping his fingers in his face. "Dude are you hard," he laughs far too loudly, glancing over his shoulder at Betty as a knowing grin crosses his lips.
"What? No," Jughead grits, shifting to conceal the raging arousal that is in fact very obviously tenting his thin swim trunks.
Much to his dismay, both Betty and Veronica come skipping over, Kevin quickly trailing behind.
"What are we laughing about Archikins," Veronica questions giddily.
"Jug's got a-"
"Doctor's appointment," Betty blurts out, her eyes locked on his panicked expression as she quickly pulls him to his feet, keeping her body positioned between his and their friends line of sight as she whisks him away.
They don't get far, just out of eyesight before Betty tugs him to a stop.
"You ok," she questions gently.
Jughead sighs, looking something of a kicked puppy and honestly, she's pissed. How could Archie so carelessly embarrass him like that?
"Betty," he says lowly. "I didn't mean to get- I just- you're just-"
"Are you seriously trying to apologize to me for getting turned on," she questions through a stifled chuckle.
Jughead shrugs.
"You're adorable," she grins, earning a halfhearted scowl. "Was it the bikini or were you thinking about what I let you do last night," she breathes against his ear as she backs him into a tree.
Jughead swallows hard, a low grunt barreling it's way from his chest as she grabs a handful of his hard on. Her lips collide with his, needy kisses being met with an eager tongue as she rubs him over his shorts.
"Where else do you want to cum Juggy," she taunts, nipping at the pulse in his neck.
"Inside you," he chokes out with the disappearance of her hand beneath his waistband.
He's done it once before, and only once, too nervous to risk the 1% again without a condom, but now, feeling absolutely tortured and somehow threatened by their friends close proximity, he craves to claim her in a way that only he can.
Without a moment's hesitation, Betty forces his shorts down his thighs, drawing whimpered moans from his lips as she pumps him a few times in her hand. Over the past few weeks, Jughead has grown bolder, and here, surrounded by the forest, something primal urges his next move. With a quick hand he has her against the tree, her cheek brushing against its rough bark as he hauls her backside to his front. Her stance is welcoming, her thighs spread wide for him and he easily slips inside from behind. Her fingers clutch at the tree's trunk, bits of bark working their way under her fingernails as he plows into her with force. Her gasps and moans egg him on, her whining of his name inching him closer with every thrust. Her pitch raises, her breathing labored and her voice cracks with her unexpected cry of pure ecstasy. Her walls squeeze and clench around him, her fluids soaking his pelvis and he barely registers the crunching of footsteps as he fills her to the brim with the explosion of his own climax.
"You're fucking Betty," Archie announces in both confusion and astonishment.
"Jesus christ," Jughead grits, hurrying to tuck himself away with the quick draw from her center.
"What the fuck Arch," Betty scolds, keeping herself tucked behind Jughead as she shimmies her bikini bottoms back into place.
"Sorry. Shit," he scolds himself, looking away to allow them a bit of decency. "So, how long have you guys been playing doctor," he laughs from behind the hand covering his face.
Both Jughead and Betty can't help but laugh, but Jughead is a bit apprehensive.
"A few weeks," Betty speaks up.
"A few weeks," he questions in surprise. "How did I not know about this?"
Archie follows the pair back towards the river, a perplexing look on his face as he tries to figure out how he'd missed something so huge.
"Are you guys like dating?"
Jughead looks to Betty with uncertainty, "Uh-"
"Yes," Betty replies confidently, a shy smile turning up the corners of Jughead's mouth as she takes his hand.
Archie nods, glancing between their smiling faces as they gaze into one another's eyes.
"You could have told me," he says, sounding a bit hurt.
"What's going on over here," Kevin questions with excitement as he skips to Archie's side.
"Oh em gee," Veronica squeals. "Are you two dating?"
Jughead nods, rubbing at the back of his neck as he blushes under Betty's grin.
After all the swooning and teasing of Jughead waiting long enough to get a girlfriend, the group retires for milkshakes at Pop's before everyone goes their separate ways. Jughead lingers at Archie's for a while, finally telling him everything, from choosing to leave home for the sake of his sanity to finding comfort in the girl next door.
Today, Archie stands tall, watching with teary eyes as the girl who changed it all makes a man of his best friend. After six years, two anger fueled breakups, the rocky recovery of his father's sobriety, and his own struggles with self-depreciation, she's still here, swaying gracefully with the ebb and flow of the life they've built together. With the pronouncement of their marriage, Betty's eyes fill with tears, a bright smile lighting up her face as Jughead takes her into his arms to kiss her for the very first time as his wife, Mrs. Betty Jones, his hand rested protectively at the round of her belly between them.