A/N:

Before we dive into the madness, I just wanted to point out something.
We finally heard that damn voicemail in 5x11, and we know what it was about, but this story was already written when season 5B started so there will be absolutely no mentions of it.
Maybe it could be material for some other fic, who knows.

Alright, people! Here goes nothing LOL
No, I'm kidding. I feel like all these previous chapters, were just a big - loooong LOL - prelude to the gigantic load of smut that's about to come haha. This is the longest chapter so far.
Please keep in mind I haven't written anything resembling smut in a long time, so I might be a little rusty at it, but I really enjoyed planning out the ending for this Bughead journey and I'm honestly hoping you don't get disappointed.

"Do you love me, Betty?"

The moment she realized she'd waited with dread and excitement since they bumped into each other at the gas station weeks prior, had finally come.

His gaze shifted from her lips to her eyes and back down, his breath labored. Hell, he'd probably want to kiss her anyway, there and then, even if she didn't utter a word at all.

"Yes. I love you." And there it was, the undeniable truth. He'd waited so long to hear those words fall from her mouth.

The cosmic bubble of anxiety and frustration that had been swelling up in the living room of Jughead's cabin up to that moment suddenly snapped and an uncontrollable wave of pent-up sexual-energy was unleashed in the air around them, demanding to be tamed. He closed the small distance between them and a second later he was cupping her face firmly with his hands, not even paying attention at the stabbing pain in his injured arm.

He wiped the tears away from her cheeks and then his lips were on hers, desperate and urgent. It was a rough kiss, very different from the one they shared at the Wyrm. It wasn't sweet and it wasn't delicate. It was soul consuming. Their teeth clashed together, Jughead bit and tugged at her bottom lip and soothed it with his tongue as she moaned and arched her back.

He let out a groan as the slight shift made their bodies collide at last and angled his head to deepen the already steamy kiss, allowing his tongue to slide in her mouth. He pulled her hair and her neck arched back, a low moan rising from her throat. It was heated and intense, and filled with so many emotions mixed together. When they finally parted, they were both breathing heavily. She kept her eyes closed, savoring the moment.

"God Betty, I've dreamed about you saying that to me again so many times that I thought I'd go crazy" he whispered against her lips.

"I missed you, Jug."

"I missed you too."

Jughead kissed her hungrily again, his right hand cradling her face like it was the most precious thing in the world, his fingers brushing her cheeks and tangling in the hair at the nape of her neck, while the other arm wrapped around her waist.

Betty's hands gripped at his sides as he started moving backwards until his calves hit the couch and he tripped onto it, bringing her with him not wanting to break the kiss. She quickly put one hand on the armrest behind his head to balance herself and try to control their clumsy fall as he flopped down on the couch unceremoniously and she tripped over with him.

"Fuck!" he throw his head back in pain when his shoulder hit the back of the couch.

He'd been shot and kicked multiple times hours prior, so his whole upper body was sore. Not that he cared that much. The fact that his left arm was on fire was pushed on the back of his mind as soon as his brain registered he had Betty straddling his lap.

"Jug! Are you ok?" she asked worriedly, caressing his face with her fingertips and moving to sit next to him.

"Get back here" he grinned, lost in his own arousal, and he put his open palms on the back of her thighs to move her back, once again sitting on him. She was so close to the growing bulge in his pants that he thought the attempt to hide his body's natural reaction to their actual position was pointless. She surely felt it already.

"You've been shot and I'm sure your arm hurts..."

She tried to change position, but he shot her a penetrating look.

"Don't. Move." His bossy tone causing her body's immediate response, heat spreading in her lower belly.

"I just need a moment" he took a few deep breaths keeping his eyes closed, waiting, as the pain slowly receded. Betty looked closely at his face, a frown appeared on his forehead and his lips were pressed tightly together.

She moved a damp dark curl from his face and cupped it with her hands. "You good?"

"Yep! In fact, I'm...wonderfully good," he murmured in a low husky voice opening his eyes and staring deeply into hers "and I'm having the most incredible sense of déjà-vu right now."

His right hand slide down her body along the sides of her thighs and back up again grazing her ass along the way before settling on her waist, the other hand lingering firmly on her lower back keeping her body flush to his.

"Yeah?" she asked biting her lip. Trying to keep her breathing even appeared to be a very challenging task, considering the lust she saw reflected in his deep blue eyes.

"Mmh mmh," he sighed. "I remember everything about our first time. The way you had your hair down, your vanilla perfume, your amazing green eyes, how your skin felt when I finally got you out of that light pink dress of yours and, of course you were wearing pink underwear to match" he chuckled.

She loved to color match her outfits. "Light dresses call for light or nude underwear. Everybody knows that" she pointed out. That night was etched into her brain like one of the most amazing of her life, she remembered all about it, too.

"See? Always damn perfect. You were so beautiful..." he talked to her in a soothing voice, his words caressing her ears like an hypnotic tune she couldn't get out of her mind as he longingly run his fingertips along the waistband of her pants, making her shiver with want.

"I also remember how desperate I was to touch you," his hand pulled her blouse out of her pants and slid under the fabric brushing against her naked belly, soft and warm "to kiss you."

He nuzzled her nose with his and placed a kiss on her lips "but most of all I couldn't wait to make love to you."

Betty's stomach fluttered and she could feel the heat travel down from where he was touching her right to her core. How could she even manage resist seven damn years without his touch?

"Very much like I am now" his last words came out raspy and raw, his blue eyes were insanely wild when they made contact with hers, smoldering. "I want you so fucking much, you have no idea."

He was whispering against her lips his voice rough and low. When he took her mouth again, hungrily, he let one hand run up and down her sides, his touch burning on her skin through her clothes. Betty felt her inner muscles clench at his words, her body squirming erratically above his to get some friction.

"I want you, too."

"You do, huh?"

His light tease was like fuel on the already raging fire running through her veins and she kissed him hard, taking control of his mouth, letting her tongue slide inside and stroke his possessively.

"God, Betty" he groaned when they parted, his cock straining against his pants now, both his hands gripping her hips as she wriggled back and forth, her body tingling with excitement.

"Baby, as much as I'm actually enjoying the feel of you moving like this, you need to stop" he squeezed her hips to further stress his words, stilling her movements.

"What? Why?" Betty was already breathless and they only just kissed a few times.

"I'd normally say I have enough self control to handle the situation," he gestured at their bodies "but it's been quite a while for me, and it could turn into a total mess real quick."

He spoke never breaking eye contact, instead he let his hand slide between them and gently brushed it over her lower belly and further down, along the seam of her jeans right where she wanted him the most, feeling her heat through the thick fabric and grinning.

"Oh..." she found it impossible to look at anything else than his face, his eyes and his lips as his fingers inched up again, finding the button of her jeans and popping it open.

"Yes, oh" he smiled proceeding to drag the zipper down ever so slowly, the sound of the slider moving along the metal chain making her lightheaded at the thought of what was to come.

Jughead's eyes left hers just to follow a path down her neck to her chest and stop where his fingertips were busy teasing the hem of her silk panties, slipping underneath as she held her breath in anticipation. He dipped a finger into her underwear, caressing her delicate skin, but just when she thought he was finally going to touch her in her most intimate spot, he withdrew his hand.

Betty whimpered in frustration and opened her mouth to protest when he gently took her chin between his index finger and his thumb making her look up at him and her complaint got stuck in her throat. What she saw made her shudder.

If the definition of 'eye fuck' could be translated effectively with a single image, it would have been Jughead's expression in that moment: mouth slightly open, the tip of his tongue wetting his lips, his blue eyes getting as deep and dark as the ocean on a moonless night.

"Help a wounded man, take off your jeans for me" he demanded looking down at his bandaged arm with concern. But something in the way the corners of his mouth arched upward, told another story.

Betty decided she didn't care if he was pretending or not, she'd do anything to get his hands on her body again. She stood on quivering legs and did what he asked. She stepped out of her pants pooling at her ankles and got rid of her shoes and socks along the way, revealing her incredibly beautiful slender legs. He had always loved her legs.

When she was about to climb back on the couch he smirked and shook his head gesturing at her blouse.

"That too, please?"

Ok, now she was 100% sure he was exaggerating the whole thing, quite theatrically too.

"Jug...I'm not a stripper!" She rolled her eyes and clapped her tongue.

"Oh come on, humor me!" He was unbelievable. He was totally taking advantage of the situation.

To be honest, she had actually stripped for him before, when she was performing the Serpent Dance in a club full of bikers and gang members, when his father and her mother were there too. And what a performance that was!

What she didn't know was that as a matter of fact he was simply trying to buy some time and keep his own arousal under control while she was momentarily out of his reach otherwise he'd wouldn't even get through foreplay and come in his pants. Surely the image of Betty sliding up and down a pole, her hair flowing in the air as she twirled and arched her neck backwards, wasn't helping.

"It's either that or I'm gonna rip it open my way," her eyes widened at his bold words "but that's a very nice blouse and I bet you like it too much to see it in shreds."

His eyes were hooded and his breathing harsh, and yet again she complied, starting to unbutton the shirt quickly to be over and done with it.

"Slower!" he warned, squirming on the couch. He was enjoying the show, apparently, his pants felt painfully tight and uncomfortable now. He had to resist the urge to take matters into his own hands to ease the tension.

She didn't like to be told what to do, but his voice and his instruction were getting her willing and ready to explode and Betty clenched her thighs together as her fingers slowed down.

Jughead Jones, Riverdale's very own romantic soul, sleuthing mastermind and writing extraordinaire, had also become a the man who, for some reason, could boss her around get her hot and wet and probably even make her beg for it. And she liked it.

When she she was done with the buttons, the blouse opened, the silk material falling from her shoulders to reveal an adorable bright blue lace bra matching her panties. She used to wear cotton undergarments when she was younger, always picking from the delicate and innocent pastel hues palette. But the beautiful, insanely attractive, sexy woman she'd become now wore luscious fabrics and daring colors. He couldn't have cared less of what lingerie she was wearing since he was more interested on what was underneath, but she looked like sin incarnated! And he proceeded to tell her just that.

"You look fucking glorious Betty. I can't wait to see all of you" his voice hoarse and breathy.

Easy to understand what he meant, since she was almost completely naked. Betty bit her lip, and managed a small self-conscious smile.

Jughead had always complimented her, but somewhere in the process of transitioning from his teen and current self, he developed an incredibly erotic way of expressing himself and his obvious desires and needs, like he knew exactly how to say certain things to a woman and have her pliant like silly putty in his hands without even touching her.

"Hey" she whispered, closing the small distance between them. And this time he didn't object, instead he helped her straddling his lap once more keeping his hands on her backside.

"Hey yourself" he said placing an open mouthed kiss on the tender skin just above her breast.
Her nimble fingers immediately found the buttons of his pants and opened them, eager to touch him, then she sneaked a hand into his boxers without any warning, ripping a strangled moan from him and relishing in the feel of his impossibly hard cock under her fingers. Jughead's hands cupped her ass under the flimsy material of her panties and squeezed firmly.

She kissed him hard on the mouth as she helped him pull his pants and boxers down his legs until he could kick them away with his feet.

Now that he was completely naked she took a few moments to rake her eyes down his torso. The signs of Penny's vengeful beating clearly visible on his skin. Betty's fingers lightly touched the purplish bruises on his right side, where he had been kicked hard and Jughead winced for a moment.

"Look at what she did to you...I'm so sorry, Jug."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Betty closed her eyes for a moment and he reached for her lips, kissing her lightly.

"I feel better already, you're here with me."

His tender words made her smile.

When she opened her eyes, Betty let her hands travel down his chest, his muscles rippling under her palms, as her gaze followed their descent until she found his happy trail and ventured further down, focusing on his erection. Jughead held his breath and went impossibly still when Betty reached to touch him.

"Holy fuck" he chocked on his own words, halting her hand.

"You don't want me to touch you?" she asked, confused, thinking maybe he was having a change of heart.

The words he spoke immediately after got rid of any doubt she had.

"Are you kidding me? There's nothing I want more than your hands all over me, but I need to be inside you, now" he admitted shamelessly brushing a kiss on her lips. He grazed his fingertips around her ribcage lightly grazing the side of her breast and moving around to her back, unclasping her bra, then he hooked his fingers under the straps and pulled them down her shoulders, caressing as much of her skin possible in his wake.

Her breasts were perfect, round and soft and they fit in his hands like they were made just for him. Betty's head fell back at his delicate touch. He teased her nipples with his thumb and lowered his lips to give them a gentle tug.

"Jug, please!"

"I know babe" he groaned against her skin, looking up at her face, his voice faltering as he pushed her panties aside roughly, almost ripping them apart, and slipped a finger through her folds to make sure she was ready. And damn ready she was, dripping wet for him.

"You're so wet."

He almost lost his mind. He wanted to taste her but that would have to wait. Right now he longed for her warmth, he needed to claim her in the most primal way.

Jughead moved under her, gripping her hips to position himself at her entrance, teasing her wet folds with just his tip, "I'm clean Betty, I swear to you" he pleaded longingly, impatient to feel her.

"Inside me. Now" she ordered.

Jughead slid in an inch and stilled, then he took a sharp breath and slowly but steadily lowered her onto him inch by delicious inch.

"Oh my God" she cried as he stretched her and snug her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Fuck, you're tight!"

"It's been a while for me too, sorry." She laughed softly against his skin and Jughead's mouth curved up in a bright smile.

"Don't be sorry. You feel good" he exhaled "so, so good Betts" his nose nuzzled her ear and he bit gently on the pulse point on her neck earning a loud gasp when he went all the way in.

"Oh!" Her walls clenched hard on him in an involuntary reflex.

"Fuck!" he cursed. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, couldn't control it."

He was a second away from exploding and he didn't even move inside her yet.

"I want to go slow, but if you keep this up I don't think I can."

"Then don't go slow" her lips moved against the soft skin under his ear as she spoke, her fingers grazing the light stubble on his jaws. The feeling of his whole length inside of her was electrifying and she gave him another gentle inner squeeze, deliberate this time, urging him to move.

"Damn woman! You'll be the death of me!"
Betty smiled lifting her face from his neck, running a hand through his soft messy dark hair.

"So, will you fuck me now, Juggie?" she said it in such a casual tone like she was asking for a back rub, using her favorite nickname.

Jughead knew she liked to play pretend from time to time in the past, but she never ventured in dirty talk. It was a good thing she didn't master the fine art of dirty talking when they were teenagers, he thought, otherwise he would have embarrassed himself each time they'd have sex. She was a confident young woman now, though, and she knew what she wanted.

He'd had a decent amount of romantic encounters over the years, a girlfriend for a year and a half and a couple of alcohol-induced one night stands he wasn't particularly proud of, so he had learned enough on the subject to know that control is something you achieve with time and practice. But you can throw all that knowledge through the window when you have the woman of your dreams literally wrapped around you in the most intimate of ways after your own body has ached for hers for years on end. Try controlling that.

Jughead locked eyes with her.

"You want me to fuck you, is that it?" he was suddenly serious, his eyes hooded with desire as he lifted her up so that he slid halfway out and then thrust back up hard, rotating his hips at the same time. The way the base of his cock rubbed against her clit made her gasp at the friction and caused her mind to disconnect from her body for a split second.

"Yes..." she was sobbing.

He gave another thrust. "I don't have the strength to be nice and anyway. But," he stilled briefly inside her to draw her attention "later, I'm gonna pin you to the bed and take care of you properly, so save a bit of energy." And with that he stopped talking and gripped her hips to guide her up and down his length until she found her own pleasant rhythm.

Jughead tilted his head back and let her take charge, enjoying her every movement. Her hair fell in soft waves on her chest, tickling the skin of his neck as she moved languidly above him. Betty's mouth was slightly open, barely audible whimpers escaping her lips as she rode him, chasing her release, her forehead frowned as she was lost in all the beautiful sensations her body was experiencing.

"That's it, baby. Take what you need."

His breathy words encouraged her to speed up her movements and arch her back and he knew she was getting close so he slid his right arm around her lower back to keep her stable, his fingers delving into her skin.

"Fuck me" he urged her on, whispering right in her ear as she rode him more erratically now.

He was close too but tried to hold back as much as possible and wait for any sign that she was on the brink of madness.

"I can't. I think I'm close" her trembling voice was so sexy and he was intoxicated by the maddening pace she'd set.

"Yes...Let it go, come for me, love."

She never knew it if was his breathy reply of the fact that he called her 'love' or a combination of both, but something powerful snapped inside of her, and her body started to shake and convulse on top of his as her orgasm rushed through each fiber of her being.

Like a blazing fire, waves of pure pleasure started washing over her from the point where their bodies were joined radiating up to the tip of her hair and back down to her toes as she tightened and clenched around him in uneven spasm.

"Fuck, Betty!" His own release was fast approaching now, and he drove into her a handful of times, powerful and deep.

She had barely registered his voice but was well aware of Jughead's hands lifting her up to slide completely out of her with a final warning. Betty understood he wouldn't allow himself to come inside her. It's not like they had had time to discuss birth control or anything, caught up in the heat of the moment, and he didn't want to be carried away to the point of losing his common sense altogether.

"Jug, n-no. I'm on the pill..." she moaned pushing away his hands from her hips and starting to sink back down on him while her lips devoured his mouth in a hot kiss.

Betty's already sensitive flesh vibrated at the sensation, causing her whole body to shake and her legs to open a little wider allowing him to fill her completely again.

"Fuck, I can't hold it anymore" he stammered out of breath and his vision blurred, his hips jerked upwards a few times and he emptied himself inside of her, gripping at her waist like his life depended on it.

Betty was out of breath, "Jug, I'm about to come again."

Just when she thought she had nothing more to give, the feel of him pulsing inside her made her thighs start to tremble and her toes to curl. Jughead instinctively sneaked a hand between them brushing his thumb on her clit and sending her spiraling over the edge s stars exploded behind her closed eyelids for the second time.

"Holy shit!"

"Good girl!" Jughead smiled, keeping her close, caressing her back with soothing strokes while she slowly stilled and collapsed against him. He tensed up a bit and then relaxed again.

"Are you ok?" Betty looked up at him.

"Just give me a minute...you knocked me out!" He chuckled, his lips nibbling the skin just above her breasts.

Her giggle vibrated through their still connected bodies, and they stayed like that for a little while.

When she moved to stand up, he slid out of her swiftly and they both sighed at the sudden sensation of emptiness. Jughead gently straightened her panties, taking the opportunity to run his fingers down her hips and her thighs. She was perfect.

"For a second there I thought you were going to rip them off."

"It crossed my mind," he beamed "but I'm glad I didn't. They look gorgeous on you. In fact, feel free to wear only underwear whenever you're here in the future."

Despite the flirtatious intimacy of the moment, Jughead looked at her with such reverence that her knees failed to keep her upright and they both remained quiet for a few seconds.

When she set foot in that cabin, she never would have imagined what would happen within minutes and there he was, talking about their future.

She felt incredibly happy and terrified at the same time. They both fell back into each other's arms so easily that she bit her lip to remind herself that she was indeed awake.

"We made quite the mess, huh?" he joked looking down at the result of their combined releases on his lap. He flashed her a satisfied grin and she blushed.

God, he was hopelessly in love with her like never before.

"I could help you getting cleaned up if you want. Did you know that this cabin has a huge walk-in shower?" he said with a suggestive wave standing up and cuddling her in a tight hug. "We could...hop in and optimize the time."

Their bodies were flush against one another and his hands were roaming over her skin like he was trying to memorize every curve. He wanted her again and she clearly felt his arousal against her hip.

"If we get in the shower together, I'm pretty sure neither of us would get clean, Jug" she choked on her own words when Jughead suddenly cupped her face and kissed her leaving her breathless, before taking her hand and heading for the bathroom.

They were teasing each other like they never even spent a day apart, let alone years.

"That's the plan..."

Betty literally walked into the majestic shower and looked around. That thing could fit an entire football team on full gear and then some. It had a glass wall which was directly in front of the gigantic mirror above the sinks and a digital display with which you could set your desired temperature and chose the water spray mode according to your taste. Betty also saw some color therapy settings. She fumbled with the controls briefly and put the back of her hand under the shower head to make sure it was warm enough.

He found himself incapable of taking his eyes off her. Betty had always had a great body, that was out of the question. She had an angelic face with long blonde hair and sparkling green eyes framed by the longest lashes he'd ever seen. Her mouth was plump and pink and he could feel himself getting hard just by watching her wetting her lips, imagining them all around his cock.

Her legs though, were another story entirely. One of his favorite parts, long and proportioned, he loved how the taut skin on her thighs felt under his hands when he touched her, her muscles twitching. He dreamed about those legs wrapped around his waist for so long when they first started dating that when they finally discovered the joys of sex, he thought he was losing his mind.

Betty turned around and saw herself in the mirror across the room, then she raised a hand to put a strand of hair behind her ear, her perfectly round breasts in full display, bouncing with the movement of her arm. Ok, maybe her legs weren't the only favorite parts of her slender figure. Her nipples were hard and rosy and the only thing he could think about was to swirl his tongue around them and suck until she begged for more.

"Perfect" Jughead whispered stepping in behind her and stretching out an arm to check the water.

"Yes, this shower is a dream!"

Jughead smirked sneaking his arm around her waist.

"It is but, I was talking about you. You're perfect."

She smiled and even though he couldn't see her, he knew she was blushing.

He moved their bodies under the shower-head, careful not to wet his bandage more than necessary considering the situation, then he grabbed the bottle of shampoo and poured a little into the palm of her hand, helping her to wash her hair as best as he could with just one hand. God he hoped to recover soon, there were so many things he wanted to to with her that needed both his strong arms in action. But, for the time being, this had to suffice.

While she was rinsing her hair, he took his time to caress her shoulders and her back, his fingertips running down her sides, gripping lightly at her waist, pulling her flush against him and she realized he was fully aroused again, his cock brushing against her ass.

"Your skin is so soft and warm. I want to touch, bite and lick you everywhere, to map every inch of your delicious body."

"Oh, shut up..." she giggled, wiggling her ass against his erection and hearing him curse under his breath.

"Sooner or later you'll have to learn to accept compliments, because I'm planning to say a lot of nice things to you. And even naughty ones."

Her blush deepened even more and she was glad her face was under the running water. Jughead laughed softly at her reaction, then he was serious again.

"Lift your leg, put your foot on the stone seat."

Betty hesitated for a moment, looking around. "What?"

When he spoke again, close to her ear, his voice had deepened and she felt it vibrate in her bones.

"Your foot. On the seat. Do it now." His domineering tone immediately turned her on, her body humming with anticipation, her heart pounding in her chest.

She placed her foot on the seat at the corner of the two stone walls and saw Jughead change the shower mode. The water started to drip evenly from the ceiling, falling around them like they were outside in the open, under the rain. It was fantastic.

"Oh my God, this is awesome!"

Jughead's hand traveled down from her waist, around her hip to her front, dipping his index and middle fingers between her legs, running them through her folds, finding moisture and spreading it up to her clit.

"Oh, shit! That feels good too."

Jughead grinned, kissing her neck.

"You're always ready for me, so wet."

His middle finger slipped inside her while he brushed the tip of his index against her clit again, flicking it, and she bucked against him, her inner muscled clenching hard.

"Damn, it Jug!"

It was brief and a moment later he withdrew his hand, but before she had the chance to say anything, she felt him nudge at her entrance from behind, keeping his open palm flat on her stomach, supporting her.

"Look in the mirror, Betty, see how beautiful you are" Jughead was whispering in her ear again.

When she turned her head towards the mirror her breath caught in her throat. Despite the steam from the hot shower was fogging up the glass, she could see their bodies pressed against one another as he inched inside her at an excruciatingly slow pace joining them completely and she actually felt herself getting wetter than ever before, moisture leaking from her center onto him and down her inner thighs.

"Jug!"

He gave a few slow thrusts, letting her adjust to this position.

"You're so unbelievably tight like this, baby."

Betty whimpered, arching her back and he sunk even deeper.

"Oh shit! I can feel all of you."

Betty could hear the sloppy sounds of their lovemaking above the water running, as he moved in and out of her. She kept her eyes closed and after a particularly intense push she lunged forward putting her palms against the tiles to balance herself, and started to move with him, meeting every thrust.

Jughead gripped her hips and held her close as he pounded into her again and again, covering her hand with one of his, leaning into her body for leverage.

She didn't even know how close she was to her release until his hand cupped one of her breasts and fondled a hardened peak between his index and thumb, then Betty's gaze fell on her chest and she was so bewitched by his hand working its magic that when he bit hard on the side of her neck she felt one of the most intense orgasms rip through her.

"Oh, fuck!"

"You're coming so hard around me, I can feel it."

If she had any restraint left, his words finally broke it and she was shaking in his arms, her muscles tightening and clenching around him.

"What are you doing to me?" she sobbed, losing control of her body. Jughead continued moving inside her a little slower, soothing the bite mark on her neck with gentle kisses.

"Told you I was going to take good care of you" he laughed against her skin, raising goosebumps all over "that's what I'm doing."

When Betty stopped shaking, he sped up his movements once more and he felt his own muscles begin to tense up, his release just waiting to consume him. Betty turned her neck and kissed his jawline and his chin, one of her arms reaching around his neck to hold him close.

Lowering his head, he kissed her. His tongue teasing hers, licking the insides of her mouth, biting and sucking her bottom lip. When she stood on her tiptoes, changing the angle of the penetration, he looked in the mirror and he instantly knew he was gone. Seeing her back arched and her ass sticking out, bouncing against the base of his cock made him come without any warning, the only sound escaping his mouth was low growl erupting from his chest as he emptied himself deep inside her, jerking his hips and pumping his release.

When he was sure he could trust his own limbs, he slipped out of her and rested his forehead against her temple, breathing in her scent.

Betty's legs were still shaky, but she managed to put her foot down on the floor tiles and turn around. He had his eyes closed and was still breathing heavily. She grabbed a cloth and helped him getting cleaned up, touching as much of his skin as possible. She turned off the water and ran a hand through his hair which was dripping all over his face, moving it away from his forehead.

When Jughead opened his eyes she was staring at him, one of her hands caressing his jaw.

"I love you, Jughead."

The smile appearing on his face could lit up the entire town on its most dark day. He captured her lips in a searing kiss before grabbing a big towel and tucking it around her.

They were both relatively clean, even though they had spent the majority of the time having the steamiest shower sex of all time.

He walked out of the bathroom wrapping a towel around his hips while she tried to comb through her blonde locks with her fingers making sure there were any knots. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, at the way the soft cotton towel hanged low on his chiseled hips letting his happy trail peek out from the fabric. Betty was just about jealous of the water droplets coming from his wet hair and running down his chest and she mentally mocked herself for being so horny. They had just had sex.

She noted he was towel-drying his hair using only his right hand keeping the left along his side.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried. "Does your arm hurt?"

He cast a sideways glance at his bandage "I think I pulled some stitches."

"How? When?"

"Oh, you know, when you so gracefully fell down on me on the couch, worn out by my incredible prowess" he was joking but she could see he was also in pain.

Betty furrowed her brows and got closer, examining his left arm. The bandage seemed clean though it was a bit wet, considering their most recent encounter under the indoor rainfall. She was determined to check the wound anyway.

"You smell good" he whispered sneaking his good arm around her waist and placing his nose through the hair on top her head, inhaling deeply.

"You do too, but I'm not gonna let that distract me. I wanna take a look..." she was focused on the task on hand, which was making sure their intensive activities had not aggravated his medical conditions.

"I'm fine, Betty." He hooked a finger in the loose knot on her bathrobe belt, tugging at it. All it needed was another small pull and it'll untie completely. "Seriously."

"Seriously, Jug" her tone was firm, though she didn't stop him. "If you really popped some of the stitches, I swear I'm taking you back to the hospital and make sure they keep you there for a whole week!"

He stopped his handiwork, fastened her belt and smoothed the soft fabric on the front of the robe, with such care like he'd been dressing up a precious china doll.

He went quietly to the bedroom, discarded the towel and rummaged through the dresser drawers. He cursed under his breath and then crossed the room to retrieve his bag. She watched as he walked naked around his room, completely at ease and she could only be grateful for the show. He finally found a pair of slacks and put them on not even bothering with boxers.

When he got back he noticed she had managed to restart the fire and to find the first aid kit somewhere. She was sitting on the coffee table waiting for him, wearing only her panties and the t-shirt he'd left on the couch when she showed up.

"I always liked that shirt on you" he mused. It was one of his old gray 'S' t-shirt and although she used to steal some of his flannels and shirts frequently when they were together, seeing her in his clothes again made his heart jump in pure bliss.

He took a cigarette from the pack on the table and raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Do you mind?" She shook her head and he lit it up.

There was something weirdly compelling in watching him smoke and she noticed he used alternatively the right or left hand, depending on what he was doing, which in that moment was picking up her blouse from the floor and folding it on the back of a chair. The silver bands he wore on his ring and index finger reflected the glimmering bright red of the burning tobacco as he took the drags.

He caught her fascinated look and smiled. "What?"

"Nothing, I was wondering why you hold your cigarette like that, at the base of your fingers."

"Oh" he seemed startled by the question, looking down at his hand, and by the fact that she had noticed such a minor detail.

Betty was a trained FBI agent, he shouldn't be surprised by her skills. She had always been a keen observer.

"I guess that's because it's easier to do other things in the meantime. Like smoking and typing for example" he was looking at his hands while he blew out a puff of smoke, and Betty followed his gaze picturing his long fingers gliding over the keyboard, as he took another light drag from his cigarette and resumed typing. Her mind was suddenly invaded by images of said fingers on her skin, touching her. But before her subconscious could go any further, Jughead started talking again.

"I tend to smoke a lot more when I'm stressed out or when I have an important deadline approaching. I'm a writer, so those are two things that happen quite often." He chucked and his smile dazzled her.

"It makes sense."

"I tried very hard not to be a cliche. Apparently, if you're suffering from writer's block in New York, doesn't matter if mild or severe, it's either you start drinking or become a drug addict. Smoking seemed the least damaging option."

"You started smoking because you had writer's block?"

Jughead nodded. "I was halfway through my second novel. When I couldn't write I usually went out for a walk. One night I ran into one of my old classmates. He offered a cigarette and I tried, mostly because I was bored."

"And you liked it?"

"It was something new, it helped focusing my attention on something else than my unfinished book."

"Then what happened?"

"I just took some time off. I went camping with some friends on the Rocky Mountains for a week and disconnected from the world. When I got back, I started writing again. Unfortunately, the bad habit remained."
He finished his cigarette and sat on the couch in front of her.

"Alright," he sighed "do what you need to do." She'd been so pleased and warmed by their conversation that for a brief instant she forgot what she wanted to do. Jughead took the medical scissors and held them up for her, smiling.

Betty gently cut the hem of the gauze to remove it and inspected the wound. Doctors had to put several stitches. It was red and bumpy but looked rather clean, the stitches were still in place and and she figured that he must have pulled them a little in the heat of the moment and the ache flared. Nothing a painkiller couldn't fix, though.

"This looks fine, but you need to be more careful, Jug. You'll heal way faster."

She lightly touched the skin above the wound, right over his Serpent tattoo running her fingertips along the ink and he sighed. He loved the feeling of her hands on him.

"I'm glad your tattoo is intact."

"Me too. Doctor Grayson said I was lucky, another couple of millimeters on the left and the bullet might have severed the brachial artery and..."

"...and cause a massive internal bleeding, I know. You could have died, Jug! Do you have any idea of how terrified I was?"

Jughead noticed her hands were shaking and he took them into his.

"I'm sorry. I'm all good now. You saved me."

Betty remained silent, then she retrieved a couple of pills of Tylenol the hospital had provided him when he got discharged and a bottle of water and handed them to him. "Take these."

He was the living image of gratitude as he brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed her palm.

"Thank you."

She nodded and rummaged through the first-aid kit, fishing out a clean gauze and a new bandage and securing them around his arm.

"Remember you'll need to take your antibiotics in..." she pause checking her watch "...a couple of hours. You should be fine until you go back to Dr. Grayson."

Betty stood up to put the metal box on the kitchen table. On her way back she grabbed her jeans and started to put them on.

"Are you going somewhere?" his voice was soft, he was watching her from under his lashes.

"It's almost dawn...I was thinking I could get home and sleep for a couple of hours, get some work done..." she trailed off.

The last few hours had been pure happiness and bliss, but something in her attitude told him she was on edge around him.

Jughead reached for her arm, brushing her skin and she stopped in front of him. "Or you could stay here, with me." There was something in the way he was talking to her that made her insides burn. It was a simple phrase but it meant so much more. "We can nap for a while and order Chinese for lunch. I'll behave, I promise."

He theatrically crossed his index fingers above his heart. "I give you my word of honor."

Betty smiled at his words. Jughead stretched out a hand towards her and she took it for a moment, squeezing lightly but not holding it.

"That'd be very nice but, there's at least a dozen cases waiting for me to catch up on, I have to feed my cat and I need to get changed anyway."

He nodded in understanding but her elusive tone didn't convince him.

When she took the hem of his shirt ready to pull it off, he stopped her. "Please, keep it."

Betty smiled briefly and finished tying her shoes, getting up from the couch.

Jughead reached for her and ran a hand through her soft hair, which was still damp from the shower.

"You sure there's nothing I can do to make you stay?" He leveled his eyes with hers, then leaned in to kiss her and she sighed against his mouth when his tongue swept along the seam of her lips and slipped inside, moving sensually around hers. It was deep and arousing, and for a few moments she melted into his arms.

When his hands slipped underneath the cotton of her shirt, she tensed up and Jughead stopped.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah! Yes, I'm fine." Betty brushed her fingertips along his jawline and smiled at him. But the gleam didn't reach her eyes.

"I'll call you later."

She put on her coat, grabbed her bra and her blouse, stuffed them in her bag and headed out without looking back. He had a feeling she wouldn't call and that she definitely wasn't fine.