Author's Note : No notes. Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen Song : 'hostage' by Billie Eilish

Disclaimer : Don't own characters. Just like them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN :

Archie entered the house from the epic keg stand battle that just happened. Moose had won. For a bigger guy, he had damn good balance.

Still fuzzy from the beer he'd consumed in short time, Archie scanned the room for Betty. He wanted to see her pretty blonde hair. He wanted to touch her. Maybe he could convince her to go to his bedroom and he could...

He dug his phone from his jeans intending to call her and find out where she was. He swiped his thumb to unlock it, but it wasn't Betty's number that he dialed.

"Archie?" She answered after two rings, "It's late. Are you okay?"

"I still think about you, Geraldine."

A pause, "I think about you, too. You know I miss you."

"I miss you."

"Are you alone?" She asked.

"No."

"Should you be calling me?"

"No," Archie said, "I have a girlfriend. She's beautiful and smart and-"

"Your age," Grundy said.

"Yes."

"But she doesn't know you like I do."

Archie's breath caught at her words. Immediately he was back in that little yellow bug.

Jughead hauled a fading Betty up the stairs to Archie's bedroom. He knew he could lock her in there, she'd be safe. He pushed the door open with his booted foot to find Joaquin pressing Kevin into the bed, their mouths fused together. They looked up, startled.

Jughead scowled, "Get out."

Joaquin knew that look and knew it well. He climbed off of Kevin, grabbed his lover's hand and ushered him toward the door saying, "Let's go, Preppy."

"Wait," Kevin protested, "is that Betty? I-"

"Joaquin!" Jughead snapped.

"I said let's go, Preppy!" Joaquin exclaimed, propelling Kevin through the doorway before throwing a glance back at the serpent prince, "Sorry, Boss."

With that, Joaquin closed the door behind him, the room went dark and Jughead realized that he was alone with Betty Cooper. The only light was filtering in through the window from a dim street light across the road. There was muffled bass thrumming up through the floorboards. Jughead felt his eyes go to the door where there was a very sturdy lock...and a bed less than ten feet away.

A bed. Ten feet. Christ help him.

He shook the thought away.

"Ready to lay down for a bit?" He asked Betty. Her eyes had fallen closed and her head was lying heavy against his shoulder.

At his question, she nuzzled her face against his neck sending goosebumps down his spine, "Will you lay with me?"

"God, Coop," Jughead rasped, "are you trying to drive me crazy?"

"Yep," She cooed, "You drive me crazy. Fair's fair."

Jug chuckled and hauled her over to the bed to lay her down. Her skirt slid up her thighs and the thing was already pretty damn short. He pointedly pulled his eyes away from the masterpieces that were her legs and knelt by the bed near her head. She blinked those big eyes open to look at him.

"How ya feeling?" He asked her.

"A little fuzzy." She said, and propped herself up on her elbow first and then sat up, tucking her legs beneath her, "Am I dreaming?"

Jug quirked an eyebrow, "Do you think you're dreaming?"

"I want to be." She said.

"Why?"

"Because then I could do what I want to do...and no one would get hurt."

Jughead suddenly found it difficult to swallow, "What-"

Betty leaned forward, her fingers gripping the edge of the mattress. Everything seemed to slip into slow motion as her eyelids fluttered, her gaze dropping to his mouth. And then she pressed those beautiful, soft lips to his. Jughead pulled back instantly, like he had received an electric shock. Every nerve ending in his body seemed to come alive and start humming at once. Betty stared at him with an open and vulnerable longing. She scooted closer to the edge of the bed and leaned forward to kiss him again.

Jug tensed, prepared to pull away and end this. But then he just decided to... let himself forget. Forget everything but Betty and her eyes and her lips and her skin. Her mouth met his once again and this time he didn't pull away. The tip of her tongue brushed his lips and he opened them to give her access. She was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. Her small hands slid up to cup the sides of his face, her fingers slipping into the hair at the back of his neck. Jughead let his hands explore, brushing them over his thighs, her arms, her neck, anywhere he could skim over that silky skin. One of her hands dropped down to tangle in the material of his t-shirt and draw him closer. Jughead let himself be drawn. One knee sank into the mattress as he knelt on the bed, Betty laying back, pulling him to hover over her, never breaking the kiss. He braced the majority of his weight on one forearm resting by her head, while his hand found its way to the soft flesh of her thigh. Betty moaned into his mouth and he felt the vibration throughout his entire body. His hand had begun to slip higher on her leg when...

Glass broke somewhere in the house.

The noise crashed through Jughead's brain like a jackhammer. He broke away from Betty and flung himself backward off of the bed and across the room.

"Juggie?" Betty said, sitting up, reaching for him.

Jughead wouldn't make eye contact. "Get some rest. I'm gonna lock this door. Don't open it for anybody. Not even Archie. Understand?"

"Stay." She said.

"Tell me you understand, Betty."

Her bottom lips trembled the smallest bit, a tear slipped from the corner of one eye, but she nodded.

With that, Jughead slipped out of the room, locking it behind him. He paced back and forth in front of the bedroom door, trying to get a handle on his nerves which felt like they were a tangled heap of a dumpster fire. Letting out a snarl from between clenched teeth, he turned and punched a fist to the drywall three times in quick succession before scrambling down the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the stairway, he locked eyes with a suspicious Kevin Keller. He didn't wait around to explain himself. Instead, he raced through the front door as though the devil were on his heels, leapt onto his bike and peeled off down the road.

Author's Note : Well...