Jughead woke the following morning in a similar fashion to the day before, Betty once again in his bed wrapped only in a thin sheet. Their legs tangled together and her head resting on his chest. Unlike the morning before, she was still fast asleep and Jughead was enthralled. He had never been one for sleepovers with women. It seemed to be a side effect of his inability to commit to anyone long term. The girls Jughead had been involved with could hardly be called anything other than casual, and that had always been okay with him. Lost in the sight of Betty sleeping soundly in his bed, Jughead began to realize maybe he had never pushed for intimacy because he hadn't found someone who deserved it. Maybe his life had been disconnected for so long for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, the blonde wrapped in his arms was that reason.

Jughead lets his mind wander to times years before. He remembers Betty fondly. She seemed to play their friendship off as casual over the years and Jughead could hardly argue it was anything but that to the untrained eye. Although they hadn't spent all their time together, it certainly didn't mean that he hadn't always noticed her. He could vividly remember when he first realized he may just have a crush on Betty when they were younger. She had just made the River Vixens her sophomore year and came over to Archie's house the Friday after their first game. He remembers the contrast of the school colors on her creamy skin, he remembers the questionably high hem line of the skirt and the way it showed more and more of the smooth skin on her upper thigh every time she moved on the couch. He remembers Betty cramming in between Archie and himself on the much too small couch and he remembers trying his hardest to figure out why he couldn't stop staring at her legs. Jughead then remembers the following day when he and Archie, who was thankfully not probing into the catalyst for Jug's weekend long visit at his house, had stumbled into Pop's for dinner. Sixteen year old Jughead Jones felt every ounce of air leave his lungs when he turned to their customary shared booth to find Betty and Trev on what appeared to be a date sharing a vanilla milkshake. How fitting, he remembers thinking. Jughead saw the blush on her cheeks and heard the laughs emanating from Trev. He remembers, in that exact moment, being painfully aware of the differences in both himself and Betty's date for the night. Archie veered him to another booth and proceeded to talk about his latest girlfriend, Katie or Katherine or whatever her name was, totally oblivious to Jughead's discontent. After that night, Betty and Trev become inseparable and Jughead distanced himself from their group. He knew their paths would veer in different ways in the future, so why not just speed along the process. She was always carefully planned out futures and early acceptances and he was accepting his Serpents jacket as she moved to the big city to start the next chapter of her life.

Some may have called Jughead a late bloomer, but he believed he may not have bloomed at all if that fateful night the sight of Betty Cooper's long lean legs hadn't awoken something inside of him that he had never before been able to quench. Honestly, after the last two days, he's not sure he could have his thirst for her quenched at all.

It was no coincidence that all of his previous conquests had been light haired girls with light eyes, but no matter how alike they all seemed to look, after a short while it always fizzled out. They weren't enough of something, but he could never fully figure out what that something might be. Laying in bed, tracing small circles on her back with his fingertips, Jughead thinks he might have figured out what that something was. No one was enough like her. Something about Betty had been intoxicating to him years ago and that same something had him high on her mere presence now. Jughead shakes his head to break his train of thought.

After checking to ensure she was still fast asleep, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You've only spent two nights in my bed but I'm not sure I ever want you to sleep anywhere else." He punctuated the thought with a soft kiss to the crown of her head and felt lighter simply from allowing himself to say it aloud.

Betty felt a slight pressure on her temple and began to stir. As she opened her eyes and cleared her vision, she realized she had spent another night in Jughead's bed. Turning her face further into his chest, she attempted to hide the grin that broke out on her face.

"How'd you sleep baby?" Jughead inquired while wrapping his arms further around her and tugging her on top of him.

"Mmmm… like a rock." Betty said back with a giggle. She could feel his arousal pressing against her center. They had fallen asleep the night before without anything between them and their exposed flesh pushing up against one another's in that moment was too much to ignore. She began slowly dragging herself back and forth on him without making full contact when she leaned down and connected their lips. Just like the first time and every time since, electricity shot through them both and sweet gentle kisses slowly gave way to needy bruising ones. He nipped her lower lip as she ground down on him and his fingers lightly tilted her head back to expose the column of her neck already littered with his marks. A sense of pride washed over him in that instant when he realized she would be walking around with a constant reminder of what they shared.

Betty sunk her fingers into his hair as he worked mercilessly on her pulse point. Biting and soothing each mark with his tongue over and over again until she was a panting mess.

"I need to feel you, Jug" she moaned.

He released her neck and the already punished skin before sliding his hands behind it and guiding her mouth down to his. He shifted his hips to line up to her center and pushed into her without warning. She cried out and instinctively began grinding her most sensitive spot against him. In that instant, Betty knew what Veronica meant about connecting with someone, sometimes you just know.

The girl next door, with her pastel sweaters and perfect ponytails, was grinding her naked body down onto a man she barely knew anymore without a second thought. What's more, she couldn't bring herself to care. The rhythm their bodies were keeping pushed them both toward the edge sooner than their previous encounters. They reached their release locked together in every way possible. Their tongues locked together as she pulled every drop from him and their arms wrapped around each other as he did the same for her. Riding out their high, they continued to twist their tongues around each other in a battle for dominance. His hands settled into her locks as he turned her head slightly to allow more access. They made out for what felt like hours without disconnecting.

Betty remained on his lap as their kisses become more and more desperate. She felt him begin to push his hips up slightly and was dripping before he was fully erect once more. He flipped them over smoothly and rocked himself in and out of her. This time unlike their previous trysts, was slow and sensual, filling Betty with a warmth she had never felt before. She was still hyper sensitive from the romp just before, and he eased her over the edge in sync with himself. They fell apart locked in each other's embraces once more.

Jughead collapsed next to her and pulled her small frame to his. "Good morning" he whispered into her hair.

Betty giggled at his greeting for a second time that morning, and sheepishly replied, "I'm not sure good is the right word Juggie. It's been a great morning so far." She looked up and kissed him in such a way the thought of not having this every single morning made his heart ache.

Neither one were jumping up to get out of bed any time soon and they spent the majority of the morning getting to know each other again. They talked about everything from their favorite films to their favorite books. Jughead moved back slightly so he could look her in the eyes. His silence and the intent in his gaze had Betty feeling uneasy all of the sudden. She moved her hand to cup his jaw and rubbed her thumb over his cheek.

"What is it Jug?" He knew she could tell something was on his mind and he decided it was time he told her more about himself.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Betts." He sounded defeated and the sudden change in his demeanor was giving Betty whiplash. Not sure of what to say next, Betty let the silence stretch until she heard him speak up once more.

"I bought the Wyrm a few years back, I told you that." She nods in confirmation and can't figure out how this could possibly be the reason he was so visibly uncomfortable. "I joined the Serpents at 18 and never looked back, almost everyone I knew was going off to college or tech school and I was joining a gang. The Serpents were good to me, they gave me a place to crash when my dad was too drunk to remember that I lived in the trailer, too. They made sure I had a meal when no one else seemed to notice and they made me feel like I really belonged for the first time in my life. That kind of acceptance breeds a deep sense of loyalty in someone."

He took a deep breath as he prepared to continue, "Being loyal is a funny thing, it comes with a heavy sense of obligation. During one of his liquor fueled nights, my dad got pulled over for a DUI. He didn't realize he was holding a bag of automatic weapons from a transaction earlier in the day that just so happened to have all the serial numbers ground off of them. Between his clear intoxication and the implication of what the cops found during their search of his car, he was put away for 25 years."

Betty reached out and ran her fingers along his chest in soothing circles as she waited for the tether that would connect all of this information to their current predicament.

"My dad was the leader… of the Serpents." He sneaks a look down at Betty and is surprised by how utterly unfazed she seemed to be from the piece of information. Her ability to intently listen left Jughead feeling more confident in his decision to share this with her.

"When he got locked up, his right hand man took over and delved deeper into stuff my dad never would have allowed. The Serpents went from an occasional weapons delivery to pay the Wyrm's rent once in a while, to a well-oiled machine, knee deep in the trade. Serpents were getting injured and locked up at an alarming speed for a few months, until I finally put my foot down. I didn't really have the authority at the time, being a new member, but my dad's legacy played into my hand when I finally took a stand against the direction the club was going. Long story short, I took over as president of the club at 18 and turned it around. We're still a club but I don't let the illegal shit fly anymore."

Jughead sat in silence for a few minutes before reaching up and capturing her hand in his own. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it tenderly. The action alone made Betty's heart soar. She slowly uncurled her hand and turned her palm up to face Jughead.

"We both seem to have tragic back stories", she mused aloud. "You know my mom always put a lot of pressure on me, and I never really knew how to deal with it. She tried to medicate me and I never liked way it made me feel, or rather, made me not feel. When I used to get overwhelmed, I'd push my nails into my palms until they were bloody to refocus myself. I think it was my way of controlling something on my own. Something my mom didn't have anything to do with and it helped for a long time. When I went off to college, Veronica found out and I went into therapy to learn healthy coping mechanisms. I still have anxiety attacks sometimes but it's much more controlled. The recent ones are from the other night, but I haven't even thought about it since I've been here. I know it sounds stupid or like I'm reading too much into something, but I feel centered around you, Jug."

She buried her head into his chest, suddenly embarrassed by her impromptu confession. She found herself wanting to bear a part of her soul to him, to show her appreciation for what he shared with her. Betty wanted him to know her, all of her- and that wouldn't be possible if she hid parts of herself from him. Maybe it was naïve to think she could share such intimate details of her life with him, but it felt right, and she couldn't fight that feeling.

Jughead pressed his lips against the small crescent shaped scars on her hands. Most of them seemed to be old and faded, and a weight lifted off Jughead's chest as he realized she seemed to have it under control with only a small slip up. The simple gesture conveying more than his words every could. Betty squeezed his hands once more and was surprised when he broke the silence.

"I'm a published author." Jughead says, out of nowhere, and Betty can't help but giggle and look up at him. He didn't intend for it to be so sudden of a confession but he couldn't think of any other way to break the news. "I bought the Wyrm with the money I made writing my first novel at 19. The money also helps me keep the Serpents afloat without the need for the illegal business anymore."

Betty shifted and aligned her mouth with his. "You're amazing, Jug" she whispered before capturing his mouth with her own. Jughead got lost in the feeling of her soft lips moving in time with his. Their push and pull felt as natural as breathing. They pulled apart after a long few minutes, and Betty leaned her forehead against his. "If your big confessions are that you're a published author who has single handedly turned an entire motorcycle club around and used your earnings to keep a landmark open in your hometown, I hate it break it to you, but you're not scaring me off."

The implications of her statement weighed heavy on Jughead's mind as he pulled her up against his body. The ease of conversation between them while they were both laying in such an intimate position struck Betty in that moment. Her and Trev never had something like this. This is what Veronica meant, she suddenly thinks for the second time that morning, when she said sometimes you just know.

After such a heavy conversation to start their day, both Betty and Jughead reluctantly get out of bed and make their way to the shower. The domesticity of the actions not lost on either party, though neither felt brave enough to acknowledge it yet. Just like the previous morning, Jughead can't help himself when he pushes her against the shower wall and brings her to release, only this time with his tongue. When she attempts to return the favor, he pulls her up by her hands and wraps his arms around her.

Without thinking too much about it, Betty confesses "I don't want to leave this little bubble we're in right now Juggie."

He tightens his grip on her and replies simply, "Don't".

Their eyes connect for a brief moment before their lips find each other. They make out launguidly until the water runs cold and wash off in freezing water.

Once they're both dressed, Jughead decides he wants to take her somewhere. Wrapping his arms around her waist as she brushes her hair he whispers in her ear, "Let me take you on a date".

She stops brushing for a minute and sets the brush down before turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Why Jug, I thought you'd never ask" she replies with a blinding smile. He can't help but kiss her in that moment and as it begins to heat up, he reluctantly pulls away.

"We're never going to leave this apartment if we don't stop doing that." He winks at her and is once again fascinated by the blush that stains her cheeks.

Jughead takes her to Sweetwater River with a quick pit stop at Pop's for 'nourishment' as he deemed it. They spend the afternoon and into the evening wrapped in each other on a blanket, once again talking about anything and everything. As the sun sets, Betty feels herself come to a conclusion.

"I think I'm going to hire movers to pack up my apartment in New York."

Her statement catches him off guard and he turns to look at her.

"Last time I was there, I had this crazy anxiety attack and I just don't want to go back there. I was going to have it all sent to Florida before the break up, but now it's just sitting there and I can't bring myself to go back there again." Jughead runs his fingers up and down her arms as she solidifies the plan in her mind. Just like earlier that day, he responds with a single word. "Don't"

They wind up back in his apartment that night, the third of what turned out to be many more after. He hadn't previously allowed himself to indulge in 'what ifs' about the past, instead looking forward to far more ahead of them. Everyone would call them crazy, they knew it, but Betty decided that instead of popping the little bubble they had created, they might as well expand it. As long as they were by each other's sides, they would be impenetrable.

1 month later

"Veronica, when did you tell Cheryl you loved her?" Veronica's expression filled the screen of Betty's iPhone while they FaceTimed each other. Both Veronica and Cheryl were back in Paris and Betty decided to call her friend for some advice once more.

"After a week, but don't feel like an underachiever here Betty. I know you've been with Mr. Tall Dark & Handsome for longer than that and it's still early. Do you really know this time though, B? I just want to make sure." Betty can sense Veronica's excitement but also notices the apprehension in her statement. While Veronica considered herself rather perceptive, especially when it came to her best friend, she really wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

"Yeah, V." Betty simply states. "I think I have known for a while now." Betty's brilliant smile shines through the phone screen and Veronica squeals in excitement for her best friend.

"Let me know how it goes, B! Love you" They hang up the phone and Betty decides it's about time she told him. They didn't lie to each other before so she saw no reason to start now.

She was offered a paid position at a newspaper in Greendale and was starting the following week. Everything felt like it was falling into place and her feelings for Jughead had been bubbling up, threatening to spill over, for some time now. As they lay in bed that night, completely sated, still covered in a thin layer of sweat, Betty looks over at Jughead and uttered the three words he had never heard directed at him before. "I love you."

"Baby, I think I've always loved you", he whispered against her lips in response and the realization hit him hard. He looked into her emerald eyes and smiled against her lips before capturing them once more attempting to convey the weight of the revelation. Timing may never have been right in the past, and they may seem mismatched to anyone outside of their own little world, but the stars aligned in that exact moment and something inside Jughead told him this was the forever kind of love. He knew she agreed.