"Bed?" She asked in a small voice suddenly painfully aware that she had to sleep at some point and her body was already heavy with exhaustion but her mind reeled at the idea of sleeping in a bed next to him, the thought alone making her feel far too awake.
"Aren't you tired?" He asked suspiciously. She nodded not able to form words as he held her hand and pulled her to the small staircase that led to the second floor. They walked hand in hand down the narrow hallway and his thumb rubbed the side of her hand comfortingly. She couldn't stop her mind from contemplating how it was going to feel to be in a bed next to him, her heart started pounding loudly in her ear as nerves took her over. Would he cuddle her or touch her at all? As they entered the first bedroom to the right she saw the pale wood queen size bed covered in a quilted comforter and the red pillows that matched the rustic feel of the cottage style house. It was a cozy home and she loved the way it felt like a remote cabin in the middle of the woods and almost had to stop herself from laughing out loud at realization that that's exactly what it was. Jug stood in the middle of the room looking from the bed to her expectantly so she slowly walked towards it and sat on the overly squishy mattress. She couldn't even begin to wrap her brain around all the events that had transpired, the fact that someone would chase them like prey and try to harm them, the idea was so foreign to her that anyone would go that far to hurt another person, but then again the cool and collected behavior from jughead was a clear indication that this was not a new situation to him, and she wondered if he had ever been on the other end of this as well, following someone in the middle of the night to hurt them, or kidnap them, or even worse... kill them. She shook her head slightly trying to push the disturbing images in her head and instead focus on the boy in front of her. The way he held her hand so gently as if she were breakable or they way he looked at her when he was worried, she couldn't imagine him ever hurting someone, but she quickly thought back to dark expression on his face when he had looked at archie, and it became terrifying clear that there was a side of him that she didn't know and would probably never fully understand. Their conversation from earlier weighing on her heavily at the thought of him at 14 years old dealing with the violence of the serpents, he was no stranger to any of this, and he was trained in that way of life, he was probably more lethal than any of the other people that were after him, but as she looked at him, and his dark hair that kept falling into his eyes, as he watched her she felt nothing even close to fear, or at least not fear towards him, only the small amount of fear that swelled inside of her as she faced what he made her feel, that undeniable burning that erupted low in her stomach everytime he got close to her.
"So you'll be okay in here?" He asked still standing in the middle of the room not moving, his posture rigid as his dark green eyes watched her questioningly. She pulled up towards the pillow and leaned back on her elbows gauging how comfy the bed was.
"Yeah it's nice in here," She smiled trying to reassure him. He nodded quickly and took a few long strides until he was back in the doorway, his motions were rigid and forced and her eyebrow knitted together at the sudden uncomfortable air that circled between them.
"Well Goodnight Betts, I'll be down stairs if you need me," He said turning as he took a step out of the room. Panic quickly filled her body as she scrambled for any reason for him not to leave. She was so incredibly nervous being around him but the thought of laying in dark room by herself was too much for her to bare after everything that had happened.
"Jug..." she started and he turned to her his head cocked to one side in curiosity. "I… I don't wanna sleep in here alone," She stuttered averting her gaze from his and instead staring at the floor as a heated blush crept across her cheeks. She couldn't seem to look up at him even as she saw him out of her peripherals take a hesitant step forward before freezing in place again. She finally dragged her eyes up and met his seeing the absolute torture in his dark green eyes. And guilt immediately flooded through her but she knew she couldn't stop herself from wanting him near her. She selfishly let her eyes widen in a puppy dog state willing him to understand her need to not be alone.
"Alright," he said in a quiet voice before walking towards the bed and reaching over her. She sucked in a sharp breath as he got close to her and his scent hit her like a ton of bricks, a strange mix of cologne and lemongrass. He grabbed the pillow from the other side of the bed watching her as her eyes fluttered closed in expectancy, but suddenly his warmth and smell were gone as he stood back up making her eyes snap open as she watched him toss the pillow on the ground and grab the small throw blanket on the edge of the bed and fanning it out over the floor as well. The same panic flooded through her as she realized his intentions. It should have been enough she knew that, but her body was still on edge from the way he had kissed her earlier, and the way he kept watching her with lust-filled eyes. Nothing about her normal demeanor was like this but around him she couldn't help it, she begged her own body to calm down, and keep her breathing level, but he affected her like nothing else she had ever known.
"Jug?" She asked in a small voice just as he had made his way to the floor. He looked up at her, the affection on his face making her heart stop. She couldn't ask him to torture himself more, not with how much he was already doing for her. "Nevermind," she forced out.
"What is it betts?" He pushed his head up on his hand letting his elbow rest on the pillow.
"I was just gonna say…" she started but the curiosity on his face gave him an almost boyish look and she melted just a little bit more and she needed him closer to her, a need that burned so deeply in her stomach she let out an audible sigh making his eyebrows raise a little. "Will you sleep in the bed with me?" She blurted out making herself blush. His jaw fell slack at her words as he looked at her with wide eyes. She looked away,her blush deepening "I just mean that with you on the floor, I could wake up and forget your there and still be scared," she scrambled for an explanation and shrugged her shoulders innocently.
"Jesus Betty," he groaned falling back on his pillow and laying on his back. The sudden feeling of rejection erupted through her as she tried to push away her embarrassment. She fell back on her own pillow and stared at the ceiling pulling the covers up over her body and squeezing her eyes shut cursing herself for pushing him too far. She felt swoosh of air hit her face and opened her eyes turning her head to see the red pillow back on the bed and jughead standing over the other side of the bed. He silently pulled back the side of the comforter and sat on the mattress, his back turned to her the rigidness obvious in his posture, he pulled off his boots letting them thud to the ground and he waited for a minute that felt like eternity for her until he finally slid underneath the covers still in his jeans and long sleeve shirt and shifted uncomfortably on the sheets.
"Better?" He asked rolling on his side to face her, she nodded slightly and turned on her side as well giving him her back. She squished herself further into the mattress trying to find a comfortable spot but the heat he created next to her was making her head spin. The room got uncomfortably quiet as his heavy breathing mixed with hers was the only sound filling the air. She longed to feel him touch her again, and as she lay in bed next to him her mind raced. She was hyperly aware of all of his movements as he pulled his arm underneath his pillow. She desperately wanted to know what he was thinking right then and it was driving her insane. Her body instinctively moved back a little bit wanting to feel him but she was still achingly far away so she boldly pushed back further until her body finally hit his, and he hissed out a breath as the curve of her fit perfectly against him. His hand timidly slid under the covers and around her waist pulling her even closer and she closed her eyes reveling in the comfort of it. His fingers played mindlessly with the hem of her tank top making her stomach quiver slightly and her body reacted by pushing back more and grinding her ass against the bulge she found there. He responded by digging his fingertips into her hip and pushing himself into her body groaning quietly at the friction, making her heart race. She wanted more of that reaction so she pushed back again rolling her hips seductively, earning her another groan. His hand slid effortlessly underneath the thin fabric of her shirt and lay flat against the now exposed skin on her stomach, the heat from his palm spreading throughout her entire body and making her rub her thighs together tightly. She wanted to say something, the silence between them making her uncomfortable but she was too afraid to ruin their moment or snap him out of his lust filled haze, so instead she rolled against him again this time arching her back and pushing her hand behind her to find his hip and tickle the skin right above his jean with her fingertips. His hand almost immediately pushed further up doing the same motion as hers underneath the wire of her bra making her moan timidly. She pushed her fingers slightly below his pant line and rubbed the soft skin of his muscles that made a V, making him shutter against her and push forward burying his face in her hair and inhaling loudly.
"Fucking hell Betty," he growled breathlessly, and the desperate desire In his voice made her eyes roll back. And just like that he pulled away from her stealing his hand back and launching himself off the bed. She rolled to her back looking up at him confusion clear on her face. He raked his hand through his hair as his breaths came out forced and ragged. He turned quickly and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" She sat up immediately and shook her head not even recognizing her own raspy voice.
"I need like 5 minutes in the bathroom if I'm gonna make it through this night," he laughed, her head cocked to the side confused by what he meant "or I'll just have to take a cold shower real quick," he smiled at her reassuringly but his eyes didn't match his breezy demeanor, as they remained dark and needy. And with that he turned his back to her pulling off his shirt and throwing it on the ground before sauntering off into the attached bathroom. Her heart was so filled with too many emotions to count and her body was still so heated she reached her hand up and touched where his hand had been on her rib cage. She wanted him, so badly it almost hurt and she couldn't let this moment pass. She knew who he was and that their lives may never connect like this again, and every fiber in her knew she had to cement herself in his memory to make herself a thing he would never forget. She heard the water turn on, and listened to the pipes squeak slightly as she contemplated her options. She knew he wanted her to but was holding back, and she had to break him. But she wasn't that type of girl, and she didn't even know where to begin on how to be seductive or sexy.
She threw the covers off of her and stood, taking a deep breath she undid her black pants and slid them down her thighs shakily, she then pulled her tank top off and reached behind her back to unclasp her bra letting it slid off her arms and fall the ground. She quietly walked over to where his blue shirt now laid on the ground all crumpled up and picked it up instinctively pulling it to her face and inhaling a deep breath taking in the way he smelled, she exhaled a shaky breath and pulled it over her head letting the soft fabric careless her skin almost as if it were his hands and she shuttered. She walked over to the light switch by the door and turning it off before hurriedly fumbling in the dark back to the bedside table and flipping on the the low lighted lamp creating a soft warm glow. She pushed herself back on the bed and squeezed her eyes closed, excitement and nervousness pulsing through her, as the water abruptly shut off making another loud squeak. She took several deep breaths trying to calm herself down, and waited as the air got still and quiet, but when he never emerged from the bathroom she stood up cautiously and took a step forward, taking in one more deep breath she mustered all the confidence she had and pushed her body to keep moving forward until she was in front of the door. Timidly she placed her hand on the handle her fingertips shaking as she gripped the metal and slowly pushed down until she heard a click pushing the door open, the steam and cold air hitting her, she blinked through the condensation in the air and her eyes finally fixated on his figure, his back turned to her and his reflection visible to her in the mirror. His toned back was bare and her eyes greedily drank in the lines of his muscles that were obstructed by the extremely large tattoo stretching over the full expanse of his back and she stared at the double sided snake that matched the emblem on the back of his leather jacket, its two open mouths facing opposite of each other making a large S with the tattoo script words in harsh black letters reading "southside serpents" her eyes trailed to his arms trying to study the ink that completely covered his right arm in all different designs that somehow melded perfectly together giving him a full tattooed sleeve noting mainly the large patch right above his elbow that was a vibrant green and designed to look like scales and opposite his left that only had about two tattoos one was a set of initials that read JBJ in an old sailor jerry font on his bicep and on the inside of his left wrist was a small vintage style rose. She sucked in a sharp breath never having noticed how much ink actually covered his skin and the noise jolted his eyes up as he met hers in the reflection. Exhaustion had taken over her and all the reptiles on his skin must have been getting to her head because as she found his eyes in the mirror she could have sworn they glowed a strange green and resembled snake eyes but she blinked a few times and instead found his dark green almost black eyes staring back at her hungrily. His hands noticeably gripped the sides of the sink as his jaw clenched and unclenched, as his black messy hair framed his face, long pieces curling down his forehead as water dropped from them on to his hollowed cheekbones and full lips, She leaned against the door jam letting her blonde hair fall in front of her eye.
"Is that my shirt?" He asked in low growl...