Betty stood in the stall, trembling. She didn't want to give Archie the satisfaction of knowing he terrified her, but that's exactly what he did. She was terrified to the bone. She didn't know what he wanted to happen or what he was going to do and all she could do was pray to God, he didn't hurt her. His eyes held a malicious intent to them, and he was smirking down at her. Then he gripped her chin and forced a rough kiss onto her. She snapped into action and slapped him across the face, causing him to yelp and back up a pace. "Get the fuck off me, Archie." Her voice was nothing more than a venomous hiss. "You ever kiss me again without my permission and I'll make you wish you never been born."

He stared at her in surprise, almost as if he was shocked, she had that type of fight in her, and then he slinked away, tail between his legs. She was breathing a bit heavier than normal, and she took a minute to compose herself and consider her options. Was this something she wanted to tell her friends and family? Not particularly. Sweet Pea would go on a riot and Jughead would help him hide the body. She licked her lips, rubbing her hand across them to remove the feel of Archie's skin on her. It was easy: she wasn't going to tell them.

Mind made up, she walked out of the stall and towards the sink, going to splash some cool water on her face. She didn't want to keep things from Jughead, but she knew her boyfriend would react badly to Archie forcing himself on her. She didn't want that. And she didn't want to have to worry about if he would go to jail or not. Betty washed her hands, giving herself a thorough once over in the mirror. Then she pushed the event to the back of her mind, not to be forgotten but dealt with later and walked out of the bathroom. She could do this.

XXX

The rest of the day was filled with shopping and laughter. She thoroughly enjoyed herself and her time with her boyfriend and friends. When they had all gotten what they wanted, they headed back to the bikes. Betty hopped onto Jughead's bike after he got on, and she nodded at Sweet Pea. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Make smart choices, kiddos," Sweet Pea drawled, Ronnie laughing as she wrapped her own arms around his waist. Then Jughead was peeling off and Betty was laughing.

They raced through the streets of Greendale, heading to the hotel room that Jughead had booked for the night. She knew they would most likely sleep together – their nights alone always resulted in that – and Betty didn't think once about the kiss. She didn't want Archie to ruin her day and knew Jughead would understand why she didn't tell him. So, she held onto that faith and just enjoyed the wind caressing her cheeks.

XXX

Later, when they were lying next to each other, naked, in the hotel bed, Betty sighed happily. She had her cheek pressed against his chest and his arms were warm anchors around her back. She felt safe and content. "Did you have a good time today, baby?"

Minus the thing with Archie..., "I did."

Jughead pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, lips warming the spot there. "Good. We all just wanted today to be a good day for you."

"It was," she assured him softly, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her. She felt warm in his embrace and knew she was safe with him, a feeling she lacked in the bathroom stall earlier that day. She knew Archie's goal was to make her feel unsafe. And she hated him for that.

"Good," he murmured, bending down and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She felt warm and cocooned inside the kiss, encased in her boyfriend's warm safety blanket. He looked at her. "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

She smiled softly, cupping his cheek tenderly. "I know, Juggy. I've always known that."

"And you know I didn't set these new safety implements into place because I want to control you?" Jughead checked.

She softened her gaze on him, taking her turn to press a brutally gentle kiss to his lips. "I know. I promise I know."

He sighed in relief, body sagging onto hers. "Thank God, baby."

She laughed. She knew her boyfriend worried about controlling her too much. It came with being a leader of the gang. He had rules he had to follow and implement, therefore meaning she had to follow them. But she also knew that he never wanted her to feel like she couldn't make her own choices. And, having a brother in the gang as a righthand man meant she knew a thing or two about rules in general. They were procedures locked in place. She respected that. "You don't have to worry about me not understanding that Juggy. I promise you; I do."

He smiled at her tenderly and she felt her conscience give a squirm of guilt. She really should tell him about the kiss soon. She just...didn't want to see his good mood get ruined. "So. Your birthday is coming up."

"Yes," she smiled shyly.

"Seventeen," he grinned at her, and she laughed. She couldn't believe she was so close to adulthood. Just a year more.

"Yeah," she laughed.

"How do you feel about going out of town with me the first week of winter break? Just for a couple of days?" Jughead asked.

She thought about it. They had three weeks of winter break. The first with him and her family and then the last two at the cabin. That worked. "That sounds good to me, Juggy."

He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Prepared to be spoiled rotten, babe."

She couldn't help it, she laughed. She was warm and safe, and, minus the kiss, it had been a good day. She was hoping for more like these. She kissed him back. "I love you."

"I love you too, my Betts."

She was warm.