Archie camped out on Josie's lawn for eons.

Well, that wasn't quite true, he admits.

He didn't really camp out, but he did sit on her porch. It was a very nice porch, to be honest, with a swinging bench and flowers. He also wasn't there for eons, though it felt like it. It was four hours, which was a lot of time when you're a teenager.

Archie hadn't seen or heard from Josie in three days. Not a glimpse at school, not a message on his phone, not even a weird Snapchat posted or a vague Instagram. No, it's like Josie had fallen off the face of the earth.

Of course he was concerned. He'd been concerned day 1. But he hadn't wanted to seem overly-concerned, since he and Josie weren't even defined as anything specific, but three days was past his limit.

No one seemed to be home. But, they had to be home eventually, right? He didn't really have football to occupy him right now, and to be honest he hadn't been able to focus on anything since mid day 2, so he had to make sure she was still alive.

In this town, that was a less ridiculous concern than one may think.

After 4.5 hours, during which time Archie had been reduced to watching weird YouTube videos to occupy his time, someone finally answered the door.

"Cheryl?" He blinked twice, "What are you…"

"I think a better question is what are you doing here?" She asked, shutting the door behind her, arms crossed and shoulders squared.

"I'm Josie's…" Archie made a vague arm movement. Josie would kill him if he said boyfriend, since she did not want to use that term.

"Amour, perhaps?" Cheryl supplied, tilting her head. It wasn't a secret, but they weren't announcing it to the world either.

Archie wasn't 100% sure of the word's meaning, but it sounded like love, so yeah, probably that. He nodded a couple times.

"I haven't heard anything from her in three days. She's alright, right?"

"She's ok," Cheryl agreed, "But it will probably be a couple days before you see her again."

"What, she sick?" Archie asked, his hands growing clammy. He frowned, worried.

"I suppose one could say that," Cheryl twirled her hair.

"Can't I see her?" Archie asked, staring to pace.

Cheryl looked almost sorry for him, "Oh, Archie…" She sighed.

In a flash, he got it. Or, got the very basics of it, "This is something magical, isn't it?" He began to ransack his brain. Had there been something written about a magical illness for sirens? For magical creatures? He scowled, trying to flip through the book mentally. He'd read everything involving sirens after his and Josie's first kiss. No surprises. He was drawing blanks. If there was some magical influenza, he was sure his family books would have mentioned it. They probably would have been fucking gleeful about it.

"Oh look, you're learning," Cheryl crooned in a completely patronizing voice. Archie shrugged her off, as he'd done his whole life.

"I don't know what's wrong with her. I don't think that the book-,"

He was cut off by Cheryl's sharp laughter.

"Your little Boy Scout's Guide for Satan won't tell you anything about this ," She managed to choke out, "Really, it's better if you just go home. Josie will be right as rain by next Friday."

Archie considered his choices. He could try to take Cheryl on in a fight. He could probably win, if she didn't have some spells up her sleeve...which she probably did. He could yell in, and hope Josie could answer. Or…

He nodded, shrugging, "Okay, well, uh, can you tell her I came by?"

Cheryl leaned forward, patting his cheek, "Maybe," She said, but from her tone, he doubted she would. Fine, whatever.

As soon as Cheryl had vanished back into the McCoy's house, Archie was scrutinizing the structure.

He knew which was Josie's bedroom from a visit to the house a long time ago, so he hoped she hadn't changed the location in the past handful of years. Even if he was wrong, it would at least get him into the house. A better plan could be made as he always did- on the fly.

Archie knew that Romeo and Juliet was totally Jughead and Betty's thing, but he really felt like he was in fair Verona as he climbed up the treliace to the McCoy's second story. He'd never been awful at the rope in gym, but coming into his Grimm powers had only heightened his ability to shove himself up strange objects, so it took little time to climb it. Then, it was a matter of getting inside. He may have broken a latch, but oops, he'd fix that later.

He cussed as soon as his feet hit the carpet. This wasn't Josie's room anymore. Or, it wasn't where she currently was. As he glanced around, he realized this probably was Josie's bedroom, from the posters on the wall to the sheets of music scattered on the ground. He could take this time to examine her room, as he was curious to what it held, but the most important item in this room was missing; Josie.

Archie could hear her as soon as he stepped into the hallway. She was in a bedroom down the hall.

Archie had only gotten a step toward his destination when he was shoved rather violently into what looked like a guest-room.

"You're incorrigible," Cheryl sighed.

"Thanks?"

Cheryl's lip quirked down, and she scowled at him. Archie was glad she was a witch and not a Medusa or something, because god, if looks could kill…

"Now that you're up here, Josie will smell you and it will be a whole thing," Cheryl pinched the bridge of her nose, "You have no idea how much more difficult you've made this."

"Then tell me," Archie said firmly, "I'm going to see her, gottit?" He added sourly.

"It's almost cute," Cheryl said, but her words didn't match her tone, "Josie is...in heat."

Archie blinked. He scratched his head. He titled his skull, and then decided, yes...he had heard Cheryl right.

"Like...a dog?" He asked carefully. Cheryl snorted.

"You looking to get slapped?"

"I'm just trying to understand!" Archie held up his hands, shrugging helplessly, "I didn't think sirens went into heat. Water-vampires, that's what I've been told. And heat equals kids, but a vampire is dead so no kids for them, so…"

"I can physically see your pitiful neurons trying to think and it hurts me," Cheryl winced, "Does Josie seem dead to you?"

Archie felt like this was a trap, he just didn't know how, "No."

"Right. She's not. She's alive. Sirens may share a lot of similarities between vampires, but they're not. If they were vampires who just had a penchant for swimming, we'd just call sirens aquatic vampires. But we don't."

"Oh." Archie echoed, because he didn't know what else to say.

"It happens every year. Lasts a week, and then she's fine," Cheryl sighed, "She just spends a week watching Hallmark movies and becoming very well-acquainted with her vibrator."

The implication caused a bright blush to spread over Archie's cheeks, though he wasn't sure why. He wasn't a blushing virgin.

"It's alright, though?"

"It's not fun , duh. She's on-edge the entire week because her body knows it's not the real sort of thing, but she manages. It's like a really shitty period. Women just learn to deal." Cheryl said slowly, like he was an idiot. Hell, maybe he was.

"Well can I help?"

Cheryl squinted at him, "Look, it would be better for you to just go home."

"You said it yourself. I'm her amorous."

"You mean amour?" Cheryl asked. Archie sort of shrugged. Yeah, that sounded more correct, "Great devils, I-," She seemed to be considering it.

"It's not like binding or anything, is it?" Archie thought to ask, for maybe this is why Josie hadn't contacted him.

"No, gosh no. Just...erg, wait there." She commanded with a well-manicured finger.

Archie waited, albeit impatiently.

Cheryl seemed to be gone a good long time. Archie almost thought she'd just left him, pulled one over on him. It was a half an hour before she returned.

"Despite all my wise protests, Josie has unbelievably chosen you of all people to go through this week with," Cheryl breathed out, "Which, let em tell you, with her siren song, she could get literally anyone. And she chose you. I'd say be honored, but I'm half afraid mid-spring madness has taken over," Cheryl gave a visible shudder.

"Hey!" Archie snapped, rising from a slouch, "If I remember, you kissed me once! Attacked me, more specifically."

Cheryl's lip twitched, having clearly forgotten. She cleared her throat, waving a hand, "Momentary lapse of judgement," She said, though her voice was strained.

"Well, good thing it's not up to you," Archie said firmly, "It's up to Josie. And she wants me ." Archie would never tell Cheryl this, but to have this sort of confirmation made him feel warm and tingly inside. It was always nice to be wanted.

"As established, a poor choice. Regardless." Cheryl seemed to be settling to terms, "Come back here tomorrow after school."

"Why not right now?"

"Well, you need to get protection."

Archie gave a strangled half-laugh, "Oh, I mean, I have condoms in my backpack. Always." His father had been...unflinchingly honest about what it would be like for Archie to have a kid right around now, and he definitely did not want that. Even if Veronica couldn't have gotten pregnant, he still had them, just to make himself feel better. He'd always used them with Josie too. Archie, in general, always wanted to be prepared.

"Oh, I almost feel sorry for you. If I were my older self, I'd just let you in there with only that. You'd surely be a father, but luckily, I also like Josie enough to not condemn her to teenage pregnancy." Cheryl signed impatiently, "She's in heat because of procreation urges. Duh. And Magic, when it wants a baby, will give you a baby if you only rely on human things."

"But-,"

"Exhibit a and b; my niece and nephew. Exhibit c; Chic. Exhibit d; Sweet Pea-,"

"Okay! I get it." Archie held up his hands, "Where do I get it, exactly?"

"Betty knows," Cheryl said simply, "Witches have been making magic-resistant contraceptives for centuries."

"You're a witch, though?" Archie murmured, not sure if he wanted to tell Betty what he was doing. Not that he though Betty was a virgin. She was like his sister and the idea of going to say he needed birth control for magical, animalistic sex was not high on his lists of desires.

"Oh, give the boy a prize," Cheryl said deadpanned, "I'm not as skilled in potions. Need your memory removed? Done. Need a cat raised from the dead? No problem...potions, though…" She scowled, "I mean, I can chance it, but I won't guarantee-,"

"I get it. We want 100%. Betty."

"Have fun with that one. We'll see you back here in 24 hours."

XXxxXX

24 hours later, Archie was back on the porch.

Going to Betty had been less mortifying than he'd imagined. He'd fumbled to explain it all, and Betty had just blinked at him.

"At least you're being safe," She'd said with a proud nod. She hadn't even needed to make more; turns out, she had a little stash in that weird picture frame magical hole, just waiting for someone like Archie to ask.

Archie prefered to think that she distributed it to the wolfpack, and that it wasn't in a stockpile for her own sexual desires with his best bud, Jughead. Well, high-five to him, Archie guessed, and maybe if it was just some random bird Archie would be asking Juggie for the good details, but he really didn't want to know about how Betty was in bed. Point of it was, Archie didn't want to think too hard about why it was pre-made.

When he asked if it was 100%, Betty had given a sly smile, "No one has gotten pregnant while using it, if that answers your question."

Man, was he glad she hadn't said I haven't gotten pregnant.

He was getting distracted.

Honestly, he was nervous. He didn't know what to expect. His journals hadn't said anything about this. He had a feeling it, in some ways, was obvious. A insert into B and yada-yada. But he could be wrong.

Every time he'd had sex with Josie, it had been when they were both more human than not. He got the acute feeling Josie would be more a siren than a girl. It should have sent him running the other direction. Strangely, it turned him on?

All things considered, it wasn't the worst reaction.

Cheryl drove him out to the river. Said it was traditional for sirens to mate in lakes. Since they came from mermaids of old, Archie got this. He'd had sex in a lot of wet places before, but never a river. Cross it off his new-experiences bucket list, right?

"We've already warded the area so that no one will see you," Cheryl told him, kicking him out of the car unceremoniously, "Last thing you want is Keller busting your ass for public indecency."

This, Archie had to admit, was also true.

Josie was waiting for him on the shores. She didn't look like her siren skin was on. She looked human.

Cheryl left very quickly. Good.

"Hey," Archie said, coughing and waving a little. They'd never specifically planned out times to have sex. It always had come naturally between them. Did he start stripping now? Did he wait for her? Should they get in the water? Should-

"Do you have the potion?" Josie luckily took charge. Archie took out two vials. One person could take it, and it would be effective, but it was better if both did. He chugged the strangely glowing blue concoction in one gulp. Hmm, tasted like oranges. That was unexpected.

"So...how do we…" Archie waved a hand.

"Don't worry about it half as much as you already are," Josie murmured, "Mating is natural, Andrews."

"Right, sure." Archie gave a jerky nod. It hadn't really helped. Josie flashed a smile, coming up and leading him toward the water. Archie toed his shoes off, leaving them on the banks, near his backpack.

Once they were knee-deep in, Josie leaned up, kissing him deeply. Her hands were warm all over his body, as compared to the coolness they usually held, diving underneath his shirt to rub against his firm muscles. Archie cupped her face, doing exactly as Josie had told him to do. Just let go and feel.

When about to have sex, this was all to easy for Archie to do.

"Should I?" Archie breathed, starting to take his shirt off.

"Not here, boo. Too public." Josie paused to breathe.

"Then…?"

She shot him a wicked grin. She kissed him once more; a deep, longing, rising kiss that made him weak at the knees.

"Trust me." She said, her tone cryptic. Before Archie could even question what she meant by that, she was diving under the water, her grip tight on Archie's fingers. He was pulled under too.

For a second, he panicked, believing he couldn't breathe. Then, somehow, he just...did. It wasn't like he had gills or something strange, but he was breathing just fine under the water. Convinced he wasn't going to drown, he let Josie lead him through Sweetwater, until they came to a part he hadn't seen before. The banks was more like an inlet, surrounded by rocks and high trees. He doubted anyone would see them here, but even if they were to stumble across this oasis, he could feel the brush of magic over his skin as they passed through a ward. It tickled and raised the hair up on his arm.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Archie gulped in air.

"A siren's kiss can save a drowning man, at least for a little bit," Josie winked, "Now…"

She turned her eyes on Archie, and he could see that she'd been holding back. Now that they were in a secluded place, heat was spiking off her body, magic thrumming around her so clearly that Archie wondered why he hadn't seen it before. She pushed him back, gently, into the shallows. He sat up on his elbows, staring up at her, small waves washing over his legs and midriff.

She wasn't in full siren skin, but as she sun shone on her skin, he could see the way her skin was glittering in illuminescent shades of green and silver, giving her a seaworthy glow. Her eyes had turned a little bit golden, and when she grinned, the tips of her incisors were pointed.

"Damn," Archie whispered, giving a wolfish grin. He hurried to throw his top off, up onto the banks somewhere. Josie followed suit, taking off her swimsuit top.

Archie's hands were at her breasts immediately, kneading the soft skin and running his thumbs across her nipples. He wasn't sure if pleasing a siren was any different than a human. So far, he hadn't gotten any complaints.

"Archibald, mhh," Josie murmured, coming forward to sit on his lap, riding her pelvis into his. She kissed him again, and for a second, Archie forgot all of his thoughts.

His hand went back to push himself forward, digging into the soft sand beneath him.

"Ow," He snapped, followed by a cuss word. He lifted his palm to see a thin slice across his palm, probably from a shell or rock. It was welling with blood, and he was about to say 'fuck it' and continue, until Josie reached for his hand.

She caught his eyes as she wrapped her tongue around his thumb, and then licked her way down. Archie could feel the way her fangs dipped into his flesh, but did not break it.

She sucked on his hand, moaning as she did so.

Archie had dated Veronica, a vampire, so he wasn't new to this sort of blood fascination, or the sounds Veronica had made tasting him like this. It had been one of his biggest turn ons, having never felt more connected to her than in those moments. This was no different.

"You like that?" He asked, feeling emboldened to run his lips along her throat, biting down a little. Veronica had always enjoyed it, him pretending to be another vampire, and from the squeak and shudder, so did Josie.

"Oh, gods, you taste so good," She said drawing back with more restraint than expected, licking her lips.

"You can have more, I don't mind," Archie whispered, grasping her waist, digging her into him.

"Mhh, maybe," She said, "I don't want to hurt you."

"I can take it," Archie replied confidently, "Just tell me what you need."

Josie didn't as so much tell him as show him, ripping his shorts down his legs and shoving him up so that when he was lying down, just his head was out of the water. She did away with her bottoms as well. Archie was about to go in for some more foreplay, but she sat right over him.

She was impossibly wet already, until Archie recalled she'd already spent the last three days in a haze of lust and being insatitionably turned-on.

Archie himself wasn't sure how long he'd last. He never could hold out long when he was sheathed naked inside a woman, even adding in his stamina he got from his Grimm ancestry. And god; Josie felt so good, so incredibly tight and warm and the way she was making sounds that made Archie feel like some sort of a sex god.

She was also taking the lead. In their previous adventures together, neither one nor the other took charge, instead seeking pleasure on both ends. Not this; Josie was riding him and moving his hands to exactly where she wanted them to be.

Archie didn't mind; hell, he loved it. He had told Josie to do what she needed to do. By extension, Archie was getting more and more turned on. His life seemed flush of strong women. It wasn't all too surprising Archie may or may not enjoy being dominated from time to time. He wasn't sure if it was the heat or her more wild side coming out, but if their relationship survived this, Archie would be incredibly open to delving deeper into this role-play.

This was, of course, all thoughts Archie would have later on.

In the moment? Archie couldn't have spelled his own name, much less had such complex reflections.

"Don't I need to," Archie groaned, his fingers creeping between her parted legs, wanting to make sure that Josie was having the best experience, "You know?"

"Usually, I'd say yes," Josie slowed down enough to be able to press her sweaty forehead to Archie's, kissing his lip and ending it with a nip, enough to draw blood. Her body shivered as she took in a bit more of his blood, "But the point of my heat is being fulfilled, so I'll get off just from this," She rolled her hips, leaning down on him.

"Oh, ffff-," Archie hissed, gripping her ass, kneading the soft brown skin, pushing her body further onto his.

"Just like that, mhhm," Josie said, "Arch, I'm close."

"Yeah, me too," Archie croaked out. He'd been close for a while now, but hadn't wanted to finish before Josie did. Relief flooded his bones as together they worked toward the precipice of their mutual release.

Archie started to yank Josie up; he was careful not to come inside a girl, and even on a potion, he wasn't sure he could allow himself to be too lost as not to.

"No," Josie squeezed her thighs around his legs, "I'll only get off and feel better if you come inside me," She instructed, her cheeks pinking.

"But-,"

"We're safe, I promise." Josie said, drawing back enough to give Archie a soft, reassuring look, "Can I...it's also better for me if I...bite you while…"

"Yes, of course," Archie said, his skin raising and prickling at the thought of her teeth in his flesh. It made him more excited than it naturally should have.

Josie helped Archie to a sitting position, still seated on his lap, so that she could knot her fingers in his hair and increase her speed.

"Cum, Archie, please," She asked, breathless, "Fill me."

Archie groaned as a shudder passed through him, and boneless he started to collapse. Josie held him up, squeaking and biting down on the juncture between his shoulder and neck as her body quaked with her own end. She lavished her tongue over his skin as they both rode out the pleasure, Archie's fingers twineing in her hair. When she pulled back, blood dripped down his shoulder, dissolving into the gentle ripples of the water. It was of no consequence; he knew it would heal up on it's own soon.

He flopped back, panting. Josie slid off of him, grinning.

"Feel better?" He asked, turning toward her.

"Yeah, a bit." Josie said, "I have some food. We should eat. The heat will be back in a couple hours. And we'll have to go through it again."

Archie chuckled, pulling her in for a sweet kiss.

"Yeah, I think I'm okay with that."

XXxxXX

"Hey, Betty! You seen Archie anywhere?"

Betty poked her head over the couch, waving to Polly.

"What do you need Archie for?" Betty asked, swinging her legs over the other side of the couch, coming to stand beside her elder sister.

"Your nephew is doing something strange," Polly sighed, hoisting the baby on her hip, "Nothing to be worried about, but I thought it was a magical side-effect. So I asked Sweet Pea, but he had no idea, so he said that maybe Archie had some writing it about it somewhere."

Betty frowned, tilting her head.

"If anyone asks, Archie's been with me," Jughead piped up, poking his head up to glance at Polly.

"I take it he's not with you, then?"

"Not for the past two days," Jughead said with a smirk on his face.

"Not for the past two…" Polly frowned, "Betty, where is Archie?"

"Uhm," Betty coughed, face blushing. Jughead set his crown-hat back onto his head, setting his chin on the pillows. He was preening, pleased for his friend. Betty just groaned. Polly raised an eyebrow. She looked at Jughead imploringly.

"Spirits willing, having wild, wild sex right now."

"Right," Polly blinked once, "So, I'll come back later tonight?"

Betty mumbled something through her hand, something Polly couldn't hear. She asked Betty to speak up. Betty did so, begrudgingly.

"I said, it might be better to come back in at least a day- if not two days from now. You know. Reasons."

Polly coughed, startling, "That long?"

Jughead snickered, "Oh yes. That long."

Polly shrugged, "Well, then. Good for little Archie Andrews. Magicalism clearly has some benefits."