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It was hot. Too hot.
But it was also his only day off for the week and Jughead was going to enjoy his one day off at the beach even if it killed him. He could practically hear his best friends voice in his head telling him to put on sunblock unless he was willing to risk his chances of getting skin cancer. Archie Andrews, with his fire engine red hair and pale skin, seemingly never failed to look like a human lobster on every summer trip the pair took to the town pool growing up.
Jughead shook out his sopping and straggly hair, water droplets flinging into his own eyes. He pushed the tip of his surfboard deeper into the hot sand beneath his feet. He reached up to pull on his ear lobe and shook his head a little. The beach was busy today. But then again it was a Friday in Malibu so he figured he couldn’t expect much less. He began to people watch and ran his hands down both the legs of his board shorts, rigging out some of the salt water. He reached for his beach towel, running it through his hair-tousling it around even more. It was at the point in the summer where the fall’s dark tone was overtaken with honey blonde streaks from the sun and salt water.
He glanced around and saw a group of young kids building sandcastles. Their mothers don’t look too far away, lounging close in beach chairs- wine coolers and seltzers in hand. Jughead grabbed his water bottle from his bag, and tossed back a swing of cold water, his lips pressed against the metal rim of the bottle. His phone vibrates against his foot from the bottom of his bag and he reaches in for it.
Staring back at him from the screen was Katy in a bikini, posing in front of her bathroom mirror, her ass propped up on the vanity counter to make it look bigger. Jughead just shook his head and pressed the top corner of his screen to send it directly into his virtual trash bin. He watches girls in skimpy bikini’s run past him all day- it's Malibu- so why did his ex-girlfriend think that one photo would phase him. After all, it’d been two months since he’d walked into his own roommate, now also ex-roommate, fucking his girlfriend, now also ex-girlfriend, on the very exact counter that she’d just had her ass pressed against. He was so thankful that he’d been smart enough to get his own place and leave the both of them in his past. And yet somehow, she still found ways to contact him.
He tossed his phone back into his bag and looked out at the waves just breaking about fifty feet out. The sun was just beginning to set, and he could see streaks of pale pink and orange forming within the light clouds layered against the sky.
“Veronica!” He suddenly hears a high-pitched voice yell out and turns toward the sound. “Don’t you dare!”
Jughead sees her then. She has long dishwater blonde hair and a puka-shell necklace around her neck with a permanent tan line to match. Jughead can’t take his eyes off her. She’s breathtakingly beautiful and he suddenly as to remind himself to do just that- breath. Her skin is dark and inked from the summer sun. She’s siting pressed against the sand in a pair of coral pink bikini bottoms, so bright with the pale strip of skin that rests just at her hipbone, proving to him that she’s well versed in swimwear. His eyes trace over her whole body. She has a silver chain anklet around her left foot and a black spaghetti strap is resting on her shoulder. Although, he can't see the pattern of her swim top because she’s wearing a sweater. It’s pale blue and cotton and oversized and falling from her torso. He thought that she must be crazy to be wearing a sweater when it is still nearly ninety degrees outside.
Jughead watches as, who he assumes to be Veronica based on the blonde’s yelling, throws a plastic water bottle back at their towels that are laying against the sand. He overhears the blonde yell something about some sea turtles to the brunette. Veronica is wearing a navy blue and white striped one piece that cinches at her waist and it has a tiny bright yellow bow right about where her belly button would be. Her skin is also dark, but it’s blended with a deep olive tone that makes Jughead think she’s Latina. He watches as she runs back into the ocean and then turns back to look at the blonde in front of him before she collapses backward into the waves.
Jughead hadn’t even realized that he’d walked closer to her until she turned to look up at him. He noticed the stark green of her eyes. They looked like glistening emeralds against the sunset of the sky behind her and once again, his breath was taken. He felt the need to say something. She was staring right at him, but she wasn’t saying anything either.
“The planet’s fine you know,” Jughead suddenly chides.
“I’m sorry?” She mutters. Her hair is blowing slightly in the wind and Jughead almost swears that he suddenly smells faint vanilla.
“The planet’s fine. The people are fucked.” He says matter-of-factly with a small shrug. “But the planet is fine.”
“Wow.” It takes her moment before she clicks her tongue and pushes against the sand to stand in front of him.
She’s much shorter than him and tiny too. She’s over a head below him and shorter than even he expected her to be, but God she’s beautiful. He has no doubt that she might look small, but mighty is she. He can practically feel the heat radiating from her sun stained skin and suddenly, Jughead has no doubt that the look he finds deep within her eyes can kill.
He’s beautiful. It’s that only thought that goes through Betty’s head when his husky voice invades her ears. It’s almost as if he were cut and pasted out of a magazine and placed in front of her. Betty wasn’t sure why he was suddenly talking to her, but holy shit this man was like a walking sunset. His skin was tan, and he seemed to not have a tan line in sight. His chest looked divine and his abdomen- slightly chiseled. He looked fit- but not like someone that needed to hit the gym every day and she could tell that he was an avid surfer. His hair fell over his forehead just enough that her fingers itched to gently brush it away so she could look deeper into the dark pools of his dusky blue eyes. She wanted to kiss his chin and cheekbones and his patterned gray and black board shorts still had water droplets falling from them. Onto the sand beneath their toes and the smooth skin of the tops of her feet.
“Haven’t you heard of global warming?” She suddenly challenges him. “The melting of the ice caps? The penguins dying in Antartica?”
Still, Jughead offers her nothing which makes her roll her eyes at him and makes him smirk.
“The shorter winters? The fires and floods?”
“We live in California,” He tells her. “Not too much for snow around here.”
He watches as she shakes her head at him, her tongue protruding inside her cheek.
“Look, I don’t know who you are but I-”
“Jughead.” He suddenly talks over her, forcing her to stop midsentence.
“What?”
“Jughead,” He repeats. “My name is Jughead Jones.”
She just looks at him, confusion quickly clouded over her eyes. He can feel her foot stop tapping against the sand and the look on her face almost becomes one of dumbfounded.
“This is the part where you tell me your name.” He speaks in a hushed voice, leaning in ever so slightly. This time he knows for a fact that she smells of vanilla.
“Betty! ” They both turn toward Veronica’s voice echoing from the water. Jughead can’t help the scowl that comes over the blonde’s face as she glares at her friend.
“Betty...” Jughead let’s her name fall from his slightly sea salt chapped lips. “Pretty name.”
He can tell by the look in her eye that she doesn’t want to give him any satisfaction. Just then she seems to spot his beach bag and surfboard in the sand behind him. He can tell by the small smile she offers that she takes note of his reusable water bottle.
“Who’s this?” Veronica suddenly runs up to them from the water.
“Nobody.” Betty says without skipping a beat. She turns slightly, so she’s not looking at him and shields her squinting eyes from the setting sun with her hand. The angle of the bright rays makes her skin appear even more golden; her eyes speckled with flecks of green.
“Okay...” Veronica takes the hint and doesn’t press anymore.
“Jughead.” He holds out a hand to her and Veronica takes it with a smile.
“Veronica Lodge.”
“Your friend Betty here was just educating me about- global warming, was it?” He can't help the pinch in his voice at the end, seemingly needing to antagonize her.
Veronica reaches down to grab her towel, squeezing out the ends of her dark hair. Betty doesn’t look at Jughead or even turn back toward him, seemingly ignoring him.
“Sounds like my best friend.” Veronica says with a soft smile, seemingly not at all stubborn like her friend.
“Well it is nice to meet you Betty...” Jughead pinched, searching for her last name. It was only fair since she now knew his.
“Coo-” Veronica began after a moment and an eyeroll at her best friend.
“Betty.” She stopped her. “Just Betty.”
“Okay, just Betty.” Jughead mocks her. “I hate to break it to you, but life is full of disappointments. Go ahead and just add me to the list.”
Veronica couldn't hide her awe-struck chuckle all while Betty could only roll her eyes at him.
“Will do.” Betty mumbled.
Who was this guy and why was he acting like they hadn’t just met?
“As much fun as this is, we have to go.” Betty tells him.
Veronica looked at her with a confused gaze that didn’t go unnoticed by Jughead. Still though, the raven-haired beauty gathered her things. He knew that she was lying but he also knew that he bothered her which only added more fuel to his fire. She snatched her beach bag and towel up from the sand, holding them over her shoulder.
“Have a good night, princess.” He nodded to her which only made her roll her eyes at him once more.
As the girls walked away from him, he took noticed of Betty’s lavender weaved beach bag with a monogramed Cooper in the bottom corner. He snickered to himself before he went back to grab his surfboard and run back into the ocean. Hoping to God that he’d see her again.
“Who was that?” Veronica mutters when their close enough away from him.
Betty pauses and turns back to watch him as he runs into the ocean, surfboard under his arm. She pushes some hair behind her ear before walking again.
“I have no idea.”
“You should have given him your number.” Veronica muttered coyly.
“Veronica.” Betty hisses they reach her rickety old Jeep. She throws her bag into the open back, reaching inside for her keys.
“I'm serious!” Veronica laughs. “I mean he was like stupid hot.”
“Yeah,” Betty shakes her head with a meek tone, not making eye contact with Veronica.
“I mean I-” Veronica begins, picking at a piece of chipping paint on the passenger side door.
“Enough, okay...”
Betty unlocks the Jeep and climbs into the driver's seat, slamming her door a little too hard. Veronica rolls her eyes before jumping at the sudden intrusion on her ears.
“Can you drop me off at Nick’s?”
“V,” Betty starts finally turning to look at her best friend. “Seriously? Another booty call?”
“What?” Veronica quizzes her. “I’m sensing some judgment.” She lifts her hand into the air and dances her pointer finger around before poking Betty in the arm.
“I just think you’re better than that, that’s all.” Betty shrugs.
“Say’s the one who just blew any chance she had with the hottest guy we’ve seen on the beach all summer.”
Betty glared at her best friend before switching the gears of her Jeep and pulling out of the parking lot, feeling like an utter idiot. She reached up to move her rear-view mirror, looking back as she watched a minuscule pair of black and gray board shorts disappear into a large wave.
A Couple Days Later
“What do you mean you’re not coming?” Jughead was practically seething through the phone.
“She won’t leave.”
“Well then kick her out.” Jughead ran a frustrated hand over his face. “You are seriously not bailing on me right now.”
Archie was supposed to be meeting him for lunch but of course his best friend was bailing on him for some chick that apparently wouldn’t leave his apartment. Jughead knew that he shouldn’t be shocked but now he was sitting in a booth all by himself and was sure that he looked like an idiot.
Archie muttered his goodbyes and hung up before Jughead could say anything else. He sighed in frustration before he looked out at the water. He was at the Portside Bay . It was a small little mom and pop like diner right on the shore. It was famous for its local caught shrimp and fish dinners. Jughead was starving and his stomach growled just at the sight of the menu. He figured that he was already there, why not just eat?
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me...” He briefly hears behind him. It’s followed by a couple of soft scoffs before he turns to the sound of the voice. “It’s you...”
“It’s you...” He echoes with a gently smile. He uses his elbow to prop himself up in a leather booth. He’s eye to eye with the blonde from the beach. He watches as Betty gives him a nervous smile. She looks beautiful. Like he could even forget the dark shade of her tanned skin, she had on a pair of white jean shorts and a light blue cotton shirt. He surveyed her up and down and it didn’t go unnoticed. She had her hair pulled back loosely into a ponytail with a matching white scrunchie and her ankle socks contrasted the yellow tinge of the sneakers on her feet.
It took him a moment to realize that she had a black apron tied around her waist and a pen wedged perfectly behind her ear, a notepad in her hand. She was his waitress and suddenly he thought that life couldn’t be sweeter. Leave it to God to laugh in his face and suddenly he wasn’t mad at Archie for ditching him.
“So, this is where you work...” He muttered, tease thick in his voice.
“Uh yep,” She nods. “Veronica too.” She points to the front counter and sure enough her brunette counterpart gives him a bright smile and a wave. “What would you like?”
“Your number.” Jughead dared without missing a beat.
He watched as the blush rose in her cheeks. He heard her tongue click as she bit the tip of it. He got a smile which only made him smile back.
His teeth are so white and so perfect . Betty thought as she looked down at him.
“Okay, tough guy.” She began. “What would you like from the menu ?”
She watched as his brow furrowed and it took him a second to turn back toward the tabletop when she tapped her pen against the cover of the menu.
“Oh... um, I’ll just take the special.”
“Two shrimp tacos with rice?”
“That sound’s great.” Jughead shrugged.
“Great.” She gives him a small smile and grabs his menu off the table and walks away.
Jughead takes notice of her ass sauntering away, the ties of her apron swaying against the pockets of her shorts.
When Betty brings him back a glass of water her leaves her with a wink. The blush that rises in her cheeks doesn’t go unnoticed by him and from a distance he notices her surveying the parking lot from behind the diner’s front counter. He wonders if she finds his pick-up truck and recognizes the surfboard that he has hanging out the back. He suspects that she’s very observant and suddenly he wants to know everything there is to know about her. He suspects that she has simple taste and yet her brain is quite complex.
“Two shrimp tacos with rice.” Betty muttered, setting a plate down in front of him.
“It looks great, thank you.”
“Can I get you anything else?” She asked him sweetly.
“Sit with me.”
“Jughead.” His name fell from her lips like the honey of her skin and he wanted her to say it again. He watched her roll her eyes again as her shoulders landed in a heavy sigh. “I’m working.”
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged and picked up one of the tacos. He dove into a hefty mouthful and Betty just walked away with a small laugh.
When Betty came by to grab his plates, she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t expected them to be empty. It wasn’t a secret that he could eat, and she should’ve known. She glanced out the window above his booth and noticed the dark clouds far out in the distance over the rolling water. She’d heard about some weather reports coming in off a hurricane off the coast. It was too far to reach them, but it still seemed like they’d be in for a nice storm.
“It’s going to get nasty out there.” She tells him, attempting the make casual conversation.
“That means great waves.”
“You’re going out!?” She asked him incredulously, picking up his plate from the table.
“The storms at least a couple of hours out, I’ll be fine.” He winks at her.
Jughead watched as Veronica ran behind Betty and out the front door of the diner. She jumped into a navy-blue Chevy convertible with white pinstripe down the center of the hood. He noticed a dark-haired guy in the driver's seat just as Veronica leaned in to kiss his lips. She threw her bag into the back and then jumped in next to him.
“Where’s she going?” He asked suddenly.
Betty glanced up through the window as the two watched the car drive away from the seaside diner.
“Oh, that’s Nick.”
“Boyfriend?” Jughead wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“Something like that.” Betty said with a snicker after a moment.
Jughead knew by her body language not to pry. He noticed a black booklet sticking out from the pocket of her apron. He reached out and plucked it from her. He heard her let out a sharp exhale but didn’t argue. He held a coy look in his eye before reaching for his wallet in his back pocket.
“You got be quicker than that Cooper.”
He watched her blush when she realized the he knew her last name.
By the time Betty returned with his change, Jughead was already gone. He’d left her a pretty nice tip and she smiled softly, pushing it deep into one of the pockets of her apron. She caught herself looking out the window above the booth. His surfboard was gone from the tailgate of his truck. She hoped that he’d be safe and wouldn’t admit it, but she was a little disappointed that he didn’t wait to say goodbye.
Jughead began his stroll back to his truck, his surfboard tucked underneath his arm. The thunder was rumbling loud behind him and he knew that the storm was getting close. He walked a little faster, wanting to make it back to him apartment before the brunt of the storm hit. He hadn’t caught much for waves so maybe Betty had been right, and he just shouldn’t have gone at all. He smirked at the thought of her. Her blonde hair and tan skin pretty much took up an entire section of his brain. He climbed the couple of wooden stairs to the parking lot, and he was suddenly startled by a loud bang. It caused him to look up and much to his surprise, he found Betty. The hood of her Jeep was propped up and she had dropped a wrench on the ground. He was hoping that it didn’t hit her toes but judging by the look on her face it wasn’t one of pain- just one of frustration.
“Need some help?” He approached her and it made her jump. He apologized with a small laugh but the fiery look in her eyes could probably kill if she tried hard enough.
“No...” She huffed. “I’ve been meaning to get it fixed I just haven't had the time... or the money and now the damn thing does this thing where she refused to start no matter how hard I try.”
“Mind if I try?” He offered, pointing to the driver’s seat where the door was still open.
“Knock yourself out.” She gave him an exaggerated shrug before wiping her hands on a dirty towel.
Jughead climbed into the old rickety Jeep. He tried to start it, but the thing wouldn’t even turn over. He knew that he didn’t have his jumper cables with him, but a part of wasn’t even upset about it.
“You’re right.” He jumped out from the cab just as loud ripples of thunder sounded above them. “She’s dead.”
Betty just nodded solemnly, seemingly already knowing that that would be the response.
“Let me give you a ride.” Jughead offered. “The storm is really close, and it looks like a nasty one, I think we need to get off the beach.”
Rain began to sprinkle down on them, leaving damp droplets on the skin of her cheeks. Jughead watched as she reached up to stroke them with her fingertips. It was almost as if she didn’t believe that they were there.
“No,” she mutters. “No, I can’t ask you to do that.” She continuously shook her head at him, seemingly not able to meet his eyes.
“You’re not asking.” He said simply. “I’m offering...”
“Jughead.”
“C’mon Cooper.” He tilted his head toward the direction of his truck.
This made her smile. She stopped for a second and really thought about her options. She knew that a bad storm was coming, fast, and she couldn’t stay on the beach. Her Jeep was toast and her chances of getting a tow were slim to none. He seemed like a nice guy, there may be the slight chance that he’s a serial killer and simply came to her place of work because he was following her. But her gut also told her that he was a good guy and wanted her to be safe. She followed him. He threw his surfboard into the back of the truck before swinging around to open the passenger side door for her.
“Thank you.” She nodded to him.
“Okay,” He said once he switched the gear into reverse. “Where’s home?”
“Um,” Betty spoke meekly. “Bainbridge...”
“Bainbridge?” Jughead asked incredulously, pulling out of the beach parking lot.
Betty nodded.
“Betty that’s like-”
“Forty-five minutes away- yep.” She ended for him.
“Woah!” He swerved the wheel, a tree falling into their lane. Betty watched as he ducked his head, seemingly believing that it would help. Although she jumped too and grabbed the handle on the door frame, to steady herself. “Shit.”
He cursed through clenched teeth.
Just then the sirens started, Jughead wasn’t sure if it was for high winds or an impending small hurricane- but he knew neither was good. He also knew that the skies had turned nearly black and based of the branches falling around them, there was no way that he could make it to Bainbridge and then back to his condo in time before the brunt of the storm hit.
“How close is your place?” She suddenly asked him, anxiety tinged tightly in her voice.
“Um,” Jughead started. “About two blocks north... Why?”
"Nothing."
He looked over, her knee had begun to bounce, and her eyebrows had cinched close together causing her eyes to shut tightly.
“Are you okay?” He asked her, worried.
“Sorry,” She apologized. “Storms just kind of freak me out, thunder, sirens, lightening-”
Her hands were shaking and Jughead knew she wasn’t lying about being afraid of storms.
“I probably shouldn’t live so close to the beach, huh?” She let out a nervous laugh.
Jughead looked at her before flipping on his turn signal to turn left.
“Where are we going?” Betty asked him, curiously.
“My place.” Jughead told her, swerving once more for a tree branch in the road. “It’s too dangerous to drive all the way to Bainbridge, let alone back here to Seaside. You also look like you’re a nervous wreck.”
Betty glanced over at him and their eyes met, her face still laced with anxiety.
“You can stay at my place; we’ll call a tow in the morning. If they can’t fix your Jeep, I’ll drive you to Bainbridge tomorrow.”
“Jughead.”
“End of discussion.”
“You aren’t used to being challenged, are you?” Betty asked him.
“Not particularly, no.” Jughead muttered, not taking his gaze from the road or the rain coming down in sheets.
He could see her staring at him in the corner of his eye, her body itching to ask him something.
“What?” He asked her, turning into the parking lot of his building.
“You know you could be a serial killer.”
Jughead let out a half laugh at her.
“Hon, I promise I’m not a serial killer.”
“And that’s exactly what a serial killer would say.”
Betty snapped back at him, trying to ignore how his use of ‘hon,’ made her insides feel.
“137 Franklin Road.” Jughead told her.
“What?”
“That’s my address, text it to Veronica- if you’d feel more comfortable, she can come pick you up. All though I’d wait until after the storm lets up.”
“Nick lives Saratoga, it’s farther than Bainbridge.” Betty tried to tell him. She still sent her location to Veronica, although she was beginning to believe him- she didn’t think he was a serial killer. “It’s okay, Jughead.” Betty reached out and placed her hand on his. “Thank you.”
“My assigned spot isn’t close to the door,” Jughead muttered. “We’ll have to make a run for it.”
“Okay.” Betty nodded.
A strike of lightning struck close and caused her to jump, she squeezed Jughead’s hand. She did it again even tighter when the thunder rumbled loud above them.
“Ready?” Jughead asked her, subconsciously running his thumb over the smooth skin of her hand. Betty looked up at him and nodded softly.
Jughead jumped from the truck, running around the front and to her door. He swung it open and reach in for her hands. Betty jumped out, but Jughead didn’t let go of her hand. The wind was practically howling around them, and it was strong, whipping her hair hard against her face. Betty didn’t even know where they were going, she could barely see two feet in front of her. She felt Jughead squeezing at her hand and pulling her along. She could hear the rattle of keys as they stopped, and she looked up. They had ended up underneath an awning, but the rain was coming done so thick and heavy that they were both thoroughly drenched, and the covering didn’t prevent the runoff from reaching them in the slightest.
Jughead pulled her inside, the loud of the rain finally muffling in her ears. Her white shorts and light-colored shirt were no match for the water, she knew that her undergarments were completely visible. Jughead shook out his hair and then looked at her. They were both soaking the floor with puddles. The ends of her hair were causing water droplets to fall onto the skin of her arms.
Just then, their eyes locked, and a smile broke through her cheeks. It made a smile form against his lips and then next thing she knew they were laughing. She was laughing and he was too, hysterically. His laugh sounded so good in her ears. She wasn’t even sure why they were laughing. All that she knew was that they both stood in his entry way looking like a pair of wet dogs. Goosebumps began to grow all over her body. Pinprick bumps rose over her arms and legs, she could even feel them up her neck as she began to shiver, and their laughs faded.
“Shit,” She heard him curse and reach for the blanket that he had draped over the back of the couch. “You’re freezing.”
“A little.” She said, even as her lips turned a deeper shade of blue and quivered. He wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. Jughead supposed that her lack of body fat left her susceptible to harsh temperatures.
“How does a shower sound?” Jughead prompts. “Some warm water might help.”
He stepped forward and ran his hands up and down her arms over the blanket.
“I’ll get you some dry clothes, just bring yours out when your done and we can throw them in the wash.”
She followed him into the hall. Jughead opened a closet and handed her a towel and wash cloth.
“I- I suppose this isn’t the place for a killer to live.” She said through a shiver. She was talking about his condo. It was nice, sleek and modern design. Betty wasn’t sure what he did for a living, but she suspected that they were around the same age and he made her waitressing gig look a little lousy.
“No, I don’t suppose it is.” Jughead said with a laugh.
“Tha- thank you.” Betty muttered, still quivering.
“Go warm up.” Jughead ran a hand down her arm once more and nodded towards another doorway.
Betty found herself in his bedroom. She wasn’t sure what she had expected it to look like, but what she found –wasn't it. His bed was big and a rich oak color. He had a matching armoire and long dresser with a large mirror. The hard floors were cold beneath her feet and she was thankful that his curtains were closed because the sight of the storm might cause her anxiety to ripple again. She couldn’t help herself and ventured into his closet. What she found surprised her. He had a row of stark black suits; they were formal and polished unlike the beach boy vibe he gave off with his surfboard in the sand. It made her wonder what exactly he did for a living. Because his condo, and now the suits, Betty was sure she’d be impressed. His bathroom was just as crisp and clean as the rest of the space she’d seen. He had a large jacuzzi tub and an attached shower with two large heads. Unlike his room, the attached bathroom was dark, starkly- male.
She turned on the shower and steam immediately began to fill the space. Betty stripped from her soaked clothes, leaving them on the counter instead of the floor. The water felt amazing against her skin. She wasn’t sure how long she’d spent in there, the hot water cascading through her hair and chilled skin. She heard the door open once and peeked out to see Jughead leaving dry clean clothes on the counter and taking hers with him. She didn’t get out until her fingers had turned to the texture of prunes.
Betty was surprised to find a pair of women's cotton shorts and t-shirt by the sink. They shirt was a tad big but not too much. She was still cold and ran her hands up and down her arms to try and console the goosebumps. She was able to find a pick comb and ran it through her hair enough to get the knots out. She squeezed the ends with a towel before draping it over a hook on the back of the door. When she left the bathroom, Betty could hear soft toned music coming from the living room. She found another blanket hanging over the arm of the sofa and wrapped herself in it. She sat down on the couch and wrapped herself tighter in the quilt.
She saw Jughead then. He walked up to her and hand her a mug with some hot tea as Betty gave him a soft smile. She thought she might drool if she hadn’t been able to plug up her mouth with the lip of the mug. Jughead had changed into a pair of cotton plaid pajama shorts, but he’d neglected a shirt. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him on the beach, but something about being in his space- his home, it just felt different.
“Thank you.” Betty told him, propping her head up with her hand, trying her best not to be distracted by his bare chest.
“I threw you're clothes in the wash,” Jughead muttered, handing her a ceramic mug. “I hope you’re okay with tea.”
“It’s great, thank you Jughead- thank you for everything, really.” Betty said genuinely.
“You know for as hard as you were on me that day on the beach, you-”
“Well you caught me at a disadvantage!” Betty countered, a smile breaking through both of their cheeks.
“It’s still storming pretty good out there.” Jughead told her, looking out the window to his patio.
“Thank you for the clothes...”
“I hope you’re warm enough. My little sister goes to NYU but comes to stay with me a couple times a year. She left those last time she was here.”
“What’s her name?” Betty asked him after she took a sip.
“Jellybean.” Jughead said into his own mug. A giggle left his lips before Betty could get one out.
“Jughead and Jellybean...” Betty muttered incredulously.
“What can I say, my dad was fond of nicknames.” Jughead shrugged.
Betty couldn’t help but catch Jughead’s use of the past tense, she yearned to know more about that story, but she also knew that she had no right to dive any deeper.
“So, what’s your story Cooper?”
“My what?” Betty asked him.
“Your story.” Jughead repeated with a small laugh. “What makes you... you.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t-”
“Did you grow up in California?” Jughead cut her off.
“Small town New York actually...” Betty muttered before taking another sip from her mug.
“How did you end up here?” Jughead mumbled after a small giggle.
“I just graduated from university.” Betty told him. “Veronica and I live together in Bainbridge, were interns at a publishing company in the city.”
“Wow, you two are inseparable then, huh?”
“A little yeah, I guess.” Betty chuckled. “What about you?”
“Well I grew up in Ohio,” Jughead started. Betty reached out to set her mug on his coffee table that was in front of the sofa, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket. “My dad passed away right after I graduated high school and I-”
“Jug, I’m so sorry.” Betty reached out to touch his arm. The way that she shortened his name just came so naturally, it almost scared her.
“It’s okay.” He gave her a genuine nod and touched her fingers with his own. “I moved out here to get away from the town and the people in it. It was one of those everyone knows everyone and everything kind of places, you know? And I always pegged myself as a city kid.” Jughead said with a short laugh.
“What do you do now?”
“I’m uh-, I’m an executive at a marketing firm.”
“Woah.”
“What?” Her reaction making him chuckle.
“Oh nothing, it’s just- all of this,” Betty gestured with her hands. “It makes a lot of sense; this place is really nice.”
Betty honestly felt undeserving to even be wrapped in one of his blankets. She and Veronica’s small third floor apartment would compare nothing to Jughead’s condo. A sudden burst of thunder rang out loudly and caused Betty to jump. Jughead placed a hand on her knee and noticed that she was still shaking a little.
“Cold?”
Betty shook her head anxiously, reaching out for her tea.
“Just a little nervous, I’m alright.”
“Do you want to watch a movie or something? It might help muffle the noise and distract you.”
“Sure.” Betty smiled softly at him. He was being so considerate and even her hard shell of an exterior had begun to soften.
Just as they agreed on a movie, a loud pop and boom almost caused the walls to shake. It was the infamous sound of a blown transformer and Jughead knew it. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, waiting for the inevitable.
“What?” Betty asked him after a moment, confused by his actions.
Jughead held his arms out as the sound of sinking voltage began to vibrate into their ears. The television went black and then all the lights he’d had on simultaneously. Betty looked around in the sudden darkness, pushing the blanket away so she could stand up from the couch.
“Well I guess that’s a no on the movie.” Jughead muttered.
Thunder rumbled again and Betty caught a quick flash of light through his patio blinds.
“I’ll get some flashlights.” Jughead called out through the darkness. A dim light flickered above the front doorway. Betty assumed that it was most likely on an emergency generator, but it was so dim that there might as well not be one at all. She could hear him rustling around in a drawer, but she couldn’t see him, so she wasn’t sure exactly where he was.
“I uh,” Jughead called out from the kitchen. “I can’t find a flashlight, but I’ve got a candle.”
She could see a yellow tinged hue suddenly appear through a doorway of what looked like a kitchen.
“I think it might be from last Christmas,” She could hear him rambling, his voice growing louder as he laughed at himself and she ran the tip of her finger over the rim of the lamp shade. “But it’ll work.”
In the dark Betty stumbled, her foot getting stuck by the leg of the side table. She jumped forward and ended up on Jughead’s chest. She let out a sharp exhale and looked up as their eyes met. He was holding the candle in one hand, but he was able to use his other arm to steady her. He leaned down to set the candle on the table, his eyes not leaving hers. His hand wrapped around her right wrist, not letting her pull away. The green of her eyes was flickering against the soft amber light of the candle. The flame waved and flickered, dancing light across the walls of the room. The loud wind and thunder began to muffle in her ears as she looked at him.
When their eyes caught, Betty could feel heat radiating off his dark skin and into her bones. She watched as his eyes fluttered from her lips and then back up. His hands were holding her, one softly on her wrist and one hard against the skin of her back where her oversized shirt had ridden up. The lights flickered again above them, but just once, the yellow tinge of Edison bulbs peeking through Jughead’s hair. She thought he might kiss her- she wanted him to. Betty hated making out. It never really seemed to feel right. Although she wasn’t even quite sure what right felt like. She’d made out with a handful of guys, and it always left her with a stomachache. But then she figured that continuously swallowing someone else’s saliva probably would do that.
But then, Jughead leaned in and placed his lips softly against hers. It was so gentle; she wasn’t even sure it had happened. After a second, he pulled away and searched her eyes. But he found that they were closed, and a grin had broken through her lips. Then both her hands were on his face, pulling his mouth back down to hers. His hands moved to her back, just slightly creeping up her bare skin. Her lips were soft and gentle against his. He could tell that there was passion between them but its wasn’t rushed or even the slightest amount of feverish. She bit ever so softly into his bottom lip and he just about lost all his wits. He started to stumble backward and felt the sofa against the back of his calves. He let go of her waist with his left hand so he could lower himself down. He pulled her into a straddle over his lap. He felt as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. It was still wet and felt cold as it ever so slightly brushed against the skin of his cheek.
Betty deepened their kiss and felt butterflies flutter deep in her belly. She used her nails to gently stroke down Jughead’s throat, then over his shoulders and onto his chest. She felt him groan against her lips and it made her smile, breaking their seal.
“How’s this for a distraction?” Jughead mumbled against her mouth with a short laugh.
“Can I stay?” Betty whispered, she could feel his hands squeeze at her hips as he tilt his head to kiss her again.
“Damn right you can stay...” Jughead mumbled. “I never thought you’d ask.”