Jughead felt like his mind was in a state of collision. He knew what he should do in this moment, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. But ad he stared into her face, everything came to a halt. What would she want? He asked himself. Although he knew it wasn't her decision, he couldn't help but feel everything he did, every feeling he felt and every decision he made revolved around her. Her expression provided him everything he needed to make this choice ten times harder.
On one hand , if he joined the Serpents he would be passing on his fathers legacy, honouring him for the selfless act he just committed for Jughead. He may not be known as the social outcast anymore, he may just finally fit in. He would have a group, a gang who will always have is back no matter what and get him out of tuff situations just as they proved with his Dad. He would finally have a purpose in this town, rather than just sitting and observing. Joining the Serpents only provided positive benefits.
All except one that is...
Was he willing to put his relationship in jeopardy? Was he willing to sacrifice her?
Rejecting the Serpents offer could also mean making more enemies. Not something he need right now being the alleged kill of Princess Bombshells brother. The whole town will be on his case, who would want a killer lurking around their lampposts and dust bin at the dark hours of the night? If he rejected their offer now , it could be the last chance he had to create a family. One that wont abandon him the way his Mother did. It could be his last chance at happiness, a future.
But what he didn't know whether this future would involve Betty? Stopping his fantasies in their tracks.
Joining the Serpent meant trying to leave his old life behind.. the Blue and Gold, Pops diner, Archie..... Betty.
His doubts paraded on his face and the head Serpent could see it. Jughead's eyes were still locked with Bettys. He couldn't help wondering what she was thinking right now. Was she confused? Was she scared? Was she angry?
"Kid don't worry, we are not going to make you decide on the spot.. not in font of your little girl friend here." This made Jughead tense, he noticed Betty took a step back as they noticed her presence. Would this be how she reacted around him, if he joined would she be scared of him?
"But we would like a decision soon, spots don't commonly show up . And we would like you to consider. If you don't want to join, some other lucky soul would." The grey haired Serpent turned on his heels , sending the long haired furry companion by his side galloping down . The dog sat waiting for his owner to catch up. The gang of followers behind him all made their way back to their motorcycles. Both Betty and Jughead stood in silence, watching the Serpent ride off in the horizon, heading straight for the South side.
Neither of them knew what to say, how to start , not even how to string together a sentence. Betty was in a state of shock. She didn't know how to feel. Should she be supportive? Should she be angry? He emotions felt mixed and all over the place. But she knew one thing, she wasn't going to lose him over something as stupid as joining a gang. But what if that meant he changed? Would it mean she would lose him, the pessimistic , socially awkward, needle nosed boy she had grown remarkable feelings for?
But another thing she knew right then was that she couldn't deal with it that night. Not after losing her parents and spending what felt like a perpetuity inside the county jail, she wasn't ready to lose him tonight , even if that only evaded the inevitable to the morning.
She took a step out of the door, escaping from her room of darkness, hidden from every one- including him. She began down the steps.
"Don't you want to talk about it.?" He called out from a step behind her, his voice soft and raw- painful to the human ear. " Aren't you going to ask me..-" he continued, his voice unsteady.
"-Not tonight." She replied, her voice broke. Her whole body tensed ,as he placed his firm hand on her shoulder. He recognised this, taking it back. His stomach dropped, was she scared of him or just on edge from tonight's events. But ever the pessimist he was, he thought negatively.
Betty knew this about him, so shifted his body and gripped his falling hand. Pulling him down to the steps behind her.
"Where are we going?" Jughead asked, in shock. He still couldn't believe that they were just going to disregard the elephant in the room, pretending that nothing had ever mattered.
"Home."
Together they walked the empty streets of Riverdale, hand in hand, mind in mind. They said not a word to one another, they didn't need to. They could feel what needed to be said between them. Soothing them both. The air was crisp but nice. Autumnal leaves danced across the ground, the weak , cool wind blew against them. The moons shone full. Its whole being brightening the sky. Not a soul was in sight, everyone was cooped up in their warm homes- protecting their families from the killer that had just been released. And although that should of dampened his spirits, it actually lifted them. It felt like they had the town to themselves. No one to hurt them, annoy them, get in between them. Nothing could go wrong. And for some reason he could not fathom, life felt perfect. Despite everything feeling empty or broken, he felt whole with her.
They started up the drive way that led into her house. The empty car space of her parents clouding her mind. She pushed the thought aside as Jughead stared at the vacant space.
She uttered two simple words that focused his attention back onto the task at hand.
"Not tonight."
She thumbed her key from her pocket. Gently pressing and turning it into the door. Upon opening it the warmth of the house engulfed her contrasting wildly from the evening aroma.
Not releasing his hand, she pulled him through the hall. Passing the living room, where they spent countless nights together catching up on TV or watching a film( usually of Bettys choice); they passed the kitchen, ignoring the fact that neither of them had eaten for twenty four hours.
She headed straight up the creaky steps of the Cooper house not bothering to turn on any lights. She walked down the upstairs hall.
Straight for her bedroom.
Jughead didn't resist , question or stop what she was doing. She was a woman on a mission and no one could stop her.
She pulled him into her bedroom. The room was dark . silent.
Jughead looked around, awaiting her next move. She startled him, spinning round and pulling him into a passionate, strong kiss. He kissed back moving his hand behind her head. Her arms wandered down his back, across his chest and around his neck. His arms snaked down her body, feeling her curves, her body. Feeling courageous she pushed herself closer to him, closing the gap between them. In turn her grabbed her waist , picking her up of the ground. She wrapped her long legs around his waist meeting at his back. All this time they never broke the kiss.
Through breathing intervals during the make out session Jughead asked "Should .. we be .. doing... this?"
She pause the kiss for a moment, leaving his lips urging for more. She looked deep into his sky blue eyes and found her answer. This time she returned one simple word.
"Tonight."
She then proceeded to kiss him harder than ever before. He layed her back gently onto the bed. She landed with a thump her hair spread wildly among the cold sheets. He climbed on top of her , kissing her. His taste sticking to her tongue.
Together they let their imaginations work to their own devices, ending their night in a perfect , unforgettable slumber.