#ratedna

“This isn’t going to work.”

Betty reaches up to push a lock of his hair back, fingers gentle.

“Yes,” she meets his gaze, “It is.”

Archie swallows, giving her a quick nod in return. They face the double doors of the school and he sucks in a breath, can feel Betty tense against his shoulder. Her hand searches next to him, finding his fingers and gripping tightly. Archie squeezes back.

“Ready?” He asks, barely a whisper.

“Ready.”

Okay, let’s rewind—

Archie is sitting in the library. This is important because Archie is hardly ever in the library. He’d stumbled his way in there a few times, hands up Veronica’s skirt, toying with her buttons. But he’s never been in the library for its intended purpose, which is to- well, study.

But here he is.

Betty manifests at his work table, seemingly out of nowhere, and gives him a soft nudge.

See, Archie and Veronica have been broken up for almost three weeks now, Betty and Jughead for the same, minus an hour or two. Archie won’t admit that he’s kind of…okay with it. He finds new ways to keep busy, although he definitely finds himself spending much more time alone. So alone that when Betty shows up next to him, he nearly jumps in his skin.

“How’s it going?” She asks, and Archie can almost feel how hard she’s trying to be casual.

He notes that she’s been wearing her hair down lately, after everything with the Black Hood and their respective break-ups, Archie hasn’t seen much of Betty. She’s been a blur in the hallway, moving from one activity to the next.

“Not bad,” he shrugs gently, “You?”

Betty shrugs back, but her gaze drops to the table. She opens her mouth to speak, but seems to be contemplating her words. Archie raises his eyebrows before she finally responds.

“I want Jughead back.”

Archie mumbles an “Of course you do” under his breath and pretends to focus on the textbook in front of him. Betty reads his response and furrows her brow in confusion.

“I mean,” she offers, eyeing his profile, “Don’t you want Veronica back?”

“Maybe,” Archie sighs, he honestly hadn’t given it much thought. “I guess.”

Betty’s eyes light up at the answer, leaning in closer.

“Great!” she shrieks, “I have a plan.”

Archie can’t exactly argue with her, since he knows there is absolutely nothing that would drive Jughead and Veronica more insane than seeing Archie and Betty dating, confirming their own buried insecurities and pushing them to admit their regrets. Archie found it all to be a little immature, but he also knew Betty’s most ridiculous plans only further proved how much the cause meant to her.

“Favorite color?” She prompts.

“Pastel pink,” he fires back.

“Favorite food?”

Archie smirks, “Pop’s fries.”

Betty smacks his shoulder lightly, a scolding glare.

“Well, they are.”

Archie would quiz her on every fun fact about him, but Betty already knows. It amazes him how easy it is to fall into this “fake” relationship, since they’ve been friends for as long as Archie can remember. He finds that he has an even harder time saying “no” to Betty than he did with Veronica, the pent up loyalty that’s been accumulating over the years.

“And yours is mac and cheese,” she gives him a quick eye roll, “which I know because I’ve been making it for you since we were eight.”

Archie feels his chest swell with a certain fondness.

“Yeah,” he nods, “You have.”

—Back to where we started

Archie and Betty walk hand in hand down the hallway, ignoring the obvious gasps and whispers from the surrounding crowds. For most, it’s not a huge surprise. But Archie does note Veronica’s wide eyes, shock playing over her features. It takes nearly a minute before she’s dragging him into an empty classroom.

“So you and Betty are-“

“Yeah,” he finishes, “We are.”

Veronica swallows, and he sees something flicker in her eyes, a knowing look that forces a sharp pang in his chest. He had played so many scenarios through his head, but it wasn’t the same as seeing her pain first hand.

“Well, I think that’s great,” she nods, but her voice cracks.

Archie wants to reach out, pull her close and hold her the way he had so many times before. But when his hand reaches out, it gets lost in the distance, falling weakly at his side.

He whispers, “Veronica—“

She’s already blinked the tears away, disappearing from the room.

Archie slides into the seat next to Betty’s at lunch, because he genuinely feels like he’s supposed to, and she doesn’t hesitate pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. He flickers his gaze over her face, how easy and normal it is for her to pretend they’re dating.

“I grabbed you an extra snickerdoodle,” he forces, hating how sappy he sounds.

When he holds the cookie up, Betty leans forward and snags a bite, right out of his hand. Archie can’t even bite back his laugh before it’s already out, and he resists the urge to lean toward her and kiss her, an automatic response.

Cheryl’s tray clatters on the table and she rolls her eyes.

“You two are even more nauseating than I could have imagined.”

For the record, Jughead’s reaction had gone entirely undocumented until the night of Cheryl’s party. Archie had assumed he was so caught up in Serpent business he’d disregarded Betty entirely. It actually provided him a big sigh of relief that he wouldn’t have to talk through dating his best friend’s ex girlfriend- who is also his best friend.

Betty is absolutely certain that Jughead won’t be at Cheryl’s party, since she’s on his long list of least favorite people. Veronica still recoils a little every time she sees them, but she also seems more accepting than before. She didn’t love him, after all.

When Jughead and the Serpents pull up to Thornhill, Betty’s nervous energy radiates off of her body and everything she touches. Archie’s first instinct is to reach for her and Betty shrugs him away, following Jughead out to the backyard.

Archie lingers by the screen door, watching their heated discussion. Jughead’s arms are flailing, while Betty flinches gently. He feels his fists clench at his sides and grounds himself to stop from running out there. Betty’s hand comes up to cover her mouth and she gives a tiny nod, Jughead turning his back and walking away from her. As soon as he’s far enough away, Archie slides the door open and makes his way over to Betty.

“Hey,” he whispers, “Are you okay?”

Betty shakes her head, tears rimming her eyes. He’s immediately hit with a wave of deja vu, the broken heart he saw after the homecoming dance, the devastation.

“He knows it’s fake,” she whimpers, softly. “He said it’s time to grow up.”

Archie has a million things that he wants to say, that he could say.

He doesn’t deserve you. He’s a dick. It’s time to move on.

Instead, Archie catches Jughead’s gaze, and does the only thing he can think of that will help. He grabs Betty’s wrist and yanks her forward, crashing his lips against hers. She freezes for a moment, eyes fluttering closed before she kisses him back, a sigh into his mouth. He exhales, releasing a lot of emotions he didn’t know he had, and Betty takes it in, leaning into his chest.

The first kiss was different. It was under different circumstances and alarming for reasons that Archie didn’t have time to explore. Kissing her at a party, in front of all of their friends, he had to wonder if this is the way things were meant to be all along.

“Jughead looked outraged,” Betty beams, nudging against his shoulder during their stroll home. “Outraged!”

Archie glances up at her enthusiasm, a small eye roll. “I noticed.”

He feels his heart beating a little faster, thumping against his ribs, without really knowing why. At the end of all of this, Betty’s endgame is Jughead. He has to continually remind himself that while their fake relationship is fun, it’s not going to end with them together. He can’t quite figure out why that bothers him so much.

Betty takes the three steps up to her house and gives him a quick glance over her shoulder and she smiles.

“Good job tonight, Arch.”

And he swears he catches a small wink from her right eye.

Come Monday, Archie finds Betty at her locker and lets his hands fall to her waist. Betty jumps under his grip, her back colliding with his chest. and she giggles softly.

“What are you doing?” She whispers, almost scolding.

“If Jughead thinks it’s fake,” Archie mumbles, against her ear, “Let’s prove that it’s real.”

He can feel Betty shudder beneath his fingers, and he likes the feeling of holding her, having an effect on her again. His fingertips dig in to her hips just slightly and Betty releases a sigh into her open locker. Her hands continue to flip through her textbooks, but her movements have increasingly slowed.

PDA is not exactly new to Archie, Veronica was a bit of an exhibitionist and most of the time he was the one blushing in embarrassment at everyone staring. But he was starting to understand the thrill, hands skating up Betty’s sides, all the while knowing the entire school could be watching.

Betty turns to face him, swallowing gently.

“Archie…” and she sounds unsure, for the first time since they started this ridiculous scheme.

He smiles, a little amused, “Betty.”

Her gaze flickers down to his mouth, before meeting his eyes. A small nod.

“I’m in.”

Archie and Betty do what they can to become unavoidable. Archie grabs her by the wrist after Vixen practice and presses a quick kiss to her lips, snatching her duffle bag to carry on the walk home. It’s easy, because it’s not too far off from how things have always been, just a change in the context. Sometimes, dating Betty is so easy, Archie lets himself pretend it’s real.

“How was your day?” He asks, Betty’s fingers slipping easily into his own.

“Pretty good,” she shrugs, “Cheryl still doesn’t think I’m capable of a full front flip.”

Archie throws her a grin, “Are you?”

“Probably not.”

Archie swallows his chuckle, pressing his mouth against the crown of her head.

Just a change in the context.

“I’m having a party this weekend,” Veronica grabs him by the arm, “You’re invited, obviously.”

Archie nods, but can feel his body tense in her presence, seeking out Betty’s glance. Instead, he finds Betty’s back pressed against her locker with Jughead in front of her body. Archie’s fists clench beyond his control.

“Cool,” he shrugs, “I’ll be there.”

Veronica is staring at Archie, but Archie’s gaze can’t leave Betty and Jughead down the hall. Her gaze follows his own and she swallows harshly next to him.

“I assume you’ll be bringing your-“ she clears her throat, “Betty.”

Archie nods, can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t. Except that his “girlfriend” is still trapped in the same spot, Jughead reaching up to push a few strands of blonde hair out of her face. And Betty smiles, a little, but her gaze seeks him out, and Archie releases a deep sigh of relief. Veronica catches it and rolls her eyes.

“Can’t fight fate,” she mumbles, under her breath, “Right, Archiekins?”

The night of Veronica’s party, Betty walks over to Archie’s and he drives them to the Pembrooke. He notes Betty fidgeting in her seat next to him and the energy already feels off. He sucks in a breath and stares out the windshield, suddenly certain that Betty will end their arrangement tonight. It was short lived, of course, and only a matter of time before Jughead would realize his mistake, asking for her back.

And there was no doubt it in Archie’s mind that if given the opportunity, she would choose Jughead over him in a heartbeat. He already had his chance and he blew it, he’d have to move on from here. His hand moves to her knee and she nearly jumps in her skin, throwing him a small smile.

“Everything okay?” he asks, voice soft.

“Yeah,” she nods hurriedly, “Yes.”

Archie stands next to Betty in the elevator and glances at her as she sucks in a deep breath. Her eyes meet his for a moment, and she blinks the moment away. When the elevator dings open, Archie is shocked to find Jughead is already sitting on the chaste in Veronica’s foyer, drink sitting nearby. He glances up at them for a moment, before shifting his attention back to Sweet Pea’s animated story.

Archie can practically feel Betty vibrating next to him, the anxious edge of care care care.

“Archiekins,” Veronica approaches them, a beaming smile, “B.”

“Hey Veronica,” Archie gives her a grin, hasn’t been able to call her Ronnie since the break-up.

Betty’s brow furrows, “You’re in good spirits, V.”

“Well,” Veronica continues her flashy proud smile, “I have reconciled my feelings about your new romance. No use in fighting the inevitable, after all.”

Betty is quick to react, eyes widening at the word inevitable, and Archie opens his mouth to retort, but Jughead appears before anyone can get another word out. The red cup in his hand sloshes, and nearly goes over Veronica’s shoulder, but he catches it time.

“BettyandArchie,” Jughead grins, slurring slightly, “ArchieandBetty.”

Archie is suddenly struck with how much Jughead reminds him of his father in that moment, and while FP may have changed his ways, the times got worse before they got better. His arm protectively snakes around Betty’s waist, and Jughead’s gaze follows the movement, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Relax, Arch,” he shrugs, but Archie takes the dig of Betty’s usual nickname for him, “We’re all elated at your new found relationship.”

“Elated,” Betty repeats, and Archie rapidly tries to decipher if he hears disappointment in her voice. She shifts her gaze to meet his, tries to offer something back. What does she want? Her eyes don’t give anything away other than seeking out his comfort.

“After all this time,” Archie says, gaze flickering over her face carefully, “Who would’ve thought?”

Betty swallows, nearly a smile, “Who would’ve thought.”

Betty swallows, a nervous thought, before stepping into the freezing cold water. She’s showered with rain from the fountain and gives Archie a proud grin. He never expects her to go through with the dares, and she almost always does. He gives her a small, approving nod.

“And are you going to join me?” She asks, dress soaked from the water.

“No way,” Archie shakes his head, “You can get arrested for that.”

He gives her playful grin and Betty bites the inside of her cheek, contemplating her next move. She holds her hand out to him, and huffs her frustration.

“Great,” she says, an eye roll. “Can you help me out?”

Archie offers her his hand and Betty takes it, stepping onto the ledge of the fountain and jumping into his arms. He doesn’t hesitate catching her, and as he does her wet clothes seep into his own dry ones. Archie erupts into a fit of laughter, dropping her to her feet and taking in his soaking clothes.

“That was a good one, Cooper,” he concedes, and they fall in stride down the sidewalk again.

When the night breeze picks up, Archie pulls his own shirt off and drapes it over Betty’s shoulders.

She packs it in her suitcase when they leave.

a coaster from holland bar

Betty slides into a stiff high-top and props herself up on the bar. Archie’s chest rests behind her back, his arms on either side of her. Although she’s sporting her best push-up bra, Archie insists she put her  breasts away so he can order their drinks on his own.

“Coors Light,” he says, confidently. “And—“

“Bourbon,” Betty finishes, “Neat.”

Archie meets her gaze, and she thinks he’s going to laugh. Her order so unexpected it’s almost humorous. But he swallows it, and throws his card down on the bar. The bartender eyes them both before taking the card and swiping it through the machine. She takes a careful sip, and it burns all the  way down.

“Never took you for a bourbon type of girl,” he says, a grin.  

“Tall Boy makes me drink them,” she shrugs, “At Whyte Wyrm.”

She swears she catches him rolling his eyes then, and excuses himself to bathroom. Betty’s sitting comfortably on her own when a couple of guys approach, hair slicked back with gel. One of them is wearing thick rimmed glasses and suspenders. The music is blaring around them, but she can still make out their voices.

“Hey, blondie,” one says, a smirk. “Buy you a drink?”

Betty shrugs, a nod to her almost full glass. “I’m good,” she says over the music.

“Let’s finish that one,” the other guy says, stepping closer. “And start on number two.”

Betty feels her muscles tense, body stiffening under their gazes. They’re too close, and it’s too loud, too hot. One of the men puts his hand on her waist and Betty jumps, pulling away.

“I’m really not interested,” she says as sweetly as she can, and the other corners her against the bar.

He tells her, “It’s just a drink.”

“She said no,” Archie steps in front of them, blocking Betty from either one.

They both jump back slightly at his tone, and even Betty is a little taken aback by his authority. Her stomach stirs at the gesture, somewhere between want and affection.

“Didn’t know she was taken,” one of the guys says and Archie is practically on top of her body.

“Well,” he shrugs, “She is.”

They grumble a few words before stumbling away, and Betty is eternally grateful for the distraction. She takes another sip from her bourbon and feels the burn slide down her chest. Archie gives her a wordless nod and she meets it with her own. He drags her out of the bar and Betty follows without question.  

They’re standing in the alley when Betty asks, “Truth or Dare.”

Archie says, “Truth,” but he’s gauging her reaction.

Betty swallows at the sight of him, the genuine affection in his eyes.

“Truth,” she repeats, “Do you wish you were on this trip with Veronica?”

Archie doesn’t answer, but he’s shaking his head, stepping towards her until her back hits the brick wall of the alley. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips and Archie watches, gaze locked in place. He leans forward, eyes on her mouth when his phone starts buzzing, a loud ring in their ears.

Archie laughs, glancing up at the stars.

“It’s Ronnie,” he says quietly, before putting the phone to his ear. “Hey, babe.”

Betty forces a smile, it is what it is.

travel sized bottle of champagne

They’re sitting on the floor of their hotel room when Archie says, “Truth or Dare” and Betty rolls her eyes. They’ve probably drank the equivalent of two bottles of wine and Betty feels warm, happy. She’s in her white, fluffy robe, legs crossed.

“Truth or dare,” he repeats, expectantly. They can never quite leave this place.  

“Okay,” Betty concedes, softly. “Truth.”

“Did that kiss mean anything?”

The room falls silent, and Archie’s gaze has fixated on her mouth, just waiting. Betty doesn’t know how to answer, finds herself very frozen in place. He’s so calm, so patient, but still expectant. Her phone vibrates on the nightstand, but she ignores it. This trip was supposed to be only theirs. She waits until the buzzing stops before she speaks again.

“Of course it did,” she says.

Archie only nods in response.

empire state building keychain

Archie keeps it tucked in his pocket the entire time they’re dragging themselves up the stairs. He watches as her legs take each step, and finds himself a little too focused on her ass. She’s still Betty, but she’s also his Betty, and he can’t quite let that go. It’s not until they’re at the top that he feels the rush of affection hit like a load of bricks. With a bunch of couples surrounding them, he pictures what his life would be like if Betty was that person for him- if he could just lean forward and kiss her right now.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks, voice gentle.

Archie’s hand flies to his back pocket, feeling the Empire State figurine digging into his fabric. He should just give it to her now and play it off like it’s nothing. They’re friends, and they’ll always be friends. It’s probably a good time to accept that.

Yet, there’s a part of Archie that wants to hold onto this, keep the keychain in his pocket and remember this for later. There’s a part of him that can’t let go of the fact that this might mean something later.

That’s why he nearly freezes when Betty’s fingers grip at his pockets and she slides the figurine out of his jeans, admiring it with her gaze. Her lips curve into a smile, but it’s a little sad.

“For Veronica?” She asks, seemingly casual.

Archie smiles, but he’s shaking his head.

“It’s for you, Betty.”

She slides the ring onto her finger and admires the building, a little in awe of the gesture. A few couples make out around them, and Archie fights the urge to spring forward and do the same. His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he lets it.  

black ray bans

They’re all the way past security when Betty tells him that she’s going to be queen of the Serpents with Jughead. Archie nearly thrashes everything in sight, but controls himself for Betty’s sake. He can’t get over the fact that he accepted the class president position only for Betty to become a serpent queen before his eyes.

“So we go back to Riverdale,” she shrugs, “Then what?”

Archie swallows, stepping closer to her. “Well, what do you want?”

Betty’s shoulders raise in a shrug, because she really doesn’t know what she’s looking for when they return to their home town. Archie will go back to Ronnie, back to his role as class president. Betty will return to Jughead and take on her new position as Serpent Queen. It’s quiet in the terminal around them, but forces a buzzing in her ears.

Archie seems to read her thoughts, it’s the only time they have left. He takes a step forward and her back hits the cool white tile. Her lashes flutter closed, and Archie’s lips find hers. Betty releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding, doesn’t know how long it’s been trapped in her chest.

His hands fall to her waist, and she presses against his body, completely forgetting where she is and who she’s with. Archie seems to share the same sentiment, hands tangling in her hair and gripping at the black sunglasses trapped in her blonde locks.

“Well,” she repeats, “What do you want?”

Archie swallows, teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he takes her in.

“Truth or dare,” he says, eyes on her mouth.

Betty bites back a smile, meeting his gaze.

“Dare,” she mouths. Her sunglasses slide down from her hair and rest on the bridge of her nose, anticipating Archie’s next move. He’s close enough that she can feel his chest heave against her own, wanting. Soon, they’ll be home and it’ll be like the whole trip never happened.

“Kiss me again, Betty.”

Betty’s lips curve into a smile, certain that Archie thinks she won’t follow through with the dare. Her phone is vibrating against her thigh, and she lets it go, pushing up on her toes to press her lips against his again. Archie sighs into her mouth, and his forehead hits the plastic of her glasses.

“BOARDING D1,” the attendant calls from the counter, “ZONE D1.”

Archie yanks aways from Betty so fast it leaves her a little stunned, fingers coming up to rest on her bruised mouth. They both look like kids caught in the act, maybe because they are, and she follows Archie to their seats in silence. It’s not until they’re up in the air, and his gaze is locked on the seat in front of him that she says,

“Truth or dare,”

Blue

When the sky reflects on the water, it makes the river appear almost cerulean in color. Betty knows it’s not, not really. When she opens her eyes under the water, it takes on a cloudy grey shade. However, Betty can still make out Archie’s navy boxers, contrasting his bright red hair.

She paddles forward and hooks her fingers in his waistband, tugging him towards her. Her legs wrap around his torso and Archie secures his hold on her thighs before launching them up out of the water. In seconds he’s unhooking her bra and tossing it on the ledge nearby, Betty’s nails digging into his shoulders as her lips trail over his jaw, biting at his ear. Archie walks them backwards until her back hits the rocks and she gasps against his open mouth.

His fingers toy with her underwear and Betty pushes at his boxers in a few rushed movements, a stifled groan into the crook of her neck.

The sound of the rushing river muffles the rest.

Yellow

The sun is warm and bright, reflecting against the water in shimmering gold and silver. Betty has to  shield her eyes just to make out Archie’s brown ones, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. She’s always liked the way his skin freckles in the summer, spreading across the bridge of his nose.

Her thumb swipes over his jaw as her fingers crawl to the back of his neck, nails digging in gently.

Archie grins against her mouth, his teeth meeting her lips.  

“What was that for?” he asks.

Her sunflower afghan covers the ground beneath them, and Betty fidgets with a stray yellow thread between her fingers. Archie’s amused gaze heavy on her face as she keeps her eyes down. Truth be  told, she wasn’t sure they’d ever make it to this point- the final shift- the ending she had pictured a million times before.

“I’m just…” she swallows, a small smile. “Happy.”

Archie nods, leaning forward to kiss her again. She sinks her teeth into his bottom lip and earns a soft groan against her lips. Betty only recently swallowed her nerves in their newfound relationship, surprised that she was the one who took longer to make the transition.

It only takes a matter of seconds before her back is pressed against the ground, Archie’s mouth trailing over her neck. Betty turns her head to give him better access and is met with a blinding sunset in her eyes.

“I’m happy, too,” he mumbles against her skin, and it sends a shiver through her.

Green

They’re almost home.

Betty’s bare feet pad through the wet grass, while Archie kicks at pebbles on the sidewalk. It’s quiet, but comfortable. He’s always liked that about Betty. She can talk a mile a minute, or not at all, and it feels just as normal either way.

They’ve been doing this for as long as Archie can remember, like parallel lines, following the same trajectory without ever intersecting. His hand absently reaches for Betty’s- a new habit- and she catches his fingers. He bites back his smile.

They never talk about what comes after, when high school ends and college begins. Archie’s headed to Loyola in Chicago, Betty to NYU with Veronica. Betty never asks him what it will mean for their relationship, but he knows it’s at the back of her mind.

See, Archie has always sort of known it would be Betty- that no matter how many versions of the story they could write, the ending would always stay the same. It would always be Betty.

They stop in front of her house. Betty’s strands of blonde hair are still stringy from the water, make up stripped off her face. Under the porch light he can make out the tiniest pale freckles sprinkled over her cheeks. He finds himself swallowing at the sight, leaning forward to kiss her. Betty returns it, a grin against his lips.

“Are you coming or what?” Betty asks.

She glances over her shoulder at a hesitant Archie, pushing a lock of blonde hair out of her face. She’s particularly proud of her all-black ensemble, Veronica’s borrowed leather jacket hugging her shoulders. Archie is still frozen in place outside the White Wyrm, and Betty takes a few careful steps backward on her heels, grabbing for his hand to urge him forward. She catches his quick eye roll before shoving the bar door open, the smell of stale beer and cigarettes wafting over them. They make their way towards the bar when Sweet Pea steps in their path.  

“Well, if it isn’t Ward and June Cleaver,” he grins, dry. “What can I do for you two?”

“I’m here for Jug,” Betty says, pushing past him towards the back room, but he catches her arm.

“I don’t think so,” Sweet Pea meets her gaze, “Wally’s not in the mood for guests.”

Betty shrugs off his touch and offers him a narrowed stare.

“I’m not a guest,” she says, voice low. “I’m his girlfriend.”

“Not what I heard,” Fangs appears at Sweet Pea’s side.

Archie stays silent behind her, but Betty can feel his tense energy radiating at her back.

Betty pushes forward, “Exactly why I need to talk to him.”

She attempts to squeeze through the gap between them, but Sweet Pea promptly closes it. Betty huffs her frustration, fingernails digging into her palms until she can feel the pain sinkingsinkingsinking.

“Sorry, Cooper,” Sweet Pea gives her a shake of his head, “Mama Cooper’s orders.”

“Since when do you take orders from my mom?”

“I don’t,” he shrugs, “but the boss does.”

Betty rolls her eyes and takes a step back, feeling an air of defeat. She runs a few fingers through her  waves and lets out a deep exhale. A part of her holds onto the hope that Jughead will hear her voice and walk out the door on his own.

“I suggest you head home, Sandy,” and really, Betty is getting sick of the nicknames. “Unless you’re going to get on stage and give us another show.”

Archie finally speaks, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Sweet Pea’s head tips back in a laugh, “Andrews, are you telling me you missed Betty’s little striptease the other night?”

Betty drops her gaze to the floor, but she can feel Archie’s eyes on her profile, his own jaw set in anger.

“See,” Sweet Pea continues, “I’ve always been partial to brunettes, but-“

“Shut up, Sweet Pea,” Betty whispers, pulse racing under her skin. She glances down to see Archie’s  fists clenched at his sides. Her fingers ache to reach for his wrist, offer some calm. Although, she’s not sure it’ll help at this point.

“Go home, Betty,” Sweet Pea urges, and she can see a genuine concern flicker through his eyes. It reminds her alarmingly of Jughead. Her hand reaches for Archie’s arm, a nod to the door and he silently returns it, following her lead. They barely make it a few steps when Sweet Pea’s voice cuts through the room again.

“Hey Andrews,” he says, over the music. “Tell Hiram’s daughter I said hi.”

Betty squeezes her eyes shut and braces herself for the hit, hearing the immediate impact of Archie’s fist connecting with Sweet Pea’s stomach. Sweet Pea, expecting the blow, fires a shot right into Archie’s nose. Archie charges full force and throws Sweet Pea into the bar, the chorus of switchblades echoing around them.

“Archie!” Betty grabs for his shoulder, but he rips out of her grasp. “Arch,” she repeats, softly.

Archie freezes as the room falls silent around them. Her fingers land on his arm more delicately and he releases Sweet Pea, snapping back into focus. When he turns to face her, there’s blood streaming over his mouth and chin. His eyes flicker over her for a moment, coming down from whatever adrenaline was driving him before. He doesn’t speak, just pushes past her and storms out of the bar. Betty doesn’t hesitate chasing after him, the cool breeze blowing blonde waves out of her face.

“Archie, stop!” she shouts, and he turns, only to wipe the blood away with heel of his palm.

They stand in a deadlock for a few moments, the silence buzzing around them until Archie speaks.

“What am I doing here, Betty?” he asks, voice low.

“I told you,” she fumbles, a breath. “We’re here to take Jughead back.”

“Really?” he snorts at her, “Is that what you really want?”

“Yes!”

“Because it feels like you want to be a part of this world,” he fires back, “to be one of them.”

Betty rolls her eyes, but otherwise stays silent. Archie’s nose is still bleeding, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was broken. He hasn’t winced once since the punch. She can feel her fingers trembling at her sides and digs them into her palm again.

“Is that what you want?” He asks, and when she doesn’t respond he asks again. “Is that what you want, Betty?”

“I don’t know!” She snaps, a small shrug. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

Archie scrubs a quick hand over his face, smearing a streak of blood over his jaw. He narrows his eyes, a little thoughtful, before taking a step toward her.

“Then hit me,” he says quietly.

Betty meets his gaze. “What?”

“You want to be a Serpent, Betty?” He asks. Repeats, “Hit me.”

Betty gives him an incredulous laugh, unsure how to respond to the seriousness of his gaze. There’s no sign of humor in his face and it forces a lump in Betty’s throat.  

“That’s what a Serpent would do,” Archie shrugs easily, “Sweet Pea would love you for it-“

She starts, “Archie—“

“Maybe Jughead will even take you back if you—“

“Archie, stop.”

“Hit me,” he finishes, taking a step closer to her. The rise and fall of his chest meets her own.

In light of the alley, she can see the pleading in his eyes. His face is a mess, jaw set and clenched tightly, but she can see the pain in his eyes. She lifts her hand to him and Archie’s eyes fall closed, flinching under the touch of her fingertips resting on his jawbone.

When he opens his eyes they’re darker, heavy. His gaze moves from her eyes, down to her mouth. Betty finds the air trapped in her throat, somewhere between a gasp and a sigh. He exhales, lips nearly brushing her own, when he catches himself with a harsh breath. Archie pulls back, glancing up at the stars for a few silent seconds.

“I’m going home,” he says, heading down the sidewalk. He gives a quick glance over his shoulder, “Are you coming or what?”

Betty hesitates, eyes falling to her fingers, the tips of her skin stained red.