Imagine when springtime hits, Serpent gets extra aroused and antsy as springtime is usually the time where animals get ready to mate. She’d be holed up in her room all day, groaning and trying to satisfy her two cocks because although kind of a cool feature to have, two cocks means twice the amount of arousal that she will have to experience, and poor Serpent only has two hands that do a mediocre job of pleasuring her :(

She’d be so hot and burning up, wishing for this heat cycle to go away as all she needed was relief (and someone to satisfy her urge to breed), otherwise she’d be left having an uncomfortable few weeks by herself and nothing she can do will help it.

…Unless. Chief decides Serpent needs some checking up on, so she sends you (one of Serpent’s favorite people ever) to check on Serpent and see if she’s okay. When you reach her cell however, you are immediately pulled in and the hot air pretty much seals your fate as you can smell the arousal from Serpent penetrating the room.

She’s super cuddly with you. Groaning and whining before pushing you down on the bed to trap you there. She’s not doing anything yet, because even in that cloudy haze, she still wants your consent. But from the look in your eyes, she could tell you wanted to help her just as badly as she wanted you. And by the way you were eying her two excited erections, she could tell you were drooling quite a bit at the prospect of “helping her out” just a tiny bit…

Expect to be flipped over on your stomach so Serpent could get a good look at your ass and cunt. The snake woman would be practically salivating at the sight, as she strokes herself while watching you and lubes you up with that long tongue of hers. She can’t wait to make you feel so full, to stretch you beyond your limit as she rubs her two shafts in between your thighs to make you feel what you are about to experience.

Serpent isn’t cruel by any means, so she goes slow when she first pushes into you. She isn’t big, but because there are two of her size, it feels very unique to have her penetrating you twice all at the same time. It’s practically double the girth that your pussy and ass (or just pussy if Serpent is feeling bold) are experiencing, and the moment you let out a small moan, Serpent picks it up and begins to instinctively thrust.

Her body would just move on it’s own, keen on breeding the beautiful woman in front of her, and Serpent would practically be quivering at the thought. So much so that she’d latch onto you to keep you trapped underneath her body, despite being a rather petite woman…

Needless to say, you aren’t leaving her bed anytime soon. Or rather… “nest” as Serpent likes to call it, due to the fact she wants you to bear her offspring sooner or later… 💕

…sorry. I have a breeding kink.

"Do you believe him?" Betty asked, trying to fill the silence. Jug was knocked out of his daydreaming, trying to get his courage up to stop them and talk to her about what was going on both with them and Riverdale, when she did it for him. They stopped moving forward as she stepped in front of him to gain his full attention.

"I do," He admitted, a little more serious now. He sighed a bit as he spoke the words, and Betty pursed her lips, then nodded. She paused and stepped closer. Jughead was pleasantly surprised that she was making all the right moves, and even further convinced himself that she really did like him. He couldn't wait to get home and share the happenings tonight with -

He let the thought drop, holding his breath as some kind of crazy courage took hold of him. His hands moved to cup her face and he leaned forward, his eyes closing and a smile slipping onto his lips. In that moment, he was full of excitement. It was like going cliff diving and standing on the edge, looking down at the water which seemed so insanely far below. That fear that makes you stay in that one spot for so long, unable to get the courage to leap off into empty air. The moment after when that burst of courage hits you and certainty courses through your veins and you jump.

Betty leaned away from him, her eyes wide and he thought of the metaphor he had just thought of. How the way his body responded to this was very close to the moment after the jump. The moment when you are suspended in empty air and you hold your breath and the certainty goes away and you instinctively reach out to stop yourself. Your foot already left the solid ground and it's too late to listen to the terror that has returned and you start falling. Your stomach drops and your heart rises into your throat as you fall.

They stood there, and it was like the second before you hit the water, where you have already jumped and now you can't go back and you regret it. That moment before you hit the water and you tense in anticipation. That moment before you're submerged safe and your confidence comes back again.

Then her mouth is moving and her eyes are full of pity and Jughead thinks of that moment  when you're in the water and you pop back up again to take a deep breath of air, smiling like an idiot. But he wasn't smiling and neither was she. He had fallen, except when he had landed he'd immediately lost where the surface was and now he was just... drowning.

And he was drowning. In terror, humiliation, and regret.

She stepped back and there was heavy silence as Jug stood back up straight, almost robotically. As if his joints had frozen but his brain was still working. It felt like his body was balancing on the edge of functionality, and was quickly falling apart in panic. Neither knew what to do.

"Did you just try to-" Betty began.

"No." Jug rushed. He shook his head to rid the emotion away and threw his walls up, his face blank and his body relaxed and loose. He wasn't sure if he pulled it off, too distracted by his mind racing and his heart aching like never before. Why had she leaned away? The question hung in the air like an elephant on their shoulders, heavy and about to topple over and cause chaos. Nothing good was about to happen between the two.

Betty began to say something but then stopped, silently pursing her lips. It's so awkward between them it's hard to speak. "I didn't know you liked me, Jug," Betty mumbled softly. Jughead shrugged nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets as if he didn't care. But Betty already knew. He was a fantastic actor, but no amount of acting could hide how he felt. The proof was in the action he could not take back. "I'm sorry, Jug," Betty tried weakly. "I'm... I don't feel that way - about you. I'm... I'm with Veronica." Jug looked at her, pain and surprise and even horror in his eyes. Betty felt ashamed and looked at her feet, wanting to fold into herself and disappear under his demanding glance. "We didn't tell anyone because so much was going on, but... I really like her, Jug. More than I liked Archie." Her smile that risen up thinking about Veronica shook as she realized that her experience with Archie was just like now, except that the places were reversed.

Now she knew what Archie had been thinking, going through. The pain he'd felt, having to tell her that they were only ever going to be friends. Even despite the fact that Jug wanted so much more - yearned for it - as she had. Betty understood Archie's silence and awkwardness that night. She tried to figure out how to tell him that she just wasn't that into him. Not like that. Not ever like that. Not for her. Not between them. They were just friends. Had been. For so long.

"No, don't worry," Jug tells her calmly, hurting her more because she knew he was hurting but didn't feel comfortable enough to talk to her about it. It hurt her even more, knowing that he wasn't being himself around her anymore, because of this. His feelings totally ruined their dynamic, because she didn't return them. It would go back, the same way that she and Archie had, but not for a while. It had taken HER a long time... How long would it take Jughead? "You can't control your feelings. I don't blame you for that." As she tried to respond - tried to make  it better, somehow - he turns around and begins walking away, leaving her there alone. The only thing she can do is close her mouth, watch Jug until it doesn't seem to have a point anymore, then turn back onto the path and walk herself the rest of the way home.

Jughead doesn't know where he's going. His head is so clogged with thoughts and feelings as he glares at the cracks underneath his feet and walks into oblivion... or wherever his feet decide to take him. He can't tell anyone what just happened. Betty would, but he couldn't. Archie would know how Betty felt and try to explain it to Jug, taking her side and trying to fix it so the group wouldn't have even more to handle than they already did. He would support Jughead, but not in the right way. Veronica would be on her side too, as her girlfriend. Honestly she would also be a little bitter that he tried to kiss Betty. He would rather see ANYONE than Veronica right now anyway.

No, he needed Y/n right now.

Just as he got to this realization, he looked up to see where he was so he could find his way to Y/n's house - to find that he'd subconsciously made his way to Y/n's front gate. Of course his feet would take him here. Y/n was more his home than even the drive-in had been.

Y/n was Jughead's best friend. His everything, really. He told her everything, and Y/n always knew what to do. What to say; how to react; what to do; how to figure it out. She always knew what he was feeling without him having to tell her about it, and she was always available just when he needed her. It was always impeccable timing that he asked for her when she was free. And she always was, for him. She was never too busy to help him. Just then his emotions start to register as what just happened sinks in and he gets antsy, his eyes locking on her dark room - she wasn't home yet.

"Jug?" He spun around to see Y/n standing there, confused, and the second she saw how upset he was, she knew what had happened. They met in the middle, Y/n waking and Jughead practically running. He embraced her, his bigger build almost toppling her over. "Betty?" She asked softly, remembering back to how Betty had asked him to take her home. She'd been disappointed, as she loved their walks home together, but happy that he got the chance to be alone with her. She was as convinced as he was that Betty liked him the same he liked her. What could have gone wrong?

"She didn't... She doesn't... Veronica and her..."

Y/n's eyes went wide and she immediately realized what had happened, as if she could read into Jug's mind itself. She soothed him with soft shushing, rubbing his back gently and holding him tightly. "Breathe Jug, it's okay. It's okay, I'm here. I'm here." He breaths choppily in her ear, his feelings rising in his throat, as if suffocating him. "Jug you need to calm down," Y/n tells him. "Can you breath for me?" He's never put himself out there like that, and it had gone very wrong. Betty not only didn't like him - she was with someone else. Was with Veronica Lodge. It all feels... icky. Like he's covered in dirt and grime or like he hadn't brushed his teeth.

How badly had he just fucked everything up between everyone?

Slowly but surely Y/n walked him through the panic and got him to breath calmly and steadily. She walks him into her room. Her parents are on a trip as usual, leaving the house empty, as usual. She takes off his jacket and lays him in the bed, taking off his shoes as he pulls one of her pillows into his chest. She grabs a pair of pajamas and changes in the bathroom before putting her hair back, out of her face. She climbs into bed with Jug and immediately he ditches the pillow to pull her close, burying his face into her neck and hair. He lets his senses fill with her, allowing the smells and touches and darkness to fill his senses so all he can focus on is her. His center in the storm. His calm in the chaos. His sanctuary in the war. His safety in the danger. Doing this made him feel a million times better and he completely relaxed, letting her adjust so that his arms loosely wrapped around her as her head rested on his elbows and his head was hidden by her body.

Eventually he even calmed down enough to fall asleep, deep even breaths echoing in her ear and fanning her neck.

She can't sleep, though. Even after he is calm.

Unbeknownst to Jughead - to anyone - Y/n is head over heels in love with the beanie boy. She'd cared for him so long she can't remember a time she didn't, some way or another. They were friends since before even Betty and Archie. She had been there when he was lonely and sad and she had sung to him in her tiny, high voice. Random noises and words, just so he could hear her. If not that, then she would tell him stories directly from her imagination. Later she would read to him instead. On days he just needed to get something off his chest, she had listened to him talk. For years, until she knew him better than his parents did. He had always leaned on her.

Even now, years later, she cared for him more than she had ever care for anyone. It was her instinct to seek his happiness. He liked Betty, so she had tried to help him. Encouraged him. Guided him. Even as she found herself to even begin to look at someone else, she was happy for Jughead as he talked about Betty. The two could have been happy together, and who was Y/n to get between them? Veronica had first, but that wasn't the point. She was genuinely okay with him not liking her. As long as he was genuinely happy. His sorrow hurt her, and she found herself staring at the ceiling as the night passed. Her heart ached for the boy in her arms and didn't find sleep for a very long time.

Before she could fall asleep, she pulled her phone out and texted the others to make sure they knew Jug was okay and with her, fast asleep and calmed down. She organized a way for this to work out. Veronica and Betty would stay away from him and give him space to figure it all out. Kevin would stay with them, as he wouldn't help Jug any. Y/n would stay with Jug so he wouldn't be alone, helping him move on, and Archie could pop in every once in awhile to see how Jug was doing and report back to the girls. Any of them could ask Y/n anything and she would update them so everyone knew where he was.

Of course, they agreed. Y/n knew Jughead best and if she said he needed some space and time, they would give it to him.

Finally she could fall asleep, assured that it would all work out.

In the next week, it all went as planned. Archie gave the girls updates, the girls stayed away for the most part, and Y/n helped Jughead situate his emotions and move on. She cracked jokes and told stories, read books, sat with him as he wrote, and even sang to him at night when he would get really sad. They would have classes apart and Betty and Jughead still worked together at the Blue and Gold, but Jughead found that it was weirdly easy to let go of the blonde. He saw how happy she was with Veronica for the first time, and if he got a little wistful now and again he just had to see Y/n smile and everything was fine again.

Jughead finally ran into Betty and Veronica in the hall together. The two had ditched pretenses and had gone public about their relationship. They shared a kiss right as he rounded the corner. It was just a peck but Jug froze, frowning to himself as he didn't feel the jolt he expected to. Feeling eyes on them, the two girls turned to see Jug standing there. There was awkward between them for a second but then he just smiles at them, and they seem to melt in relief before smiling back. He continues on his way and that's the end of it.

When Betty and Jughead begin to talk about Veronica f=during hours at the Blue and Gold, they agree that it's time to reunite everyone. Jughead melts back into his place with ease, having only left it open for a few days - just over a week. It's so fast that Betty voices it to the others when Jughead and Y/n aren't around.

"You know when Jughead tried to kiss me he looked..." She thought of the word as everyone looked at her. "I don't know, he genuinely looked really upset. I don't know, I've never seen Jughead like anyone before. Does he move on fast?"

Archie shook his head. "No when we like ten he had a crush on that guy across the street from my house. Do you remember that?" Betty immediately nods, eyes wide as she recalled it. "He was a mess for months."

Veronica rose an eyebrow. "Then, what? He didn't really like you?"

Betty shook her head. "I don't think it's that either. I mean I saw him those first two or three days. He was... heartbroken. Less so very quickly, but the first time he saw me he couldn't even look me in the eye. It was like with Tristen but in super fast forward. You think he's just... better at moving on these days?" Everyone shrugged and then dropped it. For now.

The conversation stays to the front of everyone's mind though. First it's Archie, who notices the soft expression and warm smiles he once secretly aimed at Betty were aimed somewhere else now. Then it's Veronica who is least used to Y/n and Jughead's way of being that she sees the touches and glances and constant contact and knows exactly what she's looking at. Kevin is next, noticing the way that Veronica smiles at Y/n and Jughead. Then there's Betty, who needs to have it brought up out loud to put it together.

"They're just like that," Betty argues. "They always have been." Archie nods slowly, but doesn't defend her. He's lost in thought, rethinking every interaction they'd had since they were kids.

"No one is just like that," Veronica says, shaking her head and holding up a finger. "Something is happening and neither of them realize because they're too used to it. Like you guys."

Put that way, it's pretty hard to argue.

One day V, Betty, and Archie walk into Pop's and notice Y/n and Jughead are there. The pair in the booth smile and wave the others down, scooting over to make room for them. It's slightly reminiscent of how Betty had tried to play of her feelings for Archie when she'd initially gotten rejected, but there's an ease to Jughead that Betty didn't have. He doesn't flinch at Veronica showing Betty affection, and even teases them right along with Kevin. He doesn't stop touching Y/n, and even talks more than he usually would. Archie feels like a fifth wheel as Veronica and Betty chat and laugh and get along with Y/n and Jug, who sit close together and are acting like...

"Are you two dating?" Archie asks, motioning between Jug and Y/n. The two look at each other and bust up laughing, but V and Betty just share a silent look.

"No," Y/n sighs, amused. "That's ridiculous."

"Agreed," Jug agrees. "Not us. Never." He takes a sip from his drink and Y/n swallows hard. She loves Jug after all, and every once in a while she is reminded that she also has feelings, just as anyone does. This millisecond of weakness, before her face returns to happy and unbothered, does not go unnoticed even in the slightest by the other three, who are now hyperaware the rest of the night.

Everything is back to normal, and it's more obvious than ever that something has to change.

Archie, Betty, and Veronica team up after that for "Plan J". Step one: implant the idea.

Archie starts to text Y/n more. She doesn't mind at all and even loves the interactions, but as she begins to have inside jokes with Archie and make plans with him and not be able to hang out or anything because she's busy, Jughead starts to get a little irritated. Not enough to do anything. It's not like Y/n is only his, and watching his friends get along is great. There's just something about Archie making Y/n laugh like that, and him spending time with her. Something about charismatic, heart throb, suddenly ripped and musically talented Archie Andrews that just... doesn't sit right with Jughead.

When Archie asks Y/n on a date, everyone knows it won't end with the two actually going out. They also know that Y/n still won't turn him down, and only Jughead is surprised at how much it bothers him that the two are getting to a place like this. It crosses a line, he thinks, but he's not sure exactly what line it is that's been crossed. The night ends pleasantly but with it obvious that there's no moving forward, just as was predicted. The overall goal is accomplished too; suddenly Jughead is acting weird, and he'll be left along to wonder why. The idea had been implanted.

The next step is to get Y/n to admit out loud that she liked Jughead.

This is the next step because until she admits it out loud, when she can't just ignore it or deny it or push it away or bury it, nothing will ever happen. Not from Y/n. Jughead will never see it with how good she is at covering it up and putting it away when he's paying attention. It needs to be impossible to blend in. Impossible to cover up. Not only for Jughead's sake, but for Y/n's. She needs to acknowledge her feelings and take them seriously.

It takes a week for Veronica and Betty to get Y/n into just the right place. The entire time they wore her down and prodded her gently here and there, staring with how she felt about Archie and slowly working from there. They nudged her more and more until she finally blurted, "None of these guys could ever catch my interest okay? Stop trying to set me up with them!"

"Why not?" veronica asked, eyes wide with interest.

"Because I'm in love with someone else!" Y/n tells them. "Please god don't set me up on a date with Reggie it'll be actually painful." From there it's simple to keep going, asking endlessly who it is, and it's almost too easy to get Y/n to buckle.

"Okay well if it's not Dilton - which, honestly you can do better so that's a relief - and it's not Reggie for sure?" Y/n nods tiredly, her eyes closed and her forehead being rubbed by her fingertips. "Well then it has to be Jughead." Y/n's eyes shoot wide and she freezes. "Oh my god it IS Jughead?" Veronica gushes, her grin wide.

Y/n rushes to shut her up. "Ronny I need you to listen to me very carefully." Veronica nodded, resting her chin on a fist. "You can never, NEVER tell Jughead do you understand me?"

Veronica grins. "Only if you admit it out loud."

Y/n closes her eyes again, sucking in a breath through her teeth. The swear words she swallowed are tangible in her expression as she spits out, "I'm in love with Jughead. But he will never feel the same and I am perfectly fine just being friends with him so I need you to let this go, do you understand?"

"Perfectly," Veronica says, obviously unsatisfied. "I've exhausted you, so I'll go. I promise I won't tell Jughead, and neither will anyone else. Only you can tell him, I swear." Y/n shoots the dark haired girl a panicked expression, but she's already gone before Y/n can say anything. When Betty and Veronica discuss what happened, they both agree that Y/n just admitting it out loud isn't enough.

She knows she loves Jughead. She needs to be open to the possibility that he could love her back.

So came step two and a half.

Unfortunately, Y/n seemed to have panicked and - drowning in her emotions and panicked over what she might face at school - had ditched. She usually let the gang know when she needed a day off, but today they didn't realize until they got to school and Y/n wasn't there. It was then, faced with all of the weird feelings both Y/n and Jughead had been feeling and trying to ignore, that a very jarring truth was revealed.

Jughead and Y/n weren't just best friends - they had more of a connection than just that. They were two halves of one whole. The had learned to work as a machine; in sync, together. When things ever got scary or complicated, Y/n had been the one who stayed and helped him figure it out. That unity became more than just habit. It was instinct. Jughead was the brain; he figured things out and put the puzzle pieces together. Betty might have been his partner in figuring out Jason's killer, but that didn't hinder Jug's role to navigate him and Y/n out of any tight spot. In their personal life, Jughead was the problem solver. Y/n's role was opposite, but just as important. She was the heart; the comfort and warmth that made home; the arms that held and protected him, the eyes that saw more than was there and the endless forgiveness and good advice and holding accountable and building up that Jughead so lacked since his mom had left.

Jughead was the one who had the great idea to make a place at the Twilight Drive In when he didn't have anywhere to go. Y/n had been the one to make it home.

Now that flow was messed up and everything was out of control. Misplaced. Distorted. Riverdale High felt unfamiliar and cold without her by his side. It was more that she wasn't answering his messages. Hadn't even given a head's up. For once he felt no connection to her and the day stretched for eternity as he waited impatiently for school to end so he could drop by her house and fix whatever had broken. Make it better again.

The day wouldn't end though, and Jughead's misery was obvious. Eventually Archie had to say something. The girls already felt bad, thinking they may have pushed Y/n too far. With them opting out, Archie took the lead here. "What's up, Jug?" The redhead asked the moping boy during lunch.

"Y/n's not here today," Jug tells him resignedly, a frown on his face as he speaks.

Now, everyone knew how Jughead and Y/n worked. It was like talking to your parents - you knew which to ask for advice, and which to ask for comfort. Which offered better direction, and which made right where you are feel right. Sometimes you needed guidance, sometimes you needed grounding. Jughead being the brain and Y/n being the heart wasn't just the way they acted, it was a running joke through out Riverdale as a community.

Even knowing that though, this seemed odd. The two could be apart. They had been several times, and it had never seemed this... painful.

All Archie could think to do was crack a joke. "Missing your heart?" Jughead actually scoffed at that, a smile almost tugging onto his face. It seemed Archie's attempts had landed as intended... but it doesn't ease the way Jughead seems run down. They both think about what Archie had said and suddenly it becomes less funny; Jughead really does look so much like how a brain would without a heart to power it.

Jughead sighed. "I've never... I mean she didn't even let me know she wouldn't be here. She hasn't given me any message to let me know why she isn't here. I almost think something's wrong. I'm worried about her. And I mean I've haven't had to do anything completely without her in a very long time. Even when she was sick she would always..." His voice drifts off as that realization hits him. "She would always make time to give me her input."

Archie tries not to smile. God these two were oblivious, and it was killing him. "Y/n and Jughead... it's like peanut butter and jelly. Yin and yang. You must feel..."

"Incomplete," Jughead mumbled quietly.

"At least it's temporary," Archie reassures gently. "She won't be gone forever. She might have let her phone die, or been feeling really crappy and decided to take a break. I'm sure she's missed messaging you back before."

Jughead looks up at that. "This might sound weird Arch, but, no. She never has. Is that insane?"

Archie considered it. "Well, she cares about you, and she must love spending time with you. I'm sure it's just that. Betty was the same way for a long time, before her and Veronica got together."

Jughead shot Archie a look. "Betty was in love with you, of course she never missed a message." Archie took a bite of his food, giving Jughead just a second to mull over what he'd said. And he did, his eyes slowly widening as the gears visibly turned at super speed in his head.

Mercifully, Archie pulled him out of it before he could melt down into a complete spiral. "You planning on going to check on her when school's over?" Jughead nodded, clearing his throat as he pulled himself out of his thoughts. "If she is sick, is there anything you usually do that you need to prepare for before you head over? I'll help you."

"Well when she's sick I usually get her some noodle soup from the store because I have no cooking skills whatsoever," Jughead began, sighing around his words. Archie snorted. "Then we watch some combination of Barbie movies and Ben Ten." When Archie shot him a surprised look, Jughead grinned. "It's been our method for ages. I don't know if the shows are actually good or it's just the familiarity of the habit or maybe nostalgia or something, but it's really comforting. We each have our favorite Barbie movie, and yes me too." Archie bit his lips as Jughead began blabbering on, talking about all the times they'd watched the movies and shows and all their favorites and their theories and opinion they always discussed and updated with each watch as they got older.

Something extraordinary happened after only a few minutes of talking about Y/n. Jughead seemed to light up like a Christmas tree, his hands moving as he became animated and the world around him growing brighter as his grin was wide and bright enough to seem to create light around him. Without Y/n in sight, her affect seemed to hit him nonetheless, as simply the memory of her was enough to set him off into the most blissful he'd been all day.

Archie actually found himself growing jealous of how just a memory could have such an effect on Jughead. How just thinking about her could make Jughead smile like he was. Jughead of all people, smiling like he was now, just at the thought of the girl who was more apart of him than even his friends had realized... There was so much love there. Archie wished he could find something even half as much as that. It was more than he'd ever seen. More than when he'd been with Valerie, more than he'd seen between Betty and Veronica. Hell, this put whatever had been between Archie and Miss Grundy to shame. More than.

Seeing Jughead this happy made Archie realize just how much he wanted to get the two so called best friends together. He'd been hesitant, not one to interject himself into the lives of others. But now, he was all in.

Love like the kind they had should never go wasted.

-

"Hey Jug," Archie prompted one day. Jughead's eyes moved from the book he was reading and Archie continued. "You know how Y/n and I went on that date a while back?" Jughead nodded, his mood obviously changed. They had gone to Y/n's the previous day after school and found out that she was just sick and had slept all day. Or that's what she had said at least. She had missed today too and Jughead was more at ease, but still a bit in a sour mood. His odd thoughts about Y/n were on the edge of something new and it left him in a weird place.

"Why do you ask?" Jughead prompted when Archie paused for a moment.

"Well I was wondering if you'd give me some advice," Archie lied. He still wasn't into Y/n genuinely, but the jealousy that flared in Jughead's expression immediately was perfection. "Listen I know you're basically like her brother-"

"I'm not her brother," Jughead rushed, wondering why it bothered him so much that someone saw them that way.

Archie raised his hands in surrender then continued after a moment. "I just mean I know you're protective and you should be. You're both close and she means a lot to you. But you know me, Jug. I would treat her well. I would keep my hands on her back, and spend plenty of time with her. Pay for the dates and give her rides when I get my license. I would give her all the affection she needs. Any time she needed something, I'd be there, I promise. You won't have to worry about her so much anymore - you'd have me to help. Who else could be better, you know? Who else do you trust as much as you trust me?"

Jughead swallowed. "I don't know Arch."

It was impossible not to smile, so instead Archie tried to aim it to be eager and lean into his excitedness, steering away from smugness that might set Jughead off.  "I just figured, since you know her so well, maybe you could give me some advice? Maybe put in a good word for me?"

Finally Jug couldn't contain it anymore. "No," he grunted. It didn't make sense. Archie was right, he would be perfect for Y/n. Just what she deserved. Jughead couldn't get himself to be in the least okay with it though, or shake how much it pissed him off to picture them together.

"Why not?" Archie asked evenly.

"Because no."

"But WHY?" Archie pushed. There was something boiling behind Jughead's eyes, and Archie was pulling at the lid.

Suddenly Jughead could see Archie and Y/n, driving to school together in the morning. Going on dates. Cuddling at night. Watching movies. Eating meals at Pop's. He could see V and Betty next to Archie and Y/n, all cuddled up and cooing. He saw a late night coming home, where Archie would lean in as they both smiled. Archie would put a piece of her hair behind her ear. He would lean in and kiss her. So passionately that Y/n would get lost in him, her eyes fluttering closed and her body leaning against the door. They'd stumble in after the door opened, never breaking away from the heated kiss. They would go into the empty house and close the doors...

Seeing Jughead beginning to shut down, Archie rushed to push harder. "Why? Not? Why can't I date her Jug? Why can't I love her? Give her what she deserves?"

"Because it's MY job," Jug seethed through gritted teeth. He shot to his feet, slamming his hand on the table as he snapped, "Because I love her, Archie." Archie sat back, satisfied with himself, a smug smirk on his face. The anger faded from Jug's mind and his eyes went wide as he realized the truth he'd been trying to deny these last few days. The truth that he couldn't hide anymore. He loved her.

 But being here, surrounded by these people, enjoying each and everything I craved all at once, it was exhilarating. And, in that small moment where my realities blended and the lines blurred, I found myself stumbling out of the men’s washroom, struggling with my zipper. The heavy thrum of the bass mixed with the loud, overlapping conversations made an erratic melody in my head, but the faintest hint of despair mixed among the chaos pulled my attention away from the bar, and towards the rear exit that led to the parking lot.

Smoking had become an ugly habit, truthfully, but one that seemed to feed the insatiable monster within me. In spite of the darkness that consumed me as I ventured into the night, I was able to register the heat signatures of the duo standing across the lot. One, roughly six-foot-two, and the other much smaller.

Oh, look. Snacks.

Naturally, I couldn’t kill one without killing the other. I certainly wasn’t overly picky with my meals but knew very well I couldn’t leave a witness - especially not one as delectable as she was.

Fixing my leather collar, my long legs carried me forward as I pinched the cherry off my cigarette and tossed it in the general direction of the butt-bucket bolted to the side of the post. The closer I ventured, the easier it was to make out what they were saying;

“Let me go!” cried the young woman, her voice not so soft given her plea.

It was met with a snort, followed by another rough shove. The chain-link fences moved against each other, and by the looks of it, if the perpetrator didn’t settle down, he was going to draw far too much attention to himself.

Amateur.

“You’re on my side of the tracks, bitch,” he snarls, gripping onto the front of her jacket to pin her to the fence, “I told you what’d happen if I caught you down here again.”

Fear illuminated her features, sinking into her bones. It was obvious. It could have been pitch black, and she could have been silent, I still would have been able to feel her anxiety pulsating from inside the bar. Her figure, now surrounded by a thick wavering aura, began to look smaller as she tried to pull her arms into her chest to cover herself.

Time for some fun.

“You know,” I interjected as I stepped out from the shadows, hands steady in my pockets, “Most people don’t waste their time with pleasantries. So go ahead, show her. What’s gonna happen?”

“Why don’t you fucking mind your business, Serpent?” the man retorted over his shoulder, not really paying me as much attention as I wanted.

My fists clenched tightly at my sides, nails digging into the flesh as the heat travels from my chest and into my face.

“That’s a big mouth for such a small person.” I replied coolly.

“Even bigger fists.” he responded, lifting his chin as his boots echoed in the empty lot. The man takes an advancing step, brown hues boring down profoundly into the mine.

I lifted my mouth at the corner, head tilting to the side, “That so? Wanna see mine?” There was a moment when the male’s body tensed in reaction to my words; he narrowed his eyes almost appearing to do a double take as I take another step forward.

“Get lost,” he spat, turning back to his victim; she looked past him to where I stood, face not painted in relief, but in terror, as my features came into the light. “This isn’t any of your business.”

It was in this moment that I could feel the slip. My eyes darkened, vision switching from straining against the darkness of the night, to crystal clear shapes and heat signatures. Perfect for hunting. My hand shot forward, gripping the man by the throat tightly; my upper lip twitched in anticipation, feeling the heat bubbling angrily in my core, screaming, aching, pleading to be released.

Never fucking satisfied.

Letting that feeling get the better of me, I gripped his wrists tightly in my hands, then twisted them back until I was met with deafening snaps as the cartilage and bone gave way under my strength, “On this side of the tracks, everything is my business.” I whispered into his ear, unable to contain the slight joy that graced my lips as he screamed mercilessly in my arms.

And in the next instant, he ceased to exist.

Way to play with your food, you pig. We didn’t even have any fun.

I looked up to where the woman stood, paralyzed in fear.

Well I mean, there’s still her -

I had full intentions on finishing what I had started; I picked up the lifeless body from the ground, hauling him over my shoulder as the woman took off.

There can sometimes be nothing more terrifying than the very dead of night. When night creeps in and washes away the everyday hustle and bustle of life that once filled every corner of a house, even the most confident of people can be left feeling as if something is watching them. In the silence that accompanies darkness, every last sound can appear deafening. And for some, the things that go bump in the night are the things of our nightmares.

I must have been one of hers.

“For fuck sakes,” I growled; I’d just have to enjoy him later. I knew there was no real measure of distance she could put between us that would make her safe. Her scent was left in a trail behind her, like a beaming arrow guiding me to her. Discarding the body into the dumpster just behind the bar, I wiped my hands on the back of my denim and lifted my nose to the sky.

It took me a moment, focusing on the path her scent had made, visually envisioning where exactly she was - heading west on Chopin, towards Bo’s convenience store. Within seconds, I was stretching my long legs behind her, listening to her heart erratically beating in her chest, pumping the deliciously warm life-force within her veins. She smelled sweet, almost too sweet like a heavy sugar icing that came with the pre-made store bought cakes.

We were just passing his shop doors when I grabbed hold of her by the elbow; she protested against my restraints, kicking my shin rather roughly in her attempt to evade, but alas, no such luck. I pulled her into my side, turning into the alley just behind the shop only to have her pressed against the brick.

Even in the darkness, it was easy to see the way her blood raced up into her neck and flushed her face with a lovely pink. Her eyes were wide with fear, lungs filling with air in short gasps. I loosened my hold, but did not put any more distance between us, “I’m not going to hurt you.” I uttered softly, “That was a stupid idea.” I continued once she had calmed herself enough.

“You -” she breathed, mouth pulled back into a grimace. Her eyes wandered over the length of my body, my shoulders, drinking in every last feature. She knew me, she knew who I was - or, rather, who I was supposed to be, “You killed him.”

“I did the Southside a favour.” I argued.

“You snapped his arms like they were twigs,” she replied, her eyes narrowing as she glowered up at me, “And then his neck. You picked him up like he weighs nothing -”

“To be fair, you don’t weigh very much either.”

“We’re not talking about me.”

I let my brows raise, “Can we? Talk about you?”

She paused, her heartbeat stuttering for the briefest moment. After a few seconds of deliberation, she tries to wiggle her wrists in my grasp, “Will you let me go?”

“Will you run from me?” I countered.

What are you doing?

She shook her head slowly, meeting my gaze with a quiet ‘I promise’ that was barely audible to the human hear. Carefully, I removed my hands from her wrists, watching as she rubbed them with a slight wince; I offered an apologetic smile, and although it was measly, she seemed a little more at ease being in control of her own body again.

“Why did you run this time?” I asked after a few moments, bringing another cigarette up to my lips, lighter flickering against the breeze.

“You were going to kill me next.” she deadpanned, taking the smoke from between my lips to inhale deeply; her shoulders seemed to relax more visibly with her next exhale.

“You’ve seen me before,” I reminded her, stealing my smoke back, “I didn’t kill you then.”

“Why not?”

Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely sure why I hadn’t. My shoulders lifted in a slight shrug, leaning my body against the brick next to hers, “I followed you home that night.” I began after a few moments, “I was going to. Kill you. In all of my decades on this earth, I’ve been very good with keeping what I am a secret, until you and your pesky camera.” She glances up at me impishly, hands disappearing into her pockets. “I sat outside of your window for hours, waiting until your mother’s Vicodin kicked in and the wine put her to sleep.”

“What changed your mind?” she asked, this time her voice a little less stable, much quieter.

You.

Involuntarily, I gnawed on the inside of my cheek as I mulled over the several possible answers - all of which was true to an extent, but none that would be satisfactory, I was sure. “Why didn’t you scream?” I watched her features drop into a scowl at my words, “It’s not often people see me like that without becoming hysteric or jumping into a sort of frenzy,” she doesn’t meet my eyes this time, choosing to keep her gaze fixed on the ground as she reached for the cigarette I extended towards her.

She flinched, momentary fear replacing the ease that settled over her bones. There it was again - undeniably sweet and sickly, thundering in her chest, pumping through her veins. “Honestly? Mythological creatures fascinate me.”

I felt my brows pull together, “Do I look like a myth to you?”

“You know what I mean,” her eyes flutter in a gentle roll, inviting me to follow her as she began to drift towards the street again. “I was more concerned with getting home to figure out what you were, more than I was actually worried about you killing me.”

“That’s .. incredibly careless, actually. Are you sure you’re human?” I teased lightly as I settled into a leisurely stroll alongside her.

“Just barely.” she quipped.

“Don’t worry, me too.” I glanced sideways down at her, and winked. Immediately, her skin lit up with a soft pink. “You haven’t figured it out yet, have you?”

She shook her head once, “No, but I’ve got a thousand questions.”

I wasn’t entirely sure I had any of the answers she was looking for. I mean, of course I did, I just wasn’t sure if talking about it was going to make things worse. 

For a while, there was nothing but the sound of tires running over puddles and the wind in the trees. Riverdale had become eerily quiet, and not in a comforting way. It wasn’t until I recognized what street we had turned onto before I realized we were headed towards her home.

“What’s your name?” she asked suddenly, interrupting my thoughts.

“Sweet Pea,” I replied.

“Your real name.”

“That is my real name.” I assured her; it wasn’t a total lie. That was the name I received when I had first been initiated, that was the name that stuck. It had been an odd choice, but given that I appeared far scarier than my name sounded, it made me the perfect candidate to take care of the dirty business.

Not very many people expected a six-foot-five body of muscle to come out with a pair of pliers after they’ve been told they’re sending in Sweet Pea. Truthfully, I took far more joy out of handling those situations than the others would have.

“You really expect me to call you that?”

I shrugged indifferently, “You can call me whatever you’d like. I’m not picky.” We came to a slow crawl, stopping just outside of the pathway littered with wilting flowers and weeds. The lights inside the home remained off, but the light above the door came to life as we ventured near.

She looked up at me from under her lashes, bottom lip caught between her teeth; I had seen this before. Many times. I was no stranger to body language, and I could read her loud and clear; I had been intimate with people before, and never once had it posed an issue. People, men and women alike, were incredibly needy and driven by carnal desires, making prey such as the girl before me irresistibly enticing.

But I had never, ever, been intimate with someone that knew what I was.

“How about I call you tomorrow, and take you out for breakfast since you .. took care of that guy.” she offered, holding her cellular device out. “You eat breakfast, right?

I took it from her fingertips, “I prefer my cattle live, but I suppose fried bacon will have to do.” I joked, noticing the way the corners of her mouth threatened a smile. “I look forward to hearing from you.” I mused quietly, holding the phone back out to return it to her.

“Goodnight, Sweet Pea.” she murmured, twisting the knob on her front door.

Sometimes, Sweet Pea feels bad.

Most of the time, he just feels tired.

He leans against the sink in the back room of the Whyte Wyrm with one hand steading himself and the other running under cold water. For a moment, he’ll let his eyes stay shut, praying for some sort of moment of peace. But rarely there is ever a moment of peace and he’ll wait in here until Fangs decides that it’s too quiet out in the bar and he needs some sort of entertainment.

Sweet Pea will do anything to break apart from the fight the Serpents just won against the Ghoulies and the guilt that follows it, even if it means standing out here alone. He decides Fangs will just have to find his own distraction.

He hears the door click open and soft footsteps building behind him. “Hey,” starts a voice, “Jughead sent me out here to see how you were doing. I kind of gave him shit for caring so much because Jughead Jones doesn’t seem like the kind of kid to care about anything and then there’s the fact that everyone says you’re this huge badass but, I thought I better listen to the son of FP Jones. And besides,” Mika says with a laugh, “Toni might be tiny but she cares about you and she’d probably kick my ass if I didn’t at least check.”

She’s hurried and nervous, he can tell, but Sweet Pea exhales loudly, keeping his concentration on the running tap. He wants to be alone but he knows by now that the Serpents don’t do anything alone. Even to get the back room for a moment alone was something that he had to convince Fangs about and now, that was short lived. “You can tell Jughead to shove his concern up his ass,” Sweet Pea says, still refusing to look at her. “But you’re right about T,” he hides a smile for his best friend. “Tell her I’ll be out in a moment.”

“So you have a weakness, huh?” Mika says, still standing in the doorway. “Toni Topaz, your very own Serpent Queen.”

“Seems like you walked in and already joined the ranks -”

Mika cuts him off. “Seems like someone’s a little pissed off because I stole his title of ‘Second Serpent Queen’, were you hoping for it? Or did I steal your little crown?”

Sweet Pea’s breath hitches in his throat and he’s torn between turning around to fight back or letting it go. But his heart beats a little faster as he stumbles for something to say. “Nah,” he replies instead. “I think Jughead already won that title.”

Mika laughs softly and it rings around him with a sense of relief, “Was that a joke?”

Sweet Pea just shrugs as he continues staring at the water.

The words; “Are you okay?” hang in the air above him and his eyes shoot open before he stretches up, putting his guard up as well when he turns around. Mika brushes her hair back behind her ears as she looks to Sweet Pea with worry in her eyes. He notices that she takes two steps forward before taking one back and instead, she puts her hands in her jacket pockets and shrugs.

“Am I okay?” he repeats.

She sighs loudly and rolls her eyes. “You know, Jughead really talked you up when he was giving me the deal on you, I don’t know, but a big guy like yourself really oughta learn how to communicate… spell it out with me, C-O-M -”

Sweet Pea cuts her off; “I know how to spell!”

“Do you know how to talk?” she challenges.

Sweet Pea shakes his head and groans at the sink. “Just not used to having newbies around…” he mumbles.

He can feel her standing behind him before she makes her way to the sink, leaning against it with her arms folded. “You might need to ah,” she says waving her hand in his direction, “Put something on those splits and tape them up. Just a suggestion of course,” she adds nonchalantly, “I’m sure you know exactly what you’re doing.”

Sweet Pea exhales loudly before turning to look her in the eye. Most of the time, people tend to step back when he’s so close but he could tell that she took the challenge, straightening her own back and raising both of her eyebrows. “By the sounds of things, Mimi, you know exactly what you’re doing.”

“I’m just trying to be nice, Sweet Pea,” she almost hisses, looking at him. “But I can see that’s not something that you’re accustomed to. Here’s a tip; brass knuckles are not only for the aesthetic. They might just help out your little problems with injury. Spread the word.” Mika shoves past Sweet Pea, letting her nails dig into his shoulder, leather snapping along the way. “And don’t call me Mimi!”

His voice catches and he feels his hand tense, he takes a deep breath. “Mika!” he calls.

She stops with her hand on the door handle but turns her head to look at Sweet Pea. “Hmmm?”

He swallows whatever pride he had left, closing his eyes as he speaks. “Look,” he says with a breath. “I know I’ve been kind of a hardass. I’m just going through some shit, you know?” he says honestly, regretting it in an instant.

Sweet Pea wishes he could take the words back, swallow them down. Not look so fucking weak in front of Mika but he feels the tension in his spine give up just a little more when she lets go of the door handle and walks back towards him.

She takes a few steadying breaths with him and he notices it. It’s in the way she moves her hands at the same time as he does and she meets his eyes. “Going through some shit?” she asks gently. “We all are.”

He laughs a little bit as he rubs his neck. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Everyone goes through shit, you’re nothing special.”

Sweet Pea manages a laugh. “Way to make a guy feel special, ya know?”

She lifts her shoulders and gives Sweet Pea a wink. “One in a million and all of that shit, yeah?”

“Something like that. That shit is reserved for the romantics. Like Jughead. Not my thing.”

Slowly, Mika spreads her fingers out, flexing them in front of her before lowering her hands to where his were at his sides, reaching out for his bloodied hands. Sweet Pea almost retracts from the touch, wanting to recoil. Wanting to strike back. Not understanding the touch at all. But when her fingers lace with his, he finally feels steady. He finally feels like he’s back grounded on the Southside. “Now, Sweet Pea,” she says, stern look in her eye. “Are you okay?”

Sweet Pea feels a pulse in his jaw when he’s asked again but her eyes keep him in their zone. “Now I am,” he tells her honestly.

Mika smiles at him before tilting her head to look Sweet Pea with a smirk, “As for being a hardass, it’s all good,” she shrugs.

They pause in the moment as Sweet Pea feels his guard let loose. “And why is that?”

Mika bites her lip before looking at him sideways. “Because you might be the hardass of the Serpents, but I’m harder. And the Southside can’t show you all the things I can.”

“Is that a promise?” he asks.

Mika tightens her grip a little more when he watches her body curve to move away with him. “Promises are for the romantics too, keep that in mind.”