Chapter 1: The Not-So-Subtle One
| The Not-So-Subtle-One |
Betty Cooper was never able to understand the appeal of sex. She knew that it would eventually feel wonderful, but that was it. She was raised on abstinence, and the only ‘first time’ stories she heard about were from her friends, about how painful the entire experience was. Betty could never understand why women were willing to force themselves through that much pain (most times more than once) until the pleasure began. Even when Polly first began having sex with Jason Blossom, Betty was appalled. When Polly got pregnant, it just strengthened Betty’s argument. Not only would it hurt intensely, but even the safest of people were still at risk of the side effects. She never understood the appeal of sex, at least, not until she started dating Jughead Jones.
Everything moved slowly at first, ranging from soft touches to kisses and then eventually led them to the night they found themselves alone in FP Jones’ trailer. From that point on, Betty understood. She understood when his lips were on her lips, her neck, her collarbone while his hands found their way under her shirt. She can still feel his hands digging into her hips as he pulled her onto his lap, their bare chests touching. Betty can still see the passion she saw in his dark eyes when she looked down at him, and hear the noises he made when she rocked her hips. Safe to say, Betty could remember that night in vivid detail.
She kept most of that to herself, sharing only few details with Veronica and Polly. The most intimate and intense details found their way into her diary, hidden away so her mother’s curious hands could never find it. The same diary that rested in front of her now, opened to a blank page.
Betty sat at her desk, tapping her pen against her teeth as she used her left hand to knead her forehead. Her blonde waves fell in her face and she pushed them away, aggravated. Typically, she favored her ponytail, but with a headache that made it hard to focus, the ponytail would add to that pain. She dropped the pen on the desk, shut the diary, and stacked some books over it, making a mental note to put it away later. She yanked drawers open, groping around blindly for here bottle of Tylenol. With a frustrated sigh, she slammed her drawers shut and walked towards Polly’s room. The Cooper’s had recently gotten over the fact that their eldest daughter had broken her vow of abstinence and gotten pregnant, and just allowed her to move back in, so Betty knew just who was stealing her painkillers.
“Polly?” Betty knocked on her sister’s door softly, before poking her head in the room. Polly was laying on her bed, a book in her hands when Betty stepped in.
“What’s up, Betty?” Polly rested the book on her very pregnant belly and smiled at her sister.
“Did you take my Tylenol?”
Polly laughed to herself and reached over to her bedside table and fished out the bottle. She tossed it to Betty, “Sorry! I just get these terrible headaches. Mom said she had them all the time when she was pregnant with us too,”
“Reason 565 of why I’m waiting a long time before I have kids,” Betty joked wanly. “I’m going to go lay down, my head is killing me.”
“Hey,” Polly stopped her. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been acting really weird the past couple weeks,”
“Yeah,” Betty snipped. “Why?”
“Look, it’s just an observation! You’ve just been acting strange lately.”
“Describe strange,” The anger she felt moments ago dissipated, into a heavier, tight feeling.
“Honey, look, you’ve been beyond tired and nauseous for a while now. And these headaches have been coming more and more often!”
“I’m probably just catching the flu,” Betty dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’m okay,”
“You’re also a little moody,” Polly pointed out. Betty felt her lip begin to tremble, everything Polly was saying was true, and she wished she knew why.
“You’re also gaining a little weight, I see it in your chest,” Polly added. “I know you and Jughead are sleeping together, and-”
“Polly!” Betty gasped, her eyes watering over. “I’m not, you know, pregnant! This is probably leading up to my period!”
“When was the last time you had your period?”
“Sometime last month, please, stop! You’re starting to sound like mom!”
Polly put her hands up in defense, “Alright, I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to be put in the same predicament that mom and dad put me in. I’m worried for you.”
“I know, Pol, I get it. But, for the record, we use condoms.” Betty bit her lip, and met her sister’s green gaze.
“I trust you Betty,” Polly said simply.
“Thank you,” Betty breathes. “But I really am going to go lay down,”
“Feel better,” Polly smiles softly and returns to her book.
Betty shut the door to Polly’s room and went downstairs to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. She wipes her eyes on the back of her hand and uncaps it, taking a few sips to ease her emotions. As she drank, someone began pounding on the front door. Rubbing her head, she quickly downed two pills as the steady pounding continued.
“Betty, oh my God, Betty,” The voice of Archie Andrew flowed in through the wood excitedly.
Scowling, Betty opened the front door to see her best friend wearing the biggest smile.
“I texted you!” He announced as he stepped into the foyer. “You never responded!”
“Sorry, Arch, my phone’s in my room.” She explained weakly.
“That’s fine,” He laughed, kicking his shoes off as his eyes darted across the room.
Though they’ve been friends for years, it was a typical Archie habit to observe every room he steps into for a few moments. As he glanced around, he started talking again, trying to hype Betty up, but trailed off when his eyes fell on her.
Having been friends for years, Archie has seen Betty through almost everything, and he likes to say that he knows her fairly well. So seeing her with her hair loose in a pair of gray tights and a loose, long-sleeved pink shirt meant that she probably wasn’t feeling the greatest.
“How are you feeling?” He asked in a softer tone, watching as Betty rubbed her temples.
Betty shrugged, “I have this killer headache,”
“Did you drink a lot of water today? Sometimes I get headaches when I’m getting dehydrated,”
She shrugged once more and Archie reverted back to the previous conversation.
“So there’s the fall festival coming up, and Mayor McCoy reached out to me to play at it!”
“That’s great Archie,” Betty gave a tight lipped smile. “But don’t you always play at these events?”
“Yeah,” Archie’s enthusiasm never died, and Betty admired that. “But Josie won’t be in town, she’s going to visit one of her grandparents. They’re right next to a college and they want her to look into it. So I’ll be the main attraction!”
“The rides will be the main attraction, Arch,” Betty teased. “You’ll be the background noise. But seriously, that’s amazing.”
Archie laughed and walked into the kitchen, setting his bag on the counter.
“I have a few songs I’ve been working on, and I don’t know if I should show them to you now or wait until we head to Pop’s. I’ll probably do a few covers too,”
Betty watched as he shuffled through folders and papers as if he forgot he was at a different house without his proper materials. Archie seemed to have zoned out for the moment, so Betty stepped out of the room to grab her discarded phone. Once she was in her room, she moved her diary into its hiding place, and grabbed her phone. There was four messages, three from Archie, and one from Jughead. When she stepped on the stairs again, she went straight to Jughead’s.
From: Juggie
Are you doing anything?
She bit her lip as she felt the butterflies in her stomach. They’ve been together for a few months now, but that excitement she gets when he texts her hasn’t gone away.
To: Juggie
Not really. Archie just came over to tell me some good news.
Betty entered the kitchen once more and Archie had papers in his hands.
“I’ve decided!” He declared. “I’m going to show everyone when we’re at Pop’s. That way you have some time to get over your headache.”
Betty nodded along with him, as he retraced the steps he took moments ago. He was putting his shoes on when he said softly, “You should go take a nap, it might make you feel better.”
“I’ll try, Arch. See you later,” She waved as he left, and headed to her room again. She shut her door quietly, assuming that Polly was sleeping and stepped over to her mirror. Polly’s words floated in her mind, but there was no way there was any truth to them. Betty thought back to the last time she slept with Jughead, and shook her head. She was a stickler for protection, knowing her mother would flip if she got pregnant. Still, Betty pushed her shirt up over her chest and stared at her body.
Polly was right, she was gaining weight. Her breasts were spilling out of the cups of her bra slightly, not enough to warrant an immediate bra change, but enough to be noticeable. As she lowered her gaze to her stomach, she noticed that it wasn’t as smooth as usual. Miraculously, Betty and Polly were blessed with slender frames, and right now, Betty saw that her tights were smothering her belly. It wasn’t enough weight to signify anything other than a pre-period bloat, and Betty ran her hand over it before dropping her shirt. Polly was just worried.
Betty set her phone down on her desk, and went to lay down. Hopefully she’ll wake up from that nap feeling better.
xx
“Betty,” Polly gently shook her sleeping sister. “Betty,”
Betty jumped up and pushed herself back, rubbing her eyes, “Oh my God, you scared me!”
“Are you feeling better?” Polly asked, taking a seat on Betty’s bed.
Betty rubbed her head. Was she feeling better? Her headache did die down, but she felt sort of off.
“Yeah, I think I just needed more sleep,”
“That’s good,” Polly stood up again. “By the way, Jughead’s down stairs.”
“What? Wait, why? Where’s my phone?” Betty was out of bed, and reached for her phone frantically, quickly unlocking it. There were a few missed messages stating that he was going to pick her up so they can have some alone time at Pop’s before Archie and Veronica got there.
“Shit,” Betty mumbled. “Poll, can you tell him to give me just a few minutes?”
“Sure thing,” Polly left the room, and Betty sprinted to her closet to change.
Jughead has seen her at her worst, so Betty didn’t know why she cared so much about how she looked today. She ended up digging out a pink tank top and jean jacket from her closet and found a black skirt in her drawer. She changed quickly and then brushed her hair back and tied it as quickly as she could, praying that it was smooth on the top. She grabbed her bag and phone and then jogged down stairs.
“Hey, sorry I didn’t see your messages,” She gasped, winded from her quick motions. Jughead was leaning against the wall, a bemused expression on his face. Polly passed by and waved before going up the stairs again.
“Its fine Betts,” He said it softly, even though they were the only two there. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good,” Betty said, as she watched his dark eyes scan her face. Polly had to have mentioned her feeling ill to him.
“Good,” He smiled at her, and held out his hand out. “Let’s go then, we just have to stop by the trailer.”
Betty took his hand and let him lead her out the door to his bike. She was saving up to get her own car, so they didn’t have to ride on this deathtrap, but she was about halfway to her mark. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against the denim of his jacket as he took off.
She was so accustomed to this ride that even with her eyes closed, she could tell that they were there after a few turns and three really rocky roads. She lifted her head and got off, waiting patiently for Jughead to do the same. Once he was off the bike, he strode up to her quickly and slid a hand around her waist. He pulled her into his side as they walked towards the door and murmured in her ear, “I figured we had some time to spare,”
xx
Jughead knew something was up when he saw Betty come down the stairs. She had been paler than usual, and looked ill. But the thought left his head when they were back at the trailer. She seemed to be her usual self, and the scratches down his back supported that. She had even seemed back to normal when they met up with Archie and Veronica at Pop’s. Veronica had ordered for them before they got there, so Betty’s typical strawberry shake was already in her spot. Jughead eyed the burger and fries Veronica ordered for him happily and eagerly popped a few fries in his mouth, nodding at her in approval. Betty however, stared at her shake with a strange expression.
“What’s wrong B?” Veronica leaned across the table to get a better look at Betty. Jughead turned to look at his girlfriend, who looked very sick.
“I don’t know,” She stated simply. “Honestly, the idea of this is making my stomach turn.”
“Since when?” Archie asked. “You’ve never gotten sick of strawberries before.”
Betty shrugged and looked down at the table, clenching her fists. “I don’t know. It’s either that or the smell of grease. I just feel like I’m going to puke.”
Veronica looked at Jughead, concern written across her features. She forced a laugh and joked, “Maybe you’re pregnant, and maybe you have the stomach flu. The possibilities are endless!”
Jughead watched as Betty’s eyes widened and she immediately pressed her hands to her stomach.
“Betty?” He put his hand on her leg. “Are you okay?”
She moved her hands and shook her head quickly, “I hope it’s not the stomach flu.”
“Maybe you should’ve stayed home,” Archie placed his folder on the table.
Betty shrugged and Jughead noted that she still hadn’t moved her hand from her stomach.
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Jughead writes fanfiction. Betty finds it :D
If Betty hadn’t slammed the laptop shut, Jughead wouldn’t have questioned the sight of his girlfriend sitting at his bedroom desk, nor what she was using his computer for.
But she had.
So he does.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late. Did my dad let you in?”
“J.B.” Betty twists around in her seat and smiles – that sweet, disarming smile that he knows and loves (and maybe sometimes sort of fears) so well.
“Let me just change real quick and we can go.” Jughead tosses his backpack onto the bed and begins to unbutton his shirt. He nods towards the desk. “Whatcha doing?”
Betty blinks up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “I needed to check a source for my history paper.”
Jughead nods, watching her, waiting for her to break. Betty’s a good liar – a quality he’s always found reassuring when they’re knee-deep in an investigation, but less so when it’s turned around on him. Thankfully, those occasions have become increasingly rare over the last two years of dating.
Sure enough, the silence stretches on too long for Betty to bear, and her lips curl up into an involuntary smile. “Okay, fine. I was going to check a source and then I got distracted.” One perfectly shaped eyebrow arches up, and Jughead’s pulse begins to race as he grabs a clean button-down from the closet.
None of the porn on his laptop is that weird, and Betty’s aware of its existence, anyway. A quick mental scan of his last week of web browsing brings up nothing more scandalous than a deep dive into cute photos of cats without tails. (They were called Manx cats, and he’d been delighted to discover that they existed, even if the source of this knowledge was Veronica’s announcement that her father had purchased her a purebred kitten as some sort of bribe and/or peace offering. Jughead was firmly in the adopt-don’t-shop camp.)
So it’s not his porn, and it’s not his search history. Which means there’s only one thing hidden in the bowels of his laptop Betty could have stumbled upon that’s truly, deeply embarrassing.
“Jug, are you writing fanfiction?”
He manages to splutter a single word: “No.”
It takes about 2.5 seconds for her look of skepticism to wear him down. “It’s…no. Technically, yes. But it’s just a writing exercise.”
Betty tilts her head. “It’s fifty thousand words.”
It really had started out that way: a silly twenty-minute exercise in his creative writing class, to rewrite an ending he’d found lacking. The Game of Thrones finale had aired only a few days prior, and he’d been pleasantly surprised to find that correcting its many, many wrongs on paper was far more enjoyable than bitching about it with strangers on Reddit.
After school, he’d returned home, typed it up…and continued to write it.
And then, without really knowing why, posted it online.
To her credit, Betty appears more intrigued by his retelling than disgusted or amused. “I read some of the comments people left you,” she admits. “They really love your writing!”
He waves a hand dismissively. “They don’t love my writing. They love wish fulfillment.”
“Someone specifically said they love your characterization.”
He thinks he knows which comment she’s referring to. It had been one of the things that inspired him to keep going, and turn this throwaway classroom prompt into a novella-length monster with no end in sight.
Writing the fanfic was just so much more satisfying than slogging away at his novel had become. Sure, there were plenty of one-word demands for “more”, and a fair share of commenters begging him to write a sex scene between Gendry and Arya, who weren’t even the focus of the story. Everyone also seemed to have the impression that he was a girl.
But there were some gems in there too – readers offering insightful, detailed feedback. And, though he was loathe to admit he cared about it: praise.
“You didn’t read the whole thing, did you?” He steels himself for the word yes, but Betty shakes her head.
“Just the first chapter so far.”
“Okay, well…please don’t?”
Her face falls, and Jughead feels a pang in his chest – he hates to hurt Betty’s feelings. “It’s not you, it’s…I’m going to feel self-conscious about what I write now if I know you’re reading it.”
“Juggie, I love your writing.” Betty leans forward, clasping his hand between hers.
He squeezes back, offering her a soft smile.
Betty checks her phone in her lap and frowns. “We should get going, I don’t want to miss the previews.” She stands and slips her purse over her shoulder, tugging at his hand. “I promise I won’t read anymore.”
“Thank you.”
“I mean, I get it.” With a shrug, she turns for the door. “I’d probably feel really awkward if you’d read any of my Braime smut.”
Jughead freezes for a split second, and then stumbles after her, hastily buttoning up his shirt. “Your what?”
(send me prompts! any prompts!)
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