#my one saving grace is not having hair i've heard too many stories about where you girls like to hide

[martinmynster]

life could be dream ? well life could be nightmare too

[screamingintosilence]

Darling, You're the One I Want

Songfic Writing Challenge Day 9

Paper Rings - Taylor Swift

A/n: we're back, babes! Oof, post vacation has me needing another vacation just to recover

--

She saw Jughead's wince out of the corner of her eye as she unwrapped a brilliant pair of white diamond earrings gifted to her by Veronica. It was so tiny that only someone who spent every day with him and knew him better than he knew himself would have caught it.

“Only the best for my B!” Veronica clapped happily from her perch on Archie's lap. Betty thanked her profusely, getting up to give her a hug, her smile genuine with gratitude to one of her favorite people, but still worrying about Jughead in the back of her mind.

Betty was surrounded by her friends in celebration of her 25th birthday and she felt truly blessed to have all these people in her life.

Toni was sitting with her legs lapped over Cheryl's, the newly engaged - as of last month - Veronica and Archie in their little bubble of joy, Fangs and Kevin curled up next to each other deciding that they are definitely “on” again, and Sweet Pea and Reggie sitting at the kitchen table, being very much Bros and having an arm wrestling contest...again.

And then there was Jughead Jones the third, the love of her life since they were only 15. He was her saving grace as much as she was his. He had recently signed a publishing deal on his book about Jason's murder and the out fall that it caused, a long fought battle that he'd finally won out.

She was so beyond proud of him. She knew all of their friends were, but she had seen him through every long night, every midnight cup of coffee, every frustrated rejection. She had seen the full ten years of this book in the making, and seeing him finally achieve everything he had wanted since he was a little kid writing stories in Archie's treehouse, she knew how much he'd deserved this.

As she opened the next gift Cheryl, a beautiful, white Michael Kors purse, she saw Jughead’s mouth tick as he forced a smile as he abruptly stood, quietly saying that he'd “be right back” and rushed out of the room.

After she hugged her cousin, telling her how much she loved it, and gave it to Veronica to ogle, she followed after her love to their bedroom.

She stood in the doorway, watching him pace back and forth in agitation, biting his thumb nail and running his hand through his hair. She bit her lip in worry.

“Juggie?” His eyes snapped up to her, widening and looking like a cornered animal. “Are you ok, sweetheart? You're worrying me.”

He visibly deflated, reaching out and pulling her towards him, wrapping his much larger frame around her smaller one. Shoving his nose into the strands of her hair, he breathed deeply, letting the smell of her calm and comfort him.

“Jug?” she asked again, her hand stroking up and down his back in assurance that she was there.

He let out a deep sigh, shifting his face so that his cheek rested on the crown of her head.

“Yeah, I'm ok Betts.” She stayed silent, his tone lingering at the end, letting her know that he had more to say. “It's just hard sometimes, ya know? Seeing all the nice things that Veronica and Cheryl can get for you, and you deserve it! Don't get me wrong, you deserve the world and then some, but knowing it's not me that can give it to you? At least, not yet, even with the signing bonus. It's just...it's just so hard and-and I know I'm not handling it with the most grace, but I-I don't know,” he broke off abruptly as if realizing he was rambling.

His arms were tight around her, as if scared she might disappear. She was the very best thing to ever happen to him, his absolute favorite person in the whole world.

“I guess I'm just scared that one day you'll actually wake up and realize that there is someone who can give you all those things, more than I'll ever be able to no matter how many books I publish, and you'll leave me behind.” Betty snorted. “I know, it's crazy, but-”

“Not only is it crazy, it's probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say, and I've heard you and Archie play video games.”

“I know, I know. But it's just… I want to marry you Betts. I want to give you this big rock so everyone within a mile can see that you're mine, because it's what you deserve. But it sucks because I want to marry you now and I don't have the ridiculous amount of money for something like that.” Betty pushed him back so he could meet her eyes.

She framed his face between her palms, gently stroking his cheekbones with her thumbs. “Forsythe Pendelton Jones the Third, you listen to me, and you listen good, ok?” He nodded.

“Cheryl and Veronica have a skewed sense of the world and spend money just to spend money, that's what happens when you're an heiress. They don't really have an appreciation for anything less. And yeah, the things they get me are nice and lovely and I like them a lot, but I know that the price of those things barely affects their bank accounts. Knowing how much you toil away and save to get me anything nice is just more to me, especially from you because you're my whole world, Jug.

“And I don't want or need a big rock, good Lord it would be obnoxious.” He laughed at how her nose crinkled at the thought. “Honestly, sweetheart, you could ask me to marry you with a Ring Pop or a paper ring, like the ones we used to make when we were 5, you remember?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “You always made the prettiest ones.”

She smiled, “My point being, you can ask me without spending a dime and I would say yes every time, Juggie. I love you and I want to marry you no matter what, ok?” Her green eyes stared into his blue intently.

His gaze held hers, discerning that she was telling him the truth, not that she would ever lie to him. Betty never did with him, their relationship was based 100% honesty. Letting out another sigh, this time of relief, he nodded before pulling her into a passionate kiss.

There was a knocking from the doorway that brought them back to attention that they still had an apartment full of friends and that know wasn't the time to get lost in each other.

“Hey lovebirds, everything ok in here?” Archie inquired, forehead creased in concern for his two best friends.

“Yup!” Betty chimed with a genuine, trademark, Betty Cooper megawatt smile, her hand squeezing Jughead's tightly in continuous reassurance.

“That's great,” he grinned back. “You just have Jug’s present left to open Betty.”

She felt Jug squeeze her hand back, a little too much for just a moment, before relaxing once more into a comforting grip.

She practically skipped out of the room, both boys following in her wake, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

Once back in the living room, Jughead scooped up his present from the coffee table where all the gifts had been gathered, handing it to her with a flourish.

She grinned up at him and wasted no time ripping through the wrapping paper. She got through the tape securing the flaps of the cardboard box together with minor difficulty, only to be met with an explosion of tinsel hiding whatever was in the box from her gaze.

“Really, Juggie?” She gave him a sidelong glace of faked annoyance as their friends laughed. He smirked in response, nodding at her to continue.

“This is going to be a bitch to clean up,” she quipped, throwing handfuls of the glittery strands onto the floor, searching for whatever it is he had hidden in the depths of cardboard.

Her hand wrapped around a small velvet box and she froze, the room going quiet as her eyes grew wide. She couldn't move her hand from still inside the cardboard box, her mind racing, realizing what it was.

“Betts?” Jughead's voice wobbled in slight concern. Her eyes snapped up, reaching his equally as wide eyes, taking in his stance in front of her - one knee on the ground, the other bent.

His hand reached into where hers still was frozen, taking the box from her grasp and pulling it out so all their friends could see. Her eyes never left his as she still was trying to figure out how to breathe.

“Elizabeth Cooper, baby, Betty, Betts. You're my everything. Everything good in my life is because of you, because you fought for me and made it that way. You make me the best possible version of myself, I couldn’t be me without you. I-”

Her brain and her breathing had finally caught up to where she needed them to be, comprehending just what was happening before she launched herself at him, cutting off the rest of his speech as she tackled him to the ground.

“Oof, Betts, I-”

“Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes, a million, billion, trillion times yes!” She pressed her lips his hurriedly, her tongue seeking entrance into his mouth, only vaguely registering all their friends cheering, wolf whistling, and squealing (which distinctly sounded like it came from Reggie).

“You didn't even let me finish!” Jughead laughed, pulling back from her.

“I don't care!” She was sure her face could power Manhattan from how brightly she was smiling. “You can finish it later, I'm just… Oh my god, I'm engaged! I love you so much,” she pressed her lips to his once more, trying to deepen it before he gently pushed her back.

He chuckled at her furrowed brow at his rejection. “Don't you want to see your ring, sweetheart?” He popped the lid of the velvet black box that had stayed securely in his grasp through the altercation, displaying a beautiful thin gold band, with a single brilliant white diamond. Simple, delicate, elegant - Betty in every way.

“I know it's no paper ring,” he ribbed.

“You know I usually hate the word, but it's perfect, Juggie. Even I couldn't make a paper ring this good,” she laughed as he slipped the cool metal onto her left ring finger.

She gazed at it lovingly, watching the facets catch the light, before pulling her fiance in for another kiss, loving just how right the weight felt on her hand.

[bluebird167]

Noir Shadows

Chapter 14

"Adrien is everything alright?" She asked him looking up from her needlework.

"Yes it's just so strange how much you resemble my ancestor's fiance."

"Can you tell me about her? What was she like? That is if you know anything about her."

"I know plenty. She was the very picture of a proper young lady. She walked with sophisticated grace, spoke in a most respectful way, she was full of pride and self confidence."

"Funny I'm the total opposite of that." She laughed.

"But she had a kind and loving side too. She loved to play with the local children and would volunteer to help those sick or homeless."

"She sounds wonderful."

"She was so young and so." He said brushing a lock of hair behind Marinette's ear making her blush. "So very beautiful. My ancestor could not resist her kind smile and her beautiful blue eyes."

He gazed into them lovingly, she gazed into his shyly. Her cheeks continued to blush and she felt a little nervous.

"Did she...love him?" She stuttered.

"Yes and he loved her more than life itself. He would've given her anything she desired but their love was not meant to last. All too soon he lost her."

"How...How...How did she die?"

"It was a tragic accident. My ancestor caused it. He foolishly let himself fool around with other women and one in particular who he spurned jealously sent his beloved falling off a cliff to her death."

"Oh my."

"It broke my...My ancestor's heart and he swore that he would never forgive himself for failing to save her. Failing to protect her like he always promised her he would. For many years he wondered the earth with his broken heart begging for her forgiveness and hoping that maybe one day he could feel her soft touch again."

Marinette felt tears fill her eyes and stream down her face. Hearing all this made her so sad.

"That's...The saddest thing I've ever heard."

"Oh no please. Do not cry, I cannot stand to see someone cry especially when it's a girl."

He gently wiped her tears away with his finger while stroking her cheek so softly and delicately as if it was a snowflake.

"I'm sorry." She said. "It's just that tragic love stories always break my heart."

"I understand." He said. "To this day it still makes me sad."

"No one should ever have to go through something like that. They should've been married."

"It is in the past. So there is no need to fret over something that could've been."

"You're right, excuse me Adiren but I don't feel well, I think I need to go lie down."

"Of course. I hope you feel better."

She got up and went to her room. Adrien sighed, he was foolish to think that he could just turn this girl into a copy of his first love. Her personality differed from Isabel's so it would be best to keep his relationship with her strictly platonic and yet despite this he felt himself desiring her. Surely it was because of her resemblance to Isabel and no other reason.

But his thoughts were interrupted by his craving for blood. He could smell the scent of blood of everyone in the house, it smelled so sweet. Oh how he wanted to drink them all dry but he couldn't. He couldn't let himself do it. He would not allow himself to be a monster who murders innocent people. Thank God there were other things on this earth that carried blood other than humans. He went outside into the woods where he spotted a nearby farm that was loaded with fat, plump, cows and pigs. Licking his fanged lips he lunged for the livestock and began drain each and everyone of them dry.

Unknown to him Nino was outside picking up a package for Alya when he heard the sound of pigs squealing and cows moaning. He followed the ruckus to the farm and was horrified to find dead pigs and cows on the ground dead while one was being eaten or rather drank alive by Adrien.

"Oh my God!" He shouted in horror.

Adrien dropped the pig and looked up at Nino with blood smeared on his mouth and fangs.

"Holy crap!"

Nino started running away. At great speed Adrien went after him and grabbed him by his shirt. He screamed.

"Be quiet!" Adrien ordered fiercely scaring Nino into silencing his screams.

"What are you?" He asked in a scared whisper.

"I am a vampire." He said. "But don't be afraid I refuse to let myself drink human blood. that is why I killed all this live stock to prevent myself from attacking you or any other innocent human."

"Why should I believe you!"

"How about the fact that if I did drink human blood you'd be nothing more than a withered husk by now?"

"Okay that's one good reason."

"Look I swear I don't want to hurt you or anyone for that matter however understand that if you tell anyone about me I will have to kill you."

"What?!"

"Nothing personal but if word gets out that I'm a vampire then people get scared and next thing you know it's garlic and wooden stakes everywhere."

"Umm...Okay this is a lot to take in and I think I need to sit down for awhile."

"Alright you do that while I continue eating my dinner now if you'll excuse me."

Nino thought he would puke his guts watching him finish off that pig.

"Oh boy, everything is going black now."

He passed out on to the ground.