[ he's sitting there, fingers poised above his keyboard, but no words are coming to him. he doesn't know what to say or do, a rarity for him given words are his refuge. but since having kissed archie, it's like his brain is all twisted up. it hadn't even been a good kiss, just one to save them from suspicion. but he still feels the obligation to tell her. after all, he loves her more than he can say and even if the kiss had been a near necessity, he feels as though he's betrayed her. ]
[ something has been off. it's why she wanted to talk, to make sure he was okay with everything. her marriage to v hadn't meant anything to her. he knew that, right? when he invites her to sit, she does so, sitting down next to him on the couch.]
Out with it, Jug. [ she reaches for one his hands.] Something's been off with you. What's going on?
[ he almost winces as she demands to know what's up, but fortunately hides it well. instead, he sighs and closes his laptop, setting it aside so he can reach for her hands. ]
You know I love you, right? I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. But something happened in that world. And as a result, I kissed Archie.
[ he gazes at her, blue eyes full of remorse, because the last thing he wants is to lose her. ]
[ his starting lines make her nervous, she feels her stomach start to drop, she begins to prepare for some horrible bombshell and....
he kissed archie? okay. so that is....]
Wait, what? [ she blinks rapidly before her lips quirk just a little, like she's trying desperately not to laugh. because she is. it's a reaction to nerves, it's from relief. ] That's it? [ she shakes her head, realizing that she might be minimizing his hurt over it.] Jughead, do you really think that after all we've been through here, together, that a kiss you used to maintain a ruse is going to make me hate you? [ She pauses.] Unless it was more than that...
Of course it's not! [ the words come out rather brusque and he clenches his teeth before releasing a slow breath. he should've known she wouldn't be mad. it's betty, after all. but his own fears were rearing their heads and he has to get a control of his emotions before he continues. ]
Arch is like my brother. Can you imagine having to kiss your brother like that? It wasn't pleasant.
[ and all the while, all he could think about was how archie had kissed betty and how he was betraying her. ]
Jug-- [ she squeezes his hand apologetically. she hadn't meant to make him feel anything other than forgiven. even if there was nothing to forgive. she gives him a gentle smile, tilting her head so he'll look at her properly. one hand moves to touch his face.]
I'm sorry that happened. [ she glances down at his hand in hers.] Are things awkward between you two now?
[ returning the gentle squeeze, he sighs again, but leans into the touch of his face. his eyes close as he relaxes into the feeling of her palm on his skin and he tilts his head just enough to press a kiss to her palm. ]
A little, yeah. He texted me to say he told Veronica. Who knows what she'll do.
Well, [ her mouth curls into a bit of a smirk, knowing that what she says next will get a reaction out of him.] she and I kissed once back home so I don't think she's going to react much differently than I did.
[ seeing that smirk, he huffs a laugh and shakes his head. all this time he's been worried about what she'll say, what veronica will do, and all the while, they'd already kissed. ]
What the hell. [ his tone is amused. ] Let me guess, Cheryl was involved somehow.
I'm not sure I'd like to see what the cheerleading coach version of Jughead is like. [ she grins at him before she leans in to press a soft kiss to his lips, then another to his jaw.] Knowing V, she'll probably think the idea of you two kissing is hot.
[ smirks at that, already trying to picture her trying. ]
We were putting up posters and almost got caught. Archie spouted something about trying to spice up our sex lives—which was a pretty ridiculous lie—and the guy wasn't buying it, so...
[ he gives a wave of his hand to imply what happened next. ]
[ she makes a face at that because it seems awfully invasive for a man to require some kind of physical proof... then again, the world they'd been apart of... 'invasive' was a mild word to describe most of the things the citizens did. ]
That's awful. Is Archie okay? [ betty thinks that archie's masculinity was a lot more fragile than jughead's.]
[ he shrugs. it's hard to know what archie's feeling right now since they haven't really talked about it. they should, he knows, but getting around to it is a lot harder than one would think. ]
Okay, [ she says with an encouraging smile. she hopes they do work it out. because here, they only have each other and they need to stick together. things might get awkward here again.]
I am going to reach out to V, though. I want to make sure she's okay.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text »
text » action;
[ She emerges from the bedroom and goes to find him..]
Sorry, I thought I was the only one home.
action;
Hey. Wanna sit?
no subject
Out with it, Jug. [ she reaches for one his hands.] Something's been off with you. What's going on?
no subject
You know I love you, right? I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. But something happened in that world. And as a result, I kissed Archie.
[ he gazes at her, blue eyes full of remorse, because the last thing he wants is to lose her. ]
no subject
he kissed archie? okay. so that is....]
Wait, what? [ she blinks rapidly before her lips quirk just a little, like she's trying desperately not to laugh. because she is. it's a reaction to nerves, it's from relief. ] That's it? [ she shakes her head, realizing that she might be minimizing his hurt over it.] Jughead, do you really think that after all we've been through here, together, that a kiss you used to maintain a ruse is going to make me hate you? [ She pauses.] Unless it was more than that...
no subject
Arch is like my brother. Can you imagine having to kiss your brother like that? It wasn't pleasant.
[ and all the while, all he could think about was how archie had kissed betty and how he was betraying her. ]
no subject
I'm sorry that happened. [ she glances down at his hand in hers.] Are things awkward between you two now?
no subject
A little, yeah. He texted me to say he told Veronica. Who knows what she'll do.
no subject
no subject
What the hell. [ his tone is amused. ] Let me guess, Cheryl was involved somehow.
no subject
Veronica thought it would add a little oomph to my Vixens tryout. [ she drags her teeth over her bottom lip.] Cheryl didn't agree.
no subject
[ nudges her gently. ]
Of course, I wouldn't be caught dead coaching cheerleaders. I have a reputation to keep.
no subject
no subject
[ returning the kiss, he reaches out to pull her closer. ]
Yeah? Well, you can inform her that it was anything but. For one, it was freezing outside.
no subject
[ she lets him pull her closer, she draws the arm of the hand she's holding to wrap around her waist. ]
So why did you have kiss?
no subject
We were putting up posters and almost got caught. Archie spouted something about trying to spice up our sex lives—which was a pretty ridiculous lie—and the guy wasn't buying it, so...
[ he gives a wave of his hand to imply what happened next. ]
no subject
That's awful. Is Archie okay? [ betty thinks that archie's masculinity was a lot more fragile than jughead's.]
no subject
Dunno. We haven't really talked.
[ his gaze drops at that and he frowns. ]
no subject
no subject
Nah. This is something me and Archie have to work out.
no subject
I am going to reach out to V, though. I want to make sure she's okay.
no subject
Sounds like a good plan.
no subject
I'm glad you told me, Jug.
no subject
There's no way I wouldn't. You know that.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)