Bughead One-shots | Riverdale

Seven minutes in heaven

Betty didn't want to be there.

Cheryl's Christmas party had been all anyone was talking about all week. Veronica had been so excited to get dressed up with Betty and go to the event, but Betty just wanted to stay at home. She was miserable after her break-up with Jughead, and she didn't think she could stand a social event. Especially not one held by Cheryl Blossom.

But she had gone anyways. And at first it was going okay, at least. She had danced with Ronnie and had a drink, and felt like it wasn't going so badly. But just as she was thinking that the party was fun, in the middle of a conversation with Veronica, the front door opened and in came a group of late-comers to the party.

More specifically, the South Side Serpents.

Betty swallowed through the lump in her throat as she watched Jughead walk in next to a much taller boy, Sweet Pea, too stuck in his conversation to at first see her. But he looked up and their eyes met for a brief moment, a pang in her chest when she met the familiar blue of his eyes. He broke eye contact first, being tugged away by his friends to the drinks table. But Betty kept watching his figure walk away until he was out of sight.

"B." She looked up to see Veronica frowning beside her, a hand lightly touching her arm.

Though before she could say anything else, the volume of the music was lowered and Cheryl Blossom was stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips and smirking as usual.

"Now that everyone's here," Cheryl shot a dirty look over at the Serpents though didn't say anything about it. Maybe she'd had enough drinks to not want to stab every one of them with her iconic spider broach. "I say we play a game. How about... seven minutes in heaven."

Betty sighed, hoping for someone to protest to the game, but as soon as a "hell yeah" came from Reggie on the other side of the room and some whoops from other bulldogs, Cheryl was smirking as she placed an empty beer bottle on the coffee table in front of the sofa that Betty and Veronica were sat on as other people started gathering around them.

Betty glanced up as Jughead was playfully shoved into the circle on the other side of the room to her, though this time avoided his gaze as she looked down again, fiddling with the edge of her dress. She could feel his gaze burning into her as Cheryl started spinning the bottle and swallowed harshly, resisting any urge to look back at him. She couldn't break in front of him, it would just add more fuel to the fire.

"Jughead Jones, looks like you're up first."

Betty frowned when she, indeed, saw the bottle pointing at her ex. Though the thing that set her off the most was how she noticed many of the other girls in the room reacted. Some smiling, whispering to their friends giddily about how they wanted the bottle to land on them. Betty had never noticed other people had their attention on him when they were dating, but now that she was noticing it she was almost angry over it. As if they were still together.

"And... Betty Cooper."

Betty froze and looked up when she heard her name, watching as Cheryl smirked at her. She risked a glance down and saw that the bottle was now pointing at her. She had just been too lost in her thoughts to realise. She risked a glance up at Jughead and saw him staring at her with slightly wide eyes, his panicked look matching her's.

"B, you don't have to." Veronica muttered beside her as she lightly squeezed her arm, but Betty shook her head. If Betty didn't go in there, then some other girl would.

"No- no. It's fine. It's just seven minutes." Betty mumbled, and bit her lip as she rose from the sofa to head over to the closet in the corner of the room after Cheryl had gestured to it, still smirking.

Jughead walked into the closet first and Betty avoided his gaze as she followed in behind him, shutting the door behind her. She heard the door lock with a click and let out a breath as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, thankful for the darkness of the room so he couldn't see how badly she was frowning.

It was quiet for a few seconds, though it felt like hours, before she heard Jughead sigh and trailed off with a quiet "Betts..."

Betty almost shuddered. It had been too long since she'd heard that nickname, as it was something only he called her. She found his silhouette in the darkness and gulped, trying to think of what to do. There was so many things she needed to say to him, but seven minutes wasn't enough. She needed longer than that. She couldn't talk to him about her heartbreak and leave the closet afterwards like nothing had happened. It would be too much. Her stomach twisted as she let out a small breath, an urge pulling at her to do something. Anything. One thing.

Before she could stop herself Betty closed the small space between them and brought her hands up to his neck to pull him down to kiss her, not able to stop herself. His lips stilled against hers and she felt him huff out a breath against her mouth, and for a moment she expected him to pull away. She was prepared for the shouting and the harsh words that were sure to leave his mouth like the last time they had properly spoken. But she didn't expect his hands to grip her hips and walk her backwards until she was pressed against the door with a thud as he kissed her back.

His hands started at her hips until they moved up to settle for cupping her face, tilting her head up to have her at a better angle to kiss her. Betty breathed deeply as her hands gripped his hair, willing him closer. It had been too long. Too long since she had kissed him, been close to him, touched him. They had never pushed further than making out but even the simplest of touches left her dizzy and spinning.

The moment was shattered by a bang on the door and Cheryl calling through the door that they had three minutes left. Jughead pulled away slightly and she felt his breath fan over her face as he exhaled, before his forehead was gently pressed against hers, his larger hands resting on her waist. Betty opened her eyes to meet his in the dark and sighed softly as she gently ran her fingers through his hair, trying to savour the moment they had alone before they had to leave the privacy they had and everything returned to how it was before.