Shadow Lake Ménage à Trois (Riverdale)

Summer at "Lodge" Lodge

Archie, Veronica, Jughead, and Betty were gathered at Hiram Lodge's cabin on Shadow Lake. The week away was meant to be something of a sweet double-date style getaway. Jughead and Betty joked privately that the other couple "couldn't just have a conversation," ending nearly every interaction of theirs in sex.

Jughead was not the most sexually active. He thought he identified somewhere on the asexual spectrum, and Betty always said she was just fine not being under constant pressure to be sexy or "in the mood". Anyway, that made it more special when it did happen.

That didn't make it not awkward to hear their friends doing it right above them during the night, in the silent darkness of the lake house. Betty and Jughead retired early (but 4 unattended teenagers would consider midnight to be early) when the other two went off to their own room upstairs in a giggly trance.

For a long time the couple lie awake, eyes open, unable to sleep over the sound of the rhythmic thumping of the bed upstairs. Jughead was uncomfortable, feeling almost sick at the superficiality of his friends' behavior. He normally wouldn't have such an attitude, simply accepting that it was not his idea of a fun pastime, except in certain specific circumstances. However, this awkward, uncomfortable, gross situation he was trapped in reminded him of exactly why he felt that way.

Betty was more annoyed than anything. She worried it would put unconscious pressure on her and Jug to do as they were doing. She wouldn't mind, but she didn't want to crush her boyfriend's trust by using him for his body. He was so wary to trust anyone as it is.

She finally got out of bed in the darkness, catching his attention, as neither of them had dared to move before then. She walked to the lamp and turned it on, making them both wince from the brightness.

"This is ridiculous."

-

"Can't you play music or something?" Betty asked in a hushed voice.

"I didn't realize it would bother you so much, B..." Veronica answered with a curious suspicion.

Betty rolled her eyes and lowered her voice moreso, "Its... It's not about me, I'm worried about Jug. You know how he is. He doesn't want to hear it."

Archie suddenly cut in, "If it's bothering him Jug can tell us himself."

"If you like listening so much, you guys should try it yourself sometime," Veronica joked.

Betty sighed in defeat. She had to admit, only ever going all the way once in all the time they've been dating was not as glamorous as she made it sound.

As the girls talked, while Archie scrubbed dishes in the kitchen, and Jughead walked outside with his camera, Veronica came up with an idea.

"What would Juggie think of you... Joining us?" Veronica eyed her seductively, "You know, 'ménage á trois'...?"

Archie was well within earshot, but he didn't seem to react at all to the proposal. Betty looked to him first, expecting some defensive or jealous Archie blowup. Without him to refuse for her, Betty was forced to think of an answer.

"Uh-" in utter confusion she hesitated to even speak.

Archie wiped his hands with a washcloth has he approached the two girls, scoping Betty's reaction.

"Jughead probably doesn't want you to be unsatisfied all the time," he suggested, "He'd understand, don't you think so?"

Betty wondered if Archie was speaking as his best friend, who knew him probably even better than she did. What are the odds that Archie somehow knew that Jughead didn't care about cheaters, because he didn't care for sex anyway? Or, maybe he was just saying that.