Seduction - Bughead Oneshot

Seduction

The twilight outside the Cooper house seemed especially daunting this evening. Night approached, and the place was eerily quiet. Betty sat at her window, looking over the street instead of reading the open math book in her lap. The streetlights came on. She caught herself thinking that this was the perfect moment for another murder. Just like in the horror movies, and she was the blonde, home-alone girl who'd fumble with her keys or slip on something inconsequential. Though she shouldn't give herself that much credit – there was no way she could pull off the hot bimbo trope.

She sighed and closed the book. Her mother, Alice, was out of town for some unexplained reason, and her father hadn't made an appearance for days. Her sister, Polly, was at the Blossom mansion, out of reach by all methods of communication. How she wanted Polly right now. Two blondes about to be murdered felt less lonely than one.

Betty pulled the curtains and lay on the bed where she stared up at the ceiling for a while. If only night, and then sleep, would come, but both were hours away. And how was she supposed to sleep when her mind kept wondering what her mother was up to?

She grabbed her phone and found Jughead's number. She hesitated, but only a moment. Alice would never know.

Jughead answered after five rings.

"Hey," he said with that low-key cheerfulness.

"Hi, Juggy, can you come over?"

"Did something happen?"

Betty's stomach made a disappointed squeeze and she bit her lip. Most of their time together revolved around Jason's murder, in no small part due to her. If there wasn't a teacher and a blackboard in front of her, her mind went to Jason and Polly.

"My mom's out," she said, "which makes me the perfect murder victim. What better time to watch a classic horror movie? Come over."

"And you're worried your frail, girlish mind can't handle it alone?"

Her smile was strained, but she reminded herself that he was only joking. He wasn't really calling her crazy.

"Of course not," she said, "why else would I call you over? I'm thinking something easy, like Dracula."

"Which one?"

"1970, Christopher Lee."

He chuckled. "What are we, horror noobs?"

"Just come over."

"Aye, aye."

He hung up.

Betty's heart fluttered. A whole evening alone with Jughead. No Jason, no Alice, no Archie or Veronica. She smiled and glanced in the mirror only to notice the horrific fact that she was only wearing a top and shorts. Blushing, she changed into a sweater and jeans.

The bell rang moments later, and she went down to open the door. Jughead smiled and threw something at her, which she caught and identified as a bag of corn kernels.

"Don't say I don't bring home the prey," he said and kissed her.

They popped the corn, opened the pep and settled on the couch. For a moment, Betty wondered if she should lean against the armrest, but then lay her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, and Betty felt a cocoon close around them.

"I've missed this," she said as the movie began.

"When did we ever snuggle up to watch Dracula before?"

She huffed. "When we were kids we all watched movies together. You, me, Archie."

"Not exactly the same thing."