Riverdale: Betty X Jughead

Chapter 1: Serpent's Kiss

Betty's POV:

  "Juggie?" I say softly after watching him slide on that serpent jacket with chilling ease.
  He looks over at me and his smile fades.  "Hey guys, can I talk to you tomorrow? I really appreciate it but I was in the middle of a date with my girlfriend..."
  One of the guys laughs.  "Ooh, what a stud! Is she South Side?"
  I take a deep breath and dig my nails into the palm of my hands before stepping out where they can see me. "No... I'm not from the south side... I'm a Cooper, actually."
The man in the front stops short. "No way... You're Alice Cooper's daughter?"
I wrap the coat tighter around myself. "Yes..."
He grins. "I knew Alice couldn't keep her new life away from her old... Tell her that her fellow Serpent friends say hello."
I freeze, the secrets threatening to overtake me yet again. A drop of blood slides down my palm.
"Fellow Serpent friends?" I ask quietly.
"Didn't she ever tell you? Of course not... Kid, your mom was from the South side... She was a Serpent."
More blood.
"Excuse me," I whisper, rushing back into Jughead's house.
  I hear him follow me in and say my name but I go straight to the bathroom and slam the door.
  That doesn't stop him.  He opens the door and comes in.  "Geez Betty, you didn't have to freak out like that... I'm from the south side too, you know."  I can see he's hurt and I shake my head softly.
  "It's not that... I wouldn't care if she was from the south side... What I care about is the fact that she lied to me once again.  I feel like my entire life was based on a lie... I feel like I am a lie."  I release my clenched fist and I watch Jughead look at my hands where blood steadily drops to the floor.
  "Jesus," he says softly.  "Let's get that cleaned up, okay?"  He takes my hand and leads me to the sink where he gently washes out the wounds.  All I can do is stare blankly.
  He catches my eye.  "Penny for your thoughts..."
   "Why have I gone my whole life afraid of what she thought of me?  I always listened when she told me not to hang out with someone, or when she told me how I should behave.  I'm tired of being Betty Cooper, girl next door.  She has no right to make me that girl when she's living a lie."
  "Who do you want to be, Betty? Just be that person... If not for yourself, then for me... I want to know the person you want to be."  He searches my eyes.
  I stare at him, trying to find one untruth in his features, but he is 100% honest.  I decide to be brave.
I kiss him harder and more passionately than ever before. I hurriedly start taking off my coat, my shirt. He hesitates for just a second.
"Betty, are you sure you want-"
"Yes. More than anything." And with that I kiss him again so he doesn't get the chance to try and stop me. I lead him to the bedroom while removing his shirt.
"I love you so much," I whisper. "So so so much..."
"Even if I decide to be a serpent?"
"Even then," I whisper. "As long as you promise to be safe..."
"I probably won't even do it... But yes, I'll be safe."
"Good. Because I intend on keeping you." I climb on top of him and kiss him again.  Before long, we are both completely undressed and he tries once again to stop.
  "Betty, are you really really sure about this? I don't want you to regret anything."
  "Shut up and kiss me."
  The rest of the night is a blur.