Heart Of Desire [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter Four: Intoxicated Mind

Betty's POV:

She turned her head when she heard the roar of a bike and almost cried with relief when Jughead pulled up. She was suddenly very happy that he was around. "You okay?" He asked as he got off the bike, taking in her bloody arm and he helped her up.

"I fell and missed the damn bus." She informed him with a frustrated sigh. The rain was pouring down and she was starting to freeze in her soaked clothes. "Come on, I'll give you a ride." He said, getting back on the bike. She hesitated as he held out his helmet but ended up taking it, climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, suddenly feeling slightly warmer. "Your place is too far to go to in the rain." He said as he started up the bike again. She gripped him tighter as he pulled away from the curb. He turned down a couple of streets and Betty pressed her cheek to his back as she tried in vain to take shelter from the sheets of rain falling.

—❀—

She lifted her head when he slowed and saw him turn into the parking lot of the bar she was at a few nights ago. He pulled around to the back and parked. Then quickly got off and helped her. She made her way with him to a back door and found herself in a small entrance with a staircase to the second floor. He kept her hand in his and led her upstairs. He stopped at a door, unlocked it and ushered her inside.

He closed the door and Betty looked around, realising she was in his apartment. It was more of a large room; with a tiny kitchen, a small sitting area, a desk space and a bedroom in the far corner from the door. She suddenly felt very nervous. "Relax." He said with a soft smile. She smiled shakily in return, whilst rubbing her arms, trying to warm up.

Jughead walked over to the bedroom door and went in the dresser, rummaging around a bit and came back to her. "Get out of those wet clothes and I'll get them dried. Put these on. They're more on the big side but it should work." He said, tilting his head to another door that she guessed was the bathroom. "Thank you." She all but whispered and hurried there. "Towels are in the third drawer, sorry I don't have the fanciest selection." He called with a laugh. She managed a smile as she entered the washroom and locked the door.

Despite the small size of the apartment, the bathroom was pretty spacious. It had a large shower and a vanity with a lot of counter space. She quickly peeled off her wet clothes, even the underwear and dried herself with a towel she found. She pulled on the t-shirt and boxers that Jughead had given her. She shivered for a different reason now, as she tried not to think too hard about the fact that his clothes were laying against her most private areas. The clothes were big but they were dry and warm.

Betty left her clothes on the counter, unsure of how he was planning on drying them. She opened the door and stepped back out, finding him in the kitchen. She stopped and stared at him for a moment, a little astonished at the change. She had only ever seen him in his usual jeans and leather jacket. But, seeing him standing there wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt, his black hair unruly and uncovered made her stomach clench. He had tattoos on his arms and she guessed he probably had more under his shirt.

He looked up and noticed her, causing him to still for a moment. His eyes raked over her and she suddenly felt like she was naked. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. Making her feel a little better that he seemed as nervous as she was. "Umm, I thought something warm to drink would be nice but I didn't know if you'd like coffee or tea. That's all I have."

"Tea sounds nice." She said with a smile as she walked over to him. "I left the clothes on the bathroom counter." She informed him. "Oh, right. You can go ahead and throw them in the dryer, in the closet there." He replied, pointing to a door next to the bathroom. She turned around, did exactly that and walked back over to him.