the town with darkness | bughead

ch. 5 | the promise

The drive back to the trailer park was mostly silent save for the occasional gasp of pain from Jughead when Betty's car hit a pothole and his directions. He leaned on the cold glass of the passenger side window and gazed out at the bristly pines whipping past softly muttering directions when needed. When Betty's car finally bounced over the threshold of the trailer park Jughead's heart sank at the miserable sight of the lot. Thankfully it was pretty deserted, this late on a Friday night but that didn't make the desperation of the place any less obvious.

"Uh...which one?" Betty said.

"That one," Jughead replied pointing to FP's trailer.

Betty pulled the car over near the trailer and got out wrapping her arms around herself against the icy early Fall breeze that cut through the lot. Jughead opened the passenger door and pushed himself up and out with a wince. He led the way over to the doublewide with Betty following close on his uneven steps. He found the key under the empty plant pot like usual at the bottom of the steps and unlocked the door, his nose wrinkling and heart dropping at the smell of hard liquor emanating from within.

To her credit, Betty didn't say anything about his home - nothing derogatory or pitying. She just walked in, looking around the minuscule living quarters and moved to the sofa, shifting the debris from it to the coffee table. "Have you got something I can clean your face with?"

"Betty, really it's"-

"Remember the whole 'not taking no for an answer' conversation?"

"I think there might be a washcloth in the bathroom." Jughead sat down resignedly on the sofa waiting for her to return, not wanting to be there when she saw the condition of the rest of the trailer. Betty returned a moment later with a damp washcloth that had once been white as well as a makeshift first aid kit she'd rustled up from the dwindling supplies in the bathroom.

"Alright, let me clean up your face," Betty said, leaning forward and inspecting the cut on Jughead's cheekbone from those unforeseen brass knuckles. She dabbed it gently with the damp cloth along with his split lip. They'd long ago stopped stinging sharply every time he moved a muscle in his face but the bruises on his cheek and jaw were definitely sore and would be for a while.

"Thanks Betty," Jughead murmured when she'd finished, his eyes downcast. "You didn't have to do that...but thank you."

"I...I know you're home already but come back with me to my place, you can stay all weekend," Betty suggested.

"What would your mother think?" Jughead replied with a grin, looking up at her.

"I don't care what she thinks. I care about you," Betty said. She raised her hand and ran her fingers through his hair before moving to his neck, then his shoulder.

"You...you do?" Jughead frowned slightly.

"Of course I do," Betty said, leaning in. "I...well, I, uh..."

"Spit it out," Jughead said with a small smile.

"Maybe I should just show you," Betty said.

Then to Jughead's complete surprise she kissed him. Initially he jerked away in shock but that only lasted a split second after tasting her cherry-flavoured lipgloss. He kissed her back and their kiss deepened while her hand stroked his hair. Jughead raised his hand to her face and his mouth to her neck, kissing her as if his life depended on it. He hadn't realised how much his seemingly-unrequited love for Betty had grown until he'd finally had the chance to have her in his arms. She leaned her head back slightly, her eyes closed, lips parted as he continued kissing her and her hand moved down to his chest. She inadvertently placed it right where that asshole Scorpion had punched him with brass knuckles in the parking lot. He tensed slightly, but not wanting to ruin the moment, ignored it. Until she accidentally pressed down.