#Jason can’t even go to a meeting without the kids clinging to him & are willing to cut off a hand or two

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 217

Babies can die if they don’t have enough physical contact. This is something that is known, but Talia does not have time to spend with her twins, and it’s not like she carried them thanks to the false Lazarus womb, so she didn’t even have that excuse to use. 

What she did have, was a near braindead teen who could be taught things through muscle memory. 

Which is how Jason ended up caring for a pair of toddlers between any training, even after his dip in the Pit. Well, he cared for them until he left for Gotham, to enact his plans, even if he continued to call them every week. 

But that wasn’t enough for little Damian and Danyal.

Where had their caretaker gone? Away from them? Where is Baba? Across the sea? Unacceptable. They will not stand for this! 

Which in turn, is how Jason discovers his the twins outside his safehouse window, having somehow made it to Gotham on their own- what the fuck, kids!?

[teentitanimals]

Batfam as Cuddlers

What kind of cuddlers are the Batfam?? Let’s find out!

Bruce: At the start, he was almost scared of physical contact. No cuddles except for when little Dick would climb into his bed after a bad dream. But for every kid he gained, the more powerful his cuddles became. He’s still not a cuddle initiator, but he shies away from hugs no longer. He’ll plop down on the couch and won’t even flinch as his kids fight to sit beside him or on his lap. Carrie, Alina and Cullen will be sitting on his shoulders during a meeting and he won’t even notice.

Alfred: He’s the type that sits next to you and wraps his arm around you. Sweet, sturdy and supportive. Everyone likes his arm hugs.

Dick: Look. We all know what his cuddle status is. Major cuddler. Cuddles everything. Hugs and shoulder pats and hair ruffles and cheek pinches, he does it all. Once he had you, you can't get out.

Jason: Like I said in this post, Jason is the most cuddled in the family. He is not the one who cuddles others the most, no, he is the one who gets cuddled the most. He’s big, he’s warm, he’s strong, he’s tall- why would you not cuddle this man? He has enough space to get cuddled by multiple siblings at once. A whole cuddle party up in here. Not to mention when his siblings are having a mental breakdown, his solid, strong arms holding them to this realm of reality really helps.

Tim: He is an accidental cuddler. He doesn’t intentionally cuddle people, because he’s not super used to physical contact despite craving it all his childhood, but whenever he’s super tired- which is often- he can’t help but lean against the nearest heat source. He’ll cling to arms and legs given the accidental chance too. Dick found out that one of the best ways to get this idiot to sleep is to just plop down on top of him. The warmth and weight makes him more willing to sleep, mainly because he can’t move if you’re laying on top of him. Tim would always fight and whine when he did this, but Tim secretly likes when Dick does that, and was secretly happier when Dick passed that knowledge onto the other siblings, because now he had Steph and Cass and even Jason cuddling him. He was incredibly surprised when Damian did it, though. Damian was not heavy enough to weight Tim down, and Tim could have easily tossed him therefore ruining the whole idea, but he was just so shocked that he didn’t do anything. Damian, much to Damian’s annoyance, became the best “weight” to get Tim to sleep, and now the others tell Damian to go cuddle Tim when they need Tim to sleep.

Damian: The first time he got cuddled and didn’t fight it, he still couldn’t relax or go to sleep. If you were physically touching someone, then you shouldn’t be sleeping, that’s how it was in the League. They could hurt you, betray you. Damian could not fall asleep around other people, it was just impossible. So the day he did, he freaked. Did it mean he was losing his touch?!? Was all of his League training vanishing from him??? No, he simply trusted his family enough to sleep now. He didn’t realize it the first few times, and perhaps he still doesn’t. But if he falls asleep near you, he trusts you. If he falls asleep beside you, he trusts you a lot. If he falls asleep cuddling you, you are top tier trustworthy. If he willing initiates a cuddle with you and then falls asleep, you are God to him. When Dick found out this formula, he was ecstatic to know he was one of the ones Damian would cuddle willingly- in fact, Damian started to seek him out at night to cuddle. Dick was even more ecstatic when Damian willingly started cuddling with Tim, of all people, under the guise of “helping force Drake to get the proper amount of sleep.”

Cassandra: Similar to Damian, it was a bit difficult to adjust to cuddles. Especially because if she was facing away from the person it was harder to read body language, instead she had to feel it, which, was a bit harder since it wasn’t exactly like David had her practice hugging people. But she adjusted to cuddles quicker than Damian, and now she loves participating in big group cuddles. She isn’t a cuddle fanatic, by any means, she enjoys being free to move and roll over when she needs or wants to. But she still enjoys having her siblings nearby. It’s a taste of family life that she loves.

Duke: Back when it was just him and his parents, he always kept his door open. The problem here is an open door gets you more likely to have visitors in your room. Combine this with the problem that Duke’s room has become the official “No-Arguing-Quiet-Peace Zone”, he has a sibling in his room practically every moment of the day. Duke, used to always sleeping alone, was not prepared for people to just come in and plop onto his bed or floor or bean bags, at all. While he ended up adjusting to having other people in his room while he slept, he did not adjust as much to being cuddled while he sleeps. He’s fine with daytime cuddles, but nighttime cuddles are a bit much for him. His siblings respect that, and just sleep near him rather than right beside him. One perk, though, is that- because he was never a “go to his parents for nightmares” type (because his nightmares were never that bad- although they have gotten a bit worse lately)- he does appreciated waking up from a nightmare and hearing his siblings’ breath around him. It’s comforting.

Barbara: She doesn’t get a lot of opportunities for cuddles, but when she does, she’s a cuddle hound. She’ll just lay across them, uncaring if they can still breath or not. This is her time, not them time. The cuddles are for her.

Stephanie: She is a cuddle bug who, like Babs, does not care about your space. She also snores. And sometimes slobbers. She does not care. It is your fault for being so huggable. Just let her sleep, and do NOT wake her up. She's the one you'll just find randomly plopped beside you in the middle of the night. Do not disturb.

Carrie: She's a mix of Dick and Tim, where she wasn't raised with a lot of physical affection, but instead that does not stop her from cuddling the shit out of you. She is not an experienced cuddler, but her cuddle count is rising high within recent years. She's also the type who will cling to your back and just fall asleep like a sloth. She doesn't mind being disturbed from cuddles, but trying to get her to stop cuddling you is near impossible. Yes, unlike Dick, you can easily wiggle out of her cuddles, but the problem is she's persistent. You stop the cuddle now, you will merely get cuddled later. You are simply delaying the inevitable. Accept fate now or suffer the consequences. She might recruit Dick, and you don't want that.

Harper: She's the neutral cuddler. She likes cuddles, but she doesn't have a big history with them like Damian or Cass, or a proficiency like Dick and Carrie. They're just cuddles. Fun hair ruffles. Leaning on a fellow human being. Though, you might now want to let her fall asleep on top of you. She's nearly as hard as Dick to remove.

Cullen: He is not a super big cuddle fan, but he likes sleeping in the same room as other people. He's always slept near his sister, it's just most familiar for him. If he has any nightmares, it lets him know he can always just shimmy over to a Batsib and curl up beside them.

Helena: She used to be a big cuddler, but once she crossed over from Earth-2, she felt like she didn't know anybody well enough to hug them, much less cuddle. It was a slow and steady process, but she eventually got back into the habit of cuddling her siblings. She found she really missed it, and her sleep became much more tame.

Alina: She grew up with cuddle-hungry siblings. She had no choice but to be a cuddler. At some points she literally cannot fall asleep without a sibling cuddling her.

[ahgaseda]

made of stone || chapter 07

⇥ synopsis : when you return after years apart to pursue a divorce from your husband, Mark, you fall back into a contentious relationship because your partner still refuses to give up his dangerous fighting career...

⇥ warnings : this story in its entirety includes but is not limited to strong language and dialogue, descriptions of blood and violence, alcohol or drug use, and explicit sexual content, and is intended for an adult audience only!

Standing before the mirror, you pulled on his leather jacket, hesitating at what his reaction might be to see the old thing again. When you left that night, it had been in your car and though you grappled over bringing it back to him, you didn’t have the strength to face your husband after leaving the way you did.

And truth be told, you couldn’t bear to be parted from it for even a moment.

Rarely was there a time you weren’t wearing the worn old coat. It smelled like him and at night as you curled in the bed for another round of restless sleep, you would tuck your face inside the lapel and breathe him in.

Stepping out of the bedroom, you smiled faintly as you approached.

Mark glanced up, lingering on you from head to toe, and murmured, “My jacket?”

“Yeah,” you said with a nod, gripping the hems with both hands.

Mark chuckled. “Still looks better on you than me.”

Blushing, you whispered, “You’re biased.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

Shifting your weight, you merely studied each other. The tension seemed to constantly shift, but the pull between your bodies always remained.

Mark smiled at the excitement in your eyes and lowered his head, pulling on his shoes before rising again. He was still buzzing from the sensation of your body pressed against his own and was hungry for more. But he knew why you stopped and it made him vaguely hopeful.

You followed your husband as he grabbed his keys and held the front door open for you, the two of you coming to stand by the motorcycle.

“Hey, let me drive,” you blurted, still trying to assuage the tension.

Mark laughed loudly before deadpanning, “No.”

“Come on!”

He shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

You shrugged, grinning playfully. “Thought I’d try.”

Suddenly, Mark said, “I’m gonna ask you something.”

The tension was back and all at once, the air swooped out of your lungs. Your face fell when you replied, “Oh.”

Bracing his hands on the bike, Mark studied your feet, noting how you shifted your weight nervously. At long last, he finally posed the question, “Have you been with anyone since you left me?”

“No,” you replied after a short pause, taken aback.

Mark studied you, but not from a stance of accusation.

“I haven’t, Mark,” you insisted, unnerved at the quiet. “Just the occasional vibrator.”

The corners of his mouth turned upward slightly at that. “Do you think about me?” he asked flirtatiously.

You smarted, “No, I think about Jason Momoa.”

Mark gawked. “That’s not fair!”

“Of course I think about you, you asshat,” you groaned, pushing his chest lightly. “We’re married. I’m faithful to you even in my dreams.”

Mark could see the emotions change on your face and his breath hitched.

Swallowing, you started, “We should talk about the…”

“Don’t,” Mark silenced you sharply. “I told you don’t ever bring it up again.”

Sliding your hands into the pockets of his jacket, you pleaded, “Mark…”

“I’m serious,” your husband said, hissing your name in borderline scolding.

That was his choice. You respected it. “Okay,” you relented, biting your lip.

Mark glanced at you through the loose strands of hair that had fallen over his eyes. Without another word, he pulled on his helmet and handed the other to you.

The motorcycle sputtered to a stop in the same place as before, though the rowdy boys that had whistled at you the previous night were rather respectful and tight-lipped this time around. As Mark took your hand and guided you toward the entry, you planted your feet.

“I want food,” you blurted.

Mark turned, still gripping your hand, and asked, “What do you want?”

Your eyes lit up. “Egg bread and fried cheese for a start.”

“You still have the taste buds of a toddler,” your husband teased with a grin.

“You’re one to talk,” you chided him, smiling with victory as he led you to the nearest vendor. When your eyes landed on what they were offering, you exclaimed, “Ooh, meatballs!”

Mark chuckled. “Come on, kid.”

When you finally entered the concrete venue, the crowd was boisterous and tightly packed. Mark wormed his way through the throng, his hand around your waist as he kept you shielded against his body. Meanwhile, you balanced a drink in one hand and a plastic cup of chicken in the other.

“Jackson,” you called, beckoning your friend as best you could with snacks in hand.

“Oh my god, fried food,” Jackson whined, practically drooling. “God give me strength.”

Wiggling your eyebrows, you popped one of the pieces of chicken into your mouth with a toothpick and teased, “Want a bite?”

“I can’t. I’m on a raging bender of protein shakes,” Jackson exclaimed, radiating glee. “Got your boy spending money, huh?” he asked after glancing at Mark, who was predictably ignoring him after their little spat.

“Yep,” you replied, stuffing your face some more. “Revenge is delicious.”

Going out of his way to avoid looking at Jackson, Mark droned, “Very funny.”

“Hey, after this let’s all go out, get some dinner and beer,” suggested Jackson, elbowing you gently.

The smile you sported at the idea made your cheeks hurt. “Sounds perfect to me!”

“I’ll think about it,” Mark answered like a petulant child, no fluctuation to his tone.

You rolled your eyes, amused at the appearance of petty Mark. Jackson giggled at his brother and his sulkiness before giving you a quick hug as he was summoned to the ring by Jinyoung.

“Hey,” Mark called to his friend, dropping his voice to a low whisper. “I’m sorry… about earlier.”

“I can’t hear you,” Jackson yelled, grinning broadly.

Mark shouted, “I said I’m sorry I didn’t kick your ass earlier!”

“I love you, too, brother.”

The two of them bumped fists.

“Get it done,” Mark muttered strongly and Jackson nodded, serious at last.

As your husband maneuvered you to a nearby half-wall, you handed him your food and drink as you said, “I still don’t get it. There are better ways to make money.”

Mark held the cups as you launched yourself onto the concrete, sitting on the edge with legs dangling. “You won’t understand,” he admonished softly. “We’ve been fighting since we were born, fighting to survive.”

Taking back your drink from his outstretched hand, you said, “I was there, Mark.”

“Yeah, you were the scrapping queen,” Mark taunted, almost standing between your legs. “Don’t even try to deny it.”

“I didn’t make a career out of it. I only did what I had to do.”

Mark sighed, propping his hands on opposite sides of your hips. “We’re animals, baby. I know you like to think we’re more than that, but we aren’t,” he spoke, gentle yet stern. “You have to give us something to chew on or we destroy the house.”

That was very telling and even though you’d had your suspicions, you were getting closer and closer to the root of the problem that spurned you to leave the love of your life in the first place.

Meeting his eyes, you tilted your head and reached forward, brushing his hair out of his face. “You’re not like him, Mark,” you finally whispered, though with how close your husband currently was to you, he had no trouble hearing you over the roaring crowd.

Mark flinched at your poignant words. Somewhere behind him, Jackson delivered his first hit of the night.

You let your hands fall, placing them on his taut chest before grabbing his collar. “You would never hurt me,” you told him firmly, staring into his irises. “We say a lot of childish shit to each other, but you would never ever raise a hand to me.”

Mark said nothing, but he turned around and set his attention to the fight.

You stared at him. God, how could you have ever forgotten even for a moment how much you adored this man? Sliding closer to your husband, you weren’t satisfied until you were on the wall behind him, your legs around his waist possessively.

Mark smiled faintly and let his arms rest on your thighs as he leaned back against you.

No sooner had the two of you gotten comfortable, Jackson’s opponent landed on the floor with a thud that ricocheted around the concrete hall. Unlike your husband’s usual poise and severity, Jackson was quite the opposite.

Bounding in a circle around his downed foe, Jackson smacked his chest and yelled, “Stand the fuck up!”

The onlookers were screaming and the scent of alcohol was heavy on the air. As your gaze fell to the bloodied man on the ground, your heart churned. Mark had been there before and you hated him for making you watch.

Mark bore no expression on his face. Since you had come home, he had gotten to thinking, which was never a good thing as Bambam would say.

The life he had known made him calloused to the violence, but you insisted on clinging to innocence, no matter how little was left. Mark had a lot of resentment and acrimony that led him to seek retribution and punishment in that ring.

You were right. You had been right all along, but Mark couldn’t let go. He didn’t know who he was without the bitterness in his soul. What would fill the void in its place?

“Mark,” you called gently.

He turned his head, glancing at you in the corner of his eye with brows raised.

“You spaced out. Where did you go?” you asked.

The roar of the crowd turned deafening as Jinyoung called the match over with the man on the floor tapping out, not willing to stand and face Jackson’s wrath again.

Mark sighed loudly and answered, “I wanna forgive you, baby.”

You blinked in surprise.

Mark angled back to the ring, gaze stopping at the crimson on the floor. “But I gotta find a way to forgive myself first.”

chapter 06 ⇤ chapter 07 ⇥ chapter 08

Hey there, beautiful! If you enjoyed this, please leave a like or reblog or follow me! Or maybe buy me a coffee so I can keep writing? Or check out my masterlist here for more stories! Thanks for reading :) - Katya

This work is fictional and for entertainment purposes only, but is licensed and protected under a creative commons attribution-noncommercial-noderivatives 4.0 international license. Any instances of plagiarism will be dealt with accordingly. Do not re-post or translate without my permission.

{ copyright 2018-2020 © ahgaseda // all rights reserved }

[cooperandjonesinc]

No Lyrics, Just Words

A secret santa gift for @no-denying-shes-a-funny-girl as part of the Bughead Secret Santa gift exchange!

Rating: G

Words: 2478

Summary: Even though they’re both writers, Betty and Jughead were never any good at communicating. That’s why long before there was an exchange of kisses, there was an exchange of music.

(A fluffy New Years fic with way too many song references.)

It starts just before Betty leaves for her summer internship. She starts a group chat with Jughead and Archie, Jughead isn’t sure why he qualifies or why she thinks he cares, but he finds himself scrolling through anyway, hating every minute. The first song she ever sends him is actually to both of the boys. It’s Despacito. Later he will be grateful that at least she sent the original all Spanish version rather than the Beiber remix.

The issue is that he kind of likes it. It’s got a good beat, it’s sexy. He can imagine Betty dancing around her room mumbling along to the words she doesn’t understand. In his mind’s eye she dances in short shorts and a tank top that rides up exposing a hint of skin at her belly. That’s where he cuts the thought off. The day she arrives at her internship he sends her Welcome to Paradise by Greenday. Someone has to expose her to good music. A month later, after he’s heard the song dozens of times, he feels differently about that Latin beat.

During the months they are apart they talk very little. Even Archie barely hears from her, but he begins to fade away into his music too. She sends Jughead some songs that indulge his taste in music. Say It Ain’t So by Weezer floats through the trailer for a solid week after she reminds him that it exists. He retaliates with Here by Alessia Cara after Archie drags him to one summer bonfire thrown by the evil redheaded twins. It’s nice. It makes him feel connected to her even though no words are exchanged. He means to continue the tradition through the year, but Jason Blossom’s body washes ashore and suddenly there’s no time to worry about things like that anymore.

Betty misses the music as they run around town unraveling the mysteries of the bloody murder and cover up. When he cups her face in his hands and forever changes how she sees him she realizes that something started between them long before. She’d just been too blinded by a shock of red hair to notice. After the baby shower among their text messages she slips in a link to Paramore’s The Only Exception. She expects to receive back something sentimental. Instead he sends her Creep. As a jest she throws a boyband song back his way. The next time they meet he laughs at her, but she has trouble returning it. Part of her knows he means it, that he believes in those lyrics. When she finally admits to the crescent scars on her hands they share a set of headphones listening to The Monster with Eminem and Rihanna sharing space with their thoughts.

FP’s arrest, finding the tape, Cliff’s death, Cheryl’s suicide attempt, Fred’s shooting. All of it happens in 72 hours. The Sound of Silence echoes heavy in their consciousness.

When Jughead moves to Southside High the music stops again. For the first few days Betty hopes it’s for the same reason they stopped before. Their relationship was strong, they didn’t need to exchange songs when everything they needed to say they just shared with each other. But it’s not like that at all. It’s a scarce few miles between the two sides, but it may as well have been continents. The Black Hood complicates things even further. They break up without a single note left hanging in the air. When she comes to her senses and finally spills every secret she’s been holding in they get back together in a whirl of hushed whispers and hurried kisses. Unable to part from him she spends her nights in his bed.

The first song he ever sends her after joining the Serpents is Lydia by Highly Suspect. It isn’t just a spotify link to the song either. He sends her a link to the video. It starts with a shot of a girl underwater. The camera never leaves her. Two minutes in and she’s still submerged, tied down. There are no breaks, no cut aways. Betty is simply watching this girl drown. When her vision swims and her world starts to tilt Betty realizes that in sympathy she’s been holding her own breath. Her lungs fill with fire as she heaves air in. Suddenly she’s hyperventilating, she’s panicking. She can’t breathe. Jughead can’t breathe. He’s drowning with the Serpents, in over his head with no where to go. The song ends. The girl is still in the water, and Betty knows what she has to do. She has to dive into the pool with the Serpents to help Jughead get out.

For some reason it never even occurs to her that instead of setting Jughead free, she’d just get tangled into the same mess. The music stops.

It also never crossed her mind that she might just end up being actual friends with Toni. It starts with Toni pulling her aside after the disastrous dance.

“Mad respect for pulling it out like that, but you know dancing isn’t the only step to becoming a Serpent, right?”

No, she didn’t know. Jughead told her a little bit about his initiation, but not enough.

She knows, of course, that it’s a gang. She knows she’s entering into a world of blackmail, drugs, and other nefarious activities. But it doesn’t feel like that. It feels like being welcomed into a family. The Whyte Wyrm is an amalgam of bad Thanksgiving cliches. Yeah, your drunk racist aunt is chain smoking in the corner, but the rest of the group are people who get you in a way no one else will. The Coopers never felt right to Betty. Apparently she’d just been spending time with the wrong half of her DNA. Maybe she always belonged with the snakes. Well, most of them anyway.

Word travels fast about the Snake Charmer. The ruthless vicious part of Betty that nearly drowned Chuck is gloriously pleased at the vengeance. Her conscience quickly admonishes itself for thinking such things. No one deserves to have swaths of flesh cut off their arm. Then her rationale cuts in. This woman is not someone to be trifled with. She’d be looking for retribution of her own.

It’s Toni’s job to hide the streaming camera that catches Penny typing in her password. When Betty breaks into the office that night she hums Secret by the Pierces to herself. Because two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.

Predictably Tall Boy is the one Penny calls to her defense. “They cornered me!” She screeches to the crowd in the Wyrm. “They cut the snake right off my skin! Is that what Serpents do to each other?”

She’s chosen a day when Jughead is at school, obviously trying to start a revolt, “This can not stand!”

“Here Here! We’ve had nothing but trouble coming down on our heads since F.P’s boy got it in his head to try and take over.” Tall Boy adds to the growing restlessness.

“Hey Penny,” Betty shouts over the din, “Remind me why the kids jumped you.”

She sneered, “Because they weren’t willing to paid an agreed upon price. Is that what we want the next generation to be, welshers?” The crowd roared their approval.

“So you weren’t blackmailing them?” Toni stood tall at her side. They made a formidable team.

“I do what it takes to get the job done. Hey, I didn’t want to, but the Jones’ haven’t been trustworthy.”

“Not trustworthy?” Betty shook her head, “I think going to jail without a word was pretty high up. Tell me, Tall Boy, what have you done that made you not worthy of Ms. Peabody’s trust?”

“The hell you mean?” Tall Boy asked.

“Well,” Betty pulled out a few photos she’d taken upon herself to download. “She has several photos of you. Tell me, how long is the statute of limitations on aggravated assault? Because however long it is, that’s how long she owns you.”

As he flipped through the photos Tall Boy’s face grew redder.

“Now, I can explain that.” Penny pleaded

“Can you explain all of them? Because I think there’s something in here on every single person in this bar right now. Is this your way of never betraying your own? Is this how you make sure a Serpent never stands alone?”

Betty doesn’t have to say another word. The crowd took it away from her. Penny was forced to flee out the back. In all the commotion somehow Betty ends up with a jacket with a Serpent patch.

“Damn, B, you’re kind of ruthless.” Toni remarks.

“Dark. Most people call it dark.”

It feels like home.

++++++++++++

The snow falling on New Year’s eve is that glittering snow that falls in huge wet flakes. It’s snowman weather since it all clings together on mittens and eyelashes. In the house behind Betty a New Year’s bash rages. Reggie volunteered to host, followed swiftly by Cheryl commandeering the role since Reggie was apparently useless at planning anything. It was a great party, or at least everyone else seemed to think so since Betty was the only person avoiding it by sitting in the snow. Loud bass reverberated against the windows making them shudder. It was only a matter of time before the Sheriff would get called.

“Hey, Betts.” Jughead’s voice was soft in the twilight.

“Are you coming out here to smoke? Seems to be the only reason people step outside.” She shivered. Her dress barely went to her knees, so even with her cloak covering her upper half she was freezing.

Jughead smirked, “I thought you knew me better than that, Ms. Cooper. Nah, I think I’m just going to go. There’s nothing here for me.”

“Me too. I think I’ll head out soon.”

“What you’re not here to find romance?” He said. He tried to come off joking, but the bitterness clung.

“Nope. I kissed someone just for saying, ‘I need you Betty Cooper’ not too long ago. I think my judgment is compromised. If only the kiss had felt as good as hearing the words.”

Jughead stepped down next to her, his heavy boots thumped on the wooden steps. “Didn’t turn out well?” he asked as he sat next to her.

“I’m pretty sure I gave him a look that can only be classified as, ‘Horrified’, so yeah, I’d say not good is putting it mildly.”

They chuckled, “Can I ask who the lucky guy was or would that be weird?”

“Not weird.” She swallowed, “Archie. During the four seconds he was broken up with Ronnie.”

Quietly Jughead said, “You finally snagged the football star and didn’t like it?”

“No. He tasted like old dreams and disappointment. I don’t know what I was expecting, but not that. Actually, I do know what I was expecting. I was expecting it to be like it was with you. A revelation.”

“A revelation, huh?” He sounded rather smug, “Speaking of, I hear you finished the job I started on the Snake Charmer. You shouldn’t have done that, Betty. You’re in her crosshairs now.”

Betty groaned, “Can we not? I think something’s too dangerous for you, so I leave you behind. You think something is too dangerous for me and leave me behind. I’m going to do stupid things without you, the darkness is there even when you’re not. Let’s quit thinking we know what’s best for each other. It’s getting exhausting.”

“Yeah, I guess. But that seems to be all we can say to each other. If we’re not going to talk, what do you suggest we do?”

Just then the first few strands of Despacito floated through the walls. Betty giggled as she pulled Jughead to his feet. He reluctantly allowed her to move him into some semblance of a dance that ended with them giggling furiously in each other’s arms.

“Betty, can I tell you a secret?” He pulled her in close so that his breath was on her neck.

“Anything.” She whispered back, basking in his heat.

“I really, really, hate this God damned song.”

Betty was over come with another wave of giggles. “How is that a secret?”

“Most people who say they hate it secretly like it. Hell, I used to be one of them. Now I just plain hate it, but I listen to it all the time.”

“Why listen to a song you hate?”

“Because it was the first song you ever sent me.” He said with a shrug. “Did you know that despite it being the song of the summer it was actually released January 7th? So, happy song-versary I guess.”

She ran a finger down his cheek, “You too, Jughead. I wish we had made it as far.”

He tilted his head down, hers went up. Their mouths inched closer together.

Jughead pulled abruptly back, “No wait. This is stupid. We can’t do this again.”

“Why is it stupid? I mean it Jug, tell me why we shouldn’t keep fighting for each other.”

“Because you know what people say about repetition and insanity. Nothing’s different. We’ll just loop around again, breaking each other’s hearts in the process.”

“Then let’s break the circle. Let’s do something different this time.” Betty said.

“What?”

She took his hands in hers, “No more songs. I’m not saying we shouldn’t also send each other music, I’m just saying that we have to actually talk to each other. You have to stop believing that you’re protecting me from situations by jumping off a cliff and laving me stranded in a field. Just give me the option of taking your hand and leaping with you. Half the time I’m doing the same thing from the other side of the ledge anyway. We’ve said no more secrets before, but broke it so quickly. I’m never going to be that golden girl I was before I left for the internship. I know who I am now. This time, let’s mean it. Let’s go down swinging together.”

Through the windows came the sounds of the countdown to midnight.

“What do you say, Juggie? New Year’s resolution?”

6… 5… 4…

He kissed her hand, then let go so he could cup her cheek, “This year we leap together. No more lyrics, just words.”

3… 2… 1…

He leaned in and kissed her. Yeah, it was going to be a great year.