ONE 

"Kevin, you have to stop doing this." 

Betty was right, and Kevin knew it. But, what could he do? The two of them had completely different options. Betty lived in a world of gumdrops and cotton candy, wondering if she wanted Archie or Jughead while Kevin lived in a world of misery and judgement, wondering if he were ever going to find himself a loving boyfriend. 

"The woods are all I have, Betty." 

Even if Betty couldn't understand, Kevin was still going to do it. It was all he had. He was living in a lonely world where everyone hated him because of his sexuality - well, everyone except his few friends. 

Although Moose had considered himself bisexual, he wouldn't come out of the closet. He scoffed at the idea when Kevin mentioned it to him. He didn't want to be judged as harshly as Kevin; he couldn't take the hate. He thought it was wrong to purposely put yourself into a dangerous situation like that. To him, Kevin deserved what he received, as he was the one who opened up when he shouldn't have. 

Even so, Moose was still willing to meet up with Kevin in the woods. They'd go skinny dipping in the summer, finding themselves in a full-on session eventually. Luckily, no one had caught them. At least, not yet. 

"No, Kevin, there's more out there. You just have to look for it." 

Betty was becoming defensive, and Kevin wasn't having it. He had had enough of this bullshit. He didn't have the same options as anyone else in their group, and even if none of them wanted to believe that, it was true. 

"Are you fucking kidding me, Betty? There's nothing out there for me! I'm gay in a world of straights. The woods are all I fucking have, and you are not going to take that away from me." 

Kevin adjusted the strap of his bag as he pushed past Betty, knocking into her shoulder. She stumbled back, watching him storm off. She wanted to call out to him, but nothing came out. 

Why can't he understand I'm trying to help him? Betty thought to herself. 

She sighed, and walked to the lounge area where she plopped down next to Jughead. Across from them, Archie and Veronica sat, Veronica's legs leaning on Archie's lap. 

"What's up, B?" Veronica asked, sitting up. 

"Kevin. He just won't listen to me," she huffed, leaning her head on Jughead's shoulder. "I'm trying to protect him and he thinks I'm trying to keep him from happiness. I wish he'd see that I'm looking out for him." 

"I'm sure he'll come around," Jughead said, rubbing a soothing hand on Betty's shoulder as she snuggled closer. "He's going through a rough patch right now. He'll figure it out." 

"What if he doesn't, Jug? I mean, he's getting himself in deeper and deeper. I'm scared for him." 

"Especially with that fling he has going with Moose," Veronica interjected. "They're gonna get themselves in trouble." 

Betty looked down. "Well, I tried to warn him." 

------------- 

LATER THAT NIGHT: 

"So, Moose..." 

"Yeah?" 

Moose turned towards him. They walked further into the woods, down towards Sweet Water River. The cracking of branches and twigs beneath their feet and their heavy breathing as they hurried were the only sounds heard in the abandoned wooded area. 

"Even though you don't wanna come out, would you still consider, you know, being with me?" 

Moose paused. Kevin stopped with him. 

"I mean...I don't know. What...what if someone found out?" 

"I would make sure they didn't. Hell, the only people that know we do this are Betty and Veronica. They wouldn't tell anyone." 

Moose contemplated this for a second before grabbing Kevin by the hand and pulling him down onto flat land. In one swift motion, he stripped himself of his jacket and pulled Kevin close for a passionate kiss. The kiss deepened as Moose helped Kevin gets his jacket off, reaching down for his belt buckle next. 

They pulled away for a moment, allowing Moose to pull his pants off and work on Kevin's next. 

In a breathy whisper, Kevin muttered, "Does that mean we're a couple now?" 

Moose looked up with a crooked smile as Kevin's pants dropped. "What do you think?" 

He pulled Kevin down onto the ground, kissing him once more before moving onto his neck. Kevin moaned softly. 

"I'm guessing that means yes." 

Moose peeked up and grinned wildly. "You guess right." 

The charade carried on as normal. Except this night was special: they had become official. Kevin was too anxious to ask for the longest time, but after Betty's complaint earlier in the day, he thought that it was time. He had to prove to Betty that he did all of this for a reason. 

--- 

"That was..."

"Amazing?" Moose finished. 

Kevin chuckled, blushing. "Yeah." 

The two got dressed and were walking back through the forest to go home when they heard footsteps. They stopped, hearing the cracking of the twigs  get louder. 

"Who's there?" Moose called out, spinning in a circle to look. "Look, we don't want any trouble." 

The sound stopped. Moose and Kevin exchanged a look of pure terror and confusion. 

"Let's get out of here, Moose." 

Moose nodded. They held hands as they ran through the forest, heavy breathing keeping them from hearing the loud cracking of sticks coming up behind them. 

Kevin felt a tug on his arm, turning around, only to see a figure dressed all in black plunge a knife into Moose's stomach. Moose gasped, letting go of Kevin's hand as his own traveled to the wound. He looked up at the masked figure, mouth agape and eyes wide with fear and surprise. Kevin froze, stuck in shock as the knife was removed and Moose collapsed into Kevin's arms. 

"Who the hell are you?" Kevin screamed after the figure, but whoever it was had disappeared. "What the fuck do you want?!" 

"Kev-Kevin..." 

Moose was clingy to Kevin's shirt with one hand, the other holding his wound. The look on Moose's face would forever haunt Kevin. 

"You're going to be fine, Moose. You hear me? You're going to be fine!" 

With tears in his eyes, Kevin lifted Moose into his arms and rushed towards the car his dad let him borrow for the night. 

But it was already too late. Moose lay in Kevin's arms, limp and lifeless. Kevin set him on the ground and felt for a pulse, coming up missing. 

His entire world felt like it had come crashing down.