In which it is, literally, one of the most important nights of their young lives.

Listen To: "Perfect", Ed Sheeran; "Flightless Bird, American Mouth", Iron & Wine

The week following Jughead's "promposal" proved to demonstrate how big of a deal prom really was. Betty and Veronica insisted (Y/N) join them and Cheryl ("Fine, she can come...") shopping for dresses, shoes, and accessories: a venture that took two days in total. While her feet ached from the walking, she secretly loved spending time with the three beautiful girls. She felt like she was a normal, popular girl, on a shopping trip with her cheerleader friends.

Being three of the most notable daughters in the town, they chose the most expensive boutique in town to look for dresses.

"Betty," (Y/N) whispered. "I'm so sorry, but I can't afford any of this."

"Oh, how annoying," Cheryl remarked, eyes not leaving the racks of silk. "Just choose what you want and I'll pay." She turned to (Y/N), glaring. "I will not be seen anywhere within a ten mile radius of a JC Penney's. I'd rather die." She sighed dramatically and disappeared within the racks.

"Cheryl!" (Y/N) squeaked. "I don't want your money..."

Cheryl shrugged, having heard this protest many times before. "Consider it a loan." She smiled, surprisingly warmly. "Pay me back when you're close to, but not nearly as rich and successful as moi, which will be soon no doubt!"

Jughead wasn't having any better luck. Archie had explained to him that since prom was formal and not semiformal, tuxedos were required for the event. He barely even had enough money for a ticket, so Jughead paid a visit to his father at the prison for advice.

"There's a garment bag in the closet of the trailer," FP said through the phone connecting the two. "My old tux is in there, and we should be a similar fit. Take it to Lucy on the Southside for an alteration. She knows me and should do it for free."

"You have a tux?" Jughead quirked an eyebrow.

"I did marry your mom at one point, Jug," FP noted. "And a wedding, like a prom, requires a tux." Jughead's father smiled. "I'm proud of you son, seeing you grow up like this."

Jughead briskly nodded and stood to leave.

"And son?" FP called. "Don't forget the corsage."

By the end of their long lists of preparations, Jughead and (Y/N) couldn't wait for prom night, aching to just be with one another and forget the world.

Jughead showed up at the doorstep of the small house on Pendleton with the yellow paint, sporting his newly altered tux, a plastic box housing a very expensive flower, and no beanie. Archie, Betty, and Veronica waited outside in Archie's idling truck. At a loss for a car, Jughead conceded that they could ride to Pop's and the venue together–"But we are staying strictly separate"–Jughead insisted.

(Y/N)'s father greeted Jughead at the door. "You must be the strapping young man my wife told me has been seeing our daughter."

"We're just friends, sir," Jughead replied, face getting hot.

"Well, I'm glad my daughter has a friend like you to look after her," (Y/N)'s dad smiled. "(Y/N) has always had a difficult time making friends–"

"Oh my God, shut up Dad!" (Y/N) called from her room upstairs.

Meanwhile, (Y/N)'s mother had been putting the finishing touches on her daughter's makeup.

"Are you excited, honey?" She smiled lovingly at her daughter, lightly-powdering her cheeks.

"Yes I am, mommy," (Y/N) replied. She smiled unconsciously, thinking of Jughead, causing her mother to smile in turn.

"It seems like this Jughead boy has taken quite a liking to you," (Y/N)'s mother remarked.

"It's nothing like that, mommy," (Y/N) protested.

"Well, whatever it is," (Y/N)'s mother lightly pecked (Y/N)'s cheek. "You are the happiest I've seen you in a long time. Don't let this go, honey."

Eventually, (Y/N)'s mother went downstairs, hugging Jughead and taking out her camera, preparing for the big entrance.

(Y/N) slowly descended the staircase from the second floor to the living room. Given the size of her house, it was nothing like the movies, though it felt like one. Her dress, insisted upon by her three shopping companions, was simple but elegant and flowed down the staircase behind her, accompanied by long silk gloves. Her hair fell down her back in soft waves, and her makeup was subtle yet noticeable. Jughead couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Seeing her companion for the night, (Y/N) beamed, and it was like the room got infinitely brighter. She chuckled, finally reaching the bottom of the staircase. "What happened to your hat?"

Jughead ran a hand through his hair, having momentarily forgotten his place on this mortal plane. "I, uh, thought I'd be more formal without it."

(Y/N) was taken aback herself. Jughead's thick, dark styled hair and tux had transformed him from her cute teenage friend to someone sophisticated and, frankly, quite sexy.

"Well," (Y/N) laughed out of nervousness. "It looks really nice."

Going through the motions, Jughead and (Y/N) allowed her parents to take probably a hundred pictures of the two–putting on the corsage and posing together. Much to Mrs. (L/N)'s amusement, she had more than a couple of shots of Jughead spacing out, caught staring at her daughter.

Eventually the two teens were able to escape the small house on Pendleton with the yellow paint and hopped into the back seat of Archie's pick-up.

"Took you long enough!" Archie teased, starting the truck.

"Dang, (Y/N)!" Veronica remarked, a dark beauty as always. "You look hot."

Shocked that someone as beautiful as Veronica would compliment her appearance, (Y/N) quickly appraised her own body. Was there something Veronica saw that she didn't, and was teasing her for sarcastically?

Jughead rested a hand on her knee and leaned in, whispering, "She's being serious."

A blush creeped up (Y/N)'s neck and she fixed her focus on the passing scenery for the remainder of the trip.

Upon reaching Pop's, Archie, Veronica, and Betty slid into their usual booth. Jughead gently took (Y/N)'s hand, leading her towards a nearby–yet very separate–table.

"Why don't we just sit with them?" (Y/N) questioned. "It would be less work for Pop."

"It hasn't been just the two of us in a long time," Jughead said. "I weirdly miss you."

(Y/N) laughed, sitting with him. "I weirdly miss you too."

The two easily slipped into their usual conversation of literature, movies, and conspiracy theories. However, something about the situation made Jughead nervous. Was he saying the right things? Was he talking too much? Too little? It didn't make sense. (Y/N) is one of the people Jughead talks to every day. Why, now, was he nervous?

A few tables over, Betty and Veronica giggled as they sipped their milkshakes.

"What's got you girls laughing?" Archie asked, taking a bite of his burger.

"Jughead's choking," they said nearly-simultaneously.

"Choking? Why isn't anyone helping him!?" Archie turned back towards his friend, who appeared fine.

"No, you lovable buffoon," Veronica chastised. "Normally talking with (Y/N) is no problem, but now that Jughead's crushing he's also crashing, and burning."

The three watched as Jughead said something, face red. (Y/N)'s expression changed from compassionate to confused, and slightly offended.

"I'm rooting for you, man," Archie mumbled. "Hopefully he calms down by the dance."

The dance was beautifully decorated and full of excited, smiling teens. The theme was A Night in Fair Verona and the local hotel had been decorated with hanging roses and twinkling lights. Students danced in beautiful dresses and sleek tuxes as local parents eyed them imperiously. As always, the jocks milled around the punch bowl discreetly taking pulls from their flasks.

"Wow," Jughead remarked. "This looks way nicer than homecoming, don't you think (Y/N)?"

(Y/N) looked confused and slightly sad. "This is my first time at a school dance, Jug."

Jughead was taken aback, realizing how different their worlds really were. Jughead had always been a loner, but he'd always been present at school functions, a part of the community. "Well," he continued with a smile. "I hope I can help make this a night you won't forget."

She laughed and the two joined Betty, Veronica, and Archie on the dance floor for a bit. For most of the time the two hovered around the wall; Jughead liked dances but he didn't necessary like dancing. (Y/N) didn't mind one bit, wanting to be with Jughead and Jughead only.

She didn't expect Jughead to pay this much attention to her during their time at the dance. Every twenty minutes or so he would offer to bring her drinks, when she would smile at a song he would offer to dance (even if he didn't like dancing) and he would absentmindedly tuck that pesky lock of hair behind her ear whenever it was out of place. Was this a normal custom of high school dances? For some reason, (Y/N) hoped this closeness with Jughead would last long past the last dance of the night. She hoped it wasn't too good to be true.

Nearing the end of the dance, Josie and the Pussycats got on stage to perform a slow song. Their a capella voices melted together beautifully, and really set the stage for the fairytale setting.

"May I have this dance?" Jughead asked, in a joking tone but completely serious.

(Y/N) grinned. "I'd love that."

The two walked onto the dance floor as Betty, Veronica, and Archie left it, nodding at them pointedly. Wanting to avoid awkwardness, the three other teens took the slow song as their chance to pull up any disciplinary actions connecting Coach Clayton to the embezzlement. Perhaps he had something on the school no one knew about. As the office was unlocked and all staff were chaperoning the dance, this truly was a golden opportunity.

"I hope I haven't bored you out of your mind," Jughead said with a chuckle, as the two swayed back and forth on the dance floor.

"You could never bore me, Jug," (Y/N) replied with a laugh of her own. "I always love talking to you."

"I love talking to you too, (Y/N)," Jughead whispered. "That's why it's made me sad since you started hanging out with us. When we first met, you were so open, but around new people it's like you're a completely different person. Why?"

"I guess I just want to make a good impression," (Y/N) explained. "I don't know what they'll think of me..."

"Well I know one thing," Jughead said. "I think you're amazing."

"Really?" She blushed. "Why? I'm just normal. You, you and your friends are amazing."

Jughead smiled. "You're amazing in your own way, (Y/N). You always think of others, you're so smart, and you have such funny inner thoughts sometimes. I'm sure whoever you choose to open up to in your own time will like you as much as I do."

"H-how much is that?"

Jughead froze, blushing as well. "...honestly, a lot." He averted his eyes. "I think, as more than friends."

"...I have a funny inner thought," she stammered, after a period of silence.

"Oh really? What is that?" Jughead was secretly hurt that she had changed the subject, but didn't want her to close off again.

Among the roses and the twinkling lights and the fairytale moment, (Y/N) chose for the first time in her life to be bold. She leaned into Jughead, breathing in his scent and staring into his calming blue eyes. She then whispered, "I think we should kiss."

Smiling tenderly, Jughead leaned in and brushed his lips across hers, and life, for the first time, really was perfect.

"I have something to show you," Jughead said, giddily pulling (Y/N) down the hallway during the last final dances.

"Slow down, Jughead!" (Y/N) said with a laugh. She couldn't believe this was real, she couldn't believe this was all real.

Jughead took her to the crawl-space under the stairs, holding the train of her dress as she stepped inside.

"Oh, wow Jug," she said, staring at Jughead's previous living arrangements.

"Yeah, one of my many summer homes," he joked. "I just thought it was getting too stuffy in the dance and I like to go here to clear my head sometimes and–"

(Y/N) cut him off by pulling him in and kissing him deeply, running her hands through his hair.

"Is this okay?" She whispered breathily.

Something about the way she said that set Jughead off, as he pushed her against the nearest wall and slipped his tongue between her lips, exploring her mouth. He tangled one had in her hair and used the other to grasp her lower back, pulling her closer into him. He didn't realize how long he'd wanted this.

"Is this okay?" He retorted, glassy eyed with lust.

As they kissed, (Y/N)'s hands went to his lapels, pulling him even closer. One hand wandered to the waistline of his pants and grazed the fabric.

"Fuck," he groaned. Wrapping her legs around him, Jughead picked her up, laying her down on the mattress on the floor.

"Is this okay?" He asked, seriously this time.

"Yes," she said with a small smile.

Jughead began to undress her. He had never seen (Y/N)'s arms before, as she had always worn cardigans or long-sleeve tee shirts. Something about the prospect of running his hands down the soft skin of her inner arms seemed impossibly sexy.

He tugged off (Y/N)'s silk gloves. When he went to touch her forearms, they both flinched. (Y/N)'s eyes grew to twice their size, and her face became a deep, embarrassed red.

Pulling away, Jughead stared in shock at (Y/N)'s inner arms, covered in layers upon layers of thick, horizontal razor blade scars.