Homecoming Can Wait (Riverdale F/F Betty & Veronica)

[wannablessedbe]

Hey kiddies! New story time. I haven’t written a new story in foreverz! But now I am back, courtesy of the muse. In this case, the muse is the undying adorableness of Betty and Veronica. Watching them girl-crush each other has been the highlight of my Riverdale experience, no surprise. Especially Veronica being all fierce for Betty, standing up to bullies and apologizing to her with Magnolia cupcakes. OMG. Part 1 is still in the just-friends zone, but that obviously won’t last…!

 

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Homecoming Can Wait

A Riverdale fic starring Betty & Veronica!

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            Betty Cooper was falling asleep in class. Veronica was so shocked when she glanced over and saw her best friend sitting there with her head in her hand, eyes closed, for a second the only conclusion the raven-haired girl could reach was that Betty was just that enraptured by the Shakespearian sonnets the teacher was reading aloud. The blonde girl was nothing if not diligently studious.

            But, no. That was not the face of poetic rapture. That was the face of zombie-like exhaustion. All the color had gone from her cheeks, and there were dark circles forming under her closed eyes. The poor thing had been pulling far too many all-nighters lately, between the school paper and midterms and twice-daily cheerleading practices, which the ruthless Cheryl Blossom had insisted on in the recent weeks leading up to homecoming. Veronica felt a blaze of protectiveness bubbling up in the center of her chest as she reached out and tentatively rubbed her thumb over the back of Betty’s hand.

            “B…are you okay?”

            “Mmm.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Mmhmm.”

            “So you’re all ready to give your oral report next?” Veronica raised one eyebrow with a gently teasing grin.

            “Mmhmm,” Betty murmured again without moving. Veronica frowned. That was a trick question, because they weren’t giving oral reports today; she’d been hoping to jolt the other girl awake in a jokey way. But there was no jolting. The blonde girl didn’t even twitch.

            “Hey…c’mon now,” Veronica hummed softly, scratching her nails lightly over the blonde girl’s arm to rouse her. “B, wake up.”

            “Mm. Huh?” Betty yawned, shivering a little as she opened her sleepy green eyes, and gazing right through Veronica for a moment like she didn’t even see her. She was so adorably disheveled, for a moment Veronica couldn’t think of anything to say, and just grinned at her; and then the bell rang, sparing them the need for any further whispered conversation.

            “You are so cute, it hurts,” the dark-haired girl smiled, the affectionate twinkle in her eyes waking Betty up far more thoroughly than the bell as they stood and gathered their books. “But are you okay, for real? You look like you need a little nap.”

            “Mm…that would be awesome,” Betty agreed, with another soft yawn as she rubbed absently at her eyes, dragging her feet along in the tide of students filing out into the hall. “What are the odds of Cheryl instituting a nap-based drill at practice today, I wonder?”

            “About the same as Jughead announcing that he’s becoming a vegetarian, I think.” It was a lame joke, but the blonde girl giggled anyway. Then her giggle turned into a soft gasp, and Betty was turning her head away from Veronica with her face buried in the crook of her elbow.

            “Hht’chxshht!! *Snf!*” Another little shiver as she bent forward and sneezed. Oh. She’s got a cold, Veronica instantly realized, though one single sneeze was hardly definitive proof of anything. The dark-haired girl just knew right away in her gut that her poor little B was coming down with the sniffles, making her sleepy and inattentive, a dangerous combination for cheerleading practice.

            “Bless you! Hey, let’s blow off afternoon practice today, what do you say? We can go back to my place and get all cozy, and do some quality Netflix binging. I think you need a break, querida.” Veronica beamed hopefully, and Betty couldn’t help beaming back, glowing under her best friend’s affectionate gaze.

            “It’s okay, V…I mean I am tired, but not tired enough to piss off Cheryl for no good reason. I’d rather save any hypothetical goodwill she may have for some future time when I genuinely need it.” Betty gave her best friend another weary smile, but Veronica just raised an eyebrow skeptically.

            “Goodwill? Cheryl?”

            “I said hypothetical.” Betty smirked, a little of her own sparkle returning to her sleep-glazed green eyes. They both laughed, until the blonde girl’s laughter turned into a sharp cough, and Veronica rested a hand protectively on her lower back. It was on the tip of Betty’s tongue to protest again, tell her best friend that she was just fine and there was no cause for a fuss…but then she glanced sideways at the gooey, affectionate look Veronica was giving her, and suddenly she didn’t want to protest. Instead, she wrapped one arm around the shorter girl’s shoulders, leaning down and planting a gentle kiss in the middle of her forehead. Veronica sighed happily, despite having lost the gentle power struggle.

            “Okay, tiger…let’s go give this town something to cheer about,” Veronica sighed in defeat. Smiling shyly, they made their way across the athletic fields to the locker rooms, their arms still comfortably around each other in a slightly-more-than-friendly way.

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            “You are all unequivocally and unabashedly pathetic. Congrats, losers.” Cheryl Blossom tossed her fiery red hair over her shoulder and eyed her squad contemptuously. “You’re incredibly lucky to have me here to whip you into shape in time for Homecoming. What do you have to say, bitches?”

            “Thank you, Cheryl,” the cheerleading squad replied in toneless harmony, none of them dumb enough to talk back to their ruthless captain. Betty coughed into her elbow, trying to muffle the sound in the fabric of her sleeve. She’d been coughing every few minutes all through practice; it didn’t sound that bad, and it was never a lot, but it just kept coming back. Listening to it was torture for Veronica, when all she wanted to do was take her sweet little blondie home and feed her tea and throat drops while cuddled on the couch. In a totally platonic way, of course, because Betty was totally straight. Totally.

            “Was that backtalk I just heard?” Cheryl demanded, stalking over to where Betty stood and giving her a withering glare that would melt mere mortals.

            “No. Just a cough.” A little bit of color returned to the blonde girl’s cheeks as she blushed under the ruthless captain’s scrutiny, staring down miserably at the floor. Standing up to Cheryl wasn’t exactly Betty’s strong suit. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, and it made the itch in the back of her throat flare mercilessly. She buried her face in her elbow and coughed again. Cheryl raised an eyebrow impassively.

            “Bring down the pyramid with that cough, and I will make you wish you were hooked up to a respirator in an ICU somewhere instead of on my field. Got it, Goldilocks?” Betty just nodded, too mortified to look up. Veronica bristled, but didn’t intervene. This time.

            “You don’t have to let her talk to you like that, you know,” the raven-haired girl murmured consolingly as they moved into position to learn the next sequence.

            “It’s fine, Ronnie. Honestly. I don’t have the energy to fight with Cheryl Blossom right now…” Betty’s steps slowed as her breathing hitched suddenly, her eyes welling up as her ribcage expanded, hands floating automatically into the air in front of her. “Hh-hhhehiishew!! Chhxshh!!! *snghhf*…” Her cheerleading top rode up a little when she bent double and sneezed, exposing the pale skin of her lower back to the cold November air on the football field; and she shivered again as she straightened up sniffling, with her arms wrapped around herself.

            Veronica opened her mouth to say bless you, but Cheryl cut her off before she could say a word. “Okay, that’s it. Off my field, Cooper, before you bring down the entire team with your gross snot cooties. You won’t be joining us for Homecoming, I’m afraid.”

            “Cheryl! Homecoming is still two weeks away. She’ll be better in two weeks,” Veronica rolled her eyes, no longer able to restrain herself. “You need to back off right now.”

            “Oh do I? Really?” Cheryl crossed her arms smugly, almost as if she’d been waiting for Veronica to intervene so she’d have the chance to take the dark-haired girl down a peg or two. “Maybe you’re the one who’d better back off, Spanish rose. Or you’ll be warming the bench right next to her.”

            “Bring it on,” Veronica shrugged calmly, perfectly happy to call Cheryl out on her bluff. She couldn’t afford to bench one of her brightest stars, and they both knew it. Hell, the whole team knew it. “I told you at tryouts, Cheryl—Betty and I come as a set. If she’s on the bench, I’ll be right there next to her whether you want me there or not. C’mon B,” her expression softened immediately as she turned and linked her arm through her best friend’s. “Let’s get out of here.” Betty just nodded, too stunned to speak. It never failed to take her breath away, watching Veronica stand up for her like that. No one else had ever done that before.

            “Wow…” Betty finally said when the two girls were safely inside Veronica’s car, still in their cheerleading uniforms. They were too flustered to go back to the locker rooms, and frankly Veronica just wanted to get her girl the hell out of here before there was any more excitement. “Did you really mean it, V? That you’d sit out Homecoming…for me?”

            “Hell yes,” Veronica smirked, one eyebrow raised smugly. “But I think we both know it’s not gonna come to that. Cheryl doesn’t have the balls.” They grinned at each other. Then Betty closed her eyes and coughed again, a little longer this time, with no one watching her but Veronica. The dark-haired girl reached out to rub her friend’s shaking back, feeling another telltale, hitching intake of breath through the back of her cheerleading top.

            “Aah’tchxew!! *Snghf*…ughhh…” Betty winced and rubbed her collarbone. Her nose was running a little, and she sniffled again softly.

            “Pobrecita,” Veronica hummed affectionately. Poor little thing. She leaned over and kissed her best friend lightly on the cheek, feeling the fever coming off the blonde girl’s skin just from the light touch of her lips.

            “Is it…*s-snghf!*…too late to agree to cuddles and Netflix?”

            “It’s never too late for you, B.” Grinning shyly, they peeled out of the Riverdale High parking lot. They had much better things to be doing.

 

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…So who’s up for more gooey cheerleader caretaking? Shall I go on…?

 

           

Edited November 18, 2017 by wannablessedbe

[SexyGodlikeHair]

YESSSSSS OMG

FINALLY a beronica fic on this site!!!! Amazing! I love the dynamic; sickeningly sweet (in a good way) but still true to the characters. Is it possible that there might be a sick Veronica in the future? (Sorry, I'm a sucker for vulnerable V of B&V) 

Anyway-awesome fic, thank you for writing this!!

[wannablessedbe]

On 11/14/2017 at 10:53 PM, SexyGodlikeHair said:

YESSSSSS OMG

FINALLY a beronica fic on this site!!!! Amazing! I love the dynamic; sickeningly sweet (in a good way) but still true to the characters. Is it possible that there might be a sick Veronica in the future? (Sorry, I'm a sucker for vulnerable V of B&V) 

Anyway-awesome fic, thank you for writing this!!

Thank you! And yes I can def supply some vulnerable V for you, no doubt-- probably the next story tho, not this one. Veronica is feeling very fierce right now

Edited: yes, apparently there WILL be sick Veronica in this story too. She really tried to hold out, poor thing. But really, how many days can she realistically expect to make out with her sick girlfriend before she succumbs...? [evil laugh]

Edited December 4, 2017 by wannablessedbe

[wannablessedbe]

Hey kiddies! I’m writing another part even tho nobody’s commenting (except for you, SexyGodlikeHair—cheers!). I have been noticing this for a while now, and I try not to let it bug me, but when nobody comments it feels like I’m just talking to the void. What’s up? Is it maybe related to the fact that the board has become so slanted towards male stories in recent months? I’d really love to hear from you guys! Not to tell me I’m so great (tho you can if you want of course lol), just to know there are ppl on board this ship. That’s a big part of the fun of writing!

But who are we kidding, I’m not gonna stop…so enjoy part 2

 

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Homecoming Can Wait

Part 2

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            Beep. Beep. Beep.

            “All right. Let me see,” Veronica murmured gently, and Betty submissively allowed the dark-haired girl to take the thermometer from her mouth without moving from her comfortably snuggled spot on the Lodges’ couch. They were both in soft, cozy pajamas now, and Betty’s hair was down from its usual high ponytail, falling in loose waves around her face. “A hundred and one, B,” Veronica sighed sympathetically, putting the thermometer down on the coffee table and running one hand through Betty’s hair, pulling her close to kiss her warm forehead. “You need some medicine.” Betty yawned and dropped her head onto her best friend’s shoulder.

            “Whatever you say, V,” the blonde girl murmured, with a soft, stuffy sniffle as she snuggled up against the shorter girl’s body on the couch and closed her eyes. Veronica cuddled her quietly for a minute and played with her hair. But when the dark-haired girl tried to get up, Betty whined softly and wrapped one arm possessively around her waist. “No. Stay.”

            “I’m not leaving you, silly,” Veronica smiled gently. “Just going to raid the medicine cabinet for some goodies to make you feel better.”

            “Mmph,” Betty grumbled, letting go of Veronica unwillingly to rub her nose. “Fine.”

            “I’ll be right back, querida.”

            “Good.” Veronica grinned at Betty’s little pout, kissing the blonde girl’s feverish forehead again as she stood up.

            “Here, stay bundled up so you don’t get the chills.” The dark-haired girl pulled a soft, fleecy blanket off the back of the couch and settled it over her friend’s slightly shivery body.

            “’Kay.” They grinned at each other softly. Veronica could hear the soft, rattling sound of Betty’s cough following her down the hall as she made her way to the back of the apartment, where the bedrooms and bathrooms were. But, all she found was a bottle of Advil and some antacids. They’d only been living here a few months; their medicine cabinet was woefully understocked. They didn’t even have any Kleenex.

            “That was fast,” Betty smiled sleepily when Veronica came back to the living room after only a minute. Then her expression went out of focus as her clear eyes clouded over, a deep, quiet breath filling her lungs as she slowly cupped her hands to her face. “Aahhh…aahiiishiuh!! *S-snghf.*”

            “Bless you!” Veronica sat down again on the edge of the couch, one hand going straight back to Betty’s hair and stroking it back from her face as she sniffled and rubbed her nose. “Poor little thing. I don’t have anything here for your sniffles, not even a cough drop. This won’t do.”

            “You’re ndot leavig, are you?” Betty asked stuffily, wiping her nose on the back of her wrist.

            “Never,” Veronica smirked, reaching out and tugging playfully on a loose lock of blonde hair. Betty smiled back. “Smithers!”

            “Yes, Miss Veronica?” The old man appeared almost instantly from the front hall, smiling at his young charge like any doting grandfather.

            “Aaahtchxiiew!!! *snnf.*” The blonde girl sneezed wearily into her hands again, followed by a soft, miserable sigh.

            “We need some cold medicine,” Veronica smiled affectionately, her hand moving soothingly through Betty’s hair again. “And tissues, and cough drops, and chicken soup, and popsicles…”

            “I’ll go to the store right away,” Smithers nodded, a small, knowing smile on his face. The blonde girl sniffled wetly, and coughed into her sleeve. The old man pulled a clean white handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to her.

            “Thag you,” Betty murmured softly, embarrassed by the offering but needing it much too desperately to refuse. “Hh-hhh…hhaaheshxuh!!” She buried her runny nose in the soft cotton fabric as another shuddering sneeze bent her double in her seat, and made her start coughing before she could even wipe her nose.

            “Bless you, querida,” Veronica said gently, making note of how much deeper her cough was starting to sound already. “Get some expectorant, too,” she added to Smithers.

            “Of course,” the kindly old man nodded.

            “Ronnie, it’s okay, you don’t have to go to so much trouble,” the blonde girl murmured croakily, feeling suddenly shy and self-conscious.

            “This? This is not trouble,” Veronica chuckled, shaking her head. “If I was going to go to some trouble, I’d fly in our personal family physician from New York. She’s top-notch. But I don’t think we’re quite there yet.” She winked, and tapped the end of her favorite girl’s slightly pink-tipped nose. Betty grinned back shyly.

            “There’s no point fighting you on this, huh? *Snghf.*”

            “None whatsoever,” Veronica agreed, her dark eyes twinkling playfully.

            “’Kay…” Betty agreed softly, shifting slightly in her seat to cough into her sleeve again. She didn’t complain, but Veronica could see in her face that it hurt. Smithers must have seen it too, because he gave them both a little bow and hastily made his exit to do their shopping.

            “See…Smithers is on it. And I’m staying right here on the couch with you, just like I promised.” Veronica tugged lightly on Betty’s arm, and the blonde girl slumped willingly against her, dropping her head against her friend’s shoulder with a contented yawn. Veronica pulled Betty’s hand into her lap, and started grazing her nails lightly up and down the soft skin of the blonde girl’s inner forearm, lulling her into an almost hypnotic state of relaxation.

            “That’s amazing…you’re amazing,” Betty sighed softly, settling into the comfortable position and closing her eyes. “Dunno why you’re so sweet to me all the time…*snghf*…”

            “I don’t know how anyone could not be sweet to you,” Veronica countered, grinning hugely though Betty couldn’t see it.

            “Hmm…maybe you could give my parents some lessons sometime,” the blonde girl joked sleepily, earning a little chuckle in return. Her breath hitched softly, and she lifted her head slightly from Veronica’s shoulder; but she didn’t pull her hand back from the other girl’s lap.

            “Hht’chxiish!! *Snnfl.*” Betty’s free hand clamped the folded handkerchief firmly over her face when she sneezed, shuddering with the effort of containing her sniffly germs.

            “Bless you.” Veronica kissed her on the cheek, having no such qualms herself. “Don’t try to hold it in so hard, B. You’re gonna hurt your ears.”

            “I dod’t wadt to give you mby gerbs,” Betty sighed sleepily as she settled back down against Veronica’s shoulder, with a very soft blow into the cotton handkerchief. “Ughhh. *Snghf.*”

            “I don’t care about that,” Veronica hummed, resuming her gentle grazing up and down Betty’s inner arm. “I just want you to feel better.”

            “Okay, well…it’s totally working…” Betty yawned and closed her eyes, and Veronica kissed the top of her blonde head where it was resting on her shoulder.

            “When you walked into Pop’s for the first time…” Betty murmured, her voice very sleepy now. “…And you saw me and Jug and Archie sitting in our booth…I never thought in a million years I’d be the one getting your attention. I thought it would be Archie.”

            “You have all of my attention, B,” Veronica murmured, feeling the blonde girl’s warm weight sinking into her on the couch as her fingers trailed lightly up and down Betty’s arm. “I still don’t know why that’s such a surprise. You’re the most interesting person in this whole weird little town…and the sweetest…the smartest…and the prettiest.” Veronica’s stomach dropped a little as those last three words came out of her mouth—why had she said that? She hadn’t meant to say that. She knew Betty didn’t like girls that way, and she never wanted to make her best friend in this whole weird place feel uncomfortable.

            But, she needn’t have worried…Betty’s hand was limp in hers, the blonde girl was fast asleep against her side, breathing softly on her neck. Veronica smiled and reached for the remote, very carefully so as not to dislodge Betty from her cozy spot. Quite certain she had never felt this warm, safe and loved in her life, the raven-haired girl flipped on the TV, turning the volume down low and settling back contentedly, with one hand still holding Betty’s in her lap.

[SexyGodlikeHair]

This is so sweet!!! I love the confessional--I wasn't entirely sure about their relationship status in the fic until then, but it well illustrated the fact that they're so intimate yet oblivious. Looking forward to the next updates!

[venuskiddo]

im literally so in love with these girlies wtf... great story boo!!

[Whysprr]

Love it! Thanks for posting! Can’t wait for more and I’m definitely hoping for some sick Veronica too!  

[shadow99]

OH MY GOD 🤤🤯. 

Riverdale is amazing and so is this story! You’ve got the characters spot on! 

[CPG]

Aaah I love this!! Please write more :))

[Ellathenerd]

This story is so amazing! Your writing is incredible, and you captured the characters perfectly!

[wannablessedbe]

Hey guys! Thank you so very much for your comments, I am so glad to know there are ppl on board this ship. So, without further ado…enjoy this very very fluffy chapter of jingle-jangle goodness!

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Homecoming Can Wait

Part 3

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When Veronica’s mom got home from work, she found her daughter snuggled up on the couch with the Cooper girl, who was fast asleep with her head in Veronica’s lap.  They were both in their pajamas already, though it was only a little after 8pm. On a Friday. It was the first Friday night since they’d moved to Riverdale that Hermione Lodge found her daughter at home, and not out chasing whatever teenage adventures this small town had to offer a big city girl.

            “Hola, mija,” The older Lodge said simply. She didn’t ask the obvious question, just raised one eyebrow curiously.

            “She’s sick,” Veronica pouted by way of explanation, looking thoroughly distressed about it. She had one hand in Betty’s hair, not moving, just threaded through the soft blonde strands and resting protectively there. The coffee table held the scattered evidence of how long they’d already been nested there; a box of tissues, an open bag of cough drops, a bottle of extra-strength cold medicine, several half-drunk cups of tea that had gone cold. Hermione was quite sure none of those items had been in the apartment this morning. She was equally sure that she had never seen her daughter playing nurse like this before. Veronica had many skills; but caretaking had never been one of them. Yet here she was, cuddled up to the sleeping blonde girl and fussing over her cold like it was the most important thing in the universe; like there was nowhere else in the world she wanted to be on a Friday night.

            “I see,” Hermione nodded, suppressing a little smirk. “I know how protective you are of Betty, but don’t you think she should be at home with her own parents, mija? I don’t need an earful of Alice Cooper screaming at me that I’m holding her daughter captive with a fever.”

            “Her mom’s speaking at a ‘Christian Women in Journalism’ conference. She’ll be away all weekend,” Veronica explained quietly, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb her sleeping blondie. “We can’t just leave her all alone, Mom. She deserves better than that.”

            “That sounds like Alice Cooper all right,” Hermione sighed, unable to keep the smile off her face as she looked over the picture the two girls made, snuggled up on the couch in their pajamas, half on top of each other. “Of course we won’t leave her home alone if she’s sick. But, mira, mi preciosa…try not to catch it, all right? No kissing. And I don’t want her sleeping in your bed tonight.”

            “Mom!” Veronica hissed, her voice going squeaky as her cheeks flushed pink. “It’s not like that, okay? We’re just friends. She’s doesn’t even like girls like that. Don’t be such a perv.”

            “Whatever you say, mija.” Hermione walked away still smirking. Veronica fumed in her seat, blushing furiously. What did her mother know about it anyway? She thought everything was about sex. Just because Veronica swung both ways didn’t mean every close relationship automatically turned sexual. And just because she would rather spend her Friday night nursing Betty’s sniffles than going out on the town with Archie and the gang, didn’t mean anything either. She was only being a good friend. Right?

            The raven-haired girl was spared from any further obsessing, for the moment at least, when Betty yawned softly and rolled onto her back, a groggy smile spreading across her pale face as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked up at Veronica. “Hi,” the blonde girl croaked softly, looking supremely content though she sounded like she’d been gargling broken glass.

            “Hey B…did you have a good nap?” the dark-haired girl cooed, stroking Betty’s forehead, which still felt very warm.

            “The best…I wish I could fall asleep in your lap all the time,” the blonde girl murmured, taking Veronica’s hand from her forehead and rubbing it sleepily against her hot cheek. She sounded woozy, almost drunk, under the combined effects of sleepiness and fever.

            “You can,” Veronica hummed happily, smiling back a little shyly as she leaned down and kissed her best friend very lightly between her eyes. “My lap is all yours, querida.” Betty giggled softly, before her breath hitched teasingly in her chest, and her green eyes narrowed involuntarily as she pressed the back of two fingers preemptively against the twitchy pink underside of her nose.

            “Hhh-hh-hhaahiishxiuh!!” The blonde girl shivered feverishly as she rolled onto her side again, curling up in a weak ball as she sneezed into Veronica’s lap with one hand pressed snugly to her runny nose.

            “God bless you,” Veronica murmured, reaching forward just a bit to grab a tissue from the coffee table, and putting it in Betty’s hand with a kiss to her warm temple. The blonde girl snuffled and rubbed her wet nose in the tissue, trembling with the tickle in her head as she wound up immediately for another sick sneeze.

            “*Snnfl*…uhhh…aaah’chxiuhh!! Hhh-hhehh…*snghf*…” She sneezed again in the dark-haired girl’s lap,  unable to do anything more than sniffle and hitch as Veronica gently blessed her and played with her hair. Betty pushed herself woozily up on one hand into a half-sitting position as her nose twitched in protest again, with her legs curled up under her. Frozen in place, she pressed the damp tissue snugly to her runny nose as it opened wide, and then relaxed teasingly a few times in anticipation. “Aahh-aah-atxcheww!!! *Snghhf.*” She shivered all over as she pitched forward and sneezed into her tissue again.       

            “Aww, babe. Bless you!” Veronica cooed again, unable to stop the term of endearment from slipping out of her mouth as she watched the sniffles and sneezes take possession of her sweet girl’s shivering body.  

            “Ughhh…*snghhf!*…sorry…” With another soft hitch, Betty pushed herself the rest of the way up into a sitting position on the couch, reaching for another tissue to blow her nose before she could sneeze again.

            “Don’t you dare apologize, dummy. I’m sorry you’re so sick. You have nothing to be sorry for at all. Okay?” 

            “Ohh…*snf*…okay,” Betty sighed, her eyes still slightly glazed as she blinked and wiped her nose roughly. She still looked like she was going to sneeze again…Veronica couldn’t help reaching out one hand to rub her back. “Hhhtxishh!! *Snf.*”         

            “Bless you.”

            “Thag you,” Betty yawned, wiping her nose one more time before dropping her hands to her lap with a sleepy sigh, though she had just woken up. “What time is it…? It feels late…”

            “Just a little after 8. It probably just feels late because you fell asleep when it was light out, and now you’re waking up when it’s dark.”  Veronica’s voice stayed low and gentle, her fingers playing lovingly through Betty’s hair again. “Are you hungry, hmm? I could warm up that chicken soup for you.”

            “Yeah…that would be really awesombe,” the blonde girl grinned goofily, wrapping both arms around her best friend and hugging her limply, with a kiss on the cheek.

            “Your wish is my command, princesa,” Veronica grinned back just as goofily.

            “I also command you to eat something, too,” Betty added, running her fingers through Veronica’s shiny dark hair with a soft yawn. “I really like you taking care of me, V…but not if it means you stop taking care of yourself. *Snghf.*”

            “Okay, mamí. I hear you,” Veronica nodded, still grinning. She couldn’t seem to stop. “Just stay nice and cozy while I go to the kitchen, ‘kay? I’ll only be a minute.” Betty pouted and blinked her big green eyes.

            “But I’ll be lonely.” She closed her eyes and coughed, and Veronica couldn’t tell whether it was for effect or not; but either way it made her heart hurt.

            “Here, pick out whatever you wanna watch, okay? I don’t want you to get up, you’re still all fevery. You’ll get a chill.” Veronica put the remote in Betty’s hand and kissed her forehead, slipping out from the nest of blankets and settling them back around the sniffly blonde girl.

            “Okay.”

            “Good girl.” Veronica gave her a little wink, feeling Betty’s sleepy smile following her all the way down the hall to the kitchen. When she came back a few minutes later, she had a tray carrying a hot bowl of chicken soup, a little side-dish of saltines, and a separate plate holding two toasted strawberry Pop Tarts for herself. The blonde girl raised an eyebrow, managing to look stern despite how pale and weak she was, with her sleepy eyes and her little pink nose.

            “That’s your dinner?” Betty asked, her tone making her opinion on the subject perfectly clear.

            “Um…yeah,” Veronica shrugged, grinning as she placed her tray carefully on the coffee table and resumed her seat on the couch.

            “That’s not enough, V. You need some protein. How are you gonna fight off my icky germs with no fuel in your tank?” Betty frowned, reaching out and tucking a lock of dark hair back behind Veronica’s ear. They grinned shyly at each other. Then the blonde girl leaned back dizzily as her expression clouded over again, wrapping one arm across her face. “Uhhtxshh!!! *Snf.*”

            “Bless you.” Veronica hummed sweetly, waiting patiently while Betty drew a fresh tissue from the coffee table and blew her stuffy nose. “And don’t worry about me, okay B? I’m fine. I only want to take care of you.”

            “Uh-uh,” Betty shook her head stubbornly, with a croaky cough into her elbow. “I told you, it’s not gonna work like that. Go get something else to eat. Or I…I wod’t eat mby soup…hht’chxhhshuh!!” Another snuffly sneeze bent her double on the couch, with the soggy remains of her last tissue cupped in her hands. She coughed harshly and reached for a fresh one.

            “Oh, it’s like that huh?” Veronica sighed, pleased by the other girl’s stubborn insistence on taking care of her in return, even though it meant she had to get up and go back to the kitchen again.

            “Yuh-huh,” Betty nodded, grinning slyly as she wiped her wet nose with another soft snuffle. Veronica rolled her eyes playfully and leaned forward to kiss the blonde girl’s forehead, reluctantly pulling herself off the couch again to go get something more substantial to eat. When she came back—this time, carrying a grilled cheese and some baby carrots—Betty beamed at her as she curled back up on the couch, and they snuggled down together under the blankets.

            “There, I’m eating real food. What’s my prize?”

            “If I wased’t so gross right now…I’d kiss you,” Betty said quietly, taking Veronica completely off guard as she dropped her plate on the coffee table with a little clatter. All their playful banter suddenly flew out the window. Veronica could tell from the serious, vulnerable look in her wide green eyes that Betty was one hundred percent serious. For a moment, the raven-haired girl couldn’t think of a single thing to say as her stomach leapt up into her throat, and crashed back down again, landing on top of a very active flock of butterflies.

            “You’re not gross, B,” Veronica finally said quietly, her dark eyes as wide and vulnerable as Betty’s as she reached out and stroked the blonde girl’s cheek, brushing a lock of hair back behind her ear. “You’re an angel…always.” Betty smiled shyly, her usual inhibitions stripped away by the fever, making her see the look of longing in Veronica’s pitch-black eyes more plainly than she ever had before.

            “It was really me, all along? Not Archie?”

            “I already kissed you in front of the entire cheerleading squad,” Veronica murmured, her cheeks so hot she felt slightly drunk, with her heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears. “I thought…I…you never kissed me back…” Betty took Veronica’s face in both hands, stroking her hot cheeks with gentle thumbs. “I…I can’t make the first move again,” the raven-haired girl whispered, sounding fragile and insecure. Betty had never heard her voice sound like that before.

            “Then I’ll just have to make the second first move,” the blonde girl murmured, leaning in and capturing her best friend’s lips. It was a gentle, tender kiss that seemed to last forever; they both leaned into each other, just like they had the first time, but with confidence and intention now. Betty let go first, but only because she couldn’t breathe through her stuffy nose. They both sighed and leaned their foreheads together, holding each other by their hair.

            “You are so gonna catch my cold now,” Betty grinned shyly, breaking the silence first.

            “I so don’t care,” Veronica shook her head, her whole face lit up with a beaming smile even while a tear streaked down one side of her face. Betty wiped it away with her thumb.

            “Then I’ll just have to take care of you…” the blonde girl murmured, with one more soft kiss to Veronica’s smiling lips. But this time she broke away more quickly, and Veronica could feel the soft, involuntary huff of breath against her mouth.

            “Aaah…chhxiisht!!!” Betty cupped both hands snugly to her face, too disoriented from the kiss to reach for a tissue. Veronica kissed her between the eyes as she sniffled, and handed her a fresh tissue.

            “Has anyone ever told you how insanely, heartbreakingly cute you are when you sneeze?” The raven-haired girl asked lovingly. Betty just laughed shyly and blushed crimson.

            “Ahem.” They both looked up to see Veronica’s mom standing in the doorway, arms folded, trying very hard not to smile. “Well, I suppose there’s no point making you sleep in separate beds tonight anymore, is there?” Betty hid her face against Veronica’s neck with a groan of embarrassment, and Veronica held her there protectively, glaring at her mother in exasperation. Hermione just smirked at her daughter’s annoyance.

            “Way to mess up my game, Mom.”

 

           

 

 

           

Edited November 25, 2017 by wannablessedbe

[SexyGodlikeHair]

Oh, Hermione--blocker of metaphorical cocks, patron saint of foreshadowing gayness. Love her. (I also love this fic)

[ichixshiro14]

Awwwww!!! I'm loving this 😘

[Whysprr]

Love it! You write these characters really well! Thanks for the update

[shadow99]

Love it!!

[elizachoo]

I don't even know this fandom at all and I love this story.

[wannablessedbe]

Hola my dears. Here is another part, and the next part after this will feature Vulnerable!V. I actually really wanted to get the contagion into this part, but it was getting too long, and I came to a natural break, so I thought I’ll just post this now and the next part will come soon since it’s already all there in my head, lol. Veronica really wanted to enjoy as much time as she could macking on Betty if she was just gonna get sick in the end anyway. She had to make it worth it!

Enjoy!

…………………………………………

Homecoming Can Wait

Part 4

…………………………………………

 

            Betty spent the entire weekend in a bizarrely blissful fever-daze in Veronica’s bed. The blonde girl was one hundred percent sure that she had never felt this good when she was sick in her entire life. And Veronica, in return, was equally sure she had never been so content to blow off an entire weekend staying home in her pajamas with just one person…one very pale and sniffly person who could barely keep her eyes open half the time. But it didn’t matter. There was no antsy desire to check in with the outside world, find out what everyone else was up to, if they were missing out on anything fun or important. Veronica already knew the answer to that—she was not missing out on anything important, because the only important thing to her was right here in her bed, curled up in her arms like a sleepy blonde puppy. She finally had Betty all to herself, and all she wanted was more.

            All the pent-up affection they’d been holding in since the day they met came tumbling out now; the fact that Betty was too sick for any real sexual adventures didn’t seem to get in the way of them finding endless ways to be tender and intimate with each other. There was all the time in the world for hot makeout sessions, but they never had to to sit side by side without touching ever again, if they didn’t want to. They had already been pretty handsy with each other as best friends; but now that the pretense of being platonic was behind them, the two girls turned to magnets that couldn’t be in the same room without clicking into each other. Combined with the blonde girl’s feverish wooziness, and the fact that she was stoned on cold meds, it all added up to a rather delightful boldness that Veronica found absolutely intoxicating, and impossible not to reciprocate.

They spent hours marathoning movies on Veronica’s laptop in bed, usually with Betty’s head on Veronica’s shoulder or her stomach. Veronica preferred the latter, because it gave her easy access to Betty’s hair, still beautiful and soft and perfect even when it was messy and tousled. When the cough flared up and rattled in her chest, Veronica popped honey-flavored herbal cough drops in her mouth, since Betty wouldn’t let her get up to make tea unless she was really suffering.  And at first, Betty tried to sit up or move away every time she felt a sneeze coming on; but Veronica just kept tugging her back, and the blonde girl didn’t have the energy to fight the adamant affection, nor the desire. She’d fall asleep in Veronica’s lap, wake up in a coughing fit or a daze of twitchy-nosed sniffles and sneezes; and then before she even remembered where she was, gentle fingers grazing the back of her neck or threading through her hair reminded her that she was safe. Beyond safe. She was adored, in a way she had never even realized was possible before. She didn’t even feel embarrassed about her runny nose or her croaky voice. When she had Veronica’s smile pointed at her, it was impossible to feel insecure about anything.

“What do you wanna have for dinner, babe? I’m not sending you home on an empty stomach,” the raven-haired girl sighed with a sweet smile, as they lay curled up in bed on Sunday night watching the credits roll on Ghostbusters.

“I dunno, Ronnie…I really don’t feel like eating anything. Can I just have another one of those pink lemonade pops?” Betty yawned and nuzzled her face into Veronica’s stomach. From that position, it was easy to feel the little snort of incredulity vibrating through the dark-haired girl’s abdomen.

“Seriously? If I can’t have Pop Tarts for dinner then you, Miss Cooper, cannot subsist on popsicles.” Veronica’s gentle hands never stopped moving through Betty’s hair. The blonde girl groaned wearily and crawled up her girlfriend’s body, burying her face in Veronica’s neck.

“I know, it’s just…anything I can think of eating makes me wanna barf right now. And I’m sick of Pop’s chicken soup.” Betty ducked her head down against Veronica’s shoulder and cupped a hand to her face to cover a wheezy, congested cough.

“Aww…it’s okay, B. I totally know how you feel. We need to expand your repertoire of comfort foods, that’s all,” the shorter girl hummed consolingly, one hand still grazing through Betty’s hair and scratching lightly over her scalp. “How do you feel about Udon soup? Japanese has always been one of my favorites when I’m sick.”

“I…*snghf*…okay…” Betty sighed breathlessly, bringing a fresh tissue to her pink nose a second before it scrunched up helplessly, and she shuddered against Veronica’s side with a soft chxhhsh!!

“Okay then,” Veronica smiled, her heart swelling with protective adoration every time her poor baby sneezed on her. She kissed the top of Betty’s head and reached for her phone on the bedside table. “Tokyo Palace it is. I wish I could get you some legit ramen from Momofuku…but I think we’re slightly outside their delivery range.”

“Ramen? Like those instant noodles with the tiny little flavor packets? We can get those in Riverdale, V. They have them at the grocery store. *Snghf.*” Betty yawned and rubbed her nose. Veronica grinned, shaking her head smugly.

“No, not that instant crap. Real ramen. Fresh, homemade. With miso broth and all the toppings, oh my God B it’s so good…maybe over spring break we can take a trip to the city, and I’ll take you to all the most amazing restaurants in the world.” Betty picked her head up and grinned shyly at the wistful look on her girlfriend’s face.

“I’d love to go to New York with you, Ronnie. We’ll just have to lock my mom in a closet first so she doesn’t have you arrested for kidnapping. That won’t be a problem, right?” They giggled softly together, and Betty coughed, her eyes watering painfully. Veronica unwrapped a cough drop and held it teasingly in front of her face.

“Open,” the raven-haired girl murmured gently, and Betty complied easily, soaking up the attention in a way she normally would never allow herself, anywhere else outside Veronica’s bedroom.

“Thanks cupcake,” the blonde girl murmured back with a shy smile, thinking of those insanely fancy and amazing Magnolia cupcakes Veronica had flown in from New York for her when they first met. How special Veronica’s attention always made her feel, like she’d just won the lottery, every time.

“Anytime, mi amor,” the dark-haired girl grinned shyly back, obviously pleased with the nickname. Betty still couldn’t believe that she had the power to make Veronica Lodge look shy like that; like her attention actually had an equal impact on Veronica as Veronica’s had on her in return. It seemed impossible. But Betty couldn’t doubt the sincerity of Veronica’s affections now, as they shared a soft, probing kiss that left them both tasting the honey-flavored cough drop on Betty’s tongue.

When the takeout from Riverdale’s only Japanese restaurant had come and gone, Veronica very reluctantly took her sweet girl home to her parents, who just yelled at her for staying out all weekend without asking permission (well, her mom yelled—her dad just stood there like a tree stump, which pissed Veronica off almost as much as Alice Cooper’s furious ranting). It wasn’t until Betty sneezed twice and snuffled wetly into a crumpled tissue from her coat pocket that her mom seemed to even notice that anything was wrong; as if the tired circles under her eyes and her rubbed-raw pink nose weren’t clue enough, or the fact that she was just wearing a coat over her pajamas, as she hadn’t seen the point in getting dressed just to migrate from Veronica’s bed to her own.

Instead of showing her sick child some actual sympathy or affection, Alice Cooper just looked annoyed and inconvenienced, and then ordered her off to bed in an exasperated huff—as if the blonde girl had somehow brought this on herself. Veronica took her hand protectively and lead her up the stairs, pointedly ignoring the dirty look and the silent-but-glaring hostility radiating at her from the older Cooper. She wasn’t going to let anyone else get her attention but Betty.

“I wish I could stay with you until you’re all better, querida,” the raven-haired girl sighed, curling up on Betty’s bed for a minute and pulling the blanket up over the blonde girl’s body protectively, with a kiss on her forehead and another on the lips.

“If we’re wishing for things…I wish I could just stay with you,” Betty sighed wistfully, with a glum sniffle as she snuggled down under the blankets, still with one hand holding Veronica’s as they cuddled there quietly for a moment, putting off their goodbyes just a little bit longer as they shared another slow, probing, blissed-out kiss. Betty bit down just a little on Veronica’s bottom lip, and she felt the raven-haired girl lean into the movement in a way that could only be described as cat-like. Even in her current super-pathetic state, knowing she was too weak to act on it, the sleepy blonde girl felt a deliciously torturous jolt go straight through her body and settle between her legs.

“Elizabeth! What the hell is this?” Alice Cooper demanded shrilly, standing in the doorway with a thermometer and a bottle of Tylenol gripped tightly in her hand, and looking so furious, she might as well have walked in on them having sex. With a strap-on. Under a giant pentagram, while sacrificing a dozen unbaptized babies to Satan.

“This is my girlfriend trying to make me feel better about how sick I am. She’s the only one here who is,” Betty replied boldly back, her green eyes flashing protectively as she bristled at the dirty look her mom was giving Veronica. Alice just stared at them coldly for a long, silent moment, so shocked by her daughter’s backtalk that her brain seemed to briefly short-circuit.

“I want Veronica Lodge out of my house, Elizabeth. Now,” the older Cooper said in a quiet voice vibrating with stone-cold fury. She was still speaking only to Betty, somehow managing not to acknowledge Veronica’s existence even while trying to kick her out of the house at the same time. The raven-haired girl didn’t have any attention left to give Mrs. Cooper’s fury now even if she’d wanted to; her ears were still ringing with the sound of Betty calling Veronica her girlfriend.

“In a minute,” Betty replied, somehow calm and bold at the same time as she met her mother’s furious stare with one of her own. “We’re not done saying goodbye yet.” It was impossible to say which of the three of them was the most shocked by the blonde girl’s flat-out defiance. There were several moments of tense silence…then Veronica felt Betty tremble and suck in a deep, almost silent breath, cuddling up to her automatically as one hand drifted up woozily to cup her face. Veronica’s arm wrapped protectively around her, pulling her as close as possible, so Betty’s face was ducked snugly against her girlfriend’s neck as her runny nose twitched behind the crumpled tissue in her hand.

“Iiihshxhew!! *S-snghf*…aahh’chxishhew!!! *Snfl*…ughhh…” The blonde girl shivered miserably when she sneezed, and Veronica cupped the back of her neck possessively, pulling the blankets more snugly around her and kissing the top of her head.

“Bless you, baby,” she murmured very quietly, completely ignoring the outraged glare she was getting from her girlfriend’s mom, and just handing the sniffling blonde girl a fresh tissue.

“Th-thadks…” Betty croaked softly, the ticklish undertone in her breath keeping her from relaxing against Veronica’s body as she trembled and rubbed the fresh tissue against her wet nose. “Hhh-hhtxchiiuh!!!” Her chest constricted, and she sneezed again.

“Pobrecita…” Veronica hummed lovingly, her heart still thumping fiercely in her chest off the high of hearing Betty defend her to her overbearing mother. Alice Cooper gave one last indignant huff, and stalked off furiously. Betty gave a tiny chuckle after her mom left, and coughed into the damp tissue. Veronica leaned over and kissed her all over her face.

“…That was crazy hot,” Veronica murmured after a quiet moment of cuddling.

“What? Me snotting all over you?” Betty groaned wearily, leaning her forehead against Veronica’s shoulder.

“No, doofus. Watching you defend my honor to your mom. You…you called me your girlfriend.” The raven-haired girl always had a bright smile, but now she was practically glowing.

“You are my girlfriend,” the sleepy blonde girl grinned hugely, wiping her nose one last time as she settled down against the pillow.

“Yeah,” Veronica beamed, playing with a lock of Betty’s hair and nuzzling the side of her face. “So completely and totally yours, B…” They traded sleepy kisses for another minute; then Betty was yawning, the light in her green eyes fading away as Veronica slipped out of the bed and tucked the covers protectively around her, kissing the end of her nose one last time.

“Sweet dreams, querida,” the raven-haired girl whispered, unsure whether or not Betty heard her as the blonde girl fell asleep right in front of her eyes. Quietly, Veronica tiptoed out of the room and flipped the lights off, leaving her baby girl to get some rest and padding nervously down the stairs to the front door, where she knew damn well Alice Cooper was still waiting to see her leave.

“She’s asleep. And she doesn’t need that,” Veronica glanced at the bottle of Tylenol still held absently in Mrs. Cooper’s hand. “I gave her a dose of NyQuil before we left my place. And her last temp check was 100.4, about an hour ago.” The dark-haired girl didn’t bother waiting for a reaction to her words; suddenly she was so tired she wanted to lie down and cry. Or, more accurately, she wanted to turn around and climb right back into Betty’s bed; but she knew she couldn’t, and that made her want to lie down and cry. She just walked out, leaving Mrs. Cooper in stunned silence in the doorway as Veronica dragged her feet back to where her car was parked down the road, pointedly ignoring the tickle in the back of her throat as she got in and turned on the ignition.

Edited December 3, 2017 by wannablessedbe

[Whysprr]

On ‎12‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 8:36 PM, wannablessedbe said:

“…That was crazy hot,” Veronica murmured after a quiet moment of cuddling.

“What? Me snotting all over you?” Betty groaned wearily, leaning her forehead against Veronica’s shoulder.

 

 

Love it!!

[wannablessedbe]

Hey guys! Here’s the first chap of promised contagion. This is kind of a slow-burn chap, there was some transitional time before Veronica really gave up…but there is a very cute sniffly sneezy scene right at the end, and hopefully the fluffy emotional comfort will carry everyone through the chap just as well (almost as well)? Vulnerable Veronica was easier to write than I thought…let me know if you’re still down with this! Cheers.

………………………………..

Homecoming Can Wait

Part 5—featuring major contagion and vulnerable Veronica

…………………………………

            The next day, Veronica went back to school without Betty, who was still home with a fever. The raven-haired girl felt very unsettled and weirdly forlorn, for someone basking in the glow of a brand-new relationship she’d been pining after for months. Of course, she was over the moon about the fact that she and Betty finally broke through the friend zone; but being without her now, even for one day, felt ridiculously, dramatically lonely and depressing. Plus, knowing that Betty was home alone feeling sick was torture too, when Veronica knew she had the power to make her baby feel so much better, if only she were allowed to just stay with her until she was well again.

            “Hey Ronnie. Where’s your better half?” Kevin teased lightly when he saw the dark-haired girl by her locker, with her blonde counterpart nowhere in sight for once.

            “She’s home sick. She’s been sick all weekend,” Veronica sighed, closing her locker and looking up at the tall boy with a miserable pout. “I don’t even want to be here, I just want to be home with her.”

            “I’m surprised you’re not. At home, I mean,” Kevin shrugged, squeezing Veronica’s shoulder sympathetically. “I’d have thought you and Betts would have swapped germs within the first five minutes.”

            “Oh, we did. Copiously,” Veronica smirked, some of the usual sparkle returning to her dark eyes as her thoughts immediately wandered back to all the delicious kissing they’d been doing over the last three days.

            “Shut up,” Kevin gasped, his eyes going wide as saucers as a huge grin broke across his face. “You guys finally hooked up? Oh my God Ronnie! I just meant I thought you’d catch her germs from sharing a milkshake or something.”

            “Or something,” Veronica agreed, her cheeks flushing pleasurably as a wave of sense memory of Betty’s kisses washed over her, reliving all the gentle, electrifying touches, the smell of her hair. “I don’t even care if I get sick, Kev. It was worth it. God I’m so crazy about her…”

            “Tell me absolutely everything,” Kevin beamed, squeezing her hand gleefully. Veronica was more than happy to oblige, grateful that Kevin was the first person she was telling because he was the only one in this hick town who wouldn’t make a fuss and derail the conversation to be all about her sexuality instead; wanting to grill her about what it was like to be bisexual, and how did she know, and when did she know, and blah fucking blah blah. With him, she could just be a girl in love dishing to her friend, without having to be the bisexual education postergirl in a small town with little else to gossip about. 

            Veronica’s happiness at sharing her adorable hookup story with Kevin didn’t last long, though. As soon as she tried to turn her attention back to the school day, she realized how very, very low her energy level was; and the tickle in the back of her throat slowly grew more annoying all through the day. By lunch, her head was pounding, the pressure reaching all the way back into her ears, like she was on a plane and her ears wouldn’t pop after the landing. It was annoying, but there was nothing to be done about it, so she just tried to ignore it.

            “Guys, Veronica has news. Epic shipping news,” Kevin drawled delightedly as he sat down at their lunch table beside Josie and Melody, across from Archie, Val and Jughead.

            “What, did you get a package delivered from New York?” Archie asked cluelessly, the brunt of his attention on his pizza.

            “Not that kind of shipping, Archiekins,” Veronica sighed, a reluctant half-smile tugging on her lips even though she was so over this whole school day already. “Relationship-shipping. Apparently Kevin has been waiting for me and Betty to be girlfriends since the day we met.”

            “Oh, girl. For real? Finally!” Josie beamed at her, looking just as pleased and unsurprised as Kevin. Really, was it that obvious to everyone?

            “Wait, what?” Archie choked on a mouthful of chocolate milk. Beside him, Jughead had stopped eating his burger and was just holding it in midair, staring with his mouth open. Okay, so it wasn’t obvious to everyone.

            “Yeah. We, um, kind of hooked up on Friday night.  And all weekend. I mean just a little because she wasn’t feeling good, but…yeah. Officially girlfriends.” Veronica’s glowing smile overtook her tiredness for a minute, as she answered a few of her friends’ excited questions.

            “So does Alice know?” Jughead asked, raising an eyebrow in mild curiosity. He’d had enough encounters with Mrs. Cooper over the years to know how much she disapproved of most of Betty’s friends, and Veronica had been the new winner of the disapproval parade since the day she came to town.

            “Oh yeah. So if I go missing, guys, make sure you look in the trunk of her car before anyplace else.” They all laughed in commiseration. Veronica’s throat finally gave up against the itch that had been bothering her all day, and she turned her face into her elbow, covering a sharp cough that sent a rattling ache through her chest she was completely unprepared for.

            “Attack of the girlfriend germs?” Kevin asked sympathetically as Veronica took a sip of water and tried to play it off.

            “No, it’s fine. Just a little itch. I’m good.” Kevin rolled his eyes but didn’t push, and luckily the conversation turned to music as Archie and Val began talking about their new song, and Josie joined in excitedly about the performance they’d be doing with the River Vixens at Homecoming, since the first one had been such a big hit. But after that, Veronica was coughing for the rest of the day. It didn’t sound so terrible, and it never lasted very long…but it kept coming back, just like Betty at cheerleading practice on Friday. Veronica just kept ignoring it.

            Finally the school day dragged to an end; but then Cheerleading practice seemed to drag on even longer than usual, sucking up her entire afternoon and into the evening. So by the time Veronica was in her car texting Betty, want some feel-better snuggles querida?, it was past eight already, and she was unsurprised (but still disappointed) that she didn’t get a reply. Betty was probably passed out asleep already. And Veronica was not about to interrupt her baby’s much-needed rest just to selfishly demand her attention. Feeling unreasonably dejected and sorry for herself, the raven-haired girl wandered home, pecked at her dinner, and soaked in the hot shower until her head stopped pounding enough for her to fall asleep.

……………………………………

 

            When she woke up the next morning, Veronica immediately wanted to cry and pull the blankets over her head and go back to sleep. Her head was pounding, and her ears were still blocked, which made her feel weird and dizzy; her throat was as raw as sandpaper, and her nose was running. She did not want to go to school.

            But then she picked up her phone and saw the text from Betty that she was coming back to school today; and suddenly her desire to stay home became muddled and ambivalent. Her mom had an early shift at Pop’s today, she was probably already gone; if Veronica stayed home, she’d be lonely all day by herself. If she went to school, she got to cuddle with Betty.

With a sigh, the dark-haired girl forced herself upright and into the shower, letting the steam soothe her hacking cough as much as humanly possible before grudgingly getting dried and dressed. Before she left, she went to the bathroom cabinet to see what was left of Betty’s cold medicine stash; and to her surprise, she found that all the supplies had been completely restocked. There was a new unopened bag of herbal cough drops, a bottle of NyQuil and a package of daytime cold pills, a bottle of throat spray, and a jar of Vicks Vapo-rub. Those last two items hadn’t even been there before at all. Veronica realized someone—either Smithers or her mom—must have been thinking ahead, and she was silently grateful as she dosed herself with as much medicine as safely possible before heading out the door.

 

………………………………………….

 

When Veronica got to her locker, Betty was there waiting with two coffee cups from Pop’s, a happy blush warming her still-pale face. The dark-haired girl instantly forgot her complaints and beamed at her girlfriend, dropping her backpack on the floor to wrap both arms around the other girl and bury her face in sweet blonde hair.

“Good morning, cupcake,” Betty hummed happily, hugging the shorter girl back as best she could with a coffee cup in each hand. Her voice still sounded rough and croaky; but it was the sweetest sound Veronica could hope to hear.

“Morning querida,” the raven-haired girl grinned back, accepting her coffee with a soft kiss as she cupped Betty’s face in one hand. She was definitely aware of the eyes of her fellow students moving in their direction, but she just ignored it all. She only cared about making Betty happy, not all these other morons. “How are you feeling today, hmm? You still don’t look so good, Betty boo.”

“I’m okay.” The blonde girl’s pronouncement was immediately undercut by a raspy cough into her elbow. Veronica raised an eyebrow silently. “I mean I’m okay-ish,” Betty amended with a sigh, taking a sip from her coffee cup—which Veronica now realized was tea, she could see the little paper tag hanging down the side. “I’ve already had three sick days V, I gotta get back to things. There are deadlines for the Blue & Gold coming up, and we have that Bio test tomorrow…”

“Deadlines aren’t as important as your health,” Veronica frowned, stroking Betty’s face to feel how hot she was. It was hard to tell, but she still seemed too warm against Veronica’s hand. “And you haven’t had three sick days, the weekend doesn’t count. You’ve had one. You can miss more than one day of school if you need it, babe.”

“Yeah, well…I also missed you,” the blonde girl admitted shyly, a smile spreading across her face as she leaned in and brought their lips together again, her free hand slipping to the back of Veronica’s neck and threading through her silky dark hair.

“Mm…I missed you too…” Veronica sighed happily, melting into Betty’s touch and resting one hand on the taller girl’s hip, two fingers slipping just under the waistband of her jeans and pulling her a little closer.

“Oh, snap. Am I dreaming, or did I die and go to free porn heaven?” Chuck Clayton leered enthusiastically as a group of boys walked by, breaking Betty and Veronica’s lips apart even while they kept a close hold on each other. A hot bolt of protective fury squeezed Veronica’s chest; but before she could think of a response, Betty piped up beside her, sounding one hundred percent confident.

“Drop dead, mouth breather. Call us free porn again and I will run you over with my dad’s truck.” The other boys all burst out laughing, elbowing Chuck in the ribs and telling him he just got schooled, continuing on down the hall without bothering the two girls any further. Veronica turned back to Betty with an expression of total shock written across her face.

“Holy crap, B. Check you out.”

“Yeah, well if I’m not gonna let my mom talk smack about us then I’m sure as shit not gonna sit back and take it from Chuck Clayton. Besides, nobody messes with my girl.” Betty sniffled a little sheepishly, and wiped her nose on a crumpled tissue from her pocket.

“I like this side of you,” Veronica beamed goofily. Then the tickle in the back of her throat flared up again, and she coughed into her elbow, making her head pound worse than ever.

“Aww, honey. Are you getting sick too?” Betty asked tenderly, putting one hand protectively on Veronica’s lower back.

“No, I’m fine.” Betty just raised an eyebrow silently, the same as Veronica had done to her before.

“I am!” Veronica huffed a little defensively, unsure why she was downplaying how lousy she felt to the one person who without a doubt would make her feel better about it. “It’s just a tiny little itch. It’s nothing to worry about, honestly.”

“Ohhh-kaaay,” Betty hummed, in a voice that clearly said, I don’t believe you but I’ll let you win for now. “C’mon, walk me to class?”

“As if you had to ask,” Veronica smirked, lacing their fingers together and bringing their joined hands up to her face to kiss the back of Betty’s hand. The blonde girl beamed shyly, her pale face flushing pleasurably as they walked down the halls of Riverdale High hand in hand.

………………………………

The next time Betty saw Veronica wasn’t until third period, when they had Bio lab together. The raven-haired girl had her head down on the table, so she didn’t see her girlfriend’s approach until the blonde girl was right beside her, sitting down and scratching her nails lightly over Veronica’s back.

“Hey cupcake,” she said gently, leaning down and pressing a lingering kiss to Veronica’s cheek.

“Hi,” the dark-haired girl mumbled back listlessly.

“Do you wanna go home now, hmm? You look so exhausted…”

“No. I’m okay,” Veronica sighed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes briskly, giving Betty a bright and very genuine smile. “How about you, how’s your morning going?”

“It’s…fine…” Betty sighed, a little crinkle forming between her eyes as she pulled a fresh tissue from her pocket, and ducked forward into it as her eyes snapped shut. “Aaahshxuh!! *Snghf.*”

“Bless you,” Veronica hummed, playing absently with the end of Betty’s ponytail while she blew her nose gingerly, trying not to rub the raw pink skin too much. “We both suck at lying,” Veronica noted with an ironic little smile. Betty chuckled a little hoarsely.

“Yeah, I know…but it’s really not that bad, V. I promise.”

“Well I promise too.”

“Okay…” Betty sighed, grazing her thumb over Veronica’s cheek and kissing her, just a quick peck in the midst of an entire classroom of students. The teacher called the class to order; and the next time Veronica started coughing, Betty handed her a cough drop from her purse.

……………………………………….

“Here we go, chamomile tea with extra honey…” Veronica approached their usual lunch table with two hot cups of tea; so she didn’t have a free hand to cover her face when her eyes welled up and her nose crinkled irritably.

“Kh’hshht!” She jerked forward into the crook of her elbow, eyes scrunched up tight in an effort to hold in the itchy sneeze as much as she could, and avoid getting snot on her sleeve.

“Bless you…poor baby,” Betty cooed, accepting her tea as Veronica sat down beside her, and handing her sniffling girlfriend a tissue from her purse. “I’m sorry I did this to you,” the blonde girl murmured, wrapping one arm around Veronica’s shoulders and kissing her temple, which felt very hot now.

“God, you’re going to be one of those obnoxiously cutesy couples that are always sick at the same time, aren’t you?” Cheryl groaned and rolled her eyes, sitting beside Josie. They never quite knew when the self-appointed queen bee of Riverdale High was going to show up at their lunch table and grace them with her beneficence, but lately it seemed like Josie was her chosen confidante, since the River Vixens and the Pussycats had combined their powers to such great effect.

“If the alternative is not getting to kiss her, then yes,” Veronica said simply, with a weary smile for her worried girlfriend sitting beside her. “No regrets, B. We’ll feel better in a few days…but if I didn’t get to kiss you, then I’d never feel better.”

“Aww,” Kevin gushed, his eyes almost sparkling with glee. “I’m so proud of my baby gays.”

“You know, considering you’re acting like you knew all along that we were destined for epic romance, you could have used your papa-gay powers to help a girl out and nudge us in the right direction a little,” Veronica huffed, looking annoyed rather than amused. “Instead of just watching us like a reality show.”

“Hey…he didn’t mean it like that,” Betty murmured, taking Veronica’s hand under the table and rubbing her thumb lightly over her girlfriend’s skin. “He’s just happy that we’re happy.”

“I know, I know…sorry,” Veronica sighed, taking her hand back from Betty’s to rub her temples.

“Does your head hurt, honey?” Betty asked quietly, rubbing light circles over her girlfriend’s back. “I have some Tylenol in my bag…”

“No—I mean, yeah—I do have a headache, but I can’t take any more medicine, I already took some this morning. It’s just not really helping that much.” She sighed and closed her eyes, dropping her head onto Betty’s shoulder for a minute. They both fell silent and let their friends propel the lunchtime conversation around them, both of them sipping their tea and not eating their lunches. Veronica didn’t touch her tray at all until she grabbed a napkin from beside her untouched plate, and cupped it to her face with a soft huff.

“Khhiishew!! *Snf.*” She bent forward over her lunch tray with a breathy little sneeze that made her shiver in her seat.

“Bless you,” Betty murmured, taking an unopened pocket-pack of Kleenex from her bag and handing them to her girlfriend before she could reach for more scratchy napkins from the table.

“Thanks,” Veronica mumbled, avoiding eye contact as she accepted the offering, looking cranky and embarrassed. She took one out and blew her nose very softly. Betty just wanted to cuddle her and cover her with kisses, but she knew the cafeteria was not the place, not now. They were way too wiped out to deal with the inevitable catcalling from creeps like Chuck Clayton. Instead, she settled for slipping one hand over Veronica’s knee under the table; and the dark-haired girl smiled shyly, leaning in and giving the blonde girl the kiss she was hoping for. It was less than a minute before Veronica sniffled again, and drew another tissue from the little packet.

“Iiiixsht!!! *Snnf.*”

“Bless you, cupcake,” Betty hummed, giving in to the urge to lean in and kiss her this time, just on the cheek since she was busy wiping her nose.

“Thadks…sorry,” Veronica sighed, looking glum and exhausted as she dropped her hands to her lap, toying with the crumpled tissue but not putting it away in her pocket, embarrassment flushing her cheeks.

“Hey, what did we decide about being sorry?” Betty teased gently, nudging her gloomy girlfriend lightly with her shoulder.

“That was just for you,” Veronica whined softly, blinking and staring into space for a moment as she raised the tissue in her hands back up from her lap again. “Chxiishhu!!! …*Snfl*…” Despite how soft Veronica’s sneezes were, they seemed to snap her forward with a disproportionate amount of force over her small body, making all her core muscles seize up as she jerked forward over the table.

“Bless you,” said Kevin, Archie and Val all at once. Veronica groaned in embarrassment and hid her face in her hands.

“Baby…” Betty sighed, gently pulling her girlfriend’s hands away from her face to stroke her cheeks and kiss her. “Come on V, this isn’t you. You’re sick, you’re miserable. Let me take you home.”

“I’m not that sick. And I don’t want to go home,” Veronica whined mulishly, giving her nose another soft blow, followed by a hacking cough.

“Why?” Betty asked, genuinely at a loss as to what could be motivating her poor miserable baby to keep pushing through the school day at this point.

“I don’t want to be alone,” Veronica mumbled, her eyes downcast with shame. “I wanna stay with you, B.”

“Yeah, that was…*snghf!*…kind of my plan,” Betty agreed, sounding amused as she resumed rubbing Veronica’s back, and interrupting herself with a sharp cough.

“You didn’t mean you were just gonna drop me off? And then come back to school? I don’t wanna make you miss class…”

“You were fine with it before,” Betty shrugged, raising one eyebrow in genuine confusion.

“Yeah, but for you to rest…not to take care of me,” Veronica shook her head miserably, still looking down at her lap and toying absently with her crumpled tissues.

“Is that really the kind of girlfriend you think I’m gonna be? After the royal treatment you gave me all weekend?” Betty asked gently, waiting patiently while Veronica pulled another fresh tissue from the little pack—it was almost empty now—and raised it to her face with an adorably spaced-out expression.

“Khhhshxt!!” She sneezed softly, wiped her nose, and coughed again. Betty rubbed her back until it passed and pushed her tea into her hands.

“Bless you.” The blonde girl pressed her face to her sniffling baby’s temple, dropping another kiss there. “Come on cupcake, it’s time for us to go now. I’m pulling out my girlfriend card on this, okay? You have no choice.” Veronica laughed a little weakly, looking uncharacteristically shy and insecure as Betty cupped her face in both hands, stroking her cheeks and leaning in to kiss her forehead. “You’re really hot, baby…you need to let me take care of you.”

“Hell yeah it’s hot! Please take care of her, Cooper,” Reggie Mantle’s leering voice caught them off guard from very nearby—when they turned and looked over their shoulders, they realized he was sitting at the table right behind them. And…he was holding up his phone, videoing them. “Don’t you want to kiss her and make it all better?”

Veronica felt her chest constrict with embarrassment, and Betty was shocked to see actual tears spring to her eyes. Seeing Veronica like this—fragile, insecure, so out of sorts—made Betty feel like she had just acquired a brand new superpower of protective fury, and she stood up from her seat and walked the few feet over to Reggie’s table, a murderous expression in her eyes that rivaled her mother’s.

“Give. Me. Your. Phone. …Now,” she said quietly, her voice low and dangerous. Reggie complied instantly, his eyes wide and surprised and completely taken aback as he held out his phone to her. Betty took it, quickly deleting the video before handing it back to him. “Now get up and walk the fuck away, Reggie, before I rip your tiny balls off with my bare hands and make you eat them. While I film it.” None of the football goons seated around the table made a sound; they just stared at the blonde girl in shock and awe, as Reggie nodded dumbly, seeing the way everyone else was staring. Nobody was laughing. The football player picked up his lunch tray and made a hasty, silent exit. Betty turned back to her own table, holding out her hand to Veronica, who was staring up at her open-mouthed, with the same expression of shock and awe as the rest of the cafeteria.

“C’mon V. Let’s go home.”

Edited December 5, 2017 by wannablessedbe
Spelling mistake

[sickprincess]

This is so amazing. You captured them perfectly!!!! 

[SexyGodlikeHair]

I LOVE IT

lol I can't help but kinda agree with Cheryl; they were already pretty sweet together, but it's getting a little tooth-aching tbh

ALSO vulnerable!V and Protective!B are best B&V

[20andsickfic]

I LOVED THIS!!!! would love to see more fic of them!

[Whysprr]

Protective B is freaking awesome and so is vulnerable V of course! Would love to see more!!

[wannablessedbe]

Hello my dears! Thanks so much for all your enthusiasm, it’s a great motivator. A very quick note on the Spanish for this chap—I just want everyone to know that in Spanish, the terms of endearment used for a boyfriend/girlfriend, are largely the same ones used for children. Or more broadly, any older person to a younger person, their own kids, their kids’ friends, kids in their neighborhood…for example, all the old ladies on my block call me mija or mami. Even if they don’t know my name. So please don’t be creeped out when you see Hermione calling Betty some of the same pet names that Veronica calls her. It’s not weird—I promise! (And mami doesn’t mean mother, ok? Lol). Please enjoy!!!

 

…………………………………..

Homecoming Can Wait

Part 6

…………………………………..

 

            When they got to Veronica’s car, Betty just held out her hand silently for the keys; and Veronica handed them over without any fight at all, grateful to let someone else be in charge for once as she was dizzy and feverish and miserable. Betty felt pretty awful too; but she knew that between the two of them she was the more clearheaded one right now, and after everything Veronica had done to make her feel better over the last few days—making herself sick in the process—the blonde girl was aching to do absolutely everything in her power to make her girlfriend feel better in return.

            “Here, take my scarf. You’re shaking like a leaf,” Betty said gently, unwinding the scarf from around her neck and handing it to Veronica. “I’d turn on the heat if I thought it would help…but the car’s not warmed up yet, it’ll just come out freezing and make us feel worse.” Veronica just nodded, staying uncharacteristically silent as she accepted Betty’s scarf. The blonde girl had her eyes on the road, but all her attention was on the shivering girl beside her. She noticed Veronica sniffling, and she assumed at first that it was just runny nose sniffles; but then she glanced sideways and realized Veronica was actually crying quietly, her eyes downcast in shame.

            “Ronnie, honey, what’s wrong?” Betty cooed, adoration and worry mixing together equally in her slightly croaky voice.

            “N-nothing,” the dark-haired girl whispered miserably, wiping absently at her nose while the tears spilled down her cheeks.

            “Baby, it’s not nothing,” Betty shook her head, her voice becoming quiet and gentle as she absorbed all over again how fragile Veronica seemed to be right now; like even talking too loudly might crack her in half. “Whatever it is, you can tell me…you’re safe with me, you know that.”

            “No…I know…I just meant, there’s n-no reason…*snghf*…I d-don’t even know why I’m crying…” She shook her head and covered her face with her hands, like she was ashamed of her tears. Betty pulled over to the side of the road.

            “Hey, it’s okay,” the blonde girl murmured, taking off her seatbelt so she could lean across the seat and wrap the teary girl up in her arms. Veronica snuggled up and hid her face against Betty’s neck, and started crying in earnest, too exhausted to hold it in anymore. “I got you, shh…I’m right here…”

            “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the raven-haired girl whimpered miserably, holding onto Betty with all her strength, shaking and sniffling and crying her eyes out.

            “No, no, no…shh…” Betty hummed soothingly, holding onto Veronica as tight as Veronica was holding her, one hand in her hair and the other wrapped firmly around her back. “It’s okay to cry, sweet girl…it’s okay, I’m not leaving you…” They stayed like that for a few minutes, long enough for Veronica’s breathing to even out again as the tears slowly tapered off. Her grip started to relax, and Betty was just starting to wonder if she was falling asleep, when Veronica released her abruptly with a soft, shaky breath.

            “Chxshh!! *Snf*…” The dark-haired girl snapped forward dizzily with her hands cupped to her face, too discombobulated to reach for a tissue in time.

            “Bless you,” Betty hummed lovingly, running her fingers through silky raven hair while Veronica sniffled thickly and wiped her nose on the back of her hand before reaching into her bag for a tissue.

            “I’mb sorry, B,” she sniffled again, her eyes still downcast in shame.

            “Every time you say that, my heart hurts,” the blonde girl said quietly, tilting Veronica’s chin up gently so she was forced to make eye contact. “You didn’t want me to be sorry…so why are you sorry?”

            “Because I…*snfl*…” the dark-haired girl rubbed her nose in the damp tissue as her watery eyes narrowed sleepily. “Hhiichxu!!  …*snfl*…I hate when I get like this…it’s stupid…” She closed her eyes and blew her nose a little, sniffling again with a defeated sigh.

            “Nothing about you is stupid, Ronnie,” Betty shook her head gently, reaching out and stroking her girlfriend’s teary cheek. “However you feel is okay. Please believe me…I’ll do anything to make you feel better. What can I do, cupcake?” Veronica looked up and saw the sincerity in Betty’s shining green eyes, focused completely on her and nothing else. She smiled weakly.

            “I…I feel better when you’re touching me…hhshxuh!! …*Snfl.*” Veronica shuddered and snapped forward into her cupped hands again, her weary muscles constricting. Every time she sneezed, she just looked more exhausted. The blonde girl felt like her heart was just going to melt.

            “Bless you.” Betty leaned over the seat again and kissed Veronica’s overheated forehead, letting her lips linger there a little longer while she ran her hand through sleek, dark hair. Veronica sighed softly and leaned into the blonde girl’s warmth.

            “You cad get back on the road now,” the raven-haired girl said quietly, sitting back in her seat and taking another tissue from her bag to blow her nose. “Ughh…that was mby last tissue. *Snf!*”

            “Well then it’s a good thing we’re almost home, huh?” Betty smiled sweetly, then turned away towards the window when a fresh twitch sparked deep in the back of her head.

“Hh-hhuh…*snfl*…Iiihshxhuh!!” The blonde girl buried a sick, snotty sneeze in the crook of her arm, followed by a fit of deep coughs. It went on a little longer than she would’ve liked, and she felt a warm hand rubbing her back.

            “Yeah,” Veronica sighed with an affectionate, exhausted smile, her eyes still teary and puffy from crying. “It is.”

 

………………………………………….

 

            When Hermione Lodge came home from work that night, she was unsurprised to find the girls back on the couch in their pajamas again before 8pm. She wasn’t even surprised to see Veronica passed out with her head on the blonde girl’s chest, her cheeks flushed and feverish. There was a Bach Concerto playing on the sound system, a sure sign of Veronica feeling awful and in need of comforting.

            “Ai, mija…what am I going to do with you?” The older Lodge sighed softly, taking off her coat and coming around to sit on the edge of the couch, so she could feel Veronica’s forehead.

            “I’m sorry,” Betty mumbled miserably.

            “Tranquilo, mi amor…don’t blame yourself,” Hermione shook her head, giving the blonde girl a very warm smile, and reaching over to feel her face, too. They both felt uncomfortably hot.

            “But I made her sick,” Betty whispered, tightening her protective hold on the sleeping girl when she whimpered and shifted against her Betty-bed.

            “No, she made herself sick,” Hermione corrected. “Ronnie made her choice perfectly clear. And I think you’ve spent enough time with her by now to know that Miss Veronica Lodge doesn’t do anything unless she wants to.” Betty snickered softly, then cupped a hand over her mouth to cover a harsh cough. Veronica shifted in her sleep again, making a soft shushing sound and rubbing her thumb in little circles over Betty’s stomach. The blonde girl couldn’t help smiling. Even unconscious, Veronica was still trying to take care of her.

            “Yeah…you’re right about that,” Betty sighed.

            “Just get ready for the waterworks, mami. She’s going to cry all over you,” Hermione warned.

            “She kind of already did…that’s why I put on the Bach. It’s her feel-better music,” Betty sighed, her fingers moving soothingly through Veronica’s dark hair. Hermione raised one eyebrow, impressed. She’d assumed her daughter had been the one to request the Bach concertos that had soothed her since she was a child; but apparently the blonde girl already knew that perfectly well. “It kind of broke my heart. I’ve never seen her go to pieces like that…”

            “Well it seems like you handled things just fine,” Hermione smiled; and Betty smiled shyly back, so unused to any display of parental approval. “Fevers just make her weepy. It’s a chemical thing, she’s just like my mother. There’s nothing you can do to stop it…but you can make it better for her. I think you’ve already figured out how to do that.”

            “Yeah…” Betty sighed, smiling shyly at the loving, approving look her girlfriend’s mom was giving her. They’d always had a good relationship; but that was when Betty was just Veronica’s bff. She’d been feeling worried and insecure as to whether she’d still be mi amor to Mrs. Lodge once the older woman knew they were more than friends. “Thank you.” She coughed again, and nuzzled a fresh tissue to her nose as it twitched warningly, her eyes sliding involuntarily closed.

“Hht’chxiishuh!!! *Snfl*…” The blonde girl cupped the tissue snugly to her runny nose, trying to hold in the ragged, exhausted sneeze just a little so she wouldn’t wake Veronica up. Though it seemed like nothing short of a four-alarm fire had a chance of waking up the raven-haired girl right now.

            “Bless you honey,” Hermione said warmly, smoothing Betty’s hair back to feel her face one more time. “I’ll go make some tea.” But by the time she returned to the living room, Betty had given in and fallen asleep under Veronica’s warm weight, both of them snuggled together like puppies on the couch, breathing stuffily with their mouths half-open. They looked much younger than usual right now, and Mrs. Lodge pulled the blanket bunched around their legs back up over their feverish bodies, settling the warm covers around them protectively.

            “Sweet dreams, my girls,” Hermione sighed, and went to make sure they had plenty of comfort foods on hand in the kitchen.

 

…………………………………………..

           

            Hermione was still in the kitchen when the two groggy girls stumbled in an hour later, yawning and rubbing their eyes. Veronica pitched forward into a crumpled tissue with a soft chtxshh!! as she was walking through the doorway, Betty’s steading hand on her back.

            “Bless you mi amor,” Hermione smiled warmly at her daughter’s disheveled appearance, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her waist as she abandoned the bubbling pot on the stove and came around the kitchen island to give Veronica a hug. “How are you feeling, hmm preciosa?”

            “Lousy,” Veronica croaked softly, going totally limp in the safety of her mother’s arms for a moment. Then she perked up just a smidge as she opened her eyes and glanced over to the stove.

            “Are you making abuela’s tortilla soup?”

            “What do you think?” Mrs. Lodge smiled fondly and smoothed her daughter’s dark hair back, feeling the heat radiating from her skin. “Are you happy my love?”

            “Yes. Thank you,” Veronica murmured, letting go of her mom to turn away and cough. With a dizzy sigh, she sat down at the table and blew her nose again. Betty went to open the fridge, but Mrs. Lodge chased her away.

            “Sit down mi amor. What are you looking for, hmm? A drink?”

            “Uh, yeah…just water is fine,” Betty nodded shyly, pulling a tissue from the box that was now sitting in the middle of the kitchen table, and rubbing her nose slowly and methodically as her sleepy eyes welled up. “Hhuh…aah’chhxhew!! *Snfl.*”

            “Bless you,” Veronica croaked softly, scooting her chair right up to Betty’s so she could rub her back, even while she yawned her put her own head down on the table.

            “I think we can do better than water,” Hermione smiled gently, touched by how sweet the two girls were being with each other even while they obviously both felt horrible. “I had Smithers pick up a few more things. Iced tea, ginger ale, Coke…?”

            “Mexican Coke?” Veronica asked, picking her head up hopefully.

            “Not in Riverdale, mija. I’m sorry,” Mrs. Lodge shook her head.

            “Yeah…I kind of figured. Regular Coke is okay too. D’you want ginger ale, B?” She yawned and stroked Betty’s hair absently.

            “Yes, please…thanks,” Betty smiled shyly, finally past the point of protesting the solicitous attention she was getting here that she was so unused to at home. “What’s in Mexican Coke that’s different from regular Coke?”

            “Real cane sugar.” Veronica smiled wistfully, and yawned. “None of that high-fructose corn syrup crap. It tastes so much better B, oh my God. And it’s in a glass bottle so it stays cold longer. *Snghf.*”

            “Sounds fancy,” Betty grinned weakly back, happy to see Veronica perking up even if only a little.

            “It’s not fancy. It’s the opposite of fancy. You can get it for a dollar at any corner bodega,” Veronica grumbled, a cranky pout spreading across her face. “In…in New York, I mean…hhhchxiish!! *Snghhf.*” She bowed over and sneezed into her cupped hands, reaching for a fresh tissue with a weary sigh.

            “You miss New York a lot,” Betty said gently, not posing it as a question. Veronica nodded back glumly.

            “But there is one very important thing in Riverdale that I can’t get in New York…” The dark-haired girl smiled sleepily.

            “Pop’s chocolate malt?” the blonde girl asked teasingly.

            “You, dummy.” Veronica smiled—a real smile this time—and leaned over to give her girlfriend a sleepy kiss. Hermione put two cold glasses in front of them, ginger ale for Betty and a Coke for Veronica.

            “Drink up chicas, I don’t want you getting dehydrated. Here, you both need more medicine too.” Hermione went back to the cupboard and brought back a bottle of extra-strength cold medicine that she put on the table between them.

            “Thag you,” Betty sniffled softly behind a fresh tissue. They both took a shot of the red syrup and sipped their cold, fizzy sodas gratefully in silence for a minute, too sleepy to talk. In another minute, they both had a steaming bowl of soup put in front of them.

            “Oh my God, thank you mom,” Veronica moaned happily, closing her eyes and putting her face down to inhale the steam through her stuffy nose.

            “This is your grandma’s soup?” Betty asked, charmed to see Veronica looking so happy for a moment in the midst of their misery.

            “Yeah. You’ll love it,” Veronica grinned, picking up her spoon.

            “I’m sure I will. Thanks Mrs. Lodge,” Betty picked up her own spoon with a shy smile.

            “Of course my love. And you know you are always, always welcome here, honey, but…won’t your mom be worried about you being out of the house? I have to assume she doesn’t know you’re here.” Betty snorted into her soup.

            “Worried. Yeah right…” Betty shook her head, and coughed into her elbow. “She…*snghf*…she’s ndot worried. She thidks I’mb at cheerleading practice.” She took a fresh tissue and gingerly wiped her wet nose.

            “She let you go to school like this?” Hermione asked disbelievingly. She knew Betty had stayed home the previous day, because Veronica had pouted about it all night. But that was only one day. It clearly wasn’t enough.

            “Let might be the wrong word,” Betty said wryly, before cupping the damp tissue in her hands back to her face with a soft, huffy gasp of air. “Hhht’chxiiuh!!! *S-snf.*” She trembled with a shaky sneeze over her soup, and sighed, rubbing her nose lightly through the tissue.

            “Bless you,” Veronica and Mrs. Lodge both said at the same time.

            “Thadks,” Betty sighed softly.

            “I know your mom can be a tough nut to crack, mi amor…but she really sent you to school with this fever?” Mrs. Lodge pressed the back of her hand to Betty’s forehead, then her cheek, confirming how hot she still was.

            “It was better this morning,” Betty snuffled shyly into a fresh tissue. “Only 99.8. At my house, if your temp is below a hundred, you’re not really sick…*snfl*…” Her tired eyes slid closed again as she drew a fresh tissue to her runny nose. “Aaah’chhxsht!! *Snghf*…”

            “Bless you baby,” Veronica murmured, rubbing Betty’s back while the blonde girl coughed into her damp tissue.

            “Well I don’t think either one of you has any business being in school for the rest of the week,” Hermione sighed protectively, shaking her head at the pair of them. “Go on and eat your soup, mis queridas, and don’t worry about anything else.” Betty and Veronica fell silent and shifted their attention to the hot soup, more than happy to comply.

           

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by wannablessedbe

[venuskiddo]

this story is so good... like i love the relationship between veronicas mom and the girls... keep being amazing !!!!