#bugheadreams

I can’t wait for his little muse to clear his writers block.

and for him to ground her back to reality, and ease her mind from the sleuthing she has tried to take on all on her own. . .

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Betty was perched on the hood of Archie’s truck next to Veronica, looking out at the crowd of teens that had made their way to the empty lot that day – a mix of Bulldogs with red solo cups and Southsiders with beer cans. Normally, the two crowds steered clear from one another, only being in this close proximity when they absolutely had to. 

Aimlessly, she let her legs swing, bumping into the car. This was just another social gathering she didn’t care all that much for. It’s not like they’d even be able to see the race—the drivers would be zooming throughout their little town, circling around until they were back at the lot. 

The race didn’t grab much of Betty’s attention… but her zoned-out eyes certainly perked up at the sight of the Southside racer. He had just finished looking beneath the hood of his car, likely confirming everything was in order before he took off. But when he finished, he leaned up against the side of it, crossing his arms. His expression was broody, but there was a stark handsomeness to him that she couldn’t shake. Maybe it was the knitted beanie in the shape of a crown, or the charming leather jacket… but more than likely, she was willing to bet his eyes would give her a run for her money. 

But she didn’t have the greatest view from where she currently was… Turning to Veronica, Betty whispered that she’d be back before the race started, before hopping down off the truck. But she was too invested in the Andrews boy to care where her friends was slipping off to.Betty wasn’t usually this 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥. She really wasn’t. But, what if he didn’t make it out of the race in one piece? What if this was her last chance to see those eyes of his?

That was highly unlikely, but it was the excuse she was giving herself to make such a daring move with the handsome lad from the Southside.

Wearing high waisted jeans, a white tank top, and bright red lipstick to match her bandana, Betty was certainly done up for the event. She’d even felt more confident with her outfit of choice as she strutted over to him, hoping it she might look easy on the eyes to the boy.

As casually as possible, Betty leaned against his car right next to where he stood, glancing over at him with a soft smile. That’s when it dawned on her… she had no idea what to say, what excuse to give as to what brought her over here. She’d thought through none of this, and just been pulled to him like he was an 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 fierce magnet! 

Taking hold of the first idea that came to her head, Betty cleared her throat, trying to keep a somewhat natural composure – and not let him see that she was really sweating this one out. 

But he beat her to the punch. Thank goodness.

“Betty Cooper – to what do I owe the pleasure?” he grinned, turning his body toward her to give his full attention.

Her jaw dropped ever so slightly as their eyes met, and she allowed her eyes to swim in those gorgeous green hues of his. Just as she’d opened her mouth to respond, another Southsider donning a leather jacket, a Serpent, headed over to them.

“5 minutes, Jones, and you’re off,” he said, nodding curtly before heading back over to the rest of his group.

That’s when it clicked. Jones. Oh. This wasn’t just any Southside boy. He was the 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦. Jughead Jones. She’d heard a tiny bit about him – he and Archie used to be close pals back when they were kids, but for some reason they’d drifted apart.

He didn’t look like just any rough, troubled Serpent… his face had a gentleness to it that she was absolutely eating up, smiling at him like an idiot.

“My friends actually dared me to come over here and offer you a kiss, you know, just for good luck,” she spoke lightly, tilting her head as she awaited his response.

He looked away and smiled, shaking his head. And did she see the hint of a 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩 on his own cheeks? 

“Shouldn’t you be over there spreading your luck to the Northsider in the other car?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and eyeing Reggie Mantle, already seated in the opposing vehicle.

She shrugged her shoulders, chewing on the side of her cheek, that smile never leaving her lips. “Is it so hard to believe that I’d prefer to give you a bit of luck over him?”

Jughead’s eyebrows shot up and he chuckled in disbelief… but this expression slipped away as he squinted his eyes at her. “What’s your angle?”

She looked almost offended, her shoulders dropping a little bit. “I don’t have an angle…”

He held his palms to the air, as if hoping for some clarity. “You don’t seem like the type of girl to just float around handing out kisses to guys that mean nothing to you.”

Betty looked down, playing with her fingers, unable to control the words that were begging to come out – though that didn’t make her any less nervous. “Maybe you 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 mean something to me… Would you want to play around with that idea over milkshakes at Pop’s later?”

The skeptical look didn’t leave his face, as if he’d been weary to trust anyone, let alone a Northsider. 

“Come on, Jones! Buckle up!” the same Serpent boy from earlier called out to Jughead, giving the final warning. They were about ready to takeoff.

Jughead gave her a polite smile, before taking a step away from her to head around the front of the car. She grabbed his arm before he had the chance to walk off, tugging him lightly back toward her.

“How about it, Jughead? After the race, I’ll come and find you – and we can head over to Pop’s in the 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐫,” she suggested, looking up at him with pleading eyes – hoping he would just say yes.

Instead of replying, he leaned in closer to her, pressing a soft peck to her cheek, incredibly close to the corner of her lips. It left her wide eyed and taken aback—and between her racing heart and goosebumps travelling widely down her back, she was in the clouds. Wasn’t she supposed to be giving 𝘩𝘪𝘮 the kiss?

His eyes locked with hers, and that smile of his absolutely lit her up. 

“I’ll keep my eye out for you after the race, Cooper,” Jughead winked, before moving around the car and opening the door.

Betty pursed her lips, trying to hide her giddiness. Once he was inside of the car, she poked her head through the open window.

“Good luck – I guess I’ll owe you a congratulatory kiss afterward instead, since you 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦 your good luck kiss.”

With a proud grin he said, “Fine by me.”

Betty pulled her head out of the car and tapped her hands against the hood, encouragingly, flashing him a smile as she walked backwards a few steps, keeping his gaze as long as she could before the cars rolled out of the lot.

                                                     ***

About a half hour later, the Northside Darling and the Southside Prince could be found strolling into Pop’s diner, his arm around her shoulder and hers around his back. 

They ordered separate meals, but in the middle of the table sat a single strawberry milkshake, with two straws sticking out of it. 

And Betty waited until she’d taken the first sip, before Jughead had the chance to get the delightful taste in his mouth, to plant a lingering, strawberry-sweet kiss to his lips – standing up, bent over the table.

𝐉𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐩'𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐮𝐢𝐭.

Like the true, independent force she was, Betty Cooper was seated in the driver’s seat of her mother’s car, driving  herself to her “prom” — the floor length gown and heels one of the smaller inconveniences she’d had to deal with, not daring to compare to the more pressing obstacles she’d had to face in the last four years of high school.

Unlike some of her closest friends and basically everyone else in her graduating class, Betty wasn’t headed to Riverdale High for the big night. She had been banned from prom, thanks to that slimeball, Bret Weston Wallis — one of the most spineless human beings she’d ever come across, and she’d certainly met her fair share of them. But hey, why change up her totally deranged high school experience now? She may as well continue her streak straying far from the status quo.

As she pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of Pop’s Diner, only taken up by her lover’s motorcycle and Pop Tate’s dark blue van, Betty’s heart was already racing with excitement for whatever Jughead had planned. He’d insisted that she didn’t lift a finger preparing for this night. He wanted to give her a complete night off from everything. Whatever needed their attention could be dealt with after her carriage turns into a pumpkin. The only thing she could think about right now were the lips of her darling prince. Well, now her 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜.

After putting the car in park, Betty eased herself out of the vehicle, careful to tug the entirety of her dress out of the car so it wouldn’t get caught in the closed door. When she opened the door of the diner, that familiar smell of fresh burgers and fries wafted right into her nostrils— a specific smell no other diner could recreate. Pop’s would always stand out from the crowd, and no diner could even try to compare. She didn’t realize how much she was going to miss this place when she moved out of town, until now… so many memories were made here.

Jughead was already sitting in 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 booth, looking right at her with wide eyes nearly bursting out of his head at the sight of her. He carefully slid out of the booth, holding his hands in front of him politely. As she slowly made her way over to him, her baby blue gown just barely grazed the floor, a mix of lace floral patterns, and modest sparkles filled the entire bodice, the lacy pattern trailing down her arms in off the shoulder straps.

He didn’t waste a second before pressing multiple, eager kisses to her lips. Her hand lingered on his shoulder as he swarmed her face with his lips, a bout of giggles leaving her as she tugged away from him.

“Save some for later, handsome,” she chuckled, shaking her head at her corny darling as she carefully slid into the booth, Jughead holding her hand to steady her as she settled in.

After she was comfortable, Jughead sat across from her, and her hands immediately took his. She stared at him longingly, his thick waves slicked back with just the perfect amount of wild and tame to the look, and he wore a dapper black suit, 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 nicely fitted to his body— Jug’s tie the same soft blue as her dress.

“Jug, are you always going to take away my breath like this?” Betty blushed, caressing his hands with her thumbs.

His eyebrows shot up and a smirk worked its way across his lips. “I hope you still have that mindset when you wake up to my poofy hair and smelly breath every morning in New Haven. Just keep remembering me like this, all spruced up for you.”

Betty rolled her eyes, the smile never leaving her lips as she shook her head. “I don’t care if you’re dressed to the nines or just rolling out of bed… I’m always going to look at you fondly. Your handsomeness hasn’t faltered since the day we met. In fact, I think you somehow keep getting even 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. What’s your secret?”

“You know…” Jughead began, a sly look on his face as he looked over her shoulder. Pop Tate would appear a few moments later with their usual orders. “I think I’d have to credit my 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘸 to none other than Pop’s burgers. I’m doomed to wither away once we leave this town and I can’t consume my signature triple burger on the regular. Nobody makes em’ like you do, Pop.”

Pop chuckled, beaming at the compliment, looking at the two of them like he couldn’t be more proud of who they’d become. “Now, don’t you two forget about ole’ Pop… you’d better stop by here when you’re in the area for a visit. Promise me?”

Betty and Jughead gave each other endearing, heart-warmed looks, before nodding at Pop simultaneously. “We’re definitely going to stop here, 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, Pop. You have our word,” Betty said.

The bubbly man smiled ear to ear at the two, before returning behind the counter, leaving the two of them to their meal. Betty and Jughead sat there in that booth where they’d discussed many of their theories for whatever sleuthing ordeals they’d been working on at the time, sharing milkshakes over notes they’d been comparing on cases… A few booths down was their usual spot they’d shared with Veronica and Archie, their meetups with them a reprieve from the intricate, heavy thinking that came with their sleuthing endeavors.

As Betty sat there with Jug, just about finished with her meal, she began to wonder why she didn’t feel the bittersweet feelings that were supposed to come around graduation time. There wasn’t much in this town, let alone at the school, that she was particularly sad about letting go of.

Most of her best, fondest memories were with the man sitting across from her.

A smile formed on her lips as she watched her lover pick at every last bit of food on his plate. Once he’d finished up and his attention was back on her, he gazed at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. The same way he looked at her when she and Veronica were sitting in the booth, and he and Archie joined them. A first glance that she had never forgotten.

“You know, Jug,” she started, letting her fingers aimlessly trail up and down his arm. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you by my side all these years. Our lives have been… constantly turned upside down, attacked from all angles… but at the end of the day, it was you that I found my solace, consistency, safety and absolute ease within. I couldn’t have gotten through any of what I did without you, Jughead.”

Jughead immediately shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing in rejection to her statement. He grabbed onto her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “And 𝘐 couldn’t have stayed sane without you, my little enigma. Even in the darkest, most bleak times in this hellish town, you were constantly that shining light in my life— and I have always held onto that. I will always hold onto you. We have proven time and time again that we can get through anything together. I love you, Betty Cooper.”

Jughead lifted her knuckles to his mouth and peppered gentle kisses upon them, eliciting a small bit of laughter from her, closely followed by glassy eyes.

Before she could say a word, Jughead was already getting up and out of the booth, standing right at her side with his hand held out to her. “None of that, beautiful. Only smiles tonight.”

Betty took his hand and let him guide her out of the booth, and downstairs to La Bonne Nuit, giving a wink to Pop as they walked past him.

It was weird seeing the place completely empty— the chairs were stacked up on all the tables, the stage bare, no one cozied up by the bar. Jughead left her standing in the middle of the wooden dance floor as he made his way over to his laptop, typing away until music came out of the speakers surrounding them. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲 by Novo Amor played, as Jughead headed back to her with wide open arms, ready to take her in them.

Betty’s smile hadn’t faltered all night, beaming so much that her cheeks were beginning to hurt. She slinked her arms around his neck and took a step toward him, to close most of the space between them. His warm hands rested on the small of her back, holding her close as they swayed back and forth to the gentle rhythm of the music.

As overjoyed as Betty was, she couldn’t help the pang of pain that registered in her chest, thinking about how the two of them had been robbed of these dear, youthful experiences they should have been able to indulge in way more often than they were able to. She must have let out an audible sigh, because Jughead slowly pulled back so he could look into her eyes.

“What is it, love?” he whispered, tucking a stray, curled hair behind her ear, searching her eyes.

Betty’s shoulders dropped a bit, a frown finding her lips. “I don’t know, Jug— I just hate that some of us in this town were just forced into a nightmarish life that none of us should have had to endure. And, because of that, you and I didn’t get to have moments like this more often. We were always sleuthing, which I loved… I loved so dearly. I just wish we could’ve found a way to escape more often, you know? And not feel so much weight on our shoulders constantly? I don’t know.”

Jughead leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, running his hand down her arm to comfort her.  “I know. Trust me, I know. This town has been unfair and cruel, especially to you. But… soon enough, you and I are going to be worlds away from this seventh circle of hell. You’ll be buried in your Criminal Psych books, discussing cases with me when you’re stumped, and I’ll be sharing my latest stories with you. And in between all that, we’ll indulge in the most authentic college experience we can get our hands on. Junk food, cheap beer, football games, late night wanderings around campus… finding the best pizza place in town, not stopping until we’ve tried them all. We’re going to have it all, Betty. We’re finally going to 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. And I wouldn’t want this beautiful new beginning with anyone else but you.”

Sliding his hands around each side of her face, Jughead slowly pulled her in for a lasting kiss… which would eventually turn into quite a few opened mouth, euphoric lip locks. When they finally parted, the two nearly collapsed into each other’s arms with how breathless they were, eventually falling back into a sway with the music.

“Jughead, I already have it all… in 𝘺𝘰𝘶. But, trust me when I say that getting out of here and starting our new lives together… this is just the beginning of our adventure. Like Romeo and Juliet, but we live happily ever after instead… well, it looks like we’re on our way to doing just that.”

His lips turned up into a soft smile, chuckling fondly as she repeated the old phrase she’d spoken to him. “Only with you, Betts. It’s only ever been you, and will only ever be you.”

Betty let out a deep, endeared breath, willing herself 𝘯𝘰𝘵 to tear up again. Bringing her lips to his once more, and removing them only when she desperately needed a breath, Betty finally, for the first time in forever, felt like a real teenager.

“As much as I hated this town… I wouldn’t hesitate to do it all again. Everything that happened led us to each other— and that is the one good thing Riverdale has ever done for me,” Betty chuckled, before covering her lover’s face with little pecks.

The two lovestruck teens would spend a couple more songs getting lost in each other’s eyes, relaxing in their embrace as they moved to their own, casual pace, until Jughead’s specially curated playlist ran out. And even then, Betty would ask for just one more. One more song. One more dance. One more beautiful memory.

And just the beginning of the multitude of joyous moments to come for the two lovers. The ones who had beaten all the odds, and came out nothing short of invincible.

𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 2𝘹12

Standing next to him, taking note of the questions he posed, the careful way he could get someone to slip up and present the information he needed, Betty studied her 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫.

Most high school pairs bond by listening to music, going to the movies, making out in the backseat of their cars.

But that was never she and Jughead’s style – they not only had a 𝘬𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘬 for uncovering the town’s truths, but when they were together they always brought out a certain 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 within the other. 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙 each other.

Made the world more 𝓋𝒾𝓋𝒾𝒹 as the other pointed out what may not have been at the forefront.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟒𝐱𝟏𝟗 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐫. 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲.

Something felt so wrong about settling on the couch by Jughead’s side, with Veronica next to him and Archie to the right of her. All four of them were reunited in harmony, half of the group not knowing the horrible betrayal that their lovers committed. Archie and Jughead joked about going to prom together, and even shook hands like the brothers they once were – and there wasn’t a hint of remorse or guilt displayed on his features.

Betty, on the other hand, couldn’t even look at Veronica, thankful for the bit of space between the two and the fact that she was at the perfect angle to be able to avoid her gaze. With how quiet and reserved Veronica had been toward Betty lately, she almost wondered if the raven-haired girl suspected anything. 

Shoving her hands beneath her legs to lighten up the jitters that washed over her, Betty sat back into Jughead, as if nothing were out of the ordinary. As if she wasn’t holding onto something that could destroy her entire future with her soulmate. Her eyes darted to Archie at one point as they all sat around chatting, Toni, Cheryl, Reggie, Kevin, and Fangs also sitting around – the group finally able to be concerned with high school matters. That was a first.

She saw nothing in his eyes. Nothing out of the ordinary. He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, as if confused by her wild eyes. It genuinely surprised her that he could be so nonchalant, and play it all off so easily.

Intertwining her fingers with Jug’s, Betty gave his hand a brief squeeze, before placing a gentle peck on his cheek. She wanted to enjoy every last tender moment with him that she could… because the truth was coming out 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 

And there was a very good chance she would lose him.

Jughead’s fingers slipped out of hers, his hand guiding her face so that their eyes met. He tilted his head, searching her eyes with his own, trying to read her. He knew her better than she knew herself sometimes.

“You alright, Betts?” Jughead spoke quietly, for her ears only, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. The genuine, unconditional care and love in his eyes when he looked at her had always been prevalent, but it burned into her soul even deeper this time.

Nodding it off, Betty let out a sigh, straightening her shoulders as if to claim a less tense posture. “Yeah. I’ve just got some stuff I need to talk to you about later.”

One eyebrow shot up at this as he looked at her with burning curiosity. But with everyone in such close proximity, it didn’t seem like he wanted to press her. Instead, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and gave a quick nod. “Later, then.”

He slid his arm behind her back, his hand resting on her hip. She adjusted herself right in the crook of his side, reveling in his embrace, unsure how much time she had left as 𝘩𝘪𝘴.

But she couldn’t keep it from him. There was no love – no feelings – nothing between she and Archie. Part of her truly has no idea where the kiss even came from, it had blindsided her. 

… it was going to blindside Jughead even more.

She didn’t care how much she had to grovel or fight for Jug, or how long he needed space from her… she wasn’t going to give up on their love.

𝐉𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝... 

Jughead’s eyes drifted away from the book in his hands and let them pan around the student lounge, where he and his friends had spent many hours killing time with each other during their free periods. He was reminded of all the times he and Betty would sneak over here on those nights they’d stay late working on the Blue and Gold – sometimes the room would get ridiculously cold, and they were not going to sit on some lousy chairs in there as opposed to the plush couch in here. They’d even dozed off once or twice, their arms draped around each other, their computers and various papers laid next to them messily on the couch.

A fond, reminiscent smile swept its way across his lips at the thought of he and Betty’s time working on that newspaper. It all started with the blonde girl next door approaching him to join the team – little did he know what a force to be reckoned with she would become. And it definitely didn’t surprise him. He’d 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴  known how remarkable she was, even when she didn’t realize he was looking.

At the shuffling of feet, and the echo of “Betty – wait! Don’t do this!” Jughead’s eyes darted toward the doorway.

It was the voice of Archie Andrews.

Jughead chucked his book to the side of the couch and turned back to glance at Veronica, who sat behind him on one of the chairs, doing some research on her laptop for a class. She appeared just as out of the loop as he was.

Not even a minute later, his lover would burst into the room, a look of pure distress on her face, only accentuated by her glassy eyes. His eyes immediately darted to Archie, anger already rising in his chest – 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳?

And why did he look so dumbstruck? He looked between Jughead and Veronica with a half-opened mouth, as if he’d seen a damn ghost.

Rushing over to his lover, immediately taking her hands when he was close enough, Jughead tried to meet her eyes… but hers only focused on the ground.

“Hey, hey—what’s going on, Betts?” Jughead spoke gently, his thumbs caressing her 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 hands.

Betty shut her eyes tightly, as if the weight of the world laid upon her shoulders. Meanwhile, Archie still stood there with a blank expression. Jughead’s patience was growing thin, dying for answers, but he wouldn’t let that show to his lover. All that mattered was that she was okay – whatever had happened.

Inhaling a deep breath, and exhaling a shaky one, Betty finally opened her eyes and met Jughead’s. This time, a tear dripped down her cheek, which he was quick to wipe away from her porcelain skin.

“I need to talk to you, Jug. And Veronica,” Betty said, with a heavy look on her face. Whatever she was about to tell them, it wasn’t going to be good.

But surely, it was nothing the four of them couldn’t handle. After all of the turmoil they’d been through over and over again, in countless different forms, not much scared Jughead anymore.

Veronica inched her way over to the three of them, her eyebrows tensed in a straight line as her eyes darted from Betty to Archie.

Archie quickly moved to Betty’s side, looking down as he spoke to her in the lowest tone. “Betty, you don’t have to do this.”

Slowly turning to face Archie, Betty’s facial expression was a mix between disgust and horror – which made the curiosity in Jughead’s chest burn even more.

“Yes, I do, Arch,” she said curtly, before turning her full attention back to he and Veronica. “We both showed up for practice the other day for our performance when you guys didn’t, and we started singing… I don’t know, we just… got carried away with the song and the changes going on around us and… we… kissed.”

Jughead’s heart dropped right through his stomach, and he hoped it would continue falling through him until it didn’t beat any longer. That would be much less painful than the revelation that just left who he thought was the love of his life’s mouth. All Jughead could do was shake his head in absolute disbelief, as if this was all some kind of sick joke that couldn’t possibly be real.

But by the look of pure guilt and sorrow in Betty’s eyes, followed by the tears streaming down her cheeks, there was no denying it had actually happened. One of the things he had expressed insecurity to Betty about, time and time again, that she would always go back to Archie. The perfect jock, loved by the entire town, someone who certainly didn’t have money problems or belong to a gang…

How, after all he and Betty had gone through, could she still choose Archie? The guy who hadn’t been there for her during any of the traumas or hardships she’d dealt with over the years, only showing face when the situation directly involved him. Hell, it was safe to say Archie knew absolutely nothing about Betty Cooper. He probably still saw her as the girl from freshman year, with eyes only for him, and a world of naivety that hadn’t blossomed into skepticism and careful analyzation yet.

Jughead looked over at Veronica, whose lips were pursed. Her eyes were locked on Archie’s, who was already trying to fill the space between them, his demeanor softening.

Before anyone else could say another word, Betty was already filling the space again, her voice cracking as she began. “Archie wanted more from me, to continue something that wasn’t there. And I told him that whatever happened back there in his garage… I didn’t want any part of it. Because I love 𝐲𝐨𝐮, Jughead. And maybe Archie is confused or whatever he is… about his feelings for me and Veronica, but, that’s not where I am. It happened, and I don’t know why, but I’ve thought about it and it was a chapter in my life that closed long ago. And I wouldn’t want to reopen it when I have the love of my life already.”

Jughead took a cold step toward Betty, his face frozen in the dullest expression he could muster up. “We’ll talk later,” he said, giving her a curt nod before turning himself toward Archie.

Shaking his head and laughing a pitiful laugh at who he thought was his best friend, Jughead continued to close the space between he and Archie until they were close enough that he could shove him back a few steps.

“My girlfriend, Archie? You really had to go after the one thing in my life that has ever made sense, that has ever been steady and good?” Jughead held his hand out to Veronica, pointing to her. “Look at her. Look at your beautiful girlfriend. You already have everything you could possibly want. But Betty, you know how I feel about her. How could you do this, after all these years? That’s beyond low – considering you like to put on a big show for the rest of the town like you’re some do-gooder, justice seeker.”

Jughead let out a deep sigh, taking another few steps to where he’d shoved Archie back. Without any qualms about holding anything in, Jughead charged at Archie, grabbing two fistfuls of his shirt and running him into the concrete wall as hard as he could.

“You’re lucky your girl is here, Andrews. I’m not gonna let her see you get hurt. Though, you didn’t seem to have a problem hurting her,” Jughead scoffed, giving Archie one more hard shove into the wall before letting his grip on him go.

He turned back to look at Betty one last time. His shoulders drooped, wanting nothing more than to close the space between them. To assure her that everything was going to be alright. That they could get through it somehow. But in that moment, he really wasn’t sure if they could. Weeks ago, she’d told him that he was the only man for her. And yet, that didn’t stop her from locking lips with her old crush. Just… just the thought of kissing someone other than Betty made an instant bout of nausea rise in Jughead’s chest. It was debilitating just thinking about not only betraying his lover, but causing her the kind of heavy, ruthless pain that plagued his own heart in that moment.

“I guess I wasn’t such a fool for having those thoughts about you and Archie after all, was I Betty?” Jughead choked out, rolling his eyes as he pivoted on his feet and stalked out of the room.

He quickened his step when he heard the shaky coo of, “Juggy” coming from Betty, trailing behind him. At this point, he’d fallen into a slow jog, two tears falling right down his rough cheeks. He wasn’t going to stop for her. Not now.

Luckily, he’d been able to get out of the building and onto his bike before she could catch up to him. He sped out of there carelessly, welcoming an adrenaline rush, or anything that could ease his deadened heart – even if only temporarily.