#mybugheadfics

She turned one last time, her eyes now facing the ceiling of the room. Her arms rested on both sides of her body over the duvet, and she could only feel herself growing more irritated by the time she was wasting with that nonsense. ”What's wrong with you, Betty?” She whispered to herself, thinking that, maybe, if she threw the words into the universe, she might actually find a logical explanation for all of those feelings. Maybe, if she could tell Jughead about it, he would find her an answer.

Yeah, right. Telling Jughead that she was actually losing sleep because her stupid heart was actually rummaging around the biggest ‘what if’ of her young life.

What if Archie hadn’t rejected her? Would they still be together? Would things have gone so smoothly as when they were pretending? And what about Jughead?

What about Jughead?

Would their friendship still be as it used to be if they hadn’t started dating? Would they still investigate all of Riverdale’s dark secrets if Archie was more present in her life? Would his life have been so different without her love?

Her eyes widened at the thought and slowly, she sat up on the bed, her legs now on the edge of the mattress. Golden hair was falling on the sides of her face, as she found herself deeper into her thoughts. Betty had never even considered how her life would’ve been if her beanie-clad knight hadn’t climbed up her window and stolen a kiss from her that day. Their lives were now so entangled that she just couldn’t picture herself without Jughead anymore.

He understands her better than anyone. He accepts her for who she really is, and their love is the only truly good thing in Riverdale. Their love is real— way more than whatever she used to feel for Archie— and even if she was now trapped in that dilemma, not even once had she doubted her love for him.

It was just… just — She couldn’t even describe what she was feeling, for god’s sake!

She has always prided herself in how well she could use words to describe her mind’s tricks in her journals, but this time, Betty was freaking out over it! She could feel her anxiety peaking, making her heart beat faster and her lungs urge for more air as she just couldn’t find the right answers for her questions. What even were her questions, to begin with? She wanted to work with facts, just like when they’re investigating things, but there was no such thing as logic in her feelings at that moment.

All she knew was that she had been moved by the time she had spent as Archie’s fake girlfriend. Even if had only been for just a couple of days, it was undeniable that she had to pretend to be everything her younger-self used to wish for. She had to pretend to be happy with her ginger neighbor while living in a world without Jughead Jones by her side, and perhaps, she allowed that stupid illusion to meddle with her reality. By not knowing how long Jughead would remain considered K.I.A, her mind began to spiral out and project herself a new, distorted future.

A future in which Jughead and her are no longer together.

Her hands were quick to cover her mouth and suddenly, a terrified expression took over her face as she was hit by that realization. Of course, she thought, quickly standing up and rushing to the drawer where she kept her photo album. She sat back on the carpet and started to go through older pics of her and the boys during their childhood, when they were always together and life was but a walk in the park during a warm, summer day.

Those really were simpler times. They had absolutely nothing to worry about and Riverdale—well, for all they knew— was still just a small town with pep. Back then, kids were still allowed to have fun and people weren’t being killed by their own neighbors. Her father was still a good man, Cheryl still had a twin brother and she was still the perfect, girl who was so young and in love with her best friend.

Her entire future had already been decided back then. While her mother had taken care of her education and what she would have to do in order to achieve the best colleges in the country, Betty herself had already written in her journals about marrying Archie and how they would manage a life of happiness and success before their thirties. That future used to be clear as the day in her naive imagination, and perhaps, that was also the future she had started to imagine during their little game of pretending.

Betty found herself to be impersonating her younger version during those days because that Betty had everything figured out. She knew what to do and where to go; and most of all, she knew everything would work out in the end. She wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone— herself included on this huge list— and perhaps, that ignorance was enough.

Enough for her to feel loved and confident, and mostly, enough for her to be happy. 

Her eyes sadly softened at a picture of her smiling next to Archie. Things would’ve certainly been easier if that fantasy future of hers had come true. She wouldn’t have cried as much as she did in the past years, and she would only have to worry about winning prom queen during her senior year. She wouldn’t be a nosy, Nancy-Drew-wannabe and instead of breaking into people’s houses to investigate their pasts, she could be just another student walking down the hallways of Riverdale High.

Who wouldn’t want a life like that? A normal life.

Her heart suddenly ached at the thought. She could feel tears threatening to pool under her eyes, and it didn’t really take her that long to reach the first and most important conclusion of the night.

She wouldn't want a life like that.

In fact, she would hate a life like that. 

Though simple and serene, a life like that would be nothing but a huge lie. If she were to follow all of her old dreams, Betty would be trapped in a world blinded by a curtain of pre-made decisions and overwhelming expectancies that she would most likely be unable to reach. And then, knowing her old-self like she does, the blonde knew it would be just a matter of time until she blew that whole facade up and got herself hurt. Really hurt. 

More than when Polly was taken away and more than when Archie rejected her after she told him about her feelings. Oh, that’s right… On that night, while wearing that pink dress that made her look like a barbie doll, her ideal life ended before it even began. She was left crying on her porch because her prince charming thought she was just too perfect for him. In all of those years of planning, she had never expected not be chosen back because she had become the supposedly best version of herself.

She used to be too much and too unreachable. Without knowing, she built a wall around herself that no one even tried to trespass in fear of never being good enough for her. She was a perfect and lonely girl who had isolated herself in her pristine world, where no one could hear her pleas.

Poor Elizabeth Cooper.

But she would be okay, right? She would eventually find someone worthy of her perfection. Eventually, she would find someone who could fit into her pretty, little world and she would finally have a brilliant, happy and simple future.

Right?

No fucking way.

She could never be happy like that. That future could never be right, and right now, as she looked at her white window, she couldn't thank him enough for saving her from her own solitude.

Right now, instead of looking at that window and thinking about her neighbor, she thinks about the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who climbed his way up to her room, called her crazy and kissed her with all the love and kindness she had been denied for ages. He wasn’t perfect and he was nothing like the man she had pictured to be her husband, but that was the best thing about him. 

He saw her as more than just that fake image she had adopted as her identity. He saw the girl behind that mask and that included all of her flaws, her passions, her scars and her peculiarities. He saw all that, and yet… He didn’t run away. Jughead Jones stayed by her side during the best and worst moments of her life, and it was the first time she felt like she was wanted.

She felt loved. 

She felt loved and excited and—damn— she felt so free. For the first time in her life, Betty was feeling everything so deeply and with such intensity that made all of that old numbness seem like a distant nightmare. Of course, there were a lot of painful moments, when her face was soaked in tears and her heart was breaking, but even that felt better than that emptiness that took over her life.

Betty could finally find some relief building up in her stomach as she looked at what was probably her favorite photo of them. Officially, that was a picture Archie and Veronica took of themselves during their Labor Day escapade, but standing there, on the background, Jughead and her were swimming together, warm bodies entangled and surrounded by the cold water; and she will always remember how much she wanted that moment to last. His blue eyes were so beautiful that day, and through them, she saw the reflection of what was certainly best version of herself.

And that version only exists because of him. He took her out of her own life so they could start something new together, and ever since that, Betty just couldn’t imagine herself wanting to go back.

So screw the simpler times— they are never coming back. Screw her expectations and all of the words she has once written in her journals. Screw her first love. It was never the love she deserved.

A bright and warm smile was now taking over her face and she had never felt lighter before. Her heart was beating faster in excitement right now and— damn it— she just felt the urge to see Jughead. She wanted to tell him everything she had just finally concluded, and more than ever, she wanted to tell him how much she loves him. Perhaps, she could go after him at the bunker, and then—

Fuck. Her eyes drifted to the digital clock on her nightstand and the green numbers were marking 3:27am. There was no way she could just go out there and wake him up after he had probably spent the whole afternoon working so hard to catch up on their studies. A wave of disappointment hit her, and through her mirror, she saw herself pouting like a contradicted, spoiled child. 

She wanted to be with him. She needed to see him and that unique beanie of his. 

And thankfully, he felt the same way.

When Betty had finally decided to put the photos back on the drawer so she could go back to bed, her ears captured the roaring of a very familiar engine right before it suddenly died out. Her eyes widened, and she wasted no time before rushing to the window to confirm the expectations of her now thrilled heart. She glanced towards the streets, and she could never describe how happy she was when she saw him taking off his helmet and leaving it on his motorcycle.

What a sight for sore eyes, she thought, as a blush crawled up her cheeks. She saw as he yawned and scratched the back of his neck, and even if she knew he was clearly tired, Betty just couldn’t keep her own excitement for herself at that moment.

That was the man she loves. The man she's going to marry.

The blonde, then, took a deep breath and wasted no time before running out of their bedroom and down the stairs so she could finally meet him. When she got down there, the red door was already been unlocked, and as soon as it was opened, her heart skipped a beat at the sight in front of her. Jughead was half asleep, with his messenger bag hanging on his right shoulder, and she saw as his eyes widened as soon as they met hers.

“Eh? Betty? It’s 3am. What are you—“

The raven haired boy didn’t even have time to finish his question before his girlfriend literally jumped on him. His keys fell on the floor and so did his bag, and as in an automatic movement, his arms encircled her waist so he could properly hold her up. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her lips were already pressed to his in a strong and breathtaking kiss.

It was warm, soft, intense and it was filled with pure and sincere love. An everlasting that love that has already faced so many hardships and only grew stronger amidst the adversities. Her cheeks were blushing as her bare feet were still far from touching the ground, and the pressure of his fingertips on her small body was strong enough to make her feel safe.

He would not let her fall, she knew. And even if he did— even if, one day, he’s not strong enough— then they will fall together.

Neither of them knew how long they had remained like that, but eventually, he slowly put her down, his hands now resting on her lower back, as their eyes looked at one other. The Jones boy was left speechless, and all she could do about it was suppress the urge to laugh. If anything, she’s one of the few people in the world who are able to leave him speechless, and she can’t help but to feel proud of herself for that.

“I…You…What—“ He cleared his throat, then, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds as he finally tried to find the words she had stolen from him. “Hey, Betts. Nice to see you here."

“Hi, Jug.” She smiled. “Nice to see you, too. I thought you weren’t gonna come home tonight.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too, but I ran out of coffee there. And you know I can’t survive without it.”

“Oh, you really can’t live without your midnight coffee. Though it’s still a mystery how your stomach doesn’t complain about it.”

“Years of practice, Betts.” He smirked, his fingers unconsciously drawing circles on her hips. “But the real mystery here is why on earth are you awake, young lady?"

“I had an epiphany!” She said, a little louder than she needed to, joy clearly present in her voice.

“Oh…” His eyes widened, a mild surprise taking over his expression. “Cool, I guess? Hope it was a positive one.”

“It was a wonderful one, Jug!”

“Well, I’m really happy for you, then. And happy for me because of this unexpected and very pleasant display of affection. What was it about?”

“You.”

“Me?” He arched his brows. “Could it be that you’ve finally realized who’s the best detective of this duo?”

“Definitely not. I already know it’s me.” She smirked. “I was actually having some trouble sleeping with all of these thoughts about us, but now I’m much better.”

“Sounds really great, Betts. Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Definitely! I can’t wait for you to hear it all. I need you to hear it all.” Her eyes grew fonder at such words, and she watched as his expression mimicked her own. Jughead knew whatever had stolen her sleep was an important matter to her and if she needed him to hear all about it, then, he would. 

He wanted to. He really wanted to.

“Okay…” He started, his voice filled with tenderness and honesty. “Then let’s get inside, make some coffee and you can tell me all about it.”

"Right now?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

“Actually…” Betty said, her voice laced with a certain tone he knew way too well. “I was thinking that we could go to our room instead.”

“Do you prefer talking there?”

“Not really, but… Maybe we could leave it for tomorrow. It’s not like I’m in a hurry to tell you or anything.”

“What? But we’re both awake now. What else could be more important than that?”

“Well…” She leaned in, slowly, and whispered something only for his ears to hear. It was a fast and productive talk that, in a matter of seconds, made his eyes widen and a silly smile take over his lips. Betty, then, returned to her previous position, and she knew her words had served their purpose.

“We can certainly talk tomorrow.” He said, eagerly, leaving his belongings on the floor next to the entrance right after he closed the door behind him. The blonde let out a muffled giggle, and before she could take another step, he lifted her up to carry her upstairs. Her hands delicately cupped his cheeks, and softly, she planted another kiss on his lips.

Once more, they were just two teenagers in love, enjoying their night together. They didn’t care about anything else at that moment, and their minds weren’t even thinking about trivial things such as the future, his coffee, her mother waking up or the fact that they both had english classes in a couple of hours. 

At that moment, nothing else mattered. Nothing but their love.

And their future—oh, what a delightful adventure awaited for them.

“ You have 15 minutes, Jones.” The assistant stopped, his hand turning the doorknob to reveal a single, illuminated cell. “ Don’t piss him off. I’ll be right back to call you.”

Jughead nodded, swallowing dry as shivers ran down his spine. “ S-Sure, officer. I won’t take long.”

The raven haired boy took a couple of seconds to collect his thoughts before he finally walked pass the door that separated reality from Riverdale’s latest nightmare. He had his Serpent jacket on, and even if that would normally offer him some sense of safety, he felt like not even his entire gang would be able to protect him from that man that stood behind that glass wall.

The man whose past did not match the present and the man whose nice face did not match those gray, prison clothes.

The man who has always been nothing but gentle with him, and who now had innocent blood on his hands. After hosting so many barbecues around his neighborhood, that man was now responsible for so many deaths and so many tears around the whole town.

The Angel of Death, finally exposed and free from that ominous, black hood; just to reveal the darkness within Riverdale’s model family.

Hal Cooper— the perfect neighbor and the perfect husband— was standing there, all alone in a Hannibal Lecter kind of cell, his always-so-bright aura contrasting with the rough, incarcerated atmosphere. Had he not known the whole story, Jughead would never believe that man had done all those horrible things in the past few weeks, and more than ever, he would be fighting to prove the nonexistent innocence of his father-in-law.

He would fight for him, going against the detectives and the evidences simply to protect whatever was left of the town’s facade, and mostly, to heal the broken heart of the beloved, younger daughter. More than anything, Jughead wanted to tell Betty that her father was innocent and that he had not killed those people. He wanted her to be happy again in a way he knows she will never be anymore.

He just wanted to bring her father back in the same way she brought his.

But they both know better than to believe in the innocence of their small town again. Long gone are the days where things were exactly what they seemed to be and kids weren’t being murdered by the adults that were supposed to protect them.

Long gone is their fair Riverdale.

“ Jughead Jones… Of course you would come for a visit. Always snoopy around the adults’ matters.”

“ Well, you better than anyone know how this side of mine works.” He started, still not confident enough to look him in the eye. Jughead had his hands hidden inside his pockets, as he kept moving his fingers in order to keep his emotions under control. “ You taught me a lot about journalism, after all.”

“ Of course… The troublesome journalist that can’t leave things as they are. You really remind me of Alice, and that can be either a compliment or an offense depending on how you see it.” He started, a dirty smirk plastered on his face.” But journalism is not the only thing you two have in common, right? You snakes are always unpredictable no matter how long it passes.”

“ Serpents never shed their skins, after all. That’s what we do.”

“ Yes, of course… And yet, neither of you knew the identity behind the Blackhood. It took someone with a similar darkness to see behind the mask.” There was a sense of pride in his voice that made Jughead sick, and he figured he must have given that away, for Hal took an intimidating step closer to the glass wall. “ So, tell me, Jughead… How’s my daughter? How’s my Betty?"

Listening to the way her name rolled out of his tongue made a wave of anger strike him. She didn’t belong to him. Not to that despicable man who has done all those terrible things. His blood might run through her veins, but such thing means nothing even if she seems to believe it does. Betty might be his daughter, but she is her own person, with her own feelings, and eventually, her own darkness.

Even if he has always been respectful towards the father of his girlfriend, he realized that cordiality slipping away as the whole situation became clearer inside his head. That man— that murderer, did not deserve respect or simpaty anymore. He had been the source of all the pain his girlfriend went through lately, and even when he’s behind bars, he’s still there, tormenting her with his stupid predictions. He made her go through hell with that stupid blackmail and made her do things that will forever haunt her dreams.

He killed her own father, and now, if anything, he deserved to be treated like the murderer he is.

He is the Blackhood, after all.

“ She’s not yours.”

“ That’s what you think, kid. Just look into her eyes, and eventually, you will both know the truth.”

His fists clenched, his brows knitted in anger and a new feeling of confidence surpassed all the apprehension he had been feeling since he walked in. He took a step closer to the glass wall, leveling his blue eyes to Hal’s green ones and straightening his shoulders. A foreign sense of superiority took over Jughead, and now, his mind was completely set on the message he was about to deliver. “You see, Mr. Cooper—” He stopped, angling his head in a challenging way, a smirk now on his lips. “ Hal… No matter what you’ve brought yourself to believe in, Betty is not like you. She’s not an evil person who would be capable of stabbing children for a distorted ideal. Betty is—“

“ My daughter!” Hal cut his speech, clearly annoyed by the words coming out of Jughead’s mouth. “ She is—”

“ She’s free…” A side smile crossed his lips as a chuckle made its way out. His hand went to scratch the back of his neck, and it was as if his eyes were burning brighter than before. “ Betty is her own person. She’s always reinventing herself, and I honestly feel sorry for you since you won’t be able to see her becoming an incredible woman in her own way.”

“ Betty will follow her darkness! You don’t know how powerful and overwhelming it is! You’re not one of us.”

“ No, I’m not… And you’re right, Hal. I don’t know anything about her darkness. She doesn’t, either…. But I’ll be there for her whenever it becomes too much for her to handle all alone.”

“ What!?” He screamed, sarcasm present in his voice. “ Don’t fool yourself, Jughead! You can’t handle such things! You can’t control her darkness!”

“ But she can.”

“ Uh?”

“ You see, after all this time dating Betty, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about her is that she can do whatever she wants. From getting a drunk, gang member out of jail to… To loving the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Dealing with her darkness will be a piece of cake, especially since she won’t be alone. I’ll be there and we will turn this page for once and for all."

“ You don’t know her, Jughead! You don’t know Betty!”

“ Yes, I do… I know my girlfriend, Hal. I know her better than you ever will.”

“ You insolent kid!” He said, his face turning red in pure anger as he punched the glass. His eyes— which were once so nice and kind— were now revealing his true identity as they were filled with anger and hatred, just as expected from a criminal so bloodthirsty like him. Apparently, words that were nothing but the simple truth for Jughead were driving him mad to the point where he was losing his composure. Hal refused to believe the one thing that controlled his life would not be passed through his gens to his beloved daughter. He didn’t want to believe his legacy wouldn’t last, and at that moment, that teenager— the same boy who had once shyly showed up to introduce himself as his daughter’s boyfriend— was destroying everything he had built up until now.

Jughead was using simple words to tell him that, while he rotted behind bars, his biggest fear would come to reality. Betty was not going to follow the same path he did, and that kid standing in front of him would make sure of that.

That kid…. The one he should’ve just ki—

“ Maybe you should’ve just gotten rid of me, Hal.” He smirked, provoking a shocked expression on the Cooper' s face. A certain pride took over him at that moment, and he couldn’t help but feel satisfied with such response from that man. At that moment, Jughead thought, he had already said everything he wanted to say to his father-in-law. Even if those were not the original words he had rehearsed in his head, he figured the sudden changes had been necessary given he path that conversation took.

It was not like he had initially planned on confronting Hal like that, but now there was really no turning back anymore. All the words trapped inside his heart had all been said, and perhaps, it was finally time to go home.

Time to go back to her.

“ I guess I’ll be heading out now, Hal. Thank you for your time.” He said, after what felt like an eternal silence, waving a hand and finally turning on his heels. Even if he was supposed to wait for the sheriff’s assistant, Jughead didn’t want to spend another second in that room facing that man. He knew the way out, and at that moment, he just wanted to get out of there.

His combat boots started to increase the distance between them, and if it depended on the raven haired boy, he would’ve walked out of the station without saying another word to anyone. He would leave that whole thing behind so he could focus on the good things that were to come for him now.

If it depended on him, Hal Cooper would become an unfortunate memory as soon as he crossed that door.

But before that, the criminal had one last question to ask him.

One last question before he was, at last, left behind.

“ Why did you even come?! Why are you here!?” Hal’s muffled voice came louder than he had expected, and at that moment, he realized how well that thick, glass wall worked on keeping the entire town safe.

The young Serpent, then, stopped, but his head didn't turn to meet the prisoner. The boy took a deep breath, and with all the calm in the world, he parted his lips. “ I just came to tell you that I’ll take care of her… You don’t have to worry, Mr. C… Betty will be fine, I promise.”

After that, Jughead didn’t really know what Hal was screaming at him, but he knew he couldn’t care less about the threats of a condemned man. He had more important things to take care of, and he had already wasted too much of his precious time with just a simple— and apparently useless— delivery to a worried father. He kept his hands inside his pockets the entire way, and as soon as the door closed behind him, the raven haired boy could feel his chest getting lighter with each step he took towards the exit.

Visiting the Blackhood had been harder than he had originally expected, for sure.

But at least, now, he could go home.

By the time he parked his bike, he figured the babies were probably asleep. It was already late for unexpected visitors, and he knew he could’ve— should've just waited another day to see her. Betty needed to sleep, too, and since she hadn’t really had the chance to do so in the past couple of days, maybe he really should’ve just rode off.

He really should’ve just followed his way back to the trailer, but before he knew it, her house was already in his field of vision. Standing in front of her porch, and now decided to follow up his impulsive idea, Jughead already analyzed all his options, and even if he could’ve just knocked on the front door or even texted her, the sight of Archie’s ladder outside gave the young Serpent a different idea that— if anything— was filled with nostalgia.

As clumsy as one can be, the raven haired boy did his best not to make a mess or anything as he moved that thing around the yards. While making his way up,  he also made a mental note to practice more so Alice wouldn’t kill him for breaking anything whenever he needed to sneak in or out. Knowing his mother-in-law, she would be mad with the simple fact that he was invading her daughter’s room, and for some reason, a terrified smile crossed his lips at the image of the elder Cooper holding a switchblade.

She still is a Serpent, after all. And now that she wasn’t even trying to hide that side of hers anymore, he knew she would be even more dangerous than before.

A chuckle escaped his lips, and for a moment, he could feel his heart warming up a bit at the new concept of family forming inside his head. They would all be even closer from now on, and he knew good things would come from that. Still, even if he was somehow feeling happy at that moment, Jughead felt his heart sadly skipping a beat when her room came to view. Even if all the lights were out, his eyes could still see her sitting on the edge of her bed, her shoulders down and a hand coming up to wipe the tears that were probably streaming down her cheeks.

The same tears that, lately, haven’t really stopped falling.

Seeing her like that broke his heart into millions of pieces, and even if he had had the best of the intentions when he decided to stop by to check on her, there was something inside his chest telling him to simply walk away and give her some privacy at that moment. Betty was going through a delicate situation, and moments alone— even if they might be, indeed, lonely— are also important for putting her thoughts to go back to their place. She was crying and she was vulnerable, and perhaps, he should just walk away and leave her to herself, at least for that night. Yes, it would be the right thing to do. Even if he just wanted to break her window and embrace her small body, Jughead decided to give her some time, opting, instead, to climb down those stairs and go back to the trailer.

She needed that time alone to let it all out, he figured, and by the time his feet touched the ground, he had already decided to leave.

But as soon as his phone vibrated inside his pocket with a new text, he realized that, perhaps, a moment to herself didn’t mean a moment without him by her side.

Betty: Sorry for sounding desperate, but… Can you come by?

He just needed to read the last part before he was once again climbing those steps in order to meet her. On his short way up, he felt his phone vibrating a couple times more, and after the third time in a row, he decided to take a look at whoever needed him so desperately at that moment. No matter what, though, he was not going anywhere. Not when Betty needed him the most.

He was ready to ignore whoever it was, but a soft smile came to his lips as soon as he saw that all the messages were from the girl herself. He read them all, but shook his head, not taking her words seriously.

Betty: Unless you’re busy.

Betty: Forget what I said, Jug.

Betty: It’s late. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Betty:Love you.

The next message never came, for he only saw her dropping the phone on her mattress in a surprised reaction when he tapped on her window. Her head turned immediately to face him, and as startled as she was, Betty wasted no time before crossing her room to let him in. He helped her open the window, and thanks to the street lamp, he could see her face twisting when the cold breeze invaded her room with him. He was quick to close it once he was completely inside, and when he finally turned to face her, Jughead was really glad for the message that prevented him from walking away.

He was happy to see her, for sure.

But if anything, her face told him she was in no condition to be alone. Not on that night.

“ Betts…”

“ Wow…. You were incredibly fast.”

“ I was already passing by. Are you—“

“ I’m glad you were.” She wiped another tear, trying to offer him a smile as she rushed more words. “ I missed you and I guess I felt a bit lonely… Silly me, right?”

“ No, Betty!” He said, taking her hands in his, caressing her skin with his thumb. “ Not silly at all. I missed you, too and I was dying to see you today. How have you been?”

She shrugged, bitting her lip as if to try to hold back more tears. “ I don’t know…. Going, I guess.”

A sigh escaped his lips, and carefully, he brought her closer, enveloping her in a hug. “ Come here.” His arms encircled her shoulders, and he felt her tears soaking his shirt. Betty was now sobbing in his arms, and if he were to be honest, the young Serpent was relieved to have her like that. Lately, the blonde had been holding back so much for her family— and even for herself— and he was glad to see her finally letting it all out. Sure, it wouldn’t solve all of her problems, but at least, it would help her sleep better that night.

Slowly, he lead her to her bed, helping her sit and finding himself a spot next to hers. Her head was still resting against his chest, as he was carefully running his fingers through her golden locks. He kissed her head, not moving his lips away immediately, just waiting for the time when she felt comfortable enough to tell him about her day. After all they went through, there were no more secrets between them, and it was safe to say the truth would come out, sooner or later, depending on how comfortable she felt with it. On that night, they spent a couple of minutes in a delicate silence, but at last, her emerald eyes were on his blue orbs, as the dim light coming from the street made her look serenely beautiful.

“ Thank you for coming, Jug.”

“ You don’t have to thank me for that. I’m here for whenever you need me, okay?”

“… Okay.” She nodded, swallowing her tears. “ Today was not a very good day, I guess…”

“ What happened?”

“ I...” She sighed, bitting her lower lips before continuing. “ I went out to check the mail box and there were these kids... It seems so silly right now, but they started pointing at me saying I was the daughter of the Blackhood, running away and screaming that they were going to die.”

“ Oh, Betts. Don’t listen to them. They’re just kids.”

“ But they’re not wrong, Jug. I am the daughter of the Blackhood! I scare kids and whenever I look into the mirror, I scare myself... I don’t even recognize my eyes anymore, Jug!” She placed a hand over her mouth, muffling the words that seemed to be the biggest lie of the world. “ I-I wonder if my eyes were the last thing all those people saw before he killed them. I think about that and I-I... I just want to rip them off!”

“ Hey, hey!” He said, cupping her face with his hands. His thumb wiped away the tears that were furiously falling, now, and as he held her closely, he looked deep into her beautiful, green eyes. If only she could see what he sees, she wouldn’t hate them at all. They’re so soft and full of hope. When they look at him so tenderly like they always do, they make him want to be a better person so she can always watch him and be proud of the things he’s doing. He loves those eyes— he loves her. And if anything, he wants her to love them as well. “ Betts, your eyes are not like his.”

“ Of course they are, Jug! They’re exactly the same.”

“ No, they’re not! I’ve see his eyes, Betty, and I promise you they’re not like yours. Your eyes are warm. They’re calm and they look so pure and sweet whenever you’re working on a new article for the Blue and Gold! God, your eyes… Betts, whenever you look at me, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. There’s no evil behind them. They’re beautiful.”

“ How do you know? How can you be so sure, Jug?”

“ Because even when you’re looking at your family photo, you don’t look at your father with hatred or anything like that. Even if you hate him, you still look at him with the tenderness of a daughter. Evil people are incapable of loving, Betty. And that’s not you, I promise. Okay?”

Tears were now falling flat on her sweater, as she kept looking at his own, loving eyes. Tears were probably stinging her own, emerald orbs now, and if he could, he would make all her pain go away in no time. He was really worried about her, for sure, but as she slowly nodded at his question, Jughead allowed himself to relax a bit. If anything, his words were always able to calm her down, and more than ever, he was glad they were also working during such ominous times.

She trusts him, and in the same way he believes her, she believes him with her whole heart.

If evil people are really incapable of loving, then she probably had nothing to worry about, for she loves him with all her heart. Betty is sure of her feelings for him, and for now, she chose to rely on them to get over her fears.

For now, even if the whole world was telling her she couldn’t run away from her father’s bloody legacy, she was going to use her love for him to prove them wrong.

“ Okay…” She whispered, her voice sounding a bit calmer now.

“ Good.” He whispered back, his eyes drifting to her soft lips moments before he leaned down to kiss her. It was a chaste, fast kiss, but it was enough to assure her that she was safe at that moment. “ Good.”

He was going to protect her. He was going to keep her safe, and whenever that darkness tries to return to torment her again, he will be there by her side to help her illuminate her own thoughts.

To help her look into her own eyes.

Her nails dug into her palms and the blood running down her fingers prevented her from spiraling away. Finally, she managed to move, almost tripping on the short distance that separated them, and by the time she managed to reach both of the Jones man, FP slowly crumbled down, placing Jughead on the floor in between them. She was on her knees now, watching as FP’s tears streamed down his bony cheeks. He was breaking in front of her, and at that moment, she knew he wouldn’t be of any help.

Betty was going to have to take over that situation. She was going to have to do it for him, and she was going to have to be strong for all of them in order to save the love of her life.

God help him.

“ Mr. Jones….” She was biting her lips now, trying ( but clearly failing) to bring him back into this whole mess. For she was but mere inches apart from him, the blonde could make up the ghosty words his lips were forming. Cold, they said. So cold.

It was clear that he was talking about his own son, for as soon as she touched his dirty skin, the girl could feel that temperature freezing the tips of her fingers. Her heart broke a little more after that, and all she wanted to do was to keep him warm. She wanted to scream for a blanket or even for his beanie, but it was clear that there were more important things that had to be solved at that moment.

First things first, she thought, trying her best to focus her mind on anything but that desperate urge to cry.

Her shaky finger quickly went to his neck in search of his pulse, and her head was soon pressed against his chest in order to check his breathing. At that moment, there was nothing in the world she wanted most than to hear the soothing sound of his heartbeat and to feel his breath fawning over her hair. She wanted to feel the weight of his hand on the small portion of her back, and she wanted to see those icy, blue eyes of his opening up just for her.

Any reaction would be enough, but as expected, she found no sign of either vital signs. Her face felt warmer during the tears that threatened to wash her focus away, however, thanks to all of the emergency courses she took during her life, Betty had a manual in her head and she knew what to do next.

“ Someone call an ambulance!” She screamed from the bottom of her throat, startling everyone around her whose hopes had already vanished.

“ But Betty—“ Archie started, hurt and concern clear in his voice.

“ Hurry up! We have no time to waste if we want to save him!

“ There’s no reception here.” Cheryl said, trying to lift her phone in order to look for signal. They were too deep into that shitty hellhole the Ghoulies had decided to meet up, and it was no surprise to actually have no signal around there. Trying to look for it would be a waste of time, and time, for sure, was not a luxury Jughead possessed.

They needed a plan B, and they needed one as fast as possible. If they couldn’t call out for help, then—

" Sweet Pea, Toni, please! Bring them here! Go get help!”

The young Serpents were quick to understand what she meant by those words, and they wasted no time before heading towards their bikes. Even if Sweet Pea didn’t really love Betty, he knew that, at that moment, the war between North and South had nothing to do with that. Jughead’s life was in danger, and he couldn’t simply accept that fate was taking away another friend from him. Jughead was their leader. He was the one who sacrificed himself for the entire gang, and the one who stood by their side even against his childhood best friend. Just like Betty, Pea couldn’t simply watch as the boy in front of them died.

He was not going to let Jughead die.

And with a simple nod, the tall boy, the pink haired girl and her girlfriend started their engines and left in search of help. Even if there was no reception, they were going to find someone who could help, while the others tried their best to stabilize the Serpent Prince.

As she continued to examine her boyfriend’s body, Betty realized his shirt was glued to the right side of his abdomen. She was desperately trying to look for the wound, but the sole fireplace illuminating the area wasn’t enough to offer her enough light. Betty could feel herself getting madder as time went by, and if not for the sudden that suddenly came from FP’s phone, the blonde would’ve probably just kept tapping aimlessly in order to find the origin of the blood.

The flashlight wasn’t strong, but just like FP, it was going to have to be enough to be enough. She could see a little better now, and behind all the mud and the ripped clothes, the blonde finally found what she had been looking for. Bingo! There was blood coming there, she could smell it, and she knew she had to stop that as fast as she could in order to prevent him from bleeding to dea—

“ Arch! I need your help!”

When his time came, the ginger wasted no time before running to them, practically throwing himself at the floor. He watched as she removed her coach and handled it to him, clearly not minding the cold breeze striking them at that moment. Archie has never been the smartest kid around, and seeing his best friend— no, his brother— laying there, motionless, was breaking his heart; but even he could connect those dots before she could say anything.

“ Apply pressure there. You need to stop this bleeding!”

“ Betty, I-I—“

“ You can do this, Arch! He needs us.”

Even with fear clearly spread around his face, the Andrews boy did as he was told. He placed her jacket over the wound and pressed it with the strength he judged to be necessary to stop the bleeding. Red soon spread around the pink material, and no matter how terrifying it was to see that whole thing from such a short distance, the blonde knew she could count on her neighbor to take care of that while she did the rest.

Archie was also afraid of losing Jughead, but just fear wouldn’t stop him from doing the right thing. They are brothers, after all.

With the bleeding secured, and with all the orders given, the Cooper girl was finally ready to start CPR. She adjusted her position, intertwined her own fingers and placed the heels of her left hand between his nipples. She looked down at him one more time, and for a fraction of second, Betty allowed fear to cross her mind.

How the hell did they get there? How did they go form worrying about homework to her trying to literally bring him to life with her are hands?

That was not how things were supposed to be. They were supposed to be worried about stuff like football or what to wear for prom and not wether or not they would make it through the night.

Stuff like that were not supposed to happen in Riverdale. Not with the children of Riverdale. Not with them—

But then it hit her. It’s already happened. There was no turning back now and no way of undoing what was already done. Those kids couldn’t be brought back to life, lies could not be untold and everything that happened had already changed their lives. For the better or worse, neither of them were the same kids from before. They’ve experienced things no children should have, but for that, they’re a lot stronger now. They’re smarter, braver and they’re no longer alone.

They’re in love now. Betty and Jughead. They only happened because of all the things that brought them to this very moment. All the deaths, gangs, murderers and heartbreaks brought them here, together, and if anything, such terrifying episode would only bring them even closer in an even more messed up Riverdale.

It all started with Jason Blossom, but it was certainly not going to end with Jughead.

A new wave of confidence hit her and she quickly started massaging his chest according to the manual she has read so many times. The hardest thing about the whole thing was maintaining a steady rhythm— not too slow and not too fast— while she could feel an emotional breakdown just around the corner. Betty knew the recommendations were 30 compressions to 2 ventilations, and that if she could sing Staying Alive she wouldn’t make any mistakes. Yes, she knew it all, but such knowledge meant shit when her boyfriend was the one whose heart was stopped.

“ Come on, Jug. React!” She said, in between compressions, as her face was slowly getting redder due to pressure. She could feel his sternum succumbing under her weight, and if not for the fact that she was mentally keeping track of everything, Betty wouldn’t believe time was actually passing. The world around her had gone completely mute, and it was as if there were only the two of them left in the world.

After the 30th compression, her lips met his in a cold kiss, and she fought hard to ignore the disgusting taste of iron as she offered air to his lungs. His chest went up two times before she restarted the compressions, and the entire cycle restarted as they fought side by side in order to keep him alive. Again, they were doing something dangerous together. And god— she was getting tired of this.

Even if she was supposed to have another person helping, Betty was too deep into that trance to even step away in order to let someone else do the job. At that moment, she just didn’t trust anyone with his life, and all of her actions suddenly fell into an automatic rhythm, allowing her to focus on him.

To focus on the real him.

His cheeks under the mud, his blue eyes behind closed eyelids and the tons of jokes Jughead himself would be making about his own condition if he knew what was happening. He should be making her laugh instead of crying, and she made a mental note to scold him for that as soon as he recovered his senses. She was going to give him a piece of her mind when he woke up, and together, they would send all those ghoulies to the jail. They were going to pay for what they did to him, and she wouldn’t give up until she made sure of that.

“ Jughead, you better open your eyes! Y-You better open them, because we need to go to the Blue and Gold in the morning.”

Memories of their days at the school paper started to fill her mind, and before she knew it, tears were finally spilling from her eyes. Until that moment, the blonde hadn’t allowed a single one to fall, but due to the physical exhaustion, her control over her emotions were slipping away. Sweat dripped from her forehead and into his own skin, and the freezing breeze of the night made nothing to her. The adrenaline running through her veins kept her warm and filled with enough energy not to stop the compressions, and she knew that her heart was beating enough for both of them at that moment. Betty wasn’t really sure for how long she had been doing that, but there was no way she was stopping until there was a reaction from him.

“React, Jug!! Please!” She begged him, more tears falling from her red cheeks. Her ponytail was a mess right now, her clothes were all dirty in a mix of mud and blood, and she could feel her knees starting to complain for being like that for so long. Under normal conditions, even Betty would’ve already passed out, but at that moment, he needed her. He needed her in order to live, and she was not going to let him down.

Not again.

She would bring him back with her bare hands, and she would do it all by herself if she had to.

Betty was not giving up on him. She was not giving up on them.

And thankfully, neither were their friends.

“ Fuck!!”

Her screams were coming out without filter now, and she could tell that she was starting to lose her sanity as well. A different noise was invading her ears now, and for a moment, she could swear there was a new light coming from the background. She leaned down to press her lips against his another time, and in her mind, she could only whisper the last words she wanted to tell him before he hung up on her a couple of hours earlier.

I love you too, Jug. Please…

She made his chest rise up two times more, and when she lifted her head one more time, Betty could swear she saw his lips trembling, as if in a weak attempt to breath by himself.

Did he just…?

Her green eyes widened at that, and she desperately wanted to check his pulse one more time to see if that was not just another trick of her tired head. The blonde placed a hand on his cheek before lowering to his neck, but before she could even touch him again, a strong hand pulled her away from him. All her breath escaped her lungs, as her hands succumbed to the ground, and  even if she wanted to reach out and touch him again, her body just wouldn’t move.

The world around her was still mute, but flashes of light surrounded her now as people dressed in white approached his body. Sweet Pea was by their side along with FP and Archie, and as if in slow motion, she could only see as they took him away and into the ambulance.

Be careful with him, she begged in her head. She wanted to stand up and go to him, but her knees were too weak to do so. She wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn’t come out, and she just wanted to follow him, but there were more hands holding her back now. Hands warmer than any part of his cold body, and hands that were, doubtlessly, trying to protect her from the world.

Her mother was there now, along with Veronica, but Betty couldn’t care less about them for her eyes were set exclusively at the white car that was taking Jughead away from her. She wanted to be there, by his side and holding his hand, but there was no time to waste anymore. FP exchanged one, last glance with her, and quickly, the ambulance disappeared from view, taking her heart with it.

I’ll never stop loving you. Those were the words echoing in her head at that moment, as all the people cried around her. Betty couldn’t move or breath, and at that moment, for as helpless as that could feel, all she could do was hope.

Yes, at that moment, hope was all she could do, and so she did it.

Betty Cooper hoped that, soon, Jughead could, finally, fulfill his promise.

I’ll see you soon, Jug.

“ Kevin!” He called, lifting his hand up as to make himself seen. His sweet friend turned his eyes towards Jughead, and he looked quite surprised to actually be called by the raven haired boy. “ Can you come here? I kinda need to ask you something…”

The Sheriff’s son still had a confused expression across his face, but walked over to where Jughead was standing, nonetheless. The Jones boy was leaning against the gray lockers, his arms crossed over his chest and a pout plastered on his lips. The Keller kid couldn’t help but notice a certain uneasiness in his broody friend, as blue eyes constantly drifted to glare at something— or rather, someone, as he eventually discovered— while they both stood together on the hallway, and at that moment, the brown haired boy knew even his father could tell where that talk would take them.

Jughead was jealous. And— oh, that was reverting.

“ Well, it’s not like such a commoner like me can say no to the young serpents’ leader, right?” Kevin said, shifting his position as to lean his weight over his right leg. He was holding his books against his hips, and his lips were pressed into a thin like before he resumed talking. “ How can I help you, Jughead?”

“ You see… You’re Betty’s best friend, so you should probably know…” Jughead started, bitting his lip as to try to hold back the annoyance in his voice. “ Why are all those guys around Betty? Is she somehow helping them study or something?”

Kevin’s expression remained blank for a while, as he simply studied the Jones’ face. His brows frowned, and soon, he was offering Jughead one of his famous, judging— yet sweet— stares. “ Helping them study? Are you serious?”

“ Well, I don’t know…” He shrugged, a pout still on his lips. “ That could be the only explanation why they’re all after her, right?”

“ Oh my god… Straight guys are so obnoxious.”

“ Knock it off, Keller! Did she join any group or something like that to explain all those douches?”

“ Oh, she definitely joined the Single Students group."

“ Excuse me?”

“ Oh, come on, Jughead. You can’t seriously believe there are guys around Betty only when they need help with their studies.”

“ If not that, then why are they—“

“ Because she’s hot, Jughead!” The Serpent’s lips parted in awe at the way Kevin voiced those words, and suddenly, was as if something hit him really hard in the stomach. " You better than anyone should know that. She’s hot, and mostly, she’s available!”

His blue eyes widened, and Jughead could feel his heart beating faster in a feeling he couldn’t quite explain. For the first time in years, Jughead was left speechless, as nothing came up in his mind for him to contradict his friend. He was shocked, and mostly, he didn’t like hearing his own thoughts being said by someone else in such a straight way.

Apparently, Kevin really is his father’s son.

“ I-I still… I don’t…”

“ Oh, lord, I didn’t pick you for a guy of looks instead of brains, Jones.” Kevin sighed, massaging his temples. After taking a deep breath, he calmed down and decided to go easier on Jughead. It was not like his life was allowing him to ratiocinate lately. “ Look, I’m sorry for saying it like that. I know you guys have been going through a lot lately, so let me try to rephrase it all.” He scratched the back of his head, as he watched Jughead’s face getting sadder at the sound of the blonde’s laughter. “ You see… Even if she’s not aware of it, Betty is the most beautiful girl of this school. She’s smart, she’s sweet and she’s gorgeous with those green, baby-doll eyes of hers. Every boy in school would’ve died to have a chance with her, but she never paid any attention to them. Not when she still believed in that whole Archie thing and— well… Not when she had you.”

Jughead nodded at Kevin, finally following his words. He didn’t like to hear that last part as a past sentence, for, regardless of anything, Betty still has him. She always will. The writer placed his hands inside his pockets, and waited for his friend to continue. “ You guys got together, then, and people respected that. I mean, you guys were Bughead, aka the cutest couple of Riverdale. Always sleuthing together, solving Jason’s murder and being there for each other. It was really sweet, and everyone respected that enough to leave her alone, even if you have always been a loser— no offense.” He said, apologetic, to which Jughead simply shrugged. It was the truth, after all.

“ None taken…”

“ Good, uh… Well, and then everything happened and you moved to the South Side. The douches of this school even thought about bugging her, at first, but then you became a Serpent and they were all kinda afraid of you and your new, dangerous friends.”

“ And why aren’t they afraid anymore? I’m still a Serpent and I’m closer than ever now that the schools have merged. Following your logic, shouldn’t they leave her alone?”

“ Well, they should if you guys were still… You know, together. After the rumors that you broke up with her because of that pink haired chick, they all figured it would be safe to go after our beloved, girl next door.”

“ What!? Toni was not the reason why we broke up! That’s ridiculous!”

“ Well, I know that. You know it, too, and so does Betty, but they don’t. They should, because, you know, you’re not Archie, and you wouldn’t be that much of an idiot to choose that disrespectful girl with weird hair and—“

“ Kevin. Focus.”

“ Oh, sorry… It’s just that she insulted THE ponytail. Still, my point is: You guys are not a couple anymore. And even if I totally shipped Bughead and got pretty sad when Betty told me what happened, I’m glad she’s receiving all this attention now.”

“ What the hell, Keller?!” Jughead placed his hands on his hips, clearly feeling all that anger boiling up inside him. He suddenly started to get mad at Kevin for his words, and he knew there was no logic behind his reaction. Still, it was not like he could hold it back. “ You know all these guys are douches! She’s so much better than all of them!”

“Oh, I know… Betty is a lot better than all of us, but… I like the idea of my best friend feeling appreciated and wanted. She looked like shit when you guys broke up, and as a friend with protective instincts, I can’t not be happy to see her better. So, as her friend, unless you’re willing to solve things and make her happy again, Jones, I won’t let you hurt her anymore. Nothing personal.”

The confidence and firmness on Kevin’s voice shook something inside Jughead, and suddenly, the amicable atmosphere around them became serious and the tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The Sheriff’s son was definitely showing how intimidating he could be in front of the serpent’s prince, and the way he didn’t even flinch when standing up to Betty was certainly admirable.

Kevin has always been a god friend to Betty. They’ve always been together, and if there was one opinion that mattered to Jughead at that moment, it was certainly that boy’s. He only wanted the best for Betty— they both did— but unlike Jughead, Kevin certainly had a clearer vision of things.

Even if it kinda sucked to have heard his words, better than anyone, the raven haired writer knew he had no right to ruin her happiness after what he did to her. He wanted her to be happy— Damn it, he wanted to be the one to make her happy, but perhaps, that was not up to him anymore.

Perhaps, it was now up to The-Third-Period-Asshole.

“ Okay! I’ll see you later, Betsy!”

Tch, as if.

How could that asshole not know that she hates being called Betsy? It reminds her of a cow’s name, and there was no way a guy like that would be able to make her smile. No, that guy could not be the one. Even the one from the 1st period was better with his weird, cuticles fetish.

Honestly, what was wrong with that school?

The bell finally rang and after muttering a ‘thank you’, Jughead let Kevin go to his class. A sigh escaped his lips, indicating he was certainly not excited about biology at that moment, and he finally turned to open his locker and grab his books. He span the combination, giving the locker a little bump in order to open, and took the green book that was lined next to his edition of Huckleberry Finn, which, for a moment, made him consider skipping classes so he could read a couple of chapters.

It would certainly help him calm down a little and help him think about what to do next.

A smirk crossed his face at the memory of Betty scolding him for hiding at his emergency closet under the stairs so he could avoid going to gym. She looked incredibly cute with that angry pout, and it was as if he could still hear the words she told him that day. She said something lik—

“ Jughead Jones, what on earth do you think you’re doing?”

His eyes snapped in shock. He certainly had that memory fresh in his head, but he didn’t know her voice would sound so clear in his head, as if she was standing right next to him. He tried to ignore it, at first, but the sudden poke he felt on his shoulder told him that, apart from being inside his head, there was a very mad blonde standing right behind him.

Oh, well…

It certainly took him some seconds to turn, but when he did, his eyes didn’t miss the angry features of her face. Her green eyes were glaring at him, her hands were on her hips and even if he tried not to think of how beautiful she was, Jughead didn’t miss the scold she was holding in her throat. He certainly didn’t know what he did in order to bring such reaction on her, but he couldn’t help but think it wasn’t all that bad. “ Betts… Hey, what’s wrong?”

“ What’s wrong? Oh, don’t play dumb on me! You know exactly what you did.”

“ Okay… If you’re talking about that time I glued Archie to his seat in first grade, then, I guess you can be mad. Though I gotta say he was trying to steal one of my stickers!”

“ So it really was you!!”

“ I was just a kid!” He threw his hands up in defeat, as the small girl glared at him furiously.

“ And so was Archie! God, Jughead! Though I-I’m not talking about this!”

“ You aren’t? Then why are you mad at me this time?”

“ Why do you keep glaring at them?”

“ What?” His expression went blank, as he really had no idea of what she was talking about. He knows he tends to glare at a lot of people, but at that moment, she would have to be a bit more specific.

“ You’ve heard me! Look, you broke up with me, remember? That takes away your right to be jealous, therefore you can’t keep glaring at every single guy that comes talk to me!”

“ Jealous? I’m not jealous! And I’m not glaring at all of the guys that talk to you! I-I didn’t even know there were guys talking to you!”

“ Jug, you’ve glared at the janitor yesterday.”

“ That guy looked like a predator. This school has a historic with these people.”

“ He was asking me about the recycling, trash cans!”

“ Well… At least he’s a green guy.” He smirked, certainly not missing the chance of making one if his trademark comments.

“ Jughead!”

“ Okay! Okay… I can’t help it, okay? Logic tells me I shouldn’t be acting like that, but I just can’t stop it! It’s stronger than me, Betty… Stronger than us.”

“ Tch, you’re impossible, Jughead!” She let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. Her eyes were adverting his, and after trapping her lower lip in between her teeth, the Cooper girl finally allowed her anger to die from her face. She looked calmer, now. She looked like she was feeling nostalgic and even a little mad at herself for not being mad at all, and even if he wanted to hug her at that moment and say something that would make her laugh; Jughead held back. He couldn’t make things worse, after all. “ Look… You’re gonna set the school on fire if you keep glaring at them. They fear you and the Serpents, and it won’t tale long before Reggie and the others decide to start a fight. People will get hurt and you—“

Betty stopped herself. She bit the insides of her mouth to keep any embarrassing word to leave her throat. She wanted to continue that phrase. God— she wanted to finish so many other phrases around him, and tell him she worried about his safety in the same way he worried about hers, but she knew she couldn’t. Not that time, and certainly not until he made the first move to fix things between them.

There was no denying he still held her heart, and she never made that a secret between them. He knew she still loved him and she knew her feelings were reciprocated, yet, they needed more than just love to take the next step on their relationship. They needed to get back their mutual trust and perfect connection, and that wouldn't happen until he brought back that courage he seemed to have lost.

This time, it was going to be up to him.

And he would better be fast, for she was already getting tired to pretend to like all the attention from those guys on her feet. She didn’t know for how long she would be able to keep up with that act, especially not when she could clearly see him there, with those beautiful, blue eyes and that provocative jealousy she somehow became to find hot.

God, that weirdo was going to be the end of the perfect, girl next door.

“ Betty… I—“

“ Ms. Cooper, we’re waiting for you.” The firm, judging words that came from her math teacher were enough to bring both of them back to reality. The middle-aged teacher was looking at her from the entrance of his class, and by the look on his face, he was certainly not happy to see his best student talking to a Serpent. He was tapping his foot on the floor, and at that moment, Betty realized she could not escape her destiny.

She finally shook her head, taking a deep breath before turning to face her teacher. “ I’m sorry, sir. I’m on my way.” Her eyes turned to meet his one more time, and at that moment, something different lit inside both of the teens. It was as if their eyes could talk, and they were definitely provoking and forcing each other to step out of that stupid comfort zone they had both entered after the beginning of that civil war. She nodded at him and he nodded back, and soon, she was walking away towards the classroom. He watched her all the way, and was impressed when she suddenly turned to face him one more time before entering the class. Her glare was back, but that time, it felt warm and kind just like it used to when they were together.

“ And don’t you dare skipping class, Jughead! Your book can wait!”

And so, as the teacher closed the door behind her, he allowed his lips to turn up in a smirk. He was impressed by how she had managed to use the same words from before, and even if that brought him a warm nostalgia, Jughead knew he couldn’t simply ignore all that had happened during that break. From his own feelings while he watched her with another guy, to Kevin’s words and, especially, the way their eyes met in that silent talk; Jughead knew there was something new and important there that neither of them had dared to say.

Damn it— there were so many things they had yet to say to each other. So many things being repressed and ignored, and by two hearts that were so pure and young like theirs. It was too much for them to bare, and— fuck, they were both too tired of that.

Tired of acting like the adults their parents never were, and tired of sacrificing everything in order to keep the peace between two sides of a small town. They were tired of believing they would actually be safer if they were sadder.

Betty and Jughead were tired of keeping each other apart.

And at that moment, as he rescued his Huckleberry friend from his locker, Jughead Jones knew exactly what he was going to do.

Josh Summers was back. He had approached her the day before during the third period, and god— how she wanted him to shut up.

For the past 10 minutes he had been talking about all the different kinds of exercises to work his biceps, and all the times he called her ‘Betsy' made her feel like vomiting. She had already given up on paying attention to his words for a while now, choosing, instead, to smile and nod like a polite girl her mother once trained her to be. Her fingers were thumping against the cover of her history book, her ears were trying to find a different story on the hallway, and her eyes were desperately searching for him.

It had been over 24h since their intense conversation, and Betty was dying to spot that beanie in the middle of the sea of students that was now Riverdale High. She found herself looking for him the entire day, going to places she normally wouldn’t go, until she decided to simply wait for him to cross her path in the hallways of their lockers. When she got there, things were calm and silent around her, but it didn’t take long until Josh came around to ruin her peace.

Jocks, she thought.

How could she ever keep up a long conversation with a guy like that? The things he loves are the ones she despises, and she had lost count on how many grammar mistakes or slangs he had said so far.

There was no passion. There was no charm. God, there was no sarcasm in his words, and at that moment, she was begging for a literature reference to fill her ears like music.

One of the things she missed the most after their break up was definitely that intelligent way he handled the words. They would always be talking about important issues, their book discussions were thrilling and whenever he left her a note, she would spend hours admiring his lexical choices.

Jughead had certainly raised the bar too high in her life before he left, and she couldn’t help but hate him a little for that.

Fortunately, he was ready to come back and take the responsibilities over his actions.

“ So, Betsy, are you free this Friday night?”

“ Oh, Josh, I’m sorry, I—“

“ She’s kinda busy, man.” Jughead suddenly showed up from behind the girl, lazily resting his arm on her shoulder. There was a sly smirk on his face, and she couldn’t help but feel flustered when he winked at her.

Oh, that boy…

“ Excuse me?” Josh started, trying stand up for his ground. “ Who are you to answer for her, Jones?”

“ Well, I’m the guy who will be taking her out this Friday Night. Just for your information.”

“ Yeah, right…” Josh smirked, not believing the raven haired boy’s words. “ Betty is a good girl. She would never go out with a thug like you.”

“ Hey, Josh!” She started, her cheeks puffing in anger. “ He’s not a—“

“ It’s okay, Betts. He’s right. I’m a thug. I’m the future leader of the Serpents, and that certainly makes me a bad guy.”

“ Of course it does. You’re no good for her.”

“ You’re probably right about that.”

“Jug…” She whispered in concern as her eyes were looking for his.

“ I know I’m no good for her, but hey… It’s not like you’re not making any progress here, Ol’Mcdonald.”

A giggle escaped Betty’s lips, and Jughead couldn’t help but smile at that. They were both exchanging those secretive looks of theirs, and seeing how lost Josh was just made things a lot funnier at that moment.

When it comes to Betty Cooper, no one can beat Jughead Jones.

Especially not The-Third-Period-Asshole.

“What's so funny, Jones?”

“ Oh, don’t worry… It’s probably too much for your brain.”

“ You…  You don’t know who you’re messing with, you freak. I can—“

“ You can what?” Jughead started, leaning forward to glare at the jock. His eyes suddenly turned colder and intimidating, and it was as if the entire hallway went mute. During those past few weeks, he had certainly learned a thing or two from the Serpents, and if anything, he was never going to let people intimidate him again. He was not afraid of that guy.

That guy was afraid of him.

“ I-I… I will—“

“ I can’t hear you, man… Try using simple words like 'I’m sorry’ or just ‘okay’. And keep your voice down. Serpents don’t like loud noises.”

A drop of sweat ran down the back of his neck, and Jughead didn’t know exactly what changed his mind, but after muttering a really low ‘okay’, Josh walked away without even saying goodbye to Betty. He figured others wearing leather jackets had showed up behind him, and that image only made him hold up that smirk he had plastered on his face as they simply watched Josh walking away in such a hurried pace. All the other students that had witnessed the show were left confused, but ended up minding their own lives in fear of being tracked by one of the gang members.

Apparently, Kevin was right. The students really were afraid of him, and even if he wasn’t a fan of that situation, it would have to do for the time being.

If they were afraid, then, at least, they would keep him alone. And after that little show, they would also keep her alone.

Oh, but she wouldn’t keep him alone, for sure.

“ Jughead Jones, what did I tell you about scaring people!?” She was mad at him, her brows knitting down as she sent him the famous Cooper glare.

“ Oh, Betts…” His expression softened, and after taking his arm from her shoulder, he used his hand to scratch the back of his neck. “ What else was I supposed to do?”

“ I don’t know. Maybe being polite? God, that guy is terrified right now.”

“ Well, at least he won’t keep calling you Betsy anymore.” He smirked at her, and he could see how hard she tried to hold back her own smile after that.

“ That’s true, but scaring him felt a little too much.”

“ Trust me, Betts. He’s a big boy who knows how to clean himself. I’m sure he will be fine.”

“ Gosh, Jug…” She sighed, her lips finally lifting up a bit as she leaned her back against the locker. Her eyes searched for his, and at that moment, it was as if the whole threatening words had simply lost their importance for her. There was a soft expression on her face, and as she looked at him, he could feel himself slowly being pulled towards by her sweet magnetism. “ Why did you even do that for? I mean, I know you were bothered by him yesterday, but why suddenly changing into attacking mode?”

Jughead suddenly felt something changing inside of him. He hadn’t noticed before, but she was looking extremely gorgeous that morning. Her golden ponytail was as tight as ever, her eyes were shining with a kind spark, and her heart shaped lips looked especially soft as she stood less than an arm-length away from him. He could feel his eyes drafting from her eyes to her lips, and before he knew it, he was standing a lot closer than before, for her perfume was invading his nostrils now.

She smelled like summer, in a pure scent of vanilla and strawberry, and suddenly, he found himself lost in that game they’ve been playing for a while now. The words wouldn’t form in his head, and again, Jughead didn’t know how to actually answer that question.

Well, at least not with proper words.

The boy took one, deep breath before finally leaning in to press his lips against hers. It was soft— as he had expected— and he could feel a bunch of emotions rushing back in into his heart at the long lost touch. Even if he had been the one to make the move, the blonde answered that kiss almost immediately, and he could feel her smiling against his lips.

Betty was kissing him back. Damn it, he was actually kissing Betty after so long.

It was a chaste kiss for he was very aware of the eyes that were set on them, but it was still a kiss he wouldn’t forget that soon. Their lips moved in synch, and he didn’t really know when his hands found their way to her waist. He was pulling her closer with a certain pressure on his fingertips, and he knew if they didn’t stop that soon enough, he would certainly need to use the janitor’s room.

Sigh Hormones…

They soon parted that kiss, but their faces still remained pretty close to one another. Soft smiles were gracing their lips, and if not for the bell ringing on the background, neither of them would’ve moved from that incredibly comfortable position.

“ Finally…” Betty whispered. His lips turned into a smirk, for he knew she was not talking about the history class she would have up next.

“ I guess I needed a little push.”

“ You certainly did… Who would’ve thought all you needed was some competition, right, Juggie?” She teased, still not able to drop that silly smile that had taken over her lips.

“ Competition? Pff.. As if. None of those guys have a beanie as awesome as mine.”

She chuckled, taking her fingers to his face so she could play with his loosened lock of hair. She looked at his crown shaped beanie, too, but suddenly returned her gaze to his eyes. “ I guess you have a point… You know I’ve always had a thing for hats.”

“ That’s elementary, my dear Watson.”

Her cheeks turned redder, and at that moment, Betty could certainly say she was happy. Having him there, with her and making all those comments felt just too good and natural, as if he had never really stopped. She had missed his lips so much, and oh— she couldn’t wait for school to be over so they could make up for the lost time.

They were both happy at that moment, for they knew they were exactly where they should be. They were together and in love, and at that moment, nothing else mattered.

Even if Tom was already gone from their lives, the scars left by him were still spread around her body. The images Veronica sent him— even if a little blurred— were enough to send chills down his spine due to imagining the whole thing actually happening to her. Betty has always been the more delicate girl he has ever known, and the idea of her skin stained in hematoma broke his heart into millions of pieces.

It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel palpable, and it certainly felt as if it was all just a lie and that those pictures were from someone else.

It felt surreal, and for him, it would never stop feeling like that until—

“ I want to see it.” His words came out as a whisper, and at first, he didn’t even realize he had actually voiced out those thoughts. He felt her hand stiffening, her eyes suddenly widened, and for a moment, he realized how that unintentional authoritarian tone affected her. Blue eyes also widened for a moment, but soon, they softened yet again as they came to meet green ones. “ I mean… Can I?”

The blonde didn’t say a single acceptance word to his question, but the way her eyes looked at him was the only confirmation he needed at that moment. There was a silent agreement hidden behind their irises, and even if there were also feelings such as shame and fear, both Betty and Jughead knew that if anything, their love would be stronger than any of that.

Their love would keep her from fading in her own shame. Their love would keep him from running away in his own fears. Their love would keep them together through and through.

As the raven haired boy slowly moved his hand to the back of her left one, he could feel as she slowly surrendered to his touch. His heart was beating faster in anxiety, yet he managed to keep himself concealed as he slowly started to fold the white sleeve of her cheerleading outfit. Her eyes were focused on his fingers, and it didn’t take long before he saw a mix of purple and red creeping from under her clothes.

He could feel his heart breaking at every new inch of skin exposed, and he saw as tears started to pool around her eyes. She was biting her lower lip in apprehension, and at that moment, when he realized how uncomfortable that whole thing was making her, Jughead opted to stop around the middle of her forearm. His eyes had already seen enough for his broken heart to be convinced, and he figured there was no reason to keep on forcing their eyes to the same, bruised pattern of colors.

So it really was true, he thought. So that bastard had really gone that far to break her like that and to make her feel ashamed of herself because of him.

“ Why…?” He said, in a tone that only she could hear. “ Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“….” She took a deep breath, finally releasing her lower lip from her teeth. “ I was ashamed…”

“ Of what, Betty? You don’t have to be ashamed because of what that bastard did to you. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“ Of course there is, Jug. I-I… I could’ve left him. I could’ve done something to stay away, but I was stubborn and didn’t want to leave.” Her lips were trembling much like when they talked after his disastrous birthday party, and he could still see that there was something hidden deep within that was just destroying her.

There was more that she had to tell him.

And even if he didn’t want to force her to say anything, he knew she would never be free unless she let that out.

“ Then why didn’t you?” His voice was soft, and his eyes were on her face, trying to read her in the same way he always does.

“ Because of you.” She watched as his eyes widened in shock, not really understanding where she was trying to get with that. He wasn’t foolish enough not to recognize his own share of guilt in all that, but he was certainly not expecting her to tell him that soon— if ever, knowing how her selfless heart works. The raven haired boy, then, remained quiet, and she took that chance to let it all out. “ After… After you broke up with me, God— I was so angry at you, Jug. I was mad for seeing everything happening again and for seeing you let the world do as it pleased to our hearts! I tried to ratiocinate, I really did, but… But all that thinking just made even madder at you and at myself. And then, after a couple of weeks—“

“ You met Tom, right?”

“ Yeah, I did… And I already knew he was a jerk back then. Damn it, anyone could tell that after spending two minutes with him. I knew he would never be as good as you in anything, and perhaps that’s what made me choose him. I wanted to show you that I could be with someone else that was as labeled as me. I was going to turn him into the opposite of you, and that would… That was supposed to have made me feel better.” She bit her lower lip, fighting the urge to dig her nails into her palms. He could see the struggle spread around her face, and at that moment, something told him her story had just reached the point of no return.

“ What went wrong?”

“ Everything.” She smiled bitterly, licking her lips before continuing. She started shaking a bit, trying to gather courage to continue. “ My personal revenge was working just fine until the day when he… When he had one of his violent strikes. I knew I should’ve left that day. I knew I should’ve just talked to someone, but… I felt like I deserved that.”

“ Deserved?” His eyes widened and anger started to boil inside his veins. “ Betty, you would never deserve anything like that!”

“ Maybe you’re right, Jug, but… But I had no right to do what I did. I tried to use him to get revenge on you, and somehow, I got what I deserved.” Her face started to turn redder, and even if he was shaking his head in a way to tell her her words weren’t true, she started to nod in agreement. “ I deserved it, Jug. I knew I did, but then I lost control of everything and I saw myself getting cornered with every bad decision I made, and soon… Soon I was feeling like a coward.”

“ You were not a coward, Betty. That bastard was the one who cornered you with violence. He is the coward.”

“ I was the one who was scared, Jug. Scared of me, scared of Tom… I was afraid my life would forever be ruled by that constant fear and that I would— That you would never be able to look at me like you used to. I was so ashamed of doing what I did… I still am. And god— I’m sorry, Jughead. I’m so so sorry.”

She started to bite her lip again, closing her eyes as to avoid looking at him, and he could see how truly broken she was. Betty was hurt in more ways than he could tell, but her physical bruises were probably the last of her concerns. She was afraid and ashamed for things that had more to do with her than with Tom, and at that moment, he didn’t know it was possible to get even madder at that jock for what he did to such a sweet and kind girl like her.

He had traumatized her. He had made her think that it was all her fault and that she would never really escape his hands. Tom had broken her in a way that not even all of her insecurities together had over the years, and Jughead just hated him so much for destroying everything she had built during the past few months.

Maybe he shouldn’t have stopped punching Tom. Maybe he should’ve just killed that bastard, even if he had to face all those nasty consequences later. Maybe he should—

His thoughts were suddenly disturbed by the feeling of her wet tears falling over her wounded wrist and his fingers. His eyes widened in pure hurt, and just like back then, he felt himself being brought to his senses by her fragility.

Of course, he thought. There was no use in thinking about Tom anymore and all the other ‘What if’s that had been crossing his mind lately. Not when she was crying in front of him.

Not when she really needed him.

Soft and almost inaudible sobs started to escape her throat, and in a blink of an eye, all of his hatred turned to compassion, and he could feel himself getting stronger, not because he wanted to, but because he had to in order to bring her back from that hellhole the world had thrown her in.

Jughead had to be strong for her. He had to be stronger so she could be stronger, too.

By the way her eyes widened, he could easily tell that the sudden brush of his fingers against her skin brought her back from whatever lightless place she had chosen to hide at that moment. She watched in awe as the tips of his fingers ghosted over her bruised skin, drawing irregular patters around it in an incredibly soothing way. He outlined the hematoma, tracing the blue web of veins near her wrist, brushing through her scared palms, and finally, placing his fingers in between hers. Jughead locked them there, making sure their hands were messily intertwined, and giving her a reassurance squeeze.

At that moment, Betty didn’t move a single muscle under his touch. She simply watched in awe and with her lips parted, as he embraced all that new ugliness and all those different colors that were now sewed to her body. Her heart skipped a beat, then, as he slowly lifted her wrist, bringing it to his lips so he could kiss all bruised places with all the delicacy in the world.

Jughead was kissing the new parts of her she was so ashamed of, and with that kiss, he was telling her that even with those bruises— that even with those memories and traumas— he would still love her in the same, unconditional way he always has, if not more. His eyes finally met hers as to prove his intentions, and for the first time, the tears he saw falling from her face held a certain hope in them.

She was feeling relieved, grateful and accepted; and just like when she first showed him her scars, Betty allowed herself to let go of all of her insecurities, slowly leaning in to capture his lips. It was a soft, chaste kiss that was immediately answered, and with that, it was as if they were sealing all their solved troubles away. With that hopeful kiss, she knew he was going to embrace that new, broken part of her until she could build herself back.

No matter what, he was still going to love her with all the same dedication, care and trust he always has.

No matter what, he will forever see her as his beloved Betty Cooper.

“ We’ll get though this, I promise.” He whispered, brining her head to rest against his chest and soothing the area behind her neck with his hand. “ You’ll be okay, Betty.”

And that is why she loves him so much.

-the end

As he was uselessly trying to return to his dreams, the raven haired boy didn’t notice as her feet crossed the entire carpet until she was standing just a few inches away from him, her head dipped down so her lips were almost brushing his ears. Jughead certainly couldn’t tell how long she stood there, but he was only able to identify her presence when he felt the air shift near him once she finally took a deep breath. He, then, quickly turned around, but it was way too late for the raven haired boy to stop whatever adorably evil plan Betty Cooper had prepared for him.

“Merry Christmas, Jug!”

His eyes widened at the unexpected scream that escaped her lips, and before he could even allow his brain to think straight, a surprised — and definitely not scared— scream escaped his own lips. His body shook under the covers, as his girlfriend’s childish act almost made him fall out of bed, and it didn’t take long for her laughter to fill the room.

That pesky girl, he thought, as he stilled his breathing.

He was certainly not going to let her get away with that. He would get his revenge and she would pay for making a fool out of him.

Or at least that was what he had in mind until his eyes finally turned to see the source of such automatic reaction.

“ Didn’t know you were such a scaredy cat, Jug.”

Oh, that girl…

As he felt the edge of the mattress shifting under her weight, Jughead almost had to remind himself to breath due to the astonishing beauty in front of him. Her harlow-gold hair was falling over her shoulders, her cheeks were blushing in a darker shade of pink due to her laughter, and her green eyes— even if half covered by her eyelids— were showing nothing but the purest innocence of a christmas morning. Betty looked stunning as she carelessly allowed herself to let out genuine laughter, and he could bet she had no idea how much she was affecting him at that moment.

She was making him feel happy and excited, and it wasn’t even 9am. His girlfriend certainly had a contagious joy in that pretty smile of hers, and he was certainly not going to be the one to resist it. Not when he could still have his revenge over her.

“Oh, you!” Jughead started, a smirk playing around his lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He saw as her expression changed and he heard her gasp just before pulling her small body underneath his. “ You’re not escaping your mortal fate, Elizabeth Cooper!”

She chuckled, again. “ what do you mean, Jug— No!!” Betty couldn’t even finish her sentence before a new wave of uncontrollable laughter took over her. She could feel her body contracting itself as his hands wandered around her skin, tickling her in all the possible places he managed to reach. Her face was getting redder, her hands shifted from her belly to his hands in a weak attempt to pull him away, and she just couldn’t breath. Perhaps she shouldn’t have woken him up before 10am. “ S-Stop it, Jug! haha S-Stop!”

“ Nope! You know the rules!”

“ I-I’m sorry! I-I—“

“ What? I didn’t hear you, Betty? Did you just say you’re sorry?”

“ Y-Yes! I’m sorry, Jughead! I-I can’t breath!!”

“Uhm… Should I let you go so easily?” He said, smirking down at her.

“ Y-Yes! P-please, Jug! I’m gonna die!”

“ Oh, come on… You can improve your game, Cooper.”

“Y-You…You can have my pancakes!”

“ Now we’re talking.”

After what felt like an eternity, he finally stopped his hands and the girl managed to breath. Her eyes were closed, her chest was going up and down frantically, almost brushing his, and it was only when he felt her hot breath tickling his lips that Jughead realized the position in which they were left.

Betty was exhausted underneath him, her hair splayed around the pillow and her pj's shirt lifted high enough so her navel was exposed. She smelled like lilies, her cheeks were still red, her lips parted— and fuck,  as soon as her eyes lazily opened to look at him, Jughead felt his throat going dry and his heart skipping a beat.

His girlfriend was beautiful, and as she laid there, completely unaware of what she was doing to his boyish senses, Jughead couldn’t help but curse himself for those kind of thoughts on a christmas morning. Santa would never forgive him, and Alice Cooper would murder him, for sure.

He could not have those thoughts, no.

“ Jug?”

But, god, she wasn’t making things any easier for him.

“ Betty, I-I… “ He blushed a little, earning a giggle from the girl. All his thoughts were written all over his face, and at that moment, she realized it could be her chance to get her own revenge for making her give up on her pancakes.

Without wasting another second, the blonde lifted her head and captured his lips in a chaste kiss that lasted long enough to take his breath away. His lips, as always, were soft and she couldn’t help but enjoy how it felt to have his body slowly pressing down against hers. His hand slowly made its way to her waist, and as soon as she pulled away, Betty could see how she had left him confused. Another chuckle took over her lips, and she felt an unusual pleasure at the defeated smirk that took over his expression.

“ You know… Your mother is just outside this door. If she sees us like this, she’s going to murder me.”

“ I know… But we can pretend there’s a mistletoe above our heads.”

“ Of course.” He sighed, as his eyes shifted from hers to her lips. “ Because inside your sister’s room is the perfect place for a mistletoe.”

“ We’re certainly a weird family, don’t you think?”

“ I’m sure you are.” He pressed another firm kiss on her lips, and at that moment, he knew better than to believe his girlfriend was as scared of her mother as he was. He tried to hold back, and— god, he just couldn’t believe he had found himself wishing Alice’s supernatural senses would interrupt them again. Their bodies were pressed against one another, her hands were traveling around his free, dark locks, and he could feel her tongue pecking at his lips.

His girl would be the death of him, for sure. She was so confident and so eager to keep doing what she was doing, and he couldn’t help but wish she continued with her actions, even if just for a little longer.

He couldn’t help but wish for her, even if just for a little longer.

But neither of them should ever doubt Alice’s perfect timing.

“ Betty, hurry up! Just throw some water on him and get this with over already!”

The scream coming from downstairs made both of them stop their actions. She was left biting her lower lip, and he allowed a sarcastic smirk to take over his expression. Of course she wouldn’t miss that opportunity.

“ Maybe we should go downstairs before my mom actually comes up with a bucket of water.”

“ Yeah… “ He started, moving away from her body and sitting up. He watched from the corner of his eye as she did the same, trying to adjust her vest so her mother’s perfectionist eyes couldn't detect anything. Betty pulled her hair up in her characteristic ponytail, and smiled at him before standing up.

“ Come on… Let’s go open the presents.”

“ You go on ahead. I won’t stand in the middle of a Cooper moment.”

“ What are you talking about, Jug?” She frowned, a glimpse of sadness taking over her eyes as she watched him scratching the back of his neck.

“ Ah, you know… Your parents invited me to stay here and I feel really good and all, but… This is a family moment. Your family moment.”

“ Jug, don’t say—“

“ Besides, it’s not like there’s anything for me downstairs.”

Even if there was a small smile on his lips, Betty could see how he actually felt inside. Once again, he was feeling left out and that was certainly something she didn’t want present in his life ever again. Even if she understood how troubled things were around his life at that moment, it didn’t mean she would let him spend the holidays feeling as if there was no space for him under her family’s christmas tree. He’s the love of her life and a part of her family, and wether he liked it or not, Jughead would be going downstairs with her.

Without hesitating, the blonde walked up to him, and without bothering to listen to his protests, pulled him up from the bed and towards the door that would take them to the living room. He tried to tell her it was okay and that he didn’t mind, but she certainly did and she was not going to let him skip a christmas morning like that. Especially not after what she had done the previous night after he went to bed.

“ Betty, calm down! I really don’t wanna—“

“ Enough, Jughead Jones! You’re going downstairs with me, and you’re going not only because you’re a part of my family but also because you never know what Santa might have left for you under the tree!”

“ …What?” He stopped her, finally using his strength to hold her in place.

“ What did you not understand, Forsythe?”

The confused and embarrassed look on her face was enough to tell him exactly what he needed to know. The girl who had been kissing him just a couple of moments before was now standing right in front of him, and using Santa’s name to tell him there was something for him under the Cooper’s christmas tree. She was also rubbing the words my and family on his face, and even if most of the times he chooses to ignore when people try to use the volume of their voices on him, Jughead was certainly not going to ignore her.

Not when she meant everything she was saying at that very moment.

Not when that was probably the best present he could’ve ever asked for that year.

Jughead Jones must have been a really good boy.

His eyes, then, softened and she felt his hand squeezing hers in an affectionate way. Her heart skipped a beat when he reached out for her cheek with his other hand, and she allowed her own lips to curl up when his thumb brushed against her cheek. “ Thank you, Betty.”

A soft smile took over her lips, then, and she simply nodded in return. “ Come on… They’re waiting for us.”

She only allowed him to put his beanie on before both of them went downstairs to meet the rest of the family. Hal was on the couch, reading the paper; Polly was sitting next to the tree with a hand over her big belly; and Alice had her arms crossed over her chest, giving them the famous ‘you’re late’ look. When his eyes finally started to wander around the living room, it didn’t take long before he caught the side of an extra sock hanging on the fireplace, and he could feel his chest getting warmer at the sight of his name followed by a small, sewed crown. He gave his girlfriend a soft look, and as she held his arm, they both went towards the couch so the whole thing could actually start.

“ Now that the whole family is here…” Alice started, her lips almost curling up. “ Let’s do this, shall we?”

For she was standing closer to the tree, Polly was the first to grab one of the boxes. It was a small one, wrapped in green and with a red lace on top. The card held Alice’s name, and by the look on Hal’s face, the girls could tell he had actually listened to his daughters and bought his wife something different from the anual bickering gifts they exchange. The matriarch of the house, at first, tried to hold back the smile that threatened to take over her lips when she opened the box, but couldn’t and ended up giving in the urge to plant a small kiss on her husband's cheek. Apparently, she had loved the necklace Betty and Polly had picked the other day at the store, and if Alice Cooper was happy, then Christmas that year was safe.

The following boxes went to Polly and the future babies, as the entire family decided to give her a bunch of stuff for the upcoming Coopers-Blossoms. Even if Jughead had told Betty to give them blood transfer cupons for when they were born, the future godmother decided to stick with dippers and baby clothes. There were also couple of presents for Hal, who had been more than happy to get some new pens and some electronic devices he would probably never learn how to use. He would also be happier if he got things such as a new, better chair so he could watch Tv, but he was not going to complain.

Betty ended up getting more clothes than she would probably be able to wear, but the best present she got was, by far, the one her boyfriend gave her. It was an edition of Beloved signed by no one other than Toni Morrison, aka her favorite author ever— that is, until he released his novel. That book had certainly beaten all the other presents she had gotten, and he was certainly happy to see how much she had enjoyed it, since it was the least he could do to his beloved, who had made him so happy during that year.

Seeing her smiling so brightly and even getting a chaste kiss— with no hands involved, since Alice was watching their every move— was probably the best christmas gift he had ever received, and at that moment, he could pretty much head to the kitchen to get his pancakes.

But there were still some boxes waiting to be opened under the tree.

Unlike he had expected, Jughead got more presents than just the one he expected to get from Betty. All the family members ended up getting him some sort of present that went from classic movie collections to a new winter coat. Those were wonderful things, but in the end, his favorite Cooper gave him the one thing he didn’t know he needed for Christmas.

It was a MF Type Machine they had seen the other day, and it was in perfect conditions. That box had been the largest under the tree, and he would be lying if he told anyone that fact didn’t influence his childish happiness. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, and the fact that Betty had been the one to give it to him just made the whole thing a lot better.

“ Oh… Thank you, Betty.” He started, finally voicing out his thoughts after the rest of the family followed Alice to the kitchen. “ I-It’s wonderful.”

“ You’re welcome, Juggie. I saw how you looked at it the other day, so… I figured you would like that.”

“ I loved it, honestly…”  He said, smiling down as his fingers carefully brushed against the letters. “ This whole thing, actually. Thank you for pulling me out from the bed so early.”

“ You don’t have to thank me for that.” She smiled, finding a place by his side at the couch. “ It was already past 9am, and there was no way my mom would let you sleep any longer than that. Just imagine when the twins are born, though.”

“ Yeah…” He grinned, feeling somehow happy with the idea of still being around in the future. “ But seriously, what you and your family have been doing for me… I really appreciate that and it’s really more than I could’ve asked for this Christmas.”

“ Don’t be silly, Jug… You’re my family, and we’re not stopping until your dad is here opening presents with us.” She said, leaning her head on his shoulder and caressing his arm. He didn’t know if she could hear his heart hammering his ribcage, but he wouldn’t be surprised if so.

His girlfriend— his beautiful, smart and strong girlfriend was leaning against him, filling not only his nostrils with her inebriant, sweet scent, but also offering him so much more than any 16 year old girl could possibly offer. She was promising him a loving, supportive family, with christmas presents and pancakes for breakfast. She was offering him a future, where his father would be released and they could all celebrate together and be whole again.

That little girl was offering him all the love and care in the world, and normally, he should’ve known better than to believe the naive mind of a teenager. He should’ve known better that she held no power over most of the things she was promising him, and that life would probably make sure most of the things from her list wouldn’t be achieved.

He should’ve known better than to allow his heart to believe her.

But this girl— his girl… She was not like all the other teenagers they knew. She was not the typical stereotype he once believed her to be, and above all, Betty Cooper is a girl who fights for what she believes in. She’s not a quitter and if there is anyone out there in this world that can fulfill all those promises of a better future for him, this person is no other than her. She will fight for him and she won’t rest until the whole world is affected by her kindness.

Betty will bring his life happiness. More so than she already has. She will bring him new smiles for the rest of his life, and he would have to be a fool not to offer her the same things. Jughead will make her happy, too. He will make her smile and he will make sure to protect her while she tries to protect the world.

She is his most precious christmas present. And he will cherish her for all the Christmas that are still to come.

“ I don’t deserve you, Elizabeth Cooper.” He looked at her, and immediately, she lifted her head so she could look back at him. Their eyes were filled with softness and longing, and a love brighter than all the Christmas lamps of Riverdale combined.

“ You deserve so much more, Jug.” She smiled tenderly. “ You’re on the nice kids list.”

A sly smirk grew in his lips. “ I guess solving a murder has its perks.”

“ It sure does.”

And with those last, whispered words, they both leaned forward, their lips pressing softly against one another. After some hours of holding back, he finally allowed his right hand to cup her face so they could deepen the kiss a little. They were moving together in a loving rhythm, and it wasn’t until the scent of Alice’s cinnamon pancakes filled the air that they pulled apart. There was a smile on their faces as their foreheads were pressed together, and he watched as she trapped her lower lip in between her teeth.

“ Come on… Let’s go get your Christmas pancakes.” She said, standing up and offering him her hand.

The rain was coming, and and it took her some good moments before she decided to look for a proper shelter from it. The streets were empty, now, telling her people were, indeed, worried about that water that was about to fall, for the clouds above her head seemed to be too dark and charged to be just a drizzle. She could feel the storm coming, or maybe it was just the turmoil in her belly, she couldn’t really tell. Either way, townsfolk always seem to worry about such things, and normally, she would, too, but it was not like things could get any worse just because the sky had decided to pour its own sadness over her.

After the rain finally started to fall, Betty finally realized her aimless walk was taking her to Pop’s, and it was as if her mind believed she could find some sort of protection under those neo lights. Her heart ached when she remembered all the good moments she had spent at those vinyl booths, and how that diner had witnessed the last kiss she would ever share with the love of her life. That was going to be the first time she would be going there ever since she was forced to break their hearts, and for the first time, the Cooper girl knew not even her favorite food would make things better.

A painful smile crossed her lips, as she remembered his wise words. Apparently, not all is okay with milkshakes.

A couple blocks later, when she arrived at the diner, Betty was soaked. In the end, the rain had come faster than she had expected, and chances were she took a little extra time on purpose so she could mask her recent tears. Pop was probably the only person left in town who still liked her, and he would certainly notice the track of tears across her cheeks.

He was probably the only one left, and yet, she knew she would have to lie to him when he asked her if she was doing okay. It was going to hurt, but at that moment, Betty didn’t think she had enough strength to tell him the whole truth— not that she was allowed to. His eyes were set on her, and she didn’t want to risk getting more people involved in that sick game of his.

The Black Hood had turned her into a liar. He took away her friends, her family and the love of her life.

But he never took away her feelings, no.

And perhaps, that was the cruelest part of his wicked plan.

When she finally opened the door of the nostalgic diner, the sound of the chiming bells was the last thing she heard before her entire body went numb. Her green eyes were widened, the air in her lungs had disappeared, and the gap in between her lips showed the pure horror that had immediately taken over Betty as soon as her eyes met the bloody scene in front of her.

“Jug…”

Her voice escaped her throat as a painful whisper, as if his name had been trapped inside her chest forever. Her heart ached in an unbearable level at that moment, as their eyes finally connected in a longing, broken gaze. Betty observed him, running her eyes through his entire body as he was sitting on a stool while Pop Tate treated his wounds. Jughead was destroyed— both physically and emotionally— and she didn’t need too long to conclude it was all her fault.

Those bruised lips, the dark circles around his eyes, the cuts spread all over his skin and the hematomas were just corrupting his perfect features, and at that moment, the blonde could feel the anger running through her veins, as she continued to blame herself for the state that boy was in. He was tired and hurt, and god— he was just so visibly broken. She could feel her heart shattering into millions of pieces along his, and her skin was slowly being ripped under a mess of nails and blood. They continued to hold each other’s gaze, and it wasn’t until a cold, salty tear ran through her cheek that the blonde finally blinked, bringing her back to that horrible reality in front of her.

Betty didn’t know exactly when she had started crying— she wasn't still sure if she had stopped since last night— but at that moment, more than ever before, the blonde just knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back any of the reactions of her broken heart.

The strap of her bag slowly slid through her shoulder, and she made no effort to preventing it from falling. The sound of her books hitting the floor echoed around the empty diner, and with one of her hands covering her startled mouth, the blonde took small, careful steps towards the men in from of her, holding back the urge to reach out for his hand. At that moment, she didn’t know if she was wanted around, but Betty refused not to do anything to help.

Especially when she was the only one to be blamed for his current condition.

“ Jug, I-I’m so sorry…” Her lips trembled, as the tears continued to stream down her face. His eyes were still looking at hers, but at that moment, Jughead expressed no reaction regarding her presence by his side. Seeing her didn’t bring a relieved expression to his face, and neither did it disgust him. He was simply accepting her there, watching and drinking in all the changes that had drained her delicate, soft features for the past couple of days.

Apparently, Archie was right.

Unlike what he had brought himself to believe, Betty Cooper wasn’t fine at all.

And it was all his fault.

He knew the rain wasn’t the only reason behind her messed state, for his eyes had seen her soaked by the tears of heaven, and god— Betty looked simply stunning like that. She loved the rain running down her body, and the smile on her face was bright enough to create a rainbow in the sky. Whenever they ended up shelterless in a rainy day, she would always find a way to be happy.

But right now, oh— Betty looked like shit.

And never in his life had he actually seen her like that.

“ Oh, you’re finally here, Betty.” Pop said, as if he was already expecting her to show up. He threw away a bloody cotton, standing up from his crouched position. “ I have some bandages back on the employee’s bathroom. Keep an eye on him, will you?”

“ S-Sure…” She answered, insecurity filling her voice as she got closer, grabbing the bag of ice that laid forgotten on the table. She refused to meet his eyes— too embarrassed, he could see— as she carefully placed the ice over his swallowed jaw. Her teeth were bitting her lower lip, and at that moment, even if he knew he shouldn’t, his eyes just wouldn’t leave her, examining and recording all that was left of the girl his heart beats for.

The bags under her eyes were deep enough to salient the bones of her skull, and he could easily tell she had been crying unstoppably for a couple of days now. A bloody line was trailing from between her fingers, and she was shaking uncontrollably as she tried to formulate a phrase in her head. Betty looked thiner, weaker and even if he was the one all bruised, the blonde seemed to be in way more pain than he was.

Though why did she look like that? Weren’t things the way she wanted them to be? Didn’t she want them done so she could finally follow through with her life without him slowing her down?

She should be happy now. Then why was she so sad?

And most importantly, why did he even care?

She broke his heart. She told him she loved him, and then she dumped him, doing the only thing that could ever hurt him. Betty had made him weak and dependable, and he knew he should’ve known better that happiness didn’t belong in his life.

He should’ve known it would all eventually end in tears and one, broken heart.

Though why did it seem to be two?

Apart from the ache caused by the loss of his girl next door, there were also feelings such as anger, concern and guilt running through his veins. Jughead knew he had to say something— anything to her in order to relieve that press ion building up inside his throat. He didn’t want to let all his emotions out in front of her, so, as always, he chose to mask it all with his characteristic sardonic humor.

It’s his way of coping, after all.

“ Betty Cooper… You’re a sight for a sore eye, literally.” He said, letting out a bitter chuckle.

“ Jughead, don’t do this…” She said, placing a hand on his chest as if to prevent him from falling forward due to the irresponsible chuckle. “ You’re gonna hurt yourself even more.”

His eyes connected to hers, a longing feeling reflecting through them. “ I don’t think that’s possible anymore.”

His cold stare on her felt like a stab, for she knew exactly what he meant by those words. Betty swallowed dry, looking away from him as more tears spilled from her eyes. Her heart felt heavy inside her chest, and at that moment, she just couldn’t simply keep things inside anymore. It was too much. “ You won’t believe me, Jug… But I did that to protect you. I never though—”

“ Protect me? I don’t look safe or protected, do I, Betty?”

“ I know. And that’s why I regret it. I should’ve never—“

“ Oh, you regret it now?” There was a painful smile on his face, now, as he moved away from her. “ And why is that, Betty? Is it because Archie wouldn’t take you? Or maybe you just regret going that far with me before breaking my heart?”

“ Archie? What are you even talking about? Don’t be ridiculous, Jughead! I don’t love him! I love you!“

“ Don’t even try, Betty. I won’t fall for your words… Not again.”

“ I’m telling the truth! I would never lie to you about this, and you know it! You know me!”

“ Oh, do I?  Because I didn’t know you were not okay by my side. I didn’t know you were planning on ending things between us—“

“ That’s because I wasn’t!”

“ I didn’t know I was making you suffer!”

“ You weren’t, Jug.” She was crying harder now, her lips were trembling and she didn’t think twice before placing her hands on his thigh, looking at him from below with those sad, green eyes of hers. “ You were making me the happiest girl on earth!”

“ Then why the hell did you dump me, Betty?!”

“ I did it to—“

“ You weren’t protecting me! I won’t believe this!”

“ You have to… It’s the truth. I-I didn’t know…”

“ You didn’t know what?! That you would also suffer!? That you would be left alone?! That you would—“

“ I didn’t know he was still going to hurt you, Jughead!”

Her words echoed around the diner, leaving the Jones boy completely confused. His eyes were widened, the words he was about to shoot at her disappeared in his throat, and for the first time since the previous night, he could actually feel his heart beating. Her head was lowered, and the tears were falling flat on the floor, and as the blonde sobbed, all he could do was wait for her to continue from where she had stopped. There was something more he didn’t know about their sudden break up, and apparently, that was the cause of her pain. A secret so well kept that couldn’t be but a mere detail that made no difference on the outcome of their relationship.

That secret was destroying her, he could tell.

And at that moment, even if he had told himself he wouldn’t let her explain herself and that he wouldn’t believe her words anymore; Jughead needed to know. He needed to listen to her voice.

“ What are you talking about, Betty? Who… Who was going to hurt me?”

He watched as she tried to wipe away her tears in an attempt of recomposing herself. Apparently, the girl who was still kneeled on the floor of an old diner was still trying to gather forces to continue. “ He told me he wouldn’t hurt you as long as I broke up with you, Jug. He told me he was going to kill you, and I-I… I couldn’t let that happen. Then I asked Archie to deliver you the message, even if I knew it would hurt more. I am so so sorry, Jughead. I thought I was going to protect you… But apparently, I was an idiot to believe him and now you’re here, leading and bruised and it’s all because of me.”

The wheels in his head were turning, as he tried his hardest to decipher her words. Just by looking at her miserable state, Jughead knew she wasn’t lying and that her words were anything but an illusion she had created in her head. She really was trying to protect him from someone, but the way Betty was saying those things just didn’t make any sense for him. There wasn’t only one he that had left him all hurt like that, no. There were a lot of Serpents hitting him last night, and even if some of them punched him really hard, he doubted any of them wanted him dead for simply being with her.

The Serpents aren’t the kindest people in the world, but they would never kill one of their own, and they certainly wouldn’t be motivated by a girl like her.

Hell— Those guys probably don’t even know Betty. There was no way she could be talking about a Serpent or the his initiation.

But if not by the gauntlet, why did she even think he would be physically hurt?

Shivers ran down his spine after asking himself that question, and for a moment, his throat went dry. There was a sudden, ominous presence weighing on his shoulders, and it was as if hunger eyes were set on him. Once their worried eyes met, he forced himself to swallow that feeling away, taking a deep breath before gathering some courage to listen to the answer they were both afraid to hear.

He didn’t want to know who was the man who wanted him dead, and she certainly didn’t want to say that name.

But for the sake of their hearts, the name had to be said out loud.

“ Betty… Who’s the man you’re talking about?"

“ Who?” She lifted an eyebrow in pure confusion. “ The Black Hood, Jughead…. Who else could’ve done that to you?”

At the sound of her voice, all the air in his lungs disappeared. His heart started to beat faster, and for the first time since the attacks started in Riverdale, Jughead was afraid of the angel of death. There was a killer after him, and most importantly, this killer was using her in some kind of sick game.

He was manipulating her and threatening the people she loves to get what he wants. He—

That bastard had made her break up with him.

But why? That was the main question he still couldn’t figure out. Why would a killer want anything from a high school girl? It just didn’t make any sense, at least not with just that info.

Jughead needed more details. He needed to know the whole truth.

And something told him Betty Cooper still hadn’t said it all.

“ Betty… The Black Hood didn’t do this to me.”

“ What…?”

“ The Serpents did it during my initiation as one of them. It was not the Black Hood.”

Her eyes went wide in a fraction of seconds, and fear took over her face. The tears stopped, her hands stiffened, and before she could even move, Jughead held her by the wrist in order to prevent her from running away.

Apparently, he could really read her.

“ Jug… I-I… I gotta go. I can’t be here with you.”

“ Betty… What is it that you’re not telling me?”

“ It’s nothing! We’re done, remember? There’s nothing left to be discussed, now let me go!”

“ You’re not going anywhere until you tell me the truth!”

“ Please, Jug… Try to understand. I wish I could tell you everything, but I can’t! It’s too dangerous!”

“ I’m not afraid of that asshole, Betty! Can’t you see what he’s doing to you!? To Us!?”

“ Don’t you think I know!? I’ve considered every option, and this is the only one I know will keep you safe! I love you, Jug! So let me protect you!”

“ And who the hell is protecting you!?” Anger filled his voice, and his eyes were suddenly glaring at the broken girl in front of him. Before he knew it, all the anger he was feeling at himself switched to her, and it even worried him that he could actually be hurting her delicate wrist. He was mad at her for being so selfish and ignoring his own feelings at such an important time. Jughead also worried about her— damn, of course he did. And now that he knew she was hiding something that could end up hurting her, there was just no way he was going to let that go.

He was not going to let her go. Not again.

“ Look, Betts…” He started, again, once he realized she wouldn’t say anything. His voice was softer, now as he allowed her nickname to roll out of his tongue. His grip around her wasn’t that tight anymore, and his eyes were a lot softer. Now that he had found hope after having his heart crushed, Jughead felt like he had better control on his emotions instead of letting it all out on her. “ You can’t hide this from me. Please…”

The words that came from his mouth hit her straight in the heart, and the way his eyes were looking at her was just making things a lot harder for her. Betty knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. Knowing him, Jughead wouldn’t just be quiet about it, and he would certainly get the Serpents involved. It would be too dangerous and even if she was feeling like crap, she knew things could get a lot worse if he wasn’t alive when that whole mess came to an end.

No matter what, she couldn’t tell him the truth.

But— oh, ignoring his plea was just so hard.

For the first time in weeks, the boy in front of her was the same, sweet and reckless boy that had climbed her window and kissed her. He was being honest and his innocence was there, spread all over his face. He was once again that kind, insecure boy who stole her heart, and at that moment, he wasn’t sure if he was loved anymore. Even if she had told him, his heart wouldn’t simply take that as an answer, no. Jughead needed more than just her words. Hell, he deserved so much more than what she could offer him.

And yet, there he was, begging her to let him in and help her get through that mess. It felt like their roles were swapped, and instead of being the positive and kind half of that relationship, Betty was the one building walls around herself so she wouldn’t affect anyone else who dared approach. She was keeping everyone away, and no matter what, she wouldn’t let anyone in.

She wouldn’t let them risk their lives. Not for her. Not for anyone else.

At least she now knew how he felt.

Once she felt his fingers relaxing around her wrist, the blonde finally allowed a sigh to escape her lungs. She closed her eyes, taking a step closer to the raven haired boy. Their eyes connected after a moment, and for a fraction of second, they were able to share a moment of pure honesty and love like they had only shared a couple of months before. It was comforting, yet heartbreaking, because they both knew what was about to happen next.

There would be no honesty.

There would be no truth.

But there would certainly be love.

With a longing feeling reflected in their eyes, both of the teenagers followed the rhythm of their hearts. She leaned down and he tilted his head up before their lips met in a chaste and honest kiss. He felt his hands cupping her cheeks, and she knew he could feel her scars pressed against his neck as they did their best to hold onto that moment for as long as they could. Lips moved together, hearts beat as one. For now, they were saying goodbye to each other, and even if there were still so many secrets kept in between them, one truth— perhaps the most important one— was confirmed with that kiss.

I still love you

And then, after the unspoken words were heard, Betty Cooper broke the kiss and ran away in the middle of the pouring rain. Even if it was cold and wet, her broken heart felt warmer and her crackled lips softer. She wasn’t fine at that moment, and that talk with Jughead would probably make her cry even harder that night, but it also gave her back the strength she believed to have faded.

She was stronger now. Wiser. She was the damaged, loner outsider from the right side of the tracks now, and she was going to make sure the Black Hood paid for the suffering he was causing them.