Chapter Text
Jughead picked Betty up at nine in the morning. She was carrying a big pink bag and an extra backpack.
“I didn’t know you were moving to Riverdale,” Jughead said chuckling.
Betty pulled a grimace and stuffed her things in the back of Jugheads car.
“What do you want to listen to?” Jughead asked as he began driving out of the city.
“I don’t know…Do you like Hozier?”
Jughead shrugged and Betty started one of her playlists. After a while she caught Jughead tapping on the starring wheel in the rhythm of the song. She smiled a little bit. This was going to be fun.
After a while, Jughead decided that he was hungry, and they stopped by a diner.
“In Riverdale, we have this diner - it’s called Pop’s - and it has the best burgers and milkshakes in the world,” Betty told him as she was stealing one of his fries.
“The best burgers, huh? Well, you got to take me there, Betts,” Jughead said as he took another bite of his burger.
“Oh, I will, but today my mom is cooking dinner,” Betty admitted.
“Did you…did you tell her about me?”
“I told her I was bringing a friend from New York…I didn’t mention that we were dating,” Betty confessed and bit her lip nervously.
“Ah, well…we hadn’t had that talk yet anyways,” Jughead said as he was eating another fry.
“What talk?”
“You know, where we talk about what we are and where this relationship is headed…” Jughead began.
“I like it where it is right now…Don’t you?” Betty asked anxiously.
Jughead saw the worry on Betty's face. “Hey, Betts. Look, I like where we are now too…I just…You know…,” he stuttered, not finding the right words.
“What?” Betty asked.
“I would like to call you my…girlfriend?” Jughead whispered, looking straight into her eyes.
“I…,” Betty said startled, “I would…like that too.”
“You do?”
“Well, yeah,” Betty said softly and reached out to caress Jugheads hands.
Jughead smiled relieved and took another bite of his burger.
“Thank you for being here, Juggie,” Betty said as she took another one of his fries.
“Well, I will leave if you keep stealing my food,” he murmured, but when Betty looked at him in concern he grinned.
Half an hour later they were on the road again, listening to Hozier’s warm voice.
“Before we reach Riverdale…I have to warn you about my mom…She can be a little bit much,” Betty admitted.
Jughead smiled lightly. “I think I can take it, Betts.”
Betty didn’t think Jughead could even imagine how Betty’s mom would react when she would bring a strange man into her house. She sincerely hoped that her mom would make an exception and wouldn’t grill Jughead on Christmas Eve. But then again, she was Alice Cooper, so who knew.
When they passed the town sign Betty began feeling a little bit nervous. Her fingers began drumming against the armrest on Jughead’s car. After a while, Jughead noticed that Betty had grown silent and was staring outside the windows.
“Is everything okay?” he asked quietly.
Betty nodded, but she stayed silent.
“Betty? Are you sure?”
“This is just…There are a lot of memories here,” she whispered, “Everything comes flooding back to me and it’s just a little…much.” Her voice broke and tears ran down her cheeks.
“Hey, Betty, don’t cry, hey,” Jughead said as he pulled over and got out off the car. He opened the door and crouched down next to her. “Tell me what happened, Betts,” he said his voice was so calm Betty wanted to start crying again.
“I can’t…I just…,” she stuttered.
“Betty,” Jughead said taking her hands into his, “I won’t judge you, whatever it is that happened here. I promise. Can you trust me?”
Betty looked into his blue eyes and nodded.
“Okay, I will tell you everything,” she finally said, and she did. She told him how Jason got murdered, how her mother had taken Polly to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and how a serial killer had threatened her. Jughead held her hand through all of it and didn’t interrupt her once and when she ended her story he pulled her out from the car and hugged her. Betty was puzzled for a few minutes until she hugged him back and buried her face in his chest.
“Everything is going to be all right, Betty,” he whispered as he pressed a kiss into her hair. She stood back to look at him. A few of his dark curls had escaped his beanie and had fallen into his eyes, which looked at her in concern.
“I liked you better without that hat,” she said as she reached up and took it off his head. Jughead smiled and pressed his lips against hers. This kiss was different from the one they shared last night, it was more passionate and full off unspoken emotions. When Betty pulled away she smiled lightly.
“We have to get to my mom’s now or otherwise she will kill me for being late for dinner,” she said. Jughead sighed, but he got back into the car and they continued driving through the small town.
***
“Elizabeth Cooper!” the firm voice of Alice Cooper greeted them at the porch. Jughead had never seen a house as tidy as the Cooper’s. Alice Cooper looked at him judgingly as he entered the house.
“So, you’re Jug-head,” she said, and her eyes scanned him from top to bottom. He shifted uncomfortably.
“Yes, Mrs. Cooper,” he said quietly.
“Betty tells me you’re an author. My husband and I run the local newspaper…Maybe we could read some of your writing?” she asked when Betty and Jughead followed her to the living room.
“I believe you already have, mom,” Betty said with a satisfied smile on her face.
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “I did?”
“See, Mrs. Cooper, I…I wrote The Secrets of Ordinary People,” Jughead said nervously.
“You…What?” Alice Cooper said a little off guard and then she turned to her daughter, “You didn’t tell me that.”
Betty smiled widely. “Oh yeah, I must have forgotten.”
“Please choose a place to your likings, Mr. Jones,” Alice said politely.
“You can call me Jughead,” he said as he sat down next to Betty. Alice Cooper glared at her daughter and then left the room.
“You haven’t told her on purpose, haven’t you?” he asked, smirking at his girlfriend.
“I just love when I can make her uncomfortable,” Betty admitted.
“Well, you got her pretty good,” Jughead said and placed a hand on Betty’s thigh. Betty just wanted to say something as Polly entered the room.
“Betty! Oh my god! I can’t believe you’re here!” she screamed as she hugged her younger sister, “And you must be Jughead, right?”
“Yes, nice to meet you,” Jughead said shaking her hand.
“Look, dad and the twins will be here any minute, so why don’t you two set the table?” Alice's voice came from the kitchen.
“Oh, I can help, Mrs. Cooper,” Jughead said as he was taking some plates from Betty's arms.
“Oh, no. You stay right here,” Alice said pointing at the chair.
“No, no, I’m happy to help.”
Alice pulled up her eyebrows, but she went back to the kitchen.
“I’ve never seen mom so embarrassed before,” Polly said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, I know…Is it bad that I don’t feel sorry for her?” Betty asked.
“Nah,” Polly answered as the door opened and her father with the twins came through it.
They had a great evening. Jughead told Betty’s parents stories about a few of his author friends, which they were eager to hear, and Betty spent time with her sister. Polly told Betty everything that had happened in Riverdale – which hadn’t been much – and then they both watched the twins as they began singing a few Christmas Carols.
A few minutes before midnight Betty and Jughead decided to head back to their hotel room to get some rest. Betty had to promise to her mother to come to breakfast tomorrow and to bring her new friend.
“You’ve made quite an impression on them,” Betty said as she and Jughead went back to their hotel.
“They are nice people,” he admitted and laid his arm around Betty’s waist.
As they walked in silence, the snow began falling again. “Jughead?”
“Hm?”
“Do you believe in soulmates?” Betty asked him.
“That there’s someone out there that you are destined to be with? Not really. Why?” he answered.
“Because,” Betty said as she stopped walking to face Jughead, “my mom used to tell me that we’re all broken people and when we found our soulmate they’d be the only one to fix us.”
“You are not broken, Betty,” Jughead said softly taking her hands.
“Not anymore, Jug,” she said as she pulled her hand back and showed him the faded scars on her palms, “Since I met you I stopped. I don’t know why, Juggie, but you make me feel safe and…I love being safe with you.”
“I…Betty…,” he stuttered. Betty took a step back. Did she finally freak him out? There was fear in his eyes. She had clearly crossed a line.
“Jug, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…” she began, but Jughead waved his hands.
“No, Betty. What I’m about to tell you will sound completely crazy and I don’t want you to freak out, but…I love you, Betty Cooper,” he said quietly.
He saw Betty looking at him in surprise. He had finally freaked her out. Good one, Jones. Betty bit her lip nervously and stepped closer to him. “Jughead Jones, I love you.”
He hadn’t had time to say or think anymore because her mouth covered his and they were kissing. He could feel Betty smiling as they parted.
“Thank you for coming here with me,” she murmured.
“Thank you for taking me here,” Jughead whispered and pulled her closer again. As he leaned in for a kiss the church bells started chiming. Betty giggled lightly.
“Merry Christmas, Juggie,” she said quietly against his mouth.
“Merry Christmas, Betty,” Jughead whispered as he kissed her again, the snow covering his dark curls and her blonde ponytail.