Chapter Text
Archie refused to open his eyes. It was almost comedic, really – but he looked so traumatized that everyone else in the room found it hard to laugh. Well, everyone except Veronica, who was grinning from ear to ear with excitement over the news that Betty and Jughead were dating.
Archie refused to say a word. He just sat on the couch, hands over his face, not replying to Betty or Jughead, who were nervously looking at each other and trying to talk to him. Was he massively horrified? Definitely. It was scary that he was so silent. Veronica stood by the corner giggling and no doubt texting Cheryl like crazy.
“Can I just say?” Veronica started, staring up from her phone and beaming, “I totally saw this coming.”
Betty and Jughead didn’t reply to her, instead still awkwardly waiting for Archie to say something. “Hey, Arch?” Betty began, “I know you’ve seen me and Jughead as babies, but maybe it just takes a little getting used to.”
“I’m already used to it! It’s awesome!” Veronica said, dialing someone’s number and placing her phone to her ear.
Again, Veronica was ignored. Jughead nodded at Betty’s words. “Yeah, I know it’s sudden, man. But maybe we’ll grow on you. You might find us disgusting, which I get – ”
Archie removed his hands from his face, looking confused. “I’m not disgusted, you guys.”
“You’ve had your face covered for five minutes…” Betty told him.
Archie suddenly smiled. “No, I’m legit stoked. It’s awesome. I’m so happy for you both, I mean, I feel like a dad watching his kid get married or something,” Archie said.
Betty breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, weird. Am I your child in this scenario?” Jughead asked, grimacing.
“I just can’t believe I didn’t see it coming,” Archie explained, looking disappointed in himself. “Veronica’s been telling me over and over – there’s something there Archie! Look at how Jughead looks at Betty! And I refused to believe it! I was always like, the hell Ronnie? But sometimes I’d be like, wow, I’ve never seen Betty laugh that hard before, or Jughead try too hard to be funny. But I’d brush it off. And then I see you two here just now, and I felt like an idiot, but god, I’m so happy.”
He then stood up and hugged Jughead really tight. “I’ll start my best man speech tonight. You and Betty used to fight over me, and now I’m a third wheel.”
Betty laughed, feeling emotional all of a sudden. She looked over at Jughead, whose eyes were closed as he embraced his best friend, an amused look on his face. She was lucky, so lucky. She couldn’t imagine not having him in her life now. She couldn’t imagine feeling any piece of hatred for him at all, because the past few months with him made her realize a lot of things about herself. And she knew she was a better person for it.
“Get in here, Betty,” Archie said, lifting his arm so Betty could join their hug. She embraced two of the most special boys in her life. She was especially grateful to have Archie, her best friend, and the way he made everything, no matter how complex, simple. Love and friendship – how could she have thought he’d be horrified? This was probably his dream come true. It had Archie’s big smile written all over it.
“Don’t forget me!” Veronica said, rushing to them and squeezing the three. “I deserve most of the credit for making you two sleep in the same room, by the way. Let’s throw a party.”
“A party? For what?” Jughead said.
“There doesn’t have to be a reason, Jughead. Just a party in celebration of you both!” Veronica suggested.
“Weird, but I’d attend that,” Archie said.
When Betty and Jughead arrived at school, everyone could not believe their eyes.
“I knew it! I knew it!” Kevin exclaimed, slamming his locker shut and heading towards them. Jughead’s eyes were shining, and Betty loved to see him happy. “What did I say to you before, Betty? About tension not disappearing overnight?” he said, pleased.
Betty playfully rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine, Kev, you were right and I was wrong.”
Jughead pulled Betty closer and kissed her on the side of her forehead. “I love it when you’re wrong.”
“Which is so rare, because I’m always right,” she said. If there was one thing she was so happy to have been wrong about, it was Jughead.
Kevin grimaced. “Don’t go PDA all over me. The two other couples in our group already give me enough.”
Jughead lifted his arm on Betty’s shoulder and raised his arms in surrender. “Okay, Kevin. We’ll stay PDA-free.”
“I told you Jughead liked you back!” Cheryl’s voice said from behind them. They turned around, seeing a very pleased Cheryl and a beaming Toni.
“Hold on, Cheryl knew about this?” Kevin said, raising an eyebrow.
“I felt betrayed, honestly,” Toni said, but she was smiling. Clearly, Cheryl had told Toni about Betty’s crush – which Betty couldn’t blame her for. It was big news. She couldn’t imagine not sharing to Jughead so many things.
“It was a totally impulsive decision,” Betty told them. “Under more calm circumstances, I would’ve told all of you. Cheryl was only in closest proximity.”
“That’s generous, but she still told me,” Cheryl said, a satisfied look on her face.
“But in all honestly, Betty, Jughead,” Toni announced, “We’re so happy for you. You’ve come full circle. Now it’s time to find Kevin someone, because I can already hear all the seventh wheel jokes he’s gonna be making.”
Kevin beamed. “You know me too well.”
Jughead was terrible at folding clothes. Still, he tried to help her pack on Friday night, even though she ended up just refolding everything he did anyway. They were sat on their room’s mattress.
She couldn’t help but smile while she looked at him. She was going to miss being this close to him all the time. And then the nagging thought came to her again: What if she was making a mistake?
“Dear god, why doesn’t this fold,” Jughead grumbled, eyebrows furrowed as he unfolded her dress for the third time.
“I’m scared this will fail,” Betty blurted out, face falling, quickly taking the dress he was struggling to fold and staring at it. “What if I just start fighting her again and nothing works out?” she asked him, looking at him again. Maybe she was expecting too much, as she had before? She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t almost irrationally afraid.
“Hey,” Jughead said, looking at her seriously. “Betty, it won’t be easy, forgiving her and repairing your relationship… but you said so yourself – you owe it to yourself to try. Whether it works or not, you didn’t make a wrong decision. And… as long as both of you are trying – it’s the furthest thing from a failure.”
She took in his words. He was right and she knew it. But it didn’t feel that way when she looked at him and realized they wouldn’t be spending all this time together. With him, in the comfort of Veronica’s home, she felt safe. Was she ready to try again with her mom?
She realized, that as long as she had her friends, she would be.
“And…” he began, eyes unsure. “I was also thinking. After you and your mom talked, I think… I think I want to visit my dad.”
Betty ignored what she had been doing and looked at him. He hadn’t said much about his dad – it was clear he wanted time in his own thoughts to come to terms with the accident, with the arrangement, with everything that went down in the past years. She didn’t have that clear of an understanding of whatever emotions were going through him, but she was going to try to.
He looked very confused, staring at her for any indication of her opinion. “Do you think I should?” he asked hopefully.
“I think… you should do whatever feels right,” she said, holding his hand. “And whenever you’re ready to talk to him again – then we can drive upstate. Whether that’s right now, or tomorrow morning, or any day you want.”
His face went from serious to smiling, and for a moment Betty thought he was going to cry. “You’ll be coming with me?”
“If you want me there, then definitely,” she said.
“Oh, I definitely want you there,” he told her. “A road trip, just the two of us. We could borrow Archie’s truck…”
He kissed her, and Betty felt all the butterflies in her stomach erupt all over again. How often were they going to get to do this, now that they weren’t going to be around each other every night? It was a stupid thing to be so annoyed about, but she was. “I’m gonna miss you,” Betty said to him, pulling away to frown.
“Well, I can’t wait till you’re out of here because you take way too long in the shower,” Jughead joked, making her smile.
“You take a long time too – don’t start with me,” Betty countered, raising her eyebrows.
He sighed. “Right. Because in all seriousness, who else is gonna mourn with me when we hear Archie and Veronica Facetiming at night?” He shuddered at his own words.
“Hiram Lodge,” Betty said, making him laugh.
His face grew serious. “I’ll miss you,” he said.
“Sleepovers at mine are always welcome,” she whispered, leaning forward to kiss him again.
A week after Betty had moved back with her mom, it was as if she and Jughead were still in the same room. They texted nonstop, sending each other films or documentaries to watch and lending each other books to read, and drawling about them until it was AM.
“Oh god, I did not see that coming!” Betty said to him on call on Friday night, after reading a mystery book Jughead had loaned her. She was lying down on her bed, her phone hot against her ear.
“Right? It’s brilliant,” he told her, his voice tired but still enthusiastic. “I only wish to write something half as good.”
“But you already write so well,” she said.
He was quiet. He was never exactly good at taking compliments. “Thank you,” he said after a while. They were quiet again, and Betty closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing on the other end.
“About the antagonist, though – ” she began, just as Jughead said, “So I was thinking about my dad – ”
“I’m sorry, you were saying?” Jughead said.
“No, you were saying something,” Betty told him.
He exhaled, probably finding the right words. “Well, I was thinking about my dad. I think I want to visit him. Tomorrow. But I’m not sure, do you think I’m ready?”
“Jug,” she began. “I do think you’re ready.”
She could almost see his soft smile. “Will you come with me?”
The trip to the rehab facility was quieter than they had planned out. It wasn’t awkward, though. They were too occupied in their own thoughts to say much. They left early and had borrowed Archie’s truck, putting on a Bob Dylan record.
How many times can a man look up before he sees the sky… Betty looked at Jughead, who was driving and most definitely thinking about his father. With the morning sun hitting his thoughtful face, he looked both innocent and wise at the same time.
She knew he was nervous and that this was a big step for him. His childhood hadn’t been easy. His family history had robbed him of a lot of things normal kids got, but in many ways it had made him stronger than normal kids. It wasn’t a completely good thing, though. She knew he wished things had been different.
Betty realized something profound at that moment – so she told herself that she would give Jughead an easy, steady, and assuring kind of love – far from the ambivalence he had gotten from his parents. She was going to try hard to give him that, because he deserved it more than anybody she knew.
Jughead glanced at her, his smile like that of a child’s. “Hey,” he said, eyes glinting, “thank you for coming with me today.”
She smiled. The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind…
While Jughead met up with his father, Betty waited in the lobby. It had been a little less than an hour, which meant it was probably going well.
Veronica was too kind, she realized. She was perhaps the most generous person she knew, thinking prudently for her friends and making sure they were loved and cared for. For the past few months, she had attended to her friends’ needs and made sure they felt at home, to the point that they had broken out of their ridiculous grievances into something more special. Betty wanted to do something for her best friend that could show her gratitude the size of even a particle of what Veronica had done for them.
Jughead came out into the lobby just as an idea came to her mind. He looked as if a weight was lifted off his chest. She stood up, briefly thinking about that day at the hospital after his father’s accident – and thought about how far he had come since then.
“How was it?” she asked him.
A small smile was on his face, and he practically ran to her, hugging her tight, as if he were a little boy. “I have never seen my dad look so… alive.”
She couldn’t help it – tears began spilling out of her eyes. “That’s wonderful,” she said. The happiness she felt for him was insurmountable. She held him tighter, hoping he would always be this happy forever.
Maybe some of his robbed childhood could be returned to him, after all.
“So, I was thinking,” Betty said to Jughead on her kitchen counter while he downed a burger, “Veronica’s birthday is still in August, but she does love parties.” She saw he was eyeing her fries that she had barely touched, so she slid the container towards him.
Jughead furrowed his brows, popping fries into his mouth. What was she getting at?
“And she always says, there doesn’t have to be a reason to throw a party,” Betty continued.
“You mean when she wanted to throw a party to celebrate our dating?” Jughead said, even more confused. “You want to push through with that?”
“Yes, except let’s celebrate Veronica,” she told him. “For all she’s done for us. A big party, just for the hell of it. I mean, what could make her happier than a party with all her friends?”
His face lit up. “That’s a great idea. A surprise party. But where?”
“I don’t know… I’d say Pops, but she owns the place, so she’d know what we’re up to...”
“How about right here? In your house?” he suggested. “We can do a bulk order at Pops.”
“Of course you thought about food right away,” she told him, not hiding her smile. “We can have Archie distract her while we set up. And bring in Cheryl’s karaoke machine.”
“A karaoke party’s awesome. But she has one of those?” Jughead asked.
“I’m guessing she has everything. Remember her pantry?”
Betty’s mother walked into the kitchen. “What’s this I hear about a karaoke machine?” she asked.
Betty smiled at Alice. She still wasn’t used to how gentle her mother was these days, which made for some reserved, albeit friendly conversations during meals. Slowly, but surely, they were getting closer again. Just the other night, they would not stop laughing over a sitcom that was showing.
“Good evening, Miss Smith,” Jughead said to her, his voice smaller than it was a mere seconds ago. He clearly was seeking her approval, though from the way Alice looked at him, Betty thought that Jughead didn’t have to worry about that at all.
“Hello, Jughead.”
“We’re planning a surprise party for Veronica,” Betty said.
“For what?”
“For no reason,” she explained. “Just a Veronica-Appreciation Party.”
Her mother nodded. “Then let’s have it here! Leave me to all the planning. And don’t bother making a bulk order at Pops, I’d be glad to prepare the food.”
Jughead’s smile somehow grew wider as he bit into his burger. A few nights ago, he had come over for dinner and devoured everything Betty’s mother had cooked with delight. She couldn’t blame him – her mother cooked the best food in the world. Alice Smith’s cooking was another thing Jughead had missed out on in the years he had thought he reviled Betty.
“You don’t have to, mom,” Betty said.
“Please, I insist. She’s done so much for you – not just these past months, but these past years. I know I didn’t exactly cause you a lot of joy, Elizabeth,” her mother explained. “But let me make it up to you, and to everyone who did what I should’ve done.”
Betty’s eyes glinted, feeling tears behind her pupils. “All right, then. If you insist.”
“I hope you include potato gratin,” Jughead blurted out.
Betty gave him a look. “At a karaoke party?”
“So? Are you gonna object to that?” he said in mock ferocity. She laughed, thinking that the way he scrunched up his face was the most adorable thing in the world.
She wants to go back to her place! Ugh.
“Oh no,” Betty said, reading the text Archie had sent to Jughead. The plan was supposed to be that after their movie date, Veronica and Archie head back to his place, where they would end up in Betty’s house.
“Oh no, indeed.”
Their friend group, along with several other schoolmates, were helping with the purple balloons and decorations around the house. Turns out everyone loved the idea of a Veronica Appreciation Party.
Jughead and Betty set up the food table, much to Jughead’s delight. He kept sneaking pigs in a blanket in his mouth.
She wrapped her arms around Jughead’s torso, staring at Archie’s message. “Tell him to seduce Veronica with the idea of Archie’s bedsheets.”
“What the hell? Why would I say that?” said Jughead, resting his chin on Betty’s head as he texted his best friend. “I’ll text him to say no one will feed Vegas.”
“Okay, that’s a much better idea.” Veronica was very fond of Archie’s dog.
Ok it worked. We’re otw. Be there in 5 mins max.
“They’re on the way!” Jughead announced, and everyone began working faster.
Betty looked up at her boyfriend, who was eyeing the food from the corner of his eye. She fixed the hair under his beanie so the right amount of curls stuck out and straightened the gray sweater he wore. “You’re so cute,” she couldn’t help saying.
He smiled. “Speak for yourself,” he said, pushing loose strands of hair behind her ears. As he leaned in to kiss her, a famously breezy voice interrupted their moment.
“You got over me so quickly, Cooper,” Reggie said. “Let’s hope he’s not just a rebound.”
Betty flinched at the memory of her saying she liked Reggie. Jughead did not look too happy to see Reggie at the party, but he was Archie’s friend. “Hi, Reggie,” Betty said.
“What can I say? I’m happy for you. Not every girl can get over me,” he told them. Typical Mantle behavior.
“Of course, ‘cause you’re such a heartthrob,” Jughead told him jokingly, but Reggie smiled as if Jughead were serious.
Just then, Jughead’s phone sounded. We’re going in, the text read.
“Turn off the lights!” he called out to Cheryl, who was by the light switch. She turned off the lights.
“I don’t understand why your spare key is with Betty’s mother, Archie,” Veronica said in the dark, just as Archie turned on the lights.
“Oh my god! What?” Veronica exclaimed, looking pleased but also, very, very confused. “Is it my birthday?”
“No, just a Veronica Appreciation Party,” Archie said, hugging his girlfriend from behind and kissing her cheek.
She blushed, her smiled wide. “What did I do to deserve this?” she asked.
“Everything,” Cheryl told her. “Seriously, Veronica Lodge, you’re an angel.”
Betty and Jughead approached her at the doorway. “Cheryl’s right. Thank you, V,” Betty said, “for being a wonderful, kind, and good friend. For making me and Jughead make up, for allowing me to live with you, and for allowing Jughead to mess up your guestroom.”
“Seriously, Veronica – you’re the best landlady ever. I never pay rent!” Jughead said, earning laughter from her. “And thank you, for not only taking care of me – but for taking care of my father. I don’t know where I’d be without your help.” He said the last part so sincerely, his face full of unbelievable gratitude.
“You’ve done so much for us, it’s hard to find a way to thank you,” Betty finished.
Veronica’s eyes welled with tears. “Hey, you guys, thank you for this. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without you all. You’re all my bestest friends in the world,” she said, tears spilling out. “This is too kind, thank you.”
“Hey, we love you so much, Ronnie,” Archie said, wiping her tears from her face.
“Okay, let’s start this party,” she said, voice cracking, though she was grinning. “I think I saw a karaoke machine.”
“It’s mine!” Cheryl announced.
It was a special night. Jughead ate his heart out (thanks to the gratin), Veronica and Archie sang several NSYNC songs, Kevin sang beautiful renditions of Les Miserables, and Betty had managed to convince Jughead to sing A Whole New World with her. He was off-key and could barely keep up with all the high notes, but Betty appreciated his effort (and sacrifice, as he had a brooding reputation to uphold).
While Reggie began a horrible impression of Frank Sinatra, Jughead put his arm around Betty as they sat on the couch. He kissed her cheek, making her feel warm all over.
Betty thought of something, and even if it was sudden, she was sure she had to do it at that moment.
“I just had an idea,” Betty said, tapping his knee. “Can I talk to you outside?”
He looked confused, but he nodded, standing up and extending her hand. “We’ll be outside for a bit,” he announced. No one seemed to mind, too engrossed in the absolute weirdness of Reggie’s performance, so they went out the door and sat by the steps in front of Betty’s house.
It was a windy night and the stars were bright, twinkling above them, up high over their small neighborhood. They could faintly hear Reggie’s singing from inside the house as Betty leaned on his shoulder.
“What are you gonna say?” he asked her.
“I remember you said once that you wished you were part of The Blue and Gold,” she told him. “So consider this a formal invitation. You don’t have to say yes.”
Jughead looked at her. “Really?”
“Really. You’re a great writer, Jug. And if it doesn’t interfere with your novel, I’d be honored to have you.”
“Wow. Thank you,” he said, smiling, facing the road. “A million ideas are hitting me. Does this mean I can write about anything I want?”
“I mean, as editor, you have to get approval from me first – ”
“Okay, I accept those terms,” he said, taking her hand.
“And, you have to deal with our crap printer,” Betty said.
He nodded. “Sounds lovely.”
“And, you have to deal with my nagging. I can be annoying about deadlines.”
“Even better. I love your nagging.”
“And also, I love you,” she finished abruptly, her hands growing cold. It was true. And as she said it, a strange peace filled her.
He froze. Looking at her, he stared. Was he shocked? Disgusted? Who knew. All she knew was that she had no regrets saying what she had because she meant it.
“I mean – ” she began nervously, taking in a deep breath and furrowing her eyebrows, “You don’t have to say it back. It’s only been a month, I know. I’m early. But I realized it when we drove to see your dad, and really, you don't have to – ”
“I love you, too,” he interrupted her, his blue eyes sparkling and expression softening. “I realized it too, that day. When Blowin’ in the Wind was playing. I love you, Betty, and I love who I am when I'm with you. You make everything better, and I;'ve said it twice already, but I do - I love you.”
She saw he meant every word.
She was smiling so wide, she thought maybe her heart would burst. She pulled him into a kiss, feeling his soft hair against her fingers and his warm hands on her neck. He deepened their kiss as if he couldn’t get enough.
“Jughead from last November had no idea what was coming,” he said when they pulled away.
“Yup. Red hair dye,” she told him, a hundred flashbacks coming back to her.
He laughed. “And the girl of his dreams,” he said.
“Nightmares, more like,” she corrected. He smiled as he kissed her again, and the rest of the world melted away and nothing else mattered.
She thought of Betty from last November and how different that girl was. Now, she could say, she was happier and lighter than ever before. She had her friends, she had a fresh start, and she had Jughead.
Take a daughter who didn’t come home for a weekend and a mother who stayed home for the weekend, mixed in with the tension from all the years of family drama, and somehow – by the strange machinations of the universe – Betty had found love.