Chapter Text
All of this silence and patience,
pining in anticipation
My hands are shaking from holding back from you
Prologue - 15 years old
She’s in the cafeteria line behind him, fighting to ignore the way the scent of pine soap intermingled with something a little more dangerous affects her in every way she wishes it wouldn’t.
He’s sifting through his empty wallet, an irritated scowl on his lips, when he finally slams the leather closed and mutters quietly to the cafeteria lady.
Betty feels her heart catch in her throat as she quickly realizes he can’t pay for the small sandwich and apple on his tray. She opens her mouth to interject that it would be no problem for her to pay for him when he turns and catches her eye with a defiant darkness that has her jaw clenching.
“Don’t, Cooper.”
The next day, the extra turkey on rye sandwich she’d managed to make behind her mother’s back that morning burns a hole in her pastel pink lunchbox.
She’s aware that this gesture could look as though she pities him and she doesn’t. She’s just not going to allow anyone to go hungry in this school, especially not the Serpent Prince.
The lunch bell alerts them to the start of the period and she quickly makes her way out to the back of the school, where the Serpents usually take their lunches.
He’s leaning casually against the graffitied brick wall, a lit cigarette between his fingers. She finds herself sighing in relief that he’s without his usual Serpent companions so she doesn’t have to face them all at once.
He alone overwhelms her.
Her heart is pounding so loudly she’s afraid he’s noticed her because of the sound. He arches an eyebrow in her direction before taking a long drag of his cigarette and sighing as though bracing himself for how exhausting this interaction is going to be.
Betty squares her shoulders and reaches into her lunchbox for the sandwich before tossing it at him. He catches it, dropping his cigarette with the demands of the sudden motion, and stares at the cling wrapped sandwich in bewilderment.
“What the-”
“In case you want something for lunch that won’t give you lung cancer, Jones.”
She surprises herself with the easy tone of her voice, a smirk gracing the features of her face, but there’s a small part of her that fears he may toss the sandwich back, or tell her to fuck off.
He watches her carefully before looking back to the large sandwich between his fingers, his hunger growing more obvious as he curiously unwraps part of the sandwich. She waits with bated breath, but just as he’s about to take a bite he stops and turns to glare at her.
“I’m not some fucking Southside charity case you can throw a sandwich at to make yourself feel better, Cooper.”
She rolls her eyes at his predictable response and shrugs. “Then give it back.”
“What?”
“Then give back the sandwich if you don’t want it. I’m sure there are plenty of other hungry-”
“I’m not giving it back.” His weighted gaze meets hers in a heated challenge and she crosses her arms, the movement causing her tightened ponytail to swing lightly behind her. The loud rowdy laughter of the Serpents comes up behind them and he takes a huge bite, wiping the mustard from his chin. He looks like he wants to say something, maybe even thank her, but instead he takes another bite.
She can’t help the satisfied smile that tugs on her naturally pink painted lips as she turns to leave. A soulmark doesn’t burn her skin that day, but the warmth spreading through her chest at the fact that he’d almost genuinely smiled at her marks her all the same.
17 years old
She takes a deep breath before casually glancing behind her, observing her bare back in the reflection in her mirror. Though she knows she’ll find nothing, she can’t help but stroke the small flame of hope burning in the pit of her stomach.
That maybe...maybe today will be the day she’s been marked.
But it’s quickly made apparent that today isn’t the day and she refuses to let her markless skin dampen her mood so early in the morning.
As she pulls her hair into the ponytail that has become her signature, her eyes linger on the photograph of her and her two best friends this past summer at the beach. The golden letters scrawled across Cheryl’s collarbone catch in the blazing light of a cloudless sunny day and read Antoinette Topaz.
There’s not a day that goes by without Cheryl having at least some part of her soulmark on display since the letters had scarred her skin last year. Betty couldn’t have been happier for her when it finally happened. It was as though all of Riverdale had been waiting for her mark to appear, hers and Toni’s love story one of the rockiest soulmate stories Betty had ever heard.
Cheryl’s name had inked itself along Toni’s thigh when they had been in the 8th grade and neither Toni nor Cheryl had reacted kindly. Toni had been speaking in harsh whispers to Jughead in the back of their classroom about how she couldn’t believe that she’d been given the mark of female satan out of everyone on the entire planet.
Cheryl had primly turned around and told her she’d skin her thigh herself if it meant Toni couldn’t walk around with the prestige of the Blossom name on full display. Toni had laughed and told her she’d love to see her try before, much to Cheryl’s dismay, wearing the shortest shorts the school dress code allowed for the rest of the semester.
Needless to say, it had taken a few years for them to truly find each other. But the moment they had fallen on the same page, Toni’s name etching itself onto Cheryls’ pale skin, it felt as though Riverdale could finally breathe again.
Betty smiles fondly at the memory of Cheryl and Toni’s excitement before pulling on a fitted, collared lavender shirt. She hears her phone notifying her of texts coming in and she rushes to it, grinning when she sees it’s their group chat.
7:25AM
Cher: final day of senior year and my skin has never looked more aglow.
V: the rolling eyes emoji truly isn’t doing how hard mine are rolling justice.
Cher: green only looks good on you in an emerald shade, V.
B: last day of high school ever! i can’t believe we’ve made it!
V: last chance for you to turn witty banter with the 🐍 into foreplay!
Betty practically spits out the water she’s drinking as she rereads Veronica’s text, groaning inwardly.
Cher: ugh, the banter alone is enough foreplay for me.
B: wtf. there’s nothing going on between me and Jughead. at all.
V: it’s so weird…
V: every time you text his name, it autocorrects to an eggplant emoji on my phone.
Betty’s eyebrows furrow in confusion as she types out his name in her phone again and sends.
V: no, it’s still the eggplant.
Cher: it’s the finger pointing into the hand making an O emojis on my phone.
B: ...I literally hate you guys.
V: ❤️
As Betty rushes through the kitchen, throwing sliced fruit into a bowl for breakfast, she hears her parents fighting in the living room.
It’s heated murmuring and the sound of her mother’s heels against the hardwood, but her heart sinks when she hears a familiar insult.
Her parents are what is commonly referred to as a “mismatch.” She knows her mother’s name is marked across her father’s inner bicep as she’s seen it hundreds of times in her life.
It was only a year ago that she’d overheard her older sister, Polly, arguing with her mother in her bedroom when she’d yelled, “what do you even know about soulmarks, Mom? You’re matched with a guy you left years ago!”
She remembers her mouth falling open in shock, the realization that her parents weren’t soulmates a devastating blow. She’d heard of mismatches, of people finding out who their soulmates are and rejecting them, bearing the name of someone marked with the name of another, or simply pretending they haven’t been marked at all.
She’d just never thought her own parents would be one.
As she stares at the living room, she decides she’s no longer hungry at the same time she thinks, I’d rather be a no match than a mismatch.
She’s only known one no match in her life and he seems far happier than her parents ever have.
She leaves for school without saying goodbye.
Betty’s well into the third chapter of her reread of Beloved when the atmosphere in the classroom shifts, the dull roar of excited conversations quieting.
She doesn’t have to look up to know that he’s just sauntered in, his expression unbothered as he slides into his assigned seat beside her.
He tucks a hand-rolled unsmoked cigarette behind his ear and their classmates resume chatting as though he’s just granted them permission.
“Isn’t that your third time reading that one this year, Cooper?” he asks casually, turning to pull his laptop out of his satchel. “There are other books available.”
“I didn’t realize you were monitoring my reading list.” She turns the page of her book and continues staring at the words on the page as if she’s actually reading despite the warmth crawling up the column of her neck and reddening the tips of her ears. “But please enlighten me if you have recommendations.”
“Not sure you can handle my favorites.”
She can tell there’s a playful smirk tugging on the corner of his lips and she fights the urge to steal a glance. Jones, or not, he does look hot when he’s feeling particularly smug.
“Are you referring to the latest edition of ‘Robbing Gas Stations for Dummies’ ?”
He snorts into his thermos of coffee before shaking his head. “You know, Cooper, I’m truly surprised at your ability to speak with that huge silver spoon in your mouth.”
She closes her book with a snap to cover the laugh threatening to fall from her lips. She tucks a few stray hairs that have fallen from her ponytail behind her ear as he logs into his computer.
“I’m actually surprised you’re here today,” she says because deep down she just can’t help continuing the conversation as she pulls her planner out of her backpack. “Isn’t it Serpent tradition to skip the last day of senior year and spend it scandalizing Riverdale’s youth instead?”
His gaze shifts from his computer screen to meet hers before slowly falling to her parted pouty lips. “You and I have very different ideas about what it is to ‘scandalize Riverdale’s youth.'”
A warmth pools in the pit of her stomach and she quickly turns back to her planner, forcing herself to focus on opening her planner to the current date and not on the image of him scandalizing her all over their shared AP Chemistry table.
“Okay, class, quiet down!” Mrs. Honeybee waltzes in clapping her hands together with the excited look of someone who is this close to ending this godforsaken year. “Let’s use this period as a homeroom - a quiet homeroom, Reggie - okay? I’ve got tons to grade and I’m sure you all have many things to wrap up.”
Veronica raises her hand from her seat across the room and Betty turns to smile supportively at her, though her eyes are immediately drawn to the deep, golden letters of her soulmate’s name written in scratchy letters across her wrist.
Betty had actually been there the moment Veronica had matched with her soulmate. She was considered a rare soulmark case, a simultaneous marking.
Betty had been sitting cross-legged on Veronica’s family couch one day during their sophomore year. Archie had his own feet crossed lazily in front of him as he and Veronica argued over which movie to watch.
“It’s my turn to choose, Archie, and I’ve already chosen Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
“We watched that the last three times it’s been your turn!”
Veronica had rolled her eyes and gotten up to start on the popcorn, clearly not going to change her mind about the movie choice. Not that Betty minded, she was always up for watching the loveliness that is Audrey.
Archie was smiling to himself, running his fingers through his hair, before turning to look at Veronica.
“Betty,” he’d whispered, leaning into her and she’d turned to him with a confused expression. “I have to tell you something.”
“Look, you know I’m going to side with V, I actually enjoy Breakfast at-“
“I’m in love with her.”
Betty had blinked in confusion. “Audrey?”
“What? No,” he’d whispered urgently, turning back to make sure Veronica was still popping their snack. “Veronica - ouch!”
He’d slapped his hand to his wrist at the same time that Veronica had yelped, her fingers pressed to the same spot on her own skin.
Betty had sat there completely bewildered until Archie had pulled his hand away and Veronica had squealed, “ohmygosh Archiekins!”
Back in their present AP Chem classroom, Veronica is asking if it’s okay for them to listen to music while they work as a little Mozart makes her that much more productive.
Jughead already has his Word document open, his fingers pressing against his keyboard as though they were made to tell a story.
She’s pulled out her phone to review the email sent from her internship with important dates for the summer. Class passes quickly as she enters the dates into her planner, color coded using planner specific pens.
With twenty minutes left, Jughead stretches before sliding out of the worn leather of his Serpent jacket and Betty feels the betrayal of the quickened beat of her heart.
She remembers the first time he’d done that in the middle of class. She’d been so annoyed by her body’s involuntary reaction to his bare biceps (sans for his intricate Serpent tattoo peeking out from beneath his shirt sleeve), she’d snapped something about hearing that Serpents were never supposed to shed their skin.
He’d looked at her before laughing an actual laugh and casually tossing out a, “you might pay more attention to the Southside than me, Cooper.”
She’d clamped her mouth shut and rolled her eyes. But his laugh had warmed her dreams for two weeks after that.
Now, she tugs her bottom lip between her teeth before stealing a glance at the inked skin of his toned and tanned bicep. He’s steadily typing away, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and Betty takes that as an invitation to let her gaze roam the expanse of his body.
The way his maroon S t-shirt clings to his torso in all of the right places. The way his wild mess of waves falls into his eyes from beneath his familiar gray beanie. The way his arm flexes absentmindedly as he works away on the novel she knows he’s writing.
But there’s a small piece of her that’s searching his exposed skin, looking for any sign of his soulmark.
No one has ever seen his mark. No one has ever been able to confirm he has one at all, but it’s always a topic of Riverdale High gossip. He’s never bothered to confirm or deny, let alone acknowledge, any of the rumors as far as Betty knows.
And she’s not sure why she even cares.
It’s not like his soulmark could possibly read Betty Cooper and obviously she wouldn’t want it to.
But the thought of his tattoo reading the name of someone else makes her stomach turn and she quickly returns her focus to her planner.
She can figure out whatever that feeling is about later.
As soon as the bell rings indicating the end of class, Betty stands and takes a deep breath to still her nerves. Veronica is already leaning against the wall next to the door to leave, patiently waiting for her.
This is the last time she’ll see him and she feels like despite the push and pull of their strictly Chemistry partners relationship, she wants to say a real goodbye.
“Jones?” She clears her throat to catch his attention and shoves out her hand. He turns after shrugging his satchel back on, an amused expression on his face as he looks from her hand to her. “While it hasn’t necessarily been a pleasure, I do wish you the best in your future endeavors.”
What?! Could she sound more like a boss letting go of a disgruntled employee?! Dear god.
He stares at her for a moment before slipping his hand into hers and laughing that soft, genuine laugh that ignites a fierce blush on the apples of her cheeks.
“Actually, Cooper,” he drops her hand to rub the back of his neck and she feels the loss of his touch immediately as he continues, “Toni and I are throwing an end of high school party...thing...it’s actually mostly Toni, but I think it would be cool if you - and your friends or whatever - came by.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “A Southside party?”
He shrugs like it doesn’t even matter that he’s inviting her to something on the Southside as if she hasn’t clearly forgotten how to breathe right in front of him. “It’s cool if you’re busy...doesn’t the Northside do a tea party or something to celebrate this stuff?”
She laughs, the sound bringing out a smile on his face that reaches his eyes. “I was actually just thinking about inviting you to that tea party.”
He takes the cigarette from behind his ear and begins to thoughtfully roll it with his fingers as he bites back a grin. “Tryin’ to show me the finer things in life, Betts?”
The nickname shoots sparks through her veins and she has to inwardly scold herself for allowing her feelings to jump all over the place just because he’s two feet away from her. She’s about to respond when the annoyed drawl of one Cheryl Blossom interrupts them.
“Are you two going to make out, or can we please go to lunch so I can get my last taste of Riverdale High’s mediocre attempt at midday nutrients?”
Jughead groans and tilts his head back as Betty shoots Cheryl her deadliest glare. Veronica looks between all of them with so much amusement Betty includes her in the glare as well.
“I’ll text you the details,” Jughead finally says, nodding to her before walking out of the classroom. He mutters an annoyed acknowledgement at Cheryl as he passes her, but she only smiles her sweetest smile at him in return, their relationship one similar to siblings ever since she’d matched with Toni.
The second they leave the classroom, Veronica loops her arm through Betty’s and shares a weighted look with Cheryl.
“So, if you two don’t have plans tonight,“ Betty starts, ignoring whatever silent messages they’re sending with their facial expressions. “Jughead just invited us to an end of high school bash in the Southside.”
“Of course we’ll be attending.” Cheryl rolls her eyes and flips her deep red curls over her shoulder. “And we hardly need an invite from him when an unsaid invitation from my soulmate was issued weeks ago.”
Betty’s about to comment something about how unnecessary it is to refer to Toni that way constantly when Veronica urgently squeezes her arm.
“Actually we have much more interesting news to discuss, B.”
Betty glances wearily between her two best friends before she can tell Veronica can’t keep the secret any longer.
“...someone saw Jughead’s soulmark this morning.”