Work Text:
Two knocks on the door of The Blue and Gold's office.
"Hey, Jug. I was at Pop's when you texted so I got you a burger." Betty's voice was sweet and she was holding a white takeout bag in her hand as she walked over to her boyfriend's table by the window and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "What's up?"
Jughead leaned back on his chair to get a better look at the tall blonde girl standing in front of him. "Betty, we need to talk." His tone was serious but his voice was flat. He stood up from his chair and leaned against the table, mirroring Betty. "It's about Veronica."
"What about her?" Betty asks with a innocent smile, but Betty was never that good at masking her feelings and Jughead could see right through her, because if there's anything Jughead is good at, it's observing.
----------------------
If you asked Jughead what he thought about the students of Riverdale High, his opinions would've already been formed in bullet points. The word "flirty" would undoubtedly be in Veronica's list. He's aware of the girl's natural allure, so it doesn't surprise him when she would casually flirt with his girlfriend.
They're best friends.
He would tell himself.
Girls do it all the time.
Maybe he wasn't as good at observing as he thought he was.
It all started when Veronica made what was once a duo a trio. He and Betty first bonded over the mystery of Jason Blossom's murder and now that Veronica was part of that picture, he seemed to have lost that, too. Instead of just Jughead and Betty at the office, it became B & V forged forever ft. Jughead. The girls' inside jokes carried themselves over to their workplace, and Jughead felt alienated.
It's just girl things.
They're best friends.
It'd probably be best not to get yourself into it.
He'd repeat to himself, finding that the more he did, the less he believed it.
In all honesty, he really didn't mind having her with them. Veronica was smart and assertive, an obvious asset to their team and after seeing her leave Archie's place after his birthday, he was assured that all of his little doubts and the little voice in his head were irrational. He has Betty and Archie has Veronica. That is until his best friend sent him a text one night.
I told Ronnie I love her.
He smiled at the text, happy for his best friend.
She broke up with me.
Within five minutes, he was at the Andrews' doorstep. He found Archie in his bed, holding a bottle of vodka he's sure he swiped from downstairs without Fred knowing. Archie told him about how they were in his room making out when he sang to her a song he wrote for her and finally told her he loves her. She didn't feel the same way.
Jughead wanted to hate Veronica as he heard his best friend's words slur, telling the story of how he just got dump, but he couldn't. Archie didn't even hate Veronica. He told Jughead about how she apologized over and over and even cried when she couldn't say it back.
I care about you, Arch. Fuck. I hate myself for saying this and for hurting you. I sound like the biggest bitch in the world but I'd be worse if I lied to you and I can't do that, Archie. I'm just not where you are.
When Archie asked her if she could ever be and she couldn't answer, he knew he tasted his own medicine. They weren't exactly Archie and Betty 2.0, but if this is what unrequited love felt like, for a second he wished Veronica Lodge never moved to Riverdale in the first place.
Do you hate me?
She was sitting on his bed with her messy hair and faded lipstick. Archie knew he didn't and he couldn't, so instead, he settled for friendship. They both of them knew it would take time. It just never occured to them that it was the group who would pay the price.
The core four couldn't be together for a while. That meant Jughead spent more time with Archie, and Betty spent more time with Veronica when they were all in school. After class, the two girls had River Vixens practice. After that, they have The Blue and Gold ft. Jughead. After that, Alice Cooper would look for her daughter, and Jughead couldn't seem to get his girlfriend alone to the point that "his girlfriend" didn't even sound right anymore.
----------------------
He got lost in his thoughts for a while and then answered Betty's question with one of his own.
"Betty, do you love me?" He looked up at her, resembling a lost puppy. Archie's story of how Veronica turned him down ran through his mind endlessly and all he could do was hope that's not what's going to happen. Then again, he could see right through her. She wanted to say yes, but the words seemed stuck in her throat and she couldn't get them out. It was blocking her airway, making her eyes water, making her unable to do anything else other than to stare right back at him.
"Do you love Veronica?"
He asked and he swore he saw Betty swallow. It was as if the words were that easy to flow out of her that she had to push them back down. He couldn't take much of the silence anymore so he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against Betty's lips. It was a little sloppy and a lot desperate. He had his hands on her neck, soft but determined, making sure she felt his presence, making sure she knew he was there. He could feel Betty slipping away from him and he couldn't hang on even if he wanted to. Betty wouldn't let him.
"I'm an idiot, aren't I?" He said under his breath as he sat back down on the chair and dragged his hat to his lap. He fiddled with it, avoiding Betty's gaze. "It's not you, Juggy." Betty softly replied as she sat opposite him, wiping gently at the sides of her mouth to get rid of any excess lipstick that may have spread.
"Was there something I could've done? Is there something I can still do?" He looked straight into her eyes, his back hunched and his elbows rested on his knees, hands still toying with his crown made of wool. Betty has never seen him like this before. Without his hat, he looked so much more vulnerable and it was breaking her heart. "I'm sorry." That was all Betty Cooper could manage to say without breaking down.
"I loved you." He heard Betty say and he lifted his head and looked right at her. He believed her. He knew she did at one point.
"But you love her. Present tense."
"I'm sorry." Betty gently shook her head and as if she had turned a switch on, tears started to flow down her cheeks as Jughead immediately stood up and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't be. It's fine." He whispered as he gently stroked her back. It hurt. It hurt a lot, but Jughead knew this was in no way easy for Betty. Heck, she probably had it worse. Betty, the girl who felt all her life the pressure to be perfect, falling for someone that her family would despise more than they did Jason.
"I'm gay, Juggy." There it was. It's the first time she's ever said it. With those three words hanging it the air, the idea became tangible and irretrievable. It felt like a significant amount weight was lifted off her chest, but at the same time a door opened. One that contained a brand new set of demons for her to battle. She wasn't sure if it was worth it, but it was too late to back out now.
Her phone buzzed and lit up to show a message from one Veronica Lodge. Betty pulled away from the hug and grabbed her phone to read the text.
B, are you still at Pop's? I found some old paperwork in my dad's old office that relates to the Blossoms. Do you think you could come over and check it out?
Jughead already knew who it was from. "Go" he told Betty with a smile, so she did.
----------------------
Usually, Betty and Jughead did their detective work at Betty's place but since any Lodge was practically banned from the Cooper residence, the three would them met at Veronica's instead. Once Betty got to The Pembrooke, he saw Smithers and greeted him. Betty finds herself quite fond of Smithers which she probably got from Veronica. "You're good for her." She remembers him saying to her once while she was waiting for Veronica by the living room. She had no idea where it came from, but she'll take it.
Veronica was lying on her stomach, eyes raking through the piles of paperwork on her bed when Betty came in. She was still in her gym clothes (the ones she wore during her dance off with Cheryl which Betty couldn't forget about even if she tried) and she had her glasses on, too. Betty wondered how it was possible someone could look this smart and sultry at the same time as she sat down beside her. "Hey, B, thanks for coming, these files are driving me insane." Veronica spoke animatedly as sat upright in the middle of the bed, completely wrapped up in what she was doing as she started to relay everything she found out in the brief moment they weren't together. Betty tried her best to listen, but she was still in shock after what had just happened with her boyfriend. Well, her ex-boyfriend.
"Jughead and I broke up." She found herself saying quietly, interrupting Veronica and stopping her altogether.
"What? Why?" Veronica moved so that she sat beside Betty at the edge of her bed. The concern and shock was evident in her eyes and Betty wasn't sure how to answer the question.
"Because of you." She said without looking at her, her eyes starting to tear up again as the weight of all that is happening started to sink in again. Her voice was soft and honest, without a trace of anger or blame, but Veronica couldn't help it.
"Betty, whatever it is you think I did or whatever it is anyone said I did, I didn't okay? I'm sorry, I promise I would never do anything to hurt you." She was being defensive even though no accusation was made in the first place. Betty could hear the fear in Veronica's voice and she realized just how this must've been commonplace for her. She must have had numerous rumors spread about her and was probably blamed for things that were never her fault that it has been her instinct to apologize, assuming that someone's out to get her.
"Veronica, stop, please, it's not like that." Betty still had no clue how she would explain everything, and now she made Veronica feel bad about herself and she was to blame.
Why did you have to be like this, Betty?
She unconsciously felt her fist closing.
You had something good and you're ruined it.
She could feel her nails dig into her skin again until Veronica held both of her hands, helping her relax.
"Hey, B, talk to me..." Veronica laced their fingers together, her soft brown eyes staring into hers. This is the girl Betty fell in love with. The girl Betty is in love with. Their faces were inches apart and at this point, she knew words were useless. She took the risk and leaned in, closing whatever space was left between them. Her lips were still as her hands moved to softly cup Veronica's face, never wanting her to move away. Betty felt Veronica's lips part, and it hit her that Veronica Lodge is kissing her back. Her mind instantly took her back to the gymnasium where their lips first met. Their first kiss was for show, a way to challenge Cheryl, to show some sizzle. She feared that it had probably meant nothing to Veronica and suddenly all of her doubts and insecurities came flooding in that she had to pull away from Veronica's lips. With their noses still touching, she finally said it.
"I love you."
It was so soft that it was possible Veronica didn't even hear, but before she could react, Betty was already mumbling apologies, wiping her eyes as she went out the door, leaving Veronica in her room with yet another mystery to solve.