Work Text:
Betty jumped as someone began to tap on her bedroom window. Tentatively, she turned her head from her composition notebook to the panes.
She audibly sighed in relief as she recognized none other than Jughead Jones peering through the glass. She smiled tiredly and went to turn the latch, allowing the beanie wearing teen to crawl into the bedroom. "Hey, Jug," she said, letting out a small yawn. "Hey," he said softly before pulling her into a hug.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head underneath his chin as his hands cupped her neck. "Do you know what time it is?" he asked her. "No," she said, pulling back to look at her phone. She gasped as the numbers filled her home screen, covering the filtered picture of Jughead. "It's 11?" she exclaimed.
"I still have to shower, finish decorating the cake for Pop's party, and pack for the trip with Veronica tomorrow night. I got too distracted writing the article for the blue and gold," she sighed, burying her head in her hands.
"Hey, Betty, it's okay-" he tried to soothe her, but she interrupted him. "It's not, Juggie." He winced at the crack in her voice. "I have to do better," she said resiliently.
"What time do you have to be be asleep by?" Jughead asked after a moment of silence. "One, at latest," she said quietly. "Ok. Here's what we'll do: the cake is baked right?"
She nodded timidly.
"And you have a sketch or a list of how you want it decorated?" Betty handed him a perfectly flat sheet of notebook paper, a bullet list on the front and a drawing on the back. 'Of course she does,' he thought to himself, a fond smile on his face.
"And your suitcase is there, correct?" She nodded again. "Juggie, what's going on?"
He pressed a soft peck to her lips before speaking. "Go get your shower and take as much time as you need," he directed, watching the corners of her mouth twitch up. "You don't have to-" "I know, but I want to. Go, relax, it's fine," he assured.
He gave her bum a gentle pat as she walked into her bathroom, heading into her kitchen with a sigh.
He laid her sketch onto the counter next to the cake box, which he began to gather decorations for. He began frosting and piping icing onto the yellow cake, resisting the urge to steal a bite.
After placing edible beads around the edge of the cake, he put the lid back on and washed his hands, which were coated in frosting.
He made his way back to her bedroom, where he could here her "chill playlist" through the bathroom door. A smirk made its way over his face as she sung along to the songs she loved so well. He found himself humming along; it would've been odd if he hadn't had them memorized at this point.
He went about packing a suitcase with her essentials, deciding to leave any toiletries to her. The towels, blankets, and clothing, while folded horribly, were arranged in neat piles. Pride swelled in his chest as he found himself tidying up her bed and laying her journal and laptop on her bedside table.
Her cup of writing utensils, which had spilt on her classic bedding, were soon being arranged neatly on her white desk. He plopped down on the duvet, satisfied with his completion of the tasks.
It took maybe five more minutes (which were filled with Betty's melodic voice singing along to her favorite songs) before she came into the bedroom.
She looked exhausted, but smiled softly at Jughead, still flopped across her bed. Her black shorts and grey Riverdale High t-shirt surrounded her frame comfortably.
"Hey, Juggie, thanks for clearing off my bed," she said. "I'm sorry for taking so long in there." "Betts, you're absolutely, 100% fine," he chuckled. He sat up with a groan, coming to wrap his arms around her waistline.
"Come downstairs with me? I have to finish that cake," she said quietly. Jughead hid his smile as he nodded and followed his tired girlfriend down the stairs. He stayed back a few steps, anxiously awaiting her reaction.
He heard her gasp before his feet landed at the bottom of the steps. She turned slowly to face him, a smile of her lips. "You did it, Jug?" He nodded sheepishly. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed before pressing a kiss to his lips. "Will you stay with me while I pack for tomorrow?" she asked.
"Well..." he trailed off with a knowing smirk. "Jug, you didn't," she laughed. "I packed enough clothes and pajamas for the trip. The only things that aren't in there are from your bathroom or any electronics."
Betty burrowed her face in his chest, overwhelmed by gratitude. "I love you so much. How can I make it up to you?" she asked, looking up at his reddened face.
"Well, I wouldn't hate getting to cuddle with my favorite girl," he teased, quirking an eyebrow. "I'd like that very much," Betty giggled.
Jughead wasted no time in wrapping one arm around her waist while he put the other behind her knees. She held on loosely to his neck, breathing in the scent of him as he carried her up the stairs and into her room.
He set her on her own two feet carefully and with a gentle kiss to her jaw. He pulled back the several layers of her bedding and ushered her in. "M'lady, your bed awaits."
She imitated a curtsy, smiling wider than she had in weeks. "Thank you, sir Jughead." She crawled atop her rose-print sheets and scooted to the edge while she waited for him to join her.
Jughead stood at the foot of the bed while he kicked off his boots and pulled his shirt over his head. Betty looked away quickly, trying not to stare at her boyfriend's bare torso.
He took off his hat and placed all of his things by the window, ready to leave whenever Betty asked him to. He then crawled into the bed, which smelled heavily of lavender laundry detergent, and pulled the covers over their bodies.
Betty rolled over to turn off her lamp. The only remaining source of light was coming from a small nightlight in the bathroom, which streamed from underneath the door.
They stared at each other in the darkness, a few inches between their faces. "Juggie?"
"Betts?"
"Thank you," she whispered, bringing her hand up to stroke his cheek. He gently cupped her smaller hand in his own, closing his eyes as he reveled in her skin on his.
"I would do anything for you, babe," he murmured before pulling her face towards his and connecting their lips. She pulled away after a few moments, opening her eyes to peer up at him.
"I love you," she sighed before tucking her head under his chin.
Jughead slipped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her blonde ponytail. "I love you too, Betts." He smiled as he was met with small mumbles of response.
Soon enough, her breathing evened out, and her soft snores served as a lullaby for the boy to fall asleep to. Maybe he would just stay the night.