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Jughead's been fidgety recently, in a way he never usually is.
He's normally always still with calm, a slight cock to his head, pausing in a moment of absolute stillness before he offers an insightful statement that may just solve all their problems.
"Come on then, Jones," Sweet Pea shoves his shoulder, their jackets crinkling together in the quiet of the early morning. It's just hit dawn, and the clouds are still dark with nighttime. "What's eating you?"
He's quiet for a moment, so all they can hear is their footsteps across the cement. "I don't know," he manages eventually, fingers itching at the spot around the white cover on his mark. Sweet Pea notices and arches his eyebrow.
"Your soul mark bothering you?" He guesses, and Jughead nods, confused. "That's normal, I think that means it's gonna happen soon."
Jughead frowns "I've never heard that before."
"It doesn't happen to everyone. Happened to my mom though, you should be happy," he nudges him again "probably meet 'em in the next few days." He watches Jughead settle down a little, nodding. "Don't stress, Jones, it's unnerving."
Jughead cracks a smile at that "yeah, I guess I am the epitome of 'calm demeanour'. Whatever would we go without my easy going disposition?"
"Have you ever told anyone what it says?" Sweet Pea asks, he wears the white cover too, but he's told pretty much everyone that the first words his soulmate will say, scrawled onto his arm in their handwriting (and it's awful handwriting, so bad it makes Sweet Pea grin) is excuse me, you're not allowed to park there So obviously, he makes sure he always parks in the worst spots. He's collected quite a number of tickets, but so far, no soulmate.
"Just my dad," Jughead murmurs, cheeks colouring a little.
Sweet Pea laughs loudly at the look on his face "Is it a bad one? Is it like Toni's? What's her's again- I look good in anything. Can't wait to see what kind of self-centred dude she ends up with."
Jughead grins "I don't think it'll be a guy." He says, patting Sweet Pea's shoulder, and straddling his motorbike, leaving Sweet Pea standing in the parking lot, eyes wide with surprise.
...
...
...
Betty can't take her eyes of the guy that's just walked in.
He's obviously a Southsider, he's got the serpent jacket on, but he's...there's something about him. He's got a dark blue, crown shaped beanie, but his dark hair is visible flopping into his forehead. Flopping right into this piercing eyes, and he's got a plaid shirt tied around his waist, hanging low over his tight jeans, that have silver chains glinting from the pockets. He's wearing beat up, dark converse, with mismatched laces and Betty would call him a hipster, except he's not. He's...
"Someone caught your eye, B?" Veronica smiles, looking over her shoulder to see who's just walked into Pop's. She turns back, eyes wide "Really?" At Betty blush Veronica sips her milkshake thoughtfully. "I didn't know bad boy was your type,"
It normally isn't. But there's something about him, and she's can't deny that he's...appealing. She whispers in a low voice "you don't think he's...attractive?"
"No, no, I can definitely see the appeal. Just not my type, that's all," she gives an easy shrug, before nudging Betty under the table. "You should go talk to him."
The blonde girl shakes her head vigorously "gosh no I couldn't do that." But she does sneak another look at him, he's leaning on his elbows against the counter, waiting for Pop to come out of the back. His entire body's at an appealing angle, and Betty definitely wouldn't mind being under one of his arms.
Pop comes out from the back, and smiles "Hey Jughead, been a while, huh?"
Jughead smirks a little, huffing a quiet laugh "It's been busy, sure. You've heard about the riots?" His expression downturns, but Pop just looks on at him kindly.
"I'm sure you're doing everything you can. Normal order?"
"Please, and a milkshake. I'm eating in," he slides the money, neatly folded across the counter, and Pop nods merrily, accepting it and entering it into the till, before disappearing out back.
But Betty is frozen.
Veronica frowns, looking over her shoulder again, but seeing nothing but the loner on his phone at the counter, she turns back to her friend. "Betty?" She asks urgently, "is everything alright?"
"Pop just called him Jughead!" She hisses, and Veronica looks on at her confusedly. "Jughead as in Jughead Jones. Prince of the Serpents- his dad is like Serpent King."
Veronica raises her eyebrows, impressed. "Cool," she glances over her shoulder, her gaze now more pondering. "So I guess he's like...Southside royalty? Definitely a better fit for you then, our very own Northside princess," She turns back to Betty, who's eyes are furiously focused on her milkshake. Veronica laughs "just go and talk to him, Betty, he'd be mad to say no. You're gorgeous." She reaches out to bop Betty's nose and the blonde girl rolls her eyes, but takes a breath and nods.
"Wait- aren't you the Northside Princess, if anybody is?"
Veronica laughs. "No thank you, I'm New York Royalty. Now go over to him and stop trying to distract me."
"Okay," she whispers "okay, what's the worst that could happen?"
Because Betty's heard of Jughead Jones, anyone remotely interested in journalism knows about Jughead Jones. He's trying to make the Southside good, and his articles for the RedandBlack are pretty much the best thing to come out of the Southside in a long time. Even Betty's mom can concur to that. So she stands beside the booth, straightening her lavender cardigan and brushing out any creases from her cream, flowing top. She looks at Veronica, as she smooths down the top of her pony tail, and her best friend gives her a thumbs up, and Betty steels herself, walking towards him.
Pop's is fairly empty, it's quite late, and she stands relatively close to Jughead. Close enough that she can smell his cologne. He smells like laundry detergent and motorbike oil, and it makes her flush hot. "I uh...hi," she says quietly, but he doesn't clock her, still scrolling through something on his phone. He's probably not used to being approached. Betty's never seen him with anyone other than other Serpents. There's one girl he sees him with a lot, and she hopes he's not with her romantically.
So she takes a deeper breath, and raises her voice above a whisper, and steps a touch closer. She can see the green of his eyes now, and she never knew his eyes were that green, it matches the snake on his jacket. "I love your articles, you're a really good writer." She manages, and he does hear her then, his head snaps towards her immediately, eyes piercing and lips parted.
He takes her in for a long moment, eyes wide, before he wets his lips and nods. "I think we're gonna make a helluva team," he chokes, and her eyes go wide as saucers.
They stare at each other for a moment, before Jughead reaches for the white plaster on his wrist, and peels it off. Her eyes track the movement, and she sees, in her own neat cursive I love your articles, you're a really good writer. He smiles softly at her. "You don't know how many times that kept me going. Helped me find my passion."
Her cheeks are burning now, and she offers him her wrist. He peels the bandage off much more slowly than he did his own, soothing the skin with his thumb every time he thinks he may have hurt her. And it reveals, in his own, uniform writing I think we're gonna make a helluva team. She clears her throat "my sister used to be so jealous over how romantic mine was. Hers just said: can I sit here?"
Jughead huffs a laugh, keeps his hand on her wrist, tracing the letters. She's shivering under his touch. "You're a fantastic writer. Elizabeth Cooper, right? You write for the BlueandGold?"
"Betty," she corrects, nodding, and she can't take her eyes off him.
"You're probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he murmurs, and her jaw drops in surprise. He laughs again, head tipping back revealing a lovely long expanse of neck. "Definitely not what I was expecting."
She moves closer to him, and she can feel the heat radiating off his body. "What were you expecting?" She asks demurely.
"I dunno, I was thinking goth girl, Pulp Fiction." He shrugs his shoulders, moving to twine their fingers together, just to see how they fit. They fit perfectly. "I thought that was what I wanted but you...you give me the feeling that you'll always exceed expectations." Betty smiles, pleased with herself, and squeezes his hand. "What about me, then?" He asks, looking down at her with a teasing grin "am I exactly the type of prince you imagined?"
"Completely the opposite," she admits with a laugh. "I always expected a sensitive jock, or a buff nerd,"
Jughead laughs; delighted. "Well I am sorry I am neither of those."
"No," she murmurs, but she sounds pleased. "But you're definitely exceeding expectations too." She trials her fingertips across the back of his hand and his breath hitches audibly. He's staring at her as if he can't believe she's real.
"Uh, B?" comes an amused sounding voice, and they both pull apart fro each other, whirling around to see Veronica standing there, her gucci purse balanced in the crook of her elbow, wearing her coat and looking pretty set to leave. Except her eyes dart down onto their wrists, sees their soul marks uncovered and she makes a shocked little gasping noise. "Oh. Oh. I didn't realise," there's a smirk playing around her lips now "well, I'll leave the two of you to it then, shall I?" She smiles, tugging her coat tighter around her. They look fairly striking together, Betty lit up brightly with her pastel coloured clothing and bright hair, and Jughead all clothes and hair so shadowy it almost looks dark blue. They look like yin and yang, she realises with a start. "Call me later tonight, B, okay?"
"Sure, Ronnie," she smiles shyly, and Veronica takes another look over Jughead with a considering hum.
"You ever do anything to hurt her, Serpent Prince-"
"-I'll come to you for my beheading," Jughead quips teasingly, but there's a serious tone under his voice. He means it. Veronica makes another contemplative noise.
"Yeah, you two go together," she sounds semi-exasperated, and the couple laugh. "I'll see you two later." And she's goes, leaving the two of them with each other.
"Do you wanna...join me, maybe?" Betty asks, pointing to the booth that was previously occupied by her and Veronica. Jughead nods, and Pop comes back with his order. They shuffle over to her booth, and slide in opposite each other. He nudges some of his fries towards her, and she takes one with a small smile.
"So, what do you think about all this Black Hood stuff?" he asks after a beat, and she grimaces.
"I have a couple of theories."
"A regular Nancy Drew, huh?" He wonders aloud, and she blushes again. Her eyes sparkle the most incredible blue. Jughead finds it incredibly endearing. "I have a few theories too." He says, clearing his throat, taking a moment to sip his milkshake. "We should compare sometime."
"You know something, Juggie?" She beams, taking another fry. "I think we're gonna make a helluva team."