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“Move in with me.” He pulled off his clunky headphones, gazing up to see a familiar blonde standing above him, her usual slicked-back ponytail and pastel pink sweater had gone and been replaced with a darker look, drawing his attention away. She dressed in black, tear tracks staining her usually pale cheeks pink, her eyes sparkled with a look of undeniable sadness and agony, and her hand was curled into fists, her nails digging painful crescents into the pale skin of her palm, and her face was ridden of all makeup.
“Sorry, Betts, did you just ask me to move in with you?” He shut the lid of his laptop, he screwed up his eyes in pure disbelief, his heart beating erratically in his chest he grabbed onto her hand, pulling her down to sit next to him on the bench. Holding her hand in his he looked into her eyes, squinting as he desperately tried to detect some note of humour, but he found nothing.
“Yes, Juggie.” she paused, wiping away stray tears that had dried on her face, “I know that you have nowhere to go, and don’t you dare say otherwise.” She pointed an accusing finger at him sternly as she anticipated his incoming excuses. He nodded, finding no room for disagreement or argument, before standing up, dragging her over to the high school's front gate. He took his hand back, letting it drop to his side, as they walked side by side, her house only a short way away.
They walked in silence, not a single word exchanged, the air shrouded in awkwardness, the only sound being that of their feet slapping against the pavement. Autumn leaves fell in dizzying circles, floating above them in a rainbow of oranges and browns, the wind picking them up and sending them flying back and forth above their heads, the crisp wind sweeping them up and into the air once again. They could hear the crunch of leaves underfoot, the cracking a distant cacophony, birds twittering up above and the muffled barking of dogs spreading throughout the neighbourhood in waves. The sun shone down through the breaks in the branches, the golden beams of light illuminating her soft flaxen hair, the swishing of her ponytail like a pendulum, the calm to and fro lulling him into a calm state, the sweet scent of strawberries idly floating in a ring around her petite frame.
Shaking his head he came to the realisation that they were nearing the Cooper's home, the idyllic stereotypical house stood in a row of equally identical houses, rows and rows of houses filled the Riverdale upper east side, people worked calmly in their gardens, prepping and pruning, children running between the columns of plants and flowers chasing butterflies, parents sitting on porches looking on disapprovingly as they stared on at their neighbour’s houses, judging under the shades of their sunglasses. Her house was a pale blue, doors pale blue, everything pale blue. It was sad, it reminded him of a world he was all too familiar with, a world he wouldn’t have ever wanted for Elizabeth Cooper. Walking up the driveway towards the front door, she stuttered in her steps, her feet tripping on nothing, her breath coming out in a hiccupped huff, she flushed as she continued up the drive. Taking out her keys she urged her hands to cease with their incessant shaking and unlocked the door, pushing herself inside dragging Jughead along behind her, before she started making her way upstairs, Jughead following close behind. Putting her book bag at the end of the bed she noticed him standing hesitantly in her doorway, his beanie lopsided atop his head. She could sense his hesitation, the harsh line of his shoulders, the tense of his jugular in his throat, the flush in his cheeks. She sighed, gazing down at her lap with a faint chuckle.
“It's fine, Juggie. Come on in.” He stepped past the doorframe and she felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart rate jumped in her chest, and her pupils dilated. She had never had been allowed to have a guy in her room before, the realisation like a physical hit to the heart, and Jughead had just broken that very strict rule, shattering her icy shell encapsulating her very soul, opening her up and letting in impossible warmth. He wandered over to her bed, sitting down by her side though careful not to get too close, and took the ‘Blue and Gold’ folder from her hands, peeling the cover off the booklet inside. He poured over the booklet, staring in awe at her beautifully designed paper, his name plastered across the page, his name in every by-line, his heart in every word. She bit her lip as she stared at his face, watching the glow and beautiful expression across his face, the twinkle in his eye as he stared at his own writing, her lip bruising under the pressure of her teeth. She could see him slide the sheets of paper back into the file, the room shrouded in silence, and back into her waiting hands. Before she could react he pressed a hesitant peck to her cheek, the pressure sending flames through her body directly to her heart. She blushed, a smile held back by a bite to the lip. He pulled back, gripping onto her shoulders, and stared directly into her eyes.
“Betts… you’re amazing. This is amazing.” He paused, a genuine smile spreading across his face, “I can’t thank you enough. For everything. For giving me a voice, for giving me a chance, for being a good… friend. Especially for letting me stay with you.” He stuttered on the word ‘friend’, the word being far too mild to describe the growing warmth and closeness developing between them.
“Of course, Juggie. Apart from Archie, you’re my best friend.” She smiled sweetly up at him, her eyes sparkling brightly under the overhead light, not even trying to hide it. She reached down to unpack her things, her hair flowing down and around her face, effectively shielding her blushing cheeks from view.
He smirked, his eyes turning down to look at his splayed palms, and leaned back on her bed. He lay down on the soft fuchsia-coloured duvet with his legs bent off the edge of the bed, his eyes closing with a sigh at the almost unfamiliar feeling of the plush mattress underneath him, the pureness of the moment sending his mind spinning in lazy circles, the only thing drawing him out of his thoughts being the sudden feeling of Betty’s fingers threading themselves into his hair. Her fingers pressed soothing circles into his scalp, the wrinkles between his furrowed brows dissipating, the feeling pulling him back under. She watched as he sighed with pure bliss, his eyelids softening as well as his shoulders, the taught muscles relaxing with every press to his scalp. She smiled down at him, watching him splayed across her bed, his face clear of worry and frustration, noticing the smallest upturn of his lips steadily spreading across his face as she felt his hand reach up to join with hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks blushing a bright pink, the blueness of her eyes deepening to a pure shade of azure, her heart beat quickening and beating erratically against her ribcage. He felt her fingers still in his hair, his eyes snapping open in concern, only to find her staring down at her with unabashed adoration. He felt his face heat up, unfamiliar nervousness spread through his body, the warm, prickly feeling spreading through every inch of his skin, his body feeling full, his head feeling fuzzy.
He sat up and searched through his bag, the black duffle full of his clothes and an assortment of different items including various photographs and small memorabilia. His homework files sat at the very bottom, the piles of paper packed neatly atop one another, printed pages overflowing from the various folders he had stuffed in his bag. He pulled out a folder before setting it down by his side, the brightly coloured file full of newspaper articles and obituary files, all labelled and sorted in levels of relevance to Jason Blossom’s untimely death. Though he never liked the pompous red-head he wanted to investigate the traumatic incident for the sake of the town, to restore the angelic image of the town which was now shrouded in darkness with the mysterious death, the events that conspired still not adding up. Suddenly, with the abrupt widening of her crystal blue eyes, he watched as she stood up from the plush comforter, with a rushed murmur, she dashed downstairs at the sound of the door unlocking with a resounding click. He jumped up from where he was sitting before he raced down the stairs towards the foyer to find a disgruntled Mrs Cooper staring daggers at the dark-haired boy.
She knew.
***
Alice Cooper was a force to be reckoned with, which was well known throughout Riverdale, her stare strong enough to strike you dead. Jughead, however, was a solid force that was protective of Betty to the very core. He stood behind Betty, threatening to strike Ms Cooper down with his piercing gaze, his hand came up to rest against the small of Betty’s back as he felt a frightened shiver run down her spine. He watched as her eye twitched menacingly, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief.
“Who is this, Elizabeth?” she hissed, her eyes flashing with cold rage, her eyebrows drawing closer together as her cheeks hollowed in disgust and her ears burned pink with anger.
“Mum, this is Jughead. You remember Jughead, right?” her hands shook, fear slithered up her spine like a snake, curling tightly in her stomach, finding solace however in the faint touch of Jughead’s pinkie linking with hers at her side.
“Yes,” her voice wavered in concealed fury, “Of course. My question is, Betty, why is… ‘Jughead’ here?” Her knuckles were turning white where she clutched at the strap of her bag, her eyes a piercing cold blue.
“We’re going to go study, mother. We’ll be quiet” With a shaky sigh her mother marched past her, slamming the door as she entered her own bedroom. Looking down at her feet Betty felt Jughead pull her backwards into his chest before he turned and waited as she followed him up the creaky staircase back to her bedroom.
Once they had made their way inside the room, he shut the door behind him, hands splayed against the wooden door panels, he turned to find Betty sitting on her bed with her hands covering her face, her shoulders shaking violently. He bolted towards her crowding behind her and pulling her shaking body into his chest as he felt hot tears through the soft material of his shirt. His heart shattered at the sound of each muffled sob, his eyes welling up with tears that had not seen the light of day since Jellybean and his mother had left him with his alcoholic father. He hugged her tighter, his heart stuttering in his chest as he felt her mouth press a soft kiss against the small freckle on his pulse point, rocking her back and forth in his arms as her breaths shuddered out in small puffs of air, slowly growing steadier. He murmured soft, meaningless words into her ear as she relaxed in his arms, her hands loosening around the lapels of his jacket that he had been too caught up to notice she had been clinging to. Releasing her he stood, opening his laptop and searching through his files for the right file that he was looking for, before settling in beside her against her headboard. He pressed play on the file, the screen dimming as the title rolled by: 'Rebel without a Cause,' and lovingly wrapped his arms around her waist while using his momentum to pull her closer towards him until her head was nestled softly in the crook of his neck.
They sat cuddled watching the movie for what felt like hours, his eyes unusually neglectful of the screen in hopes of watching her facial expression brighten at the familiar sight of the film, her bright crystal eyes illuminated by the blue light of the computer screen, the freckles on her cheeks contrasting starkly against the pale tone of her porcelain skin, her button nose wrinkled gently as she sniffled through the remaining sadness from only moments ago. Her eyelashes fluttered as softly as butterfly wings as teardrops clung to the feather-light lashes, her pupils wide and glistening. His heart thumped almost painfully against the confines of his ribcage, the incessant beating of his heart threatened to burst from his chest, pink blush fanning across his face as he noticed the absentminded feathering of her fingertips against his knuckles, the softness of her skin contrasting with the hardened callouses on his palms from years of working alongside Archie during his father’s construction days throughout the many summers in the heat. Out of the corner of his eye, the flash of light reflecting off of the photos scattered around the room, he saw a moment captured in a frame. Archie and Betty lay on his sofa in the Andrews’ house, their eyes crinkled at the edges from laughing with their hands clutching at their stomachs from laughter, the two best friends brace-faced and freckled from the years of running around in their respective back gardens. He felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest, a strange feeling of jealousy spreading through his bones as the images of their smiling faces printed itself in his memory, every moment he observed between the two of them feeling separate and foreign while still feeling painfully familiar. He felt, as his eyes stung with unreleased tears, that the adoration and love that Betty felt for Archie could never be directed at Jughead, undeserving, poor, ‘Serpent’s Son’ Jughead.
She could feel his piercing gaze on her face, her skin glowing pink from the feeling of his undivided attention focused on her, her eyes moving to stare into his own, frozen blue meeting the lush warmth of green. The forest in his eyes melted the barrier around her heart with every glance, her heart beating erratically at the gentle touch of his side pressed against her side, the warmth of his palm licking a trail of fire up her arm, the blazing flames spreading throughout her body, the sweltering heat of the summer indescribably cold in comparison to the inferno that she felt encased underneath his skin. His gaze melted the hard tenseness in her shoulders, her body relaxing from the growing warmth of the blanket wrapped around their bodies, the harsh world around her fading away at the feeling of his feet fumbling with hers under the covers. Leaning closer, the film pushed aside, he felt her hand brush against the back of his neck, her fingers twisting in the dark chocolate curls hidden under his beanie, his skin growing hot at the close contact. Even closer, their eyelashes brushed against each other’s cheeks, their breath mingling together in front of their faces. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she felt their lips touch, the synchronised beating of their hearts pounding in her ears, drowning out the world around them.
A phone started ringing. They broke apart, Jughead huffing in annoyance as he reached back behind him to grab his phone. Sweeping his thumb across the screen, he heard Archie’s voice crackled in his ear.
“Hey, Jughead. You busy?” Jughead pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing in deeply through his nose, and reached out for Betty’s hand. Feeling the smooth skin of her hand, he laced their fingers together, squeezing as he returned his attention to the phone call.
“Nope. Definitely not busy,” he rolled his eyes, “What’s up?”
“I need to talk to you about Betty.” Jughead sucked in a shaky breath, eyes popping open in shock, nerves on fire as nervousness rushed through him.
“Um, sure. Now?” He looked over at Betty, her radiant, encouraging smile gazing back at him, her hand squeezing his own hand, and looked toward the door absentmindedly.
“Yeah, that would be great. See you then, buddy.” The receiver clicked as he hung up, the phone dropping from his hand and into his lap, his head coming down to rest in his hands. Peering out of the corner of his eye he watched as Betty laid her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapping tenderly around his back, as she placed a gentle kiss against his shoulder. Standing up she ushered him out the door, kissing his cheek goodbye, he took the stairs two steps at a time.
He ran out the door, sprinting towards Archie’s front door, walking inside and up towards his bedroom. Opening the door, he moved inside, watching as Archie looked up at him with a new sparkle in his eye. Jughead smiled back at him, the corner of his eyes crinkling at the edges as he moved to sit alongside him.
“What’s up, man? Everything alright?” Jughead placed a hand on Archie’s shoulder, urging him to speak.
“Well, I know it’s a little unexpected but, I’m going to ask Betty out. I think I love her... as more than just friends.” Jughead jerked backwards, nearly falling off the bed, scoffing in relinquished anger and shock. Backing away, he stood to face Archie, his face awash with confusion and slight disgust.
“What?! Are you serious?” with a nod of Archie’s head he scoffed and spoke again. “How could you? What is wrong with you?!”
“What do you mean, Jug? I love Betty. How is that so hard to understand?” He stood to reach for Jughead’s shoulder, his hand jerking back when Jughead pulled his shoulder out of his reach.
“You can’t seriously do that to Betty, can you?” raising his voice he took a step towards the redhead, “She’s been in love with you since you were kids and now you decide to accept her feelings? Even after she’s finally moved on? After she’s finally happy?” With a disgusted noise accumulating at the back of his throat, he shook his head and stalked out of the house, running towards the Cooper’s house in anger.
Climbing a nearby ladder up to her window, he climbed into Betty's bedroom to find her fast asleep, her head resting uncomfortably against the headboard, and the laptop on her lap illuminating her pale face as the film played quietly in the background. Picking her up in his arms he haphazardly pulled the covers back and tucked her underneath, a gentle tug of her hair tie releasing her golden locks as they fell around her in a halo of sunlight, before he tugged his shoes off his feet and nestled into her side under the covers. After closing and storing the laptop away he wrapped his arm hesitantly around her waist, nestling his face into the back of his neck, the warmth of her skin licking a trail of fire down his spine, his own body warming under the slight touch of her hand against his. Closing his eyes, he drifted off.
Waking up the next morning he found his beanie missing from his head instead replaced by the light and fleeting sensation of her fingers threading themselves through his hair, the brush of her fingertips against his forehead threatened to lull him back to sleep, but the nagging-tugging sensation in his mind urged him to pick up his mobile phone. Placing a hesitant kiss to her cheek he held up his hand, to calm the constant fluttering of her worried thoughts bubbling up in her head, and made his way outside into the hallway. Swiping through his contacts he pressed the call button, peering out of the window to look into Archie's bedroom, watching hesitantly as the redhead started from his bed to search frantically for his phone, the typical stumbling drawing a sharp snort from him, before he watched him answer his phone.
"Jug? What's up? Is everything okay?" His croaky voice wavered on the line.
"Uh-yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm just calling to... apologise. For yesterday." He paused, the silence drawing itself out as he looked down in shame as if Archie was standing right in front of him.
"Oh, right. Nah, it's all good, dude." Jughead took a moment as he sighed in relief, "I was just really worried about you, and you don't usually react like that."
"I know, man. It's just that..." he steadied his voice as he worked up the courage to confess that he'd desperately been searching for since he'd awoken that morning. "I'm... well, Betty and I, kind of, kissed? Yeah, we kissed. I just... I like her a lot, Arch. I know that it seems kind of sudden, but I've liked her for a while, a long while. Maybe for years! It all just... happened." He paused, the silence seeming deafeningly loud in his ear, Archie's side was silent and unwavering, and he could hear his blood pounding, loud as a crashing, raging waterfall. After a long silence, Archie coughed.
"Yeah, that's totally fine, man. I just want both of you to be happy, and you were right about what you said yesterday, I'm not right for Betty. She needs someone who will pick her first, and you did, so you should ask her out. Properly."
"Yeah, I'll get right on that. See you, dude."
"See you. Bye."
Jughead hung up the phone, stepping back from the window, and turned towards Betty's room only to find her leaning against the doorframe with a dopey smile on her face. Her eyes glistened at the edges, the blue in her eyes crystallising to a cerulean blue deeper than the ocean itself. Her hair was held up in a messy, but beautiful, bun atop her head and her skin were free of makeup, her button nose and ears flushed pink.
"So, you've liked me for a while, huh? Maybe even years?" She smugly smiled back at him, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Jughead's cheeks flushing a deep magenta, before wrapping him up in her arms in a bone-crushing hug.