Work Text:
There was something wrong with Jughead that morning.
His voice was softer, chuckles were constantly rolling out of his tongue and she had already lost count of how many times he had brushed his limbs against hers— being it his shoulder or his knee. He was wearing a different cologne that morning, and even if she knew he preferred darker coffee— dark as his soul, he would say—, he had been taking sips from her capuccino ever since they started their daily work at the Blue & Gold.
There was no sarcasm, no classic reference and his computer was shut.
Could it be that his beanie had finally overheated his brain?
It was not like Betty was bothered by any of those things, no. In fact, she could feel her heart warming up whenever she felt his skin against hers and she couldn’t help but be happy with the idea of sharing an indirect kiss. She loves the feeling of having him so close, with no drama to cloud their thoughts, as they simply enjoy each other’s company like a normal, teen couple should. She loves having her by her side, as they do something they’re both so passionate about.
She loves the way it all feels.
But all that display of affection was just not something he would naturally do.
Her baby blue eyes were constantly stealing glances at him, as he was sitting next to her, carefully reading her latest article about the legacy of the twilight drive-in— a little something she had decided to do for her boyfriend. He had his thumb resting over his lower lip, indicating that he was immersed in all those words, and she could see his eyes shining due to the light of the screen.
Jughead was looking as charming as always. His soft lips slightly curled up, and as soon as he turned those greenish-blue eyes of his to meet hers for a brief second, the Cooper girl almost forgot why she was so focused on him that morning.
Almost.
Betty was suddenly brought back from her thoughts when she felt his soft, warm hand resting over her skin. She watched as his fingers were slowly making their way in between hers, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. A smile made its way to her rosy lips, enjoying the fact that THE Jughead Jones the Third was actually trying to intertwine their fingers without being caught by a girl whose nickname is Nancy Drew. It was a sweet, pure gesture that she certainly appreciated, but it was too unexpected for her to simply ignore.
She is Betty Cooper, after all.
And never in all the years they’ve known each other had she see him do such thing.
“ Okay… What is all this about?” She lifted an eyebrow, looking at him curiously.
“ Uhm…” He turned his face, meeting her eyes with his. There was a calm expression ruling his face, as he softly nodded his head. “ I’d say it’s the best description of our town anyone has ever written… Also, I liked the way you’ve used the words ominous and barmecide. Maybe you’re spending too much time with me, Betty Cooper.”
“ Thank you for the words, but… I’m not talking about the article, Juggie… I’m talking about This.” Her eyes drifted to their hands for a moment before returning to his. She moved her fingers so their hands were properly resting together, and she saw as a smirk slowly made its way to his lips.
Of course she realized, he thought.
There was really no use in trying to surprise her like that.
“ Oh… that.” He grinned. “ I’m flirting with you.”
“ Flirting?”
“Yep.”
“ But why?”
“ … Why?” He lifted an eyebrow, not really sure of the meaning behind her words.
“ Yeah… There must be a reason why you’re doing all this. Jughead Jones, I’m not doing your math homework again.”
“ What?! I’ve already finished that, Betts.”
“ Uhm… Then why are you doing all this?”
“Well… Isn’t it what boyfriends and girlfriends do?”
“Yeah, I guess, but—“
“ Then just let me do my job, Betts.”
There was a soft smile decorating his lips at that moment, and she realized how a chuckle got stuck in his throat as he bit his lower lip. He motioned his fingers so he could squeeze her hand tighter, showing her the affection she had already felt through his words. Jughead was actually trying to change his gloomy acts for her, and in her eyes, she couldn’t see that as anything other than extremely cute.
He was swallowing all the things he has ever said about cheesy couples, and knowing him like she does, Betty knew that such thing must have been quite hard for Riverdale’s number one silent rebel. Their relationship was slowly changing the very core of who they’ve always believed to be, and even if he probably joked about her writing, she knew for sure that he was also changing things about her. Things much more important than her lexical choice.
Jughead was turning her into a better girl. A better, stronger and happier version of herself, and all he had to do was smile at her the way he was smiling at that moment.
That smile was certainly her biggest weakness.
And oh, how she loved to have it around her.
She bit her lower lip in pure excitement and she couldn’t surpass the smile that took over her lips. With her free hand, she tugged a rebel lock of hair behind her ear, and softly squeezed his hand back. Their eyes were intimately connected, and it was possible to see how happy they both were just by that silly, stubborn glint decorating their irises. “ You’re not really doing a good job, you know.”
“ What? Are you telling me I’ve wasted time and money on reading that ‘How to Flirt’ book?”
“ Probably…” She giggled, leaning closer to his face. “ Do you think you can get your money back? Maybe you can buy a better book with it.”
“ I can try… But then, how am I going to get better?”
“ Oh, just follow your instincts like when we first kissed… Calling me crazy just some seconds before you pulled me to your mouth was quite the move.”
A smirk crossed his lips at the memory of their first kiss, and he could already feel her hot breath tickling his lips. Their voices were lower now, and their eyes were half closed as they both knew very well where that conversation would get them. “ Damn, I don’t think I remember that. All I remember was you mentioning about that car.”
“ Oh.” She chuckled, making his heart skip a beat. “ It was a really good first kiss, I guess.”
“ Yeah… I’ve never seen anything like that in any of the movies I’ve watched so far.”
“ Wow, that is really something, then.”
“Yeah… It is.”
And as naturally as the waves kiss the shore, their lips met in a soft, chaste touch. He leaned forward to answer her gesture, cupping her face with his free hand and caressing her cheek with his thumb. They were both smiling at that moment, completely oblivious to the entire world surrounding them and ignoring the possibility of someone barging in their office. It was their time to be happy in that twisted town, and they wouldn’t let anything take away the innocence they shared in that kiss.
It was gentle, warm and so full of love that when they finally parted, it was still possible to feel the butterflies in their stomachs. Their foreheads were resting against one another, and for the moment, they couldn’t be more thankful for the unpopularity of the press journalism.
It was all about them. All about their happiness.