Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jughead scoffed after glancing at the new text sent by Toni. The pink haired beauty always knew how to push his buttons. The worst part was, he would always lose...

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Toni was about to make her way back to her salon when her phone rang…

“Yeah, Jones, yell—”

“—Toni what the hell?” Jughead snapped from the other side of the phone.

“Whoa! Seriously Jones, relax!” Toni chuckled nervously as Jughead exhaled slowly trying to calm his nerves. “It’s just—”

“—It’s just what? Why do you even try and do this? Why set me uh—”

“—Because I know you a little too well! You are still hung up on what Joani did to you! And—” Toni snapped back, clutching her phone tighter to her ear before Jughead cut in.

“—But this is just wrong Toni...” Jughead was pleading now, his voice promptly tender. Toni scoffed.

“It’s just a one nighter Jughead. What’s new this time huh?” she asked.

“Yeah I... this girl… she doesn’t… she...” Jughead sighed.

“Looks like an angel… Pure and kind?”

“NO! Has she ever been to a fucking salon? LOOK at her, dark circles, chapped lips, how am I supposed to kiss those huh?”

“Since when do you judge Jughead? Fool anyone but me, so stop with the bullshit,” Jughead sighed. Toni knew him better than he did himself.

“Toni, it doesn’t seem—”

“—She has agreed to it. She wants this, trust me,” Toni gulped. “And also, I… She seemed... patsy… Figured you might, umm, be a safe place for her...” Toni said dubiously.

“What do you mean?”

“She needs money. She was pleading for a job. I am guessing she wants to run away from something, someone… I don’t know… She seemed too anxious to me…”

“Wow? God Toni, now I have to pay for sex?”

“Yeah,” Toni chuckled.

“Forget, I don’t—”

“—Jughead, please!” Toni pleaded.

“Toni?”

“Please...”

“Well? Why didn’t you offer her a job in your shop then?”

“Because she doesn’t need a job. She needs to be safe. She wore house slippers, Jughead and she seemed too alert of her surroundings. I am guessing something is not right with—”

“—Quit guessing.”

“Come on, Jones. You know I can’t ignore such vibes. It’s—” Jughead knew where this conversation was going.

“—Hey Toni, stop… I… fine,” Jughead sighed before continuing, “but if, if she gnaws at me, I’ll kick her out,” Toni chuckled in relief.

“Just call me if she needs help,” she told him.

“Fine.”

“Great,” Toni exclaimed and smiled to herself.

...

Jughead hung up and looked at the picture Toni had sent him. Betty. Jughead sank into the couch and sighed. Betty looked nervous in the photograph itself. But damn if he thought she didn’t look innocent and beautiful even without her confidence. Toni was right, she did look like an angel. Pure and kind. Jughead stared at it and tried to suppress his emotions, zooming in and out on the picture. “Betty’s hair, messy. Betty’s eyes, green and big and glossy. Eyebrows undone. Chapped lips. No makeup. Wow! Thanks Toni for trying to set me up with a dumb chick, that’s so if I can even call her that,” he muttered under his breath before rolling his eyes. Toni always tried to set him up with girls, sending random ones to his house every few days. Jughead never knew what she would bid them but they would always disappear the next day before he would wake up. Sometimes he would doubt the night to be a dream. It had been like a routine ever since...

Joani. Why did Toni have to say the name? Reopen old wounds? He was starting to forget the girl who broke his heart. Who judged him so quickly yet easily even after knowing him for so long. A reminder that he would probably never find true love because of who he was and where he belonged. The reason he was guarded around new people. He still had their photographs in his laptop. A folder he never clicked on.

Four years ago, Joani, everyone knew as Jughead’s girlfriend of three years had broken up with him. ‘Mom, this is Joani. Joani this is my mom. And that’s Jellybean, my sister. Come here Jelly don’t be shy,’ Voices rang in his head, as he smiled to himself at the happy memories. He had thought his sister was being shy back then but really, she didn’t want to meet his girlfriend. She didn’t like Joani. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if Jelly had caught bad vibes from his girlfriend because back then Jughead had thrived an infatuation with this red haired beauty. In reality, Joani never loved him. She liked that he was rich, good looking, good reputation, good grades, she saw he had a good future being the aspiring writer that he was now.

She had never asked him about his tattoo or literally anything about him. Though he would always expect she would. He didn’t know much about her either. She didn’t like conversations. Jughead didn’t mind. He liked making her happy. Their relationship wasn’t built on strong foundation, though Jughead didn’t mind apologizing until the day she confronted him about his father. The day she found out who he was and their relationship went downhill followed by the eventual breakup.

‘Your dad is in jail for murder!’ ‘Attempted murder Joani, and I stand by my dad. I support him.’ ‘Well naturally you would, being the criminal that you are!’ ‘I am a serpent, Joani, not a criminal’ Jughead felt the same emotions now as he felt back then. He sniffled and covered his ears trying not to hear the yelling voices.

‘You never told me anything about you. How am I supposed to trust you Jughead?’ ‘I would have told you, you never asked. We never had a real talk. You never wanted to. It was just…Just… I thought, I thought you loved me too… You love me don’t you?’ “Say yes” he hissed, hoping to alter the memories.

‘Yeah right! You are so naive Jughead! Too naive for a gangster. You really think I am in love with you? You really thought I was in love with you? First thing, I don’t believe in love bullshit, and second, I can’t risk my future with a criminal whose dad is accused of murder. You know what they say Jughead, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.’

‘My father didn’t do anything wrong. I am proud of him, I will always be proud of him...’ “I will always be proud of him,” Jughead whispered with a strained voice.

Jughead opened his eyes and wiped the tears he didn’t know were falling. He cursed Toni silently and decided to take a shower to clear his head.

His father’s arrest had left a hollow in his life. He remembered crying for hours while his mother was trying her best to be strong for her children. Toni would watch them from a distance and his mother would gesture to her to come closer so she doesn’t feel like an outsider. Toni had seen him in his worst. She knew him more than anyone else and vice versa. She was always grateful to him, his dad, his mom, his sister.

A man, fondly known as Tall Boy replaced Jughead’s dad FP, as the new leader of the Southside Serpents. It provoked Jughead for years before he decided he needed to join the serpents at the age of 16. He not only wanted to join them but to claim the position of the leader, the throne that belonged to his family. Jughead hated Tall Boy with a passion. His presence only inflamed him more and more. He was getting angrier day by day, pushing people away, threatening his fellow serpents, getting in trouble at school. He was no longer the innocent and naive child who got bullied. People would make way for him. They would fear him. Jughead enjoyed that. An authority. Something his 14 year old self would never have had imagined. It was always a puzzle how he managed to keep up his good grades while his mind was full of thoughts on how to get rid of Tall Boy. All his rage towards him was being directed to the people around him, since logically it wouldn’t have been a good idea to piss Tall Boy off, and Jughead knew it too well.

After his graduation, he was off to university in Los Angeles. His mind was off the serpents. He had met Joani in one of his classes. He didn’t know how, but he was finding himself drowse in her company. Like she was this drug and he needed her. They were getting closer, dangerously so. She was so damn attractive. Jughead wanted her like he never wanted anyone before. ‘You are so fucking pretty!’ He would tell her and she would smirk at his words. They would smoke together, and Jughead’s eyes would darken when she would exhale. He would draw hearts in the cloudy air and smirk at her. He was so damn crazy about this girl. It all seemed perfect…

...until the day she heard him on the phone.

‘...Come on dad! Being in jail doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate your birthday, don’t disappoint mom and Jelly please…...… I'll visit you very soon. Yeah...’ Jughead had noticed her from the corner of his eyes. Joani hadn’t said anything then or after and Jughead was grateful for that. But then she had later searched him online and somehow found archived news links.

‘I thought you were a good person.’ She had confronted him. She was yelling, she seemed disgusted. ‘Have I ever treated you badly?’ ‘Doesn’t matter anymore, you will be in jail someday. There will be a similar article about you. I can’t associate myself with someone like you.’ ‘Was that it? Didn’t you ever like me for who I am?’ ‘Why does it even matter Jay? I am sure I’ll find someone like you. There are plenty more fish in the sea and you are no special one. Don’t kid yourself, you are not some fucking prince.’

Jughead shook his head and finished his shower which seemed to have taken too long.

...

Betty stood outside ‘Topaz Salon’ nervously pulling at the long sleeves of her ultramarine sweater that was paired up with a denim skirt and house slippers.

Now having to wait for nearly ten minutes, she could really notice the salon logo. The green snake that entangled itself in the letters. A pair of scissors that replaced the ‘T’ in Topaz. She decided she liked the graffiti. And then she sighed and stopped looking at it. Now she had nothing interesting to do. It was already eight and Toni hadn’t shown up yet. Her thoughts went to Austin.

Austin. Two days ago, Betty had moved here in an abandoned cottage over the hill with Austin. Betty hated Austin. He sickened her.

She was his captive. He had forced Betty to leave her job. She was forced to stay in his house, wherever it may be, do what he said. He would use her, abuse her, mentally, physically, sexually. Betty had not contacted anyone other than him in three years.

Betty had made her attempts of running away only to jolt back with more force and experience more pain and torture. Betty was trapped, she had no sufficient money in her bank account, hell there was no bank account. Austin had closed them. She had no one in this world other than him now. She had been called a liar for pressing charges against this asshole Austin Greene, the rich Tycoon from Chicago. Betty was alone, always alone,

but not today. Today she had found a ray, a ray of hope, bestowed to her by a woman named Toni Topaz.

Betty often dug into Austin’s stuff when he was away. She made plans in her head, to run away. She couldn’t risk getting caught now, not anymore. Austin had bought a hell lot of groceries the day before and Betty had found his plane ticket to Chicago and had put the pieces together to figure out that he wasn’t coming back till next few days. He was the son of a businessman, the same office he worked in with his father. Going to Chicago only meant business meeting. Hell an important one.

Betty hated Austin, so much so she had tried to kill him once but her anxiety had taken over her and she had collapsed on the floor dropping the knife and hurting herself in the process. She had known at that point that it was not in her, to kill or hurt someone. She was not capable, being in such vulnerable state of mind. The only option she had was to run away. She needed money for that, a sufficient amount of money. And there was a time limit of three days as she tried to make herself understand this.

He had told her, he was coming back in an hour, but Betty knew better. As soon as he had left Betty had made her walk down the streets, looking for a job. She had met Toni in the morning when she walked into Topaz salon. She was disappointed to learn they had no positions available but when she was walking out, this pink haired woman had called her informing her that she had a perfect job for her. An overnight one time job, that would pay plenty if she is good. Betty knew what she was expected to do, and she had accepted it quickly because as of now, that was the only thing she knew well and it wouldn’t hurt more.

Tears were prickling her eyes, needing an escape. Betty was trying to hold them back as best she possibly could.

Betty nodded to herself.

“Get in Blondie!” Toni’s howling brought Betty back in the present and Betty quickly walked towards the truck, opened the door and got in.

“Hi Toni,” Betty said nervously.

Toni chuckled. “Yeah, hello to you too Betty, so, you ready?” Toni asked casually ignoring the fact that Betty was shivering. It didn’t matter because the truck heater was on and Toni wasn’t the one to pry.

“Hmm,” Betty nodded still fidgeting the sweater.

Toni pressed the accelerator chuckling. “Great! He would be delighted to see you. I had sent him your picture and name. His name is Jughead, if you don’t remember, he would be the one in a beanie, not any beanie, the grey crown beanie.” Her glare was now more on Betty as she drove slowly, “Just don’t make him angry, he is a little volatile. Reads people like a book so don’t try to fool him either,” Toni cautioned. Betty just nodded slowly in understanding. “Also Betty, you are carrying your birth control pills right?” Toni inquired with a sudden shift in her tone.

“Yeah yes, I am,” Betty stuttered having to answer the question suddenly. She awkwardly tapped her sling bag to confirm.

“You nervous Betty?”

“No, just it happens... I’ll be fine!”

“You need anything? To eat or drink...?” Toni wondered.

“No, no, I don’t have the appetite!” Betty murmured.

“I know, I know!” Toni teased and chuckled as she leaned forward, turning the wheel to take a left turn. Betty gave her a soft smile that hardly met her eyes.

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After a few minutes, Toni pulled over in front of a small house. Betty looked at her with wide eyes and she raised her eyebrows gesturing that they reached the said destination. Betty hesitated and nodded turning to open the door.

“Good luck Betty! And don’t be nervous!” Toni told her softly. Betty looked back and smiled nervously. “I know him well Betty, he’s my foster family since last ten years. You have nothing to be nervous about. I’ll visit you in the morning if you want, ask Jughead to call me if you need. He won’t mind,” she reassured her with a slight nod.

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Betty waited nervously after she rang the doorbell. After about what felt like forever, the wooden door opened and Betty saw a lean figure with a beanie scowling at her. Betty felt tears in her eyes resulting from the nervousness that was making her head dizzy. A scowl was never good. She was frozen.

“Do you fucking talk?” Betty blinked back the tears at the scornful tone. Her heart began to thump and she could feel it on the skin.

“I, I am B-Betty! Toni sent me,” she stuttered and tried to smile though she knew it wasn't a good idea. It only made her vision more blurry.

Chapter Text

“Do you fucking talk?”

“I, I am B-Betty! Toni sent me.”

“You?” Jughead huffed out a laugh. “Toni sent you? Are you fucking kidding me?” He waved his hand up and down, gesturing towards her, like he hadn’t even seen her picture let alone think she is beautiful. Betty didn’t understand what was wrong. She just looked at him in bewilderment. She wanted to say something but tears were threatening her eyes and she choked and swallowed the lumps in her throat.

“I...” She managed to utter, looking at Jughead who was looking at her in amusement. “...don’t...” Her barely audible voice trailed of as she jumped by Jughead’s interruption...

“Fuck!” He sighed dramatically taking a step back and rubbing his temple. “Come in! Don’t need you to freeze and die,” he chuckled, motioning her to come in. Betty left her slippers near the shoe rack and Jughead motioned her to sit on the couch with a sincere smile but earned a confused glare from Betty.

Betty placed her bag on the coffee table and inhaled deeply trying her best to calm herself down. She was visibly shivering, she knew that and it wasn’t just from cold. After a while she noticed a glass filled with what looked like water, inches away from her face and her gaze went to Jughead who was holding it out for her. He nodded slightly. Betty grabbed it whispering a ‘thank you.’ She was glad it was hot water, enough to make her body feel less numb.

“Aren’t those clothes a little big on you?” Jughead crossed his arms standing infront of her. Betty tightened the grip on the glass and nodded slightly. “And what’s with the frizzy hair?” Betty didn’t say anything. Jughead walked to the other side of the coffee table, “So...? You done this before? Hooking up with filthy strangers for some damn cash?” He taunted again, taking a seat on the couch across from her and leaning his head back.

“No, I, I need money. Toni didn’t have job for me at salon. She said this, this would pay better and I, I am in des-desperate need,” Betty stuttered, choking on the stinging lumps forming in her throat constantly. Jughead sighed and raised his eyebrows. She could talk, a sentence. The girl could talk.

“I don’t believe you! I don’t believe you haven’t done this before.” He leaned forward at the coffee table. “Simple way to earn, isn’t it Princess?”

“I,” Betty felt herself shiver, her body becoming numb. His gaze was piercing into her soul. She felt like the walls were closing in but then she was trapped in a white polythene bag. She wasn't good at dealing with insults, taunts, scoldings. Her brain would often go blank as the result of her anxiety crippling through her entire body. “I am n-not—”

“—Don’t, I don’t need any fucking explanations,” Jughead said callously. “Quick question, do you cut yourself? You know? Self harming or stuff like that?” He mocked with raised eyebrows. Betty’s eyes widened.

“No! No, I don’t! I don’t!” She replied quickly, shaking her head. This was the first irrefutable reply Jughead had heard from her.

“Good to hear that Betty!” He nodded with somber expression.

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Betty blinked rapidly to make her vision clear, tightening her grip more and more on the glass she was holding.

“Toni sent you to a crude guy, hope you know that,” he stated holding her gaze as he studied her. Few seconds later he stood up. “Come on up...” He offered her a hand and Betty grabbed it hesitantly, as she placed the now empty glass down on coffee table.

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After reaching the bedroom, “You ready?” He asked her once with a smirk. She nodded and Jughead closed the distance between them. His lips attacking hers for a very bruising desperate kiss. He didn’t think he needed to warn her. Hell, he felt like he waited too long for this.

Betty squeezed her eyes.

To Betty, it felt forced but she made no attempt to pull away. She felt defeated. The kiss, the proximity, it was supposed to turn Betty on but it didn’t. Instead her mind diverted to Austin and his torture. His kiss, it was always vicious. His touch was always wounding. She remembered the times he choked her. She could even expect swat on her already swollen skin anytime now. Her breathing became uneven and heavy. She felt... suffocated.

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“Am I hurting you?” Betty jerked at sudden scolding. Her eyes snapped open. She contemplated where she was as the blue eyes were gazing into hers in confusion. She realized, she was now lying on the bed, her feet still touching the fluffy carpet at the foot. Her face was warm with tears and her eyes were burning already. She blinked, feeling weak. Her hands were clutching the sheets. Jughead was on top of her, however she couldn't feel his weight because he was bracing himself on his elbows. Fresh tears were falling from Betty’s eyes, some trailing down into her hair and some onto her cheeks. She wanted to tell him ‘no’ but no words came out. She was visibly trembling and she knew it. She just stared in Jughead’s blue eyes who seemed to have been studying her for a while now since he was making no attempts to get up. His face was so close to hers, she could feel his minty breath. Betty knew she had ruined her chance. She thought this would be easy for her, but turned out she messed it up. Her chin trembled and tears didn’t stop. She made no attempts to swallow the lumps forming in her throat and found herself smothering. She inhaled sharply. Jughead must have noticed her panic since he got up to his feet just then, allowing Betty to sit properly. “I think we should call it a night.” He gave her a forced assuring smile.

“No, please!” Betty stood up. Her voice barely audible now. “I, I need, I can’t...”

“Its okay Betty,” Jughead said as he walked towards the other side of the room. Betty didn’t understand what he was thinking and it worried her even more.

“No, I,” Betty protested weakly. Her vision began to turn cloudy. She couldn’t feel herself anymore. How could this be happening? She knew she could handle one night. The buzzing sounds told her she didn’t mean to disappoint Jughead. She really was ready. She was… mentally primed.

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A sudden thud caused Jughead to quickly turn around in confusion. “What th...!” He gasped and his eyes widened when he saw Betty lying on the floor.

He had figured she was starving, hungry. He had heard her stomach rumble, one of the reasons he had to halt his movements at the hem of her sweater. Then when he looked at her tear stained face, it made him sigh with guilt. He knew he can be impertinent sometimes, most of the times. It always gave him leverage and made him immune to his own emotions. This time it felt different, wrong. But Jughead wasn’t the one to apologize. Ever.

He made quick walk towards her and gently scooped her into his arms. She was sweaty and cold. Felt so small, so fragile in his arms. He then gently lowered her onto the bed and stormed out of the room.

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“Please be fine! Please please!” He rambled making his way to the kitchen to grab water.

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“Betty wake up!” He pleaded as he sprinkled water on her face. On what felt like hundredth attempt, Betty blinked and opened her eyes and Jughead sighed in relief. He offered her a glass of water and helped her sit, adjusting the pillows at the headboard as Betty blinked and swallowed again and again.

“I am sorry!” She whispered. More tears swelling her eyes and face. Her eyes were bloodshot now as she stared at the half empty glass in her hands.

“It’s okay!” He whispered back tucking the stray hair behind her ear.

“Please, I, can we, can we start again? Please I, I won’t disappoint you please!” She pleaded through the tears, sobs and shuddering breaths still staring at the glass and holding it tightly like it was of significance. Her eyes still not meeting his.

“Stay for ten days,” Jughead imposed. Something he had planned to ask after discussing with Toni.

“Wha...?” She gasped doubting what she heard. Her gaze suddenly shifting to his face.

“Stay with me for ten fucking days. Here, in this house. I’ll pay for ten days instead of one night. It would be almost equivalent to five month salary Toni pays to her staff.” He stated with the tilt of his head.

“I don’t have that much time. I can’t… I...” Betty panicked. Jughead took the glass from her hands, afraid she might hurt herself and she slightly jumped at the contact.

“No one will know, you are here. This house is safe for you.” Betty suddenly felt a rush of anxiety, wondering if Jughead can see through her. She hadn’t told him about anything and yet he was talking about her safety. “I’ll personally drop you wherever you need to, after this. No one will ever know. I promise. What do you say Betty?” Jughead looked at her in anticipation feeling a little vulnerable himself.

“I,” Betty contemplated as Jughead waited patiently for the answer. Austin had to know she was missing, only difference was that she would still be here instead of escaping like she had thought. Trusting Jughead was a risk but facing Austin again made her skin crawl. She nodded vigorously. “I’ll stay.”

“Good. Good..” Jughead let out a breath. He walked to the drawers and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “Here, take a warm shower and put these on.” He offered her the clothes and she took them with trembling hands. “Also Betty?” He sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, “Don’t wear your bra and underwear,” he whispered near her ear with a smirk and Betty nodded in comprehension. Jughead didn’t get the kind of response or reaction he hoped though. He wondered what kind of girl she is. “And don’t lock the doors,” he whispered with a sigh. Betty nodded again.

Jughead grabbed some clothes for himself and headed downstairs for a shower in need of clearing his thoughts. Jughead always found showers to be therapeutic. He couldn’t forget Betty’s horrified face and the tears that fell uncontrollably like they had been confined in for a too, too long. But there was more that he had become aware of… Betty’s bruised, swollen skin when his hands were under her sweater. They felt tender under his touch, and he doubted they hurt. He doubted Betty was victim of domestic violence and many questions popped up in his brain… because her face had no signs of bruises whatsoever.

He wanted to get to know Betty, her past, her story. He wanted to help her too if she would let him.

After taking what he thought was a quick shower and changing into his sleeveless t-shirt and sweats, Jughead made a quick phone call to Toni, asking her to bring him two burgers and fries from Pop’s, the only diner Jughead loved and trusted in Riverdale. Then he walked to the kitchen, and pulled out a pan for a quick vegetable stir fry.

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Just as he turned the stove off, he heard the doorbell.

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Toni was standing with a smirk on her face. She didn’t make attempts to say anything or give him his parcel that was hooked on her finger held just below her chin.

“What?” Jughead yelled feeling irritated already. Toni touched his forehead, then his neck, like she was expecting him to be feverish. Jughead gave her one of his intimidating glares. When Toni’s expression didn’t falter, he snatched the parcel from her hand and slammed the door shut.

“Looking good, Jones!” He heard her yell from the other side and he couldn’t help but chuckle quietly. He didn’t feel so irritated then.

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“Betty!” Jughead called out as he entered the bedroom. He looked around wanting to check the bathroom just as his gaze fell upon the small figure. He sighed looking at Betty who was now curled up on the floor, leaning against the bed. Her hair wrapped in a towel and she was wearing the clothes he had offered her. She seemed too quiet, the room felt too quiet and it worried him. He carefully approached her, not wanting to startle the blonde. “Betty?” He called again, crouching down to meet her eyes. He touched her shoulder and she gasped and jumped. “Its just me.” He whispered.

“I am sorry. For, for, I didn’t…” Jughead could sense panic in her voice.

“Don’t apologize Betty! You did nothing wrong.”

“Are you… Are you mad?” He chuckled at that.

“I don’t think I can stay this calm when I am frenzy,” he chortled again but Betty’s stare told him she wasn’t convinced. “I am not mad Betty. I promise!” He took her hands in his and nodded reassuringly. “Now come downstairs!”

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Jughead pulled out a tall chair for Betty motioning her to sit. Betty nodded and sat quietly, resting her forearms on the wooden surface of the kitchen island as Jughead set an empty plate infront of her. She watched him put some bowl in microwave. Betty noticed the tattoos on his bare arms and her eyes twinkled. On his right shoulder was a double headed snake. On his left hand was a tattoo of snake that was curled around a sword. The hilt of the sword began at his forearm and ended at his wrist. Betty was shifting again and again to get a better look while Jughead didn’t seem to notice her. He was now busy mixing something in a glass Betty didn’t understand. Betty bet there is some quote on his right forearm, only if he shifts more and stands still, she thought to herself and sighed inaudibly.

After a while Jughead bought her the glass of something she couldn’t guess. He placed it in front of her near the plate and went back to grab the bowl he had microwaved. It contained stir fry and Jughead served her some and gestured her to dig in. Betty stared at the glass in confusion.

“It’s Cranberry Light Sangria,” Jughead answered before Betty could ask the question.

“What, I...”

“Its a cocktail. It contains cranberry juice, red wine, lemonade concentrate and club soda. In case you are wondering.” Jughead gave her a small smile and took seat across from her.

Betty took small sips out of it before smiling softly. “It’s tasty!” She exclaimed quietly. Jughead gave her a small smile.

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After Betty finished her stir fry and half of the cocktail, Jughead served her the burgers. Betty ate her food like she hadn’t eaten in ages. Jughead found it amusing yet he frowned at the fact that her diet didn’t seem to be appropriate. She wasn’t too thin, but she looked pale, too pale.

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After Betty was done with her dinner, Jughead cleared the table and took his previous position on the chair across from Betty. His demeanor was changing and he knew it. He didn’t wanna fall for those puppy dog eyes again. He could already see the fear in her eyes. A part of him enjoyed it but the other part felt guilty for intimidating her like this, especially knowing she was not in her comfortable surroundings. She was a victim of circumstance. But he isn’t Jughead Jones if he doesn’t inject fear in people. Besides, he didn’t trust people just by studying them anymore. Clearly, he didn’t trust Betty. Her whole appearance made him question her moves. As much as he wanted to believe her, help her, he needed the truth. This was important… He wanted her to snap.

“So Betty...” He began, after studying her for a minute or so. “What’s your story?”

“What?” Betty gasped in horror as all the color drained from her face at the unexpected question. The hair on her neck and arms stood up as she felt chills deep in her bones. Betty was now aware of her surroundings. Aware of the man sitting across from her and suddenly finding him shifty and intimidating.

“Tell me,” he demanded with a tilt of his head.

“I...I...” Betty couldn’t form the words, let alone sentences, finding herself going dizzy. At this point she didn’t know if it was the alcohol or nervousness.

“Why do you need money Betty? What are you up to?” He almost seethed. Betty’s mouth was agape. She was petrified. Everything seemed blurred and floating already as she gripped the sides of her seat to keep herself steady. Jughead was watching her with menacing eyes. Betty gulped thinking of what to tell him. She was scared if she tells him the truth, he might take advantage of her just like Austin did. Even though she felt safe with him, he had fed her, helped her when she needed it, it didn’t make her believe him. How could his attitude change from rude to nice to threatening in such a short period of time, unless he was some kind of psycho.

“Rent, for r-rent. Working at-at coffee shop doesn’t help much s-so—”

“—Bullshit!” he snapped.

‘No, I—”

“—Tell me the fucking truth Betty!” Jughead almost yelled as he stood up slamming his palms on the island surface, the thud echoing the small space around them. It startled Betty, who was now unable to stop the tears that fell like a waterfall looking at Jughead with horrified expression on her face. Everything seemed silent and haunting, like she had found herself trapped in deep dark place… again. She took deep breaths, not wanting to feel weak. Jughead didn’t know her like Austin did, that was an advantage.

“I, don’t, I can’t...” She trailed off somehow finding courage to get up from her seat almost stumbling and running upstairs to the bedroom. Jughead followed her, his face twisted with rage. Anger, because Betty thought she could lie to him. No one can fucking lie to him. He hates liars… He detests liars!

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“What are you doing?” He asked angrily and slammed the bedroom door close watching the blonde gasp in horror as she quickly turned around.

“My clothes, I want to leave… I can’t...” Betty trembled in panic. Jughead sensed the vulnerability and fear in her voice which made him smirk wickedly before his anger took over.

“You are staying, Betty,” he seethed taking a step towards her as she stumbled back gasping.

“I, I don’t want money, I don’t, don’t want to stay. Please, I want to go… I...” Betty managed to quaver through tears. She was pleading, clasping her hands, hoping he would understand and show mercy. She was so, so scared. Last thing she wanted was someone making her feel confined again. She couldn’t tell Jughead the truth because she feared he would use her after knowing who she was. But he seemed to be doing that anyways. “...let me leave… I—”

“—Don’t you fucking dare Betty. Don’t! Because if you escape, I have my sources, to drag your ass back here and I can’t promise if I’ll be nice after that. You don’t know who I am, so don’t act clever. You are staying, under my gaze. This is my house and you are not leaving till I let you...” He kept taking steps closer to her with every few words till her legs hit the bed causing her to plop and brace on her elbows, and allowing him to hover over her. “Let my words seep into your tiny fucking brain.”

Betty could feel his breath on her face, telling her she wasn’t dreaming. She knew it, she didn’t deserve to be happy. “Please..” She managed to mumble, like a prayer.

“Don’t!” He warned her for the final time and exited the room, slamming the door behind him.

Betty stared at the shut door. Everything was silent now. Betty was horrified. What was she thinking? Her plan had backfired in an ultimate nightmarish way. Coming here was a mistake, maybe suicide would have been a better option. But Betty was stronger than that… Stronger than all of this. But Jughead’s warning was like a final stroke. Betty was losing all the hopes she had in the morning. She felt stymied. She knew she shouldn't trust him, she wasn't either. He was helpful to her after her panic attack and she had felt a little comfortable with him. But now, she had seen a monster in him. The thought of spending ten days with him terrified her.

She curled up, holding every sob within, not even allowing herself to cry freely, like always. She closed her eyes, praying it would all go away. Praying she would never wake up.

Chapter Text

Jughead started pacing around the couch once he reached downstairs. He was still trembling with anger, taking deep shuddering breaths, trying to get a hold of himself. Times like these he wished cigarettes could still help. Another shower? NO! He has already showered four times today. He is inevitably squeaky clean.

He knew it, he knew what he had done was wrong. Unacceptable. Betty didn’t owe him anything and he had no right to ask her questions. This is what happened when people refused to answer him, or worst, when people felt qualified enough to lie to him, fool him.

He knew what Toni would have yelled, ‘You are a fucking psycho Jones!’ ‘I am a psycho? I AM A PSYCHO? She's the one walking around with a black eye and tryna fool me, MEEE, TONI!’ ‘She lied, yes. But your sister can handle herself. She wasn’t making a fool out of you for god’s sake.’ ‘But if she had told me, I would have—’ ‘—You would have WHAT? Hit a teenager? A GIRL?’ ‘YES, if they hurt the ones I love, I don’t care who the fuck they are.’

‘You are INSANE—’ ‘—SHE’S MY SISTER! SHE SHOULD—’ ‘—THEN GO, BE THE BROTHER SHE DESERVES. BE HER JUGGIE, not the damn arrogant serpent prince...’ ‘She had no right to lie to me! It’s not, not my fault!’

‘YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND! You threatened the poor girl for her to confess her problems. You can't intimidate the ones you love Jughead. You need to apologize to JB—’ ‘—STOP calling her that, I named her Jellybean.’

‘This is exactly what I mean YOU DUMBASS, you can’t control the ones in your life and say you love them. Everyone makes their own choices. People have reasons for lying or hiding things. Not everything has to do with you and your fucking ego. Get a grip on yourSELF! Learn to accept and not control—’ ‘—Stop!—’

‘—No, no, you need to hear this Jughead! Not everyone is Joani and not everyone is Tall Boy. NOT EVERYONE IS FOOLING YOU AND NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO FUCKING HURT YOU. Fathom this before it’s too late Jug!’ ‘I, I, I understand that. I do, I do...’ ‘Go apologize to JB before I sign you up for a therapy.’ ‘JELLYBEAN!’ ‘JB!’ ‘JELLY!’ ‘JB!’ ‘BEAN!’ ‘JB!’ ‘JB...’

Damn! Toni was right, maybe he did need a therapy!

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‘You don’t know who you are talking to Joani. You haven’t seen a fraction of the person you call me every now and then!’, ‘You betray my father Tall Boy? I want you and everyone around here to understand, NO ONE fucks with my family. NO ONE TALL BOY! YOU TALL BOY! will be a living breathing proof and a final warning… Any last words? Uncle T?’

Why was his memory so sharp? Why did he remember almost every word so clearly? It did nothing but heat up his brain.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Jughead sank onto the couch. Betty didn’t deserve this. He needed to apologize to her, genuinely apologize. He fucking owed her that. Betty wasn’t acting. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Even if he assumes she is acting, pretending, the anxiety seemed real, her tremors seemed real. Her bloodshot eyes, they seemed real. Her bruises, they were definitely real. How could he do this to a poor woman who had already been suffering.

God! Betty seemed to be doing nothing but guilt-trip him. Shaking his head he got up and headed back to the bedroom.

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“Betty?” He called softly… Then sighed. Betty was curled up into a ball, in the same place he had left her seated last. Gosh! That wasn’t even a comfortable position to sleep in and Betty seemed to have been sleeping so soundly. She looked small and exhausted. Maybe she fainted again. Jughead suddenly felt worried at the thought and quickly climbed on the bed and scooped Betty up. He laid her properly on what he assumed would be now her side of the bed for next ten days and pulled up the blanket. He then unwrapped her not so damp hair from the fluffy towel and spread them across the pillow. Thankfully she wasn’t sweaty, much to Jughead’s relief and her breaths were soft and even.

Jughead recalled what he knew about Betty. Too alert of surroundings, afraid of her past, running away from someone, apparently the prick who left bruises on her delicate skin.

Jughead quickly walked downstairs to where he remembered Betty had left her bag. Without any compunctions, he began searching it. Empty, empty, birth control pills, empty. What kind of girl was she? Jughead groaned before spotting the slippers Betty had left near his shoe rack. He wasted no time before inspecting them, old, faded print, not something anyone would wear outside in cold weather of mid January. He sighed and bit his lip before lifting his head to look at the bird's eye view of his house and letting his eyes fall upon every little damn thing from the fridge in his U-shaped kitchen on the left, (followed by the island, the fruit basket on the counter, the staircase, the entrance of the small hallway, the door to his study,) to the apparently abandoned floor lamp near the big shut window on the right.

Jughead sighed and walked back upstairs, to the bathroom where he knew Betty had left her clothes. He searched the pockets of her skirt, hoping to find something. No luck. He threw her skirt in the laundry bag, along with the rest of her clothes for the next wash. Maybe he was a psycho, going through a woman’s personal belongings and clothes without her fucking permission. But what kind of person walks around without a cell phone? Especially when they are going to a stranger’s house. Who was Betty and what was she doing around here? Maybe she was lost, maybe she was kidnapped, maybe she is married to a prick and wants to escape. But a normal person would look for help, not just cash.

Jughead knew exactly how to make people confess, by hook or by crook. But apparently nothing seemed to have worked on Betty so far. He had studied her enough to know that she wasn’t the one to give up so easily. Her eyes told him that when he saw a slight clench in her jaw when she lied to him. She was afraid but she was not hopeless. He knew she would do anything but spill something she didn’t want to...

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Jughead couldn’t sleep that night. He kept shifting and stirring. Then finally having given up, he sat up resting his head on the headboard. He looked at the sleeping form. She looked so small, so innocent, so… fragile... Yet so Beautiful. Jughead wondered if she had a big heart to forgive him too.

One thing Jughead was determined to do was that he wasn’t gonna let her go… not yet. But, he wanted to take his words back, the threats. He didn’t wanna use the power he did on nasty dickheads, tied and beaten up in the basement of their bar. The threats, they were meant for them, to get the information out, not people like Betty. Betty didn’t deserve it. He couldn’t imagine how much he must have scared her. “I am sorry,” he muttered running his palms on his face. He decided he didn’t want to know anything anymore. Now he wanted to keep her safe like Toni had asked him to. She deserved to be happy, happy and cherished.

Jughead stared at the ceiling, random memories playing in his head, while he waited for Betty to wake up...

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Betty woke up the next morning, feeling a little bewildered about the surroundings. She had woken up fully clothed and it was a puzzle to her. It took her a few moments before she comprehended what had happened last night and where she was. Her gaze fell on the figure resting against the headboard. She didn’t get those bad vibes from him as she did the night before. The night before. Betty felt her eyes starting to water again, as she recalled it. She was his hostage now.

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Betty sat up, pulling her knees closer and resting her forehead on them, as tears began to fall silently. “Betty?” She heard her name, ever so softly, for a moment, she wanted to hold onto the person who said it. Just then she realized who it was. Jughead!

“Betty?” He said again. Betty slowly lifted her head up to look at him. He was sitting cross legged besides her now, seemingly tired. She quickly glanced down in dismay. “Betty, can we talk?” He pleaded. Betty nodded slightly, not wanting to upset the man she feared now. It was evident on her face and Jughead didn’t miss it. “Betty, I, want to apologize. For what I said and did last night. I didn’t want to say any of it. It’s just, I suspected something and decided to interrogate you and when you lied to me, I just snapped. I don’t like it when people lie to me. It, it triggers me. I, I don’t know if I should be telling you this but my family has suffered enough because of people lying to us and being forgiving has never helped. I taught myself to snatch and get what I want. It’s just… I guess I don’t like when people think they can fool me. But that... that wasn’t an excuse,” he sighed. Betty looked up at him, wanting to believe. His gaze was down, like he was scared to maintain eye contact. “I had no right Betty, we had just met. You didn’t owe me anything. I was being an asshole, trying to get information out of you like you are some captive, because I don’t know other ways. You are not my captive Betty. Trust me you are not.”

“Wasn’t your fault. I disappointed you. I deserved it, bec—”

“—You don’t really believe that, do you?” Jughead looked at her in disbelief.

“I do. You were nice to me, before I… But I… You should be mad at me.” Jughead lifted her chin up but she blinked and didn’t look at him in the eye.

“Betty you didn’t do anything wrong. None of this is your fault. You should have been mad at me, anyone would have. Hell you should have slapped me.” He chuckled nervously at what he just blurted.

“I, I can’t slap you,” she whispered and Jughead noticed how scared she was.

“Betty? Will you answer something... honestly?” He asked her softly holding her hands in his from where they were fidgeting. Betty nodded weakly. “Are you afraid of me?” Betty nodded again pursing her lips, not wanting to lie which could get him angry and feeling choked to utter a single word. “What are you afraid of?” Jughead studied and searched her face for answers, knowing this girl talked less than what she wanted to express.

“That you would… I...” Betty choked, thinking of what his response would be if she tells him and started to cry silently, her eyes squeezed shut. Her forehead rested back on her knees. She was afraid he would hurt her. She was afraid he would hit her.

“Slap me!” Jughead said in a demanding tone, still not believing his own words. Betty shook her head, still crying. “Betty, I want you to slap me.” He raised his voice and let go of her hands.

“I, I can’t...” She quavered.

“Isn’t this what you wanted to do last night? Frankly Betty? Slap, punch, hit, do it Betty!” He ordered her. She looked up at him, feeling herself becoming giddy… A part of her wanting to hit the man who was so rude to her last night and the other trying to stop her from losing it.

“I don’t, please, I c—”

“—Fucking do it!”

“No… can’t—” Betty pleaded through tears.

“—Hit me!”

“I—”

“—HIT ME NOW! BET—” Jughead bellowed and the room went in an uncomfortable, haunting silence all of a sudden. Betty froze, unable to process the situation before her. The sting in her palm seemed like the only proof of the fact that she had slapped the man infront of her moments ago. Her vision was clouded with her own tears, yet she could see Jughead’s face turned to the side. Was he angry? she didn’t know.

Jughead squeezed his eyes and bit his tongue to detract the pain which seemed to sting more than he anticipated. He could even taste blood in his mouth. He had been slapped before, but this? This hurt terribly, especially coming from the woman who seemed so afraid of him a short time ago. Fuck, Betty hated him so much. Forcing himself to smile like an idiot, he managed to look at her with one of his stupidest innocent grins. Betty was looking at him in horror. He wasn't sure if she was even looking at him because of how glossy and lost her eyes were. Her mouth was agape and Jughead felt like kissing her at that instant, thinking maybe kissing her would take the sting in his flesh away.

“Betty?” He called timidly.

“I am sorry, I didn’t want to.. I didn’t mean—” Betty babbled in fear pulling her knees closer to her chin.

“Betty, I am good!” He told her, taking her sore palm and kissing it. “Come here,” he called, gently tugging on her wrist.

“No, I...”

“I won’t hurt you Betty, I promise!” Betty not willing to annoy him, reluctantly dragged herself a little closer and Jughead pulled her onto his lap, keeping her legs stretched on same side. “I am sorry!” He said again kissing her temple, one hand gently stroking her arm up and down to comfort her. “I don’t want you to be scared of me Betty. I need you to feel safe around me. Believe me when I say, I don’t want to hurt you. I know I messed up last night. Believe me, it isn’t who I really am. Toni wouldn’t have sent you to me if she knew me as a horrible person. When you showed up, I put on an act to see what kind of person you were, to see if you really needed money or were you conning me or something. I didn’t miss the anxiety on your face, you could have used a hug but I made you feel even more uneasy. I have a hard time trusting people. I was expecting you to snap at me, you didn’t, instead you blamed yourself. I sent you over the edge, and I can’t blame myself enough for that. I didn’t want you to feel that way, Betty. It’s… It’s been a long night for me and I doubt if you have slept well either. I don’t want us to start all over because I don’t want to forget what happened but, but Betty please forgive me.” He pleaded, and felt Betty suddenly relax. She was running her fingers lightly on the crown tattoo he had on his right wrist, tracing the black line with her index finger.

“Didn’t see this yesterday!” She mumbled not loud or clear enough for Jughead to understand.

“Betty, please say something?” He pleaded again like his life depended on it.

“I forgive you,” she whispered looking at him.

“Thanks!” He sighed. “And, and next time Betty, if I yell at you, you yell back at me, throw something at me, let me know I am wrong!” He exclaimed softly and Betty rested her head on his shoulder and nodded. After a while, her fingers began playing absentmindedly with the muscle shirt he wore. Jughead was grateful that she was feeling comfortable with him and didn’t look terrified anymore. Her breathing seemed even and he held her for a long, thanking god a million times while they stayed in that position, only Betty shifting her head on his shoulder like a curious child. Jughead refrained from laughing as his shoulder tickled. He wondered what calmed her down so easily in first place. He wondered what distracted her.

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“You have tattoo. Back of your neck,” Betty whispered suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

“I do,” he chuckled in relief at how innocent she sounded when she said that. “What do you want for breakfast Betty?” He asked her then, in a tone he would only often use on his little sister when he was a teenager because after that phase, his sister reminded him that she wasn’t a child anymore.

“I, I don’t know. Anything,” she whispered back. Her head still resting on his shoulder as she tried to get a good peek of the small tattoo in view.

“Do you want to take a shower before breakfast?” Betty nodded quietly.

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Betty walked downstairs to the sizzling sounds coming from the kitchen. “Hey Betty, how do you take your coffee?” Jughead asked her, sensing her presence as he switched the coffee maker on hoping she liked coffee.

“Black, with sugar,” she replied taking her seat at the island. Betty noticed he was now changed in a long sleeved t shirt and black sweats. She internally groaned at the fact that she won’t be able to see his tattoos now and wondered if he wore it on purpose.

“Great,” he exclaimed as he opened the waffle iron and Betty inhaled the exotic aroma of butter and vanilla. She hummed before wishing Jughead hadn't heard her.

Jughead served her a plate full of waffle, scrambled eggs and sauteed mushrooms along with a cup of coffee and sat down with his own, across from her. “I hope you like it,” he said softly.

“It’s delicious, thank you,” she replied after taking a few bites of each of the items on her plate.

Jughead nodded with a smile. He was scared to bring up any topic for conversation. He didn’t know Betty, and didn’t want her to blame herself because of something that might trigger her. He prompted himself to refrain from making any more damage than he had already done. He savvied the fact that, he would have to walk on eggshells around her.

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Betty remained seated till Jughead finished doing the dishes and wipe his hands onto one of the dish towels. She didn’t know what to do being in his house. To think, she wouldn’t even know how to spend time in her own house anymore, only if she owned one.

“Do you like to read?” Jughead asked her. “I umm I have lots of books in my study, if you would like?” he asked hopefully studying her face which was deadpanned at the moment. “Or you can watch TV, I’ll call the cable guy, or movies,” He said quickly.

“I like books,” she told him.

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“Pick anything you like,” Jughead stated as Betty looked around at the bookshelves. Jughead’s study was a rectangular room with a study table and chair on one side and a single couch at the other. The walls of the room contained bookshelves and framed photographs that reminded Jughead of those important in his life, those who inspired his writings, his stories, his blogs, his... novels.

“So many books!” Betty muttered then looked at him and asked, “Do you have any books by Gladys Jones?” Jughead raised his eyebrows at the mention of his mom’s name.

“I do actually. Favorite author or something?” He quizzed her as he went to one of the shelves.

“I had done a report on ‘Conflicted’ in college. I had loved it. I wanted to read more but I wasn’t in best place… I don’t know how many books they have written either, just remembered the name. I don’t know much.”

“Seven. Conflicted being third.”

“Oh,” she said quietly. Jughead placed all seven books on the desk for Betty to choose. “You have all,” she muttered happily.

“Read anything by J. Jones?” Jughead asked curiously.

“No. I don’t know who that is. Never heard of them,” Betty muttered, her eyes transfixed on the books as she ran her fingers on the covers.

“Oh! Okay!”

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The rest of the day went quickly for both of them. Betty took the couch with all the Gladys Jones novels stacked on the coffee table infront of it and Jughead busied himself in typing out his upcoming one. He still couldn’t believe Betty hadn’t read any of his works. Not even the bestsellers, ‘The Tief’ and ‘Dear Margarette’ he scoffed as he glanced and read the spines of the books on his table. Never had he considered his mom to be his biggest contender. Only if Betty had known that he was son of the author she was reading now. He laughed to himself and got back to his work.

Betty didn’t leave the books and the couch, except for trips to bathroom and when Jughead nudged her at lunchtime and dinner. He even offered her glass of water or cup of tea in between when he would pour some for himself.

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Betty sat at the foot of the bed waiting for Jughead, not knowing what to do, again. He had told her to go to sleep and he’ll come soon but Betty wasn’t sure if he wanted her to actually go to sleep or wait for him for sex. Only type of sex Betty had ever known was the non consensual type but nobody would believe her if she said that. Austin had always made sure not to hurt her in the face which could easily get him arrested. He would always attack her torso, still always careful not to break her bones. It never seemed like Betty was against it—

“Betty, why you crying?”

Betty suddenly glanced up at the figure standing in the doorway. A concerned expression on his face made her aware of the tears that were dousing her face. Betty quickly wiped her face and frantically stood up and was immediately pulled into a comforting hug.

“Shh!” Jughead cooed stroking her hair and arm as she cried even harder now, “It’s alright Betty. Remember you are safe and I am here with you.” For the first time she felt like crying harder and letting go. She felt safe for some reason. Jughead cared... Jughead cared... Was she taking advantage of him? Maybe... because she felt selfish for crying. She had disappointed Jughead enough yet he was the one apologizing to her... She didn’t wanna disappoint him anymore especially because he was now nice to her once again. Today had been the best day of her life. She was relaxed, doing what she liked to do, and was pampered by someone who made her feel safe. She was beginning to forget the last night, it was bad, not worth remembering. Then she remembered why she was here. God! She was such an idiot to forget. She sniffled and nodded slightly. If Jughead wanted to fuck her, she was ready to let him. After all, he was willing to pay. Her anxiety didn’t need to make him reconsider his carnal desires.

“Sorry,” she whispered pulling away. “I was, was lost in thoughts. Sorry I didn’t mean—” she sniffled.

“—You need anything? Tea or something?” he asked softly.

“No, no, I am good. I, you, I wha—”

“—Let’s go to sleep, get rest,” he offered with a warm smile and they both climbed onto the bed. Jughead pulled up the blanket and pulled her close, so her temple rested on his arm. Betty clutched onto his shirt and closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead. What was this? She wondered. She opened her eyes to look at him, a soft smile on his face. She felt tears once again, thinking this was her fault. He was patient with her. Why? Maybe his only issue was when people tried to fool him. Maybe he was this caring and understanding person, she got to see since morning. She sniffled. “Betty, you okay?” His soft caring voice, was warming her heart, making her feel something she hadn’t felt in a long. She felt guilty about… everything. She didn’t deserve the coddling, but she wanted it. She had starved too long for this, for someone to care if she’s okay or not. As much as she wanted to be alone and free, she wanted to be cared for…

“I, am. Yes!” she choked and closed her eyes as she felt Jughead’s firm lips on her head. It was enough for Betty to let go of wavering thoughts and fall asleep.

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Jughead glanced at Betty. She looked so innocent in her sleep. He wondered if she knew that he had spent the entire day staring at her instead of typing out his work, to the extent, he found himself mimicking her facial expressions, only realizing when he bit his lip a little too hard. The more he looked at her, the more he felt mesmerized by her natural blonde beauty. Jughead didn’t know how and why, but he wanted to tell Betty about himself, tell her about his family, friends. He wanted to show her his favorite places in town. This feeling was not like he had felt with any girl or woman who had been in his life. This was even different than what he had felt with Joani whom he claimed to have loved too much. They lived together during their relationship but Jughead had often needed his space around her, to the point it was suffocating to him. He wanted her close but he wanted her to stay away. He wanted the control in their relationship. He wondered if it would be same with Betty in his house. Would he ever feel like telling her to stay away from him for a while? She had been here one day and Jughead had begun to feel less lonely. He didn’t know if he wanted a relationship with Betty. Whatever it was, Betty was different. Her dry lips and dark circles didn’t make her less beautiful... her pale skin had found some of it’s color back and Jughead was happy to see that. She was unworldly, she was naive. She was… goodness.

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Tomorrow was a big day for Jughead’s mom and him. His dad was being released from the prison after a decade. As much happy as Jughead was, he wondered if he could take Betty with him… The thought of leaving her alone didn’t feel fair. He knew Betty wouldn’t ask but still felt obliged to inform her about his plans that wouldn’t include her. The thought made him wonder what her reaction would be. Would she look down upon him like Joani did?

Leaning on his elbow and turning to Betty’s side, Jughead didn’t know how long he kept his gaze on the innocent sleeping figure. She didn’t stir a bit. Her soft breathing was music to his ears, making him believe he wasn’t lonely. He had found someone, maybe only for fleeting span of ten days, but she was here, with him. She was safe with him and he felt warmth in his chest at the thought.

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Next day, Betty woke up alone.

Chapter Text

Next day Betty woke up alone.

A sudden nervousness overcame her as she looked around. Why was she alone? Where was Jughead? Had he forsaken her? Why did she feel weak all of a sudden? She would often wish for Austin to disappear when she would wake up but he was alw— Pushing away her thoughts, Betty quickly used the bathroom, brushed her teeth and slowly began heading downstairs, dragging her shaky fingers along the handrail, comprehending the fact that Jughead might have left for work...

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However, her superfluous twitchiness fleeted once she reached downstairs and saw him.

Betty spotted Jughead in the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief, but only for a brief moment before her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him. He was wearing some black ripped jeans and a white T-shirt that was too white like the ones in one of those detergent advertisements. His hair were combed well and he wasn’t wearing his beanie. Where was his beanie? She didn’t remember not seeing it on his head. It was present, even when he had come to the bed and cuddled her.

“Jughead, Good morning,” she said feebly as she wondered why he was in a different attire.

“Hey, Betty! Right on time!” He replied happily as he brought their breakfast plates to the island followed by the coffee mugs. Betty didn’t react. “You okay?” Jughead asked her carefully, seeing her still standing in spot. Betty nodded quickly and took her seat.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, grabbing a bite from her toast and just then she realized, that the kitchen did smell like perfectly cooked omelettes and coffee.

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Betty stood and watched as Jughead began to grab random stuff from the drawers in the foyer. Keys, keys, papers, papers, card, card, card, how many cards? Knife? Shit! She stayed quiet, very quiet! But then she couldn’t help but gasp, audibly, when she saw him tuck a gun in the waistband of his jeans. Damn! It looked real. It must be real. She wondered if he kills people, for a living. For a brief moment she thought she was dead but then he smirked at her, followed by a quick wink. Betty didn’t know what to think. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as he wore his socks followed by combat boots, before he pulled on a leather jacket. Her mouth was agape the whole time. She remembered when he had threatened her, not the exact words he yelled though and could feel her heartbeat against her chest as he stepped towards her. Closer… closer… peril.

“Okay listen!” Jughead said softly before gently kissing her forehead and resting his palms on her shoulders, “I, am, it’s something important. I am going to see mom and dad actually...”

“Okay,” Betty replied with a sad smile.

“Uh, yeah. If you are hungry, thirsty, don’t hesitate to grab something from the kitchen. Just make yourself at home,” Betty nodded. “If you need to call me, my number—”.

“—But I don’t have phone—” She glanced down sadly cutting in.

“—I have landline in the study. My number is on the cards next to it. And if you want to browse the net or anything, click on the guest account on my laptop. I have DVDs in the bedroom drawers if you want. Don’t answer the door if the bell rings. And…” Jughead thought about something before continuing, “...and that’s it. Okay?”

“Hmm...” Betty nodded and ignored the fact that he looked dangerous in the outfit he was in now.

“I’ll be back by lunchtime.”

“Okay.” 

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Before leaving Jughead reminded her again not to answer the door under any circumstance and Betty knew it was for her own safety.

She walked to the study. But now, instead of taking the couch and reading the books, she felt herself being drawn to the pictures on the walls. There were so many, too many. Betty looked at the pictures in awe. There was Jughead. There were other people. Betty ran her fingers on one that looked like a family photo. Perfect family. Father, mother, two children. One of them was Jughead. He looked around ten-twelve or something. Betty smiled when she saw the beanie. Where was the beanie now? She wondered before her gaze fell upon another picture.

Jughead and a girl. His cheek rested on her head and they both grinned at the camera. They looked so perfect together, like they belonged with each other. Betty felt tears threatening to escape and she didn’t know why. She assumed she was his girlfriend. God! She adorned the most perfect red curly hair and the most attractive smile Betty had ever seen. Betty had always known the type to be intimidating. Jughead wasn’t wearing beanie in the picture and he looked intimidating as hell too. Under normal circumstances, Betty would have never imagined herself cuddling with someone like Jughead, let alone him feeding her the tastiest meals she had eaten in a long.

Betty wondered if his girlfriend was coming back sooner and felt herself suddenly shiver at the thought. She didn’t want any scoldings. No girlfriend could take lightly to whatever Jughead was doing for and with her. She quickly walked to the couch and sat down. She saw a glass of water on the coffee table and quickly began gulping it down to push her thoughts away. Jughead had told her this house is safe, but without him she didn’t feel safe anymore, it was him who made her feel safe. Now that she was alone, it made her feel exposed, to… everything.

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At nearly 12:30 pm, Betty heard some noise near the front door. Being alone in the house, her ears perked up every now and then. The thought of Austin showing up at any moment sent chills down her spine. Learning from her past she knew there would be no one to save her when that happens. After having seen the pictures, Betty was even scared of Jughead’s girlfriend showing up abruptly. “Betty?” She heard someone call her name. She froze. Not Jughead and definitely not the girl from the picture. Someone had entered the house. Betty felt herself going dizzy, no one except Jughead and Toni knew she was here, she hoped. She stood up slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. She remembered Jughead’s words, ‘Don’t answer the door if the bell rings’ but the bell did not ring. Someone broke in. ‘I have landline in the study. My number is on the cards next to it.’ She remembered and frantically began walking towards the desk, internally wincing at the fact that the desk was closer to the door than the couch was, making her feel impuissant with every step and her first instinct was to close the door and lock it… So she followed her instinct…

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She was just about to shut it, when she jerked with a sudden sense of foreboding. Someone from the other side was trying to stop her from closing it. “Betty?” She heard him. Who was he and how did he know her?

“W-who are you? Who are you?” She quavered in strained voice as she put all her energy into this apparently impossible task of shutting the door. “Did, did A-Austin send you?” She asked again in almost a whisper as tears doused her cheeks like they always did.

“No, no! Jughead sent me.” Betty gasped and her hands fell to her side suddenly and she stood in defeat. “I am Joaquin. Jughead sent me since he can’t make it,” Joaquin replied but made no attempts to open the door further.

“Where is Jughead? He didn’t tell me,” Betty quavered again through tears and Joaquin finally opened the door and Betty quickly lifted her head to look at him. He wore the same kind of jacket as Jughead did before he left. He had piercing light blue eyes and did adorn, random wavy hair. Shit! he looked nothing but dangerous. Why did Jughead send him knowing she was alone in his house? What could this dangerous man do to her? Hurt her? Rape her? Kill her? Did Jughead really send him? What if he lied? She shouldn’t have had let go of the door. She should have called Jughead first.

“I can give him a call, one sec.” The raven haired man unlocked the phone which was apparently in his hand the whole time, just then, the landline began to ring. Betty quickly went to the other side of the desk and answered it keeping her piercing gaze on Joaquin.

“Jughead?” She screeched picking up the phone.

“How did you know it was me?” She heard him say.

“Joaquin came. He unlocked the door himself and entered. He didn’t even ring the bell. He said you sent him. Did you send him?” She asked quickly and saw Joaquin quietly walk out of the study.

“Guess he reached before I could call you. I am just caught up in something. Joaquin will keep you company till I come back. He’s a friend!” Betty’s heart sank, Jughead wasn’t coming home soon.

“I am scared! Scared... Please tell him to go,” she whispered sobbing. “Pl—”

“—Betty, fuck, no, don’t cry! He won’t hurt you. He won’t even touch you. He’s gay. Trust me you are safe. And he’s a great guy, trust me Betty. He won’t even raise his voice at you.”

“He won’t?” Betty quavered in disbelief. ‘He won’t even raise his voice at you.’ That was mollifying.

“He won’t I promise, nobody likes to mess with me princess!”

“Okay!” Betty whispered.

“Okay? I’ll go now. See you soon Betty!”

“Okay,” she whispered before hanging up the phone. Betty sighed wiping her tears and slowly walked out of the study and her gaze fell upon Joaquin who was now standing near the staircase.

“I am Joaquin,” he offered with a smile and an outstretched hand. Betty stepped back a little and glanced down biting the inside of her lip.

“I am s-sorry for trying to shut the door. I di-didn’t know,” she said apologetically.

“That’s fine. I don’t mind. So, what would you like to eat for lunch?” He asked in a nervous chuckle. Betty suddenly felt relaxed at his tone and remembered Jughead’s words. There was no need for her to be scared.

“Lunch? You will cook food for me?” Betty asked in addlement.

“Yeah, I mean yes!” He nodded uncomfortably before turning around to walk towards the kitchen. Betty followed him.

“I can cook myself. You don’t have to take trouble of doing that...” Betty stated coyly.

“Jughead’s paying me. I am a chef. Professional, trust me. I work at Pop’s and I am into food truck business, though it's only one truck at the time being...” Joaquin exclaimed draping his jacket on one of the tall chairs before heading to the counter.

“Oh!” Betty exclaimed quietly.

“Me and my boyfriend, he’s great,” he chuckled before continuing, “uh he was in military for few years. We reunited a year ago… So, oh we, yeah, we both run this food truck at the beach, every Saturday evening. It helps him stay occupied, he keeps researching about food fusion on net. He’s not doing any job as of now so… The military slightly fucked up his brain. Good thing he still remembers me,” Joaquin chuckled again taking out the stuff from the bag. Betty listened curiously.

“What’s his name?” She asked as she sat on the tall chair.

“Kevin...” The wavy haired man replied as he mixed stuff in a random glass bowl.

“Kevin and Joaquin,” Betty stated happily. Joaquin blushed, before wanting to change the subject.

“Uh… When Jughead came back from college and moved to this house, he used to call me to cook the meals. But I was stupid enough to teach him how to cook… Turned out he’s grabby. Learns too quick… Eventually I was fired… Fucking fired!” He laughed and Betty laughed too.

“Tell me more...” She exclaimed.

“What do you want to know?”

“About Jughead. What’s he like?”

“Well, he’s a good friend. We grew up together. I know him since he was a child and apparently I was too. He was always this rebel, living life on his own terms. What he thinks is right, is right, no one can argue with him over that. Except for Toni I guess. Jughead’s bit crazy but, people respect him around here, you know. Fear him too, but you don’t need to know that, do you?” He chuckled and continued, “He has a fucked up brain but a heart of gold. I never take his scoldings seriously, none of his friends do and he never raises his voice at his parents out of respect. So everything is good so far. He wants the rest of the people to fear him because you know, he gets the upper hand. But he refuses to be called the king, even though he leads us and insists to be known as the ‘Serpent Prince’ being his father’s son. He loves his family too much. You say something against them and consider yourself dead. Now that FP is back, I know Jughead can stay more relaxed, focus more on his novels. He sounded happy on the phone. I can tell he missed his dad a lot. Today is a big day for him. He wouldn’t have sent me if his mom hadn’t requested him to stay for lunch. Thankfully he leaves his spare key with me, so I could enter the house.”

“He doesn’t leave it under the rug stone flower pot?” Betty asked quickly, remembering that was how Austin had entered her apartment the first time and she had never found that spare key again.

“Nope! Doesn’t trust anyone. I am grateful he trusts me,” Joaquin smiled and switched the grill on.

“What is serpents? And where was his father?” Betty asked curiously.

“We are biker gang, see the jacket?” He pointed to his jacket. Betty nodded. “It’s a part of who we are. We wear it with pride. Jughead’s dad was leader before he went to jail around ten years ago. Three years ago Jughead took up the charge. He’s great at it. He made sure, everyone is sheltered and employed around here and he’s the only one who can tackle the sheriff.”

“What about his sister? I saw his family picture!”

“Jellybean. Goes by JB! She is in college in New York. She is a busy young woman. Doesn’t visit often.” Joaquin remembered when Jughead was scolding her through the phone for no specific reason. Joaquin also knew that JB wasn’t even listening to her crazy brother’s speech—

“Oh, how old is Jughead?”

“Jughead is Twenty five. Before you ask, I am twenty eight and Kevin is twenty five,” Joaquin told her.

“I am twenty five too,” Betty almost giggled.

“You are delightful,” Joaquin exclaimed. Jughead had strictly warned him to keep Betty relaxed, to not to make her nervous and to not ask her any questions. Joaquin was happy with himself so far.

“You said Jughead can focus on novels… Is he like... an... author?” Betty questioned, curious to know more as she kept recalling Joaquin’s words. Joaquin turned around and leaned against the counter to face her before answering.

“Yeah, the famous “J. Jones.”” He air quoted the name. Betty’s eyes widened at the mention of ‘J. Jones.’

“J. Jones!” She exclaimed. ‘Read anything by J. Jones?’ She remembered Jughead’s voice and her face flushed.

“Yeah, read ‘Dear Margarette’? It was our town story. It was my favorite. Jughead had threatened his publisher then because he demanded a different ending.”

“No, haven’t read, what is it about?”

“About a family who yearned to foster a teenage girl and what they went through because of that… I am sure he has been working on part two since the release. He doesn’t talk about it though.”

‘I know him well Betty, he’s my foster family since last ten years.’ “Hmm… Why did Jughead’s dad go to jail?” She questioned.

“He hurt a person who wasn’t willing to give up information. The bastard made up a story and filed charges against FP. The cops are always looking for an opportunity to arrest the serpents so once they got it, they grabbed it,” Joaquin said sadly remembering how the sheriff once tried to arrest him saying that his food truck was illegally parked at the beach despite the documents he owned.

“Did he get that information?”

“No, the bastard ran away apparently after being released from the hospital. His house and office was burned down too and he became untraceable later. Jughead doubts he changed his name. The search is still going on… though.”

“Oh.” Betty tried to digest everything she was learning. Surprisingly, it didn’t scare her.

“Lunch is ready Betty!” Joaquin brought the Grilled Panini sandwiches to the table and Betty realized she was too lost in thoughts and conversations to notice him prepare those.

“You will eat too, right?”

“Yes Betty, I am willing to give you company,” Joaquin chuckled lightly and sat across from her at the island.

“Tell me about you and Kevin...”

“What?” He chuckled again.

“Stories… Good ones, happy ending ones...”

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Joaquin told her how he met Kevin at drive in theatre and how Kevin’s father was against their relationship. He told her how Kevin was forced to join the military by his father because he was disappointed in him and his lack of discipline, but really it was to keep him away from a certain raven haired serpent. He told her that their strong love and compassion towards each other caused them to reunite year ago and how Kevin was finally able to stand up to his father. He told her stories about them, how they fight on silly things. He told her where he lives and said she should visit them. Joaquin didn’t ask Betty anything respecting Jughead’s words. Betty listened curiously as they finished eating.

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“So you like reading huh?” Joaquin asked as Betty led him to Jughead’s study and showed him the books she had been reading since yesterday. Betty decided she liked Joaquin. The fact that he wasn’t asking personal questions was making her comfortable and less nervous.

“Hmm, since college. Read a lot of books back then. And then I used to teach English in Middle school in Texas. Then I, quit...” She trailed off.

“Oh, you love kids I suppose.”

“Yeah!” Betty exclaimed, feeling relaxed when he didn’t press on why she quit.

“Gladys Jones?” Joaquin exclaimed and she nodded. “You met her? I suppose you have...”

“No, why? Does she live in Texas?”

“No no. She’s, Jughead’s mom.”

“Really?” Betty asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, see the picture?” Joaquin pointed to the wall. Betty turned and walked to the wall with the book in her hand and matched the photos. Damn it was her… how did she miss that. She had learned two new things today that made her hide in embarrassment. She looked at Joaquin who had a smirk on his face.

“I, I embarrassed him in his own house.” Betty said as she walked back and placed the book on the coffee table. “He didn’t say anything.” She muttered with a pout and plopped on the couch.

“How exactly did you do that?” Joaquin asked curiously as he plopped besides her.

“I told Jughead I remembered Gladys Jones, uh his mom, because of a book report I had done in college. And I told him I don’t know who J. Jones is when he asked if I read books by him… He was quiet after that. I feel bad...”

“I am sure he had a hard time after that...” Joaquin chuckled.

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“So, when is his publisher demanding his new work?”

“Whenever Jughead wants. Nobody can force him.”

“What about Toni? You said she can handle him.”

“Oh but she’s more interested in making sure Jughead doesn’t die alone!”

“I didn't understand!”

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Around 4:00 pm, Jughead unlocked the front door, startling Betty and Joaquin who were lost in the respective books they were reading. It was only a fraction of moment before they both burst into laughter at each other’s shocked faces.

“What are you two laughing at?”

Chapter Text

“What are you two laughing at?” Jughead quizzed, nonchalantly leaning against the door frame with raised eyebrows and a knowing smug smile on his face as though nothing could resent him today. They both gaped at him with wide eyes, much to his amusement and he chuckled lightly until his eyes met with Betty’s. He held her gaze and she smiled shyly and glanced down. The gesture stirred something in him he didn’t quite want to know, yet. She looked so peaceful at the moment… Jughead hadn’t expected to come home to this beautiful sight of Betty’s happy face and suddenly wanted nothing more than that at the moment—

“It was awesome meeting you Betty, I would love for you to visit me and Kev someday!” Joaquin spoke in a sincere tone as he got up from the couch and Betty did the same. He pulled her into a friendly hug making Jughead raise an eyebrow. Times like these he doubted if Joaquin was really gay.

“Are you tryna hit on my girl?” Jughead questioned before he could even reconsider his words, suddenly feeling sheepish and anxious at what he had just blurted. Joaquin laughed pulling away from Betty.

“Nope! I am gay remember? I have a boyfriend,” he mocked and Betty stifled a giggle.

“Whatever!” Jughead blinked rapidly, aiming to stare at something, “I, I have transferred the sum to your wallet! Thanks for keeping Betty company,” he told him sincerely, without an eye contact.

“Got it… See you later Betty,” Joaquin nodded and began heading out, “and you too J. Jones!” He mocked again giving Jughead a pat on the shoulder along the way. Jughead froze at the mention of his pen name until the thud of the front door caused him to jump and then he was forced to look at Betty with the same wide eyes.

“Hey!” He greeted hoping he sounded as happy as he was.

“Good Evening!” Jughead almost grinned at how innocent and formal she sounded.

“Good evening Betty!” He nodded with a light chuckle.

“You kicked Joaquin out!”

“I had to!” He replied with a wicked smirk and Betty grinned. “Come with me...” He gestured her to follow before turning around.

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“How is your dad? You could have waited longer, I would have been fine!” Betty muttered as they reached near kitchen island. Jughead shivered, immediately feeling defensive before answering...

“How do you know about my dad?” He almost yelled as he hastily turned around. “What did Joaquin tell you huh?” Betty let out a shuddering gasp stepping back. She hadn’t expected him to get angry. Why was he angry? She was suddenly in tears.

“I, I-I I am s-sorry, I didn’t know, I shouldn’t—” she quavered. Jughead studied her as she blinked. A wicked part of him liked the fact that he had intimidated her but the other part felt weak and defeated for some strange reason.

“—Whatever you think of me now, Betty? I’ll have you know, you are not leaving my place! I won’t let you leave... Do you understand me?” He yelled but his voice was nothing but shuddering and vulnerable.

“I-I am not leaving. I wa-want to stay,” Betty nodded vigorously. “I won’t escape I promise! I don’t wanna leave!” She spoke through tears and sobs as she fidgeted with the hem of the t-shirt she wore. She didn’t even know that her tone was nothing but truthful and promising, or that it had surprised and caused Jughead to look at her in disbelief.

“You are… I… No! Betty, I, sorry!” He sighed heavily running his palms on his face. What the fuck was he doing? Why was he losing his mind? He feared Betty won’t trust him again. He didn’t want her to have another episode because of him. He had promised himself to walk on eggshells but he was apparently failing at doing so. His body temperature was rising and he fucking hated this feeling. He needed to calm down, that was seemingly only so fucking easy to say.

“I am sorry! Joaquin told me good stories. I didn’t want to make you angry… I promise!” Betty sobbed, wiping her tears with her trembling fingers. Jughead winced.

“B-Betty, Betty, no, it’s not that, I-I am not mad. I just...” He sighed rubbing his forehead as he blinked. Fuck! He hated the feeling. It was a battle against himself and he wished Toni was here.

“I am sorry,” Betty sniffled.

“What do you think of me now Betty? Do you feel superior? Do you believe I am some asshole with no class and—” He was taunting calmly, like he had completely lost it.

“—Nooo...” Betty cried. Her eyes glossier than ever, “I didn’t think that. I-I don’t understand. I am sorry Jughead. I promise I won’t leave.” Truthfully, Jughead didn’t understand what was happening either, why was he being such an asshole right now? 

“I don’t understand either! I don’t. I am, I just don’t want you to leave, don’t leave… yet! Please I, I asked you to stay for ten days, I did...”

Betty stared at Jughead in disbelief. Why was he blinking so much? 'next time Betty, if I yell at you, you yell back at me, throw something at me, let me know I am wrong!' Did he always knew he’d be wrong in these kind of situations? He was wrong. She knew all she needed to sputter to let him know that he was wrong. Her reply was now at the tip of her tongue, waiting to interrupt his futile jabbering... Betty took a deep breath and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at anything before she cut in... “STOP!” she almost screamed and heard him gasp.

“Bet—”

“—I-I have nowhere to go, Re-remember? I am b-broke and at your mercy J-Jughead. My life is at stake because of a risk I took. If I leave, I’ll probably be dead by the time you find me again. I don’t have long and these maybe the only good days I’ll remember. I maybe selfish but I sense something good and I don’t want to let go of it yet. I won’t leave till you let me because I don’t want to upset you. I never meant to disappoint you. Your anger is nothing compared...” Betty gasped but didn’t open her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks. She wished she could faint right now. 

Jughead’s eyes widened, his heart pounding in his chest. Her quiet sobs hurt him. He was fucking responsible for her breakdown. He wanted to say something but decided against it. How could something so small affect him like this in the first place. He could have just answered, ‘Yeah my dad is doing great, Thanks for asking, How was your day? I missed you, What else did Joaquin say? Did he tell you about his food truck?’ She would have told him happily and he could have told her that he was thinking of taking her to the beach on the upcoming Saturday. But no! He had to get all paranoid and yell for no reason whatsoever. The air around him shifted stopping his head from spinning. He gripped the ear of the chair for support and tilted his head up biting his trembling lip. Betty sniffled and panted before continuing,

“I c-can’t feel superior, I am your whore remember? You are powerful, I am not. You have everything I can’t afford to even dream of. You have your whole life ahead of you and I put mine on the line. You have people who love you and I don’t even know what that feels like. I don’t want your pity, I swear to you Jughead. I know I am not strong, but I try to survive. Everyday. I don’t know what will happen next but I am holding onto good things as long as I can...” Betty trailed off, pain evident on her face. The tears that ripped through her closed eyelids, weren’t that of hurt and defeat and she made no attempts to wipe them. She could feel them, trailing down her cheeks, tickling her jaw. For the first time in a long, she felt something she couldn’t explain. Betty took a deep breath again and opened her eyes to look at Jughead. The look on his face made her feel nothing but puissant at the moment.

“Betty, I, I-I didn’t want you to feel—”

“—D-do you want some, water?” Betty whispered, not sure of how she could stand for herself without her senses giving up on her.

“Yeah, ya I guess so. Thank you,” he muttered moving to rest his elbows on the island as he ran his trembling hands through his jet black locks. Betty quickly poured some water and handed the glass over to him. Her shaky hands did nothing but made Jughead more guilty of his behavior. He frantically shifted to face her and pulled her close hanging his head over her shoulder. Not because he thought she needed a hug, but because he himself needed one. Hell he needed more than just a hug. He needed Betty. He breathed her in, wondering if that could calm him down. “Betty! I am sorry. I am so fucking sorry. I really am, I scare you all the time and I make you cry. Toni was so damn right about you Betty! I am sorry...” He said lowly taking shuddering breaths and held her as long as he could. Betty didn’t say anything, only nodded wrapping her arms around his torso. Eventually he pulled away and they both looked at each other, nervously.

“You are a good person Jughead!” Betty promptly whispered with a slight nod holding his gaze. He was taken aback by her words. Honestly, Jughead didn’t know what made her say so but he knew she wasn’t lying to please him. He closed his eyes taking deep breaths and letting them out.

“I am sorry Betty!” He whispered again after a while.

“Okay...” She whispered back. Moments passed and the air around them cooled down.

“To answer your question, my dad is doing great. I am sorry I acted defensive, I shouldn’t have. And you are right, I should have been there for him but I guess... I guess I missed you.” He grabbed her hands In his own, “I don’t know, I couldn’t think of anything knowing you were alone here. I guess I wanted to… be... with you, so I, I came… back.” He whispered staring at her pale knuckles.

“Me? why?” Betty asked with wide glossy eyes. Jughead held her gaze.

“Because you make me happy... I got you something. Wait here...” He let go of her hands and excitedly walked towards the couch, leaving Betty confused. Moments later he returned and kept a big shopping bag on the island and pulled out some tall winter boots. Betty felt her heart warming up at the gesture.

“Boots…” She almost squealed “Can I touch them?” She asked excitedly, gesturing towards the leather.

“They are yours,” he muttered with a small smile, trying his best to shun the butterflies in his stomach. “I got your size from the slippers you left here. But if they don’t fit, we can go and exchange.” Betty ran her fingers on the vamp and quickly peeked into the shopping bag and Jughead laughed, “I know, nothing fancy, they are all free sizes. Clara said they’re soft and comfortable,” He told her sincerely, still fidgeting in his spot.

“Thank you, Jughead,” Betty said happily with hint of fresh tears in her eyes. Jughead pulled her close and kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes briefly. Warm and safe and cozy, she thought.

“Get ready, we’re going out!” He said lowly.

“Out-t? Why?” Betty wondered hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

“Because I am happy and I wanna take you out. We’ll see the sunset and then we’ll go for some wine or cocktail or whatever you like and, and dinner.”

“But, Toni didn’t send me to—”

“—Toni doesn’t have a say.” Jughead tightened his embrace reassuringly.

“Toni can handle you!” She muttered.

“We won’t tell Toni and I’ll treat you to whatever you want.”

“Promise?”

“Hmm!”

“Chicken hot dog!”

“Good choice!”

“With cheese!”

“Agreed!”

“And cranberry drink!”

“Not on the menu! Sorry!” He chuckled lightly.

“Beer!”

“Oh! Okay!”

“Two cans!”

“Sureeee!” Jughead narrowed his eyes stroking her hair and refrained from shaking his head.

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“Will there be, people?” Betty suddenly whispered into his chest.

“Yes, but they won’t bother us… I can promise,” Betty nodded and sighed.

“Joaquin can come. He is nice.”

“He is, we’ll see if we spot him again. Now go change. Just don’t lock the doors.” He pulled away and handed her the bag and she nodded before heading upstairs.

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Betty emptied the shopping bags on the bed. Jughead had bought her dresses, exactly three dresses. They were all long and of soft material. She found some hair clips and elastics too, hitting her with nostalgia. There were also several pairs of underwear in the bag much to her surprise. She assumed Jughead got her sizes from the ones she had stupidly left in the bathroom the night she came. She didn’t know where those clothes were now and it made her groan because she needed her bra. Sure she didn’t like the discomfort it caused to her scarred and somewhat swollen skin, but she knew she couldn’t go out without wearing one. Jughead wouldn’t like it but then he should have thought of it before not buying her one. She felt embarrassed at the weird random thoughts in her head and jumped up and down in her spot. She giggled and sheepishly stripped before putting one of the dresses on.

Jughead was laying on the couch in foyer. He could tell Betty had been through something extremely dreadful. Something much more horrible than his temper. He couldn’t blame her anymore for not trusting him. He was not a secure or sensible person himself and he had so fucking proved it minutes ago. ‘I won’t escape I promise!’ Fuck! Why did her words make him feel like he was doing something wrong? She wasn’t even saying that out of fear. ‘I don’t have long and these maybe the only good days I’ll remember.’ Did she really believe that he was the goodness in her life? With his shifty behavior, he knew it would be only a matter of seconds before Betty decides to run away from him. He knew, the moment she feels at risk, she would do it. He also knew he needed to protect her as long as he can because the prick would definitely be scouring for her. Her life was at stake but she did have a long to live because he was gonna protect her. He had the means to protect her. If the need arises, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d be forced to kill to save a life.

Betty began applying the lotion on her face which was now a weirdly new feeling. It had been years since she last applied any cream to her face or any part of her body. She winced at the little burn but continued. Jughead had bought her baby lotion, baby talc, a hairbrush and a chocolate lip balm that made her crave for real chocolate. She didn’t know what to think of his gesture. She didn’t know she needed skincare products until now. She had given up on a lot of things. She barely remembered her life before Austin and now she was remembering things she didn’t know she had experienced. ‘The ultimate Elizabeth! I forbid you from all those unnecessary skincare products your sister introduces you to… Your skin is too delicate for them my dear… So... baby lotion it is!’ Betty almost laughed at her mother’s journalistic tone that suddenly rang in her head.

Jughead stared at the ceiling. Why did Betty call him a good person despite knowing who he was? She had seen the gun, Joaquin had told her things. He himself knew he was a merciless creature, ‘good’ was nowhere near what most people called him. But Betty’s opinion made him admire her even more but the fact remained that she had been through something worse than his threats. Why did he yell so much? He had never apologized this much at once in his entire fucking life. Betty had apprised him of what was nothing but the truth. He knew she had shut her eyes because she didn’t want his glares to intimidate her. It had been a long time since someone had stood up to him. Betty was brave and she didn’t even seem to know it. The way she had turned the whole situation in her favor and control, but hadn’t made it obvious. She had forgiven him so easily that he didn’t know if he should be relieved or be guilty forever. She was the goodness he didn’t think he needed, until now. He decided he would ask her to stay longer, as long as he wants. But not now, he didn’t want to scare her as of yet. He had lots of days to work on it. All he knew was that he needed her. He wanted her.

“Jughead!” Betty gasped as she walked downstairs. Jughead got up from the couch and turned to look at the beautiful blonde as she carried the Black Floral Midi dress, off so perfectly. The dress was long sleeved, freestyle and touched her body only at the waist because of the thin elastic. Jughead had specifically chosen it because of the soft crepe material, which was his first priority. He had imagined Betty in it but in reality she was blowing his mind away. Her frizzy hair looked somewhat lustrous and voluminous and her skin seemed less dry.

“You look amazing!” He exclaimed when she stopped a feet away from him, she smiled. “One minute,” Jughead muttered and walked away upstairs. Betty nodded and looked down at the dress she was wearing. She ran her fingers on the smooth fabric and giggled quietly. “Here,” Jughead offered her a black wintercoat, “it’s cold out there,” he told her softly, and helped her pull it on. It was warm and cozy but sizes bigger on her and she figured it’s Jughead’s. “Let’s go, shall we?” He asked noticing the sudden uneasiness on her face.

“Jughead?” She clutched on his arm nervously, “I, I am not, not wearing… b-bra. I want, where ar—”

“—The dress doesn’t need one!” He chuckled lightly and took her hand in his.

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Betty stood and watched curiously as the folded piece of plastic began to unfold. They were now parked on a cliff that was facing the sea. If she would turn around and walk till the edge, she would be able to see the beach and the strangers walking on the shore. She could feel the soft breeze through her hair and the distinct murmuring of the waves making her overwhelm with rapture.

Jughead appeared with a blanket and she gave him a soft smile. Soon there appeared an inflatable lounger, that filled up most of the space on the truck bed and Jughead gestured her to climb onto it as he unplugged the pump before joining her.

He wrapped an arm around Betty and covered them both up with the blanket. The sun was still up in the sky, much to Betty’s dismay. Go down, down! She thought to herself. They sat in a comfortable silence. To Betty it was cozy. She thought of Jughead as cozy, his hugs and cuddles were cozy and just then he gave her a gentle squeeze and her eyes widened. She wondered if he could read minds like he reads faces. The sun and the skies began to change colors much to Betty’s elation. She hastily pulled away from Jughead’s embrace and sat up straight cross legged, watching the vermilion ball in the dusky sky that, smoothly blended the crimson with the powder blue. Divine, She thought. As the sun began to sink lower and lower, Jughead too sat up but he glanced up at Betty who seemed to be watching the sunset in astonishment. Her eyes were twinkling and lips were parted the whole time. They were both quiet ever since they had settled on the comfy surface but the silence wasn’t awkward. Betty seemed excited but she wasn’t uttering a word and surprisingly Jughead was very much okay with that...

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Eventually, he missed the sunset, only realizing it when Betty looked at him in excitement and he had to look around to register the fact that it was getting darker and they had to leave now.

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Betty looked out through the windscreen as Jughead pulled up the truck infront of a place she didn’t know. “Whyte, Wyrm,” she mumbled as she read the board.

Jughead chuckled. “Whyte Wyrm. It’s a bar.” Betty gaped at him, nervousness evident on her face. He grinned at her, “Don’t worry, everyone is friendly around here, especially to me. They don’t cross me.” Betty nodded.

“You lead them and yell at them. Joaquin told me.”

“Right!” He grinned and nodded.

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Betty tightened her grip on Jughead’s hand as he led her to the entrance. Soon they were inside and Betty was greeted with the smell of alcohol and cigarettes along with the soft music playing through the speakers that blended perfectly with the buzzing sounds of people talking. Jughead let go of her hand and she jumped before realizing that he was wrapping his arm around her upper back pulling her close. He greeted several strangers as they walked which caused Betty to clutch on his jacket tighter to let him know she was there too. She glanced up at him and he smiled in return giving her arm a gentle squeeze as they made their way through the crowded room to the counter. Betty decided she wasn’t gonna let go of his jacket, despite the fact that he was holding her securely. What if he forgets about her? What if she gets lost in this daunting crowd? What if—

“JIM, FOUR BEERS PLEASE!” Jughead yelled at the man behind the bar.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at FP’s?” The blonde bartender asked with raised eyebrows.

“NO!” Jughead replied firmly before continuing, “Uh Jim, this is Betty.” Jim gave her a friendly smile and Betty hoped she returned it well. “Betty, that’s Jim. He’s half mechanic and half bartender.” Betty just gaped at the figure, and he let out a nervous chuckle.

“Part time mechanic, part time Bartender...” Jim stated nodding his head.

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Soon their beers were placed on the bar and Jughead was just about to reach out to grab them but something perturbed him. Betty? Betty!

“BETTY?” Jughead panicked.

Chapter Text

“BETTY?” Jughead panicked.

“J…” Betty whimpered in fear as her grip on Jughead’s jacket loosened. God! she hated these buzzing sounds, they made her feel nothing but helpless. All she wanted was for Jughead to not forsake her.

“FUCK! Betty, Don’t be scared OKAY!” Jughead told her aloud, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist holding her in place as the other brushed her hair away from her face. Her tearful eyes were barely open and rolled back and he regretted not offering her to take the bar seat since the time they had got there. His idea was to sit at one of the tables around so as to let Betty be more comfortable, only if he had known she would have a fainting episode, again.

He held her tightly as her hands fell to her sides and yelled at Jim to get some water as he unbuttoned the coat she wore. Jim freaked out briefly but wasted no time before handing Jughead a bottle from the fridge and pulled out a chair from somewhere for Betty.

“Must have been the smell...” He commented when Jughead placed Betty onto the chair.

“Yeah, hope that’s it…” Jughead muttered sprinkling water on her face.

After a while, Betty flickered her eyes open and panicked again before her gaze fell upon Jughead. He was kneeling infront of her, the concerned expression on his face relieved her a bit. She hesitantly looked around the room before looking back at him.

“What happened?” He asked her worriedly handing her the water bottle.

“C-Can we go? Plea...?” Her chin trembled as she spoke through the tears that fell from her eyes one after the other and Jughead was suddenly alert. He looked at her anxiously wondering what triggered her or if he had done something wrong and nodded simply at her request.

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Jughead and Betty made their way out and reached the parked truck just then they heard someone call after them. They turned around to see Jim following behind them with a not so small jute bag in his hand.

“Jim, what is it?” Jughead asked in addlement.

“You guys forgot your beers and I added some bottles of water in case,” Jim said awkwardly and handed the bag to Jughead.

“Thanks!” Jughead said sincerely.

“No issues,” the man replied curtly before looking at the blonde, “it was pleasure meeting you Betty. Take care and visit again,” he said with a nod before disappearing through the door. Jughead rolled his eyes at the formality and looked at Betty, who was still bit dizzy to think or say anything. He gave her a gentle squeeze and led her to the passenger side door of the truck.

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They drove in silence and Jughead began to wonder if Betty needed medical assistance. He needed to ask her if she was on any medication considering the fact that she was staying over without her belongings. It was painful to see her like this, despite the fact that he barely knew her.

“Stop…” Betty suddenly spoke taking heavy shuddering breaths. She was almost heaving, her shoulders rising and falling with each forced breath. Jughead looked at her in horror, she seemed okay and quiet before now. What changed? She shouldn't be gasping for air considering both the windows were down already and his truck was spacious and clean and without any artificial fresheners.

“Betty! What’s happening? What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong? Do you need medical help?” He asked worriedly as he slowly released the accelerator.

“Please stop the truck, please!” She cried clutching tightly on the seat. Jughead pulled over on the side of the empty road and turned to face her. She looked mess.

“Betty, breathe. Please breathe. Do you wanna go to a doctor?” Jughead’s voice was soft, filled with concern and care. Betty shook her head vigorously. “Betty what’s wrong, please breathe, I am scared! It’s not normal to have frequent panic attacks,” he pleaded resting his palm on her shoulder. Betty squeezed her eyes, taking a deep shuddering breath.

“I-I-I, I need to tell, you…”

“Tell me what?”

“You-you asked me, why I need, need money. You asked me what’s my story. I-I-I want... tell you who I am. Whole thing, whatever I remember.” Betty could hardly speak in between hiccups. Jughead offered her water but she frantically pushed the bottle aside, letting it fall somewhere on the carpet.

“No Betty, not at the cost of you having these terrible panic attacks. Pleas—” Betty shook her head again.

“—No, I, I, please listen, listen I-I need to tell you before it’s too l-late. Please...” She looked at him, grimace of pain evident on her face.

“Okay...”

“I-I won’t lie I promise. You w-will believe me?”

“I will!”

“They, they didn’t believe me. I-I don’t wanna go back,” she said in a broken voice. “Please believe me. Y-you, you can tell right? W-when someone lies? I promise, I-I won’t lie I’ll—”

“—Betty! I believe you and I will believe whatever you tell me. I promise!” He told her earnestly with a slight nod. Betty let out a shaky breath and nodded before closing her eyes.

“This... he will...” Betty shook her head. Jughead licked his lip and sighed inaudibly. He grabbed her hands and held them secure. Betty nodded but her eyes remained closed. “I, I-I was born in a town called Riverdale. I had a family. Mom, dad, Polly, Chic. My parents were journalists and Chic was doing law and Polly had just begun her first year of journalism at college. Everything was happy. But wh-when I was fo-fourteen, I lost them all to a car accident, car f-flipped, they, think, I, I was at school when it happened. Polly and Chic were c-coming home, for d-dad’s b-birthday. Mom and dad were picking them up from bus stand. I think I couldn’t go because of some, some presenta-tion. I-I don’t remember, it well...” Betty sniveled and shook her head. Jughead’s eyes widened as he felt a sudden tightness in his chest. He opened his mouth to say something but felt lost for words. Riverdale? Bett—

“I don’t remember if I was at the fune-funeral. I don’t remember how I reached Ch-Chicago either, it’s like a part of my memory was e-erased since I had heard the, the news. They said they were my foster parents. I didn’t speak for weeks and they took care of me. I asked them to take me back several times but they, they denied. They said that, that was my home then. They treated me good but they wanted me to not, not remember my life before the t-trauma. They would change the subject if I would ask them about how they adopted me. I missed my family and I didn’t even have pictures. I, I still don’t have pictures. I cried, night. Sc-school, I, I was bullied at new school. Everyday, they, they called me z-zombie. I focused on studies to keep myself occupied instead. When I got accepted in c-college, it was a new start. No one bullied me even though I was still r-reserved. I was relieved… I, I was over the loss of my family, and was finally able to accept that I am a, an, o-orphan...” Her voice broke as she sobbed. Jughead stroked his thumb over her knuckles hoping it would calm her nerves down but it didn’t do much.

Was this the information he was tryna get out of her days prior?

He was fucking ashamed of himself now. He could apologize a thousand times and it still wouldn’t be fair.

“Then in second year, I was able to find a one bedroom apartment for cheap. It was my place. I felt free, I needed space. But one night, one night A-a-austin en-entered my-my apart-ment...”

“Austin?” Jughead suddenly asked with a snarl. He supposed where this story was going. Betty opened her eyes to look at him and nodded before continuing...

“He is the son of the couple that adopted me. He is five years older than me. When I was living with them, he used to give me dirty looks. When I got out of that p-place, it felt lib-liberating. But that night, he entered the, my apartment and got, got in my b-bed. I was sleeping. When I opened my eyes, he, he put a d-duct tape on my mouth and took, began to, to, take my clothes off.” Jughead stared at her in apprehension, her eyes were lost and defeated like she was going down a bad memory lane, “I tried to fight him but couldn’t, I, he had already tied my hands, hands too. I panicked and I, I, he then r-raped me and he told me he would come back again. I was bleeding, I was, I was virgin but he didn’t care and left. I was having p-panic attacks after that, I couldn’t tell anyone because he had threatened me that, that, he said no one would believe me and that he could make my life a, a living h-hell. I was scared. It happened every night and I didn’t tell anyone. Instead I made sure no one s-suspected. One day I didn’t go home and stayed in that, there, in park and he showed up and I figured I couldn’t hide from him. Year later nothing changed,” Betty sobbed and swallowed before continuing...

“Then one day a guy named Jake from my class, asked me out and I said yes. We dated for few days and I told him about Austin. I trusted him, I thought I-I could trust him...” Betty sniffled and more tears doused her face and she tilted her head up and sighed squeezing her eyes briefly. “He told me he would stay with me at night and handle Austin. He said he would warn him. He knew martial arts so I felt safe. Austin r-requested to talk to Jake, and as the conversation went on, I thought Jake was winning and I felt relieved. But Austin offered him money and Jake accepted it,” she sobbed at the memory and Jughead’s heart sank. “He, he told me he can always find someone like me and that he would always be thankful for the extra dollars. He promised Austin, he would keep his lips s-sealed and make sure, I-I don’t tell anyone at college either. Later Austin was furious. He, he hit me that night, with with b-belt. I cried but he didn’t stop,” Betty cried at the glimpse of memory. Jughead froze, looking at her in horror as his own tears fell down his cheeks. He couldn’t believe how cruel Austin was to her but more than Austin, he felt his anger tapering towards Jake for not helping Betty and thinking that he could find someone better than her—

“After graduation, I got a job in Texas. I was teaching English in Middle school. I moved places but Austin still found me. I hadn’t told him. One night, I hid my phone behind chair to r-record. To my luck, Austin hadn’t spotted it and it recorded everything. Then next day I went to station to file charges and I showed them the evidence. But everything b-backfired… Everything backfired...” Betty almost screamed in tears… Jughead wanted to pull her into a hug but knew that it would break the flow of her words. She was panting but her attack seemed have lessened with everything she was getting off her chest.

“In Austin’s defense, I demanded more cash than he was paying me. He said the abuse was asked by me. He said it’s not abuse. He called it something and everyone believed him and c-called me liar. They didn’t even believe my bruises. They all laughed at m-me, called me b-bad words. I didn’t u-understand. His mom slap, slapped me and said never to come back and that they regretted fostering me. Then Austin yelled at everyone and said he won't hold anything against me. Everyone believed he's the good guy.”

“He later showed up at my apartment and asked me to quit my job. I told him I love my job. I told him that, that I won't do that again, I apologized many times but he said he won't take any risk. He told me if I don't quit, he would destroy my life. I was scared but I didn't quit so he said he would file charges against me and school will fire me. He said it would be in the news if I don’t do what he says. I didn’t have choice so I, I quit. I did what he said after that, and left the apartment and he closed my bank accounts. I was broke and I had no one to count on. He took my money and burnt my personal documents. I don’t know where I lived after that, it was usually some cottage or cabin in the woods. He kept me away from places, he would lock the house before leaving for business trips. He w-would treat me bad. He has a stick and it hurts bad, too bad. The belt hurts too and… I, I tried running away a few times but every time, he found me. He told me, he would always find me. He is confident that no one would believe me. He is bad, very very bad… and, and he came back. He is here. I saw him.”

“What do you mean he came back? Did he spot you?” Jughead asked in horror.

“I-I-I don’t know," Betty suddenly panicked. "I-I thought he’s in Chicago. This, I, days back I found his ticket to Chicago. I thought he was leaving for few days. I should have known he was coming back soon, he hadn’t locked the door. He had warned me that, that he would k-kill me if I leave this time but still I left the house after he was gone and, Toni, I asked her to give me job for two days because I had no money—”

“—Bett—”

“—A-austin never kept cash in his wallet. I would always dig his stuff hoping I would find some,” Betty nodded her head vigorously. “Toni told me she has no jobs at salon at first but then she said she has job for me. My plan was to get cash and run away from here. I didn’t eat anything that whole day thinking I would treat myself to something tasty after I get the cash. I was happy and excited. I thought I could handle one night but the memories with Austin haunted me and I, I ruined your moment. You asked me if you were hurting me, you didn’t, it was my fault. You asked me to stay and you said I am safe. I wanted to stay. But when you asked me why I need money, I was scared and I lied because I thought you would j-judge me. You yelled and I was scared. I just wanted to live without being held back by someone who could control me. I didn’t want to make you angry, I didn’t mean to deceive you I promise, I-I promise, you,” she nodded. “I am sorry, I wanted to leave then. I was scared, I didn’t know what to do, I am sorry.” She cried.

“No, I am sorry Betty,” Jughead pleaded.

“No,” Betty shook her head, “I am sorry I became selfish and took advantage of your kindness and Joaquin’s kindness. He made me laugh… and I asked him about you. I know I shouldn’t have but, but I was curious... He told me good things. He said you have heart of gold—”

“—I what?” Jughead raised an eyebrow and the air around them shifted. Betty nodded with a small smile.

“Today was a good day. Joaquin and boots and dresses and sunset and even Jim. He’s funny. Everything good. At the bar, I was looking around the crowd and I saw A-austin there. I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t speak. I am sorry. I didn’t know what to do, today was supposed to be a good day for you and I ruined it too...” Jughead immediately pulled her into a hug and Betty rested her cheek in the crook of his neck taking shuddering deep breaths.

“Betty. You never ruined anything. I can tell how horrible it must have been for you. You are brave Betty because you didn’t give up. You are so fucking brave,” He said softly, stroking her arm and comforting her. She sobbed.

“Please don’t make me go there again, I don’t wanna go back to him. I am sorry. Don’t make me go back to Austin please, I can’t take it anymore, please. He hurts me, he feels dirty, I don’t like him. He will kill me, I know that. I escaped, he will kill me. I don’t want to die. He always did what he promised. Please don’t let me go back. I won’t eat your expensive food, I am used to skipping meals, I, I don’t want anything, no hot dog and beer, I’ll sleep on the floor but don’t make me go back, I’ll do whatever you sa—”

“—C-Can I tell you a secret Betty?” He asked her softly with a shaky voice and felt her nod. “Even if we had done it, I would have still asked you to stay as per Toni’s request. She had suspected something fishy,” he chuckled. “She lied to you. She is actually looking for a new receptionist.” Betty pulled away and he let her. She sniffled and looked at him in bewilderment. Jughead just smiled.

“You’re crying,” Betty muttered with a nod.

“Am I?” He huffed out a tearful laugh and smirked at her. Betty nodded pursing her lips.

“Toni doesn’t like me, that’s okay—” Betty whispered quietly.

“—Betty! She likes you, she also called me to check on you today, and yesterday” He said with a nod. “She lied because she wanted to keep you safe. She knew you wouldn’t open up easily and had instructed me to be nice but I still fucked up things. I haven’t told her because I don’t want another scolding lecture,” he laughed.

“I didn’t know you don’t like scoldings. You like to yell…” Betty sniffled.

“Yup! I yell at everybody and then Toni yells at me… Story of my life...” He sighed with a chuckle.

“I won’t let Toni yell at you!”

“You won’t?”

“Nope! I won’t tell her,” she smiled and Jughead noticed that she wasn't crying anymore, much to his relief.

“Then I guess in return, I should treat you to more beers and hot dogs.”

“Yup! And cranberry drink!” Betty said with a nod.

“Yup, that’s my girl!” He bopped on her nose and she giggled lightly. “Never feel guilty about eating food. I love food and I never run out of it. And I like your company, I have been living in that house alone for quite some time now, it’s nice to have someone to wake up to...” He sucked in a breath, realizing where he was going with this. “And, and don’t worry, I’ll pay you like I promised, so you can start a new life again after this horrible chapter is over,” he said casually before grabbing her hands in his own and looking her in the eyes. “I will finish this chapter for you Betty! I will make sure that the prick never bothers you again. I just need you to trust me,” he imposed hopefully.

“Will you drop me back to Riverdale too? It will take time to search for my house because I don't remember it well...” Betty requested hesitantly.

“Betty?” Jughead sighed. “This is Riverdale. You are in Riverdale.”

“Then this must be different Riverdale. It looks different. I was looking up online when I was in college, there are many towns named Riverdale. I didn’t know where I was from,” Betty whispered sadly.

“Well then Miss Elizabeth Cooper, I guess it’s time we find out,” Jughead stated turning the ignition on. Betty gaped at him with wide eyes.

“How do you know my name?” She exclaimed. She was certain she hadn’t mentioned anything other than ‘Betty’.

“The story you told me, I know it. I am somewhere a part of it. But we’ll talk about this tomorrow, because right now, I am fucking hungry!” Betty nodded in agreement. “I am sure you remember Pop’s!” With that he pressed on the accelerator and Betty looked out of the window.

“Pop’s!” She mumbled trying to recall her memory.

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Jughead began to drive slow when he spotted the Pop’s neon lights sign.

“Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe!” Betty grinned and looked at Jughead.

“It has been the same since years,” he chortled.

“I, I remember some things, only some...” Betty trailed off and sighed, “my, my house must be nearby, thirty minutes walk from here. Do you know where it is and who stays there now? And what they did to our family photos and stuff?” Betty asked as her voice broke and a tear escaped from her eye.

“Nothing to worry about Betty. Your house and stuff is fine, nobody is living there...” Jughead sighed.

“How do you know that?” She sobbed.

“Trust me, I know. But we’ll talk about this tomorrow okay? No more going down this lane tonight,” he said firmly and Betty nodded and looked at the neon lights.

Jughead parked the truck near the pole and got down quickly leaving Betty confused. She saw him walk towards her side of the door and felt relieved when he opened it and offered her a hand. She smiled and clutched on his fingers and Jughead led her to the entrance.

Betty stopped and glanced up at the bell when it chimed, much to Jughead’s amusement. She heard him chuckle and glared at him.

“Nothing!” He muttered with a shrug and began to lead her to one of the only two empty booths.

“Are they scared of you?” She asked innocently, watching the three booths go silent as they walked past them.

“Yes!” He sighed.

“Why?”

“Long story!”

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Jughead didn’t take the opposite seat instead decided to sit next to her. They both looked at the menu and Betty pointed out to the big picture of a hot dog. Jughead called out for the waitress and placed their order. He told Betty to ask for whatever she wants.

“Betty, I’ll just go get our beers from the truck!”

“No... don’t leave...” Betty clutched on his arm.

“It won’t take long, promise. People have seen you with me. No one will bother you!”

“I’ll come...”

“Betty! The place seems crowded and besides, one of us has to wait for when our order arrives. I’ll be back in a few promise.” Jughead placed a quick kiss on her forehead and left.

Betty sat fidgeting with the coat. She was still scared but she wasn’t burdened anymore. She had finally found someone who believed her and assured her safety. There was a hope but there was also ambivalence. What if he ditched her like Jake did? She didn’t wanna think about that. Joaquin had told her that Jughead had heart of gold. She wondered what that meant. She wondered if she had met Jughead before. He knew her name and knew where she lived. How did he know her? Does she know him? Just then she saw a beer can wagging infront of her face and she grinned and snatched it.

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“One more hot dog!” Betty exclaimed and Jughead called out for the waitress and placed the order, again. “Is Joaquin working here right now?”

“I am not sure Betty!” Jughead shrugged taking a bite of his third burger.

“Will he visit us again?”

“I’ll ask him to visit.” Betty nodded and stared out of the window.

“Jughead?”

“Hmm...” He replied gulping his beer.

“What if Austin finds me?”

“I won’t let him hurt you. He will never lay a fucking hand on you!” He said firmly like he meant it. She turned to him and smiled.

“What if he offers you money? Lots! He has lots!” She muttered, wondering if Jughead would eventually give up on her.

“Money is not my weakness Betts!” He said in a serious tone holding her gaze.

“Betts!” She burst out into laughter.

“You don’t like that?” He teased with a smirk.

“I don’t know, heard it for the first time,” She giggled sipping from her can.

Jughead found it revering how Betty seemed to distract from bad thoughts so quick. This was the reason why he had doubted her and her intentions the night she had showed up. Especially when she was shuffling in her seat when he was preparing ‘Cranberry Light Sangria’. He had assumed she was playing some kind of game, or worse that maybe she was sent by one of the rival gangs. He was thankful he had pushed those thoughts away and had chosen to let her stay. It was a risk but now he knew that it was all worth it. Now he knew that those constant distractions was Betty’s way of holding onto good things and leaving the bad ones past. He knew this could get bad for her in a long term. He didn’t want her to end up like he did. She needed closure with many chapters of her life, especially the one titled, The prick.

Soon Betty’s third hot dog arrived at their table and she pounced on it with excitement. Jughead sighed rolling his eyes and downed his remaining beer. Whatever this childish blonde would do, it would warm his heart. He knew he was falling…

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Jughead tilted his head leaning against the door frame of his bedroom door and glared at Betty who was laying on her back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. What was she thinking? He didn’t know. He slowly walked towards the bed and plopped himself next to her mirroring her position… Whatever he would tell her tomorrow, would change perspectives. What if she chooses to leave and— No, he didn’t wanna let her go… He would never let her go. Betts! Betty! Beautiful Betty! Innocent Betty! There once was a fiery Betty!

After minutes of staring at the empty ceiling Jughead turned to Betty’s side and braced on his elbow watching her now look at him in confusion. They both stayed holding each other’s gaze. Betty wondered where his beanie was and Jughead questioned his own intentions.

“Do you trust me?”

Chapter Text

“Do you trust me?” Jughead whispered suddenly, his eyes soft and pleading and staring into Betty’s in anticipation. She quickly nodded in response. “I want you… tonight! Would you strip, for me?” He spoke amorously, yet dubiously, wondering what on earth was causing him to act this awkward. He could just pin her and she’d be forced to comply. He watched her gawk at him, her face deadpanned. Unsure of Betty’s response, Jughead scanned his own thoughts and emotions to make sure he doesn’t get angry if she denies. She was a liability, she didn’t owe him anything.

Moments passed as Betty gaped at him, watching him stare back at her like he wasn’t gonna let her out of sight. She swallowed and nodded again before sitting up. Dismissing all uncertain thoughts, and taking in a deep breath, she grabbed the hem of the t-shirt and pulled it off over her head. She heard Jughead sigh and tears prickled her eyes. She knew he’d noticed her scarred back. ‘YOU ABHORRENT BITCH!’ ‘I-I-I-I a-am s-s-sorry! I-I-I w-won’t-t do that ag-agai-n!’ ‘WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD END UP HUH? No one likes you in that world... Why don’t you understand that huh? Tell me… UNLESS YOU HAVE A FUCKING DEATH WISH! Do you have a death wish little one, DO you? I can fucking burn you alive you slut!’ NO. She didn’t believe those taunting words. She never did, she never will. Betty swallowed and stared at the wooden railing she could see through the open door of Jughead’s bedroom. The railing she had gripped for support, the kind of support she needed right about now—

She jumped briefly at the sudden contact of Jughead’s arm wrapping around her upper back. It was her definition of cozy. She closed her eyes and inclined her head as he pulled her even closer into him. His touch, was always gentle and soothing but this was the first time she was feeling it on the bare skin of her back and for a moment she wondered if it could heal her. She knew time would heal her skin if Austin doesn’t find her soon. ‘I won’t let him hurt you. He will never lay a fucking hand on you!’ She turned her head to look at Jughead and her jaw began to tremble. Why was he so caring? This was all so overwhelming to her.

“I am not ab-abhorrent!” She blurted through tears, shaking her head.

“Absolutely fucking not!”

“Please don’t b—” Her words were immediately muffled by Jughead’s lips on hers. He was gentle with her, so gentle that she felt chills in her head and scalp. She was sure, by now she had visible goosebumps all over her body. This wasn’t like their first bruising kiss on the night she had showed up. This was different. This made her ears heat up, much contrary to the chills in her bones. She grabbed the sheets and squeezed her thighs at the sudden tingly sensation. He smelled like mint and lime and detergent and something more she couldn’t guess. She had expected his breath to smell like beer, like hers, but it didn’t. His tongue probed her lips and she parted them instinctively. This was the first time she had been kissed so... tenderly. She decided she would savour this moment forever. Recalling her history, she knew this was something good. This didn’t make her feel disgusted, not even when she felt Jughead’s tongue teasing hers, or when it tickled the roof of her mouth. All she could see was how much he cared. Eventually her tears stopped and she quelled under his touch.

Jughead slowly pulled away with a groan escaping his mouth and it stirred something in her stomach. She didn’t remember the last time she had felt dizzy in a good way. Jughead’s kiss made her feel wanted. He finally wanted to take her. She was already willing to let him take her whenever he would wish because that’s what she was expected to do but she hadn’t expected him to be this gentle and caring. She was bit scared but she knew she could trust him. ‘He is not Austin’ she kept reminding hersel—

“You can’t let that prick control you and your life again, Betty! He is now a closing chapter in your life. He will be drowned with what he deserves very soon and I want you to believe that. I want you to believe me,” he told her hoarsely, keeping her tiny frame close and she wondered if her face is an open book.

His gaze fell upon her bare chest and she tensed up. This wasn’t what he had signed up for.

“I am sorry, you had to go through all this… I wish we had met sooner...” He whispered in a sincere tone and Betty saw his eyes becoming cloudy. She still couldn’t remember if she had met Jughead before and she didn’t know if she should ask him right now. She tried to remember if she had met anyone of her age with blue eyes when she was little but c— Jughead kissed her forehead causing all her thoughts to cut and run.

Betty smiled when he gently laid her down and sat on his heels. This was happening. She watched as he took his shirt off in a swift motion, exposing his toned muscles. For a second, she wondered if he works out but then her eyes twinkled at the yet another small snake tattoo on his left rib cage. ‘Nec, Aspera, Terrent...’ She silently read the quote at the base of the tattoo one word at a time. She smiled even though she didn’t know what it meant.

“Like what you see?” Jughead smirked, watching her stare at him.

“You look cozy!” She whispered with a grin forcing him to raise his eyebrows.

“Cozy?”

“Safe and warm and cozy!”

“Cozy...” he chuckled and slowly leaned down holding her gaze, “You are pretty snuggly yourself Princess... I can’t wait to feel you tonight! You are all mine for the spell now...” he whispered against her lips before kissing them fleetingly. His legs shifted to kneel to cage her tiny frame, but he made sure not to drop his weight on her fragile skin. He braced on his elbows and his hands moved to her neck, pressing slightly onto a spot there as his tongue traced her lips. “Tell me if it’s too much! I don’t want to overwhelm you!” He whispered and Betty nodded. Jughead smiled and pressed his lips to hers, again. She tasted like mint and smelled like beer and the cheese nachos he had grabbed for her on their way home. But more than any of it, she smelled like Betty... Betty!

Betty’s gasps and moans filled the small space around them as he kissed her again and again. ‘chapped lips, how am I supposed to kiss those huh?’ He wanted to laugh at his own words. He was done trying to suppress his emotions and intentions. What he wanted was right here and he wouldn't trade it for anything...

Pulling away, Jughead took a quick glance at Betty to make sure she was okay. To his surprise, she was… He saw her smile bit wearily and found himself returning it with a nod. He dipped his head to take her mouth again but briefly and began peppering open mouthed wet kisses along her jawline before trailing them down the side of her neck. His hands moved to tease the sides of her torso and a soft moan escaped her lips. He sucked onto a spot above her collarbone, not hard enough for a hickey but good enough for Betty to feel it. He wanted to mark her, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t do it without her consent. He licked her skin slowly moving down to kiss the delicate skin of her breasts,

“Do these hurt? Am I hurting you?” He whispered against her swollen skin.

“No, it b-burns sometimes. Doesn’t hurt, promise!”

“Where else did he hurt you?”

“My back, my butt. But I am good I promise,” Betty sniffled and blinked.

“Will you tell me honestly if I cause even a slightest bit of burn?”

“Yes promise promise!” She said quickly with a nod.

“Did I hurt you when I hugged you?”

“No Jughead… I promise I liked your hugs and cuddles… You are cozy!” She giggled lightly wanting to make him believe he is not hurting her. She wasn’t lying and she could definitely handle that now little bit of burn but he didn’t need to know that. Austin always hurt her deliberately and she knew Jughead would be considerate without her asking him to be. She always wondered what natural orgasms would be like and she had a feeling she might experience one tonight.

“He hurt you with cigarettes too?” He whispered against her skin again and Betty guessed it were his tears dousing her scarred skin and it made her wonder why he’s affected by her bruises.

“Yes... Chain smoker,” she choked. “His smell is revolting too. He’s—”

“—He’s gonna pay! He’s gonna pay for all this Betts!” He whispered with hint of anger in his voice.

“Will you k-kill him?”

“No!” He looked up at her and scowled, “I have my ways!” And then his mouth was back on her bare chest, placing warm, soothing kisses all over.

Betty didn’t know what to think or say. She clutched onto the sheets as Jughead revered her scars. They were the proof of her soundness as she liked to think. She hadn’t expected someone to be caring. ‘Slutty women with scars deserve nothing but more of them.’ Austin’s voice rang in her head causing her to open her eyes. She kept her gaze on Jughead not wanting herself to plummet into the memories of the terminating chapter of her lif—

“Betty relax!” Jughead whispered, lifting his head to look at her face and she realized she was frozen. He lifted himself to face her and cupped her cheeks placing a quick kiss on her lips, she blinked. “Stay in the moment Betts, stay with me...” He whispered with a nod. Betty nodded and Jughead kissed her again before trailing kisses down her body.

“J-Jughead, I—”

“—Betts! Take these off...” He demanded tugging on the shorts she wore. He didn’t look at her and Betty quickly did as he asked with minimal movements. Jughead began to caress her belly before slowly dragging his fingers below her belly button to rest just where he wanted them to. He let out small groans against her skin as he teased her, wanting to see her reaction. She only moaned but didn’t say anything so he dipped one digit slightly into her warmth. He groaned again when her wetness coated his finger. He hadn’t expected her to be ready. “Betts! You are wet… is this all for me?” He panted smearing her wetness all over her, “Tell me...”

“I-I don’t know!” She gasped looking at him still kissing her chest veneratingly. She was bit scared because of how gentle Jughead was being with her. He lightly sucked on her nipple and she sucked in a breath. She wondered if this is what happens in normal life. This was somewhat similar to the scenes from ‘Conflicted’, the only novel Betty remembered herself reading. Her back arched as he kissed her belly and she felt like she was gonna lose her mind. This wasn’t like what she begged Austin for. This was different. This was good. This was new to her. Austin’s fingers always felt dirty every single time and made her feel disgusted. His—

“BETTS!” Betty gasped, fluttering her eyes open only to realize she had closed them. “Betty? You okay?” Jughead asked lowering his voice. Betty looked at him and nodded. “Tell me if you are uncomfortable okay?” Betty nodded again. “Even the slightest!” Jughead whispered and slowly resumed circling her clit with his thumb.

Soon Betty’s soft moans and whimpers were beginning to fill the small space around them. Jughead kept his gaze on her to make sure she’s alright, to make sure she’s not lost in thoughts. He pulled out his finger and inserted again adding another, watching Betty grit her teeth. “Relax and breathe, okay?” He told her softly with a small smile and watched her nod again. They looked at each other as Jughead curled up his fingers inside her, to hit onto the aimed sweet spot. Betty clutched tighter on the sheets as she felt herself giddy. “That’s it, Betts! Let go, don’t hold b-back...” He panted refraining himself from closing his eyes.

Jughead groaned, feeling like he couldn’t take it anymore, feeling more and more aroused as the time passed. His fingers were almost exhausted and his dick ached to replace them. How long had it been? He didn’t know but he knew this would take long because of Betty’s mindset. He knew he would need to be patient. But then, to his luck, he felt Betty clench and buck her hips so he decided to quicken his pace. “Come Betty!” He groaned sounding as desperate and as exhausted as his fingers were. A single tear ripped through her eyelids and Jughead ducked his head down to kiss it away before kissing her ear, “Come for me Betty!” He breathed grazing his teeth over the shell. Betty’s eyes rolled up at the feeling. She screamed and gasped for air and before she knew it, she was stiffened, sobbing and clenching around his fingers. He still worked his thumb on her clit as she came down through and from her high. Her breathing was uneven and her body was trembling with the aftershocks. “You are okay Princess!” He told her softly and kissed her forehead causing her to open her eyes. She looked serene with a hint of astonishment on her face. “You are absolutely okay!” He told her again with a smile. She didn’t react.

They held each other’s gaze as Jughead pulled his fingers out of her and put them in his mouth sucking them eagerly, humming at the taste and causing Betty to part her lips in disbelief. She didn’t get long to think before he attacked her mouth with his and she tasted a bit of herself on his tongue. Why didn’t she feel dirty about this?

A tiny moan escaped her lips when he pulled away.

“How was it?” He asked with a knowing smirk.

“Good. Really.” She gave him a shaky smile. She was still bit dazed to think of proper words.

“Fucking good?” Betty nodded and Jughead got off to stand on the carpet at the foot of the bed. When his eyes fell on Betty again, an abrupt chill ran down his spine. He grabbed the waistband of his sweats to take them off but he… just stood… … frozen… ...

He stared at Betty, she laid there, completely naked. Her expressions were a mix of fear and trust. Not shyness. She didn’t blush, she never blushed. Jughead wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

He had been aching for this blonde since a long now and if it wasn't for her tortured soul and unworldly innocence, he would have taken her days prior. But now he wanted more than just a casual sex from Betty and that was one of the issues… The disquiet he lugged ever since his breakup with Joani, he believed Betty could fill that void with her innocence and sweetness. He remembered her laughter in his truck on their way back home, the innocence in her voice that made him chuckle every now and then… She talked a lot about absolutely nothing and the twenty minutes had passed so quickly…

Betty could be his girlfriend, couldn't she... if he asks… rather nicely? She does fit perfectly with him. He likes her. She’s goodness. Her green eyes— She blinked and he realized he had been staring at her for a bit long now. There was now only fear in her eyes and it worried him. She was taking a risk, again. She was playing along. Jughead closed his eyes and inhaled sharply.

None of the women he had slept with before were hookers. Toni wanted him to find someone and move on but he could never imagine any of them living in his house, sleeping in his bed, kissing and making out with him every now and then. But now that he had found Betty, the relationship he craved for still seemed out of sight. She saw herself as a whore. Why? Because of some fucking filthy cash Toni promised! Why did their relationship needed to be reduced to that of client and hireling?

After Toni had informed him about Betty, he had agreed upon her stay. That was supposed to be it. But he couldn’t control himself after seeing her face to face and had almost raped her that night. He kept mentioning money so she would have a reason to stay. Some deceitful part of him loved the fact that Betty was at his mercy. He now felt worse than the prick to even think something harsh like that. He had made Betty believe something she was not and now that he knew her real identity, it was all fucked up in his brain. He had fucked up everything so far and he was still willing to go further with it.

But then he was Jughead Jones. He did whatever his heart pleased. He didn’t think of consequences and never took the blame. He wanted Betty to stay. His heart wanted her to stay. He would treat her right, he knew it. He could even find her a job if she would want him to. He could fix everything but nothing about these plans seemed right to him. It all felt wrong. It all felt so fucking wrong.

He knew he needed to stop, but he didn’t want to so he did the one thing he knew he could. He opened his eyes and gave Betty a small shaky smile and turned on his heels to walk out of the room.

“Jug-Jughead?” He sighed squeezing his eyes and slowly turned back around. Betty sat bracing on her palms and pulling her knees close to her chest. “Why are you leaving?” She sobbed and tears fell from her eyes like a waterfall. He winced knowing he had triggered something. He could make excuses but none would work right now. He had no choice but to walk up to her, so he did just that.

“Betty! I am sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said lowly, sitting next to her, face to face.

“Ar-are you l-leaving because I have sca-scar—”

“—Hey hell no Betty! No! That’s not it. I promise, that’s not it...” He cupped her face, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “You are an angel Betty. Your scars are secondary. I can’t push you away for something so small or something that wasn’t even your fault.”

“Th-then why you leaving?”

“I, don’t feel right. This doesn’t feel right,” he sighed, dropping his hands back to his lap. “I mean, I didn’t even ask for your consent and began attacking you. I can’t think sometimes and do things I refuse to even regret later on. I didn’t—”

“—I want this, please don’t go. Please stay. I want it, I promise. I liked it,” she said quickly with a nod and Jughead knew she meant it.

“Then why do I feel guilty Betty?”

“I-I don’t know but I-I, I want to feel, you. I kno—”

“—Me…” Jughead chuckled with a nod and felt tears prickle his eyes. He sighed. He still couldn’t think straight.

“If you don’t take me tonight, I will feel guilty, just like yesterday,” Betty whispered lowly causing Jughead to look at her. “If you don’t want to, I can gi—”

“—Why were you guilty?”

“You were patient with me. I know you wanted to have sex but you held back because I was not okay. You are doing that now even though I am okay now,” she whispered with a nod. Jughead swallowed and nodded at her words.

“Betty, I don’t know! I am fucking this up,” He said after a while. “Betty I, you umm, you need money right? I’ll give you that, in cash or however you like, how much ever you want, I don’t mind. I don’t want you doing this for money. You are so much better than this Betty! You are so much better than me... I can’t do this to you!”

“But, but you… and, and now you—”

“—That was a mistake. I realize that now. I am sorry! I can’t d—”

“—No it wasn’t,” Betty cried grabbing his fingers. “Please, I, I-I want this. Can we do it for me? I want to know how it feels. I’ve never, I-I trust you… Jughead. I was scared at first but now I want it. I promise I do. Just once… Please don’t say no. Please...” She pleaded through tears. Jughead nodded, realizing what she meant.

He offered her water from the glass kept on bedside table, and watched her sup up the liquid. After her fainting episode two days back, he had made sure to keep glasses of water everywhere within reach. Now his only concern was the fact that they could simply break by accident and he didn’t own any plastic or alloy ones. Betty handed him the now half empty glass and he set it aside before laying her down on the bed with a forehead kiss.

Jughead got out of his sweats and boxers and parted her legs to settle in between them. She wanted this and it was enough for a reason. He shunned the butterflies in his stomach and pushed his wicked thoughts aside and reminded himself he was doing it for Betty though his erection told him otherwise. He hovered over her and gave her a small kiss on the lips.

“I, don’t want to hurt you Betty. If you want me to stop, tell me and I’ll listen, okay!” He told her lowly. He sat up on his heels and gently lifted her legs, keeping them bent at the knees. He glanced at her face. She smiled. He then aligned himself at her entrance, "We'll stop when you want to," he told her softly with a small smile. She nodded and let out one of those shaky nervous giggles. He teased her folds hoping she would yell at him to stop teasing but it didn't happen and he sighed and lifted her hips and slowly thrust inside her, watching her face for any signs of pain or discomfort. She looked okay, so he decided not to stop. He was also scared she would change her mind if he stops. Once he was fully inside, he stayed still and rested his palms on either sides of her shoulders watching her suck in a breath as she bucked her hips to him. “Y-you good?”

“I am! Yes!” She said quickly with a nod.

“You can rest your hands on my back,” he told her hoarsely.

“No, then I might hurt you! Austin never liked my hands on him. He said I make is skin bleed when I scratch him.” Jughead wanted to laugh at the silliness of the statement. The prick sounded all sizzle and no steak. “He would tie—”

“—I am not fragile and sensitive like that prick Betts! He sounds all sizzle and no steak!” He smirked wiggling his eyebrows causing Betty to giggle. He wondered if she is aware of the fact that he’s still fully buried inside her, stretching her walls in the—

“He’s all foam and no beer!” Betty whispered making him chuckle and rested her hands on his bare back. His skin was smooth with hard muscles. She couldn’t help but test it with her fingers. He was strong like the heroes in Gladys Jones books. Perilous gangster with a soft spot for a special someone. At this moment, that special someone was Betty herself, wondering how the hell does he make her feel so safe and so cozy—

“Shall I move?” Jughead’s wary voice interrupted Betty’s thoughts. She jerked and looked at him with narrowed eyes. “You feel so fucking tight in the most delirious way as it is, but I think I need to move!” Jughead sighed. Betty giggled and nodded.

Jughead held her gaze as he slowly pulled out not quite and thrust back in. Betty moaned and gritted her teeth and Jughead smiled wearily. He was glad she was feeling good. He was glad she was comfortable with him. He moved slowly, watching her face. The fine sheen of sweat covering her forehead made her glow beautifully. She really was an angel. Her eyes... he wanted her to keep her eyes open so he could gaze into those ghostly green orbs, so she could gaze into his blue ones, just like that little moment from two nights ago.

He closed his eyes relishing this feeling. He couldn’t remember anything but Betty. He thanked his gym and kept reminding himself not to drop his weight on her. Betty! Beautiful Betty! The moans escaping her lips was the music to his ears helping him decide the pace of his thrusts. He loved the feeling of her fingernails thoughtlessly scratching the skin of his back. ‘Then I might hurt you!’ She wasn’t kidding about that and he decided he liked it. She was marking him and he wanted it. He opened his eyes to look at her. She looked peaceful at the moment and he wanted to smile but a groan escaped his mouth instead.

Soon, their moans and groans and gasps and sighs filled the room. Jughead wondered if Betty would scream his name... … maybe someday if not today. She wasn’t saying a word so he decided not to speak much either. She winced and he wondered if he’s hurting her. Her head tilted up as her back arched and Jughead couldn't help but duck his head and pepper kisses on her neck. She didn't say, but he knew she was close now. He was too, so he slipped one hand down between them and stroked her clit. A strained sigh escaped her lips and Jughead lifted his head to look at her. Blue eyes gazing into the green ones, just like he wished for… but hers... weren’t green, anymore...

"I am close!" He whispered, rather apologetically. He wondered if her wide eyes were scolding him silently. Maybe she wanted to enjoy this for longer but he was helpless and selfish. He wanted her to come before him. Betty didn’t say anything until her body responded and she came around him. Her hands and legs wrapped tightly around his waist stopping his movements and pulling him closer and he groaned against her ears as their bodies pressed together. Her walls clenched tightly around him and he forgot to breathe for a while. “FUCK!” he sighed as he came inside her and rested his forehead against her shoulder “Fucking hell Betty!” He mumbled. All he could breathe and think of now was Betty and it made him forget all of his own names at the moment—

“Jug-Jughead?” Betty whispered, bringing Jughead down from his rapture and he frantically lifted his head to look at her.

"B-Betty! You okay?" he asked her warily. She hummed and loosened her grip on him. He grinned with hooded eyes and kissed her softly before peppering soft kisses on her chest and stomach as he slowly pulled himself out of her. He placed a soft kiss under her belly button and crawled back up to lie next to her. “Fuck! That was incredible Betts! You are fucking incredible!” He whispered pulling her close to him. She sobbed and he felt her tear on his peck. “Betty? I, what happened? I am sor—”

“—That was the best experience ever Jughead. Thank you,” she whispered with a soft smile.

“Betty! I, thank you, for trusting me… After what that, I mean thank you.”

They stared at the grey ceiling and in no time, Betty was asleep with a small smile playing at her lips. Jughead slowly pulled away and quickly walked into the bathroom to clean himself up. After he was done, he grabbed a hand towel from the cabinets and dampened it before returning back to Betty. She was still asleep like a baby. He climbed back on the bed and gently wiped her forehead, then neck, and as the towel reached her breasts, he scowled.

Her scars looked so similar to that of servitude. Jughead wasn’t against any of those lifestyles. He himself had tried some of that crazy stuff with Joani once or twice out of curiosity. But what he was against was the fact that Betty was forced without her consent. She was forced to live a life that offered nothing but pain and trauma. She was always alone with no one to take care of her. He couldn’t imagine her going crazy and tumbling into attacks with no one to help her out. It was pure torture. The Prick seemed like a ruthless inhuman pervert who found some kind of sadistic pleasure in mortifying Betty.

He slowly turned her around and dabbed her back with the towel, also wanting to see if she was hurt or bleeding or anything. Thankfully she was good.

The Prick Austin! Jughead needed to plan on searching him. How the fuck did he reach the Whyte Wyrm? If he had known it before, he would have warned the guards. The prick knew Betty was missing and Jughead had to do something before he could reach her. He hoped he hadn’t spotted her, not that he had anything to worry about…

Jughead gave her arms and hands a quick wipe, just as something caught his attention. Her nails had traces of blood on them. This was why the prick wanted her to keep her hands away from his supposedly frail skin. Jughead wanted to laugh but instead he winced at the sudden burn he felt on the skin of his back. How the fuck did she manage to do that? Her nails weren’t even sharp. Ignoring that he wiped them and just then something else caught his attention causing his eyes to widen. The sight of her palms, the small shining crescent moon scars from healed wounds. They weren’t visible without a light shining on them but he knew what they were from, 'do you cut yourself? You know? Self harming or stuff like that?' 'No! No, I don’t! I don’t!’ Jughead sighed in relief. It seemed like Betty hadn’t told him a lot of things about herself. Not that she was supposed to. She was mysterious though. He would definitely ask her about these faded shining scars, maybe someday, hoping she would trust him more by then.

He gently wiped her core and a sigh escaped her mouth. She mumbled his name and he smiled at that. It was rewarding. After cleaning her up and throwing the towel away, Jughead pulled the blanket up and covered them both with it. He held her close and kissed her temple as her hand came up to wrap around his torso. He switched the lights off unlike yesterday and the day before when he had a trouble falling asleep. He knew he’d still be awake but tonight, he wanted Betty to sleep well.

As the time passed, Jughead stared at the sleeping blonde again and smiled for no specific reason whatsoever. He decided he needed to reposition the cupboards to let the moonlight enter the room or maybe it was just the time to stop abandoning the master bedroom in his house.

As he ran his fingers on her back, he made a quick mental note to himself to ask Toni to bring some of those creams and essential oils she always babbled about, that he hoped could help Betty heal sooner.

After thinking for a while, he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and shot a quick text to Toni.

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Jughead still wondered if what they had done was right. Betty was happy, he was happy. He didn’t know where this sudden guilt came from. Was it because he had kissed her so desperately? He was too desperate… Was it because he felt the urge to taste her? Was it because he was forced to be too considerate with her? He couldn't believe Betty thought he was shallow enough to ditch her because of her scars. He wasn’t shallow. He wasn’t raised to become shallow...

But then, most people he knew thought he loved Joani because of her eyeful looks. She was without a doubt, quite captivating and dreamy. Her alluring facade made her seem callous just like him. They were the power couple everyone seemed to be jealous of back then. They were both assertive in their own ways. Joani was sassy and pretentious. Not many knew about the kindness and integrity she concealed under those death stares. They were perfect for each other with a giant list of things they had in common. Only if they had known these affinities would clash and damage them both someday. He never realized how and when the air had begun to shift causing Joani to become unfaithful to him. Their relationship was written on water since the moment they had fallen for each other and after the ghastly breakup, none of it mattered anymore.

He knows where she works, and he’s happy for her. She definitely knows what he does for a living, she was a big part of it once. She was a positive influence with her evergreen chirpy personality. She was the one who had impelled him to publish his first book. It had never reached the bestsellers, nor had it gotten him much of popularity back then, but it was the beginning of his now minted life and career.

Sometimes he wishes they could have been just friends in first place… Friends definitely lasted longer in his life. The breakup left him anguished...

Joani would never visit this house he had bought for the both of them. This place... she could have made home… just like their then rented little apartment. But she would never know that… She would never know how lost he had been without her. She would never know about his sleepless nights and the sleeping pills that had almost killed him once. She would never know that he had given up the smokes because they reminded him of all their so called happy times… Joani would never know how much had changed in his life ever since she had left him.

Why was he still hung up on that red haired beauty? He didn’t even want her anymore. He wanted to forget her… Apparently impossible!

Jughead pulled Betty even closer and kissed the top of her head. She mumbled something that sounded like ‘beer bear berry’ and he wondered what she was dreaming about.

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Next day, Betty woke up and wondered where Jughead disappeared, again. She wondered if there would be any day when he wouldn’t wake up before she does. She sat up and groaned before realizing she was naked. A sudden rush of anxiety overcame her but then she glanced around the room. Jughead’s room. Jughead’s cupboards, more Jughead’s cupboards, Jughead’s dressing table, Jughead’s mirror. She remembered last night and grinned before her gaze fell upon a figure near the foot of the bed. She moved a little closer and realized Jughead was sitting on the carpet leaning against the bed with his laptop on a small table spread across his lap. His hair looked damp and she groaned inaudibly. He was showered. She wondered why he was sitting there. He could have sat on the bed, his study, the couches, island, but then this was his house, sure he could sit anywhere he wanted to.

Betty quietly searched the bed for the clothes but didn’t find them. She was sure she had left them on the bed last night. Even the floor looked clean. This was similar to how her own clothes had disappeared. She made a mental note to ask Jughead about his laundry room and covered herself with the blanket wrapping it around her shoulders as best as she could and got down from the bed to sit next to him.

“Jughead! Good morning!” She said happily but frowned when she saw him seemingly taken aback by her greeting.

“Betty! Hey! Good, morning!” Jughead replied setting the table aside. “Did you, did you sleep well?” He asked with a small smile.

“You okay?” Betty asked instead.

“Yeah! Why do you ask?”

“You don’t look okay. You look tired and sad and fidgety,” she stated with a nod.

“Betty! I am okay!” He said cupping her cheeks. Betty stared at him for a while, then quickly jumped to straddle him, somehow keeping the blanket in place before throwing her arms around his neck and shoulder and giving him a tight squeeze. He let out a shuddering gasp but held her close. “Bet-Betty! You okay? What happened Princess?” He asked softly, stroking her hair.

“I am okay! You don’t look okay! I am trying to make you feel better,” she stated, patting and stroking his back up and down. Jughead laughed at the innocence in her voice wondering if the last night was a dream.

“Betty! I am okay!” He said giving her a gentle squeeze. Betty pulled away and quickly readjusted the blanket.

“Promise?”

“Yup!” He nodded with a light chuckle.

“Now you look okay! Why are you sitting here? You could have sat on the bed.”

“Umm, actually, I, I wanted to use the table and it would have disturbed your sleep. But I have no other furniture in the room and I wanted to make sure you are okay when you wake up. I remembered but I guess I should have set a timer or something knowing you would wake up around right now since I can’t really keep track of time when I work. I forgot... Sorry!”

“What?” She asked in addlement.

“What?”

“What you said, I didn’t understand” Betty shook her head.

“That’s okay! It’s not... important!”

“What time did you wake up?”

“Six,” he smiled. Betty glanced at the digital clock on the wall, 08:04.

“Six is too early! You had breakfast?”

“Nope! I waited for you! But I did eat three chocolate bars!” Jughead stated with a smirk.

“Oh!” Betty said laughingly. “Can I take a shower?”

“Betty! You don’t have to ask me every single time...” He replied with a chuckle. “Consider this as your home.”

“Home...” Betty grinned but tears formed in her eyes. Jughead immediately pulled her close and she sobbed. “Am I an open book?” She gasped resting her head on his shoulder.

“To me? Yes!” He said truthfully. “Most of the times!” Betty took a deep breath and wondered how Jughead always smells so fresh. Mint, lemon, detergent, and right now he smelled like chocolate too.

“I need shower! I smell weird!” Betty screeched, wiggling as she pulled away.

“Okay!” Jughead chuckled again. “Just don’—”

“—I won’t lock the doors,” she giggled and moved to sit on the carpet.

“What do you want for breakfast?”

“Popcorn!”

“Okay!” Jughead smiled and stood up. He picked up his laptop and folded the table resting it against the bed. “Cheese popcorn?” Betty nodded. “Great!” He exclaimed, folding his laptop as he exited the room.

Betty just sat pulling at the blanket that was wrapped around her body. Jughead forgot to give her the clothes to wear. He always gave her clothes before she went for a shower. Jughead forgot. She scrambled to her feet before adjusting the blanket as she hurried out of the room to follow Jughead. She followed him mid stairs and sheepishly asked for clothes. He laughed and told her to pick whatever she wants from the drawers causing her to flush and walked back up.

Betty began rummaging through the drawers, the ones from where Jughead usually pulled out clothes for her. She wondered how he wakes up so early. She had herself been sleeping longer ever since she had entered his house. Home. He had told her to consider it as home. The word had lost it’s meaning for a long now. To her, home was mom, dad, Polly, Chic. Home was a long time ago. Home was when her mother would call her Elizabeth. Home was when her dad would try to teach her baseball and her mom would tried to teach her cooking, both at the same time. Home was when her parents would argue and burst into laughter by the end of it. Home was when Polly would call her ‘baby sister’ and Chic would laugh out loud. Home was when Archie would call and someone else would pick up the phone before she could. Hom—

The sudden Ting-tong of the doorbell startled Betty but she giggled in response. Whoever it was, she knew Jughead would handle himself. She turned to walk towards the bathroom but she was suddenly curious to know what was happening downstairs. So she walked towards the bedroom door and opened it slightly more and stood behind it when she was able to hear the voices...

Betty listened with a smile that quickly turned into a frown. She froze. Tears burned her eyes but she stayed rigid, feeling a sudden tightness in her chest forcing her to gasp for air. Her grip on the fabrics in her hands tightened and she slowly slid down in defeat. Her cheeks were doused with silent tears by now as she sat hugging her knees. Everything seemed terrifying at the moment like she was trapped in that white polythene bag again. It made everything white and smothering.

After what felt like perpetual moments of darkness, Betty scrambled to her feet and picked up the clothes, leaving the blanket abandoned on the floor. She took a shuddering breath and timidly walked to the bathroom. Once inside, she shut the door and locked it. She couldn’t let Austin yank her back into the abyss again.

Chapter Text

“J-Jughead wait?” Betty called out from the landing of the staircase causing Jughead to stop and turn around as she approached him. Wrapped up in his blanket, he decided she was the cutest thing ever. He imagined the two of them, wrapped up like burritos in the warmth of his bed early morning, the sun shining through the window— apparently, once he moves the cupboards out of it’s way...

“Hey you look cute in a blanket do you know that?” He blurted with a grin as she stood a tread higher from him.

“What to wear, after shower?” Betty asked dubiously, ignoring his compliment. She didn’t know what to reply to that anyways. The smirk and pursed lips confused her. Should she wear those dresses he had bought her? But last night, he had told her those dresses are for when they go out and that she could trip if she wears them in the house. She wasn’t sure how exactly that could happen but she had nodded and agreed anyways. Now she was confused. “Come give me clothes, you forgot. Come...” She muttered touching his arm slightly and he grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers.

“I told you to consider this as your home Betts,” he said with a warm smile, his thumb rubbing over hers. “It means you don’t have to ask me or take permission every single time you want something.”

“I-I can’t do that. I don’t want you to get m-mad, at me.”

“I won’t get mad. And if I do, you can slap me again! You know...” He offered with a teasing smirk and Betty’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say ‘sorry’ but couldn’t say it. “Say okay.”

“Okay!” She whispered and nodded and walked back upstairs trying to ignore the flushed feeling.

Jughead smiled and walked to the kitchen. He placed his laptop on the far end of the island so as to avoid any damage and pulled out one of the brown paper bags and the jar of popcorn kernels from the cabinets. He wondered if Betty actually wanted popcorn or was she joking... “Nope!” He exclaimed as he pulled out a butter blister pack from the fridge. It didn’t seem like she was joking. But then he couldn’t serve her just the popcorn, he was hungry himself. After switching the microwave on, Jughead began rummaging through the cabinets.

He was sure he had almond flour lying somewhere. If he could find it, it would be a good idea to whip up some tasty healthy waffles! Not that he was out of plain flour, but it seemed like a good excuse to search for that misplaced jar. “I guess no delectable waffles for us Betty!” He groaned and just then the microwave beeped. He chuckled and continued ransacking the cabinets wondering what Betty would like. He had vowed to himself, that he would keep her happy and that, he would try not to lose his temper around her...

But then, he had always savvied the fact that for someone who had always tried and has still been trying to move on, without any sort of closure from any of their past chapters, it was without a doubt, a hard-ass introspection testing their forbearance. And with someone like Betty in their life, it was even harder. She was scared of his anger and he was scared of losing that little bit of trust she showed in him. They both dealt—

The door bell rang causing Jughead to almost drop the glass. He scoffed. He didn’t like unexpected visits. He set the container aside, grateful he didn’t make a mess and headed out towards the front door, briefly glancing at the stairs and the wooden handrail on his way for no discrete reason.

He squinted his eyes and checked through the peep hole before answering, letting out a breath he wasn’t aware of holding in.

“What the hell happened to you?” He exclaimed in shock and disbelief as he swiftly opened the door. Jim stood there with a stupid grin accompanied by swollen face and black eye.

“Can I come in? Please?”

“That is, if you want…” He moved aside allowing Jim to step in.

“Thanks!”

“Go and sit...” Jughead nodded towards the couches as he closed and locked the door. “Do you need a drink or something?” He asked as he approached him.

“Nah man! Too early for a drink. I am all good!” Jim let out an empty laugh, then winced at the pain. Jughead sat across from Jim and Jim knew he would interrogate him, maybe scold him too but he couldn’t think of a reason why. He was sure Jughead would find some by himself. He now wondered if this was a good time to tell him about Jus—

“Who was it?”

“Eh! Some guy named Justin,” Jim said casually gesturing with his hand but shrugged when Jughead raised an eyebrow. The menacing glare told him he needed to be serious, so he sat up straight wondering how the fuck do people do that... “Uh sorry, just hear me out okay? I think you need to know this. Last night I thought this wasn’t important but then it kept bothering me. I called you in the morning, you didn’t pick up. Then I messaged you, you didn’t reply. I am sorry for visiting like this but please give me few minutes to explain before you scold me... I don’t think you need to scold me though,” he said quickly.

“I am listening. Take your precious time,” Jughead said calmly with a nod, keeping his piercing gaze on the blonde.

“Hmm, last night, after you guys left, I went back to bartending. Some blonde named Justin came up to me and inquired about you and your girl.” Jughead’s eyes widened in caution. “I refused to spill and he punched me. I tried explaining, but seemed like he was nuts. Fucking hell the bar laws, I didn’t punch him back and it took a while for the guards to drive him out of the Wyrm. Turned out none of the serpents knew him. Fucking bastard!”

“Prick!” The word just escaped from Jughead’s mouth.

“I don’t understand man! Maybe I am overthinking but I think we should deny entries witho— … ... Jughead?” Jim waved, “Are you even listening man? Jug?”

“Huh?” Jughead jerked and ran his palms over his face. “I am listening! Yeah!” He sighed closing his eyes and took a breath. “Jim you’ve got the wrong name.”

“Don’t think so, I heard him correctly—”

“—Then he gave you the wrong name. The name’s Austin, Austin Greene. He is looking out for Betty. It wasn’t about me.”

“Are you sure man? That guy was nuts! And Betty? She doesn’t seem like someone to have enemies—”

“—And you don’t seem like someone who CAN’T PARRY A PUNCH.” Jim was caught off guard by the sudden shift in Jughead’s voice.

“The bar laws—”

“—FUCK THE LAWS YOU SIMPLETON!” Jughead yelled causing Jim to jump briefly. “NOBODY’S FIRING YOU FOR A LITTLE SELF DEFENSE. THE LAWS NEVER SAID YOU CAN’T DEFEND YOURSELF FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE…” Jughead bawled wondering how stupid Jim can be. His dad had made up those rules to avoid the pointless fights at the bar, that somehow ended the customer up in hospital, and the staff member up in jail. “You are such a dimwit Jim,” he grumbled lowering his voice, letting out a sigh.

“I, well, I didn’t think you would scold me for not attacking that Justin Austin,” Jim said timidly, his eyes downcast.

“Jim, I want, I need that prick in the basement at the earliest. Alive, awake, breathing and sober. I am willing to reward whoever catches him. I need you to spread the word around, but keep it between the serpents. He’s staying in a cottage over the hill across the main street, just search around, Betty says there’s only one so that shouldn’t be an issue. I am sure you’ll find his pictures on social media, just try them all. And since you have seen him, I believe I can trust you to go ahead with it,” Jughead said in an assertive tone, watching Jim nod at his words. “And Jim, I need you to be a little smarter next time such a situation arises. I am not gonna fire you and you need to know that. Do you understand me?” He watched Jim nod again and wondered—

“OH JESUS!” Jim yelled, briefly startling Jughead, “I should have called you, I shouldn’t have had let him loose last night. He didn’t have any tattoos and was drunk, didn’t seem an acute threat.” He stood up frantically and Jughead sighed and did the same and walked up to him. “Fuck! I fucked up so bad! Man! Jug I am sorry—”

“—Hey, it’s alright, breathe! Don’t think of that now okay? Do as I say.” Jughead give him a pat on the shoulder. “You had breakfast? I was—”

“—Man! Is that popcorn?” Jim’s eyes suddenly twinkled. “Do I smell popcorn? You eat popcorn for breakfast? Can I please please get some on the... go?” He begged and paused when Jughead rolled his eyes. “Gah! I ate already. Sally and I had gone to Pop’s before I dropped her off to school,” he stated, rather proudly.

“Was she worried?”

“Nah man! I am her superhero! I am strong you see!”

“I can see that! Fucking evident on your face.”

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Jughead sat at the island with his laptop, finishing the proofreading of his blog entry he had been working on since morning. There were two pots on the stove he needed to keep an eye on. Both needing exactly twenty minutes, which were also good enough for the marinade to infuse flavors into the veggies. The second batch of popcorn was also ready and waiting for Betty. It was a perfect alone time to work and check the mails. He read the text once more and began replacing all the names with the made up ones...

He remembered the first time he had written something. He was 15, a stupid teenager with a permanent scowl on his face. His mom wanted him to channel his anger into something constructive after he had bullied a certain gay kid on the streets. She was angry and disappointed in him for his merciless doing. ‘FORSYTHE PENDLETON JONES THE THIRD!’ ‘Juggie, mom, you call me Juggie, remember...’ ‘DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE YOUNG MAN? ARE YOU EVEN A LITTLE BIT ASHAMED OF YOURSELF? DID YOU FUCKING FORGET YOUR OWN HISTORY WITH THE BULLIES?’ ‘Mom, language!’ ‘SHUT UP! FUCKING HELL! ARE, are you even understanding what I am trying to explain honey?’ and that was the beginning of how he had ended up writing a thirty thousand words long article on ‘Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe’ for ‘The Riverdale Register’. Pop’s was so impressed then, that, he had color copied and framed the hand written pages, and had treated him to free burgers for the rest of the year. His mom was so damn proud of him, and so was his dad who had mentioned the article to be a good way to fritter away the time in prison. Toni had forced him to join the school newspaper and he had finally realized he did like writing when the subject was something he cared about. The hobby didn’t make him forget anything but it did keep him sane at times.

Maybe he had inherited it from his mom… maybe his mom had always known what he was capable of…

Though he mostly wrote food and restaurant reviews for his blogs, this right here was a short story involving a lobster, told to him by Toni esteeming Sweet Pea’s wishes and was asked to keep it a hush hush from Fangs. Jughead rolled his eyes at the ludicrousness as he posted it online before scrolling through his inbox. There were lots—

‘Oh well… No matter how many times I push you away, you take it as my bidding to dive back into my life! How many times have I told you to fuck off? But you are SO FUCKING DETERMINED. As much as I like that quirk, you leave me with lesser options as the years pass by… You visit my mom, you talk to my sister and now you fucking break into my house…’ ‘You are hurting me Juggie...’ ‘DON’T FUCKING CALL ME THAT.’ ‘I like you Jug, ever since we met and you know that. Ever since our first kiss—’ ‘—MATTER OF FACT, we never fucking dated… I fucking saved your life and your fucking dumb ass took it as a fucking invitation TO FUCKING KISS ME.’ ‘I like you, I have feelings for—’ ‘—I don’t give a fuck about you and your feelings.’ ‘Jug—’ ‘—AND DON’T YOU EVER DARE to tell any of that stuff to my mom. Stay away from my family. I don’t—’ ‘—I heard you broke up with her months back, I thought—’ ‘—Give me the keys back.’ ‘No.’ ‘ETHEL GIVE ME THE FUCKING KEYS BACK.’ ‘NO JUGGIE… NO... STOP… … …JUG GIVE ME THE KEYS.’ ‘GET THE FUCK OUT.’ ‘Jug, wait...’

‘YOU SHOW YOUR FUCKING FACE AT MY DOORSTEP AGAIN, I WILL FUCKING RUIN YOU—’ ‘—HERE WE GO AGAIN… Stop faking it sweet Juggie… It wouldn’t work on me baby... I know all about your vulnerabilities and insecurities that pair up with the fake pride of that jacket… You are not as toxic as you make yourself out to be, am I right or am I right Juggie? I can see the tremors you are trying not to feel right now... Deep down you are broken, scared, desperate for love…’ ‘Shut the—’ ‘—Do you know your sister hates you? She told me that herself… And your mom wishes she had a better son, oh my! You poor child Juggie... I swear your dad thinks the same way about you too… And your so called loser friends—’ ‘—Get ou—’ ‘—Why did your girlfriend cheat on you Juggie? Didn't she love you… you know… for I love you for who you are kind of crap? Or was she using you Juggie? Just. Like. Everyone. Else...’

Jughead shook his head and deleted the so called fan mails. He blocked the contact and signed off, closing everything before shutting down his laptop. He wasn’t planning on working anymore today.

He picked up his phone only to notice several missed calls and messages in one fucking night! He groaned. Dad, mom, Toni, Veronica, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Jim,

_{1h ago}

_{Jim: Jug can u meet me behind Southside High in 20 minutes? Or can I visit you?}

Jughead read the message notification and sucked in a breath. Southside High! Jim and Sally sometimes reminded him of Jelly and himself. They both used to walk to school together until he was old enough to ride a bike. His dad’s bike that he’s not willing to return him back anytime soon. His mom had two conditions back then, one, that he would take Jellybean with him safely to school and back and two, that they would both wear helmets compulsorily. When he was in LA, Jelly would message him to simply say that she was missing those rides and couldn’t wait till she’d turn sixteen because of the car mom had promised. That car was still parked in his garage because their mom had threatened to sell it and Jelly didn’t want to take it to—

‘She’s changing you Juggie. She’s playing games with your mind. She’s manipulating you and planning to take you away from us—’ ‘—Would you stop that? What is your problem with her Jelly—’ ‘—JB—’ ‘—QUIET!’ ‘She hates me.’ ‘NO SHE DOESN’T AND I DON’T WANT YOU DISRESPECTING HER LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?’ ‘Will you leave us after you graduate?’ ‘WHAT THE—? I-I mean who said that?’ ‘Joani herself! She said you guys would be living in New York after graduation. I asked her if I can visit during vacation, I asked politely but she told me a strict no no… She told me you both would be too busy to hang out with me. She was babbling about work and bills and responsibilities blah blah. She also said that you would never come back to Riverdale after that, not even for holidays and birthdays. She said you are waiting to get out of this town because it’s small with less facilities and no future. Is that true Juggie? Are you—’

‘—Of course not! I have no plans to move to New York or anywhere else. I like Riverdale more, you know that, kid. Plus, everyone wanting to move out of here is already making this a better place.’ ‘That new construction you were planning to buy—’ ‘—I am still planning on buying it. Mom has agreed to help and you can decorate my study.’ ‘I’ll make it look silly.’ ‘I want it to be silly... Look, I am not leaving you or mom or dad or the serpents Jelly—’ ‘—JB—’ ‘—Whatever! Listen, Joani’s kidding with you. You don’t have to take her words seriously.’ ‘NO SHE’S NOT JUGGIE! I CAN SENSE IT WHY CAN’T YOU? SHE IS—’ ‘—ENOUGH KID! DON’T MAKE ME SAY SOMETHING YOU WOULDN’T LIKE!’ Jughead sighed resting his forehead onto the wooden surface.

When the timer was up, he switched the stoves off and decided to check on Betty.

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“Betty?” He called just as something touched his bare feet. He picked the blanket up wondering why Betty may have left it near the door. “Betty?” He called out again. No answer. He walked towards the bathroom, wanting to check in and was suddenly alert and panicked.

“Betty please open the door! I told you not to lock it… Betty...” He called out, frantically banging on the door. From the sounds he could guess that the shower was running. Still running? “BETTY?” He called out again.

“Jughead? You came… Jughead...” Came a voice, too weak as everything went silent. Jughead tried his best to hear what was going on inside. The shower was turned off, either that or Betty had used every ounce of water from the main.

“Betty, are you okay?”

“W-wait, wait!” He heard her voice again. He waited for what felt like forever to him, then grabbed the door knob and shook the door.

“Please open the door. Look, I-I don’t like this, I told you before. Betts please…” He couldn't hear any sounds now and it scared him to death. He knocked again. “BETTY?” He continued banging the door furiously, not knowing if Betty was hearing him and the thumps were beginning to echo the empty space around him. “BETTY OPEN THE DOOR OR I PROMISE I WILL BREAK IT. DON’T TEST ME ON THIS BETTY OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!” He waited for a response but there was none. “IS-IS THIS YOUR CHILDISH GAME BETTY, CAUSE I-I AM NOT PLAYING ALONG! OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I’LL FUCKING BREAK IT! SAY SOMETHING BETTY CAN YOU EVEN HEAR ME? BETTY!” Jughead bellowed throwing one last punch at the door for the time being and inhaled sharply resting his forehead and palms against it, wondering what happened to him not wanting to lose his temper. Maybe Betty had heard his conversation with Jim but even then she had no fucking reason to be afraid of anything. She knows she can trust him right?

‘I need space Jay, please for God’s sake. Stop following me and leave me alone.’ ‘I don’t want you locking yourself up and shutting me out again every time you think you need space, not after what happened last— … Joani I care about you.’ ‘I fucking love you Jay... the only person I can stand in this whole wide world right now. But—’ ‘—You know you can trust me right? And you can tell me anything. I am here for you, or did I—’ ‘—This has nothing to do with you baby.’ ‘Are we still good?’ ‘Yes, fuck you are such a child. And if you still have doubts, believe me when I say, you make me the happiest person in the world.’ ‘I do, believe you. I can say the same about you.’ ‘Yeah? Now leave. The balcony is fucking mine for the spell and I can’t lock it from the outside, you see, no lock, no latch, see, see… … ... ... HEY! Don’t take my wine away from me, she’s my friend… JAY… JAY COME BACK HERE!’

Jughead pushed away from the door and sighed. Betty left him no choice. He decided to knock just once more before forcing his way in but just then the door opened even before his knuckles could touch the wood. He didn’t know what emotion to express. Was he supposed to be relieved? He didn’t know. He simply took a few steps back allowing Betty into the room.

“I am sorry Jughead! I didn’t want to make you cry too…” Betty whispered. Jughead just stared at her, completely unaware of his own tears. He noticed she was showered, her hair were wrapped up in the black towel, and she wore his clothes. She seemed fine but tired and he could tell she cried, a lot. “I-I heard!”

“I figured.”

“Jughead, he, Austin saw me, with you and now he will find out where you live. He will come here I know that, and he will take me back, away. I-I don’t want to go Jughead. He will kill me… I shouldn’t have stepped out of the house. Nothing was worth it. Now he knows about you too… It’s all my fault,” she whispered in a broken voice, her eyes sad as she looked at him. Jughead shook his head.

“Betty! No! No one is taking you away. I would never let that happen...” He immediately pulled her into a hug and kissed her ear instinctively as she sobbed and sighed into his touch. “None of this is your fault. You are safe. You just need to trust me Betty...”

“I trust you, more, more than I trust my-myself! I do. But I don’t feel safe anymore, not when I am away from you. Austin has always found me Jughead. He hurt Jim and I am scared he will hurt you too!” She whispered against his chest.

“Hurt me? God! Betts I would doubt that,” he said with a chortle and gave her a squeeze. He wondered where his anger and worries disappeared suddenly. “He could punch Jim only because that dimwit let him.”

“I wanted you to come here and hug me when I was scared.”

“I wasn’t in the mindset to think sanely. You should have called me Betty! I would have darted up here.”

“Jim was there.”

“But you are my priority. You come first.”

“I-I didn’t know that. And I was scared. But I tried to ignore scary feeling and I went for the shower but then I was scared of someone barging in so I locked the door.”

“I wouldn’t have barged in Betty.”

“Not you! A-austin. I thought I needed to hide from him and I felt safe in that small space once I locked the door,” Betty spoke softly and slowly as Jughead gently stroked her arm. He listened carefully trying to understand what she meant.

“I understand. I am sorry Betty. I thought of the worse and freaked out for no reason,” he said truthfully, but Betty narrowed her eyes and pulled away from his embrace.

“What do you mean by worse? I-I am not suicidal Jughead. I don’t self harm either. You asked me before, I said no. I wasn’t lying, I promise.” She spoke defensively.

“I know you don’t. I was worried, you were isolating yourself. I just didn’t want you to shut me out.” Betty let out a shuddering gasp at his truthful tone. It was her fault and she was trying to argue over it and yet he seemed collected. His tone was somber and without a hint of anger.

“I am sorry! I didn’t want to isolate myself. I won’t do that again.”

“Why didn’t you open the door when I asked you to? I was worried. I was minutes away from breaking in.”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t think properly. I decided to get dressed first but when I was putting on clothes you started banging the door. The sound was too much and I got scared and, and I told you to stop, you didn’t hear, you kept yelling... and I got scared even more. I am sorry,” Betty said lowly and Jughead sighed. This could have been avoided if he had been a little patient, little more quiet.

“I am fucking sorry Betty. I couldn’t think straight… I...” He said apologetically, getting frustrated with himself. “FUCK! Why do I keep doing this?” He almost yelled taking a step back, running his hands through his hair and jumped when Betty started to giggle. Her face was lightened up and he wondered if he was being too dramatic in an entertaining way. “I am glad you find it funny!” He said noddingly.

“Jughead… I am sorry,” Betty said again. She knew she should have kept track of time instead of moping under the running water. She was in there for a long, it was passed 9 O’clock now, of course Jughead would be worried. And to top that, she had locked the door. Any normal person would have been worried. “I shouldn’t have locked myself in and I shouldn’t have left the shower running, I wasted lot of water… And I also I scared you and made you cry, I am sorry...” She babbled, causing Jughead to laugh.

“Did you have plans to come downstairs by yourself or would you have stayed in till I came and threatened to break the doors of the property I owned myself?” Jughead asked with a smirk. Betty smiled sheepishly.

“I think I would have, once I remembered I was hungry!” She replied with a shrug.

“And when would that have been princess?”

“Right now!” Betty giggled before remembering to apologize once more. Jughead hadn’t said ‘It’s okay’ so she needed to say sorry once again, “Jughead I am sorry... again!”

“It’s okay Betty, and I am also sorry that you had to hear that convo...” He said with a smile. “So how much did you hear?”

“Till you yelled at Jim. Then I got scared. I don’t remember what you yelled either, I promise. I promise I didn’t hear anything else,” Betty murmured.

“You should have!”

“I heard buzzing sounds, they are annoying. They don’t let me hear anything else.”

“Reasonable.”

“I am hungry!”

“I know!” Jughead laughed and picked Betty up to carry her to the kitchen. She squealed and sighed resting her temple on his shoulder. “I am sorry for yelling at you by the way,” He muttered as they made their way out of the room.

“I am sorry for worrying you.”

“We good right?” He asked hopefully and Betty quickly nodded in response.

“We will fall Jughead!” She exclaimed hiding her face in the crook of his neck as they began heading down the stairs. Her arms shifted instinctively to wrap around his neck. Cozy, she smiled at the thought, no longer wondering if they’ll fall or not. She decided she could stay like this forever. He was the best person to cuddle with. Like a professional. He could even make money as a cuddler...

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Jughead sat Betty down on the chair and placed an empty glass bowl infront of her. Betty stared at it and in no time it was filled with popcorn that made the space around her smell like… well, popcorn! He gave her a big wooden spoon and added a hell lot of cheese powder to the bowl asking her to mix it in while he arranged the breakfast.

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“Jughead?” Betty began, when she heard the coffee maker and thud of what seemed like a heavy metal pan.

“Hmm?” Jughead replied as he turned the stove on.

“How many people have you killed?” Betty asked nonchalantly and heard Jughead cough but she didn’t take her eyes off the contents of the bowl infront of her. She was curious to know.

“W-what do you mean, Betty, why, do you ask?” Jughead coughed in response, without turning around from the counter. Now he couldn’t quite focus on the mixture he was giving a stir to. How can this woman ask something like that so innocently?

“Curious!”

“As in, as in video games?” He squinted his eyes staring at a random tomato.

“No, real. You have real looking gun and knife.”

“One!”

“With gun?”

“Maybe!”

“Maybe?”

“Yes Betty...” Jughead sighed, emptying the marinated veggies onto the heated pan. “But, but it was a justifiable homicide okay! I had witness...” He took a quick glance at Betty to note her expression. Deadpanned with pursed lips and eyes on the popcorn. Jughead wondered if she was thinking of hiring him to kill the prick. He hoped not and focused his attention back on the pan.

The sizzling sounds filled the silence and Jughead regretted answering Betty’s question in first place. Why was she quiet now? Was she thinking of him differently? ‘Say something Betty!’ He thought to himself as he turned the stove off before pulling out two bowls from the cabinets and placing them carefully on the counter.

“Jughead?”

“Huh, yeah, Betty?” He quickly turned around, grateful she spoke.

“I am done with mixing. Every popcorn is cheese color. Can I eat it now?” She muttered, her nose literally in the bowl. He sighed in relief.

“Go ahead...” he smiled and turned back to fill up the bowls. Once done, he topped them up with veggies and boiled eggs.

“Jughead?”

“Yes Betty?” Jughead sighed as he brought their breakfast bowls to the table.

“Do you know to fight?”

“Yes!” He stated with a smug smile and went back to the counter to pour the coffee, proudly waiting for her next question.

“Will you teach me gun and fight?”

“What?” He gasped dramatically refraining himself from smiling like an idiot, as he returned and placed their coffee mugs on the wooden surface. But frowned when he noticed Betty wasn’t even looking at him.

“I am tired of being weak,” she said lowly.

“You are not weak Betty! You are one of the strongest people I know,” he said softly.

“You don’t understand Jughead,” Betty quavered, blinking away sudden tears. Jughead sat across from her, studying her face. “I am tired of this. I don’t like to live in fear. Toni had given me a hope, though she had reoriented my plan of running away without telling me. It worked and she was right. Maybe if I had ran away like I had planned, I wouldn’t have gotten far enough because I hadn’t expected Austin to come back so soon. Maybe everything would have backfired again. I felt safe here, living in your house. I thought ten days is a long time and Austin would be searching for me somewhere else by then. But now I feel, Austin will come when you are not here and drag me back into that abyss. I don’t want to go back there. I can’t fight him, I don’t know to fight. I can’t even run properly… I know I won’t win but...” He gave her forearm a gentle squeeze and she lifted her head to look at him.

“I understand what you mean. I’ll teach you what I know, whatever and whenever you want. But not because I expect you to fight the prick…”

“I try not to think about what will happen once I am done staying here. I don’t want to go back—”

“—You won’t! I assure you! You were strong all these years, without me, and I know you will be strong for what might come. But I assure you, you are safe. I want you to fear nothing Betty. I know you haven’t had an easy life but it’s all gonna be okay from now on… Believe me! Forget the ten days or whatever I said along those lines. You are under my protection and nothing can hurt you! I won’t let anyone take you away from, from here. You are staying, as long as I— … as long as you want. Trust me.”

“I trust you! Thank you,” Betty whispered in response as she wiped away the tears with her fingers. She did trust him but she knew he wouldn’t be in sight all the time. She trusted him but not herself. She wouldn’t be able to even scream if Austin shows up. She would probably pass out and wake up somewhere she wouldn’t know her way back from… She wanted to tell him this too, but she didn’t want to worry him all at once. He did worry too much.

“And I trust you too,” he whispered back. Betty sniffled not knowing what he meant by that and focused on the bowl infront of her. It didn’t look very tasty and she didn’t recognize the creepy looking grain but she didn’t want to say something wrong. She added some popcorn, wanting to make the bowl look less boring and began eating like a bird...

Few bites and her eyes widened. Turned out, the tomato and unknown vegetable and unknown vegetable and unknown leaves and eggs and creepy grain were actually tasty! She should have known Jughead wouldn’t compromise on taste. After all, he did love food. She looked at him wanting to tell him ‘it’s tasty’ but he looked deep in thoughts. She frowned. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything before the breakfast. She made him worry and made his smile disappear. She blinked and continued chewing...

They ate in silence and Jughead began to recall Betty’s words. He wondered if he was giving her false hopes. He hoped he wasn’t. But then he was aware of the fact that every promise sounds good until the reality hits. He was now waiting for Jim’s call, praying that the serpents would find the prick by the end of the day. Once that happens Betty would be relieved and he would be able to think of the next steps.

One of the main issue was the fact that he didn’t trust Sheriff Keller. The smirk on that man’s face made his blood boil. There was a chance he wouldn’t help because of his imbecile hatred towards the serpents. There was a chance he would twist up evidence and show up at his doorstep with an arrest warrant just like he did ten years ago.

But Jughead wasn’t impuissant like his father nor was he the same child who kept yelling in the court, trying to convince everyone his dad was innocent. He stood in horror once, he wasn’t going to do it again—

“Jughead I am sorry!” Betty blurted watching Jughead slightly jump and gasp.

“Betty, don’t apologize princess. You did nothing wrong!” Jughead’s tone was soft and caring.

“Then why aren’t you eating? You are thinking about my problems. I am asking for a lot from you...” Betty said lowly, ignoring or rather not understanding the irritation on Jughead’s face. “And I am being a burden. I know I shouldn’t—”

“—Would you stop that? I don’t want you thinking something like that. Do you understand?”

“But I, I am being selfish because I want to overstay my—” She jumped when Jughead cut in.

“—BETTY I WANT YOU TO STAY, OKAY? I WANT YOU TO STAY BECAUSE YOU MAKE ME FEEL LESS LONELY, DO YOU GET ME NOW? I AM SELFISH TOO BETTY! I AM FUCKING SELFISH AND NO ONE TELLS ME OTHERWISE. SO STOP THINKING I AM FALLING FOR YOUR INNOCENCE AND DOING YOU THIS AS A FUCKING FAVOR OKAY?” Jughead told her aloud. Betty nodded as tears prickled her eyes. Jughead didn’t seem angry, rather irritated, but the harsh tone always caused her eyes to water. She wasn’t good at dealing with those. She sat back and unwrapped her hair at the sudden uncomfortable feeling and kept the towel on her lap. When the tears still didn’t stop threatening to fall, she picked up the mug and began gulping down the coffee audibly and just then she felt Jughead’s fingers on her forearm. “I am sorry Betty. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He said in a low voice. Betty nodded again setting the empty mug aside. Jughead got down from his chair and before Betty could guess, her chair was turned and she was pulled into a comforting hug.

“Cozy...” she muttered through tears and he chuckled giving her a gentle squeeze.

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They reached Jughead’s study and Betty immediately took the couch. To her surprise, Jughead followed and sat next to her, with a book in his hand. He handed it to her silently and Betty’s eyes twinkled.

“Dear Margarette? Joaquin’s favorite!” She exclaimed and snatched it from his hand. She looked at him and he nodded towards the book and Betty ran her fingers on the embossed text for a while before turning the thick cover. She glanced at Jughead again and again, page after page till she reached a certain odd matte page that caused her eyes to widen...

‘Dedicated to our one and only Elizabeth Cooper, who ostensibly happens to know the other half of the story that I am utterly unaware of...’

Chapter Text

‘Dedicated to our one and only Elizabeth Cooper, who ostensibly happens to know the other half of the story that I am utterly unaware of...’

Betty read silently as tears welled up her eyes. She read it again. And again and still wasn’t sure if she should believe the words. Elizabeth Cooper. Her name was in a book. A book was dedicated to her. Was this her story? Was she the teenage girl Joaquin told her about? And... was the family who wanted to foster her, Jughead’s family? Then—

“The Margarette in the book is you Betty.” Jughead’s voice was soft but firm and she lifted her head to gape at him.

“All this time I thought it was based on Toni’s life,” she sniffled.

“What made you think that?”

“Joaquin said it’s based on a family who wanted to foster a child and Toni said you are her foster family. I thought it was based on how your parents got Toni’s custody. But, but, now I see m-my name and I don’t know if, I mean…” She trailed off and bit the inside of her lip. A part of her thought it was better to let Jughead explain, instead of assuming something sanguine that could have the possibility of lasting only for a breath.

“Wished to, but never got the custody of the precious Elizabeth Cooper...” Jughead stated with a small smile and Betty’s heart began to race. She blinked away the tears at the sudden strange overwhelming feeling and took a quick glance at the open book before gaping back at him. Elizabeth Cooper?

“Have you always known me as Elizabeth?” She asked curiously, watching a grin spread across his face like he had been waiting for her to question him on that. “I was called Betty, not Elizabeth.” She stated, nodding and shaking her head.

“I knew you went by Betty, that was what was written on those diaries I found in your room, and the people I interviewed also called you Betty. But my dad wanted me to use the name Elizabeth because that’s what your mom always addressed you as.”

“How? I-I didn’t, mom… but...”

“Your mom was a serpent and knew my dad since they were kids. Though I doubt they did have an affair at some point,” Jughead chuckled and glanced at Betty who seemed dumbfounded by his words. “Sorry, wasn’t my place to say,” he said as an apology. Of course this wasn’t the time to comment on something like that. Not when the said person was fucking literally dead. “When dad learned about the accident, he was devastated. More because their beautiful daughter had no one to look after her. Dad and mom visited you after the—”

“—No, didn’t... I-I don’t remember…”

“I guessed that. Mom said you weren’t able to speak. You weren’t eating or sleeping either. She stayed with you for a few days, seemingly surviving glares from some of your neighbors who doubted her every move. When she offered to take you with her, they protested and threatened and warned her. Police visited us every now and then after that with a warning to stay away from your place.”

“Why?”

“Because they didn’t trust us. That’s a drawback of being from what they call, “the wrong side of the tracks.”” Jughead air quoted the term and huffed out an empty laugh. “So when that happened, mom and dad officially applied to foster you. The social services did an ample amount of research on us and concluded we aren’t decent enough. They said we had no means to foster you even though they had no issues when months later we offered to foster Toni. My dad owns the Whyte Wyrm Betty and my mom writes for a living. We lived in a five bedroom two storey house. There was nothing then that indicated we had no means to foster another child. But then no one wanted a northside princess like you to live in a place surrounded by gang members and drug dealers. It didn’t matter how many times my parents assured them of keeping you safe and away from that kind of life.”

Betty tightened her grip on the book on her lap. This was stranger than fiction to her. Just when she had been struggling for a ray of hope, Austin had brought her back to the town, back to the spot where she belonged. She wondered if he had realized that, probably not. She bet her life would have certainly been a lot better if she was fostered by Jughead’s family. She had met Toni, she didn’t seem sad. In fact she seemed proud to—

“Then one day mom found out that you were sent out of Riverdale. Apparently a wealthy couple had visited you and taken you with them—”

“—Walter and Fiona Greene. Austin’s parents.”

“Apparently. But back then, my parents were in the dark. The social service officer who was in charge of your case, had stated that the couple didn’t want people to know about the charity they were doing. But dad was suspicious so he tried to dig into the matter himself. He tackled Mr. Torres and tried getting information about you. When he didn’t spill, dad turned his office upside down but I guess it was an exercise in futility and to top that Sheriff showed up with an arrest warrant on the following day. He said dad tried to kill Mr. Torres.” Jughead closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. Betty couldn’t stop the tears that fell now. She knew where this was going. It was all her fault. Why was Jughead nice to her despite knowing everything? Why had he dedicated a book to her? “I know my dad Betty, if he wanted to kill Mr. Torres, he would have. There would have had been no loose ends… I knew dad was innocent, I saw it in his eyes. I yelled in the court when they proved him guilty as if they would have listened to me.” He let out an empty laugh and Betty wondered why he was telling her this… maybe he wanted her to know—

“They arrested my dad with no fucking evidence against him, and when I glanced at Sheriff Keller, I saw him smirking like my dad’s arrest was some kind of his wicked wish come true.” He scoffed. “They even accused dad of having other intentions with you. But I swear to you Betty, I, I promise you he didn’t.” Betty lifted her head to look at him. “He didn’t.” He repeated and she shifted her gaze back to the book. “You would have been safe here. In fact, mom had also decided not to let you transfer schools but apparently it wasn’t convincing enough. Nothing was convincing enough. Then later on, dad was even more determined to find you. He assigned this task to Tall Boy, his right hand man back then. In return he asked for the crown and dad agreed.” Jughead’s jaw clenched and all Betty could think was, it was all her fault. That perfect family picture she had ran her fingers on, she was responsible for tearing them apart.

“Years passed but nothing propitious came out. Then few years back, mom suggested, I write the story cause she figured you might read and come back or at least let us know, that you are safe and happy. Your disappearance was suspicious and none of us knew if you were dead or alive. I was in senior year of college when I would come back here on weekends. I visited your house a couple of times for clues. It wasn’t an issue because mom had the keys and I didn’t have to break in,” he chuckled lightly. “And after I graduated, I invested all my time in finishing this,” he nodded towards the book, though Betty’s gaze was already on it. “I knew a secret search was going on for you. But then when I interrogated tall boy, I figured he did nothing. He betrayed us Betty. He would give false information to my parents and was fooling everyone. There was no search going on. I was so fucking angry—”

“—Is that why you decided to lead them all?” Betty whispered staring at her fingers caressing the text of her name.

“Yeah! Tall Boy was never trustworthy. He had even tried to possess our bar, fucking dumbass thought the bar came with the crown,” Jughead muttered. “I had to show him his place. I led the Serpents and in power, I hired them to look out for you. All I had were your childhood pictures and name. But then somehow Daniel managed to make a list. The school in Texas you talked about, Daniel and I had visited it. But unfortunately you had resigned by then and none of their staff knew why. I am guessing it’s because the prick forced you to…” Betty nodded, but didn’t look at him. The page was doused with her tears now but she couldn’t think or keep it aside. She was still staring at her name. “From there I got your passport size pictures and a resume, the school gave—”

“—D-did you th-threat-en them?”

“Maybe!”

“Maybe?” Her voice was too low.

“I had to,” he confessed with a chuckle. “From those papers, I had finally tracked you down to Walter Greene. I interrogated him and his wife but—”

“—They said they have cut all ties with me and want me to rot in hell...” Betty let out a shuddering gasp followed by an empty laugh, leaving Jughead lost for words. “Their son was fulfilling their wish. Maybe I deserved it— I...” Jughead cupped her face before she could finish her sentence.

“Don’t fucking say or think something so stupid ever again. Do you understand?” He said firmly, forcing her to look him in the eye. She nodded and gulped. “You didn’t deserve it. None of it,” he proclaimed.

“You don’t hate me? After knowing who I am?” She asked in a broken whisper.

“Hell no!” Jughead protested. His grip on her jaw loosened and he dropped his hands back to his lap.

“But you, were you rude to me because you knew who I was?”

“No Betty!” He almost yelled. “Fuck, you really thought so? No Betty. I promise. I-I didn’t know it was you. I didn’t recognize you to be honest...” he confessed and Betty noticed hint of tears in his eyes. She couldn’t blame him for not recognizing her. She had showed up at his doorstep looking like a beggar. If she hadn’t told him who she was and who had sent her, he would have probably lent her some cash and shooed her away. She blinked away the tears when Jughead continued. “I had never expected you to show up at my doorstep—”

“—Looking like a beggar?” Betty blurted and Jughead let out a shuddering breath. The smile on her face broke his heart.

“I, I am sorry I made you feel that way. I commented on your appearance and I did it on purpose. I was pissed off at Toni and I doubted you were conning me. My head was spinning the entire day and I… Sorry Betty… I shouldn’t have. There was no excuse. I-I am really sorry.”

“Because she asked you to let me stay?” She asked slowly. “She forced you.”

“Yeah, that… And… I, I didn’t want someone to gnaw at me…” He admitted before taking her hand in his own. “But I sure as hell don’t mind you gnawing at me,” he said with a smile. “You are nicest of them all Betty Cooper...” he said softly. Betty just kept her gaze at where he was caressing her fingers. She had so many questions and she didn’t know how to ask. There was a moment of silence before Jughead spoke softly, “Hey?” and Betty lifted her head to look at him. “Do you want to visit your house? The evergreen Cooper house?” Betty nodded as tears fell uncontrollably and she cried out.

Everything was blurry and she didn’t know if she was breathing anymore. She screamed at the sudden heaviness in her chest as every muscle of her body clenched and tingled at a weird feeling she had never experienced before. She heard Jughead whisper something but she couldn’t understand. It felt like an endless moment of disquietude and she was so damn desperate to get out of it. She didn’t know how long it took but it all came to silence with her gasping and gulping air and Jughead stroking her back and arm. “You are okay. Absolutely okay.” Maybe this was what he was whispering all along. She nodded and pulled away from his caress.

“You really don’t hate me?” She asked hoarsely.

“I don’t. I promise.”

“I have questions,” she told him noddingly.

“I know, and I can answer all of them,” he said with a smile.

“Who owns the Register now?” She asked slowly in a whisper.

“My mom. She doesn’t exactly own it though. She is, your trustee. It was also one of the reasons she wanted me to search for you. You are supposed to inherit the property and business your parents left behind.”

“Me? I can’t. I don’t know how to...” Betty panicked. This wasn’t what she had expected.

“I am sure you’ll figure that out,” Jughead assured her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her close and Betty rested her head on his shoulder. She didn’t know what to do with the newfound information. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to visit her house again. Just the mention of it had made her uneasy. It was going to be overwhelming and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to handle it. She glanced at the book again. She knew what Jughead had told her was only a snippet.

“Can you tell Joaquin to visit?” She blurted.

“Yeah, may I ask why?”

“I want to hear this story. Dear Margarette. It’s his favorite, he’ll read to me.”

“I can read, I can explain too. I wrote it myself, those,” he pointed a finger at the book, “are my words Betty,” he stated defensively, yet playfully.

“You have work. I disturbed you in the morning. And I want to tell Joaquin I am Margarette,” Jughead laughed at her reasoning.

“Is that so princess?” He teased and felt Betty nod. “I’ll give him a call.” He tilted his head to bump onto hers.

“Jughead?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you still looking out for Mr. Torres?”

“Yes…” He hissed and closed his eyes trying to suppress the sudden agitation. “I have a giant list of questions for him.”

“Why didn’t he let your parents adopt me?”

“I don’t know Betty.” He dropped his head back against the couch and sighed.

“He’s bad. He pressed false charges against your dad and disappeared.”

“And I can’t forgive him for that. I am gonna make his fucking death wish come true once I find him,” he said through gritted teeth.

“He has lived long enough for someone who could have died ten years ago,” Betty blurted and Jughead froze at her words. He really needed to be careful around her. “If you kill Mr. Torres, I’ll be your alibi. And if you kill Austin, I’ll be your witness. I will say he tried to kill me and you saved my life. Will they let you go, like last time?” He snapped his head to meet her gaze.

“Keller can’t be fooled Betty, too good at his job, and whatever happened last time was actually a justifiable homicide. It wasn’t fake,” he said truthfully.

“Whom had you killed?” She whispered.

“Toni’s uncle...” he sighed. “He had tried to attack her, assuming she was alone at the salon. But I had been keeping a watch over her ever since he had been released. I tackled him but Toni panicked and pulled out my gun before I could even guess. I kept asking her to call Keller but she didn’t…” Jughead sighed again. “Somewhere in the argument, her uncle snatched the gun. I tackled him again and… I don’t remember what happened exactly after that…”

“Why did her uncle do that?”

“Toni had pressed charges. Once he was back from jail, he thought of taking his so called revenge.”

“Why had she pressed charges?”

“He had been abusive to her.”

“R-raped her?”

“Tried to, not sure if that was his intention. Toni had invited Fangs, Sweet Pea and me for a stupid sleepover,” he said with a light chuckle remembering how silly they had felt back then. “We kept ringing the bell but no one answered the door, Sweet Pea broke in through the window. He found her and without any ado we all ran away from there and ended up hiding in an abandoned trailer. In the morning, we went straight to mom and she helped her press charges and immediately applied for her custody...” Jughead took a quick glance at Betty. She was quiet now and he couldn’t read that deadpanned face. There were no more tears but seemed like the information was overwhelming to her. He held her close and sighed.

They sat in silence staring at nothing significant. Never in those few years that had felt like a million, Betty had imagined herself coming back to Riverdale. As a child she wasn’t much aware of places. She didn’t have a proper access to internet until college. Austin’s parents were more of a food and stuff supplier to her than foster parents. She could have made friends, but she didn’t, couldn’t. Everyone was better than her.

She wondered what her life would have been like if she was fostered by Jughead’s family. A five bedroom house. One room for his parents, one for his sister, one for him, one for her and one for Toni but Toni wasn’t in the picture then…

“Jughead?”

“Hmm…”

“I trust you with my life. You are the nicest person ever too,” she yawned. Jughead held her even tighter and kissed her hair instinctively.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before Jughead’s phone buzzed from where it was on the coffee table. Betty giggled watching the annoyance on his face. He shifted her with a quick playful forehead kiss and stood up grabbing his phone. “BRB!” He told her before walking out of the study and she wondered what that meant.

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“Sweet Pea?” Jughead called out as he answered the phone, and leaned against the window casing in the foyer wondering why his tall friend felt the need to call, and not text.

“Can’t believe you assigned that kid with such an important task Jones!” He heard him yell and his jaw clenched but he exhaled slowly, trying to calm his nerves.

“What are you talking about?” He asked curtly.

“Jim called a meeting. Everyone laughed at him until he threatened to give their names to you.”

“I don’t get it,” Jughead replied flatly.

“I fucking refuse to work under a kid—”

“—I see!”

“Jones are you even serious? You—”

“—Are you fucking doubting my decisions Sweet Pea?” He asked in a mocking tone. “I led the serpents for three fucking years. Every decision I made, turned the tides into our favor. Don’t you ever dare forget that.” He stated calmly, much to his own surprise.

“I am telling you Jones, Jim is gonna mess it up.”

“This is your pride talking, Sweet Pea. Calm the fuck down. You are betraying me Sweet Pea. I just need you to know that. Just need you to remember that, the next time you wish to earn serpent stripes. Focus, Sweet Pea!” Jughead jeered too calmly before hanging up the phone. He hadn’t expected Jim to call for a meeting but he was glad he did. He smiled.

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When Jughead came back to the study, Betty had seemingly fallen asleep on the couch. He tried waking her up but she just mumbled something in protest. He chuckled and decided to let her sleep. But the couch wasn’t comfortable from what he knew and Betty was such a child, he could bet she would fall on the carpet and cry. So he picked her up, ignoring her grumpy mumbling and carried her to the bedroom.

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“I am honey,” Betty mumbled in her sleep, when he laid her down on the bed.

“I am sure you are princess!” He whispered loosening her fists from where they were clutching onto his shirt. He sat beside her and took her hand in his but she pulled it back immediately and rested it on the pillow, he chuckled again.

Betty deserved nothing but good things.

The day his mom had asked him to write this story, he had been angry, so fucking angry but hadn’t expressed until he had reached quarry with his friends. ‘Serpents think differently.’ Sweet Pea had told him. Sure they did. ‘Twist it around Jones, make it all about yourself. Pretend you really care, say you were in love with his girl since childhood.’ ‘What childhood? I have never even seen her in person.’ ‘No one knows that. This girl is fucking missing. Use it to your advantage.’ Jughead had been stunned by the suggestions,

‘Your mom isn’t a serpent. Can’t blame her.’ Fangs had said. ‘But dad is on her side too.’ ‘I am guessing your mom has some kind of sexual spell—’ ‘—Shut it.’ ‘Ha, what I mean is, they are old school.’ ‘I don’t know, I think I need to talk to Joaquin.’ ‘Don’t. That bastard is old school too.’

‘Are you guys sure this is how the serpents think?’ ‘You guys tell me, I have been away since two years.’ ‘What about Mrs. Jones? She won’t let this get published.’ ‘I’ll figure something out.’ ‘Did you try saying a simple no?’ ‘Trust me I did. She threatened to write a book on Joani and me and if she does that, Joani would be happy to spill out all the details to her.’ ‘Well, well well… well we—’ ‘—STOP IT TONI!’

‘That’s it Jughead! You aren’t writing this story.’ ‘And why the fuck not?’ ‘Because you are faking it.’ ‘You jealous?’ ‘No, your intentions don’t mirror your mom’s. This ending is pathetic. It’s not true, it’s all… fiction.’ ‘And that’s worrying you?’ ‘YES!’ ‘Ahh, I see—’ ‘—Listen—’ ‘—NO YOU LISTEN! MY DAD IS IN JAIL BECAUSE OF THAT BITCH, AN—’ ‘—STOP CALLING HER THAT. YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER. AND YOUR DAD IS IN JAIL BECAUSE OF FALSE CHARGES. DON’T BRING THAT POOR GIRL INTO THIS.’ ‘NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE HAD CHOSEN TO DIE WITH HER FAMILY THAT FUCKING DAY. I DON’T SEE WHY MOM AND DAD ARE STILL BEING—’ ‘—NO STOP! Please stop. You know who you sound like Jughead? A CRIMINAL. A FUCKING LOW LIFE CRIMINAL WHO—’ ‘—Tsk tsk tsk tsk. Don’t, fucking, dare!’

‘I will dare. As long as you wear that leather and that tattoo and hang out with those who tell you I am no good for you, I will dare! You are... a cr-crim-inal.’ ‘You don’t know who you are talking to Joani. You haven’t seen a fraction of the person you call me every now and then!’ ‘You have no fucking right to make fun of something so tragic—’ ‘—Who even are you?’ ‘Don’t be so heartless Jughead, open your eyes. Maybe—’ ‘—You know, I miss you calling me Jay.’ ‘You aren’t my Jay.’ ‘And you aren’t the same person I fell in love with.’ ‘Neither are you. Then why even are we— Jughead wait… Jughead?’

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_{Just now}

_{Toni: On my way to your place Jones.}

Jughead read the notification and quickly shot Toni a text back, ‘Betty’s asleep. Don’t ring the bell.’

_{Just now}

_{Toni: Don’t worry. I’ll shoot a text. Just keep that damn phone in reach.}

Jughead replied with a simple ‘K.’

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“Can I come in?” Toni asked smugly when Jughead opened the door.

“Why?” He questioned back and reached out to grab the bag but Toni pulled her hand back and smirked. He sighed and gestured her to come in.

“Are you still up for the cupcake competition on Monday?” Toni wondered as she plopped onto the couch and bounced herself a few times.

“Who the fuck schedules contests on a Monday?” Jughead snapped back, clearly irritated.

“Shh Jones! Betty’s asleep!” Toni chided in a whisper and Jughead sighed.

“Sign Betty up for it. I back out,” he said lowering his voice.

“Are you kidding? Betty wouldn’t be able to—”

“—I meant what I said Toni. Don’t fucking argue with me on that. Sign, Betty, up,” Jughead said firmly and Toni nodded. He was clearly pissed of at or about something or maybe she had stepped on some nerve, she couldn’t guess though.

“Here,” She began, handing him the bag, “I even bought Betty some ducklings, fishes, crocodiles and turtles.”

“What is she, a child?” Jughead almost yelled, but sighed when Toni pursed her lips and crossed her arms dramatically. “Thanks, Toni,” he muttered.

“Is Austin Betty’s abuser?” She asked.

“Where did that come from?” Jughead’s eyebrows furrowed and he placed the bag on the coffee table.

“Jim didn’t tell us the whole thing. He didn’t mention Betty anywhere and I couldn’t see why you would be hunting for someone without the three of us knowing about it, unless...”

“Yeah!” Jughead whispered and plopped next to her. “He fucking abused her in the name of BDSM, Toni. And Betty, she is fucking innocent to realize why the police didn’t believe her and I am not sure how to explain that to her.”

“What about the bruises?”

“Healing, I guess. She says they burn, don’t hurt. I am guessing that’s a good thing.”

“Did you threaten her to get the information out?” Toni quizzed, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

“No, fuck no!” He protested. “I… did that days back but it didn’t work on her,” he said with a small smile and Toni chuckled.

“Finally, I was fucking waiting for this moment to come,” she said with a smirk and Jughead nodded. “So how?”

“Last night, when I took her to the Wyrm—”

“—YOU WHAT?” Toni yelled and stood up in exasperation causing Jughead to look at her in disbelief. “YOU took her out for drinks? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND JUGHEAD—”

“—CAN YOU FUCKING HEAR ME OUT FIRST?” Jughead yelled back as he stood up. “And I told you Betty’s asleep, so keep it down, okay?” He sneered. Toni huffed.

“Did she say ‘no’ when you tried to sleep with her?” She asked in a scornful tone.

“WHAT THE FUCK! I would have never—”

“—I asked you to keep her safe Jones, not get her drunk and show her off to—”

“—SO BLAME ME FOR WANTING BETTY TO GET A LITTLE AIR. WHAT DID YOU WANT ME TO DO HUH? KEEP HER CAGED LIKE THE PRICK DID? She can’t hide forever Toni. She’ll go mad if she feels confined again. She refused at first because she thought you would be against it. She was not wrong.” Toni’s eyes widened at his words. “YOU THINK YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT? YOU THINK I AM ALWAYS OUT OF MY MIND? Yes I agree I hurt people because I live with the fear of them hurting me, but, I don’t need you trying to control me and what I do every now and then. Why do you guys keep breathing down my neck like I can’t do a fucking thing right? You, Sweet Pea, I don’t know why I even waste my time explaining myself to all of you…” 

“That’s not what I meant. I just—” Toni sniffled.

“—Think I treat people like shit,” Jughead offered scornfully.

“Well,”

“I wouldn’t have had learned about Betty’s past if it wasn’t for last night. And she wasn’t under the influence of alcohol when she told me her story, I fucking swear to you Toni.” He growled and Toni could feel his breath on her face. “And yes, she did down two cans of beer later on but she was absolutely fine.”

“Fine? What do you mean by fine?”

“I refuse to explain.”

“JUG—”

“—NO, TONI! AND NEXT TIME I WANT YOU TO KEEP THAT DAMN MOUTH OF YOURS SHUT BEFORE IT SPEAKS OUT THOSE NASTY CONCLUSIONS YOUR DIM BRAIN COMES UP WITH,” he chided, no longer caring if he was being loud enough to wake Betty up or not.

“Did he spot her?” Toni questioned again.

“Yes!”

“AND YET YOU CHOOSE TO STAND AND ARGUE WITH ME,” Toni exclaimed taking a step closer to him. Jughead scoffed.

“Any more questions?” He mocked, raising his eyebrows.

“Did you two have sex while she was drunk?”

“None of your business.”

“I need to see Betty!”

“Not now, she’s sleeping.”

“Jones?” She warned in a low tone.

“I mean it Toni. I know what you are doing. If you trust me with Betty, do me a favor and trust me completely. Because I fucking hate it when I trust myself and people tell me otherwise. I told you this was wrong in first place, yet you tried to set me up with her and now you fear I would hurt her.” Toni just stared at him with wide eyes. “You had a chance Toni, now you don’t have a say.”

“Betty’s not staying here henceforth and I mean it Jones. Where is she? BET—” Toni could barely take a step towards the staircase before Jughead grabbed her by the arm.

“Do what you please, but I am not gonna let her leave with you. She’s mine now.”

“You are making a mistake Jughead. I won’t let that happen. If you hurt her, I’ll—”

“—Don’t dare! What I do is none of your business. You need to leave Toni!”

“Listen to me. You—”

“—No. You listen to me,” he commanded, shaking her by the arm briefly, forcing her to meet his piercing gaze. “Don’t tell me I am wrong when I know I am not, okay? I appreciate your every concern Toni, but not when it’s expressed to make me sound like a fool. Don’t forget who I am and what I can do. You are not the boss of me, the sooner you understand, the better because you are and will always be at my mercy, Toni. You know better than to take my solicitude for granted,” he warned her, rather calmly.

“I need to-to leave!” Toni muttered, glancing at anything and everything but him. He let go of her arm with a wicked smirk and she turned and headed towards the door to leave.

“Toni?” Jughead called out just as she grabbed the door knob. “Thanks, for everything.” Toni froze at the sudden playfulness in his tone. “And don’t forget to sign Betty up for the cupcake contest.”

“I won’t. See ya later…” She replied timidly, without looking back at him and then she was out the door. Deep down she knew Jughead wouldn’t hurt Betty, intentionally that is. But she knew him well to know that he would blame only Betty if something goes wrong. Toni cared so much about Jughead that she never thought of the women she tried to set him up with. She felt guilty over the fact that she put Jughead before someone who had actually needed care and protection. She had checked on Betty everyday and Jughead had told her she was fine. Fine? She didn’t even get a chance to see Betty. “Everything is fine,” she muttered to herself as she climbed onto the truck wondering how she lost an argument against Jughead Jones and his egotism.

Something had surely gotten into him today. He was cool, calm and collected unlike any other day. Even when he yelled, he didn’t lose his temper. Rather, his tone was low, spiteful and venomous, something she hadn’t noted before.

She would always win, but she lost today. How? Toni banged her forehead against the steering wheel, as she felt tears burn her eyes. Jughead was right, she would always be at his mercy, no matter how many times she thinks differently.

...

Jughead darted back to the bedroom to check on Betty and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her still asleep, grateful she wasn’t bothered by the not so hush hush exchange between Toni and him. He sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard and began reading a random eBook...

Or not…

‘Look Jones, read this, dear diary, I fell from the bicycle today because dad was eating mom’s signature cookies instead of helping me…’ ‘Uh what?’ ‘This Betty was actually living her life even as a child.’ ‘Toni…’ ‘It’s okay, no I don’t envy her Jones. Just, it’s… fun to read. You have a lot of content for the book now… … Here, this is the last one I guess.’

‘Dear diary, where’s the... dear diary, dear diary. Today was a good day. I got an A+ in English and an expensive pen from dad, he figured I write too much. Principal Weatherbee told us a new kid will be joining on Monday and I am going to be his peer mentor. I have never been a peer mentor before so I am super duper excited. But tomorrow is going to be even better because Polly and Chic are coming home. Chic has promised me a lot of cupcakes, not muffins, cupcakes. But there is a stupid presentation in the way and I can’t wait to get it over with so I can spend the rest of the weekend without school worries. Archie is away. I am going to miss him. He’s going to miss mom’s cookies and blueberry cakes too. Ha ha. Love, Betty.’

‘Typical northside princess.’ Sweet Pea had commented but Jughead was staggered by the time he had finished reading. ‘Betty doesn’t deserve this. Joani had been right. I can’t fake it.’ ‘Get over her Jones, fucking cheater, women like her—’ ‘—Shut the fuck up Sweet Pea.’ ‘That bitch—’ ‘—DON’T!’ ‘Still holding onto that huh?’ ‘I need to see Tall Boy.’

.

.

…

Toni didn’t know how long she stayed there, feeling weak and helpless. She didn’t even have strength to start the truck. Just then her phone buzzed.

_{Thanks for everything Toni, I fucking}

_{mean it. I take my words back, only}

_{the ones that made you feel defeated.}

_{We’re good like always, I swear.}

_{Also, don’t forget to sign Betty up for}

_{cupcake contest. She may not win}

_{but she’d enjoy the crowd screaming}

_{her name. She’s safe BTW.}

_{Love you a ton, itsy-bitsy ;-D}

Toni smiled biting her lip and turned the ignition on. She knew Jughead wasn’t the one to say the word ‘sorry,’ so him taking his words back was a big thing. ‘Jelly, forget everything I said, we can start over okay!’ ‘JONES?’ ‘WHAT?’ ‘APOLOGIZE!’ She chuckled at the memory.

…

‘Change the ending and I might publish it.’ ‘Change the ending and you would be begging for my mercy Mr. Warren. I am not up for suggestions here.’

At this point, Jughead wasn’t sure who was right and who was wrong. They were all right, yet they were all wrong.

They all had their own perspectives and he wished he had a chance to learn Joani’s… He needed a chance to thank her, for trying… for always trying…

‘I don’t believe you Jay.’ ‘No Joani. You don’t believe the gang member you think of me as. But think about it baby, have I ever lied to you? I-I agree, we didn’t tell each other anything about ourselves. Hell I still don’t know a lot of things about you—’ ‘—Jay—’ ‘—No no, I won’t coax you. But please believe me when I say my dad is innocent…’ ‘I don’t—’ ‘—What’s holding you back?’ ‘Everything, I guess… ... I am in love with a fucking gangster.’ ‘Gang member.’ ‘I prefer gangster, sounds saucy and steamy to me…’

No. She hadn’t judged him because of his dad. No. She wasn’t pretending. She was willing to give their relationship another try…

She hadn’t judged him too quickly.

It was the other way around.

It was him.

Chapter Text

“Betty dear?” Betty heard her name followed by a soft knock on the door and looked up from the diary she was writing.

“Mrs. Jones?” She called in a low voice as the slender woman with short hair, just like in the pictures, approached and sat beside her on the bed.

“Your friend is here, Archie, think you wanna see him… He seems bit nervous,” Gladys Jones told her with a warm smile. Archie’s always nervous, she thought. “He held out a photograph to convince me he knows you.”

“Can I see him?” Betty asked with a laugh.

“Of course you can.” The tone made her wonder if she made a mistake by asking for permission. “But first, are you feeling better?”

“Better, yes,” she answered noddingly. “But, I, I feel I’ll never fit here Mrs. Jones. It’s all too loud for my liking.”

“I get it. I had found myself in a similar situation when my parents had forced me into an arranged marriage. I had felt lonely for a long. Hopeless, conflicted. It took me a long to accept life around these idiots who call themselves serpents… You just need to give it a time honey. It heals everything. Soon you’ll realize they’re all coconuts.”

“Coconuts,” she repeated and they both laughed. She decided she liked Mrs. Jones.

Betty walked down the stairs hoping to find Archie but instead spotted Jughead kissing a red haired woman. She frowned. They fit so well with each other, like one of those celebrity couples from the magazines.

The couple pulled away from the kiss and began whispering and laughing like they had been given a script for such a scene. Betty just watched with a frown. Would they notice her being in the same room? Just as the thought crossed her mind, the woman noticed her.

Betty gasped in horror, and began fidgeting with the clothes she was wearing. Damn she had been caught. She quickly lowered her gaze in fear.

“Hey, Betty, come here.” She heard Jughead’s voice and lifted her head to meet his gaze. He gestured her to come closer and she hesitantly obliged. “Betty, this is my girlfriend.” He told her, a little too proudly.

“Hi…” She managed to utter but the look on the woman’s face sent chills down her spine.

“What are you doing in my house?” Betty froze at her angry tone. Her voice matched her appearance, too well. “And why are you wearing my boyfriend’s clothes? Are you sleeping with him?” She yelled and Betty stepped back as tears doused her face. The woman was as intimidating as Jughead when it came to yelling. “OH YES YOU ARE! NOT ONLY ARE YOU OVERSTAYING YOUR WELCOME, BUT—”

“—HEY, hey,” Jughead stepped in and Betty let out a shuddering gasp. “She’s a friend, she’s a friend. Calm down please babe,” he told his girlfriend softly. “No one measures up to you.” Betty let the tears fall and turned on her heels and walked away…

“Princess?” She heard a voice from behind just as someone gently took her hand in their own. She knew the touch. Jughead.

Betty woke up with a strangled gasp, her body shaking. She closed her eyes again and took in a deep breath. She was stronger than her anxiety, she believed. When she opened her eyes, she gazed at the grey ceiling. It wasn’t until a single tear escaped her eye, that she realized she had been crying in her sleep. She remembered. The dream, the bad bad, bad dream. This was supposedly the first time she had dreamed about something that seemed worse than her real life. The red haired woman who yelled at her. Betty sobbed and it was only a matter of seconds before her gaze fell upon Jughead who was sitting beside her. He looked worried, like always.

“What were you dreaming about?” Jughead asked her when they finally locked eyes. He had given her enough time to think and compose herself. She abruptly pulled her hand away from his, he let her.

“I, she, was scolding me, for staying here,” Betty whispered and squeezed her eyes briefly as more tears trailed down her hair and cheeks.

“Who?”

“You-your g-girlfriend.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said quickly.

“You do,” Betty insisted with a nod wondering how could he even forget such a thing. “She has red hair. Don’t, don’t lie, I-I saw pictures. And I am using her body wash and shampoo and conditioner and face wash. She, please don’t tell her I slept with you. She will scold me. Pleas...” She whispered through tears and Jughead burst into laughter muttering something that made her feel like a fool. She looked at him in disbelief as she swallowed and sniffled, clutching tightly on the blanket that was draped over her. What was wrong with him?

“Betty,” He began laughingly, “I don’t have a girlfriend. Those products you are talking about, Toni left them for you. I live here alone. The girl from the picture, she’s my ex, Joani. We broke up like four fucking years ago.” The words flew from his mouth so fluently and easily that he couldn’t even believe himself for heaven’s sake. No, no no no… whatever happened between Joani and him, he couldn’t forget it so easily. He fucking couldn’t .

“Broke up? She, she scolded me.”

“She can’t,” he said firmly with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I am scared,” Betty whispered squeezing her eyes and just then Jughead realized she was still shivering. Fuck! She didn’t need to. Whatever dream she had, it was all her imagination. How could a dream affect her so much? She always used to sleep so soundly and she used to dream of beers, puppies, candy and honey. How long had she been wondering about Joani?

“Sit…” He hinted and helped her up so they were both face to face. “It was all a bad dream Betts. It wasn’t true. Joani won’t come here, she doesn’t live here, I haven’t even seen her after college.” He insisted, taking her hands in his own. “She… and even if she does, she has no right to scold my precious princess.”

“I don’t want to meet her,” Betty whispered with a frown. Jughead smirked and raised his eyebrows playfully.

“In that case… Umm…” He pretended to think, gawking at the headboard. Betty gaped at him. “Umm, umm how about we pretend we are not home?” He offered wiggling his eyebrows. Betty giggled at that and he smiled. Betty was so damn easy to convince and distract, and he decided he liked that about her. Deep down he knew she just played along, she didn’t like holding onto bad for a long. From what he had learned about her, she didn’t let her past consume her thoughts overwhelmingly. But he had no idea, she assumed he had a girlfriend. Did she really think he was the type to sleep with another woman despite being in a relationship? What else did she—

Jughead’s phone buzzed and he groaned thinking it was better when he had put it on complete silent mode but then, today he was waiting for Jim’s call. He grabbed it and looked at the screen. “I gotta take this.” He said before kissing her temple and disappearing out the door.

Betty sat there, trying to recall the bad dream. She didn’t remember much of it now.‘What are you doing in my house?’ “J-Jughead’s house, not-not your house J-Joa-ni,” she muttered, flinching at the memory. But how did she end up sleeping in the bedroom? Last thing she remembered, she was sitting on the couch. Jughead had walked out to answer his phone and she was trying to imagine her life with… She sniffled.

Maybe if she hadn’t pressed charges against Austin, Jughead would have had found her long, long ago. Maybe! The thought was enough to make her cry.

She was twenty five years old but her life wasn’t worth remembering. Though she didn’t have people to compare it to, but Jughead owned a house and he wrote, like his mom, and Toni had a salon and Joaquin had a food truck and he also worked at Pop’s. Betty didn’t have anything of sorts.

Sure as per the newfound information, she was supposed to inherit her house and ‘The Riverdale Register,’ but it wasn’t something she had worked hard for. As a child she always dreamed of owning a bakery as well as becoming a school teacher because she liked sweets and adored children. One of her dreams had almost come true, the other would have followed but before that Austin had found her, again, and he had destroyed her happy bubble. He deserved to rot in hell. He would have, if— Why was she so weak? Why couldn’t she speak commandingly like Jughead and Toni and, and maybe even Joani? Why couldn’t she get angry without choking on the sobs and going dizzy? Why did she stammer in such a way that made her seem a liar? Why wasn’t she, normal?  Why—

“Did you know your sandals had a tracker in them?” Jughead’s impatient voice brought Betty back to reality. She let out a shuddering gasp and lifted her head.

“What I don—”

“—I-I’m sorry,” Jughead sighed, sensing her panic. Fuck! He cursed himself silently. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Betty. Your sandals, which you left at the cottage, Jim found a tracker in them.”

“But they tore,” Betty quavered.

“Well good thing they tore, because the prick can’t track you anymore.” He told her, sitting besides her.

“Track, no I…” Betty panicked and began patting the bed like she was searching for something. Jughead grabbed her hands and ran his thumbs over her skin, trying to soothe her. “He is tracking me,” she whispered.

“No, not anymore. Your sandals tore for good. He’s not tracking you anymore.” Jughead did know it for sure.

“My-my slippers, my bag, there-there must be tracker on them too—”

“—No, they didn’t have any. I had checked,” Jughead said quickly.

“Checked, he—”

“—Don’t worry about anything okay?” He said softly. She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her upper back, holding her close.

“Did you, did you find Austin?” She whispered, wanting to know.

“No. He, scarpered. I am guessing he suspected something last night. Jim found only, your stuff in the cottage. I have told him to take it to the Wyrm, just to make sure the prick haven’t messed with it,” he said in a whisper and heard Betty sniffle.

“You can throw my stuff away. I don’t like it. Everything has bad memory attached,” she whispered.

“Nothing your favorite?”

“I can forget…”

“Betty… don’t think like that… I told you, you can’t let the Prick control you and your life…”

“He’s missing, he’s up to something. I know,” Betty sniffled.

“But my guys are still searching for him. I promised them a reward so I know they wouldn’t give up easily. Trust me!” He promised tilting and resting his head on hers. She grabbed his hand and placed it in hers, smiling at the fact that it wasn’t fitting.

“Reward? Money?” She asked, placing her hand in his and grinned when it fit in his like a small spoon in big one.

“Anything they want.”

“How do you have so much money? I know everything you own is expensive. But you don’t write so much to make so much money,” she whispered running her finger on his tattoo. “You aren’t even famous. I have never heard of you J Jones. Then how do you have so much money?” Jughead chuckled. He wanted to tell her that she had been away from the real world for a little too long. But she was right, he didn’t write so much, enough to make ‘so much’ money.

“It’s a secret,” he cooed.

“Illegal?”

“Nope! Completely legal. I promise,” he laughed and kissed her temple.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Jughead?” Betty called happily as she stood beside him at the kitchen counter, watching him add spices and oil to some meat in a glass tray.

“Betty?” He replied back, imitating her innocent tone.

“Where is the corn?” She asked. She could inhale the aroma but it was nowhere in sight.

“In the microwave, don’t open it.”

“Okay,” she giggled. “Can I ask you something?” She asked after a while.

“Shoot!” He smirked picking up the tray, dramatically.

“What?”

“Ask...” He sighed walking over to the stove where a pan was preheating and groaned when he noticed Betty following him. She could sit in her place at the island, couldn’t she?

“How many girlfriends have you had?”

“One,” he answered simply.

“Joani?”

“Yup,” he said inverting the tray, letting the steak fall on the hot pan with a sizzle.

“Did you meet her in high school?”

“Nope, college,” he replied curtly before turning around and walking towards the island to simply lean against it.

“And school?” Betty asked standing right infront of him.

“Why the sudden interest, huh princess?” He teased with a smirk and crossed his arms.

“Curious,” she shrugged.

“I dated, fooled around, didn’t work. They all picked someone else over me,” he replied mirroring her shrug.

“How?”

“What?” He laughed uncrossing his arms and shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweats.

“How did, they, pick someone else?” She asked, slightly nodding at each word.

“Well, umm, for starters there was this girl I liked… after a month she told me she can’t be with me because her boyfriend was back in town, trust me I didn’t know she had a boyfriend,” he laughed. “Then there was another one who was a friend with benefit until someone proposed her. Then there was one more, who used me to get to know a friend of mine. Good for her, she’s actually married to him now,” he chuckled sheepishly. “Then there were a few in between I don’t want to recall simply cause I am not in contact with any of them. But to sum up, Joani was the first one to actually like me…” He told her with a brief smile.

“Tell me more… You and Joani…” Betty exclaimed with a grin.

“What?” Jughead chuckled but his body tensed up briefly.

“Stories… Good ones, happy ending ones...”

“Nope,” he smirked, letting the ‘P’ pop.

“But Joaquin told me stories, of him and Kevin,” she muttered with a frown.

“That’s because they’re still together. Joani and I broke up and it wasn’t pretty.”

“But she’s pretty,” Betty blurted.

“She sure is,” Jughead agreed.

“Am I pretty?” She winced at the words that escaped her mouth. She hadn’t been to a salon in years. She even cut her hair on her own. She was nowhere near pretty. Why was Jughead studying her?

“Very! No one measures up to you princess,” Jughead said softly, resting his forearms on her shoulders, forcing her to step closer to him. Betty’s eyes widened as she stared at him. It was the same phrase he had said to Joani in her dream.

“No, no one measures up to you either. Everyone who ditched you are bad,” she declared, very innocently.

“They aren’t bad, Betty, they just, followed their heart,” he explained softly and pushed himself away from the island gesturing towards the stove and shifted her slightly to walk over to flip the steak. “What about you huh? How many boyfriends have you had?” He asked, when the sizzling sounds almost quelled.

“None,” Betty shrugged. “But I dated Jake for a few days. Does that count?”

“Nope! Jerks don’t count.”

“Then none,” Betty sighed and pouted. “When is Joaquin coming?” She asked after a few seconds, wanting to change the subject.

“I haven’t called him yet, but, Saturday morning if he’s not busy,” he answered, leaning against the counter.

“When is that?”

“Umm, the day after tomorrow…”

“You will be home too, right?”

“Nope.”

“Then what if he can’t make it?”

“Then you’re coming with me.”

“To where?”

“Some place I hate,” he laughed.

.

.

.

.

.

Jughead prepared steak sandwiches for lunch with Betty’s help who showed him a new way to separate kernels from the cob without any tool or wastage of corn. She asked him if Joani liked corn and he had to refrain himself from laughing and simply tell her, ‘yes!’

As they began eating, Betty began to wonder about Joani, again, the pretty girl from the pictures, the visually appealing kiss she had witnessed in her dream. Why had Jughead broken up with her? She was curious to know. Joani looked so so pretty, like a model, maybe a dancer too. Betty had never seen anyone as pretty as her but damn if she would ever see her in person. She shook her head. But why did Jughead have her pictures on that wall? Were they suggesting some kind of hope? Would they ever get back together? Unexpected tears prickled her eyes and she blinked them away, thankful Jughead wasn’t noticing. He seemed lost in thoughts too.

“I love steak.”

“What? Sorry!” Jughead jerked at the sudden chirping.

“I love steak,” Betty repeated. “Is it chicken?”

“Beef. You eat right?” Not everyone was insusceptible to food allergies like him. He should have asked Betty what she wanted. “I, sorry I didn’t ask, I assumed, I ca—” 

“—Yup. I said I love it...” Betty giggled and he sighed in relief.

“Betty,” He called after a while, and continued when Betty looked up from her plate, “I, know it’s gonna be a little overwhelming to you but I was thinking we visit your house,” he said warily, noticing her face going pale. She seemed frozen so he gave her forearm a squeeze, she blinked, “You mentioned you haven’t seen your family pictures in years and I can’t imagine what that’s like. You haven’t brought up the topic and I don’t want to force you but… I mean, whenever you say,” he said softly.

Betty finished chewing and gulped and took a shuddering breath. She wasn’t ready to get overwhelmed yet but he was right. “C-an, can we go now?” She asked dubiously. “Sooner the better? If you are not busy…”

“Okay.” He gave her a smile which she didn’t reciprocate. “One more thing, Betty,” he began watching her gulp, “my mom wants me to come home for dinner tonight, and I, want you to come with me. Would you?” He asked timidly, watching her eyes widen with each word he spoke.

“Gladys, Jones?” She asked nervously.

Jughead chuckled. “Yeah. I am sure she would be happy to see you, even dad,” he said with a smile.

“So, first we go to, my house, then your house?”

“Something like that, yes!” He smiled again.

“Can I tell your mom I am loving ‘The Evocative Silence’ and I am on page 103?”

“Of course!” He chuckled at her question. “She does love compliments.”

.

.

‘I loved that girl of yours Juggie, how come you didn’t tell me you are dating again?’ ‘Girl? I don’t, who?’ ‘Ethel, Muggs…? … Ugh you clueless child! She came by this afternoon, requested me to sign her copy of ‘The Evocative Silence.’’ ‘GOD MOM, FUCK NO, you didn’t tell her I am back, did you?’ ‘She already knows honey.’ ‘Mom, she’s, she’s a stalker. She was the reason I wanted to leave this town before Archie talked me out of it he had promised he would take care of it but now she’s back here and she came to talk to you mom please I beg you please don’t entertain her I don’t—’ ‘—Honey hon calm down, it’s all okay. Stop with the fucking rambling first. Nothing happened, she tutored Jellybean for a while thereupon and left. I didn’t tell her anything important but turns out she already knows a lot about you. But from what I figured, she’s not a threat Juggie, not to you.’ ‘She threatened me once.’ ‘So what? I threaten you and Jellybean all the time!’ ‘But you don’t have wicked intentions mom, your threats are vivacious just like you.’ ‘Jesus!’ ‘Yeah, exactly what Jelly says when she makes fun of your threats.’ ‘SHE WHAT? FORSYTHIA? GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE RIGHT FUCKING NOW! … … AND YOU? STOP! YOU AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE EITHER!’

“Why you laughing?”

“Nothing,” Jughead shook his head, trying his best to erase the grin from his face. “Just, remembered something.”

“Okay,” Betty smiled. Jughead was so lucky to have good memories, and people who loved him, she thought. If she would go down her own memory lane, she would have to run to get to the good ones at the back.

.

.

.

Once they were finished eating, Jughead quickly cleaned up the kitchen and dishes while Betty remained seated in her chair.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Again princess?” He asked, wiping his hands on a dish towel.

“Yup!”

“Nope, go get ready so we can leave early. Your place is like thirty minutes away from here.”

“Nope!” Betty giggled.

“What is it?” Jughead groaned and sat across from her watching a smile spread across her face.

“Could Joani cook?” She asked and Jughead groaned again.

“Let me guess,” He rested his forearms against the wooden surface. “Curious again?” He mocked and raised his eyebrows.

“Yup!” Betty nodded and Jughead narrowed his eyes, then shook his head chuckling in disbelief.

“No, she couldn’t. In fact we both couldn’t,” he smirked. “We had this cook who used to come every evening to prepare dinner until...” He trailed off and chuckled.

“Until?”

“Until we fucked up the kitchen and he, quit.”

“Because you had sex in kitchen?”

“No, I mean yeah, but-but no, that-that wasn’t the reason,” he sighed. “Joani and I, we, we had visited this exhibit where they demonstrate culinary art. Our goal was to eat as many dishes as possible. But Joani got fascinated by the Flambé. The chef who was doing it, made it seem a little too easy. But when we tried to imitate, it didn’t work. When the pan caught fire, we struggled to put it out, somehow the window curtain started burning and our whole kitchen turned into black mess,” he chuckled. “When the cook showed up, he gave us a big lecture on why should there be no fancy curtains in the kitchen belonging to two fools and begged us to leave the cooking to the professionals. In Joani’s defense, the curtains matched the backsplash but the cook just waved us on that. He didn’t even take his cheque quipping we would need it to fix the mess. He wasn’t wrong though,” he laughed and nodded.

“She made you happy,” Betty whispered. She bet, Jughead must have had a hell lot of good memories with Joani. She was suddenly interested in hearing all their stories and her eyes twinkled at the thought.

“She did,” he grinned, surprising even himself.

“Then why did you two break up?” Jughead froze at her question. ‘I said talk to me.’ ‘NO, mom, I am not gonna tell you anything. And please don’t dare call Joani and ask for details. I am certain she hates you too.’ ‘Jesus! I know you’re froward as hell. I am not gonna ask you for details honey, just tell me what the fuck happened?’ ‘What the fuck happened? Here’s the briefing, we broke up because Joani fucking cheated on me, just like what everyone had predicted! And why? Because my dad is in jail, yeah, and she didn’t want to spend her life with a lowlife drug dealer. She broke my fucking heart, is that enough for you?’ ‘Apparently, if you promise not to down that entire thing, … … And and did you say you dealt drugs?’ ‘Just fucking leave! … Please?’

“It wasn’t working,” Jughead whispered lowering his eyes. “We, we weren’t going good. We yelled at each other, all the time, reopened healed wounds, twisted the knives deeper… One of us would have utterly drowned with the way things were going if we hadn’t talked. When we did we, came to conclusions. Figured we, weren’t meant to be together. Also because we were more than stupid enough to make selfish plans and expect the other to comply, when we both weren’t the type to defer. We decided to keep it going till the graduation, then part ways for good, but it didn’t happen. Last stroke was when she, when I… I… accused her of, cheating. We had the longest fight ever, and it left us, both, in tears,” he said lowly, slowly, keeping his eyes on a random pattern on the wood as he blinked away the tears.

Betty just studied him. She hadn’t expected him to shed tears like this. Was he even aware he was crying? “Are you mad at her, for cheating?” She blurted.

“No, hell no, that would be silly,” Jughead laughed vacantly, but didn’t look up, “There is no reason for that. I knew we would part ways at some point. I had made up my mind on that. But, she is a constant reminder, that I can never be in a relationship, because like-like Joani said, I am criminal who likes to make people suffer.” ‘You are a fucking criminal Jughead, the one who loves to make people suffer. But guess what, I am not interested in being one of your victim. I have dealt with worse and you’re pretty mild.’  “It scares me, often times… when I remember…”

“Criminal…” Betty muttered in horror. But Jughead wasn’t a criminal. A criminal wouldn’t bear the heart of gold. Joani was wrong. Joani was so so… wrong. Jughead deserved better than her. Good thing they had broken u—

“Everyone, said we broke up for good, and that she was manipulating me. But, I never realized it. I don’t know what hurt more, the breakup or the fact that no one here liked Joani.” Betty’s eyes widened at the fact. No one liked her? “Mom and dad were supportive but, my sister hated her, so did Toni. It got to the point where they started saying things to her face. Eventually Joani stopped visiting with me and I made excuses cause I didn’t want mom to get involved in whatever issues we all had,” he said slowly. “I am glad our breakup made everyone happy though. Sweet Pea and Fangs literally jumped in excitement,” he huffed out an empty laugh, Betty frowned. Jughead wasn’t as smart as he looked. He was so naive. “I don’t know, maybe that’s what always bugged me… that, I didn’t stand up for her or anyone else because I didn’t know whom to trust… I didn’t take sides… None of them were lying…” He trailed off.

“Will you two get back together? I mean, y-you have her pictures put up on the wall,” Betty blurted.

“No. I don’t want her back. Everyone thinks I do, because I keep saying I don’t want to be in a relationship again. That wall depicts my life and people who made it memorable once. My sister had suggested it, she was like, ‘this will help your writing brother, thank me later.’but then she was also pissed off after spotting Joani in the frames…”

“You know, you told me lot more than I had expected you’d say,” Betty said with a smile.

“You ask too many questions, Betty,” he stated lowly, as the corners of his eyes prickled with tears again and he didn't even know why. He shifted his gaze to her face. “Thanks for listening by the way,” he said sincerely.

“You welcome Jughead! I love stories, I want to hear more.” She saw the confusion on his face and giggled again. “Now excuse, excuse me. I’ll go and get ready.” With that she jumped down from the chair and soon she was out of sight.

Jughead ran his hands over his face and sighed. What the fuck had he just told Betty? He shouldn’t have told her the part about his friends hating Joani. That was something he hadn’t told anybody. Fucking hell, he shouldn’t have told her anything.

‘That bitch didn’t deserve you bro. We warned you so many times but…’ ‘Right! She never loved me Fangs. You guys were right, all of you, she was trying to manipulate me and I was falling for it! She only loved the amount of cash I was spending on her. I was so damn stupid to realize, wasn’t I? Why did God bless me with such good looks? Joani was fucking fooled and I now can’t even laugh at her. She called me a criminal, a fucking lowlife criminal who’d end up in jail just like his old man. She predicted my future! Fucking bitch! She doesn’t know what she’s missing right now. Too bad she doesn’t believe in love calls it bullshit. May she try but she’d never find someone like me… I mean, who would want to put up with someone who constantly refuses to talk about her past huh?’ ‘Jug? You okay?’ ‘Absolutely, Toni! Never been better.’ ‘Come here, tell us what happe—’ ‘—DON’T DARE ASK! I might just chop off these three beautiful heads halfway through the story.’ ‘You don’t really blame us, do you?’ ‘No no, trust me! I fucking blame, Joani! I didn’t deserve her!’

“Joani…” Jughead sighed. He didn’t even get a chance to apologize to her, for swelling things up in their last one-to-one exchange.

Jughead didn’t blame Joaquin anymore, for telling Betty those stories and stuff. She was a damn good listener and she didn’t give away any unnecessary suggestions. He was convinced, she was simply, curious…

‘Are you seriously tryna set me up with a dumb chick?’ ‘She’s not dumb. She’s, innocent.’ ‘I don’t want innocent.’ ‘Sorry Jones, I couldn’t find another Joani for you. Not everyone is obnoxious and rude, you know...’ ‘She wasn’t any of that… And would you stop that? This is my place. Last thing I want is for that dumb chick to claim it as hers.’

“Jughead?” Betty’s voice jerked him out of his thoughts. He lifted his gaze to her as she approached him. Damn the ultramarine with marbled cobalt wrap tie dress that hugged her in right places. She looked, marvelous…

“God Bless Veronica Lodge and her fashion sense,” he muttered.

“What?” Betty asked, not having understood what his words meant.

“You look marvelous Betty,” he said lowly, enough for Betty to hear.

“You aren’t ready,” she stated ignoring his compliment.

“Oh, I, sorry… uh, give me five minutes…” He scrambled down from the chair “Mind if I take a shower?” He muttered, walking past her before running upstairs. Betty stood, confused. Was she supposed to answer that question? Was it a question? Something was wrong with him. He seemed too fidgety. She wondered if she should follow him but decided against it.

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She waited for what felt like forever and finally decided to go upstairs, to check on, Jughead. “Hope, you don’t lock the doors Jughead. I can’t yell like you,” she muttered on the way.

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Just as she was about to enter the bedroom, she bumped into something. She squeaked briefly. It was Jughead. Maybe he was walking out of the room at the same time. He helped her steady on her feet, grabbing her arms but the amusement on his face made her frown. Wasn’t he supposed to be concerned she’d fall? Like always? But he looked different right now, let alone the fact that she hadn’t seen his beanie since yesterday. She studied him up and down for a few seconds, ignoring his smiling face. Oh! He was wearing an off-white button down shirt (that was barely buttoned) with some pair of faded jeans. He looked cozy in an improvised manner, she thought. An upgrade. She heard him chuckle and wondered if he could hear her thoughts.

“I want to tie my hair in a ponytail,” she blurted sheepishly.

“Go ahead,” Jughead teased with a shrug and pulled his arms back.

Betty hesitated for a bit, then walked past him towards the dressing table and grabbed the hairbrush and a hair tie from the pack. The whole time she felt two eyes watching her and she bit her lip and scrunched her nose, trying to shun the sudden tingly feeling in her body. She remembered last night but shook her head to focus and did some headbanging, (ignoring the chuckles from the man in the room, why was he still here? Leave damn), and gathered her hair for a ponytail before securing them with the hair tie.

“Is this okay?” She asked as she turned around, plastering her best smile as if Jughead wouldn’t be able to read her.

“Perfect!” He grinned.

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Jughead filled up his glass water bottle, while Betty stood beside him. He handed it to her and went to grab his gun from the drawers. At this point, he didn’t know why he even carried it anymore. It was a necessity when the Serpents were in danger before Jughead had put everything in it’s place, just like his dad would have had. Now it was just a force of habit. He stared at the gun for a while, then glanced at Betty who was now standing near the couch, curiously studying the bottle without trying to take it out of it’s carry sleeve. He smiled and turned his attention back to the gun. He took a breath and unloaded it before walking over to her…

“Hey? Ready to leave?” He asked.

“Will you teach me gun too?” Betty asked as her gaze fell upon the weapon in his hand.

“No! Not today,” he said with a smile.

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Betty stayed quiet for most of the part as they drove towards the north. She looked out of the window, the fences and houses and grass and plants and trees, hitting her with nostalgia but she breathed, not wanting to hurtle herself in the loomed memories in her head. But then, why had none of these people offered to foster her? She knew most of them. She used to babysit their toddlers and pets once upon a time. She felt a rush of emotions beginning to hover over her and she didn’t know what to feel. She was trembling due to a different reason now.

Betty shook her head and diverted her thoughts to Joani and shook her head again. She wasn’t a good person. She called Jughead criminal. He wasn’t a criminal. He was the nicest person ever. He owned a big house with lots of rooms but he kept them closed and maybe locked. She didn’t know what was on the second floor either, maybe more rooms or terrace, or nothing, she guessed. The side of the town Jughead lived in, was so much different from this side of the town where she had grown up. She wondered why she never knew about the southside. Her mom had never mentioned such a gang. Her mom was a bold woman who could kill people with her death stares. Maybe that was some kind of requirement for being in a gang. Betty giggled at the thought and smiled sheepishly when she noticed Jughead, he was smirking at her, maybe from a long time. She was glad he wasn’t saying or asking anything.

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Jughead parked his truck on the side of the road and they both got down and began heading towards the ‘Cooper House.’

By the time they made it into the house, Betty was visibly shaking. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she bet she could hear it. She didn’t mind fainting right now. Maybe Jughead would take her back home and she would deal with this some other time. Why couldn’t he just bring the pictures to her, instead of bringing her back to her old house? She let out a shuddering gasp when she realized what she had been thinking. This place was just a house now… It wasn’t home anymore. It wasn’t what it used to be, once upon a time. She felt suffocated to even cry out loud…

She felt Jughead’s hand sliding into hers, but that wasn’t helping her either. The air was much, much different than the air outside. This was scary, overwhelming, also saddening. She glanced at the pictures on the wall as her vision clouded with tears. She wanted to scream but couldn’t, ‘Elizabeth!’/ ‘Dad dad, dad… DAD?’/ ‘Okay you guys, I have decided, I would go to college here so I wouldn’t have to miss on Pop’s milkshakes.’/ ‘Stop, you are not allowed to… my diary… MOM, POLLY IS HARASSING ME.’ ‘WORDS, ELIZABETH! I APPRECIATE YOU LEARNING NEW ONES BUT I NEED YOU TO USE THEM CORRECTLY MY DEAR!’/ ‘Hello, Archie, it’s Chic. Betty’s not here.’ ‘I am right here, brother.’ ‘Well, you weren’t… erm, before.’/ ‘Not today. I am taking Leo for a walk.’ ‘You found a date?’ ‘Ha ha, very funny Arch.’/ ‘Dad? I think it’s time we redecorate my room.’ ‘Honey… the thing is—’ ‘—ELIZABETH!’ ‘Ugh… Stop staring at me mom.’ Every memory screamed, making her head hurt. She wished she could rewind her timeline. She was this confident little girl, once upon a time. She wondered what happened to her… Where di—

“Fuck no, Betty?” Betty gasped and gaped at Jughead who frantically stood infront of her. She watched him in confusion then looked down to where he had grabbed her hands in his own. He was unclenching her fists and she gasped when she realized what she had been doing all along.

“I-I-I sorry. I’m sorry,” she whimpered as her gaze fell upon the blood. She had hurt Jughead. She had hurt herself too. She had thought she had overcome this, a long time ago when Mrs. Green had confronted her and had scolded her with a warning. “P-please don’t, don’t send me off to an a-asylum, please… I beg, I-I promise I won’t do it again. I promise, please please…” She sobbed and panicked and begged in a barely audible whisper, trying to pull her hands away from his seemingly strong grip.

“What are you talking about?”

Chapter Text

“What are you talking about?” Jughead gasped in shock. “Betty please tell me!” He insisted but sighed when he noticed Betty’s panicky struggle to meet his eyes. “Betty look at me,” he commanded, rather softly, she didn’t. “Betty! Betty nothing happened, you are absolutely fine! You are okay, you understand me?” He proclaimed ducking his head to meet her gaze. She slightly nodded and hiccuped, her eyes still downcast. “I’ll be back. Just don’t go anywhere, okay?” He told her firmly, watching her nod again, and left the house to where he had parked the truck to grab the water bottle since the tap water in the ‘Cooper House’ wasn’t an option. He decided to grab the first aid kit box too, just in case…

He had questions he needed to refrain himself from asking Betty. Few hours more, and he’d be back to his life. There would be no more walking on eggshells or eggs… or the fear that Betty might run away... from him. Three days in and Betty had made him aware of a lot of things, made him realize what he had been doing wrong all along…

He needed to call Joani, something that sounded so unaccustomed now… and he wondered if she would even pick the call up. None of them had changed their numbers and she would definitely know it’s him, provided she still had his contact saved or one of those yellow pages apps.

He knew if Joani was here, she would have told him to keep ‘Miss Toni’ out of every subsequent detail of his life. Back then, he had never tried to understand what she had meant by that, but presently he could decide he needed to do just that. Toni knew him a little too well and she cared, but he didn’t need that care anymore. ‘Toni doesn’t have a say.’ This heedless utterance had made him realize something of indelicate consequence. The phrase held true for him too, and all of a sudden he had felt tired of playing along…

He knew better than to let someone else decide for him…

When Jughead got back, Betty was still standing in her spot. He silently guided her to the kitchen and asked her to wait as he washed the smudges of blood off his hands and dried them off on his jeans. Once done, he washed hers, just as a tiny hiss escaped her mouth… Jughead was suddenly reminded of the angry scars on her delicate skin and a thought chimed in, praising how inconceivably strong Betty was, to have had survived the Prick’s torture, and it made him sink with guilt all over again…

Guilt, due to the fact that he couldn’t find Betty sooner, and the fact that he didn’t find her. Something he wanted to tell Betty and ask her to forgive him, but then he was scared she would hate him instead…

Years back, despite whatever he had known about Betty, a part of him had assumed that she was living some sort of wealthy life with a supposedly different name. He had wasted a fucking year, thinking that his mom was overreacting over the missing girl and that his so called Uncle T would find her… He hated Tall Boy and he hated this Betty Fucking Cooper… Why on earth should he have had cared about how and where she was? He hadn’t cared enough to even doubt the fact that her profiles were nowhere to be found online. Giving in to his own anger, he had misapprehended everything…

…and if it wasn’t for Joani, he would’ve had never bothered to do the research for the book, knowing he could and would make up something and his mom would never doubt him, ‘I was talking with your mom yesterday, since you’re finally working on the story, she told me Betty loved books, maybe she still does. And her real name is Elizabeth, so I was thinking, Maggie, Margarette, you know, sounds pretty bookwor—’ ‘—WHAT THE FUCK? Why are you tryin—’ ‘—I thought we’re working on this together. What the fuck’s wrong with you?’ ‘We were, Joani, we, were! And that was a long time ago, when I trusted you… I don’t trust you anymore—’ ‘—Jughea—’ ‘—so stay the fuck out of everything I do, and everything that’s precious to me.’ ‘GOD WHAT THE FUCK! I WASN’T! I just thought… I am, sorry, I should…’ ‘Joani, wait… That’s not… Joani?’ Jughead bit his lip until he tasted metal, and his thoughts came to a halt. He capped and set the water bottle aside briefly, and grabbed the first aid kit box.

He forced himself to smile as he dabbed Betty’s palm with the cotton gauze before leading her to the couch and commencing to bandage her cuts with only cotton wool and gauze, no ointment, just so she could feel better, healed even. ‘HEAL IT RIGHT NOW OR I’LL TELL MOM AND SHE’LL SCOLD YOU! NOWWW—’ ‘—OKAY, okay don’t cry! I’ll mind you, I am no magician but I do have magic band-aids. What color do you want?’ ‘Green is cool…’ ‘Awesome, but trust me it’s just a scratch, kid. Don’t overstate and make me look like the bad guy, okay?’ He allowed himself to chuckle at the memory and glanced at Betty who was still dazed to express any emotion other than the silent tears, that he wondered if she was even aware of… He was glad at least one of her palm wasn’t hurt. Maybe she wasn’t mindful of the surface she was digging her nails into, maybe it wasn’t the pain she wanted, maybe her nails simply urged to dig into something, he guessed, but knew, it wasn’t his place to do so either.

“Hey!” Jughead called softly, when he was done and kissed her bandaged palm and she looked at him through bloodshot eyes. “All good,” he said with a promising smile and offered her water to drink. She didn’t grab it so he held the bottle tighter, remembering what had happened the last night…

“I-I don’t self h-harm. I promise!” Betty pleaded in a broken whisper. “Please b-believe me.”

“I believe you Betty,” he reassured her and set the bottle aside on the coffee table. “I know, you don’t—”

“—I-I don’t know what happened,” she blubbered shifting in her spot, her woeful eyes pleading and staring into his, and he guessed she wanted to explain to him her vacuous doing. “When-when I lived with the Greenes, I used to do it because I felt, suf-suffoca-ted. I never realized it was s-serious problem until when it bled. Mrs. Greene was in the room when it happened. She, she s-scolded me, she would… send me off to a-asylum. I was scared and I begged her not to, and I never did it again, I promise. I promise I never did it again.” She was quivering now, shaking her head vigorously and fighting the sobs escaping her throat. “I don’t know what happened today. I am sorry I hurt you, too, I am not crazy, please believe me. I’m no—”

“—I am a little crazy myself to believe you on that… I am just glad Mrs. Greene isn’t my mother,” Jughead chuckled vacantly before offering her one of his clinching smiles. “Just know that I don’t judge you, Betty. Just like you didn’t judge me when I thought you would…” He said softly, reassuringly. Betty nodded and he sighed in relief.

“You need to bandage your palm,” she choked out as her gaze fell upon his hands.

“I am good! I promise!” Jughead said truthfully but Betty’s expression told him she wasn’t convinced. “I hate bandages to be honest,” he muttered with a slight smile, it wasn’t a lie.

“Okay...” she whispered and they stayed quiet for a while before she spoke again, “Jughead?”

“Hmm...”

“You should, you can leave me here and go for dinner alone. I don’t want your parents to see these bandages,” she spoke softly, her eyes gazing over at her bandaged palm. “They may think I am crazy and I don’t want them to regret wanting to foster m—”

“—Oh God Betts!” Jughead laughed abruptly as Betty lifted her head and gawked at him and blinked a couple of times wondering why he just laughed at her.

“Why, you laughing?” She whispered watching him shake his head.

“Because you are assuming everything wrong, Betty!” Jughead told her, taking her hand in his, caressing her bandaged palm. “I promise my parents won’t judge, at the most mom would laugh and tell you that “bandages don’t work on silly cuts because we ourselves are stronger than our wounds, and we fight them like a pro!”” He air quoted the phrase. “Trust me, I have heard it a million times. And it’s so fucking true!” At his words, Betty swallowed the stinging lump in her throat. She had never heard anything like that before. She couldn’t even believe her ears at the moment. Maybe that’s the way kids around here are brought up… She guessed.

“But I hurt myself Jughead. It’s not just—”

“—Mom used to slit her wrists, she still has the scars,” he told her quietly and her eyes widened. “That was apparently before I was born, and I used to think she’d drown after my dad’s arrest but she didn’t… And I am just, just glad she’s stronger than I give her credit for…” He said with a slight smile.

“Stronger…” Betty murmured, just as she remembered, ‘We’re stronger than our dismays, stronger than our iniquities.’ and let out a breath. But over and above that she wasn’t invited, Jughead was towing her. “But-but they didn’t call me over, Jughead, they don’t even know I am—”

“—Nope, fucking can’t leave you here princess,” Jughead said firmly, yet playfully so as to not let Betty feel threatened or anything along the line, and he realized once again that he did definitely walk on eggshells around her, all the fucking time… “There’s no electricity or water, or food. Trust me you’ll get bored. And my mom’s got a good collection of wine!” He quipped and Betty gaped at him with an all too familiar twinkle in her widening eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder when must Betty have had her first drink! The Greenes didn’t seem generous enough to offer her some and he remembered her mentioning, she had no friends or anyone for that matter and he highly doubted if the Prick ever drugged her. He knew Betty wasn’t an addict or anything of sorts but the way she always got excited at the mention of alcohol made him fucking curious.

Did her parents or siblings let her drink as a child? He wondered. If yes, then she had supposedly had a pretty lenient childhood with no curfews and scoldings, he supposed, ignoring the fact that Betty’s diaries did mention that her mother was indeed very strict with her.

There seemed to be a lot that he needed to not become curious about…

He stared at her, allowing his demeanor to change to somber… “Betty,” he began and continued when he was sure she was listening, “my parents have been wanting to meet you since years. Mom still regrets not kidnapping you when she had the chance,” he told her truthfully. “I am sure by now dad must have found out from Daniel and before he calls me, I want to surprise and tell him, you found us instead…”

“I found Toni,” Betty nodded.

“Yeah, okay, via Toni…” Jughead chuckled and shifted, dropping his head back against the couch with a sigh. Innately, he draped an arm around her shoulders and she quickly leaned into his touch, sighing as her eyes dropped to her bandaged palm and he pulled her even closer.

There was a comfortable silence, and Betty turned her head to look at Jughead. He seemed, just perfect… as perfect as a human could be, she decided and smiled. His eyes were closed, and she wondered what he was thinking, she wondered if he was thinking about her and her nail digging habit… but then she guessed he had better things to think about instead, like his pretty ex… Nothing he told her about Joani made any sense though…

Betty wondered how lucky Joani must have been to have dated someone like Jughead, yet how unlucky she was, to not be able to look past his gang member status… and judge him. Four years and he still remembered her which made her wonder why Joani left him, broken! Jughead was broken behind that angry facade… Betty wondered if she was the only person to see it, since everyone else was apparently scared of him. Why didn’t he just yell at Joani and tell her to stop calling him criminal? She would have listened to him, everyone listened to him.

She shook her head and got up abruptly, wanting to cheer Jughead up… she shook him and grinned when he blinked and opened his eyes…

“You sleeping?”

“No, I was just umm, what happened?” His voice was gruff and she simply giggled.

“I want to show you my house and I want you to meet Caramel, if we can find her,” she insisted with a nod.

“Caramel umm… your cat?” Jughead asked in addlement as he got up from the couch.

Betty grinned. “Yup, help me find her. I promise she doesn’t eat, so food is not an issue…” She said as Jughead tensed up at her words.

From what he had known, there was no cat in sight when he had visited this place before, but having said that, there patently were some suspicious mentions of one in Betty’s diaries, and he suddenly regretted not having paid attention to those entries, ‘HOLY FUCKING COW SHIT! This is paranormal. I am telling you—’ ‘—Shut up Toni!’ ‘No this—’ ‘—I said, shut up!’

“Betty, Caramel, she’s…” He trailed off wondering how to tell her and took a breath, “she’s, she’s dead, y-you wrote it yourself in those diaries, remember?” He asked tentatively.

“Nope! Help me find her,” Betty giggled.

“What are you saying? I told you…” He sighed and stared at her dumbfounded and worried. She giggled again and grabbed his hand.

Betty led him to each and every room, telling him stories on the way. They went through albums and she told him stories behind each and every photo including the ones of Caramel. Jughead figured she remembered almost everything.

But then he was walking on eggs to even grasp her words, much less respond, and now they were standing outside her bedroom and he could sense the panic bubbling up underneath her smiling facade as she stared at the door and he wanted to tell her it’s okay— He pushed his thoughts away and inhaled sharply. He didn’t need to tell her anything. He didn’t have the r—

“Jughead?” Betty called.

“Huh?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah…” Betty frowned at his reply. Yelling Jughead seemed much better than fidgety Jughead, she silently declared to herself. Maybe it was this house that was draining his energy down too. She was suddenly agitated at the thought. Not wanting to think bad much, she grabbed his hand and haled him into her childhood bedroom.

Jughead was again surprised by her countenance. She walked around the room like everything was okay, like nothing bothered her. But it bothered him. This was bad for her, he knew it. He wanted her to get closure but here she was, waving everything away like nothing mattered… She was trying to find something to distract herself from her real emotions and he wanted so bad to tell her she can let go. She didn’t need to smother herself like this, that tack has never worked for anyone… As all at once he figured, that maybe this wasn’t her prime concern. What she longed for so desperately, was freedom from the Prick. That was her fucking priority, everything else could be followed once she’s at ease, he guessed and decided not to pry and let her prefer for herself…

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“CARAMEL!” Betty squealed and Jughead froze in horror before realizing she had picked up some soft toy from under the bed. He sighed heavily as she approached him, holding the soft toy like it was a real animal. “Jughead, this is Caramel.” She told him happily. “When I was little I had a real one, the one I showed you in those albums… that one.” She hoped he remembered the pictures she had showed him before now. “When she died, mom got me this, to make me happy.” She said proudly and smiled and Jughead breathed a sigh of relief before a realization dawned upon him. ‘I promise she doesn’t eat, so food is not an issue…’ Did she really cod him? His eyes went wide and she giggled.

“I fell for it didn’t I?” He chuckled sheepishly.

“Yup,” Betty confirmed, giggling again. “You were lost in thoughts, I wanted to cheer you up.”

“So this is the Caramel you wrote about, after the entry of real Caramel’s death?”

“Yup!”

Jughead raised his eyebrows playfully, studying her and he couldn’t stop the smile that was spreading across his face. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty!” He said jokingly.

“Pretty like Joani?”

“Pretty like Betty!” Jughead corrected and sighed wondering why she compared herself to Joani like that.

“Okay,” Betty whispered.

“Can’t believe you joked about your dead cat…” He chuckled, only wanting to distract her. Last thing he wanted was for her to ask another question about Joani. He made a mental note to never say or even mention the word ‘pretty’ again. Maybe he could say, ‘delightful’ or ‘adorable’ or—

“People come and people go and once they go, they can’t take offense to anything,” Betty stated and Jughead raised his eyebrows, yet again, she flinched. “I-I think, they can’t. It’s like talking behind their back. They wouldn’t hear…” She trailed off when Jughead laughed at her explanation, making her feel like a fool, again.

“You aren't like anyone I’ve ever met…” He said when he was apparently done with the laughing.

“I-I didn’t understand.”

“It’s kind of a good thing,” he explained.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything…”

“You read people like a book then how come you never realized Joani was manipulating you?” Betty hoped he would answer, this had been bugging her since a while.

Jughead smirked at her. “Because she wasn’t…” He answered truthfully and chuckled when confusion crossed her face. “Now no more questions about Joani! Okay?” He proclaimed and much to his surprise, Betty wrapped her arms around his torso and sniffled hiding her face into his chest. He smiled and held her close kissing her hair as he closed his eyes and breathed her in like his life depended on it. She had a raw, homey, peculiar scent, that he hoped he wasn’t being addicted to… even though a part of him wished he could savor it forever… savor her forever.

“So Joani was good?” Betty whispered.

“Too good!”

“She wouldn’t have yelled at me if it wasn’t in a dream?”

“I don’t guarantee that! She did piss enough people off…” Jughead whispered, stating earnestly.

“I don’t want to meet her.”

“You say that,” he smirked, priding himself, “but you’ll be forced to, Betty, you know, if you keep thinking and talking about her all the time…”

Betty’s eyes widened, “I won’t then!” She shook her head and heard him chuckle, feeling his breath tickling her scalp concurrently.

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Betty and Jughead left the place around five, with Caramel that is of course.

Turning the ignition on, Jughead wondered if he should take the longest route, … …and he did just that. He told Betty, they could visit her house as many times as she’d like and that he would get the water and electricity issues fixed. Not that there were any issues to begin with, but it seemed easy to explain to her that way.

“Jughead?”

“Hmm!”

“Caramel needs a wash,” Betty exclaimed petting the stuffed animal.

Jughead chuckled and she lifted her head to look at him. “We’ll throw her in the washer, she’ll be crisp as new,” he said smugly, alternately glancing between her and the road ahead.

“Okay!” Betty whispered before looking back at Caramel. “Did you hear that Caramel? You’re going to be crisp as new. We’ll tell Archie he was very wrong to say you’ll come out in pieces,” she squealed and Jughead bit back a laugh, and a part of him wondered how come she trusted him and his words without a question…

“Betty?” He called after a while.

“Hmm?”

“Archie’s settled in New York,” he told her, remembering how she spoke about him even earlier, but he had been too dazed to respond then.

“You know Archie?” Betty asked in surprise.

“Yup, he had given me the site tour of my house back then. Really great guy, bit dumb, but great,” he laughed and Betty did the same.

“Why New York?” She asked curiously.

“Too many reasons…” He answered briefly as he turned the wheel to take a turn and continued when they began driving straight, “studied music there and was immediately signed up by some records. Life treated him good to what he deserved, got married to the love of his life, and currently lives in a penthouse with his family of four,” he said with a slight smile… ‘Oh My Gosh then you can definitely search for one for the two of us too right? Better if same building and same floor cause then we can be neighbors and I am dying to meet your girlfriend you know—’ ‘—Joani stop! Stop! We haven’t decided on anything yet.’ ‘Jay, I thought w… we, we haven’t, d-dec—

“Big house?”

“Yup! Big one,” Jughead chuckled at her amusement.

“And kids?”

“Yup!” He nodded, “twins actually, a boy and a girl.”

“How old are they? I want to meet them,” Betty screeched, excitedly shifting in her spot as she waited for his reply.

“Turned three last month,” he laughed. “You will meet them eventually, I guess, if you stay...”

Betty giggled at that. “You are still worried I would leave.”

Jughead felt his heart sink at her words. He should have been more clear though… but then history had it, no matter how many times he tried forgetting the mistakes he made, something always popped up and guilt-tripped him all over again. “I didn’t mean it that way, Betty I am sorry, I just wa—”

“—I-I know you wanted to keep me safe,” Betty smiled. “And you didn’t know other ways. People don’t trust the serpents so you were worried I might run away so you threatened me. I figured that out Jughead, I am smart, seeeee!” She grinned. “And I won’t run away I promise, I like staying with you. You know fighting and you have gun and you make me feel safe. And I also promise I’ll repay every penny you’re spending on me. I was always going to, I just need—”

“—You-you don’t have to. It doesn’t matter to me, Betty. I don’t need money, I promise,” Jughead insisted in a shaky voice. Betty simply nodded, realizing she upset him, and thought maybe she could send him lots of her cookies instead…

“Jughead, I have decided. I’ll move into my house after Austin is dead. I’ll fix it, once I know how to, and I’ll adopt kids and pets and live with them and I’ll bake cookies and cakes and sell them,” Jughead chuckled feeling a bit calmer than before.

“I’d be your first customer then…” He smiled. “But why do you want to adopt kids? I mean nothing wrong with that but, you, you can… I mean—”

“—You asking about marriage and having my own kids?” Betty asked and Jughead froze wondering how on fucking earth could she read his mind? Was he that much transparent around her?

“Yeah, that…” He sighed.

“I don’t want to, most men are monsters and cheaters like Austin and Mr. Greene and Jake and I don’t want to have kids of my own either, bet it’s painful. So I opt to adopt, once I figure out how to do that too…” She giggled for no reason.

“Fair enough!” Jughead smiled, a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. He pressed the accelerator further, letting the wind help the sudden tightness to disappear…

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‘Fair enough Joani! Now—’ ‘—And we’ll have four kids, two for you and two for me.’ ‘You’ve got to be kidding me right now!’ ‘Your mom told me that’s how she planned on having you and JB.’ ‘It’s Jellybean for heaven’s sake! And hope you know mom was kidding.’ ‘I like her. She treats me like her own daughter. I, thank you, for the best trip ever Jay, Riverdale is beautiful. One day I’d like to buy a house here, you know, something more of a new construction, so we’d be the ones to christen it…’ ‘You wanna, live here?’ ‘I don’t know, but I am down for a vacation home.’ ‘I can do anything to make you happy, you know that right?’ ‘Hmm mmm! And I know we’ll be the sauciest parents ever.’ ‘Fucking hell you’re on it again! We’re only nineteen, Joani!’ ‘I love you, one day we’ll make the most beautiful babies—’ ‘—God Joani stop!’ ‘Okay okay I was just testing if you’d—’ ‘—Hell of course I would! Why w—

It was the out of the blue speed breaker, that caused Jughead to gasp in horror, bringing him out of his stupor. He quickly released the accelerator in confusion.

“Jughead? You o-okay?” Betty squeaked, holding caramel close to her chest.

“Yeah, just a speed breaker I guess I didn’t take a note of… sorry,” Jughead gasped out as Betty frowned wondering why he always appeared lost in thoughts. He didn’t even listen to her when she told him to slow down when they were nearing the stupid speed breaker. He seemed nothing like the person she had met days ago.

She had seen him change from angry and intimidating, to nice and caring. But now he looked vulnerable and fidgety, like he would burst into tears any minute. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was somewhat her fault… If it was, she needed to fix it somehow!

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“We reached?” Betty asked when Jughead slowed the truck down.

“We did…” Jughead told her, and within seconds they were parked on a side of the road.

“Jughead?” Betty lifted her hand gesturing towards the bandage and pouted. “What do I explain if your parents ask?” She smiled when there was a change of expression on his face. He laughed and quickly unwrapped her palm.

“There you go, nothing to explain,” he said, before kissing her palm, “all good!”

Betty giggled. “All good! Thank you!” She exclaimed.

“There is nothing wrong with you, Betty. You’re nothing but goodness,” he whispered somberly.

“You too,” Betty replied in a whisper, watching as his eyes changed color. She gaped at him. He was staring at her intently, just like he did last night. She could feel the air shift as she stared into his eyes… and just then Jughead’s phone buzzed and she gasped. His phone seemed to buzz a lot since morning but right now she didn’t like it. Jughead picked it up and sighed before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and Betty went still, in confusion.

“Hello, Fangs…” Jughead sighed bumping his head against Betty’s.

“Jesus Jones! Thank God you’re alive, now open. We rang the bell like a million fucking times.” He heard his friend say and he let go of Betty and sat up straight, and Betty did the same.

“Wait, are you— why are you at my place?” Jughead asked, annoyed and confused. “If it’s a serpent duty, talk with my dad, I am not your leader anymore and I need a break so don’t even dare to bother me!”

“Would you listen first for fuck’s sake?” He heard Fangs sigh. “Sweet Pea and I suspected someone in hoodie and glasses lingering around your house.” Jughead was suddenly alert at the words. The Prick. “He saw us and… He-he ran away, we couldn’t see his fa—”

“—WHAT THE FUCK? DID YOU FUCKING CHASE HIM AWAY? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CATCH HIM, HE—”

“—Didn’t mean to, I swear, we swear. He had a gun with him and we were unarmed.”

“FUCK YOU!” Jughead bawled.

“Okay stop it, forget that! Where are you right now?”

“None of your damn business!”

“Sorry Jones! But he’ll be caught, I swear!”

“With dimwits like you, I fucking doubt it Fangs,” He spat out, and sighed biting his lip, “was this, was this some kind of petty revenge for not telling you guys before Jim or something? I know you guys alw—”

“—Fuck! We’re sorry Jones, it’s not. But if you’re okay with one of us getting shot due to your stupid little mission, that tells us a lot about what you think of us as. We just thought we’d have a little beer party in your balcony since you didn’t show up at FP’s last night! We do know you deserve a break. Sorry for trying to be good friends to you…”

“After Sweet Pea’s call this morning, it was only fair. But since you guys die to guilt trip me, you can forget what I said,” Jughead sighed.

“Erm Jughead that’s not, forget, where are you? We’ll come meet you…”

“I told you already, it’s none of your business.”

“Toni helped you catch another floozy?”

“Goodbye Fangs,” Jughead said flatly and cut the call. He looked at Betty who was seemingly shivering and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as she hugged him back.

“Austin?”

“Don’t think about it Betty,” he murmured as she hugged him even tighter. Only if she knew, she helped him get a hold of himself too…

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Jughead rang the doorbell and Betty waited in anticipation. She wasn’t nervous much but the fact that she was somewhat responsible for sending Jughead’s father to jail, was something that made her weak whenever it crossed her mind. She blinked just as she heard a dog bark.

“Dog?” Betty gasped and looked at Jughead.

“Hot Dog. He definitely sensed your presence,” Jughead said with a smile before looking back at the door. “You can come out, Boy! Betty’s a friend,” he yelled at the door and Betty looked at him dumbfounded, then gasped when a dog emerged through the small flap on the main door. “Hey Boy!” Jughead crouched down to pet the dog as he barked and licked his hand. Betty just watched in awe. “Where’s mom and dad?” He asked and Betty wondered if the dog could reply. He just barked and Betty laughed.

“What did he say?” She asked in amusement.

“He said we have the place to ourselves till 7 and there are lots of snacks in the kitchen dying to serve their purpose,” he replied with a grin and she gasped again.

“How do we get in?” She asked, but before Jughead could answer, Hot Dog interrupted lifting his head so they both could see the key dangling from his collar. “Oh!” She giggled.

They made their way in and Betty immediately noticed the fact that the house wasn’t like Jughead’s, like what she had expected. There were no pillars, just walls… and walls and from the doorway, she couldn’t imagine how big the place was and she realized she could get lost here, very easily. They walked down the long corridor and reached the open kitchen with attached living room with a giant TV on the wall.

Before Betty could guess, Jughead walked over to the kitchen and began pulling out packets of chips. She laughed at the scene. Jughead and his love for food, she thought to herself. Hot Dog barked at her and jumped on one of the dining chair that was different than the rest. Betty looked at him confused and he barked again, pointing his paw to the chair beside him.

“He’s telling you to sit, Betty,” Jughead told her laughingly without glancing behind from the snacks.

“Oh!” Betty giggled and sat on the chair as Jughead came back and placed a giant bowl of nachos infront of her asking her to dig in. She smiled as she took one. She loved the fact that Jughead always made sure she ate something from time to time. It was contenting to have someone take care of her. She knew she wasn’t a child anymore, but this was something she had craved since a long and she was glad her wish had come true…

After years of needing to prepare her own food with limited grocery, and having forced to eat the stale leftovers when hungry, this was something propitious to her. She hadn’t skipped a meal since the time she had met Jughead. To add, she had even eaten in between meals and she couldn’t remember what being hungry felt like… She saw her own reflection in the table she was sitting at and smiled. She had never known herself being so happy before…

“Jughead, you don’t have dining table in your house,” she blurted running her fingers on the shiny glass.

Jughead laughed. “I didn’t think I needed one,” he said just as the dog barked. “Sure Hot Dog!” He replied to him and went over to pull out his bowl and treats from one of the lower cabinets.

“How do you know what he’s saying?” Betty asked.

He just laughed, “Tell her Hot Dog.” The dog barked and Betty laughed. Jughead had some kind of special power, that only worked when he was happy, she decided and giggled to herself.

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Just like Hot Dog had apparently told, they heard the front door open at nearly 7, and saw him run out barking. They both stood up as Betty turned to Jughead.

“I-I scared,” she whispered, suddenly feeling herself going dizzy.

“Don’t be!” he told her and enveloped her into a brief comforting hug hoping they’d pull away befor—

“Oh hey you two!” Betty’s eyes widened at the sudden chirpy tone and she pushed Jughead and stood up straight, nervously staring at the couple who were smiling at them and she was scared for a different reason now. Jughead chuckled beside her and she didn’t know what to think…

“Mom, Dad, this is, Betty, Cooper…” Jughead spoke, breaking the silence, that his parents were obviously enjoying by the looks of it. Now the amusement on their faces was gone, and replaced by that of consternation.

Betty felt tears threaten her eyes. She had thought of this moment but she hadn’t thought of how his parents would react to her showing up abruptly. Jughead hadn’t told them before, about him bringing her. Obviously they didn’t know they would need to arrange an extra plate. But to top everything, she was Betty Cooper, the girl who was somehow responsible for tearing this family.

“I-I am sorry, sorry I didn’t mean for any of it to happen. Jughead told me, I am res-responsible—” She cried clutching tightly on the fabric of her dress before Gladys cut in…

“—Hey! Honey, what are you talking about? We’re just happy you’re back in one piece,” she assured walking over to pull Betty into a hug.

“It wasn’t your fault Betty!” FP told her causing her to look at him. “You understand?” Betty nodded and hiccuped. “It was my fault, someone else’s fault, but not yours,” he proclaimed.

Jughead’s eyes widened at his dad’s words. Everyone else around him seemed sorted out, except him. He sighed and glanced at his mom and she raised an eyebrow in return and he simply shook his head in a ‘no.’

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“She called my dad, Hal, Polly, Polly, and Chic, Chic but she never called me Betty,” Betty stated innocently.

“So I guess I’ll forever wonder on that…” FP groaned and Betty began to laugh.

Jughead smiled. He already had no doubts that Betty would be comfortable around here. He knew his parents wouldn’t ask her anything about where she was, until the dinner is done because that’s what he had grown to learn.

But for the first time, he was feeling like an outsider sitting at the familiar dining table, waiting for his mom to get the food. The kitchen smelled inviting, and he wondered if his mom needed help with anything… but then he knew she would call his dad, not him. And then they would steal kisses and the dinner would be delayed by an hour… He groaned inaudibly at the weird memory.

“Juggie, can you grab the wine and the glasses?” Gladys chirped from where she was, pulling out lasagna trays from the oven.

“Sure mom!” Jughead muttered and got up to walk over to the bar. He blinked a couple of times, trying to decide, wine, wine, and wine! He groaned at the fact that his mom always hid away other bottles, keeping only wine on display whenever he visited. He picked the red wine just as something caught his attention. “Mom?”

“Yeah honey?”

“Who’s the Rose wine for? No one likes Rose wine in this house… Why did you buy it?” He asked gruffly as he turned around to face, them all.

“It’s for the guests honey…” Gladys told him with a sigh. “Betty would you like some rose wine dear? You—”

“—What guest, mom? You didn’t even know Betty was visiting,” Jughead retorted, taking a step forward.

“Honey come here and sit down,” Gladys commanded, her tone desperate, and Jughead did exactly that as she walked past him to grab the bottles herself, ignoring the certain glares.

“They do have a name don’t they?” Jughead asked in a taunting tone.

Gladys huffed. “Forsy—”

“—Boy!” FP interrupted and Jughead looked at him, his tone nothing but a warning.

“Dad…” He tried but his dad gave him a look that made him sigh in defeat. “Fine!” He muttered.

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Soon the dinner was set and Jughead decided to stay quiet. If his parents get angry, Betty would feel out of place. And so far, he was glad that Betty was feeling at home. She was smiling, talking with his parents and even Hot Dog, who again forced Betty to sit beside him at the table.

He remembered when Hot Dog used to do the same to Joani. That was approximately six years ago. Hot Dog was a puppy back then, scared of new people due to the fact that he was abandoned by his previous owner. But he was never scared of Joani. And Joani loved taking him out to the park whenever she had the chance,

much to Jellybean's dismay…

‘First my brother, then my mom and now Hot Dog? What game are you playing Joani?’ ‘Really JB? You really think I am dumb enough not to understand what you’re trying to do here? I suggest you go home kiddo, focus more on your studies, maybe get a part time job to keep that empty dumb head of yours occupied instead of trying to get under my nerve.’ ‘You can’t talk to me like that!’ ‘Here, you want a treat?’ ‘SHUT UP! JUGHEAD HOW CAN YOU REMAIN QUIET WHEN YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS BEING RUDE TO ME?’

‘Because she’s right, Jelly.’ ‘NO SHE’S NOT, SHE IS A BITCH. THIS ISN’T FAIR, YOU GET TO CONTINUE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH A BITCHY WOMAN AND MOM DENIES TO LET ME GO OUT WITH RILEY. WHY—’ ‘—JELLY ENOUGH! I made a mistake by letting you join us, just go home… GO!’ ‘I wish Toni was my real sister, she’s a lot nicer than you and your whore!’ ‘JEL—’

‘—Jay! It’s okay! She’s just mad at something else, trust me she’ll be fine…’ ‘WHAT? YOU’LL GIVE HER A FUCKING GIRL TALK OR SOMETHING?’ ‘You’re funny! HOT DOG? TREAT, CATCH! … …’

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“Mom?” Jughead called in a low voice.

“Honey, you need something?”

“I want to apologize. I didn’t mean…” His voice trailed off when his parents began to laugh, followed by Betty, and even Hot dog who barked. “I am sorry!” He choked out anyways.

“Honey, it wasn’t a big deal, seriously. You always apologize for no reason whatsoever and yet I hear your monkeys complaining “Jughead Jones fucking needs to learn to apologize,”” Gladys exclaimed, air quoting the phrase before turning her head towards Betty, “Betty does he apologize to you too?”

“Yes Mrs. Jones. A lot!” Betty smiled.

“That’s my boy!” FP exclaimed and they all laughed again and Jughead groaned, shoving more of the pasta into his mouth.

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After dinner Jughead grabbed random bottles of wine from the bar and sneaked off upstairs to the balcony. It wasn’t hard considering the fact that Betty was feeling at home and her focus was on the delicious giant piece of brownie she was eating. And he decided to let them all be…

He chuckled to himself and plopped onto the L-Shaped couch and twisted open the cap and guzzled the wine directly from the bottle, hoping it would make him just enough dizzy. He had fucked up enough things, and he didn’t want Betty to be on the list…

‘I don’t expect you to either, being the criminal that you are!’ ‘You psycho bitch! Say that fucking word one more time, I—’ ‘—You are a fucking criminal Jughead, the one who loves to make people suffer. But guess what, I am not interested in being one of your victim. I have dealt with worse and you’re pretty mild.’ ‘Joani, you’re—’

‘—Crossing my limits? Alas! You let me in, Jughead… remember?’

“NO I DON’T REMEMBER!” He yelled into the stillness of the night. “I don’t remember Joani. I remember yelling at you, I remember pushing you away as I was fucking insecure and I let everyone’s words make sense when I should have fucking trusted you…” He allowed himself to slur the words out, just as he heard Hot Dog. He looked at the transparent glass door but found no one there. He groaned wondering if he just imagined it. “I am the bad one, you remember right?” He asked the bottle and laughed to himself and took the last swig…

‘I wish I was like you, sorted out… … I wish I wasn’t filled with anger, bitterness, hatred…’ ‘Need you know, it’s chilling when you talk like that, it’s as if the next thing you’d do is kill me!’ ‘And what a death would it be?’ ‘Stop it!’ ‘You don’t know me Joani… I wish I could tell you who—’ ‘—I know enough… and I know how naive you are, she fucking lied to you right on your face and you didn’t even react, they were laughing after you left. I got angry and I… I just, I don’t like people taking you for granted! And I hate that you pretend you don’t care…’

‘Little flustered, aren’t we? … Joani, Baby, we’re too young to be bothered by little things. We’ve got each other… everything else is secondary…’ ‘And you say you’re filled with hatred and bitterness…’ ‘I am! There is a reason why I love you so fucking much…’ ‘I love you too!’ ‘And I hope you’ll stick at it, as long as I’ll want!’ ‘Don’t do that! You’re scaring me.’ ‘You’re beautiful!’ ‘Jay—’ ‘—Shh… Did I—

“Jug?”

“Dad?” Jughead gasped and sat up straight, setting the empty bottle aside. “What you doing here?”

“Hot Dog called me, said you’re talking to a ghost,” his dad chuckled and approached to sit beside him.

“What the fuck!” Jughead laughed twisting open the second bottle of wine before taking a long swig from the bottle. “Dad?”

“Go on…”

“Mom knew you were a serpent when she married you?” He asked.

“You didn’t read her books, did you?”

“You mean trashy romance?” Jughead asked with raised eyebrows.

“Real stories Boy!” FP chided in a playful tone and laughed before getting serious. “We were the pawns Jug, fucking put to use to forge peace between two gangs…” He sighed. “I am merely glad none of it matters anymore.”

“And what was her opinion on the Serpents?”

“That we’re coconuts!” FP laughed and Jughead smiled taking another swig from the bottle.

“Can I ask you for a favor dad?”

“Favor huh? Shoot!” FP chuckled.

“Can you, can you ask Betty to stay here? With you guys, I promise she won’t gnaw at you, or mom. She’s very quiet in that aspect,” Jughead asked hopefully.

“Your mom already tried but your princess said you have apparently told her she makes your place home, makes you feel less lonely… You like her, don’t you Boy?” Jughead’s eyes widened. Betty had apparently blurted everything. He should have given her some fucking instructions.

“That, that was a mistake dad, please… I-I can’t let her stay with me...” he pleaded.

“Give me a valid reason Boy, because I don’t see any.”

Jughead sighed and downed the remaining wine and closed his eyes. He hadn’t expected his dad to question him on that. “I’m, scared, dad!” He quavered, and inwardly cursed the wine for not giving him the competent courage he needed and got up to walk over to the railing.

“If you do like Betty, you know we’ll be nothing but supportive, Boy, then what are you scared about?” His dad asked, from where he was sitting on the couch.

“That Betty will hate me,” He blurted in a whisper, just as he realized he had fucking trivialized the effect of wine as his head began to spin… Fuck, it was too late! “I don’t want her to h-hate me and I already am walking on eggshells around her but it, it won’t work, I’ll snap I know, I can sense it… And she’ll hate me, just like Joani did…” He sucked in a breath, wondering if he had really blurted out Joani’s name… “Betty will hate me, wouldn’t want to see my face… It will all happen a-again… and I—”

“—Jesus, Boy Jug! Do you always drink this much?”

Jughead jerked at the sudden contact when his dad grabbed the bottle from his hands. “Sorry, come again?”

“I asked if you always drink this much? Where’s your head at?”

“I-I am not drunk, I swear. I don’t get drunk on stupid wine. I am just… tired…” Jughead sighed.

“Why did Joani hate you son?” FP asked in a serious tone and Jughead froze realizing he hadn’t imagined it.

“Joani… She… she hated… I mean…”

‘Joani, where are you?’ ‘GO AWAY, I’LL LEAVE YOU A NOTE!’ ‘WHAT NOTE? Joani please?’ ‘SUICIDE NOTE YOU SILLY!’ ‘JOANI!’

“I-I can’t tell you,” he muttered, his eyes filling with tears. “I need to leave dad… I am sorry if I said anything offensive”

“Fuck! Where are you going?” FP asked watching as his son began to head back into the house…

“Back home,” Jughead muttered on his way out.

“Home?”

“My home, the one on Ivy Row?” He mocked. “You wouldn’t know, but you should visit sometime.”

“And Betty—”

“—I-I’ll drop her stuff tomorrow,” he retorted closing the door behind him, knowing his dad would follow in spades…

“Boy you need to talk to her first. You can’t make decisions for her like that.” His dad’s agitated voice made him stop in his tracks and turn around with a sense of letdown. He sighed.

“I fucking can’t. If I tell her, she’ll think I am kicking her out, so you make up something and make her stay, okay? Tell her it was your decision and you told me to go or something, you’re the older one here, she’ll respect your decision,” he said in a shaky voice, without an eye contact and began heading down the stairs and out the front door, ignoring his dad’s hushed warnings.

The air outside made him feel lonely in an instant. But he decided this was what he needed to do… needed to stay away from Betty. He didn’t want a relationship with her, not anymore if it could result in her hating him by the end of it.

Jughead groaned, grabbing the steering wheel tightly till the skin on his knuckles seemed transparent. What the fuck was he doing? What would Betty think, after knowing he abandoned her without saying anything? He could already imagine her crying and thinking if she was gnawing at him, and he swallowed hard thinking how come he knew her so well? She had been here only three days…

Maybe he should've gone for that kiss… maybe…

He turned the ignition on and began heading towards the only place he could think of right now…

...

FP stood staggered staring at the door, wondering what the fuck just happened. ‘He said I make him feel less lonely and he will feel bad if I choose to stay here. He’s yet to teach me gun and fighting, and I trust only him to protect me from Austin.’ What Betty had aforesaid was much contrary to what Jughead had apprised him of. His own son had apparently just tricked him and he wondered if this was Jughead’s intention since the beginning… sneaking out to the balcony, waiting for him to barge in then asking for this favor and—

“FP?” It was Gladys’s voice that made him gasp then sigh.

“Go back upstairs and stay there,” he told Hot Dog (who had seemingly witnessed everything) before heading to the living room. “Hey, Betty you want to watch the TV?” He asked, feeling like he needed to say something.

“I don’t I, where’s Jughead?” Betty asked, her eyes expectant.

“In his room,” FP lied easily. “Hot Dog’s with him. They’re, writing something.”

“Okay.”

“It’s quite normal for those two to hang out like that, Betty,” Gladys chirped and Betty smiled, believing her. “So, I am guessing you’re, staying?”

“Of course she is,” FP quickly added. “You two can go back tomorrow morning,” he said grinning, knowing Jughead would be back tomorrow and he figured he could plan something by then. And DAMN if he’d be titled ‘The Bad Guy,’ he would never let that happen. If his son can trick him, he can fucking reciprocate it. “Gladys, why don’t you show her the room?”

“Yeah, come on up Betty!” Gladys grinned and guided Betty out towards the hallway.

Once they were out of sight, FP pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Have you lost your mind Jughead?” He muttered and wondered if he should tell Gladys that Jughead left… or that he mentioned Joani hated him…

He hoped he had misconstrued that part though. The only time he had met his son’s ex was when she had visited him up in jail, and that was around a year before the young couple had purportedly broken up. He had asked Joani if Jughead was being a gentleman to her and she had quickly responded with, ‘You raised a badass, Mr. Jones! Aaand he’s wonderful, kind, caring... a perfect gentleman!’ FP still remembered Joani’s perky laughter followed by his son’s sheepish chuckle. He had never seen his son more happy, more calm. He wondered what changed? He didn’t know details but Gladys had mentioned that the girl had cheated on him. He had assumed she had ditched or something, considering the fact that Jughead would always get agitated, even at the slightest mention of her name. So Jughead uttering her name himself, well, this was a news to him.

Matter of factly, Jughead hadn't gotten into fights ever since Joani had been in his life, much to everyone’s relief. Gladys and him wanted their son to leave Riverdale, and settle somewhere he wouldn’t be influenced by the dark side. There were times they had even considered asking Joani for such a favor, and there were times they had regretted not having made an attempt to do so.

And to tally, Jughead had never been down for suggestions, explanations. It was proven long back when he had joined the Serpents without anyone’s permission and Gladys had found out about it days later. ‘Because I wasn’t up for a fucking permission, dad. Neither yours nor mom’s…’ Jughead had spoken in a tone, that couldn’t have had been be argued with.

And it was just the beginning of something neither of them had expected…

‘When I was nine, Tall Boy had promised me dad, that I would be the next king after you… And he fucking ditched me on that, how could I’ve even forgiven him? Tell me. Answer my fucking question dad! Do you still think I did something wrong? Cause I have further evidence, he didn’t even attempt to search for that Cooper girl, and he had threatened Jelly’s life to keep mom from disclosing his criminal activities! You can pretend not to care about this, I understand you’re helpless, but I am not. I am not weak, like you, dad!’

‘And who's leading the serpents now?’ FP had asked him, shakily, and Jughead had arrogantly answered, ‘I am!’ and that was when FP had realized what Jughead had been fighting for since the beginning.

His son had always been a smartass who knew exactly when to lay low. But to add, Jughead had done a heck of a lot better job, than all of the previous Serpent leaders combined. Everyone feared him for a good reason, which was plausible after he had eradicated the circulations of drugs. The Serpents knew he wouldn’t be their savior if they got caught, instead Jughead would be the first one to rat them out… From what he had heard, Jughead had even burned down houses without compunctions and had made everyone work hard for the kind of life they coveted… and as a father he couldn’t be anymore proud of him, now that he was back, he had his son’s shoes to fill in… ‘Nope, got books to write dad, and besides, you’re the best one we’ve got so far. The Serpents hate you less than they hate me. Ain’t I right mom?’ 

FP sighed and hoped he had actually misconstrued the part about Joani hating his son though. It somehow didn’t make sense. He glanced at the clock and sighed again, it was only past 10 and he wondered if he’d even be able to get some sleep tonight. His Boy had given him something to think about…

...

Jughead rang the bell and waited in anticipation, till the door opened.

“Jughead? Oh! What you, what are you doing here? I was just heading downstairs to—”

“—Mind if I crash here tonight?” He asked in a pleading tone, interrupting whatever the petite woman in front of him was babbling about. “My place seems far away…”

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It was past 12 and Betty was still twisting and turning, shifting and stirring and finally having given up, she sat up and frowned glaring at the clothes she was wearing. They weren’t Jughead’s though, they were his sister Jellybean’s some sort of fancy pyjama set with elephant print, and they fit her properly, not too big either… They were the simplest she could pick from all the flashy bright collection that only screamed ‘EXQUISITE’ and she hoped she wouldn’t ruin them in the slightest.

The bed was bouncy, and she had warm blankets to protect her from the cold air coming from the vent and the monsters she could imagine outside the closed window, but the blankets weren’t as cozy as Jughead who had some sort of magical power to put her to sleep in an instant. She was suddenly missing him. He hadn’t said ‘Good night’ to her, not that he ever did, frankly, he never did… but now that they were sleeping in different rooms, she wished he would at least… She sighed before her eyes twinkled at a random thought.

Betty got down from the bed and headed out of the room, hoping she would find her way back, too. She was glad that Mrs. Jones had left the lights on, maybe for her, she guessed. The room next to this was Jellybean’s so she knew Jughead's room was bit far away as she walked passed the landing of the staircase and two doors before reaching, ‘Keep out if you’re Jellybean or Toni.’ She giggled reading the poster on the door and figured the room was definitely Jughead’s.

She knocked on the door softly, not wanting to wake his parents who were downstairs. “Jughead?” She called, hoping he would hear, but pouted when there was no response. She knocked again, and again… bit louder… again…

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…and again… how long had it been?

It felt forever to Betty.

Her smile had faded a long ago and she was biting her lip to keep herself from crying. She didn’t want to be abandoned like this, not by Jughead. “Jughead please, I-I won’t come in,” she said quickly, wanting to say anything to make him open the door. “Please a-at least g-give me Caramel. I left her in the tr-truck. I feel alone…” She quivered, suddenly unable to stop the tears from dousing her face. “I am sorry, I-I just want-ed to say ‘Good Night.’ I didn’t mean to d-disturb you,” she whispered, sniffling as her shaky hands were gradually growing benumb from all the knocking.

Having finally given up, she turned on her heels, “I-I wanted you to cuddle me to sleep because I can’t sleep, the window has no bars and I am scared,” she murmured to no one as she began heading back to the room she was supposed to sleep in tonight,

alone…

Chapter Text

“Jughead? Oh! What you, what are you doing here? I was just heading downstairs to—”

“—Mind if I crash here tonight?” Jughead asked in a pleading tone, interrupting whatever the petite woman infront of him was babbling about. “My place seems far away…”

“Yeah, sure, come in…” She stepped aside and gestured him to enter.

Jughead stood still, sensing the sudden change in the air. “What’s bothering you?”

“What?”

“Why are you acting like I am a stranger, Toni?” he clarified in a somber tone, his eyes searching her face for answers.

“I, it’s nothing,” Toni said with a slight smile. “Come in!” She gestured again, and he sighed as he stepped in, complacently kicking the door shut behind him.

“Is it because of what I said to you earlier today?” he asked as he watched her adjust the cushions on the couch.

“Maybe!” she answered casually and motioned him to take a seat.

“And didn’t you read my text after that?”

“There is a difference, Jughead!” Toni stated, annoyed. “Look, I can’t explain. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to show up like this,” she waved her hand up and down and Jughead raised an eyebrow in question, “and I haven’t—”

“—I am sorry,” he interrupted.

“What, did you say, what?” Her eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m sorry, I was being an asshole to you when you started accusing me of false things,” he asserted as a smile spread across Toni’s perfectly painted face. “What?” he scoffed.

“You said sorry to me,” Toni muttered, almost disbelieving him as her eyes lit up and she laughed briefly. “Jughead fucking Jones said sorry to me…” she sang. “Oh God! I can’t wait to tell the whole Riverdale…” She covered her mouth with her hands.

“Seriously Toni!” Jughead scoffed again.

“Yeah, Jones! We should celebrate,” she chirped. “Wine?”

“Anything but that, I feel fucking terrible,” he sighed, plopping himself onto the couch.

“You smell terrible too by the way,” Toni laughed. “Juice then?”

“I am hungry, actually,” he laughed.

“Well, that isn’t new,” Toni stated with a smirk, and headed towards her kitchen to grab something for him.

She returned two minutes later with a plate full of cheese and cracker sandwiches and Jughead quickly snatched it from her hands making her chuckle. As he commenced shoving the snack into his mouth, she began, “You know, I had these jumbo chocolate bars I had bought for you and Betty.” Jughead raised an eyebrow at her, pausing the task that was of utmost importance to him, and Toni bit back a laugh as she took in his warped features at the moment.

“Your loss, Fangs took ‘em last night for, Clara, she was upset,” she said accentuating the name. Jughead bit back a laugh and she crossed her arms glaring at him. How the fuck was he so insensitive? But Toni was the only person who knew to make him admit his mistakes without getting him angry. Except for earlier today. She inwardly shook her head. Just because it had happened once, didn’t mean it had to repeat. “I heard you trashed her store yesterday…” She smirked, wiggling her perfectly kempt eyebrows.

Jughead chewed and swallowed as he stared at her with a smirk of his own. “She was acting overly smart, and I snapped when I figured she was fleecing me…” He admitted and smiled innocently.

“Give the girl some credit for her guts Jones!” Toni huffed, putting her hands on her hips, “seriously, you really didn’t need to scare her like that. She just figured you’d be too happy to suspect something. Everyone knew yesterday was a big day for you.”

Jughead chuckled at her words. “How admissible,” he added and smiled again.

“She spent whole morning trying to fix everything, Jughead. Even Fangs missed his classes… and now you,” Toni pointed a finger at him, “get ready for Veronica’s scolding, she won’t be too happy when Clara informs her.”

“I am well pleased!” He said.

“You’re a—”

“—Were you going out or coming back from a dinner date? You’re all dolled up,” Jughead supposed nonchalantly, purposely noticing her stylized hair and colorful leather outfit that wasn’t something she wore on daily basis.

“Downstairs, to check, past our closing time and Kim’s almost done with the last customer,” she answered with a sigh, knowing Jughead could sense that she wasn’t answering his question.

“Kimberly? You haven’t fired her yet?” He jested.

“Shut up!” Toni chided and approached to plop beside him on the couch. “You guessed it right. I had a dinner date,” she admitted quietly, after a brief silence.

“Glad to hear. So, what happened?” He asked, concerned.

“We were at Toscano, eating, talking, it was going well, until her brother interrupted and told her I am a Serpent, and then… she left with him, leaving me alone,” Toni answered quietly, omitting the parts where the guy had inculpated her of being a Serpent whore infront of the whole restaurant. She still cursed herself for having been too alarmed to respond back.

“It’s okay Toni,” Jughead said softly, and she rested her head on his arm. “One day you’ll find someone who’s worthy of you.”

“You know, I get it now, why you didn’t wanna tell Joani about you being a Serpent,” she said above a whisper. “People don’t get us, Jughead. It’s been years and still they don’t get us. This girl I met, she reminded me a lot of Joani. Same red hair, same kinda persona. It was as if they were twins, except Joani was more fucking gorgeous in a sophisticated way, but what’s the point, she hated jokes and called you by a stupid name.”

“What’s with the trumpet?” Jughead laughed.

“Shut up! It’s my half broken heart! I so fucking need to find myself a lay… Or at least think of something to separate Fangs and Clara’s blossoming relationship. Or better, convince them for a threesome.”

Jughead chuckled at her words, though a part of him felt bad for her. But if he was being honest, he liked this Toni better, the one who was just being herself, caught up in her own issues. The one who didn’t try and pry in his life out of boredom, the one who didn’t itch to correct him, or try to set him up with women because she thought he needed fixing.

“What’s her name? We can get her back,” he offered.

“Cheryl, Blossommmm… I think. We met at Pop’s today, I really thought we clicked! You know the saddest part, I’ve never felt anything similar with anyone before,” Toni sniffled.

“Not even me?” Jughead joked.

“You’re at the bottom of my listing, and after Fangs and Pea!” She proclaimed playfully.

Jughead refrained himself from bursting into laughter. “I have an inkling, you’ll meet her again,” he whispered smugly, yet seriously. “If not, we’ll figure something out…” The silence followed, letting the words linger in the air and in their heads for a while.

“How’s Betty?” Toni blurted suddenly, shifting herself to face him.

“Happy, smiling, eating like a pig!” Jughead answered with a smile and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Not kidding!”

“I was thinking I’d give her a nice haircut, facial, waxing blah blah etcetera etcetera! Make her my experiment doll for a day. What do you say?” She asked smugly.

“Who am I to say? Ask Betty…” Jughead chuckled, knowing this was her petty plan to see Betty.

“You didn’t even let me meet her…” She smirked. “Afraid I’d steal your crush huh?”

“That was because you were doubting me,” he replied with a smile, although his heart capsized for a bit at the thought. Toni did have a good chance at that. She was lively yet forbearing, in a way he could only dream of being. She welcomed people, and he, he didn’t even let them in his house unless it was important.

“Right, sorry. So I am closed on Mondays, so how about you and Betty—”

“—Monday? What about the fucking competition?”

“Yeah, that, they had some issues with the sponsors, and it’s being postponed to summer when the beach is overpeopled.”

“Fair enough!” Jughead nodded with a smirk.

“Seriously?” Toni smacked him in the arm and he chuckled in response. “I was actually looking forward to it. With you backing out, I was gonna win for sure!”

“You win only when I let you,” Jughead smirked and Toni froze briefly.

“So, umm, the couch or the bed?” She asked awkwardly.

“What?”

“Where do you want to crash?” She exasperated.

“I need to leave,” he smiled and got up.

“You’re drunk, isn’t that why you wanted to crash?” Toni wondered as she stood up. When he smiled, she added, “is, Betty alone?”

“No!” He said gruffly and wrapped his arms around her pulling her into an embrace, smiling as she gasped. “I am tired of pretending, Itsy Bitsy, tired of beginning to become the person I am not. I can sense it happening again, but Betty is not my girlfriend, mind you! Yet I will fight for her if any of you treat her like you guys did Joani,” he said firmly against her ear, and pulled away with a plastered smirk on his face, before turning around and heading out the door in a swift motion.

The slam of the door brought Toni back from her rattled state. She let out a breath and ran out the door and down the stairs to follow Jughead only to watch his truck disappear down the street.

“Hey Toni?” She jerked at Kimberly’s voice. “Here,” Kimberly held out the keys. “I checked everything but... TONI!”

“Yeah, thanks,” she murmured.

“Was that Jughead Jones?” Toni nodded slightly, her eyes gazing onto where the truck had disappeared. “Did he harass you again?” She asked and sighed, irritation evident in her voice. “I don’t understand why you do this Toni? He’s toxic, and you know it but yet you put up with him and his freaking ego. You leave the customers in the middle of something because you’re suddenly needed to play a delivery agent for Mr. Jones. Toni, grab me this from here, grab me that from there, Toni order this for me when it’s on the deal, Toni book me a flight! What are you, his unpaid servant?” Kimberly ranted, ignoring the resentment on Toni’s face. “Don’t forget he was the one to call you a bad influence on JB. I still don’t understand, I mean how can his parents even be proud of him? Just because he wrote some books and bought a house? Freaking rich unfeeling people, who can’t spot a thing beyond their wealth. JB was the nicer one, but I swear Jughead tricked her into leaving Riverdale and I also swear he used that freaking Northsider’s help for—”

“—ENOUGH! He didn’t do anything like that! He’s not a bad person Kim,” Toni interrupted sternly and the brunette sighed.

“Suit yourself girl! I understand he’s your childhood friend but everyone knows what kind of a person Jughead Jones really is—”

“—No one does!”

“I’ve seen him up close, he’s freaking insane! He’s—”

“—He’s the only one with no-bullshit attitude around here. Don’t fucking mess with him Kimberly, don’t, unless you want to end up paying debt, take it from me and keep your fucking mouth zipped. You said it now, but don’t dare disrespect the Jones family, ever again. You know nothing about them,” Toni retorted in a disdainful tone, and headed back upstairs to her tiny studio apartment. ‘Don’t be stupid Jughead, your dream of leading the serpents will destroy all of us. We need leader who’s mentally stable, someone who doesn’t lash out over and abov—’ ‘—Someone who’s merciful enough to protect your ass when you get in trouble with the Sheriff due to a certain drug deal? … This is where you’re wrong Toni!’ ‘People fear you Jones!’ ‘I know!’ ‘You just need a distraction from your nasty breakup, and you’re assigning yourself something only—

She closed the door and sank against it, breathing a sigh of relief after an eternity.

...

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Jughead wasn’t sure how he had driven back to his parents place. He had supposedly wandered the entire Southside, driving past houses and shops he hadn’t paid attention to, including the one of his own, that had suddenly appeared unrecognizable… prompting him to currently stand outside the one place he could discern…

He contemplated ringing the door bell, then sighed and sent a quick text to his dad, asking him to open the door for him.

After a while he figured, his dad must have not seen the text, so he made a call to him and ended it up after seconds. And continued doing so, until his dad finally opened the door, so fucking proudly. Jughead rolled his eyes and pushed past him towards the stairs, ignoring the chuckle…

He breathed a sigh of relief when he made it to the upper floor and much to his dismay, he bumped into something that forced him to grab the railing to stop himself from falling down the stairs,

“What the fuck!” He exclaimed shaking his head just as he heard a whimper. When he looked up, he saw Betty clung to the wall, seemingly panicked judging by her shut eyes and heavy breathing. “Fuck!” He muttered and approached her carefully, “Betty?” He called hoarsely, and watched her blink as she tried to focus on, him. “I am sorry, I wasn’t looking,” he pleaded, and she sobbed even more and wrapped her arms around his neck and clutched on tightly, hiding her face in the crook of his neck as his hands instinctively came around to rest on her back. “You-you, h-had a bad dream?” He choked out in apprehension and her grip tightened even more. Fuck! She could kill him right now and he wouldn’t complain.

Betty shook her head and pulled away to look at him. “I-I thought you ab-abandoned me,” she quavered in a whimper. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went to your room, I knocked, for-for long,” she admitted around sobs.

“How long?” He adjured, searching her features.

“I-I don’t know…” She sniffled.

Jughead stared at her wondering if this was the reason he needed to come back, Betty needed him. But correction, he needed her more. He could cognize the fact that she was slowly becoming his drug, the one that could keep him grounded. He was walking on eggshells, eggs but maybe that’s what he needed to learn. He needed to learn patience. And he needed her innocence to vanquish the disquiet he lugged for a while now…

Fuck everything else.

He was selfish. He knew it. He was often sorry, yet he was never it.

“I’m sorry, Betty!” Jughead whispered and pressed his mouth to hers, and she moaned in surprise as his tongue explored hers while one of his arms snaked around her lower back, drawing her into him, and she felt his arousal against her stomach making her shudder at the intimacy. It was rushed enough to make her knees go weak with every second that passed, giving her no spell to think anything yet deep down she knew for a fact that Jughead wouldn’t let her fall. She gasped and whimpered as he began dousing her jaw with kisses…

She moved her hands to rest against the back of his neck, ever so slightly sliding them over his shoulders. He smelled of alcohol… but she wasn’t repulsed by it. She dug her fingers into his skin in an attempt to pull him closer but he abruptly pulled away gasping, causing her to gape at him in disbelief.

“Betty… I…” His tone was pleading and she wondered why he was acting like this, like he regretted kissing her. “I am sorry,” he mumbled and headed down the hall, and it took her a lot of effort to stand strenuously on her two feet and run to follow him...

“Jughead?” Betty called as she entered his room and stood infront of him to stop him in his tracks. “You okay?”

Jughead closed his eyes briefly, and nodded. “Look, Betty, I am really sorry, I shouldn’t have, not without your consent, I really—” His words got muffled and lost by Betty’s lips on his and he couldn’t help the small smile that threatened to light up his face. Maybe he needed to work on not falsifying everything. She pulled away and giggled and Jughead quickly dropped his hands to his sides, suddenly realizing they were on her backside.

“Your mom is correct!” Betty nodded. “You always apologize for no reason, Jughead.”

Jughead chuckled slightly and placed a soft kiss onto her lips. “I am guessing you liked it then!” He smiled and watched her nod. “I just need a shower, you go to sleep because it’s past your bedtime, Betts.” He said smugly and refrained from laughing when she pulled a face at him.

“I am not a child!”

“You should have seen your face when you were eating those brownies,” he said and walked past her and into the closet.

Betty followed him. “I hadn’t eaten cake in years,” she frowned.

“What did you used to eat before then?” Jughead hoped he asked casually.

“Vegetables, and beans, and chicken, and rice and noodles and wheat, and whatever Austin bought,” Betty smiled but shook her head, not wanting to think much. She despised going down the memory lanes. “You visit often?” She asked curiously, her eyes suddenly taking in the lot of hangers and the clothes. Jughead owned lots.

“Occasionally. Have been doing that since years,” he answered and grabbed some clothes and walked past her again, “Go to sleep Princess, past your bedtime!” He called over his shoulder and she pouted again as she walked out of the closet.

She stood in a spot and gaped around the room. Jughead’s room was bigger than Jellybean’s and Toni’s and it had a closet, and an attached bathroom. Damn, he was luckier of the two siblings, she nodded to herself as she began exploring. There wasn’t much to see, Jughead didn’t seem like the kind to decorate his room but…

Betty walked over to the study desk and noticed several notebooks stacked up on it. She didn’t think much and opened a random one with a smile. Jughead’s handwriting was beautiful and tidy and worthy of a trophy in one of those handwriting competitions, she decided. She ran her fingers on his handwriting, ink, she guessed. She was about to read it just as something else caught her attention…

It was some BIG, shiny, hard cover book. Betty giggled and pulled it out and gasped as she read, ‘Jay & Joani’ written in some fancy writing. Jay? She traced the letters before turning the cover and after turning two pages, she found it to be a picture book. Like collage but not collage, maybe, but she didn’t understand it, she hadn’t seen anything like that before. The whole page looked printed. There were words written and she read them, ‘It’s not a breakup, it’s parting ways. Just so we could discover ourselves without being held back by the person we love the most. If the fate wants, we’ll meet again.’ She smiled at the fact that their relationship did seem very serious. It made her believe even more that Jughead was really a good person indeed.

The paper was smooth, and she couldn’t stop running her fingers on it, and smiling until her eyes prickled with tears…

This time it wasn’t because of how happy Jughead and Joani looked in the pictures or the words that suggested the couple’s discernment, but because she had suddenly realized she didn’t have a single picture of her own. She wanted to see Jughead and Joani’s pictures, she wanted to find joy in their relished memories, but all she saw was cloudy and cloudy, reminding her to take a pity on herself, because she had definitely missed out on a lot and lot of things…

She closed the book and held it close to her chest as she cried silent tears. Back then, everyone else around her had been having fun while she had been trapped into something she couldn’t even explain. Self loathing? Maybe. She lived like an imbecile, who had needed to be called more than twice for her to answer. The one who was so much unaware of everything, that even Austin thought of her as someone perfect for his carnal needs. ‘Hey, don’t be scared. I know you’re sore from yesterday. I won’t fuck your cunt tonight, don’t worry my slut.’ ‘I-I am not your, you-you need to leave, look, please underst—’ ‘—Shh! Stop talking and get on your knees and open your pretty mouth.’ ‘Wh-why?’ ‘Do as i say you fucking slut!’ ‘Noo-oo! It-it feels d-dirty, Austin plea-se don—’ ‘—You call me dirty? You filthy woman who can’t even shave that fucking pussy bare! Consider yourself lucky you’re getting an opportunity to suck my cock.’ ‘Austin please ple…’ ‘Hmm… hmm, that’s it. Fucking slut, you were made for this. Now do not waste a single drop of what I give you.’ Betty squeezed her eyes shut and sank to the floor, clutching the book even tighter like her life depended on it… It was wrong, it was dirty. The first time, and every time after that… Why hadn’t she asked for help when she had the time? Everything—

She stood up abruptly and went and sat on the bed, frantically wiping her tears away. She couldn’t let Jughead see her crying. He would worry for no reason and she didn’t want that to happen.

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“Jughead!” Betty exclaimed as Jughead returned from his shower and he chuckled running the towel through his hair, before throwing it on the nearby chair.

“Hey Princess!” He greeted as he approached her only for his smile to fade as his gaze fell upon the photo album in her hands. “Where did you get that?” He asked hoarsely as he sat besides her and gently grabbed the book from her hands, and she swallowed and looked at him.

“I am sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“It’s a nice book,” she said with a smile. “I liked the pictures.”

“Photo album,” he swallowed, “Joani, had spent days working on it.”

“Pretty Joani,” Betty nodded.

“Yeah!” He chuckled and stood up with the book to hide it, in the same place Betty had grabbed it from.

“Jughead?” Betty called softly, as he returned and they both climbed onto the bed and under the fluffy blanket.

“Yeah…”

“Was, I the reason you had disappeared?” She asked expectantly as she tucked herself into his embrace. Cozy!

“No!” Jughead replied, giving her a squeeze. “You’re a great company,” he added with a smile.

“You are caring,” she stated.

“Am I?” He smirked and she nodded. “Close your eyes and sleep Princess.”

“Not a child,” she frowned at him and smiled hiding her face against his peck. After a while, she lifted her head and gaped at him suddenly wondering about the questions she had for him—

“Stop staring! It’s not nice!” Betty’s eyes widened at the sudden playful tone and she smiled sheepishly.

“You stare at me all the time,” she replied.

“Nope!” He chuckled.

“Where were you?” Betty asked lowly, after a few seconds.

“What did dad tell you?” He asked in response.

“That you were in your room, but then you weren’t,” she answered truthfully.

“I needed to go see Toni,” he said with a smile. And he had planned on crashing at her place tonight, he sighed at the thought.

“She okay?”

“Yup! And she wants you to be her experiment doll.”

“I didn’t understand,” Betty whispered, dumbfounded.

Jughead chuckled and gave her a squeeze. “Fucking Topaz salon services Betty, you’ll be the first person to get them for free.”

“Toni will cut my hair and paint my nails with tiny designs?” Betty asked excitedly and shifted to climb on top of him and he groaned when her thigh pressed against his erection, knocking the wind out of him, but he decided not to mention it.

“Y-yes!” He managed to choke out.

“Sorry!” Betty giggled. “You want me to make you feel better?” Jughead’s eyes went wide, clearly taken aback by her question.

“How?” He squeezed his eyes the moment the word escaped his mouth. What the fuck was he doing? He didn’t want to be anything like the Prick to her. He wanted to be the nice guy that she thought of him as… Sure last night was amazing, but he didn’t want her to think of him as someone who’d expect her to bend over ever so often. He didn’t want her to think of him as a pervert.

“Jughead?” Betty’s concerned soft voice made him blink and look at her. And when he did, he found her kissing him and his hands instinctively came to caress her back. Her tender cold hands cupped his cheeks as her tongue began tracing his lips, eventually probing its way in, prizing a low grunt from his throat. He didn’t know what had gotten into Betty, but he felt too weak, too dazed to protest. Suddenly, she pulled away, and her fucking signature giggling brought him back from his high.

“What the fuck!” He grumbled, staring at her and she leaned in to give him another brief kiss, before crawling her way down to sit in between his legs and fumbling with his sweats. He tugged on her wrist to stop her, “I don’t need it, Betty. It’s late, you should sleep,” he quavered.

“You, are sexually frustrated, Jughead,” Betty stated with a grin.

“I am not, now stop,” he protested weakly, his eyes sending her a warning.

“Nope!” She giggled and before he could take a guess, she was pulling his sweats and boxers down and he found himself complying. She just stared at his erection for a while and he swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling anxious.

“Betty?”

“You’re certainly better looking than Austin,” she muttered in awe and Jughead dropped his head back on the pillow in embarrassment. Why was she like this? He flinched when he felt her fingers graze over his sensitive skin. He breathed, savoring the moment. He could stop her, but he didn’t want to. Fuck! Why was he like this? He watched as she wrapped her hands around his length and began stroking him, smiling a smile that was somewhat rewarding, yet enough to make him dig a hole and hide into it. “Shall I, go faster?” Jughead nodded at her question, digging his wrists into the mattress to keep himself from causing her any pain, even the slightest. “You didn’t answer.”

“Fuck yes,” he breathed. Betty increased her pace and he groaned in pleasure. “Fuck, Betty! That’s good! Don’t stop!” he gasped out, his breaths growing harsh and shallow.

“I consider myself a professional, Jughead,” Betty stated hoarsely. “I think I want to suck your cock,” she told him and it took all his courage to not dig his fingers into her hair or skin. Sure it was normal and enough of a gesture to hint who’s in charge, but a part of him thought that Betty might be triggered by it. He was scared that even a little bit of pain could turn her off. Was he overthinking? He sighed as she licked his tip and took him all in, easier than he expected. Her mouth, warm, wet and inviting, making him painfully ache for the release all of a sudden as his wrists dug deeper into the mattress. She was… fucking hell, she was a vision to behold.

“Fuck Betts! I am…” He groaned as he hit the back of her throat. He tried holding back, feeling overwhelmed enough to get over the edge with every second that passed. “Betty, stop or I’ll…” He warned only for her to tighten her grip on him. He grabbed her shoulders gently, hoping she’d comply. “Betts I, FUCK!” He growled as he released into her mouth, the vehemence of it all causing his vision to turn nebulous. “Fuck!” He muttered again. When he caught a hold of himself, he saw Betty grinning at him. He wanted to roll his eyes at the sight. She looked like an idiot who had no idea of what she had just done!

Betty readjusted his pants and plopped herself onto his chest, again, hugging him close. “Thank you,” she whispered. “That, was good.”

“Damn girl!” Jughead exclaimed grabbing her face, so he could stare into her eyes. “Who are you and what have you done with my innocent princess?” She giggled and he smiled lifting his head to place a soft kiss onto her plump lips. When he pulled away, he saw tears in her eyes and it suddenly made him guilty for no reason required. “What’s wrong?” He asked cautiously, searching her face for the answers he couldn’t find. He was sure he hadn’t hurt her, he had even tried to warn her. “What is it?” He whispered.

Betty shook her head and hid her face into the crook of his neck. “I missed you,” she quavered after a while and Jughead felt guilty all over again…

“I missed you too, Betts!” He whispered.

Betty nodded and sighed closing her eyes. “Jughead. I am sleepy,” she whispered and suddenly found herself pinned to the mattress. She yelped and gaped at him. Why was he smirking? She felt even tinier under his gaze. It wasn’t haunting, it was just… something she couldn’t put her finger on.

All she knew was, men like Jughead don’t fall for women like her. The day he gets Joani back, she’d be left for the couple’s mercy… There would be no more of Jughead’s cuddles… unless he decides to keep her as a kept woman. An idea she was suddenly willing to consider…

“Save it! You really thought I’d let you go without returning the favor, Princess?” Jughead asked smugly, his fingers caressing her sides through the thick fabric and a while later, drawing tiny circles on her stomach, making her giggle at the sensation.

“I…” Betty shivered as his hand slipped into her pants, hovering over her bundle of nerves, and before she could say anything else, Jughead pressed his lips to hers, taking her mouth in for a slow, deep kiss, just as they both heard a loud knock on the door. They both gasped pulling away and staring at each other with wide eyes. “Did your mom and dad, hear, us?” Betty whispered nervously.

“Not possible. Joani and I had checked back then,” he replied matching her tone.

“Checked?” Betty squinted her eyes.

“Yeah,” Jughead admitted, his voice wavering and impatient, “you know, she yelling in here while me waiting in mom and dad’s room to see if I hear anything…” Betty giggled as she imagined them, and just then they both heard the loud knocking again. “Fucking hell! That’s mom, without a doubt!”

“How do you know?”

“She’s a fucking night owl!” He scowled, rolling over and off from the bed.

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Chapter Text

Jughead jumped once and looked at Betty. “Get under the sheets and pretend to sleep!” he playfully commanded her.

“Okay,” Betty nodded then quickly followed, and Jughead chuckled at her adorable swiftness as he headed towards the door to answer it.

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“Yes, mom,” he sighed, a little more mockingly than required.

“Is Betty here? I’d gone to check on her.”

Jughead raised his eyebrows sighing conspicuously, before leaning against the frame. “For heaven’s sake mom, we aren’t kids anymore, you don’t need to spy on us in the middle of the night!” he insisted pleadingly.

“So Jellybean learned this from you huh?” Gladys scoffed and crossed her arms.

Jughead winced at that. “I didn’t mean it like that I…” he sighed and took a breath, “Betty’s here, you wanna talk to her?” he asked tediously.

“No, that’s fine. I was only wondering where your princess disappeared,” his mom smirked and he knew she noticed his blush and fluster, because he could fucking feel it too.

“Could you please leave,” Jughead muttered exasperatedly.

Gladys chuckled, “sure… but get some sleep Juggie, and if you can’t, there’s lavender tea in the kitchen near the kettle. Make use of it…”

“Thanks…” he murmured.

“Good Night then!”

“Night…”

After his mom was out of sight, Jughead closed the door and locked it before turning around and leaning against it. He let out a breath and quickly straightened up to begin walking back over to Betty.

He took is shirt off and tossed it somewhere he didn’t care as he stumbled on his shoes he had kicked earlier and muttered a curse under his breath as he walked, before he finally climbed into the bed and slowly pulled the mock sleeping form around, and a small giggle escaped her lips…

“You don’t sleep at night?” she asked, clearly having heard the conversation.

“Not as soundly as you,” Jughead whispered caressing her cheek as he stared into those big green orbs.

“If you’re having lavender tea, can I taste it too? I’ve never had lavender tea.”

“Stop tryna distract me Princess,” he whispered and pressed his mouth to hers, swallowing her unbidden gasp as he continued to kiss her, and unthinkingly a part of him prayed for Betty to never discern the darkness he possessed… She had called him a good person, hadn’t she? But she was so innocent, so trusting, so fickle, so precious. Too precious!

He wanted Betty, but more than that he wanted her approval. He was ready to let her go, but not see the day when he’d be evil in her eyes.

Striving to let go of the conflicting thoughts, Jughead slipped his tongue into her mouth and kissed her fervently, cradling her head in efforts to pull her closer as he felt the sharp pain of her nails digging into his back, and to him, they felt like an anchor at this moment as the uncalled tears spilled down his cheeks. Overwhelmed, he swallowed every moan that escaped from her as he savored her mouth with his tongue. Fuck, this was nothing but compelling.

Hastily breaking the kiss, he cradled her jaw and tilted her head upwards, abruptly moving his mouth down her neck, “is this too much?” he murmured hoarsely, faintly grazing his teeth along her pale skin, breathing her in like she was a drug. A fucking good drug.

“No no,” Betty whimpered.

Jughead smiled lifting his head to look at her as she blinked. “Are you sure?” he asked smugly, watching her as she blinked, probably to focus on him. She quickly nodded. “Tell me you’re sure!” he teased, relishing the looks of disbelief and confusion on her face.

“I am, sure…” she gulped.

Jughead brushed his fingers along her sides, teasing her through the fabric. “Want me to take this off?” he offered, moving his hand to slip a button out of it’s case.

“Okay…” Betty whispered, but the grimace on Jughead’s face caused her eyes to prickle with tears as he began unclothing her. She didn’t want to disappoint him. Even though she was doing this for no money, even though he was so nice to her, she didn’t want to disappoint him. A part of her wanted to prove to him that she was good enough for him, for his needs, while a part was scared that he would eventually snap and whatever good she sensed, would all be… gone.

Austin had told her enough number of times that she was abhorrent, repulsive, and she had seen it in people’s eyes who threw nasty stares at her like she was an outcast. Though she had never believed anyone, her heart still felt heavy every time—

“Hey!” Betty jerked at Jughead’s voice but smiled at him. “Are you okay? We can stop if…” She shook her head at his question. He was still wary with her, much to her dismay and she figured he could sense her cognitive state, and she needed to behave normal.

“Kiss me, please,” she whispered, and whimpered in relief when he did just that, eagerly, and she kissed him back with the same impulse, not willing to let go like her life depended on it. This was much better than the negative thoughts and feelings that were threatening to swallow her.

Jughead pulled away and climbed on top of her, dipping his head down to lick her collarbone eliciting a soft whimper from her lips as he cupped one of her breasts, massaging leisurely before his mouth moved down to the other. He flicked his tongue over her nipple until it hardened and switched, smiling at the way Betty was arching into his hand and mouth.

Sure he’d had women respond to him the similar way, but there was something about Betty that made him feel rewarded. Fuck! He kissed her stomach, her slight tender scars and wounds that he believed would soon be healed, and when he felt her tremble beneath him, he lifted his head to glance at her, before crawling down to take rest of her clothes off.

He parted her legs and settled in between them, smiling down at her glistening core. “So fucking beautiful you are,” he whispered and dipped his head to kiss her there.

“Jughead no…” Betty breathed, and Jughead shushed her by sucking onto her sensitive bud, as his hands held her legs in place.

“You don’t get to choose, baby,” he breathed against her wetness and ran his tongue over her slippery slit as she almost screamed. He continued his movements, chuckling with pride, swirling his tongue and teasing her as his hands kept a firm grip on her thighs, keeping them apart. He didn’t wanna make her wait longer though, “come for me!” he urged and began licking her faster, finding gratification in the way she moaned so earnestly as well as the sweet pain her nails caused in the skin of his shoulders…

When she reached her orgasm, he dipped his tongue into her, lapping and swallowing as she fell apart. He licked her clean and she panted wilting into the bed as he let go of her thighs and sat up. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and crawled back up to her and lay, pulling her close.

“Sleepy…” Betty mumbled, resting a fist on his chest and he grabbed it protectively.

“Are you okay?” he asked and kissed her hair.

“Happy…” she nodded eagerly, then shook her head and yawned, “but I can’t open my eyes.”

Jughead laughed lightly and gave her a squeeze, something he seemed to have been doing a lot lately. There was something in that gesture that made him feel the glow of contentment, and on the spur of the moment, he blinked away the threatening tears and held Betty even tighter as his chin trembled. He kissed her hair again and closed his eyes, dropping his head back into the pillow.

He reached a hand to switch the lights off, and pulled the quilt up to cover them both. “Promise you’ll never hate me, Betty,” he mumbled closing his eyes and pulling Betty closer into him.

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Blinking in the direction of the light’s source, Betty opened her eyes, realizing it was the shiny morning sun that woke her up. She sat up smiling and found herself alone in the bed, just like she had expected. But she was surprised to find herself wearing the pyjamas again. She grinned and looked around the room and quickly spotted Jughead sitting at the study desk. He seemed, busy. She got down and tip toed her way over to him, hoping she wouldn’t disturb his concentration.

“Jughead, Good Morning!” she greeted, placing a hand on his shoulder, startling him briefly.

“Hey, Morning Princess!” Jughead replied, putting his pen down immediately and tugging on her wrist and guiding her to his lap as she eagerly complied. The heavy wooden chair was armless, making the task even easier. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her secure. “Did you sleep well?” he asked with a smile, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Betty quickly nodded in response and turned her head towards the desk out of curiosity. “What are you writing?” she asked eyeing the open notebook and pen on his desk before looking back at him.

“Nothing of significance,” he smiled and closed the notebook, sliding it away.

“Thank you!”

“What for?” he asked.

“For putting clothes on me!” Betty told him, grabbing the placket as a gesture and he let out a chuckle that made her frown.

“I love how you mumble when your sleep is disturbed,” he smirked, drawing circles on her stomach with his thumb as he held her gaze, waiting for her reply which did not come because just then, they heard that fucking knock on the door.

“Your mom again?” Betty giggled as Jughead let go of her hand.

“Yup!” he answered with a sigh and helped her get up so he could do the same.

“Should I pretend to sleep!” she asked, giggling again.

Jughead chuckled and simpered at her for a while, “I have an idea, why don’t you answer the door? I’ll pretend to be asleep,” he offered and Betty’s eyes widened when he actually walked towards the bed and got under the blanket. “Good luck, Betts!” he smiled impishly, and simultaneously they heard the knocking sound again.

Betty just gaped at him with wide eyes and when he gave her a look in response, she gulped realizing she had no choice but to…

“Good Morning, Betty!”

“Mrs. Jones, Good-Good Morning,” Betty replied and smiled until she remembered she needed to apologize for last night and a sudden nervousness rippled through her. “Mrs. Jones, I-I am sorry for last ni-night, I should ha—”

“—Honey, it’s fine. I had just came by to inform breakfast would be ready soon. But no hurries, you guys take your time,” Gladys chuckled, and motioned she was leaving, before doing just that.

Turning around, Betty let out a breath and walked over to Jughead and under the blanket as he pulled her into him. She smiled.

“Did you lock the door?” he asked.

“Nope, I had promised you I won’t,” Betty murmured cuddling further into him and he let out a soft chuckle in response and gave her a squeeze. “Jughead?”

“Hmm…”

“Promise, you’ll never leave me…” she blurted and gasped inaudibly, “not-not at least, not until Austin is out there looking for me!” she added quickly, not wanting Jughead to derive any incorrect meaning.

“I promise… You mean a lot to me Betty, I can’t imagine my life without… you…” he whispered brokenly, and she let out a shuddering breath.

“I can’t either,” she replied nervously and wrapped her arms around him even tighter wondering if there was any possibility of them staying like this forever.

No fear, no worries, just, cozy.

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By the time they headed downstairs, Mrs. Jones had already set two platters full of waffles, egg sandwiches, baked beans, hash browns and fruits with a big glass of tasty juice, much to Betty’s delight, and astonishment. She stood in a spot as she stared at the plates on the table, until Jughead nudged her shoulder and his chuckle brought her back to reality making her abruptly take a seat with her eyes downcast for whatever reason she couldn’t reckon.

Turned out they were the only ones left, having overslept. Not that Betty regretted it and it didn’t seem like Jughead did either, guessing by the constant winks and smirks he threw at her when his mom wasn’t looking and it made her ponder as to why he seemed so happy…

“You look happy!” Betty whispered only enough for Jughead to hear, who was sitting by the same table corner as her.

“Do I?” Jughead whispered back.

“Yup!” she nodded, “I-I didn’t realize how we fell asleep…” she blurted sheepishly, relishing these unfamiliar moments that made her feel like she wasn’t broken.

“You fell asleep. I was just holding you while you did,” he whispered and took a sip from his glass, locking his eyes with hers, enjoying the way they changed sizes and a faint blush appeared on her face. He was finally wrong about Betty never blushing. “Well I did try waking you up,” he smirked, “but you climbed on top of me and said and I quote, “you will wait for me, I won’t let you disappear, Jughead!””

“Jughead’s not disappearing Betty! I know my son and I know where to find him if he does by chance!” Gladys yelled from where she was loading the dishwasher, and all of a sudden they both went quiet and focused on their breakfasts, realizing they weren't really whispering after all.

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Shortly after breakfast they had gotten dressed back into the attire they had arrived in and Betty had finally managed to sneak into Jughead's room and pull out the photo album, and when Jughead had caught her, she had asked for his permission to look through. She had been surprised by how quickly he had agreed to it, and she had chosen to take the album with her.

On their way out, she had received hugs and murmurs, including one by Hot Dog. She had crouched down to pet him, because Jughead had told her to, and the dog had literally hugged her. Living with humans the dog had been behaving like one, she had decided.

When Jughead had opened the door for her, his dad had joked about filing a police complaint if Jughead didn't return his truck and bike soon, and Jughead had replied with, 'see you in the court dad.'

And now they were on their way back home and to keep herself busy, Betty was petting Caramel, who was sitting on the album on her lap. She had questions she didn’t want to ask and the ones she wanted to ask, Jughead had told her not to…

“Is it okay if we go grocery shopping first?” Jughead asked and she quickly lifted her head and gaped at him, but he wasn’t looking at her.

“Meat and vegetables, I finished your food,” she exclaimed and giggled, rather nervously.

Jughead let out a laugh and shook his head, “nope, just snacks.”

“Oh!” Betty exclaimed, “Jughead?”

“Hmm?”

“When will you teach me fighting and gun?”

“Whenever you wish,” he smiled, keeping his eyes on the road as he shifted gears.

“Today?”

“Today!” Jughead said mockingly.

“Tomorrow,” she winced.

“Wake up at 5, then we’ll decide,” he teased laughingly and when her expression faltered, he insistently added, “we’ll go buy workout clothes and accessories for you first, shortly after groceries,” Betty beamed up at him, and he laughed at how big her eyes looked.

But then internally, he winced wondering how the fuck would he face Clara today, what would her reaction be when she’d see him again? She wouldn’t tell Betty, would she? He spun the wheel to take a sharp turn, to head the downtown of Riverdale…

Sure there were other stores he could take Betty to, but ‘Poised’ was the only store he visited, apart from online ordering. He even knew the floor plan by heart. They had everything for everyone from A to Z. Plus, it was expensive which meant no rush. And since it was owned by Veronica, his old friend, it had those certain cordial vibes.

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Betty looked around the shelves in awe, biting and licking her lips like a child. It had been a long since she had last visited a grocery store, but back then she didn’t have enough money to buy what she liked, and right now that Jughead had told her to pick whatever she wanted, she walked bewildered and staggered, not willing to touch any of the items thinking she might break them. Only thing keeping her grounded was the fact that Jughead was holding her hand. Maybe he didn’t trust her to walk around by herself. She wanted to tell him again that she wasn’t a child, but then she liked this cozy gesture.

They didn’t speak much, except for when Jughead asked her ‘this or that’ questions, or when he asked her if she wanted anything. All Betty replied was a ‘no’ followed by the shake of her head.

The cart was fuller than Betty had expected and thankfully after what felt like forever, they were finally nearing the billing counters when much to her dismay, Jughead froze in his tracks causing her to stop too.

“Jughead?” Betty called and he looked at her, “you okay?” she asked softly. She didn’t like seeing him fidgety. She liked happy Jughead, the one who kissed her, so tenderly. She quickly pulled her tongue back into her mouth, realizing it was senselessly licking her lip.

“Yeah! Just wondering why there’s no rush today,” he blurted in almost a whisper, his voice wavering and Betty hesitated before she shook her thoughts away and tipped on her toes and kissed him on the lips. She wondered if they’d be arrested for kissing in a grocery store. If yes, then in her defense she didn’t like fidgety Jughead.

“HEY! UP HERE!” The woman at the counter called them up, causing them both to jump in horror as they abruptly broke the kiss.

“Jughead?”

“Sorry, thank you, I,” he sighed and shook his head. “Betty,” he called and she looked at him worriedly, “if that cashier asks you anything, please don’t speak okay?” he told her, lowly.

Betty glanced in the direction of the billing counter but not necessarily the woman, then looked back at him and nodded. “She not nice?”

“She’s evil!” Jughead told her, and Betty felt like a child listening to a spooky story.

“Okay!” she whispered and they both walked over to the only serviceable billing counter.

“Heyyyy!” The woman said in a sing song voice, and Betty couldn’t help but shudder at the sweet sugary greeting, instantly realizing what Jughead must have meant by evil. There was something sickening underneath this enthralling facade of the dark ginger even though, she found her a bit familiar. “Long time no see, Juggie!” she chirped again as Jughead pulled the items out of the cart for billing and Betty tightened her grip on the handle. “Juggie—”

“—Don’t!” Jughead warned the woman, in the same tone, Betty remembered from the night she had met him. Only difference was that, she wasn’t afraid of him any more.

The woman licked her lips and smirked looking at Jughead up and down, a gesture that made Betty move even closer into him, and she did, afraid he might disappear. When she accidentally met the woman’s gaze she froze.

“Who’s this? Your new whore? I thought Joani had raised your standards, I mean, unless you’re willing to give these fucking dumb ones a chance, after all—”

“—SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH ETHEL!” Jughead snapped bitterly. Betty felt sick to her stomach and she hoped she wouldn’t faint. She wished they hadn’t come here, neither of them. “What the fuck are you doing here Ethel?” he demanded after a while.

“I am glad you asked, but I remember I had sent a lengthy email to you Juggie, didn’t you get it? Anyways, my contract has ended,” Ethel said with a wicked smirk. “Ronnie tried her best to convince me to sign up again, but I decided it was better to just head back, to you, I was gonna surprise you, but whatever fate wants,” she smirked and turned to Betty, “what’s your name, Miss Ponytail?”

Betty panicked and sudden tears prickled her eyes, “I, a, I’m—” she jumped when Ethel cut in.

“—I, I, a, I’m, you’ve got yourself a stutterer, Juggie!” she chuckled.

“Don’t d—”

“—This ponytail won’t stay either, no matter how dumb she looks,” she smirked and glanced at Betty, “no offense sweetie,” then looked back at Jughead, “you’re cursed, Juggie, and I am your cure—”

“—Apologize,” Jughead warned through gritted teeth.

“What?”

“Apologize to my girl!” he commanded and Betty’s ears perked up in anticipation as she looked at Ethel who glared at her with ominous eyes.

“I wish I could, but I hate it when someone forces me to do something,” Ethel said firmly and Betty stared at her in disbelief. Who was she to deny Jughead’s command? Why wasn’t she scared of him?

“And I fucking detest it when bitches like you think you’re qualified enough to insult my girl.”

“She’s not your type!” Ethel asserted through greeted teeth as Betty blinked back tears.

Jughead leaned forward, placing his palms on the metal as he menacingly stared into those repelling eyes, “You, are not my type. Despicable, is not my type, and the sooner you understand, the lesser damage it’ll do. You’re testing my patience Ethel and I swear to God, you’ll fucking regret it one day, so don’t waste my valuable time and apologize to my girl!” he proclaimed callously as Ethel went still.

“How dare you insult me like that in front of a—” Betty flinched back, knowing she was talking about her, but Jughead interrupted her.

“—I said apologize, Ethel!” he warned.

“I am sorry,” Ethel mumbled apathetically and got back to work, and Jughead pushed back from the counter. Betty looked at him. He was monitoring Ethel, his eyes following every packet or product she was picking up for billing. It was as if he doubted she would con him. “That would be $379!” Betty jerked at the sudden quiet voice suddenly noticing the fact that the store was silent, except for the sounds of the computer keyboard keys and beep sounds of the machines. Even those few customers were out of sight.

Jughead handed out the card and Betty helped as he filled the cart back up. “Thanks, Ethel!” he simpered and they turned to leave.

“Jughead Jones!” Ethel called, and Jughead and Betty both turned to face her again. “You might want to know this about your ex, she’s all doe-eyed over a dude who walks like a sex bomb,” she let out an annoying chuckle.

“And why the fuck are you telling this to me?” Jughead asked callously.

“Because it sounds like breaking up with you was the best decision she’d ever made!” Ethel said tauntingly, without looking at either of them as she trifled with the card machine. “And your sister! Oh my! She’s the most amazing person I have ever known, I mean, the way she dropped her coffee cup into your ex’s shopping bag, fuck it was hilarious,” she chuckled again and Betty noticed Jughead’s irritation. “And that bitch literally burst into tears, fuck, such an attention seeker!” Jughead darted around the counter and grabbed Ethel’s shoulder harshly, turning her to face him and Betty flinched at Ethel’s yelp and all of a sudden a remembering dawned upon her, and she felt her eyes prickle again…

“I am sick of you and your lies!” Jughead seethed, offering Ethel a death stare.

“Fake facade, fake pride, weak on the inside… you, Joani… this isn’t new to me!” Ethel provoked while Jughead went all fidgety again.

“Ethel Muggs!” Betty muttered, but gasped flinching back when Ethel snapped her head towards her.

“What did you say mumsy?”

“You-you’re Ethel Muggs!” Betty said again, more firmly. Or at least she thought she did. “I know you!” she nodded, “you used to be nice, they-they bullied you, stole your lunch box, tore your books, you cried, I-I remember.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Ethel asked angrily.

“Jughead’s girl…” she found herself saying as she smiled and looked at Jughead who smirked at her in response. She didn’t know why he had suddenly gone quiet in first place but she did know for a fact that she was the reason behind his change of expression.

“Get the fuck out! Or I’ll call my manager!” Ethel yelled as Jughead and Betty let out a small laugh and did just that…

“I think she will break the card machine,” Betty giggled when they reached near the parked truck. She wanted to cheer Jughead up.

“Was she really bullied? No I’m asking ‘cause I think of her as a bully,” Jughead wondered as he opened the truck door and pulled out three black baskets from behind the seats.

Betty nodded as he set the plastic on the concrete surface, “she was, the kids made fun of her. I had talked to her once, but she thought I was making fool out of her. I tried to explain to her I wasn’t but she ran off. I really wasn’t I promise…” her words trailed off as Jughead approached her with a smile and wrapped her into a hug, kissing her from neck to shoulder and she nestled into him. “Jughead?”

“Thank you!” he whispered against her ear, “for everything.”

“We should empty the cart,” she suggested and he let go of her with a chortle.

They filled up the baskets and put them back behind the seats and began heading towards the one store Jughead had in mind.

Betty looked out of the window, smiling as she recalled his words, ‘Now apologize to my girl!’ He had called her his girl, whatever that meant… and he’d said ‘Thank you! … for everything.’ He had forgotten to treat her like a child and she quietly giggled at that.

“Jughead,” she called, turning her head to look at him.

“Hmm!”

“What did you mean by I am your girl?”

He laughed, “what do you think?”

“Am I your girlfriend?” she asked nervously.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” he teased.

Betty stared at him for a while, then shook her head, “no, that would be silly,” she mumbled.

“Silly?” he adjured glancing at her.

“Yeah, that’s not how people become girlfriend-boyfriend,” she giggled and abruptly went silent.

“Yeah, then how do they become girlfriend-boyfriend?” Jughead probed curiously.

Betty smiled and looked at him, “One of them says ‘I love you’ and the other starts to cry happy tears, then they kiss and become girlfriend boyfriend!” she explained with a nod.

Jughead refrained himself from bursting into laughter, and simply nodded, also because they had reached Poised, and he parked the truck on the side of the road, instead of parking lot, simply because he was Jughead Jones.

He got down and opened the door for Betty and guided her to and into the store as she gulped and let her eyes roam over every little thing that was in sight. For sale, not for sale, she didn’t care. This was the first time she had ever visited a big store, and a pretty one.

“Hell…” A brunette about their age approached them and Betty gulped thinking why she didn’t say the whole word in greeting. “Oh, Jughead I, I wasn’t expecting, you…”

Jughead chuckled lightly, “hey, Clara.”

He introduced the two women and requested Clara to show Betty some workout clothes for beginners. He didn’t know much, except for what he had learned when Joani prattled about it. Now he wished he had paid attention, just so he could help Betty. He shook his thoughts away. What the fuck was he thinking?

“Keys!” he said firmly, holding out a hand.

“What?” Clara asked.

“I need store keys, I am leaving for a while now and I need to make sure Betty’s safe.”

“Are you gonna lock us up?”

“Yup!” he said lightly, smirking at Betty, relishing the fact that her expression suggested she trusted him.

“I hope you know we do have a guard!” Clara scoffed in protest.

“I do Clara. Now keys!”

Clara hesitated but did as asked and Jughead smiled in contentment. He knew there was no loss in doing that. He was the only customer every time he visited and he needed to keep Betty safe, while he also needed to make a phone call he didn’t want anyone to hear.

…

Once Jughead was out of sight, Clara turned to Betty and let out a raspy laugh, “are you fucking conservative or something?” she asked in a mocking tone.

“I-I didn’t understand,” Betty replied, trying to smile which was always a bad decision whenever she was nervous.

“Fuck you’re dumb!” Clara scoffed before stepping closer and glowering at her, “Jughead wasted my time because of you,” she said threateningly, “these are short dresses Clara, I want long ones, this material is itchy, this has spiky buttons, not this, not that, what is it with you and your liking huh?” she yelled as Betty jumped back.

“I don’t have liking,” she gasped out as her eyes prickled with tears, again. She was suddenly wishing Jughead hadn’t left. Clara changed colors like a chameleon. Maybe this was the problem with the Southside of Riverdale.

“Do you have any idea how much effort it took me to set everything back up? I was just charging him for the mental torture and he trashed this store. I informed my owner and she threatened to fire me instead! And all of this for a dumbass like you!”

“Ju-Jughead…” Betty whispered, looking anywhere and everywhere but Clara.

“HEY! Are you even getting me?” Betty shook her head and realized it only made Clara more irritated. “Forget it! You want to start working out? You think that will make you smarter?” Betty shook her head again. “Come with me!” And the next thing Betty knew, she was being dragged further into the store and she gasped when she had to suddenly halt in her tracks. “I am only helping you because I don’t want to get fired. I don’t know what Jughead saw in you,” Betty bit her lip to keep herself from crying as her vision turned blurry. “Here!” Clara yelled, shoving some clothes into her hands. “Go there and try! And don’t worry, they’re too soft! Just like your fucking liking.” Betty nodded frantically and did as asked.

Once inside the trial room, she noticed they were some t-shirts, shorts and bras. She tried one by one, and selected a few that fit and kept them aside.

When she opened the door, she was startled to see Clara standing there.

“These,” she quavered, holding out a few pieces to her.

“How am I supposed to know?”

“What,” she mumbled dumbfounded.

“How am I supposed to know?” Clara asked loud enough to make her jump. “Wear and show me!”

“I…” Betty shook her head. This felt like humiliation and she knew if Jughead hadn’t left, Clara would have been nice to her.

“Wear and show me! I’ll decide!” Clara yelled and crossed her arms. “I don’t trust you Betty!”

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.

.

…

Jughead sat in his truck, staring at his phone as he could feel his heart pounding against his skin. He took a deep breath and rolled the windows up and called up the number…

“Juggie, can I call you back, I am in the middle of som—”

“—No!” he yelled into the phone, and let out a shuddering breath. This wasn’t the time to yell. “Jelly we need to talk right now.”

“What’s up?” Jellybean sighed.

“I need the truth Jelly, did you mortify Joani?” he asked impatiently, getting straight to the point.

“That bitch called you?” Jughead clutched the phone tighter and stayed quiet. “Yes I did. And it wasn’t much of a big deal, consider it as a petty prank.”

“PRANK?” Jughead bellowed. “She was in fucking tears and you call it a prank?”

“She was gathering attention of people, but no one cared thank God! Can we put this to sleep now?” There was that another sigh that suggested nothing but shamelessness.

“Why’d you do it?”

“I thought she deserved it for all the times she held people under her wicked charm, and you should be happy, for fuck’s sake she cheated on you,” Jellybean insisted. “She deserved worse.”

“Do you hate me?” Jughead asked quietly, and the stillness felt smothering as he waited for an answer.

“What, what are— why are you—”

“—Tell me Jelly and I’ll make sure I never—”

“—What no! Juggie no you’re my brother, I can’t… I love you…” she screeched.

Jughead swallowed thickly, contemplating his words and took a deep shuddering breath before he began, “th-then, why is your opinion about me same as that of my friends…” he asked as a tear slipped from his eye and he bit his lip. This was harder than he’d expected. “Toni, told you I am a psycho and you believed her, she told you I-I make wrong decisions you believed her, she told you Joani was a bad influence on me, you-you believed her,” he paused and heaved, “s-since when, since when did I become secondary to you Jelly?” he breathed heavily, his chest burning with every word he spoke, but he tried his best to stay calm.

“I don’t understand Juggie…”

“Look, I am sorry, for everything. Be mad at me, don’t talk to me but please, don’t act so rebellious, Jelly.”

“This is about that bitch again.”

“No, and stop calling her that. What happened was four fucking years ago Jelly, let her move on for heaven’s sake.”

“Have you moved on?”

“It shouldn’t be your concern!” he said flatly.

“Can we talk later? I have classes,” Jellybean’s voice was quiet and flat now.

Jughead inhaled sharply and nodded saying, “sure,” and put his phone down immediately. He decided to sit for a while, to gather his thoughts and get a hold of himself.

.

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.

No sooner did Jughead enter the store again, than he was greeted by Betty who jumped onto him as he stumbled a little, and he laughed wrapping his arms around her, picking her up off the ground as she giggled. He couldn’t help but place a soft kiss on her shoulder just as his eyes fell upon the brunette standing near a rack, a few feet away. He briefly nodded at her and she reciprocated his greeting with a smile of her own.

“How’s my princess?” he murmured, setting Betty on the floor.

“Good, Clara is showing me head bands,” Betty nodded, glancing back over at Clara.

“That’s good!” he smiled.

“And she is good with suggestions. She said flower patterns look good on me.”

“Don’t praise her too much, that’s her job!” he teased glancing over at Clara who glared back with narrowed eyes.

“Okay!” Betty nodded and Jughead turned her around so she could also see Clara’s pissed off expression. “She is angry at you!” Betty giggled.

“She’s Clara, she’s always angry at me!” he simpered as Clara rolled her eyes.

“Guys,” she cleared her throat, “I erm, I need to go out for lunch! But you two can stay here, if you’d like,” she said nonchalantly.

“No problem!” Jughead shrugged wrapping an arm around Betty’s shoulder, “but give our regards to Fangs!” he smirked. The brunette blushed at that and he let out a laugh.

“Bye, see you soon, see you soon Betty!” Clara said awkwardly, grabbing her things before quickly running out the door.

“Jughead?” Betty shifted to face him and he rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Betty!”

“Why do I look dumb?” she asked, her eyes filling up with sudden tears as if she had been holding them back for a long, as Jughead froze at her question, remembering how he had addressed her as dumb when talking to Toni in the beginning. Only if he could take his words back.

“Who said that?” he asked cautiously.

“I feel like that…” Betty muttered, “like everyone is making fun of me… Clara is nice to me because she saw my scars and thinks she should pity me, but I-I don’t want pity. I want to be normal!”

“There is no such thing as normal,” Jughead explained softly. “You have been away for a long, Betty, and you just need time and a little effort to adjust…”

“How much time and effort?” she asked.

He chuckled at the innocence in her voice. “We’ll figure it out,” he said lowly, pulling her in for a hug, “get all the help we need…”

“We?”

“You and me!”

“Why you?”

“I want to be normal too!” he laughed against her hair.

“You are normal,” Betty stated.

“Normal person doesn’t see red ever so often!” he explained somberly.

“I didn’t understand!”

“Do you want a pizza?” Jughead asked, changing the subject.

“Yup!”

“What’s your favorite topping?”

“Tomato!”

“Seriously?” he asked narrowing his eyes and felt Betty nod.

“The one I had eaten had tomato!”

Jughead ordered a chicken pizza with a requested toppings of cherry tomatoes and Betty shook her head when he asked her if she wanted anything more. Yet he placed more orders for chicken wings, bread sticks and a pre-cut giant truffle cake much to her astonishment and she gulped, wondering if they would even be able to finish everything.

.

.

By the time the pizza arrived, the cart was full with clothes and shoes, thanks to Jughead who’d kept saying, ‘go for it, Princess!’ to almost every thing. Never had Betty ever thought, that she’d be shopping in a clothing store, without being nudged by strangers who’d give her intimidating glares, let alone be the only customer.

And now, as they sat on the floor, surrounded by boxes and eating the pizza, she couldn’t help but smile. Her life had changed significantly ever since she had met Jughead… And now she only needed to find a way to repay his goodness.

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.

“Clara,” Betty exclaimed when she heard some noise near the front door and within seconds, there the brunette was, standing with crossed arms and a scowl on her face.

“You both are gonna clean that mess up!” she said in a tone that made Betty jump in shock.

“Your date didn’t go well!” Jughead smiled knowingly. Betty gaped at him and then at Clara.

“Yeah!” Clara sighed. “Why did they have to be there?” she yelled, clearly irritated.

“Who?”

“Toni and Kimberly! They were at Pop’s and despite my protest, Fangs suggested we sit next to them and it was horrible because all they did was compare me with Holly… and Fangs never even dated Holly! What the fuck was it…” Clara ranted and paused when her gaze fell upon the half finished cake, “may I?” she asked expectantly.

“Sure!” Jughead nodded, gesturing towards the dessert.

“Thanks!” Clara sighed and sat on the floor. Betty offered her a piece and she smiled gratefully. “You shopped more?” Betty nodded in response, and she smirked looking at Jughead, “apply for a job here, why don’t you huh?”

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Once home, Jughead parked the truck in the garage and handed Betty one basket of groceries before getting down. The basket wasn’t heavy but by the time they made it into the house, Betty was heaving and gasping for air.

“Tomorrow at 5!” Jughead said commandingly, and refrained himself from laughing as her eyes widened.

“Five evening!” Betty stated.

“Nope! Early morning!” he corrected with a chuckle, and walked over to the kitchen as she followed behind. He poured some water into a glass and handed it to her, and she quickly took it. “You sit, I’ll get the rest of the bags,” he told her softly and she nodded. Betty followed him till the couch and sat on it, taking sips from the glass. He gave her a smile and headed out the door, and to his garage.

Jughead grabbed the last basket and two of Betty’s shopping bags and headed back. When he twirled the key, he froze with a sudden sense of foreboding and his blood ran cold at a random thought and he gulped and put the bags and the basket down on the floor of the porch.

He rang the bell and waited, but there came no response. He repeated, only for his fear to intensify. “OPEN THE DOOR BETTY!” he yelled, not knowing why she must have locked it, she fucking knew better. “BETTY!” he called again, banging on the door frantically as his breaths became ragged, and he realized he was panicking.

Jughead turned around and leaned against the door, taking deep breaths. He pulled his phone out and called his landline and breathed a sigh of relief when it was immediately picked up.

“Betty?”

“Jughe… h-he… ee…” Jughead heard the panic in her voice that caused him to stay alert and look around for any signs. When he didn’t catch any, he glanced at the door, then straightaway ran around the house to the window that he knew could let him into his study.

“Stay fucking calm,” he said firmly.

“I… sc-sca…”

“Open the window for me, stay calm Princess, I’m right here,” he said as he approached the window and he wished he had transparent see through glasses, instead of one-way mirror ones. He didn’t know if Betty was going to open, nonetheless, he still assumed and gestured with his hands as to where the latch was and what she needed to do.

After a while the window slid sideways and he sighed heavily before his eyes widened in horror. Grabbing the stool for support, he quickly climbed in and caught Betty as she collapsed.

“Fuck!” he gasped in horror and stared at the door that was being constantly banged on.

“I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE SLUT, I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU…” The person on the other side of the door sang. His tone was cold, daunting.

Prick.

Jughead clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he held Betty closer. When he realized he himself was trembling, he scooped her delicate form up in his arms and carried her to the couch. He laid her down and picked up the glass of water from the coffee table, thanking himself for it and sprinkled some on her face.

“I need you fucking awake Betts,” he quavered in a whisper, “I can’t go out there if I am ought to worry about you.”

“YOU KNOW I DON’T GIVE UP AND I KNOW YOU CAN’T SCREAM TO SAVE YOUR FUCKING LIFE! YOU’RE MY SLAVE, NOW JUST COME OUT BETTY COOPER!”

Jughead ignored the noise and focused on Betty knowing he could handle the Prick later, once Betty’s alright. After what felt like forever, she opened her eyes and he couldn’t help but place a soft kiss on her forehead as she sobbed and clutched onto his shirt. Jughead grabbed her hands and shifted her so he could sit on the couch and hold her in his lap. When there was another bang on the door, Betty curled up into a ball and pressed her hands over her ears.

“Did he hurt you?” Jughead murmured, trying to hold her still. She was visibly trembling.

Betty shook her head, and just then they heard a gunshot and they both jumped.

Jughead felt a jolt of anger realizing the prick had a fucking gun. He should’ve had taken Fangs’ words more seriously. He should’ve had assigned someone to look out. But then again, he had given something else more importance than Betty. And this was his fault again. Tears burned his eyes and he frantically pushed Betty off of him, ignoring her strangled gasp and stood up, stretching his neck to find some ease before briskly emptying his pockets and heading towards the door.

Jughead flung it open, coming face to face with the Prick who suddenly flinched in shock. He tilted his head, glowering at the panic-stricken blonde, with one of his intimidating glares. For a fact he couldn’t believe Jim was punched by, this. Or that Betty was scared of… this.

Anger seized him and his tight fist connected with the blonde’s jaw, who jolted backwards, dropping the gun and gasping in realization. And it only made Jughead chuckle, rather briefly.

“How very lovely to finally meet you!” Jughead seethed callously, picking up the gun. “Don’t fret, I won’t kill you,” he chuckled as the Prick visibly relaxed. “I’d rather prefer you fucking suffer for what you did to my Princess!” he snarled, definitely catching the other man off guard.

Whereupon Jughead pointed the gun downward and shot him in the knee without any temporizing, and watched as he fell to the floor, wincing in pain. Jughead smirked at the vulnerability and lowered the gun.

“Too fragile!” he remarked.

“FUCK YOU BASTARD!” The Prick screamed through pain, holding his bleeding knee.

Jughead snickered and cocked his head slightly, “Get the fuck up!” he commanded.

“Ju-Jughead, you-your phone, Jim, is calling…” He heard Betty’s quivering voice.

“Answer it. Tell him we’ve got a new punching bag. But this one won’t last long.”

Chapter Text

After Jughead disappeared out the door, Betty put the glass down on the coffee table and quickly took her boots off, wincing at the fact that they were getting uncomfortable and starting to smother her feet. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt tired like this; in a way that was good and contenting. She sighed at that, and was about to reach for her glass again, when she jerked with a sudden sense of dread and foreboding, similar to that she had felt when she had been with Jughead at his dad’s bar.

She slowly lifted her head up, her heart thumping in her chest.

This was a dream, a bad bad bad dream, Betty tried to convince herself as she gasped inaudibly, but to add to her trepidation, the undeserved tears began hurting her face, telling her she wasn’t dreaming, and she prayed to God to help her breathe as she watched him. He was only a few meters away from her, and her skin crawled at the mere thought of… it all would happen again.

No. She needed to get out of here, she needed to run away. Jughead had said this place was safe for her but she didn’t know most of his house and upstairs room wasn’t an option because the window in there, was blocked by a giant cupboard. But there was one safe place, as she thought about it.

Gathering all her fake courage, Betty was about to get up just as Austin’s groan sent chills down her spine. She froze.

“There!” Austin turned around, and she curled her toes and clenched her hands, still careful though, to keep herself aware of her surroundings. “You look good, slave. I see the ponytail is back,” he smiled before clearing his throat, “we’ve got no time for anything right now and if you must guess, I have a chastisement planned for you later on, and I am sure you understand why! Now get up, we’re leaving,” he said very calmly and lowly, and nodded somewhere near the kitchen.

Betty flinched, her chin trembling. This wasn’t real, she tried to convince herself again and again as she felt being trapped in that smothering polythene bag. She sank further into the couch as if it would protect her. Her throat was already hurting from all the silent sobbing and she wished with all her heart for this to be a dream. She wanted to leave.

“This is what I fucking love about you Betty, you don’t obey until you feel that sting in your flesh,” Austin smirked, his hand moving to his belt.

Betty instinctively squeezed her eyes shut and more fresh tears doused her face. This was a dream. Austin wasn’t here. He couldn’t hit her with that belt, or make her suck his cock. She didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve to be physically used and abused by someone who—

The sound of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts and she snapped her eyes open to see Austin’s clenched jaw before he angrily turned around and headed towards the door.

“Fuck that’s him! We need to get out of here before he barges in,” Austin explained quietly, peeping out through the hole. “That Serpent’s got anger issues,” he said lowly and Betty contemplated her choices, wishing for Austin to not turn around yet as she slowly got up from the couch, not wanting to make any noise, and timidly ran on her toes towards the only room that was in sight: Jughead’s study…

Once inside, Betty locked the door, thanking Jughead for the five latches she had to fasten, and for distracting Austin with the doorbells. She needed to tell him. She needed to call him. She looked at her shaky hands grabbing one into the other and the vice versa, just as she jumped at the sound of the loud bang on the door.

“SO YOU’RE FINE WITH BEING HIS WHORE THAN MINE?” Austin yelled angrily.

She opened her mouth but no words came out. Hell, she didn’t know why she needed to reply to him. She wasn’t his captive anymore. She wasn’t.

Though answer to his question was a simple ‘yes.’

“UNACCEPTABLE. IS THIS WHAT I GET FOR SPEAKING NICELY TO YOU? YOU SLUT! OPEN THE DOOR, AND I’LL FUCKING SHOW YOU WHAT I AM CAPABLE OF!”

Betty squeezed her eyes shut and let out an unsteady breath. She knew she was running out of time. She was just grateful for all the food that was giving her enough energy to help her think and stay alert. She looked at the window, thinking whether to climb out or not. She had made a mistake of leaving her boots in the foyer. Maybe the food wasn’t exactly helping her think properly. She knew Jughead would be worried, she needed to tell him she didn’t lock the door, Austin did.

Her eyes snapped open and she scrambled over to the desk and picked up the bunch of cards, only for them to scatter around by slipping from her trembling hands. She managed to pick one up but her unclear vision made it too difficult to read, no matter how hard she tried. Why was the print so tiny?

Her eyes prickled with more and more tears as the time passed and she cried gripping the sides of the table, and just then, as if on cue, the landline began to ring and she immediately picked it up.

“Betty?”

“Jughe… h-he… ee…” she tried, only for more tears to appear. Why couldn’t she talk? Everything she needed to tell him was on the tip of her tongue, yet her voice was nothing but a gasp.

“Stay fucking calm.” She heard Jughead’s firm tone, and nodded taking a deep breath.

“I… sc-sca…” she choked. Never had she hated herself more.

“Open the window for me, stay calm Princess, I’m right here.”

Betty nodded and quickly headed towards the window. Her nerves were getting best of her as she undid the latch and moved the frame aside, breathing a sigh of relief. Everything was going to be alright, she told herself as she blinked trying to smile at Jughead, agonizing what was happening to her. She didn’t want him to worry, but there was nothing she could do to keep herself from…

Blinking, Betty opened her eyes, somewhat relieved that the episode was over. And grateful that Jughead was here and before she could focus on him, she felt his firm lips on her forehead and she sobbed, clutching onto his shirt but not for long as Jughead grabbed her wrists and pulled them away and she tensed up. But then, he lifted her upper back and made himself comfortable on the couch before pulling her onto his lap, and she quickly cuddled up into him, her shaky hands clutching onto his shirt again.

She could still hear Austin’s voice, followed by the knocks and bangs on the door and the vice versa, as Jughead stroked her arm and slightly rocked her. Suddenly, there was a loud bang that caused her to jump and she curled up, pulling her legs closer to her chest as Jughead held her even tighter.

She wondered why he wasn’t bothered much. They could have left from the open window, yet they were sitting here on the couch as if waiting for Austin to break in. But then, this was Jughead’s house and he knew better.

“Did he hurt you?” Jughead murmured.

Betty shook her head, and just then they heard a gunshot and they both jumped as everything went silent. Jughead’s fingers were pressing into her arm, somewhat painfully, but that wasn’t the reason her tears fell uncontrollably and she forgot to breathe. Austin had a gun with him this whole time, and maybe he could have pointed it at her…

She let out a stifled gasp, grabbing the pad of the couch to steady herself as Jughead abruptly pushed her aside, and she frantically turned her head to look at him. The anger in his expression made her flinch and she quietly eyed his hand movements as he pulled his phone and keys out of his pockets and put them on the coffee table before doing the same with his wallet and some candies and chewing gums. If she wasn’t so dazed and uneasy, she would have laughed at his fatuousness. But then her heart throbbed in fear as he began walking away towards the door causing her to frantically stand up, and she stumbled on her feet.

“Jughead?” she called. Or maybe she just imagined it, because he didn’t turn around. She stood frozen, feeling defeated as she watched him fling the door open.

Austin had a gun, and she knew Jughead had left his in the truck. If she had been able to talk properly, he would have had brought it with him. It was somewhat her fault, besides Jughead acting like an idiot but she couldn’t let him get hurt because of it, because of her. He had patted his clothes, and he didn’t have gun on him. How could he be so stupid? Just as the thought crossed her mind she heard a cracking sound.

“How very lovely to finally meet you!” She heard Jughead’s voice and it shocked her. He didn’t sound like himself. “Don’t fret, I won’t kill you. I’d rather prefer you fucking suffer for what you did to my Princess!” And then she heard a gunshot that scared her to death and she gulped taking two timid steps towards it just as she heard Jughead’s phone vibrate and lit up from where it was on the coffee table. She stopped and shakily picked it up and noticed it was Jim’s call.

“FUCK YOU BASTARD!” She heard Austin’s painful scream, and frantically wiped her tears away and focused her attention on the phone. She tried running her fingers on the screen, pressing the button, but nothing happened, except she panicked wondering if Jughead would yell at her for missing the call. He was angry. He hurt Austin. He wouldn’t hurt her, she knew, but she didn’t want any scoldings.

Betty quickly neared the door, only to stop in her tracks, and thrill resonated through her as she watched the scene in front of her. Jughead had the gun and Austin’s knee was bleeding. On the spur of the moment, something shifted in her and suddenly she was certain, seeing Austin in pain was a hell of a lot awe-inspiring.

“Get the fuck up!” Jughead commanded Austin.

Betty took a deep breath, holding out her hand, “Ju-Jughead, you-your phone, Jim, is calling,” she quavered and hoped it was just the vibrating phone that was making her shake too.

“Answer it. Tell him we’ve got a new punching bag. But this one won’t last long,” Jughead snarled and Betty gaped at him in disbelief. What was he talking about?

She shifted her gaze to Austin and tried her best not to cower when he glared at her. He looked the scariest she had ever known, yet the weakest she had never seen. He couldn’t bear the pain, she could tell well.

“She can’t answer that damn phone. Ask her when was the last time she’d had a phone like that. Never!” Austin heckled as Betty went still at his audacity. Then much to her dismay, the phone stopped vibrating.

“Get the fuck up!” Jughead proclaimed menacingly, his voice growing impatient.

“You falling for her, aren’t you? There’s no way you’d do this for charity,” Austin spat. “C'mon man, you’re better than this, don’t tell me you’re in love with my slut and you’d do anything to protect her. She is fucking useless, and the only reason you want her is because of what I trained her for!”

Betty blinked, unable to process what was going on until something touched her feet, stopping her from getting flustered. No sooner had Austin spoken those hurtful words, than he was pinned to the wall with Jughead’s arm pressed and still pressing more against his neck. She glanced down at… at the gun. Jughead had slid the gun towards her, and she didn’t know when and how.

“You don’t have to do this man I am willing to share my slut with you. I haven’t fucked her ass yet and if you want you can claim that filthy hole for fuck’s sake she can serve us both, I know you like to—”

Jughead’s fist connected with Austin’s face with a cracking sound. This was louder than what Betty had heard earlier, from the Study. If she was to think he was done for, she would have been so wrong. It felt good, the tears; the sobs choking her throat… looking at Austin getting beaten up like this where his eyes barely stayed open, his nose bleeding, his body shaking just like hers did not too long ago…

Austin loved to see her in pain, and never had she given it a thought that the vice versa would be true too. She wanted to bring that stick and belt and that lash, and hit him with them herself until he passed out. But no, she wouldn’t stop at that. She’d wait for him to wake up, then hit him again, and again. And again. Her head felt lighter and the tears didn’t stop until much to her irritation, the sound of the doorbell interrupted her high.

“Get that, Betts, keep the gun with you and don’t be afraid to use it.”

“Okay,” she muttered, more to herself and slowly crouched down to pick the gun up, peeking a glance at Austin. Her hands were shaking all along as she walked over to opened the door. Without much of a thought, she pointed the gun towards the figure.

“Fucking hell Betty!” Jim gasped, stepping back in horror.

“J-Jim…” Betty stuttered, quickly dropping the gun to the floor and Jim visibly relaxed.

“Can I,” he paused and looked over his shoulder at the man who had accompanied him, “can we come in?”

Betty nodded and stepped aside letting him pass through.

“JESUS CHRIST! Jug, I was thinking of going to Chicago to find this bastard and that’s why I came to ask for your permissio—”

“—FUCK QUIET!” Jughead yelled, and the room went silent. Was Austin dead?

The other man who accompanied Jim, stopped and smirked at her.

“Sweet Pea,” he offered his hand.

“What?”

“My name, Sweet Pea,” he repeated, still holding out his hand to her.

She hesitantly grabbed it, “Betty.”

“Well, that’s a beautiful name for a beautiful woman, and you know, you look quite familiar to me…” Sweet Pea said, his face growing pensive and Betty felt herself getting warmer at the possibility. Did he know her? Should she tell him her last name? He called her beautiful. He was surely flirting. She blinked.

“Sweet Pea?” Jughead called, dragging the half conscious form along with him as he approached them. He released it to the floor and wiped his hands on his jeans. “What are you doing here?”

“He’s keeping an eye on me,” Jim answered in annoyance. “When he should have kept an eye on this!” he added, kicking Austin in the side.

Betty smiled when Austin winced in pain and she changed her mind. She didn’t want Austin to die anymore. She wanted him to keep getting beaten up for the rest of his life. Long life.

“Can’t trust this kid,” Sweet Pea said flatly.

Jim scoffed defensively. “I am 22, Sweet Pea, not a kid! I hold a fucking black belt in Taekwondo, do you even know what that is? I have proved myself so many times…” his voice faltered as Sweet Pea shook his head, waving dismissively. “I am talking to you, you son of a bitch!”

Sweet Pea suddenly grew angry and flexed his fingers into a fist pulling his elbow back and Betty jerked. The anger problem of the Southside, she convinced herself and took a deep breath.

“Okay enough!” Jughead growled, and the two men forcibly calmed themselves, and Jim leaned against the nearby wall, letting out a sigh of disappointment. “Sweet Pea, now that you’re here just help for heaven’s sake, okay?” Jughead adjured impatiently, “please!”

“I came by bike, so did Sweet Pea,” Jim informed, and Betty wondered what that had to do with whatever help Jughead was asking for.

Jughead simply nodded, “Just give me a few then you can take my truck.” With that he went into the study and soon he was out the front door, leaving her alone with the two men. And Austin.

“Hey!” She heard Sweet Pea’s voice, and lifted her head to look at him. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You… dating Jones?” he interrogated narrowing his eyes.

Betty shook her head. “No,” she whispered in confusion.

“Smart girl!” he chuckled before clearing his throat, “no offense Betty, this isn’t about you.”

“And this isn’t about Jug either!” Jim interrupted pushing away from the wall he was leaning against before. “I’m sick of you guys spreading rumors about him.”

“QUIET! Don’t raise that voice at me, kid. I ain’t Jones, who’d listen to your Goddamn bullshit all the time.”

“He trusts you guys,” Jim pleaded, “don’t—”

“—He needs to learn to apologize, and stop treating everyone like shit. He’s not some God you’re worshiping, Jimmy. You owe him a lot, and that’s how he likes it. You don’t understand it now, but you will…” Sweet Pea growled.

“This is not the place to talk,” Jim warned, then both the men exchanged a look as Betty watched, knowing she was the reason why. She blinked at the thought that questioned her affiliation. Why wasn’t Jughead coming back?

“Right!” Sweet Pea muttered, a while later.

“How’s Holly?” Jim asked then, as if wanting to change the subject.

“Oh great,” Sweet Pea grinned before looking at Betty again. The man seemed to be studying her since a long and she was getting conscious. “Holly is my wife,” he told her with a blush, and Betty’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

This man looked like a player and she doubted he was trying to flirt with her with that ridiculous smile but turned out he was married, and he was also blushing like the men in Gladys Jones’ books. She quickly straightened up as Sweet Pea seemed about to say something more, but then he didn’t, and she realized Jughead was approaching them.

“Jim!” Jughead called aloud from the doorway, tossing the key towards him, and winced when it wasn’t caught, and Betty giggled inwardly, not wanting to gather attention.

.

.

Soon after, Jim was dragging Austin’s unconscious body out the door, not caring when it was bumping in places.

Betty's eyes followed the trail of blood ripping through the bullet hole in his knee, and something in her torso clenched as she felt tears prickle her eyes again.

“You okay, Beautiful?” Sweet Pea asked, and Betty quickly nodded in response. “You want me to send someone over for you?”

She was about to shake her head when she felt Jughead’s arm snaking around her waist, and she caught her breath.

“You need to leave, Sweet Pea,” Jughead said in a tone that could only be described as a warning. Why was he warning his friend?

“I just want to make sure this blonde is okay. I can ask Holly to come over if—”

“—I-I am okay,” Betty quickly cut in, sensing Jughead’s impatience. “I don’t want anyone to come over… Jughead and I are, are good,” she stated quickly, her explanation being that this was Jughead’s house, and he was getting fidgety. She didn’t like him fidgety. Moreover, she didn’t want another woman who would make her look less pretty, to show up here. She had already been humiliated by two mere hours ago.

“You heard Betty,” Jughead goaded, before they all heard Jim yelling for Sweet Pea to help him. “And you have a dimwit to keep an eye on.”

Sweet Pea nodded and glanced at Betty, giving her a look she didn’t understand. She just gave him a slight nod and soon the door was shut and she shifted herself to stand in front of Jughead.

“I am sorry I left you alone…” Jughead whispered and the pain in his voice worried her. Why did he always apologize?

“I am sorry I didn’t scream…” she whispered back.

“Betty, I don’t know what I would have done if…” he trailed off, blinking, and her heart sank at the possibility. More for him than for herself.

Betty grabbed his face. Then standing on her toes, she kissed him, her eyes fluttering close. What she hadn’t expected was for Jughead to deepen the kiss and pick her up. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him, holding on tightly as he explored her mouth.

Jughead broke the kiss and carried her upstairs as she hid her face into his neck. Neither of them smelled good, she mused. But nothing about it was repelling.

“Will we have sex?” she whispered as they reached inside the bedroom, but he was still walking.

“Not really,” he breathed and kicked the bathroom door open and helped her sit on the counter and kissed her again, hastily.

“Will we shower together?” she asked wishfully, when he tilted her head upwards.

“No, Betty,” he murmured, peppering bruising kisses down her neck.

Before she could ask any more questions, Jughead’s hands unwrapped her dress, leaving her bare from the front. He then quickly dropped to his knees and took her panties off. She certainly complied.

Though Jughead was so nice and understanding, a part of her felt bad that she hadn’t shaved since the time she had been here. She guessed it was time she should start using that new looking razor from that basket Toni had left for her.

Jughead shifted her closer to his face, hooking her legs over his shoulders, and she gulped in anticipation. Their eyes stayed locked as he flicked his tongue over her clit, slowly and tenderly, sending a sharp shiver through her entire body and she quickly slid her hands into his hair for support, holding on tightly. He let out a chuckle then, and without a further ado, began devouring her core with his mouth, sucking and licking and alternating at a pace that was beginning to drive her crazy. She trembled, gasping and moaning, her breaths growing shallow as she felt her arousal building in her core, making her ache for more and she bowed her head down, taking a few heavy breaths, her eyes fluttering shut, her body shaking and on the verge of falling apart. She let out a frustrated moan, a tear slipping from her eye.

She wanted to come so bad but Jughead was so slow. Just his tongue wasn’t enough, and she didn’t know what to do. Why wasn’t he using his fingers? She even wanted more, his cock. She remembered last night when she had made him feel good, and it made her even more restless. Why wasn’t he reading her mind?

“What do you want, Betty?” Jughead groaned, his breath tickling her sensitive skin. She only moaned, unable to think right away. He gave her a long lick, then kissed her right above her sensitive bud. “Tell me, or I can stop…” he murmured breathlessly and her watery eyes went wide. She tightened her hold in his hair, and crossed her ankles and he chuckled, making her feel like a fool. “Tell me,” he whispered, looking her in the eyes.

She wanted to cry, because Jughead was teasing and she doubted he was going to leave her on the edge because he was smirking. “Pleas…” she whispered pleadingly, her tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Come for me…” Jughead whispered before sucking on her clit, violently. He wasn’t slow this time, much to her relief and she moaned again and again, loudly and in no time she was squirming and gritting her teeth. She bet she saw heaven, hearing the slight buzzing sounds as an orgasm ripped through her and she stiffened, her body tingling.

“J… Jughea… I…” Betty panted when he didn’t stop, her face doused with tears.

“Again,” was all he said in reply, and she nodded without thinking.

Betty barely had time to collect her breaths by the time she was coming again, the intensity of it dizzying her, making her tremble hard. She was afraid she could fall, but then she was doubtful if she would feel anything, and the next she knew, she was wrapped in Jughead’s arms, sobbing against his neck.

Jughead sighed heavily, his heart clenching hearing Betty’s sobs. When she had collapsed against him, crying, he knew he’d triggered something before. Why did he need to take his time with her? And that too to the point of overwhelming her.

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have…” Jughead swallowed as Betty shook her head.

“For making me feel good? You are weird,” she said hoarsely, letting out a small giggle. He stayed quiet and just held her.

Shortly after, Betty felt like herself again. Her voice was back, and Jughead was here with her. They were both safe, and cozy. Just like she wished for. He was the nicest person ever, because he cared about her and always apologized for no reason. Clara was wrong, Sweet Pea was wrong, and Toni was wrong too. They were all wrong for trying to warn her, she decided.

“You… wanna take a bath?” Jughead asked when he realized Betty’s breaths were growing even.

“Yes!” she answered.

He pulled away and helped her sit back. “Stay here,” he told her and went to turn on the tap to fill the tub up with hot water before leaving to the room to grab the bag Toni had given him. He returned shortly and placed it beside Betty, and chuckled when she peeked in like a child.

“I am not a child!” Betty stated, picking out a rubber duckling.

Jughead laughed shaking his head. He picked out the paper that Toni had written instructions on. He followed them, and mentally prided himself when the bath was ready. At last, he picked up the toys and placed them one by one in the water.

Then turning to Betty, he grinned, “all set!”

Betty giggled and got down and he walked over to her. “All set?” she asked and he knew exactly what she was thinking. But that was for another day.

“Yup! You take your time and relax, I’ll be downstairs…” he said softly and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving.

.

.

Jughead picked up his cleaning caddy, along with mop and bucket filled with cleaning dilution, and headed for his self assigned mission to clean the entire floor. That included every wall, every object, every door and window. This was the only way to keep Sheriff at bay, in case something goes wrong…

.

.

.

.

After a job well done, Jughead took a hot shower and changed into a vest and sweats, and grabbed his slippers from the shoe rack before heading to the kitchen.

He groaned, opening the backdoor that was supposed to be locked well all the time, except, it wasn’t, like he had checked an hour prior while cleaning. He walked over to the car parked a few meters away. It had tinted glasses and a number plate that Jughead immediately recognized as fake. He took a breath and unlocked the door with the key that was already inserted.

A few minutes later, he returned with some of the stuff he found in the car, and dropped it all on the kitchen island next to the Prick’s gun and its magazine that he had taken out of it earlier. ‘Don’t tell me you’re in love with my slut and you’d do anything to protect her. She is fucking useless, and the only reason you want her is because of what I trained her for.’ Anger welled up in his chest as he allowed himself to replay the Prick’s words.

He had fallen in and out of love before, and he did have a doubt he was in love with Betty, but that was just a feeling he was trying to suppress since past few days whenever he found himself being too happy around her. Maybe he was a compassionate person, who was also an unfeeling asshole if that made any sense. He just wanted Betty to be happy, and that was it. Everything about her was delightful and she… she was simply beautiful.

Fuck Sweet Pea for calling Betty that and making her blush. Fuck Sweet Pea for being so sweet. Fuck Sweet Pea for making him jealous… but then he wasn’t jealous back then when Holly had ditched him… still fuck Sweet Pea. Fuck everyone breathing down his neck, the fuck would he ever listen to them. No one had a fucking say in his life.

But nevertheless, there was no way in hell Jughead was ready to confess his feelings to Betty. She was too strong to shatter, but too precious to be damaged in the slightest. She was yet to be her own person, yet to find herself. And he wasn’t gonna overwhelm her with anything more. Besides, she deserved better… like living with adopted kids and pets and selling baked cookies and cakes. And he deserved to be alone because he knew Betty didn’t feel the same. But she made this place a home, and he was sure he was gonna go crazy once she decided to leave…

Tears burned his eyes and he shook his thoughts away, needing to focus on the items on the island. Prick’s phone, some papers, hand cuffs, a cane and some duct tape. His blood boiled as he blankly stared at them.

It was his fault that Betty had to face the Prick again. He wasn’t even sure if the backdoor was locked or not because the last he had checked it was two days before Christmas.

To add, days ago he had left Betty alone for hours thinking his house was safe. How could he be so careless?

What could have happened if Betty hadn’t decided to hide? What could have happened if the Prick had just taken her away? He frantically darted upstairs…

.

.

Jughead stopped as he heard the splashes of water. It had been nearly two hours, and he figured Betty must have gotten bored. But then, she could have got out any moment she wanted. Just because he ran her a bath didn’t mean he was babysitting her throughout it. Just as he was about to knock he heard sobs and whimpers, and his face fell.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. “Betty?”

“Jughead, Come here!” He heard her screech, followed by more splashes of water.

He warily peeked in and Betty grinned, beckoning him to come closer. He then took a few steps in, and stopped as Betty groaned conspicuously.

“What!” he chuckled nervously. He was sure he had heard her sob, and now he was looking at a completely different Betty.

“You’re showered. I wanted to splash water on you,” she nodded.

“Just rinse off and come out,” he allowed himself to laugh.

“Okay,” Betty pouted and he just gave her a brief smile before leaving.

After contemplating whether to go downstairs or not, Jughead sat at the foot of the bed, waiting impatiently for his thoughts to go away.

Why was Betty crying before? Had he taken too long to check on her? Did she feel bored and frustrated? But he had told her to take her time which meant she could have come out when she wanted, he convinced himself.

Or was it about earlier when he had triggered something?

Or did Austin’s memories haunt her again?

He made a mental note to stay with her the next time, just in case.

“Jughead?”

He looked up from where his eyes were on the carpet. “Hey Betty,” he smiled, or at least he thought he did. He watched her approach, and gulped when she sat next to him. He hadn’t expected that, seeing as she was wrapped in his towels. He had assumed she would want to put on some clothes and he had even promised himself he wouldn’t look so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Now he wasn’t sure what to say, or do.

“Why do you get fidgety?” Betty asked, catching Jughead off guard. He himself wasn’t sure of the answer, or the fact that he was fidgeting.

“I… I quit smoking, probably that’s why,” he answered quietly. The reasoning wasn’t false, even though all this time it had never crossed his mind. Before he had quit the smokes, they were his only way of getting rid of any stress and now, he deliberately kept none of those stuff in reach.

“Why did you quit?”

“To forget Joani,” he choked, “she and I, we did that a lot, for fun and, I… couldn’t pick one without thinking of her.”

“Oh,” Betty mumbled and grabbed his hand and held it in her own, yet again surprising him and he simply watched as she rubbed her thumb over his bruised knuckles.

“Can I bandage your hand?” she asked softly.

Jughead swallowed. “I’m… do you want to?”

Betty nodded, “but I don’t know how to.”

Jughead smiled at that, despite himself. “I’ll be back,” he told her and got up. He excitedly made a trip to the kitchen, and returned with his very rarely used medical box. He placed it on her lap and she gaped at it, then at him. “I don’t know how to either,” he smirked.

Betty was still gaping at him. She blinked, then looked at the box and gulped. He watched her as she picked up and studied one item at a time.

After a while, she shifted, putting the box on the bed. Jughead wasn’t sure where they were going with this, with everything. Mere minutes ago, he was uneasy, and now, now he was smiling like an idiot at how innocent Betty was being. He was just happy that she was happy.

“Got it!” Betty screeched, pulling out all the adhesive bandages.

“Seriously?” he asked in disbelief.

Betty giggled grabbing his hand. “I know how to use these,” she exclaimed and quickly set to work.

Jughead sighed inaudibly. He hated bandages. All kind of bandages. Notwithstanding that fact, he was expecting Betty to mock clean his bruises, apply cream, place cotton and gently wrap. Betty seemed worried enough to act a little dramatic that way, but turned out he was wrong…

“Better?” Betty asked, when she was apparently done with her nursing task.

“Yeah, better,” Jughead replied with a smug smile, and Betty lowered her gaze.

“Jughead?” she called lowly, running her fingers on his wrist, and he waited in anticipation for her to continue. “Can I-I stay with you, longer?” she asked cautiously. “I know y-you had said I can stay as long as I want but now Austin is caught, and I am thinking everything differently. I want to stay with you, you understand me and I feel… I-I haven’t been this happy in a long…” she implored.

Jughead studied her, his face heedlessly impassive. He was about to reply, but paused as Betty continued,

“Please… I-I can eve-even be your whore again, and you can put me to use for good, you are not Austin and I know I can trust you with that too, please,” she pleaded, tears falling down her cheeks like they had been held in for a while, and it appalled him. He wondered if this was the reason she was crying before.

A pang shot through his heart, and he was unable to blink until he felt a tear of his own, warm against his cheek. He swallowed thickly, refraining himself from giving Betty a long ass speech concerning how she was wrong about him and how he felt offended by her not trusting him enough. Sure it was his fault for taking too long to respond but she could have waited a bit longer before speaking. Why couldn’t she? Still and all, he knew he needed to appreciate the fact that Betty wasn’t keeping her doubts to herself.

“You don’t have to,” he gulped, his eyes falling on a bruise peeking out of the towel.

“I, don’t?”

“I’d meant it when I’d said you can stay as long as you want, and it had nothing to do with the Prick. You’re your own person, Betty and you need no reason to compromise. You don’t need to plead, or think of me as superior. I don’t deserve that, I never did…” his voice trailed off as their eyes met.

Betty nodded tearfully, seemingly relieved. “You’re the nicest. Thank you!”

Jughead shook his head, chuckling in alleviation. “I am not the nicest I swear I just love you!” he laughed.

“L-love, what?” Betty gasped in disbelief. “You-you can’t love me, no one loves me!” she shook her head as Jughead’s eyes went wide. He thought it could be casual, but Betty had to notice that fucking L word.

“I…” he gasped.

“I-I am sorry, I thought… You surely didn’t mean it like that,” Betty whispered.

This would get difficult, Jughead thought. He was suddenly caught up in a fucking dilemma. Could he lie?

“Jughead,” Betty called, and he looked at her. “You don’t have to get lost in thoughts, I said I am sorry,” she smiled, apparently embarrassed.

“Betty, I love you!” Jughead quavered above the whisper, his heart hammering in his chest. And he couldn’t believe just how good it felt to say it out loud.

“You’re lying!”

“No,” he choked.

“You met me days ago.”

“It doesn’t fucking matter!” he insisted with an insinuating glare. He fucking hated being convinced the otherwise! But this was Betty, his innocent Betty, who didn’t mean to hurt him. He just needed to understand her, and beyond her spoken words.

“You mean… I don’t… my mom would never approve of you.”

“What?” he asked dumbfounded. Did she mean ‘The Great Alice Cooper who was dead for over a decade?’ “You mean The Great Alice Cooper who’s dead for over a decade?” he mocked before he could even reconsider his words, and cursed himself for it. He watched Betty nod slightly, and fuck if this wasn’t the best way of guilt tripping him. Staying quiet and letting him process his own thoughts to get the desired results.

“You have, too many tattoos,” Betty said in a whisper, and he snapped his attention back to her.

“I can get them removed,” he replied easily, shocking even himself.

“No…” Betty screeched grabbing his hand, “I-I like them, but…” she sighed, “you don’t know me properly. Yup, you don’t know me properly,” she nodded and he narrowed his eyes at her in addlement.

“I want to, if you’re willing to share,” Jughead offered sincerely. He wanted to get to know her. He wanted to know what her life was like before the Prick, and with the Prick. He wanted to heal her deepest wounds and scars, and not just the ones on her tender skin. He wanted her to be innocent, but not as her way of bracing herself before the fall.

Betty gaped at him, then shook her head. “When I was a kid, I wanted to become a school teacher and I also wanted to own a bakery. Because I liked sweets and children,” Betty muttered as Jughead scoffed rolling his eyes, and she grinned, wide.

“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a boxer and punch the shit out of everyone who bullied me,” Jughead confessed sheepishly.

Betty giggled, wiping at her tears. “I don’t believe you were bullied.”

“Oh, massively,” Jughead chuckled, casually getting down and sitting on the carpet, resting his forearms on his knees and leaning against the bed. “I was a weird kid who wore a stupid beanie all the time that attracted everyone’s attention. On top of that I was rebellious and slow,” he paused and looked at her. “But I got my revenge, so that’s all fine now,” he said smugly and offered her a wink, and she giggled that signature giggle. “Mind you, you’re naked!” he teased her then.

Betty giggled again. “I am in a black creepy monster towel,” she exclaimed, still giggling and got down and straddled him. He smirked at her but she didn’t flinch. Instead, she reached a hand to caress his cheek, and he laughed, loudly.

“Don’t laugh! I know I am bad at this,” Betty pouted. Jughead only continued, until he felt Betty’s soft lips pressed to his, momentarily. “You laugh too much,” Betty whispered with a smile.

“Only when I’m with you,” he whispered holding her gaze, and her smile faltered.

“I don’t know if I love you, Jughead. I don’t feel it, I try my best, believe me I do. To be normal and I can’t and I am scared,” she pleaded, her eyes filling with tears.

Jughead’s heart clenched in his chest. He wanted to take his words back so she could be free, but he knew, doing so would only make her feel lesser.

“You don’t have to reciprocate my feelings, Betty,” he muttered in a shaky voice.

“I need time,” Betty sobbed.

Jughead nodded vigorously. “You have it, you can even say no and I’ll make sure I never bother you again ever if…” his voice trailed off and he let out a shuddering breath.

“What?” she asked worriedly and he shook his head.

“Shouldn’t have said anything,” he mumbled. “Think I need another shower.”

“No shower, I can make you feel better,” Betty told him as he raised his eyebrows at her, and then he felt her hands near the waistband of his sweats. He easily stilled them.

“I am not sexually frustrated,” he said mockingly.

Betty looked at where he had grabbed her wrists, then back up at him. “But I am yet to return the favor,” she said artlessly.

“Come here,” Jughead whispered, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I am here when you need me… like that,” Betty whispered and he kept his face deadpanned.

“Can you answer something for me?” he adjured.

“Yup!” Betty nodded.

“What was living with the Prick like?” he asked as all the color drained from her face.

She froze for a long, and he waited patiently for her to speak. But then much to his dismay, she suddenly jerked and slumped against him, her tears dousing his shirt and he held her. She was fucking trembling. That was it, he had triggered her panic. Judging by her relaxed demeanor, he had assumed she would easily answer, but now he knew he just needed to figure out another way of getting answers from her.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he mumbled, holding her secure as she quivered.

“I… I wish I had known you sooner,” Betty whispered, her voice stuttering.

Jughead felt a stinging lump in his throat. Unable to speak, he squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his forehead to her shoulder, letting out a shuddering breath. The very last thing he wanted was for her to think the same way he did.

All he now knew was that the Prick was gonna confess his doings and fucking pay for every scar he caused to Betty.

.

.

.

.

.

***

Monday came sooner than Betty had expected and her day began with the buzzing sound of Jughead’s phone at nearly 8 in the morning, as it woke her up. She tried to sit up but noticed Jughead’s arm wrapped around her waist and gently shook him awake, and he grinned at her.

“You’re too, too pretty, and beautiful… kind… innocent… I love you and I’d die for you if the need arises. And if you ever hate me, I’d lose my mind and end up in a mental hospital. Would you visit me?” he asked, still grinning, leaving her wide eyed and gawking.

“I won’t ever hate you and nothing will happen,” Betty told him.

He chortled and nestled against her neck, “you will… I promise you, you will… you might even kill me.”

Betty shook her head and frowned. Her wish had finally come true, but at what cost? Jughead was here in the bed, but something was wrong with him.

“Fuck! I lost my beanie…” Jughead suddenly exclaimed lifting his head. “How will l survive without it, Betts?” he asked innocently, but before she could answer, he once again hid his face against her neck. “Call Toni and ask her to search it for me,” he mumbled, his hot breath tickling her skin. Why was he talking like this?

“But you haven’t worn it in days,” Betty nodded, more to herself and he lifted his head at her, again.

“That’s ‘cause I lost it,” he slurred grinning, and pouted.

“You are drunk.”

“Nope,” he chuckled and rolled to his side, his eyes shutting. “Not a morning drinker,” he mumbled in a whisper.

“Drugs.” Betty stated.

“Fuck you,” Jughead laughed nonchalantly.

Betty jolted at that, her smile fading, but she decided not to feel bad. He was Jughead, and he was nice. Unsure of what to say, Betty moved closer to him. She threw an arm around his torso, and rested her head on his chest. Then to add to coziness, she pulled the blanket up to her chin.

After a while Jughead’s phone started to buzz, again, and he let out a groan. Betty quickly climbed on top of him and reached for it and saw the several text notifications from Toni. Few of them were asking to open the door.

“Jughead?” she called, shaking him by the arm.

“Hmm?”

“Toni is here.”

“Tell her to fuck off,” he grumbled.

“But it’s Monday. I am going to be her experiment doll!” Betty stated, trying her best to hide her excitement.

Jughead’s eyes flew open and he cupped her cheeks. “God fuck no!” he said dramatically. “I won’t let that happen. You’re too precious to me and I won’t let Toni treat you like a lab rat. I promise…” his voice trailed off and his eyes fluttered shut again.

Betty gaped at him for a while. “Jughead?” she called, shaking him.

“Go to sleep Princess,” he mumbled, turning and dropping Betty back on the bed. She bounced a few times, feeling confused.

“But,” she mumbled, not sure what to tell him, and suddenly his arm was draped around her and she stayed quiet, until the phone buzzed again with another notification.

_{Just now,}

_{Toni: Why the fuck are you keeping me away from…}

Betty tapped on it.

_{Why the fuck are you keeping me away}

_{from Betty again? What wicked plans do}

_{you have now, Jones? If you try to hurt her,}

_{I swear I’ll inform the Sheriff.}

_:-[

Her eyes went wide. “Jughead, Toni…” she quavered and shook him awake.

“I’ll break her fucking neck if she tries to kiss you like she did to Joani,” Jughead scowled, then hid his face against her neck, letting out a breath. “Just please stay,” he mumbled shakily, and she quickly nodded in response.

“You not okay… I know!”

Chapter Text

Okay, I thought I’d just write these few following paragraphs since I am updating after a long. Oh, too long 😬…

So far, we know that Betty runs away from her captor Austin when he happens to have to leave the town for a while. Betty’s job search stops where it starts when Toni offers her a one night job, that’s pretty self-explanatory and Betty accepts it since it’s the only thing she’s sure she knows and that’s how she meets Jughead.

On the third night, after a panic attack at the bar, Betty tells Jughead everything about herself—how her family died, how she was fostered by heartless people and how their son Austin, raped her and held her captive for his carnal needs—and Jughead figures she’s Betty Cooper, the girl he has been searching for since last three years. He informs her about the book he’d dedicated to her under an impression that she would read it and come back.

And then, as expected, he promises her safety.

Jughead starts to realize his mistakes, and he comes to conclusion that he needn’t be telling Toni everything. She isn’t always right, but she wants to control him for whatever reason.

In the last chapter: Betty comes face to face with Austin when she’s alone, and though scared, she manages to hide until Jughead arrives. He’s not too far away, 😒 meh!

Then, Jughead tackles Austin and then Jim arrives—with Sweet Pea on tow—mainly to tell Jughead about his plan of going to Chicago to search for Austin. They drag Austin out and Betty and Jughead breathe a sigh of relief. Whew!

Oh, okay… I am done rambling 😝😁😬 go ahead…

🍪

“I’ll break her fucking neck if she tries to kiss you like she did to Joani,” Jughead scowled, then hid his face against her neck, letting out a breath. “Just please stay,” he mumbled shakily, and she quickly nodded in response.

“You not okay… I know!” Betty muttered.

Soon the phone buzzed again and she tapped on the notification.

_{JUGHEAD, OPEN THE DOOR!}

And there came another text, shortly after.

_{JUGHEAD JONES, OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!}

And another.

_NOW!

Betty let out a sigh and slowly pulled away from Jughead.

“Don’t go,” he mumbled, not even trying to stop her.

“I’ll be back quick. I have to answer the door for Toni.”

“No, please don’t,” he groaned. “Let’s pretend we’re not home, she’ll leave. I don’t wanna see her right now.”

“Why?”

Betty waited for his reply, but it didn’t come.

“Do you want coffee?” she asked in concern, then frowned when he mumbled something she couldn’t understand. He was definitely not okay! “I’ll make you okay, I promise. Don’t go anywhere!” She got down from the bed just as Jughead’s phone started to buzz, but before she could pick it up, Jughead did.

“Dare call again and I’ll fucking kill you!” Betty snatched the phone from his hand as he chuckled, “seriously, Betts?”

Betty ignored him and walked a little away towards the dressing table. “Toni, Jughead didn’t mean it.”

“What’s going on?” Toni demanded. “Jughead knew I was coming. Is everything okay?” Betty stared at her own reflection in the mirror.

“I-I can’t come to your salon today,” she stammered. She didn’t know why Jughead didn’t want to see Toni, but if that was what he wanted, that was what would happen. Sure she wanted to be Toni’s experiment doll, but not when Jughead wasn’t okay. She couldn’t leave him alone.

“Betty, are you okay?” Toni sounded worried. Betty glanced—behind her own reflection in the mirror—at the half-asleep raven-haired man once as he rolled to his side. “Okay, answer the door for me.”

“I-I can’t. You should go, please. Jughead is not keeping me away from you, he doesn’t have any plans with me… he wants to help me like you had asked him to. He-he is nice and he can’t hurt me. He loves me…” The last three words were barely a whisper as an abrupt shiver ran through her. The woman in the mirror looked terrified and she didn’t know why.

“Okay, look, I wasn’t serious about that, I just wanted to piss him off. It’s no big deal,” Toni sighed.

Just wanted to piss him off? No big deal? Betty was taken aback by Toni’s words. Toni knew Jughead got angry easily and yet—

“Wait, did you say he loves you?” Toni asked a while later and Betty froze at her sudden contemptuous tone. Was it so hard to believe that Toni had to question her back? As if wanting the answer to be different?

‘Toni doesn’t have a say.’

“Yes,” Betty quavered, glowering at herself.

“For fuck’s sake, Jughead Jones doesn’t know the spelling of love. He’s just a possessive asshole who does what he wants!”

“You don’t know that! And you’re wrong. Sweet Pea too.” Goosebumps crawled her skin and she took in a sharp breath.

“Betty, open the door! Right fucking now!”

“We’re not home,” she muttered through gritted teeth. She wanted to hang up the call, but there was a chance Toni wouldn’t stop. She had thought Toni liked her, but now it seemed debatable, and if that was so, she didn’t want to meet her.

“Wow,” Toni laughed, apparently guessing it was a lie.

“I am n—” Betty jumped when the sound of the doorbell’s constant ringing filled her senses. She almost dropped Jughead’s phone and it made her shake like a leaf as she dropped to her knees.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Betty saw Jughead getting out of the bed, distress evident on his face.

“I didn’t break it, I promise.” She stood up, stumbling to her feet. He didn’t seem to understand and when he looked out the open door, Betty spoke, “it’s Toni, she didn’t believe me when I said we aren’t h-home.”

Jughead muttered something but she couldn’t hear it over the sound of the doorbell. And then he made his way out of the room. Betty didn’t follow, standing in her spot dumbfounded.

“WHAT?” Jughead yelled, opening the front door of his house. “Have you lost your fucking mind, Toni?”

Toni crossed her arms and glared. “You know why I’m here, Jones.”

“No, I don’t,” he quipped as Toni raised her perfectly groomed eyebrow. “Are you here to take Betty away? Maybe convince her I’m a psycho? You’d almost convinced me, Toni.” Toni’s jaw clenched; her eyes glossy with unshed tears. Not that he cared. “I don’t know. Or are you here to kiss her to make me angry—”

“—JUGHEAD—”

“—WHAT?” Her staggered expression was somewhat a relief to him. “What is it, Toni? Am I not following the script in your head?”

“Fuck, Jughead! What’s wrong with you?” she asked, concerned. “Who’s feeding you all this bullshit, huh? You know me, you kno—”

“—Right. I know you!” he gulped. “I need you to leave.”

Toni’s expression suddenly changed and she reached a hand to his face and he flinched back. “Fuck Jughead, you’ve got a fever! Let—”

His head started spinning and he swiftly shut the door before Toni could say another word. He could hear Toni calling his name but he didn’t care. He was relieved she had enough sense to not ring the doorbell again.

Betty was still standing in her spot he had seen her in before when he walked back into the room. He contemplated walking over to her, but the headache forced him to artlessly head to his side of the bed and lay under the blanket, letting out a sigh as his body found its comfort on the bed, and he draped an arm over his eyes.

After a while, he sensed the mattress dip beside him. “You sleeping again?”

“Just give me a few,” he said pleadingly.

“Was Toni angry?”

Jughead dropped his arm to his side and looked up at Betty’s concerned face. “It’s not that,” he said softly and sat up, bracing his palms on the mattress. “Betty, I think—”

“—Don’t cry.” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, shifting herself so she was straddling him. He almost fell back. “I’ll make you okay.”

“I’m okay,” he said quickly.

“You’re not. You’re sad.” Jughead sighed at that.

“Can you call Joaquin and tell him to bring us something for breakfast? Whatever you’d like… you can’t skip meals.” He buried his face against her neck, closing his eyes and relishing in her scent.

“No,” Betty shook her head. “I can cook, you don’t have to pay Joaquin. You’re already spending so much on me. Consider this as a small chance for me to return your goodness, Jughead,” she said softly. “And I am really good at cooking,” a proud giggle escaped her lips that died immediately when she realized Jughead had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

She slowly pulled away and helped him lay back on the bed. He was too heavy for someone so lean. Or maybe she was weak. Yup, the latter, she decided. But then what did she know? She had never had a man fall asleep in her arms like this. Sure Austin would always collapse after drinking but she had never tried to help him— Collapse!

A chill ran through her as her eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the glass of water from the bedside table.

“Fuck, don’t do that, please,” Jughead winced as she sprinkled water on his face and she immediately put the glass away and wiped his face with the blanket.

“I am sorry,” she said quickly. “I-I was sc-scared. You-you are weird today,” she nodded vigorously as his eyes flickered open, still hooded.

“I’ve got the fever… but after a long, I promise. Please don’t tell Toni, she’ll—”

“—No, you didn’t.”

Jughead grabbed her hand and put it on his forehead as her eyes went wide. “See?” he smiled nonchalantly.

“No, I don’t know what to do…” she quavered. “What, I do… what do I do?”

“Nothing,” he chuckled. “I’ll be fine, I promise. You have fun!”

“Fun… no. You need medicine?”

“I am good…” He slowly drifted back to sleep and she gaped at him in horror—for a long before he called her by the nickname he had invented himself a few days ago, “Betts?”

“Huh?” she gasped.

“I’m hungry,” he mumbled, his eyes shut. “Do you wanna go to Pop’s? We can take Jelly’s car.”

“You have fever and I can’t drive,” she blurted.

“I didn’t know you can’t drive. No wonder you always had to run from the Prick,” Jughead chortled. “Don’t worry my Princess, I’ll teach you.”

She blinked a couple of times. “Okay.”

A while later, Jughead began mumbling something she couldn’t understand, again.

Glancing at the clock Betty saw it was 8:38 and without a delay, she got down and ran to the bathroom to freshen up… Jughead was clearly not in the right frame of mind, and as good as drunk.

When she returned, she noticed Jughead was awake and staring at the ceiling; his arm tucked under his head. She quickly fumbled through the cupboards—wherein somehow, just in two days, her clothes had gotten mixed up with Jughead’s—and put on an over-sized T-shirt dress.

And then, she simply climbed onto the bed and got under the blanket beside him, wrapping an arm around his torso and resting her head on his chest. To her joy, his arms came around her and he held her like he always did. Except, he was extra warm today—and she had been stupid to not realize he had a fever in the first place.

A few minutes passed as she listened to his heartbeat.

“Had a bad dream?” Betty asked softly.

“I don’t know,” Jughead whispered. “I just don’t wanna sleep, I guess.”

“You need rest.”

“I know. But I… Today was supposed to be different.”

“It’s okay,” Betty whispered, gently stroking his side with her thumb. Jughead was supposed to go see Austin today.

If she was being honest to herself, it was a good thing that it wasn’t possible, because she wanted to tag along with him too. She wanted to meet Austin too. After all, she was the qualified one to have a talk with him.

She’d wanted to tell Jughead about it earlier, but hadn’t, because of Toni. She hadn’t wanted to disappoint Toni, and now she doubted if Toni’s intention had ever been good in the first place. What if Toni had forced Jughead to take care of her only to irritate him like he had on day one? He had struggled to keep calm, all because he had wanted her to feel comfortable. Because he was a good person.

Her stomach growled, bringing her out of her thoughts and she realized Jughead had fallen asleep. She slowly pulled away from his embrace and slipped out from under the blanket.

“I need to go prepare us breakfast,” she said apologetically when he grimaced. “Do you like pancakes?” It was a useless question. Jughead liked everything.

“God has blessed me with good looks believe it or not, Betts. I am very much likable,” he mumbled and Betty let out a quiet giggle.

“You’re very much kissable too.” She leaned down to place a soft kiss onto his lips.

“Betts?”

“No one compares to you, Jughead,” she murmured softly, then left the room before he could blink open his eyes.

.

.

Betty pulled out the glass bowls from the cabinets and placed them on the kitchen island, all the while being careful. Breakable and heavy. Even the bowls were heavy. She was so weak and Jughead wasn’t teaching her anything despite having a gym in the house.

Apparently, her new workout clothes were only for going for a daily walk or a run—but then, that itself was tiring and she was lucky Jughead had been patient with her so far.

On Saturday she had tagged along with him to a hospital only to realize he’d had made an appointment for her too. She had almost burst into tears, refusing to sign the forms, but when Jughead had asked her if she trusted him, she had simply nodded and complied. Her tests had consumed more than half of their day and no one had asked her much because of Jughead and his death stares, and just when she’d thought they were done, Jughead had told her they’d needed to meet the consultant—the big fat doctor who had advised her not to skip wholesome meals and had prescribed her some fancy pills.

Surprisingly, her reports had been good, except for the low blood pressure and lack of iron and some minor tooth cavities that were now filled up. It had felt like a revival. A new start.

But she knew she had a long way to go to feel normal again, and to be a part of this world. Or most significantly, to be a part of Jughead’s world. She wanted to be here with Jughead; for Jughead because she made him happy, ‘because you make me happy...’

She didn’t know what he saw in her, but he made her feel wanted and she wanted to reciprocate his feelings, sincerely.

It took Betty a while to gather all the ingredients and after tying her hair into her signature ponytail, she was set to prepare the breakfast.

‘Wash your hands before cooking, Elizabeth!’ Betty nearly jumped as she heard her mother’s stern voice. It felt real, as if she was suddenly back in her childhood and she looked around, disappointed.

“Caramel…” Betty ran to the laundry room and grabbed Caramel—who was barely laying on the two rods of the stand. She had been air drying for two days and now looked bright and new. And she was in one piece.

Her eyes fell upon Jughead’s beanie hanging on the hook outside the shower enclosure, and she grabbed it too and went back into the kitchen.

Jughead’s kitchen, though simple, was seemingly designed for a chef. This was so much better than what she had been used to. The bowls and the containers were clean and not made of cheap plastic. The knives looked sharp, not that she had touched any. The pans were not scratched and the faucet was running perfectly and the dish cleaning creepy scrubber looked… hygienic. The counter was polished, and the cabinets and drawers were well finished and organized with snacks and other groceries. Cooking was a joy in a welcoming kitchen like this, and she figured she hadn’t realized how much she had missed cooking—with eagerness—until now.

From what she had learned, Jughead rarely made a mess while cooking, and she decided she needed to do the same.

.

.

.

“No Betty, wait… you can’t…” Jughead mumbled pleadingly before his eyes flew open, a gasp escaping his mouth. ‘That’s the kind of man he is… … true colors… … drag you into the… … fucked up… … you’d keep your mouth shut… …’

Jughead let out a shuddering breath as he gradually forgot the nightmare. Despite how he felt, he decided he needed to freshen up and fucking eat something to keep himself awake. He had to have some coffee. He knew he needed sleep, but not the kind where he’d be half dead and living in hallucinations.

A quick hot shower made him feel a lot better and as he headed downstairs, the aroma of ginger brimmed his senses.

He found Betty in the kitchen, her back facing him. Joaquin wasn’t there and he figured she hadn’t called him. No doorbell had woken him up, and the air was normal; he couldn’t sense another presence.

He raised an eyebrow, seeing Caramel sitting in his beanie on the island. And then, he lazily walked over to Betty and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her neck; eliciting a giggle from her lips.

“What’s my Princess up to?” he murmured against her ear.

“Breakfast. Pancakes. You bought blueberries with seeds so this is taking time,” Betty giggled, putting the de-seeded blueberry in the batter and picking another one. “But I am almost done.”

“I wanna help.”

She giggled again, “you can search for butter.”

Jughead smiled and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before pulling away and doing just that. “I am sorry about the berries,” he said earnestly, but much to his dismay, Betty burst into laughter. Sure, he loved when she laughed, so genuinely, but here in the moment, it confused him. “What is it?” He mindlessly put the butter blister packs on the counter.

“You are silly,” she giggled, holding back a laugh as she walked over to the sink to wash her hands. Jughead took the opportunity and grabbed the spatula and began folding the berries in the batter. He realized his hand was slightly shaking and he cursed himself for feeling like a mess today. “You are cheating.”

He jerked, but didn’t deviate his attention from the bowl. “How so?”

“I worked hard on that and now you are trying to prepare my signature pancakes.”

“Signature huh?”

“Yup!” Betty grabbed his wrist and he loosened his grip on the spatula and looked at her. “I’ll manage,” she adjured and he gave her a tight-lipped smile.

It wasn’t until he was seated at the kitchen island, resting his elbows on the wooden surface and burying his face in his hands, that he realized how tired he was. The fever was making him weak and he just hoped he wouldn’t scare Betty. This wasn’t what she had signed up for. Moreover, he didn’t want her to call up anyone. His fever was a result of his overthinking and sleepless nights but he wasn’t about to justify that to anyone. He just wanted to get this over with so he could interrogate the Prick who was apparently even forgotten by his own family. If this was normal, it was no wonder no one had known about Betty!

The last two days, Jughead had been busy with Betty. Jim and Daniel had commenced on their task of hunting Jake down. And Sweet Pea? Sweet Pea had almost succeeded in turning the Prick’s face into an unrecognizable bloody trash. Today would have been a perfect day if not for his fucking fever…

He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, only to realize he had almost fallen asleep against the island.

“You were sleeping.”

“I wasn’t,” he mumbled disbelievingly as he sat up straight, his palms flat on the surface and he blankly stared at the patterns on the wood.

“You want to go to bed? I can bring your breakfast in the room.”

“I am fine,” he said reassuringly, still staring at the wood.

Some time passed and he groaned, running his hands over his face.

“Almost ready,” Betty called over her shoulder, her voice a little shaky.

“No, take your time… I’m in no hurry… I just, am not feeling myself that’s it,” he sighed just as Betty placed a stack of blueberry pancakes in front of him on the island, and he suddenly felt awake, his eyes wide in amazement…

“Smiley,” she chirped.

“These are fucking delectable!” Jughead exclaimed. The blueberry pancakes had a blueberry jam smiley drawn on them. It was a little crooked, but he loved it.

“You didn’t even try them,” Betty giggled.

“Yeah, I know!”

They began eating their breakfast after Betty sat across from him and he narrowed his eyes at her when he figured the mug of coffee wasn’t a mug of coffee.

“Ginger tea,” Betty stated. “I won’t let you refuse to drink it. It’s good for you, and I am having one too. Just to keep you company.” She picked her own mug of tea and took a sip.

After a moment of disbelief, Jughead couldn’t help but let out a laugh, thinking how a week ago, this woman had hardly been able to talk without stuttering or mumbling her words out, and now she was telling him what to do. One week out of captivity had done her good, not that he had taken her places much. All she had been doing was sitting on the couch and reading books that weren’t written by him.

“It felt good,” Betty said quietly and he looked at her, wanting to hear what she had to say, “making breakfast for you. I, I’ve never cooked for anyone before. Not even Austin. He always doubted I would poison him,” she let out a nervous laugh.

“Maybe you should have,” he said softly, only half-joking.

“I’d tried to kill him with a knife once, I got hurt,” Betty muttered, poking at her stack of pancakes with the table knife.

“He hurt you?”

“No, no,” she laughed again and looked at him, “I ended up hurting myself. I was scared and I passed out, and when I woke up my leg was hurting and I had a gash above my knee…”

Thankfully, Jughead hadn’t seen any such visible scar on her and it was relieving. “And he didn’t call a Doctor?” he asked, already assuming the answer.

“No,” Betty gulped. “He tended it and even went out to bring me a bandage. He was angry because it wasn’t done by him and so he didn’t want my skin to scar… but… but he-he did p-punish me after that… for hurting myself… said no one harms his slave but him and that I was under his protection.”

“What the fuck!” Jughead gasped in horror. If this was a sneak peek of her past, he wasn’t sure what he’d expected to know when he’d wanted her to tell him everything. “That’s like the ultimate definition of psychopath… Betty… I’m…” he let out a shuddering breath. Sorry wasn’t an option or an excuse. Nothing could change the fact that this was his fault too, and he didn’t know how to apologize to Betty without making her hate him… His arrogant mistake had cost Betty her sanity. He himself hated so many people for so many reasons, and none of those reasons were bigger than what he’d done to Betty.

Betty giggled, bringing him out of his thoughts. “It’s a mystery how my reports had nothing of major concern because before the day before yesterday, I don’t remember seeing a doctor.”

“I thought your pills were prescribed.” Jughead let out a shuddering breath and blinked away the unapprehended tears.

“I never met the Doctor. Austin gave them to me when he… when I was in college. I didn’t ask him questions and did what he asked,” she paused briefly. “I was scared.”

“You did the right thing,” Jughead shrugged, taking a bite out of his pancakes just as he realized Betty was frozen in her seat. The knife in her hand was stuck right through the eye of the smiley. Fucking hell, she had destroyed that smiley of hers with that constant stabbing. “Betty?” Jughead called softly, reaching a hand to place over hers. “Hey…”

She looked at him, her eyes void of emotions, “Jughead? I… I don’t know why I never asked for help… I could have… I told Jake, not because I wanted help, I told him so he didn’t think I was a slut. I didn’t know I needed help… Everything was wrong with me and I wasn’t even aware I needed help. The only reason I went to the Police was to show them who Austin Greene was. One complaint and he would be all over the media—not… not because I needed help,” she gasped and met his eyes. “But even when he held me captive, I didn’t know I needed help. I just figured that was my life and I didn’t like it and I wanted to change it so bad—”

“—You did change it. You’re safe now,” Jughead swiftly cut in, though he wasn’t sure why. If he thought he was the fucked up one, Betty was beating him to it.

“I did, didn’t I?” Her vacant laugh clenched his heart. She needed professional help and he needed to have a talk with her regarding it—as soon as possible.

“You do need help,” he blurted.

“I know, but not until Austin experiences the same pain I did.” Her demeanor changed and he gave her hand a squeeze, hoping to keep her grounded.

“You’re angry. Let’s just eat first—”

“—I want to see him, I know he will confess everything when he sees me. And I want to ask him questions,” she said insistently. “And I have a secret to tell him.”

“You do?” he raised an eyebrow as Betty eagerly nodded.

“I am the one who stole his beer cans and filled his liquor bottles with water,” she giggled lowly.

“That explains it all,” Jughead muttered under his breath and commenced with his eating. He barely glanced at her again, afraid of what she might say. Not because he would judge her, but because he would end up telling her something immoral. She needed help and so did he.

The rest of the breakfast went in silence and weirdly enough, Betty didn’t let Jughead do the dishes and he found himself losing out. He asked her to keep him company after she was done, and left.

Besides, he had a phone call to make, and he thought it was better if Betty didn’t hear it.

Leaning against the headboard, Jughead grabbed his phone and sighed at the number of texts Toni had sent. He decided to ignore all of them. He’d deal with her later. He tucked an arm behind his head as he scrolled through the contacts and let his thumb hover over the one name he hadn’t called up in years.

Jughead stared at the picture, longer than expected. His heart was racing by the minute and moreover, his head was starting to pound from thinking too much.

The sooner the better. He pressed the call option and held the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

Jughead immediately sat up straight, his stomach tightening. This was a bad idea. “Who are you?” he asked calmly, suppressing an urge to get defensive. He didn’t feel the want to get an upper hand right now.

“Jughead Jones!” The male voice stated tauntingly but Jughead could sense the fragile vibes through the way the man spoke. It made him gnash his teeth because he’d thought he could be polite. “You must have called the wrong number.” The fuck. He was witnessing the height of idiocy, but it wasn’t laughable in the slightest.

Jughead took in a deep breath, not wanting to lash out. “Look, I know this is Joani’s number. Just hand the phone over to her! Please!” he said, firmly.

“Joani is my fiancée, so you can tell me. I’ll pass on the message.”

“Good, congratulations on your win, Bud.”

“It’s not a win, you asshole. I love her.”

“I’ll pretend I believe you,” Jughead jested, his voice impatient.

The man laughed. “You know n—”

“—You’re wasting my time!” he proclaimed through gritted teeth, refraining himself from telling the man that he had no reason to be defensive. Jughead never wanted Joani back; that ship had sailed a long ago and he just wanted to turn the page. It wasn’t his place to do so. It wasn’t his fault that Joani’s fiancé was an insecure dimwit.

“Look, Jughead, I am her fiancé.” OH FUCK! This man was testing his forbearance with every fucking syllable. “You can tell me what you have to tell her.”

“No. Just hand the phone over to her.”

“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is. I am her fiancé and—”

“—THE FUCK DO I CARE YOU DIMWIT!” Jughead bellowed, hitting the wall behind him with his other hand. “DON’T WASTE MY PRECIOUS TIME AND JUST LET ME TALK TO HER!” The other side of the phone went silent and it made him groan inwardly. “Hello?” he called slowly. “I am not up for this. I just need to talk to her. Right fucking now!”

“It’s me,” a soft female voice said.

On the spur of the moment, Jughead’s eyes burned with tears; his words were caught in his throat and he let out a sigh in defeat. A part of him didn’t want to tell her anything because it could make him weak. But the other, didn’t want to care anymore.

He wanted this old chapter to not overlap with his current one anymore. It wasn’t about Joani, it was about him; his thoughts; his fears and worries that Betty would end up hating him just like—

“Jughead?”

“J-Joani, I…” he stuttered and heard a sharp intake of breath from the other side of the phone. He swallowed thickly. “I wanted to speak… if…”

“Sure, I’m… I’m listening.” He drew in a sharp breath and nodded to himself.

“Joani, I’m sorry, for e-everything, for not understanding you, for flooding our house with drugs, for not informing you about the interview date, for driving you up the fucking wall…” The old memories troubled his senses before he paused, tasting a tear, “for everything that was my fault…”

“Me too,” Joani sniffled. “I jus—”

“—I want you to know that my threats had always been futile. I never followed you, I fucking swear… and I am sorry for what Jelly did…” Why the fuck was he apologizing for what Jelly had done?

“That was my wedding dress.” Joani’s voice was quiet.

Jughead squeezed his eyes shut. Guilty. He wanted to tell Joani he wasn’t surprised she was getting married. He wanted to tell her he was happy for her. “Congratulations.”

.

.

Betty had expected Jughead to be asleep, but not against the headboard. She crawled onto the bed and realized his phone was buzzing on the pillow, and her eyes went wide to see who was calling.

“Don’t call him. He loves me, not you,” Betty whimpered pleadingly. She didn’t know what to do, and the right thing was so darn hard… She sucked in a breath and shook Jughead awake. “Joani is calling you.”

“I’ve said congratulations already, tell her to move the fuck on,” Jughead grumbled.

“What?”

“Tell her I can’t talk to her.”

Tell her he couldn’t talk to her? Talk to Joani? Talk to Jughead’s pretty ex? Talk to someone who looked so intimidating in the pictures alone? Talk to someone who had yelled at her in her dream?

The phone kept buzzing—as if the person on the other end was desperate.

“J-Jughead is sleeping. He can’t talk right now,” Betty mumbled to herself. “Jughead is sleeping. He can’t talk right now. Jughead is sleeping. He can’t talk right now.” She slowly slid her finger across the screen and held the phone to her ear.

“We need—”

“—J-ughead is sleeping. He-he can’t talk right now,” Betty stuttered, despite her little preparation.

“Who are you?” came a harsh reply, knocking the wind out of her. She was talking to… Joani.

“I-I am Betty,” she choked, tears prickling her eyes. “Jug-head… He-e can’t t-talk… he’s busy. He told me… to tell…”

“Hey, hey stop. Breathe… Girl, it’s okay. Tell Jay I’ve got the message.”

Jay? She should have put the phone down by now but her body was too frozen to do that. There was Joani on the other side of the phone and she couldn’t help but think if this phone call was her way of getting back to Jughead. No. She would not give Jughead his phone back.

“Betty, are you there? You okay?”

She wasn’t okay. She was afraid of losing Jughead. She was afraid Jughead would leave her for his pretty ex— No. She wouldn’t let that happen.

“Hey, say something. Where’s Jay?”

“Betty!?” Jughead’s voice was a savior.

Betty dropped the phone on the bed and moved into his embrace before he could sit up properly. “I-I told.”

“Told what?”

“You were busy. To Jo-ani. Like you said.” She heard him curse.

“I’m sorry, Princess, I wasn’t aware of what I was saying,” Jughead pleaded, resting his head on hers. “I shouldn’t have…” his voice trailed off.

“Please,” she sobbed. “Please don’t go back to her. She won’t like me and she’ll make me leave. I don’t want to leave yet. I know I didn’t say I love you, I-I can but you’ll yell at me for lying. But I like you Jughead, we can date. You never asked me out on a date, just said you love me and…” she paused, realizing he had fallen asleep and pulled away and shook him awake. “You aren’t listening to me.”

Jughead held her chin and kissed the tip of her nose. “We’ll talk later.”

“Okay,” she mumbled, resting her head back on his shoulder and a while later, she knew he had drifted back to sleep again.

.

.

.

Betty put the bowl of chicken soup on the bedside table and sat beside Jughead, shaking him. “Wake up.”

“Seriously?” he croaked, trying to blink open his eyes.

“I brought soup for you. It’s past 2.”

“You prepared soup?” he asked in disbelief, trying to sit up. He was stiff from falling asleep against the headboard.

“Yup!” She grabbed the bowl; the spoon, and held a spoonful up to his mouth. When he just stared at her, she screeched, “eat!”

“You’re being bossy today,” Jughead chuckled.

“Eat.” Betty shoved the spoon into his mouth as he almost choked. She muttered a ‘sorry’ and handed him the bowl, asking him to finish it. When he tried to feed her, she shook her head, and just smiled at him as he finished.

“I owe you,” Jughead smiled, putting the bowl down back on the bedside table.

“Then don’t go back to Joani,” Betty blurted, her voice shaky.

“Where did that come from? Did Joani say something?” Jughead asked nonchalantly.

“No… I thought… she called and I thought…” Her vision turned blurry, her lips quivering. “Am I too late to reciprocate your feelings?”

“No,” his voice was calm, “I’m not getting back together with Joani. I love you, Princess. Do you believe me?”

Betty nodded, her eyes downcast. “I… believe you. I’m sorry.” She frantically stood up as Jughead gently grabbed her wrist, and she complied when he helped her to his lap, her eyes still not meeting his. This was embarrassing. “I didn’t mean to tell you what to do. I keep forgetting I don’t have the right…”

“You have no idea how much you mean to me, do you?” Jughead asked softly, tucking the invisible stray hair behind her ear.

“Neither do you,” Betty said in a whisper and he chuckled, pulling her close.

“Are we good?”

“Yup,” Betty nodded, wrapping her arms around him. “You should get rest. You’re hot.”

“I’m burning,” he chuckled and she sheepishly hid her face against his neck.

“I’m hungry, I want to go.”

.

.

.

The rest of the day was going slow as Betty didn’t feel like doing anything. She just wanted Jughead to feel better and wake up. She sat on the porch swing, simply staring at the road and a few vehicles that passed by. Every now and then, she walked over to the gate and took a look at Jughead’s house for no reason. Small on the outside, enormous on the inside. For anyone at the gate, it wouldn’t be possible to guess. The two beautiful trees did a good job of hiding most of the exterior and she wondered if Jughead had left them on purpose.

She occasionally played games on Jughead’s phone—the ones he had specifically put in there for her and whenever his phone buzzed, she just stared at it till it stopped. She was just relieved Joani hadn’t called up again. Joani’s voice had sounded so concerned and welcoming, but Betty had been too anxious to realize it earlier. Maybe Joani wasn’t as bad as she had thought. But that didn’t mean there was no reason to worry.

When Toni’s message showed up asking Jughead how his fever was, Betty briefly wondered how Toni knew. But she didn’t want to start any conversation, so she replied with, ‘Betty is taking good care of me,’ followed by a few smiley emojis, hoping Toni didn’t doubt it wasn’t sent by Jughead.

The day was definitely slow because she was bored. She looked down at the book that lay on the swing beside her and sighed. Even reading seemed boring without Jughead’s eyes on her.

The other day, she had finally figured that the 2^nd floor consisted of the gym, and the balcony with a hot tub and a maple view. She had almost fainted with happiness. ‘You have such beautiful view from up here, and yet you sit in your study all day.’ A giggle escaped her lips and she realized she was about to be lost in thoughts. Maybe someday, she would have a lot of good memories to herself too.

She was about to head back inside when Jughead’s phone buzzed and she couldn’t help but smile when she read Sweet Pea’s name. ‘Beautiful!’ Nobody said ‘beautiful’ like he did.

“Jones, we have a piece of bad news—”

“—Betty!” she quickly said, not wanting Sweet Pea to regret telling her something she wasn’t supposed to know. “Jughead is busy.”

“Betty… hey,” Sweet Pea gasped. “How are you, Beautiful?”

“Fine.”

“Good, good… Hey, I gotta go now. We’ll talk sometime, okay?” Of course, he didn’t want to talk to her. He was Jughead’s friend and she was stupid to think he could be her friend too, like Joaquin. But then, she hadn’t seen Joaquin in days either.

“Okay, I-I understand,” she said in a whisper.

“Are you okay, Betty?”

“How is Austin?” she blurted shakily. Maybe this could help them talk.

“As of now, alive,” Sweet Pea chuckled. “Look, I don’t think—”

“—Don’t let him escape. Don’t kill him. I want to see him.”

“Does Jones know about this?”

“Why are you asking me that?” she questioned defensively.

“Has he agreed?” He’d ignored her question. Her heart sank. How could she not have a say in something that had begun because of her?

“He will,” she said firmly.

“Betty, I don’t think… Austin… we… a… we hit him several times. He’s covered in blood, you understand me?”

“That’s good,” Betty smiled. But that didn’t mean she would want to miss the opportunity of lashing Austin herself. Nobody could stop her. Not even Jughead. “Tell Austin I’ll come to see him.”

On the other side of the phone, Sweet Pea was shaken to the core. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“I really gotta go, Beautiful. We’ll talk later, I promise,” Sweet Pea said before hanging up the call. He contemplated going to Jughead’s house to see Betty, but decided against it. There was a reason he had called Jughead on the phone instead of meeting him face to face. The last thing he wanted right now was Jughead scolding him in front of Betty. Yes, he had pride issues.

“Hey bro!”

Sweet Pea looked up to see Fangs approaching him, a grin on his face. “Where have you been?”

“I got food for Justin.”

“Austin,” Sweet Pea rolled his eyes. “He chokes on a sip of water, you think he’ll be able to eat?”

“We can try,” Fangs shrugged and pushed the door to the basement room open. Sweet Pea sighed. “He passed out?”

“Minutes ago. He’s too weak, I don’t know man… he’s weak, he’s stubborn, not spilling anything! The dude’s not getting out alive—I swear!”

“Where’s Jughead? Thought he was supposed to be here, you call him?”

“He didn’t show up in the morning, and now when I called, Betty picked up. Apparently Jughead’s busy. God knows.”

“You think he’s serious about this girl?” Fangs asked as he sat on one of the chairs, placing the carton on the floor.

“Maybe,” Sweet Pea said, grabbing another chair. “But the girl deserves better. Someone understanding and caring, unlike Jones.”

“Come on, bro, the girl has lived with this sadist for years,” Fangs nodded towards the unconscious figure. “I don’t think she has a problem with Jones. Clara tells me—”

“—Clara doesn’t know shit,” Sweet Pea snapped. “I saw the fear in Betty’s eyes when I asked her if I can send Holly to stay with her. If she can’t stand up for herself in front of Jones, I’m willing to help her. I am going to make sure she isn’t forced into something that isn’t her choice.”

“I think all we need to do is reunite her with her family.”

Sweet Pea chuckled, clapping fangs on the shoulder. “It’s going to be our secret, Fangs. As far as I know, Jughead hasn’t given the task to anyone,” he paused as they both noticed Austin stir awake. “Oh Thank Goodness!” Sweet Pea swiftly stood up and the chair fell with a loud thud. “He’s awake, Fangs!”

“I’m calling the Doctor.”

.

.

…

Betty stood in her spot longer than wanted before the phone in her hand buzzed again. Sweet Pea. Again. She simply answered it.

“Jughead is still busy.”

“Oh no, Beautiful, I wanted to talk to you.” He sounded happy. Strange. “I had a job offer for you.”

“Me?” she asked in surprise.

“Yeah, actually, Riverdale High will be posting an ad for the English teacher. I was wondering if you’re up for an interview. I’m telling you in advance ‘cause you’ll be needing your resume and documents and since…”

A sob escaped her lips, her thoughts becoming foggy. Sweet Pea was still saying something more, but she couldn’t understand a word and she dragged the phone away from her ear and ran inside the house.

She knew Jughead was sleeping so she decided to cook an early dinner to keep herself from panicking. Old school? Old memories? Nobody had cared back then. She grabbed the bowl from the cabinets just as it slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped to no one and frantically sat on the counter, staring at the mess as her vision clouded. Jughead would yell at her and she needed to be prepared for it.

Jughead’s eyes snapped open at the shattering sound he could recognize so well.

“Betty!” he frantically ran to the kitchen, wincing when his toe hit the door-frame on the way. “Betty!?”

She snapped her head up to him. “I broke a bowl,” a tear doused her already doused face. Jughead sighed and rubbed his temple. “I’ll clean—”

“—No, just… just don’t get down,” he implored and went to grab the broom and pan. “Shouldn’t have let her out of sight,” he murmured.

Betty was still staring at the broken bowl when he returned, and he simply cleaned up the mess and checked for any invisible pieces with his bare feet. His fear had finally come true, but much to his relief, Betty wasn’t hurt.

He walked over to her, stepping in between her legs to come face to face with her. “What happened?”

“It broke,” she sobbed. He let out a sigh and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame to comfort her.

“I am not talking about the bowl.”

“Your fever is going away,” she mumbled, her body shaking.

Jughead pulled away and made sure she was looking at him in the eye. “What happened?” he proclaimed, grabbing her hands.

“Sweet Pea called—”

“—Son of a bitch!”

“No,” Betty shook her head. “He… he said Riverdale High needs English teacher and he asked me if I am up for an interview.”

Jughead almost laughed in relief. “Betty! That’s amazing, you should,” he laughed again, “you should really try.”

“No,” she whispered, her eyes bloodshot. “It’s high school, not middle school.”

“What’s the difference?” he shrugged, “I’m sure Sweet Pea has done his research before informing you.”

“You trust him?” Betty whispered innocently.

“Of course I do. He’s a friend.”

“But that day you told him to leave…”

Of course. “That was different. I do trust him and you can too. I know it’s too soon but you should really think about it, Betty.”

“I-I can’t. I am not the same girl, Jughead. I am not that Betty anymore. I can’t go back there, and give them a chance to talk behind my back… p-people hate me.” His heart clenched at her sobs and he brought their hands to his heart.

“You’re so fucking amazing, sooner or later everyone will know it.”

“They’ll hate me.”

“They won’t,” he said, though he could guess how much it affected her. He’d had his shares with the bullies, and even now, people did talk behind his back. “If they do, you fight, unleash the darkness.”

“How?”

Betty’s voice jerked him and he gasped, suddenly realizing he was squeezing her hands and he let them drop to her lap. “What?”

“How do I fight, unleash darkness?”

Unleash darkness? “You don’t. You just wear your best smile.”

“I don’t know how to smile.”

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I’d meant to put you down to your feet,” he laughed and she tightened her hold on him.

“What would I do without you?”

“You’d be alright, even without me,” he whispered.

“I-I want to prepare dinner.” She tried pulling away from him and he let her, eventually. It was still bright outside and he wasn’t sure why Betty wanted to prepare dinner so soon.

“What’s the time?”

She glanced at his phone, pressing the button. “Five twelve.”

“We’ll go out,” he suggested.

She shook her head. “No, no, I can’t let you… I-I promise I won’t break another bowl and I’ll make up for the one I—”

“—Don’t.” His commanding voice was enough to cause her to simply nod. “What do you wanna eat?”

“Anything.”

.

.

.

Pop’s wasn’t an option since they were walking, so Jughead chose a nearby food corner—he’d written a review on, in his blog a long ago. They were both breathing heavily after the half an hour walk, and Jughead couldn’t help but laugh when Betty commented on him sliding down to her levels of energy. Luckily they found a place to sit indoors, despite the rush—which Jughead detested. He asked Betty to pick whatever for the both of them and to go and place the order, and she agreed without hesitation.

“Fuck, Betts,” Jughead grimaced when Betty bumped into someone on her way to the counter. He was glad the man didn’t say anything to her. A life was spared. Betty looked so nervous and if he had to be honest, the crowd was wearing him down too. He watched as she tried to speak over the noise to the cashier. She was nervous; jumpy; about to cry and he felt a little bad for doing this to her. He just wanted her to feel what she called ‘normal.’

It was just the beginning.

When she finally looked over at him, he winked at her to put her at ease.

She let out a laugh as if he’d done some magic trick.

Someone from the queue yelled at her to make it fast and Jughead’s mouth fell agape when Betty rolled her eyes and told the cashier something that he decoded as, ‘take your time.’

When she handed his card to the cashier, the cashier looked around and caught his gaze for a second. And then, he asked Betty something, Betty replied something. Jughead wasn’t sure he needed to care. Unless the cashier had warned her about something. Fucking hell, this town!

He jumped as two chairs slid from both sides, connecting to the square table he had occupied. He tried searching for Betty, but she had already disappeared into the crowd.

“Want me to go check on her?” It was only then that Jughead cared to see who had joined him and Betty at the table. Clara and Fangs.

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked, glancing right to left; left to right, stupidly. Naturally, they couldn’t find a place to sit and saw him and thought, ‘why not annoy him?’

“Well…” Fangs shrugged. “We saw you and Betty walk in here… I thought I’d introduce myself, you know, I’m the only one who hasn’t met her yet.”

“Don’t forget Holly and Kimberly,” Clara stated.

“Speaking of Kimberly, do you think she and Toni has a thing going on?” Clara shook her head, waving him off and he smiled. “But I was talking about the four of us. Me, Sweet Pea, Jughead and Toni. Childhood friends.”

“This is exactly why your dates always left,” Clara laughed.

“What made you stay, huh?”

Jughead was barely paying attention to Fangs and Clara sitting adjacent to him and having a face to face conversation; his eyes searching for Betty. He was sure she was fine. But what if…? He was about to stand up just as he saw Betty making her way towards the table, a tray in her hand. He gave her a smile which was returned, and then his view was blocked by… Clara. He groaned before glancing up at Fangs’ smirking face.

“What?” Jughead seethed.

“You really like her, don’t you?”

“None of your fucking business. Either you’re leaving this place in the next five minutes, or you’re ending up in a hospital bed with broken bones, you get me? Don’t dare test me on this, Fangs.”

His friend chuckled in disbelief, “aren’t you scared, Betty—”

“—She’s not Joani.” Fangs’ face fell at that.

“I’m happy for you, Jones,” he said earnestly. “I mean it.”

“Betty, this is my boyfriend, Fangs.”

Alleviated, Jughead sank back in his chair when Clara called for Fangs’ attention. The dark-haired man stood up, holding out a hand and Betty shook it after placing the food tray on the table.

“Nice to meet you, Betty.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t smile and Fangs was suddenly anxious. All he wanted was to make things right, be a good friend to Jughead again. But maybe it was too late for that…

“Babe!” He snapped his head at Clara.

“Erm… I think we should leave, Clara,” he suggested before looking at Betty again. “Hey, Betty, this was a pit stop just to introduce myself, but we’ll talk next time. Jughead is a great guy and I think he likes you.” He spoke the last sentence hurriedly, hoping Jughead didn’t hear it.

“Fangs? What’s going on?” Clara probed gently.

Fangs glanced at Jughead who was glaring at him and then walked over to her and grabbed her hand before walking out of the place.

“What’s going on?” she asked him again when they reached his bike. “Did Jughead say something? He looked tired today, don’t you think? Grouchy, I think,” she chuckled.

“Or angry and waiting to kill someone.”

“You know, I liked to think he’s an asshole, but there’s a soft side to him. I mean that girl, Betty… she’s more comfortable around him than I am—”

“—He asked me to leave,” Fangs cut in.

Clara crossed her arms. “Oh, so he’s an asshole after all!” 

“He’s not. He’s just being defensive. Let’s just drop this, get me?”

Clara sighed, but nodded anyways.

“Good. Because I can’t blame him,” he shuddered.

“Want to go for a walk?”

“Sure,” he forced himself to smile, his thoughts already occupied by the past,

history had it, Sweet Pea, Toni, and Fangs had betrayed Jughead when he’d needed them the most; whenever he’d needed them the most.

Fangs had Sweet Pea, Sweet Pea and Toni had Fangs, but Jughead counted on those who didn’t give a fuck. FP’s arrest, the fights, the detentions, the breakups, Joani, the novels, the Serpent stuff… every time he had discussed his problems, they had made fun of it. The pranks and jokes had gotten too far, but they had been too high to realize it until it had started backfiring; not that anyone would have admitted it. They were all the same in that aspect.

Though it hadn’t mattered over the years, it mattered now. Fangs was genuinely happy for Jughead this time, but Jughead couldn’t see it…

Jughead hadn’t let Toni see Betty again, he had asked Sweet Pea to leave, and he was doing the same thing to him.

Maybe Jughead was aware—all along—that they’d been responsible for adding to the misunderstandings between Joani and him.

Maybe they all had lost his trust now and there was no way to fix it.

.

.

.

.

.

…

After Betty went upstairs, Jughead decided to take a quick shower.

They had had a good time, though they hadn’t talked, at all. The restaurant vibes had been too loud for the both of them, and after seeing Fangs and Clara, Jughead had been feeling drained—which he was sure Betty had picked up on. She had ordered them Teriyaki Chicken with White Rice and lemonade, and they’d simply eaten in silence.

They’d walked home in silence.

Jughead stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the shower enclosure, and as he turned the dial to the hottest temperature his knuckles could bear, he heard Betty’s voice, “Jughead?”

“Fuck!” he muttered under his breath before turning around.

“Can I shower with you?” Betty bit her lip, her eyes staring into his and he cursed again as his erection twitched.

“As long as you promise to keep your hands to yourself,” he blurted before he could even consider his words. At her narrowed eyes, he foolishly continued, “I don’t know if you’ve understood, but I’ve just had a fever.”

“Silly fever,” Betty said, swiftly stripping out of her T-shirt and skirt, “if it was serious, you would have taken medicine or called somebody.”

“I had you.”

Betty walked into the enclosure and stood right in front of him. “I wasn’t of any help. I didn’t take care of you.”

“Not true. You cooked delectable meals and made sure I didn’t drink coffee,” he smiled as she looked up at him.

“But I didn’t follow Kristin’s doings.”

“Who’s Kristin?” he asked, puzzled.

“She’s in your mom’s book. She took good care of her mother in law but that old lady died anyways,” she sighed. Despite refraining himself, Jughead couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t laugh,” Betty pouted, and when he didn’t stop, she turned the shower on.

Jughead winced as the lukewarm water hit his skin and reached a hand to turn the dial up only to realize Betty had been devilish to turn it lower. “Seriously, Betty!” he exclaimed teasingly. “Is this what I get after a long day—”

“—I-I-I-I am sorry,” Betty panicked all of a sudden, “Jughead I didn’t I’m—”

“—Hey, Bett—”

“—I won’t do that again,” she said quickly before hugging him, a little too tightly.

Jughead’s heart clenched as he held her. “Don’t be sorry,” he whispered. “I am sorry… I didn’t mean to upset you—I-I wasn’t even serious. I’m… I am so fucking sorry.”

“I am sorry,” she said.

“No.” He pulled away and shook her once so she met his gaze. “Do that again, gnaw at me. I am all up to be the sitting duck for Betty Cooper.” Her timid giggle made his heart flutter. He was almost there.

“You didn’t yell at me,” Betty said shakily.

“Did you want me to yell at you?”

“No.”

He gave her a gentle squeeze in response, pulling her close again, and they stayed like that under the running hot shower, for a long; neither of them caring that the enclosure door was open. The hissing sound of the water and the warm air around them was nothing but relaxing… before he heard Betty whimper.

“What happened?” He pulled away, trying to meet her eyes.

“It burns.”

“What burns?” Fucking hell, her scars. His eyes widened and he quickly turned the shower to cold. It would benumb his skin because of the fever he’d had before, but he wouldn’t care. “Fucking hell, are you…”

“I am okay,” Betty whispered and smiled a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. But before he could say anything, she turned the shower off and grabbed the shower gel from the basket sitting on the shelf, and he watched her as she quietly poured some onto the loofah and squished it till it lathered up.

“May I?” Jughead gestured towards the loofah and Betty nodded, handing it to him. He smiled and took it, his eyes filling with tears. There was no use, him asking her anything…

“Jughead?” Her voice was soft and he realized he was fiddling with the loofah and foam was covering their feet. He looked at her. “I am okay. I am sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I know,” he placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

.

.

.

.

As Jughead changed into clean clothes, Betty grabbed the ointment jar from the drawers of the bedside table. It was given by Toni—that’s what Jughead had said, and it was for her scars. Her scars that were still tender, and had burned under the hot shower minutes ago. The hot shower had felt good in this cold weather, but lamentably not for long.

Perhaps a few weeks more… she guessed. She was already doing a lot better than when she’d lived with Austin.

Betty sighed and stood up.

Jughead was already sitting on the bed, staring into the distance. She dropped her towel and quickly crawled onto his lap and handed him the jar. He held her securely as she lay on her stomach. He was awfully quiet and his hands were trembling as he tended her and she didn’t know why. Had she done something wrong?

She winced when the ointment burned, but it wasn’t unexpected. And after getting lost in thoughts in the shower, this was definitely not, unexpected.

“You’re fidgety,” she said.

“Just the fever,” he said, massaging her backside with pressure. When the ointment apparently disappeared, he gently turned her around and she smiled at him.

“Not fever. It’s gone.”

He shrugged at that and preceded salving her torso.

When he was done, he set the jar aside and she held his gaze. His eyes were soft, boring into hers.

“Can I get dressed?” she asked. Why was he looking at her like that? He seemed about to say something as he placed a hand on her cheek, stroking her cheekbones. But then he simply nodded and allowed her to climb off.

“It’s all my fault, Betty.”

Betty jumped at Jughead’s quiet voice and looked at him. He wasn’t looking at her and she quickly put on her pyjamas and scrambled her way back to sit beside him.

“What’s your fault?” she asked innocently.

“You…” he gulped and she raised her eyebrows at him—needless to say he didn’t notice. “What the Prick did to you…”

“It’s not… you didn’t know…”

“I could have, if I’d tried… but I was too busy hating on you and blaming you for what happened with dad. I wasted one fucking year talking shit about you when I should have started searching for you, see if you were okay… Instead I assumed since you were adopted by a wealthy couple, you’d be… I judged you… I was so fucking angry. I was being ignorant and it fucked up everything. It ruined your life… and I can’t reverse the time and save…” he didn’t finish, feeling himself growing numb and he flexed his fingers and ran his hands over his face, realizing he was in tears. As light as he felt, fear crept up his spine and he looked at Betty. “Please say something,” he whispered, his voice cracking. When she didn’t, he touched her forearm before she jerked and looked at him, and he immediately got down from the bed, panicked.

“I forgive you,” she said noddingly, tears dousing her cheeks. “I have no reason to be mad at you when I myself couldn’t help my situation. How could I blame you when I didn’t want to seek help?”

“I’m sorry,” he gasped, his lip trembling. “I’m… I can’t…” He made his way out of the room. He heard Betty calling his name, but figured he was just imagining it.

Jughead gripped the sides of the kitchen counter and stared at the patterns on the granite as his vision turned cloudy. He wasn’t ready to face Betty again. She was crying. He had made her cry. He wasn’t ready to hear what she would say. He wasn’t ready for anything anymore and he wished he could just get the fever back again and just go to sleep, peacefully.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The next morning, Jughead found himself lying on the couch with the Blonde on top of him. His blanket was draped over them. His neck was on the verge of benumbing—though much to his relief, he found pillows under his head.

“Fucking hell Betty, you should have slept in the bed,” he said quietly.

“I sleep where you sleep because you love me,” she mumbled, making his heart beat faster. “Someday I’ll say it back, Jughead.”

“I’d like that,” he whispered, his eyes filling with tears and he placed a soft kiss to her hair. Maybe she didn’t remember what had happened the night before.

“If I say it now, you’ll yell at me for lying.”

He just nodded and tried to sit without waking Betty up. No win.

“Good Morning.” Her voice was softer and sweeter than he remembered.

“Good Morning,” he replied hoarsely.

“We need to talk.”

“About what?” About her decision of moving out? Yeah, he would find a place for her. If Toni found out, he would be getting a long-ass lecture.

“About what happened last night, and those sleeping pills you swallowed,” Betty adjured, her eyes glossy. “I know it’s not my place to say, but you scared me. Why did you take them? I-I didn’t know what to do, I thought of calling your mom but—”

“—You didn’t, did you?” Jughead asked, perturbed.

“No.” Fuck! He breathed a sigh of relief before his eyes met hers again. “Are they prescribed?”

“Yes,” he shuddered. “But they could be expired, I didn’t check.”

“Why did you swallow them then?” Betty asked in horror.

“I figured you hate me, I wasn’t ready to face you again… after… I wasn’t sure what to do.”

“You could have yelled at me,” Betty suggested, her hand cupping his jaw. “Or taken another shower… or we could have had sex if it would have calmed you down.” Jughead didn’t react.

“So, when, do you want to l-leave?” he asked, tears burning his eyes. “Mom and dad will let you stay, I promise, and I won’t come for a visit…”

Betty giggled and pressed her mouth to his. “You’re wrong, you’re so wrong. And you need to stop overthinking and assuming the wrong—”

“—You’re not manipulating me, are you?” A tear slipped from his eye, not that it affected Betty because she got down from him; from the couch and sat on the coffee table.

“I don’t hate you,” she said, her voice insistent.

“Why?”

“I thought you could read me like a book. Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

Jughead’s tearful eyes widened when Betty got up and began stomping her way to his study. He frantically stood up and winced at the way his whole body ached. His ribs felt as good as broken and he had a slight headache which he guessed was due to the side effect of the pills. He should have definitely known better. There was a reason he didn’t like medicines.

He made his way to the study and spotted Betty sitting at his desk, writing. He was about to take a peek just as she got up and turned around. He quietly took the paper she handed. But before he could ask a question, she circled past him and disappeared out the door.

Dear Jughead,

 

I don’t blame you. I have no reason to blame you. I’ve already told this to you last night. I understand why you hated me and I would have done the same if I were you.

 

If there is anyone to blame, it’s me.

 

If it eases your thoughts, I forgive you.

 

If you think I am saying this because I am afraid of being alone, you are very very very very wrong. I can be alone and homeless and still survive. I am strong.

 

Your Princess, Betty

 

ס  ‿ס

“Fucking hell,” he heaved a sigh of relief.

“Are we good now?” He turned around to see Betty standing in the doorway, her arms crossed.

“Yeah, except you need some handwriting lessons.”

She giggled and walked over to him. “I had meant it, I didn’t lie.”

“I believe you.”

Betty seemed about to say something, but instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss.

“I love you!” He cupped her face.

“How do you know you love me?” she asked, giggling.

“It’s complicated,” he chuckled. “I just know if there’s anyone I imagine spending the rest of my life with, it’s you… I like how I feel when I am around you.”

“How do you feel? When you are around me…”

“Calm, safe, blessed… myself. I don’t have to pretend, I swear. There’s so much I wanna tell you, so much I wanna know about you. Plan trips with you, take you out on dates, just you and me if you’d allow me,” he said softly, slowly. “Make sure you’re always safe and happy…”

There was a silence as Betty bit her lip.

“What is it?”

Betty looked him in the eye. “Did, d-did Joani allow you to be yourself too?”

It was a fucking yes or a no question. “I don’t wanna answer that,” he whispered.

Betty wrapped her arms around him, tucking her head under his chin. “What if I am too late to reciprocate your feelings and you find someone better than me?”

Not a fucking chance in hell, he thought. “You’re incomparable, Princess. And I am not asking you to reciprocate my feelings. I know you have a lot to figure out and I… I just want you to know I am here if you ever need someone. And if you find someone else,” tears welled up his eyes and he blinked, “you follow your heart and you don’t care what I think—you understand me?”

Betty giggled softly. “But no one will like me.”

Jughead was about to reply before their moment got interrupted by the doorbell. They both jumped and pulled away from each other.

“Do I stay in here, or go upstairs?” Betty asked.

Jughead laughed and shook his head. “I am not hiding you from anyone, Betty,” he told her softly and held out a hand.

“Thank you.” Betty grabbed his hand and they headed out.

“Seriously? I’d fastened only one latch?” he commented as he opened the main door, and then, he sighed scowling at the figure who’d rung the bell. “Of course it’s you again! What do you want today, Toni?” he mocked.

His pink-haired friend raised a perfectly kempt eyebrow and lifted her soft suitcase, “I am here for Betty!”

“You don’t do home services,” Jughead said simply.

“Now I do!” Toni pushed past him into the house, lightly elbowing him in the stomach. “Betty!” She called loudly before realizing Betty was right there.

“Hi, Toni,” Betty mumbled as Toni put the suitcase on the floor and pulled Betty into a brief hug.

“Okay, seriously?!”

“What?” Toni whipped around. “You thought you could keep me away from Betty, and I would just stay hush?” She linked an arm through Betty’s and Jughead bit back a sigh at how flustered Betty looked. “I’ll never understand you, Jones!”

“You know it’s not that,” he tried, glancing at Betty’s sudden solicitous expression.

“Yeah, you worry I’d tell her about how much of a psycho you are—”

“—Jughead is not a psycho,” Betty interrupted, her voice trembling. “I-I know you are tricking him an—”

“—And the history repeats,” Toni snorted, dramatically unlinking her arm from Betty’s. “This is how it starts, doesn’t it?” she asked mockingly, raising her eyebrows at Jughead.

“Toni,” he warned lowly.

“I tell you to take care of someone and you turn her to your side. You’ve been doing that ever since we’d started living under the same roof! It’s always me versus you, Jughead!” Toni snapped, taking a step closer to him.

“What are you talking about?”

“How much of an insensitive asshole can you be, Jughead?”

That was it! “Let’s say you bring out the worst in me,” he proclaimed callously, at which Toni raised her hand and he grabbed her wrist, twisting it harshly.

“You’re hurting me,” Toni warned through gritted teeth.

“Am I? Think about it,” he let out an empty laugh, letting go of her hand before he trudged upstairs, his body quivering with anger. The last thing he heard before closing his bedroom door was Toni telling Betty something about packing the bags and leaving.

.

Chapter Text

“You’re hurting me,” Toni warned through gritted teeth.

“Am I? Think about it,” Jughead let out an empty laugh, letting go of her hand before he trudged upstairs, his body quivering with anger. The last thing he heard before closing his bedroom door was Toni telling Betty something about packing the bags and leaving.

What had his life become? Everything had been so simple in his childhood. Sure, he’d been a rebel and often a victim of bullying, but he’d had good friends; friends who would have stood by his side without judging him.

What had he done—wrong—for them to not get along with him?

‘Don’t cry Jughead. We’re here for you.’ ‘Cry? … Who’s crying, huh Toni? I’m angry, it’s not fair and there’s nothing I can do about it. Keller is planning all this, he hates my dad, I know… 10 years? That’s… There’s no way the Serpents can survive without their King and that’s what he wants… b-but we just don’t know that for sure.’

‘That’s what you’re worried about? Come on, there are other Serpen—’ ‘—No! That’s… that… I can’t let that happen… No one can replace my dad…’

‘Really!? Whatcha gonna do, Snowflake? A 15-minute hunger strike?’ ‘Toni please!’ ‘Sorry Jughead I’m-losing-my-freaking-mind Jones, but you can’t even get through a class presentation without making a fool out of yourself! You really think anyone’s going to take you seriously?’ ‘Toni, if you’re willing to help—’

‘—Butterfly out of its cocoon.’ ‘What?’ ‘You thINK THIS IS A JOKE? YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT, JUGHEAD! … … I can’t blame you. … You didn’t grow up being groomed to be a serpent. Have you ever seen a dead body in your life? For real?’ ‘No. What does that have to do with anything?’ ‘Like it or not, know what, take it as a hint that no one wants you in the Serp—’ ‘—I am one of you!’

“Stop laughing!” the bellow escaped his mouth, followed by a strangled gasp when he opened his eyes, his feet planted on the fluffy carpet but searching ground. The sound of the door clicking open made him inhale sharply, not knowing whom to expect.

Jughead slowly sat up on the bed, wiping at his eyes as Betty approached and sat next to him. “I thought Toni was your best friend,” she whispered slowly.

He chuckled at that. “She is… She, just has nothing better to do than to pry into my life. I love her, she has always been there for me and I’m beyond thankful and I try to give her the benefit of the doubt because I can’t understand if I am right or wrong. Sometimes I feel like everyone is against me, no one understands what I want and I can’t explain anything anymore, Betty. I’m tired of explaining myself all the fucking time… I, I’m rambling, ain’t I?” he sighed and ran his hands through his hair. When he glanced at Betty, he figured she’d been studying him all this while; a concerned look on her face. “You know,” he forced a smile, “I can write from anywhere but I’m making myself miserable by staying here in Riverdale. At times I feel like maybe I should have taken Archie’s offer and stayed with him and Veronica, away from… Fuck, I don’t know! Then we wouldn’t have met like we did, and I don’t wanna change that.”

“Who’s Veronica?” Betty asked, immediately sitting up straight as if he was about to tell a story.

“Archie’s wife.”

“Is she nice?”

“She is,” he chuckled, momentarily forgetting what they had been talking about; what he had been rambling about. He knew Betty wanted to see Archie, and he needed to make that happen.

“You didn’t go because you were leading the Serpents?” Betty asked curiously.

He nodded. “More. I was afraid of running into Joani. It’s ridiculous, I know… didn’t want her to ever see me after…” he sighed, not wanting to say more.

“Joani is haunting you?” Betty wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’ll save you,” she said dramatically, and he figured he was getting the taste of his own sweet medicine.

“You’ll save me?”

“I’ll tell her Jughead loves me and she ought to go away.”

He laughed at that, feeling a clueless exhilaration coarse through him, though he knew for a fact that Joani wasn’t a threat. “I’d love that…” There was a knock on the door, interrupting their conversation.

“I’ll tell her she can leave too.”

“What? No.” Toni was right. This was the history repeating.

“She’s not nice. She likes to make you angry, she’d sent me here so you’d flip out but now she is the one flipping out because I told her you love me.” Betty glanced at him once and stood up, causing him to do the same and grab her arm and turn her around.

“You think I don’t know that?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “I deserve it, Betty.”

“You hurt Toni?”

“Debatable…”

“But… But even if you did, I don’t think you were wrong, you always do what’s right. She’s the one trying to make you look bad. She wants to control your life, Jughead.”

“She’s done nothing to you, Betty. You wouldn’t fucking be here if it wasn’t for her,” he paused when she quickly nodded, his jaw clenching as he stared in those glossy green eyes. “I do not want you to make an enemy of Toni.”

The tone bashed with a warning, his demeanor reminded Betty of the night she’d showed up. He’d told her she wasn’t leaving because he’d wanted to protect her from Austin.

“I won’t, I promise,” she replied, her uncertainties dying at the tip of her tongue.

“Good.”

They stood in silence for a spell, and Betty could feel the air shift as Jughead stared at her lips, longer than she’d supposed. Feeling her mouth go dry, she managed to swallow a little. “Are you okay?” she asked in concern.

He seemed about to reply as he fidgeted in his spot. But then, without warning, he closed the distance between them, snaking an arm around her waist and crushing his mouth to hers.

The gesture momentarily took her by surprise, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her skin and she pressed herself closer to him when his fingers trailed down her spine. After all the times he’d held back, an all-consuming kiss was the last thing she would have expected.

“Oh my God,” she whispered as she swayed.

“Too much?”

“No.”

His mouth moved down her neck, peppering open-mouthed kisses, leaving her tingly in their wake. He wasn’t gentle when he nibbled and sucked on her skin, and it had her whimpering until he inserted three fingers into her mouth, pressing her tongue down. “Shh, Princess. Breathe. I’m not hurting you, now, am I?”

The startling gesture made her gag and she tried not to panic, not to bite, taking in sharp breaths through her nose before he finally lowered his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Betty gasped, sinking her hands into his hair and urging him closer.

“Why, Betty?”

It was mollifying that he hadn’t caught on her earlier state. She shook her head, not wanting to tell him. Lies annoyed him, so it was best she stayed quiet. She didn’t want him to stop.

“You taste so fucking good.”

“Maybe you’re just hungry.”

“Maybe not, Princess.” It took her a while to realize what he was doing, and her skin felt on brisk fire when his tongue lapped over the spot. “Good?”

Betty hummed in reply. He did it again, and she knew it would deepen the color. If they go out, people would know she was taken. As his hand slid under her shirt, cupping her breast, she arched her back to give him more access. God, she was putty in his arms. It was scary, yet something she was excited to experience more of.

There was a feeling of stretch in the skin of her stomach, much to her despair. Her whole body hurt, too, or maybe it was her imagination. In the past she had woken up in the middle of the night, screaming, thinking she was bleeding, only to find out Austin had been whipping her in her nightmares.

It felt too real, enough to make her skin crawl. Enough to break her apart. The leg cuffs and lack of sheets didn’t exactly allow a peaceful sleep—

Present, Betty, she reminded herself.

It hurt. Everything hurt. But it didn’t feel real.

“Ju…” She didn’t say more, convincing herself that her reaction was only because Jughead hadn’t touched her in a while. The fear wasn’t real. The pain wasn’t real. Her mind was messing with her. She didn’t need to be afraid of the man in front of her. Sure, he was acting a little out of control, but he would stop if she told him to. There was no doubt.

She hated how she felt so helpless at times—and it was all Austin’s fault.

“I can’t lift my head,” Betty said bluntly, and Jughead paused to look at her.

“What?”

“I-I think my neck is cramped up, I can’t lift my head.”

“What are you, 85?” he asked, helping her up as she winced.

She giggled wearily, then sniffled. “I can’t lift a mixing bowl without feeling breathless, so, yup…”

“You scare me, Betty.”

“I’m strong, don’t worry,” she reassured him.

Nodding, he let out a soft laugh and devoured her lips again as she wrapped her hands around his neck, moaning into his mouth. He swiftly deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers.

Jughead was sure Betty was able to feel his growing erection against her stomach but he didn’t mind. As much as he’d tried—hard—making sure Betty didn’t think she was obliged to take care of his sexual needs, right now he didn’t care. He needed her. Until and unless she asked him to stop, he wouldn’t stop.

There were knocks again, but Jughead didn’t let Betty pull away.

“Let her walk in, I don’t fucking care,” he murmured against her lips, not expecting her to giggle a giggle that nipped right to his stomach. Was he funny or a little too dramatic? Probably the latter.

“She can’t, I’ve locked the door so she wouldn’t interrupt.”

“You’re a smart-ass,” he smirked, relishing in the way her eyes twinkled when she giggled again. “Tell me this isn’t too much,” he murmured, though his hold didn’t loosen, his fingers brushing her sides.

He wasn’t about to make Betty feel like she wasn’t in control. Intentionally, that was. The otherwise had him guilty. Sure she trusted him, but she had her triggers where she conceded defeat as if he was attacking her. It had happened minutes prior, but he’d been too overwhelmed to come up for air. He wanted to be a better person for her, but fuck. He’d probably end up apologizing by the time they finished.

“It’s not. I like it.” Betty said softly, and he leaned down to capture her lips again. “Can… Jughead I…”

“Yeah, Betty, tell me what you want?” He kissed the corner of her mouth, once, and she sank to her knees in front of him before he could touch her entrance.

“Betts…” he began hoarsely, though not sure what more to say. This wasn’t what he’d had in mind some time ago.

“I need you,” she whispered, fumbling with the hem of his sweats and pulling his boxers down along with them until his erection sprang free, full and hard. He didn’t stop her. She met his eyes before wrapping her hands around him, her thumb swiping over the wetness that had gathered at the tip.

“You don’t need to.” Jughead shuddered.

“I know,” Betty replied, smirking up at him, leaving him lost for words. She kissed his tip and bit her lip, her hands slowly working on him. Fucking heaven. He refrained from thrusting into her hand. “You’re so big and beautiful, and smell so good. You should let me do this often, Jughead. Touch you, make you feel good. I can spend my life down here.”

This was the second time Betty was making him want to dig a hole and hide into it.

‘…the only reason you want her is because of what I trained her for!’

“God, yes.” Betty took him inside the wet and warm cavern of her mouth, lapping and swirling her tongue over him.

What had started as a way to replace Austin’s memories, was only becoming her need of sorts.

She looked up at the man in front of her like she’d been taught to. The only difference was that there was no fear, but a longing. She slid her knees together in an attempt to dull the ache in between her legs, watching as Jughead took his shirt off and threw it aside and gaped at her, his body trembling under her touch.

When he put his hands on the back of her head, she froze. “I won’t push,” he promised.

She met his eyes, tears threatening every bone in her body. She wouldn’t cry. Just a fear she needed to get over. Jughead was the last person who could hurt her.

Betty pulled away, just for a bit to tell him it was okay. “Guide me if you need, I learn quickly,” she added, not meeting his eyes. “Is this okay?” she asked, stroking him with one hand, though didn’t wait for his reply, resuming what was of significance to her.

She finally took his erection deep into her mouth until she gagged, and pulled back. It felt good, almost cleansing. Cupping his balls, she began moving, determined to make him come into her mouth, moaning over his tender rakes through her scalp.

“Betty,” Jughead groaned, attempting to pull her head away. She took him deep in her mouth again, shaking her head this time.“Fuck,” Jughead cursed, his fingers pressing and scraping against her scalp, “Betty, stop,” he murmured weakly, “I’m gonna come.”

She didn’t, squeezing and bobbing her head faster until he hastily pulled away, grabbing her arms and tugging her up in a flash.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No.” She couldn’t guess what she’d done wrong, but she needed to know. The last time, he’d allowed her. What had gone wrong this time?

“You okay?”

Shouldn’t he be the one not okay? “Did I do someth—”

“—No,” Jughead smirked lazily, “I, don’t want to be spent before I fuck you. Look at me.”

She followed his command, her heart fluttering from his soft gaze. “Oh…”

“Oh,” he repeated teasingly, beginning to unbutton her shirt.

She stood still, a blush creeping up her features. Her cotton panties were already drenched and uncomfortable.

“That is if you w—”

“—Yes.” Her quick reply made him smile, suddenly making him appear years older than they were.

“Have you been taking your pills, Betty?”

Jughead was taking his time, slipping buttons out of their cases. It made her grin for a reason supplementing what came next. This felt normal. Though, deep down she knew she wasn’t normal. She was far messed up. She chased her own definition of normalcy, hoping she could leave her past behind…

“Betty?”

“Yes!” Betty nodded at his question. “I didn’t miss.” It was a routine to her, as had been taught by Austin. Those pills would be the only thing Austin had generously spent his money on. There was one thing Betty and Austin had in common; neither of them had wanted to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.

And Jughead asking her if she was taking her pills, told her he didn’t want kids either. It wasn’t supposed to make her heart sink, but it did.