This is my first Riverdale fic, but I, like many of you, have fallen in love with Bughead and have become completely obsessed with Riverdale. I just had this idea pop into my head the other day so I thought I'd write it down. This is definitely AU, but rest assured, Bughead is endgame, so some of it will line up with the show. P.S. I like a slow burn romance so that's the plan for this one. Also, I'm planning on switching up the perspectives so chapters will be from Betty's and Jughead's perspectives. Hope you like it!
Chapter One: Memories
"He didn't even have the decency to text me! Can you believe that?" Kevin exclaimed. Betty shook her head in disbelief, pulling her algebra book from her locker, but before she was able to respond, she heard Kevin let out a loud gasp. She turned toward the direction in which he was looking, and let out a gasp herself. Her pulse sped up while everything seemed to slow down around her. Against the glare of the sunlight streaming in through the open door, a familiar face emerged through the doors of Riverdale High. Betty was suddenly flooded with seven years worth of memories of that very face. Because thirty feet away from her stood the boy that she had grown up with. The boy that she had not seen nor heard from in four years. The boy that disappeared from her life, with no explanation. Not even a goodbye. The boy with the blue-green eyes and the ever-present gray crown beanie. Jughead Jones was back in Riverdale.
Suddenly Betty was six years old again…
With her arms spread out and her pink satin cape tied around her neck and flapping in the breeze behind her, she and Archie, wearing his matching red cape, ran around the park as their superhero alter egos. "Archie, like this! You have to jump!" she laughed, as she leapt over branches and pinecones. Archie laughed along with her, following her lead, and jumping around in the grass. He ran across the field, his cape billowing behind him; his back turned away from Betty. She attempted to jump over a puddle, but underestimated its size and fell straight into the water with a large splash. As she pulled herself up to her knees, sopping wet, her blond pigtails dipped in mud, she spotted a boy about her age, walking towards her. He was alone, dressed in a plain black t-shirt and shorts, despite the chilly fall air, with a funny gray hat covering his dark wavy hair. Forgetting the fact that she was wet and her knees really hurt, she smiled at him. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, reaching his hand down to help her stand up. Taking his hand, she took a moment to study his face, noticing the way his eyes changed color from blue to green depending on the light, the small pattern of moles on his cheek, the way his dark hair fell across his forehead, and the way the edges of his mouth pulled upward in a shy smile. She nodded, replying, "I'm Betty, what's your name?" "Jughead," he stated, looking down at his feet. "Jughead? That's a funny name," she said, giggling. He just shrugged, a little smirk on his face. "Do you want to play with us?" she asked. She continued before he could reply, "You can wear my cape if you want," starting to unknot the tie from her neck. She pointed over at her red-haired friend coming down the hill, "That's Archie. He's my best friend. Do you have a best friend? My mom made these capes and she thinks my favorite color is pink, but it's not. It's blue. But I still like it…do you like it? What's your favorite color?"
The raven-haired boy stood quietly, listening to the rapid-fire words coming out of the small blonde girl in front of him, but had not yet responded to any of her questions. Betty paused for a moment, cocked her head to one side and smiled at him, "You don't talk much do you?" A smile slowly spread across his face, making his eyes light up. "C'mon!" Betty said excitedly. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her, noticing that he didn't even try to resist her.
The three of them—she, Jughead, and Archie—were best friends from that day forward; however, it was she and Jughead that became inseparable through the years. From the outside, they could not have been more different: She, a perky, petite, social blonde, with her hands in almost every club at school; and he, a dark and brooding outsider, more comfortable on the outskirts of the crowd than a part of it. And yet, despite any differences between them, their similarities outweighed them all. Their shared interests in classic literature, obscure indie bands, and dark sarcastic humor; and the ability to make the other smile, even when things were falling apart around them. They knew the other's secrets, the parts of themselves that no one else knew or saw. They understood each other in a way that no one else could. He had been a constant in her life. The person she could depend on more than anyone else, even Archie. That is, up until he moved away from Riverdale and never looked back.
And yet, here he was, standing in front of her. It had been mere moments since Jughead had walked through the door, but thousands of memories flashed through Betty's mind as she stood facing him. He had been there for so many pivotal moments in her life. Practically every memory from Betty's childhood included Jughead. It was his house that she ran to when the pressure from her mom would get to be too much, and he would be at hers when his dad fell off the wagon. It was his shoulder that she cried on, and it was he who defended her, when the other kids picked on her at school; and she did the same for him when the other kids were cruel. She thought about all of the "firsts" that they'd experienced together: their first day of school, their first broken bones (bike accident—his arm, her wrist), their first concert, their first fight…and their first kiss.
"Hey Betts." Jughead offered Betty a sly smile, sliding into the booth next to Betty. "Hey Juggie," she returned his smile. "I got you strawberry today." It was their typical after-school routine, meeting at Pop's for milkshakes. Archie usually met up with them but it was just the two of them that day, as Archie had just joined their middle school's football team. She and Jughead had spent even more time together now that Archie was spending so much time at practice. Lately, Betty had noticed a shift in her relationship with Jughead, but she couldn't figure out exactly what it was, or what it meant. She would catch him staring at her sometimes, when he thought she wasn't looking, and when she caught his eyes, this really adorable blush would color his cheeks as he'd try to avoid her eyes. He would hold her gaze just a second too long; and when walking side by side, her arm would graze his accidentally, and his whole body would momentarily freeze, but he never shifted further away from her.
She had also noticed a change in how she saw, and reacted to him. She caught herself looking for excuses to be close to him, not that she had to look far—it seemed that he was doing the same thing with her. But something had changed between them. For instance, they had hugged each other hundreds of times over the years, but lately, their hugs lasted just a little bit longer than a friend-hug would entail, and Betty's arms had recently found their way around his neck, rather than his shoulders. She told herself that it was because he had grown several inches in the last few months, but if she was honest with herself, putting her arms around his neck gave her better access to the smell of soap on his skin and the feel of his muscles against her cheek. The other day she caught herself zoning out while staring at his mouth, her imagination running wild with all that that mouth was capable of…which she realized she was doing right in that moment as Jughead cocked his head to the side, repeating her name for the third time, his brows knitted in concern. "Betty? Betty, are you okay?"
"Huh?" she shook her head slightly. "Yeah, yeah I'm good. Sorry. What were you saying?" she smiled apologetically. Jughead returned her smile. "I was discussing the merits of only the most important filmmaker of our time…" he began. "Quentin Tarantino," Betty finished his sentence. As if on cue, they simultaneously turned their heads toward each other, and burst into laughter. "It's like we've had this conversation before," Betty joked sarcastically. Jughead nudged her gently with his shoulder, "Or perhaps I've just taught you well," Jughead smirked.
He put his arm on the seat back behind her, effectively putting his arm around her, which did not go unnoticed by Betty. She shifted her weight in the booth so that her thigh was (hopefully naturally!) lightly resting against his own, enjoying the warmth it created between them. She pretended not to notice when Jughead glanced down at their touching thighs, and he pretended not to notice that she had seen him do it. They sat this way for the next hour, talking and laughing, both painfully aware that they were sitting close enough to generate heat between their bodies, but neither willing to draw attention to it, for fear that it would force them to move away from each other. Betty repeatedly snuck glances at him, and found that every time she did, he was already looking at her, and would hold her gaze until she smiled and looked away.
By the time they'd finished their milkshakes and paid the bill, it was already dark outside. Underneath the clear sky full of stars, they began walking towards Betty's house, his arm brushing hers every few steps. Betty thought that he might be doing it on purpose, so she snuck a look at him through her lashes, and caught him looking back at her, a shy smile on his face. She smiled back at him, but neither said anything. They continued walking in silence, both sensing the heaviness of something she couldn't put her finger on; something that had enveloped them in a new sensation. In all the years she'd known Jughead, she had never felt nervous around him. And yet, she felt undeniably nervous in that moment. Her palms were damp, and she noticed that her heart was beating double time. She purposefully willed herself to not look at him.
Nearing her house, Jughead must have sensed this strange new energy between them because he suddenly stopped her, reaching out to gently grab her wrist. "Betty…" he began, letting out a deep sigh before turning to face her, and looking into her eyes. "Um, do you…" he cleared his throat, "I have to, uh, tell you…" he swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, the telltale sign that Jughead was nervous. "Juggie, what is it?" she prompted, unsure of what he was about to say. He looked away from her briefly, and then turned back to her resolutely. He took a step towards her, and Betty's breath caught in her chest. She felt her stomach flip-flopping; she could hear her pulse in her ears. Everything slowed down around them as their eyes met, both aware that something had shifted exponentially between them. Both breathing heavily, unsure of the next move, Jughead glanced down at her lips, and she did the same to his. Betty quickly licked her lips in anticipation, as Jughead took another step closer to her. He hesitantly put his hands on her waist, his eyes darting back and forth between her eyes and her lips, making sure that she was okay with his touch. She smiled up at him in confirmation. Then, after what seemed like hours, Jughead closed the distance between them, brought his hands to the side of her face, and his lips lightly grazed her own. Her eyes fluttered shut at his touch, their mouths smiling against the other. Jughead pulled away to gauge her reaction, and sensing his uncertainty, Betty took the initiative this time, bringing her lips back to his. Jughead returned her kiss, moving his lips with hers as they explored this new dimension of their relationship. Betty was thoroughly enjoying the moment, but it didn't last long, as Jughead suddenly stopped, and took a small step back. He let out a deep, but content, sigh, and they both smiled sheepishly at one another. "Wow Juggie," Betty laughed breathlessly. He returned her smile, but Betty swore that she saw a flash of sadness pass over his face. "Juggie?"
He shook his head slightly, as if remembering where he was. Once again, he reached up and cradled her cheek in his hand. They stood that way for what felt like an eternity, when Jughead finally spoke. "Goodbye Betty," he said quietly. And then just as quickly, he turned away from her, walking in the direction of his trailer. Confused by his brevity, she called his name as he walked away, "Jughead, wait!" But he continued walking away, not looking back.
In the end, he was also the source of her first heartbreak. She didn't see him again for four years. Until this moment.
As if he'd read her mind, Jughead turned at that moment, staring directly at her. His eyes locked onto hers, his eyebrows drawn up in surprise...His eyes then slowly narrowed, his mouth set in a straight line. Choosing to ignore his less than warm welcome, Betty smiled at him hopefully, and made a move in his direction. But instead of smiling back at her, a familiar flash of sadness crossed over his face, he turned his eyes to the ground and walked away in the opposite direction.
Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear what you think! :)
