Disclaimer: I do not own Riverdale.
Bughead in Fifty Sentences
1. Stain
Jughead Jones never made of mess of things when devouring his favorite burger at Pop's, however, the one time he successfully managed to spill ketchup down his attire was when the bell chimed on a gloomy afternoon and in walked a bubble of sunshine that he had never seen before: Betty Cooper.
2. Drop
ACT, SAT Prep, Biology test, English Lit paper, cheerleader tryouts – THUD – an anxiety ridden Betty scrambled to pick up her books, only pausing slightly when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that a boy wearing a crown-shaped beanie was shooting a concerned glance her way.
3. Observation
He noticed the little things, the watercolors in her eyes, the melody in her voice, and how she hung onto Archie Andrews' every word – Jughead was determined to meet this girl.
4. Chance
This was it – Kevin Keller had finally left to get a popcorn refill – abandoning his post at the projector, Jughead navigated through the sea of people at the drive-in until slowing down at her friend's pickup truck, calculating his steps until he would look up from the ground and make his first impression.
5. Research
Betty sighed as she put down her phone, she had been scrolling online for hours, finding nothing about the mysterious boy that had said her name at the drive-in two days ago – who was Jughead Jones?
6. Eat
He was never one for social interaction at school, especially when it came to lunchtime, but he took a deep breath and gripped the blue tray as Archie and Betty looked up from their meals: "Can I join you guys?" he asked.
7. Pocket
Noticing that something was sticking out of the front end of her backpack, she plucked it out of the bag to find an Ernest Hemmingway poem, the very one that she and Jughead had discussed on their way to class earlier that day.
8. Dollar
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Jughead became frustrated as he once again smoothed out the paper and attempted to feed it into the vending machine but to no prevail; that is, until out of nowhere a small hand with light blue nail polish shoved a crisp bill into the machine – "You're welcome," Betty smiled as she left the lounge just as quickly as she came.
9. Hesitate
Not understanding the rush of heat that he felt to his cheeks, he looked at his laptop screensaver, reminding himself that it was okay to ask, they were friends after all: "Betty, could I have your phone number?"
10. Offer
Sitting in a booth at Pop's with Archie, Veronica, and Jughead, Betty gestured toward her French fries, knowing that her fellow Blue & Gold writer had been eyeing them – he gave a sly smile before grabbing a handful and passing her a sip of his shake in return.
11. Crime
They briskly walked to the Thornhill funeral, Betty undoing her ponytail and making excuses to convey her doubts about investigating the home, "Jug, this is almost breaking and entering," he chuckled at the nickname as he handed her hair elastic back, "Exactly Betty, almost breaking and entering."
12. Foot
He diligently sipped his coffee as Betty continuing discussing their next article, that is, until he felt her pink converse bump against his faded boat shoes, he eyed her playfully as he returned the gesture, "Pardon me," he teased.
13. Accompany
To Alice Cooper, it seemed like everywhere Betty went, that son of a serpent Jughead Jones went, and the reporter couldn't help but notice that the boy's visits were becoming more and more frequent.
14. Default
As Betty typed yet another message to Jughead about the good news of her history test, she realized that the witty introvert was now her go-to person for almost everything; she scrolled up at their history – over 2000 messages had been exchanged.
15. Deny
"Admit it, Betty," Kevin demanded moments after he had witnessed the two of them embrace; but his friend shook her head, ponytail swaying as she bit her lip sheepishly.
16. Impulse
The thought came out of nowhere and the decision was just as sudden as the action – he smashed his lips into hers.
17. Classify
"So…what are we?" she asked slowly, feeling like years had passed until he replied, his hand meeting hers: "Together," he smiled.
18. Highlight
It didn't matter whether it was a good or bad day, whether he didn't know what was happening in his home life, when he saw her, all of his worries were washed away.
19. Privacy
No one knew except for them, their wonderstruck eyes the only source of contact throughout the school day, their hearts yearning for the bell to ring and to be alone in the comfort of the Blue & Gold office.
20. Market
"Jug," she dangled the car keys in front of his nose, "I think it's high time we go shopping for a new recipe," his eyes widened in interest, grabbing the keys and bolting out the door before Betty could say another word.
21. Profile
Betty beamed with joy as she watched Jughead change his status on social media: In a Relationship with Betty Cooper.
22. Heal
She didn't know it, but just as he soothed her physical injuries, she played a huge role in mending his emotional wounds, both souls responsible for covering up each other's ugly scars with the pure innocence and youth that is known as love.
23. Essential
She checked everything once more, purse, wallet, keys…she sighed contently as her last item walked in with a single red rose in his hand – she felt complete.
24. Kick
He grinned as continued to tickle her, her protests getting drowned out by her giggles; continuing on his mission, he only stopped briefly to close her bedroom door swiftly with the back of his foot.
25. Roof
And so they sat, their backs pressed against each other, taking in the peaceful view of Riverdale as the sun left the sky, their action of closeness speaking many words in such silence.
26. Addicted
He kissed her nose, then her lips, her jawline, her neck, the intensity of the moment making her head spin, the rush stronger than any adrenaline she ever experienced, and he kept going, her hands playing with his thick hair as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear.
27. Copyright
The two writers couldn't help but roll their eyes at Veronica's latest and so-called official nickname for them: Bughead.
28. Authority
"Put the cookie down," she warned as the boy retracted his hand and gave her a smirk, pretending to adjust his crowned hat to cover up the sugary scheme he had been attempting to execute.
29. Indoor
Being snowed in was fine with Jughead because it meant old movies, hot cocoa, blankets, and his favorite girl.
30. Crack
"Careful there," he said as he watched Betty tiptoe around a giant crack in the sidewalk, "I've been told that I'm apparently bad luck," but the blonde gave a sly look and set her foot on the pavement, "Oops," she paused, "guess that means I'm stuck with you for at least seven years."
31. Flesh
Little did they know that those three words, a simple saying reciprocated, would lead to such lust, an intense evening of believing, cupboards, and love.
32. Jacket
Although wary about the whole Serpent situation, Betty had to admit that her boyfriend looked extremely attractive in his signature jacket, and she especially liked when he draped the material over her shoulders, claiming to the world that she was his.
33. Notion
She was always aware that she had good intuition, as did he, but as they sat in their signature booth at Pop's, the look in their eyes changed, the brown and green irises realized that trouble was headed their way, no matter how hard they fought to keep it from touching their bond.
34. Highway
Jughead gripped the handles of his motorcycle and Betty held onto his waist as they zoomed down the scenic road, taking in the fresh air of adventure, feeling free of the troubles of Riverdale, wishing that the road trip would never have to end.
35. Argument
It wasn't the first, and it wasn't the last, still it hurt like every fight did, both souls longing to fix their problems, but not knowing where in the world the equation had even started – Jughead sank to the ground of the trailer, hoping for dear life that it wouldn't divide them.
36. Punish
Betty wiped away a tear, gritting her teeth together as she tried to drown out her mother's shrill voice, which was giving her a complete uncalled-for explanation on what happens when one dates a Southside Serpent, trying to make her feel like she should have seen this coming.
37. Faithful
Through it all, though some mistakes were made along the way, they never forgot who their hearts belonged to; the moments of beauty in the library, the love notes found in the corners of a book, the memories of milkshakes and hamburgers in the summer night air.
38. Distance
After months of separation, he reached out to her across the hall, her fingertips so close to grazing his before the large crowds of students pushed them away from each other once more.
39. Press
"Betty," he gasped in awe as they broke their kiss, his hands pinning her against the wall as she leaned in once more to close the gap, relishing in the victory of their reunion.
40. Storm
"Say it again!" she insisted over the roar of the wind, her wet hair falling out of place, landing on her forehead, he leaned down, kissing her passionately, rain trickling down his cheeks and onto her lips, "I love you."
41. Balance
They looked at each other in silence as they proceeded to the graduation stage, the blue and gold tassels dangling in front of their eyes; Betty couldn't help but reflect on the past four years, he was the ending to her story, the Yin to her Yang, a lifetime of inner peace.
42. Sensation
Slowly, he moved his fingers up and down her arm, making them both shiver from the touch; it was like a metallic fire, a spark that latched onto their nerves, strengthening their adoration for each other, providing a trust stronger than just their words.
43. Practice
He paced back and forth, something he never did; but this was it: one question, one answer, one love.
44. Engagement
"Yes," she said, and it was the simplest answer in all of writing history, but it was the most meaningful word in the world to Jughead Jones III.
45. Promise
White dress, black tux, two rings, one bouquet, four hands, two phrases, one kiss.
46. Boat
He grabbed her bags, leaping onto the dock before reaching for her hand, for their first journey as a married couple, "M'lady?"
47. Greet
Betty and Jughead waved to their parents as they stumbled in from the cold, wiping their sludge-covered boots on the welcome mat, and handing their children their wool coats as they stepped into the entrance of their brand-new home.
48. Cupboard
During Thanksgiving time at FP Jones' trailer, Betty couldn't help but gesture toward the back end of the kitchen, her fingers tapping on the dark green wood of the cabinet, her husband giving her a look of nostalgic desire, remembering romantic encounters of the past.
49. Hang
He couldn't close his mouth, his body currently in shock as he held the medical stick in his hand gently, his eyes watering with joy, "You're pregnant?"
50. Satisfied
Betty watched as her two children ran amongst their dog in the backyard, desperately trying to teach the puppy how to play fetch, Jughead snuck up behind her, "Cute, aren't they?" she smiled warmly as she reached for his hand and squeezed three times, sighing in contentment: they couldn't ask for a more perfect ending than this.
The End