So my newest obsession is Riverdale and I also really love Bughead so if you don't ship them/ can't stand them don't read this. I was watching and I thought that a lowkey, college AU would be fun so here we go. I have no idea how long this will last but bear with me.
Notes: Riverdale College AU! Basically the gang is starting college and this is just a relationships/drama fic about the core four. It's kind of like if the show started and they were in college instead of grade 10. Oh and Jason never died and Veronica is new. Those are important distinctions.
"You have everything you need, Betty?"
"Yes, Mom. I'll be fine and if I need something, home is only twenty minutes away." Betty looks at her mom reassuringly.
"I know you'll be fine, I just want to make sure you have everything you need to be fine." Alice Cooper raises her eyebrows and looks pointedly at Betty's purse.
"I have my Adderall, Mom. Lay off okay?" Betty gives a her mom a brief hug and turns away, pulling her suitcase with her. "I'll see you soon."
"Betty!" Her mother calls after her but Betty doesn't look back as she walks into the residence courtyard. Shaking her head, Alice gets into her car and drives off; leaving the campus behind.
Fiddling with her dorm key-card Betty glances around the courtyard taking it all in. Her gaze lingers on the stone fountain in the middle of the square surrounded by tall, stone buildings covered in ivy. Riverdale College is well known for being progressive and modern in its teaching but having the same old fashioned charm and feel of the Ivy Leagues.
Suddenly a gray beanie catches Betty's attention and smiling, she makes her way towards the residence hall entrance. "Jughead! Are you in this dorm too?"
Jughead looks up from his phone and grins in surprise. Betty throat tightens in pleasure at eliciting a smile from the usually somber boy. "Hey, Betty. I was wondering when I'd be seeing you. And yes, I am in this dorm. You are too?"
"Yeah. Room…" Betty glances down at her key-card, "120. Where are you?"
"314. They split up the floors by gender right?"
"Yeah, I think there's only three floors in Colmere Hall though."
Jughead nods, "We're at the very top."
"Oh, who are you rooming with? Archie?"
Jughead looks at Betty closely for a second. "Yeah. Archie." There's an awkward pause before Jughead says, "So have you met your roommate yet?"
"It's okay, Juggie, really. We don't have to avoid talking about Archie or anything. I'm not going to pretend he doesn't exist just because of one summer. We've had years of good summers to make up for this past one."
"You sure? Have you actually talked to him since that day?"
"Yeah. Not alone but we're perfectly civil whenever we see each other. We said that at the beginning: we wouldn't let anything screw up our friendship."
"And look where that's gotten you." Jughead grimaces as soon as he says it and tries to recover, "Sorry, that was harsh. I just mean that you guys don't seem as fine as you say you are."
"I know, Jughead, I know. I knew what I was getting into when we started it's never as simple as anyone says it will be." Betty sighs and plays with the hem of her pale pink tank-top and fights the lump in her throat in memory of the day that brought all her childhood fantasies crashing down.
"Betty. Look at me." Jughead touches her arm hesitantly and Betty smiles. Even after knowing each other for so long Jughead was still so wary of physical contact with everyone, but around Betty it always seemed more shy and nervous then reserved.
Betty looks up and nods at him. "Juggie, really, it's fine. I'm fine." She squeezes his hand and he ducks his head to hide the light blush rising on his cheeks. "He's nineteen, why is he still so nervous and shy? It's adorable," Betty thinks then mentally shakes herself. "Come on, I'll show you my dorm. I need to put my suitcase away anyway."
Jughead detaches himself from the wall and follows her down the outdoor corridor past dorm room doors and people going in and out chattering excitedly. Betty stops outside number 120 and inserts her key-card. After pushing the door open Jughead follows her in. The dorm room was larger than most college dorms - one of the draws of Riverdale College - with one bed pushed against each wall and two closets, desks and dressers arranged around the room. Betty's boxes were already clustered around the bed on the right and a burgundy backpack was sitting on the desk chair.
Betty drags her suitcase towards her bed and attempts to lift it on but it slips. "Crap. I swear this gained an extra ten pounds since I packed it. Jughead, can you…" She gestures between the suitcase and Jughead who springs forward saying,
"Oh! Yeah sure." Between the two of them they manage to lift the suitcase onto her bed with much grunting before collapsing beside it, Betty giggling and Jughead smiling in amusement. "What'd you put in there? Your entire library?"
"Would that surprise you?"
"No."
"Well it's certainly a contributing factor." Betty looks over at Jughead, his cheeks are red and his eyes bright. It warms her to see him like this after so many years of being closed off and distant, dealing with his dysfunctional family life and the fact that he was homeless for a while. It had taken him the better part of two years living with Archie to open up and really let himself enjoy life and she was proud of how far he'd come.
"What? Why are you staring at me?" Jughead narrows his eyes at Betty who blushes lightly and jumps up.
"Oh, nothing. Come on, can I see your dorm?"
"You could, but Archie's up there right now so… maybe later?"
Betty gives a slight nod and says, "Ok, how 'bout exploring then?"
"Sounds like an idea worthy of the former editors of the Blue & Gold." Jughead gives Betty a smile, the one she rarely ever sees but when she does it's only ever directed at her. She always tries to avoid reading into it too much but she can't deny that his smile makes her melt. The two of them walk back into the corridor and Betty closes the door behind her.