A/N: Written for Riverdale Secret Santa 2017, for makeitreignonem on tumblr. (Just finally getting around to uploading, since FF didn't cooperate initially).
Betty pulled her scarf a little tighter as a gust of wind sent a shiver down her spine. They had unseasonably warm weather through Thanksgiving, and in the span of a few days the weather had caught up to the season as the temperatures dropped.
Just a week ago she was wearing shorts and t-shirts. Veronica insisted they needed to get some fresh air in Central Park to enjoy the small amount of free time they had between when classes ended for Thanksgiving break and before they headed back to Riverdale. Their professors had the decency to have homework due prior to Thanksgiving instead of immediately after the break, so they were all able to take a much needed breather and relax for a few precious days.
By the time they all returned to New York City, Betty needed to layer with scarves and sweaters underneath her winter coat.
Not that she minded.
The fall was her favorite time of year. She loved watching the leaves change to shades of orange and red, the crisp scent in the air, and awaiting the first snow fall of the year.
The time of year also meant that Christmas was right around the corner, and it was her favorite holiday. There was something so peaceful about decorating the tree and the baking. Everything from pecan pie to sugar cookies and jelly thumbprints.
Betty even enjoyed the holiday with her family now, ever since Alice has toned down her disapproval to her daughters. That could be because Polly and Alice had gotten in a yelling match over Polly's parenting. Ever since Polly threatened to never let Alice see her grandchildren again, Alice had really turned over a new leaf. She was actually pleasant. At least most of the time.
Now Betty was embarking on a new tradition. She was about to see the tree lighting at the Rockefeller Center for the first time. Well, the first time she's seen it that wasn't televised.
If nothing else, Betty Cooper was prepared. She arrived immediately after her last class of the day and was saving a spot for her and Jughead.
Betty was in the middle of mentally cataloguing her next assignments that were due. Homework for Western Civilization and Intro to Sociology were done. She just needed to work on her final papers for Intro to Journalism and Creative Writing next. At least when those papers were done, those classes would be done for the semester. Then she just had to worry about finals.
"Hey there Juliet."
Betty smiled at his voice and turned to embrace him in a hug. Some of the tension left her shoulders, not even registering that thinking about finals would have that effect. Just the sound of his voice could do wonders for her anxiety over classes.
"Hey there Romeo," she spoke into his exposed neck. He had his plaid scarf draped on either side of his neck, not even bothering to properly wrap it around his neck. "How are you not cold, Jug?"
He laughed as he tightened his grip around her waist. "What can I say, my metabolism is what keeps me warm."
Betty pulled back, still keeping her arms behind his neck. "How was work?"
"You know, the same. Jaded masters students drowning their sorrows, and freshmen with fake ID's. Just a typical Wednesday night. How was class?" He adjusted the scarf around Betty's neck, trying to cover more of her skin.
"Not too bad. I just wrapped up my final assignment for Intro to Journalism, and then I just have to edit my Creative Writing assignment. And then I just have to worry about finals." It was exhausting just even getting that all out, let alone actually dealing with her classes and the massive amount of information she had to memorize for the aforementioned finals.
He brought his arms back around her waist and pulled her tight. He leaned down so their foreheads rested gently against the other's.
"I'm sure you'll kick some serious ass, Cooper."
"Thanks, Jones... You know, I'm looking forward to Christmas break. Which is a little disheartening considering we just got back from Thanksgiving." She began playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Hey, were you able to request off for some of Christmas?"
Jughead let out a sigh. Unfortunately bartending near a college campus in a busy city did not guarantee time off like it would in college towns, ones that pretty much shut down during Christmas breaks because ninety-five percent of their customers were college students. "About that, I spoke to the manager and the only days we're guaranteed off are Christmas Eve and Christmas. New Year's Eve is their busiest night, so Archie and I both have to work."
The smile immediately fell from her face. She knew it was a long shot, but it was worth him asking. "It's alright, at least we have those two days. You'll come back to Riverdale, right?"
"Of course. I didn't even get to the best part. Even though I have to work New Year's Eve, Archie and I were able to get a few extra days off. I have off the 26th and 27th, and Archie got the day before Christmas Eve off. So yeah, I'll be in Riverdale for Christmas."
She tilted her head up and pressed her lips against his briefly. "That's the best Christmas present a girl could ask for," she whispered against his lips.
Their breaths intermingled, and the added warmth caused a shiver to go down her spine.
He pulled back and ran his hands up and down her arms, eventually taking her hands in his own. "Hey, I have news," he said softly.
She beamed at him. "Oh yeah? What kind of news?" she said hopefully.
"You remember the meeting I had with the publisher about two weeks back?"
She nodded in understanding.
He had finished his first book last year on Jason Blossom's murder and its effect on their small town. He had been reaching out to publishers ever since graduation, hoping to get signed to a book deal. He thought it was a no brainer for a publishing company, considering he was nearly done with his second book on the serial killer that ravaged their hometown in their sophomore year of high school, and he had an outline for a third book- his first fiction novel rather than the retelling of the atrocities of their town with pep.
"Well I heard back from them today," he said solemnly. "Apparently they don't feel that a nineteen-year-old kid with no life experience was a worthwhile investment. They thought I was too risky." He rolled his eyes at that. It wasn't the first time he's heard that exact feedback, even though multiple publishers said his book had 'potential.'
She squeezed his hands. "I'm so sorry Jug. It'll all work out one day."
He inched forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Thank you, Betts." She felt as well as heard the words against her lips. "But I do have good news, kind of related to the publisher turning me down," he continued.
She raised an eyebrow and waited for him to proceed.
"Well I've been thinking that while I don't agree with their presumption of be being inexperienced with writing, I figured maybe I could take some classes and get my degree while I work, both at the bar and on my writing... I actually already applied and got accepted into the local community college for next semester. I can take a few classes during the day and work in the evenings."
He had already worked out that he could afford about two to three classes per semester on their payment plan. And if everything went well, he could look at transferring to NYU in a few years.
Her face lit up in excitement. "Jug, that's fantastic! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Did you send in your acceptance yet?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't want to jinx it. I just got the acceptance today actually. I need to send in my acceptance by December 15th along with a deposit for my tuition."
"I'm so proud of you, with or without the college degree."
He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "I know," he whispered affectionately.
"Oh look," she pointed off to their side. "I think they're about to start."
Jughead shifted so he could pull Betty next to him.
It didn't take long for the announcer to kick off the tree lighting ceremony. Betty's attention was fully focused straight ahead, but Jughead couldn't help but glance over at her every few minutes.
When it was finally time to light the tree, Betty let out a smile gasp and her smile reached her eyes. "It's beautiful," she said quietly.
"Yeah it is," Jughead agreed. Although he was watching the expression on her face light up brighter than any tree lighting ceremony could hold a candle to. He pulled her closer and just enjoyed the moment.
After a few minutes, Betty turned to him. "I don't suppose you'd want to accompany me back home?"
"You know you don't need to ask. I have to make sure you get home safe." He interlaced his hand with her gloved one and they started off for the subway.
"And I keep wondering who will keep you safe on your way home?"
He threw a pointed look her way. "I'd like to see the day that someone jumps a former gang member. Don't forget, there's muscles hiding under all this flannel," he remarked.
A light blush appeared on her cheeks. "Oh, I didn't forget."
"And I was actually hoping that you'd stay over tonight," she continued. "Ronnie is staying with Archie at your place... And I was wondering if you'd help me decorate the tree?" She flashed her pouty face at him, hoping that he wouldn't say no. "I'll even make cookies," she elaborated.
"Why didn't you lead with that? What kind of cookies are we talking?"
"Chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles."
"I get two types of cookies! You got yourself a deal."
The chocolate chip cookies had just come out of the large double oven and were cooling on the counter. She then put all four dozen snickerdoodles in.
She set the timer for twelve minutes and turned just in time to see Jughead juggling a very hot cookie as he took a bite. "You literally saw me take those out like thirty seconds ago," she commented while shaking her head.
While Jughead attempted to finish the one cookie, rather carefully, Betty started cleaning up the counter and started on washing the dishes. They had accumulated quite the pile of dishes, and the dishwasher was already full and running. By the time the first mixing bowl was clean, Jughead took over drying the dishes while Betty washed.
It wasn't long before the dishes were cleaned, that the timer went off and all the cookies were cooling on the counter.
"What do you say, time to decorate the tree?" She asked hopefully. She grabbed Jughead by the wrist and led him to the living room, but not before he could grab two chocolate chip cookies on his way out of the kitchen.
He quickly scarfed down the cookies before observing his surroundings. "A growing boy has got to eat, Betts. Especially if I'm expected to do physical labor," he said playfully.
He looked up at the probably ten-foot tall tree that now took up residence in the corner of Betty and Veronica's living room, near the windows that overlooked Central Park. It seemed proportional to their very large (and rent free) penthouse apartment in Veronica's father's building. Anything smaller would likely look like a miniature tree in this setting.
"No assembly required, Jug. It's really just decorating."
"Did Veronica hire someone to cut a tree for you both, and then bring it up here?" He reached out to touch a branch, noticing a slight plastic texture that he didn't expect.
"Oh, Veronica wouldn't let me get a real tree. Something about not bringing a spider infested tree into our lovely apartment with expensive furniture. But it looks real, doesn't it? It was the best she could buy on Glamazon," she said.
"Then why does it look like, and smell, like a real pine tree?"
"She got the scent infused tree," she said casually with a shrug of her shoulders.
Jughead busted out laughing, clutching his side. "Scent... Infused... Tree," he got out between laughs.
Betty giggled along with him, not realizing the absurdity of such an item until now.
After the laughter died down a bit Betty said, "Well you know Veronica. If she can imagine it, she can probably pay someone to make it." Betty skirted around Jughead to one of the living room closets and pulled out a box of decorations. "Will you grab the other boxes?"
He eyed up the rather large box that Betty leveraged her weight to push it across the hardwood floors. "You mean there's more?"
"Yeah, two more," she responded and pointed towards the same closet. "Once I told Veronica I wanted to put up a tree, she went a little overboard on ornaments. And lights. And tinsel. You know Veronica, she goes all in for everything."
Jughead brought out both boxes, and they got started on decorating.
Within an hour, the tree was decorated with silver and gold tinsel, candy canes, and more ornaments that they could count. Betty put the final touches on the tree with two hand decorated ornaments that she and Veronica made one night as a destressing activity on campus. They each tried to paint a poinsettia, but Betty's ended up looking more like a Gerber Daisy. It didn't matter, because she cherished it anyway. They even wrote "B & V, BFF's forever 3" underneath their respective painted plants, Betty chose silver and Ronnie wrote hers in gold. Two very different yet complementary colors, just like B and V themselves.
She stepped back to admire their work. "What do you think?"
"I think that I've worked up an appetite."
She laughed. "Jug, when don't you work up an appetite?"
"What can I say, I'm a bottomless pit when it comes to food."
"Well I've known that since we were three and you ate the entire plate of cookies I brought over. They were supposed to be for Archie and Fred too. Do you remember? My mom was so embarrassed that she ran back over to the house to bring over another dozen cookies."
"I couldn't help it Betts! Those were some delicious cookies."
The doorbell rang, effectively interrupting their reminiscing of their childhood. Or in Jughead's case, reminiscing about mouthwatering chocolate chip cookies.
"Who could that be?" Betty asked. Veronica wasn't planning on coming back that night, and she certainly wouldn't ring the doorbell.
"About that. I ordered us pizza," Jughead replied. He rushed off to open the door, quickly signing for the order and accepting the three boxes in exchange for the signed receipt. He kicked the door shut with his foot and flipped the deadbolt.
"Don't worry Betts, I got your favorite."
She glared at him briefly. "Extra cheese? With pepperoni?"
"You know it. Besides, I worked up quite the appetite from all this decorating. It was quite the strenuous activity." He walked into the kitchen and got out plates.
She smirked at him. "I guess I could eat dinner," she admitted.
"See, I was thinking ahead. Why don't you pull up Netflix and I'll bring out the food in a second?"
"You got it." She placed a swift kiss on his cheek before practically skipping off to the living room.
Jughead put all the garlic knots and marinara sauce on one plate for them to share, put two slices on another plate for Betty, and managed to stack four slices on his own plate. He closed the boxes and put all three in the fridge. He also ordered two slices of their famous cheesecake. He knew that Betty would be willing to share one piece of cheesecake, but he could probably eat two just by himself. So, he thought one each would be a good compromise.
He picked up the plates, very carefully, and joined Betty in the living room.
They ate in comfortable silence, as Betty put on one of the many rom-com Christmas movies she recently added to her wishlist. After they finished eating, Betty snuggled into Jughead's side and he put his arm around her.
She was content to watch the movie, and didn't speak until the credits were rolling. The movie was predictable, but just put her in the Christmas spirit even more.
"Hey Juggie?" She turned to him and tilted her head upwards to look at him.
"Yeah, babe."
"I was wondering if we could make tonight our little Christmas tradition? The Rockefeller center, then a cozy night in decorating and baking. If you had a good time tonight, I mean." She nervously bit her lip and waited for his response.
He smiled at her. She always had this little crinkle between her eyebrows when she was nervous, and he thought it was absolutely adorable. "Of course, this can be our tradition Betts. And for the record, I had a great time tonight. As long as we're together, that's all I really need."
"Thanks, Juggie. It really means a lot to me." She paused to look him in the eyes before continuing. "It's just that my mom had this tradition with Polly and I, at least until we were teenagers and shopping with mom wasn't as exciting as hanging out with our friends. We went Christmas shopping in the city every year, but we went in the beginning of November before all the holiday crowds. We always begged her to take us to see the tree lighting ceremony, or even go sometime after it was lit. But she never wanted to deal with the crowds, and not to mention that the tree lighting ceremony is on a weekday... I just- I really appreciate you coming with me tonight."
"I'm just glad I have you to make new Christmas memories with... It probably won't come as a surprise to you, but the Jones family didn't really have any Christmas traditions. I have vague recollections of a few Christmases where we put up this small tree. But ever since my mom left, my dad ignored the holidays for the most part. In fact, the only reason we celebrated at all was because Fred invited us over for the major holidays."
"I'm sorry, Jug." She leaned in and placed a light kiss on his lips. He quickly deepened what was meant to be a peck, pulling her into his lap and playing with the edge of her shirt. Her hands instinctively went to the sides of his face, gently grazing his cheeks. He pulled her flush against him and tightened his grip. She sighed happily into the kiss, her fingers playing with his hair at the edge of his beanie.
He pulled back slightly, breathless and drunk off their kiss. She tried to chase after his lips, letting out a slight groan from the lack of contact. He just smiled and brushed the few stray hairs out of her face. "You could probably ask me to dress up like an elf for a Christmas party and I'd say yes," he confessed. He ran his fingers up the side of her neck and framed her face. He kissed her briefly, before noticing the clever gleam in her eyes. "I wasn't actually serious about that Betts."
She laughed kissed him on the cheek. "I figured you were joking, but the mental image that popped into my head was too funny. You would look really cute with one of those red and green elf hats with the jingling ball on the end," she said gesturing with her hand.
"You're just lucky you're so irresistible."
"I know it," she confirmed. She stood up and pulled him by the hand. "Let's go to bed."
"Wait, I got dessert," he protested but continued to follow her towards her bedroom.
"That can be breakfast."
He chuckled and said, "I won't say no to cheesecake for breakfast."
~ ~ A few weeks later ~ ~
Veronica was curled up to Archie on her couch, running her fingers through his hair. They were waiting for Betty and Jughead to come home from his shift at work, so they could exchange presents before going back home to Riverdale for Christmas.
"Hey Ronnie, I have something to tell you," Archie started.
"What is it, Archiekins?"
"Well you remember me auditioning for that little bar on the edge of campus?" He paused, and she nodded in confirmation. "I got it, Ronnie. I'm on the schedule every Friday, and if the crowd likes me they said I might be able to get a slot on Saturday too." He beamed at her, thankful that something had finally come through after months and months of rejections or hearing that he wasn't the right 'fit' for them.
She threw her arms around his neck in congratulations. "Archie, that's fantastic news! I knew you could do it. When's your first show?" She pulled back, beaming at him.
"It's actually this Friday, right after Christmas. We'll be back here anyway, so it's perfect timing."
"You'll do great."
She leaned back and brought her hands up to the sides of his neck. "So, I know we were going to wait for Betty and Jughead. But... What do you think about us exchanging gifts now?"
Archie grinned wide when he answered, "Sounds like a great idea." He practically jumped up and retrieved his present from underneath the tree. He did a quick scan of the presents and found a silver gift bag with green and red tissue paper, with her handwriting with 'to: Archie 3.' He joined Veronica on the couch, and handed her his present wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper.
"You first," he said, placing the present in her hands.
"Well if you insist." She carefully unwrapped it, noting the (rather large) silver frame first. When she inspected it closer, she saw the lyrics to the song he had written for her, and it was handwritten in Archie's neatest writing. She brought her hand over her heart. "Archie it's perfect, thank you."
She set down the frame on the coffee table. She was already making a mental note to put the frame in her bedroom above the fireplace. "Okay, you're next," she said.
Archie nodded and shifted the tissue paper until he found a simple frame with a flyer in it. He read over it, realizing it was the flyer for his first show. In tiny scrawl on the bottom, it read 'Archie's big break, xo Veronica.'
"How did you get this? The manager said he wouldn't have it for a few days," he asked.
"I may have persuaded the manager to request a rush order on the flyers, if I paid for it... And I gave him a tip, so he wouldn't tell you they were ready."
Archie hadn't wanted any of the Lodge influence for his music career. But that didn't mean Veronica couldn't use her influence (or money) to get the scoop on his career after the manager already decided to add Archie to their Friday timeslot.
"Oh, and I have a small stack of flyers to bring home for your family," she added.
"It's great Ronnie, thank you so much." He set it down next to her gift and embraced her in a tight hug.
She leaned in and kissed him. He pulled her flush against him and deepened the kiss with a swipe of his tongue across her lips. She swung her leg over his hips to straddle him while his hands ran up her back in an attempt to unhook her bra. She smiled into the kiss and loosened his shirt from his jeans. She had it nearly halfway up his torso, when they heard someone clear their throat.
"Are we interrupting?" Jughead asked.
They broke apart quickly, both their cheeks flushed and breathing heavy.
Archie said, "No, of course not."
Veronica cleared her throat. "Not like that's the first time you two have interrupted," she said under her breath.
"What was that?" Jughead asked.
"Nothing." She stood up and pulled the hem of her plum dress down a bit. "Well, we ordered in pizza and it should be here relatively soon. I'll get us some sparkling cider to celebrate our little Christmas get together." She ran off to the kitchen.
While the majority of them were unopposed to underage drinking (even Betty on rare occasions), and Veronica had the means to acquire such alcoholic beverages, she knew that Jughead never wanted to go down his father's path. And the best way he knew how was to never start drinking in the first place. So as to not cause issues, she decided on sparkling cider.
Jughead and Betty took off their coats and got settled in for the evening.
Veronica's voice carried from the kitchen. "Hey Arch, can you come help me carry the glasses?"
He nodded at the pair on the couch and said, "Be right back."
They were back in the living room within a minute and Veronica took one long look over Betty. "You're a total smoke show tonight, B!" She was wearing a red dress with a deep v neck. They bought it when they went shopping a few weeks back, for their newly minted shopping tradition for Christmas. But Veronica hadn't had the full experience of the dress combined with Betty's hair down in waves and some light makeup.
Her cheeks flushed, and she accepted the glass Veronica held out to her. "Thanks, V."
Jughead wrapped his arm around her, and accepted the remaining glass with his free hand. "Yeah, she caused quite the scene at the bar," he exclaimed.
"Do tell," Veronica inquired.
Archie popped the cork on the bottle and very carefully poured into their glasses.
"It was nothing, really," Betty insisted.
"I wouldn't consider the bouncer having to throw out one of our regulars, nothing," Jughead continued.
"Wait, which regular?" Archie asked. Being close to campus, they had quite a number of regulars from students to professors on occasion.
"Johnathan, he's in one of the master's programs at NYU. He was very drunk and couldn't understand why I couldn't serve Betty, even though he was paying for her drink. He ended up shoving me a little and the bouncer had to throw him out and call him a cab."
"Well, why don't we lighten the mood and exchange presents?" Betty asked.
"Now that is an idea I can get behind," Veronica exclaimed. "Actually, I have a little something extra that I wanted to give the three of you first." Veronica stood and grabbed her purse from its hook in the entryway, before returning to her seat next to Archie on the loveseat. She pulled out four envelopes, with her delicate scrawl on three of them, leaving the unmarked one for herself.
"Veronica, you know we agreed on a $20 limit," Betty protested.
"I know, I know. So, let's just call this an early birthday present for everyone. Or my personal favorite reason of just because," she smirked. She passed out the envelopes to each of her friends and gave them a minute to read the contents.
They each pulled out a plane ticket and a brochure for an all-inclusive resort in St. Bart's in the Caribbean. She strategically chose the pamphlet that didn't list prices, although she knew that she couldn't prevent her friends from googling. Sure, it was pricier than your typical spring break vacation, but Veronica was not your typical student seeking a bargain vacation. Her friends would be a little harder to sway.
She watched as they processed the information she had given them, ranging from elated (Archie) to hesitant but cautiously excited (Betty) to downright miserable (Jughead).
They all spoke at nearly the same time.
"This is great Ronnie, thanks!" Archie exclaimed. He placed a swift kiss on her cheek.
"V are you sure?" Betty asked, a smile spreading across her face.
"I cannot accept this Veronica, it's too much," Jughead argued.
"I knew you'd say that, and I came prepared," Veronica began. She focused her attention on Jughead before continuing. "First of all, when you are friends with Veronica Lodge, you have to accept that sometimes you'll get extravagant gifts. Secondly, it will be a well-deserved vacation by that time in our semester. Thirdly, I don't know about all of you, but I'll want a break from the snowfall."
"But what about work? I can't just request off when they're already short staffed during breaks," Jughead protested.
She lifted a finger to tell him she wasn't quite done. "If you would let me finish, I already arranged for both of your shifts to be covered. Luckily for us, it's a first come, first serve on vacation requests. And with Christmas right around the corner, no one else has thought ahead to request off for spring break."
Veronica didn't mention the fact that she bribed the assistant manager to cover Jughead's shifts, as only Archie's was approved due to the number of people required during a normal day. "And lastly," she continued, "-the tickets are non-refundable. So, there's no point in arguing." She sent a satisfying smirk his way.
Betty nudged Jughead's knee with her own. "You do know there's no point in arguing, Juggie. You eventually agreed to her post-graduation trip to Ocean City. And I'm sure Veronica will treat you to all the food you can eat."
Jughead's stomach grumbled at the memory of the few buffets they went to, the pizza, the Mexican food, and oh the mouthwatering and fresh made donuts from the Fractured Prune. "Fine," he acquiesced.
If Veronica had it her way, they would have gone to Miami. But Betty insisted that she wanted to be close to family, since Polly's twins had come down with a bad case of the flu. She wanted to be close by in case Polly needed help. So, Veronica had compromised on a short trip down to the shore, and assured Betty that her father's jet would be available if absolutely necessary (it wasn't, but Betty appreciated the thought).
"I, for one, am looking forward to this vacation. Thank you, Ronnie," Archie exclaimed.
"You're welcome Archiekins. Oh! I almost forgot. We're going Saturday until Friday, and we'll be back in plenty of time for your show," Veronica said.
"Wait, what's this about a show?" Betty asked.
"Oh! I got booked for a weekly Friday timeslot at one of the bars by work. My first show is this upcoming Friday. You guys will be there to support me, right?" Archie inquired.
"Of course!" Betty agreed.
"Sure thing, man," Jughead added.
"Thanks guys. It really means a lot," Archie said.
"He'll do great," Veronica commented. "Archie Andrews will be the next big star from New York, just you wait."
Jughead shifted in his seat and pulled Betty closer. "Well if we're sharing good news, I have some of my own." She leaned into his shoulder, having already heard the news a bit earlier that night.
"What is it? Don't keep us in suspense for too long," Veronica insisted.
"I just got a publishing offer for my first book. And if it does well, they'll extend the offer to include a second book deal." A smile spread across his face and Betty patted his knee with her hand, letting it rest there.
"Congrats Jug!" Archie said, lightly slapping him on the back.
"Congratulations Jug," Veronica added. "Look at us B. We're dating the next up and coming stars in the music and writing industry."
"I think this calls for more cider," Archie insisted. He topped off everyone's drinks just in time for pizza to arrive. Veronica answered the door, signing for the delivery, and brought the boxes and plates to the coffee table.
In the middle of their meal Veronica asked, "Did you two exchange gifts already?" She motioned at Betty and Jughead.
"Yeah, we did," Betty offered with a blush.
~ ~ Earlier that evening ~ ~
Betty was perched on one of the bar stools, waiting for Jughead to gather his things so they could meet up with Veronica and Archie for their gift exchange before going back to Riverdale tomorrow.
She didn't have to wait long before Jughead placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and asked, "You ready to get out of here?"
She chuckled and nodded, accepting his outstretched hand. They exited the bar and turned towards the subway station.
"Hey," Jughead started. "Do you maybe want to swing by my place first?" He preferred to give her his gift in private, not wanting to share his news with the other half of their core friends just yet.
"Sure," she replied simply.
They spent the rest of the walk in companionable silence, just enjoying each other's presence.
They arrived at his place within a few minutes, the small apartment he shared with Archie in the East Village.
Jughead unlocked his door and ushered her inside.
"Listen, I know we're doing our gift exchange at your place, but I wanted to give you yours first." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, before taking off his coat and placing it on its hook.
She copied his actions, setting her coat on the next hook.
She noted his nervous tick. "You alright Juggie?" She brought her hands up and placed them on the sides of his face, her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks.
"Yeah, I'm more than alright actually." He brought his hands up to cover hers and leaned into her touch. "I got a book deal, Betts!"
"What?! That's fantastic news Jug. I knew it would all work out one day." She smiled at him, excited that it was finally coming together.
"Yeah they wanted to give me the good news ahead of Christmas. I have a meeting to go over the details after we get back to the city." He leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. "I don't think I could have done this without you, Betts."
She pulled back and sent him that sly little smirk when she loves to prove him wrong. "You would have survived just fine without me. I just offered a little encouragement is all."
He ran his hands down her sides and resting on her lower back. "Agree to disagree, Betts. Because if it weren't for you believing in me, I'd probably still be in the Serpents with no exit strategy in sight. And I'm so thankful that you didn't give up on me, on us, even when I did. I love you, Betty Cooper."
"Jughead Jones, I love you. And I'm just glad we both saw reason." She shifted her hands behind his neck, tugging on the hair that escaped his beanie. "So, what's this I hear about exchanging gifts?" She raised a brow at him and swiftly kissed him on the cheek.
He chuckled and extracted himself from their embrace. Having already planned on exchanging all their gifts at the Lodge-Cooper residence, he had them all in his messenger bag. He picked up the rather hefty box, wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper (he and Archie didn't get gifts for that many people, so they split the cost of one roll of wrapping paper).
"Here," he said, handing her the gift.
She accepted it and dug around in her own oversized purse that she switched to for this very occasion. "Why don't we exchange at the same time?" She pulled out a carefully wrapped package, with snowmen and penguins interspersed on a green background, and handed it off to him.
"If you insist."
They each unwrapped their presents. Jughead was a little quicker, revealing a leather-bound journal with the initials J.J. in the bottom right hand corner. "Betty, I love it." He had mentioned on a few occasions that he wanted to carry around a journal, particularly for late night shifts at work or if he traveled through the slightly shadier parts of town. He hadn't wanted his laptop to make him more of a target, but still wanted to be able to write down ideas. He could handle himself, he just didn't want a damaged laptop as a result of the smug criminal that would try his luck with a former gang member.
Her gasp broke him out of his thoughts. "Jug, is this what I think it is?" She ran her fingers across the title and by-line. Currently called 'Untitled' by Jughead Jones. He always had the hardest time coming up with titles, and was hoping he could get some feedback from Betty over the break and that they could come up with a title together.
She turned to the first page, reading his dedication. 'To my partner in crime-solving, without whom this case would likely be unsolved.' She started to tear up and blinked a few times to prevent them from falling. "Jug, I-"
"I finished it a few days ago. I was hoping you could look over it during the break. You are my favorite editor."
"I'm you're only editor," she argued.
"Exactly, and therefore my favorite. You're the only one I trust with this, Betts."
She hugged the manuscript to her chest. "This is perfect, Juggie. I get to read your soon to be, second bestselling novel, and I get to edit it. What more could an aspiring journalist and girlfriend want?"
"You're not just an aspiring journalist, you are a journalist. Your work at The Blue and Gold got you a full ride. I think the admissions office would agree with me on that," he reminded her.
She lightly shoved his shoulder. "Who am I to argue with your wise words?" She beamed at him, and was looking forward to the break more than ever.
"Hey, what do you say we get back to Park Avenue?"
She nodded. "I guess we should."
She carefully placed the manuscript in her bag, underneath the other wrapped presents.
They left hand in hand, holding onto each other just a little tighter than they had earlier in the evening.
They spent the evening laughing and catching up, eating an enormous amount of pizza (mainly Jughead), and exchanged the remaining gifts.
The respective couples were cuddled up on the couch and loveseat, enjoying each other's company and the last bit of peace and quiet before going to see their families the next day.
"Oh!" Betty exclaimed. "I do have a little extra gift for the couples here. It may not be a trip to an all-inclusive resort, but- well let me just get them." She jumped up and retrieved the last two gifts from her bag.
"B, you know the cost doesn't matter to us. I just like our vacations so we can all spend some time together. And if happens to be in a fabulous resort, then that's just an added bonus," Veronica insisted.
Betty didn't have time to wrap the presents as they just arrived that day, so she just handed them each to Jughead, and Veronica and Archie.
They took in their gifts, ornaments she made on ShutterBug. They were just a simple picture of each couple on a metal frame with scalloped edges, and the year underneath in delicate text.
"B, this is the sweetest," Veronica gushed.
"This is great, Betty," Archie added.
"Thanks babe," Jughead said sweetly.
Betty shrugged her shoulders, repeating something Kevin had mentioned to her on a phone call just the other day. "As Kevin would say, it's not a Christmas tree without the classic bughead and varchie ornaments," she said with a giggle.
"Oh, speaking of Kevin, will he be home for Christmas too?" Veronica asked.
"Yes, we're actually meeting up with him tomorrow at Pop's," Betty replied. "Allow me?" She motioned for the ornaments back, and went to place them on the tree. She nestled them on branches near their B and V ornaments, closer to the top of the tree. She returned to her seat next to Jughead, snuggling back into his embrace.
"Hey guys," Archie started. "Did you ever really think we'd end up here? In New York, you girls going to school, Jug about to become the next best-selling author, and me playing my music." He smiled and pulled Veronica a bit tighter.
"I always knew I'd make it back here one day, Archiekins. I just never imagined I'd have the greatest friends with me when I did," Veronica admitted. She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
Betty squeezed Jughead's hand a little tighter and placed a featherlight kiss on his cheek. "I knew it would all work out," she said.
Jughead thought back on their sophomore year, which was undoubtedly his worst. From living in the drive in, to his dad's trial for covering up Jason's murder, and the Black Hood torturing Betty as well as the town. But then he remembered how hard Betty fought for him and how she wouldn't give up on him, even when he gave up on them. Betty was the light in his world of darkness, and she was the one who convinced him to get out of the Serpents. She saw their future together, and how it was slipping out of their grasp day by day, as long as he remained in that gang. With her help, he finally got out of that toxic (and occasionally illegal) life, as well as helping take down Penny, so his father could escape that life too. She was the sole reason he was able to focus on his book instead of running drugs, and she may have inspired his father to stay on the straight and narrow. Now, his father was working with Fred Andrews again, and going back to school.
He knew that Betty would disagree, but he didn't deserve her. Although she constantly reminded him that his past didn't define him, but rather the actions that he took to deal with his past.
He turned to meet her bright green eyes that shined so bright, especially in the soft glow of the Christmas decorations. He pulled her closer and pressed his lips firmly against hers. "Yeah, I did."