Loosely inspired by Walker Hayes "You Broke Up With Me"
Toni is there, very briefly (also, I'm so sorry!). It's still very much bughead you guys. My brain has a habit of "this definitely isn't going to happen- so I gotta write it anyways." But this is probably less angst than 2x06 tonight! Silver lining?
Side note, I know nothing about fixing cars.
I barely have time to look over this before 2x06 airs, soooo unbeta'ed and all mistakes are my own.
Woah girl, simmer on down a notch
Ain't nobody making you watch me get my forget you on
No girl, can't touch my good as gold
I know it's difficult to see me on a roll
But hey, you broke up with me
Yeah, what can I say babe, you broke up with me
- Walker Hayes "You Broke Up With Me"
Jughead didn't quite know how he got himself in this mess, just that it had been one hell of a day.
The day started off normal enough. The usual metal detectors at Southside High, serpents trying to push back against the town (this time, specifically- the Ghoulies). Then Sweet Pea just had to throw the first punch. The Ghoulies knew what they were doing, going after the most hot-headed of the serpents to cause a fight.
Jughead wanted to keep the peace. So, he went to the one person who knew how to handle the Serpents.
He went to see his father. After all, he was the leader of the Serpents for the better part of two decades. He knew how to keep the peace, while Jughead was just starting to figure it out. If he could only prevent Sweet Pea from opening his big mouth, or from throwing punches, they could've handled it a bit better.
"This is about territory. Challenge them," his father said.
Seemed simple enough. There was one thing the Serpents and Ghoulies agreed on, it was how to settle issues. A street race.
Which is how he landed himself in a southside garage with his father's car, his second Archie, and his girlfriend. Wait, ex-girlfriend.
As much as his brain was constantly telling him to just avoid her, he couldn't help but stare when she wasn't looking. The subtle differences didn't go unnoticed to his eyes. The dark circles under her eyes, the slight bloodshot eyes that could only be from crying or lack of sleep, the almost imperceptible flinch she had whenever someone's phone went off.
Something was definitely up, but he couldn't bring himself to ask about it. If he did, he'd likely cave and beg her to give them another shot. And after sending Archie to break up with him, he couldn't risk it. Couldn't risk the fragile pieces of his heart that were left behind in her wake.
He kept repeating Archie's words over and over again to prevent him from saying anything at all.
She doesn't want to see you anymore.
She's been wanting to break up with you for weeks.
She's been agonizing over it.
Since you crossed the dark side, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
She saw where you were headed, Jughead. We all did.
She knows you can't be with them, and with her.
She was tired of slumming it with him, just as he predicted.
So Jughead was doing what he did best, be invisible to his "friends" on the northside.
Betty wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. She kept itching to say something to Jughead. Which is why she sent Archie to (temporarily) end things with Jughead. Or at least that's what she was telling herself to get through the day. Hell, just to get through the hour.
It seemed that The Black Hood had temporarily given her a break. She did as he asked. Ended her friendship with Veronica, ended her relationship with her first love, then ended her friendship with Kevin (though that wasn't too difficult considering he was still pissed for how she spoke to Veronica), and now cut ties with Archie. At least with Archie she could explain, that The Black Hood found out that she had confided in him, even though he never mentioned Archie in the beginning.
She was doing- well not fine, but surviving. And that was as much as she could hope for. At least until The Black Hood decided to torture her some more. But she would do it to protect the people she loved. A small sacrifice for the greater good, for preventing murders.
She didn't even want to be here, but Archie argued that they couldn't get anyone else last minute. And besides, did she want to risk Jughead getting injured from a shotty repair?
So, she kept busy. She was putting the finishing touched on the engine. Despite the minimal use, the engine didn't suffer too much. The battery and alternator were in good shape, she just needed to replace a few spark plugs and then check more minor issues.
Archie's phone went off in three successive tones, which caused Betty to jump. She let out a shaky breath after the realization that it wasn't her phone.
"Hey uh, I have to go check on Veronica," he said. He was out the door before either could protest.
Betty couldn't take the stares and silence anymore. "Can you hand me that wrench?" She pointed to the workbench.
Jughead crossed the garage and retrieved it. He handed it to her. His fingers acted on their own accord and waited a few beats too long before pulling back. She must have noticed.
She shook her head to clear the memories of her and Jughead. If she let herself pretend even for a second, she'd give in and spill everything to Jughead. "Thanks," she murmured. She reassembled the engine, tightening the last of the bolts. Just focus.
The garage door swung open, and the pair turned around expecting Archie. But it was Toni instead. She waltzed directly over to Jughead, with a fierce determination in her eyes.
Before Jughead could react, she walked right up to him and placed a featherlight kiss on his cheek. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Betty, who turned back around to the car. Had she waited a second more, she would have noticed the grimace on his face and how he shifted away from her touch. Despite Betty's will, a single tear ran down her cheek.
"Hey Juggie," Toni said. "How's the car coming along?"
"Uh, fine," he replied.
That kiss felt just as wrong as the other night, just as it was wrong to hear "Juggie" from anyone other than Betty.
He didn't have the energy to talk to Toni and explain that it wasn't going to happen. Even if he and Betty were over, he didn't want to be with anyone else. He just didn't know how to approach the conversation with Toni. So by default, he said nothing since that night.
Jughead caught Betty in the corner of his eye, her arm coming up to wipe away the stray tear. He didn't even take his eyes off of her when he spoke. "Hey Toni, can you check on Sweet Pea? Make sure he's not getting the Serpents into anymore trouble?"
"Sure thing," she replied.
"The car will be ready in about an hour," Betty offered. She just had to check the tire pressure and change the oil.
"Thanks for the update." Toni nodded in acknowledgment before stepping out.
"What's up with you?" Jughead asked. He crossed his arms and glared at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why are you upset?" His voice grew louder with each word. "I can do whatever the hell I want. Because news flash, you broke up with me!"
What are you doing?! This is the exact opposite of what you wanted to say to her! Tell her you love her, you idiot!
"I didn't mean to break up with you," she whispered. She focused intently on the floor, not wanting to meet his gaze.
He couldn't allow himself to hope that Archie had made the whole thing up. Surely he wouldn't have said to call Betty if that was the case.
"What are you talking about? You sent Archie to break up with me. Archie! And now what, you're planning to break up Veronica and Archie, so you can have him to yourself?" He heard about the falling out between Betty and Veronica from Archie, only now realizing what Betty's true motives could be. She just used him as a temporary placeholder until she could get her hands on Archie.
She finally met his eyes, terrified at the anger she found there. What exactly had Archie said? "I didn't break up with you, I said we should just take a break from each other," she clarified. "I didn't expect you to move on," she whispered.
"Yeah well, I don't think you agonizing over breaking up with me for weeks is what I'd call taking a break. So I can do what I damn well please, with whomever I want." He was fuming at this point, and that little voice that was talking him out of the argument could barely be heard. The little voice that wanted to tell Betty nothing was going on with Toni, at least not from his perspective.
"Is that what Archie said? I told him to explain it to you, that we just couldn't be together right now." She took a step forward, reaching out to him. She thought better of it and firmly planted her arms at her sides. "I didn't want to break up with you Jughead," she reiterated. The words were nearly on the tip of her tongue- The Black Hood made her do it.
That caught Jughead by surprise. Why would she break up with him if she didn't want to? She was Betty freaking Cooper, the most headstrong person he knew.
"What do you mean?"
"I uh- I," she started.
Toni burst into the room. "Jug, you need to get out here. Now! Sweet Pea is pushing his luck with the Ghoulies."
"Just a second," he replied to Toni. He turned back to Betty and ran his hand down her arm. "We'll talk later?" he asked softly.
She couldn't resist the pleading in his eyes. "Sure," she agreed. "Yes, we'll talk later Juggie."
He smiled at the use of his nickname. It only ever sounded right when she said it.
The little resolve she had left was gone. Maybe, just maybe, they could figure things out together.
"Hey Jug," she called out to him. "The car will be done soon. Good luck out there, okay?"
"Thanks, Betts."
"Be careful too."
"You got it." He smirked at her before running out to prevent Sweet Pea from making things worse.
After the race (which Jughead won, just barely) nearly everyone had gone- the Serpents to celebrate and the Ghoulies to admit defeat.
Jughead caught Betty in the garage. "Hey Betts."
Having already silenced her phone (which felt damn good to do), she was ready to confess everything to Jughead. "Hey yourself," she responded. "Great job out there." She wasn't quite sure how to start.
"Thanks. Look Betts, I kind of got into it with Archie. And he said it was all blown out of proportions, and that I should just talk to you."
Her eyes went wide, not having expected Archie to try to repair things between them when he was the one to blow things out of proportion in the first place. "Something like that," she started. "Look, there's something," she continued.
"Do you love me?" he interrupted.
She crossed the few feet and brought her hands up to his face. "Of course, I love you Jug. I never stopped." She ran her thumbs across his cheekbones and watched his eyelids flutter close as he exhaled.
"Thank god." He quickly closed what little gap was between them, pressing his lips to her own. She immediately brought her hands around his neck, as his arms circled her waist and pulled her flush against him. His fingertips landed on the bare skin between her shirt and jeans. She deepened the kiss and ran her fingers through his hair. This was what he had been missing.
"I love you so much Betty," he whispered in between kisses.
"I love you Juggie."
In the end, she confessed everything. Jughead beat himself up about not being there for her, but they were determined to work through it together.
They still had a lot of obstacles to tackle. Building that trust back up from the damage Archie (and Betty) had done to break up with him. The Black Hood. The civil war still brewing between the northside and southside.
But they had each other, and that was enough.