Chapter 48: Welcome

Oh with a little strength baby

Oh, I'll never let you down

With a little love, a little love, a little love, a little love


"Shit, Jones. You have enough cords and stoles to run for Pope."

Jughead looked up from his tablet to cock an eyebrow at his friend, Kareem. The campus commons was a mess of students and faculty standing around in half-assed formation, the buzz of graduation infecting everyone like an electric collar. Everyone just wanted the song-and-dance over with so that they could be free.

Saddled with event videography duties for the last time in his undergraduate career, Jughead was currently directing a custom droid overhead, a GoPro strapped to its belly. From the sky, they all looked like hyped up black-ants against the grass, but Jughead figured that the students, and their parents, would eat it up anyway. He had rigged the droid to play Smash Mouth's "All Star" at random intervals, so when the crowd heard the tune play, groups would look up and wave at the camera, hooting and throwing peace signs while they sang along.

A pretty good job if he did say so himself.

Very little attention was expended towards the job, so Jughead was easily able to look away from his tablet to glare at Kareem, a fellow engineer graduate, and roommate for the past two years. "That's not how Catholicism works."

"Religious Studies was three years ago. I remember fuck all from that class. Just making an observation."

Which was slightly hypocritical if Jughead had anything to say about it. Kareem's robes were just as decorated as his own, if a little more over the top with the fully-functional trainset installed on top of his graduation cap.

Rolling his eyes, Jughead went back to his tablet, directing his drone to make another figure 8 in the sky above them. "Not looking too bad yourself."

"Aww, knew I had a special place in your heart, but we had this conversation before. Graduation day proposals are cliché as fuck."

Well, his friend was definitely on point today. Jughead blushed despite himself. "Are you drunk?"

"Nah, just a little buzzed. Need all the help I can get to get through the next few hours. Who knew that the hardest part of college would be the graduation ceremony?"

Jughead refrained from informing his friend for the nth time that he didn't even have to be there. The leather portfolio the Provost gave them once their name was called was going to be empty: their actual diplomas came in the mail. This was just a glorified ceremony for tearful families, and Jughead was pretty sure that Kareem's family wasn't even in the country (his parents ran an international company that probably put the Lodge's to shame).

"I'm sure you can handle it." Bringing the drone back around, Jughead brought it to a hover right above Kareem's head, descending slow enough for his friend to simply reach up and pluck it out of the air. Satisfied with the good hour of footage he was able to nab, Jughead tucked the tablet into the back of his slacks and reached into the long sleeves of his robe for a freshly-wrapped Honey Bun.

Kareem made quick work of folding the drone down into a perfect 4x4 cube and tossed the camera at Jughead. "Wait, these robes have pockets?"

"Just assumed that's what the sleeves were for."

"Aw man, these are huge, you could probably fit the contents of both our fridges in them!"

A fridge and a half but Jughead wasn't going to clarify.

The last four years were the longest and shortest in his life. Months upon years of new friends, new experiences, jobs, internships, projects, and late night binges fueled by questionable energy drinks. Jughead was going to miss seeing the rest of the Engineering Club and the Radio Club. Miss movie nights, and incognito trips to the campus quad at 2am for unapproved drone flights.

And while he had used almost every break and vacation to visit Betty, or to have Betty visit him, he was not going to miss the distance. Jughead hated video chatting, and if he never saw a vid-chat service again, it would be too soon.

Because of scheduling conflicts with his final project and the senior conference, Jughead was unable to make Betty's graduation ceremony. Instead of being there to watch Betty receive her Bachelor's Degree in Communications with a Minor in Social Welfare summa cum laude, he spent his Saturday, hunched over his laptop in a coffee shop, watching Polly's livestream from her phone. It was miserable: seeing Betty glow with pride and joy, surrounded by her friends and family and just not being there.

Betty was understanding, looking at him the way she always did once she took Polly's phone away for a short moment. She knew he wanted to be there, and she understood.

Jughead felt like the biggest heel.

He hated video chats so much.

Swallowing his last bite of pastry, Jughead took a deep breath of fresh air and recently cut grass. Faculty started calling out to the masses, getting the seniors in line and ready for the ceremony.

As Jughead moved into his position in line, tuning out Kareem's continuous commentary, he looked towards the quad, completely decked out in ribbons, chairs, and a tastefully large stage. Somewhere in that crowd, along with his parents, Jellybean, Hotdog, and some of his friends from Riverdale, was Betty.

As proud as he was of his own achievements, Jughead was ready to get this cattle-show over with. He was so, so grateful that she was able to make it to his graduation, but he also felt incredibly undeserving of having her here since he was absent from hers.

An irrational, juvenile feeling, but he felt it nonetheless.

He wanted to make it up to her. Yes, he was there to pick her up from the airport when she finally touched down on U.S. ground, and Jughead was sure that his pride in Betty's success was evident in every hug and kiss they shared.

Feeling his cell phone buzz, Jughead pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the text from Chic.

[You got this, man.]

His phone buzzed again, this time with a picture, Betty smiling brightly at the camera, tucked under Chic's arm. She held one corner of a gaudy poster, emblazoned with "Congratulations Jughead" in large letters. Behind her and beside her was a gaggle of their friends: Archie and Valerie, Veronica and some guy, Dilton and Cheryl, Moose and Reggie all decked out in semi-formal wear to celebrate his graduation.

As much as Jughead appreciated seeing them all there, his eyes were all for Betty. A few months back, she had cropped her blond hair to shoulder-length, and now, it fell in soft curls around her cheek and neck. Her face still held the joy he had always appreciated when they were growing up. Even after four years, she was still the same girl he fell in love with.

Chic's expression in the picture seemed to urge Jughead on. He got this.

Damn, right he got this.

Reaching down into his left pocket, Jughead traced the small box snug against his thigh.

Months of planning and mental upheaval.

If Chic hadn't been there from the beginning, and wasn't supportive of Jughead's half-serious mumblings of marriage, Jughead didn't know if he would be as sure as ready as he was right this moment.

Because it was months of rumination for Jughead to realize that being "sure" of his relationship with Betty, was different from being "ready" for this next step in said relationship.

He was so fucking ready.

But Betty had to be to.

Which is pretty much what occupied Jughead's mind for the next two hours. The class president's speech, the Valedictorian speech, the band's ensemble, the awards ceremony . . . Jughead had the piece of mind to pay attention when it was his time to walk across the stage, smiling as he shook the Provost's hand and hearing his friend scream his name behind him.

Looking out into the crowd as he made his way across, Jughead smiled at his friends, holding up his empty leather portfolio and basking as their cheers intensified.

Walking back to his seat was the hardest thing since all Jughead wanted to do was run back and be with them. But in the end, everyone's excitement was too infectious, and when Kareem whooped, throwing a solid arm around Jughead's neck, he echoed the crowd's joy as they all threw their caps up into the air like a flock of happy black birds. Everyone broke ranks, some of them Jughead's club mates, and others friends while hugs, kisses, and shoulder punches were passed around.

"I'm gonna miss you, man!" Kareem declared, dropping a wet kiss on Jughead's cheek.

"Get off me!" Jughead half heartedly pushed him off. He was going to miss all of these guys.

Kareem's dark eyes spotted something over Jughead's shoulder and grinned, tightening his hold for a moment before letting him go. "Good luck."

Good luck? And Kareem spun Jughead around with surprising strength, bringing him nearly face to face with another person's shoulder . . .

And just beyond, Betty was heading his way, dodging elbows and leaping bodies, giving random graduates high-fives as she passed on through. Her laughter-god he missed her laugh-spurred him forward, and Jughead found himself reaching out to meet Betty halfway. His fingers immediately honed in on the back of her neck, cradling her head as he brought their lips together. Betty smiled against him, her arms coming around his hips to keep them close.

This. This was what he was waiting for forever to celebrate.

"Betty," he breathed, smiling as she laughed against the corner of his lips, dropping another kiss before pulling away.

"Jughead. Congratulations! I'm so, so proud of you!"

"Betty."

This time, her hands came up to cradle his face, bringing him close enough to press another lasting kiss against his lips. "We made it," she whispered.

They did. They made it.

"Betty Cooper."

"Yes, Juggie?"

Jughead paused to soak in the moment. Even in the cacophony of sound and noises around them, he felt secluded from the rest of the celebrations. After a short pause, he quickly released Betty just enough to completely unzip the front of his robe before pulling the loose end up, over their heads. Betty giggled at the random attempt at privacy, poking at the flimsy material of their makeshift tent. "Too much PDA?"

"Betty," Jughead pinned the ends of the robe together with one fist, bringing the other down to slip into his pocket.

Betty's blue eyes zeroed in on his hand before trailing back up to his face, a hesitant smile on her face. "Yes?"

"I love you."

A short laugh punched out of her chest before Betty could catch it, bringing her hands up to pat nervously around her neck as she bit the side of her lip. "I love you, too."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you at your graduation."

"W-we already had this discussion, Jughead. I understand-"

"But I want the chance to always be there for you in the future."

"Juggie?" Her eyes widened, bright despite the shadows his graduation robe covered them in.

Grasping his courage with both hands, Jughead continued on. He was a college graduate. A man. He was more sure of this than anything else in the world.

He could do this.

"I want to be there for your MA and PhD ceremonies. I want to be there to wish you off at every job interview. I want to wake up every morning and see your face before anyone else's."

Betty's fingers had stilled, clutched protectively at her throat, full attention on Jughead's face.

He could do this.

"Betty Cooper," without breaking eye contact, he pulled the box from his pocket and held it up. "Would you allow me to be your husband?"

"Jughead!" Betty cried, tears glassing up her eyes. Her fingertips went to her lips, failing to hide her shock before she looked down at the velvet box. "Jughead," she whispered, bringing her gaze back up, this time with a genuine smile. "Yes. Yes, I would love to have you as my husband."

The relief and joy overshadowed the graduation ceremony ten-fold, causing Jughead to giggle a little bit himself. Oh wow, this was really happening . . .

"D-don't you want to see the ring first?"

"No, you moron. I don't need to see the ring first." And both of her hands came up to lace through the hairs at the base of his skull, bringing him down for a desperate, celebratory kiss.

Jughead let the graduation robe fall down from around them, letting the cheers welcome them back into the real world.

And what a world it was.


[Word Count: 2,123]

AN: :-)

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