Author's note: So, we have a small bit of angst – between Bughead and Barchie as couples but not Betty or Jughead. If you can make sense of that, I commend you. It's 630 and I haven't had coffee yet. Enjoy! Xx

Jughead held Betty's hand as they waited in the booth at the coffee shop, thumb stroking soothing circles into the back of her palm. He could feel the tension settling into her bones the longer they waited for Veronica and Archie to show up; understood that she felt on some level, like they weren't going to show up after all. He didn't want her to worry about that. Keeping her hand held steady in his own, he pressed a kiss to her temple, drawing her attention towards him.

"They're coming," he soothed, signing the words. He had picked up a lot of the language due to the excessive amount of hours he devoted to learning each night. Even Ethel had caught on to his new skill one day. There had been an author who was hoping to have Ethel be his editor as well, but he was a deaf man, and his interpreter was new – was still learning what it meant to work twenty-four seven with a hard of hearing individual. Meaning, the interpreter forgot to be present for the meeting altogether and the guy, Charlie, had a hard time conveying his wishes.

Until Jughead stepped in.

It took some working on both of their ends, but Jughead was able to understand what Charlie was hopeful for and told Ethel he had his manuscript he was wanting her to at least look at. Ethel was not only impressed by Jughead's newfound language skills but by the author's book concept and immediately asked Jughead to tell him she was interested in being his editor. It had been a satisfying moment for the three of them and Jughead, personally, felt a bit of pleasure upon picturing his mother's face. How she had said he'd never amount to anything more than a drug runner in a gang. Look at me now, Gladys.

When he told Betty about that experience, he wasn't surprised to find her getting emotional – the good kind – in response. Even Sweet Pea respected what happened, after learning about it when they all went out for a double-date one night. Jughead felt as if he had done right by them all. It was a good feeling to hold in his possession.

Just then, he felt Betty's hand squeeze his, tension radiating through her grip, and he looked up, following her line of sight to spot Veronica and Archie walking into the coffee shop. He pressed another kiss to her temple, pulling her into his body as tightly as he could because if she couldn't hear him, he'd make his intentions clear through his body language – she was safe with him and no one was going to hurt her in front of him.

Veronica paused just shy of the table, looking at Jughead briefly before turning towards Betty and offering a timid smile. Betty returned it slightly as Archie smiled as well and pointed towards the seat across from them.

"You can sit, Archie. You don't need to point to make your intentions clear," Betty said, tone blunt. "I know what you want."

Archie winced minutely, rubbing the back of his neck as he nodded and slowly sat down into the seat across from them, Veronica following suit. Archie looked at Betty, then Jughead, before looking down, playing with the sugar shaker. Veronica didn't drop eye-contact as she spoke to Betty and Betty alone.

"Betty, I'm so fucking sorry," she said, lips moving over the words slowly but Jughead didn't feel justified in attacking her for talking slowly; not when there was an honest sincerity burning behind her words that not even he could deny himself. And, Betty must have at least sensed that sincerity in the words through Veronica's expression – that resembled a cross between someone desperate to prove themselves and someone ashamed – and she nodded.

Lifting her hands, she began to sign as she spoke, looking at Archie, who had raised his head. "You two hurt me. You in particular, Archie. There is nothing…nothing wrong with me. Different, maybe, but not wrong. And, I use the word 'different' loosely, in the first place. I lost my hearing – didn't grow a second head or…or…start killing people randomly. Why act like I'm someone different than the girl you always knew or, even worse, someone to be ashamed of and uncomfortable of?"

Her voice didn't waver and perhaps it was the confidence behind her words that had Archie himself rushing to reply.

"Betty, I fucked up, okay?" Archie signed the word okay and even Jughead was taken aback. Looking between their looks of confusion, Archie sighed and a ran a hand through his hair. "I'm trying to learn the language. It's a slow process but not a process I'm willing to skip over if I want to keep you in my life, Betty. You were my best friend – had my back through everything. And the one time something happens that…that…I don't want to say changes…" his voice trailed off as he sighed in frustration. Betty smiled gently.

"Archie, I am alright with the word being used in this situation because it's different from how you would have used it that night at dinner with Claire. Different than how you handled the ordering of food," she said, tone kind but purposeful in the way she chose the order of her words.

Archie nodded. "So, something happened that did change things, yes. But, not for the worst. I just fell into the mindset of not knowing how to fix it. And that wasn't alright by any stretch of the imagination."

Jughead turned to look at Betty, who was studying Archie carefully, before she spoke.

"I know you, Archie," she said calmly. "I know you have the mindset of always wanting to fix things you can't control or that you think are harming people. I am not harmed by my loss of hearing. It's given me challenges, certainly, but when have I ever not faced a challenge head-on only to conquer it? Nothing has changed with who I am as a person because of losing my hearing. Not a damn thing."

It was Veronica who spoke up this time. "I judged you – whether inadvertently or not, I don't know – but I did. And, I was wrong to do so. I – you have been my best friend since I moved to Riverdale. The first person to not judge me for my background and how I grew up. And, I proved to be the bitch from the city all over again and to the one person who never deserved it. And, I'm sorry."

Her voice was sincere as were her expressions, which was what Betty was able to take in, and Jughead watched as his partner studied Veronica, much in the way she had with Archie, before a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Coffee?" Betty asked, signing the word and the rest of them smiled.

Jughead still held his reservations as far as his two friends who had acted idiotically, no way around that, but wasn't going to punish them for it if Betty wasn't. Kissing her lips in a show of PDA, Jughead smiled as he pulled back, noting her bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

"You're an enigma," he signed, aware he didn't speak it out loud. Archie and Veronica didn't need to hear it.

This was theirs' and theirs alone.

Author's note: Hope you enjoyed! Thoughts lovely per usual! Xx