Summary:

Despite having plans with Betty, Archie has once again chosen Veronica over Betty. With the New Year fast approaching, Betty finds it is a good time to ponder why she keeps pursuing Archie if this will always be the outcome. Thankfully Jughead is there to help put things in perspective.

Author's Note:

Happy New Year's Eve!

Thanks to everyone in the Bughead family for your kind words about my stories and welcome into the fandom. Hope you enjoy this little fic celebrating the New Year, Bughead, and new beginnings.

When I received a 'New Years' prompt from Decy, I decided to try something new and write in the comic-verse. My reading in the comic-verse is extremely limited and primarily focused on Jughead and Betty.

I hope you enjoy this little story inspired by the prompt:

"I wish someone would kiss me at midnight."

Happy reading and Happy New Year!

Somewhat listlessly, Betty poked at her peppermint milkshake with her straw. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't filter out the flirtatious giggling coming from the booth behind her occupied by Archie and Veronica. They sat with their arms entwined and their heads pressed together while they shared the same milkshake. (Which was ridiculous, since they'd both ordered their own milkshakes.) Though the three of them had come to Pop's together, neither Archie nor Veronica had noticed when she excused herself from the booth and took a seat at the counter.

Betty sighed heavily. Why did she even care? Her crush on Archie had long since diminished into something resembling a faded memory. And, it wasn't like she actually expected him to choose her over Veronica anymore. If for some reason he did choose her, did she even want him? Archie clearly demonstrated he only ever saw her as a place holder to keep him from being lonely when Veronica was too busy for him. (Or, Betty admittedly reluctantly, the only other reason he showered her with attention was when he wanted something from her.) She thought she had more self-respect than to continually get drawn into this stupid, perpetual, never resolved, love triangle. Sometimes it felt like her life and relationships were being dictated by an external force. Did she even know what she wanted?

The bell over the door rang a jaunty salutation as the door was pushed open permitting a rush of frigid winter air to sweep into the Chok'lit Shoppe. Betty sat in a direct line from the door and shivered with the latest arctic gust and chaffed at her arms for a semblance of warmth. The air carried with it the scent of snow. Even with her back to the door Betty knew who had entered. She recognized the insouciant scuff of his feet, the distinctive silhouette of his shadow, the way the charge in the air changed with his presence.

"Hi Betts. I didn't expect to see you here today." Jughead took a seat beside her at the counter.

"Hey Juggie." Betty didn't look up from her milkshake. It was looking rather sad as the half-melted whipped cream seeped with the pastel pink ice cream. The maraschino cherry left a brilliant, artificial, red stain among the white.

As if he could sense without what she needed, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The cold still clung to his jacket and chilled her skin through the back of her sweater where his arm pressed against her. Despite this, she gratefully leaned against him and into the comforting presence of the friend who always seemed to have time for her.

"What's wrong?" His voice was steady and low and held the notes of genuine concern. In her present mood, she was acutely aware, that wasn't how Archie asked after her, when he could be bothered to remember to do so.

The answer to his question didn't seem to require any actual words. Instead, she simply nodded back towards the booth with Archie and Veronica.

"Ah." Jug dropped his arm and began to fumble out of his coat. The process appeared to take more of his concentration than it ought. With his coat off, he picked up a menu and buried his face between the covers. "I thought you and Archie had plans today. Why's Veronica here?"

"We were going to go ice skating." Betty exhaled, blowing her fringe out of her eyes. "But, Veronica showed up just as we were about to leave and Archie invited her to join us—which would have been okay, really—" she wasn't certain who she was trying to convince—herself or Jughead, "but, Veronica declared it was too cold for skating. So, Archie didn't want to go skating anymore and we ended up here."

Jughead mumbled something indecipherable under his breath.

"What was that?" Betty tried to catch a glimpse of his expression, but he was really quite intent on studying the menu. Which, when she thought on it, was a bit confusing. Since when did Jug need a menu at Pop's?

With a languid shrug, Jughead finally looked up from the menu. His eyes met hers with an intensity she didn't usually associate with him. "Nothing. I mean, it's not really any of my business…"

"What isn't?"

Taking off his hat, Jughead raked his fingers through his hair. Betty's cheeks pinked as she momentarily wished she could run her fingers through his hair like that. She wondered if his inky black hair was as soft as it appeared. Taking a sip of her shake to cool down the sudden heat, Betty decided the desire to touch his hair must be because he so rarely took off his hat. Yeah, that had to be the reason.

If Jughead noticed her blush, he didn't say anything about it. Instead he simply readjusted his hat and continued their conversation. "We've been friends with Archie for a long time. I know you like him, and…" In a blink and you miss it flash, Jughead's lips twisted into an expression reminiscent of biting into something sour. It was gone before Betty was certain it had been there in the first place. He looked away from her as he continued speaking. "…and I support you. But, I don't think he's going to change."

"I know." Betty picked up her napkin and began tearing it into tiny pieces, which fell to the counter like errant snowflakes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she mustered her courage to admit aloud something she was only beginning to come to terms with herself. "That whole thing about liking Archie…I don't…I don't think I really like him all that much. At least not in that way. You know, romantically…. I haven't, not for a while now…."

Though she was babbling, Betty felt a weight lift from her chest as she made her confession. She could breathe more easily. Her heart raced in a rapid tattoo now that it was freed from the cage of forced expectations which had held it prisoner for so long.

With her admission, a silence fell between them as they each tried to reconcile what it meant. Time seemed to slow into an almost comfortable lull and settled between them with the edge of familiarity. It was theirs, if they were willing to reach out and take it. With the tip of her fingernail, she traced the bead of condensation slowly dripping down the side of her glass. The stool creaked as Jughead shifted positions, his knee brushing against hers in the process. He didn't pull away at the contact. Finally, he broke the silence.

"Then, why do keep pursuing him?" Jughead asked in a voice almost too soft for her to hear.

Betty buried her face in her hands, as the words tore out of her leaving an exposed wound. "I really don't know. I guess I want someone to want me. I want to be someone's first thought. I'm tired of being an afterthought. The one people only keep around so I'm there when they need something. I want someone to love me. Is that too much to ask?" The raw emotions of her confession caught in her throat causing her voice to crack and tears welled in her eyes but did not spill. This wasn't about Archie. She just wanted to matter, to be loved. Ironically, the one person who came closest to filling what she longed for was the one unavailable to her.

As she glanced up, Betty blinked away the tears and wrangled her emotions into submission. When her vision cleared, she noticed the calendar tacked to the wall behind the counter. Today's date was circled in red as though mocking her with the reminder. "Juggie, it's New Year's Eve, and I wish someone would kiss me at midnight. But, if not Archie, then who?"

Jughead swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing with the movement. Their hands rested on the counter, almost close enough to touch. If she reached out her pinkie finger, she could loop it over his. She resisted the temptation. What was up with her today? Jug was one of her best friends and he'd made it clear over the years that he wasn't interested in a relationship. She was being silly.

"Hey Betty," Jughead said a little too loudly, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Do you still want to go ice skating?"

Thrown by the sudden change of conversation, it took her brain an extra moment to process the question. "Um…yeah."

"Would you consider going with me?" He slid off the stool and slipped on his coat.

"Yes." Betty warmed at the thought of spending the remainder of the afternoon with Jughead. From the very core of her being, she knew that Jughead wouldn't abandon her or change their plans simply because something else came up. "Thanks, Juggie."

With that, they both finished bundling up to once more face the cold, and headed for the ice rink. It wasn't until much later that Betty realized that Jughead had left Pop's without eating anything. She couldn't think of a time he'd ever bypassed on food—especially to participate in a physical activity instead.

—

This wasn't how Betty expected to celebrate her New Year's Eve. It was a quarter to midnight and she sat alone in the living room, half reading a book and half watching the new year's festivities at Times Square play out on the television. If she had wanted company, she had options. Her parents had invited her to join them in the dining room as they put together their annual puzzle. When Polly learned she was going to be alone for the evening, her sister had extended an invitation for Betty to join her and her friends as they rang in the new year. In the end, she'd declined all the invitations. Betty couldn't even find the energy to be upset when she noticed Archie, dressed to the nines, leaving his house. She had a lot on her mind she wanted to work through before facing the new year.

She didn't want Archie. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't wanted him for a long time now. But, she'd been seeking his attention for what felt like an eternity now, that she wasn't certain she knew how to stop. It had become habit. This was one habit she was more than ready to break.

Then, there was also this afternoon to consider. Well, it was more than just this afternoon. Her feelings had been building for years, but she'd always put them aside out of respect for him. She cherished his friendship so much, that she would rather deny herself than risk scaring him away and out of her life. Yet, she couldn't deny that she had a better time with Jughead this afternoon than she frankly had with anybody else in a long time. Jug was her constant. He listened to her. Listening not only to what she said, but also to the things which spoke volumes in the way they filled the silences. He had this uncanny ability to know what she as thinking, or at least to intuit what she needed. She loved the way he marched to the beat of his own drum and didn't care what anybody else thought of him. At the same time, he cared deeply for the important people in his life. Despite slacking off in school, he was smart. He could keep up with her intellectually, and even challenged her when they came to different conclusions. She did the same for him.

Really, if she was to make a list of what she wanted in a boyfriend, Jughead met all her marks—except one. He wasn't interested in dating or relationships. Over the years, how many times had he declared he didn't like girls? From what she could determine, he didn't see her as a girl. She was just another chum. Was it her fate to always be friend zoned by the guys in her life?

Betty plucked at the sleeves of the oversized sweatshirt she'd paired with the pajama pants she donned when she decided to stay home tonight. Veronica wouldn't be caught dead in such an ensemble. Maybe that was the problem. She wasn't pretty enough or rich enough. To sum it up, she just wasn't enough.

A knock on the door broke her out of her mental spiral. Startled, she stumbled out of the chair and towards the door.

"I'll get it," she called to her parents. Who would be calling at five to midnight?

"Juggie?" Betty pinched her arm to see if she was dreaming. Had her thoughts summoned him to cross town and brave the night as the temperatures dropped below freezing.

"Happy New Year, Betts." Jug shivered on the stoop. His teeth chattered and his prominent nose was bright red from the cold. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Cone in." She stepped out of the doorway so he could enter, then shut the door behind him. "I'll get you some hot tea to warm you up."

Before she could head for the kitchen, Jughead reached for her elbow, halting her progress. "In a minute, I want to talk to you first."

"Um, okay." Betty shifted her weight from foot to foot. She couldn't imagine what he wanted to tell her that was worth crossing town at this time of night, especially in this weather. "If you're looking for Archie, he isn't home. He went to celebrate with Ver—"

"I don't care what Archie is up to." Jug waved her off abruptly.

Betty shook her head. There was something uncharacteristic about Jug's actions today. If not to wish Archie a happy New Year as well, then why was he here?

"I'm here to talk to you." He tugged off his crown hat and wrung it in his hands. His eyes darted to the clock on the wall. "I was thinking about our conversation this afternoon. And, I guess, maybe it was time to…well… talk…." His voice petered out as he reached the end. She had an inkling that talk didn't quite cover what he was trying to convey.

"Talk about what, Juggie?"

A faint smile played at his lips when she called him Juggie. She'd noticed it before. It was one of the reasons why she kept doing it. Quickly, he cleared his throat. "Those things you said this afternoon, about the things you want in a relationship…. Archie can't give you those."

"I know." Betty stared down at her hands. Her fingers were knotted together. Archie was Jughead's best friend and Jug always tried to see the best in their redheaded friend. She wondered what the admission cost him.

Despite Jug's anti-girl (anti-relationship?) sentiments, he was the biggest cheerleader for her and Archie. She knew the majority of the times Archie did something nice for her, it was because of Jughead. He reminded Archie to get her gift at the holidays, when it was her birthday, and when he ought to celebrate her successes. Betty had long since lost count of the number of times, Jug had arranged things so Archie would ask her out or that Betty and Archie were in the same vicinity when an opportunity came up. And now, he seemed to be changing his stance.

Betty's heart skipped a beat. What if he'd never been doing these things for Archie's sake, but hers? Trying to give her what she kept proclaiming she wanted.

"The thing is, I, uh, know someone who could give you that. Who wants to…I mean, if you're interest…it's okay if you're not…" Jughead stumbled over his words.

Betty glanced up and found herself looking directly into Jughead's eyes. Despite the nerves, she witnessed that same unwavering courage that was the hallmark of his confidence. He knew what he wanted.

"Who?" she breathed the question. A nervous quaver made the word stick in her throat. As improbably as it might be, she knew what she wanted the answer to be.

"Me." He placed his hat back on his head and took a step towards her.

"You?" She took a step closer to him and pinched her arm again. Surely she was dreaming. If she was interested… that didn't even halfway begin to cover what she wanted. "But, I thought you didn't like girls."

"I don't want just any girl. I'm not like Archie. There isn't a different girl for every situation. There's only one girl for me. You. I want you, Betty Cooper." He reached across the closing distance between them and cupped her cheek. His hands were still more than a little cold from being outside and felt all the cooler against her heated skin. She tilted her chin up as he lowered his. "I love you."

"Juggie…"

"You don't have to say it back. I get it. I've been holding in my feelings for a long time time. Even if it meant you were with someone other than me, I've always wanted you to be happy, Betts." The more she responded to him, to his touch, the easier his words flowed.

She nodded. Part of her wanted to say those words in response. But, she was only just starting to be honest with herself. Even though it'd been a long time since she felt anything for Archie except the obligation to fill a pre-ordained role, she'd continued to pursue him. When she told Juggie she loved him, she wanted there to be no doubt in either of their minds.

From the tv, the crowd began to count. Ten

"Betty…" he said her name like she was the only person in the world for him.

Nine

"Yes?" Hope flickered in her belly.

Eight.

"Your wish from this afternoon…"

Seven

"…about wanting someone to kiss you."

Six

She nodded. Want surged through her veins more potent than she'd ever felt it before.

Five.

"May I?" The words were a gentle caress, an earnest petition.

Four.

"Yes, Juggie…please."

Three.

He leaned in closer. His breath was warm against her lips.

Two.

Her lips parted.

One.

As the ball fell in Times Square and fireworks went off across Riverdale, Jughead Jones kissed Betty Cooper.

A flare of hope welled in Betty's chest—this moment wasn't only the herald of a new year or the playing out of an old tradition. This was the start of a new relationship, a new hope, and a new fate waiting to play out one heartbeat at a time. She couldn't wait to see where things would go. This was the first time in ages she felt free to pursue the future she wanted, with who she wanted. With the tick of the clock, with the beat of their hearts, all was finally right in their world.

"Betts—" His breathing had gone ragged and his heart raced in his chest. She could feel the brush of his smile curl against her lips. Though his arms were respectfully wrapped around her waist, his eyes lit with a hunger more intimate than she had ever witnessed in him before. No one had ever looked at her like this before—like she was desirable, like she mattered. She wanted to know more. "–that was better than I ever imagined it could be."

"Thank you, Juggie," Betty breathed against his lips as her hand at long last knotted in his silky, black hair and held him close. She melted into his embraced and pray this wouldn't end. This wasn't the first time she had been kissed or had kissed someone, but this time it was different. It was better—real. Feelings she had long suppressed welled up in her and flooded her entire being. It wouldn't be long, she knew, before she could say say those same words to him with complete honesty and utter conviction.

"Happy New Year's," he murmured, low and sweet. Jug leaned in and kissed her again. Though this time the kiss was quicker, it was more confident and no less passionate.

When the kiss ended, she took his hand in her and lead him towards the kitchen. No matter how their relationship might change, he was still her Juggie. A grin spread across her face that she couldn't hide even if she tried. This indeed was a happy start to the new year. Not only that, this was the beginning of an amazing future—together.