I'm so sorry about the delay! Double line break means a change in POV!


The perks of being on Veronica's team of organisers for what she promised was going to be 'the best Riverdale New Years party ever' was that Betty found herself so exhausted by the end of the day, she would simply go to sleep. Her exhaustion didn't give her the space to worry about Polly, Jason, her mother, or anyone else. Another perk was that, although she basically tagged behind Veronica perpetually, carrying the enormous binder of planning, her best friend was so occupied with the party that Boston was yet to be brought up. However, in spite of all the perks, the one con put all of them to shame.

Betty hadn't properly seen Jughead since the day they had gone to Pop's. Well, that wasn't entirely true - they ran into each other occasionally on the stairwell but they rarely actually met.

She didn't want to complain about it – after all, that would violate any laws of casualness that they had non-verbally set – but she was starting to get antsy. She hadn't seen him on the fire escape for days, either. It wasn't like they weren't communicating: they texted almost constantly, but the closer the party came, the less frequently texts were sent. In the beginning, they had become the cheesy people who wished each other good morning and good night but now Betty would wake up to find Jughead's good night text from the previous night plus his good morning text for the day. Sometimes she would text him back, other times Veronica would barge into her room, carrying a folder with a different colour, having found fault in the previous plan. And so the texting grew sparse too.

It was the day before New Year's Eve (or, as Betty liked to call it, New Year's Eve Eve) and Betty finally found some peace and quiet. Veronica was spending the day setting up the stage in the town centre, overseeing the lights, and making sure the electricity would work. She had decided that Archie would be her right hand man for the operation. Archie managed to convince her to pay him for helping her, which meant that Veronica had booked him for the whole day. In addition, it gave them the time they needed together, for while Betty was still keeping Jughead and her a secret, Veronica and Archie had completely embraced the honeymoon phase of their relationship, making out anywhere and everywhere.

Betty dropped the bag heavy with not one, not two, but three binders (courtesy of one Veronica Lodge) and leaned against her front door, sighing. She hooked the keys onto the rack and removed her rubber band, allowing her hair to fall free, enjoying the leftover ache from tying a ponytail too tight. She ran her fingers through her hair, ruffling it, and allowing it to settle while she kicked off her boots, putting on her bunny slippers instead. It was then that she heard the sound of her bedroom window closing hard. She froze, fear creeping into her heart, and her first thought was to call Jughead and tell him she was being robbed. But what if the burglar heard her voice? Instead, she texted him.

I'm pretty sure I'm being robbed. -B

Grabbing the nearby coat hanger, she stalked towards her bedroom, slowly turning the corner to find Veronica crouched before her drawers, clad in nothing but a robe, furiously muttering to herself.

"V?!" Betty exclaimed and Veronica looked up, her eyes wide with a combination of fear and guilt at being caught in the act.

"Betty! Hey! Um, do you have a condom?"

"Con – what? Wait, what? You told me I had to do a bunch of shit because you weren't well!" Betty exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing. Instantly shame and guilt shadowed Veronica's face as she awkwardly glanced at the drawers and then at Betty again.

"I wasn't well, I swear! Archie asked me to stop by, and I did, and things… he doesn't have a condom and I don't have any at my place so I came here," Veronica said, and Betty had to shut her eyes so that she wouldn't explode.

"Are you telling me that you broke into my house because neither of you had condoms? Did it not occur to you to ask first? Also, what if I needed them?" Veronica's laugh following this was somehow more insulting than her going through Betty's stuff.

"Oh, you're serious," Veronica concluded when Betty didn't join in with the laughter. Betty rolled her eyes and Veronica shrugged, "I'm sorry, B. I just assumed you would be too… busy for sex. I didn't mean to offend you."

"You know what," Betty walked over to the drawers Veronica was crouching before and, opening the top-most one, took out the box she had and handed the box to Veronica. "Here. Just, please don't break into my house for condoms again. Or at least tell me beforehand."

"Thanks, B! Also, it really isn't breaking in if you leave your window-" she stopped when she noticed the intense glare Betty was giving her, "- and that's my cue to leave. Thanks, Betty!"

She disappeared through the window again and Betty sat down, rubbing her eyes, trying to understand what had just happened. In her peripheral vision, she noticed her phone light up and looked at it. There were three missed calls from Jughead, preceded by five texts.

Very funny, Betty. -J

Wait, are you serious? -J

Are you actually being robbed? -J

Betty Cooper, answer your fucking messages! -J

Okay, I'm coming over rn. Stay where you are. I'm calling 911. -J

Betty couldn't help smiling at his concern as she quickly texted back.

No! it's all good. Veronica broke into my house – she wanted condoms. -B

Yeah she just came back. You should really start locking your window yknow -J

Wooow. Way to blame the victim, Jones. -B

That was the last conversation they had had, and although Betty hated being the kind of person who kept track, it had happened a day ago. They had managed to go a whole day without talking and it was starting to kill Betty. So, now that she finally had a day off, she was planning to make the most of it. She woke up at seven due to her body clock and forced herself to go back to sleep for an extra hour before thinking about sauntering to Pop's. She knew Jughead would be working there, he had gotten back to it the day after their breakfast (much to Pop's delight).

After an internal debate about going to the diner, Betty decided that her pyjamas were a much more comfortable option and resorted to calling him. The first ring had barely finished when he picked up.

"Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, Cooper," was his greeting. Betty's heart ached when she heard his voice, only then realising how much she missed him. How much she missed her best friend.

"Good morning to you, too."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected call? And please don't say your finger slipped or that you butt dialed me," she could just see the face he made when he said this and it made her smile widen.

"No, actually, I was thinking… Veronica's chosen to replace me with Archie today. So, that means, I have the whole day to myself. So, I was just wondering what you were doing today."

"As tempting and enticing as that offer sounds, I'm afraid I have work today. Pop isn't back from vacation until the third and Dan is being, well, Dan. Someone has to keep this place running, right?"

"Can't you close early? It's New Years Eve Eve!" She protested and heard his deep chuckle on the other end. She could see him shaking his head at her excitement, with his signature amused smile curling his lips.

"Trust me, Betty, I would love nothing more than to be back home with you but," if she listened hard enough, Betty was sure she would hear her hopes come crashing down, "unfortunately I have to stay. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. What time do you get off?"

"Around seven. Working a double shift today."

"You do realise I have a day off, right?"

"Okay fine. I get off at six," he amended and she laughed.

"Good. I'll meet you at Pop's?"

"Sounds perfect. Hey, do you want to go for a late-night movie? We can have dinner and then go," he proposed, and she found herself nodding, even though he couldn't see. The thought of spending the night watching a movie together gave her an odd kind of comfort. "Betty?" His voice pulled her back to reality.

"Sounds perfect," she echoed with a smile before hanging up. Sitting in bed for a few moments, she tried reading a book but couldn't focus. Instead, she would constantly glance at the clock, trying to figure out what she could do to kill time until six. She decided to take a longer shower than usual, singing to herself as she did so. She managed to kill another hour in the shower, taking her time picking out her outfit for the day and blow drying her hair. It was weird to have nothing to worry about. To have a someone to look forward to instead of the usual something to hope would never come. She was about to walk to a cafe and get some breakfast when she felt her phone buzz.

Breakfast. My place. NOW. -K

She frowned, simultaneously welcoming this company. Besides, it had been a while since she had hung out with Kevin, and she looked forward to it. In spite of the cryptic text.

Five minutes later, she was knocking on the Lodge-Keller household's door. She hadn't even gotten to the second knock when the door swung wide open, revealing Kevin looking incredibly dissatisfied about something. Without greeting her, he simply pulled her into the flat, leading a heavily protesting Betty to the couch, where he made her sit down.

"Wow, Kev, thanks for the breakfast," Kevin rolled his eyes but disappeared for a moment, reappearing with a plate of eggs, toast, and sausages.

"Unless you'd rather have pancakes," he said, holding out the plate. Betty shook her head, taking the plate. The breakfast had an agenda and, as much as she would have prefered pancakes, she was far too curious to wait another moment. He sat down beside her, holding a mug of coffee, staring at her, almost studying her. Betty frowned and gave a nervous laugh.

"As much as I appreciate the intense… gazing, was there a reason you called, Kev?"

"Okay," he began with renewed purpose, and Betty prepared herself for what was to come, "is 'Leave Kevin in the Dark' everyone's favourite game this holiday season? You know I have yet to find out information first hand? I found out about Archie and Veronica because I walked in on them in a… compromising position. It wasn't ideal but still – that's how I found out about them. But, you know what's worse? I had to find out about you and Jughead from Seth! From my boyfriend! I mean, do either of you even know Seth's last name? Yeah, didn't think so. Basically, I'm just very-"

"Wait, Kevin," Betty interrupted, finally wrapping her head around his rant, "What do you mean me and Jughead? There is no Betty and Jughead."

"So you're saying that the two of you went on a breakfast date to Pop's as friends?" He raised his eyebrows – it was more of an accusation than a question. Betty chose not to meet his eye, training her stare on her only-once-touched breakfast.

"Yes. We're just friends, Kev," she mumbled unconvincingly. Part of her lack of attempt at convincing came from her genuinely wanting to tell Kevin. With Kevin this close to the truth, part of her wished he would just keep pushing her until she admitted to it so that she would have someone be as excited as she was about the one good thing she had in her life. "How did you even find out about it, anyway?"

"Dan is basically in love with Seth. And, since he is aware of my boyfriend's affinity for gossip, tries to win him over by constantly supplying him with conversations he's eavesdropped on," he explained with an air of impatience. "During one of these relay sessions, he mentioned that you and Jughead shared a booth and seemed very… intimate."

"What? Two people can't go to Pop's without it being a date?" She asked, carefully lacing her words with incredulity. To her dismay, Kevin's resolve didn't falter.

"Two people, sure. You and Jughead Jones, no," he rolled his eyes while speaking, and Betty's eyebrows rose. Immediately the past few months replayed in her mind's eye, searching for anything that may indicate even the hint of feelings.

"What does that mean?" She gave in and asked the question she knew Kevin was itching to be asked. A triumphant smile curled his lips and he smirked in glory for a moment before elaborating.

"Please. Betty, you may want to be an investigative journalist and your 'boyfriend' may be a mystery novel writer, but the two of you are literally the least subtle couple on this planet. And I say that as someone who has woken up to Veronica and Archie in the bedroom too many times now. I'm not even kidding when I say that those two have to sense of keeping it down. But anyway, that isn't the point. Point is, you, Betty Cooper, are dating Jughead Jones and I had to learn it from my boyfriend because someone else is in love with him."

"Kevin, Jughead and I aren't dating," she attempted again and Kevin could have won an award for the dramatisation of his eye roll following this statement. "I mean, just because we've had sex a few times doesn't mean we're dating ," she elaborated and, this time, Kevin's eyes looked about ready to pop out of his head.

"Elizabeth Cooper! You've done what?!"

"Not what. Jughead," she gave him a smug smile, reveling in his shock. Kevin opened his mouth several times, processing the information alongside gulps of air. A minute of this passed and Kevin finally took a sip of his coffee as a last resort. Except, instead of sipping his coffee like Betty expected him too, he chugged it down in one go, placing the mug on the table hard as if it were a shot glass. "Careful, Kev, you'll break the mug."

"No," he finally spoke and Betty had to fight a smile of amusement, "No, no, no. We are not going to talk about how hard I put down a mug. What we are going to talk about is you and Jughead."

"So, you've formulated questions, then?"

"Rude, Betty. Very rude," he placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "I'm in shock and I think I'm allowed that much considering the information I've received." Betty raised an eyebrow at him, deciding against pointing out that he already knew. "But, since you're wondering, yes. I do, in fact, have questions. One, when did this happen?"

"Christmas Eve," she lied – it had begun much before but she figured Christmas Eve was a solid enough beginning for the story of them.

The story of us. There's a title Betty had never thought would exist.

"No, that's bullshit. When did it start?" He dismissed, making Betty frown in confusion.

"If you have an alternate answer, please. I'm all ears," she inquired, crossing her arms, waiting for him to proceed.

"I'd say Halloween was when it started," he replied with such promptness that Betty was taken aback for a moment, speechless. It was her turn to emulate a goldfish, searching for words to say, feeling more hostile with each passing moment of silence, watching Kevin's smirk grow. "Question two-"

"No, I would like to go back to-"

"Well too bad. I'm calling the shots and we are moving on. Question two, what does this mean for the two of you?"

"What do you mean what does it mean?"

"Are you guys together, was it a one time thing, what? I mean, from what I've heard it seems pretty solid, considering you went on a date and everything."

"What does a date prove about anything? Also, it wasn't a date. If Jughead and I had gone out for breakfast a month ago, none of you would be calling it a date."

"Ah, but you see, a month ago you weren't sleeping together. Or were you? Oh my god, Betty Cooper, were you guys doing it before Christmas? Also, what do you mean it wasn't a date? So you guys aren't dating but decided to go for breakfast after presumably having sex for the first time, anyway? What, just a coincidence? And don't tell me-"

"Jesus Christ, Keller, stop!" Betty's heart was thudding faster with each question since Kevin was methodically opening every gate she had been making an effort to keep shut, not ready to face all the questions her subconscious seemed to constantly be asking her. Kevin raised an eyebrow at this outburst but, much to Betty's relief, stopped pursuing the subject. Instead he leaned forward, waiting for the story. And, without allowing herself to think too much about it, Betty began. She decided to begin with Halloween, since that seemed to be her friend's point of reference and from there everything unfolded, including, but definitely not limited to, Boston. At the end of the story Kevin remained silent, staring at the ground in deep contemplation. This both amused and put Betty on guard as she attempted to read the million thoughts running through his mind.

"Well?" She finally prompted, giving in to curiosity. He glanced up, as if surprised she was still sitting there before he finally asked his question.

"Is Jughead good in bed? He seems like he would be," the question, in itself, was simple, but Betty felt herself go completely red. For a moment she envied the fact that Kevin would never have to ask Veronica this question about Archie considering Veronica was about as soft as the birds at five in the morning when it came to sex.

"He's… adequate," Betty responded when she felt as if his eyes would burn through her. Kevin's eyebrows raised higher than before at this confession, and he burst out laughing, worrying Betty when he didn't stop after a full minute.

"I can't believe you just said that," he managed to say, reeling in the laughter. "Wow. I'm not sure how Jughead would react to being considered 'adequate' Betts. I mean, it doesn't exactly sound like a compliment."

"Well it is," Betty crossed her arms, effectively closing any further discussion on the matter. Kevin nodded although she could tell he was still stifling laughter. Deciding to leave him to deal with this fit he had entered, Betty took the plates and mugs into the kitchen, ignoring Kevin's protests, to put them in the sink to soak. She had no actual intention of washing them, she just wanted to leave the room. Her hand itched to pull out her phone and tell Jughead about this – she felt suddenly apologetic for calling him adequate. After all, she knew for a fact that he had been more than enough and that he deserved greater praise than she seemed capable of delivering. She decided against calling him immediately – she would tell him at the movie that she had managed to break the unspoken rule they had put down about not telling anyone.

"So," Kevin broke her train of thought by entering the kitchen. She turned around to face him, crossing her arms instinctively as her guard went up at potential questioning. "You guys aren't labeling anything, huh?"

"That's right."

"And you're sure that's the best course of action? I mean, no offence Betty, but I've never seen you in an… undefined situation, I guess. If you're sure this is what you want then obviously it's not my place to say anything but as your friend I feel like it's my duty to ensure that you're not getting into something you might not be one hundred percent okay with," he made her smile at his concern, and Betty lowered her arms, taking his hand.

"I appreciate it, Kev. I know Jughead was the one who proposed 'no labels' but it isn't like I'm not on board with the whole thing. It's nice to be free of labels, you know? My entire life I've been either the perfect daughter, the girl next door, the nerd, the marriage-material girlfriend. But with Jughead, I don't know, it's just different. It's like I don't have to be all those things because, even after I told him about my family, about Polly, about who I was in college and school and my entire Archie… thing, he still treats me as if I'm brand new in his life and he doesn't see me as anything but me. It's-" she paused because of the way Kevin was staring at her – slightly wide-eyed and with his lips turned up in a slightly surprised smile, "why are you looking at me like that?" He instantly checked himself, shaking his head ever so slightly and looking away as if something were in his eye and he hadn't just been watching her in awe.

"Nothing it's just… you seem happy, Betty," he finally admitted, and Betty smiled, although she suspected that it wasn't the entirety of his thought process.

"I am, Kev. I really am."

"Good," he said and, although leaving it out of the sentence, the phantom of "it's about time" hung in the air between them. "So, when are you seeing him next? I assume you've been swamped with New Years planning?"

"Yes, well, today it's Archie's turn to be Veronica's minion. Therefore I am meeting Jughead for a movie tonight. I suppose we'll have dinner at Pop's beforehand, though."

"Dinner and a movie?" Kevin's eyes shone with amusement and Betty glared at him, daring him to call it a date. Raising his hands in surrender, he took a step back in defeat. "I'm not saying anything. You guys totally aren't dating even though dinner and a movie is the oldest date in the book, but nope, you guys are totally just two pals hanging out. Oh, Betts, you remember Moose Mason?"

"How could I forget," Betty's guard rose again, in preparation for whatever quip was coming.

"He used to call the two of us pals too. I mean I'm not saying you and Jughead are in a similar situation, but…" he trailed off with a shrug. Betty rolled her eyes, deciding against every retort that came to mind since none seemed sufficient for the situation. Not to mention, Kevin's insistence on this being a date made her wonder if that was what Jughead was calling it in his mind. And, if he was, did that mean they were open to labels? That would open a whole new floodgate that Betty was not ready for. "Hey, Betty, it's okay," once again, Kevin pulled her out of her train of thought, probably noticing her forehead creasing as she mulled over everything he had said. "I was just teasing. It's obviously fine if you guys are taking it slow in the labels department. You know what? Forget I said anything."

"You're not wrong, though. What if—"

"Don't listen to me, Betty. I'm an idiot. You know what? You have until six, right? Let's hang out today, okay? Just the two of us. I feel like it's been long overdue. We can just go out for a picnic, maybe do some shopping, go to the library – I know that always calms you down. Whatever will help redeem me. How does that sound?" Kevin's sincerity when it came to apologies was the one thing Betty had always loved about him. It was why their friendship had stood the test of time. Well, that and Veronica's swooping in and ensuring that they never fell out of touch. But Betty prefered attributing it to her own friendship skills, which is why she found herself agreeing to spend the day with Kevin.


Jughead hung up with a sigh, glancing as the screen turned off and the pink diner sign reflected in the black glass. He found himself wishing to be back in the flat, just in bed with Betty. He felt like he hadn't seen her in ages – which was somewhat true considering it had been days and they had only crossed paths on the stairwell a handful of times. Usually she left really early and got back very late, meaning she was incredibly exhausted and never seemed to want company no matter how many hints Jughead dropped about going to her place with takeout. Every time they met on the stairs, he would make a move to kiss her and, every time, she would duck out of the way as Veronica appeared. After a point, Jughead began to wonder whether Veronica specifically waited for him to decide to attempt a kiss before showing herself. After all, if Archie Andrews of all people were aware of his attraction to Betty, it would be less than surprising that Veronica shared his awareness in the matter.
The diner was empty and more than once Jughead glanced at the door, wondering how bad the consequences would be if he simply disappeared for an hour. He tried rationalising these thoughts, blaming the cold weather for this sudden bout of caring he felt towards Betty. During the tenth time in this little routine, the clock struck twelve, and right on schedule, the first customers came in. They were a cute couple, rubbing their hands together and blowing on them to fight the biting air. The girl was practically bouncing on her feet as they approached the counter. Her girlfriend pulled her close, hugging her to warm her through osmosis for a bit while she glanced through the menu.

"What do you recommend?" She turned her attention on Jughead, shooting him a bedazzling grin.

"Everything's brilliant. But personally, the burgers are to die for," he replied, with a wink.

"Two cheeseburgers, then. And, coffee, babe?" The girl nodded through chattering teeth and, giving him another grin, the former led her away from the counter to a booth. Jughead went to the back, finding Dan reading a magazine. A bit of threat-laced convincing later, Dan was flipping patties while Jughead returned to the register. There were already three more groups waiting and, behind him, he heard the kitchen door creak open as more chefs shuffled in for the lunch shift. He swiftly took orders and soon enough the scent of burgers and coffee was wafting through the diner.

The lunch shift reminded Jughead why he loved working at the diner – the variety of people that passed through made his imagination run wild. Since he rarely had a steady source of entertainment in the diner, save the soft jukebox in the corner - usually playing some jazz, he resorted to watching the customers, trying to weave stories about their lives. Occasionally one would sit at the counter and he would enjoy a conversation, asking them various questions, trying to get at least a tenth of the picture that was their life. Most times he found people weren't too receptive to conversing and prefered to watch something or listen to music while wolfing down whatever edible item was placed before them. It used to anger him that they didn't appreciate Pop's food for the masterpiece it was but now he was used to it. He had even adjusted his conversational skills accordingly – asking them what they were watching, listening to, or reading. Sometimes they were incredibly excited and spent the next half hour telling him about their interests but often they would give curt, single-syllable answers, choosing to ignore any further questions he attempted asking. The ideal candidate for conversing today was an old woman who entered the diner on the phone with someone, arguing about how she thought she had been ordering a dog on Craigslist but instead received a male prostitute. It seemed she was trying to convince the person on the other end that she had, in fact, been wearing her glasses and could tell it was a man, not a "very big dog". Jughead relayed her order to the kitchen and, with a giant smile, was ready to return to get the story when the bell over the door tinkled and a woman with striking pink and purple streaked hair entered the diner, making Jughead's heart nearly stop.

Time slowed down momentarily as Jughead watched her every movement – the way her hair shimmered when she pulled it out of its high ponytail, the bright diner sign only augmenting her colours; the way she shrugged off her coat but left on her signature leather jacket; the way her mascara-heavy lashes fluttered against her cheek as she blinked and glanced around the diner; the way her perfectly glossed darkish pink lips parted into a wide smile when her eyes fell on him.

In that moment he felt transported back to France, watching her from the other side of the bar.

Her braids swayed around her as she flitted up and down the bar, leaving a slightly lovestruck Jughead to watch her move, as if on air. She noticed him looking and blushed slightly, tucking a stray strand behind her ear as she approached him. She picked up his glass and wiped under it in one quick motion.

"You're going to have to order something if you want to stay," she spoke softly, as if only for him even though the bar was rather crowded. She cocked her head to one side, amusement gleaming in her eyes and radiating with her smile.

"More water, then," he replied and she feigned disappointment.

"And here I thought you'd live on the wild side a little," she shrugged but left, taking his glass and bringing it back full of water. She opened her mouth to say something more but someone called her from the other end, and much to Jughead's displeasure, she left. He continued to watch her until she was called to the back office by the manager. This gave Jughead a moment to look around. The back of the bar was covered in photographs (that is, above the shelves of bottles). Ranging from black and white to a dulled colour, they were photographs of people doing ordinary things like reading a book or walking, but the framing and the moments that were captured made them tell stories of their own. In fact, Jughead could already see the mystery forming around most of them. Toni returned during this moment of admiration, apologising for leaving him.

"It's okay," he said absentmindedly, still focused on the pictures. "Do you know who took these?" He asked, pointing at the photographs. Instantly her cheeks flushed and she avoided his gaze.

"I did," she answered bashfully. Jughead's eyes widened at this information while Jellybean's words, asking him to find a photographer for his cover ran in his mind. "You like them?"

"Like them? T, they're brilliant! Hey, how much to buy one?"

"Jug, you know I can give you my photos for free, right? We're friends," her blush deepened at his compliment, leading her words to come out as a murmur with the bare minimum coherence.

"Okay, well, how much do you charge for your services?"

"You want to hire me?" Incredulity coloured her tone with her eyes saying 'yeah right'. With fervour in his nod, Jughead hoped she understood the sincerity of his compliment and the seriousness of this proposition. The legitimacy sunk in and her smile faded, her brow furrowing. "Um, I don't know. I've never professionally photographed before."

"Okay, so I was speaking to Jellybean the other day and the new book's almost done. All I need now is a cover photographer with an amazing eye and a hunger for social justice and I'll be set. So, what do you say?"

"You want me to do cover photography for your book? I mean, I'm honoured, but are you sure about this?"

"Toni, if this is what your photography is like then your eye is exactly what I need," he wanted to say much more. He wanted to tell her how much he admired the skill she had and how incredible he thought she was at doing this. "You know what? Why don't you do a bit of research about rates and stuff and let me know by, say, tomorrow? Just name your price and you're hired, okay?" Seemed to be the best he could manage since words decided to fail him every time he attempted at a greater compliment. He could tell she was slightly stunned as she nodded, a smile slowly creeping onto her face as she comprehended what had just happened.

She wore the same smile now as she approached the counter. Jughead could feel the goosebumps making the hair on his arms rise and he folded them in a last ditch attempt to prevent her from noticing, although he doubted it would help. Toni was one of the most observant people he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Yet he couldn't help realise the drastic difference in the reaction he seemed to be having to her smile. Where it used to inspire butterflies and general awestruck happiness, there now pooled dread mixed with a feeling of rather being anywhere else.

Each step she took seemed to impale him with icicles of anxiety.

"So," her voice, in its careful nonchalance, seemed to restart time and make it move at a normal pace, "this is Riverdale, huh?"

"What can I get you?" Jughead asked, subconsciously choosing a distant demeanor in an attempt to mirror her nonchalance. He knew she probably saw right through his act – another one of Toni's little quirks. It used to pay off that she knew him better than the back of her hand but now it seemed to be a virtue easily weaponized. Confirming his suspicions, she rolled her eyes.

"Hey Toni, it's good to see you. Good to see you too, Jughead. It's been so long, how are you? I'm great! How are you? I'm good too! Just keeping myself busy, y'know?" She played out a scenario in front of him and now it was his turn to roll his eyes.

"I could say that but I'm afraid I'd be lying first sentence onwards," he finally met her eyes, pulling an expression of annoyance. Pressing her lips together, she gave a curt nod.

"I'll have some cheese fries, please," she ordered and Jughead adopted an agonizingly slow pace to relay the order. In spite of his attempt to spend more than necessary time, the chore ended too quickly and Jughead was forced to return to the counter. He hoped a line would be waiting for him but only found a man on the phone, who ordered a coffee and sat at the far end of the bar while Toni took the seat closest to the cash register. Jughead's fingers itched to call someone – to call Betty – and tell her about this development.

No, you need to talk to her first. His conscience told him and he shut his eyes momentarily to focus on breathing through the situation; he was sure if he thought too much about it, he would have to excuse himself and go outside. Memories including Toni Topaz had so far been safely locked away in his mind, under the "Never Revisit" folder, but it seemed life had other plans for him. This moment of breathing was for the wall blocking the memories to solidify so that his tone remained cool and clipped, rather than outright hostile. With this thought, he resigned himself to being behind the register instead of moving towards the counter.

That is, until the cheese fries were ready.

When Dan called out "cheese fries!" Jughead's stomach instantly dropped. Against all instinct, he dragged his feet and picked up the fries, turning around to face Toni, who seemed slightly annoyed at the lack of attention she was receiving. When Jughead placed the fries before her and moved to return to his safe spot behind the register, she said, "Seriously? You're not even going to say hi? I mean, I came all the way from fucking France for this lack of welcome? Are you actually kidding me, right now, Jones?"

"What are you doing here, Toni?" He whipped around to face her, hissing his words instead of speaking them. Her amusement only fueled the anger he felt at her audacity to bring up France as one of the first things she assumed was appropriate to say to him.

"Would it be so inconceivable that I thought I made a mistake and came here to see you?" She caught him off guard with this question and he stared at her speechless, before she guffawed. Her laughter only brought back the rage and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Low blow, Topaz."

"I'm sorry! It's just – you should have seen your face! Relax, I'm not here to fuck with your life or anything. I'm just here for payment."

"For what exactly?"

"Payment. You know, the thing you have to do when I find someone for you? Especially considering Ms. Cooper wasn't an easy person to find at all. In fact, if I hadn't accidentally found her kids through that other family's elementary school-" her words brought back memories of exchanged emails, too. Things Jughead had deemed unnecessary and trivial until this point.

"Okay stop! What do you mean, payment? I already paid when I asked you to do the job, remember?"

"That's not entirely true," she looked away, guilt clouding her features. "You sent the money to Sweet Pea. Who has since taken the money, and Fangs, and disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Jughead couldn't believe his ears. He also couldn't believe that someone as loyal as Sweet Pea would double cross Toni this way. But he decided not to question it, even though he was sure this wasn't the full story. Instead, quickly regaining composure, he crossed his arms and, adopting an air of righteousness, shrugged. "Well, that's hardly my fault, is it? Toni, your job is finding people so why don't you, oh I don't know, find Sweet Pea?"

"Because he was my best asset," she replied through gritted teeth, something deeper than rage making her face flush. Betrayal. "The problem with Sweet Pea pulling a disappearing act is that he's the only one who would be able to find himself."

"That is a problem. But, again, I don't see how that is my problem."

"It isn't your problem. It's just that I've managed to exhaust the resources I have in trying to find him. The monetary resources, that is. So, I guess I'm asking you for… some of that?" It was Jughead's turn to grin with incredulity at what he was hearing. Of all the reasons he had imagined Toni coming here, money had somehow never made it on the list. This was especially considering that after all the photography she had done for him – earning her enough to start her own PI company, no matter how small it was – she was pretty much set in the literary world for the next few years at least. "Well don't look too surprised," she mumbled, noticing his expression and Jughead tried erasing the amusement to no avail.

"Sorry it's just… wow. I never thought you'd come all the way from France to ask me for money. Wait, why did you come all the way from there? You could have just called or emailed about the money. You didn't have to come here."

"Yeah I'm not here only for the money. I got a job and since I can barely pay my employees, I decided to get my ass here and work the case myself."

"What's the case?"

"Someone called Cheryl Blossom wants me to investigate some fire that happened years ago. Apparently she found the company online and decided to contact it. I don't know, Jug. At this point I'd take any job that came my way and this did, so here I am."

"Here you are indeed. So how long are you planning to stay, exactly?"

"However long it takes to solve the case, I guess? I mean the town seems nice enough."

"Says the girl literally investigating a case of possible arson."

"There's a reason perfect is an ideal, Jones," she shrugged, finishing the cheese fries as she did. "Anyway, so I was wondering, since I don't know anyone here and am basically broke, maybe I could stay at yours?"

"No," Jughead said without missing a beat. He could already see the reaction Archie – or worse, Betty – would have if they found the girl who broke his heart in an almost literal sense. He didn't want to have to deal with that. Besides, the thought of Betty meeting Toni was something Jughead decided he could live without. Toni, on the other hand, seemed offended by the haste and promptness of his response.

"Why not, pray tell?"

"Because you're my ex-girlfriend and it would be weird as fuck," he decided that profanity gave way to the greatest honesty. "Besides, I can just pay for any room you want to stay in, it's cool. Just pick a place and you can stay there. As long as it isn't over the top expensive," he added when he noticed the gears turning in her head. Toni nodded, slowly grinning again. Then she hopped off the stool and gave him a nod in farewell.

"I'll text you the details of my lodging. And, Jug?"

"What?"

"I know you may find this hard to believe, but it is good to see you," the softness with which she spoke struck his heart, and Jughead felt transported back to lazy afternoons in France once again. However, as he couldn't return the sentiment, he simply gave her a nod in return and watched her leave, feeling the knot in his chest only loosen once the revving of her motorcycle had left the diner's driveway.

Six o'clock can't get here fast enough, Jughead thought.