Jughead awoke early the sun rays beaming across his face, it was early, around 5 am. He was used to waking up early on the farm ready for the day's work. What he wasn't used to was the sleeping blonde in his arms. Last night, he took a crazy chance and kissed Betty. All night he dreamt of the ways her lips felt, soft, eager, and plump. He woke up thinking of how quickly he wanted to kiss her lips again. He had been waiting for the day when he could hold her and treat her like his own. He glanced down at Betty who was still asleep in his arms, he was almost anticipating it to blow up in his face, for her to change her mind or for him to mess up somehow. He sighed pulling her close and kissing her head, taking in the time he had left.
As Jughead got lost in his thoughts, Betty began to stir beneath him. Jughead shifted his eyes to meet hers as they opened. A smile formed on her face as she drew small circles on his chest. "Morning." She practically whispered.
Jughead smiled down at her and tucked a hair behind her ear. "Good Morning, Betts." He couldn't help but let his gaze drop to her lips where her tongue was guiding across the surface. Jughead sighed letting his hand caress her chin pulling it up to meet his lips. He moved closer to her and softly took her lips into his. He could feel her smile against his lips, this just made him never want to stop kissing her. Jughead allowed his hand drop from her chin to her hips and slightly forward to rest on her stomach. Everytime he noticed her stomach, he realized she was getting farther along. They were closer and closer to having their baby. He pulled away just enough for their lips to separate but stayed close to her face. "Breakfast?"
"Hmmm, how about we stay here?" Betty grinned as she kissed him again.
Jughead laughed against her lips, "As much as I want that, I have plants to water since we haven't had any rain."
Betty pouted and ran her fingers through his hair, "Can I help you?"
"Only if you don't overdo yourself." Jughead clarify with a cock of his eyebrow as if to warn her. Betty giggled and nodded. "Yes sir."
"Don't start." He warned kissing her softly.
Betty giggled and rolled away from him. Dakota stood at the doorway, a whimper and a cock of her head sent their way. "Are you hungry, Dakota?" Dakota howled and ran downstairs. Betty laughed and followed her downstairs, Jughead quickly behind her.
Quickly after breakfast Jughead found Betty some old overalls in a box of his mother's clothes. She pulled on the overalls and fixed her hair atop her head.
"You are adorable, Betty." He grabbed another item from the box and tossed it towards her. "It's getting chilly, take this." Betty shrugged on the heavy sweater admiring how soft it felt. Jughead smiled at her appearance and threw her arm around her shoulder. "Come on." He said kissing her head.
They worked for a few hours in the fields pulling weeds from the seedling plants' base. Betty wiped her brow and sighed. "This is a lot of work." She lamented.
Jughead chuckled with a nod. "Yeah I know maybe you should take a break." He suggested, "Don't want to hurt baby forsythia." He teased with a laugh.
Betty's eyes widened, "No there's no way we're naming our baby that." Just the fact that Betty had said it was their baby made Jughead's heart pound. This beautiful woman had been dropped into his lap and now she acted as if this was exactly where she wanted to be.
Jughead's smile wasn't hiding anymore it was a full on grin. "You know that's jellybean's name." He said with a serious facade attached to his face. Betty glared at him her pregnancy hormones escalating. "What do you suggest Betty?"
"Something pretty."
"And Forsythia isn't?" He teased.
Betty huffed crossing her arms. "I swear Pendleton!"
Jughead gasped mockingly. "Oh she's pulling out the big guns." Jughead said with an accompanying oooo.
Betty shook her head at him wiping her forehead from the sweat beading across her face. "What about Emma? Rose? Samantha?"
Jughead smiled with a nod taking in what she said. "They all are very pretty. You can decide later, we still have 4 months."
"Me? I'm not deciding."
"Betty, it's your baby."
"No, Jughead," She said softly walking towards him. She set her hands on his chest and looked softly up at him. "It's our baby. We're gonna name her together."
Those words were enough to melt his heart. It wasn't a mistake that had flew out of her mouth. She deliberately said it, she really felt it was their baby. He smiled down at her quickly capturing her lips in his.
As if on cue Dakota came running up, barking. Jughead groaned and pulled away, "What is it girl?" Dakota started barking again and running in the direction of the house. Jughead sighed and followed after her Betty's hand in his. They walked towards the house and as they got closer Betty noticed a car in the driveway. Her eyes light up as she recognized it. "POLLY!" She exclaimed dropping Jughead's hand and running towards the house. Before Jughead could warn her to be careful she was in her sister's arms. A smaller version of Betty hugging her leg.
"Omg I can't believe you're here! Come on I'll make you some tea." Betty said picking Megan up carefully so as not to hurt herself or the baby. She took Polly's hand into her own and led them to the house.
Jughead watched from the distance as they walked into the house Dakota with them. He sighed, he knew all of this would be short lived. Her sister was here and who knows what that meant but things were about to change, he could feel it. He turned his back to house and when back to work.
Betty poured the hot raspberry tea into a mug for Polly as Megan laid on the floor with Dakota stroking his fur. Betty sat down and smiled at Megan. "So Polly you guys came a long way, what's the occasion?"
"I had to see what awful place mom sent you to." Polly paused and looked around. "It seems okay despite being old. Oh Betty the town is 45 minutes away? What happens if there's an emergency? Or you need a last minute ingredient? Do you even get cell service here?"
Betty shook her head. "Polly everything is fine. It's an adjustment but we are doing fine."
"We?" Polly questioned.
"Yeah me, the baby, and Jughead."
"You're including him on this? Oh Betty! Don't tell me you've fallen for him, after only a month." Polly demanded with a frightened look.
Betty smiled thinking of what her Jughead had been through since just the night before. "I'm getting there. He's really great, I mean he's taken me in and has been nothing but wonderful. He's never cross with me and he gives me space when I need it." Betty paused. "And when I don't need space we'll those are the best times." Betty grinned thinking of that morning curled up in bed kissing him.
Polly just simply rolled her eyes and took a sip of her tea. Megan got up from the floor and walked over to Betty placing her hands on Betty's stomach. "Aunt Betty, why is belly bigger now?" Megan ask sweetly looking up at Betty.
"Because honey, there is a baby in there. Me and Uncle Jughead's baby." Betty explained earning a groan from Polly. Betty shot a look to Polly.
As they were talking Jughead came inside the back door to wash his hands and use the bathroom. He could hear Betty and Polly's conversation clear as day.
"You're seriously gonna claim it's his baby!?" Polly sneered at Betty.
"Would you rather me tell your daughter the whole story in detail?"
"You know what I mean Betty!"
Betty stood up and clenched her arms to her sides. "If you don't approve of my choices, you can leave! I didn't ask you to come here. I'm not even sure why you did considering you didn't even care enough to be happy when I told you it was a girl!"
"Come on Megan, we're leaving." Polly grabbed her purse and her daughter's hand and left out the door. A muffled "Bye aunt betty" escaping Megan's lips.
Betty began to cry as she heard the engine start outside. She grabbed onto the chair for stability. Jughead came around the corner and pulled her into a hug. "Shhh. It's alright." With those comforting words Betty sobbed harder into his shirt. Jughead held her close into her sobs were quieted to frequent sniffs.
"Why don't you go take a hot bath? I'll take care of dinner okay?" Jughead suggested. Betty's head came up from his chest slowly moving in a slow nod. Jughead wiped off her tear stained face and kissed her head.
Betty left to take a bath and Jughead started to make dinner for them. He fried some hamburgers and made them both cheeseburgers with lettuce and tomato. She put them on plates with pot lids overtop to keep them warm.
Jughead ran up the steps and to the bathroom which was cracked slightly open. Jughead held his hand on the door so hit wouldn't open anymore. "Betty?"
A meek "yes?" came from the other side of the door. Jughead opened it slightly and walked inside. The mirrors were steamed and the room was humid. Betty soaked in the old claw foot tub, her hair in a knot atop her head. "Hey how are you feeling?"
"Fine." Betty simply responded rubbing her neck trying to get rid of the tension. Jughead walked behind her and placed a chaste kiss on her shoulder, his arms resting on either side of her arms. "Dinner's ready if you're hungry."
Betty nodded and pointed to the towel hanging by the mirror. "Can you hand me that towel?"
Jughead moved to get the towel then brought it over to her. He unfolded it to hold it in front of her. Betty stepped out of the tub carefully and into the towel wrapping it around her.
Jughead smiled at her pulling her into a wet hug. He pulled her close and let his lips meet hers. He knew that Betty didn't know he had heard the conversation but he still wanted to show how grateful he was that she wanted him too. He pulled away wiping his mouth, "I'll be downstairs." He said briefly, leaving Betty breathless.
They sat in silence for the first few bites of their cheeseburgers. Jughead took a drink of his water. "Do you want to talk about it?" Jughead asked Betty calmly not wanting to push her too far.
Betty sat her burger down and sat her hands on her lap, her eyes focused on the plate in front of her. She wanted so badly to open up to him, for their relationship to be normal. But inside she was scared that he would change his mind and leave her. She always felt unloved and search for a place where she felt loved. That was how she got into this mess in the first place. Now she had a loving home with a man who cared for her. She told herself that was enough for now.
"She told me I was stupid for wanting to be with you and that I had no right calling the baby, ours" Betty said looking up at him. "So I told her to get out."
Jughead smiled softly at her reaching to take her hand. "You're not stupid I want to be with you too. And that baby is ours, only me and you will know otherwise."
Betty smiled at him as she stood up to gather their plates. Securing the plates in her arms she leaned down to kiss him.
Jughead smiled into their kiss and groaned quietly as she pulled away. "Movie or bed?"
"Movie but I might fall asleep." Betty confessed as she started on the dishes. Jughead left the room to start the movie. Maybe this was going to work out. As of right now she was right where she needed to be. She was with Jughead, fully now committed. Their baby would be in their arms in four short months. They be a family, a mismatched jigsaw puzzle of a family, but a family at that.