So last chapter I passed 100 reviews. I cannot believe it and cannot thank you all enough for loving this story of mine. It means so much.
I edited this myself and I apologize for any errors.
I also want to give a quick shout out to one_starry_night who helped me work out some things with this story. She has some her own fics on AO3 which you should check out, I'm currently reading Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil and it's pretty rad.
If you were frustrated by my last chapter you are going to fucking hate me after this one. I said it was a slow burn and I meant it.
Enjoy!
Jughead paced the lobby of Veronica's house as he checked his phone waiting for Betty to let him know she was there. "Ronnie!" he shouted. "Hurry up!"
It was a Wednesday morning and they decided to make the most of their spring break. Betty said there would be less people if they went on a weekday. None of them had any idea where she was taking them. Jughead had been trying to get it out of her all week.
His phone buzzed.
I'm outside. The blonde in the volvo. ;) - 03/01/17 - 9:02am
Jughead grinned. "Ron! She's here! Let's go." He shook his head. "Where are Kev and Cheryl?"
He turned to see Veronica bouncing down the stairs in sweats, her hair in a messy bun and her face free of makeup.
"Why aren't you dressed?" Jughead questioned.
"Oh, I'm not going and neither is Kevin or Cheryl." She stopped in front of him with a grin pulling at her lips. "I meddled." She walked past him and opened the door. "Have fun on your date."
"Ron." Jughead said sternly.
"Go! Have a good time, learn more about each other." She pushed him out the door. "Bye, I love you. Make good choices." She shut the door in his face and he sighed.
He walked towards Betty who was leaning against a tan Volvo. Her hair was down and she was wearing her favorite boyfriend jeans, a grey tank top, and a blue plaid button down. Her grey peacoat was open overtop. "Where's everyone else?" She asked.
"It's just me today." He said pulling her into a hug. "Where are we going?" He asked, his lips moving against her neck.
"You just have to wait and see." She pulled away from him and hopped into the car.
He got into the passenger seat while she started the car and Radiohead began to play. "I made a playlist for you." She said with the slightest blush to her cheeks.
"Awe, always thinking about me." He placed his hand over his heart after he put on his seat belt.
"It would appear so." She grinned, putting the car into drive and raced down the drive way.
Jughead grasped the door handle. Betty made Veronica look like a 90-year old behind the wheel. She drove way too fast, swore at every car that wasn't going fast enough and swerved in and out of traffic. She played piano on the dash along with the music and sang constantly.
She moved into oncoming traffic trying to pass a few car that were going too slow for her. "Do you always drive like this?" He asked gripping his seat and the handle so tightly his knuckles were turning white.
"Drive like what?" She asked with a clueless expression.
"Uh, a maniac." He said watching a car come over the horizon. "Bets, a car. There is a car coming."
"I see it."
"We are in its lane, we should be in the other lane." There was a hint of fear in his voice.
"It won't hit us, I just need to pass these slow ass mother fuckers." She said flipping off all the cars she was passing. "I have intense road rage."
He looked over at her with a knitted brow. "Who are you?" He asked in disbelief. "Betty, please get into the proper lane." He pleaded.
"I know what I'm doing." She smirked and went faster as the car other got closer.
"Betty, Betty!" He said pushing his foot into the floor like there was a brake there. She ignored him. "Oh my god, this is how I die. I'm gonna die." He said.
"For someone who claims to be a rebel you seem to want to follow the rules." She sped up and seamlessly merged into her proper lane, the other car passing them seconds later.
"I'm not a rule follower, I just like being alive." He relaxed slightly.
"Volvo's are incredibly safe. Twilight taught me that."
"Yeah, well, everyone in those books were already dead, they really didn't need to worry about safety." He let out a sigh of relief.
"So you know what I found out and I'm super pissed about?" She asked changing the song.
"What's that?"
"Nine Inch Nails just released a new EP and they are playing a really intimate show at the Paradise Rock Club. Have you heard of it?" She asked.
Jughead nodded.
"So they are playing this show." She continued. "It's next Friday and I want to go so bad. It's a thousand person club. Even if I could get tickets, which I can't because they are all sold out, I wouldn't be able to go because you have to be over 21." She scoffed in frustration. "I hate being young."
"That really sucks." Jughead said sympathetically. "Maybe that night you can come over and we'll listen to them super loud. I can even put on a black tank top and get moody and angry if you want."
Betty giggled. "Sounds like a date."
They both blushed at the use of the word 'date' and Jughead changed the subject.
"Are you ready for Friday?" He asked. He knew how nervous she was for her audition and was doing everything she could to distract herself.
"I'm totally ready for my audition. I've practiced my songs a million times and as long as I keep a cool head I should be fine. What I'm not ready for is dinner with my parents and the Blossoms." Betty ran her hand through her hair.
"Why would you be having dinner with the Blossoms?" Jughead asked.
"My sister has been dating Cheryl's older brother, Jason, since freshmen year."
Jughead knew of Polly, she was a year older than him and really into art. She took every art program Riverdale had to offer. Her and Jason's pairing was an unlikely one considering he was the quarterback of the football team. Jughead had never spoken to either of them but there was a strange buzz around them. Everyone was obsessed with their relationship because it was a pairing that shouldn't have existed. When they still attended, they were the Brangelina of Riverdale High.
Betty continued. "They're coming home for spring break and a dinner has been arranged. The Coopers and The Blossoms like to pretend that we all one big happy family." Betty sighed. "It's my overbearing mother talking for two straight hours while my dad and Cheryl's parents get drunk. The rest of us have to suffer through it. I love Polly and I'm glad that she's happy but at what cost?"
Jughead chuckled. "You could not go." He suggested. "Fake sick or something."
"My mother would still make me go. On the bright side, Cheryl has a bottle of vodka stashed away so we are going to get drunk right along with our parents." Betty exited the highway onto a smaller side road.
"It's nice to see that the wealthy side of town is as fucked up as the wrong side of the tracks." Jughead leaned forward and adjusted the heat.
"In my experience, people are messed up, it doesn't matter where you come from. Money just helps hide it." Betty smiled. "I'm excited to see Polly though."
"What school is she at?" He asked.
"SVA, she's loving it there. She's living with Jason who's attending NYU. My parents love that." Betty said sarcastically.
"I applied there." Jughead told her.
"Where? NYU? I know, Ron told me. I'm assuming you are going to major in Journalism?"
"Yep." He said letting the "p" pop. "I'm going to minor in Creative Writing though. I want to write novels. As much as I love writing for the paper, I have story in me and I need help trying to tell it."
"I will be the first person in line to buy that book." Betty smiled. "Also, I would love if you dedicated it to me cause I've always wanted something dedicated to me."
"Will do, Cooper."
Betty turned onto a small dirt road. There was a sign that read Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary.
"A wildlife sanctuary?" He questioned.
"Yep." She said with a smile.
"So what are we doing?" He asked as they pulled up to a small brick building that had 'Information Centre' written on the side. She parked beside the only other car in the lot.
"We are going on a nature hike to look at birds." She said getting out of the vehicle. Her face lit up and waved to a middle aged man with kind, sparkling blue eyes and salt and pepper hair. He was coming out of the building. "Hi Robert!"
"Betty! How are you? I was wondering when I was going to see you again." He said clasping his hands behind his back.
"I got a job and I've been busier than usual. Senior year is a lot of work." Betty smiled grabbing Jughead's arm. "Rob, this is Jughead and he'll be heading out with me today."
They shook each other's hand. "It's nice to meet you." Jughead said quietly.
"Likewise! You two have fun!" Robert said enthusiastically. "There are Rosy-Finches out today." He nodded to the two of them and headed back to the centre.
Betty jumped up and down clapping her hands. "I've never seen one up close before." She looked over at Jughead and handed him her backpack.
"What are you looking for?" He asked.
Her eyes lit up and she pulled out a book, a pen and a pair of binoculars. "Let's go." She took off down the path putting the binoculars around her neck.
"I'm sorry, what's that?" He asked catching up to her.
"This is my bird watching journal." She said matter-of-factly as she opened it and began looking through it.
Jughead was trying to suppress a laugh. He wanted to laugh, not because he thought it was stupid but because it was the cutest thing he had ever heard.
She looked over at him and noticed the smirk on his face. "What?"
"I spent most, no, all my high school career thinking you were a goody two-shoe, bitch, cheerleader when really you are the biggest dork I have ever met." He finally let out a laugh.
She scoffed at him. "I'm not a dork, you're a dork." She muttered. "Bird watching is cool."
"What makes bird watching so cool?" He asked as they walked along.
"My grandfather used to take me and my sister when we were little. He was my mom's dad and he was nothing like my mom. He was so kind and selfless and he loved to bird watch. He would take my sister and I to this place all the time and I fell in love. He always encouraged us to be who we were, me more so than my sister. My sister never had a problem being who she was." She chuckled sadly. "When he died I kept going. Everything is so quite and still here and it's nice to be a part of something that has nothing to do with me. This whole eco-system thrives because everything in it is exactly what it is. Nothing needs to be something it's not." She shook her head. "I hope that makes sense.
"It makes perfect sense."
"We might not see anything today but it's nice to be outside. It's a pretty warm day considering it's March." She said with a grin.
It was warm for March but there was still snow on the ground. Jughead was glad he had chosen his navy sweater and his heavily line denim jacket.
They walked the path and Betty pointed out various birds and told him facts about them.
"That's an Evening Grosbeak. That's a male because his feathers are yellow, to attract a mate. The females are grey but they have a beautiful green beak." Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her eyes were wide and bright. "They are so lovely." Her smile grew.
"What's your favorite bird?" Jughead asked watching her instead of the birds.
"Probably the Ribbon-Tailed Astrapia. It's all black and its tail has these really long white feathers. It's so gorgeous. They are native to South America so I will probably never see one."
"Never say never." Jughead shrugged.
Betty's eyes went wide and she grabbed his hand. "Shhh."
"What? What's going on?" He whispered.
"Stop talking." She squeezed his hand and with her other pointed to a small brown and pink bird sitting in a tree right beside them. She opened up her book and started writing and then took a picture. "It's a Rosy-Finch."
"I like that it's pink." Jughead said not knowing what else he should say.
She made an 'o' shape with her lips and began making small chirping sounds. Jughead watched the small pink bird as it hopped around on the branch. Finally it started chirping back.
"He's singing." She cooed grabbing his Jughead's hand again. She looked serene and content, so in love with the bird.
In many years, when Jughead Jones drew a line through his and Betty Cooper's relationship, he would trace the second he fell in love with her to that moment.
"Isn't it beautiful?" She sighed.
"Yeah, it is." He breathed. His eyes running over her kneeling form, trying to remember everything about her. How wisps of her hair blew in from of her face. How smooth and perfect her skin looked. How pink her cheeks and lips were. How her eyes had a luminous glow of happiness. She was perfect.
"Let's keep going." She said standing and pulling him up with her.
They kept walking, not letting go of the others hand until Betty shifted and laced her fingers with his. They didn't say much for the rest of the way, only pointing out new birds when they appeared or any other animals. Neither of them mentioned the hand holding.
Robert was waiting for them when they returned. "Did you seeing anything interesting?" He asked.
Betty let go of Jughead's hand and tucked her hair behind her ears. "We saw a Rosy-Finch, he was really close."
"Did you enjoy your day, Jughead?" The older man asked.
"I did. I feel like I never get outside anymore and I had an excellent guide." He nudged Betty's shoulder with his.
"I'll see you later, Rob. I'll be back soon, I promise." Betty smiled as she walked towards the car, Jughead trailing behind her.
"Bye kids." Rob shouted as he turned to go back to the information centre.
"Please let me drive." Jughead pleaded.
"Nope." Betty shook her head. "It's my car, I'm driving."
"Can you at least drive the speed limit?" He begged.
She looked away from him and thought about what he asked her. She gave him a side glance and grinned. "Fine."
Jughead sighed in relief. "Thank you."
It was early afternoon when they got back to Veronica's.
They both got out and Betty lifted herself to the hood of the car. "You had fun today." It wasn't a question.
"I had fun today." He laughed and took a step towards her. "And you were right, birds are cool." He placed his hands just above her knees and resting between her legs.
"Jug." She whispered, running her hands up his arms.
"Bets." He breathed, moving his hands up her thighs, past her hips, grazing her ass and letting them rest on her lower back. He pulled her towards him, hugging her tightly, resting his lips on the place where her shoulder and neck met.
Betty hugged him back, slipping her arms underneath his coat.
Jughead held her tight, his heart pounding, trying to gain the confidence to make a move. He lifted his head slightly and let out a breath, the warm air drifting over her skin. He brought his lips back down to her neck and left a kiss there. He waited for her to stiffen or push him away but she didn't. Instead she let out the softest sigh.
So he kissed her again, a little higher this time and again higher than the last until he was at her jaw line. She titled her head back as he began peppering kisses there. She sighed again, louder this time, balling the material of his sweater in her hands.
Jughead ran his fingers along her neck before cupping her face in his hands. He tilted her head down so they were looking at each other. His eyes traced the lines of her face before his sole focus landed on her lips. The pad of his thumb traced her bottom lip and without thinking she kissed it. He let out a gasp.
He leaned in, pulling her closer, her feet hooking on to the back of his knees, their lips just centimetres apart.
"Are you guys going to kiss?" A voice that Jughead was becoming far too familiar with asked. The redheaded menace.
He stalled. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me." He said through gritted teeth.
Betty's head fell back in frustration and Jughead's forehead found its place on her shoulder. He let out a strangled laugh followed by a whining sound. "I'm going to put bells on all you lot, I swear to god." He muttered.
"I'm sorry if I interrupted something." Cheryl said sweetly.
"No, you're not." Betty pushed Jughead away. "Call me old fashioned but I do not want to kiss you for the first time in front of Cheryl."
"Agreed." Jughead said only half meaning it. He did want the moment to be special but he also ached to kiss her.
"I'll see you around, Jug." She said softly, pushing herself up on her tippy toes and placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth. When she pulled away she looked at Cheryl. "Bye."
"Bye Bets!" The redhead said with an enthusiastic wave.
Betty got into her car and raced away, the two of them watching her go.
"We might as well walk together. We are going to the same place." Cheryl told him as they headed for the front door. They started walking. "She's majorly out of your league, you know that, right?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Yeah, I know." Jughead agreed kicking every rock he passed.
"That being said, I think you're good for her. She's happy and I've never seen her that way before. So I approve of you." The redhead said a smile.
"I don't need your appr-"
She cut him off. "I approve of you." She turned to face him when they got to the front door of Veronica's house. "That being said, if you do something to hurt her, I know men that will put your body in a place no one will find it." She shook out her hair. "I know I seem like a bitch but Betty is a good friend and while I don't always show it, I want what's best for her." Cheryl looked at him expectantly.
"I promise I'll treat her well." Jughead said making a cross over his heart. "But if you want us to be together why did you break up our moment?" He asked.
"Betty is a people pleaser, obviously."
Jughead nodded.
"And while she is ready to be done with Archie if she kisses you, the amount of guilt she'll feel will be staggering. I'm mean she's already going to feel guilty because of you two just did. Which was super hot by the way. Good idea to start with the neck first." She nudged him on the shoulder.
He smiled. "Thanks."
"Anyway, the guilt will make her avoid Archie. She'll never break up with him and she'll never get together with you. But she'll string you along because she doesn't want to disappoint you either."
Jughead's brow furrowed. "Yikes."
"She's smart and beautiful but when it comes to dealing with other humans, she's a fucking disaster." Cheryl tossed her long hair over her shoulder.
"Why do you want to help me?" Jughead asked.
Cheryl shrugged. "I've been in the high school machine so long that I forgot that there's life after it. I was miserable until I met Veronica. In four months we'll leave this place and who we were won't matter. I found some happiness and I guess I want to spread it." It was the most honest thing he had ever heard her say. "So you keep doing whatever it is you're doing that she finds charming and I will make sure she breaks up with Archie."
"You think it's going to be that easy?" Jughead folded his arms over his chest.
"She needs one push in the right direction, they'll be done the first day back from break. I promise you."
"If you can have them broken up by Monday, I'll stop being such a dick to you."
Cheryl grinned. "Wonderful." She looked him up and down. "Also, I love that sweater, so hobo chic." She blew him two quick kisses and then entered the Lodge residence.
Jughead stood their dumbfounded. "What the fuck?" He muttered as he went in after her.
Reviews are appreciated.