Call Me A Safe Bet, I’m Betting I’m Not - Chapter 4
(AO3 Link- Chapter Four)
“Even though scientists are still quite baffled after multiple millennia of medical and technological advances of exactly how the soulmarks work, there has been enough research and study that we now know when and how to expect them… There has yet to be one soulmate coupling occur before the female has experienced a menstrual cycle and the male to begin producing sperm. In short, soulmarks have never appeared before entering puberty…
There are many, many more cases in which two people have insisted they are soulmates only to not mark with one another. All in all, only about 3% of couplings are correct in predicting they are soulmates before marks form.”
***
Betty Cooper is four years old when she meets Jughead Jones.
She knows he is her soulmate, he’s not so sure.
Chapter Four
“Society uses marks as a sign of permanence, we think of them as the world’s way of telling us this is the person we are supposed to be with, and many take this as absolute truth… Most scientists are still insistent at finding a reason for the marks that there is almost no study of those who mark with one, but choose to be with another.
Undoubtedly, it is a small number, so small there are no real statistics for it, but the group does exist… With such an insurgence of ‘unnatural’ children every two to three decades, is it any surprise that slowly, but surely, there are people finding that it takes more than a mark to want to be with someone.”
From Unmarked and On The Rise, 2012—an underground NYC magazine
*
The first thing Betty learns about finally having her period is that it sucks. It makes her wonder why she wanted it for so long—now, not only is she in pain, but the moment she’s been waiting for is right in front of her and it was terrifying. Well, if she actually tells Jughead about it, that is.
The night before had ended so perfectly and given her a glimmer of hope. She wasn’t ready to give that up yet.
Betty attends to her red-friend before crawling back into bed and curling into a ball. She doesn’t want to see anyone, talk about any of it, or leave her bed.
She remembers her mother giving her ‘the talk’ when she was around ten years old. She knows all the implications about puberty and how it relates to getting the soulmark, but she realizes she’s not put much thought into the actual getting her period part. Polly has all the supplies she needs in their bathroom, so that’s easy enough to handle, but Betty also recalls her mother telling her how painful menstrual cramps were for her when she was younger and Betty had thought nothing of it, after all she had been much more excited to get the initial sign of womanhood for other reasons.
Now, Betty wants it to go away so she can have a little longer with Jughead and not feel like her abdomen is being ripped out would help too.
Her phone goes off just as she is feeling like sleep might overtake her and she curses under her breath.
It’s a text from Jughead. Archie wants to have our own scary movie marathon today since we ‘bailed’ on him yesterday.
Betty reads the words and her heart sinks. If she hadn’t woken up with her period, she would have jumped at the chance to spend the day in Jughead’s lap with Archie laughing at her. It would have been the perfect day after following last night’s end.
But now?
He said we can skip Dracula because it sucked, but I have seen it and can assure you he is wrong. He said you’re the deciding factor on if he has to sit through it again. She has yet to respond and they’re acting like she’s already agreed. I don’t know in what world he thinks you’ll be able to resist my sad eyes compared to his… he insists you’ll be fair in this decision. I know the truth.
Betty smiles a little at that one and wishes her period could have come a day later. She doesn’t know what to say, so she hasn’t said anything at all. Betty? It’s past 9am so I know you’re awake. You physically don’t know how to sleep in. Is everything okay?
Her breath catches in her throat—he isn’t up to date with her sleeping patterns this summer, obviously but this time he’s not wrong, she was up before nine this morning.
With trembling fingers, she picks up her phone to respond. I’m here. Sorry. Left my phone in my room. She knows she shouldn’t lie to him, they just said last night they wouldn’t do it with each other anymore, but—she’s not ready to see him either.
Archie wants to know if you’re in, we’re heading out to get the movies soon. Fred said you can come with if you want.
Betty groans into her pillow while typing her answer. I can’t. I’m kind of in trouble again. My mom found out we left the movies alone and wasn’t happy. She said no matter what we are going through that isn’t appropriate.
Jughead’s response is almost immediate. That does sound like your mom. I’m sorry, Betts.
She’s far too good at lying to him, she’s learning. And he’s so trusting. It makes her want to cry. It dawns at her that at least she has an explanation for why she’s been so emotional and teary lately. Betty really should have seen this coming, in retrospect.
I don’t know how long I’m under lockdown for. Once I find out, we can redo the marathon then? The offer is real. She hopes if they don’t mark, that they’ll still find their way back to each other somehow. Betty knows it will take some time, a long time, but what’s a little time when they, hopefully, end up back together?
Definitely. Let me know if there is anything I can do?
I will. Have fun with Archie, and tell him we are for sure watching Dracula when we do the rewatch! If Archie thought his sad eyes were even remotely up to par with Jughead’s the boy had another thing coming. Know your audience for this type of stuff.
That’s my girl. Call if you can later? Love you. Betty’s heart clenches and it makes her struggle for breath for a moment. He said it. Well, he wrote it, but he put it out there first and it made her want to jump out of bed and into his arms.
She hopes last night was a turning point, and when she finally gets the nerve to tell him the truth and touch him that the feeling will hold.
I love you too.
…
Betty manages to hit day three before her mother catches wind of her ‘grumpy attitude’ as Polly calls it. (Polly is only really upset because Betty won’t cover for her going to hang out with Jason, and by cover Polly had suggested Betty tag along with Jughead, like that wouldn’t be weird?)
“Do I have to prepare myself for another dose of motherly wisdom? Or will a run of the mill inspirational quote do the trick? I did a Google search and once you get past all the overdone ones of ‘shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land among the stars’ they aren’t so bad,” Alice says as she comes into Betty’s bedroom with a basket full of laundry, no doubt her excuse for this visit. Like she hasn’t been making Betty do her own laundry, and put it away herself, for years. “They are still horrible, of course, but not so bad if you’re in a real time of need.”
“I don’t think I need wisdom, I’m just procrastinating this time. I know what I have to do,” Betty answers as she continues to attempt to read the book in her lap. That summer reading list ain’t gonna read itself! Which is actually what is written at the top, because apparently her English teacher next year is cheesy.
“Anything your mother should know about?” she asks while sorting through the folded laundry to put away.
“Is this one of those things where you know what is going on and you’re testing me to see if I’ll tell the truth or lie?”
“Well, if I told you that would be cheating, wouldn’t it?” her mother answers and Betty can’t help but agree. She’s got her there.
“Okay, well, I, uh, got my period Sunday morning,” Betty stutters out. It’s the first time she’s said the word aloud, and already she wants to take them back.
“I know, that’s why I have the heating pad at the bottom of the basket,” Alice tells her and hands it over with a knowing smile.
“Mom! I’ve been looking for this for over a day now!” Betty whines, twisting herself to get the plug into the outlet near her bed.
“You’re not very discreet, sweetie. Plus, your sister and I have it right now too, the wonders of having so many women in one household. Your dad is going to discover what hell is like. Not only two teenage daughters, but two with their periods at the same time, along with his wife? Poor guy,” her mom sighs while sitting on the bed with her. “Anyways, I stocked the bathroom with medicine and more tampons and pads, I don’t know which you prefer. I used pads for a year or so before I started tampons, but that’s totally up to you. Also, this is your period pad, you do not have to share with Polly, she has her own. It’s a gift from me to you, and an apology for the cramps. You do grow out of them, I don’t get them much anymore.”
“Going on birth control helps too,” Betty mumbles before leaning back with the pad splayed over her abdomen. “Not that I—I mean, I’m still a—”
“I know, Betty. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I think we can hold off on it for a little bit longer, don’t you?”
Betty simply nods. “Yeah, I just Googled how to get rid of cramps and it was the top answer.”
“Getting out of the house can help too, moving around, but I’m assuming there is a reason you’re not crying or snuggling with Jughead right now,” her mother says knowingly.
“We had such a good night together on Saturday, Mom. We finally talked about stuff we’ve been fighting over, told each other things we were hiding, and—I felt like I had him back, then I woke up on Sunday and,” she stops by looking down, as if glaring at her uterus will help the situation.
“I take it he doesn’t know about this development?”
“No, I—I’m too scared to tell him because I know he’ll want to find out right away, and I… I’m scared. I don’t want to lose him, Mom,” Betty whispers.
“Baby,” Alice pushes hair behind her head and hooks a finger under her chin to make her look her in the eye. “If he’s really yours, you won’t lose him. If you don’t mark, it will be hard. You’ll be hurt and heartbroken. As a mother, I’m scared you won’t mark either,” she confesses. “But if you’re as special as I think you are, eventually it won’t matter to him. That boy is so wrapped around your finger I think all it will make him do is hold you tighter.”
“So you… don’t think I’ll mark with him?”
“What I think doesn’t matter. What matters is what you and Jughead think, what the two of you feel for one another. You’ve spent almost ten years ignoring the white noise of what everyone else thinks about you two, about what you feel for him. Don’t stop that now that you’re near the finish line. Believe in yourself, believe in him, and don’t hold off for too long, summer is almost over, after all,” Alice mentions as she stands and rights her blouse and skirt.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Betty asks.
“If you do mark, you have time together before school starts. If you don’t, you have time to deal with everything that will bring. You’re my daughter, Elizabeth, you’re strong and stubborn and I know that no matter what happens you’ll be fine. Maybe not right away, but you will be.”
“Promise?” Betty calls after her once her mom is walking out of her bedroom.
“I promise,” Alice states with a wink before closing the door behind her.
Later, after a nap, Betty decides to take a long shower, followed by a bath because no one is home so why not hog the bathroom, and the hot water tank, for a while? Polly surely doesn’t mind hogging both when Betty is home and in need of it.
The hot water helped alleviate some of the pain and she finds it feels nice to treat herself, even just a little. Betty is still new to shaving, so she does that too after draining the tub, and steals Polly’s expensive lotion to rub all over herself.
She spends time brushing her hair out, it’s longer now that it has been in a long time, almost two inches past her shoulders. When it’s long it just feels like more work, but Betty likes this length and blow-dries it until it’s not so damp so it won’t dry funny.
After about two hours of pampering herself to feel better, Betty comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a big, white fluffy towel feeling a little brave, and thinking about calling Jughead to talk only to find him on her bed, thumbing through the book she had been reading for a day now.
“J—Jughead!” she exclaims, holding the towel tighter. He must have been enthralled with the book because he only notices her entrance into the room when she says his name. Instantly, his eyes snap up to her, then slam shut in quick succession. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demands to know, her entire body turning red. She’s naked, and Jughead is only steps away.
“I—shit, I’m sorry, Betts,” he apologizes and stands, only to trip on something and stumbles. His hand is now slapped over his face, like he doesn’t trust himself to only have one form of coverage. “You were in the bathroom and I didn’t want to scare you. I didn’t think you’d come out, you know,” he waves his other hand around vaguely.
“Naked? I was in the bath!”
“I saw that your parents weren’t home yet and took a risk. I just wanted to see you,” he admits awkwardly since he’s standing right in front of her and not only are his eyes closed, but also has his hand covering them so he won’t peak. She can’t help but find it cute even if it’s a bit mortifying.
“Do you think you can get into my closet without breaking something?”
“Shouldn’t you go into your closet? You’re the, uh, well, you know,” he stutters with frilly hand waves. “You smell really nice,” he mumbles a moment later.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, then snaps out of the cuteness. “I don’t keep underwear and stuff in my closet, Jug, and it’s not like I’m going anywhere so I can just grab something from my drawers. Why am I explaining this to you? Just get in my closet!”
He holds a hand out. “Do you think you can lead me there so I don’t break a bone?”
Betty almost takes him up on the offer before remembering. “Uh, you know what, I’ll just grab clothes and go into the bathroom. Just stay there, like that, and don’t be a boy and try to get a peepshow, okay?”
“I’m giving you a very dirty look right now because you know I wouldn’t do… that. I respect you too much. I’m actually offended—”
“I’m going into the bathroom, you can keep scolding me, go on,” she jokes and lets out a huffy stomp and whine once she’s in the clear.
Betty regrets thinking she was feeling brave enough to call him because the universe decided to screw her over and have him just show up at her house instead. Then, she regrets not paying more attention to what she took from her dresser because in her haste she didn’t get a bra and only has a skimpy old tank top in her hands.
“Fuck,” she groans and glares at herself in the mirror. “Today just keeps getting better,” she sighs and quickly she puts on the fitted blue jeans, making sure to pay attention to her monthly visitor, and puts the tank top on.
It’s not—okay, it is going to show Jughead more than he has ever seen, but it’s not like he’s going to see much, the tank top does have one of those built in bras. She’s only just now finally growing boobs, so a real bra isn’t always necessary, but—she went from pretty much nothing to a bit of something in a couple weeks’ time.
“Here goes,” she mutters to herself before exiting the bathroom.
Jughead is back on her bed, his shoes and plaid button-up discarded leaving him in dark jeans and a gray t-shirt. His beanie is on her bedside table and it makes her heart speed up. That means he’s feeling vulnerable, not only that, but he’s feeling comfortable enough to show her that he is.
“Hi,” Betty whispers with arms crossed over her chest, then rethinks of the stance knowing it’s making them more prominent.
“H—Hi,” he greets while clearing his throat.
“Hi,” she repeats in a breathy tone.
Jughead chuckles. “This whole puberty thing is going well, you look, um—okay, I don’t know what to say without admitting I’m trying not to stare.”
Betty’s heart swells because while she knows Jughead has always found her pretty, has told her to himself, but she’s never felt stare-worthy, not with girls like Cheryl Blossom around knowing exactly what she has and proudly flaunting it about.
“Really? I mean, it’s—I’m not used to it being a problem. It’s like they grew overnight. My mom actually bought me real bras with underwire and stuff, but you didn’t need to know that,” she breathes and bites her lip.
“Maybe we should not talk about it because I have my own growing going on and—” he stops when she chirps out a laugh. “Not right now, just… in general. Let’s change the subject, huh?” he suggests and clears his throat. “Sorry about not announcing myself. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s okay, you were respectful,” she assures him and shifts around the edge of her room, trying to keep distance between them. “I don’t think I would have responded well to you barging in on me in the bathroom either. So, uh, what brings you by?” she asks, and wishes she didn’t suddenly sound, or feel, so awkward. Being weird about their growing bodies is normal, that she knows, but she doesn’t want to be just plain weird with him.
“Well, I ran into your sister in town,” he starts while standing. “I asked if she knew anything about when you’d be off-grounding and she was very confused because she’s under the impression you’re not in any trouble at all.”
“Ugh, Polly,” Betty whines and covers her face.
“What’s going on, Betty?” he asks while coming closer.
At the thought of them touching Betty backs up and hits the bathroom door, wincing as the bathroom doorknob digs into her back.
Jughead stops his advance and studies her. “Betty, I thought after the Drive-In we were going to be different, more like us again, but with everything finally out in the open. I felt better that night than I have in weeks,” he admits while rubbing the back of his neck.
She stops herself from stepping towards him. “I did too, Jug, please believe me.”
“Is this because of your hands? Did something happen and you’re worried about telling me? You know all I want to do is help you, Betty, you don’t have to—” he stops as shakes her head.
“No, I—I haven’t done it since that night, I promise,” she assured him. “I’m not going to lie, I’ve caught myself almost doing it, but I haven’t. I’m really trying to stop. It’s,” she sighs as she feels the need to do it now, so she stretches her hands out to fight the urge.
“Betty,” Jughead murmurs, seeing her movements, and closes the distance between them.
Betty backs into the wall, this time with her hands behind her back so she can’t touch him. “I’m—I’m okay, I swear, I haven’t done it,” she repeats.
“I do believe you, but with the way you’re acting, it’s not very reassuring. What’s going on, Betts?” His hands settle on her waist and she flinches, making him look at her with questioning eyes. “Betty, you’re not—I mean, did you…?”
She slowly nods at his unasked question, blinking away tears.
“Oh, shit,” he strings together and steps away. “You got your period?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Betty apologizes with her droplets falling. “I just—Saturday was so perfect, and when I woke up Sunday I had it, and I was so scared. I’m so scared, Jughead,” she admits. “Please, can we just hold off for a while?”
“Hold off? Betty, this is what we’ve been waiting for forever,” he reminds her. “All you have to do is touch me and—”
“And possibly lose you forever, Jug, no, I won’t and you can’t make me,” she states, her tone firm even though her lip is quivering.
“So you’re just going to never touch me again? Every time we’re together you’ll sit on your hands and make sure we’re never next to one another? I guess that’s fine, we’ll just never walk beside each other either, but we’ll have to be careful and make sure we never reach for the same thing at the same time. You know, this could be tricky, maybe we should get you a straightjacket to make sure we don’t forget for a single second.”
“I’m not opposed,” Betty whispers.
“Betty, come on,” he pleads, his voice low and intense. “What, you want to be together and not touch? I don’t know about you but with all the growing going on I was really getting hyped for it.”
“Jug!” Betty tries not to smile as she scolds him. “Be serious!”
“I am. You tell me how you think this will work? You’ll just never initiate contact with me, or any other guy, for the rest of your life?”
“I know I’m being unreasonable, okay, but I don’t care. I just got you back, I’m not going to lose you again.”
“Betty,” Jughead sighs and cups her face. She resists the urge to lean into his touch. “You never lost me, you will never lose me. I’m always going to be right here.”
“No, you said so yourself, if we don’t mark, you’re gone, remember? We were outside your trailer and—”
“And I was drunk and angry, and fuck—I can’t lie to you, I won’t,” he says and brackets his arms around her, bringing him so close their noses are brushing together and his breath tickles her eyelashes. “I said that because that’s how I felt, that’s the only way I can see myself not falling apart, but Betty… if these last few weeks being so shitty has taught me anything it’s that I can’t stay away from you. I love you, Betty, and saying those words felt so liberating. I thought I was protecting myself by keeping them in, but when I finally said them, when I saw how it helped you, how it calmed you down, I knew right then that I didn’t need a mark to know I should be with you. I just know it myself.”
“That’s beautiful, Juggie, and I believe you, but,” she stops and sniffles. “You’ll worry every day that I’ll get a mark with someone else. I don’t want to put you through that. That’s not fair. It will get to you, nag at you—”
“So will you, Betty. You don’t think you’ll nag me about it and reassure me so many times a day that one day I’ll finally believe you? It’s going to be hard, we’ll fight and I’ll make you cry and feel like an ass, then do something over-the-top to make things right. You’ll get annoyed about my worries and scream at me, your face will turn red and you'll do that stomping thing you do when you're frustrated.”
“You promise? You promise that you won’t push me away or—”
“I can’t promise that. I can’t promise it won’t be hard or feel impossible sometimes. I can’t promise I won’t push you away or feel like I’m slowly losing you because I know there will be times I’ll be weak and do those things. But I do promise that at the end of the day I’m always going to be the one climbing through your window to be with you. I’m always going to find my way back to you. I need you as much as you need me, probably more. After all, I can’t resist you, Betty Cooper.”
She blinks away tears and nods, trying to be brave. “Can you back up?” she asks and he does as he’s told. “I know that… I know if we don’t mark the first couple days will be the worst. I know that you’ll need time to be angry and you’ll worry about me touching Archie and,” she sniffles. “I know all that, so just please, please come back to me when you can see straight again,” she pleads.
“After a day or two I don’t think anything could keep me away.”
Betty pushes off the wall and shakes out her hands to get some feeling back. “Can I kiss you?” she whispers, and his eyebrows rise in question. “Can that be how we find out? We’ve only really kissed once and I ruined it. I want to have been really kissed by you before,” she stops and swallows the knot in her throat.
“Whatever you want, baby,” he tells her. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
They simply stare at each other for a moment, Betty trying to get her nerve, Jughead trying not to jump out of his skin, then suddenly she crashes into him. She comes at him so hard he stumbles back, his arms locking around her waist as her lips slant over his.
They take it slow for only a second before their mouths are moving together. Betty feels warmth spread from her toes to her hair follicles. She doesn’t care that their teeth clank together, or that neither of them know exactly what they are doing, she just wants to keep kissing him and never stop.
She’s on her tiptoes with her hands in his hair and Jughead’s fingers are skimming the skin that her tank top is revealing at the small of her back and Betty feels high. High as in she’s floating, maybe literally flying, and a heat gathers in her heart that is calming, yet sets her on fire.
The feeling is so overwhelming she pulls away with her chest heaving.
She looks up at Jughead, but he isn’t meeting her eye, he’s looking further south. In different circumstances, she might feel giddy that he’s looking, she’s still new to garnering attention there, but right now is not that time. “Jughead, really?”
“Betty,” he whispers and nods down to where he is looking.
Betty follows his eyes and finds what he’s fixated on. It’s not her cleavage, it’s a mark, and it’s over her heart.
“Oh, my Go—” she stops and yanks down at his neckline to check his skin. Sure enough, there is a matching mark over his heart.
It’s a light gold, and resembles a three-point headpiece, and looks like it could be glowing, is radiant on his skin and the sight of it causes her to release a tearless sob.
With shaking a hand Jughead reaches up and runs his fingers over it. “It’s a crown,” he whispers.
“It’s a soulmark,” Betty corrects and outlines his own, the one that shows the world he is hers, just like she’s been saying for ten years.
“You were right,” Jughead says, his voice a mere breath. “I’m so sorry I made you think—”
“Shut up,” Betty orders, happy tears bright in her eyes. “None of that, okay? No dwelling on what we said or did, or what we fought about. What matters now is this,” she tells him with a hand splayed over his heart, over their mark. “It doesn’t matter that you’re an unnatural child, it doesn’t matter that your mom found her soulmate later, or that this whole system is a sham. Through it all, through all the statistics and theories, you are marked with me, you were meant for me. You believe that now, don’t you?”
Jughead wipes his nose with his arm and nods. “I do, I should have believed you all along. I love you, Betty Cooper,” he confesses, his forehead resting on hers, the purest smile she’s ever seen gracing his lips.
“Jughead Jones, I love you,” she replies and grins. “You know what that means?”
“Hm?”
Once again Betty launches herself at him, only this time he falls to the floor and she’s kissing him all over: his cheeks, forehead, eyelids, jawline, everywhere she can reach. “I told you so!” she squeaks between kisses, then settles on his lips.
It’s featherlight at first, their mouths just ghosting together. Soon enough Jughead cups her cheeks and brings their lips firmly together. The kiss starts to deepen, them tentatively moving their mouths, making this one really count, when her door bursts open.
“Betty, are you—Elizabeth Cooper!” her mother exclaims.
“Mom!” Betty sits up, her entire body red, probably. “You’re home.”
“Betty,” her mom says, her voice lower, her face softening.
Because of the tank top she can see the mark, the crown over her heart. Alice’s eyes flick to Jughead and Betty pulls down the neckline of his shirt to his. Betty thinks she sees tears in her mom’s eyes, but it’s only for a second, it must have been a trick of the light.
“Well,” Alice says with a small smile. “Jughead, will you be staying for dinner?”
“What?” both she and Jughead respond. “That’s the first thing you ask?” Betty questions.
“What? It’s official now, isn’t it? You’re family. Around here we have family dinners together. Of course, you don’t have to come every night, but you are always welcome. Our fridge is your fridge.”
“That’s it?” Betty asks.
“I’m sorry, did you expect a party? I can throw one together, but it might take a couple days,” Alice says and Jughead chuckles underneath her. “Now, Elizabeth Cooper, get off him before your father sees you like this. And this door is not to be closed when you two are alone together, I mean it.”
Betty realizes she’s been straddling Jughead and quickly is up on her feet. “I—yes, sorry,” she agrees while helping Jughead up. Alice waits for Jughead’s response too, so Betty elbows him in the gut.
“Ow, yes, ma’am,” he assures her mother while rubbing his stomach.
“And the answer for dinner?” Alice asks once more.
“If it’s not a bother, I don’t want to—”
“Jughead, you have never been, and will never be a bother. You and your sister are always welcome here,” her mom states, her tone firm, the voice she uses when she means business. “Now, I’ll trust you two to be appropriate and you can trust that I won’t be walking by this door every three to five minutes, hm?” she says before leaving with a wink.
Instantly Betty deflates. “Oh, my God,” she breathes.
“I feel like she just adopted me,” Jughead admits, the tension draining from him as well.
“Even if she just did, I don’t think sleepovers are welcome,” Betty mentions. “But dinners are, so baby steps, I guess?”
Jughead smiles, bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks again. “I don’t think they will ever willingly agree to sleepovers, babe.”
Betty grins and loops her arms around his neck. “I like when you call me ‘babe’,” she confesses while biting her lip. She gazes up into his eyes only to find he’s captivated by their mark, and keeps his iris’ trained on it like it could disappear at any moment. “I feel like the universe just gave you an open pass to stare at my boobs,” she huffs, only a little upset about it.
“Hm, what did you say?” he questions, then smiles. “I’m kidding, I heard you. Nickname usage and chest comment noted. Can we get back to what we were doing before? ‘Cause I’ve been dreaming about it for at least three years and feel like I have only gotten about three minutes of it.”
“Poor baby,” Betty teases.
“Like you don’t want to kiss me either,” he counters.
“Well, that depends. Can I officially call you my boyfriend now? ‘Cause I only kiss my boyfriend.”
Jughead rolls his eyes at her. “All you have to do is ask to hear me say it, Betts. I would love it if I could have the honor of being your first, and last, boyfriend.”
Unable to control herself Betty catapults herself at Jughead, who just hooks his arms under her legs, easily catching the sign to hold her. She pushes their lips together, her mouth in a smile, his too, but before they can continue the door bangs open once more.
Jughead instantly drops her, but keeps his hands on her hips to steady her. “Are we ever gonna get to finish doing that?” he grumbles, but Betty ignores him.
Her eyes are trained on her big sister with watering eyes at the door. “Polly,” Betty gulps and smiles faintly. “What’re you—”
“You marked?” Polly interrupts, anger clear in her stance and eyes.
“Polly, I,” Betty starts again, but Polly stomps her foot indignantly.
“This isn’t fair!” her big sister cries. “How come you get what you want but I can’t get what I want?”
“Polly, isn’t not like that. You can love someone without a mark—”
“Oh, save it. I know I love Jason, I love him, just like you love Jughead. How come I didn’t get a mark? What’s so different about me?”
Betty steps towards her sister. “Polly, I’m sorry, I—”
“Polly,” Hal appears next to her. “You are not going to ruin this for your sister.”
“But she gets everything!” Polly insists.
Betty’s sympathetic face changes into one of disbelief and anger. “I get everything? I’ve been told I’m crazy for believing in this. I’ve been told by you I’m weird for it, not to mention what I’ve been putting Jughead through with everything going on his family. This did not come easy to us, so don’t act like it has.”
Polly’s face was covered in tear tracks and her whole body was shaking. “What makes your love better than mine?” she asks in a heartbreaking whisper.
“I’m sorry you’re upset, but I’m not going to let you make me feel bad about this,” Betty tells her, a hand firmly interlocked with Jughead’s.
“Pauline,” Alice is now in the doorway too. “Do not do this, not right now, not in front of your sister. Go to your room and I will meet you there. Now,” she orders with a full finger point and Polly leaves after a sharp glare. “She doesn’t mean it, Betty,” her mother insists.
“You should go talk to her,” Hal whispers and Alice nods before leaving. “Really, don’t take your sister’s words to heart, Betty, she’s hurting,” he tells her.
“I know,” Betty murmurs.
“I don’t want you to feel bad, this is a big day for you. Polly will come around in time,” Hal goes on with a soft smile. “Here, I don’t think it’s best to stick around for dinner. How about you two go to Pop’s, on me?” he says while rifling through his wallet and handing Betty a few green bills.
“Thanks, Daddy,” Betty murmurs, her mood somber now.
“Jughead,” Hal begins again with his hand out, and Jughead gets the idea to shake. “I always hoped it would turn out his way, makes things a little easier on me with all the girls in the household,” he sighs and Betty rolls her eyes at her dad’s attempt to lighten the mood. Also, it’s working. “Alright, you two be good,” he finishes with a kiss to her forehead and disappears down the hall. “And please put a real shirt on before you leave the house!”
“I feel like I walked into the Twilight Zone,” Jughead says from next to her. “We actually marked, your mom gave me a revolving door invitation, your sister is upset about Jason Blossom, personally I think she lucked out there, and your dad is happy to have another guy in the family. I honestly think I’m dreaming. This shit is getting too surreal.”
“Do you want me to pinch you?” Betty asks while pocketing the money, to which he shrugs, so she does.
“Hey, I didn’t mean down there!” he says in a squeaky voice as he jumps. “Geez, you’re different in the Twilight Zone too.”
“Is that a bad thing?” she questions with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t know yet, put a shirt on so we can get out of here before the aliens descend.”
…
“Anything for dessert, kids?” Pop Tate interrupts a couple hours later, making Jughead pull his face from her neck, where he had been nuzzling.
Betty ducks her head in embarrassment all while turning red. At least she’s consistent—she’s been some form of red all day between Jughead, her parents, and now Pop Tate.
“Yeah, our usual. Thanks, Pop,” Jughead answers with a cheeky smile.
The older man winks at them while grabbing their empty plates with a chuckle. “Sure thing, Jug.”
“Ugh, I feel like every adult knows exactly what things are going through my mind today, and it’s making me far too uncomfortable,” Betty mutters, but still rests her head back on the booth with a smile playing on her lips.
“Well, I’m not an adult, so care to enlighten me about these things, hm?” Jughead asks, still picking at a basket of fries that Pop Tate knows to keep continually filling for the boy, since his stomach is a never-ending pit.
“Probably the same things you’re thinking, buddy,” Betty answers, not giving him the satisfaction of saying the actual words.
“To be fair, I have a lot of time to make up for, plenty of spots to discover and see what noises you make when I kiss them, or lick them, or—”
“Jug!” Betty exclaims, her voice low. “You haven’t licked anything, so don’t act like you have, smartass.”
“We have the rest of our lives, I’m sure I’ll get around to it in a couple months to a year,” he assures her, nonchalant.
“At least you’re aware there is a timeline to follow,” Betty says and grabs onto a fist of his shirt to tug him close and kiss him quickly.
“I want you to know, it probably goes without saying, but,” Jughead stops when Pop Tate approaches.
“Here ya go, kids,” the older man says while setting down their usual milkshakes, Betty’s vanilla and Jughead’s strawberry.
“Thanks Pop,” Betty says, and is proud she manages to not turn red again. “What were you saying?” she asks, her lips already circling the straw of the milkshake.
Jughead waits until she is done with her sip and rewraps his arm around her shoulders. “There’s all this research and crap saying soulmarks make you feel older, if you get them when you’re young, and I believe it after everything we’ve been through. When it comes to you, and how I feel about you, my feelings have always been more mature than they should have been.”
“Are you trying to tell me that you have dirty dreams about me or something?” Betty questions as he pauses.
“What, no,” Jughead responds and reaches for his milkshake now. “Well, I do have them, but that’s not what I’m trying to tell you now,” he adds on as an afterthought.
“Really? What happens in them?” Betty asks with a grin.
“We can talk about that later, and I’m pretty sure you can guess how they go, I’m trying to get at something else here,” he insists in a sigh.
“Okay, sorry,” she murmurs and presses a soft kiss against his cheek.
Jughead keeps her close, his hand moving from her shoulder to hang from her neck. “This probably goes without saying, Betty, but even though we feel older, I don’t want you to think I expect anything because of that.”
“I thought we already established we’re together and love each other and stuff?” Betty questions, complete with a head tilt.
“Betty, I’m talking about sex here,” Jughead says bluntly.
“Oh, oh, oh,” she responds in know. “I know, Juggie, as we’ve done with everything else, we’ll figure it out together.”
“We do have a lot to figure out,” he agrees and Betty rolls her eyes. “What? I may be an old soul, and sensitive at that, but I am still a guy, and I have eyes, and you’re…” he stops and simply gulps while looking her up and down.
“Growing?” she offers with a knowing smile.
“Yes, and I want to know if everything is as soft as your lips,” he admits.
“Jug!” Betty squeaks and slumps down in the booth so no one can see how red she is turning. “Stop.”
“Betty, I just want you to know now,” he says with a finger hooked under her chin to make her look at him. “I am never going to be discreet about how beautiful and breathtaking you are. So you either get used to it, or be ready to blush about ninety-percent of the time.”
“I—thank you, I’m just not used to being the center of attention of anything.”
“You’ve always been the center of my attention,” Jughead states and reaches for his milkshake once more.
“Okay, does having a mark make you way more smooth, or is it just me?” Betty asks rhetorically.
“I think it’s the confidence of the mark, you know, no more doubting or worrying about losing you to someone else. I’ve always had game, I’ve just kept it hidden.”
“Juggie, I love you dearly, but please never use game like that again,” Betty tells him. “And you don’t need ‘game’ with me, you’ve already won, I’m yours, remember?” she says while undoing a button on her jean button-up to pull at the collar and show him their mark.
Just like he was the first time he saw it, Jughead is instantly mesmerized. He reaches his hand up and his fingertips brush along the crown, and she hears his sharp intake of breath.
“Hey, you still with me?” Betty murmurs, her own hand reaching up to wrap around his wrist.
“Yeah, I just—I’m still in shock, sorry,” he breathes and drops his hand, but she just moves hers down to link through his.
“It’s not going anywhere, Juggie, okay?” she whispers and presses a kiss over his shirt where their mark is. “Closer to the heart, closer the bond,” she adds on and just rests against his chest with a happy sigh.
“It’s because of you,” Jughead says into her hair. “It’s likely we would have marked no matter what—”
“We would have, shut up,” she interrupts, her words muffled against his skin.
“But I think because you knew and never let that belief go, never let me go, that it’s over our hearts. We were able to become so close before all the puberty stuff that the bond is stronger.”
“You think if I wasn’t so wise that it would’ve been, like, on our butts or something?”
“I’m trying to be serious and romantic, and you’re talking about our asses?” Jughead asks and Betty pulls away laughing. “What is this?”
“The Twilight Zone, remember?”
“Right,” Jughead murmurs, his eyes trained on the mark he can still see underneath her shirt from his angle. “Betty, I—there’s something I want to ask you.” She nods while drinking more of her milkshake. “Do you think we—would you mind if,” he lets out a breath.
“You can ask me anything, Jug,” she reminds him, nothing the more somber tone.
“I don’t want to tell anyone like—we can tell our friends, and your family already knows, but I don’t want to tell my family,” he finally gets out. Betty opens her mouth to respond, but he goes on. “We just got torn apart because my mom’s mark, and I don’t want you to think I’m anything less than fucking thrilled about this, but I just think it wouldn’t help matters, if that makes sense.”
“Whatever you think is best, Juggie,” she assures him, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek, her thumb sweeping across the crest of it.
“I don’t want my mom think she’s validated or I understand why she did what she did because I have one too. It’s—she cheated on my dad, blames him for everything still, and part of me feels like she regrets the last fifteen years of her life. She’s doing better, she’s not drinking, she’s there for Jellybean, and I know she loves us, but—there’s no excuse for what happened, for how it happened, and how easy it was for her to just leave it all behind. I don’t want her to think because we have this in common that her thinking was justified because of how it feels. I’ve felt this for you most of my life. It may have taken a mark for me to believe in its permanence, to embrace it, but I’ve always known how I felt. Not getting a mark wouldn’t have meant I loved you any less than I do now.”
“I know, I know,” Betty insists and presses her forehead against his. “You don’t have to prove anything to me, baby.”
Jughead shudders against her and mimics her cupping of his cheek. “And I don’t know how my dad would handle it, with how my mom marking fucked everything up. I don’t—if he really is turning his life around right now, I don’t want him to think that me marking means me leaving him like my mom did, like she made Jellybean too. I’m not ready to give up on him, Betty.”
“And I would never ask you to. Your dad has his problems, but I know he loves you and Jellybean, he loves your mom too, despite everything. We don’t have to tell them, it’s okay. I’m not upset or think you’re ashamed—”
“God, no. Fuck, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s just all still too fresh,” he cuts in.
“Stop making your case to me, I understand, I’m fine with it, okay?”
“You do know that by me not wanting my family to know means—”
“We can’t be open about it, the marks, I mean. I’m hoping that even though we’re not ready to reveal our soulmarks, we’ll still be able to be a couple?” Betty’s voice gets progressively higher as her sentence goes on.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’d be able to resist being like this, now that I’ve let myself really—”
“Be with me?” Betty finishes for him.
“Once you break through the wall, there’s really no going back,” Jughead agrees. “Wait, ‘we’?” he questions. “You’re not ready to tell people too?”
“It’s not that I’m not ready, I just don’t want to deal with the teenage hysteria. We start high school in less than a month, do you know how annoying teenage girls can be? I’d have to answer questions about what it’s like, how I knew all along, defend that I knew all along, is it weird that we are so young. I know I have the type of personality to snap, and I’m afraid I might kill someone.”
Jughead makes a vague nodding motion and she slaps his shoulder. “Hey, I’m agreeing. You’re tough, it’s not a bad thing.”
“But I think murder is frowned upon,” Betty points out.
“Depends who you’re talking to. Know your audience, huh?” he replies with a wink. “But you’re right, it’s a small town, word would get out, we’d be a spectacle, I’d take the fall for your crime. It’s probably best we just keep this under our hats for now.”
“Aw, you’d go to jail for me? That’s so sweet,” Betty coos.
“Man, are we lucky we found each other, we’re weird.”
“It’s best to be with someone who’s weirdness matches yours,” Kevin announces, making Betty jump and Jughead merely glare at him as he invites himself into their booth. “Sorry to interrupt, but I was supposed to meet Moose and here he walks in with half the JV football team and strolls right past me. So, naturally, I acted like I just hadn’t seen you two sitting here and made my way over after I realized my social flub.”
“Naturally,” Jughead mutters, angling himself more normal in the booth so he’s not just facing Betty.
“What has you two looking so cozy?” Kevin asks as Archie makes himself known too, and Kevin immediately scoots to make room for the red-head.
“Hey guys!” their best friend greets.
“Yeah, we weren’t in the middle of anything, no worries,” Jughead grumbles.
Betty kisses his cheek with a smile, ignoring his sudden, and understandable, mood change. “Oh, shush, Juggie.”
“Yeah, ‘shush, Juggie’,” Archie copies and steals some fries from Jug’s never-ending basket.
“Is anyone going to answer my question?” Kevin questions.
“What was your question?” Archie asks him.
“Have you ever seen these two act like this when a scary movie isn’t on the screen?” Kevin counters, to which Archie nods. “So, did something happen when you disappeared at the Drive-In. I mean, I see that something did, but I thought I should hear from my best friend rather than just talk with the rest of the town.”
“You can see it?” Betty worries and covers her heart with her hand, making a point to button up her shirt.
“B, what are you doing? That isn’t going to hide that hickey on your neck,” Kevin insists.
“I have a hickey?” Betty exclaims, both hands now on her neck.
“Yes, what the hell are you talking about?” Kevin demands as Betty rubs at her skin. “Left side, B—no, my left,” he instructs while pointing for clarification.
“Jughead!” Betty scolds, her voice high once again.
“What, it’s not bad, it just looks like you itched really hard,” Jughead tells her after inspected the area.
“Stop grinning like that! This isn’t funny!” she tells him, but can’t stop the corners of her mouth from sliding upwards.
“Can someone please tell poor Archie what is going on, look how confused he is!” Kevin says.
Betty and Jughead share a look and nod together. “Well, Betty got her—”
“We don’t need to go over that part,” Betty interrupts with a pointed look. Archie, or Kevin for that matter, didn’t need to know exactly what was going on with her body. “The point is, well, we marked.”
“What!?” Kevin just about yells, but doesn’t care that he’s turning heads. “Where? When? How? Why was I not your first phone call? Aren’t I worth at least a text? Has it been since the night at the Drive-In? If so, I am sincerely angry right now. You kept this from me for three days?” he asks in quick succession.
“Kevin, calm down, it was barely three hours ago,” Jughead assures him with an eyeroll and takes his basket of fries away from Archie.
“Three hours, that’s a long time—”
“I’m so happy for you guys,” Archie cuts Kevin off. “Finally. Now that you’re a couple, I’m assuming you’re a couple, I am not going to be in the middle anymore. If you fight, I’m Switzerland and if I hang out with one of you during said fight I am not taking sides, it just means one of you has a better offer or is being less mopey.”
“Ha, that definitely means he’ll be hanging out with me,” Betty gloats.
“Who cares about Archie, where is it? What is it? Is it somewhere naughty?” Kevin asks.
“Now I know where you’re getting it,” Jughead comments with a pointed look towards Betty.
“I’ll show you, but we’re keeping it quiet, okay?” she says while staring at Kevin.
“I may be way too excited right now, but I know how to keep a secret, I’ll have you know,” he insists. “I’m actually offended you think I’d just go around telling—”
“Alright, alright, take it down a notch, Kev,” Betty insists while undoing a button on her shirt again and showing them.
Kevin stares at it for longer than Archie because of where it is, but both are equally happy for them.
“That’s so freakin’ cute, and right over the heart, I love it,” Kevin states as Betty closes the flap. “It’s perfect for the two of you.”
“Thanks, Kevin,” Betty says with a smile, she feels like she hasn’t stopped smiling since it happened, and it’s probably true.
“You guys deserve it,” Archie speaks up. “I’m happy it finally happened, that you guys can finally just be happy together instead of fighting about how much you care about each other.”
“I think that’s the nicest thing you ever said to me,” Jughead jokes and pretends to wipe a tear.
“Fuck off,” Archie responds and she can tell they are now attempting to kick one another under the table.
“Hey, unless one of the two of you want to start playing footsies with me, cut it out,” Kevin mumbles, having gotten hit in the crossfire.
“Man, some things never change,” they hear next to them and all turn.
“Dad,” Jughead says and instantly sits up straighter.
“Hey, Jug,” FP greets. “You guys mind if I steal my son real quick?” he asks the table and they all shake their heads. “I promise I’ll give him back, Betty,” he teases and walks away with a wink.
“Why do people keep winking at me today? Am I giving off a vibe?” Betty questions once they are gone.
“I don’t know, you kind of have an air of hotness going on, you’re all confident and stuff. Plus, FP definitely saw your hickey,” Kevin tells her.
“Oh, man,” Betty grumbles and covers her neck again while looking out the window at Jughead talking to FP.
She notices Jug has gotten taller when she sees him next to his father. They both have the same stance and broody face—Jughead may be more like this mother intellectually, but physically he is his father’s son. They have the same mannerisms.
“What do you think they are talking about?” Archie asks a silent minute later.
“What do you think,” Betty responds without turning to look at her friends. “FP shaved, Arch, you know what that means.”
“Jughead is going home.”
To be continued….
Notes: Anyone cry? Review your reactions! I love them!!!and NO this story is NOT over. I have more planned. Stick with me. And as always, I must say thank you to @jandjsalmon for helping and beta-ing, and making the wonderful aesthetic. She's amazeballs, even though I make her cry all the time.
43 notes
·
View notes