one-shots || bughead + sprousehart

"i'm really happy to see you again, jug." - bughead

set somewhere in the ep 5x06, b and arch only had sex once in the shower :(

She walked into Pop's, the clock ticking on midnight as she entered. Jughead, behind the bar, looked up at the sudden presence.

"Betty," he said, startled by her late arrival, "hi."

"Hey, Jug." She said back, stepping over to sit on a stool by the counter. The pair fell silent for a while, avoiding eye contact but wanting to look at each other altogether.

"Vanilla milkshake?" He finally asked her, his eyebrow raising.

"You read my mind." She answered with a little smile playing over her lips. He had been frowning and growling for days but now he couldn't help but smile back at her.

As Jughead was busy preparing her milkshake, Betty started to speak again, "so, a lot changed around here, huh?" He turned back to her, placing the finished milkshake on the counter.

"Definitely." His eyes were burning into her, as if to read what she really meant to say. "You alright?"

"Me? Yeah definitely, completely fine." Her rambled and messy answer made him chuckle.

"Come on, Betts," her heart stuttered, "you know you can't lie to me." He was now leaning on the counter with his elbows, trying to stare her straight in the eye but she was desperately trying to avoid that.

"It's not your problem, Jug." Suddenly his hand was atop of hers and she felt her mouth run dry.

"I know, but it's yours and I want to know what's going on with you. We're friends, right?" Friends. The word rang in her ears.

"It's just Polly, she's been missing for 3 days now and I'm seriously starting to get worried. We found some of her stuff by the side of the road today and tomorrow we're going to search by a swamp where her phone was tracked. I just.. what if something happened to her?" Her eyes were glossy at this point, staring back at him.

He was looking at her with the most sympathetic look in his eyes and it made her heart warm. "I know it's hard, Betty, to make any sense of this now, but Polly could very well be fine. And I know you feel like you're not doing everything you need to, but you are." It felt like high school again, when he used to read through her just like this. "How about I come with you tomorrow? I'm a good searcher."

"I'd love that." She answered, a twinkle found in her glossy eyes. "Thanks for the milkshake, Jug. I'll see you at school tomorrow." She leaned over the counter to press a gentle kiss to his cheek and felt him blush underneath her touch.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that sentence again." He laughed and she giggled before leaving the diner.

That night Archie called her, probably a bootie call, but she ignored it. Her heart was warm with Jughead, and that was all she needed.

—

Her next day's classes went by quick and easy and the kids actually seemed quite interested.

The teacher's lounge was empty as she entered it but quickly there was a familiar cologne filling the room while she filled up a cup of coffee. "Jug, hi." She said as she turned to face him.

"Hey Betts. Had a good day?"

"Definitely. Turns out I quite like teaching, how about you?"

"Well, turns out teaching is not my favourite way to spend my twenties." She giggled at that.

"Sorry Jug, I know Riverdale High never was your favourite place to be. Have you even been able to write anything?"

"I've tried but not much is coming out. Maybe some investigating with you will inspire me." He flashed her one of those smiles and it suddenly seemed as if he was flirting with her.