Bughead One-shots | Riverdale

Reassurance

Down in the private safe space of the bunker, Betty and Jughead were free to let go of secrecy and be themselves. Ever since they had started visiting the bunker it was their space. Their space to be themselves without other people around. Their space to be alone and intimate without the worry of parents or siblings being around. Their space to share secrets. Jughead couldn't could the amount of times Betty had shared something private with him down there, underneath the thin beige sheets of the bed that stood against the wall. He'd sat and listened to her worries about her father and how harrowing the whole event had been. He held her when she had started crying when everything got too much for the blonde to handle. He was always there for her.

Although he knew she would be there for him too, as she had been in the past, it was harder for Jughead to get his feelings and worries off of his chest. Maybe it was his horrible childhood or constant doubts but it was just hard for him to do so. But when he didn't speak about what was on his mind, the worry grew. He thought about it more and more until it got worse and it was the only thing he could think about. That thought process was the one that lead to the belief that Betty Cooper would one day leave him.

He couldn't blame her if she did. Why should she have to stay with the messed up kid from the wrong side of the tracks when she could have someone like Archie Andrews or Reggie Mantle; Riverdale High's golden boys. Surely she wouldn't be getting the same baggage she was left with with him if she chose them instead. She deserved better, he knew she did. It was just the constant worry of waiting for her to realise it too.

Those thoughts were the only things swirling around Jughead's mind as he laid in the bed of the bunker next to Betty in silence. He could feel the pads of her fingers tracing over his Serpent tattoo - his second one, after his first one was stripped from his arm - but he couldn't smile at the action like he usually would. He had been waiting for her to come to the realisation all evening, as she had started tutoring Reggie Mantle earlier that week and had been talking about him. Surely she would realise how much better Reggie was for her soon enough.

"Hey," He looked up and met her usually soft green eyes hardened with worry. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed as he ran his eyes over her expression, a crease forming between her eyebrows and a frown on her lips, before he just shook his head. "Nothing." He answered after a pause that felt too long.

"Jug you've been staring at the ceiling for ten minutes," Betty sighed and turned to lay on her side, propping her head up with her elbow sinking into the mattress and moved her free hand to gently cup his sharp jawline. "Talk to me."

Jughead let out a huff of air through his nose as he let his eyes close, tensing a little despite her gentle touch on his cheek. "I'm just waiting for you to finally see it." He whispered.

"See what, love?"

Jughead opened his eyes to look at her again, eyebrows furrowing as he took in a breath before answering her. "How much better people there are for you out there."

He watched as Betty frowned more at his words and gently moved her hand to his cheek again. "What're you talking about, Jug? There's nobody better for me." She said softly, gently running her thumb along his cheekbone before he pulled her hand away and sat up.

"No, there is." Jughead shook his head as he looked down at Betty, watching as she sat up too. "It's not fair that you have to put up with someone like me, Betty. Okay? You don't- you don't deserve all of the baggage and shit I carry. It'd just be better for you if you were with someone else." He spoke quickly, his thoughts all hurling at him at once. He couldn't understand why she couldn't see how bad he was for her. He was just pulling her down like he did with everyone else.

"Jug..." Betty breathed out as she frowned more, looking genuinely upset. She reached her hand out to gently touch his cheek though he leaned back away from her, his bottom lip twitching as a burning sensation started along his waterline.

"Betty you should just go and be with someone like Reggie, okay? Someone better for you. You'll see how fucking bad I am for you eventually, so just go now so it won't hurt as bad in the future." Jughead lifted his hand to angrily wipe away the traitorous tears that had fallen as he looked away from the blonde in front of him, missing the tears that formed in her own wide green eyes.

"Jug no, hey, come here." Betty whispered and this time Jughead didn't pull away from her when she moved her arms around him and brought him into her, tucking his head into her shoulder as he slumped against her. He scowled and clenched his jaw in an attempt to try and stop the tears falling as he felt delicate hands remove the beanie from his head and fingers gently combing through his hair instead.

"You're going to leave eventually." Jughead said quietly into her shoulder. "Everyone does." His voice broke, and he didn't miss the way her arms tightened around him to hold him closer as soon as it had.

He couldn't relax like he normally did when she started rubbing his back, and instead just held onto her tighter. Of course Jughead didn't want her to leave, but he knew she would eventually. She had to, him and his baggage was too much for anyone to handle. It was like when his mom left with Jellybean; Jughead had seen it coming for weeks as the arguments between his parents got worse and worse. But nothing could have prepared him for his world to completely fall apart the day he got home from school and his mother and sister were just gone. And nothing could prepare him for losing Betty Cooper. So it was best to just get it over and done with.

"Jughead will you look at me?" Betty's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he sighed as he lifted his head to look at her, his lip still quivering as tears still tracked down his face. It was then he could see that she was crying too, and he felt even worse. That was what he was on about; he was hurting her. And that was the one thing he didn't want to do.

Betty brought one hand to his cheek and tilted his head up a little more, the pad of her thumb wiping away tears that still ran down his cheek. "I promise I'm not going anywhere." Her voice was soft but firm, leaving no room for argument. "Okay? I promise. I don't want Reggie Mantle or some other boy. I want you. That's all I've ever wanted."

Jughead closed his eyes and swallowed through the lump in his throat, just nodding a little. "I'm sorry. I just-"

"No." Betty cut him off, her arm around him holding him even tighter. "I want you, Jughead. I'm always going to be there for you. I'm not going to leave you."

Jughead's expression crumpled and he just held onto her as he started crying properly, his head against her shoulder again as his shoulders shook with each cry that ripped through his chest almost painfully. He kept mumbling apologies into her shoulder as she held him but she didn't say anything else, just moving her fingers through his hair and pressing kisses to his temple which helped calm him. Even once Jughead had calmed down he said nothing and just let Betty hold him, feeling stupid and guilty upon a whole list of things. But he found safety and reassurance in her words.

"I'm never going to leave you, Juggie." She whispered. "I promise."