Lovers | Bugronica Oneshots

Open Closet Door

in canon, the picture isn't black and white but i just couldn't find a version of it in color. enjoy!

CW: outting, implied homophobia

The Blue & Gold door opened with a jerk, a loud noise emitting from the unlatching and relatching as it opened and closed. Jughead jumped in his seat, his fingers leaving the keys of his typewriter when he heard sobbing.

"Betty?" he asked, turning around to see the blonde clinging to the door, her face red as she cried. "Betts, what is it?" he asked, standing up and walking over. Without a word, the Cooper girl lunged her arms forward to embrace the boy.

Her head rested on his chest as she heaved, creating whimpers once she closed her lips. "Hey, it's okay," Jughead said gently, one hand on the back of her head and the other moving up and down her back.

"Th-They know. Everybody kn-knows now!" she sobbed, one hand clinging to the Jones boy's jacket. "Knows what?" Jughead asked, sympathetically, his heart breaking at the sounds of his best friend's cries.

Betty pulled away, her glossy eyes underlined with smeared mascara as she sniffled. "V-Veronica and I were...we were in the locker room. And we didn't think any...anyone else was th-there. I was on her l-lap and we were just...being ourselves," she explained.

"Well, what happened?" Jughead asked, sitting down in his chair again as Betty sat on the desk. "Ch-Cheryl took a picture of us and...and sent it around the school," the blonde answered, shakily.

Jughead sighed, responding, "I'm sorry, Betty. I'm so sorry." "Ev-Everyone's been...looking at me all w-weird. I wasn't...I wasn't ready to come out, Jug. Not like this," she cried. "I know, Betts. I knew you weren't," the Jones boy responded.

Jughead was the first and only person Betty had come out to and the only one to know about her relationship with Veronica. He knew Betty was in a less than open-minded house and the thought of her parents finding out that she was a lesbian was horrifying. She never even told Polly just in case there happened to be a slip-up.

"Does Veronica know?" Jughead asked as Betty wiped her tears with her thumb, no longer crying as heavily as before. "I don't know," she answered, sniffling. "I just found out. I can't imagine it'll be too long before my mom does either," she sighed.

"If she does, you can always stay with me," he reassured, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, Jug, I appreciate it," she said with a small smile before shaking her head slightly and putting her hands over her eyes. "Oh, god, I don't know what I'm gonna do."

Before Jughead could offer any more words of reassurance, the Blue & Gold door opened again, much more calmly than the first time. Veronica rushed in and Betty's head raised. "Amor," she sighed breathlessly, walking into the blonde's open arms.

"I'm so sorry, V," Betty cried into her girlfriend's chest. "Hey, hey, hey," Veronica said softly, her hand brushing through the blonde's hair. "You didn't do anything wrong, baby," the Lodge girl assured. "That was all Cheryl. She's the one at fault here."

"I'm so sorry she outed you like that, B," Veronica added. "What if my mom finds out?" Betty asked, wiping her tears again after Veronica pulled away. "You can always come stay at the Pembrooke," Veronica reassured, her palm against the side of the blonde's face.

"I'll do whatever keeps you the safest," she added with a small smile. "And I'll always help," Jughead spoke up, turning towards the couple, "You know we'd never let anyone hurt you." Betty sniffled and nodded slowly, her and Veronica's hands meeting and intertwining.

"I know," the Cooper girl said in a featherlight voice, looking between her best friend and girlfriend. "I'm incredibly lucky to have you guys," she realized, punctuating with a small chuckle. "That you are," Veronica smiled, playing with the blonde's ponytail.

"I just don't know how I'm gonna go...face the masses," Betty half-joked, motioning towards the closed door with one hand. "Well, I think it starts with actually leaving this room," Jughead replied sardonically, making Veronica playfully nudge him on the shoulder.

"No, babe, he's right," the Cooper girl admitted, "I'm gonna have to go to class eventually. I'm gonna have to show my face in the hallways." "Well, when you do, I'll be right here with you, mi amor," Veronica smiled, gently pulling the blonde's lips to her own.

"While I can't offer that," Jughead started to say, taking in a big breath. "I can offer support. I'll be there with you, too, Betts." Betty smiled at the reassurance, nodding slowly and looking between the two again. "Yeah," she said in a barely audible breath.

"Yeah, I'll always have you guys," she reminded herself before sliding off the desk and picking up her backpack. "Are you gonna be okay?" Jughead asked, his eyes personifying concern. "I'm gonna try to be," Betty answered with a small yet optimistic smile.

"That's my girl," Veronica smiled, pulling the blonde by her shoulder until the Lodge girl could press a kiss on her cheek. The bell rang and the three took a breath before Jughead was walking towards the door. "Alright, lovebirds, you ready?" he asked, his hand on the handle.

Veronica looked at Betty for her response and the blonde nodded. They met Jughead at the door while he opened it before integrating into the flood of students in the hallway.

And nobody said a thing.

Betty was expecting the worst of looks; snickers and pointing fingers, and forceful nudges, but they never came. Instead, the three walked together until Jughead had to break away, and then the couple held hands to their building in peace.

It was almost as if no one had even seen the picture; surely they had, they just seemingly didn't care. And the blonde couldn't be more relieved; feeling a slight weight being lifted from her back--there, of course, was still the Alice Cooper of it all.

And once Betty was in her class, she smiled--not some half-assed one to reassure her girlfriend or Jughead, or herself.

A real, actual smile.