Ｂｕｔ ｊｕｓｔ ｌｉｋｅ ｔｈｅ ｂａｔｔｌｅ ｏｆ Ｔｒｏｙ
Ｔｈｅｒｅ＇ｓ ｎｏｔｈｉｎｇ ｓｕｂｔｌｅ ｈｅｒｅ
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Maria Reynolds recently moved back to Riverdale to try and make some sense of her life
but when she accepts the h...
A/N: More of a filler to build on Jughead and Maria's relationship
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10| Ⓘⓣ Ⓙⓤⓢⓣ Ⓢⓛⓘⓟⓟⓔⓓ
It had just slipped from Jughead's mouth.
Jughead had arrived at Maria's around 6 o'clock like he usually did every night. He would come in for dinner, she would ask him about school and he'd roll his eyes. The brunette would let out a small laugh. She'd then go on a tangent about how high school doesn't last forever and how he should enjoy his short time there before becoming an adult. The dark-haired boy would shake his head furiously before telling Maria that high school is like a war zone. She didn't argue with him there.
As the night drifted on Maria would read Jughead's work and praise him on his talent for writing. She would stand up with tears in her eyes and cup his face in her hands, she was so proud of him. "Jughead you are the light of my life, I would do anything for you, you are such a sweet sweet boy" and with that, she engulfed him in a hug. Jughead had never been hugged like this, the back of his head being cradled as she whispered praising words in his ear. Her voice was so tender and motherly that it made Jughead almost start crying. The Reynolds woman pulled away and gave him a warm smile filled with love.
She turned away and began tidying up the table and that's when it slipped from his mouth. "Mum don't do that, let me"
As soon as those words were said everything froze and panic set into Jughead Jones' heart. He watched the woman gently place down the plates and turned to the boy, tears spilling from her eyes. She wasted no time in taking Jughead in her arms again before telling him "I love you Jughead, you're the son I was never blessed you." And in that sweet moment, Jughead could forget about his drunkard father and absent mother. To him, Maria was the mother he desperately wanted and deserved. He held onto her so tightly, he felt like a child again getting lost and being found by his worried mother. He needed this.
Maria held onto him for dear life. She had never felt so proud of him and honoured had called her mum, she loved Jughead more than anything and she would do anything to protect her only son from harm. Deep down she knew he wasn't hers to keep and if it truly came to Jughead choosing between Maria and his actual mother she was certain that she'd definitely fall short. However, at that moment, in that precise moment, she wanted nothing more than to let him know that she loved him. Even if he wasn't biologically hers, in the aged woman' mind Jughead Jones was quite possibly the love of her life.
As the evening darkened Jughead had taken his hat off and laid in Maria's lap, her hands gentle as they ran through his hair, she spoke in a soft voice that reminded him that there was no need for him to think about anything outside those four walls. In that house that was once cold and isolated was now warm with love.
Maria never wanted Jughead to leave. She wanted him to live with her so she could protect him from the outside world, so he wouldn't go missing like Jason Blossom. However, in the back of her mind she wondered about his family, did he even have a proper home? A loving environment? Did anyone tell him how brilliant he was?
Despite these troubling thoughts Maria just stayed there and took in that intimate moment. A glimpse into the life she could've had.
