one-shots || bughead + sprousehart

"I think I just remembered." - bughead

Jughead walked through the school corridors, head hung low, his grey beanie covering his hair and headphones around his ears, locking the outside world away.

He had always been that kid that no one knew, that one person no one paid attention to. And not because they didn't want, but because he didn't want them to.

Once Jughead had had a girlfriend, and she became the most important person in his entire life. Amanda, was her name.

She had beautiful, long brown hair, bright blue eyes and always a sweet smile. Since the minute they had started dating, Jughead had fallen head over heels in love with her.

All her flaws, all her imperfections and all her amazing extras. He loved everything about her. Until one day, he found her, in her bed with someone else. Another guy.

Jughead had yelled at her, shouted every curse word he could think off before he had stormed out of her room, for never to return.

After that heartbreaking ending of a relationship, Jughead was determined to never commit to anyone ever again. He couldn't love, no, loving someone makes you vulnerable and it gives an opportunity for that person to hurt you. To break you into pieces.

That was, until one day the most beautiful blonde came into Riverdale. Betty Cooper.

In the time of a few weeks they had become friends, close friends, and Jughead was certain to keep it that way. He didn't want to fall in love with her, he couldn't.

"Juggie!" Her happy voice exclaimed from a few meter away from him. Jughead turned around, quickly taking his headphones off and looking at the smiling girl.

She ran up to him and hugged him warmly. "Want to walk me home?" She happily asked him, her hands clinging to her arm.

"Of course." Jughead said in response, already regretting decision.

Betty smiled gratefully and laced their fingers together. Jughead pulled them away from each other and gave her a soft smile.

Betty narrowed her eyebrows but walked beside Jughead anyway.

Their walk towards her house was silent and awkward. Betty had tried to start up some kind of conversation, but Jughead cut her off every time with a short answer.

"Juggie?" Betty asked when they reached her house. Jughead hummed softly, still avoiding her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" She then asked, her hands caressing over his cheeks.

Jughead flinched his face away. "I'm fine. Here's your house, see you tomorrow." His tone was rude and emotionless before he walked away from Betty.

"Jughead!" She screamed after him but he didn't turn back.

—

A knock on his trailer door startled Jughead awake. He first reached for his phone, checking the time.

1 am.

He groaned and got up from the bed, sauntering towards the door and opening it. It revealed his beautiful blonde friend standing there in her pajamas.

Jughead gasped softly and immediately pulled her out of the cold outside air. "Why are you here?" He asked and closed the door behind them.

Betty gave him a soft smile before settling herself on the old couch. She looked around the crappy trailer, realizing this was a place he actually lived in. "I just need to know." She then said blankly, focusing her eyes back onto Jughead.

Jughead narrowed his eyebrows and sat down next to her on the couch, purposely leaving some space between them. "Do you like me?" Jughead was clearly taken aback by that question. He stared at Betty, not saying a word.

"I..uhh..I-I d-don't... w-what.." He stammered, his breath hitching away in his throat and his hands trembling lightly. Betty moved closer to him, her breath fanning his face.

"Because I've tried to make it obvious that I do like you." Her voice was so confident, Jughead was almost mesmerized by it.

"And I can see you are trying to push me away, but I just want to know why?" Her confidence now turned to desperation. Her hand slowly took hold of his. 

"It's j-just..I-I can't f-fall for y-you." Jughead was nervous and his voice was shaky. He didn't want to look weak in front of  Betty, he didn't want her to know about his fear of getting hurt, his fear of loving.

"Why not?" She moved even closer to him, their bodies practically pressing against each other. Jughead breathed in a long breath of air.

 "Because I'm scared. I'm scared of getting hurt, I'm scared of loving and I'm scared of being vulnerable." He admitted, a tear running down his cheek. Betty quickly removed it with her thumb.

"My last relationship nearly killed me when it ended. I was so in love with her, I gave her my everything, and then one day I found her in bed with someone else. I was completely broken." He explained, lacing his fingers with Betty.

"From that moment on I promised myself not to fall in love again, because loving someone gives that person the opportunity to hurt you. I can't get hurt again, I can't have more people leave me." Betty looked at Jughead in awe, taken aback by his story. 

Her eyes were misty and she was practically sitting on his lap. "Juggie?" Jughead hummed softly, "I won't leave you. Not ever." And in that instant Jughead's lips found hers.

They fell against each other in consent, slowly moving over one another. She crawled onto his lap, straddling him while their lips were still collided. 

Abruptly Jughead pulled away and backed off. "I-I c-can't.. " He mumbled, trying to push her away from him.

She kept herself settled on his lap and her hands on his cheeks. "Jug.." Her hands forced him to look in her eyes. She could see the tears threatening to spill out of Jughead's eyes. "I'm not going to leave, you have to trust me  on that." Her tone was a combination of begging and promise. 

"I just.. I don't know how to." He admitted, his head now hanging low. Betty quickly lifted it back up.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice insecure and shaky. 

"I don't know how to love, I can't remember." His voice was clearly embarrassed. Betty smiled softly at those words, leaning her face closer to him.

"I will help you." She whispered, her lips ghosting his. Slowly she pressed her lips on his, melting in the kiss. Jughead gasped softly in her mouth before gently kissing her back.

His hand slithered around her waist, holding her pressed against him. Betty's hands tangled into his dark curls, playing with them softly. 

After lingering minutes of fighting tongues and muffled giggles, the two of them pulled away, staring at each other. "I think I just remembered." He said, a slight smirk spreading across his lips.

Betty giggled and blushed softly before devouring his mouth once more. Fulfilling him with love.

manon x