I'll Keep You Safe | Bughead

27.)

I couldn't stop smiling in the car as Jug drove us to the drug store. We decided it best to at least try the sleeping pills the doctor suggested during the sonogram, although I was still a bit weird about it. I'd never been a fan of pills, especially when I found out how easily they can be switched with something else, also known as how I'm pregnant.

I started worrying about how much my life would change after the baby was born. I mean, I was already showing, but I knew it wasn't just my body that would change. My sleep schedule, my school; my entire life. I had to start growing up a bit faster than my peers, especially since I decided to keep the baby.

It definitely helped to know I had support from my mom and Jug, now Archie and Veronica as well. Not only did it make things a hell of a lot easier, but it also meant that if something happened to me (like my dad kidnapping me for three months), my baby would be taken care of.

"You okay, Betts?" Jughead asked with a bit of a chuckle, snapping me out of my trance. "Yeah, why?" I asked, readjusting in my seat as I looked over. "Nothing, you were just staring off into space." "Yeah," I chuckled, laying my head on my hand with my elbow on the car door. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be," he chuckled in response, making a turn. "What's got you so distracted?" "Same as always," I smiled, putting a hand on my stomach. I looked out the window, getting lost in thought until a new question came into my head: What if Jug and I broke up?

Joint custody seems easy enough, except for the fact that before living with us, he didn't have a home. And what about the baby's last name? Cooper? Jones? Jones-Cooper? Cooper-Jones? Something about that whole concept had my head spinning before I snapped back to reality and saw the car was pulling into the store's parking lot.

"Ready?" Jughead asked, putting the car into park. "Yeah," I replied, unbuckling my seatbelt and opening my door, slowly getting out of the car as Jughead walked around to my side. He took my hand in his as we walked to the sliding doors, letting me walk in first to grab a cart.

"What brand did she say again?" I asked, both hands on the cart as we walked through the store, reaching the medicine aisle soon enough. "Unisom, I think," he answered, looking around the shelves. "Is there anything else we need while we're here?" I asked, my eyes scanning the rows of meds for Unisom.

"I don't think so. Unless your cravings decide to kick in and you wanna get a box of mozzarella sticks," Jug replied jokingly. My stomach growled at the thought and I pouted pleadingly as he looked back at me. 

He smiled and replied, "Damn it, Betty. You're lucky I love you." I smiled in response, my hand on his arm before he pulled a small box off the shelf. "This it?" he asked, showing me a blue box of sleep meds. "Yeah, now before I forget--" "Yes, Betts, we can get your mozzarella sticks now," Jughead interrupted playfully, making me laugh as we started moving out of the aisle.

---

Once we got home, I laid down on the couch almost instantly, laying my head on the pillow and nearly falling asleep before I heard, "You wanna sleep upstairs?" "I don't wanna get up!" I whined into the cushion, hearing Jug chuckle in response. "C'mon, I'll carry you."

"Jug, I've gained, like, ten pounds because of this kid, I highly doubt you can carry me up the stairs," I giggled, readjusting myself slightly to look at him. "Wanna bet?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, coming over with one arm under my legs and the other under my back.

I giggled as he picked me up slowly, the plastic grocery bag hanging from his arm as he took careful steps up the stairs with me. Once we got to my room, although I tend to consider it ours, he helped me to stand as he pulled back my covers before motioning for me to lay down.

I smiled as I did so, taking my hair out of its ponytail and pulling the covers back over me. "Goodnight, sweetheart," Jughead smiled, kissing my forehead before placing a hand on my stomach and shifting his gaze. "Goodnight, baby."

I smiled at the gesture and remarked a simple, "Don't let me sleep too long," before turning onto my side and closing my eyes, my consciousness leaving with a simple sigh.