It wasn't very often that Jughead woke up to an empty bed. Ever since that horrible night in the forest, playing Penelope Blossom's sick and twisted G&G game, Betty had been staying in the former Cooper (now Jones) residence. At first, it was very nearly a necessity. Neither Jughead nor Betty was going to be able to get a wink of sleep after that kind of trauma without the other within arms reach. Especially Betty. She still sometimes woke up screaming.
FP had been very cool about the whole thing. He hadn't made a rule about keeping the door open, or even ever suggested Betty sleep in another room. Perhaps it was because FP understood that the young couple not only wouldn't but couldn't be apart. Perhaps he knew they would have snuck into the other's room anyway. Perhaps he just simply sympathized. Whatever the case, it was rare indeed for Jughead to wake up and have the other side of the bed unoccupied.
He glanced around the room before his eyes landed on a note. Betty's handwriting was instantly recognizable.
Jug,
I'm out shopping with V. She called this morning. Apparently her and Arch had a fight last night.
Love, Betty
He frowned at the note, annoyed that he had slept through the call and therefore not gotten to wish his girlfriend goodbye. At the same time, though, it was progress. A month ago, Betty would have a panic attack if she hadn't gotten to say goodbye and told him she loved him before she left. A product of nearly dying at the hands of her psychopath of a father. He picked up the note and stashed it in his dresser drawer with the rest of the notes Betty had given him over the course of their relationship. He then got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast.
"Morning," he greets, skin his best to keep the sourness out of his voice.
"Morning," FP responds, handing him a steaming cup of coffee. JB simply nods to him.
"So Jughead," JB begins, "do you and Betty have sex?"
He actually chokes and spits his coffee all over the table. "WHAT?!?"
She shrugs, "well we were just finishing our health class in school and we were supposed to ask our parents or other experienced couples who we trusted. The teacher said it was good to have a dialogue."
Jughead felt like melting into the floor. His dad looked torn between laughing and maybe doing some melting himself.
"And you picked Betty and I?" Is all he can manage to deflect with.
She rolls her eyes, "well, duh. Daddy is too busy being the sheriff all the time and he and Mommy obviously have split up. I don't think he has any other prospects, but I suppose I'm not sure. You and your girlfriend seemed like the obvious choice."
"Well Jughead," he father teases, "aren't you going to answer your sister's question?"
Miraculously, his phone starts ringing not a second after his dad stops talking. He doesn't even pause to look at the caller ID before picking it up.
"Hey," it's Betty's musical voice on the other end. He nearly cries in relief.
"What's up?" Jughead asks, glancing inconspicuously at his dad and sister, who are still watching him.
He hears her sigh, "Archie showed up. It seems like they're fighting again."
She hasn't even asked yet, and usually this would be the type of thing that Jughead would heavily protest, but Jughead is so desperate to leave the house that he actually doesn't need to be convinced, "I'll be right down."
"Really? Thanks so much! We're at Pop's."
"Okay. See you there. Love you."
"Love you too."
Jughead ends the call and focuses his attention once more on his family, "that was Betty. I've got to go."
FP raises an eyebrow, "of course you do."
Jughead doesn't even bother responding, grabbing the keys to his bike and practically sprinting from the house.
Just before the door slams shut behind him, he hears JB tell his dad, "so I take it the answer is yes," and the deep laughter that follows.
