Bughead oneshots 2

Scars

TW: mentions of self harm. riverbug wanted something with Betty's scars, I thought this would be sweet❤❤

Betty always believed her scars were something to be ashamed of, red markings showing a time of weakness and failure. A time where everything got too much and she crumbled into pieces with no one to hold her up and shelter her from this cruel world. Until him. He didn't try to 'fix' her or use her scars against her. He accepted them, he accepted that it was her way to cope at that moment in time. Slowly helping her find ways to avoid damaging her skin with fatal crescent shaped marks and being there when her fist curled in or her eyes filled with tears. He was her warmth.

"I- I lost control Juggie, I didn't- I didn't realise" she sobbed as he took her into his arms, holding her close. "Sshh, ssh it's okay Betts. It's okay, I know you tried" he soothed, rubbing soft circles on her back with his hand as his other one helped move the shaking blonde onto his lap. She'd relapsed, she couldn't handle the pressure of Alice Cooper screaming at her over some meaningless test score. Jughead sat in silence with her, not pushing her to say anymore as she cried softly into his classic S t-shirt. 

"She just kept shouting at me, I couldn't feel that I was doing it but it calmed me" she whispered after a while, her glassy eyes gazing up into his sky blue ones. "I know Betts, we'll figure it out. Like we always do" he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He wished Alice wasn't so hard on her daughter, wished that he could fight back for Betty but that would surely make things worse for their relationship when Alice already disapproved. Betty's heart warmed at his encouragement, wondering what she ever did to deserve such gentle and kind words. He was her support.

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Jughead sat at a booth in Pop's with his blonde girlfriend, her meeting his mother and sister for the first time. She'd met FP and gotten along with him instantly, him deeming her a good influence and partner for his troubled son but she'd never been able to meet Jellybean or Gladys due to them living in Toledo for the majority of the youngest daughter's life.

"Betty relax, they're going to love you. You have nothing to worry about" he assured her, wrapping an arm around her waist with his hand resting on her thigh. She took a shaky breath and looked straight ahead of her, tightening her ponytail and smoothing it down. He sighed and tilted her head to look at him, gazing into those emerald eyes that had intrigued him from the very first moment he caught sight of them. "I promise you, you have nothing to prove" he whispered, pressing a soft and secure kiss onto her lips. She felt reassured by what he had said but she couldn't stop doubting herself. 

What if I say the wrong thing? What if they know about my messed up family? What if they know about my dad? His sister might be scared of me. His mum might think I'm not good enough. I'm not good enough.

And with that in her mind her fingers curled up into her fist, nails slowly sinking into the already scratched skin of her palms. Sure enough Betty was impressing Jughead's family with everything she said, FP and her boyfriend helping her when she got lost for words and her avoiding the touchy subject of her family. Though she was getting through the conversations with ease her nails stayed fixed into her skin, that was until she felt a hand uncurl them and replace them. She looked up and saw Jughead smiling at her sadly as his hand interlocked with hers, not caring about the blood transferring onto him. "I'm here Betts, you're doing so well. They love you" he whispered, pulling her more into his side. She rested her head on his shoulder, working through the mind exercise that she had found online in one of her late night breakdowns. It really helped to have him there and though he couldn't do much at least he was there to listen and hold her. He was her guidance. 

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Betty ran up to her boyfriend in the school corridor, reaching his locker and turning him around by placing her hands on his shoulders. "Whoa Betts, calm down" he chuckled, placing his hands on her hips. "1 year" she whispered with a wide smile spread across her rosy cheeks. 

"What?" he asked confused, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to think of what she meant. "1 year clean Juggie, 1 year of no harming" she explained and in that moment he couldn't contain how proud he was, picking her up and spinning her around. She shrieked and giggled, hooking her arms around his neck. "I'm so so proud of you, you're so strong" he whispered, hugging her tightly. They both knew there would be days where she'd beat herself up over what she'd done to herself, where she'd think she was weak or worthless. There was even the possibility of a relapse where things got too much again but at least for now they could bask in the optimism of her strength and ambition.

No Jughead couldn't 'fix' Betty, she didn't want to be fixed and he knew she wasn't broken in the first place. Sure she was damaged, and her scars would always be there internally but she made peace with that. He helped her to realise her scars did not show a time of weakness and definitely not failure. Instead they showed how far she'd come, that she had pushed through her battle with her own darkness. Betty Cooper was stronger than ever, and if she ever fell again Jughead would be there to help brush her off and pick her back up. He was her anchor.