Bughead||one shot

Betty's romance

For as long as she could remember Betty Cooper had considered herself to be a romantic. In a typical girly fashion that complimented the floral walls of her bedroom, the pastel colours she wore and the soft curls of her blonde hair Betty found she was inclined to fantasise and gush over big romantic gestures. Enthralled by the concept of love, she would invest in the tragic stories of Jack and Rose and Romeo and Juliet, the timeless romance of the Notebook and the classic story of Casablanca. And although Polly had teased her to no end about her idealised concept of romance, she couldn't help but find hope in the idea of her own prince charming.

So it would seem only natural that from the age of four when Disney princess movies were her forte her dreams became filled with the idea of her red headed next door neighbour- the only boy she had really known at that stage- sweeping her off her feet. Okay maybe at four she didn't really know what a crush was, or what romance was even, but she knew that she wanted to marry Archie Andrews.

As they got older Archie and Betty became even closer, sharing secrets across their window sills in the night and laughing with their friends at Pop's during the day. He was her safety zone, her constant. And of course as a young girl with a cute best friend who was nice and funny, Betty did what any girl in her position would do; she developed a crush on him. By the age of thirteen Betty was old enough to think that she knew what love was, and how it was illustrated to the world. Grand gestures and overt declarations filled her mind and her diary all featuring that same red headed boy.

But now at the prime age of sixteen, Betty realised she had never known what romance was, nor love for that matter. In a matter of months the world she had known- perfect, innocent town; perfect, prim family; perfect, sweet boy next door- had shattered around her and she was left questioning the essence of her very being. But out of the ashes rose a tall, brooding, beanie wearing boy who taught her how to embrace darkness and revel in the light, who desired truth and realism over perfection and it was utterly refreshing.

Her once safe place- a booth at Pop's with Archie- had been dispelled and her new haven- the Blue and Gold office with Jughead- had risen. Grand gestures paled in the blinding light of adventure and the story book notion of romance she had spent her entire life fantasising about had proven to be nothing more than just that; fantasies.

Their first kiss had been nothing short of perfection and yes, it did coincide with her illusion of romance. He had climbed through her window in a swoon worthy display, looking handsome in all his noir glory, easing her mind and capturing her lips in a sweet embrace, while stealing her breath and her heart. Sparks had flown and Betty honestly would not change a thing about that moment. It was everything her younger self would have dreamed of, and she couldn't help but berate herself for being so blind and not seeing him all along.

However, it was the clarity brought to her by that first kiss that illustrated to her what romance and love truly was. It was the before and the after, not just the grand moment itself. And with Jughead she was learning that to be truer every day.

True romance was the way he placed his arm over her shoulder in a subtle yet comforting gesture she didn't realise she had needed until it was performed. It was the way his eyes always shined when she smiled at him and the curve of his lips into a dashing grin after she kissed him. It was the way he always told her the truth even if it hurt her because he trusted her to be strong and she trusted him to catch her if she couldn't be. It was the way her thumb brushed over his knuckles when he was feeling scared and alone. It was the way his fingers gripped her hips or her cheeks and made her feel as though nothing could hurt her ever again. It was the way in which he offered her his food. It was the way he always prioritised her struggles over his own. It was the way he walked her home without being asked. The way he seemed to know what she was thinking before she even did. The way he called her "Betts" and his soft smirk when she called him "Juggie". It was the way he became sheepish when she appraised him in a suit, or the way he made her blush when he called her beautiful. It was the midnight texts to make sure she was okay and crawling through her window to check on her. It was the way his kisses were always filled with adoration as well as passion and how he never made her feel like she was invisible. It was the way he embraced her flaws and showed her his own. It was in the way he fit inside her broken pieces and she blunted his jagged edges. It was the pecks hello and the warm embraces in the middle of the night. It was the hand on her thigh under the table or the caress of his curls beneath her fingers when his beanie had been ditched on a rare occasion.