Alone Together | Bughead Oneshots

School Dances & Second Chances

I actually wrote this one (maybe two) year(s) ago, but I guess something went wrong when I uploaded it, so here I am, re-writing it from the best of my memory. I find it funny though because the oneshot right before this one was sent in 2x09 with an alternative Bughead reunion. I promise that's not my new brand, don't @ me. Ramblings aside, enjoy! 

Song Credit: "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley

Timeset: 2x10

Merging Riverdale High and Southside High was a bad idea. An even worse idea was letting Veronica Lodge plan a school dance to welcome the new Southside students. Jughead would have been all for it if he and Betty hadn't split things off a week prior, leaving tension and uneasy feelings.

"Oh, hey," Betty said shyly as she turned around, seeing Jughead walking through the doorway of the Blue & Gold Room. "Hey," Jughead returned, his voice trailing as he watched Betty moving papers off the desk, figuring it was time for her weekly organizing.

"I meant to ask you," Jughead paused, taking a small breath as Betty's eyes widened away from him. "The dance?" Betty asked, closing her eyes tightly before turning around to face him, seeing his confused expression. 

"Yeah, I heard about it, too. So, I'm guessing you were coming to ask me if I would go with you so that we wouldn't do the whole 'make each other jealous' thing and end up with pathetic dates, making us both miserable since you cannot stand cliches," Betty rambled.

Jughead was left without words; he had come to ask if his former position in the Blue & Gold was still available, but here was Betty Cooper, inviting him to the dance, despite their separation. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's exactly it," he replied with a small chuckle, watching Betty's eyebrow raise.

"Well, in that case," she paused, walking forward before looking up at him. "Pick me up at seven," Betty said with a small grin, condescending almost before walking back over to the cluttered desk, asking, "Anything else?"

"Uh, no. No, nothing," Jughead replied before walking out, hearing Betty call out after him, "Seven o'clock!" He chuckled to himself slightly, humor in her tone as he walked down the hallway of his old/new school.

---

Six o'clock came and went and before long, Jughead was on his way to pick Betty up. He still wondered what her play was; had she really assumed that was his question? Was she asking before he had a chance to ask her?

"I'm here," he typed on his screen, sighing once he realized he hadn't gotten around to changing Betty's contact name, therefore she was left as "Betts" with a heart in his phone. "I'm heading out," Betty typed back, grabbing her small dress cover-up, an identical shade of yellow to her dress.

Jughead watched as Betty closed the front door slowly behind her, adjusting the silky fabric over her shoulders before stepping carefully yet quickly down the steps of her porch. He took no shame in admiring the blonde once she came into full view, chuckling at how very 'Betty' her dress was.

Modest and old-fashioned, yet still admirable; the pastel yellow hue perfect for her complexion, its charm formal but not attention-stealing. "Hey," Betty said as she got in the passenger seat of FP's truck, which he'd let his son borrow for the night, so long as nothing promiscuous happened inside of it.

"Hey," Jughead returned before switching from park to drive. "Ready?" he asked after hearing the click of Betty's seatbelt. "Yeah," she answered, getting herself comfortable in her seat.

---

The drive to school was almost silent amongst the two, the occasional remark leaving for only seconds of conversation before silence settled over the two once more. 

Soon enough the Jones' truck pulled into the student parking lot, Jughead getting out rather quickly, walking over to Betty's side before seeing she was already getting out. "I was gonna get the door for you," he chuckled, putting his hands in his pants pockets awkwardly.

"I'm a big girl, Jug. I can handle opening a door," Betty chuckled, closing the door behind her, heels clicking on the road as the two walked to the entrance. "Well, look who's back together," the two heard from behind them, turning around to face Veronica "the Hellraiser" Lodge, herself.

"Oh, no, we're not--" "We're here as friends," Betty interrupted, sending a whirlwind of thoughts through Jughead's mind. 'Friends' wasn't an accurate term to describe them at all.

'Friends' seemed inferior to what they used to call each other. 'Friends' seemed like the ugly cousin to 'lovers'. But regardless, 'friends' was a better term than 'exes'.

"Right," Veronica replied, slightly squinting with doubt before she walked through the two, calling out, "Enjoy the dance!" Betty and Jughead exchanged a brief look of 'what the hell just happened?' before walking through the gym's double doors.

Betty reached for his arm as they came into the space of strobe lights and loud music before retracting her hand, grabbing his attention instead of his coat. "Old habit," she admitted dismissively.

---

It had been almost half an hour since Betty and Jughead had gotten to the dance, both of them somehow separating amongst the crowd of loud teens drunk off spiked punch. "Have you seen Betty?" Jughead asked, approaching Kevin who was looking out across the gym floor. 

"I think she was sitting on the bleachers when I saw her last," Kevin answered, motioning to the black bleachers that lined one of the gym's walls. "Right. Thanks, Kev," Jughead replied before walking off in the same direction.

"Hey, Blondie," he chuckled, climbing up the steps to get to Betty. "Hey," she returned, scooting over to allow him space. "I couldn't find you after I got back from the bathroom," she admitted as he sat beside her.

They talked for some time before the music changed from inaudible pop songs to something slow; Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love." Students went from being clustered in groups to swaying in pairs.

"Do you wanna dance?" Jughead asked with a hopeful smile. Betty smiled in return, standing up slowly before offering her hand. He smiled with a breathy chuckle, taking her hand and standing up, allowing the blonde to lead him to a spot on the gym floor.

They got in position smoothly, as if it were natural; as if it were meant to be. The two swayed to the music softly, the lyrics acting almost as a narration.

"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?"  

Betty giggled slightly at the line, always asking herself, "How could love be a sin?" It wasn't until this moment she was able to answer it; with love comes heartbreak so tragic it should be considered a sin.

Heartbreak was there, at that moment. Looking into his eyes and remembering the pain from the week before; the ache. The desire to run back into the safety of his arms but being denied, like 365 days of missed phone calls.

"'Cause I..."

She leaned in.

"Can't..."

He leaned in.

"Help..."

Her hand, attentive on the back of his neck.

"Falling in Love with you."

Lips connected.