Shadows of Your Dreams

Chapter 6

"Aw, well that's why I want to marry a rich woman you see," he teased the same way. "I need someone to keep my stomach filled."

Betty giggled and cupped his neck while kissing him. Both of them knew she was still kind of famous from her YouTube days and had thousands of followers on Instagram, but they also knew most of her funds had gone on college, apartments, and traveling. This didn't necessarily mean she didn't have money now, but it also didn't mean she was very rich.

"Oh yeah, I didn't find a good pack of coffee in the store, so I have to go get it from another one."

Betty sighed at that but nodded. "Okay."

He looked at how she started putting the groceries away and started doing the same, handing her things from the bags while she fitted them all in the fridge. "You okay, Betts? You seem kind of... stressed."

"I am."

"Okay or stressed?" he frowned, trying to make sense out of what she was saying.

"Really anxious," she mumbled, not making eye contact with him. "I'm scared to tell them. What if they'll be mad? My dad shut up when I told him we're moving in together, and since I couldn't see his face through the phone, I don't know how she feels about this."

"Alright," Jughead said calmly and carefully closed the door of their fridge, leaning on it and placing his hands on her shoulders. She took a deep breath with him, looking helpless and scared.

He knew how to handle these situations. In college, Betty had been struggling, and when her boyfriend left her, she was in the worst state Jughead had seen her since her sister's death. He had accompanied her to a few therapy sessions so that she wouldn't have to go alone, and looking back to it, he was happy that he now knew how to deal with her in moods like this.

"Your whole family is coming, baby. I thought you were excited."

"I am. I haven't seen Theo and Jimmy and Hugo in ages. Or my parents for that matter. Just... I don't know how to tell them, Jug. If my dad had that kind of reaction over us moving in together, then what is he going to say if we want to get married?"

"Don't worry about that," the guy said softly. "Did you see your dad's face? No. Is it possible that he just smiled for five minutes during the silence? Yes." Betty giggled at that and he smiled lovingly. "It's okay, Betts. I'm gonna be here with you. I'll tell them if you want."

"Yeah," she said with a breathy voice, nodding.

"Alright. I'll put things away and start making a meal. Go take a nap or a bath or something that relaxes you, okay? You look tired."

Betty smiled a bit and wrapped her arms around his torso. He melted into the hug and held her tightly in his safe arms. "Thank you," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He kissed her temple and pulled away a bit, looking into her emerald eyes without letting go. "Need me to do something for the dessert?"

"No, I'll be back by then. A bath sounds nice, but I'll probably fall asleep, so I'll put an alarm to get up and take a shower afterward." Jughead chuckled at her and she kissed his lips softly before letting go. "Thank you."

Nodding warmly to her, he looked at how she walked down the short hallway and into the bathroom. Sighing to himself with a small smile, he checked on their baby and raised his eyebrows, seeing she had her fist in her mouth. "Mine doesn't fit," he told her casually and kept placing the groceries to their right places.

When Betty emerged from their room an hour and a half later, she looked much happier even though her eyes still looked tired. "Hey sleepyhead," Jughead said with a soft smile. She had fallen asleep earlier while waiting for the bath to fill and he had drained it again a few minutes later, laughing to himself.