Alone Together | Bughead Oneshots

That's Not Love

TW: mentions of abuse

No matter what, Jughead knew Betty was his safe space. He could be vulnerable, or happy, or angry and she'd always be there for him. He figured that's just how she was built.

"I just don't get it. I mean, seriously, the one time I had to fuck up, it had to be then?" Jughead vented, his hand running through his hair as Betty sat beside him with sympathetic eyes. "Are you mad?" she asked softly.

"Not at you, Betts, but yeah, I'm mad," he sighed before Betty breathed in and said, "Hit me." "What?" Jughead asked, looking over at the blonde with evidence of his confusion on his face. "Just hit me, you'll feel better," she replied.

"Betty, no, I'm not gonna hit you. I'd never hit you," Jughead said before Betty was putting her hand on top of his, bringing it up and saying, "No, it's okay, you'll feel better," and trying to swing to her cheek. "Betty, no," he said again, pulling his hand away and asking, "What makes you think I would ever want to hit you?"

"That's what everyone else did. Any time my dad was angry, he'd hit me and stop being angry. And that's what my last boyfriend did too. I thought that's what you're supposed to do," Betty answered, speaking as if abuse was her normalcy.

Jughead sighed as Betty shrugged her shoulders, bringing her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. "No," he said simply. "Men aren't supposed to hurt the women they love." "Then why did they do it?" Betty asked, looking up at Jughead as her head laid of his shoulder. " Because they were bad men. And they didn't know how to treat you."

"Then how do you stop being angry?" she asked softly. Jughead thought it over as his lips pressed against the top of her hair. "Time. And solving problems with logic. And thinking it over." Betty sighed, her head still laying against him before he said, "But we don't hit. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied before saying, "I'm sorry you're angry." "It's not your fault, Betts. Not in the slightest." " Are you sure that's not normal?" she asked, starting to second guess how she was brought up. "I'm sure with all my heart. And if there's a next time anyone gets angry and starts to hit you, I want you to fight back, okay? Nobody hurts my  girl."

"Promise?" Betty asked softly, looking up to get a small kiss on the lips. "Promise."