Jughead Jones was a simple but unusual teenage boy, while others were obsessing over their new playthings he was busy eating at his favourite diner or spending time with his seven year old sister Jellybean. While others were wearing hoodies or button up shirts, Jughead was wearing his trademark, crowned beanie and dungarees. While others were lifting weights at the gym or partying until four, he was tapping away at his keyboard, thinking up a storm of words and paragraphs. While others were balancing girls left, right and centre, Jughead was busy wringing out his favourite t-shirts after his blonde best friend spent hours crying on his shoulder. So it was a surprise to everyone when he realised that the most important person in his life was the perfect girl next door Betty Cooper.

He smiled lazily as he saw the tousled blonde waves flipped behind a set of bronzed shoulders, exposed from the white, off-the-shoulder top. The sun was just risen, high enough to glimmer and glitter the golden curls but low enough to be partially hidden by the tall trees amongst the bright green forest before them. She spun around, wearing copper ringed sunglasses, and squealed at the sight of her best friend.

"Juggie!" She enveloped him in a warm hug, squeezing him tight.

"Bets… It's great to… see you but… I can't… breathe" he gasped and grinned as she pulled away. Until the summer, the only physical contact he had ever really shared was the occasional hug with his sister but recently Betty had been touching him more and more. Not in THAT way- she had been in love with his ginger best friend for as long as they could all remember but it had still taken him some time to adjust to this new level of friendship.

"Ooh," she said, face-palming "before I forget, my mom's made pastries and she packed extra for you."

"Tell her she's still my number one girl," he winked, grabbing the paper bag from his friend and taking it to the chestnut wooden bench that they met at every morning before school.

Betty rolled her eyes and followed, perching herself on the seat next to him. With one hand around a warm pastry, he used the other to swing his arm around his friend and rest it on top of the bench. She had begun to nervously rock her legs back and forth, her laced flip flops occasionally scraping against the gravel.

"You nervous?" He asked.

"Aren't you?! It's the first day of our junior year,"

"Not really, you'll sail through this year with straight A's like you have all these other years and this time you won't let any ginger dickheads tell you what to do."

"You know that's your best friend you're talking about?" She laughed.

"Whether they're my best friend or my enemy, nobody gets away with hurting you Bets," he said looking deep into her crystal blue eyes. They sparkled with gratitude.

"You're right, Archie's not going to dictate my life anymore. If he wants to be with me then we'll figure something out but I shouldn't have to compete with Ronnie for something i may never have."

"Woah," Jughead said with admiration "Where's Betty Cooper and what have you done with her?"

"Shut up!" She giggled and shoved him back until he had to use both his hands to protect his back from the metal bench handle. Once he had lifted himself back up, he gave her a light budge- not enough to unbalance her but enough to put her in her place.

"Okay okay!" He said, raising his hands in surrender as she went to make her next move.

"So what about you?" She asked facing forward, looking out towards the spanned maple trees. The summer had turned the leaves a beaming lime green, and now the heat was beginning to simmer, a tinge of coral had glazed the towering surface.

"What do you mean Sunshine? I'll be just peachy- same old slacker." He said, giving her a cheesy grin.

"Oh come on Juggie, you aren't fooling anyone. Especially not me." She said, sternly.

"This summer's been hard. I mean, Dad leaving wasn't really a surprise to me but Jellybean… I can't count the nights that she spent crying herself to sleep."

"Poor thing," Betty said looking down to her interlocking hands that were tangled together in some sort of complicated knot.

"Yeah but she's a fighter," Jughead sat back, balancing his right foot onto his left knee.

"And, she's got the best brother ever" she smirked nudging his shoulder.

"You know, she misses you- you're kind of like the big sister she never had"

"I miss her too, she may be the best seven year old that i've ever met so if she ever wants me to take her for a milkshake I'd be honoured."

"She'll be glad to hear it. Now I think we may have somewhere to be," he said standing up and offering his hand. She gladly took it and pulled herself up. Just as he moved to take his first step, Betty put her hand to his breast plate- level with her nose. She raised her head and reached upwards to the greyscale beanie that had fallen slightly crooked onto his mess of brunette hair. Jughead watched her, gingerly as she straightened out his main accessory. His gaze not once leaving her sea blue eyes that were fixated on the jagged edges of the hat. Her bottom lip was tucked under her pearly white teeth which stopped any air escaping from her mouth. She wobbled slightly on her tiptoes, making the silky linen of her top meet the cotton of his. Her heartbeat had raised, the drum radiating throughout her entire body and- although she wasn't aware of it- Jughead's too.

Betty stood back, nodding her head, satisfied with the adjustment. She then held out her hand for him to accept.

"You ready to conquer the storm?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be"

And with that they left to stroll down the windy paths towards Riverdale High.

Word Count: 1023

Hi guys! This is my first ever fanfiction so I'm really excited to see what you think. In the short time that I've been associated with the Riverdale characters I've fallen in love with the Bughead ship so i had to write something- even if i am the only one reading it.

Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think

I will update soon! XOXO