Ch. 25: The Proposal

Okay, so I've been considering writing this one for ages- practically since I started off, but I wanted to wait, cause every time I went to write it (even though it's set in the future) I felt like it was too soon. I hope I did it justice, please review x

Jughead had never felt so sick in his entire life. His stomach churned and twisted as he thought of the night ahead. He buttoned the shirt hastily to find the buttons jagged and the shirt sitting crooked on his frame, while he was sweating so profusely that the armpits of the material were already destroyed. Yanking it off, he rummaged through the wardrobe for another. If someone had told Jughead five years ago, that he'd be in possession of such clothing he would have institutionalised them. Now, thanks to his girlfriend of seven years, he owned several.

Finally, adorning a crisp white shirt, along with a grey, matte-coloured suit, Jughead double checked for the small box, loosening a sigh as he felt it in the inner lining pocket of the jacket. He shouldn't be nervous, he should be sure of his decision. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he was scared; scared of her answer; scared of what would come next; scared of messing up. Surprisingly, he had already conquered the worst part of his quest: asking for the Coopers' permission. Yes, Riverdale was as backwards as you could get- or perhaps that was just Jughead. Either way, he had deduced that it both comforted him in making the right decision, and procrastinated the inevitable.

His leg hopped up and down off the ground, and he folded his hands over his knees to calm his nerves.
"Alright there, son?" Hal chuckled, as he entered through the front door, dropping his brief case in the doorway and sitting across from him. Jughead's throat had closed over, and he wanted to run until he was far from the eager stare of his girlfriend's dad. It wasn't often when she left him alone with her parents, and he was damn glad for it. They weren't the most comfortable or welcoming people to be around. Maybe they could just stay together forever, without getting married. Better yet, they could elope. Every option had started to sound better, as he sat squirming on the couch.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Alice asked, neither accusingly or sweet, just matter-of-fact. Hal and Alice Cooper sat a comfortable distance away from each other; united in their quest to make him quiver, but not a unit- not like two people who should be completely besotted by each other. He hoped that him and Betty wouldn't end up like that. He wanted what they had now, to last forever.
"I was wondering…well…you see…" he coughed, clearing his throat, desperately chocking for the words. Neither stepped in to help, but seemed to enjoy his distress. "I want your permission to marry Betty." He blurted out. They didn't answer. Oh god, they were going to say no. They'd make her break up with him. They'd never intended for the relationship to go this far. He would bring shame to their family, and now he had given them the option to completely turn him away.
"Of course, Jughead. We were waiting for the day Betty would finally come home and announce an engagement!" Alice broke the silence, chuckling. He couldn't respond. That wasn't what he'd been expecting. Surely, this was some joke, and someone would jump out with a camera. He waited, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, they sent him off, congratulating him on the decision. His confusion remained, and on the short, ten-minute walk, to the house he shared with Betty, he couldn't wrap his head around their blessing; though nonetheless grateful.

Now, he was afraid that it would be a similar scenario. Like mother, like daughter. Would Betty make him sweat? Would she be one of those girls who took the ring, claiming she'd "think it over, because it was the biggest decision of her life." Or worse yet, would she reject him straight away? There was no way of knowing, but having contemplated this for so long, he'd decided that the risk was worth it.

"Oh Juggie! I'm so sorry I'm running late, I got caught up in traffic on the way home from work, and then I had to change, and then there was even more traffic on the way here, and…" he cut her off by kissing her chastely, one hand wrapped around her waist. It had been partially to shut her up, and partially to calm his nerves.
"It's ok Betty, you're here now, and not being ten minutes early doesn't quantify as late." He rolled his eyes, loving her punctuality.

As they stood, waiting for someone to bring them to their table, he couldn't help but admire her. She wore a blush pink dress, that passed her knees, and billowed out slightly; resembling a seventies' style dress. She also wore a necklace that he'd given her for her twenty-first birthday, and her hair cascaded down her back.

The meal passed quickly, yet he couldn't concentrate on the conversation. The entire time, he glanced around; as though looking for the opportune time to pop the question. But it didn't seem right. Why did he take Archie's advice and reserve a table in a fancy restaurant? It just wasn't them! Betty, nor himself, didn't like attracting big crowds, and as he sat, staring at everyone, he realised that he didn't want these strangers invading and observing their moment. It had to be perfect. She deserved nothing less. He was a writer- surely before the end of the night (because it had to be that night) he'd think of somewhere to go.

"Is something wrong?" Betty asked, tentatively, linking her arm through his. Unable to summon words, he simply shook his head, and offered a reassuring smile. She began walking off in the other direction, towards the carpark, when he tugged in the opposite direction.
"Where are you going?" She laughed, for it was the middle of the night, and there was nowhere open at this hour. Jughead didn't offer an answer, instead leading her through town. He had two locations in mind; neither precisely ideal as it could land him a night in prison, but both significant to their relationship.

The diner came into view and Betty opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her before she could. He took a pin from his jacket, slipping it into the lock, crouching down and manoeuvring it around.
"Juggie! We're going to get caught! If you want food we can have a snack when we get home." Betty hissed, placing a hand on his shoulder, as she glanced around; fearful that Sheriff Keller would emerge from the bushes at any moment.
"Don't worry about it, love." Jughead dismissed, smirking. For once in his life, he was thankful for a skill he'd learnt from his father; picking locks.

The diner lay in darkness; no clatter of pans, no swing music, no jovial laughter- just the two of them. Jughead smirked as he took in the scene. Perfect. He glanced to their booth, guiding her over, and sitting her sideways on the seat. For a moment, he said nothing, just taking it all in. He wanted to remember everything; how the place smelled- like Betty's perfume mingled with the residue of burgers- what time it was- exactly half eleven, going by the clock above the cooker- and the way her eyes glinted, expectantly. The restaurant was a nice idea, and maybe someday Archie would take Veronica there, but this- alone- was where their moment was destined to take place.

Betty opened her mouth, and he dropped to one knee, needing to say it while he had the courage to do so, or before she could say something to convince him otherwise. As realisation washed over her face, Betty clasped a hand over her mouth- frozen.
"Betty Cooper. You're the most truly amazing person I've ever met. I've been in love with you for years, and I can only hope it will stay like that forever. You-" his words got caught. Jughead's eyes went wide, as he realised that it was impossible to capture his love, or her perfection in a few mere words. "Shit, I really should've written this out." He huffed, cursing himself for destroying the perfect moment. Betty giggled, shaking her head, as tears had begun to brim in her eyes, and she nodded, encouraging him to continue. He smiled. It wasn't destroyed yet. This-unpractised, unsure, nervous- was normal for them. "I wish I could do justice to you in words, but that is an impossible task, that will take years to accomplish. Betty, I can promise one thing and that is, that I'll always be there for you, so will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Jughead released a sigh, thankful that he'd managed it. Of course, when he'd look back on it, there could've been so many other ways to have phrased it, but that was irrelevant.

There was no hesitation. Betty threw her arms around his neck, kneeling in front of him, face buried in the crook of his neck. She drew back, nodding profusely, and too chocked up to answer. She wasn't wailing, but simply overcome by emotion. Jughead slowly slipped the ring on her finger, and her breath hitched as the diamond glinted in the moonlight. He leaned in to kiss her, but she drew back abruptly.
"There's time for that later. We should leave before we get caught," she explained, grabbing her purse, and lacing her fingers through his. As he finished locking up, Betty leaned down, brushing her lips against his ear.
"I love you, Jughead." She whispered.

There it is! So, maybe not the next chapter, depending, I'll continue this- like wedding planning, and the actual big day.