Chapter Text
Despite knowing her for years, I’m hit with the realization that she remains elusive. I've been wandering through the corridors of her life, glimpsing into rooms but never fully entering. The passage of time and our shared experiences may have woven a connection, yet there are layers of her that remain untouched. In one moment, my awareness of her feels so intimate that I can see into the depths of her soul. The next moment, she's a stranger.
“Jones, you alright?”
Tabitha’s voice broke him out of his daze as he wiped down the countertop.
“You've been wiping the same spot for, like, a solid five minutes.”
He picked up the washcloth and looked over at her. “Shit, sorry.”
“It's all good,” she said, leaning against the counter and raising an eyebrow. “How have you been doing?”
Anxious.
Traumatized.
Heart broken.
“I'm okay,” he responded. “Just have a lot on my mind lately.”
“I'll bet,” said Tabitha. She knew everything about what had happened with Chad, and that he and Jess had broken up a few days prior. “Do you need to make any changes to your schedule? You're already down to two shifts a week, but–”
“No, it's fine. It's nice to have something to keep my mind off… everything.”
Tabitha gave him a sympathetic smile and squeezed his shoulder. “Okay. Let me know if anything changes.”
It had taken every ounce of willpower Jughead had to not go pick up a bottle of whiskey after leaving Veronica's this morning. He'd finally felt like they might be on the verge of a breakthrough after all these years. Like they could finally be on the same page. Reggie being there with her was a wildcard he couldn't have imagined.
“Oh!” said Tabitha, turning to face him. “How's the new apartment? Didn't you move in yesterday?”
“I did,” he said, cracking a smile. “It wasn't exactly a big move.”
“I’m sure you'll miss Archie's garage,” she said with a wink.
“It's really too bad,” he replied, sarcastically. “I was just starting to love the smell of mold and turpentine.”
Tabitha chuckled as she picked up a tray of glasses to bring to the back sink to be washed.
He got through the rest of his shift, and then headed home around 8 PM, when the dinner rush was over.
He was restless and wanted to drink. He needed to find some way to distract himself. He realized he had no one he could call. Archie was his closest friend but he'd felt distant from him ever since he started going out with Veronica. Tabitha was someone he'd definitely call a friend, but because of their ill-fated kiss a few weeks back, she didn't feel like someone he could just text to hang out on a Saturday night. He certainly wasn't on friendly terms with Betty. So many other people in town - Toni, Kevin, Cheryl, Fangs - felt more like acquaintances than friends. Even his friends in New York were all mainly Jess's friends.
How did he end up so alone?
He sighed as he sat down at his desk and opened his laptop, which was open to a particular passage in his book he'd been struggling to perfect.
In the corner booth of the diner, Olivia looks to be deep in thought as she sits alone with her laptop and a notebook in front of her. The soft glow of the overhead pendant light casts an intimate bubble around her. The rhythmic clinking of dishes and the hum of distant conversations serve as a soundtrack, but Olivia remains absorbed in her work. I try to decipher the expressions on her face, searching for clues to the thoughts that might be going through her increasingly fascinating brain. The slight furrow of her brow. The nearly imperceptible narrowing of her eyes. The studious purse of her lips. It isn't until she looks up and locks eyes with me that I realize I've been watching her.
Jughead rubbed his eyes with his hands as he re-read it. It was based on a moment he'd had with Veronica back in the summer before junior year, when they were just kids. It was a moment that could've, should've been forgotten. Insignificant.
But he’d never had a moment with Veronica that was insignificant.
He exhaled loudly through puffed cheeks as he closed the file in an attempt to get his mind off it. Off of her. Then he opened up Nedslist to browse apartments for rent in New York. Maybe he should start planning for his move back. A fresh start.
There was a light knock on his door.
He turned to look at it, confused. He hadn't ordered anything.
He opened the door and his heart started racing as he found Veronica standing there. She was wearing a dark purple and white floral dress with a turtleneck (unusual for her, but he figured it was to cover the bruises on her neck), a long black peacoat over top, with her glasses and minimal makeup on. She was holding a plant in a dark green pot.
“Veronica. How–”
“I got your address from Archie,” she said. “And someone was leaving and they just let me in… not the most secure building, I must say.”
“Well, it fits my budget.”
She thrusted the plant toward him. “I brought you something. A housewarming gift.”
“Thanks,” he said, accepting the pot from her hands. “My first plant in this apartment.”
“It's a money tree,” she said. “It’s supposed to bring good luck and prosperity.”
“Oh good, I sure need that right now.”
“Plus, they're really hard to kill.”
He smirked. “We'll see.”
Her lips turned up and they locked eyes.
“Um… can I come in? I was hoping we could talk.”
Talk?
He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to hear her apologize for whatever was happening between her and Reggie and he didn't want to have to pretend to accept it.
But he couldn't fathom the idea of turning down the opportunity to spend even a few more minutes with her.
“Sure,” he said, stepping aside to allow her to walk past him. “Come on in.”
It felt surreal as she stepped into his apartment and looked around. Veronica Lodge. In his apartment.
“This is really nice,” she said, taking off her coat.
“And this completes the grand tour,” he said, motioning his hand around the room. He took her coat from her hands and hung it on the back of one of his two dining chairs. “Sorry, I don't have a coat rack or anything yet.”
It was a studio apartment, so everything was in one room. There was a bed in the corner, his desk under the window, a small table with two chairs outside of the galley style kitchen, and a small couch across from a TV.
She looked at him and clasped her hands together.
“I just want to clear the air. What you saw this morning, with Reggie–”
“It's fine, Veronica,” Jughead responded curtly, as he placed the money tree on the desk next to his laptop. “You don't need to–”
“There's nothing going on between Reggie and I.”
Jughead stilled and turned to look at her. “Nothing? That's not what it looked like.”
“I know,” she cringed. “He was staying in my guest room. I asked him to stay over. Katy had to go home, and I thought I would be fine alone in the suite with just Smithers downstairs but… I wasn't.”
“Oh…” Jughead said, raising his eyebrows. “The bathrobes? Doordash at nine in the morning?”
Veronica chuckled dryly. “I had no food whatsoever… it's not like I've gone grocery shopping, and Katy and I were just ordering take out all the time.”
Jughead nodded, thinking about his empty fridge in his new apartment. “That's… relatable.”
“He was wearing a bathrobe because he just had a shower… just like you did when you came over that time. Reggie and I are just friends, though. He’s been helping me out at the jewelry store.”
Jughead looked up at her.
“But there was someone else I really wanted to call.”
Oh.
He was unable to speak.
Veronica took a few steps toward him. “Jughead, I'm so sorry that I made you feel like you weren't worth taking a risk.” She wrung out her hands as her eyes started to water.
His heart felt like it was in his throat. He was afraid to say anything back to her and risk screwing up this seemingly fleeting moment.
“I thought marrying Chad was the safe choice, but obviously–” her voice broke and she looked up at the ceiling, holding back tears.
Finally his body unfroze and he took a step toward her, closing the distance between them. He put his hands under her elbows and ran his hands up her forearms until he got to her hands, where he intertwined his fingers with hers.
“I was so stupid,” she murmured, letting out a sob.
“I was so stupid,” he finally managed to say, running his thumb up and down the outside of her hand. “I never should have gotten back together with Jess.”
She chuckled and a tear fell down her cheek. “Yeah, we were both so stupid.”
He reached a hand up to wipe the tear from her face.
“I was so worried about what people would think of us,” she continued. “It felt like this insurmountable obstacle. What Betty, or Archie, or even Kevin or Cheryl would think.” She scoffed and looked up at him. “I don't give a shit anymore.”
His lips turned up into a tentative smile. “What… what are you saying?”
“I want you. I want to be with you. Or at least give it a try. I want to take the risk.”
He let out a breathy laugh. “Holy shit, Veronica Lodge. Are we really doing this?”
She nodded. “If you still want to.”
He nodded enthusiastically as he broke out into a big grin. “I want to.”
He leaned his forehead against hers and their noses brushed together. He'd kissed her so many times, but this situation felt different from every other time they'd connected.
“I just have one request,” she said, holding his hands tight to her chest.
“Anything.”
“Can we take it slow? Just after everything that happened with Chad, I'm not sure I'm ready for anything physical. Not right now.”
He furrowed his eyebrows. “Oh my God, Veronica, of course. Whatever pace you want. I'm there with you.”
“Thank you.”
He took in a deep breath, breathing her in. “Is it… is it okay if I kiss you?”
She chuckled. “Kiss me, Jughead Jones.”
He finally took her lips in a soft kiss. Every kiss they'd ever shared before was frenzied, frantic, hungry, like he had to take as much of her as he could before she disappeared. Now, it felt like he could take his time. She let out a soft sigh as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He pulled his lips from hers but leaned his forehead to hers again. “So, what do we do now?”
She chuckled. “Can I stay for a bit? Maybe we can just hang out? Watch a movie?”
He grinned. “Veronica Lodge wants to hang out with me? This has to be a dream.”
She reached up to kiss him one more time, slowly and intentionally.
“I wasn't planning on having guests any time soon,” he said, breaking away from the kiss. “I don't have any food. Or… dishes.” He chuckled.
“We can Doordash something,” she giggled. She brought her hands down to his and intertwined her fingers with his again. “What are we watching, Jones? I know you must have some movies to choose from.”
He chuckled, letting go of her hands and excitedly turning towards his unpacked boxes in the corner. “Do I ever. Perfect timing, because I just hooked up my VCR today.”
“God, you are so predictable,” she laughed. “Of course you have a VCR.”
He brought the box over to the table and raised an eyebrow. “Am I predictable, or do you just know me?”
“I want to get to know you better.”
He looked up at her, chewing the inside of his cheek. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. He felt like he was a teenager finally having his long time crush return his feelings.
Well, that was exactly what was happening. Except for the teenager part.
“Okay, well maybe my movie collection will help with that,” he said, opening up the box.
She walked over and stood beside him, running her finger along his collection of VHS tapes that were all organized spine up in the box.
“Ohhh, some heavy hitters here,” she said. “The Big Sleep, The Maltese Function, Double Indemnity… I guess I already knew you had a penchant for classic noir films.”
“I told you you knew me.”
“Chinatown, of course,” she said as her finger grazed that title, “In Cold Blood, a little on the nose, but sure.”
“Hey, it’s the original true crime story.”
Veronica nodded. “Seven? Okay, so you do have some movies in here that came out within the past fifty years. Where did you get all these VHS tapes, anyway?”
“There’s this used comic book store in Brooklyn that also sells a lot of VHS tapes, DVDs, vinyl records, that sort of thing. I used to go in there whenever I could and scour their selection. It's getting harder and harder to find any good movies.”
Veronica raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, it’s so hard to find anything to watch these days,” she said, sarcastically.
“Physical media is dying, Veronica. I want to own my art.”
“I always knew you were even more pretentious than me.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Wait a minute,” she said, pulling out one of the tapes. “The Princess Bride?” She gasped and giggled.
“I contain multitudes, I’ll have you know.”
“Is this Jess’s?”
He scoffed. “No. You better believe she made a point of making sure she separated out all of her own shit and kept it.”
“So you, Jughead Jones, purchased this copy of The Princess Bride on VHS?”
“I used to watch it all the time as a kid with my mom and my sister, but I didn't get a chance to keep any of the stuff we had back then. So yeah, when I saw it in the store I picked it up. It’s kind of nostalgic for me.”
Her eyes softened as she looked up at him with a small smile. “That’s sweet. Any preferences for tonight?”
“I’m good with whatever you want to watch,” he said. The idea that she was going to remain with him in his apartment for at least the length of a feature film was still blowing his mind.
“What do you think I want to watch?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He chuckled. “Quizzing me? Already? I thought that might be more of a third date activity.”
She shrugged and smiled. “We'll see if we make it to the third date, based on your answer.”
“Wow, okay, pressure's on!” He wrapped an arm around her and ran his hand up and down her arm, pulling her against his side. “Okay, let's see,” he said, pulling some movies out with his free hand. “Speaking of movies based on Truman Capote’s works, maybe Breakfast at Tiffany’s?”
He pulled a copy of the classic film out of the box and Veronica smiled and nodded. “It would seem appropriate,” she responded, smiling.
“No, it’s too obvious,” he said, placing the tape on the table. He hummed as he scanned the movie titles in the box. “I know you picked on my taste in film noir, but I bet Sunset Boulevard is right up your alley. The superficiality of Hollywood, and all that.”
“You’re getting warm,” she said, her smile widening. “I’m always charmed by a complicated female protagonist determined to meet her goals.”
Jughead narrowed his eyes as he watched her face. “It’s pretty tragic, though. Maybe you're after something a little more light hearted. The Thin Man is a good option if you want to enjoy some witty banter between a husband and wife solving a murder mystery…”
Veronica wrinkled her nose. “Not sure I'm up for a murder mystery tonight. Plus, I get enough witty banter in real life, thanks.” She bit her lip and smiled as she looked up at him.
He wasn't even sure how he was going to pay attention to a movie. He just wanted to look at her.
“Got it,” he said, smirking. “Maybe you feel like going with something a little more modern,” he said, pulling another VHS tape out. “Dirty Dancing?”
Veronica cocked her head to the side. “Iconic dance scenes? A pro-choice B-plot? A forbidden romance? You’re on the right track.”
“Oh! I got it. Another Humphrey Bogart classic… and of course, one of the greatest love stories of all time.” He pulled away from her slightly and turned so he was facing her, taking Casablanca out of the box and presenting it like it was a prize on a game show. “‘I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship’,” he added, internally patting himself on the back for pulling out the final line of the film.
She looked up at him and beamed. “‘Here’s looking at you, kid,’” she said, quoting another iconic line back to him. She reached her arms up to wrap around his neck. “I think you're going to get that third date, Jones.”
His mouth widened into a big grin as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer. “I'm gonna have to start guessing what you want to do for that.”
“I mean, we need to go on a first date first,” added Veronica. “Because this isn't a date. You don't even have food… or dishes.” She smirked and she looked up at him.
He chuckled. “I don't need anything here except you.”
He leaned down and captured her lips with his again.
I find myself looking forward to our interactions, even though I know she's going to infuriate me. But right now, thanks to all of our late night conversations, she knows more about me than anyone else I know. There's no one else I feel comfortable telling the whole truth about the darker aspects of my life. The Vipers. My drunk dad. My mom who drifts in and out of my life at her convenience. The neon glow of the outside sign shines on Olivia's face as she wipes the counter. My eyes meet hers from across the diner and a subtle smile plays on her lips, almost as if to reassure me that she feels the same way.
Veronica's eyes slowly opened as she tried to stretch herself out. She was met with immediate resistance as she realized where she was– curled up with Jughead on his tiny loveseat. She was warm and comfortable, but needed to stretch her legs.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” she heard Jughead murmur from over top of her head.
“Hey,” she said, nuzzling into his chest. “Is the movie over?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, it's been over for a while. I didn't want to wake you up, though. You looked so peaceful.”
She put a hand on his chest to push herself up into a sitting position. “You were watching me sleep?”
Jughead smiled. “I’ve endured worse.”
“That was actually the best sleep I've gotten since…” she trailed off.
“Yeah, I figured,” said Jughead.
Veronica hadn't gotten even an hour of solid sleep since Chad attacked her. She kept waking up in a cold sweat, after having dreamt that there was an intruder in her apartment again. When Katy had been over, they shared a bed so it hadn't been quite as bad. Having Reggie in the guest room the last couple nights helped with a little bit of peace of mind but she still wasn't sleeping well.
“What time is it?” she asked, swinging her legs off the couch and stretching them out.
“Just after midnight,” answered Jughead.
“Oh, shit, I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. Um, not to be presumptuous, but… do you want to just stay over? I'm sure I can find something for you to wear.”
Yes. She absolutely did not want to go home right now.
“No pressure,” he added, “but the bed’s a lot more comfortable than this tiny couch.”
“Yeah, I'd love to,” she responded, smiling. “Um, do you have an extra toothbrush too?”
“I don't have dishes, but I'm sure I have that.”
She washed her face, brushed her teeth, pulled her hair into a quick braid, and changed into the sweatpants and University of Iowa t-shirt that Jughead had pulled out for her. She was swimming in both items - luckily the sweatpants had a drawstring.
She came out of the bathroom and Jughead's face lit up as he saw her. He had changed into flannel pajama pants and an old Riverdale High t-shirt and looked like he had been straightening out the pillows on the bed.
“Hey,” he said, standing up straight and smiling.
“Hey,” she said, walking over to him and putting her arms around his neck.
She still couldn't believe she was here. That he was here. That they were together. She had been so nervous, coming to his apartment tonight. When he'd initially assumed she was sleeping with Reggie, she was pissed. How dare he jump to that conclusion? But then she'd vented to Kevin about it later that day.
“Well obviously he thought you were sleeping with him,” he'd said. “You're both in bathrobes? It's nine in the morning? He assumed you were sleeping with Reggie because it looked like you were sleeping with Reggie.”
Veronica huffed in response. “Ridiculous. I'm offended. It's been barely a week since Archie and I broke up!”
“Exactly! He just watched you hook up with Archie,” Kevin had pointed out. “Should it be that unbelievable to him that you would hook up with another high school ex-beau?”
“Sure, and I had to watch him get back together with Jess a million fucking times.”
“Well, they’re broken up now. So, like, what's the issue?” Kevin had asked. “I know you're swimming upstream in a river in Egypt, but I've watched you pine over that man for months. He's single. You're single. Go get him.”
Veronica had frowned as she considered Kevin's words. Why was she pissed off about this? She could just go clear the air. What was the worst that could happen? He'd reject her and she'd still be miserable?
So, that's how she ended up showing up at Jughead's new apartment with a money tree and a confession she'd rehearsed over and over in her mind. The confession she'd wanted to give him two years ago. And now, her heart was just bursting over how well it was going. She was swooning over everything he said. The amount of thought he put into guessing what movie she'd want to watch? If she wasn't consciously holding herself back from anything physical she would have jumped him right there.
Now, they were kissing languidly as they stood beside the bed. She could tell he was making a conscious effort to take things slow, because every time they'd kissed before it led quickly to more. And somehow, that made it even hotter. She was pretty sure she could stand here making out with him for hours without going any further.
Except… she was so tired.
“Can we get into bed?” she asked, pulling her lips from his. “I'm exhausted.”
He nodded and pulled away, lifting up the blanket and allowing her to climb into the Queen size bed. He climbed in beside her and wrapped his arms around her as the big spoon, while she happily snuggled into him.
“Veronica?” he whispered, pulling her tightly into his chest.
“Yeah?”
“These past, like, three hours have been the best three hours I've had in a really long time.”
She chuckled and turned her neck slightly so she could see him. “Me too,” she agreed, “even though I was sleeping for two of them.”
“I really liked that part,” he said, smirking. “You were cute.”
“I was cute?” she teased.
“You're even cuter now with your little braid and my t-shirt on.”
She brought her hand up and weaved her fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck. “You’re cute too.”
He grinned and leaned down to kiss her.
She turned again and pulled his arm around her, falling asleep within minutes.
“I’m so jealous of you and your new relationship bliss,” said Katy, dipping a piece of focaccia in an olive oil and vinegar mixture and shoving it into her mouth. She sat across from Veronica at Tartina, an Italian restaurant near Barnard College that they had frequented when they were students there. “Just, like, that all consuming joy from being with someone new… I haven’t had that feeling in so long!”
“It’s been… pretty great,” said Veronica, smiling and popping an olive into her mouth.
It had been two weeks since she and Jughead had officially started dating. The relationship felt new and exciting, and they’d been thoroughly enjoying one another’s company in their little bubble. They had spent almost every night together, and basically every waking hour together that they were both not working (which, unfortunately, were few and far between), but they hadn’t been out and about together at all. The only person in Riverdale she’d told about it was Kevin.
Jughead had to make a trip down to New York to meet with his copy editor, and Veronica wanted to get some things from her Upper East Side apartment she'd shared with Chad, so they decided to make it an overnight trip. Veronica didn’t want to stay in her apartment, so they got a hotel room in Brooklyn. While Jughead was in his meeting, Veronica made plans to meet up with Katy for lunch.
“God, and all the insatiable, passionate sex? Like, I love K.O. Of course. But tell me everything, because I’m going to need to live vicariously through you for a bit.”
Veronica grimaced. “We actually haven’t had sex yet.”
Katy’s eyes widened as she dropped the piece of bread in her hand. “What? How?”
“I mean, we’ve had sex. But not since we’ve been sort of official.”
“Why? What’s happening? I thought you said you’ve been staying at his place pretty much every night. The math isn’t mathing.”
“I was the one that wanted to take it slow. You know, because of Chad and everything. That’s all just so recent, and I didn’t feel ready–”
“Oh my God, V, of course! That totally makes sense. So, like, what are you doing then?” She raised an eyebrow.
Veronica shrugged. “Lots of making out. Some over the shirt action.”
“Grade school shit. Nice,” Katy laughed.
“It’s actually kinda hot. I never thought I’d enjoy making out with someone so much without it going further. Like, I don’t think I’ve ever even done that before. Making out has always led to sex, or at least more, you know?”
“Yeah, totally. That’s fun. He must be dying, though.”
Veronica let out a laugh. “What? He’s fine. He’s totally content to just make out with me.”
Katy scoffed. “Please. He knows what he’s missing. He’s being respectful because he’s a gentleman, and good on him for that, but you better believe he’s taking care of his problems on his own, if you know what I mean.”
“You think?”
“How long are his showers?”
Veronica considered this. Definitely longer than the typical five minutes she thought a guy generally needed.
“Okay. Maybe you have a point. Anyway, we have kind of a date night tonight. We’re going to this Ethiopian restaurant in Brooklyn that Jughead wanted to try, and we got a hotel room…”
“Ohhhh,” said Katy, waggling her eyebrows. “So could tonight be the night?”
“I think, maybe? For whatever reason I was getting nervous about it, like the sex isn’t going to be as good if there isn’t this forbidden element to it, you know?”
“Bullshit. It’s gonna be fucking great. Enjoy it. You know, if you’re ready.”
Veronica nodded. Jughead made her feel safe and adored. Plus, she was starting to get a bit antsy herself every time they made out on his couch and he pulled her into his lap. “Yeah. We’ll see how tonight goes, but… I think I probably am.”
Jughead and Veronica sat at a tiny table in the corner of the little Ethiopian restaurant in Brooklyn that Jughead had chosen for them. It was fun to let Jughead choose the place. Even though they'd both lived in New York for years, they'd had totally different experiences. Since meeting Chad, Veronica hadn't taken the subway once. Her travel within New York City was limited to a hired car taking her between the Upper East Side and Wall Street. She never would have gone to this kind of restaurant. It was always The Polo Bar or Eleven Madison Park, some place where you had to pull strings to get a reservation and they'd charge you for fancy “still” water. She was probably overdressed for this place - she wore a dark purple shift dress and heels, while everyone else in the restaurant, including Jughead, was wearing some combination of jeans and a T-shirt and a sweater and/or jacket that looked like it was purchased in the 70s. However, she wasn't the type of person that was ever concerned about being overdressed, and the look Jughead gave her when she came out of the bathroom in the hotel room all dressed up was worth it.
Not that she had to dress up to get him to look at her like that. He looked at her the same way when she was wearing glasses and no makeup and one of his t-shirts. He always looked at her like he couldn't believe she was his.
She let Jughead order for both of them, after he asked her with a smirk if she was okay with eating with her hands.
“I want to eat it however it's supposed to be eaten,” she'd answered.
Now, they had a big shared plate in front of them that had a piece of bread on it that looked almost like a crepe, and mounds of different stewed foods on top - spinach, cabbage, lamb, chickpeas, lentils. Everything smelled delicious.
“Okay, so you take the injera, and just rip a piece off and then use it to scoop up whatever you want,” Jughead said, as she watched him rip a piece of the pancake-like flatbread and scoop up a bit of the spinach mixture and pop the bite into his mouth.
“Okay,” she said, picking up a piece of injera from the pile stacked on a plate and ripping a piece off of it. “What should I try first?”
He was already scooping another bite of the chickpea stew. “How about this one?” he asked, with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Hit me,” she said, opening her mouth as he reached across the small table and dropped the bite he'd made into her mouth.
She nodded as she chewed. “That's really good,” she said after swallowing it.
“Do you need me to do any more demonstrations or do you think you can handle it on your own?”
She smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I'm a fast learner. I think I've got it.”
“Are you sure? Because I kind of want to put more stuff in your mouth.”
“Jughead Jones!” she mockingly gasped. “Aren't you presumptuous!”
He laughed. “I didn't mean for that to sound like it did. I literally just meant I want to put more food in your mouth.”
“Well, I can probably handle feeding myself. But let's see where the night takes us.” She looked up at him suggestively and he smiled at her as he chewed the inside of his cheek.
Oh, tonight was definitely going to be the night.
“How'd your meeting go?” she asked, deciding to change to an innuendo-free topic.
“Pretty well,” said Jughead. “There are a few things in my manuscript I still need to refine, but I think I've got my head wrapped around it now. It shouldn't take long.”
“When do I get to read it?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You want to read it?”
Veronica gave him a pointed look. “Of course I want to read it. You wrote it. I want to read it.”
Jughead looked up at her and blushed. Her heart sped up a little.
“I'm kind of nervous about you reading it.”
“Why? I read The Outcasts. I loved it. Although I think the charming and sophisticated daughter of the mayor should have been featured more.” She flipped her hair with a smile.
He raised his eyebrows. “You loved The Outcasts?”
“Yeah, Jughead, you have a really unique narrative voice.”
He broke out into a smile. “Okay. Maybe I'll let you read my manuscript.”
Veronica smiled. “I'd be honored.”
“How was your afternoon? Did you get everything you needed from your apartment?”
“Yeah,” she said, thinking back on that. She'd gone to get some legal documents about the property. Chad's father had gifted them a large sum of money as a wedding present, which they had used for the down payment on the apartment, and she was pretty sure he was going to try to get it back. Her lawyer had said she needs to collect all the evidence she could to prove it was a gift to both of them.
However, after everything she'd been through with Chad, the idea of still having to deal with his father made her sick to her stomach. Her lawyer advised that she would most likely not have to pay back the money since the apartment was purchased after they were legally married, but she would prefer to just sell the place, give Chad's father whatever money he wanted, and never talk to him again.
There's no way she was keeping that apartment. Everything about it was entwined with memories of Chad. It was difficult enough to go back there today to just get a few things.
“It was hard, actually,” Veronica continued, after swallowing a bite of food. “Everything in it reminds me of Chad. I couldn't stand being there.”
Jughead wrinkled his nose. “I'm sorry. I should have gone with you.”
“No, it's fine, you were busy and I can handle it.”
“Veronica, you're always saying you can handle it. That you don't want help. But you went through something really traumatic and it's okay to admit that you're having a hard time.”
She felt her eyes well up as she looked at him. “I– yeah. It's been really hard. You've made it easier, though.” She reached her hand across the table and he took it.
“So, you know how I've been going to AA,” he said, rubbing the inside of her palm with his thumb. “I've been finding it really helpful to just talk to other people. Do you think, maybe, you should talk to someone? Like a professional.”
She furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at him.
He continued, sensing her rebuttal. “You can't even sleep at the Pembrooke, which - don't get me wrong, I'm totally happy to have you at my place. You're always waking up in a cold sweat from nightmares - which, again, I'm totally happy to hold you until you fall asleep again. But I don't know if this is sustainable. For you.”
A tear fell down her cheek.
“Veronica, I–”
“It's okay,” she said, quickly wiping the tear. “You're right. I've been feeling frozen. Paralyzed. You're the only thing keeping me sane, but I know that's not healthy. And it's not fair to you.”
“It's not about what's fair to me. I just want you to be happy. And right now I can tell you're hanging on by a thread. Understandably.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I think you're right.”
“Yeah?”
She took her hand back and smiled, wiping her lower lashes.
They finished their food, Jughead paid the bill, and they left the restaurant to start walking the few blocks toward their hotel in Brooklyn Heights.
“That was fucking delicious,” Jughead said. “Thanks for joining me. I know it's kind of a dive-y place but I've heard good things.”
“I don't mind dive-y,” said Veronica, linking her arm through his as they walked. “Just because I lived in the Upper East Side doesn't mean I can't appreciate a dive, I'll have you know.”
“C’mon, Chad never would have set foot in a place like that with you.”
Veronica chuckled dryly. “You're right. But Katy might have dragged me.”
“Alright, sure. But would she drag you into a used comic book store to scour old VHS tapes?”
“Nah, we'd be browsing Netflix. Guess I'm gonna have to let you do that.”
“Hmm. So will that be our fourth date? Fifth?”
“I don't know, Jug. The lines are blurred as to what's a date or not. Like, is getting Pop's take out and putting together an IKEA bookshelf a date?”
“I'd say it's a date if we made out afterward,” Jughead laughed.
She looked up at him and grinned, and he leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips.
“Well if that's the criteria, then we've been on a lot of dates,” Veronica said. “Maybe we should round second base soon.”
Jughead chuckled. “And here I thought you’d used up all your sports metaphors.”
“I’m sorry that we haven't… you know. You've been really patient and I'm really grateful for that.”
“Veronica, seriously, don't worry about it. Like I said, I'm happy to go at whatever pace you want.”
“What pace do you want?”
Jughead let out a laugh. “Well, I'm not going to turn down sex with you, if that's what you're asking. But the last couple weeks have been amazing, and I don't think not having sex has made it any less amazing.”
Veronica nodded in agreement. “I was a little worried, actually. That if we didn't have sex, we didn't have anything. Because before, everytime we were together it was so charged, you know?”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Veronica stopped on the sidewalk and pulled Jughead to a halt as well, pulling his arm so he was facing her. “But it's been incredible. I love just hanging out with you all night.”
He grinned. “Yeah. It's been really fucking great.”
He leaned down to kiss her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They stood there kissing on the sidewalk for a few moments, before Veronica pulled her lips away.
“I kinda want to make good use of our hotel room tonight,” she whispered.
“Yeah?” Jughead said, eyes lighting up. “Are you sure?”
Veronica nodded. “Yeah. I want you. Even with a stomach full of injera.”
Jughead chuckled and nuzzled her nose with his. “God, you're sexy. Let's go.”
He grabbed her hand and they walked a few more minutes to their hotel. They made out in the elevator on the way up to their room. They made out in the hallway against the door before Jughead finally managed to fish the keycard out of his wallet so they could get into the room. They closed the door behind them and pushed each other's jackets off before Jughead pushed her against the wall, all without breaking their lips apart.
Veronica turned herself around and motioned for him to pull down the zipper on the back of her dress. He complied and kissed her neck from behind as he slid the garment down her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. She turned her head so he could find her lips again as he ran his hands down her sides, pulling her hips in close to him and then running his hands back up her ribcage.
“Is this okay?” he asked, as he gently cupped her breasts over her bra.
She nodded. “Yeah, it's good.”
He ran circles around her nipples and used his thumbs to pinch them lightly over the lace of her bra.
“God, Jughead…” Veronica gasped, turning to face him and reaching for his belt buckle.
Jughead stopped her and turned her back around. “I've been wanting to touch you so bad,” he whispered into her ear, “for fucking months. Years. Let me take my time.”
Oh her underwear was getting wet. She nodded and let out a whimper.
Keeping one hand on her breast, he moved the other hand down, grazing her stomach, until he got to the waistband of her lace boyshorts. He ran a finger along the edge, teasing, and then gently slipped his hand inside, running two fingers along her folds.
She already felt like she was going to explode.
“Oh, you weren't kidding when you said you were ready,” he said, chuckling.
“I'm so fucking ready,” she moaned, spreading her legs slightly as he circled her clit with two fingers.
“I've been patient, and now you've gotta be patient, alright?” he whispered.
Veronica nodded as he slipped a finger into her, and then quickly a second finger. She could feel him hard against her back.
“Holy shit, Jughead…”
“How's that?”
“So good,” she sighed, arching her back as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her.
“Tell me if I'm going too fast.”
“No. It's just right– ohhh” her words turned into a moan as he curled his fingers inside her in just the right way.
“You're Goldilocks,” he chuckled.
“Oh fuck, yes, I'm Goldilocks–.”
“I want you to fall apart. Come on my fingers.”
“Jughead, I'm close.”
“I know, I can feel it,” he whispered, pulling her face toward his to capture her lips.
“Holy shit, I'm going to–”
Her orgasm crashed through her as she cried out, and Jughead continued to pump in and out of her until her body went slack.
“Just right?” he asked, kissing her neck.
She nodded as she tried to catch her breath. He pulled his hand out of her underwear and she pulled it up to her mouth, sucking her own juices off his two fingers that had just been inside her.
“Fuuuuuuck, that's hot,” he groaned, using his other hand to unhook her bra. “This needs to come off.”
Her bra fell to the floor and she turned around, suddenly very aware that she was almost naked and he was still fully clothed.
“And this hideous sweater needs to come off,” she said, pulling his knit sweater up from the bottom hem.
“This sweater is vintage,” he retorted, “but, gladly.” He pulled it off over his head.
“Just because you found it in some musty thrift store doesn't mean it's fashionable,” she murmured while unbuttoning the white shirt he had on underneath and pushing it off his shoulders.
He gripped her hips and pulled her close to him again, kissing her, and running his hands up her bare back. “I thought ‘eclectic grandpa' was in,” he whispered gruffly into her ear.
“If you're naming the trend, you're not doing it right.” Veronica unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants, and pushed them down, leaving him in his boxers.
“Maybe fashion’s not my thing,” he said, running his mouth along her neck behind her ear. “That’s okay. I can use my skills better elsewhere.”
“Bed,” announced Veronica, reaching into his boxers and wrapping a hand around his erection.
“Yeah,” he nodded, “let's utilize that.”
She sat down on the bed and he climbed on top of her, keeping his weight on his elbow as they kissed and she slowly and steadily pumped her hand up and down his length. He moved a hand down her waist until it got to her underwear, which he slipped a hand into again.
“I want to taste you,” he whispered, as he circled her sensitive clit again.
She was barely down from her first orgasm but she was happy to let him run a trail of kisses between her breasts and down her body, pull her panties off her hips and spread her legs wide. She saw stars as he eagerly ran his tongue up her folds and then sucked on her clit.
“Holy fuck,” she moaned, as he slipped two fingers inside her again while keeping his mouth on her sensitive bundle of nerves. She looked down at him to see that he was looking up at her.
She was so fucking turned on. She could already feel her climax building up again.
“I'm- holy shit. I'm close,” she moaned, as he continued with his tongue and fingers.
Then she screamed and arched her back as another orgasm ripped through her. Jughead kept his tongue on her as she rode it out, until her body went limp.
He propped himself up on his elbow and wiped his mouth. “That was fucking hot,” he said, grinning.
She was still catching her breath. She pulled him up so she could kiss him, tasting herself on his mouth. They kissed passionately for a minute, before she reached down for his shaft again.
“I need you,” she whined, coming down from her orgasm but still feeling like she couldn't get close enough to him. She pushed his boxers off his hips and he helped her out by pushing them the rest of the way off.
“One sec, let me grab a condom,” he said, turning toward his overnight bag.
“No, no, don't worry about it, I'm on the pill.”
He turned back to her. “You sure?”
She nodded. “If you're fine with it. I want to feel all of you.”
“Veronica, you're going to be the death of me.”
He pulled her toward him by her thighs and lined himself up at her entrance. He tested her by inserting his fingers inside her again, confirming she was ready, and then slowly pushed himself into her, filling her.
“Oh, fuck, Jughead,” Veronica moaned, pulling his hips toward her. “I needed this.”
“You're telling me,” he said, starting to find a rhythm.
Jughead leaned down to find Veronica’s lips as they continued to lose themselves in each other. They stopped speaking words and just communicated to each other through their eyes and lips and touch. It was different from any of the few times they'd had sex before. Their first night together had been fun and hot and without any weight to it. When they'd slept together in the bunker a few months back, it was frantic and rushed and began and ended with angst. This time, the world around them disappeared as though the only thing that mattered was their connection. It was satisfying in a way that she wasn't sure she'd ever experienced.
They had sex twice more that night, once on the bathroom counter and then again in the shower, before crashing into bed together and holding each other as they both settled into sleep.
In the morning, Veronica woke up warm, naked, and satisfied in Jughead’s arms. She pulled his arm tighter around herself, which must have alerted him that she was awake.
“Good morning,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head.
“Good morning,” she replied. “I love waking up with you.”
“Same,” he said. “Do we really have to go back to Riverdale today?”
Veronica sighed. “I think we just may. You know. Jobs and responsibilities and all that.”
“You better text me back after this,” Jughead chuckled.
She turned her neck to look at him, finding him with messy bedhead and a smirk on his face. “Not only that, but I’m not even going to escape from this hotel room and leave you alone to fend for yourself.”
“What progress we’ve made,” Jughead said, leaning down to kiss her.
“It only took four and a half years,” Veronica said, reaching her arm up and around his neck to pull him closer and deepen the kiss.
“And somehow, it was all worth it.”
I turn around and look at the stairwell that leads to the bar downstairs, where Olivia just fled to avoid her father. I debate with myself over whether I should follow her down there. I can't even count how many times she's insisted that she doesn't need my help. I start to walk back to my booth, but then I turn around and peek down the stairwell. Olivia is sitting at the bottom, head in her hands. I simply can't just ignore her. For a split second, tonight, the thought crossed my mind that I could have lost her. What an insane thing to think. She’s not even mine to lose.
I walk down and take a seat beside her on the step. She looks over at me and I've never seen her like this before. Tear stained face, eye make up all cried off. Vulnerable.
Beautiful.
I push that errant thought away and ask her if she's okay.
Jughead had changed quickly after a Zoom meeting with his copy editor. His editing was in the final stages and literally all he was thinking about was his book. Well, his book and Veronica. Conveniently, the two were deeply intertwined. He still hadn't offered her his manuscript to read, and she hadn't asked about it again in the couple weeks since their date night in Brooklyn - probably because she figured he'd let her read it when he was ready.
He was pretty sure he was almost ready. It just felt almost like she'd be reading his diary. The way he saw her. His feelings for her. Jess had read it and immediately called him out on it. You love her. Would Veronica instantly make the connection as well? Was she ready to read it?
His train of thought led him to speak. “You ready?” Jughead asked, fixing his hair in the mirror by the door. He was of course not talking about reading his manuscript, he was talking about the fundraiser at the White Wyrm they were heading over to. Archie had organized it in an attempt to raise money to re-incorporate Riverdale, and he'd even managed to get Josie and the Pussycats to put on a special reunion performance for the cause.
“Ready as I'll ever be,” Veronica said, taking in a deep breath as she pulled her coat on.
Notably, it was going to be the first time they were out in public in Riverdale as a couple. Sure, word had gotten around. Kevin knew all the details via Veronica, and Jughead had sheepishly told Tabitha about them while working a few days ago. Jughead had also told Archie about it, which he felt a bit obligated to do since Archie had so recently dated Veronica. Archie's mouth hung open for a good minute after Jughead told him, but in the end he seemed happy for them.
Jughead wrapped his arms around Veronica. “Are you sure you don't want to stay in tonight? We could watch the third Thin Man movie.” They'd watched the first two of the series featuring Nick and Nora Charles and planned to watch the rest.
Veronica chuckled and looked up at him. “I'd love that. But I want to see the Pussycats perform! Plus, you know. We have to get this over with.” She gestured between them.
Jughead leaned down to kiss her. “I guess it'll be our coming out party, too.”
They headed to the White Wyrm, arriving a bit early to grab a table. It was starting to get busy already and the show didn't start for an hour. None of the gang was there yet, although Toni was working at the bar. Jughead and Veronica approached her.
“Aren't you, like, about to pop?” asked Veronica when Toni waddled over to them with her nine-months-pregnant belly. “Take a night off!”
Toni rolled her eyes. “I am off! But two bartenders called in sick tonight so here I am.” She shrugged. “What can I get you two?”
“Just a couple of Cokes,” said Veronica, looking over at Jughead.
He smiled and nodded, putting his arm around her waist as she leaned over the bar. He hadn't had a drink in five weeks. It was literally the longest he'd gone without drinking since he was 17. Veronica hadn't been drinking either when she was with him.
“No problem,” said Toni, grabbing the glasses and pouring the soda from the gun. She looked up at them with a raised eyebrow. “So, I guess the rumors are true then?”
Veronica smiled and turned to look at Jughead. “Rumors?”
He smiled back at her. “I don't know what rumors you could possibly mean.”
“My God, it is true! You two? Together? This is a thing?”
Veronica nodded. “This is a thing, yeah.”
“Jones, I don't know how you do it,” Toni said, shaking her head and pushing the Cokes over to them.
Jughead rolled his eyes playfully. “Thanks for the endorsement, Toni.”
She put up her hands. “Hey, I got sucked into your charms once upon a time, too.”
“I like to think I've changed a little since my sophomore year gang leader induction days.”
“Once a serpent, always a serpent.” She winked.
“I don't mind. I can deal with people thinking Veronica's better than me. I know they're right.” He leaned down and gave Veronica a kiss on the lips which she returned with a big smile.
Toni let out an impressed gasp. “Holy shit, I feel like I'm in the twilight zone.”
“Oh… my… God,” came a voice from behind them.
He and Veronica both turned around to see Kevin approaching them with open arms.
“The lovebirds are finally out of their nest!” He pulled them both into a hug.
“Hey, Kev!” said Veronica. “Yep, we're making it White Wyrm official.”
“That's great, because the last time I was here with the two of you it was an absolute shit show.” Kevin widened his eyes and let out a breath.
“Don't remind me,” said Jughead.
“Yeah,” said Veronica, wrinkling her nose. “We're hoping tonight is a little less dramatic than that.”
Well, it ended up being even more dramatic, because later that night, Toni's water broke and she ended up rushing to the hospital with Kevin, Fangs, and Cheryl by her side.
Before that event ended the show early, Jughead and Veronica kept their PDA to a minimum, but definitely received some looks and comments. Cheryl was visibly unimpressed (“My dear delusional Veronica. I knew you were scraping the bottom of the barrel, but you do seem happy for some inexplicable reason so I’ll tolerate it.”), but that's how she was about most things. Betty seemed to already know, likely through Archie, and she seemed surprised but genuinely happy for them. Tabitha was friendly but a little cold toward them.
“You okay?” Jughead said into Veronica's ear between songs. “How are you feeling about all the eyes on us?”
“A little bit like being in a fishbowl,” she responded, shrugging. “I see the judgey faces. The raised eyebrows. Plus, I think Tabitha's mad at me, and rightfully so, honestly.”
Jughead raised an eyebrow. “You think she's mad at you, specifically? And not me?”
Veronica cringed. “I did sort of encourage her to go after you.”
Jughead wrinkled his nose. “Right.”
“I'll talk to her and apologize. But you know what? Right now, I'm happy.”
She turned to smile at Jughead and give him a kiss.
“I'm happy, too.”
Her raven hair cascades over her shoulders as she shuffles from one end of the diner to the other, picking up dishes and pouring coffee as she goes, never allowing for one moment of inefficiency. I've always thought Olivia Lopez was all designer labels and obscure literary references, and admittedly, I've barely gotten to know her in the year since she moved to this tiny town. As she wipes the sweat from her brow and pushes through the door to the kitchen, I realize I'm yearning to unravel her.
Jughead had finally given Veronica his manuscript to read, much to her relief. She didn’t want to push him too hard on it, but she'd been starting to wonder if she was going to have to wait until she could buy it off a store shelf to read it. She sat on the couch in his apartment after having read the first three chapters, while he was sitting up on the bed re-reading The Great Gatsby, which had been assigned to his junior year English students for the final term.
“Jughead,” Veronica said, looking up from the bound pages that Jughead had handed her earlier. “Olivia… is she…”
She felt like a narcissist for suggesting it, but the character of Olivia Lopez was obviously based on herself.
Jughead lowered his book and looked at her from over his glasses. “You're on to me already?”
“Holy shit, Jughead,” she said, getting up from the couch and walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. “Why didn't you tell me?”
He put his book down on the nightstand and sat up straight. “Well, I finished it before we even got together. And then I just… I felt kind of self conscious about it.”
Veronica smiled and tilted her head. “You wrote it before we got together?”
He nodded.
“When we were barely talking? And dating or married to other people?”
“When we were barely talking and dating or married to other people, I was perpetually thinking about you.” He smiled bashfully.
Veronica leaned over to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. “I was perpetually thinking about you, too,” she said as she pulled away.
“I don't know how to explain it,” Jughead said. “I couldn't write a word for two years, and then once I got back here– once you were in my life again. All of the sudden the words were spilling out onto the pages.”
“Are you sure it wasn't just, like, the change of scenery? Being back in Riverdale instead of New York?”
“No. It was you,” he said definitively. “After we got together in the bunker that time, I wrote 10,000 words.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Weren’t you pretty drunk when I dropped you off that night?”
He chuckled. “And then I edited the shit out of those 10,000 words the next day.”
“Well, I'm only three chapters in, but it's great so far.”
He grinned. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Although I'm a little worried about what you're going to do to Olivia.” She raised an eyebrow.
Jughead grimaced. “Keep in mind… characters that have only good qualities aren't good characters.”
Veronica scoffed. “What kind of bad qualities will she have?”
“I wouldn't call them bad qualities, per se.” He took her hands in his. “She's always meddling in other people's business. She tries to solve all of her problems with money. She's impulsive. She's stubborn as all hell.” He smirked.
Veronica pushed him playfully in the shoulder. “Hey!”
“Sometimes she has trouble articulating her feelings, and sometimes she runs away from them when she doesn’t know how to deal with them.”
“Uh oh,” said Veronica, cringing. “Does Olivia ghost a boy the morning after a night of great sex with a lame excuse and then not respond to any of his follow up texts like a goddamn idiot?”
Jughead chewed the inside of his cheek, holding back his smile. “Not that exact scenario, no.”
Veronica theatrically wiped a hand across her forehead.
“But there's a fine line between stubbornness and tenacity,” he added, eyes twinkling. “She's fiercely loyal. She's incredibly brave. And she's always meddling and trying to help people because she has such a big heart and she wants the best for everyone she cares about.”
Swoon.
She tilted her head and smiled. “I guess I can accept her imperfections. You know. For the sake of a good story.”
“She's complicated and certainly has her flaws. But that only makes her more compelling. That's what my editor said, anyway.”
“Well, I love it so far.”
Jughead's smile faded as his eyebrows furrowed. “I… I love you.”
Whoa.
Veronica held his gaze as she processed what he just said. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't formulate any words.
“Sorry,” he said, sitting up straight. “That kinda just came out. I didn't mean…”
Veronica looked down at their hands which were clasped together on the bed between their crossed legs.
“No. I did mean it,” he corrected. “I don't take it back. I do love you. I think I've been in love with you for years.”
She looked back up at his face. He looked so earnest. She didn't take saying ‘I love you’ lightly. It never had been easy for her to say it. She'd only said it to two people before - Archie, in high school, at a time when she didn't even know what love was. Notably, they hadn’t said those three little words to each other when they recently got back together as adults. And then Chad, only a few months before they got engaged, because it felt like the natural progression of their relationship. Like it was just something she was supposed to say.
But right now, sitting on this bed with Jughead, she was pretty sure she now understood what love was. Love was being able to guess your favourite movie. Love was dropping everything in the middle of the night to help with a crisis. Love was holding someone when they woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of every night. Love was extra chocolate shavings on a milkshake.
She'd never felt more loved than she had in the past month with him. And she'd never loved anyone more.
“You don't have to say it back,” continued Jughead, nervously filling up the silence. “I get it, I know it's fast–”
“I love you, too.”
His eyes lit up. “Holy shit.”
Veronica broke into a grin as Jughead brought his hands up to cup her face and pulled her into him for a deep kiss. “You really love me?” he murmured against her lips.
She nodded and giggled. “I really love you,” she said, pulling him in and kissing him again.
They kissed for a few moments and then he pulled his lips away. “I’m so fucking head-over-heels-over-the-moon in love with you, Veronica. I was so worried that it was too soon to say it. Or that it wasn’t special enough.”
“It was just right,” Veronica replied dreamily, lightly pushing a dark lock of hair off of Jughead’s forehead.
Veronica let out a laugh as he pulled her onto his lap and then flipped them onto the bed so he was on top of her, resting his weight on his elbow.
“Okay, Goldilocks,” Jughead said, grinning into another kiss.
“I need to fully renovate the Pembrooke.”
Veronica was sitting at Jughead's tiny kitchen table with her laptop open in front of her.
“Um, didn't you already renovate the Pembrooke?” Jughead asked from the kitchen as he chopped up mushrooms.
“Barely. Now I want to do a full gut– rip everything out to the studs and start over. Just, after what happened with Chad, I can't be there anymore. Especially not to sleep, but even during the day. I just keep flashing back to what happened, and–”
“Of course, of course,” Jughead said, putting the knife down and coming over to sit at the table with her.
“My therapist said I should make some major changes to my living situation. I thought I could keep living there the way it was but obviously that's not working,” she said, looking up at him with a pout. She'd spent almost every night at his place since they got together, which was now about six weeks ago. She'd also now had two sessions with a therapist that specializes in people experiencing PTSD symptoms.
“Crazy idea, but why don't you just sell the Pembrooke?”
“I can't, without my mom's approval. She's on the title with me. And she'd never let me sell it.”
“Even after your ex-husband tried to kill you there?”
Veronica sighed. “My mom doesn't believe that there can be any kind of emotional attachments - negative or positive - to inanimate objects. ‘It’s just real estate, Veronica! It's a good investment!’” She rolled her eyes theatrically as she imitated her mother.
Jughead took her hand in both of his on the table. “Okay, even crazier idea. We haven't really talked about this, but… I think we're both on the same page about moving back to New York after the school year's done, right?”
Veronica nodded. “Yes, and I'll be selling my apartment there as soon as I'm legally allowed to. There's a bunch of red tape I'm dealing with, but since I owned it jointly with Chad it's going to just transfer into my name and not have to go through probate.”
Jughead looked at her blankly. “I'm not going to pretend I understood any of that, except that you're going to be looking for a new place to live in New York...”
“Right. And not in the stuffy Upper East Side, either. I never liked it there.”
“Well, I'm also going to be looking for a new place to live in New York.”
She looked up at him and her eyebrows raised.
Jughead continued. “What if we look for a new place to live in New York… together?”
“Oh,” said Veronica, taking her glasses off and closing her laptop. “That's a big step.”
“Is it?” said Jughead, raising an eyebrow. “Because you've been basically living here for the last month and a half.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said, dropping her shoulders. “And thank you for letting me stay.”
“Letting you? C’mon. You know I love having you here. And not even just because of all the sex.” He smirked.
Veronica chuckled and rubbed her thumb over his hand, which was still holding hers on the table. “Yeah. I think that's a great idea.
Jughead’s eyes lit up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I'd love to look for an apartment with you.”
“I can't wait.” Jughead grinned, leaning in to kiss her. He cupped her jaw and then moved his hand lightly behind her ear, weaving his fingers through her hair on the back of her neck as the kiss deepened.
The oven timer beeped.
“What are we making?” Veronica asked against his lips.
Jughead had asked her to bring over her Barefoot Contessa cookbook. “Truffled mac and cheese. Comfort food, but make it pretentious.” He pulled away from her and smirked, walking back into the kitchen.
“Just the way I like it,” she said, standing up and following him. “Where are we?” She looked down at the cookbook which was open on the countertop.
“I'm gonna sauté up the mushrooms. Can you start grating cheese? We need a lot of cheese.”
“Oh, I know Ina doesn't go light on the dairy,” said Veronica, opening up the fridge to pull out a block of Gruyère and a block of extra sharp cheddar. “These ones?”
“Yeah,” said Jughead. “I blew my weekly grocery budget on just the cheese. Oh, and the heavy cream. And the white truffle butter. It's fine, I don't need to eat for the rest of the week.”
Veronica chuckled. “I can't believe you went grocery shopping specifically so you could cook a meal for me.”
“It's our seventh date. I had to make it special.” He looked over at her and grinned as he pushed around the mushrooms in the sizzling pan.
“Oh, our seventh, is it?” she said, turning toward him and leaning her hip against the counter. “You've been keeping track?”
“I keep track of things that are important to me, yeah.”
“Hmm. Like how I like my milkshakes?” She cut a chunk off the Gruyère cheese so she could start grating it.
“Uh huh,” said Jughead, “and what kind of movies you like. And what your favourite books are. And what kind of toothpaste you like so I can make sure I buy the right one. How many times you turn over in bed before you finally fall asleep. You know. Regular shit.”
She broke out into a grin. He was still in awe that he could make her smile like that. He shot her a smirk while he continued to sauté the mushrooms.
“Okay, we're supposed to scald the milk,” Jughead said as he pushed the pan of sautéed mushrooms off of the hot burner. “Um, before I Google it, have you ever scalded milk?”
Veronica looked over at him. “You don't know how to scald?”
Jughead grimaced. “Do I look like someone who knows how to scald?”
“I don't know, I figured you've had enough life experience to know how to do something as simple as scalding.” She put down the block of cheese she was still grating and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Jughead took a step toward her. “Then why don't I take over the cheese grating, and you can do the scalding. You know. Because you're so familiar with it.”
“Jughead, I have a good pace going here, grating this cheese. If we switch jobs now, well, that's just inefficient.”
“Oh?” Jughead said, taking another step toward her and putting his arms around her waist. “I do know how you hate inefficiency.”
“Can't stand it,” she said, looking up at him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Hmm. Wouldn't want to waste any time,” he murmured, before leaning in and kissing her.
She eagerly kissed him back, opening her mouth to his quickly and tangling her tongue with his. He broke his lips from hers and started kissing up her jaw.
“I like to be intentional with my time,” Veronica breathed.
“Mmm, so you can take a break from grating to make out but not to scald?” Jughead whispered gruffly into her ear before he kissed the sensitive skin behind it.
“I have priorities.”
Jughead pulled back enough to see her face and narrowed his eyes. “You have no idea what scalding is, do you?”
Veronica scoffed. “It's simple, Jughead. You just scald the milk.”
“You just… scald it.”
“Right.”
They glared at each other. Jughead was trying to hold in his laughter and he could tell Veronica was doing the same.
“You've never scalded in your life, Veronica Lodge.”
“I have no fucking idea what scalding is,” she finally admitted, dropping her shoulders.
“I knew it!” Jughead said, putting his hands up in a claim to victory.
Veronica rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, shut up.”
“Don't worry,” said Jughead, pulling the milk out from the fridge. “I still love you. Even though you can't even scald.”
“Jughead Jones, I will smack you,” Veronica threatened, picking up the wooden spoon Jughead had been using to sauté the mushrooms.
Jughead raised an eyebrow. “Is that a threat? Because… it sounds like it might be fun.”
Veronica scoffed and laughed as she went back to grating the cheese. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Jones. And I love you too.”
A warm feeling washed over him. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get enough of Veronica Lodge saying those three little words to him. He paused as he put the carton of milk on the counter and just watched her continue to grate the cheese. His mind wandered to his manuscript that had been taking so much of his headspace lately.
I sit at my usual table in the diner, contemplating where else I’d rather be. Olivia walks by my table and I find myself mentally preparing for whatever quip she’s going to throw at me. Maybe a sarcastic remark or a playful jab, to which I’ll respond with a witty retort that she’ll roll her eyes at. Instead, she says nothing, and simply drops down a cup of black coffee in front of me. I didn’t order it, but it’s exactly what I want. I sip the coffee and can’t help but feel an unexpected void - I’d found a strange comfort in the familiarity of our banter. I realize that the reason I keep coming back to the diner isn’t because I have nowhere else to be. The reason I keep coming back is her.
She looked back over at him and raised her eyebrows, breaking him out of his reverie. “I know I look great, Jughead, but may I circle back to the fact that I value efficiency? You have milk to scald!”
“Alright, alright, I'll Google,” chuckled Jughead, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
They finished the recipe and cleaned up a very messy kitchen, then sat at the table to eat the meal they made together.
“So, I picked up some sparkling juice so we can toast tonight,” said Veronica, lighting a candle she had brought over to the apartment and placed on the table.
“Oh?” said Jughead. “What are we toasting to?”
“You! You submitted your finalized manuscript today, right?” She placed two champagne flutes on the table (that, of course, she had brought over) and poured the sparkling juice into them.
“I did. It didn’t feel like a huge step because I’ve been going back and forth on it for so long, but yeah.” He raised his eyebrows. “It’s officially done!”
“It’s amazing. I’m proud of you, Jug.”
“I mean, if we’re celebrating me for submitting my book, then we should be celebrating you, too. Because I literally couldn’t have done it without you.”
She smiled. “You could have. But I’m happy to be your muse.”
Muse felt like an understatement. Writing his book helped him realize that she’d been important to him for much longer than he thought. Something had shifted in his world on the day they both returned to Riverdale and she found him at the bar in the White Wyrm all those months ago. At the time, it felt like a deep wound being reopened. But it turned out that was just part of a necessary path to healing.
Her image lingers, etched into my thoughts like an indelible mark. I've gone almost two years without seeing her, and yet she takes up more of my mental real estate than anything else. The judgemental raise of her manicured brow. The way she wrinkles her nose slightly when she's concentrating. The quick-witted way she throws back an insult. The way her jaw tenses when she’s scared but trying to hide it. The lilting way she laughs. The way her soft lips grazed against mine the one night I felt them. The way her tears traced silent paths down her cheeks as she broke my heart.
As though my body is physically attuned to hers, I feel her presence radiating as she approaches me in the seedy bar below the diner. I turn my head, laying my eyes on her for the first time in two years. My heart quickens as our eyes meet.
Jughead swallowed a bite of the pasta. “Do you remember the first time we spoke, after being back here in Riverdale?”
“Of course. You were down at the White Wyrm, drinking before noon.”
“Yeah. That time,” he said, chuckling dryly. “It was torturous.”
Veronica pressed her lips together. “I didn't have the best time either.”
“And as much as I hated seeing you there, with your wedding ring and all… the reason it hurt so badly was because I thought I would never have you. But it was also, just, the happiest I'd been in years. Just seeing your face again, hearing your voice.”
Veronica's face softened. “I almost didn't go down there. I was so nervous to see you.”
Jughead held her gaze as his lips turned up. “And here we are.”
“Here's to our next adventure,” Veronica announced, holding her glass up. “To New York. To another book. To a new neighborhood. To spending all day in the Strand.”
Jughead chuckled as he held up his glass. “To watching old movies. To never throwing a surprise party. To using as many sports metaphors as possible without ever watching a modicum of any sporting event on TV.”
Veronica let out a burst of laughter. “I love you, Jughead Jones.”
He smiled widely as they clinked their glasses together. “Veronica Lodge, I love you too.”
“Is this seat taken?” I hear her ask, gesturing to the empty stool next to me.
The question is preposterous. As if there's anyone in the world I would choose to take that seat over her.
Before I can answer, she sits down anyway. Typical.
Olivia Lopez is someone I initially saw as an obligatory acquaintance. A friend of a friend. A default setting by circumstance. And then at some point along the way, the narrative of my life was rewritten by the most unexpected connection. I didn’t even recognize the shift happening, but the woman beside me has become the center of my universe.
THE END