#i love the perplexing pool sm

[appleonjust-ice]

when the pool is perplexing

[kalliyen]

Headcanon #2

Summary: You sneak a love note into in their stuff and they find it

Pairing: Enhypen (separately) x Gender Neutral Reader

Warnings: Mentions of food but other than that not much

Genre: A cup of fluff, a tablespoon of fluff, a teaspoon of fluff and a big pool of fluff

Word and Emoji Count: 1,313 (that’s a lot)

Disclaimer: In no way is this work of fiction to condone dating these boys this is merely again, a work of fiction I made up

Xiao-nim’s note: This was proofread my lovelies! Hope you enjoy! 💕

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꧂Lee Heeseung 🦌꧂

❃ You woke up in the middle of the night right next to Heeseung cuddling you

❃ You tried to go back to sleep but you couldn’t so you decided to slip out of Heeseung’s arms very carefully

❃ When you successfully slipped out of his arms you looked around and saw your pens 🖊 and papers 📝 you were using before you and Heeseung cuddled

❃ You had the brilliant idea of writing him a cute little note

❃ So there you were sitting on your desk and writing multiple cute little notes and one special letter for him for at least an hour

❃ He wakes up at like 7 am with you not being beside him which makes him a bit sad and confused 🤔

❃ You might not be there but he saw a little note on your pillow saying “Good Morning Hee! Sorry I’m sot here I’m at the grocery store buying more food cause you have nothing here,,,,,enjoy these little notes in the meantime! Expect them were you least expect them 😉”

❃ That certainly brought a smile to his face

❃ You might not be here but at least he has something of you

❃ Sighing lovingly, he gets out of bed with a big smile on his face looking forward to more of these sweet little notes you made for him 💕💕💕🥰🥰

꧂ Park Jay/Jongseong 🦅꧂

❃ You were soo bored 😶😶😶😶

❃ And you came up with a brilliant idea of writing cute little notes

❃ Jay was asking what you were doing and you tried to hide the fact that you were making love notes for him

❃ When he’s preoccupied doing something you stick one of the cute notes on the back of his phone and in his bag he uses for work

❃ plz 😫✊ he won’t and can’t stop smiling when he sees it

❃ Jungwon prolly asks him why he’s smiling like an idiot

❃ And lovestruck Jongseong doesn’t even hear his leader

❃ Repays you by spoiling you with kithes and cuddles 🥰

❃ He just loves you sm ok⁉️

꧂ Sim Jake/Jaeyun 🦮꧂

❃ You were scrolling through TikTok that day and found a video that spiked your interest

❃ So you decided to try it on your cute puppy bf

❃ And when he came home that night and saw you doing something he was all up in your face and askin u what u were doing

❃ You don’t tell him and he lets it go

❃ For now 🌝

❃ Guess who had the biggest smile on his face the next day when he sees the outcome of what you were hiding from him~~

❃ Spoils you with hugs and kithes as a thank you pt. 2

꧂ Park Sunghoon🐧 ꧂

❃ You missed him sm

❃ He was out practicing for the whole day and you were here, In his room desperately missing him

❃ You racked your brain thinking of something to do to subside the feeling of missing your man

❃ And when you couldn’t think of anything, you decided to grab your phone and scroll through Pinterest to get some sort of idea

❃ This particular post caught your eye and you decided to try it

❃ At first while you were doing it you felt a little cheesy but hey, you miss your boyfriend and you wanted to do something for him

❃ You’ve been making the cute little anecdotes for him for about an hour and 30 mins when you decide it’s time to put it on his stuff around the house

❃ Sunghoon was in for a shock when he sees a note on the door when he came home from practice that day

❃ He gets ready for bed and tucks himself in bed beside you and gives you a sweet peck on your head and mumbles a small ‘thank you baby’ with the softest smile on his face.

꧂ Kim Sun-oo 🦊꧂

❃ It was your 6 month anniversary with Sunoo and you wanted to do something sweet for him since he always did sweet things for you.

❃ You couldn’t really buy much while being an unemployed teenager

❃ So you came up with a sweet plan for your sweet partner

❃ 6 months of dating might not be a big deal for everyone but for you it was

❃ You jumped to your plan making the cute little notes and put them all around the house making a trail for him to follow when he gets home from the office

❃ He came home that afternoon holding various takeout orders in his arms while calling for you

❃ He put down the bags and was perplexed on why you weren’t answering him

❃ When he saw a note on the table saying “Welcome home sweetie! Follow these trail of notes and see your present at the end waiting for you 😘”

❃ So Sunoo followed said trail of notes and was seemingly surprised at what he saw at the end

❃ Though it wasn’t much he was taken aback and mouth agape

❃ Cause there you were looking all prim and pretty/handsome while sitting on a chair waiting for him in the backyard with a picnic blanket set out and all kinds of food on the blanket

❃ Sunno neared you and tackled you to the grass smothering you in kisses and smooches all over your face

❃ That certainly was a 6 month anniversary you would remember for the rest of your relationship. 🥰💕

꧂ Yang Jungwon 🐈 ꧂

❃ You’ve noticed that you’re normally curious and teasing boyfriend was now quiet and rarely smiled

❃ You asked him what was wrong and he just shrugged and said “nothing much, don’t worry about me Y/N”

❃ Now you definitely knew something was wrong because he didn’t call you Love

❃ You narrowed it down that he was so stressed and constantly practicing to the point he wasn’t eating or taking care of himself anymore

❃ And of course you were very crossed with this, because even he had a hectic idol life he still had to take care of himslef

❃ So when you were left alone in your shared apartment with Jungwon you decide to do something for him

❃ You made a full course meal yourself and made cute little notes saying ‘you can do it!’ and ‘I’m so proud of you Wonie!💕’ and stuff like that

❃ He was literally about to combust when he read those notes while he was eating the food you made for him (which was delicious btw)

❃ ‘How did I manage to be so lucky to snag an amazing and wonderful s/o like them?’ Jungwon thought to himself

❃ Now Jungwon knew, while he was with you he could get through any problem or any situation.

꧂ Nishimura Riki🐆 ꧂

❃ Similar to Jungwon’s case, Riki hasn’t been taking care of himself in exchange for more time to practice.

❃ You noticed he was not smiling his beautiful boxy smile that much anymore and looked quite pale

❃ And of course you were not happy with this

❃ You wanted to scold him when he got home but he looked so tired and immediately collapsed on the bed hugging you

❃ You couldn’t do anything much about it so you just let it slide for now and him have his well deserved rest

❃ You woke up earlier than your Puma-looking boyfriend and decided to give him a big breakfast even if he wasn’t one to eat much

❃ You also made him a Bento Box 🍱 for lunch and stuck a cute little note at the lid

❃ Riki was very thankful to you for doing this for him.

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Xiao-nim’s note: Hello Everyone! I hope you readers enjoyed this, it took me a while to finish. Also I might have gotten carried away while writing this that’s why there is so many words 😫🕶🤏 I was in a good mood to write

[nobodyeverasked]

new beginnings; nct dream

(2005 words) - medium

--platonic--

Summary: whenever you feel alone - wherever you feel alone, know that there will always be someone - whether a house away or an ocean away - who’ll be there to support you.

The night lay quiet over SM Studios, the wrinkled sheets of twilight glistening in the pale moonlight and lulling the cream stars threading the indigo clouds of the night together to sleep. Most of the halls and pine-floored rooms lay desolate, no longer cradling the ear-piercing shrieks and rampant footsteps of twenty-two men-children. All rooms except for one, screeches of sneakers of rumbles of heavy breathing rupturing the symphonies of the night soaking through the walls. The amber lights hung above the two figures dancing across the floors and captured the candlelights of concentration in their eyes - sheathed by hatches of sweat-laced hair. 

It was Donghyuck and their newest member of NCT Dream, Y/N, conquering the evening so the new maknae could finally learn the moves for their upcoming comeback. Complications have riddled Y/N’s schedule, his mind plagued with thick stacks of paperwork and too many pairs of steepled hands to count. The words escaping garnet-stained lips and the half-hearted smiles - chiseled with the lines of age - all amalgamated into one conglomerate hellfire of stress.

To say Y/N was struggling was an understatement, and the patience of Donghyuck started to wear thin between his grinding teeth and clicking tongue whenever he had to restart the music. The hollow shell of anger framing his frown filling up with the bullets of sweat running down the back of his neck. Y/N could feel the tension leaking off of Donghyuk’s languishing movements and winced at the burn of ire that trudged throughout the room every time the older - Donghyuck - combed his brown hair off his forehead.

Y/N just wanted to give up and let the person who took time out of their to just help him rest, the feeling of being a burden already clawing into his back as soon as he walked through the glass doors of the lobby on the first day. Being met with twenty-one pairs of eyes that stripped him down from his skin, and to the dirty converse now screeching along the floors in jagged steps. 

He did not want to be more of a nuisance that he already felt he was, not only taking a badge that Jisung wore proudly, but having to step into the thick haze of expectations that he feared most. The comments and opinions behind closed doors were already getting to him, and as he lay restless between his sheets every night, staring at the one wall that could bear to hear his burdens, he wonders if chasing his dreams was really worth it - or were they stars that were perched too high in the abyss of his delusions?

“I- I’m sorry…” Y/N could barely breathe out those words as he tripped over one of his tattered shoelaces again, the white string growing dirty and worn, each stain holding the countless doubts whispered into countless empty rooms. 

Donghyuck instantly stopped dancing as he could hear Y/N stuttering under the music, he even grew tired of his own heavy breathing, knowing that they have made no progress no matter how many hours awake they chisel into the night sky. Y/N could not be hopeless, could he? Even that idea started to wear under the grip of Donghuck’s trainers.

“You know what? It’s okay. We’re done.” Donghyuck did not even spare a half-hearted glance, instantly walking over to his phone and ripping the cord from the port. He was glad he missed the fall in the corners of Y/N’s mouth, the lip bitten in concentration, parted by the delicate hands of shock when the angered voice of his bandmate echoed through the room. It hit him more than the bass of the music, and dug into his heart more than any typed up comment could have. 

Even his bandmates were losing hope for him, Y/N was right. He was right all along.

The spotlight was too blinding, the audience was too deafening, the doubts were too suffocating. He can’t do this.

“W- what?” Y/N shook his head, heaved words strained between weathered breaths. He has lost count how many times he wished he could dance like Jisung, belt like Renjun and pour his heart onto the stage the twenty-one works of art that stood by his side - but never made him feel more alone. 

He could see their fingers soaring through the flames of their determination, a passion festered in their eyes. Where were his? Lost under the shadows of dejection looming in his mind? Withered to ashes by the tears staining his pillows? He didn’t know, nor did he want to search for any more answers - fearing that he would only find more reasons to pack his bags.

“I said we’re done, okay, Y/N? You’re not gonna get this tonight -seriously… Let’s just figure our stuff out tomorrow.” Donghuck tried to bite back the frustration riddling his dry tongue. He hated being angry, especially at someone who did not deserve it.

Y/N was only looking for help, and ever since he first slipped past their lobby door with the most fearful look on his face, Donghyuck wanted to do nothing more than sweep him into an embrace that could last an eternity. All he knew was that this feeling between them was temporary, and that the tides of their new memories would wash over their groans etched into the shores of the present.

 Donghyuck trudged to the door, his steps growing smaller, slower as he could that Y/N was not following him. He hid a smile in his sleeve.

“What’re you doing, Y/N?” Donghyuck whipped around, watching as Y/N started to mark the movements slowly, a lethargy-ridden voice humming out the melody of their song, and muted movements taking over his body.

“I just wanna practice a little bit more-”

“Can you just give it a rest!” Donghyuck’s voice sent a frigid shiver to claw down Y/N’s spine and pierce his limbs. Donghyuck has never raised his voice before, at least not with such a virulent frustration rumbling in his throat. He just hopes that what he has planned many nights ago can finally go through, or the future he wishes to spend with Y/N will be farther between them than he thought. “You’re not gonna get it right now, let’s just get some rest and regather our bearings.”

“O- okay… Sorry...” Y/N hung his head in pure, untainted defeat. He could feel the flames of bitterness bite at his shifting feet and spiral around his legs as he shuffled ahead of Donghyuck and pulled the door to the practice door open. The air - sweltering with tension - cradling his shaking sighs tainted with disappointment.

“SURPRISE!!!”

The screams burst through the midnight haze dragging down on Y/N’s body and sent him jumping into the air, the tears held back in the heat of Donghyuck’s anger as he finally realized what was happening, what this entire practice session was for. His heavy pants crumbled into quiet sobs as soon as the amber candlelights came into view when a large, white-dressed cake was nestled in Jaemin’s extended arms, and four other heads popped up from behind him.

Months of hard work that felt like years and passed like decades made the memories of his birthdays spent back home under the coral glow of candles and sparklers fade completely from his mind, and the smokescreen of tension and anxiety plaguing the moonlight tonight only making it worse. How did they do this? Why? For him? How long have they been thinking about him? Did he actually matter?

“Happy birthday Y/N!!!” Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung flew through the door, everyone piling in on Y/N as he covered his eyes with shaking hands, glistening tears carving rivers down his cheeks, an overwhelming amalgamation of confusion, happiness and surprise drowning his mind. The arms curled around him sent a warmth to slither throughout his body, one of such a love that has remained foreign for as long as the emerald coasts of his hometown left his view. He could barely believe that these people, the ones he has looked up to for so long, thought of him in this way, remembered his birthday, and cherished even the faintest memory of him - he was speechless, breathless.

Hands smoothed over the back of his head and coiled around his torso tighter as soon as his tears could be seen, soaking the fabrics of six different sweatshirts and the comforting hands clinging to his body. Chenle was the first to wipe his tears away, brushing his thumbs over Y/N’s scarlet-tinted cheeks, ones that have never housed a smile so wide. Jisung came next, pressing a long, gentle kiss to the back of Y/N’s head, the smile framing it filled with so much shared joy and adoration that he nearly burst at the seams.

Donghyuck came barrelling in next, yelling at this poor, hopeful soul was the last thing he ever wanted to do, to drag Y/N’s determination through the mud of melancholy that much further.  His hug knocked whatever remnants of air left in Y/N’s system right out of him, his coiling touch making an apology more heartfelt than anything he could spin into words or write on paper. The jagged sobs from Y/N only broke his heart more than what he had to do earlier.

“I… I… How…? What? Why me…?” Y/N shook out his hands and leaned his head on Renjun’s, who smiled as the shaking hand of their new maknae slowly rose to meet his. Many flames burned in Y/N’s head, and marred his mind, the fingers of his bandmates intertwining with his only shoving him deeper into the pools of perplexity. “Donghyuck…? Wh-”

“It’s because we love you, and we want you to know that we will always be here for you. We know you’ve been feeling alone, and we hate ourselves for every second we left you alone to fend for yourself. From now on, we just want you to feel comfortable, and we want to be with you every step of the way. We want you to talk to us, laugh with us and have fun with us, we want you to feel like you’re part of this group too.” Donghyuck wiped a stray tear away from Y/N’s cheek, looking into the eyes that were once tainted by the shadows of anguish, now gleaming with a reinvigorated determination, the ones they will have no problem falling in love with as time strolls alongside them. His lips, once pressed into a firm line of emotionlessness, now curved into a flourishing grin, one that could rival the many spotlights that will glow above all seven of their heads and shine a heavenly light on them as their burdens pushing on their shoulders grow heavy.

“I… I don’t know what to say…” Y/N tried to look at all of his bandmates through lashes blurred with tears, the glow of the dancing candle fire still piercing his tears and burning his heart with the flames of appreciation. “Thank you…”

“We just hope you know that we're always gonna be here for you.” Jeno threw and embrace around the people closest to him, his face buried into Y/N’s shoulders, and his arms draped around Jisung and Renjun - who still had their hands entwined with Y/N’s. “Always.” They could feel the pressure - built from the grounds of sleepless nights and piercing the thunderclouds of his greatest fears - melting away like the scarlet wax of the candle bringing all of their gazes to the cake. “Make a wish, Y/N.”

Y/N would always fantasize about receiving love from those he admired so much. But now that the stars perched in the highest nights of his faintest dreams are clutched between his shaking hands and shimmering between his love-struck stares between the other six boys, what did he have to wish for? 

His wishes had already come true.

[jugandbettsdetectiveagency]

If you're still taking prompts, will you do bughead 9 months of pregnancy and then them with the newborn?

Here you go, one fresh batch of pregnant!bughead all served up for you! I really hope you enjoy it <3

“Morning, Betts,” Jughead mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he shuffled into the kitchen, following the wafting scent of pancakes and bacon. She flicked a glance at him over her shoulder, warmth filling her chest at his dishevelled state - he never was a morning person. Ever since they’d moved into their first apartment together, gotten a permanent home, Jughead always made the most of having a warm bed to sleep in that he wasn’t worried about getting kicked out of at first light. The fact that it was Betty who was next to him, warming it, was the best added bonus he could have asked for.

“Hey, sleepy head,” she cooed affectionately, turning back to the pan to flip the breakfast before it burnt. Betty was already up and ready for her work day, fresh faced and bright eyed, pencil skirt perfectly smooth and put together. Jughead didn’t know how she did it - he would be forever grateful that his job allowed him to work from home. “Did you sleep okay?” she asked pleasantly. Jughead hummed in contentment, coming up behind her to rest his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his warm arms around her waist.

“All the better for having you next to me,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss against her temple. He couldn’t help it, he couldn’t a picture a time when he wouldn’t be as in love with Betty as he always had been. She made everything easier, even breathing. It was a high he wasn’t willing to give up. A soft pink blush tinged her cheeks, apples prominent due to the bashful smile that played across her lips. He loved that he could make her respond to his words like that. She twisted in his arms, breakfast momentarily forgotten, to gaze up into his slightly hooded eyes, resting her palms on his chest.

“Say what you like about yourself but you’re a charmer, Jughead Jones. Always will be,” she whispered against his smirk, leaning up on her tiptoes, still bare of her heels for the time being, to place a gentle kiss to his lips, hands moving to cup his cheeks. He sucked in a breath through his nose, tightening his arms around her frame and pulling her harder against his chest as he tilted his head to deepen the action.

“Ow!” Betty pulled back with an unexpected shriek, Jughead releasing her instantly, leaving his arms hovering just inches from her body. She moved her hands to cradle her chest gently, frown pinching at the space between her eyebrows.

“What’s wrong?” Jughead asked, concern lacing his tone as his eyes flicked over her every inch, checking for damages.

“Nothing, just… tender,” she said, gesturing to her boobs as she shook her head. “Guess it’s just coming up to that time of the month,” she shrugged dismissively. Jughead exhaled slightly in relief. She glanced up at him from beneath thick eyelashes, green eyes glinting with mirth. “So hands off, mister,” she teased. Jughead rolled his eyes, cupping the back of her neck as he dropped a chaste kiss to her forehead before moving to pick up her discarded spatula and continue making their breakfast.

***

Betty felt sick. And not just queasy sick, like ‘run to the bathroom puke your guts out’ sick. She tried to take deep breaths in through her mouth to quell the sudden, rising nausea that had settled in the pit of her stomach. All attempts were shot to hell when one of her coworkers walked past her desk, the smell of whatever lunch they were carrying drifting to her nose, making her throat constrict around a gag.

She flew out of her seat, dodging colleagues as she raced towards the bathroom, barely making it in front of the bowl before her pancakes and bacon made a repeat appearance.

Ugh, pancakes… she thought, the idea of any food causing her stomach to turn over once again. She sat back against the cubicle wall, wiping the damp sheen from her forehead with the back of her hand. She’d felt fine this morning. Actually… if she thought about it she really felt fine again now. She mentally prayed that she didn’t have some kind of weird stomach bug as she clambered to her feet, desperately in need of finding some gum.

***

She was absolutely starving. Seriously, her stomach was rumbling loud enough to inform the entire floor of her office about her current needs. Betty shifted in her seat, trying to find a way to stifle the next wave of gurgling that was brewing in her gut. It was entirely perplexing; one minute she was hunched over a porcelain bowl, the next she couldn’t stop thinking about what she could get her hands on to eat.

Sighing, she grabbed her phone, tapping on the message icon, Jughead’s name right at the top of her list. She knew he was supposed to be focused on writing today, but with the morning she’d had she just really felt like seeing her husband. A wave of unidentified emotions washed over her as she sat staring at the device in her hand. God, she just really missed him. Like, was it always this hard to spend the day away from him? Why hadn’t she noticed before?

Wanna meet me for lunch? x She typed quickly, already knowing his answer. The three little dots were gone as fast as they appeared.

On my way.

***

“Betty? Everything alright?” Jughead asked gingerly as he tapped on the panel of their bathroom door. There was a heavy pause. “Betts, you’ve been in there a while I just wanted to check-” He was cut off by the door swinging open suddenly, revealing a very dishevelled looking Betty. Her eyes were wide and glistening with tears that pooled along her waterline before following the already wet trails down her flushed cheeks. Loose tendrils of her golden hair fell about her face, some sticking up at amusing angles. Her lips were dark pink and full like she’d been chewing on them nervously. Jughead’s eyes went wide as he took in her state, hands instantly going to smooth her hair, thumbs brushing over her damp cheeks. “What is it? What’s wrong? Talk to me,” he rushed out, eyes scanning her face for any indication of what had upset her.

She opened her mouth, no sound escaping, before just shaking her head, trembling hand pointing to the bathroom counter. His gaze followed her finger until it landed on the little white stick that was resting on the smooth granite. He walked towards it with numb legs, picking it up with hands that were now shaking just as much as hers. The word stared back at him, clear as day.

Pregnant.

He turned to look at her, lips parted in silent shock. Her bottom lip with tucked between her teeth again, a nervous habit, fingers twisting with each other as she looked at him with apprehensive eyes. He could see something else simmering beneath the surface though, waiting for the right moment to burst free.

“Are you really…?” he trailed off, eyes shining, every inch of his body tingling with adrenaline, hope tinging his voice. Betty couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth tilting up slightly at his tone. She nodded, lips quivering as she took in a breath.

“Yeah,” she whispered, smile growing as a full blown grin spread across Jughead’s face. He rushed towards her, scooping her up in his arms and twirling her round as she giggled gleefully, arms coming up to wrap around his neck tightly. He placed her back on the ground, not moving to release her from his hold at all. She was positively glowing in his embrace. He couldn’t believe how lucky he had gotten. “You’re happy?” she asked timidly, fingers playing with the short hairs at the base of his neck. He let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head slightly.

“Betty, I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my life,” he gushed, slipping one hand round her waist to settle over her still flat abdomen. “You are the best gift that life has ever given me, and now you’re giving me another one. You’re incredible, this is incredible. I love you so much,” he whispered, leaning in to press a bruising kiss against her lips as a fresh wave of happy tears cascaded down her cheeks.

***

“Wait! Stop right there, the light is perfect,” he commanded, holding out a palm to pause her in her tracks. “I want to get a picture of the bump,” he smiled, raising the camera to his face as Betty rolled her eyes, complying with his wishes nonetheless. Once he’d actually had enough money to invest in the equipment, Jughead had discovered a newfound passion for photography. Just like with writing he could express himself through the images he captured, finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. And one of his favourite subjects of all time was definitely his beautiful wife.

“I’m barely showing still, Juggie. I just look like I’m bloated from eating a giant burrito!” she whined, bowing her back slightly to make the tiny swell stick out more in front of their bay window, resting her hands on her waist where she arched. She was only wearing some dark green shorts and a sports bra, makeupless, hair thrown up in a messy bun on top of her head. The countless fly-aways there caught the early evening sunset that was pouring into their living room, lighting her hair up in a halo of golds and pinks and oranges while leaving the rest of her frame in shadow, little bump popping against the overexposed sky as she stood side on to Jughead’s camera.

“I wanna capture all of it,” he said with a small smile, ignoring her protests as he took a couple of shots. He’d been obsessed with the bump ever since she’d popped about a week ago. He couldn’t keep himself from running his fingers over it while they laid in bed, resting his hands over it as they snuggled together on the couch watching a movie, placing gentle butterfly kisses on top of it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. He’d not told Betty yet but he’d already started talking to it, only after his wife had fallen asleep, tiny whispers into the darkness for his and the baby’s ears only. Promises of a wonderful life.

He lowered his camera to look at her, dazed smile still resting contentedly on his lips as he watched her watch something out on their street. It was never the life he would have written for himself, but he thanked whatever author that was out there who did.

“Are you done? I have to pee,” she said bluntly, pulling him abruptly from his romantic thoughts with a chuckle. He held up his palms in surrender, backing away, happy to go and upload them to his computer as soon as possible.

***

“Betts, what is it?” he asked in panic, quickly coming to her side as he saw the tears in her eyes. He rest one hand in her hair, fingers gripping the delicate silken strands, while the other went directly to her bump. Betty pressed her lips together, shaking her head where she stood in front of their kitchen sink.

“I’ve just gone to the store and we needed garbage bags and I forgot to get them and we’ve completely run out!” she wailed, gesturing viciously to the trash can like it was the enemy. Jughead blinked in shock, face like stone for a single moment, before he cracked. He burst out laughing, tears springing to his own eyes as he doubled over, clutching at the aching strain creeping into his sides. She glared at him disapprovingly.

“Is-is that all?” he wheezed, pretending to wipe away a drop of moisture from beneath his eye.

“It’s not funny, Forsythe Jones!” He sobered slightly at hearing her use his given name, amused smile still dancing around the edges of his mouth. “I’m so damn emotional all the time it’s driving me insane,” she moaned, eyes titled downwards at the corners in frustration. He pulled her close, planting a kiss to her forehead. She sighed, closing her eyes to enjoy the soothing sensation of having him close, sifting through every mixed feeling battling for attention in her head.

“I know, sunshine. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this is for you. You’re incredible,” he murmured against her skin. Her sniffles signified she’d calmed down somewhat. “Would you like me to go out and get garbage bags?” he asked, tone soft. She stiffened slightly against him,

“No…” she said tentatively. He pulled back to look at her in question, one eyebrow raised. “I can see them under the counter, they must’ve rolled out of the bag,” she admitted in a small voice, cheeks red at her hormone induced outburst.

***

“Jughead? Jug? Jug, are you awake? Juggie?” The chorus of his name pulled him from the depths of his slumber, groaning as he blinked groggily into the darkness.

“Hmm,” he managed to get out incoherently. He turned his head to look at Betty, finding her sitting cross-legged next to him on her side of the bed. He rolled over, hand coming out automatically to run over the ever-growing swell of her stomach. “You okay?” he asked, voice still thick and gravelly with sleep.

“Uh-huh,” she replied, placing her tiny palm on top of his hand. There was a pause as he waited for her to continue.

“Was that all?” he asked, amusement clear in his voice underneath the frustration at having been woken at some ungodly hour.

“You know what sounds good right now?” she asked, completely bypassing his question. He was more awake now, leaning up on an elbow to look at her with teasing eyes, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed.

“What sounds good?” he questioned, indulging her. Betty bit her lip against an excited smile.

“Salt and vinegar chips covered in warm nutella,” she grinned, eyes sparkling even in the darkness. He huffed out a laugh, just about getting used to her cravings by now.

“Betty, would you like me to get you salt and vinegar chips covered in warm nutella?” he asked with a smirk. She looked away from his teasing eyes, shrugging gently.

“Well, if you’re up…” she replied cheekily. He laughed, throwing his head back slightly before rising up to capture her lips in a loving kiss, moving down to drop another to her stomach before throwing the covers off his legs and making his way downstairs.

***

Betty had her feet propped in Jughead’s lap, his magical hands rubbing her sore, swollen ankles. She tipped her head back, letting out an appreciative sigh, eyes sliding shut.

“Hey, Betts? What do you want for dinner later? I could make that pasta you like or-” His sentence was cut short as her hand flew out, grabbing his arm. “What?” he asked in confusion. Betty’s eyes were wide and unfocused.

“Say something?” she all but whispered, turning her gaze to focus on his face.

“What? What do you mean, Betts, what do you want me to say?” he asked, still entirely bewildered. Tears shone in her eyes, a look of complete wonderment lighting up her face. She grabbed his hand, placing it on her lower belly.

“Talk,” she commanded. Jughead finally understood her meaning, features rearranging themselves into one of apprehension, suddenly nervous at what to say.

“Are they moving because of-” He felt it. One swift quick beneath his palm. His throat closed up as he dropped lower, resting his cheek against the bump, Betty’s hands instantly going to his hair.

“They can hear you, Jug, they like your voice,” Betty whispered, glowing as she stared down at her husband. Jughead took a steadying breath.

“Hey, baby,” he whispered. “How’s it going in there? I’m your daddy…”

***

“I’m home!” Jughead called out into the house as he kicked off his shoes, throwing his jacket onto the rack. “Betts?” he asked when there’s no reply, wandering into the living room in search of her. Suddenly she was flying at him out of nowhere, his arms filling with a strawberry scented goddess. There was no preamble as she pulled his mouth to hers, running her tongue over the seam of his lips, begging him to open them for her. She used his resulting groan to gain access, swirling her tongue with his, pushing every curve of her body roughly against him. Her hands were in his hair, tugging gently at the roots, or gripping his bicep, or running over his back, everywhere all at once, surrounding him. He pulled back when they were breathless and panting, eyes slightly glazed and pupils blown. “Well, hello to you, too,” he gets out between pants. “What did I do to receive such a gracious welcome from my wonderful wife?”

“New pregnancy symptom,” she heaves, slightly exposed chest dancing enticingly before him from where her already low cut top had fallen askew. “I’ve been so ridiculously turned on all day and you haven’t been here,” she admitted almost accusingly, eyes trailing shamelessly over his body. All the blood rushed from his head, moving directly south as she bit her kiss-swollen lower lip, eyes darkening by the second.

“Well,” he began, throat thick. “We should definitely do something about this,” he said, nodding, face serious. “As husband and father of your unborn child it is my job, nay, my duty to take care of your every need during this pregnancy,” he finished formally. She giggled prettily, flush moving down to spread over her neck and chest. The next minute she let out a surprised squeal as he scooped her up into his arms, heading for the stairs.

***

“Okay… if we just… yep. There, do you see? It’s a girl,” the technician announced, offering the couple a small, pleased smile.

“A girl!” Betty murmured excitedly, gripping at Jughead’s hand tighter. He felt as if all the air had left the room, chest tightening.

“A girl,” he repeated, tears forming in his eyes.

Betty could tell there wasn’t something right on the way home, not voicing her concerns but still throwing him worried glances every so often during the drive, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the wheel.

She found him later in his office, folded in on himself, back against the wall, hands pulling at his dark, mussed waves.

“Juggie? What is it?” she whispered softly, trying to join him in his spot on the floor as slowly and gracefully as possible. He looked up at her, eyes rimmed red.

“We’re having a girl, Betts. A little girl, and she’s all ours. What if I mess her up? What if she ends up…” he choked on his own tears, pushing back the memories of his own youth. Betty pulled his head to rest against her chest, cradling it gently as she rubbed soothing circles against his back.

“Shh, Jug, it’s going to be okay. We’re not our parents,” she reminded him, repeating his famous words to her. It had become almost like a mantra for them over the years of their relationship. “You’re going to be the best dad ever, this little girl isn’t going to know what darkness looks like with you in her life. She’ll be safe, and loved, and it’ll be all thanks to you. To us,” she whispered into the top of his head. His shuddering shoulders began to calm as he sucked in large gulps of air, evening out his breathing until he could pull back to look her in the eyes.

“You’re right,” he mumbled. He knew she always was. “We can do this,” he affirmed, more to himself than to Betty. She reached up to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

“We can do this.”

***

“Ugh, why did Veronica have to set a dress code? Who wears smart-casual to a barbecue?!” Betty shouted as she tried to pull the zipper up her back, the fabric of her dress pulling tight over her giant, swollen belly. She’d certainly grown during her pregnancy. Jughead told her daily that he’d never seen her more beautiful. She didn’t believe him, usually telling him so as she wiped yet more sweat off her forehead, or relieved herself of more bodily gasses. She felt utterly gross. “I’m so huge!” she sulked, throwing herself onto the edge of their bed as quickly as she could manage.

“Beautiful, Betts, you’re beautiful!” Jughead reminded yet again, shouting from their bathroom.

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled, rubbing a motherly hand over their daughter. “Oh!” she called suddenly as she felt a clenching sensation in her lower abdomen. “Juggie?” she called tentatively, waiting for the sensation to hit again.

“It really doesn’t matter what you wear, Betts, it’s just Veronica and Archie’s barbecue, no one will mind,” he replied back, misinterpreting her call.

“Jughead, come in here,” she said, more firm this time. His head appeared in the doorway, brows raised at her sharp tone.

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m going into labour,” she told him, raising her eyebrows in return. She could see the moment the panic switch flicked on in his eyes. He dashed about the room, throwing things all over the place. “Juggie, calm down, we have time!” she tried to soothe, unable to stop herself from laughing at her overly concerned husband.

“Bag! Where’s the bag? Have you seen my keys? Babe, are you okay, you’re not gonna have her right now are you?” he fired off in a fluster. Betty just rolled her eyes, waddling slowly towards the front door, knowing he’d be close behind.

“Come on, Juggie,” she laughs, “Let’s go have a baby.”

***

He was in awe. Even a week later he couldn’t believe he’d made something so wonderful, so beautiful, so small. She was perfect. He ran a finger over her tiny, soft fist, other arm wrapped tightly around Betty’s shoulders as they both stared down at their daughter. Theirs. The life they made together.

“She has your eyes,” she mumbled as Juliet blinked up at them with her big blue gaze. Jughead smiled, happy to be any part of her. He could see Betty in her entirely, though, something he was sure he’d be eternally grateful for.

“She has your wisdom,” he whispered, grinning as her tiny flower petal lips opened in a perfect O while she yawned. “Thank you,” he whispered against Betty’s temple some time later, both of them still watching their daughter soundly sleeping in Betty’s arms now, releasing the occasional snuffle as she dreamed.

“Thank you, too,” Betty replied, turning her head to barely brush her lips against his. They had made a new life, not just in their daughter, but for each other, and that was something he’d never be able to stop saying thank you for.