Loosing me

Chapter 29

The next morning, Jughead woke up with a headache. He groaned, rolling around in his bed to lay on his back to stretch, where he noticed two things: Archie was cuddled up to him and his hand really hurt.

"Mhm, you okay?" Archie murmured, lifting his head to face him.

"Yeah... I'm just... quickly going to bandage my hand" Jughead said, getting out of bed before he walked over to the bathroom. Though he walked back five minutes later, quietly reaching him a bandage.

"Can you... help me...?" He whispered, voice small, as he sat back down. He didn't meet his eyes. Archie nodded, softly reaching for his right hand.

"Where does it hurt, fingers, hand or wrist?"

"Uh... hand, I guess" Archie nodded, starting to wrap the bandage around his hand. Jughead looked down at their joined hands again.

"About yesterday..." Archie started, though then trailed off, swallowing. Jughead hummed, encouraging him to continue "I'm sorry... for pushing you against the wall, twice" He mumbled "I hope that you aren't hurt"

"Nothing but a small concussion, if even. It could also come from the hangover and withdrawal at the moment. I kind of did take a lot of stuff before we talked, nothing hard though. Just the usual... beer, nicotine and weed" Archie sighed, softly cupping his face and rubbing his thumb over his temples.

"I'm sorry, Juggy, I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine, don't worry" Jughead said, pulling his hand down and intertwining their fingers "It kind of is my fault after all, all of it"

"We were both just really stupid, you know? I... didn't know any better and you didn't either. I'm sorry"

"We will be better now"

"Yes, we will" Jughead smiled softly, leaning in to kiss him softly before resting his forehead against Archie's, closing his eyes.

"Jughead, are you awake yet?" Hermione asked, knocking on the door. He just hummed, signaling Archie to be quiet "Okay, good, breakfast is ready. Please come downstairs and tell Archie that too if you see him"

"We will be right there"

"We??" Archie whispered.

"Okay, honey" Hermione said before walking away. Jughead still blushed, having pulled away from Archie in order to hide his face in the pillow.

"Do you think she knows?"

"Hermione? Oh yeah, definitely"

"Now, we gotta talk to her" He whined.

"But surely not right away" Archie soothed, rubbing his shoulder "Come on, get up. I'm hungry" Archie said, clapping him on the ass before standing up.

"I'm hungover"

"So?"

"So I want to stay in bed and sleep some more. I barely got any. What time is it even?"

"Almost ten"

"That's just four hours that we got! How are they already awake?" Jughead whined, burying his face back into the pillow. Archie sighed, sitting back down on the bed and resting his hand on his lower back.

"Up up, come on. I can find some advil"

"No, that doesn't work anymore. I overused that like two years ago"

"Oh... uhm... well... then..." Archie paused "Let's nevertheless go downstairs" He suggested and Jughead groaned, though nodded. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Let's go then"

"Maybe you should put on some pants first" Jughead looked down on himself and made an 'oh' sound, nodding.

"Did we...?"

"What?"

"Sleep... together? I don't... remember the night anymore. I mean, not completely but just some things are... not there"

"Oh. No. No, we didn't. You were still wasted when we all got home. And you didn't want to sleep alone, so I joined you. You don't wear anything except boxers because you were 'hot like a pepper'" Archie explained and Jughead nodded, blushing.

"This is so embarrassing. It's good though. That we didn't sleep. Not that it wasn't good or so — it was amazing with you — but... you know, it wouldn't have been smart, you know?" He said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I know. That's what I said too when you started the fun stuff — or well, tried to" Jughead groaned, hiding his face "You know, I didn't know that you could act that desperate. You were on your knees for me yesterday"

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry"

"I'd rather worry about you getting in trouble because you're late for breakfast. We should go now" Archie said and Jughead sighed, though then nodded and got up. He walked over to his closet in order to search for some pants to wear. At the breakfast table, the other three were already sitting when they arrived, talking in hushed voices and silencing completely when they saw the two joining them.

"What happened to your hand?" Veronica asked when Jughead reached up for the cereal, noticing the bandage and the way that he was barely able to hold the cereal box.

"Oh," He shrugged "build up frustration"

"But you didn't punch someone, right?" Hermione asked, turning to face him too. Jughead shook his head.

"No, just the bathroom tiles. We might need to go to the doctor for my hand" Jughead shrugged. When he turned around, he saw the worried glances, so he quickly added "Nothing bad though, don't worry"

"If you say so, hon. We can drive you to the hospital after breakfast if you want" Hermione said, reaching him the milk. Jughead thanked her, pouring some in his bowl.

"After lunch should be enough. I don't want to hurry you" He said, sitting down next to Archie, sitting cross-legged on his chair.

"So, you two kind of disappeared for half an hour yesterday. Where were you?" Veronica asked after a few moments of silence. Jughead made sure to stare into the depths of the bowl while Archie almost choked on his orange juice, quietly though.

"Bathroom"

They said simultaneously.

"Well, I was throwing up"

"He was. And I just- you know, bathroom" Archie added, agreeing. Jughead nudged him, glaring, so he quietened down to eat in silence.

"Is that when you had that suppressed frustration?"

"Yes" Jughead nodded.

"I see how it is then"

"As if you didn't already before" Jughead snapped. Archie rested his hand on his knee and Jughead inhaled, though then nodded, staying quiet as he continued to eat his cereal.

"So everyone knows already" Archie concluded when they were alone again. The two were washing the dishes after breakfast — well, Jughead was and Archie stood next to him, watching. Jughead wanted to do it, he just joined in.

"Not everyone, if you noticed. Fred still has no clue, yet again" Jughead said, putting a plate away.

"But it was... okay, right?"

"Sure, I guess" Jughead shrugged.

"Jughead?" Archie asked suddenly and the other hummed, continuing to wash the plates. Archie sighed and walked over to him, taking his hands out of the basin and grabbing them "I know that this is quite fast, I guess. Or not really, actually, it's been over a year when we started sleeping with one another, I guess? I don't know"

"What's your point, Archie?" Jughead asked, chuckling as he interrupted his rambling.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Like... actual... boyfriend? Like... a real relationship?"

"Yes, like a real relationship"

As an answer, he just kissed him.