TVD + The Originals Imagines

Imagine #48: Jughead (Riverdale - Part Two)

If I'm honest this isn't really a part two but also shush I wanted to write more Jughead

Imagine Jughead being there for you when you're upset

"What was it like Suicide Squad? When you shot Jason? You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? Like after?" Reggie taunted Jughead. You watched in silence, keeping your guilty eyes trained to the ground.

"It's called necrophilia, Reggie. Can you spell it?" Jughead retorted, rolling his eyes. You could tell the comment had gotten to him though. You wanted to scream, to hit and kick, tear Reggie and every one of them laughing along to shreds but you didn't have the guts. The jocks scared you, if you were honest. Never able to shake the tight knot that coiled in your stomach and latched itself around your throat whenever you passed one of them in the hall.

Anger washed across Reggie's face as he lunged towards the beanie clad boy. You heard yourself speak though it hadn't yet registered that it was you speaking.

"Leave him alone Reggie."

"Or what sweetcheeks? You and Donnie Darko here goin' to kill me too?" Reggie paused. "Can't say I'm surprised you're in on his pervy little deeds, we all know the sort of thing you're into." Reggie said high fiving Chuck.

"What are they talking about, Y/N?" Jughead asked you, genuine concern fixating itself on his face. Your head felt light as you tried to find any words for the boy in front of you.

"Wait. You didn't tell Sandy Hook over here your dirty little secret? Thought he was your boyfriend... Or is that why you didn't tell him?" Reggie chuckled, finding the panic creeping its way through the very core of your being, hilarious.

"He's not my boyfriend." You found yourself saying which was technically true but it felt more like a dig at Jughead than a fact anymore.

Later you would realize that what came next was a panic attack but for now all you saw was Chuck's face speckled in black dots and the grin on his face as you realized you couldn't breathe. The next minute was a blur, you remembered Archie grabbing your arm and splashing your face by the water fountain. Most of all you remembered the look on Jughead's face; hurt, betrayal, disappointment. The pieces were sliding together in his mind and it wouldn't be long until he realized there was something you hadn't told him all along.

You chose not go to school the next day, or the next, until it had been two weeks and you hadn't so much as replied to a text. Archie had looked after you, telling your friends you had a virus and that you hadn't kept down food in days. Only the virus was a lie. At night, you barely slept, the weight of it pressed down and bore into your skull until sleep seemed like more of a concept than an act. Archie told you that Jason's death had swept your rumor under the rug but you knew he was just protecting you and when he told you Jughead wasn't angry just worried, you knew he just wanted you to come back to school. He was your twin, it wasn't hard to tell when he was being sincere.

You heard footsteps come up the stairs and pause outside your door. Your Dad had been checking on you during his lunch breaks but he only made you feel worse. It felt wrong to be lying to your Dad but the second you told him the truth, he'd be getting students expelled and hiring a lawyer and you didn't want that.

Jughead opened your door slowly. He looked tired, more tired than usual at least. His hair an untamed mess with his beanie crumpled in his hand. "I know you don't want to see me but I gave you enough space, Y/N. I can't keep going to school and acting like nothing's wrong when all I want to do is be here with you." He breathed out, stopping in the centre of your room and staring you down with desperate, pleading eyes.

"I'm contagious." You joked, knowing there was no lying to him now. You didn't ever want to lie to Jughead anyway. He'd shared his most intimate secret with you, to lie now felt wrong. "I'm sorry, Juggie." You whispered and without warning you collapsed into tears. You couldn't remember the last time you'd cried in front of him but you had certainly never been so vulnerable in front of anyone but your twin. You tried to take deep breaths and slow your tears but it only helped a little and you were crying a lot. Jughead's arms were around you in seconds, pulling you tightly into your embrace, unsure of what to say but wanting you to know that you would always be safe with him.

"You can talk to me." Jughead whispered as you calmed yourself enough to face him eye to eye once more. You removed yourself from his embrace but kept his hand wrapped tightly in yours, anchoring yourself to the feeling of his fingertips dancing tiny circles around your knuckles.

"So umm, last year I went on a date with Chuck and at the end of the night he offered to drive me home. He... He wanted to do... Things with me that I was not entirely... Comfortable with, i guess and I said no." You began, keeping your eyes trained on your bed sheet. Jughead's hands traced their way from your elbow to your fingertips reassuringly but still you didn't dare meet his gaze. "Th-they have this playbook, you see and Chuck... Chuck really... He really wanted those points. H-he told me that if I didn't-t that he would still get his way... That it would be easier if I just..." You trailed off, sparing him details that would only make the whole thing more upsetting.

Jughead's hands now gripped yours so tightly you felt like he might pop an artery just from the effort. It took every ounce of courage in you to lift your head and look at him. His eyes were red and blotchy and tears flowed freely down his cheeks. There was something about him like this, at his most vulnerable, hanging onto your every word that made his presence that much more comforting. You couldn't help but admire him, even at your worst, he still loved you and god you were in love with him.

"Afterwards, he got scared... He told everyone I was into... that I was a nymphomaniac and that I was into sadomasochism... I've only ever told Archie the truth."

Jughead's hands shook slightly as he brought them to your cheeks. "It's taking everything in me not to take a brick to Chuck Clayton's head right now." He admitted, jaw clenched, trying desperately to swallow the anger building in his gut so he could be there for you now.

He took a deep breath, glancing at his beanie, lying crumpled and forgotten on your bedroom flaw. For a moment he thought about what Betty had said to Archie, that she felt most herself with him. In a way that was true for him too. Somehow he felt less like 'Jughead Jones' when he was with you, that he was the author of this moment, rather than the product of the story. It was a feeling he couldn't put into words for you so instead he shifted himself so you could lie on his chest. He pulled you into his chest and pressed his lips to your forehead.

"I'm sorry Y/N." He whispered. "You deserve so much more than this backwards town will ever give you."

You turned your head, pressing your lips to his delicately. "It gave me you, Juggie."