CARMEN, riverdale.

' nocturne '

🐍

FOR WHAT it's actually worth, when Sweet Pea found news from the grapevine about Carmen's admission to the hospital, for the first time in what felt like months, he had actually gotten the motivation to get up on his own and dress more decently. He had felt the shocked stares boring into his back when he left on his motorbike that same day.

It's been exactly five hours since he left the land claimed as his family's territory to stay with the badly beaten up girl that had pulled all her cards out on the table to keep them all safe. It doesn't make it any better that for half of the duration of the fight, he was knocked unconscious, not something he will be entirely proud of and will never be able to.

He blamed himself for several hours and the days she was gone, and for a good number of times, he blamed it on everyone else. It got to the point where only his tightly knit group of friends were the only ones willing to tolerate his behavior without shunning him from the room with the excuse of making him rest.

And then it's been two hours since he sat there. Nurses couldn't move him that they resulted to giving him a blanket and a pillow. He held her hand, rubbing his thumbs on the back of it as if providing her comfort. In his mind, he honestly thought she deserved it. She didn't have anyone to comfort her before she 'died' and he wanted to give it to her. He looked up at the light sniffling, and her hand was pulled out of his own. "Carmen,"

She doesn't reply until after a few moments. "Sweets?"

"It's just me, you're okay," He told her, his eyes somber. "You're safe."

"We both know I'd never be,"

"Well as safe as you can be," Sweet Pea replied, rubbing his hand through his hair as it became even more awry. "How are you?"

She gives him a tired and sad smile, "Dandy."

He shuffles closer to her, grabbing her hand and encasing it between his own. "It killed me," He doesn't meet her eyes when he says that. "When they told me you died, it killed me. When we had that talk in the fire escape and you thanked me, was that- was that goodbye?"

"It depends on how you take it," She squeezes his hand but it appears weak, which saddens him with the drastic change in her strength. "But my gratitude was real. It's been awhile since someone said that to me and actually stayed. Someone who wasn't my father. I didn't intend for you to get hurt, either of you and Wynona, if you did. I wished you hadn't even met me, then you wouldn't have gotten involved with the whole shebang that was my life."

"If it's any consolation, I'm actually glad we got to meet you," Sweet Pea admitted. "Because you taught me that being fine on the outside wasn't always everything. So now I'm asking you, and I want an honest answer, how are you?"

Carmen closed her eyes, sighing. "I don't know."

Sweet Pea nodded, "That's fine. Okay. I swear on this, you'll be fine again. I promise."

🐍

"I HEARD Archie's dad got shot, how're they?" Carmen asked as soon as Betty and Jughead had entered her room. Betty chuckled at her eagerness.

"Hello to you, too," Jughead grinned.

Veronica followed in from behind them, but taking one look at Carmen's state made her purse her impeccable fuchsia lips, her eyes beginning to become glassy again. The raven head opened up the door, sending herself out as it closed with a slam, heavy breaths spilling from her mouth.

"Ronnie-" Betty starts, but sighed. She gave Carmen an apologetic look before throwing open the door and chased after her friend.

Carmen frowned, "Was it something that I said?"

"Ronnie's just dealing with difficult things, Carmen, don't worry." Jughead tries to assure her, but she avoids looking at his eyes, fiddling with her hands.

"It was the scars, wasn't it?" She sniffles. Jughead's eyes soften, but she speaks again before he could. "I wouldn't blame her. And I ... probably looked hideous. And she probably hasn't forgotten what I did, and the seizure, too. It's okay, Jughead. I've seen this coming."

Witnessing Carmen become so insecure about the scars she now possessed, perplexed him. She'd been so confident and careless of the world back then that seeing her wear an expression of hurt, fear, and anxiety made him want to wrap her in a bubble wrap and keep her as safe as possible. Granted, he hadn't gotten the chance to establish a close bond with her like Betty and Veronica, that didn't mean she wasn't still his friend. Carmen was one of the few people he would've chosen to let back into his life if he ever was given the chance to choose for himself. And honest to the other gods, but Carmen reminded Jughead of his own sister, Jellybean.

He grabs her hands after a pep talk, "Hey, you don't have to be uncomfortable about your scars 'round me, okay? We all have our flaws but your scars and your seizure is not apart of that, those are the proof that you survived. And your mistakes? You did what you had to do to survive. It's natural, it's wired in the human nature to do everything to survive. Look at me, I lived in the school for a week because I didn't know where to go. I had to live and I did, and that's as similar to what you did. No one can blame you for that. You put yourself first, that's okay, that's fine, you didn't have a choice. It just makes you stronger. You shouldn't care what they have to say about you."

Carmen fell silent, and when she looked up? Jughead found himself surprised that her eyes had welled up in tears, one has already fallen as she sniffles. Hope is shining in her eyes. "You actually mean that?"

"Swear on my stone, Carmen, I do," Jughead nodded seriously.

"Thank you," Carmen whispered, as another tear fell. "Do you mind if I tell you that I want a hug?"

"Of course not," Jughead chuckled, pulling her to his embrace. "Anything for a friend."

"You're a good person, Jug."

"I hope you know you are, too."

🐍