Bughead oneshots 2

Sit with you

TW: Mentions/scenes of suicide attempt and thoughts

This oneshot is something I wanted to bring up as I feel the representation of male mental health lacks in literature. Not all mental health issues are in this form and not every person has the same experience. There are support lines at the end for anyone struggling/ knows someone who could be or is struggling. Ask someone if they are okay today, it means more to people than you know❤️❤️❤️

His fingers scraped across the cold slabs of concrete, not phased by the ice that covered them in thin layers of crystals. A frown etched across his face as the wind grasped at his raven curls, sending shivers down his spine. This was it, he could see his end right below on the busy road filled with buses and cars piling up in traffic. No one wanted to stop him, simply because no one knew him well enough. They saw the Jughead they wanted to know, the one they pretended was real. Deep down everyone knew the truth; he'd finally lost in the circle of this god forsaken life.

"Excuse me?" a quiet voice disturbed his thoughts, causing the boy to let out an annoyed sigh. Out the corner of his eye a blonde figure walked up to his position on the bridge, leaning against the brick slabs "It's not safe sitting on that"

"That's kinda why I chose to sit here" he grumbled, turning his head to face her. She was staring at him like he was some sort of exhibit, emerald eyes gazing back at his. She wore a pink fluffy scarf around her neck to block out the cold, her nose and cheeks tinted red as she gripped onto a takeaway cup.

"Oh" she nodded, gulping as she realised that he wasn't sat there just to enjoy the view. She shifted closer to the boy, hopping up onto the bridge walls herself but facing the opposite direction; too scared to face the road.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, wrapping his arms around himself in the cold.

"Well I was going on a nice winter walk, and now I'm going to sit here with you" she shrugged, placing her hand over his. His eyes averted down to their hands, not liking the intimacy of it but not making the move to pull away either. Whilst the boy was distracted Betty found herself studying him, eyes blue and dull to match the muted frown painted across his face. He wore a big sherpa jacket around his seemingly frail body and big combat boots with the laces hanging freely- a definite tripping hazard though she figured that was the least of his worries now.

"Why do you want to do it?" she whispered, her thumb running over his knuckles one by one. She didn't know him and maybe holding a strangers hand at first sight was odd to others but it was clear the boy needed comfort.

"You don't want to ask that" he chuckled dryly "and please don't talk me out of it, I hate the whole 'You're worth it' spiel, no one ever sticks to it. It's just words they say in the moment" he rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't going to" she spoke "I just want to know why"

"Because I don't care anymore, there's nothing here for me anymore. I'm not needed, and I don't need anybody" he mumbled, only telling her because it wouldn't matter soon. He'd be gone and she would just be some stranger he met once.

"Have you got family?" she asked curiously, handing him her cup. He looked between her and the cup before taking it, discovering it was a creamy hot chocolate when he took a sip.

"Yeah, but they aren't around. None of them are in town anymore" he explained, placing the cup between them. She only nodded at his answer, not wanting to pry at him for details.

"You're wrong you know" she spoke after a few minutes of comfortable silence, turning her head to face him once again.

"About what?" he questioned as he watched her drink some of the hot chocolate to help warm her up.

"Not needing anyone. Everyone needs someone around, and though you think you've got no one...if a random stranger will sit here with you then there's got to be someone who needs you. You just don't know it" she answered. "It's okay to feel like you do, but there's another option"

"What would that be?" he scoffed, discarding the thought that the girl was actually a wise speaker.

"Get down from here, talk to me- or anyone for that matter. Push through and keep going, it doesn't have to be like this. I don't want it to be like this for you" she whispered, interlacing their fingers.

"Why do you care? We don't know each other" he reminded, slightly distracted by the way their hands connected so easily.

"I've been in your position before" she admitted.

"So it's pity? Great" he sighed, moving his hand away with a quiet scoff.

"No it's experience. It's me caring about you but because you're not use to it you're shutting me off" she refused to give up, placing her hand back in his with a tighter grip.

"Why are you looking for some sort of redeeming quality in me? There isn't one" he mumbled. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she jumped down from the wall, holding her free hand out for him, to which he just gave a blank stare.

"You don't need loads of people to care, just a few that will help get you back on your feet. It's not easy, but it's worth it" she whispered with a smile.

Jughead didn't move straight away, instead studying her just like she had with him. He wanted to stay, find a better life where he could turn things around. It was the thought of failure that troubled him, but her words gave him comfort that he could make it through this. With that thought, he took her other hand so both were connected and slowly climbed down from the bridge.

"We'll push through this together, you're going to be okay" she assured with a short sigh of relief, keeping hold of the boy's hand as they walked across the bridge leading to the children's park on the other side.

"We'll get help together, one step at a time" she added, leaning into the boy. "I'm Betty by the way, Betty Cooper"

"Jughead Jones" he whispered in response, finding it difficult to walk away from his decision; but he had hope now. A hope that it would work out, that though it wouldn't be simple by any means, he would get better.

Help lines:

The Samaritans Tel: 116 123 https://www.samaritans.org/

Shout Text Shout to 85258

Mind MindInfoline: 0300 123 3393

CALM Helpline: 0800 58 58 58

ChildLine Helpline: 0800 11 11

There are many other helplines out there, stay safe everyone❤️❤️