Bughead Oneshots x Smut

Black Daisies and Cherry Blossoms

It all started with a phone call in the middle of the night, calling him back to a town he never thought he would return to.

Packing a bag was the least of his worries as he hopped on a bus ride to Riverdale from New York, filled with anxiety. He was travelling to his hometown- for what? A best friend who couldn't care less about him? Yes, yes, he was. Why? Because he was a good person, or at least that was what he kept telling himself.

When he arrived, he was greeted with a warm welcome and a celebratory dinner at Pop's, or at least that was what Toni had called it: celebratory, but he didn't know what there was to celebrate. Her best friend was missing, and he was drowning in a pool of unpaid bills, the words financially unstable burned into the front of his brain.

He tried his best to listen as Toni explained the details of the matter to him, pausing briefly to wipe tears out of her eyes. In his head he scoffs; this girl must've meant a lot to Toni because he knows how a friendship with her works. She never would've been this upset over him.

He interrupts her rant, asking her the question that's been on his mind ever since she picked him up at the bus stop. "Why'd you ask me to come here, Toni?"

He can tell she is made uncomfortable by the inquiry, but he doesn't back down, holding his lips in a thin line, his mind screaming at him to turn back before it's too late.

After letting out an exasperated sigh, she reluctantly answers, "Because Jug, you're the best I know for this type of thing, being a P.I. and all. Plus..." she hesitates, "I missed you," the woman whispers.

This time he lets out the scoff, a breath of air tumbling from his lips, "Missed what, Toni? Missed using me, missed the protection I gave you? You need me to cover up your illegal activities again, just to start my life over, leave town for the second time? What is it, huh? You make up an excuse about a missing best friend just to get me down here so I can get you out of more trouble? Cause' if so, you're doing a pretty damn good job selling it." He's seething by the time he's finished, feeling so angry but also relieved, feeling a weight being lifted off of his shoulders at his outburst.

She grimaces, looking utterly embarrassed and ashamed of herself, looking around at the people looking at them, her eyes bouncing from person to person. Toni waits, making sure he's done speaking before voicing her own words. "Listen, Jug," she pauses, "I know I was horrible to you back in high school and that it's my fault for you leaving because of the whole cover up you did for me, but I didn't know who else to call. It's been a whole bunch of chaos here, and I knew you would be able to help."

Jughead crosses his arms across his chest, giving her a look that he knows she's all too familiar with. He knows she's holding something back because he's seen that specific look so many times. He remembers it as if it was yesterday, not seven years ago.

She sighs, caving, "Also, I wanna do it right this time. I know I was a terrible friend to you, and I know I'm far from being considered a good person, but I wanna change that. Cheryl has been missing for a week, and I wanna be the one to bring her home, but I can't do it on my own. Will you help me? Will you help me make things right?" Instead of looking manipulative and devious as she asks him a question she's asked many times before, she looks hopeful.

He sighs, unfolding his arms and placing his palms face down on the table. "So, you said your friend's name was Cheryl?"

In the morning, after crashing on the couch at her place, they get a call from the local sheriff. All he can say is that he's never ran down two flights of stairs and across a parking lot faster in his life. In his defence, though, he was practically being dragged.