Jabitha Oneshots

Not Feeling Well

Tabitha gets a stomach bug and Jughead helps.

Everyone knows that feeling. The uncomfortable ache in the pit of your stomach that's just subtle enough not to be painful, the feeling of congestion building behind your eyes and weakness that begins to overtake your body, one muscle at a time- all signs of an inevitable, untimely flu.

Tabitha Tate had all those boxes ticked, not that she was planning on telling anyone that. After all, the business in the diner was booming! There were more customers to serve than ever, not to mention all of the work she had to do in order to get Pop's franchised alongside Alexandra Cabot. I don't have time for a day off, she would tell herself every time she felt her stomach cramp uncomfortably during a shift, I can deal with a little pain.

And for a couple of days, she could. In fact, she was certain whatever she'd caught wouldn't go beyond a slight cold.

But she knew she was sorely mistaken when she woke up one night gasping for air and startling her boyfriend with a pitiful groan.

He was already awake thankfully, re-reading a comic book by the dim light of the bedroom lamp- a habit that Tabitha initially found irritating but now found she couldn't sleep without.

Jughead immediately glanced over in alarm.

"You ok Tabs?" he asked, furrowing his brow in concern upon noticing her pained expression.

She sighed, feeling the familiar throbbing of a headache pulsing in her temples. There was no hiding it now.

"No, not really," she whispered, grimacing as her own voice pierced the quiet of the bedroom like a knife.

He placed his comic onto the bedside table to give her his full attention.

"What's going on?"

Tabitha pulled the rose-coloured comforter up to her neck. Was it cold in here?

"Not feeling the best," she mumbled, rolling closer towards her boyfriend so that her cheek was pressed against his thigh. His clothes contained the comforting smell of Eucalyptus washing powder and God, he was warm. He felt cosy and familiar; she just wanted to stay cuddled up to him forever.

Luckily, he didn't attempt to dislodge her from his side, instead pressing the back of his palm to her forehead. After a few moments he pulled away, cursing under his breath.

"You're burning up, Tab!"

She nodded in acknowledgment, shuddering and grabbing hold of his hand as a wave of nausea wracked her body.

"Uh."

"Are you gonna be sick?" Jughead asked hastily. He pushed the curls away from her forehead with his free palm, casing the room for the nearest bin.

"I'm not sure," she mumbled, "I hope not. I don't want to have to take a day off work tomorrow."

He audibly snorted but immediately felt guilty upon seeing his girlfriend recoil at the noise.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm letting you go into work like this. You won't make it to the kitchen and back."

Tabitha sighed, attempting to sit up but flopping down feebly onto her pillow. After a moment of struggling, she noticed her boyfriend watching her pityingly and gave up.

"Ok, ok, point taken. I just really don't want to miss anything. We're getting to a pivotal point with the franchising, and I have to be at every meeting. There's one scheduled for tomorrow morning."

After a few moments of staring at the roof and blinking away the tears welling up in her eyes, she felt her boyfriend's steady hands guiding her head into his lap, raking his fingers through her curls and across her scalp in a way that made her shiver in relief. Something about the simple gesture made her feel instantly more relaxed. It reminded her of something her grandpa would do when she was sick at only six or seven years old, holding her in his lap and singing lullabies to her until she'd eventually fall asleep.

"I'm sure Xandra won't care if you miss a planning session because you have a stomach bug," Jughead teased softly, "And if you're really that worried, I can call Veronica tomorrow and have her attend the meeting on your behalf, so you don't fall behind schedule."

"Mmkay," Tabitha hummed, clearly satisfied with his arrangement. She smiled up at her boyfriend and he returned the gesture.

The apartment was warmly lit and cosy, and the silk bed sheets were perfectly soft. Despite the painful churning in her stomach and pounding headache, something about the comfort of the bedroom and Jughead's presence beside her made her feel better than she had in days.

"Jug?" she whispered after a moment, "I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep again tonight."

He gently ran his fingers over her stomach, tracing swirls into the cotton fabric of her pink pyjama shirt.

"I'll stay up with you then. We'll be night owls together."