Jabitha Oneshots

Need You Now

An angsty songfic to Need You Now by Lady A.

Picture perfect memories
Scattered all around the floor

Tabitha sits on the tiled floor of the Pop's kitchen, surrounded by the wreckage of her and Jughead's photographs. She squints so as to avoid seeing his face and bringing back the memories of happier times.

Reaching for the phone cause
I can't fight it anymore.

For what feels like the millionth time, she picks her phone up. Tabitha scrolls through her missed calls and texts, not knowing what she's hoping for but feeling a craving she knows won't be satiated. She dials his number before deleting it and pushing her phone away.

And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.

Across the town in their apartment, Jughead sits leaning against the bedroom door, his clothes unwashed and hair dirty. It's only been two days since his argument with Tabitha and it's already taking a toll. He just wishes it had never happened.

For me it happens all the time.

A tear rolls down her face- she just can't get him off her mind. She misses him more than she thought possible.

It's a quarter after one.
I'm all alone and I need you now.

Tabitha knows she's being unprofessional, but she doesn't know what to do. She's been crying on the floor for hours, ignoring the critical glances and looks of concern from passing customers. As the end of her shift came and went, she couldn't bring herself to get up off the floor.

Said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control
And I need you now.

After a while, she sees her grandpa crouch down in front of her, worry plastered over his face. She knows the way she must look, with her liquor-stained uniform, sleepless eyes and unruly hair. Not to mention the fact that she hasn't washed or brushed her teeth since the fight.

And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now.

She and Jughead are soulmates, everyone always told her and until now, she's accepted this sentiment without sparing a thought. Now, she isn't so sure. Tabitha hopes she can make things right again.

Another shot of whiskey

Can't stop looking at the door.

Jughead lifts a glass to his lips, feeling a burning sensation run down his throat and into his stomach. Should he be throwing his three months of sobriety down the drain over a fight with his girlfriend? Probably not. But with Tabitha on his mind, he needs the distraction.

Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before.

He imagines her, pushing the door open and running towards him, flinging her arms around his neck and pressing a gentle kiss his lips. Jughead tells himself it's the alcohol making him feel crazy. But inside, he knows that he may have just lost the person who made him believe in soulmates.

And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.

Back in Pop's, Tabitha's hands sting from the cuts covering her skin. She's been rocking back and forward in on the spot, staring at the ruined photographs with her hands pressed firmly into the glass covered floor. The shattered liquor bottles just remind her of Jughead.

For me it happens all the time.

Jughead pulls his robe on, trying to make himself comfortable. He knows the night will be hard without Tabitha; with nobody there to scare away the dreams that run rampant in his mind after dark.

It's a quarter after one.
I'm a little drunk and I need you now.

He can barely stand up without teetering exponentially. Jughead's built up a tolerance to liquor but with all the scotch running through his body, he feels as though he's floating. The room is blurry so he tries to focus on the pictures in his mind; but all he can see is Tabitha.

Said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control
And I need you now.

A strange desire washes over his body, a temptation to leave, run away from this apartment of memories. He decides to go for a walk, though he's not sure how far he'll get in this state. When he closes his eyes, he realises the only place he wants to be. Maybe he is crazy...

And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now.

He grabs his coat off the hook, forgetting his shoes in his frantic state. The only word running through his mind is his girlfriend's name. At least, he hopes, it's still his girlfriend's name. He has no plan, other than to find her, apologise and pray.

Yes, I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all.

Jughead runs out of the apartment door, slamming it behind him. He haphazardly pulls his coat on as he begins to stumble in the direction of Pops, discarding his empty alcohol bottle at the staircase. Tabitha was the best thing to ever happen to him. He's not going to let her go without a fight, even if it causes him more pain than he can bear.

It's a quarter after one.

I'm all alone and I need you now.

Tabitha finally stands up, wiping the broken glass and tattered pieces of paper from her uniform. She checks her watch- it's late, far later than she would regularly be at the diner. But this isn't a normal day.

And I said I wouldn't call

But I'm a little drunk and I need you now.

Tabitha needs a way to get home. She's tipsy and sways on her feet, not having built up a resistance to alcohol like her boyfriend has. It's dangerous for her to drive and she knows it, so she swallows her pride, whips out her phone and prepares herself to hit call.

Being six scotches deep isn't a good look for Jughead. He's so drunk that all his surroundings have morphed into a hazy, technicolour blob. Even so, he's somehow been able to crawl his way through the town and can see the familiar glow of the Pop's sign in the distance.

And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now.

Tabitha steps outside of the diner. She's about to hit the call button when she notices someone ambling up the road nearby. Although almost unrecognisably inebriated, she notices a shock of familiar, thick, brown hair and the heavily stained bathrobe she knows too well. This is all too much. It feels as though two, miniature waterfalls are spilling down her cheeks as she breaks into a run.

He notices her immediately, leaning unsteadily against the wall of Pops and staring into the distance. Her face holds an unusual air of dejection. Jughead's never seen her looking this miserable before, not in all the time he's known her. If he could run, draw her into his arms and embrace her, he would. Instead, he tries to pick up his pace, mentally kicking himself allowing himself to lose control.

Suddenly, he knows she's seen him. Tabitha swerves massively as she starts a slow jog in his direction. It's clear that she's also been drinking, fresh tears covering her cheeks and her uniform askew. God, even in this state, she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.

They meet in the middle of the parking lot, staring at each other warily for a moment. Tabitha bites her quivering lip, trying to hold back another wave of tears, but it's futile. It's Jughead who breaks the silence. He lets out a shaky laugh and opens his arms, pulling her in closer as she leans into his embrace. She looks up into his eyes, silently asking for consent, to which he nods and closes the space between them, their mouths meeting for what feels like the first time in years. The kiss is messy and inelegant, not at all aided by their intoxication and irrepressible emotions.

Neither of them cares; in this moment, all they need is each other.

Fin.