Last December

Chapter 13: Searching and finding

December 26th, 2023, 3:10am.

Baby, I hope Santa brings you to me
'cause it's all I wished for
this Christmas Eve.
No, I don't want much,
your love is all I need
Baby, I hope Santa brings you to me.

"Bring me love"
by John Legend.

"I didn't realize that I missed you so much" Archie whispered, too scared that speaking normally would burst their bubble. They were laying in his bed in silence, naked. Archie was playing with Jughead's hair and he was laying on his chest. They just slept with another, again, after a year of yearning.

The silence was comfortable. Jughead seemed to be listening to his heartbeat, their breaths evened out by now. It was the calm before the storm — because their time seemed to be counted by those storms. Without a way to escape, they were running from one to the other.

"What happened after last year?" Jughead asked after a while. Archie already believed that he had fallen asleep.

"What do you mean?"

"What did you do after I left?"

"Oh. Well, I went home the next day"

"To your girlfriend?" Archie nodded "But you did break up with her after that, right?"

"W-Well, I told her about what happened, between us" Jughead sat up.

"So you didn't break up with her?"

"Not exactly but-"

"Hold up" Jughead interrupted, starting to scoot away "What do you mean 'not exactly'?" He froze, shaking his head.

"If you would just let me explain-"

"I'm so stupid" Jughead shook his head, not even listening to him as he got out of bed and put on his clothes again. Archie shook his head, mouth hanging open as he reached for him again.

"What? No, don't leave. Just let me explain-"

"No. I just- I can't believe that I was so stupid to even think that you would actually change"

Archie tried to yell after him but he was gone before he could blink again.

"Shit"

Since when was Jughead so fast?

Archie pulled on his pants as quickly as possible. He didn't even take the time to get in his boxers or pull on a shirt before he ran down to try and catch up to Jughead. He couldn't even see him anymore — it was snowing really heavy though, so it wasn't any surprise.

"The heck's going on?" Veronica asked, walking downstairs. She was rubbing her eyes and trying to sort out her hair at the same time, blinking against the lit hallway "Why don't you have a shirt on?"

"I... Jug is..." Archie stammered, biting his bottom lip.

He screwed up again.

"What happened?" Veronica asked, suddenly seeming awake despite only being in a nightgown and with unruly hair.

"We slept together again" Archie whispered, feeling so goddamn stupid. How could he ever think that this would work out like this?

Veronica didn't seem phased by this.