Jarchie Oneshots

||There was a party||

• Something has happened between the two of them and Fred just tries to figure it all out
• rape
• referenced alcoholism and abuse
• Reggie is a huge asshole in here
• lotta telling, cause we're tired and venting

Fred stared at the dinner scene. Archie stared at his lasagna plate, more stirring in it then actually eating and Jughead sat silently opposite him, eyes glued to his converse under the table.

They didn't even want to put on music.

"Alright, what's up?" He finally asked when the tension carried on after five minutes. Against first thought, both boys stayed quiet though, which was weird again because usally, even when Jughead didn't want to talk about stuff, at least Archie would tell him what was going on.

Not this time though, it seemed.

"Did something happen between the two of you?"

"No" Jughead mumbled.

"Yeah" Archie said at the same time. The two froze, their eyes meeting for a moment before going to stare down again.

"I'm taking that as a yes. What happened then?"

Yet again, both stayed quiet.

"So, you won't tell me then?" Fred suggested after a while.

Jughead nodded,

Archie shrugged.

That's how any other question seemed to end: Jughead giving an indefinite answer and Archie just tagging along to whatever he said or expression the complete opposite.

And Fred let it slide, the first evening.

When it continued over the weekend, Jughead seeming to get even worse, he eventually was happy for even finding the two in the same room. The boy seemed to have barely slept the past week, eye bags worse than when he moved in. He hadn't showered either, as far as Fred noticed, and his eyes always seemed red and swollen.

Something was clearly up, though none of the two seemed to want and talk about it.

When Archie silently moved downstairs, taking a seat next to him on the couch, Fred didn't know what to expect. He most of all hadn't exprected him to start talking after the week of silence they've had.

"Dad?" Archie asked, fingers fidgeting as his eyes wavered again. Fred hummed, turning down the volume of the TV before slightly shifting in order to show his son that he was listening "I... What do you do when you've made a mistake that you can't possibly fix, no matter what you do because it may have altered someone's life for ever...?"

"That's a big question, Archie. What happened? Is it something with Jug and why you two haven't been talking?" Fred suggested "I'm sure that whatever you did, will eventually mend itself"

"Well, that's the problem. I didn't do anything. I did nothing while Jug..." Swallowing, Archie's eyes averted his father's gaze again, taking a deep breath.

Clearly, it was not just some High School dilemma, as Fred first thought — or perhaps hoped.

"Archie, what's going on, with Jug? What happened?"

"I... I can't really tell you, actually... It's not- Jug told me not to, and I- I won't, not without his permission"

"Archie, we've talked about this. When something is of concern for Jughead's safety or the safety of others, you ought to tell me"

"Well, I... Jug... and..." Archie stammered before going completely silent again, pulling his knees to his chest.

"Something happened and... and Jug's not well. I can see that, but I can't help if neither of you two won't tell me what's going on" Fred said. Archie stayed quiet for so long and had such problems to speak up that Fred already thought, he would finally come clean, though he was wrong.