Aberration ≫ Jarchie

N I N E T Y - T H R E E

Twenty Four Years Old ❣︎ August

It's an early summer morning when a promise laced with love is made in a beautiful loft apartment by two men who have been kissed with the gift of seeing another day.

"Baby, I want to travel the world with you." The raven haired beauty says breathlessly as he stares up at the ceiling with a slight smile on his face.

"That actually sounds really romantic, say it again." Archie giggles next to him.

"I want to take you to Paris and listen to you attempt to speak the language of romance to me as we act like tourists and stand on the Eiffel Tower at midnight." He continues wistfully.

"Uhuh, keep talking dirty to me babe." The redhead smiles before rolling over in bed and giving his husband his full undivided attention.

"And I want to go to Madrid and take pictures of you surrounded by all the amazing and vivid colors as we completely and totally fuck up the Spanish language." Jughead laughs.

"You took AP Spanish, it'll be fine." Archie assures.

"I'm horrible at speaking it." He admits.

"Minor detail. C'mon tell me more. I'm excited." Archie urges.

"I want to go to London and walk slowly through the pouring rain with your hand in mine as we get drenched and you complain about being cold because you're always cold but I wouldn't feel it because you always make me feel warm." He sighs happily.

"You're being an adorable piece of shit right now." Archie groans.

"Can you imagine it?"

"I can imagine it." Archie smiles brightly.

"I want to do it." Jughead frowns.

"What's stopping us?"

"My book comes out today, I have to do all that mumbo jumbo where I promote it and do interviews and make friends and go to those parties again. That won't calm down until a few months after." He sighs before shaking his head and sitting up.

"Screw that. You don't have to do anything."

"Actually, I do. It's in my contract with random house." He laughs.

"Well then the minute you meet your requirements, we're traveling the world Juggy." Archie promises before gently taking his hands and intertwining them with his own.

"Promise? We'll just up and leave, no book, no job, no nothing. We disappear together." The raven haired beauty whispers.

"No book, no job, no nothing. We disappear together." He repeats in the same soft tone as he stares into the set of sparkling green eyes he's known and loved all his life.

"I love you so much. I say it so much that I don't even think it goes to the extent of what I mean anymore. I've never loved anything as much as I love you. That's so scary, it scares me so much." Jughead continues, not knowing why this sappy feeling came over him but not caring enough to stop it.

"Why does it scare you?" Archie asks softly before taking his hand and brushing some of the hair out of his face.

"I don't know how I could ever go on or be the person I am if you left me."

"And why would I leave you?" Archie frowns.

"Everyone I've ever loved ended up leaving me." He whispers. "I wouldn't be able to take it if you did the same, I wouldn't. It's almost as if I have everything. A home, lots of money, my dream career, but it doesn't mean as much to me as you do. I already felt like I had everything the minute we started dating." Archie just stares at him, speechless at his honesty, before connecting his lips to the beautiful man in front of him.

Sometimes, it feels as if their relationship is uneven. Sometimes Archie feels as if Jughead is too busy for him, or sometimes he feels like a distraction. Sometimes he wonders if Jughead will ever get bored of him; little old Archie who doesn't do anything remotely interesting but stay married to a famous man who everyone is in love with. Sometimes Archie feels as if Jughead only keeps him around as a sense of comfort, a way of having stability. Sometimes Archie feels as if he's nothing, because everything he has is because of Jughead and he can take it all away at any moment.

But it's moments like these, when the beautiful wreck lets him in, that his doubts and his worries disappear. It's moments like these, soft spoken words in the midst of a single stream of sunlight, that remind Archie that he'll always be somebody to Jughead, whether he likes it or not.

And Archie decided a long time ago that he quite likes being somebody to Jughead.

The sound of Jughead's work phone interrupts the beautiful moment, and the two audibly sigh as they pull away from each other with the hope of seeing the world together still prominent on their minds.

***

"I can't believe that many copies sold on the first day, oh my gosh." Jughead jumps up and down as Archie laughs and watches him fondly from his position next to him at the Random House office.

"So far, nothing but good reviews as usual. Some people think you even topped the first one." Alisha smiles proudly.

"Wow, that's amazing. Wow, wow, wow!" He says excitedly before calming down and shooting her an apologetic glance. "Sorry, I got carried away..." Jughead blushes before sitting back down next to Archie.

He loves what he does a lot. He loves getting paid for sharing his thoughts on paper, no matter how dark or how ridiculous they may be. He loves connecting with people, he loves the Random House Family, he loves his career. Despite what he said this morning, there's nothing too bad about his career, but it is really stressful for him. Being presented so much in the public eye takes a toll on you, especially confidence wise. Jughead never really had a lot of confidence in the first place, so stupid little comments tend to tear him apart, even if the majority are good. He didn't know he signed up for all this when he became an author, but he has to admit that he is thankful for the platform now that he has it.

"No it's okay, I'd be excited too." Alisha laughs.

"Wow, I feel stupid for worrying so much now." He admits sheepishly.

"Would you be you if you didn't?" Archie chimes in.

"True."

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Y'all mind if I just spam you with updates tonight and tomorrow? I think I just want to give you the whole book.

So 7 chapters + epilogue