Love Him Like He's Yours [FPJones] [JugheadJones] [O.F.C]

2005

The last time FP Jones saw his best friend, it was just before his 29th birthday.

He'd been coming to the end of a very eventful day that was well spent with Jughead and Nerys.

From the start of their marathon of morning cartoons over bowls of cereal, to Jughead's popcorn coma by the end credits of their movie at the Twilight, the trio had spent every minute since sunrise doing their favourite things together.

FP was grateful, as it had been some time since he and Nerys had been able to hang out like old times. Not since before her birthday the previous year, when he had kissed her on drunken impulse and made things even more distant and awkward.

In the time that followed, FP had come to terms with his feelings being unrequited.
It had taken him learning the hard way, after Nerys had run out on him and didn't return until late the next night. By then FP had concluded he must have misread the situation.

He'd wait a few more days before approaching her, and then try his best to make amends.

Looking her up and down, he took in her red-rimmed eyes and swollen lips, and though he was trying hard not to, he would still memorize every hickey and bite mark that suddenly trailed down her neck and shoulders.

He would force back the pangs of resentment and heartbreak that seemed determined to ruin their friendship, and he'd come to accept the relentless twisting in his chest as the consequence.

He'd been willing to plead with her that night, if it'd been necessary.
He told her that he had been wrong, and that he was sorry. He told her that he simply wanted to be her friend again, like they'd always been.

She had just nodded her head towards him, chewing on her thumbnail absentmindedly while staring down at her feet.

It seemed that would be the extent of it, as both struggled to meet the other's eye, and as if someone had flipped a switch, the topic of conversation would change.
Neither of them daring to bring it up again.

Almost immediately after, Nerys began seeing other Southside men, and in turn FP became hyper-focused on his Serpent duties and his time spent with Jughead.

It made for something moderately passable as their normal. Time did seem to be moving along just as it had before, but it still wouldn't make what was about to happen any easier for them.

At the end of their carefree outing, on the cusp of FP's birthday, Nerys would have no choice but to drop a bombshell on their peaceful coexistence.

With Jughead sleeping in his seat within the truck, Nerys and FP sat down on the tailgate and managed to joke back and forth like simpler times. The late hours of the night crept up on them until they were nearing the verge of a new day.

FP would ask her if she wanted to hit up Pop's for his birthday lunch the following afternoon.
It was nothing major - just something low key like they used to do.

He never would have imagined her being able to say no to Pop's. He was even more taken aback by the reason why.

Apparently, she was going to be out of town.

As she explained it to him, Nerys had been taking her own private assignments from the Serpents. She had been approached by Mustang and Tallboy and was to be brought in on some extra side gigs.

Apparently, she had been doing so for almost a year.

Nerys told FP that initially, she was hesitant to work without him but after discussing it with Gladys, she realized it was the right thing to do.