Alphabet ≫ Jarchie

C is for Cadaverous

Cadaverous— of or relating to a corpse

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"I can't believe you killed him!" Archie said in disbelief for the fiftieth time.

"It was an accident! Okay?" Jughead yelled. He gripped onto the handlebars of his motorcycle impossibly harder, accelerating down the open and empty road. Archie gasped and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend with a frown.

Archie wasn't sure who was more stupid. Jughead, for joining a gang and accidentally killing someone, or himself, for helping him hide the dead body. Archie never thought he'd be the type of boy to do anything his boyfriend asked of him. He thought that ride or die mentality was stupid, but all sense went out the window when he had answered the phone to Jughead's quivering voice.

"Didn't I tell you to stop riding without a helmet?" Archie scolded after the boy's response.

"Really? You're coming with me to bury a dead body and that's what you want to focus on?" Jughead scoffed, but there was a slight chuckle after the fact that made Archie smile. "Besides, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got on my bike without a helmet on."

The scarlet boy blushed under Jughead's only helmet and playfully smacked Jughead upside the head. "I can't believe I love you this much," he mumbled under his breath. He had never said it before. He didn't expect Jughead to hear him. The helmet was muffling his voice and the wind was pounding at both of their ears. He thought the sentence would lose itself along the lonely road behind them with his innocence, but Jughead heard it clear as day.

"I love you too," the raven haired boy said after a while of silence. "This wasn't how I pictured telling you but I didn't want to leave you hanging. These last three months have been amazing and after what happened tonight, the only thought on my mind was how differently you'd see me."

"Don't get all sappy on me," Archie warned.

"Oh I wouldn't dare. That's why you're digging the hole when we bury the guy."

"Why do I have to do the hard work?"

"Do you really want to touch a dead body, babe?"

"Fair point," Archie mumbled.

It wasn't long before the lonely highway turned into a deserted, woodsy trail. Small bushes were replaced with full, tall trees and the moon became lost in the thick, heavy foliage. Jughead carefully parked the bike behind a couple of trees and looked around with a solemn expression.

"Tell me again," Archie said quietly, unwilling to unwrap his arms around the boy and leave the bubble of safety that the bike provided.

"The serpents brought me out here. Everyone was drunk and sprawled across the forest floor. Then there were gunshots. People were too shitfaced or elated to move and defend themselves. I freaked out. The guy with the gun came up to me and I stabbed him," Jughead explained again with a shaky voice.

"And the serpents aren't helping you because?" Archie asked again.

"Because apparently this is a cruel and unusual test."

"And tell me why you want to be apart of these guys so bad? Just one more time," the redhead whispered, hugging the boy tighter.

"Because it's the only thing I have left of my dad," Jughead said in the same quiet tone. He was on the verge of tears. Archie could tell. It was something about how calm he was being. It was only a matter of time before he broke down. Archie just had to stall until then.

"And what about now? Do you still want to be a serpent?" Archie didn't want him to be a serpent.

"I don't think I really have a choice now."