Never Quit Loving You

F O U R

I'm nervous.

And scared.

Help me, please?

I need to talk to someone about it, but whenever I mention it to Cheryl or Kevin, they say they're SO SURE that you'll come back. They say they know you and that I should have trust in you as well...

But I'm so fucking scared.

What will I tell you? That I've been lusting after you for three and a half years and oh, by the way, we've got a son who knows you're far away and love him but has never seen a picture of you? That I've spent a thousand nights looking at the photos we once took together? That I've missed you because YOU'RE my home?

God.

I don't know what to tell you, Jug.

I hope you're happy there, right now. Hopefully, you've had the chance to move on. You'd deserve it.

But I'm selfish. I want you all to myself, again. I know I won't be able to let go of you again when you come.

Fuck.

I miss you, that's all... I'll figure it out how to keep my hands to myself until I'm sure you don't have a new girlfriend, and until I've told you the truth.

You'd be an amazing father to our little ray of sun. I'll be okay with you only being that to him and nothing to me, if you wish.

He loves you so much without even knowing you. I can see it every day.

He's so much like you, Jug.

Sigh...

1 day. (Doesn't that sound scary? Xx. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess.)

(If you show up, that is.)

Jughead stood in the line at the airport, unconsciously worrying about his outfit choice while panicking about the fact that he would be leaving, again. The people surrounding him were wearing fancy clothes while he was in the most comfortable sweats he owned. Even Toni was standing there, next to him, in jean shorts, tights under them, accompanied by a pair of high-heeled boots.

Jughead felt out of place. And he feared he would feel the same way once he returned to his home town, too.

Nobody there was waiting for him. Nobody wanted him back there.

Well, maybe Fred... Yes, Fred would be waiting for him.

And Betty. But that didn't count because she would live in New York and be back in Riverdale only to meet him. Jughead felt bad that she had to travel back to Vermont, to the town she grew up in and hated. To the town she had so many bad memories in. Just to meet him.

That was if she'd show up at all.

With an audible deep sigh, Jughead took a few steps forward in the line that had now descended. Joaquin behind him placed his hand on his back, and the guy turned to look at him tiredly, only to receive a small reassuring smile from his friend.

His lips didn't form a smile, but his eyes showed the clear emotion of gratitude that he felt. So, with a small nod to his friend, he turned back around and watched Toni show her passport and the ticket to the assistant who guided her right through, toward the direction of the plane.

The guy gulped as he was gestured forward and looked into the young woman's eyes as he handed her his flight information. The woman seemed to be in such a hurry as she scanned them and pressed them back to him, rapidly pushing him forward to accept other people behind him.