An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 6/?
Fandom: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: jeronica - Relationship, vughead - Relationship, Jughead Jones & Veronica Lodge
Characters: Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones, Kevin Keller, Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper
Additional Tags: Partners to Lovers, Reluctant friends to lovers, Angst, Kinda?, Eventual Smut, unlikely bond, Jealously
Summary:
There are worse things I could do
Than go with a boy or two
Even though the neighborhood
Thinks I'm trashy and no good
I suppose it could be true
But there are worse things I could do
You got me, guys. I started writing a fanfiction about my precious ones. While I wait for AO3 to approve my request, I’ll give you a sneak peek of the first part. Remember that English is not my native language, so yeah..probably it’s not perfect. You’ll find it under the cut and we’ll get back to it on AO3. Feedbacks are welcome <3
Why you mad, Ronnie? ;)
A lot can change in five years and even though people tend to think that some feelings cannot be shaken off, they can. Love can wither and betrayal can fade. While days settled in the depth of the mind like little stones thrown into a lake, Jughead started to let go of that regret that defined his prose for so long. The wound that Betty opened on his chest when she dumped him right before graduation, slowly became a pale scar almost indistinguishable from his pale skin.
« Do you think I’m being weak? » he asked, hesitant, glancing at Veronica from the other side of the table.
Since Betty and Archie cheated on them, their friendship grew much stronger. They found confort in each other. It was easy: they shared fragments of the same story. A whole summer was spent on trying to put the pieces of that cruel puzzle together, on understanding what happened and recovering. But summer ended soon and before they knew, they were packing for college. Leaving Riverdale behind was the best medicine for their heartache; the only thing they kept from that hellish place was their friendship: through skype calls, infrequent meetings and texts, they were able to keep the thread that connected them. It was like time had never passed, when they met again in Riverdale.
« For forgiving Betty? » she raised one eyebrow, meeting the cup of coffee with her red lacquered lips.
Jughead came back some months before her and this was the first time they had the chance to actually meet in person after a whole year. For sure, she didn’t expect to hear that he had started dating Betty again in the meantime. That’s why you were too busy to tap your fingers on your damn phone to answer my texts – she thought, hiding the obvious disappointment on her lips behind the mug. Jughead was obviously looking for a support that she wasn’t too keen on giving. Still, she was his friend.
Veronica shrugged, putting the cup down. « I don’t think you’re weak for forgiving her. We were kids and kids tend to do stupid shit all the time. » The words left her lips without pronouncing that but that clearly longed in her silence. Of course, observant as he was, Jughead didn’t miss that, raising his eyebrows in a mute question.
« What? Do you want my blessing? » she sighed, rolling her eyes « I’m not gonna tell you what to do, Jug. If you have any doubt in your mind, you should take responsibility for that – not hiding yourself behind my opinion. »
Veronica’s tone was altered, like she felt somehow offended by the way Jughead was sitting her down to talk about her ex best friend – the same girl who didn’t falter when it came down to stealing her boyfriend.
Like he was hit by a whip, Jughead’s expression immediately changed. His shoulder backed against the backrest of the booth while his eyes opened widely in surprise and dismay.
« Whoa! Calm your horses, Ronnie. We are just sleeping together – that’s all it is. »
« For now. » she answered back immediately, with a tone as bitter as her smile. « I know you, Jones. You cannot keep this up for long. You’ll be back at her bidding in no time. »
Silence fell between them as a smug smile drew its line on Jughead’s lips.
« So you are telling me that you do not approve. »
A simple conclusion, obvious enough to make Veronica pout and look away. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Betty or Archie, and that included staying away from putting her finger in whatever situation involved them. The fact that Jughead was trying so hard to push her towards breaking her own law was making her mad. She crossed her arms, as if she could protect herself from that situation.
« Don’t play Humphrey Bogart with me. »
« Ooh, come on, don’t get all fired up about it. » he said, trying to reach for her arm when she suddently refused. She quickly got up and picked her coat, leaving a few dollars on the table.
« You know what? Fuck whoever you want, Jughead. Just don’t come back with your puppy eyes to cry on my shoulder when it all blows up. » she said, with venom in her tone, leaving the boy alone in the booth.
He was flabbergasted, and even a bit mad. He couldn’t pinpoint the reason why Veronica was acting so furiously about the situation with Betty.
« So fucking exaggerated. » he murmured, glancing at the old Pop’s when he came to collect the empty mugs and the money they both left.
Summary: Veronica finds love in the middle of a war. A ficlet inspired by Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift.
Characters/Pairings: Veronica x Jughead
Word Count: 622
Warnings: fluff, war
Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19058458/chapters/45365275
He calls her a breath of fresh air in this otherwise toxic war zone.
His name is Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third, or Jughead as his fellow soldiers call him. She meets him shortly after his platoon sets up camp in their town, staying for a week and that's all it took for Veronica to fall in love with him.
The day that she meets him, Jughead walks into her parent's hotel bar with a bunch of other men, her eyes immediately drawn to him first. He's tall, handsome as hell, sharp as a tack and his voice is a familiar sound, as if she's heard it before in a different lifetime.
When she's not working and he's not in on intelligence meetings they're in her room, clothes strewn about the floor and kissing on her bed. She knows it's not going to last forever – not when Germany is threatening the borders that he's trying so hard to protect.
Jughead's lips are on her neck, hand in her hair and she tilts her head to the side to give him more room, eyes closing shut as she whispers to him that they could get out of the city, away from the crowds but heaven can't even help her out of this situation. He wraps his strong arms around her waist, camisole strap falling further down the skin of her arm and Veronica holds him closer, scared that the day he leaves her will be tomorrow.
The next day, the air has turned cold and his leader has decided to pack up to move on to their next assignment.
She holds his hand as they walk out to the road where everyone is piling up into the trucks, Jughead tossing his bag into the vehicle with Archie before turning to her.
A tear falls down her cheek and he rubs it away with the pad of his thumb. She hopes that he likes the dress she picked out –it's nice with a classic flair and her lips red, cheeks rosy from the cold. “Maybe these memories will follow you around?”
Jughead smiles sadly and presses his forehead against hers. “They will but I’m going to see you again, Veronica.”
The look that no doubt passes over her face is one of disbelief, knowing the horrors of war and the likelihood of him coming back to France. “Maybe in your wildest dreams, Jones.”
Archie calls out his name in warning and she knows that there’s no time left. “I love you, Veronica.”
She whispers it back followed by a slow, soft kiss, her hands clutching what she can of his uniform before she steps back with tears in her eyes.
He’s not supposed to, but he takes the smaller chain of his dog tags off and presses it into her hand then turns away. Veronica grasps him tightly, their fingers slipping away inch by inch until they separate.
Their eyes meet as Archie taps the roof of the truck to let them know they're good to go. The sun sets behind her and once she can't see the blue of his eyes anymore, Veronica turns and walks slowly back, feet dragging beneath her as the heartache seeps into her soul.
Five Years Later
Jughead pulls his bag higher onto his shoulder while he walks along the street towards the hotel he stayed at years ago.
Sitting at the bar, his heart stops when he sees Veronica’s raven hair, curled to perfection as she cleans a glass. When she turns, the sound of it shattering fills the room before she runs around the counter and straight into his arms.
Jughead hesitated in the doorway, feeling suddenly as if he was invading a private sanctuary were he had no right to be. Everything was white and flowing and elegant, giving one the sense of profound peace and security. The windows were flung wide open, the wind from the ocean flowing through them; lifting everything it could with a steady breeze, even the very hair on Jughead’s forehead. And in the middle of it all stood Veronica.
She stood at one of the windows, her back to him, the blackness of her hair and dress contrasting sharply with the white drapes that billowed around her. It was impossible for her to not be aware of his presence, she could not have missed the sound of his step against the wooden floors, but she did not turn. Jughead, too, said nothing, though he was unsure as to why; a question that fell out of his head as Veronica at last turned towards him, the frown on her face breaking the spell of silence that had held his tongue still up to that point.
Warnings: Gun violence, almost-shooting, Hiram Lodge related
Chapter Twenty
The girls were anxious-although they had sent the files to Cheryl, and they had a flash drive full of incriminating files, their sneaky descent back to the ground floor, and out of the building had been smooth. Too smooth.
The truck was still there, thankfully, but it wasn't running. Toni grabbed a hold of Veronica's arm, taking a step back. "Where are the boys?"
Veronica's heart thumped loudly, so loud she took the fearful look Toni gave her as her hearing her heartbeat. "If my father hurts them, I-"
"Don't worry, mija," Hiram Lodge stepped out from the shadows the trees provided, holding both Sweet Pea and Fangs by the backs of their jackets. Their mouths were taped shut, and their ankles and wrists were bound with rope. "these lowlives are okay... for now. I can have the cops called onto them for trespassing, and that'll be the last you hear from them."
Veronica placed herself between Toni and her father, partly as a way to show her father she wasn't backing down, and partly because she could secretly pass the flash drive to Toni. "Really? Well, sure, you could do that, but I don't think the police would find it normal for them to be bound and gagged, don't you? Let them go, daddy, this is between us."
"Give me the flash drive, Veronica," Hiram demanded, holding his arm out. She crossed her arms pointedly, and he knew he was going to have to push her to her limit-way past it, actually, as he retracted his hand and pulled out a gun, then placed it to Fangs' head. "I'm sure the kid who survived a gunshot won't survive this one."
Fangs' eyes widened as they filled with frightful tears. "Veronica, don't. My life for the Serpents."
"Shut up," Hiram snarled, pushing the end of the gun into Fangs' head. "Ronnie, don't listen to him. Give me the flash drive, and your little boyfriends won't end up with bullets in their heads."
Veronica gulped down the bile that rose in her throat. She snarled, "you're a monster, daddy. You need to be stopped... but not at the lives of a sweet boy who doesn't deserve the shit he has to go through." She dropped to her knees, almost as if it were a way to show her father that she was giving in to him. "Toni, give me the flash drive."
"He's going to shoot him anyways," Toni defiantly took a step back, almost as if she were daring Veronica's father to pull the trigger-but she would never wish that upon Fangs. "All we are to him are poor South Side teenagers. One less on the streets wouldn't matter to your father. Once we hand him the flash drive, he's going to kill them, anyways."
"But we don't know that for sure-"
"Don't give him the flash drive, it's all we have to take him down," Fangs cried, clearly bluffing, although Veronica applauded him for doing so when his life was quite literally hanging on the pull of a finger.
"Just give me the damn drive, Veronica!" Hiram snarled. "Do it now, or I will blow his brains out."
Veronica sniffled, turning around to Toni. "If you care for Fangs, you'll give me the flash drive right now."
Toni looked away, tears cascading down her cheeks. "We're so close to being free, Veronica. We'll never get another chance like this..."
"And Fangs survived being framed for Midge's murder, a gunshot to the stomach, and the shitty lifestyle of the South Side, and he's going to go out because of my dastardly father?" Veronica whispered, shaking her head in refusal. "No. I won't let that happen. I won't let him take away somebody else's life."
Toni let in a shaky breath and handed Veronica the flash drive. She shakily took it, and faced her father with a locked jaw. "I hate you."
Hiram smiled in victory, then sighed as he laughed lightly. "Pinkie's right. Why would I let these teenagers go back to living like little rats?" The cock of the gun brought out a fearful gasp from Toni and Veronica's lips, and hearing the gunshot go off earned a sob from them as well. However, instead of a body falling to the floor, it was the clattering fo a gun.
The girls turned around and found Hermione with a gun pointed towards her husband, a scowl on her features. She had shot him in the leg, which he clutched painfully. He quickly grabbed a hold of the grip, but Jughead walked into the scene with a small laugh, crushing his fingers under his boots. "Must suck to be betrayed by your own family. Us Jones', the Serpents... we would never."
"Well, clearly Toni would, but that's not my business, is it?" Betty humphed, crossing her arms as the small group eyed Toni.
"He wouldn't shoot Fangs until he got the flash drive. If we made him believe this was truly all we had, keeping Fangs alive is all that would get him what he wanted," Toni rolled her eyes at them all, "I love Fangs, why would I want him dead over a flash drive that has the same files as what Cheryl has?"
"Your rule is over, Hiram," Hermione bent down with a sinister smirk playing on her lips. She grabbed a fist full of his hair and made him look at her, "you'll rot in jail, I'll make sure of it. And you're never going to touch Veronica and I, or any of the Serpents, ever again." Throwing his head back down, she stood back up. "I called the police after I helped Betty and Jughead go, so they should be here in a minute."
Veronica mimicked her mother and bent down to face her father. He looked up, his face paling as the pain overtook his senses. "The Lodge name will no longer be associated with your criminal activities. Mom and I are going to move on, and fix the mold you created in Riverdale. Oh, and a compensation to Fangs' family is going to be paid for the traumatic shit you put him through."
The police sirens in the distance slowly grew louder as they echoed around the town.
Jughead wrapped his arms around Veronica's waist with a cocky smile, grinning wildly at her. "And now we can finally go back to our lives. We can figure out what we're going to be, we can rebuild the Serpents into what they should be with Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs... and we can just be teenagers."
Veronica placed a tiny kiss on his lips. "I can't wait to get my life back on track... but maybe first we should, you know, help Fangs and Sweet Pea out of the tape."
"Shit, right," Jughead sucked in his lips as he whipped out his pocket knife and ignored their playful glares as he cut them out of the tape that bound them. "Sorry, guys."
"You're lucky that we're just happy to be alive," Fangs murmured while him and Sweet Pea embraced, and he dug his head into his chest. "I love you, Pea."
"I love you, too, Fogarty. Try not to die, okay?" Sweet Pea chuckled lightly, "if somebody pulls a gun on you again, I'm going to do something you'll hate."
"Well, it's not my fault people hate me enough to pull guns on me," Fangs huffed. "But please don't get your stupid ass arrested, okay? Veronica would kill me."
Veronica took a couple of steps forward to ruffle their hair with a light smile, "oh, shut up, boys... I'm glad you're okay."
"You too," Sweet Pea nodded, then he wiggled his eyebrows towards Jughead. "Now go figure out your relationship with Jughead."
"Speaking of, Betty!" Veronica turned so quickly, the blonde jumped in fright. "I wanted to thank you for creating a distraction. If you hadn't had stepped in at that moment, we would have been caught."
Betty bit down on her bottom lip and glanced down at the floor, "well, you said I needed to find a way to insert myself into the plan like I always do. Why not be reckless with Jughead one last time before I take a breath and ask my mom to place me in therapy?"
"Oh, my God, really?" Veronica cooed, "that's so great, Betty! I'm glad you're finally taking steps to get better."
And, surprisingly, Veronica wrapped her arms around Betty's waist, "whoa, you're hugging me. This sure brings me back to when you first came to Riverdale and we were best friends. I... miss that."
Veronica laughed lightly, "yeah, me too. I hate constantly fighting you... so what do you say we go out for something to eat later and catch up a bit?"
"I thought we were going to-"
"Jughead, that can wait until tomorrow," Veronica interrupted with a stern look as she stepped away from her hug with Betty. "But, Jughead, I'm done pretending I don't have feelings for you, okay? I want to try us. But I also want to make sure I'm not going to be poisoned or something."
Betty scoffed, "as if I'd poison you over Jughead."
Veronica eyed the cops as they pulled into the parking lot, then she glanced at Betty with a gentle smile. "Good, because chicks before dicks."
"Hey, I'm not a dick!"
"Shh, the cops are here. Time for the final end of the plan," Veronica snickered as Jughead gaped at her in the corner of her eye. "To watch my father go to jail, for good, and I can relax for what might be the first time in my life.”
And that is the end of Unspoken Truths! I know it ended horribly, but I might add on another little chapter of something cute for later in life, or something. I don't know, but I kind of wanted to leave it up for interpretation for you. Thank you so much for reading this, and here's to our hope that Jeronica will become canon!
A/n: Hi everyone! This has been my favourite chapter to write so far and I am really liking how the story is coming along! As usual, this fic will be on ao3 as well. Hope you all enjoy!!
Word Count: 3507
Fangs had gotten way too drunk as usual and since Sweet Pea had left with some girl and Toni was working, Jughead was left to walk him home. Jughead had just wanted to play pool and then come home early to get some writing done but typically, things did not go his way. Fangs had a tendency to wander off in his current state and so Jughead had to make sure that he got back to his trailer in one piece. Conveniently, Fang’s trailer was located adjacent to Jughead’s and he had just started to get him up the steps when Fangs started talking.
“God, Fangs can you just shut up for two minutes while I get you inside,” Jughead said irritated.
Fangs shook his head and pointed behind Jughead. “Veronica, hi it's Fangs.”
Jughead turned around with his mouth wide open. She laughed and started walking in their direction.
“Have a bit too much to drink, did we Fangs?”
“No, you did,” he replied before promptly falling down the steps Jughead had just hauled him up.
Jughead picked him and put his arm around his shoulder. “Okay, big man let’s get you inside.”
He settled Fangs on the couch and put a glass of water on the table. Fangs immediately started snoring. Jughead rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. He could hear Veronica laughing at the pair of them outside. He wondered why she was at his trailer and joined her outside.
“So, Veronica, not to be rude but, why are you here?”
“It’s movie night!” she exclaimed, holding up popcorn and some snacks.
“It’s what now?”
“Movie night! I actually called you a few times but I guess your phone is off,” she said, taking her phone out of her pocket.
He shrugged. “Yeah, I was at the Wyrm.”
“I thought as much.” She laughed.
He hadn’t made any movement in her direction and she shook her head.
“God Jughead, don’t look so shocked, we’re just hanging out.”
She laughed and walked to his door. “Are you not gonna let me in?”
Jughead moved past her and opened the door. She immediately swept in, surveying the area. He cringed inwardly. He had forgotten that Veronica was a Lodge for a second. He braced himself for the inevitable comment on how small it was.
“Can’t believe I’ve never been here before,” she said settling herself on the couch. “I mean we’ve been friends what? Two years and I’ve never been in your house, that’s a bit weird.”
Jughead managed a nod as a response. He got a bowl for the popcorn and handed Veronica his laptop. He sat at the other side of the couch and wiped his palms on his knees. Veronica rolled her eyes and moved to sit beside him.
“Don’t be ridiculous, how the hell are you going to see from there?”
She put the laptop on the table and indicated that it was his choice. He settled on a thriller that he had seen before but that he reckoned Veronica would enjoy. She swung her legs up on the couch and rested her head on his shoulder. Halfway through the film, he decided to ask the question he had been thinking about since he saw her waiting on his doorstep.
“Didn’t you have a date tonight?”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh yeah, I cancelled.”
He raised his eyebrows questioningly. “For movie night with me?”
“Sure, Jug. I’m not even sure I like Reggie that much.”
He frowned, confused. He had spent the week leading up to her date with Reggie hearing about how great Reggie was. Oh, Reggie thinks he can go to college on a football scholarship. Oh, you know, Reggie is actually really smart. Jughead had scoffed at the time and Veronica had smacked him with her purse. He considered asking Veronica why she had cancelled on her date, but the moment had passed and Veronica had focused her attention back on the film.
After another twenty minutes of the film, Veronica had fallen asleep. Jughead could hear her breathing softly. It wasn’t too late so he figured he could leave her there for a few minutes before dropping her home. He closed his laptop and draped a blanket over her. He had just finished washing the dishes when he heard FP’s keys in the lock. FP opened the door and upon spotting Jughead, opened his mouth to speak. Jughead immediately shushed him, gesturing towards Veronica.
“Sorry Dad, she just showed up.”
“No worries pal, I just forgot my wallet,” FP whispered, looking at him suspiciously.
Jughead averted eye contact, choosing instead to look for the wallet. He found underneath the newspaper on the kitchen table and handed it to FP without looking at him. FP put a hand on his shoulder and Jughead turned around to face him.
“Is there something going on between you and the Lodge girl?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jughead replied, shaking his head at the thought.
Veronica stirred and sat up. “Hey FP. How are you?”
“I’m good Veronica, it’s nice to see you,” he said, laughing as he left the trailer.
She yawned widely and stretched. “God, what time is it? I wasn’t asleep for too long, was I?”
“Nah, you were only asleep for about fifteen minutes.”
“I should probably get home though.”
Jughead nodded. “Yeah, I’ll drop you.”
Veronica put on her jacket and Jughead noticed she was wearing jeans instead of her usual skirt and top ensemble. Jughead handed her the helmet she usually used. They got on the bike and settled into their usual position. It felt almost natural to the pair. It was quite dark by now and the streets were almost empty considering it was the middle of summer. When they reached the Pembroke, Veronica got off the bike and handed him back the helmet. After a moment of consideration, Jughead gave it back to her.
“Keep it.”
“Keep it? Why?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
He blushed. “I mean you have been using it a lot, it would just be more convenient.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Convenient… right.”
Jughead shrugged. “Whatever.”
She rolled her eyes and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow Jug.”
He grinned at her and she went inside. He got on the bike and went home. Later that night when FP came home Jughead avoided all questions explaining that he had a lot of writing to catch up. FP laughed at his feeble attempt at distraction. Jughead went to bed and dreamed of a girl with dark hair.
Veronica was working the next day when Jughead arrived at around lunchtime. She came running out of the kitchen to see him. She ran into him and hugged him, almost knocking him off his feet.
“Wow Veronica, hey.”
“So, new plan: we are going clubbing tonight with Fangs, Sweet Pea, Cheryl and Toni,” she told him as she stepped back.
“Yeah, okay,” he replied, nodding his head.
“I think it’ll be super fun and we don’t have to stay long if-” she paused. “Wait did you just say yes?”
“Yeah, I mean why not?” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sure it’ll be fun.”
“Oh my God, this is so great!” she screeched, practically leaping on him. “I will see you tonight!”
She disappeared into the kitchen again and Jughead was left with his thoughts. He sat down and ordered fries from Pop. Jughead took his laptop out and started working on his novel. He didn’t get much work done but found himself thinking about the night out. It should be fun, right? I mean it might be a little weird hanging out with Veronica with other people there, but it probably won’t be too bad. At least that’s what he hoped.
After Veronica had left to get ready and had kissed him on the cheek he decided to stay and do a little more work. He had just about finished another chapter when Archie walked in, with Josie trailing not so far behind him. Jughead looked on in disbelief as they sat down together. He supposed that he better go over and say hello. He put his stuff away and stood up to walk over. From this angle, he could see Archie’s hand on Josie’s leg. He couldn’t believe that Archie was doing this to Veronica. There was no way he was going over to him now. Instead, he left the diner, ignoring Archie calling after him. There was no way that was Jughead’s old best friend. He didn’t recognise the Archie he saw in there. There was nothing to do but look forward to the night ahead.
The boys had decided to arrive early to start the night off right. They were currently sitting at the bar of the nightclub where Jughead was restraining from rolling his eyes at the bullshit story Sweet Pea was spouting. They had gotten in using fake ids Fangs had gotten them and Jughead was surprised that the bouncer hadn’t asked too many questions. Although looking back on it, Sweet Pea was a pretty intimidating person to most people so that was probably why. They were two drinks in and Sweet Pea was already getting loud. Jughead ordered another beer and zoned back in to pay attention to Fang’s story about some joke he had made in biology that a girl had laughed at. He was just taking another sip of the beer when the girls walked in. He almost choked on his drink. Veronica was wearing a black, velvet, bodycon dress which clung to her in all the right places.
“Jesus Jughead, pick your jaw up off the floor,” Fangs said, swinging around in his chair to greet the girls.
“Yeah keep yourself together, man or she’ll notice,” Sweet Pea laughed, clapping Jughead on the back.
“Shut up, its whatever.”
He turned back to his drink. The girls came over, interrupting his peace. Cheryl announced that they were doing shots and bought them all two shot glasses of Sambuca each. Jughead hesitated to drink his shot but when Veronica smiled at him and clinked her glass against his, he threw it back without registering the taste.
“So, Jug how did the writing go today?” Veronica asked.
Jughead blushed. “Actually, pretty well, thanks for asking.”
“Am I ever going to be allowed to read this novel?” She said, leaning closer to him.
Jughead moved forward to whisper in her ear. “If I showed you I’d have to kill you.”
She tipped her head back with laughter and sat forward in her stool to peer at the back of the club.
“If I’m not mistaken, that is a free booth,” she told him.
She gave him a mischievous smile before making her way through the crowd with Cheryl and Toni in tow. Sweet Pea and Jughead followed behind them, but Fangs was nowhere to be seen.
“I see we’ve lost a serpent,” Cheryl said as they all sat down.
Sweet Pea rolled his eyes. “I saw him go off with some college guy at the bar.”
Surprisingly, Jughead found himself having fun. It was always interesting to see Sweet Pea drunkenly ranting about how awful Reggie was and to see Cheryl and Toni’s not so subtle under the table flirting. And Veronica. He was really enjoying talking with Veronica. They had been talking about the most recent time Veronica had gotten caught sneaking out when he realised that Sweet Pea had never come back with their drinks. He was hypnotised by how animated Veronica was as she told them all how she had been clambering down the drainpipe. Jughead figured Sweet Pea’s safety was probably higher on the priority list so he made his excuses and went in search of him at the bar. The barman asked for his order and Jughead shook his head.
“No, thanks. I’m actually looking for my friend. Tall, dark hair, neck tattoo?”
The barman jerked his head in the direction of the door. “Think he’s gone outside, Liv’s on her break.”
“Great, thanks.” Jughead slapped his hands on the counter and started to make his way over.
“Oh, I wouldn’t go out there, pal. They were flirting pretty hard when I last saw them.”
Jughead shuddered. So, that was a lost cause. He thanked the barman and made his way back to the booth. Cheryl was on Toni’s lap as they both pretended to listen to Veronica. It was clear they just wanted to be alone so Jughead invited Veronica to go outside with him. She agreed, looking visibly relieved. He took her hand and lead her through the throngs of people. They got to the outside balcony where it was quieter and more relaxed. There was softer music playing and many people were just sitting talking. Jughead went to the edge of the balcony and lit up a cigarette.
“I didn’t know you smoked?”
“Well, being in the serpents is a pretty stressful job.”
“Does Betty know you smoke?” she asked, raising her eyebrows teasingly.
“Betty doesn’t know everything,” he said wincing.
“Hit a soft spot, have I?”
“Yeah, something like that,” he muttered.
Veronica just laughed. Jughead watched as she leaned out over the balcony.
“It’s so wild, you can see all of Greendale from here,” she remarked.
“Yeah, I suppose.”
Veronica grabbed his shoulder and pointed. “Look, there’s Pop’s!”
He nodded, barely registering the scene. He grabbed hold of her to steady her as she stood on her tiptoes. She stood back and looked back in the direction of the club.
Jughead deflated. “Do you want to go back inside or?”
“Let’s dance!”
Jughead coughed in surprise and dropped his cigarette. “I’m not exactly a great dancer, Veronica.”
She smiled and grabbed his hand. “Oh, pfft, who cares? Everyone is drunk anyway.”
He shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. She rolled her eyes. “We can just dance here.”
Jughead swallowed. “Okay.”
She put her arms around his neck and he rested his hands on her waist. She put her head on his chest. They danced slowly on the balcony of the nightclub. It wasn’t dancing as much as it was glorified swaying. There weren’t many people outside at this stage of the night as the closing time was fast approaching. It almost felt like they were the only two people there. Jughead knew he was being ridiculous. But he couldn’t help it. His thoughts were interrupted by Veronica.
“God I really needed this, did you know apparently Archie and Josie are a thing now.”
“Yeah, I saw them at Pop’s earlier.”
She sighed. “It doesn’t matter I suppose, I’m over it anyway but it would’ve been nice of him to give me a bit of notice.”
Jughead pulled her closer and leaned his chin on her head. She sighed again. She buried her head in his chest. He moved his hand to put it on the small of her back. He could feel her breath, hot on his neck. The smell of her perfume was the only thing he could think of. Chanel. It was so distinctly Veronica. Another set of people disappeared inside and could feel his heartbeat accelerating. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to say it, he assumed it was the beer.
“You look beautiful tonight, Veronica,” he said so softly it was almost a whisper.
Veronica leaned back and made eye contact with him. She opened her mouth to reply but Sweet Pea tapped on Jughead’s shoulder. They sprang apart. She flicked her eyes to Jughead’s lips, so quick that Jughead thought he imagined it. She then turned her attention to Sweet Pea.
“Hey, is there something wrong?”
“Yeah, I just can’t find Fangs,” he slurred.
Jughead put his arm around him. “Okay, let’s go find him.”
They searched for about ten minutes before they found him lip-locked with some guy from Greendale. It took them another few minutes to convince Fangs that they were leaving, during which, Veronica decided to search for Cheryl and Toni. It turned out it was a fruitless search and they started the long walk home with Sweet Pea leaning on Jughead and Fang’s shoulders. Sweet Pea was vividly describing how his ‘talk’ with Liv the bartender had gone as they walked through into the trailer park. Veronica was walking ahead of them, but she turned around to glance every so often to roll her eyes. Unable to properly reply, he smiled back at her.
“Well, boys! I am going to make my way home!” she announced, curtseying and blowing kisses in their direction.
Jughead threw Sweet Pea’s arm from his shoulder, almost causing him to fall. “Hey, Veronica wait! I’ll walk you home.”
She waved him away and continued walking. “That won’t be necessary, I can take care of myself.”
He sped up to catch up with her, ignoring the not so subtle wink from Sweet Pea. He caught her elbow and she turned around to look at him.
“No, I want to.”
She beamed and took his hand. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Veronica got a mischievous glint in her eye.
“You know what I want to do?” Her eyebrow arched in question.
Jughead facepalmed. “Oh God, Veronica what?”
“My parents are out for the night, let’s break into the liquor cabinet!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air as if she had just won a prize.
Jughead rolled his eyes but heard himself agreeing. “You know, that actually sounds kinda fun if I’m being honest.”
She grinned deviously and lead him up the stairs after tiptoeing past the sleeping doorman. The place looked exactly as he remembered from the last time he had tried to make peace with Hiram almost a year and a half ago. He walked in the direction of the kitchen while Veronica busied herself with the alcohol. He had just found the glasses and set them down on the counter when Veronica’s head appeared at the door.
“What’s more expensive, whiskey or brandy?” she asked.
Jughead shrugged. “I have no clue.”
Veronica laughed playfully. “You know what? We’ll just try both.”
She disappeared for a minute and came back with two bottles of Hiram’s finest as she referred to them. She poured a glass of the whiskey for the two of them. She clinked her glass with him.
“To clubbing,” she toasted.
Jughead laughed and brought it up to his lips. They both took a sip and winced at the sharp taste.
“I’m getting notes of Satanism and unhappiness,” Jughead said confidently, pretending to swish it around in his mouth.
“Ah yes, I also taste the pain of the poor and lettuce.”
Jughead snorted. “Lettuce is that all you could think of? Really?”
Veronica punched him in the arm. “Hey! You have an unfair advantage considering you’re a writer and I haven’t gotten anything above a C in English this year.”
They both looked at each other in a serious manner before bursting into laughter. After they had calmed down and Veronica had safely restored the liquor to its rightful place, Veronica decided to give him the grand tour. She had been about to open the door to her room when Jughead decided it was too late for him to be in Veronica’s room.
“You know I should probably go-” Jughead started but he was interrupted by a key in the front door.
Veronica’s eyes widened in surprise and she ushered him toward her room. “You’re going to have to leave through the window, I’m not supposed to have people over while they’re gone,” she half whispered.
Veronica shut her door with a soft click and prayed that they wouldn’t come to see her before going to sleep. To her luck, they passed by her door and the noise disappeared into their room. Veronica breathed a sigh of relief and turned so her back was touching her door.
“Sorry, Jughead I still can’t risk you leaving through the door, they could still catch you.”
Jughead nodded sombrely. “Yeah, I get it. I should get down easily enough. I can use the drainpipe.”
Veronica made his way over to him as he sat on her window ledge. She took his hand.
“I’m really glad you came tonight, Jug.”
“Yeah, me too Veronica,” he told her seriously.
She leaned forward as if to kiss him on the cheek and Jughead closed his eyes. Her breath was hot on his face and Jughead could smell the sharp alcohol still on her breath. She planted an open-mouthed kiss on the corner of his mouth, leaving a faint smudge of dark berry lipstick. She leaned back and they both seemed to snap out of the daydream.
“I’ll see you soon, Veronica,” he said before slipping out of sight and disappearing into the night.
Veronica stood at the window for a moment longer. Why does everything feel weird? She came to the decision that it was probably the alcohol and went to get ready for bed.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones & Veronica Lodge
Characters: Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge, Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Kevin Keller, Jellybean Jones
Summary:
Five years have passed and the core four are back to Riverdale. After Archie and Betty cheated on their significant others, a long lasting friendship bloomed between Veronica and Jughead. Now that they are back in town, their old relationships start digging up some hidden feelings between them.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge
Characters: Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge
Additional Tags: Vampire Jughead, witch veronica, Supernatural AU - Freeform, in this universe witches are immortal too, Immortality, theyre both centuries old, archie's a werewolf, betty's a faerie, they arent really a big part of this at all, And honestly, this au is just for fun, something to write when im having trouble writing the other ones im working on, itll probably only be like 3 chapters max, maybe 4, havent decided yet - Freeform, i dont think there will be any smut, but who knows, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, But also, alternate universe - witch, Angst, also kinda sad? maybe?
