Jughead was naturally a cold person. In the summer, he always wore at least 3 layers because he still felt so cold. In the winter he wore even more. The iconic beanie he wore used to be worn for warmth, but now he didn't need it... he had something else to do that.
He still wore the tattered thing though, because it was a gift from his younger sister Jellybean. The younger girl had ran into him in pure excitement of giving him his gift. He had loved it because it was from her. He loved all the things he recieved from those he loved, even if he would never use them.
Even though he loved the hat, he knew he could go without it. He would still be fairly warm. He only wore it now to remind him that someone cared for him, and now he didn't need to know. Archie made sure he knew everyday.
They weren't in a secret relationship, the topic was just never fully addressed in such a way where both boys came out to the school... let alone to the World. They're friends somehow knew though... they always knew.
They were okay with it, if not proud. They had recieved congratulations, and promises of support from all of them. Cheryl included.
Jughead had known how distraught Cheryl had been these recent months, which is why he found it so completely and utterly strange that she had approached him and Veronica to apologise for her actions. The weirdest thing aside from her apology (because the rich girl in school never had to apologise for anything) was the fact that she was smiling. Not a happy smile, or a sad one... more like a peaceful one.
He was concerned, but apparently that didn't matter now that they were here.
Him and his three other friends were standing on thin ice of the frozen river where Jason had drowned. Veronica and Betty were crying, hugging each other tightly, screaming every now and then for help. Archie, he was on his knees in front of all three of them, punching the ice with a suprising amount of force repeatedly, occasionally yelling in frustration or pain.
Jughead just stood there, numbly, watching as Archie desperately tried to save Cheryl, and Veronica and Betty panicked over their friend. Jughead was so in shock, that he barely felt the cold.
Soon enough, Archie broke through the ice, now using both hands to smash a big enough hole for him to reach through and drag Cheryl out. Jughead felt sick at the amount of blood that seeped into the water as Archie hit it again and again.
Once Archie pulled Cheryl out, everyone fell quiet, all their stomachs filling with dread when they saw Cheryl wasn't breathing.
Archie began to perform CPR, determined to save this girls life. Jughead nearly yelled out to Archie when he heard the ice groan at the pressure. He swallowed his concerns when no one else seemed to notice. He just might be worrying to much over his boyfriend.
After a while, Cheryl finally coughed up water (no one found it funny that it was in Archie's face) and took a deep breath. She was going to live. Jughead watched as Archie slowly and cautiously picked her up bridal style, and Jughead saw the cracks in the ice from where Cheryl previously laid. He caught eyes with Archie, and by the look on the redheads' face, he had seen in too. Immeadiately, both looked down to where Archies' feet were planted, watching as the ice slowly cracked beneath him. It wasn't going to hold him for long.
He faintly heard Veronica and Betty shout for Archie over the blood pumping in his ears. He didn't care about them in that moment though, because Archie was in danger.
"Jughead! Take Cheryl and get off of the ice! All of you!" Archie yelled, his voice shaking in undoubtful fear.
Jughead wanted to refuse. He didn't want to leave Archie. Yet he knew if all of them were on the ice, there was more chance that Archie would fall through within the next minute.
"W-we'll get help, j-just hold on!" Veronica had cried.
Archie nodded, handing Cheryl carefully over to Jughead, both of then wincing as the ice screamed further beneath Archie's feet.
Once Cheryl was secure in his arms, he looked at the girls and said, "Let's go!"
He held eye contact with Archie one more time, both of them seeming to say unheard things with their eyes.
He turned away, beginning to move back towards land when he heard the ice crack further. He turned around fast enough to give him whiplash.
"I-I'm fine, Jug. Just go and get help!"
Jughead nodded, painfully retreating to land, because he never wanted to leave Archie. He didn't dare look back, scared he would drop everything and run back to the redhead who saved his life.
He faintly heard the girls trailing behind him, their cries being muffled by each others jackets.
After what felt like an eternity, they reached the solid ground that Jughead wished Archie was on right now. Veronica took off her coat and laid it on the ground by a tree, and Jughead put Cheryl down on top of it. Once he was sure that she was comfortable (despite being soaking in wet in the freezing cold) he stood up and whipped around, his eyes scanning the ice before focusing on Archie.
He absently pointed behind him without turning around, "Someone call 911! And someone else call Fred!" He screamed at the girls. He kept his eyes focused on the red jacket and hair while the girls screamed for help down their phones.
"Fred's on his way now! They're sending the Fire Brigade! Jughead what should we do?" Veronica yelled.
Jughead honestly didn't know. He couldn't think straight. His mind and heart were racing in terror. He was about to answer the question when his eyes widened in Archies' direction.
The girls fell silent as well as a loud crash echoed across the landscape, and Archie disappeared from sight.
Veronica and Betty screamed. While Jughead just yelled out for Archie, begging him to respond. When Archie didn't resurface, Jughead ordered the girls to stay here before heading back onto the ice.
He ignored how breathless he was. He ignored the way the ice moaned beneath his feet. He ignored the girls protesting against his actions.
He didn't care about that. He had to find Archie. He couldn't lose him.
He sprinted to where Archie disappeared, skidding to hid knees beside the water which rushed underneath the surface he was standing on.
Jughead weighed his options. He could either repeat what Archie did to save Cheryl, which would possibly result in more ice cracking and taking them both... or he could...
He could jump in.
The hole seemed big enough, and it would reduce the risk of any ice cracking. The only risks were both of them drowning or being carried off by the current. Or one of them would make it out and the other didn't.
No way in hell was Archie going to be the one that didn't make it.
Without anytime to think of another option, Jughead shrugged off the jean jacket, the flannel and the beanie he was wearing. He toed off his shoes when he stood, abandoning the extra layers so that he was left in his shirt, jeans and socks.
Before he could chicken out, he took a deep breath, bracing himself, and dived in after his lover.
The cold water burned his skin and eyes as he was submerged in the darkness. The hairs all over his body stood on end as adrenaline pulsed through his veins. He heard his heart galloping as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and his skin adjusted to the cold, desperate to find Archie.
He twisted in his place, kicking out every now and then to stay near the surface. He could feel the current trying to drag him away, however he was relieved to find it was only a sluggish movement, meaning that it was easy to swim through, and that Archie couldn't have been dragged far.
He strained his eyes as he peered into the inky blackness, trying to find his boyfriend. His head pounded as he was slowly running out of air. Just when he thought he'd have to turn back for oxygen, he saw it. He saw red.
His eyes focused on the floating colour singalled out amongst the black, realising it was a body.
Archie.
Without hesitation, Jughead kicked as fast as he could, reaching out for Archies' arm. His fingertips brushed the red hoodie before he got a firm grip, pulling the boy towards him. He barely noticed black dancing in the corners of his vision as he had scarcely any oxygen.
He hugged the boy close to him, terror rising in his gut as he realised Archie was complete deadweight.
Archie didn't have time to hold his breath before he was pulled under.
He fought his way back to the hole he came from, dragging his lover with him. The current suddenly felt infinately stronger.
As he resurfaced, he gasped for breath, the dizziness finally catching up to him. He felt Archies' head in the crook of his neck, yet he felt no breath from his boyfriend.
He threw Archie onto the ice, pushing his legs out of the water and rolling him over onto his back before leaping out himself. He heard the ice by his knees as he pushed himself up moan once more, but he no longer cared, because Archie wasn't breathing.
Archie wasn't breathing.
He crawled over to the prone form of his lover, cupping the redheads face, feeling how cold his flushed skin was.
"A-Archie?!" Jughead whispered with tears in his eyes, desperately hoping that Archie would wake up. He scanned the boys' face, and couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful he looked, even on the brink of death.
He shook his head, knowing this was not the time for admiration, and scanned the area. All the ice around the two boys was crackig ever so slowly. Jughead couldn't perform CPR here. There was no time to waste.
He gathered his dry clothes and slipped on his shoes to avoid slipping and hooked the dried clothes over his shoulder. He hastily kissed Archies' forehead before picking him up bridal style.
Carefully, and quickly, Jughead made his way to the shore, avoiding any large cracks. "Y-you're gonna be okay, Arch. Just stay with me." He whispered to ears who would not hear.
For a moment he wondered who exactly he was trying to reassure.
Miraculously, he managed to make it to shore, and could barely handle how all three girls gasped at the sight of Archie. Betty cried into Veronica's shoulder, and Cheryl put her hands over her mouth, shaking her head while tears rolled down her cheeks. Veronica looked angry, but scared as she yelled to Jughead, "Do something!"
"Veronica! Get the flannel shirt under my jacket, on my shoulder and lay it down for me." He gestured to the clothing hooked over his shoulder by Archie's head.
Veronica complied without hesitation. Jughead laid Archie ontop of the red and black plaid. He dropped the rest on the clothing next to him before unzipping Archie's jacket so he could reach his chest easier.
As Jughead began CPR, the group of kids could hear sirens in the distance, gradually coming closer. He could hear Betty on the phone, telling them that they were off the ice but Archie wasn't breathing and that his boyfriend was doing CPR.
"Come on, Archie! Don't do this!" Jughead cried with each push of the chest.
After about 3 minutes, no response had come from the boy, so Jughead resorted to rescue breathing. "Come on, Archie! I love you, don't leave!"
It was about 2 minutes later, Archie coughed up tonnes of salt water, taking a huge gaso for breath. Jughead had never heard such a relieving sound. Archie turned onto his side, still coughing up the remains of the water, and Jug breathed in deeply, sighing in relief.
He held onto Archie while he coughed, stroking his back and hair, until Archie rolled onto his back again, groaning in pain. He lifted his hand into the air, "J-Jug-"
Immeadiately, Jughead was at his side, cupping his cheek and holding his -bloody (that's going to need stitches) - hand. "I'm here, baby. Just stay awake for me."
Jughead nearly flinched away from how cold Archie felt, suprised at how dangerously cold his boyfriend really was. It was only then he noticed that he was shivering.
"C-can you sit up?" Jughead asked. Archie slowly nodded, and so Jughead pulled him up to a sitting position.
He peeled the wet red hoodie off of Archie, muttering an apology when Archie gasped at the cold. He lay him back down onto the flannel - which he hoped was fairly warm despite Jugheads' natural cold tempreture. Jughead turned and grabbed his jean jacket and his beanie. He laid the jacket over Archie's torso, chest and arms like a blanket, smiling when Archie pulled it closer. He lited Archie's head off the ground and put the beanie over his wet hair, hoping to give him some warmth until the emergency services showed up.
Momentarily satisfied, Jughead turned to Cheryl, double checking she was warm enough as well, Cheryl seemed to notice, as she nodded her head at him and whospered in a raspy voice, "I'm fine. Focus on him."
He nodded a thanks before refocusing his attention on Archie, rubbing his hands up and down his arms to try and warm him up, "Stay awake, Archie. You have to stay awake."
Archie opened his eyes, squinting at the brightness, before scanning the area until he found Jughead, "I-I'm a-awake." He shivered.
The teens stayed like that until helo finally showed: Veronica fussing over Cheryl while Betty had run off to the road the lead the paramedics and Fred there, while Jughead fussed over Archie.
They heard footsteps rapidly approaching them, alarming Veronica and Jughead. Arhie and Cheryl seemed to dazed and tired to notice. Betty came into view, the Fred - who was a sickly green colour and his face was one of worry - then at least a dozen paramedics and police officers.
Fred's sight finally lay on the boys, "Oh God, Archie!"
He ran and skidded to Archies' side, stroking through the cold boys' hair. Archie turned his head slightly to face him, "D-Dad?"
"Don't talk, son, help's here. You'll be okay." The older man said softly.
The man shrugged off his coat, and Jughead thought he would give it to Archie but instead, Fred stood, wrapping it around Jugheads' shoulders. Jughead looked at him in confusion - his son was on the floor, possibly freezing to death, and he gives the jacket to the other guy?
Fred read the confusion etched on the boys' face, "I'd rather not have Archie on my case because I let you get hypothermia or pneumonia." He smiled despite the utter terror he felt for his son.
It was only then Jughead realised he cold he had felt. He had dived into the water too, he must look just as bad as Archie.
The paramedics scattered into groups, putting Cheryl and Archie on stretchers and wrapping all three kids whom were soaked in tinfoil, before putting the dry layers that were previously on them over the foil for comfort. One paramedic held onto Jugheads' shoulder while Fred held the other as they followed Archies' strecther out of the woods. He was loaded into an ambulance, Jughead and Fred sitting inside, while Betty and Veronica went with Cheryl.
Jughead absently held stroked Archies' knuckled on the unbroken hand, reflecting on how wrong the day had turned out.
He had nearly lost Archie today. Archie had nearly fucking drowned in the cold and dark, alone. If he hadn't have made it in time... he couldn't even finish the thought.
Archie Andrews had saved Jughead Jones's life in more ways a person could even begin to imagine. Not just with a new home or bed, or just being the only friend he needed. Or loving him practically unconditionally, but instead he had saved his life just by simply existing.
Jughead basically worshipped Archie. Not in such a way where he was like a puppy following the redhead around. But in a way where a simple smile from the boy could make his whole day and good one, let alone a week. He had this terrifying bloodlust when he saw that Archie was upset because of something or someone - determined to destroy whatever brought this happy kids' blinding brightness to a dim, flickering light. He would sacrifice anything to make sure the boy laughed everyday, he would most certianly kill to ensure that he was safe.
It scared Jughead, how much he loved him, because he knew one day he may scare Archie with it too. And all Archie had to do in order for this love to fill every cell in Jugheads' body, was look at him.
Today, when Archie's eyes were filled with fear and terror, Jughead - for a moment, wanted to kill Cheryl for putting his lover in such a jeaprodising position. He would've literally sacrificed himself to the Gods then and there to keep Archie safe. Yet now, here he was, sitting in an ambulance as Archie slowly froze to death. He knew, logically, Archie was going to recover, but the thought that maybe - just maybe - he wouldn't have, scared him shitless.
He couldn't recall when he became so dependant on Archie, when all his life was filled with was red hair, music, and football. But he loved it. Without it, he wouldn't have known what he would've done.
Hell, followed Archie to the afterlife probably.
He needed Archie like he needed oxygen, he was well aware of that. He just didn't realise how badly he needed Archie until he almost didn't have him.
He kissed the sleeping boys' knuckles, resting his forehead on them later. He vowed to never let Archie leave without him. He swore to always protect Archie, even if it meant losing himself.
Because Jughead didn't care what happened to him. Archie was his oxygen. And without him?
Jughead felt like he was drowning.