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

2010

The first time Jughead Jones had come across the strange hat, he was nine years old.
The hat had been tucked inside a brown paper bag and hidden at the back of his parents closet.

He found himself inexplicably drawn to the unusual headgear and couldn't help but gingerly run his fingers across the funny points decorating the brim.

He laughed to himself as he enjoyed how peculiar it was. The weirdness of it seemed to speak to him.
He then wondered where it had come from and how it had come to be in his parents possession.

A part of him kind of hoped it was a gift, purchased early and eventually intended for him. He let himself wish that his parents would be okay with him finding it and they'd just let him have it right away.

But instead, when FP came into the room and found Jughead wearing the hat and admiring himself in the mirror, a loud chorus of raspy No's bellowed out of his father's throat and quickly filled the trailer.

Jughead didn't understand what the problem was, he hadn't intended to upset his dad, but FP had been quick to take the hat back, returning it to it's bag before all but shoving his son out of the room.

Jughead would be even more confused when FP would later emerge from the bedroom, with puffy red-rimmed eyes and a half empty bottle in hand.

Something had clearly upset the older Jones, but FP wouldn't acknowledge it any further than his mumbled "sorry, son" before flopping down on the couch and passing out once more.

It wouldn't be until the following summer, on a day when the ice cream truck was stopped on the perimeter of Sunnyside.

Jughead would try to snag a few singles from a passed out FP's wallet and instead would pull out an old photo he'd never seen before.

The overexposed print had tattered edges and revealed to him a young girl who looked a lot like his mom, but wasn't, with her arms wrapped around a laughing little boy seated on her lap.

Jughead noticed that she had dark eyes, kind of like his dad, and the biggest smile on her face.

Jughead then realized that the child sitting on her knees was in fact him, and resting atop her head was a familiar grey beanie he still longed to call his own.

He would quickly put the photo back, like the moment never happened, but it wouldn't matter.
The image was already burned into his brain. Along with the inscription found on the back, in his dad's easy to recognize printing.

Nerys & Jughead.
Greendale Carnival, 2003.

Jughead realized he now had his work cut out for him. He really wanted to know who the girl was.
He also really wanted that hat.
He couldn't help but laugh out loud at his own priorities.

After casting a quick side glance over to FP, who was still passed out on the couch, Jughead would then just shrug it off.

Weird or not, at least *he* was being honest with himself.