can u please do a jughead x reader (they r friends) and the reader has huge anxiety and starts to have a random panic attack when she is hanging out with jug. he comforts her and is the sweetest and helps her get through it and gets her what she needs and it's cute and fluffy:) (also could you not really add that much of the actual show into, just more of the character if u get what i mean) xoxo –Anonymous

Warnings: mentions of anxiety, depiction of a panic attack

When you woke up, you already knew things were getting bad again. Usually you were able to keep the magnitude of your anxiety under control (yet still ever present) through thought exercises taught by your therapist and a hearty regimen of medications, but on some days even the most practiced thoughts and the strongest chemicals couldn't help. Even worse, you could never figure out when it was going to happen, or why.

You'd opened your eyes to a pounding in your chest and shallow breathing. Your hands shook when you reached for your pill bottles and did your makeup for the day. You kept drawing crooked lines onto your lids with eyeliner. Stupid, stupid, stupid. This caused you to draw them even worse. Wipe them off, try again, mess up, repeat.

Finally, you were able to look semi-decent. You took a deep breath, staring at yourself in the mirror.

"Keep it together girl," you murmured. "Get through one day looking normal. You can do this."

"Sorry I'm late," you said, trying to suppress the shaking in your voice as you descended the staircase to your house. Your best friend and crush, Jughead, was leaning against the doorway downstairs, waiting to walk you to school. How could you inconvenience him like this?

Jughead noticed your quiet nature upon walking to school. Usually you'd engage in witty banter with him over the latest drama at Riverdale High, but even now you trained your eyes straight ahead, as if walking was the most difficult task in the world.

"Everything okay?" Jughead asked.

"Yeah," you said, a strained smile on your face. "Just tired I guess." He probably hates you.

He let it go. You got to school and were able to make it through the whole day without anyone else noticing what was wrong. School was good because everyone had to sit quietly anyways. Little did your classmates know that inside you were a wreck. You constantly prayed to whatever higher power there was that the teacher wouldn't call on you. You're just going to embarrass yourself, you idiot. Your hand shook so much it was difficult to write. Any shift in your chair and you cursed yourself for drawing attention to yourself. All the while, your heart raced and your breathing was shallow.

The bell rang and you were almost able to make it out the door when Jughead grabbed the back of your backpack. You whirled around, eyes wide.

"Whoa! Sorry there," Jughead said with an earnest smile. "You said we could work on the chemistry homework today."

"Oh yeah," you said in a quiet voice. How could you forget?

You silently followed Jughead to the student lounge, where you settled into the couch with your books and laptops.

Upon scanning through the pages, your heart stopped. You didn't know how to do any of this. This was all based on the lecture your teacher gave you this morning, and your mind was too full of thoughts to even barely pay attention.

"I have no idea what Mr. Simmons was talking about today," Jughead joked. "So I hope you know what you're doing."

You dumb bitch. Jughead needed one thing from you, and you're letting him down.

Your breathing became audibly short. Your pencil shook, and you tried with as hard as possible to read the pages but they became fuzzy, then blurred all together.

"Hellooo," Jughead said, waving a hand in front of your face. "Earth to (Y/N)!"

Your head whipped up, seeing a smiling yet confused Jughead.

"So, what did you get for #1?" He asked.

That's it. You couldn't take it anymore. In one moment, one mistake, the anxiety and self-doubt and fear from the whole day came crashing down around you.

"I-i-i don't know," you whispered. "I'm sorry." You began to hyperventilate, tears flowing from your eyes.

Jughead's eyes widened. "Oh, no."

Your arms wrapped your knees close to your chest and your breath came out in short sobs. It was becoming hard to see. Your body was numb. You could see Jughead but at the same time you couldn't see him. Why? Why? Why?

Jughead tilted your chin so you were staring directly into his blue eyes. Things began to focus around him, the fuzziness dissipating. "Can I touch you?"

You felt like your muscles were pulled taut by a crank, but somehow, you were able to nod ever so slightly.

His arms went around you, pulling you into him. "Match your breathing with mine."

He breathed in an exaggerated manner. In, out. In, out. His nose nuzzled into the crook of your neck, and you felt his hot breath against your skin. You smelled him too. He smelled like evergreen soap. You liked that smell.

Eventually, your breathing was able to mimic his. Tears still flowed; you felt so bruised inside from the panic attack. Jughead's hand went to rubbing your back, calming you down.

And somehow, the tears were able to stop.

You looked back up into Jughead's eyes, ashamed. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

He shook his head. "Never say that, (Y/N). I was scared, but only because I didn't know what was happening to you." He relaxed, pulling away, his hand entwined with yours the last thing connecting you two. "Why didn't you tell me you had anxiety?"

Your lip quivered. "I... I like you Jughead. I didn't want to look bad." You looked away, a red blush growing on your cheeks.

Jughead grinned, caressing you face. "I like you too, (Y/N). All of you. Today, I learned something about you I didn't know before. Something that I can potentially help you with. And I'm thankful for that."

You smiled, feeling warm inside from Jughead's feelings for you.

"Is there anything else I can do to make you feel more comfortable?" Jughead asked.

Heart still fluttering in your chest, your hand squeezed his to suppress your growing panicked feeling. "I think I know one thing," you said with a wry smile.

Leaning in, you kissed your best friend, Jughead Jones. Your heart continued to race, but you didn't mind.