Just a little (near 1000 words) jdronica fluff to sort of help with the discourse. Prompt given by snivellus-snapes on tumblr. Maybe not what you had in mind, but I wanted to get it out quickly and it still got out of hand. This is my first time writing them and I think they came out slightly OOC, but I think I have a little better of a handle on them now.

JD's been distant lately.

Veronica frowns at the ceiling, humming softly in consideration. Her boyfriend has always been incredibly attentive, so for him to near vanish strikes her as incredibly strange. (And maybe a little worrisome.)

She hauls herself out of bed and trots down to the landline in the kitchen, highly conscious of her mother preparing hors d'oeuvres for the book club hosted at the church down the road. Veronica dials for JD's home, praying against all hope that her boyfriend picks up instead of-

"Howdy!" Veronica groans silently at the gruff, Southern drawl that answers the phone. Big Bud. She forces cheer into her tone.

"Hi, Mr. Dean! I was wondering if JD's home?" She twirls the cord of the phone around her finger.

Big Bud huffs a bit on the other end of the line. "Nah, I ain't seen the pops around lately. Been real quiet. I thought he was with you?"

Shit.

Veronica laughs. "I'm sure he's just, uh, working overtime or something. Gotta pay that rent, yeah? Anyway, nice talking to you see you later!"

She shudders as she hangs up, dancing a little in place to rid herself of the residual shivers that like to hang around after an interaction with Big Bud Dean. Veronica huffs, stilling with a clap of her hands.

"So if he isn't at home… And he's not with me… Then…" She frowns. "What else does JD do with his time?

She corners him at school.

"Morning, Veronica!" JD greets her at her locker with open arms, leaning in for a quick good-morning peck. Veronica stops him with a finger to his lips. He raises an eyebrow, tilting his head as he goes ahead and presses the kiss to her finger. "Did I do something?"

She shifts, unsure how to begin. "So… I called you yesterday."

JD blinks slowly. "Alright?"

"Your father answered."

JD grimaces at that, straightening up. "Did he say anything?"

"Nothing bad. Just that you were gone." Veronica steps around him, twisting her combination into her padlock. Her locker swings open and two arms reach around her, gathering up her books. JD's head rests against hers as he pulls the books out.

"So?"

"So where were you?" Veronica spins around, raising an eyebrow.

JD only grins impishly as he closes the locker door, pressing the books into Veronica's arms. "Around and about."

Veronica's nose scrunches in distaste for his evasive answer. "JD- mmph!"

Her eyes widen as JD swoops in for a quick peck. He winks. "Relax. I promise, you'll love it."

JD holds open her backpack so she can slide her textbooks inside. Veronica smiles ruefully. "Your definition of what I'll love or mine?"

"Nothing bad, I swear."

"…I'm holding you to that."

Of course, it's later that day, after the final bell, that Heather Duke steps up to Veronica. Heather Macnamara trails behind her. Duke leans up against Veronica's locker, casually blocking her from getting in.

"So. I hear your boyfriend got a job."

Veronica blinks. "He did? That's news to me."

Duke raises an eyebrow and a grin curls her lips as she seems to sense the potential for drama. "Really? Why did he walk out of here wearing a 7-Eleven uniform then?"

She sniffs, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she channels her inner Heather, determined to protect JD from any of Duke's gossip. "I don't know, Heather, you seem to already have it figured out. He got a job, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but why wouldn't he tell you?" Heather Macnamara quips quietly. Duke whirls around, scrunchie bound hair nearly slapping Veronica in the face.

"Shut up, Heather!"

"Sorry, Heather!"

Veronica frowns at the exchange as Macnamara cowers behind Duke. She turns on her heel. "I have to go."

"Maybe he's got a drug addiction!" Duke calls after her.

She snorts softly into her journal.

JD, a drug addiction? Yeah, maybe if those drugs were Slurpee's.

Veronica laughs into the leather of her diary.

God, she's hilarious.

Still, it bothers her.

Veronica doesn't reach JD until 9:15. A weary voice answers the phone.

"'Yallo?"

"JD?" Veronica perks up, having honestly expected Big Bud. Again. For the fourth time this evening. A wide grin splits her face as she dances in place. "Finally?"

A tired chuckle reaches her. "So who's funeral are we attending? That's the only reason you'd call me so frequently. You need a date to throw off those awkward questions from relatives you don't even know."

"Not… quite why I called, but I will definitely keep you in mind if the time arises," Veronica promises. "I… actually had some questions?"

There's a tangible silence before JD answers. "Shoot."

"Okay, um." Veronica giggles nervously. "Oh God this is stupid, but, um… Did you… find a job?"

"No!" JD groans loudly into the phone, startling Veronica into dropping the receiver. By the time she's got it back to her ear, her boyfriend is already ranting away. "-and when I find whoever told you I swear I'll kill them for ruining our date!"

"Date?" Veronica cuts in, ignoring the way her pulse quickens from the butterflies in her stomach.

He falls silent again. "…Well… You were laughing at the 7-Eleven as a first date… so I thought I'd take you to a more… swanky place for our second."

"…" Veronica giggles and JD begins spluttering over the phone.

"What?"

"Jason Dean, you absolute dork." She sighs into the receiver, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "I love you."

"…I love you too," he mumbles back. Veronica's grin widens as she makes out the smile in his own voice. "But I am not a dork."