[ there! a flash of hope. her fingers are covering his and while it may be the level of contact they’re usually on, it’s more than he expects. archie doesn’t stir, not an inch, afraid that if he does that he’ll jar her out of wanting him around at all. that’s silly, of course, because this is veronica and she’s not going to dart away at the first sign of trouble. if so, she’s had plenty of chances.
exactly, a little voice named doubt whispers. she’s given you enough chances.
and then she just- forgives him? he cocks his head to the side, searches her face for a way that this can be okay. yeah, it’s the answer he wants. the one he’s hoping for. he doesn’t want to jump at it too soon, like this is her putting on a brave face and sweeping it under a rug, and that’s not what he wants. he wants her to be honest with him. as transparent as he’s attempting to be. his lips part when she squeezes his hand and he shuts them as quickly as they opened once he sees she isn’t through speaking. ]
It’s okay if you are. [ she doesn’t have to put up a front for him. she seems genuine but a part of him feels like he doesn’t deserve it. ] You can be mad. I would be. [ not that he’s encouraging her to get worked up. ] It’s never going to happen again. I can tell you that. You’re the one I want to be with. [ he clutches her hand back because maybe she doesn’t want to hear it, maybe she doesn’t believe him, but he needs to say it. ] I love you, Ronnie.
[ he lets out a bitter laugh at that, more at his own expense. that he was going to tell her something horrible happened. isn’t this? ]
I guess we've all had to redefine horrible lately. [ god, what a life. ]
[ which is the truth, and it's why, even if this bit of news shakes her up a bit, it doesn't make her doubt him. not really. they were on a break, and things were insane. and she's not stupid. she hasn't just conveniently forgotten their history - but the Barchie backstory doesn't intimidate or worry her. maybe if she were less confident it would, but she knows what she has with Archie is special. special. what a ridiculous word. but it is, she knows that. it's what made her swallow her fears when it came to those three little words.
so they kissed. so what? that doesn't change what Archie means to her. it doesn't change what Betty means to her, either. ]
And I trust you. I trust that if it was something more than that, more than just a kiss, you would tell me. So that means you should trust me when I say it's okay. Alright?
[ because his guilt is so transparent, and she can't just ignore that. she won't let this eat at him, just the same as she won't let it eat at herself. they're stronger than that. ]
[ there's a ripple of relief that shoots through him, though it isn't enough to soothe him completely. he wishes that were the end of it, that he had no other secrets to throw at her. he shifts in his seat, straightens his back in the booth because there's one more thing he needs to get off his chest in order to stop feeling guilty. ]
There's something else. [ and ( if possible ) he looks even more uncomfortable about this. ] When we were in that prison world, Jughead and I had to kiss to keep up our cover. [ he holds his hands out, palms up, not as a means of withdrawing from veronica but to show her that he doesn't know what to say about that. he's not hiding anything else. ] If it makes you feel any better, neither one of us enjoyed it. That's it. That's everything, I swear.
I do trust you and I want you to keep on trusting me, which is why I'm telling you all of this. I really hope this city doesn't have anything else up its sleeve.
[ she laughs, but it’s the kind of laugh that sounds like he’s knocked the wind out of her. her hands are back in her lap, eyes wide as she watches him because.. what?
We spent all night putting up posters that Jughead made to try and get people in Primus to revolt against the system, change sides, help get Servus out of the arena. Someone caught us in an alley. I had a backpack full of posters, cans of adhesive, tape. I don't even know what kind of equipment Jug had on his person, but if they caught us, reported us, we were done. So, yeah. We had to.
[ that's really the entire story. he supposes they could have tried to run and honestly, that'd been his first instinct. to flee the scene of the crime. but what if they hadn't been a passerby? what if they called the entire militia or police force down on top of them? it wasn't like riverdale! a one sheriff town with slow-moving police work where teenagers somehow played better detectives. ]
Other than that, we slept in separate rooms. It wasn't like that. I'm just-- I'm glad it's over.
[ well, she doesn't doubt his words. he sounds too sincere to really question it. it's just- timing. what she's feeling is not quite whiplash, but it sure is something. her brows are still lifted and her expression is still a little bewildered, but it's not- negative? she doesn't look pissed. so there's that. ]
I'm glad it's over, too. And I'm glad you're both okay. I- [ she sighs again, shakes her head with a smile that's accompanied by a scrunched nose because this is all so weird. ] I'm still not mad. Shocked, but not mad. Why am I not mad? [ it's not a real question, but she squints her eyes at him anyway, accusatory and a little silly ] You've made me soft, Archie Andrews. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive you for that.
[ the snarky commentary doesn't meet her expression quite as much as it might normally, no smarm to her smile, but she's trying. she doesn't want this to sit heavy between them. so she's reaching for his hand again, with both of hers, holding onto it as she just watches him for a moment ]
Is there anything else you want to get off of your chest while I'm still processing? I mean that sincerely- now is definitely the time.
[ there are things about that planet that are going to stick with him for the rest of his life, perhaps not directly on the forefront of his mind, but haunting his nightmares. at least the arena had gone down, people were freed from that madness, and they're as close to back to normal as they can be until they're finished here. if they finish here.
his brows are pinched. somehow, she's smiling. it's not perfect. this whole ordeal is a huge mess that archie's trying to neatly sweep up. he doesn't find anything particularly funny about their conversation, yet he laughs because there's too much nervous energy not to release it in some manner. the sound isn't joyous, it's tense. not because he's waiting for her to yell psych! and shout at him, but because this all feels as though it's happening to someone else. not him. not them. ]
Probably because it's completely ridiculous. [ those actions belong to him and he still can't believe it. ] No matter what side of the table you're seated at, it sounds crazy. [ but she's reaching for his hands and he won't turn away her forgiveness. he wants it too much. more than anything, he's confessing to her because he wants them to get back to good and stay there. ] That's everything, Ronnie. I swear.
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exactly, a little voice named doubt whispers. she’s given you enough chances.
and then she just- forgives him? he cocks his head to the side, searches her face for a way that this can be okay. yeah, it’s the answer he wants. the one he’s hoping for. he doesn’t want to jump at it too soon, like this is her putting on a brave face and sweeping it under a rug, and that’s not what he wants. he wants her to be honest with him. as transparent as he’s attempting to be. his lips part when she squeezes his hand and he shuts them as quickly as they opened once he sees she isn’t through speaking. ]
It’s okay if you are. [ she doesn’t have to put up a front for him. she seems genuine but a part of him feels like he doesn’t deserve it. ] You can be mad. I would be. [ not that he’s encouraging her to get worked up. ] It’s never going to happen again. I can tell you that. You’re the one I want to be with. [ he clutches her hand back because maybe she doesn’t want to hear it, maybe she doesn’t believe him, but he needs to say it. ] I love you, Ronnie.
[ he lets out a bitter laugh at that, more at his own expense. that he was going to tell her something horrible happened. isn’t this? ]
I guess we've all had to redefine horrible lately. [ god, what a life. ]
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[ which is the truth, and it's why, even if this bit of news shakes her up a bit, it doesn't make her doubt him. not really. they were on a break, and things were insane. and she's not stupid. she hasn't just conveniently forgotten their history - but the Barchie backstory doesn't intimidate or worry her. maybe if she were less confident it would, but she knows what she has with Archie is special. special. what a ridiculous word. but it is, she knows that. it's what made her swallow her fears when it came to those three little words.
so they kissed. so what? that doesn't change what Archie means to her. it doesn't change what Betty means to her, either. ]
And I trust you. I trust that if it was something more than that, more than just a kiss, you would tell me. So that means you should trust me when I say it's okay. Alright?
[ because his guilt is so transparent, and she can't just ignore that. she won't let this eat at him, just the same as she won't let it eat at herself. they're stronger than that. ]
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There's something else. [ and ( if possible ) he looks even more uncomfortable about this. ] When we were in that prison world, Jughead and I had to kiss to keep up our cover. [ he holds his hands out, palms up, not as a means of withdrawing from veronica but to show her that he doesn't know what to say about that. he's not hiding anything else. ] If it makes you feel any better, neither one of us enjoyed it. That's it. That's everything, I swear.
I do trust you and I want you to keep on trusting me, which is why I'm telling you all of this. I really hope this city doesn't have anything else up its sleeve.
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[ she laughs, but it’s the kind of laugh that sounds like he’s knocked the wind out of her. her hands are back in her lap, eyes wide as she watches him because.. what?
what? ]
You had to kiss?
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[ that's really the entire story. he supposes they could have tried to run and honestly, that'd been his first instinct. to flee the scene of the crime. but what if they hadn't been a passerby? what if they called the entire militia or police force down on top of them? it wasn't like riverdale! a one sheriff town with slow-moving police work where teenagers somehow played better detectives. ]
Other than that, we slept in separate rooms. It wasn't like that. I'm just-- I'm glad it's over.
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I'm glad it's over, too. And I'm glad you're both okay. I- [ she sighs again, shakes her head with a smile that's accompanied by a scrunched nose because this is all so weird. ] I'm still not mad. Shocked, but not mad. Why am I not mad? [ it's not a real question, but she squints her eyes at him anyway, accusatory and a little silly ] You've made me soft, Archie Andrews. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive you for that.
[ the snarky commentary doesn't meet her expression quite as much as it might normally, no smarm to her smile, but she's trying. she doesn't want this to sit heavy between them. so she's reaching for his hand again, with both of hers, holding onto it as she just watches him for a moment ]
Is there anything else you want to get off of your chest while I'm still processing? I mean that sincerely- now is definitely the time.
5,000 years later oops
his brows are pinched. somehow, she's smiling. it's not perfect. this whole ordeal is a huge mess that archie's trying to neatly sweep up. he doesn't find anything particularly funny about their conversation, yet he laughs because there's too much nervous energy not to release it in some manner. the sound isn't joyous, it's tense. not because he's waiting for her to yell psych! and shout at him, but because this all feels as though it's happening to someone else. not him. not them. ]
Probably because it's completely ridiculous. [ those actions belong to him and he still can't believe it. ] No matter what side of the table you're seated at, it sounds crazy. [ but she's reaching for his hands and he won't turn away her forgiveness. he wants it too much. more than anything, he's confessing to her because he wants them to get back to good and stay there. ] That's everything, Ronnie. I swear.