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x x x
The first time Reggie ever texts Jughead, he asks if he’s around to get high. Jughead knows that the rest of the gang has been busy this summer, but he didn’t realize that they’d been so busy, Reggie had run out of people to get high with. Veronica is travelling, Archie and Val are doing a little tour with their two-person show, Betty’s been working long hours at her uncle’s garage, Nancy and Chuck have gone to a neighbouring town to be camp counselors at a sleep-over camp, and…well, Kevin, Ethel, and Sabrina only get on Reggie’s nerves.
Jughead doesn’t say yes immediately. In fact, he lets the text message go unanswered for three hours. But Reggie surprises him by double-texting.
REGGIE: look, i’ll buy whatever you want at pop’s after
JUGHEAD: okay, i’m in. see you in thirty.
REGGIE: kay.
They meet at the park, sit on the grass behind some bushes, and pass a joint between them. Jughead doesn’t mind the fact that Reggie clearly doesn’t want to talk; the silent company is refreshing. When they go to Pop’s, Jughead orders his usual, and Reggie requests that Pop package up a another burger to go so Jughead can have something to eat at home. It’s not a bad way to spend the evening.
x x x
The next time Reggie texts to see if Jughead wants to get stoned,Jug’s been having a rough day. First, he got into a fight with his parents which he almost never does. Then Jellybean told him to ‘fuck off’ because, apparently, she didn’t need the advice of her big older brother anymore. And Archie ditched him for Valerie. Again.
Jughead doesn’t even ask if Reggie will be buying at Pop’s. He just goes to meet him.
x x x
Only on the third time that they get high together, does Jughead realize that Reggie is lonely. He didn’t really say anything, but maybe he didn’t have to. Jughead passes the joint back to Reggie before blowing some smoke out. Then he says, “Reggie…think you’d wanna go see the new Spiderman movie with me tomorrow?”
Reggie looks at him. “I’m free after six.”
“Cool.”
x x x
“It’s really fucking annoying, is what it is,” Reggie tells Jughead, rolling his eyes. They’re at Pop’s now - it’s late, the movie didn’t end until 11:30pm-ish - and they’re actually talking for once.
Jughead smirks. “Yeah? I don’t know, it’s not so bad.”
“It is! I mean, they were sitting beside each other for fuck’s sake.”
The way Reggie lets some emotion into his voice, as though the situation genuinely upset him, makes Jughead want to smile. He circles his straw around in his milkshake, trying to hide his amusement. “Maybe he was just shy. Maybe he’s just madly in love with her.”
Reggie sighs. “I don’t know. The least Moose could’ve done was ask Midge if her sister still needed help with moving.”
Jughead doesn’t look at Reggie anymore. He’s been learning, rather quickly, that Reggie isn’t who he had thought he was. Instead, Jughead’s experiencing a whole new side of him. It’s refreshing. Reggie, the guy Jughead thought was a self-adsorbed prick, turned out to be quite the softie. He had offered to help Midge’s older sister move into college - not to put the moves on her, but to help out with the rental truck their family couldn’t exactly afford.
He also replaced Archie’s guitar strings and had his piano tuned without Archie’s knowledge. Jughead had also learned that Reggie sent some wine and flowers to Veronica and Betty’s hotel room when he learned that Betty’s cell phone had gotten lost. Apparently, in the bouquet, Reggie had had the hotel staff buy Betty a new phone.
The only reason that Jughead had learned any of this was because Reggie would be telling him a story, and midway through, he’d slip in a little detail and try to keep talking over it.
“You know Moose probably doesn’t want to talk to Midge about you.”
“We went on one date! In grade nine! And I didn’t even kiss her!” Reggie says, exasperated. He throws his hands in the air, letting them hit the table with a surprising force.
“Yeah, and how did that work out for you?”
Reggie snorts. “If I had known that Moose was going to be so…so weird about my friendship with Midge’s family, well… I would’ve done something. I don’t know what. But I wouldn’t have let it get this far. Midge’s family is like…”
Jughead doesn’t wait for Reggie to finish that sentence. He already knows how it ends. Like my family. Because Jughead had overheard a few calls between Reg and his parents. They weren’t like the phone calls Jug has with his, or the calls that Betty goes with hers. They were tense, almost to the point of being downright professional, and there was never a smile on Reggie’s face after he hung up. Every single time, he scowled.
“Have you told Moose that?” Jughead asks, stirring his straw in his milkshake around some more.
Reggie shrugs. “No. I don’t know. I don’t really think that Merton Mason would understand.”
Jughead lifts an eyebrow. “Ah, so you don’t know.”
“Hmm?” Reggie asks, looking up to meet Jughead’s eyes.
“Moose is in a foster home. His mom was an alcoholic, and his dad took off. Moose has been lucky to stay with the same family for so long, but when he turns eighteen, he’s getting kicked out. The family is nice enough, but they only want the money that the foster care system gives them.” Jughead tilts his head, watching as Reggie’s eyes widen in understanding. He nods slightly. “Maybe he’s just afraid that you’ll take Midge’s family from him.”
“How did I not know any of this?” Reggie whispers.
“Because you’re so focused on what you want and how you feel, man.” Just then, Jughead’s phone buzzes. He looks down at it and sighs. “I gotta go. I’ll catch you later?”
Reggie doesn’t reply, but Jughead doesn’t really expect him to. He grabs his keys and heads out of the diner. He only glances back once to catch a glimpse of Reggie looking at him through the window.
The notification from his phone had been his mother apologizing for shouting at him this morning. These types of things are better in person. But Jughead also didn’t want Reggie to see it. He’s learned very quickly just how much Reggie’s parents ignore his existence. That’s no reason to rub it in.
x x x
REGGIE: soo…i told moose that i only wanted to help mags move because she and midge are like my sisters
JUGHEAD: yeah? what’d he say?
REGGIE: he asked me if i was the kind of guy to go kissin’ his sisters…
Jughead laughs so hard, he hits ‘call’ on his phone. A moment later, Reggie answers the phone to Jughead’s bubbling laugh.
“Dude! Stop laughing at me.”
“I’ll try, but I think it’ll depend,” Jughead says through giggles.
“On?”
“Are you the kind of guy who goes around kissin’ his sisters?” Jughead asks him, before the next laughing fit hits him. He has tears in his eyes. Reggie. Kissing. Sisters. God, that’s so good.
Jughead knows Reggie’s smiling before he even speaks. He can just feel it. “I told him I am not. And he told me if I changed my mind about that, I better stop thinking of them as sisters.”
Jughead snorts. “God. Moose can be so funny. He doesn’t even realize he is, but god.”
“I guess I can help Mags move though.”
“Yeah? You won’t be kissing her?”
Reggie rolls his eyes. Jughead would bet his last burger that Reggie just rolled his eyes. The mood on the phone line is now light and not so heavy. “No, dumbass, I won’t be kissing her. Besides, Mags is a lesbian. So I’m guessing, and I’m just going out on a limb here…but I’m guessing that I’m not her type.”
Jughead grins. God, Reggie could be such a delightful jerk sometimes. He leans back on his bed. “Is she yours?”
“Hmm. No. No, I wouldn’t say she is.”
“What is your type?” Jughead asks before he even realizes he wants to know.
There’s some shuffling noise in the background on Reggie’s line, and then the sound of a door clicking. “My type? I don’t know. Someone funny. Someone I can chill with, and talk to. Someone who doesn’t care about my money or my trust fund. Someone who…I don’t know. Who doesn’t expect more of me.”
“Ahhh, I meant physically, but hey, that works too.” Jughead pauses. “You said someone. Not a girl. Are you…?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. God, Jug. What’s with the twenty questions?”
Yeah. What is with the twenty questions? Jughead doesn’t really know, but he’s curious. And suddenly, he wants to know more. Like if Reggie is somewhere on the queer spectrum like Jughead. Not that he’s ever told anyone. He hasn’t found a word that suits him quite yet…asexual almost works. He’s probably more gray-ace or demisexual than anything. But at the same time, part of him wonders if he’s just straight up gay with a low sex-drive. He doesn’t know.
Despite his own personal tug-of-war with labels, he still wants to know Reggie’s.
“Dude, just asking because you weren’t gender-specific. And I always assumed you were straight.”
Reggie scoffs. “Well, I’m not.”
“Oh.” Jughead smiles. “That’s cool, man.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Jughead wishes this phone had a cord, so he could play with it. The silence is a little awkward and a little tense. So Jughead decides to release the tension somehow. “You know, I’m surprised Betty didn’t throw you a party. To celebrate your queerness.”
Reggie doesn’t say anything for a moment. “You’re the only one who knows.”
“Wait, what? Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Jughead doesn’t know what to do with this information. He just assumed he was the last one to know - he usually is. Sometimes, big things happen and Jughead has no idea until they’re over. And it’s not that he doesn’t love to listen to his friends…it’s just that…well, sometimes his mind wanders. Sue him.
“I’m queer.”
“What?” Reggie says.
“Yeah.” Jughead toys with a loose thread on his shirt. “Yeah. I don’t know what label works for me. Probably somewhere on the ace spectrum, but. Yeah. Definitely not straight.”
“Huh.”
“I haven’t talked about it with anyone before,” Jughead whispers.
This time the silence between them isn’t tense. In fact, there’s something almost comforting about it. After a moment, Reggie says, “Jug? I want to see you.”
It’s weird, but Jughead wants to see Reggie again too. Even though they’d been together only a few hours ago. He tugs on the loose thread. “Come over. I’ll pop the screen out.”
“See you in fifteen.”
Click.
What had Jughead just done?
x x x
There’s a small tap on the window. Jughead rushes over to pull it up. Reggie climbs in quietly. Jughead figures that’s one perk to having a bedroom on the first floor. He shuts the window carefully before turning to look at Reggie.
God, the guy was attractive. It doesn’t even look like he tried. He’s wearing sweatpants, for fuck’s sake. Jughead didn’t even know Reginald Mantle the Fourth owned sweat pants. But god, they hung on him so well. They were a bit tight in the crotch…but Jughead realizes that he doesn’t mind so much.
“When Betty and Veronica came out, it seemed so simple for them. I know it wasn’t, but god. They just seemed to fit, to make sense, that no one question it. But everyone knows me as the womanizer, so if I ever suggested to be into guys, I’d just get shot down.”
“I don’t think so.”
“It’s true. My own parents laughed at me when I told them. They didn’t think I was serious.” Reggie runs his hand through his hair. “And they kept asking me how I knew for sure. Had I ever kissed a guy. Had I ever had a crush on a guy. Had I…”
Jughead sits down beside Reggie at the foot of his bed. He brushes his arm against his. “You don’t need to have done any of those things to know.”
“But what if they’re right?”
“What if they’re wrong?”
Reggie huffs. “You’re impossible, Jug. I’m pretty sure…”
“Kiss me.”
“What?”
“Kiss me. Your parents need some sort of fucked up proof? Kiss me,” Jughead says, a little breathless. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s never really willingly kissed someone before. Sure, he’d had a couple of drunken make-outs but none of them had really been something that they’d talked about prior.
Reggie blinks hard. As if he can’t process what Jughead just said. Not that Jug blames him at all. But…then Reggie’s lips part. His eyes flutter down to Jughead’s. And Jughead feels his body ache a little. Like…well, like he wants to kiss Reggie.
“Now?”
“Now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Jug…”
“C’mon, Reginald Mantle the Fo–”
Reggie’s lips are on Jughead’s. His one hand is at the back of Jughead’s neck, the other pressed gently against his chest. Jughead doesn’t kiss back for a moment, but then he melts into the kiss. They take their time, as if they’re trying to figure out what makes the other go weak at hte knees, and before Jughead can beg for more, Reggie pulls back.
He drags in a long breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m definitely not straight.”
Jughead lets out a small, breathless laugh. “Cool.”
Reggie playfully shoves him and rolls his eyes. “You’re such a dork. C’mon, why don’t we watch a movie?”
Jughead looks at Reggie in a new light now. It’s like he’ll never figure him out because there are so many different sides to Reggie. He nods, not trusting his voice to speak just now. He pulls up his laptop and they browse Netflix together.
They’re almost done their fifth episodes of How to Get Away With Murder when Reggie nods off, holding Jughead’s hand. Jughead rests his head on Reggie’s and closes his eyes.
x x x
Reggie’s gone when Jughead wakes up, but that’s not unexpected. He stretches out and rolls over to see a piece of paper on the pillow beside him. Jughead reaches out for it, and in his sleepy haze, sees that Reggie left a note behind.
Thanks, Jug. I had to do something for Nancy this morning. Text me later. - R.
ps. Only text me if you want to, okay?
pps. No pressure, dude. Seriously.
ppps. Thanks again?
Jughead folds the piece of paper back up and rolls back into his pillow. He wonders what Reggie would think about the fact that he wants to kiss him again. He’s never wanted to kiss anyone before. But Reggie knew some tricks with that tongue of his, and Jughead wants more.
That’s new.
x x x
“Thanks for coming tonight,” Reggie whispers into Jughead’s ear. It sends chills down his spine, but he doesn’t let Reggie know. Before he’d had a chance to tell Reggie he wanted to kiss again, Reggie had told him that it’s better if they don’t. Apparently, Reggie didn’t want to ruin their friendship - especially since they were the only two who had stuck around Riverdale.
When Reggie had asked Jughead to come to one of his parents’ parties, Jughead had almost wanted to decline. He hates dressing up for these things, and he hates how pompous Reggie’s parents are. But Reggie had admitted he was nervous, so Jughead knew he couldn’t be anywhere else tonight.
“Of course,” Jughead murmurs back, as if he never would’ve turned him down. Reggie puts his hand on Jughead’s shoulder and gets a little close. “We’re friends, man. Besides, you promised me Pop’s for a week.”
“I did no such thing!” Reggie says, jerking his head back. When he realizes that Jughead is grinning, he rolls his eyes like the drama king he is. “You almost had me there, dingus. Ready to face the Mrs. and Mr Perfect Mantles?”
“Sure. I just need a dozen shots to deal with their fake personas.”
Reggie laughs, and Jughead watches the tension slip from his shoulders. Jughead follows Reggie through the crowd of middle-aged folk who eye them as they pass.
“Why, Reginald, it’s so nice of you to bring a friend. But I told you that I wanted you to bring a nice date,” Reggie’s mother immediately starts. She frowns. “We’re trying to gain a vote on the board of directors, and the last holdout believes in wholesome families.”
“Mom, I–” Reggie falters. He glances at Jughead, the apology written in his eyes. “I just wanted to hang out with Jug, that’s all.”
“Yes, well, I have to say…. Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third does clean up nicely…it’s not the look we were hoping for.”
Jughead doesn’t want to know how Reggie’s mom knows his full name. He looks at Reggie’s heartbreaking expression before he says, “Actually, Mrs. Mantle, I came tonight as Reggie’s date.”
She narrows her eyes. “Date?”
“Yes. And I promise I’m nice to boot.”
Reggie lets out a strangled laugh, and Mr. Mantle’s lips twitch upward. Mrs. Mantle doesn’t look pleased at all. “Reginald, how could you drag our name through the mud like this?”
Jughead grabs onto Reggie’s hand. He’s not letting her win this battle. Not today. He knows that Reggie has struggled with this shrill woman for his entire life. He could use a break.
“I wonder what your board director would think of a family who doesn’t accept their son for who he is and for whoever he loves?” Jughead speaks, his voice a little louder than ususal. He straghtens. “Should I go find him and ask?”
Reggie’s dad breaks into a bright grin. He claps Reggie on the shoulder. “I like this one, Reggie. Bring him around to dinner sometime, okay? Now, I’m going to go speak with your mother in private about putting her kid first.”
Mrs. Mantle doesn’t look impressed, but Mr. Mantle looks like he’s never had more fun. He gently leads her down the path towards the house. Reggie spins around to look at Jughead. “Dude!”
Jughead winces. He’s not entirely sure that he did the right thing. “Reggie, I should explain–”
“That was awesome, man.” Then Reggie leans forward to plant a quick kiss on Jughead’s lips. Reggie ducks his head. “Ah, um, sorry. I just thought, y’know…to sell it.”
Jughead doesn’t care if Reggie’s parents were watching or if they weren’t. He just steps closer to Reggie. Quietly, he asks, “You’re not mad?”
“No, I’m not mad. Jug, I….I’ve never had anyone stand up for me like that before. Why’d you do it?” Reggie asks, starting to sway. Jughead sways with him before he even realizes that they’re dancing.
“Your mother is a bitch,” Jughead admits. “And I thought this might kill their theory of you not knowing because you’ve never done it.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure, yeah.”
Reggie smiles and Jughead feels some tension leave his entire body. He tugs Reggie in a bit closer, and can’t believe he wants this. This closeness. The kind of closeness that he always shrugged off. The kind of closeness that he avoided like the plague.
But Reggie makes him want it. Makes him crave it. He closes his eyes and lets the music wash over him. Nat King Cole’s voice sings through the speakers as if it’s only meant for the two of them.
x x x
REGGIE: high?
JUGHEAD: @ pop’s already.
REGGIE: kay
x x x
“Do you think Pop knows we do this?” Jughead asks as he passes Reggie the joint back. They’re both sitting on the ground against the back of Pop’s diner. Closer than they’d ever sat together before.
Reggie takes a long drag before he says, “Probably, but I bet he’s just glad that we don’t do it somewhere stupid.”
“I guess. So. How are the parents?”
Reggie hands Jughead the joint back. He sighs. “I don’t know, really. My mom’s lost her shit, but my dad is just like weirdly proud of me? He has officially spent like $400 on Pride stuff to put around the house. We now have a massive Pride flag hanging instead of the American flag. He has a shirt that says, I’m not gay, but my son is. Like. He’s very excited.”
“That’s nice. About your dad. Not so much your mom though.”
“They want you to come for dinner. But I told them you were probably busy.”
“Dude, I’m always down for dinner. Lumiere makes the best butternut squash soup.”
“As my boyfriend?” Reggie asks, his voice quiet and tentative.
Jughead reaches out, intertwining his fingers with Reggie’s. “Yeah. I could do that.”
Reggie looks at him. “Wait, really?”
Jughead starts to laugh. How had Reggie missed Jughead developing a…a crush? Whatever this was on him? He shakes his head, amused.
“Hey! Stop laughing at me,” Reggie says with a pout.
“I’m not laughing at you. Well, I sort of am. Sort not. It’s just…we’ve been spending so much time together this summer that I didn’t even realize it until down. If only one of us had actually talked about it first, then we could’ve spent the afternoons kissing instead of smoking a joint.”
“Are you serious right now?” Reggie asks, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah. I’m not sure of much, Reg, but I am sure of one thing. You. Your friendship. It matters to me. And no matter what happens, I’ll be there. Today, tomorrow, and for as long as you’ll have me.”
“Whoa, whoa, it’s too soon for proposals,” Reggie teases. But now he leans in to press his lips against Jughead’s. “Our friends are going to freak.”
“Yep.”
“And whatever happen, you’ll be here?” Reggie asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Whatever happens, I’ll be here.”
x x x
They decide to wait until the whole gang is back in Riverdale before announcing their relationship. They’re having a reunion at Pop’s, of course, when Reggie nudges Jughead. It’s time.
Jughead clears his throat, standing up. Surprisingly, everyone quiets when they look at him. “So. I have some news. Well. Reggie and I have some news.”
“Wait, what?” Archie asks, in disbelief.
“We’re dating,” Reggie states, his voice calmer than Jughead expected. “Like romantically. We’re still trying to figure it all out because the whole sexual stuff is still in the air for Jug, but we’re going to figure it out together. And we just wanted you to know.”
Jughead’s not entirely sure what he expects to happen, but no one over-reacts. In fact, they all seem bored by the news. Jughead frowns, and shoots Pop a quick glance. Ahh, Pop is doing his guilty-rag thing. Whenever he’s guilty of something, he scrubs at the counter as if it’ll never be clean enough.
“Pop, did you tell them already?” Jughead calls out.
“Don’t blame him!” Betty interjects. “Veronica and I discovered a really good receipe when we were away, and so I texted Pop to see if it’d be something he’d want to try out. And then, Pop asked about the two of you. And we kind of just kept the texting conversation going. Annd I told V…”
“Look, I’m sorry! It’s just that some of the photos were just too damn cute. And I wanted to share them…”
Jughead glances at Reggie, who doesn’t look annoyed in the least. “Well. That went easier than expected.”
“No kidding.”
“Is that all?” Nancy calls out. They both nod and then she stands up. “Okay, in that case…Chuck and I have some news. I’m pregnant!”
“What about college?” Ethel asks at first, but then she slaps a hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry - that was inapporpriate. I guess…wow, you’re going to keep the kid?”
The gang starts to chat around that, but Jughead doesn’t mind. He settles into a love seat with Reggie and they hold hands the entire night.
x x x