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"Why does it have to be me?" Archie asks for the tenth time.
They're in his house, sat on the couches in his living room. 'Them' being, Betty, Veronica, Tabitha and Jughead. Yet again they're discussing plans to take down Percival.
For now, the mission is to try and win back the people who were snatched to the dark side. Their current target is Reggie Mantle and for some reason everyone is convinced Archie is their best bet at winning him back.
"Who else could do it?" Veronica raises her eyebrows, already tired with him.
"Um, maybe you, Veronica? You know, considering you guys have literally dated." he tries this argument again.
"And we just broke up. Viciously, might I add." she reminds him.
"It's not like Reggie and I are on great terms either." he points out, trying to think of the last time they had spoken properly.
"Isn't that kind of your guys whole thing though? Depending on the day you guys are rivals or best bros." Jughead interjects, smirking as he says bros. "You've probably hugged the same amount of times as you've physically fought eachother."
"Like frenemies?" Tabitha adds and Jughead smiles at her, nodding.
"I guess. I don't see how that would help the whole winning him over thing though." he's kind of reeling from having his and Reggie's relationship layed out like that.
"I mean a tether just has to be a strong emotion to work, maybe having such a complex relationship would help that?" Betty speaks up.
Betty. It's ironic for her to be talking about complex relationships. He'd barely processed the bombshell she dropped on him this morning.
She had walked into his kitchen after not coming home last night, tears in her eyes and just told him. She had cheated on him. With Agent Drake. They had a conversation about it, seemingly ending in Betty hinting that maybe men weren't on her path.
He told himself that's why he wasn't as upset as he should be. It's not about him personally, it's just a general problem with his gender. He knows that doesn't fully cover it though.
"Ok, then surely Veronica has me beat on the complexity thing." he says, realising he'd been quiet too long.
"I think you're forgetting my current affliction. I can't be put in a highly emotional situation like that, if I get too angry or sad for even one second I could kill him." Veronica moves back as she speaks, perhaps realising things are getting too emotional here too.
"C'mon Arch, it has to be you." Betty presses.
"I don't even know what to say to him." he admits.
"You guys have known eachother since elementary school right?" Tabitha asks and he nods as an answer. "Surely you must've had some nice moments in all that time?"
He thinks about that. Particularly the time when Reggie had been going through things with his dad, and the conversation they'd had on the park bench at night.
"I suppose so." he doesn't share the specifics.
"Then just appeal to that side of your friendship, make him realise he'd be better off on your side." Jughead advises.
"I tried with Uncle Frank though, I couldn't do it." he hates thinking about that.
"I think because Reggie was only recently put under his control, it should be easier. He's not as far gone." Jughead gives him a look as he explains, the look he always gives Archie when he gets concerned.
"And Reggie's stronger than he seems," Veronica earns a surprised look from Tabitha for this, "coming from me, you know it's true."
"Are you guys really sure this is the best choice?" He tries one last time, getting a chorus of yes in return.
"I've been in his head, trust me, you have a shot" is the last thing Jughead says before Betty is pulling Archie away to talk in private.
Betty looks back into the living room, Veronica smiling at her, before she shuts the door and starts talking.
"Look, Arch, I know this is difficult given the stuff I've done and I'm sorry you don't have more time to process. I'm just sorry in general." she isn't as sorry as she should probably be, but honestly he prefers it that way. "Thanks for not making things weird."
"So are you and Drake, like, going to be dating now or what?" Is the only question he really cares to ask.
"No, I don't think it's like that. It's more just something I needed and wanted to do." she looks back at the door to the living room, clearly thinking something that Archie can't decipher. "And might do again. I don't know yet."
He half wonders why they can't just keep pretending then, if she's not dating someone else then why can't they act like it never happened? He can turn a blind eye. Why can't they live in a fantasy where everything fits into place and the girl-next-door dates the all-american-boy? Childhood best friends. Friends, simple.
He also knows that would be selfish and unfair to Betty. Unfair to himself too. It's a weird feeling to be relieved that your girlfriend slept with another woman but he's just glad one of them had the guts to do something before they end up fifty and bitter. Of course Betty was the one to cross the line, and so early on too. Ever the proactive, over-achiever.
"I'm happy for you." he makes himself say, it's true but he's not sure if it's too strange to voice out loud.
"Me too." she replies, and he thinks they've reached an understanding.
"I just wish I knew what to do with this Reggie thing," he gets back to the task at hand, "I mean, I tried to appeal to Uncle Frank's emotions and that wasn't enough. I know Jug said Reggie would be easier, but I don't know if this will work."
"Maybe you should have a back up plan, something more than just the friendship talk." Betty suggests.
"What else is there?" He wonders why she wouldn't bring this up in front of everyone.
"Just something dramatic, really shock the system. Maybe you need to catch him off guard to lift Percival's control?" she offers.
"Like what?" he's drawing a blank
"I'm sure you'll think of something in the moment, you usually do," she pauses a moment, looking at him too deeply, "just do whatever you need to do."
She's speaking how she usually does when something carries more weight than it seems. Sometimes he gets it, a lot of the time he doesn't.
Either way he's going to try, and he doesn't think he could handle failing. That's probably why he's so resistant, he's scared what would happen if he tries and fails.
***
Reggie actually turns up when Archie texts him which is a start. He even knows where to go when Archie asks to meet him at the bench in the park.
"What do you want, Andrews? I have something important to do" Reggie tells him as he sits next to him on the bench.
Why'd you come then? He wants to ask.
"Something for Percival?" Is what he asks instead.
"So what if it is?" Is the confirmation he needs.
"So what? So what, is that he's literally evil incarnate, Reggie" he gets why Veronica couldn't come, the anger is hard to control.
"I don't know, maybe he has the right idea." Reggie just shrugs, like this is all nothing.
"You don't think that. He's messing with your mind" he says to Reggie, and to remind himself of the fact.
"Well he's winning, so he must be doing something right." he smirks then and it's so difficult staying calm. It's the same feeling as finding out Reggie was working for Hiram.
"You're just sticking with whoever you think is most powerful, as always." he snaps, failing to be nice.
"You're so full of yourself, Andrews. You don't get to tell me what I'm doing, you're just mad I dont agree with you and kiss your ass like everyone else does." Reggie is exactly as infuriating as he's always been.
"It's true, Reggie. You always get sucked into shit like this, just following orders from jerks because you want to win. I don't get it, don't you have any morals?" Archie asks, forgetting completely that he's supposed to be kind, to tether him.
"Really? You can't possibly think why I'd hate feeling powerless so much" Reggie snaps too, more honest than Archie thought he'd be. "Why I desperately want to stay on the good side of the most powerful?"
Why he's scared? Why he lives for approval? Archie adds in his head. Things click into place for him after this.
He hates Reggie's dad.
He remembers what he was meant to to talk about, how he was meant to connect with Reggie.
"I know. I'm sorry. And that's-" he pauses, looks at their surroundings, feeling seventeen and in over his head again, "I wanted to tell you, that I think about the conversation we had here, back in highschool, all the time."
"Really?" Is all Reggie needs to say, because the fact he remembers is enough of an opening.
"I wish I'd said more or done more. Mostly I just think about how nice it was to have a proper conversation with you. I wanted more of that." he still wants it, wants to have this conversation with Reggie.
"Me too." he looks forward, seeming young again.
"I'm sorry that this shit with your dad is still affecting you." Archie offers, it's all be can think to say.
"Kind of pathetic, right?" Reggie laughs bitterly and Archie reacts quickly.
"No. Not at all," he immediately says, "things like that come back to haunt you. It doesn't make us pathetic or weak to be affected by things grown adults did to us as children. We didn't- you didn't deserve- sorry, sorry..."
He hadn't meant for his stuff to bleed through into it, messing up his train of thought. He hates how he sounds, fumbling and stuttering over the words.
"Archie." Reggie says softly. It gives him the push he needs to continue.
"Look, we're both trusting and that's not a bad thing, it's how you should be allowed to be. You just have to be careful who you trust," he needs this to work, "and Percival is pure evil."
"And I'm supposed to trust you, serve you?" Reggie rolls his eyes, he's losing him again. Percival's claws holding on.
The thought of that infuriates him. The thought that Percival has got his dirty fingers in his head, it's not right.
"I don't even care anymore, come to our side and do nothing, make me bring you milkshakes everyday I don't care," it comes spilling out, all true, "just don't stay on that side, it's not you. You're not safe and we- I need you on my team."
He knows he's begging but it doesn't matter. He needs to. It looks like it might even be making some sort of difference. Reggie is silent, thinking.
"He said he'd teach me magic if I gave him Jughead's beanie." Reggie says, laughing slightly. Archie holds back from telling him how ridiculous that sounds.
"You know he's lying to you right?" he opts for instead.
"Yeah." Reggie sighs.
"Then just stop." Archie turns to him, seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
"I can't." Reggie says, a confused expression on his face.
"Why?" Archie asks, even though he knows it's Percival.
"I don't know, I just need to do this, go to get the hat." Even as he speaks he seems unconvinced of his own words.
"He's in your head, Reggie, he's controlling you" he wants to grab him, shake it out of him. "Just focus, you're my friend and surely all these years mean something."
"I want to, I get that his orders don't make sense to me but it's just, I can't stop." Reggie squeezes his eyes closed, almost in pain.
"Reggie, look at me," he watches as Reggie obliges, "just think about what you actually want to do. Deep down. Just you."
He looks at him, intensely. For a moment it really feels like it's working but then Reggie looks away.
"I need to go, to the time capsule" he says too suddenly, turning around to walk away.
No. Is all he can think. No way am I letting him go.
"Wait-" Archie calls out.
It's desperate and he hears Betty's words again.
Just do whatever you need to do.
He's grabbing Reggie's arm, his strength making it easy. And he's thinking of distractions, being caught off guard and high, tethering, emotions. Then he's thinking of Betty, of Veronica, of Josie, of Valerie and he's thinking of Joaquin.
He's reaching his hands to Reggie's face and pulling him in. It's desperate. It's what he needed to do.
They connect as gentle as Archie can make it with the force he pulled Reggie in. Their lips connect and stay longer than he thought.
Reggie does of course pull back though, then shoves him, pushing Archie away, punching his stomach.
He knows he's not supposed to feel but Archie falls back, a phantom pain hitting him in his stomach. The familar stabbing pain taking him by such surprise he just stays on the floor.
Reggie's over him now, bracketing him on his knees.
"What the fuck was that?" he yells, grabbing Archie's shirt. He's shocked at how angry Reggie is. Reggie tries hitting him again, Archie doesn't even flinch.
"Reggie, you can't hurt me. Not even with Palladium" he warns him, even though he should already know this from Percival.
"I don't have any Palladium." Reggie looks at him confused, Archie tries searching his eyes for an explanation but Reggie just seems to get more mad. "Who the fuck are you? Are you punishing me for taking too long, Percival? Get the fuck out of my head Pickens!"
Reggie is yelling at him and Archie can barely understand what he means. He punches him again, and again, each time ignoring the fact it does nothing. Reggie's hand looks red.
"Stop. You're hurting yourself" he goes to grab Reggie's hand to stop him.
It's too emotional for Pickens, too impulsive. It's too stupid. There's no cold calculations or thought out plan.
"Fuck you." Reggie says, trying to get out of Archie's grip.
"I'm not Percival, I'm not in your head." he finally answers Reggie's questions, "It's all me."
He's pretty sure Percival is gone, this is too Reggie Mantle to be anyone's influence. Still, he decides to double down.
He leans forward again, this time giving Reggie a chance to think. Reggie inches forward a little and it's enough. An opening.
This time he keeps his hands on the ground, not needing to hold him in place. Reggie definitely kisses back now, him being the one to hold Archie's face.
It occurs to him he's here for a reason. He pulls back.
"Is that you, Reggie, just you?" He watches him nod and then goes back in.
He realises that his mission is done. He keeps kissing him anyway. He also remembers that they're on the floor in the middle of the park. That the others might worry. He keeps kissing him.
Luckily Reggie manages to be the one to pull back and then rolls to the side laying down on the ground next to Archie.
They just listen to eachother breathe for a while.
"So..." Archie finally speaks up.
"Yeah. I'm on your team." Reggie smiles and props himself up, mirroring Archie.
"We should tell the others, catch you up on everything." Archie gets up, reality closing in.
"Sure." Reggie's still breathing heavy.
"Sorry it got intense." he thinks to say, really he hadn't meant for it to get like this. It makes sense though, he's not sure what else he should've expected from them.
"Was that, all of that, just to get me out of Percival's control?" Reggie asks him, and Archie knows which part he's talking about.
"I don't think so," he reaches a hand out to pull Reggie up, he's glad it's accepted but gets concerned at it being covered in blood, "sorry about your hand."
"I kind of did that to myself" he looks down, embarrassed.
"Still." Archie feels sorry, really, for making him so mad. "Sorry that I made you that mad."
"Stop apologising already," Reggie bumps shoulders with him, "I just got sick of everyone rooting around in my head, I thought you'd been in there too."
Archie doesn't say anything in reply, just starts leading them home. He doesn't know what to say without asking what Reggie had in his head he didn't want Archie to see.
It's a long, mostly quiet, walk back to Archie's until Reggie stops him at the end of their street.
"Can I ask you something before we talk to everyone?" Reggie asks, pausing under a street lamp.
"Of course," Archie lets him know.
"So, how do I protect myself from Percival's mind control if you're not there?" Reggie actually smiles at him saying this. He wonders if he could just make sure to always be there if he's needed.
"Just, think about this I guess," he starts, but realises it sounds a little full of himself so adds, "or anything tethering."
"This?" Reggie asks and Archie swears he's moving closer.
"Yeah, the emotions that you felt when you freed yourself from the mind control?" He prompts, confused that Reggie doesn't get it.
"When we kissed?" Reggie actually says out loud.
"Yeah" is all he can say back.
"You might need to remind me, and I'm a visual learner" Reggie definitely moves closer now and Archie struggles to hold back a gasp. Reggie is shameless, as always.
"Are you serious?" Archie has to say, laughing at how unserious Reggie's making things. It feels like a relief to laugh.
"My mind is at stake here, Andrews! I think we need to keep kissing, to save Riverdale!" Reggie grabs his shoulders, shaking him.
"If that's what it takes, who am I to deny?" Archie gives in, it feels good to be a little silly
He lets Reggie pull him in by his waist, and takes the chance to run his hands through Reggie's hair.
It's simple. This time is simple. Friends, kissing. So what if Reggie doesn't live next-door? A few blocks isn't too much difference.
Of course when they walk through his front door he should've known to expect his best friends to see through him.
When they see Reggie they cheer, Veronica from the corner, and Reggie bows for the applause.
As they're all sat explaining things to Reggie he gets a look from each of them. Knowing they know.
Betty who's similar to him in ways they keep discovering, and different in so many more. Veronica who's always been able to read both him and Reggie. And Jughead, who's been in Reggie's mind, and might as well have been in Archie's. He's known him too well for too long.
Even Tabitha gives him a certain look, one that she seems to have borrowed from Jughead.
Still, none of them ask what he did to win Reggie over. Not tonight. They will at some point but he knows what to say when they do.
It's just something I needed and wanted to do. And might do again. I don't know yet.