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Archibald found himself happier to get to the studio as well as found himself calm when he started a shoot day. Each day, he’d go to his dressing room and put on his costume, not before staring at it fondly. It was a VERY good quality black suit with a pinstriped olive brown vest and a gold pocketwatch. It was all for him to play a butler character, a very smart one. And Archibald couldn’t deny that he enjoyed it.
He had to admit, Larry’s idea for a Larry-Boy episode was good. You could even say it was… fun. Larry and Archibald had never been a duo in… anything, really. Not until now. But with that one wall between them finally broken down, they made a good team!
Archibald found it rather entertaining to rehearse their scenes together where Larry would dramatically recite the words in the script and he’d deepen his voice to match the more “gritty” tone of Larry-Boy. Archibald even found himself laughing at a stupid joke Larry wrote in, though he’d (playfully) deny it when Larry heard it.
Weeks ago, Archibald would roll his eyes, get through his lines like normal, then insult Larry’s intelligence and writing abilities after the fact. Cue another back and forth that Bob would have to break up.
Archibald still felt so horrible for how he treated Larry. Even through Larry forgave him and insisted that he wasn’t still mad at him, the guilt still lingered. The only thing that would ease him was when Larry would smile at him, or when he would put a hand on his shoulder, or tell Archibald that he couldn’t wait to shoot their next scene together the next day. Those small things that Larry probably didn’t think about meant so much to Archibald.
Larry was enjoying working with him too, if not WAY more. Writing scenes and actuallyArchibald showing interest in his ideas was so surreal for Larry. And he couldn’t be happier!
The first tome they got into the studio a week after Archibald apologized and made things right, he had apologized again. Larry didn’t expect it at all but that definitely indicated that Archibald meant what he said. Larry obviously forgave him and he said he was happy to start things over together.
———
“And cut!” Bob said and the camera finally stopped filming. Bob smiled proudly. “Alright, and that’s a wrap!”
Larry immediately cheered, still in his entire Larry-Boy get up. Throughout the room were scattered clapping and small whoops. From Archibald, there was the most polite and quietest clapping, muffled by the white gloves he wore.
“Good job, everyone! Junior, you were awesome!” Larry said happily. He crouched down and held up both hands and Junior happily reached up to high five him.
“Thanks, Larry!”
“Miiike, my man!” Larry lightly shook the dad by his shoulder. “And Lisa! Awesome job from you, too!”
“Thank you, Larry.” Mike chuckled softly.
“That means a lot.” Lisa smiled.
“Everyone did great this episode! Even when it was a bit hard. Everyone deserves a well earned rest until the next episode. So, as always, get home safe and God bless you all.”
As everyone began to clean up and put things away, Larry turned to Archibald with a fond smile. Archibald looked back and his brows furrowed in confusion, though he smiled. “Yes, ‘Master Larry’?”
“You know how amazing you are?” Larry said simply.
“Oh, I definitely know.” Archibald nodded. The two began laughing together.
“Seriously, Archie, you really are.”
“Thank you. But what did I say about that nickname?”
“Come onnn.” Larry said playfully, lightly elbowing the older man. “You like iiiit.”
Archibald hummed for a moment, pretending to think. “I don’t know, friends can only call me that…”
Larry’s heart felt like it was leaping into his throat.
Trying to play off the weird anxiety that suddenly had his face warming up, Larry smiled. “Oh, so we aren’t friends? Ouch.”
“Oh, what? Would you like to be? I can’t blame you, everyone wants to be. My friend, that is.”
Larry chuckled. “Is that right? Funny you say that cause it’s almost like you wanna be my friend more than I wanna be yours.”
“Oh, you think so?”
“You know what, I’m gonna make it easy for you. Can I call you Archibald… or Archie?”
Archibald felt an odd mix of anxiety and childish giddiness. It ran up his spine like a chill and his heart skipped a beat. He even found himself smiling and quietly chuckling at the ridiculous and completely unserious conversation happening right now.
But he had his answer.
“You may call me Archie.” He said softly with a smile that Larry had never seen before. Whatever kind of playful or teasing smile it was, it made Larry’s face burn up so much, he thought he was going to burst into flames.
“O-Okay. Archie it is!”
“Good. See you around, then.”
Larry can’t deny that when he left the studio that afternoon, he cheered so loud he startled Bob.
———
“I gotta say, it’s weird seeing you and Archibald getting close!” Bob said at the dinner table one night. Larry looked up at him with a spoonful of food in his mouth.
“Hmm?” Larry responded.
Bob chuckled. “I said it’s weird seeing you and Archibald getting along so well. I mean, it’s a good weird, of course! And very surprising.”
“Oh!” Larry chuckled and began to mindlessly move his food sprung with his spoon. “Yeah, it’s nice. I’m still getting used to it.”
“I’ll bet. Have you guys hung out outside of the studio?”
“Not yet. Archie is usually so busy— oh! Did I tell you he let me call him Archie? He said that his friends only call him Archie and then said I can call him that! So— I think we’re friends. That’s the confirmation, right?”
Bob smiled at his friend. It was nice to see Larry so happy. Sure, Larry typically smiled all the time but to be truly happy like this? It was great. It made Bob happy. Especially after a hard few days of Larry being so upset.
“Well here’s to, hopefully, years of an amazing friendship.” Bob said.
“Amen to that.” Larry replied.
The rest of the night, Larry was so happy. As he helped Bob clean up, washed the dishes, took a shower, put on his pajamas, and got comfy on the couch with Bob. As he watched a movie with his best friend, the same sweet smile on his face didn’t go away. Bob chuckled softly a few minutes into the film and when asked what was so funny, Bob just waved it off and said it was a dumb joke he remembered.
———
Larry was out running errands for Bob one day. It was raining but not pouring, still enough for Larry to be wearing a hoodie with a big bright logo of his and Bob’s show on it. He wore that hoodie whenever he had the opportunity. So much so, his other hoodies might as well have been forgotten.
Anyways, Larry was walking down a street lined with buildings and small stores and larger grocery stores that were on a few corners and took up most of the streets they stood in. He got his errands done as quick as he could. As quick as you can go when you have a brain that can cause you to space out or get distracted by things. But when he could focus on the task at hand, he went faster than before.
Once he was finally done, he was about to head home when—
“Larry?”
Larry’s head spun immediately toward the sound of his name and a few feet away was none other than Archibald with a jacket and a single plastic back in hand.
“Archie? Woah, didn’t expect to see you today!” Larry greeted the older man with a smile. Archie smiled back and the two met up halfway down the sidewalk.
“Nor did I expect to see you. How are you?” Archie asked.
“Oh, I’m good! I’m just running some errands for Bob. Just finished, actually!”
“How nice. I had just run my own errands as well.”
“Well, what a coincidence!” Larry laughed. Archie laughed with him. They both laughed very awkwardly before they stopped simultaneously.
There was a beat of silence before Archie cleared his throat. “I was about to stop to get lunch. Would you like to join? On me.”
Larry looked at him in surprise. “Really? Oh, no, you don’t gotta do that.”
“True, I don’t have to. But I’d like to. So, I’m offering.”
“You sure…?”
“Yes, Larry. Are you coming with me or not?”
Larry felt his heart pounding hard in his chest now. He cleared his throat before speaking.
“Th-That… That sounds… nice. Lemme just put these bags in my car first.”
The two soon found themselves at a nearby cafe. It was small and pretty, something Larry definitely wouldn’t have known existed had Archie never brought him there. He ordered them both coffee and they ordered their lunches and sat by one of the windows that had a large logo of the cafe’s name on it.
“It’s really pretty here. I go to that park across the street a lot.” Larry motioned his head towards out of the window where there was a large park. A beautiful place to take your bikes or skates or just stroll or have a nice picnic. “I think Bob would love this place!”
Archie hummed in response, sipping his coffee. “Lovey introduced me to this place. She knows I love calm places like these and so as a first date, she took me here.”
“Awww!” Larry smiled. “I’ve been meaning to ask more about her! How have you two been? Married life treating you well? I’m genuinely asking cause I dunno how marriage works.”
“Things have been good, thank you. Her and I have been working through a few things, mostly on my end…” Archie paused. “… Alright, it’s all on my end. She’s flawless.”
“Awww!”
“Yes— so, we have been wonderful.”
“Nice. She’s a good actress.”
Archie smiled. “She really is. She used to be a model. I’m sure she’d like to get back to it but she enjoys being in the show so far.”
“That’s really nice! I hope she gets to go back to it if she likes modeling so much. But hey, God’s plan. Who knows what’ll happen?”
Archie nodded.
“How long have you two been married?”
“Five and a half years.”
“Five? Wow! I assumed you’ve been married for longer than that cause you’re so old.”
Archie looked at him, completely taken aback. Then he looked a little offended. Then he chuckled. “Wow.”
“… I-I mean— you’re not OLD old! I didn’t mean old! I just meant you’re old… er.”
Archie began to snicker a little. He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table, entwining his fingers and resting his chin on his hands. “How old do you think I am, Lawrence?”
“Ohhh… I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
“Maybe a little. Depends on how you answer.”
“… I… I don’t know… uh… fifty?”
“Ouch.” Archie inhaled sharply. “Thank you for that humbling guess. But I’m turning forty soon.”
Larry groaned and covered his face. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—“
“No no, you’re fine. I look older than I am. No reason in being upset over it. But Lovey loves me all the same and that’s all that really matters to me right now.”
“Ha… T-That’s good, at least. You guys are… a very sweet couple.”
“Mm. Speaking of couples, are you and Bob dating?”
Larry was mid-sip of his coffee when he suddenly choked on his drink. He coughed into in his arm, hunched away from the table. An employee looked over in concern and Archie held his hand up as if to say ‘I’ll let you know if he’s dying’. Which… Larry wasn’t. But he sure looked like it with how hard he coughed and the way he smacked the table a few times. Finally, Larry sat back up straight and took a deep breath.
”Ow. ”
”Are you alright?”
”I’m fine— my throat is just destroyed forever now.” Larry joked.
“My apologies, was that question too personal?”
“No! I mean— kinda. But I didn’t— I— why would you ask that?”
“… Ask what?”
“If Bob and me are…!”
“… Dating?” Archie shrugged. “I mean, you two are dating, correct?”
Larry stared at him dumbfounded. “No!”
“Ohh! Oh, dear. My apologies.” Archie held his hands up for a moment as he said that. “I didn’t mean to assume. It’s just that you both are so close and you do almost everything together… and you also share a house. And when you aren’t busy, you typically say you want to spend time with him rather than always go out with other friends.”
Larry sat there in silence…
“… Well, it’s gonna sound kinda romantic when you look at it THAT way!”
“I know! That’s why asked. But my apologies for assuming.”
Larry sighed. “It’s okay. It’s kind of a… reasonable thought.”
“… But one more question. Do you have any feelings for him at least? At all?”
Larry looked at him and laughed. “Nooo, no no no! I mean, there’s nothing WRONG with him romantically and I love him a lot and I like boys— but I love him more as a best friend. We already do everything together. We obviously live together, eat together, we spend time by watching movies, stuff like that. I don’t think that would change if we dated, honestly.”
“Hm… I figured you like men from how open you are about yourself. Why?”
“… Why do I like men?”
“Yes.”
Larry snorted a little and let out a giggle. “I don’t know! I just do! I found out when I was a kid!”
”Ah. Alright.”
”And it’s not just men, I love women! And everyone in between.”
”Between?”
”Yeah, some people feel like both genders and some feel like neither.”
“… A lot to unpack there. Things have changed a lot since I was young.”
“And things will keep changing! And isn’t that a beautiful gift God has given us?”
”What gift?”
“To change. But we’re still ourselves, if that makes sense.”
Archie stared at him and then down at his cup thoughtfully. He tapped it a few times with his index finger before looking back up at the younger man. “I suppose. But does being open about your… identity… scare you…? Aren’t you afraid of people treating you harshly?”
”Oh, for sure! It’s terrifying, especially since I’m Christian. Most people don’t understand and they’ve hated me for it… called me a sinner, you know how that goes. It’s been hard but I’ve had family and now a lot of friends that love and accept me. Besides, if God understands and accept me… I can trust that the people that actually matter will do the same.”
”Wow… hm… well, apologies for my silly questions.”
“You just wanted to ask. Don’t sweat it.“
“Right… um… I think you should eat your food before it gets cold. And before we have deeper conversations then this.”
Larry chuckled before taking a bite of his food. “I like talking to you.”
Archie looked at him silently before he smiled gently. “Thank you. I like talking to you, too…”
The two ate their food in silence for a while, listening to the rain gently tapping at the large windows. Larry’s eyes were glued to the street. He watched the rain fall, people walking past, cars driving down the streets. It was strangely calming. Typically he’d be too antsy to ever just sit still long enough to enjoy the atmosphere.
“… Archie?”
“Mhm?”
“Thanks. For inviting me over here.”
“Oh. It’s nothing.”
“Well, it means everything to me.”
———
“That was fun! Thanks for the lunch.”
“Of course, Larry.” Archie smiled softly at the younger man. He stepped back once to turn around and walk away but instead, he stopped. Archie sighed and looked at Larry again. “This is probably ridiculous to say again but I wanted to tell you—“
“Archie, please don’t apologize again.” Larry sighed. “It’s been weeks.”
“I know, I know. I just feel like I owe it to you after years of being awful to you…”
Larry smiled and put a hand on Archie’s arm. “You’re forgiven, Archie. I’m not mad or anything like that. I’m just happy we get to start a new friendship.”
Archie sighed softly. “Me too. You’re right. I— thank you. I’m being ridiculous.”
“You’re not being ridiculous. I appreciate you wanting to make it up to me but you really don’t have to.”
“Mm… well… I have to head back home now.”
“Right! Right. I gotta head home, too! Bob is probably wondering if I got lost.”
Archie chuckled and waved goodbye as he walked off. “Tell Bob I said ‘hello’! Have a good afternoon, Larry.”
“You have one, too! A good one! A good afternoon. I mean.” Larry cringed at himself as he turned to get back to his car.
In the drive home, Larry’s face burned so much and his mind was completely on Archie. Everything was Archie. All he thought about was the way Archie had talked to him just minutes ago, how his thin and careful hands moved, how his face wrinkled just a bit more when he smiled…
Larry kept these thoughts long after he returned home and put the groceries away and had dinner and watched a movie. He informed Bob of the nice encounter with Archie but Larry didn’t really go into detail. He just mumbled about how they went somewhere to eat lunch and it was nice. That was it, really.
It wasn’t until he went to bed that night that it hit Larry like a ton of bricks.
“Oh. Oh, God, no.”