5x03 Re-Imagined

He tells her that his only crazy plan is summer school, he knows that it’s wrong to deny her the truth- yet again. 

He promised himself after the whole… mess with Betty that he’d never lie to Veronica again, but this is most likely the last time he’ll ever hold her in his arms and he doesn’t want to disrupt the moment by announcing he’s joining the army and going off to war.

He can’t give her the truth, but maybe he can save her even more heartbreak.  

Her head is resting on his chest and he wouldn’t be surprised if she catches on that he’s lying purely based on how loud his heart is beating beneath his rib cage. 

Their bodies are twisted and entwined, the position isn’t exactly comfortable and both of his palms are sweaty from clasping onto hers so tightly. 

“I should probably leave” she whispers, not making an attempt to move. 

All the heat leaves his body immediately as a cold, icy feeling invades, seeping slowly from his goose pimpled skin right to his beating heart. 

Reluctantly letting go of her hands, he shifts slightly so they’re facing each other, arm still wrapped around her waist as she settles on the precipice of the bed. 

“Stay” he says, voice strained as his throat seems to close. 

“Don't…” she starts with a stuttered breath, “don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be,please.” 

Archie wants to argue back, make the point that no matter how long they drag this out it’s going to hurt like a bitch, so why not have those few extra moments? 

He fights the thoughts, figuring the least he owes Veronica in this situation is to be able to definitively end this on her own terms. 

Veronica’s hand appears from underneath the sheets, to caress his jaw with her thumb, he hadn’t realised it was tensed but upon her touch the muscle slackens and he leans into it. 

“Anyways” she starts laughing slightly, “we were never really good at officially ending things were we? Almost always more of an ellipsis than a full stop, but it has to be a full stop this time Archie.’ 

He nods in agreement even though he vehemently disagrees, at least if he nods he can disguise the fact he’s currently trying to nuzzle his head into her palm.

“I’ll see you at graduation tomorrow, okay?” she says whilst pressing a kiss to his forehead, that isn’t really so much a kiss as it is her muttering the words against his skin. 

She starts to move away and his eyes dart around the room desperately trying to find something, anything, that will make her stay just a few extra minutes: just the two of them and the artificial glow of a lava lamp. 

His eyes catch sight of his guitar looming in the corner after he had been practising in the morning for the graduation ceremony. Grimaces at the pretty negative impact that music has had on his life recently, from the literal affair in his garage to the revelation at prom… 

“Dance with me” he blurts out. 

She freezes. 

Good, he thinks. I have a chance to keep you here a couple moments longer. 

“Pardon?”

“I believe that I still owe you a dance from prom before the voyeur interrupted.” 

“You know for a fact that wasn’t the only reason you didn’t get to dance with me that night Archie, surely you must know at least that.”