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tellshannon815) wrote2018-01-02 01:17 am
tellshannon815) wrote2018-01-02 01:17 am
The Return of Joaquin, chapter 2
Title: The Return of Joaquin
Fandom: Riverdale
Characters: Kevin, Joaquin, Moose, Betty, Veronica
Pairings: Kevin/Joaquin, Kevin/Moose
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Spoilers throughout S2
Summary: Turned into a series following requests on AO3! Moose wonders if he left it too late, Kevin is suspicious of Joaquin's reasons for coming back to him but also of Betty and Veronica's reaction to his father.
“Joaquin?” Kevin asked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I know I shouldn’t, and I know what’ll happen if your dad sees me, but I had to come back to see you.” Joaquin began.
“This…kinda looks like the two of you need to talk,” Moose said before Kevin had chance to reply. “What do you say we take a raincheck on that milkshake, maybe find another time which is better for you?”
“Yeah…I feel really awful about that, but you’re right, it would be easier.” Moose tried to ignore what he thought was a relieved look on Kevin’s face at that.
He should have been honest with Kevin so much sooner, Midge too, instead of listening to his stupid doubts. Kevin had even summed up some of it himself, when he’d talked about how someone named Moose, who played for the Riverdale Bulldogs, who hung out with kids like Reggie Mantle and Chuck with his sticky maple bullshit, was hardly likely to end up with someone like Kevin, and maybe should be sticking to girls. In some ways, he’d always thought it would be easier for him to do that.
He knew Archie wouldn’t have cared if he came out. Moose remembered Archie being one of the people, along with Betty, who had been the most supportive of Kevin when he had come out in freshman year. Veronica, Josie…it wouldn’t have been an issue for them either. But ever since the day, not long after they both made the team, when they’d lost a game and Moose had heard Reggie calling the guy who’d won it for the other school a fucking faggot, and even when Jason Blossom’s body was found and Reggie was making all those “tight end” jokes and asking what Moose had been doing with Kevin in the first place, Moose had been sure he could never tell him, and it had been a relief when Reggie had started in on Jughead instead. Once Archie had punched him, that had taken all the focus away from why Moose and Kevin had been together that night, and with the drama of the reveal of Jason’s real date of death and Cheryl’s arrest the next day, no one ever brought it up again. So he thought he’d carry on, living his lie, continue his relationship with Midge, stay under the radar of the likes of Reggie and Chuck. But the experience with the Black Hood had convinced Moose that life was too short, that it was time to be honest with himself, and with Kevin.
Except then along had come Joaquin de fucking Santos, and Moose now realised he’d probably left it too late.
“Give me one good reason why I should be listening to you, Joaquin, instead of turning round and running right out that door after Moose,” Kevin began.
“The fact that you didn’t run after him,” Joaquin pointed out. “You could have told me to get lost and run after him right now. You could even have called your father. But you didn’t. That suggests to me that you’re at least interested in what I have to say.”
“You shouldn’t be here, Joaquin,” Kevin began. “It’s not safe to be here right now. Especially with the Black Hood around.”
Joaquin stared at him. “The Black who?”
“You haven’t heard about it on the news?” Kevin picked up an abandoned Blue and Gold and shoved it in front of Joaquin’s face. “This nut goes round in a black hood, he’s been attacking people. You saw how Moose was walking with a limp? That’s because this guy shot him. He shot Archie’s dad, and killed our old music teacher. See this open letter he’s addressed to the residents of Riverdale? Remain sinless for 48 hours or he’ll strike again.”
“And you’re trying to say that this guy might come after me if I stick around?” Joaquin shook his head. He was a Serpent, he and his gang had come across plenty. This talk about sin sounded like some religious nut to him, not something he should consider leaving town over. He’d already risked everything to get back to Kevin, and he wasn’t going to let some lunatic be the one to drive them apart. Besides, he knew enough about Riverdale to know that that particular demand stood no chance of being met.
“I don’t even know what I am trying to say. There’s that, or you could even forgive me for asking you whether this is some kind of Serpent stunt and they put you up to trying to find out if I knew anything about the investigation from my dad again.” Kevin hadn’t really thought about the possibility of the Serpents having anything to do with the Black Hood, but faced with Joaquin in front of him and remembering what had happened last time, he felt Joaquin couldn’t blame him for being suspicious.
“I haven’t even contacted the Serpents since I’ve been back,” Joaquin tried to explain. “If this is anything to do with them, I don’t know about it.”
“So what are you doing here, Joaquin?” Kevin asked. “Why did you come back?”
“That’s a very good question,” came a new voice. “What are you doing back?”
Kevin looked up to see that Betty and Veronica had walked into Pop’s. “And Kevin, why are you even talking to him? I thought you were meant to be with Moose?”
“So that was you who went and talked to him and set that up?” Kevin shook his head. “Yeah, I did kind of guess that.”
“Maybe this isn’t a good time to talk,” Joaquin began as he stood up. “But I’m not giving up on us. I’m sticking around Riverdale for a while, and I will call you tomorrow.”
As Joaquin walked out of Pop’s, Betty hissed “You’re not seriously going to see him again? He helped dispose of Jason’s body! He was playing you the whole time to get information on your dad’s operation for FP! And then he just took off!”
Although Kevin had been thinking much the same things, he felt irritated again at the thought of Betty interfering again just as she had when she went to his father about the guys he was picking up, and whatever she had said to Moose. “I’m not going to see him again, and when you go to my dad with it, you can tell him that too,” he snapped.
Betty flinched. “Wait, what? Trust me, I’m not gonna tell your dad anything again.”
“Betty!” Veronica hissed, pinching her arm. Kevin wondered what the hell that was all about. Betty looked furious and kind of creeped out, Veronica awkward. Kevin suddenly flashed back to that time when Veronica was sleeping over and he’d walked in on Veronica talking to his dad, who was shirtless and working out. She’d claimed to be getting juice from the refrigerator as there was none in the kitchen, but there had been some when Kevin looked. He’d thought nothing of it at the time, but now…No, that was ridiculous. Veronica was a) one of his best friends, and b) dating Archie. But Betty wouldn’t have looked like that for no reason, and Veronica obviously had some reason for shutting her up…
“Glad to hear it,” Kevin said, cutting the conversation off and asking Veronica something else. But secretly, he wasn’t sure that was the last he had seen of Joaquin…
Fandom: Riverdale
Characters: Kevin, Joaquin, Moose, Betty, Veronica
Pairings: Kevin/Joaquin, Kevin/Moose
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Spoilers throughout S2
Summary: Turned into a series following requests on AO3! Moose wonders if he left it too late, Kevin is suspicious of Joaquin's reasons for coming back to him but also of Betty and Veronica's reaction to his father.
“Joaquin?” Kevin asked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I know I shouldn’t, and I know what’ll happen if your dad sees me, but I had to come back to see you.” Joaquin began.
“This…kinda looks like the two of you need to talk,” Moose said before Kevin had chance to reply. “What do you say we take a raincheck on that milkshake, maybe find another time which is better for you?”
“Yeah…I feel really awful about that, but you’re right, it would be easier.” Moose tried to ignore what he thought was a relieved look on Kevin’s face at that.
He should have been honest with Kevin so much sooner, Midge too, instead of listening to his stupid doubts. Kevin had even summed up some of it himself, when he’d talked about how someone named Moose, who played for the Riverdale Bulldogs, who hung out with kids like Reggie Mantle and Chuck with his sticky maple bullshit, was hardly likely to end up with someone like Kevin, and maybe should be sticking to girls. In some ways, he’d always thought it would be easier for him to do that.
He knew Archie wouldn’t have cared if he came out. Moose remembered Archie being one of the people, along with Betty, who had been the most supportive of Kevin when he had come out in freshman year. Veronica, Josie…it wouldn’t have been an issue for them either. But ever since the day, not long after they both made the team, when they’d lost a game and Moose had heard Reggie calling the guy who’d won it for the other school a fucking faggot, and even when Jason Blossom’s body was found and Reggie was making all those “tight end” jokes and asking what Moose had been doing with Kevin in the first place, Moose had been sure he could never tell him, and it had been a relief when Reggie had started in on Jughead instead. Once Archie had punched him, that had taken all the focus away from why Moose and Kevin had been together that night, and with the drama of the reveal of Jason’s real date of death and Cheryl’s arrest the next day, no one ever brought it up again. So he thought he’d carry on, living his lie, continue his relationship with Midge, stay under the radar of the likes of Reggie and Chuck. But the experience with the Black Hood had convinced Moose that life was too short, that it was time to be honest with himself, and with Kevin.
Except then along had come Joaquin de fucking Santos, and Moose now realised he’d probably left it too late.
“Give me one good reason why I should be listening to you, Joaquin, instead of turning round and running right out that door after Moose,” Kevin began.
“The fact that you didn’t run after him,” Joaquin pointed out. “You could have told me to get lost and run after him right now. You could even have called your father. But you didn’t. That suggests to me that you’re at least interested in what I have to say.”
“You shouldn’t be here, Joaquin,” Kevin began. “It’s not safe to be here right now. Especially with the Black Hood around.”
Joaquin stared at him. “The Black who?”
“You haven’t heard about it on the news?” Kevin picked up an abandoned Blue and Gold and shoved it in front of Joaquin’s face. “This nut goes round in a black hood, he’s been attacking people. You saw how Moose was walking with a limp? That’s because this guy shot him. He shot Archie’s dad, and killed our old music teacher. See this open letter he’s addressed to the residents of Riverdale? Remain sinless for 48 hours or he’ll strike again.”
“And you’re trying to say that this guy might come after me if I stick around?” Joaquin shook his head. He was a Serpent, he and his gang had come across plenty. This talk about sin sounded like some religious nut to him, not something he should consider leaving town over. He’d already risked everything to get back to Kevin, and he wasn’t going to let some lunatic be the one to drive them apart. Besides, he knew enough about Riverdale to know that that particular demand stood no chance of being met.
“I don’t even know what I am trying to say. There’s that, or you could even forgive me for asking you whether this is some kind of Serpent stunt and they put you up to trying to find out if I knew anything about the investigation from my dad again.” Kevin hadn’t really thought about the possibility of the Serpents having anything to do with the Black Hood, but faced with Joaquin in front of him and remembering what had happened last time, he felt Joaquin couldn’t blame him for being suspicious.
“I haven’t even contacted the Serpents since I’ve been back,” Joaquin tried to explain. “If this is anything to do with them, I don’t know about it.”
“So what are you doing here, Joaquin?” Kevin asked. “Why did you come back?”
“That’s a very good question,” came a new voice. “What are you doing back?”
Kevin looked up to see that Betty and Veronica had walked into Pop’s. “And Kevin, why are you even talking to him? I thought you were meant to be with Moose?”
“So that was you who went and talked to him and set that up?” Kevin shook his head. “Yeah, I did kind of guess that.”
“Maybe this isn’t a good time to talk,” Joaquin began as he stood up. “But I’m not giving up on us. I’m sticking around Riverdale for a while, and I will call you tomorrow.”
As Joaquin walked out of Pop’s, Betty hissed “You’re not seriously going to see him again? He helped dispose of Jason’s body! He was playing you the whole time to get information on your dad’s operation for FP! And then he just took off!”
Although Kevin had been thinking much the same things, he felt irritated again at the thought of Betty interfering again just as she had when she went to his father about the guys he was picking up, and whatever she had said to Moose. “I’m not going to see him again, and when you go to my dad with it, you can tell him that too,” he snapped.
Betty flinched. “Wait, what? Trust me, I’m not gonna tell your dad anything again.”
“Betty!” Veronica hissed, pinching her arm. Kevin wondered what the hell that was all about. Betty looked furious and kind of creeped out, Veronica awkward. Kevin suddenly flashed back to that time when Veronica was sleeping over and he’d walked in on Veronica talking to his dad, who was shirtless and working out. She’d claimed to be getting juice from the refrigerator as there was none in the kitchen, but there had been some when Kevin looked. He’d thought nothing of it at the time, but now…No, that was ridiculous. Veronica was a) one of his best friends, and b) dating Archie. But Betty wouldn’t have looked like that for no reason, and Veronica obviously had some reason for shutting her up…
“Glad to hear it,” Kevin said, cutting the conversation off and asking Veronica something else. But secretly, he wasn’t sure that was the last he had seen of Joaquin…