Okay, but. I want to? [ because yes, penny’s the sort of nerd who’ll have a blast trying to note just how much archie’s pulse quickens or cheeks redden when she’s in a skirt that goes to her thighs vs a pair of tight jeans. she’s a scientist, give her a break. ] Yeah. Or not wearing.
[ though she’s not the sort to go without anything important just on a whim, and definitely not right now. but if archie’s going to tease, dropping his voice into his lower register in a way that makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, then penny’s going to do her best to keep up. (better luck than physically keeping up with him at full tilt, her legs are only so long.)
she grins up at him, hand swinging at his side. ] Yeah, I want that too. Let’s start with a date. An official one. And maybe some kissing, and go from there?
Oh. Oh. ( registering what she's getting at, he pulls at his collar with his free hand. he tips his head back for a brief reprieve, looking skyward ( are you kidding right now? she's going to KILL me ) and then dispels a breath like exhaling the influx of anticipation is a thing he's capable of doing. ) If you want to give me a fashion show and see how long it takes for me to break or grab one of your pillows for my lap, go for it.
( of course now that his mind's wandering, he sweeps his gaze over her. a date, a real date, they're going on a date but god, she's the one that put the visual in his head that now has him thinking about what she's wearing under her skirt. )
Maybe somewhere more official than Pop's? ( somewhere that friends won't get the idea that it's okay to slide into the booth with them. ) I'll pick you up and everything. But, um, if it's okay, I don't want to wait that long to kiss you.
[ and there’s the penny dropping. she laughs a little - she just can’t help it. there’s something about getting him worked up that’s innately rewarding, like having a math problem come easy to her, or making a long jump between two buildings. ] Maybe, [ and her smile is incredibly satisfied, bordering on coquettish. penny reaches up, brushing a thumb against archie’s cheekbone. ]
You’re cute when you blush.
[ it’s an honest compliment, delivered soft. learning these things about him, discovering them, it’s all new and a little wonderful. ] Are there places other than Pop’s?
[ here she thought it was the end-all be-all of riverdale cuisine. not that it’d be a bad thing. ] That sounds good. And, uh. You don’t have to wait. [ notably, she hasn’t removed her hand from archie’s face. ]
( wait until she discovers how easily riled up he is, she'll be walking around with that cat that got the canary smile for the rest of her life. assuming she doesn't get tired of him. thankfully, it's not an intrusive thought he dwells on, what with her thumb on his cheek. he grins at her, nervous but happy, more sheepish than knowing. probably, she's going to torture him. he's disturbingly okay with that conclusion. he leans into the light touch, shaking his head minutely at the fond observation. )
You must always think I'm cute when I'm around you, then.
( he turns towards penny, slowing their progression towards her place. )
Kind of? But they're not casual drive-ups or anything. There are a few restaurants. A pizza place. They're not as infamous as Pop's but our friends won't start picking off of your plate there.
( he's noticed. her hand is still on his cheek and honestly, he's crowding penny. all that safe personal space that was between them? swallowed up by tiny steps, inch by inch, until archie drops her hand to reach for the back of her head. it starts as a sweet pet, a brush of hair, but then he's assuredly using it for the advantage it is — curling his fingers at the nape of her neck while he leans down. she can meet him the other twenty percent of the way or they're just going to hover perpetually, with archie staring at her mouth, pleading quietly. )
[ eighty percent of being spider-girl is waiting. lurking on a low rooftop, watching an arms deal or gang meetup, waiting for the right time to strike. waiting for that moment when her instinct tells her to let go of her web. waiting to web somebody up until she’s sure she’s not going to do any serious damage. ]
Sort of, yeah.
[ and ever since she got to riverdale, it feels like she’s been waiting for everything to click. she’s picked up on a few things - like how pop’s is the hangout for everyone, slackers and honor roll alike. If there’s another place they could go, quieter and more intimate, it’d be nice.
penny rolls her eyes, fond. ] You can say Jughead. Honestly, I don’t know where he keeps it all.
[ not that she’s exactly one to talk, having demolished a burger, malt, and veritable pile of onion rings earlier that week. ever since the whole spider-bite, her metabolism’s gone into overdrive.
archie clicks. penny tilts her head up to meet his eyes. and she knows twenty percent when she sees it. with both hands, she grabs archie’s face and pulls it the last, scant few inches. she’s not shy about kissing him, not entirely chaste, either. ]
( once upon a time, archie was waiting for something to happen in riverdale, something to change, something to give, and then his mom left. the death of jason blossom was an even larger catalyst, setting off a series of unforgivable crimes in a town the world forgot. he doesn’t wonder where he fits now because he knows it’s here, he knows riverdale is his home, these are his people, and all of the good that fred taught him, he’s meant to continue that legacy of kindness. it’s what made him walk up and sit with penny during her first day during lunch time, but it’s not why archie hasn’t left her side.
is it any wonder? archie has yet to master the skill of unstitching his heart from his sleeve.
he wants to laugh, admit yeah, okay, it’s jughead, except jughead is not someone he wants cropping up in his mind when the girl he likes is giving him the green light to kiss her. the lofty dreams he has about being a gentleman bloom and wilt, surviving all of two seconds. penny’s hands are on either side of his face and she’s kissing him. he realizes then how much he’s underestimated his desire to taste her. right there in the middle of the street. his mouth gives against hers and he tries to part her lips with his tongue, about the same time he grasps at the small of her back, pulling her into him by her shirt.
he'll say something eventually when the choices are take a deep breath or die. )
[ it’s been wild, making the adjustment to riverdale. on the one hand, people are kinder here than in new york. penny never actually believed that you’d stop to talk to the cashier at the grocery store, or that strangers would ask about your day and mean it, but here? It’s real. but on the other hand, jughead jones sat her down and explained the murder of jason blossom, the gang struggles between the serpents and the ghoulies, the drugs that flooded the street and the ring of murders.
new york might be a bit of a disaster, but at least it’s honest about it.
time to grapple with that later, especially with how archie’s pulling her close, how she can just about feel the smile on his face as she tilts her head up. his mouth is as warm as his heart, and she wants - she wants more. penny moves one of her hands back, from his face to the back of his head, sliding a hand into his hair. she wants this to last, wants to stay like this forever, a perfect moment of -
there’s the honk of a car’s horn, and then another. penny jolts back. ] Oh, shit.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2022-07-14 09:34 pm (UTC)[ though she’s not the sort to go without anything important just on a whim, and definitely not right now. but if archie’s going to tease, dropping his voice into his lower register in a way that makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, then penny’s going to do her best to keep up. (better luck than physically keeping up with him at full tilt, her legs are only so long.)
she grins up at him, hand swinging at his side. ] Yeah, I want that too. Let’s start with a date. An official one. And maybe some kissing, and go from there?
no subject
Date: 2022-07-14 09:53 pm (UTC)( of course now that his mind's wandering, he sweeps his gaze over her. a date, a real date, they're going on a date but god, she's the one that put the visual in his head that now has him thinking about what she's wearing under her skirt. )
Maybe somewhere more official than Pop's? ( somewhere that friends won't get the idea that it's okay to slide into the booth with them. ) I'll pick you up and everything. But, um, if it's okay, I don't want to wait that long to kiss you.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-14 10:47 pm (UTC)You’re cute when you blush.
[ it’s an honest compliment, delivered soft. learning these things about him, discovering them, it’s all new and a little wonderful. ] Are there places other than Pop’s?
[ here she thought it was the end-all be-all of riverdale cuisine. not that it’d be a bad thing. ] That sounds good. And, uh. You don’t have to wait. [ notably, she hasn’t removed her hand from archie’s face. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-07-14 11:31 pm (UTC)You must always think I'm cute when I'm around you, then.
( he turns towards penny, slowing their progression towards her place. )
Kind of? But they're not casual drive-ups or anything. There are a few restaurants. A pizza place. They're not as infamous as Pop's but our friends won't start picking off of your plate there.
( he's noticed. her hand is still on his cheek and honestly, he's crowding penny. all that safe personal space that was between them? swallowed up by tiny steps, inch by inch, until archie drops her hand to reach for the back of her head. it starts as a sweet pet, a brush of hair, but then he's assuredly using it for the advantage it is — curling his fingers at the nape of her neck while he leans down. she can meet him the other twenty percent of the way or they're just going to hover perpetually, with archie staring at her mouth, pleading quietly. )
no subject
Date: 2022-07-15 05:04 pm (UTC)Sort of, yeah.
[ and ever since she got to riverdale, it feels like she’s been waiting for everything to click. she’s picked up on a few things - like how pop’s is the hangout for everyone, slackers and honor roll alike. If there’s another place they could go, quieter and more intimate, it’d be nice.
penny rolls her eyes, fond. ] You can say Jughead. Honestly, I don’t know where he keeps it all.
[ not that she’s exactly one to talk, having demolished a burger, malt, and veritable pile of onion rings earlier that week. ever since the whole spider-bite, her metabolism’s gone into overdrive.
archie clicks. penny tilts her head up to meet his eyes. and she knows twenty percent when she sees it. with both hands, she grabs archie’s face and pulls it the last, scant few inches. she’s not shy about kissing him, not entirely chaste, either. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-07-21 02:53 am (UTC)is it any wonder? archie has yet to master the skill of unstitching his heart from his sleeve.
he wants to laugh, admit yeah, okay, it’s jughead, except jughead is not someone he wants cropping up in his mind when the girl he likes is giving him the green light to kiss her. the lofty dreams he has about being a gentleman bloom and wilt, surviving all of two seconds. penny’s hands are on either side of his face and she’s kissing him. he realizes then how much he’s underestimated his desire to taste her. right there in the middle of the street. his mouth gives against hers and he tries to part her lips with his tongue, about the same time he grasps at the small of her back, pulling her into him by her shirt.
he'll say something eventually when the choices are take a deep breath or die. )
no subject
Date: 2022-07-23 11:43 pm (UTC)new york might be a bit of a disaster, but at least it’s honest about it.
time to grapple with that later, especially with how archie’s pulling her close, how she can just about feel the smile on his face as she tilts her head up. his mouth is as warm as his heart, and she wants - she wants more. penny moves one of her hands back, from his face to the back of his head, sliding a hand into his hair. she wants this to last, wants to stay like this forever, a perfect moment of -
there’s the honk of a car’s horn, and then another. penny jolts back. ] Oh, shit.