𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐃 , uncertain if it was some joke or perhaps , a calculated move from the reapers . from his initial surveillance and files given to him by an informant , archie recognized the other as a reaper . and he immediately had to wonder whether the younger male was sent to watch him closely ? after all , archie was only at the fair to watch them , too . perhaps , it was some kind of watch the watcher type of shit . or maybe , he was just paranoid . nevertheless , archie decided to entertain it for now .
❛❛ i might not look it , but i’m thirty . might be a little bit above your age range , pal , ❞ he responded before a brief laugh fell from his lips , attempting to appear as lax as possible . ❛❛ but i’m not going to refuse if you want to buy me a lemonade . i’ve got a craving for something sour now that you mentioned it . ❞ despite being all smiles , archie remained suspicious inside . and of course , he held out his hand and decided to introduce himself , mostly for politeness’ sake . ❛❛ i’m archie . ❞
“what’s an age range?” luke shot back, his smirk a revel in itself; feigned confusion, a jest, but one with a heart of truth. he’d never been one to allow such trivial matters as age, social class, or obvious disinterest to deter him in his pursuits - variety is the spice of life, after all, and surely it could never hurt to diversify the notches on his bedpost. “sure, you don’t look thirty - but not a lot of people look like you at any age, yeah?”
a third certainty in life beyond death and taxes, luke’s flirtatious nature. try as he might to shut it off, it would always persist like the steady drip from a leaky faucet: contained for a time, perhaps, but never quite subdued.
“you probably can’t tell by looking at me, but i’m not some teenager out past his bedtime.” he paused to consider, then chuckled with a light shrug. “alright, you probably can’t tell by the personality, either. i can only dream of the day i stop getting carded at every gas station in the tri-state area. but i’m old enough.”
“archie! like from the comic books,” he enthused as he took hold of the other’s outstretched hand, the clear, exuberant delight on his features lit up to rival the festivities around them. “that’s so cool; i used to love reading those when i was a kid. they always had them at the grocery store, up front with the candy bars and coke, you know? my mom wouldn’t always buy ‘em, though, so i just started stealin’ ‘em. oh... i’m luke! probably shoulda led off with that... so it’s a definite no on the teddy bear?”
