there's complicated and then there's kevin

Moose wondered why Kevin did like him. It’s not like the two of them had a lot in common. Then again, the saying was that opposites attract and they were different in many aspects. “Probably because I’m hot and you find me hilarious and adorable.” Moose answered, finishing the contents of his drink. “So… we’re both taking advantage of one another. We’re two concepting adults, there’s nothing wrong with that.” He could tell the whole bro-talk was something Kevin had little experience with but he pulled it off okay enough. He hesitated at Kevin’s almost slip of the word date. It’s not like he didn’t know that on some level, going on a date is something the two were doing but dissociating the two made this a lot more easier to go through with this. “No you, didn’t ruin this.” Moose did his best not to show how uncomfortable he felt at the word, but probably failed at keeping his face neutral.  “I just remembered that I promised to go bowling with Reggie and a few guys from the team, but this was fun.“ Moose slid out of the booth and walked alongside Kevin back to his truck. ”We should just pick this up tomorrow. Y’know, at your place.” He felt bad cutting the night short, but didn’t want to ruin anything that might happen based on his anxieties.

“You’re not wrong.” He smiled, patting Moose on the shoulder while they finished up everything. “Conse-” Kevin decided to just leave it alone. Any other person making that mistake would call for a correction, an insult, and another insult but his affection towards Moose only made him giggle. If it made any difference, he was pretty close to the word and Kevin did understand what he meant. When the mistake had been made, Kevin could see Moose’s face take the word just how he assumed he would. Nothing Moose could say could bring Kevin too far out of how bad he felt but he could see that Moose was trying. “I can drop you off. I had fun too.” He knew there would be a next time and hopefully it would end differently than what Kevin had just done. Kevin played music through his phone while on the drive, trying not to make it awkward by blasting the top hits of today. “Yeah. My place will be fine. I’ll order pizza and we can have some alcohol. Who am I trying to impress?” He teased, glad that the awkward barrier had been broken. When they approached the movie theater Kevin unlocked the doors, waving goodbye to Moose and quickly drove off so others wouldn’t see the two (mostly members of the team because Kevin knew he’d be teased for it). “Well, we are going to see how this goes.” He commented, turning the music up louder so he could clear his mind.

He lowered his head with a small chuckle, glad that Kevin enjoyed his sad attempt at a joke. “Well, I’ve got more where those came from.” Moose finished what was left on his plate. “No problem, man. Bringing peace to the world is kinda what I do. That and share my awesome athletic skills with the world.” He sat by silently while Kevin paid for their meal. “The next one’s on me by the way. I can’t have you thinking I’m taking advantage of you.” He listened quietly to Kevin’s offer to come over and hang out at his place, just the two of them. Not that he expected anything to happen aside from the usual getting to know each other, but the door was left a little more ajar if they were truly alone with one another. “Yeah, I think I can squeeze you in. I mean, that shouldn’t be a problem. We’re bros.” Moose reached across the table and bumped Kevin on the shoulder with his fist, possibly overdoing the act to show anyone that had spotted them eating that they were just friends. “We can hang out by ourselves without it being weird.”

“Please explain to me why I like you and keep you around?” Kevin joked, though the last bit of his statement did bring him some curiosity. He rasied his eyebrow on Moose’s offer to pay for their next meal, not expecting that kind of hospitality and the mention of their being a next time. Enjoyment did rise over Kevin that they didn’t need to hide when hanging out with one another. Though it would take everything in his power to not jump Moose’s bones but it was the smart and right thing to do and he’d be able to manage. “Moose, I don’t think you’re taking advantage of me. If anything you could make the argument that I’m taking advantage of you.” He was going after the guy who had a girlfriend and trying to get Moose on his side - at least that’s how he could see it. The fist bump motion through him off. “Really?” Kevin asked, not being able to hold back his smile. “Bros?” He repeated while he returned the gesture. “Moose, can you please stop being so adorable?” Without alerting Moose, Kevin winked before standing up and walking toward the door and back to the truck he drove the both of them in. “So, where to next? Home or do you want to continue this da-..hang out.” The word nearly slipped from Kevin’s mouth, not meaning to make this moment awkward. “S-sorry..I can take you home if I just ruined this.”

Archie’s brows furrowed and his arms crossed over his broad chest in an almost defensive manner. He couldn’t help it, whenever the subject of his illicit affair with their teacher was brought up, his walls came up. It wasn’t something he was proud of, or liked talking about, mainly because Archie still was confused and uncertain about the entire situation. Thankfully, Kevin seemed to sense his discomfort and dropped the topic, and the redhead heaved a silent sigh of relief before listening to the advice. “He’s not a Serpent though,” he disagreed, bullheadedly. “He’s Juggie.” That probably didn’t make any sense, but how else was Archie supposed to explain it. Jughead was one of his best friends, they had grown up together, and once upon a time the athlete had believed to know him better than anyone. But after their run in the other night, Archie wasn’t so sure anymore. He had been privy to all the resentment swirling inside his beanie wearing friend, and hearing him talk like that had scared the ginger boy. Though, in a sense, Kevin was right. Jughead had stood by him with the whole Grundy fiasco, even when he had made his stance on the matter clear. Still, how was he supposed to support Jughead when he knew he was doing something that any idiot -Archie- could see was heading for disaster. “I’m supposed to protect the people I love, even if it’s from themselves.” 

Speaking with Archie on certain topics was frustrating at times, and Kevin wanted to be mad at him for it but he knew that deep down Archie put the good thinking before the bad. “I get what you’re saying, Archie. I really do.” Optimistic thinking was a gift, but it was Archie’s hubris at the same time. “People change Archie. We are teenagers after all. Telling us that we are in the wrong or doing something wrong will make us do it more. We are a generation of people who do exactly the opposite.” Empathetic speaking was not Kevin’s forte but he learned that was the best way when speaking to Archie rather than his original way of speaking implying that they should just leave Jughead alone. “Archie..sometimes you have to let people make mistakes in order for them to learn. It sucks seeing them fall but that only means you can be there for them more than ever when there’s damage control. No matter what path people take there will always be pain.” Kevin kind of blanked out when speaking and didn’t realize he was pulling off some end-of-movie speech. “Wow..I just Bravehearted Archie Andrews..”

      it wouldn’t hurt to get on kevin keller’s good side, gain his trust. veronica already had it, and he knew his father wouldn’t be too happy to know that his son had met hiram lodge. sheriff keller had to know he was dangerous, his reputation would follow him wherever he went. “you’ll figure it all out. you seem like someone who is well dressed.” he brushed kevin’s shoulder, patting him afterwards. “can’t go wrong with pizza considering he must work hard.” 

“Y-you think I dress well?” His hands naturally gripped at his own collar, acting as if that compliment was among the best he’s gotten (which it is among them). “Thank you, sir. I try to bring some fashion to Riverdale which is difficult considering we’re 10 years behind most other places.” Though Kevin’s physical self was in Riverdale, his soul truly belonged to New York. “What brings you to Pop’s, Mr. Lodge?”

Her shoulder rose slightly in agreeance, one corner of her lips twisting upwards. She had heard that before. “Wow. We’ve gone from Twin Peaks around here to Brokeback Riverdale surprisingly fast. Unless you’re assaulting him with you lips, Moose is at least partially interested in kissing you too. It’s not about how sharp he is, Kevin. Not everyone can be a genius. Or intelligent. Or have common sense. Anyway, I say go for it. Just figure out the Midge thing first. Don’t break her heart.”

Listening to  Veronica could be hard at times but she spoke the truth knowing that it may hit a nerve.“You know that’s actually a great movie aside from the famous tent scene.” Kevin was on the verge of going on a rant about the greatness of that movie for it’s time but realized that he had nothing to defend. Guilt was going on and off with him, mostly hitting him whenever he wasn’t around Moose. “When will I be allowed to have a relationship that isn’t complicated? I went from a gang member who helped with a murder to a jock with a girlfriend. One is less extreme than the other but still complicated.”

Moose could relate to the other guys Kevin was describing. He felt bad because Kevin was a great guy and didn’t deserve all this secrecy that seemed to surround him on a daily basis. At least he didn’t have to deal with being a secret with his last boyfriend. He didn’t know why the two broke up or what the serpent’s deal was, but he didn’t make Kevin keep their relationship a secret. “I’m sure I will. Especially if I’ve got everyone in my corner.” Moose appreciated the offer but wasn’t sure if he wanted to take advantage of Keller even though he was offering his services. Even though, adding Keller to his list of tutors would give him a better cover and excuse for them hanging out. “What about gloomy power rangers or teenage moody ninja turtles? Ooh, I’ve got it. The Sad-vengers.” Moose laughed a little before reeling it back, remembering that these guys were all a part of Kevin’s close friend group. “Sorry… but I’m sure you guys will figure it out. You guys are like the football team in that no matter what happens, you’ve got each other’s backs.” He wasn’t sure exactly how close the five of them were both he really did hope Kevin had close friends like he did. He often wondered sometimes how he had free time for all the things he did but somehow it all worked out in the end. “Take it. I want you to.”

“Sad-vengers? As mad as I want to be at you for that corny joke I can’t because it was hilarious.” He laughed, inserting a fry into his mouth to somewhat tame his laugh. “Don’t apologize, your humor is adorable.” The joke was funny and Kevin wasn’t going to lie to the male for the sake of his own feelings that were irrelevant. “I know things will be fine, it’s just frustrating. And thank you Moose...that..” Kevin paused for a moment, realizing that Moose’s words offered him a great deal of reassurance considering he knows just how rough and crazy members of the football team can be. “Honestly and oddly enough made me feel better.” Who ever thought that Moose Mason would bring comfort to Kevin Keller? The waitress started making her way over with the check, and Kevin began pulling out the needed cash. His father gave him a weekly allowance that was enough for Kevin to do what he needed on a weekly basis. “Then how about you come over tomorrow? My dad works the graveyard shift and no one is available because they are all busy with their lives. We can watch a movie without the Netflix and Chill. Feel free to say no..but I really do consider you a friend..regardless of ou-my feelings.”

Moose did his best to hide a smile from Kevin. He had to admit that he was starting to question the whole taking it slow thing, but knew better than acting on any impulse when it came to Kevin. “Better.” Moose’s gaze lowered at Keller’s wink. He had to give it to Kevin, for not being someone who hung out with Moose’s crowd, the confidence was definitely on par with a lot of his friends. “How’s that? Are you using me to make someone jealous?” Moose arched his eyebrow, bringing his drink to his mouth to take a quick sip. “If it weren’t for me, half of our sports teams wouldn’t be as good as they are. Plus, I have half of the school tutoring me, so I’m passing, but I’m not going to pretend that I’m book smart. I just need to figure out what I want to with my life when I get to college because becoming a doctor feels out of the question.” Kevin probably didn’t intend to speak out loud, but it definitely was entertaining to see just how flustered he could get. “I thought the emo scooby doo club were the best of friends?” At least that’s what it seemed like given how much time they spent together over the past semester. However, he understood how tragedy could change someone.  “Well, I’m free whenever I’m not with Midge, the guys, studying for class or practicing for football, so hit me up whenever you’re alone and I’ll keep you company.”

Though it was within Kevin’s nature to attempt to make someone jealous, this wasn’t at all the case. He shook his head before moving onto his fries. “There’s no one to make jealous. Most guys don’t want to be seen with me in public if they are..hardcore in the closet and just want to sleep with me.” Kevin was being truthful, and it was a tactic he never resorted to because the situation never called for it. “Eventually you just get used to it so you don’t bother fighting it.” Joaquin was case that Kevin knew he wouldn’t encounter for a while, especially with him being open. “You’ll figure everything out. If you ever need any help and don’t want to go through having so many tutors I can help. I’m sitting at a 3.8 right now.” He didn’t mind helping someone he cared about, especially someone who he had feelings for. “Emo scooby do? Come on, Moose. If you’re going to give us a name like that it has to be more savage than that.” There was Kevin’s habit of getting off track and he knew he was missing the point. “Right now we’ve all been busy dealing with our own lives so I’m mostly trying to make sure we don’t drift apart.” He’d just come into the group and already had baggage to deal with. “How do you have time for anything? Those all sound like big deals.” Kevin shook his head, moving to put out the money to pay for the both of them. “Don’t extend that offer Moose because you know I’ll take it.”

    hiram grinned at the boy’s words, shaking his head as if to brush the comment off. “nothing wrong with that, son.” hiram just didn’t think he was talking to him, he honestly thought he was talking to someone on his phone considering how attached he was to it. he shouldn't have been surprised though, he was a kid. his name, however, made hiram’s ears perk up, extending his hand to shake his firmly. “it’s a pleasure to meet you, kevin.. truly.” he did mean it. he wanted to meet veronica’s friends, there was no motive behind it. “how’s your day been, son??”

Wow. Hiram Lodge was happy to meet Kevin - truly at that. The boy’s eyes practically lit up. Millions of words wanted to make their way out of Kevin’s mouth with one asking if he had any rich friends that needed a younger guy - but Kevin wouldn’t be serious (completely). “It’s great to meet you too, Mr. Lodge.” This man had more money than Kevin could imagine and for him to at least act like he cared about Kevin’s day was amazing. “It’s been alright, mostly shopping for a new sweater and several pants. Trying to figure out what to make my dad and I for dinner tonight.”

“I’ve spent half of my life in the locker room so it’s going to take a little more cockiness from you to convince me that you’re the best I’ll ever have.” Moose didn’t intend on insinuating that he would for sure hook up with Kevin, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t open to it. “I feel like I’m constantly thanking you for being so cool with all this. So… Thanks.” He really was grateful that he’d found someone who had already been through what was happening to him. “Well, going pro is the only way I’ll get out of this cursed town so fingers crossed that Reg and I make it out alive.” Moose grabbed a mozzarella stick and took a bite, taking a moment to sever the gooey cheese in his mouth from the piece still in his hand. “So, what’s going on with you? I feel like we’re always talking about me.”

“I guess you might have to find that out. But trust me, guys know better than most girls how to please another man.” Kevin was 100% confident in his abilities and was not going to back down from this. He took a sip of his drink, giving Moose a wink after doing it just to add just how confident he was. “You don’t need to thank me..you don’t realize it but you’re helping me in more ways than you know.” Moose was slowly helping Kevin get over Joaquin, especially because his feelings were gearing the other direction. When Moose spoke about going pro the only way to get out of Riverdale, he shook his head. Moose wasn’t the smartest but he wasn’t stupid like several other people Kevin knew. “You’ll both make it. Have a little more confidence in your academic abilities. Getting to college is important but so is staying.” At the moment he probably sounded like a teacher, but Kevin did genuinely care for Moose and doesn’t want him to end up back in a town he doesn’t seem to want to stay in. “Wow..this is new..a guy asking about m-” Kevin once again realized he was speaking out loud and quickly went back to answering the question. After taking a bite of his second hot dog, he sighed. “I’m..alright. My dad has been working non-stop lately so he’s not home as often as I would like. My friend group is a little distant right now with..everything going on.” He didn’t know if Jughead was openly telling people he was a serpent so he avoided mentioning it. “I’m not great when it comes to being alone so much considering I thrive off social interaction.”

“That’s different!” He argued, stubbornly. “I kept my relationship with Geraldine a secret because I was protecting her.” Archie still foolishly believed that to be true. And yeah, maybe a part of him always knew what him and Jennifer had was wrong, but she had loved him and he had loved her. It was different. “How can I make the problem worse? He joined a gang!” The athlete would have been more alarmed at Kevin’s understanding of Jughead’s decision if he hadn’t known the guy had dated a Serpent. And, granted, Joaquin was actually a pretty decent guy, but he had been a fluke or something, because the serpents were criminals. “I tried talking to him but I said some stuff and then I sorta walked away…” Like always, Archie had made a mess of handling things. 

Wow. Kevin was shocked that Archie was still defensive about that whole situation. The only reason Kevin found out was because of Veronica and he avoided telling his dad because he knew that it would hurt Archie even though that woman deserves to be locked up. “Different..yeah.” He repeated, wanting to move on from the subject. “You’re pushing Jughead away which is only going to make him spend more time with them and less time with you...” Archie was a great guy but his stubborn nature showed. “You aren’t going to change his mind if you allow your opinion to get the best of you. There are times when I want to smack Cheryl Blossom for the shit she does, but we’ve all learned that we have to deal with the person she is and what she gets herself involved in.” He let his hand rest on Archie’s shoulder for a moment. “You can still fix it, Arch. I think you just need to realize that Jughead is a Serpent, but he can still be your friend. Joaquin was still a great person even with his decisions. Jughead stood by you even when you were pushing him away for Grundy. Not everyone is lucky to have that kind of person in their life.”

Moose felt bad having to turn Kevin down like that. If Kevin were a girl, it’d be different because he had experience being with them. Hell, he was even willing to fool around the night they find Jason. Then again, that was before he let himself develop some type of feelings for the sheriff’s son. “Yeah, It’s not that I don’t want to. I mean… I’m sure you’re great.” Moose lowered his voice with a light smile as a waitress walked by. He began to pick at the plate of fries before him and took a bite from a few. “Someday though.” Moose reassured him as the topic started to shift. “Thanks.” Moose blushed a bit as he lowered his head. “Archie’s good. We definitely wouldn’t be where we are with out him. I think we might actually make it to play-offs this year.”

“Moose, I know I’m great.” He stated confidently, knowing full well his capabilities when it came to intimacy. “But I understand, Moose. You have a girlfriend and still need to work things out.” The waiting game was awful, and Kevin wasn’t a very patient person but he would have to adapt. He gave the waitress a nod when the food was placed in front of him, Kevin already began digging in.  His order consisted of two hot dogs along with fries. Putting his napkin on his pants (to avoid spilling sauce on his khaki pants), he proceeded to eat the first hot dog. “My dad is a huge fan of your team. He thinks you have a chance at going pro if you keep it up. You and Reggie both.” He smiled at Moose with a thousand thoughts running into his mind.

“That sucks, but then again if you’re crushing on someone that means you’re on your way of getting over Joaquin, right? So maybe it’s not that bad after all.” He guessed before his argument with his best friend was brought up and he frowned. “He went ahead and joined the Serpents!” He blurted out indignantly. “And he kept it from me, like if I hadn’t run into him while he was wearing that damn jacket, I probably still wouldn’t know about it.”

“I guess so. It’s still pretty complicated.” Kevin commented, not really knowing how his relationship with Moose was going to play out in the end. He could understand where Archie’s frustrations lie but didn’t see a reason why it would damage their relationship. “I mean, I can see why you’re upset Archie but I think that you need to see it from his point of view.” Playing Devil’s Advocate is Kevin’s specialty, though he hated the reactions he would get. “We all have secrets and Jughead knew you’d worry and do that thing where you feel the need to intervene and sometimes make the problem worse. Hate to say it, Arch. You did the exact same thing when you were fooling around with Grundy. Don’t get angry or upset with me because it’s true. Just please talk to Jughead..”

Moose cocked his eyebrow at Kevin’s invitation to come over to his place and keep him company. He knew Keller had been with other guys prior to the two of them talking but he didn’t expect him to be so forward about the situation. He smiled at the waitress as she placed a plate before him, taking a beat before talking. “You know I’d never say no to free alcohol, but… I thought we agreed to take this slow.” Moose motioned between the two of them before taking a sip of his water. “I like you, but I don’t think I’m past back row rendezvous just yet.”

Kevin nodded his head, realizing that it was a little too soon for Moose to stay at his place. “Y-yeah..” He wasn’t used to another guy wanting to go slow, especially when the end goal was to always get in Kevin’s pants. “Sorry I..am just not used to someone wanting to spend time with me without..you know.” Scratching at the back of his head he tried his best to gear the conversation in a more positive light. “Back row rendezvous are still fine. Anyways, how is football going? I’m not the best when it comes to sports but I have a basic understanding because of my dad. Between you and me, I think you’re better than Archie and I’m not just saying that because I like you.” 

Moose looked out the window as the two drove away from the school and toward’s Pop’s shop. “Yeah, it looks like it’s in pretty good shape considering. If it ever starts acting up, you should give me a call. My dad’s a mechanic and taught me everything I know. I might be able to save you guys a trip to a shop.” Once they pulled up to a spot, Moose grabbed his stuff from the truck and followed Kevin into the diner. “I’ll just get my usual.” Moose looked around the diner to see just how many students from school had showed up as he settled into a table with Kevin. It was still early so the two had some time to themselves. “That’s sweet and totally makes sense.” Moose couldn’t help but glance over to the ground across from them to where he’d heard the shooting happened not too long ago. “That sounds crazy boring. If I had my home to myself, I’d definitely be throwing some killer kickbacks before my parents got home. At least have a friend or two over.”

The offer to get the truck looked at was nothing he was going to deny, as his father would try to fix it himself. Nothing against his father but Kevin is aware of just how ‘great’ he is at a lot of things. It was great to see someone else that had a usual because there were others who mixed it up. It wasn’t too long before their food was ready due to it being a slower and earlier time.  It was still a little weird being in this place after what happened not even a few weeks ago but it was something they’d have to push through. “You’re my friend. Do you want to come over?” The waitress placed the food in front of them, Kevin not meaning to have any hidden intentions with this invite. “And..if you want to stay you can take my bed and I’ll take the couch. We can break open my dad’s alcohol cabinet and whatever he has in the fridge.”

97. Had sex in public?

Almost, but no.

121. Lost my virginity before I was 18?

I’m under 18 and have had sex before - so yes.

122.  Had oral sex?

Obviously.

76. What do I think is Satan’s last name is?

Blossom.

33 - My current relationship status