Quick summary: Archie comes out to the gang with a little help.
Title from the You Me At Six song "Liquid Confidence". By the way, I really want "Lived a Lie" but since I'm in the states I cannot buy it. I need it! (Imagine, if you can, Spongebob saying the same but in regards to water. You have now read it how I say it each time in my head.)
The gang gathered at The Swan on a lazy Friday afternoon. Their last Friday before college started and they were thrown back into the crutches of textbooks, papers, and Shakespeare. Chop and Izzy were blissfully unaware of the other four whilst their faces were glued together, Chloe scouted the room for her next potential infatuation, Finn and Rae were bickering over which song to put on the jukebox, and then there was Archie.
Archie was sat at the head of the table watching the gang around him. Well, avoiding looking in Chop and Izzy's direction. Whilst he was happy for them, he didn't need to watch it. He sighed. He wished he didn't have to hide himself. He wished he could be around his friends with someone he loved. Yes, he loved the gang, but not in that way.
He loved that Rae supported him when he told her he was gay. She's been there when he needed to talk and she stood with him after what he put her through, dating her to see if he really was gay and hurting her in the end. He finished his snakebite before turning to Rae.
"Rae, can I talk to you?" he asked her earning the attention of the whole gang.
"Sure, Arch. Outside?" she smiled at him.
He just nodded as they both got up and walked towards the door. Chop, Izzy, Chloe, and Finn all stared at them as they walked out and when the door shut, looked at each other.
"Finn, aren't you worried that he's trying to steal Rae from you again? They've been having private chats a lot lately, you know," Chloe said riling Finn.
He simply rolled his eyes. "Chlo, there's nothing going on between them. They're best mates. They're allowed to talk. Besides I trust my Rae."
"I don't know, Finn…" her eyebrows raised at she trailed off.
"Piss off, Chloe. You don't know what you're talking about."
Finn knew he had nothing to worry about. Him and Rae had been together for three months now and he really did trust her. But he'd also been watching Archie. He remembered Archie's reaction after being kissed by Barney at Rae's sexy party during Spin the Bottle. He saw Archie's eyes sometimes follow a bloke as he past. But of course, that didn't mean he was gay. Finn's looked at another bloke's body before and been impressed with what he's seen. But he's not gay. He just suspected Archie might be so.
Outside the pub Archie's face became stressed, he eyes wide and eyebrows scrunched as he stuttered talking to Rae.
"Shou- should I just t- tell them, Rae?" he looked at her for the answer.
"If you think you're ready to tell them, sure. Arch, you know they love you and they'll support you no matter what," Rae smiled encouragingly at Archie and rubbed his arm.
"I think… I think I'm going to tell them," he nodded his head to reassure himself. "Yeah. Today. I'll tell them today."
"That's great, Arch! You're going to be fine. Like I said, they love you. You've known you were gay for a whilst and they didn't see anything as being off about you. Just because they know that you prefer guys isn't going to make you any different. Chloe may bend your ear, though. 'Do you think he's hot? What about him?'" they both laughed. "Besides, you've got your new boyfriend by your side as well."
Archie blushed and looked away, "He hasn't come out either."
"C'mere," Rae wrapped him in a hug which he returned.
"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" a mocking voice asked from beside them.
Archie sprang from Rae as if burned. "Nothing! Just hugging!"
"Relax, Archie. I'm just teasing," Barney laughed at him, eyes shining. "Mind if I join you lot at the pub?"
"'Course not. We're just heading back in." Rae said.
Barney smiled in thanks as the three walked inside. Chop looked up as the door opened and greeted them with a loud "Barnstable!"
"Hiya," Barney said as he grabbed the seat next to Archie's.
"What brings you in today?" Finn asked as him and Rae walked back with a whole round for the gang.
"Well, I wanted to tell you guys something. I've been hiding a secret from you all and I think it's important you know," Barney said confidently.
"What's up, mate?" Chop prompted whilst Archie's eyes widened in shock.
"I'm gay," he said simply before taking a drink, his confidence not wavering.
The table was silent for a moment before they broke out in cheers. "Proud of you, Barney. Takes a lot of guts in this fucked up world to do that," Finn said smiling at him. "Cheers, mate."
"Strictly dickley, eh, Barnstable?" Chop said teasing.
Izzy swatted him in the side causing him to jerk. "You're so terrible!" she admonished before turning to Barney. "We're so happy for you!" she squealed in her Izzy-like manner.
Rae silently watched Archie as he twiddled his thumbs and looking back at her. She raised her eyebrows as if to challenge him. He broke the stare and grabbed his pint, downright chugging it until there was nothing left. The gang at this point had turned to him. He slammed the empty mug down, harshly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before turning to Barney. Barney had a smile of his own on his face which grew wider when Archie grabbed his head by the back of the neck and kissed him roughly.
The gang was surprised to say the least. Except for Rae, of course. She watched them as they got lost in their own world and just kept macking on each other.
Chop coughed not so discreetly," Ahem. Archie, I had no idea." He was shocked but grinning widely.
Finn grinned as he raised his glass. "To Archie and Barney!"
The rest of the gang bumped glasses as Barney and Archie pulled away from each other breathing heavily, faces red, lips swollen, and Archie's glasses askew on his face.
"How long have you two been together?" Izzy asked smiling sweetly.
"About three months, 'round the same time as Rae and Finn," Barney answered. Archie was still blushing and staring at the table.
"Oooh, a secret romance! That's so adorable," Izzy looked affectionately at them before turning to Chop. "You, however, couldn't just tell me how you felt." She gave him a little glare before her eyes softened. "But it's okay, I still love you." She smiled at him again before leaning up to kiss him.
"You are going to be the death of me, Izzy," he muttered sweetly after pulling away.
The gang tattered on for a good hour. It was as if nothing changed. Archie was still Archie; Barney was still Barney although he now is going to be more permanent in the gang.
It wasn't until a rather fit bloke walked into the pub with another group that Chloe decided to stick her foot in her mouth.
Gesturing with her head she asked, "So, what do you two think of him?"
Rae snorted and hid her face in her hands as Finn laughed and rubbed her back. Barney and Archie, however, looked at each other and smiled happily with their hands intertwined under the table. Everything was going to be fine.