✿
Knock, knock, knock.
Jughead looks up from the book he's reading to see Mickey standing between the doorframe of the newspaper room. "H-hey. What're you doing here so late?"
Mickey enters the room, making a beeline for his desk and sitting in the chair opposite of him. "I thought I'd find you here and decided to check on you."
"I'm just trying to find some way to fight against Percival."
"Find anything useful?" she gestures to the many books laid open on the desk top.
"I've been reading this parapsychology book, and some of the scientists think that you can actually resist mind control through something called an emotional anchor. It essentially acts as a tether, connecting you to what you feel like your core identity is. And as long as you stay connected to whatever that thing is, Percival can't get a grasp on you."
A flicker of curiosity flashes through her eyes. "Ok, so what's your anchor?"
His eyes bore into hers for a moment too long. He's not sure if he wants to reveal that or not.
Why does he have to look at me like that, she thinks. Mickey's eyes avert to the two unbuttoned buttons at the top of his shirt and she notices his chest tattoo. And why does he have to look so sexy doing it?
"Thank you," he grins.
"For what?"
"Your thoughts."
The color drains from her face, totally forgetting about his new ability. "You can't do that! Those are private, Jug!"
He covers his mouth when he starts to laugh. "I'm sorry!" he gets out ironically. "I am! But I can't control it completely yet. I don't mean to slip in and out like that."
Her mouth twists. "Fine. What else have you heard?"
"A little bit of this and a little bit of that." He's purposefully being vague.
"It's not fair because I can't read your mind."
"There's nothing interesting up there."
"I doubt that," Mickey rises from her seat. "I bet your thoughts would get you in all types of trouble."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm getting out of here before my thoughts get me in trouble."
✿
"I like this color!" Mickey picks out the blue polish and unscrews the top. Her knees are up to her chest and she's leaning over them to begin painting her toes.
Tabitha stands in front of Mickey's fireplace with her pajamas on. Tonight was supposed to be a relaxed spa night for them, but she can't stop thinking about her conversation with Percival. "How can you focus on polish when I'm in a crisis?"
"I'm multitasking," Mickey murmurs.
"So did you hear what I said?" There's a crease between her brows out of frustration.
"Yes. Percival is removing the diner's slogan from the town's welcome sign," she repeats Tabitha's current issue. "And he wants to restore the General Pickens statue. Did you know there was a whole protest against the General and in support of the Uktena tribe in high school? I mean that was Toni's granddad's family."
"No one seems to have a problem with it now! How did things resolve back in high school?"
Mickey stops polishing her nails and looks to her friend finally. "My father cut off the head to frame Jughead and twist the narrative. Which then led to a whole bunch of drama." Mickey thinks it's best to leave out the part about breaking up with Jug and him sleeping with Betty to spite her.
"He's trying to get me off his back and on to Veronica's to have us have some chick fight over our livelihoods."
"How?"
"The council is holding a special meeting to approve a billboard promoting the Babylonium. That stretch of highway is only zoned for two billboards, the town's and one other..."
Mickey sets her polish down and stands up. "Tabby, this is serious. Percival is sinister, but you should have the second advertisement poster."
"I know you're mad at your sister, but going against her doesn't feel right, Mick..."
"My sister isn't a good person. The things she's done...they're unforgettable. Christ, she just rented Percival a champagne suite! She doesn't care who she hurts. She doesn't care when it affects me."
Tabitha tugs at one of her earlobes. "I'm sure your sister cares. Maybe—"
"She's hurt me," Mickey comes out with it. "I know this sounds terrible coming from me, but she's turned into this monster and I couldn't stand it if she and her shady ass casino got that promotion. Your diner is the heart of Riverdale. Promise me you'll work on a proposal to woo the council."
Tabitha searches Mickey's eyes for something, but she knows if she doesn't say anything, Mickey will pull away. "I promise."
Mickey goes back to sit on her couch and gets in her nail polishing position again. "Anyway, hell would have to freeze over for Alice to let the casino get any publicity so, you're fine."
✿
The next afternoon, Mickey, Toni, and Tabitha are down in the Whyte Wyrm. The three of them have opted to day drink instead of attending Jughead and Archie's event to label Archie World's Toughest Man. It's an attempt to make Archie some folk hero for Riverdale and to knock Percival down a notch.
Tabitha is ranting once again about Percival, even more passionately since her proposal against the casino lost. Her eyes are wide with passion lighting them up. "The nerve of them to look at me and say, 'Pop's represents Riverdale's past, we wanna look towards its future.' All they care about is revenue! But my diner isn't just the legacy! It's the present and future too!"
Mickey likes this side of Tabitha—all turned up to an eleven, feisty, and determined. "I can drink to that,"'she raises her glass.
From behind the bar, Toni apologizes. "I'm sorry the billboard vote didn't work out for you, Tabitha. I've been trying to get one up for years."
"It's not just that, Toni," Tabitha slouches against the bar. "Percival said something about Babylonium being a threat to Pop's. And damned if he isn't right. I went over my books, and ever since Veronica opened up her casino, my revenue's been going down."
"Join the club. Casinos give out drinks for free, so why would anybody come to the Whyte Wyrm to pay for them?"
"I hear you. But that's the thing. Unlike the Whyte Wyrm, we're not direct competition for the casino, so why is it eating into my customer base?" Tabitha wonders.
Mickey glances between the two of them, "Well, have you been to the Babylonium yet?"
"I haven't had a chance to yet. No."
"Well, I know for a fact that Veronica is always scheming. Maybe she's done something to strike the diner."
A lightbulb clicks on in Toni's mind. "Well, maybe it's time we check out our competition."
✿
It's the evening time when the three of them enter the casino. Mickey knows they're on a mission, but she loves any reason to get all dolled up. Plus, the live music—specifically, the singer's velvety voice—is most definitely setting the mood.
Toni turns to say something to Mickey about the perks of being the boss' sister. Instead, she catches Mickey with her eyes on Tabitha, who is rocking a beautiful suede, olive-green dress that hangs off her shoulders. Mickey is definitely appreciating the way the dress hugs Tabitha.
"Excuse me," Tabitha stops a waiter right by the door. "What do we have here?"
The waiter holds the tray down for the girls to see. "We have an assortment of sliders, tater tots, and pigs-in-a-blanket. On the house, of course." Then he walks off when none of them take any.
"The Babylonium is serving diner food?" Tabitha is offended greatly. Her face twists as the unsettle feeling takes over in her body.
"And that's not all," Toni sighs when she catches something else. She stops another waitress passing by with milkshakes in short glasses. "What is this?"
The woman smiles, "Liquor-infused milkshake shots. Would you like one?"
"Oh, hell no," Tabitha snaps. It causes the waitress' smile to drop and scurry away.
Mickey turns to Tabitha fully with a look that reads I told you so. "That's a direct shot at your business, Tabby."
"Guys, look," Toni grips Mickey's arm just because of the jumpscare of seeing the singer on stage. It's Percival and he's looking directly at them.
✿
"Is Toni still in the bathroom?"
Mickey chortles. "She has a very serious night routine for her skin. I'd say ten more minutes at least," she teases.
Tabitha sighs, leaning against Mickey's kitchen counters. "I need to get out of this dress," she whines. "It's totally not my style and I feel like an imposter."
"You look sexy," Mickey comments without thought. When she realizes she's said it, she remains calm and doesn't retract it. She goes further, "The diner uniform and small-town woman look is cute, but a little switch up once in a while doesn't hurt anyone. I don't mind it."
"You don't?" Her voice is curious and she's definitely fishing for a compliment. She's kind of grateful that Mickey is busying herself with making a snack or she'd notice the child-like giddiness Tabitha's feeling.
Toni enters the kitchen and easily analyzes that she's interrupting a moment. To not make it awkward, she just pretends she's not interrupting anything. "You can use the bathroom now, Tabitha."
And Tabitha does with her head hanging.
Mickey can feel Toni's eyes on her and stops preparing her snack to examine the look. "What?" she asks innocently.
Toni debates bringing it up or keeping her mouth shut. There's nothing she can't discuss with Mickey, but maybe this is something Mickey isn't ready to discuss with her. "...nothing," she hums coyly.
It's not until the three of them are out of their gowns and their makeup is washed off that they're settled in the dining room.
"There's no way we can compete against a casino with a budget of a Baz Luhrmann film." Toni stops picking at her pound cake with her fork.
Mickey blows out a huge gush of air. "I hate to say it, but it's like baby Davids versus a Babylonian-sized Goliath."
Tabitha folds her arms on top of the wood table. "Veronica's clearly prioritized profit over friendship. So, I say we do the same and team up. Fight fire with fire. I could apply for a liquor license and start serving alcohol, placing all of my orders through the Whyte Wyrm, of course."
Toni perks up, "And I could install a couple of slot machines downstairs and maybe even a craps table. But what do we do about live entertainment? We need an act that will get people talking and fast."
"What if I resurrect the idea of a singing diner?"
"Yeah..." Toni cocks her head to the side, giving Mickey an amused gaze. Mischief fills her eyes. "Or I could step it up a notch. There is an old tradition that's due for a Cirque de Soleil-type re-invention."
"What tradition?" Mickey questions.
Toni smirks. "Remember the Serpent Dance?" When Tabitha gives her a quizzical eye, Toni begins to explain. "Mickey got out of it when she was initiated in the Serpents, but it's a sexy dance that the girls had to do to be allowed in the Serpents."
"You're going to try to make Tabitha do the Serpent dance? Wait until she sees the moves and she'll back out."
Tabitha makes a face. "Why do you say that?"
"You're just not...like that," Mickey shrugs.
"What? Sexy? I can be sexy. You don't think I'm sexy?"
"I never said that! Actually, I said quite the opposite in the kitchen." Mickey said it blatantly in the kitchen.
Somehow this offends Tabitha even more. "Only when I'm dressed to the nines?" she tests.
Toni can't help the grin that forms as she watches the two banter. She squints her eyes at Mickey, "Yeah, Mick...do you think she's sexy?"
Mickey lightly kicks Toni under the table because of the teasing in her voice.
"Okay!" Toni stands up and clasps her hands together. She's trying to dissipate the growing tension. "I am going to go to bed. Ever since baby Anthony was born, I've been a lightweight. One drink has me ready to sleep for twelve hours and I plan on taking full advantage of Fangs being on baby duty and your guest room, Mick."
Tabitha and Mickey say their good nights to Toni. Once she's out the dining room, Tabitha just stares at Mickey. And she knows Mickey will understand why—she's still waiting for an answer for her question.
Mickey stands and starts to collect the dishes on the table. "I'm gonna load these."
✿
It's only a few of days later when Mickey enters the diner, which is fuller than usual. She can only assume it's the same way in the Whyte Wyrm. The changes were rapid for both businesses and it brought in the customers they needed. Everyone likes booze, games, and entertainment—especially when it's beautiful women in skimpy outfits.
Mickey went the first night to see Toni, Tabitha, and their go-go dancers. She had to show her support for her friends, but it felt kind of dirty to watch them like that, so she didn't find herself back down there during their performances.
"What is this?" Mickey asks when she approaches the table being occupied by Tabitha, Toni, and Veronica.
"We're calling a cease fire," Veronica intertwines her hands on top of the table.
"You can't trust her," Mickey says to Tabitha and Toni, not concerned with being polite for Veronica's sake.
"Mick, Veronica came to us," Toni shares. "She wanted a cease fire just as much as we did. Look, our families aren't happy about what we've been doing. Fangs just got out of jail and me showing off my body in a bar isn't a good look for our custody battle."
"And Pop Tate is unhappy too. It's a disgrace for there to be liquor in our family's diner. It's too much," Tabitha states.
Veronica speaks up again, "We reminded each other of who we are. Three women and three proud business owners in a small town that needs to come together instead of letting itself be ripped apart. We found a way to thread the needle and support one another."
"And how is that?" Mickey knows it's none of her business because these aren't her businesses, but she can't help it.
"I'm giving two of my Babylonium slot machines to the Whyte Wyrm. And in return, Toni is giving me ten percent of what she brings in with them. As for Tabitha, we're opening a Pop's booth in the grand lobby and splitting the profits from food sales. Circles rise together, after all."
"Whose idea was this?"
"I wish I could take credit, but it was Tabitha. She's the one who came up with this three-way partnership and plan."
Tabitha wants to disappear under the table when Mickey's eyes avert to her.
"Of course she did," Mickey scoffs. "She's very clever, isn't she?"
✿
After drafting up some documents with the girls, Tabitha goes to join Mickey in the Whyte Wyrm. She sits on the stool next to her, but she doesn't order a drink.
Mickey just stares into her glass.
"I did what was best for my family and my business."
"And that's working with my sister?" Mickey scoffs before taking a big swig of her drink. "You know how I feel about her. I don't trust her, and you're gonna regret getting in business with her."
"Are you this mad at Toni?"
"I didn't just spill my guts to Toni about Veronica! I told you!"
Tabitha doesn't want to see her upset, and she certainly doesn't want to be the cause of any of her negative feelings. "Look—"
"I don't want to talk to you, Tabitha."
It's the way she says her name that crushes Tabitha. She dislikes being denied, but she doesn't push any further.
Mickey's relieved when she's left alone.
"That seemed intense."
Mickey turns her head to see the source of the voice.
A woman with dark curly hair and bangs is sitting two stools over. Her icy blue eyes are glazed over as she focuses on Mickey.
"Friend drama," Mickey waves a hand dismissively. "What's your story?"
"Why do I have to have a story?"
"Everyone has a story."
"I'm just grabbing a drink before I head out of town. I only came to help a colleague with something," the woman explains. "This little town is quite interesting, and the...prospects are only heightening."
Mickey catches the suggestive tone and decides to reciprocate. "You know what's so great about popping in and out of towns? Anonymous hookups."
The woman stands up and moves closer to Mickey. "Tell me more about that."
"I can show you." Mickey stands up to match the woman's level and her hand naturally lands on the stranger's hip. "What's your name?"
"Doesn't that contradict the whole anonymous thing?" Still, she gives her name up. "I'm Jillian."
"Mickey."
✿
In the best way possible Mickey's feeling a bit light-headed. It's almost as if she's in a dreamy haze when Jillian pushes her against a wall in the hallway inside of her apartment. Maybe it's the fact that she hasn't been touched since coming back to Riverdale and the adrenaline is on overdrive.
For a split second, Jillian's pink lips hover over Mickey's, whose are opened and inviting. Then she crashes her mouth against hers and Jillian's hands are becoming increasingly familiar with Mickey's body by the second.
Mickey doesn't mind the sloppy eagerness, but she pulls away. When that earns her a look of confusion, she grabs the nape of Jillian's neck and pulls her back in for a proper kiss. Their noses bump and Mickey's tongue runs over Jillian's bottom lip.
Jillian pulls away next—mostly to tease. She practically presses her mouth against the shell of Mickey's ear.
Mickey's eyes flutter shut at the warmth of her breath against the side of her face and the sounds of Jillian's soft whispers masking her not so soft words. That's when it hits her and her eyes fly open. A lazy grin forms on Mickey's face. This is going to be fun.
BONUS: mickey/toni/tabitha manip for such a fun-filled team up chapter! <3