Savannah x Archer ( x OPEN?) 1/3 (because IJ won't let me break it up any other way)
The problem with the the mayor knowing Archer Avery still owned a perfectly good dress uniform? He'd more or less ordered the police chief to wear it to this... thing. Reeves Olinger would never cop to such a blatant machination, but it's what he fucking did, with an attempt at a friendly 'aw, c'mon, pal' smile that made something in Archer feel very off-kilter. The virus and the years since had tarnished the layers of emotional armor the police chief presented to the world, wearing them down in spots, but ever since Olinger had given him his predecessor's badge that summer, Archer heard the warning bells going off in his head more and more, a rather persistent clanging that rose in volume and discord at Olinger's words and actions. He was constantly shoring up his defenses, patching up that armor, doing his level best to continue being the bland, trustworthy stalwart that Olinger didn't waste another thought on. He worried enough as it was that Brannon would run his mouth one too many times and Archer would be burying his Deputy Chief and almost-brother after some sort of 'accident.' Friendly fire on a case with patrolman backup. A fall down a flight of stairs. Archer never thought of himself as fucking paranoid but he's seen plenty of shit go wrong lately. There was too much that he had to worry about, too much to gamble on stupid bullshit.
So Archer allowed himself a good-natured roll of his eyes -- let Olinger see it and think him human, let him think he and Archer are friendlier than they are -- and said, yes sir, of course sir, three bags full, sir. What the fucking fuck ever. It was just a uniform, and it isn't lost on Archer that it's a little different than the last time he wore it. Oddly enough, it was for Olinger that time as well, though it was an impromptu gesture of respect by a police commander for a mayor he really didn't know well enough, when he and Bran were summoned into his office to be told by Rob Lansing that the previous Chief and Deputy Chief had been felled by zombies (well, one had turned and killed the other, and a washer killed their zombie colleague and won a case of creamed corn for the effort; this indignity has never really been something Archer's been able to shake off). Archer had known none of this going in but had time enough before the meeting to clean up, put on the dress pants, shirt, and tie to his uniform, to carry the cap as he was doing now since he was indoors. The shirtsleeve was torn, so he'd rolled them both. (Brannon had been wearing a half-buttoned plaid shirt and one of his favorite cowboy hats, and he'd yelled at 'Ollie' when the mayor tried to hand Archer a badge covered in Sam Grady's blood and gore.)