#Eddie lets Richie convince him to play a prank on Bill
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For the word and pairing: caught and Reddie :P
Thank you for the prompt! You can also read it on AO3 if you want
"Fair warning Rich, if we get caught I'm blaming you."
Richie gave a loud snort, pushing open the door to Bill's bedroom. Eddie shushed him, landing a swat on his arm.
"Ow! Bill's not even home, why are you shushing me?" He complained. Eddie simply shrugged, Richie was right, they were alone but he couldn’t help feeling like they should be doing this quietly. "Besides Eds, it's not like he would believe me if I said this was your idea."
"Because it wasn't."
"Whatever, help me strip the bed sheets."
Reluctantly, Eddie helped him. They worked in silence, except for the occasional snicker from Richie while they wrapped the mattress in tin foil. When Richie showed up at the apartment Eddie shared with Bill, carrying supplies and a mischievous grin, Eddie said no before he could even explain what he wanted to do. But Richie could be very persuasive and, for all their friends liked to tease him with how Richie was unable to say no to him, Eddie knew he was the same. All Richie needed to do was give Eddie one of his cute crooked smiles and he would agree to the stupidest shit⎯ like helping him play a prank on Bill.
They had just finished carefully placing a layer of whipped cream and syrup on the mattress when they heard the apartment door open, and Richie and Eddie both froze.
"I thought you said he would be out for another hour," Richie hissed.
"I thought he would! His classes don’t end until six!" Eddie frantically looked around until he found the blanket and threw it over the mess. Then Richie was grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards Bill’s closet.
“Seriously?” Eddie huffed, and Richie glared at him.
“Did you have a better idea?”
But before Eddie could try to come up with something else, they heard footsteps in the hallway. “Fine,” he sighed and let Richie lock them inside the closet.
Which was⎯ tiny. Seriously, incredibly tiny.
And Eddie should know, the closet in his own room was the same size. But then again, Eddie had never tried hiding in it before.
“Damn it,” Richie muttered, trying to make space for his long limbs. One knobby elbow connected with Eddie’s ribs and honestly, between the size of the closet and the amount of shit Bill kept inside, it would be harder not to elbow him but Eddie still glared at him and pinched his side in revenge.
“This is your fault.”
“My fault?” Richie repeated, it was dark but Eddie could still see his eyebrows shot up. He was very, very close. “You told me we had a whole hour before Bill was back!”
“Yeah, but this was your stupid idea!”
“An idea you agreed to help me with.”
“Only because you threatened to prank me⎯”
The door opened and Richie lifted his hand to cover Eddie’s mouth, shutting him up just as Bill walked into his room. They heard the light switch click, Bill taking off his shoes, his bag hitting the floor.
Eddie closed his eyes and prayed that Bill wouldn’t feel the need to change his clothes or they were both done for. When he opened them, Richie was staring hard at him. And⎯ had he moved closer? Eddie could feel him pressed against him, Richie’s hand still over his mouth.
Eddie felt his heart speeding up at the proximity. He tried to avoid being so close to Richie⎯ it made him nervous and it made hiding his feelings that much harder. He wished he could take a step back but he was already pressed against the closet wall and, short of jumping out of the closet and exposing them to Bill, there was nothing he could do to put some distance between them.
Richie had zoned out while staring at him, Eddie gave him a little nudge and he moved his hand away slowly. Eddie had adjusted enough to the dark of the closet to see the way Richie licked his lips while staring directly at Eddie’s mouth. There was a small crease between his eyebrows, like he was trying to solve a really hard problem. And Eddie didn’t think he was trying to come up with a solution for the fact that they were trapped in a closet.
Slowly, like he was trying not to spook Eddie, Richie lifted his hand again. This time he cupped Eddie’s cheek while pressing even closer, flush against him. Eddie’s mouth went suddenly dry, heart hammering in his chest.
Then Richie was mouthing Okay? at him and there was no way to misread the situation or the expression on his face. He gave a short nod, unable to do anything else while he watched Richie lean in.
That was when Bill screamed.
They jumped apart, or as much as they could in the small space. Eddie worried that they weren’t quiet enough, but with how loud Bill was cursing, he realized it didn’t matter.
“Fuck Richie and his stupid fucking pranks. I’m going to kill him.”
Eddie bit his lip, trying to keep his laughter in. Maybe he didn’t want to help Richie at first, but he had to admit that Bill falling for their prank was absolutely hilarious. Richie had a hand clamped over his mouth, clearly thinking the same. He shifted and Eddie saw him pull out his phone and show it to him. The screen was lighting up with an incoming call from Bill. Since he couldn’t answer without betraying their location, the call went to voicemail.
“Tozier, you better watch your back. I’m getting back at you for this shit.” Bill hissed into the phone and Eddie felt another giggle rise in his throat and he had to bite his lip harder to keep it in.
He heard the sound of running feet and then the door slammed shut. Richie and Eddie exchanged a look but it wasn’t until they heard the apartment door open and close that they both burst into laughter.
Eddie leaned back against the wall, giggling. Richie doubled over, shaking with laughter. Eddie loved it when he laughed like that, with his whole body and with tears welling up in his pretty blue eyes. He dropped his head on Eddie’s shoulder, one of his hands falling to his hip. Eddie was suddenly reminded of how close they were and what they were about to do before Bill fell victim to their prank.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Richie whispered against his neck, Eddie suppressed a shiver. He tried not to pay attention to Richie’s breath against his skin and instead, focused on trying to figure out if Bill really left the apartment. It was silent and Eddie nodded, grabbing for the doorknob.
The room was empty. The bed was stripped, revealing the mess underneath and the blanket was lying on the floor, fat dollops of whipped cream and syrup next to it. Eddie wrinkled his nose, feeling bad for Bill⎯ that would be a nightmare to clean up.
Richie snickered, staring at the mess. “Bill is going to kill us.”
Eddie whirled on him. “Excuse me? Bill’s going to kill you. I wasn’t here, I didn’t help. This,” He gestured wildly between them. “Never happened.”
Richie bit the inside of his cheek, eyes darting towards the closet. “Um, what do you mean⎯ this? Like you helping me with the prank or⎯”
“What?”
“You know, the thing that almost happened in the closet?” Richie said, nervously scratching the back of his neck. Eddie’s stomach fluttered when he remembered that the thing that almost happened was Richie kissing him. “Because if you want to pretend that it didn’t happen that’s cool. I’m cool with that. Cool, cool, cool. Cool as a cucumber.”
Eddie chuckled softly at Richie’s nervous rambling. He copied Richie’s move from before, reaching up to cup his cheek and shutting him up. “I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen⎯ well, almost happened.”
“Oh. That’s⎯”
“Cool?” Eddie cut in with a smirk.
“Very cool.” Richie agreed, and it was like déjà vu when he leaned down. Except this time, Bill wasn’t there to interrupt them.
The kiss was soft, slow, perfect.
Eddie sighed happily against Richie’s lips, tangling his fingers in his curls. Richie’s hands settled on Eddie’s waist and he used his grip to crowd Eddie against the desk⎯ Bill’s desk. It reminded Eddie of where they were. And that they should probably get out of there. They barely escaped before and Eddie doubted they would have the same luck a second time.
“We should go to my room.” He said and Richie hummed in agreement but instead of stopping, he trailed his mouth down Eddie’s jaw to his neck. “Seriously Rich, when Bill doesn’t find you in your apartment he will probably come back, I don’t think we can get away again.”
“I don’t care.”
But Eddie did care⎯ the last thing he wanted was to end up involved in a prank war with his roommate. He would never know peace if he did. He gave Richie a meaningful look, “My room has a bed without syrup and whipped cream in it.” He told him and Richie pulled back, his eyes sparkling with interest. Eddie smirked, “And a really cramped closet, if tight enclosed spaces are more your thing.”
Richie opened his mouth to say something but seemed to change his mind. Eddie narrowed his eyes at him, “What?”
“I’m just trying to figure out if I should wait until after I get laid to make a joke about your tight, enclosed spaces.” Eddie groaned, which only made Richie grin harder. He grabbed his hand and started walking him towards the door. “Yeah, I definitely think I should get laid first. Just to be on the safe side.”
And, really, it was very hard for Eddie to argue with that. He was very aware of how incredibly persuasive Richie could be.
Tag list: @daddyphantomtbh @yes-dillman-yes @richietoaster @beepbeeprichiellc @its-stranger-than-you-think @lemonaayyee @losers-gotta-stick-together @tinyarmedtrex @richiefuckfacetozier @sam-i-am2468 @stylesmelon @s-s-georgie @reddie-for-anything @eddiefuckinkaspbrak @constantreaderfool @hammockrichie @jesuschristsupruvestar @mirandonsky @reddie4diaster @alargedepresso @purplepoisonedgem @pan-ini @reddie-to-cryy @reddieforlove @trashmouthnick @multi-fandom-wby @wheezyeds @nancynwheeler @reddieslashgeneralhorror @madi-personal @reddie-tozibrak @lover-mouth @atownofeggs @that-weird-girls-blog @appojoos @castielwinovak @a-gay-treee @twoidiotsinl0ve @fcngirltrxsh @spirited-marvel @typewrxter @rebecca-the-queen @juhavs @thegoshdiddlydangdoor @soooobr @purebloodqueen @call-me-bread @britcorn @wickedlyweasley @derpyanimatesstuff @braverthanyathink @s-onora @reddie-stole-my-heart (if you want to be added, let me know!).
#reddie#Eddie lets Richie convince him to play a prank on Bill#they're two halves of the same idiot#monse writes#anon ask
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How to Break Your Heart and Make Sure It Stays Broken
Read the 1st chapter on ao3
Summary: In which 15-year-old Richie confesses his feelings for Eddie on New Year’s Eve and they don’t talk about it for the next 4 years.
31st December 2010, Friday
“Would you put that thing down for one second?”
Richie looks up from the phone screen to his mother’s eyes. “Mom, this is the future. Do you want me to put the future down?”
“I want you to get off that sofa and help us serve the champagne.”
“Don’t make us regret giving you the future, Richie.” His father added as he entered the living room with a bottle of champagne on one hand and one of sparkling apple juice in the other.
“Fine.” He pockets the phone as he gets up to clean up the dinner plates. “But I gotta text the losers at midnight, we have a group chat on Facebook now-”
“Yes, son, we know. That’s all you’ve been talking about lately.” Wentworth interrupts while fumbling with the cork on the sparkling juice bottle.
“One day I’ll figure out why adults hate technology!” Richie shouts as he enters the kitchen. He places the plates on the sink and grabs three champagne glasses from the special collection his mom owns before going back to the living room. These things look like they’ll break if you so much as breathe in their direction.
“We don’t hate technology.” Maggie complains as she tries to rub away a stain in the tablecloth. “You kids just love it too much.”
That makes Richie laugh. “You don’t even let dad teach you how to use his comput-
The juice bottle’s cork comes off with a loud POP! that startles Richie and sends one of the glasses tumbling down onto the carpeted floor. It shatters into a million pieces despite the soft surface.
“Richie!” His mom cries out loud.
“I’m sorry!” Quickly, he places down the two survivor glasses. He can hear his dad trying not to laugh.
“Your grandma gifted these to us after we got married…” She laments as she looks at the sparkling shards at their feet.
“I’ll clean this up, you two be careful not to step on it.” Went adds before going to get the vacuum cleaner from the bottom of the pantry.
“I am sorry.”
With a sigh, Maggie hugs him sideways. “It’s okay, I guess we’ll never have 10 people over at the same time.”
“Yeah, we probably won’t.”
Once the carpet is clean, the champagne and false champagne are served and there’s only 5 minutes left till midnight, Richie takes his phone out and opens Eddie’s contact. He stares at the text he wrote probably 4 hours ago and reads it over and over again just to really make sure there’s no mistakes.
The thing is, tonight, Richie is going to fuck up his entire life. Or, at least that’s what it feels like.
You see, Eddie was the last of the group to get a phone. He got it on Christmas as a gift from his uncle, and needless to say Sonia didn’t like the idea. She only gave it to him one or two days ago after she figured out how to make it as “safe” as possible for his son. That means Eddie has exactly 3 numbers on his contact list. The number to his house, the number to Bill’s house, and Bill’s number. Because, apparently, that’s the only friend of Eddie’s Sonia trusts.
Stan’s Jewish, Mike is home-schooled (and black, although Sonia never admits that’s the real reason she doesn’t like the boy), Ben moved into town not so long ago, Bev is a girl, and Richie is Richie.
Bill’s family goes to church every Sunday and they’ve known each other ever since both boys were little. Hence why Eddie’s contact list is sadder than the life of their math teacher.
But Richie is weirdly thankful for this because that means Eddie doesn’t have his number. However, Bill texted them Eddie’s contact yesterday, saying they probably shouldn’t send him anything before school starts because Sonia will most likely check his phone.
Well, Sonia can go to hell because Richie is about to do something very stupid.
He’s a true romantic at heart, alright? Plus, he’s been in love with Eddie since he was twelve (or at least he realized it when he was twelve) and this secret is starting to claw up at his insides as if he had swallowed a dysfunctional cat.
In other words, it’s driving him crazy and he has to do something about it.
Now, he’s not mental. He’s not going to confess his feelings or anything. Right, as if. He’s simply going to become a secret admirer or something cheesy like that.
Yesterday, he sneaked into his dad’s computer while both his parents were taking an afternoon nap and searched for “romantic quotes” on Google. He typed down the one he liked the most, deleted the history, and then tried to convince himself this wasn’t the worst plan of his entire life.
It seemed like a very clever plan the closer to midnight it got.
“Alright, my loves.” Maggie gives everyone their respective glass. The non-alcoholic, sad-looking one for Richie, and the fun-looking ones for the adults. Bullshit, if you ask him.
“How come I never get to drink the real thing?”
“Well, you hate it.” Maggie shrugs. “You’ve said so the past two years that we’ve let you had one sip for the toast.”
“But I’m older now, I can handle it.”
“You can try it again after you finish that.” Went tips his cup in the direction of Richie’s. Naturally, Richie throws his head back and drinks the apple juice in one gulp, almost cutting his lip in the process. Seriously, these things are that thin.
“Done.” He announces as he fills the cup with champagne. “Now we can have a real toast.”
Both adults laugh and soon the countdown begins. Richie screams the numbers along with his parents, keeping his thumb over the ‘send’ button at the same time.
“Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!”
He presses down, the text is sent, and he pockets his phone once again to click his fragile cup against his parents’. As expected, it tastes just as awful as he remembers. He spits it out much like last year, and they all go outside to see the fireworks.
00:00 To: Spaghetti <3
And I just wanted to say that your smile reminds me that not all art is created with a pencil and a paintbrush.
His phone vibrates at exactly 00:49, which means Richie is already in his bedroom because that’s how New Year works in his family. They stay home, celebrate till the fireworks die down, and then part ways at the end of the hallway.
He interrupts Charlie the goldfish’s dinner and checks his phone only to let the little container of fish’s food fall off his hand. Thankfully, it was closed.
00:49 From: Spaghetti <3
Richie?
Did you steal that from your mom’s poetry collection, asshole? :P
Charlie the goldfish fades out from his peripheral vision. Richie sits down before he collapses and bursts through the floor right onto their cold, lifeless basement.
What the fuck?
Seriously.
What the actual fuck?
With shaky hands, he types out a reply.
Richie: what makes you think it’s richie?
Spaghetti <3: Bill gave me everyone’s numbers
Spaghetti <3: I don’t have them saved yet because of my mom, though
Spaghetti <3: Why? Is this not Richie? Did Bill give me the wrong number?
Fucking Bill. Now, Richie’s pacing the entire floor of his bedroom, knowing he’d walk right up to the celling if he could. He keeps staring at the small screen, wondering if he could save his ass by turning this shitty device off. His mom is right, technology sucks.
Spaghetti <3: Hello??
Shit.
Richie: hahaha you got me Eds
Richie: c’est moi
Then he hesitates for a second.
Richie: sooo, are we good?
Spaghetti <3: Yeah, of course
Spaghetti <3: Why shouldn’t we be?
Oh. Oh. So, Eddie didn’t take him seriously. He took it as one of his weird jokes.
Here’s a getaway, Richie. You can play it off as prank, Richie. You can still walk away from this without completely ruining a friendship, Richie. Please take the opportunity, Richie.
Richie: you don’t get it
Shut the fuck up, Richie.
Spaghetti <3: What?
Richie: well
Richie: actually
Richie: you see
Spaghetti <3: Richie, spit it out you’re stressing me
Richie: right
Richie: you see
Spaghetti <3: You’ve said that before
Richie: correct I see your point Eds
Spaghetti <3: Not my name
Richie: the thing is
Richie: jesus I hope you forgive me
Richie: okay so
Richie: i don’t have a crush on you
Richie: i’m pretty sure that I love you
There’s about a million smooth ways to say that you love someone. But Richie doesn’t choose one of those. Fitting.
It takes a few minutes before Eddie says something back. In those minutes, Richie starts crying.
Spaghetti <3: Oh
It’s as vague as it can get, but one can take the hint.
Richie: i’m sorry
Spaghetti <3: You don’t have to apologize
Spaghetti <3: How long..?
Richie: uh, since March?
Which is a lie.
Spaghetti <3: That’s a long time…
Richie wants to laugh, then scream, then he wants to be able to stop crying.
Spaghetti <3: Can we still be friends?
On second thought, he doesn’t want to laugh.
Richie: only if you still want to Spaghetti <3: Of course I want to Rich
Spaghetti <3: Don’t even say that
Well, that’s good.
Richie: well that’s good
Richie: i’m sorry Eddie
Spaghetti <3: Don’t apologize asshole
Spaghetti <3: It’s fine I swear
And then a few more minutes.
Spaghetti <3: Happy new year
The phone gets thrown, landing somewhere along the end of the bed. The blurry digital clock on his bedside table says it’s already 1:13 a.m. and by its side lays Charlie the goldfish’s tank.
It’s small, but it’s not a fishbowl. Richie learnt that lesson with his first goldfish, Oli. Poor her.
He follows Charlie’s swimming around a rock. A fish’s life seems peaceful and blissful and delightful and wonderful and many other adjectives ending in ‘ful’. Except for Oli’s life, of course. At this moment Richie’s life feels pretty much like Oli’s.
He sighs through another wet sob.
“Happy fucking new year, Charlie.”
perma taglist: @constantreaderfool @mrs-vh @eds-trashmouth @girasol-eddie @reddieforlove @madi-personal @cheekaspbrak
Let me know if you want to be tagged for this!
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DON’T GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY
you’re sure for a quick demise
the town of exile has always been full of strange goings on, a safe haven for all that is unexplained and unnerving, but no one quite believed that there were bodies buried beneath the earth until the summer of 1993. seven teens went on a camping trip to the woods and all hell broke loose.
what started as a simple prank between a couple of them, setting traps around the trees, bushes and stumps to scare the rest of their friends, led them straight to ezekiel sutton - a leader of a very unsavoury cult, called the church of the all seeing eye, from the next town over - burying a mangled body in the damp earth. the air seemed to still, the wind blow ice cold, and the two pranksters ran back to their hideout to tell their friends exactly what they’d seen.
the problem was, ezekiel followed them back too.
in the dark of the night, the seven teens were stalked through the woods, tripped up by idiotic pranks and traps set by their friends. ezekiel got to them, one by one, taking them down and trying to make it so none of them would see the light of day. but, through the power of team work, they managed to outwit the killer; string him up, tie him down, wait until dawn to get help and escape from this forest of madness.
it’s been 27 years since the incident and it affected each of the group deeply. still living with the trauma of not knowing if they’d see another morning, they went their separate ways, trying to forget about that night and get on with what life they could salvage. now, however, things are about to change; ezekiel sutton has been released from prison and the teens - now adults - are all brought back to exile on a lie: their friend, mike, is dead.
but, when they all turned up at the church in their mourning clothes to pay their respects, who came out to greet them but mike themself. it was all a rouse to get them back, here, to exile. they needed help. ezekiel sutton was put away for one murder, but mike is convinced they’ve committed countless more. the only way they can prove it is by finding the bodies, and they can’t do that alone.
the characters listed below are based on archetypes from the it movies (and book), as well as the until dawn video game. please bear in mind you don’t need to have watched, read or played any of these to be involved in the plot. while they’re based on the characters from these franchises, they’re not identical and do not have any of the same relationship plots; we don’t expect anyone to adhere to gender or ethnicity when creating them apart from mike who we will want to keep bipoc; however, it would be fantastic if the rest of the group was diverse (characters of colour, disabilities, gender and sexuality), though it’s not mandatory - just something to think about!
all of the characters will be between the ages of forty-four and forty-five, so please make sure you follow the site’s play-by rules when choosing someone for the group! the request will include themes of murder, horror, death and stalking (serial killer > the kids). we’ll be trigger warning everything within the plot, but if you’re sensitive to any of these themes, please let us know and we’ll do our best to help you feel safe.
please note: we are more than happy to discuss any of these blurbs and they are completely open, we just wanted to give you something to go off if you’re creating a character from scratch. if you have anyone else that you might want to bring to this plot, let myself or pomona know and we’d be happy to chat with you!!!
main characters
bev / mike → prickly, confident, aggressive, independent
with a bad home life and bullied at school, bev struggled to fit in; that was until they found the rest of the group. being an outcast didn’t seem so bad when they were friends with a bunch of other outcasts and they became somewhat protective over the others - not that they let any of the group know that. they stayed in exile for a while after the events, slowly watching their friends leave until they realised there was no point; there was nothing to fight anymore. everyone had gone. now they’re back, bev is wary. they don’t want things to go back to the way they were because, last time, everyone left. they’re keeping the others at arm’s length until they can really work out where everyone’s priorities lie.
reserved for: lana
ben / ashley → shy, sweet, lonely, intelligent
the softest and kindest member of the group, ben took the incident in the woods the hardest and has suffered greatly since. barely able to keep their life on track, they’ve hopped from one thing to the next, never quite able to settle down. it’s a shame, for someone with so much heart, that they’ve had it broken and damaged in so many ways; yet they never let themselves become jaded. needless to say, they’re trying to keep the group in exile to help mike find more bodies, not only feeling some semblance of loyalty to them (and the others), but finally feeling whole again after so many years of turmoil and strife.
reserved for: mc
bill / sam → haunted, honest, reckless , brave
they always thought they were the leader of the group, but at the end of the day they were the first to leave town after the incident. their seat at the police station barely cold, they disappeared from exile almost a week after the group came out of the woods and no one ever saw them again. that is, until now. bill’s surprisingly straight and quiet about what’s happened in the intervening years - something about finding out who they really are and learning to forgive themself - but one thing’s for sure, they’re fitting back into that leadership role like no time’s passed at all. it’s just whether the rest of the group really wants them “in charge” after bailing out the first time around.
reserved for: pandora
eddie / emily → neurotic, loyal, obsessive, genuine
having lived a half shut-in, medically induced hell of a life as a kid along with their sibling, eddie was both ecstatic and terrified at the thought of moving away from exile. their mother made them believe (truly believe) they had a plethora of illnesses and it was only at the age of twenty-three, when their mother finally passed away, that they could go and leave the horrors of their childhood behind. they moved to another small town, settled down into a quiet little life and they were happy and dandy until mike’s letter came through. now, more than anything, even more than before, they want out of exile. but something is keeping them there, and they can’t quite pinpoint what. whatever it is, it’s fucking annoying.
played by: anais (miriam chomsky - rachel weisz)
mike / josh → intense, caring, introverted, observant
after the tragic, violent deaths of their parents, mike was raised under the stern but firm eye of their aunt and uncle. mike was something of an outcast at their school but in the summer of 1993, after a run in with the infamous bully henry, mike’s bond with the rest of the group was forged in the fires of joint misfithood. a grounding presence and the self appointed guardian of the group, mike was the one who remained in exile - literally and figuratively - to ensure that the influence of ezekiel sutton would be forever stamped out. yet, life rarely goes the way we want it to, and since the release of sutton, mike has been desperate to get the old crew back together to see sutton punished for the monster he truly is - desperate enough to even fake their own death.
reserved for: yenna
richie / chris → joker, insensitive, determined, brash
the nerdy clever clogs that forged themself a suit of armour out of terrible jokes and snide remarks, richie was desperate to cut loose of their past in exile and forge a new path in the bright lights of tinsel town. best buddies with stanley since their kindergarten days, but cementing themself in the ranks of the group with his corny humour, richie has always been happy to play the clown. yet, as with all clowns, the smile is little more than a mask, and beneath the mask and the armour is a soul wracked with guilt and self loathing. no amount of gallows humour will keep these old demons at bay, and richie is a hair’s breadth away from high tailing it back to beverly hills as fast as their porsche convertible can carry them.
played by: pomona (seth spector - joaquin phoenix)
stan / matt → weak, trusting, wise, sceptical
though stan has always been a key part of the group, they’ve never exactly felt like an integral part. they’re kind, generous and trustworthy, but always seem to be in the background. always seem to be the weakest link. not much has changed over the years. the initial pranks were stan’s idea and they’ve never let themself forget it, believing that if they hadn’t decided to trick everyone with stupid games, then they wouldn’t have all almost died. their bravery and strength haven’t improved and they still can’t quite find a foothole to grab onto. their life has been an undulating mess since they left exile and it doesn’t look like coming back’s going to make that any better.
reserved for: michelle
additional characters
henry / beth
a lost and twisted soul, henry was never destined for a life of bucolic bliss or carefree contentment. raised under the iron thumb of a domineering parent, henry vented their frustrations and rage upon their school peers with infernal ferocity. the infamous bully of their school, henry perhaps would have burnt themselves out with their own banal forms of sadism if it weren’t for ezekiel sutton. meeting sutton was like henry’s eureka moment, and while his connection to sutton’s foul deeds was never revealed back in the 1990s, it is henry who has been keeping the church of the all seeing eye alive and well. now with the return of their idol and mentor, henry is keen to prove themself as sutton’s most devoted follower.
pennywise / hannah
ezekiel sutton is a man of great importance. no one in exile knew who he was up until the events of summer, 1993; now everyone wishes they didn’t know his name. dubbed the executioner of exile, he’s been in prison for the past 27 years on one charge of murder. the police could never pinpoint the location of any of the other bodies he so clearly buried in the woods, and ezekiel never let on to having done anything but put the man he did bury out of his misery. the kids? well, he never meant to scare them. and you know how teenagers can be; so dramatic!
now he’s out on good behaviour and has no clue (yet) that the kids he never meant to scare at working to find his very real skeletons in his metaphorical closet and expose him for the serial killing ass he is. still, his old cult are welcoming him back with open arms, delighted he’s managed to maintain his innocence throughout his arduous trials.
ezekiel is a npc thus unplayable.
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💛-mermaids? Idk how specific i need to be but for the losers club lol
Everyone who’s from Derry has heard about what lives in the quarry.
There’s not a name for them. Those who are unimaginative (or perhaps just lazy) call them mermaids, but that’s not what they are, not really. Mermaids are supposed to live in the ocean - not in some small, dingy, manmade lake.
People come from all over to see them. All sorts of shops have set up downtown: quaint seafood restaurants with voluptuous, finned ladies as their logo. Gift shops with miniature blown-glass keepsakes. A visitor center with a half-dozen pamphlets, each with their own suggestions on the best way to see the creatures. Late at night, some say. Early morning, say others.
Personally, Richie thinks it’s all a big hoax. A tourist trap to drag people to Derry, to blind them with enough supernatural hope so they can’t see what an awful place it really is. They bring their children and entertain them with a few good hours of creature-hunting, and then the kids inevitably get bored of finding nothing, and so they move on. But not before they spend a few dollars in the McDonalds drive thru and at the gas pumps on the edge of town. These people keep Derry alive. They’re paying for a lie, but they don’t have to know that.
Richie works as a tour guide, of sorts. Mostly he keeps an eye on the quarry and picks up litter and occasionally saves a kid or two from drowning. He hates his job. He’s good at his job. He’s been doing this since he was sixteen. He’s almost twenty-eight now. Twelve years of this shit, and he’s never once seen them, these quarry creatures.
He used to believe in them. Every Derry kid did. They all got caught up in the magic, too young and dumb to understand that dull look in their parents’ eye, the way they didn’t quite believe what they were saying. That’s the way he talks now. The parents give him sympathetic half-smiles, but the kids latch on to his every word. He feels bad, sometimes, deceiving them, but it’s just harmless fun. Like Santa Claus.
It’s a Wednesday night in the middle of October, one of the slowest nights of the entire year. School is just starting to get serious. Kids aren’t worried about mermaids when midterms are coming up. Richie hasn’t seen a soul all day, but he kind of likes it like that. It’s peaceful down on the water when no one’s around. Cold already, but not freezing yet. Quiet. Sometimes the wind dips down into the quarry and makes a loud, hollow, miserable noise, but the air is pretty still now.
Which is weird, because he just heard a splash.
That happens, sometimes. There are fish in the quarry, and small turtles. But that sounded sort of big. Well, whatever. Maybe something rolled off the cliff and fell in.
Or maybe someone’s trespassing. Best to check. Just in case.
His boat is a little wooden single-person kayak. It floats perfectly on the water, used to his weight. He’s gotten good at rowing it, even when it’s stormy out and the water acts up. It’s calm now, but there’s that sound again. Splash! Far off to his left. The water ripples.
“Someone out there?” he yells, feeling stupidly like an actor in some bad horror film, the one that dies in the first ten minutes before the good shit even starts. He turns his phone’s flashlight on and casts the light onto the water. It reflects, suddenly and unexpectedly, off of someone’s face.
Richie jumps back so hard he almost tips the kayak over. A gasp tears out of his chest, raw-sounding. The person in the water flinches away just as hard, backpedaling in the water, surprisingly graceful. He has nothing to push off of but he somehow manages to dart back a few good feet, out of reach of the light cast by Richie’s phone.
“You’re not supposed to be swimming here,” Richie calls. He sounds braver than he feels. What kind of lunatic goes for a dip in mermaid-infested waters? Not that there really are any mermaids. But this guy can’t know that. He’s not a local. Richie has never seen him before.
The boy doesn’t say anything. Richie only knows he’s still there because he can hear the gentle way he’s treading water. His movement makes small waves lap quietly against the side of the kayak.
“You have to leave,” Richie tries, more forcefully this time. “Don’t make me call the cops.”
Richie can just barely see movement outside the perimeter of his flashlight’s reach. He leans in, trying to make his eyes adjust, and then jumps back again when the guy pops up out of the water, suddenly a few inches from him.
“Jesus!” he gasps, clutching his chest. “Stop doing that!”
The man smiles. “I’m sorry,” he says, but he doesn’t sound very sorry. He sounds like he’s trying not to laugh.
“Yeah, yeah,” Richie mutters, his heart still pounding. “Laugh it up. You done messing around now? You’ve played your prank, let’s go.”
The man bobs in the water. His movement is fluid. Seamless. He’s clearly a strong swimmer. Maybe he was one of those weird kids who always wanted to be a mermaid, and now he’s trying to come home to his real family or something. The thought almost makes Richie laugh.
He doesn’t say anything. A handful of strange, silent seconds pass. “Hello?” Richie says eventually, waving his hand in front of the man’s face, careful not to get too close. “Can you hear me?”
“I can hear you,” the man says calmly. “You’re very loud.”
Well, this guy is certainly not the first person to ever say so. “And you’re very quiet,” Richie points out. “You’re the one trying to sneak up on me.”
“I wasn’t trying to scare you,” the man says. “I thought you had left. You’re usually gone by now.”
The hair on the back of Richie’s neck stands up. This guy knows his schedule? Jesus. This might be worse than he thought.
Maybe he looks as terrified as he feels, because the man stares at him, cocking his head to the side. “Is something wrong?” he asks. “You don’t look like yourself.”
Fuck. Oh, fuck. “I’m fine,” Richie says faintly. How the hell is he gonna get out of this one? He’s a strong rower, but this guy looks like maybe he’s a stronger swimmer.
“Are you sure?” The man’s eyes are wide and dark, deceptively gentle. He floats closer to the boat and puts his hand on the side of it. Richie is half-afraid he’s going to tip it over, but he doesn’t. Instead, he says, “You look pale, Richie.”
Richie’s heart jams up in his throat. “You know my name?” he squeaks out, pathetically frightened and unable to hide it.
This strange man smiles a strange smile, like he’s humoring Richie. “Of course I do,” he says. “You’re the protector.”
The protector…? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
“Dude, I just do what I get paid for,” he says, trying to sound calm and convincing. “I’m not, like, the guardian of the quarry. I don’t give a shit what happens to it.”
The man looks strangely upset by that. His face crumbles into a displeased frown. “That’s not true. You protect it.”
Richie shakes his head. “The only thing I do is make sure no one litters and that people stay in the designated swimming area,” he argues.
The man nods eagerly. “Exactly. You keep us safe.”
Us…?
Richie stares at him. “The only thing I keep alive in here is the wildlife. So unless you’re part fish, I’m not protecting you.”
Something twitches on the man’s face, something both amused and exasperated. “Isn’t that what your people say we are?” he asks. “Part fish?”
God. Oh, God. This guy is cracked.
“Are you trying to say,” Richie says, his voice shaking just the slightest bit, “that you’re a mermaid?”
The man laughs. “Of course not,” he says, and Richie would be relieved except he follows it up with, “That’s not what we’re called.”
Richie probably shouldn’t encourage this delusion, but he can’t resist. “What are you called then?”
The man considers the question. “Eddie,” he finally decides.
Richie’s eyebrows furrow. “You’re called Eddies?”
The man shakes his head. “No. I’m called Eddie.”
“Oh,” Richie realizes. “That’s your name.”
Eddie nods happily. “There are others,” he says, more talkative now, perhaps pleased that Richie is humoring him. “Stan and Bill and Bev and Mike and Ben.”
“Those are pretty normal names,” Richie points out.
Eddie smiles. “You couldn’t pronounce my real name,” he says. “We stole these names from humans. We didn’t think you would mind.”
Richie nods like he understands. God, he has a headache. He just wants to get this nut out of the water so he can go home. “Where are you friends?” he asks, just in case.
“Oh, they’re hiding,” Eddie says dismissively. “They’re scared of you.”
Richie almost laughs. Of all the ludicrous ideas, that one almost beats out mermaids. “Why? I’m not scary.”
“I know that,” Eddie says. “You’re good. But we’re not supposed to talk to humans.”
“Why not?” Richie asks.
Eddie levels him with a flat look like it’s a stupid question. “Because they want to hurt us,” he says. His voice doesn’t sound playful anymore. Instead it’s melancholy. Heart-wrenching. Ancient, like he’s actually much older than he appears. “They come here to find us, pretending they would be happy just to see us. But all they really want is to hunt us.” He peers at Richie and his expression suddenly clears. “You’re not like that, though.”
Maybe this is all a dream. Maybe Richie never really woke up this morning. Maybe he fell and knocked himself out and and this is all in his subconscious. Maybe this is a feverish hallucination. Maybe he’s dead and this is some really weird afterlife.
He pinches himself, just to be sure. Yep, still hurts. Eddie watches the movement, looking confused, and then understanding passes over his face.
“You don’t believe me,” he says. He doesn’t sound upset about it, but Richie is still half-afraid he’s some kind of lunatic ready to snap, so he quickly shakes his head.
“Of course I believe you!” he protests, but he must not sound very convincing, because Eddie latches both hands onto the side of the boat. He’s going to tip it, Richie realizes frantically and he tries to brace himself for the cold water. But nothing happens.
Well, nothing except that Eddie lets his body float away from the body, so that it’s almost horizontal with the surface. His head and chest are still above water, held up by his grip on the kayak, and his back and shoulders are strong and muscled and bare, but Richie isn’t looking at that.
Richie isn’t looking at that because there, past his waist, where there should be legs, there’s… there’s a tail. It’s long and wet and shining, reddish-brown, flecked with gold. It is scaly and thick and pulsing gently, keeping Eddie’s body afloat. It starts somewhere near where his hips should be, vaguely flesh-colored at first, and ends with a fin, split and delicate-looking. It comes up out of the water and then falls back with a heavy splash, and then disappears underneath the surface as Eddie rights himself again.
Eddie, for his part, looks rather smug. “I told you,” he says.
Richie opens his mouth to say something. Anything. But slowly, steadily, his vision starts to blur and go black. He doesn’t realize he’s passing out, and there’s no time to save himself from falling back into the water. He hears a shout and then a splash, and then, right before everything goes totally black, he feels someone grab him, solid and strangely warm, holding him up, keeping his face from sinking below the surface.
#reddie#reddie fic#sometimes i write things#prompts#i went a little harder on this than i intended to lmao
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i need some to write me a fucking richie in a bi-crisis one shot. even if it’s not you ,,, someone !!!
me?? projecting onto my favorite character?? you bet lol
also just a warning this is very angsty, but it has a positive ending!!
thank you as always for the prompt
pairings: this is mostly richie-centric, with some light bichie and beverie and heavy reddie
words: 3,119
warning: biphobia (both internalized and external)
Richie Tozier knew that “bi” was abad word before he even knew what it meant.
“Kaylie is telling people she’s binow,” he overheard his classmate Greta say to her friend Sally one day beforetheir English class started, both of them in the row right behind Richie.
“Ugh, that’s so gross,” Sallygagged. “Why would you ever want anyone to think that?”
“I don’t know,” Greta replieddisdainfully. “Attention, I guess.”
“I wouldn’t want that kind of attention.”
“Me neither.”
“Is being bi even a thing?”
“I don’t think it’s really a thing, but I heard she askedMegan if she could finger her,” Gretastage whispered. Sally gasped in horror.
“What the fuck?”
“I know,” Greta said sagely. “It’sreally scary, actually.”
“Poor Megan.” Then, after a pause, “Ihope she doesn’t try to finger me.”
“She might,” Greta giggled, “she’llhump anything with a pulse, apparently.”
That’s how Richie Tozier learnedthat “bi” was a dirty word. He was in the seventh grade.
Everything that Richie heardthereafter did little to change his beliefs about that. The only time he heardthe word “bi” was in a whisper, a hushed tone of disgust, scandal. Allthroughout middle school he never once heard the word used in a positive way.By second semester in eighth grade, just hearing the word made him flinch. Itbegan to scare him when he realized that not all boys wanted to kiss theirfriends.
He brushed it off though. Hethought plenty of girls were pretty, blushed just as hard around them as any ofthe other boys in his grade, his eyes magnetically drawn to them. He even had alittle crush on Bev for like a month, and after that a different girl everyweek.
But his eyes were also magneticallydrawn to Bill. He looked at Bill’s lips for just as long as he looked at BettyRipsom’s or Carla Bordeaux’s, maybe even for longer. He got that same guiltyjolt he got when looking at the old Playboys hidden under his bed when Bill senthim a link to a gay porn website as a prank one day. But these things were easyenough to brush off, to ignore, to deny. What was harder to brush off was therealization Richie had one day freshman year that hit him like a speedingtrain: the realization that he was in love with his best friend.
Richie didn’t think anything of it;he and Eddie had always been closer to each other than any of the others. Buteventually Richie began to realize that the only other losers besides himselfand Eddie who cuddled anymore were Bev and Bill. The group of seven was in Bill’sbasement watching a movie like they did every Saturday night. And just likeevery Saturday night, Richie’s arm ended up around Eddie’s shoulders, Eddie’shead resting against Richie’s chest, his entire body curled in toward him.Richie’s heart felt like it was trying to punch its way out of his chest as herealized none of the other guys were cuddling like he and Eddie were, that noneof them ever did. But none of them were looking at him strangely, and he likedholding Eddie, so he kept his arm around him.
But the thing was, he really like having his arm around Eddie.Richie loved being in the same roomas Eddie, loved making him laugh, loved hearing about his day and playing videogames with him and talking about comic books and school and the future andevery other topic under the sun with him. His skin sparkled with electricityevery time Eddie’s skin brushed against his, his heart going into overdriveevery time Eddie came to him firstfor a hug or to cuddle. He found himself inexplicably angry when Eddie wouldlean into Bill or rest his head on Mike’s shoulder or laugh really hard at ajoke Stan told. And then one day, when he planted a kiss on Eddie’s cheek thatwas just a little too close to his mouth when it was just the two of them,Richie made the sudden, sinking realization that he was in love with Eddie. Heloved his best friend, his best friend who was a boy, more than any girl he’d ever liked.
Richie went home that night andsobbed into his pillow as a barrage of memories came crashing down onto him: memoriesof his heart rate picking up when a junior boy in his choir class laughed atone of his jokes; of lingering gazes that were averted in a panic in the lockerroom; of sharing a bed with Bill during a sleepover that was just the two ofthem in seventh grade, lying awake staring at Bill’s back, blaming the latehour on the fact that he wanted more than anything to wrap his arms around Bill’swaist and hold him tight. And now, the ever-present desire to kiss Eddie, tofeel how soft his lips were, to show him that he loved him more than he lovedanyone else, to vow to be there for him always and forever. Richie cried untilhe couldn’t anymore, until his eyes were dry and his throat sore. His musclesquivered as he wrapped himself up in a blanket, as though trying to hide fromthe realization.
He liked girls. But he also likedboys. That made him bi, and that made him dirty, disgusting, desperate,attention seeking. It made him predatory.
The losers immediately sensed theshift. Richie hid how miserable he felt well enough, but he refused to let Billand especially Eddie touch him. He sat as far away from him as he could,refused to even look at him. God, Eddie would hate him so much if he knew howhe felt. He hated himself for putting Eddie in that situation, for being such afucking creep, for taking advantage of Eddie’s trust and friendship. He eventried to ask Richie about it, which made Richie’s heart break even more. EventuallyEddie stopped trying, and though Richie thought he’d be relieved when Eddiefinally stopped touching him and asking him to hang out, he felt like a chunkwas missing from his chest. Sure, Eddie still laughed at his jokes, and theystill carried on with their usual banter, but they sat on different sofas onmovie nights, and there were no more comic book sessions or one-on-one SmashBros marathons. There was no more hand holding, no more smell of Eddie’sshampoo as he rested his head on Richie’s shoulder. That was the coldest DecemberRichie had ever had. But he was doing this for Eddie, he knew it was the rightthing to do, so he shouldered on, telling jokes at lunch and crying himself tosleep at night.
Richie grew closer to Bev in thecoming months, especially after she broke up with Bill. Richie tried toconvince himself that he was in love with her; he loved her all right, and sheloved him, and they even made out a few times. But both of them knew the lovethey shared would never be romantic. Still, they spent all of their timetogether, having sleepovers whenever they could, staying up until two or threeor four in the morning talking about everything under the sun. Sometimes theyjust listened to music. Other times they just cuddled in the dark for a fewhours, neither of them saying anything but neither of them able to fall asleepeither. They went to concerts and record shops together, got drunk together forthe very first time, and then, a few months later, high.
It was the summer going into theirjunior year when Bev told Richie she was bi.
It was one of the few times Richiewas genuinely speechless. “What?” he breathed, feeling like the wind had beenknocked out of him. She had said it so simply, almost casually, matter-of-fact:“Hey Rich? I’m bi.” Richie couldn’t believe what he was hearing; he felt likehe’d just been caught watching porn or cheating on a test.
“You know, like, I like boys andgirls and everyone else,” Bev explained. She smiled, but Richie could tell itwas fake, nervous. Richie hated that he had done that, but he was genuinelyfloored.
“How do you know?” he asked, histhroat closing up. Bev looked around, visibly uncomfortable.
“Uh, there are guys I think are hotand girls I think are hot?” she said uneasily. “And I’ve enjoyed kissing guysand girls-”
“You’ve kissed a girl?” Richieasked, his voice breaking with emotion. Beverly narrowed her eyes at him, andhe was both relieved and terrified to find them melt into realization, recognition.
“Yeah, I hooked up with a girl Imet on vacation two week ago,” she answered. Richie pondered this, his eyeswide and mouth dropped open in a small “o” shape. Bev rested a gentle hand onhis knee, bringing him back from his mind.
“I’m glad you told me,” he saidearnestly, willing the tears out of his eyes.
“So am I,” Beverly smiled beforepulling him into a tight, tight hug.
Richie cried again as soon as hegot home that night, but this time he couldn’t even distinguish what he wasfeeling; it felt like relief, like joy.Bev was bi. Richie’s very best friend was bi. Bev wasn’t dirty, nor anattention seeking slut; she was one of the best people Richie knew. She waskind and brave and smart and strong and loyal and funny and sweet. And she wasbi. Richie sat with that for a while, and he could feel his chest gettinglighter as he fell asleep.
Richie felt a lot better afterthat. He still had bad days, and he struggled to accept that it was okay for himto be bi, but knowing that being bi didn’t make Bev a bad person helped himfeel better about himself, bit by bit, day by day. Still, he couldn’t gethimself to say it out loud. He wanted to, so many times he tried to tell Bev,but the words wouldn’t come out. Richie had a feeling she knew anyway though,and he was grateful that she never pushed him to tell her, to tell anybody.
Eddie told the other six that hewas gay the day before junior year started. They were hanging out in theBarrens and he just said it. Everyone was happy for him, congratulating himeven. It took Richie a second to get over his shock before making a joke, evenslinging his arm around Eddie’s shoulders like he used to, his heart bothsoaring and sinking as Eddie shoved him off like he always did.
Richie found himself in Bev’sbedroom that night unable to follow anything she said. “Are you good?” sheasked eventually, though there was a knowing tone to her voice.
“Bev?” Richie asked, his voicesmall as he looked up at her with wide, scared eyes.
“Yeah?” she said, taking his hand.Her eyes were open and inviting, loving, not a shred of judgement in them, butRichie still felt like he was about to vomit. He could feel his hands shaking,his palms sweating. He took a deep, shaking breath, willing the words tounstick themselves from his throat. Finally, he whispered, for the first timeever, “I’m bi.”
“Okay,” Bev smiled, her voice softand gentle, a smile full of love and adoration on her face.
“I’m bi,” he repeated, more tohimself.
“You are,” Bev giggled. “So am I.”Richie joined in her laughter then, but as soon as the laugh left his lips ittransformed into a set of sobs that wracked through his entire body, rattlinghis shoulders and making him hunch in on himself. Beverly pulled him into herarms without hesitation, holding him tight, rubbing his back as he let it out,all of the pain and joy and confusion and hurt and hate, so much hate, but alsoso much love he could barely contain it.
He pulled back and wiped his eyesas he caught his breath. Looking guiltily up at her, he said, “Bev?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s one more thing… I think I’min love with Eddie.” Bev squeezed his hand sympathetically as he hiccupped anothersob. “And I messed everything up.” He began crying again, although this timearound it was much more deflated; he and Eddie hadn’t hung out just the two ofthem in almost nine months, there was no way he could win him back, even as abest friend. Bev pulled him in again, stroking his hair.
“I think you should tell him that,”she said softly.
“What?” Richie asked, pulling backabruptly. “Why would I do that?”
“Because he misses you, Rich,” she said. Then, in response to his dubiousexpression, “Literally all you boys come to me with your problems. He hasn’tstopped missing you since December, Richie. He’s still wondering what he didwrong.” Richie’s heart sank in guilt at that. “Hey, no,” Bev was quick to say,holding his shoulders, “listen, it’s not your fault. I know how it feels, howdirty and wrong. I know how the guilt feels. It’s not your fault. I understand,Richie, and he will, too. He won’t be mad. Tell him when you’re ready, but tellhim.”
“Well,” Richie sighed, “fuckin’ nowor never, I guess.” Bev beamed at him in delighted surprise as he wiped hiseyes and got to his feet, gathering his things. He leaned down and kissed herhead, telling her, “I love you so much, Bev. You mean the fucking world to me,”before quietly making his way out of her house to his car.
He almost turned the car around tentimes in the three minutes it took to get to Eddie’s house. He parked his car afew houses down like always, still having the path to the tree in his backyardmemorized. He leapt into the tree, not letting himself think better of it as heclimbed up the branches. He hesitated for a moment, his fist hanging in the airbefore he forced himself to knock on Eddie’s window.
For a panicked second there was noresponse, and Richie almost made a run for it, but then the curtains wereopening and there was Eddie, wearing his pajamas and an unreadable expression.Richie waved awkwardly, and Eddie then rushed to open the window. Richietumbled into his room, rusty from not having done so in nearly a year. “Whatare you doing here?” Eddie hissed, just like he always did, but this time therewas less fire in his voice than concern. “Are you okay?” he asked, his armswrapped around himself, hesitating as he stepped into Richie’s space as thelatter stood up. “Your eyes look all red and swollen.”
“Uh, yeah,” Richie chuckledhumorlessly, scratching the back of his neck. “I, uh, I just came to say sorry.”Eddie’s eyes widened at that before going blank, his mouth a tight, thin line.It made Richie’s heart stop in his chest. “I know I’ve been acting really weirdfor a long time, and I just wanted you to know that it has nothing to do withyou, okay? I know we don’t hang out like we used to and it sucks, I hate it,and it’s my fault, okay?” Eddie softened at that. “I’m so sorry, Eds. I thoughtit was for the best.”
“Why?” Eddie asked, his voicebreaking. Richie lifted his hands uselessly, feeling genuinely nauseous at thethought of admitting it to Eddie. “I still remember the date.” Richie’s eyeswidened. “December 8th. That was the first day you started refusingto hang out with me, refusing to lookat me.” Richie’s heart broke as he saw tears welling in Eddie’s eyes. “I know becauseit all happened at once, and I had no idea why. Why, Rich?” he asked, the tearsthankfully not falling from his eyes. “If it wasn’t something I did then whatwas it?”
Richie’s bottom lip begantrembling, and suddenly he was crying again. Eddie hesitated a moment beforerushing to him, wrapping Richie in his arms. Richie was so relieved to betouching him again that his knees gave out and he fell to the floor. Eddiefollowed, stroking his hair and shushing him gently in his ear.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he reassured himquietly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’ll always behere for you if you need me.” That just made Richie cry harder, both in guiltand relief.
“You’re so fucking brave, Eds,” heeventually managed to say, pulling away to wipe his eyes. He was unspeakably gratefulfor the way Eddie kept his hands on Richie’s shoulders, even as he looked athim in bashful confusion. “I’m so proud of you for telling us all today.” Eddie’sface smoothed out at that, and he ducked his head as a blush spread across hischeeks. “And I uh, I have something to tell you.” It was maybe the hardestthing he’d ever made himself say, especially with Eddie’s wide, brown eyesfocused solely on him, but eventually he said it: “I’m bi.” Eddie’s eyebrowsrose at that, his eyes widening. “That’s why I stopped hanging out with you,because I thought you would think I was gross if you knew. The way we actedaround each other…”
“Richie,” Eddie sighed sadly beforepulling him into his arms. “I would never think you were gross, no matter what,”he assured him. “I love you, you idiot.”
“Still?” Richie asked, hating howbroken and hopeful and vulnerable his voice sounded.
“Always,” Eddie murmured into thecrown of his head, stroking his hair. Richie gratefully breathed in the scentof Eddie, a smell he’d missed, one that made his heart ache. “So fucking much.”
“I missed you,” Richie said, notsure he could handle the L-word just then.
“I missed you, too.”
Richie left shortly after that,feeling better than he had in a long time as he laid in bed. He hadn’t toldEddie how he felt; that could wait for another day. For the night, Richie wasmore than happy to adjust to other people knowing who he was. If Bev and Eddiecould love him, bisexuality and all, then maybe he could love himself, too.Maybe one day he would even be proud tosay that he was bi. He had a strong feeling that day was coming soon.
taglist: @jane-doe-663 @reddie4thesinbin @deadlighturis @constantreaderfool @reddieloserz @jessicaheartsderry @vegetarian-avocado
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okay so: reddie fakedates and everything goes wrong
they are like 17 and bored
like really bored
they are thinking about playing pranks on the other losers
and eddie comes up with the best! idea! ever!
“we should fake date”
richie kind of chokes bc he’s kind of aware he has the hots for eddie but then eddie looks up at him and like he’s so gone he says yes
they plan this whole story of how they got together at the quarry to tell the losers and they giggle
and richie swallows and asks eddie “should we like,,,kiss? in front of them?”
and eddie blushes the tiniest bit but says of course
richie’s like ok alright but he’s already flustered
the next day they try to be more tactile that they already are, to see the losers’ reaction but there’s like none
they are so used to them being so handsy
eddie gets kind of angry they don’t notice and while they are all chatting on the school hallway he pecks richie, in the corner of his mouth
that wasnt what they had agreed so richie goes tomato
they are all shocked
ben goes “we missed somethinG?”
eddie shyly nods but before they can say anything beverly jUMPS
mike’s like “FINALLY YOU GUYS”
and bill is giving stan 10 dollars
“U BET MONEY ON US?” eddie is half fuming half confused
bill and stan just shrug, bill goes “thought it wouldn’t happen until christmas”
everyone’s so happy eddie feels guilty af and he tells richie maybe they should stop and tell the truth
richie freaks out and convinces him otherwise
eddie just goes on with it
they just are their normal selves
its kind of embarrassing because eddie realizes they didnt have to change much
except this thing
in which richie starts to shut the fuck up when eddie’s being touchy bc he’s trying rlly hard not to cross a line and freaking regret it
and everyone notices that
days go by and richie is completely out of his mind, quiet, barely joking
they start getting concerned
no other than stan is the first to say anything about it
he’s like “eddie thank god u got him to shuT UP haha” and its half joke half worry and eddie’s confused and richie just stares at his food and flips stan off but nobody’s laughing
next one to acknowledge it its bev and thats when shit goes down
bc she approaches richie when he’s by his locker and asks him if getting together with eddie was an actual good thing bc he’s being rlly weird and richie says he’s confused and bev doesnt get wtf he’s talking about
the thing is that eddie overhears everything and gets rlly hurt and he runs away
and avoids richie bc he doesnt know why he feels like that but he ends up PINING
it was meant to be a joke ffs
richie doesnt get it and then eddie is confronting him and telling him they should break up and tells him he overheard him and bev and that he thinks bev doesnt think he’s good for richie and maybe she’s right
and richie’s like “no thats not fucking right” and he’s royally pissed and they argue
and eddie’s flustered and like “maybe we should end this, it wasnt even funny”
and richie’s like “no”
and eddie’s like “wtf”
richie sighs completely annoyed and goes “i think i fell for you,,,like long ago”
eddie just blinks
richie apologizes for being weird and goes on a rant on how even if eddie wanted him back he would deserve someone 10 times better than richie
realization downs on eddie and he tells richie to shut up
and he doesnt
so he just kisses him fierce
and richie is speechless
but smiling
and they fucking giggle
and eddie admits out loud “i think i fell for you too”
richie is about to complain again, eddie can tell so he goes “and i know whats best for me, what i want and thats you”
and richie HAS TEARS ON HIS EYES and he’s “i want you, if you let me”
and then they make out
and everyone’s happy, even the losers when they tell them the truth
like first they are ??? but then they are happy and celebrating again because they love their friends even if it took them so long to realize and be happy together
#reddie#reddie hc#reddie fic#im so gone for these two#im like writing 3 fics at the same time#id love to write this so make that four
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Tell the girl. — Stan Uris
Request: anon: Hi can I request a Stan x fem reader where they hang out with the losers club and play truth or dare or something and one of them says something that points that they like each other. Then they walk home together and express their feelings. Thank you!
Summary: Truth or dare might be more helpful than you think when saying what you feel.
Word count: 1,700+
A/N: Honestly I liked this so much??? I hope you enjoy it!
-
A small smile spread across (Y/N)’s face when she heard the door bell, seven Losers were scattered in the living room’s floor, Stan being the only one missing. He had said that he would arrive late because he wanted to make sure his room was clean before hanging out with them, naturally (Y/N) had insisted on waiting for him to start with what had become a tradition between all of The Losers Club, they would gather together in a different house each weekend and just have fun, it was easier than going to the barrens or the quarry on school days, and this weekend it was (Y/N)’s turn to offer her house.
Her friends, specially Richie and Bev did not pass the opportunity to tease her around her growing crush on the bird lover and how ‘whipped’ she was waiting for him to arrive to start all the fun, she shrugged their comments off, telling them she was just being nice and a good friend, even though deep down she knew what big of a lie that was.
Richie let out a “Finally!” when Bill opened the door to find Stan, (Y/N) chuckled at the exaggeration of her friend, Stan gave them a puzzled look. “(Y/N) wouldn't let us start the fun until you arrived.”
Stan’s gaze found the girl’s eyes and his heart skipped at beat when she smiled at him, he smiled back, warmth placed on his chest when he realized that she’d been expecting him. The Uris boy walked towards the group an settled himself between Eddie and Ben, directly in from of his crush.
“What are we doing first?” The Trashmouth asked, sitting next to the hypochondriac of the group. All heads turned to the owner of the house.
“Maybe we could watch a movie?”
“Your movies suck, (Y/L/N).”
“Shut it, Tozier.” The girl shrugged. “Maybe we could play something.”
“I vote 7 minutes in heaven.” The glasses boy proposed, smirking while the rest of the club shook their heads in disgust and disapproval. “Y’all aren't fun.”
“How ‘bout Truth or Dare?” Mike suggested, he gave Stan a mischievous smile, no one seemed to notice as they agreed to the idea, (Y/N) didn't seem convinced and she wouldn't admit that part of it was because Stan wasn't agreeing.
The owner of the house sighed in defeat. “Well, I guess Truth or Dare will be.” The club cheered loudly while she looked nervously at Stan, to her surprise he was already staring at her, they both looked away, feeling their cheeks flushing with color.
After the club settled in a circle and Bev chose blindly who would begin they all started playing, at first the questions and dares were all the typical ones: secrets, hobbies, fun facts, licking the floor, saying who was the most well looking in the room; then they started turning more specific for everyone: what had pennywise shown them a year ago, what was the most embarrassing thing they had written on a yearbook, going around shouting ‘gazebos’ or prank call someone randomly.
Soon enough the club had arrived to a topic (Y/N) and Stan dreaded equally: romance. They both knew their crushes for the other where obvious to most of the club except for the other, and they knew their friends well enough to know that they would probably try to force them to make a move. And they weren't ready for that.
Mike looked around, choosing a victim. “Stan the man.” The boy looked at his friend, who had a tense expression while he shook his head almost pleadingly. “Truth or dare?”
Stan grunted. “Truth.” He murmured, ready for his imminent dead.
“Who is the prettiest girl in the room?”
Stan pressed his lips at the question, feeling the stares of the only two girls in the room that were waiting for an answer, though it was for different reasons; Bev wanted to proof her best friend that Stan did like her and that she could confess to him, (Y/N) wanted to know if Stan found her prettier than Beverly Marsh, with her fiery hair and sky blue eyes and strong personality.
“(Y/N)…” Stan whispered, hoping that despite the fact that the girl he mentioned was only a person away would not hear him; he knew he was wrong when he saw her look away. Stan understood this as a little signal of rejection, of course he didn't noticed the red color that covered almost her whole face.
Stan looked around, finding Beverly’s face, who had a smug smile on her lips. “Bev, truth or dare?”
“Dare”
“Kiss Ben for at least 10 seconds.” Stan had the satisfaction to see how the smug smile disappeared from the girl's lips and was replaced by an intense red in her cheeks.
Despite the growing embarrassment Beverly was feeling, she crawled towards Ben and complied with the dare, who looked even more embarrassed than her, even though they had being openly dating for almost a year they tried not to show that much of affection around the club.
“(Y/N).” Bev chimed and the other girl glared at her. “Truth or dare.”
“Truth.”
“What do you think about Stan?” Bev asked deviously, her friend shifted on her place, uncomfortable.
“He is cool,” (Y/N) answered quickly, perhaps too quickly because she noticed by the corner of her eye that Stan was looking at her. “he is a good friend and I like bird watching with him.”
Friend. The word struck Stan between the ribs, she wasn't lying, they were friends and he was sure they wouldn't be anything else soon. She just thought about him as a good friend, at least that's what he thought. Stan had being so caught up on his thoughts that he hadn't heard the next truths or dares.
“Stan!” He heard Richie exclaim, Stan was able to listen to the grin in his voice without having to lift his head, he nodded for the Trashmouth to keep talking. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“Tell (Y/N/N) how you feel.” The girl in question lifted an eyebrow with unspoken curiosity, how did Stan Uris feel about what?
“I'm actually starting to feel cold but I'm not feeling sick, thank you for asking.” Stan answered with a smirk, the irony covering his tone made (Y/N) chuckle, and when he heard the heavenly sound his smile grew into a more sincere one.
(Y/N)’s sight placed on the clock, her eyes widened when she realized it was already late. “Eds your mom is going to kill you.” She muttered, Eddie followed her gaze and practically jumped from his place.
“(Y/N/N) is right, I should get going.” The smaller boy of the group announced.
“Kiss your mom goodnight for me, Eds.” The Trashmouth yelled, not even bothering to look at the hypochondriac.
Eddie grimaced. “Don't call me that.” His head turned towards the rest of the group and he waved giving them a small smile. The owner of the house stood up too, taking Eddie to the front door.
“Go and avoid getting killed.” The girl joked, opening the door. “I hope you had fun Eds.”
“Yeah, truth or dare sucks, but it was fun.”
The girl smiled at him and closed the door. Soon, the game of truth or dare died to casual chatter until, one by one the Losers started leaving, Stan and Richie being the last ones. After some jokes, it was Richie’s turn to leave, due that Stan had insisted in staying and helping clean.
“Bye, Trashmouth.” (Y/N) said, opening the door.
“You want me out so soon? You hurt me (Y/N)” The glasses boy said, pouting. While he walked by the door he started humming ‘Kiss the girl.’
“Tell the girl.” He muttered, before the door was closed he shouted: “Kiss the girl!”
Stan’s face could have been easily mistaken by a mature tomato after what his friend had said but he said nothing, starting to pick up the mess their friends had done with snack wrapping and soda cans.
Soon the disaster on the living room disappeared, with none words exchanged than simple orders or ‘help me do this’s.
“It's fine now Stan, thank you.” (Y/N) said after seeing her friend start to check for the smallest details.
Stan smiled bashfully. “Then I guess I should get going.”
The girl nodded, walking towards the door and opening it. “Take care.”
The soft way she said it made Stan's heart skip a beat as it had done several times that afternoon. “Sure, thanks.”
When she saw him start walking away several questions filled her head, what had Richie meant? Could Stan have feelings for her too? She hadn't noticed she had took a decision until she saw her own feet walking towards him and she heard herself say: “Stan, wait!”
He turned to her, a slight confusion in his face.
“What did Richie meant when he talked about how you felt?” She questioned, Stan shifted in his place uncomfortably, he would remember to shout Richie about that later.
“Nothing, really.”
“Stan, you don't have to lie to me, it's- it’s okay, really.” The girl insisted, giving him a kind smile.
“It's just…” Stan hesitated, was it really worth it to risk their friendship under a simple crush? “I-think-I-have-a-crush-on-you-and-Richie-knows-and-he-really-wants-me-to-confess-to-you-but-“
(Y/N) chuckled. “Stan, I don't understand a thing.”
“I have a crush on you.” He murmured, lowering his head and totally missing the flash of excitement that passed through her eyes.
“Then you should listen to Richie.” She proposed, Stan's head shot upward. She pressed her lips in a shy smile. “And you know, kiss the girl.”
Stan nodded, still a little wide eyed, he placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her, just a soft innocent kiss with a million unspoken feelings on it.
“See you tomorrow, Stanley.” (Y/N) murmured after the kiss, a smile still on her lips. “Maybe we should get an icecream together.”
Stan smiled and nodded, it took him a while to understand it was a date.
#stan uris imagine#stan uris x reader#stan x reader#stan uris one shot#stan uris#stan imagine#stanley uris#stanley#mike#mike hanlon#richie#richie tozier#bev#beverly marsh#beverly#ben#ben hanscom#benverly#bill#bill denbrough#eddie#eddie kaspbrack#kaspbrack#ms kaspbrack#imagine#x reader#reader imagine#reader one shot#requested#anon
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Warning: Mentions of making out, boners, cussing
@reddietoship
“Alright, Richie. It’s your turn.”
Richie hummed, and rubbed his chin as if deep in thought, although he already knew his answer. “Dare!” He never denied a dare, they were his favorite.
Bev grinned, and looked around the room for a minute. Eddie was the only one missing, having gone to the bathroom to wash his hands vigorously after letting Ben lick his palm.
“The whole week before Halloween, you have to scare Eddie in any way you can.” Bev told him, now smirking wide.
“Fuck that!” Richie Tozier just denied his first dare ever. He knew better than that, Eddie would kill him before the week was over. Or worse, break up with him.
“No, c’mon, Rich! It’ll totally be fun!” Bev told him.
Richie shook his head, “Nope, nu uh, I’ll take the sriracha shot.” He reached for the bottle, and the, so far, clean shot glass
“Richie, c’mon,” Bill piped up, “It’ll totally be fun for us! I’ll even throw in a twenty if you scare him once a day.”
That gave Richie an idea. How much money could he get out of this?
“No, not for twenty.” Richie shook his head again, and began pouring the shot.
“I’ll throw in ten.” Ben said grinning.
“I’ll give a five.” Mike nodded.
“Me too, but five’s all I’ve got.” Bev told him.
“I’ll give another ten.” Stan smirked, “If fifty dollars is all it takes for him to break up with you, I’ll pay the price.”
Richie raised his eyebrows, and put the shot glass down on the table.
Richie Tozier now had a mission. A mission that was probably going to get him killed. But honestly, he couldn't deny a dare, nor could he deny the sweet fifty dollars he was getting from the rest of the group to do this. He just genuinely hoped Eddie would forgive him. He was sure a fifty dollar date could cure it, maybe. Ah, who was he kidding? He was going to have so much fucking fun with this.
SEVEN DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN
Richie crashed at Eddie's the night before, which definitely made it easy for him. He hadn't brought his supplies over last night for today's scare, but he did tell Mike to bring it over. He quietly crept out of Eddie's bed and down the stairs. He met Mike in the empty Kaspbrak driveway, and thanked the Lord that Sonia was out. He could get away with this without her freaking out too.
Mike handed over the supplies with a cheeky grin and a shake of his head. Richie only nodded in response, shot him a wink, and headed back inside the Kaspbrak house.
Still sleep rumpled, Richie tiptoed up the steps and into Eddie's room. He zipped open the bag as softly as he could, and pulled out the head. It was quite mangled looking, with bulging eyes, rotted teeth, and green gunk trailing out of every orifice. He had to restrain his giddy giggles as he tied a string around the hook on the crown of the head, and attached it to a pole.
He bit his tongue as he padded quietly across the floor and settled the head where his own had been laying minutes before. It was facing Eddie. Richie stood on the other side of Eddie, and as softly as he could, spoke.
“Eddie, baby.” He whispered into his boyfriend's ear, even going so far as to press a little kiss to it. “Wake up, we've got to get ready for school.”
Eddie stirred, and that's when Richie lifted the head a bit.
Eddie definitely woke up then.
A loud screech left the short boys mouth as he smacked his hands at the disgusting, floating head, his body scooting back until he fell off the bed. Richie attempted to catch him, but didn't do to well as he was also now on the floor, laughing his ass off.
Eddie's whole face was red as he glared at Richie, “Are you fucking kidding me?” He growled, standing up from the floor and dusting himself off.
Richie couldn't respond, he was laughing way too hard.
SIX DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN
Earlier that morning, Richie had snuck into the boy's locker room during Eddie's gym period. He, of course, knew the combination to Eddie's lock so it was an easy in. He pulled it open, and grabbed for the boys fanny pack. He unzipped it, and as meticulously as he could, extracted the others inhaler.
This was probably a stupid idea. But when were Richie's ideas not stupid?
He had a couple of little plastic bugs that he stuck in the mouthpiece of the inhaler. He knew Eddie did his best to not use the thing at all anymore, but he knew an exact way to get him to use it.
And that's where they were now. Lunch period. All of the losers were sitting outside, enjoying their food and the fall air. However, Eddie had somehow ended up in Richie’s lap, and the two of them might have been hardcore making out. It wasn't an uncommon sight, honestly. They played tonsil hockey rather often around the others.
Any time Eddie started to pull away, Richie didn't let him. He had to do this a few times before he was sure. Eddie always used his inhaler when things got a little too heated in public. It was his way of signaling the need to calm down, without explicitly saying it.
Richie finally allowed Eddie to pull away, but not without tugging on his bottom lip. He gave the boy a smirk as he unzipped his fanny pack and dug his inhaler out.
Just as he was about to put the mouthpiece to his lips, he stopped. His whole body jolted and he threw the inhaler away with a shout.
“What is it, baby cakes?” Richie asked with a smirk.
“B-bugs..in my...that's so gross...how the...what else did they get into?!” Eddie tore his fanny pack off and ripped himself out of Richie’s lap. He dumped everything out of his fanny pack and screeched when a lone bug fell out.
And then he actually looked at it.
“You dick! You could've killed me! What if I'd used it without looking!” He smacked Richie’s arm about a billion times.
“I wasn't going to let you inhale a plastic bug, Eddiekins. No worries.” He was laughing again. Richie couldn't help it.
“Go get my inhaler, asshole.”
FIVE DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN
Richie was happy that Eddie had calmed down since yesterday. The bugs in his inhaler had really pissed him off. Richie was sort of surprised that there were any still in the mouth piece, but either way it would have worked out.
He was laying with Eddie on the boys bed, combing his fingers through his loose hair as the other worked on homework. Richie was also scribbling down the odd answer, not really too focused on his school work at the moment. He was trying to make Eddie sleepy. He knew it was working when his pencil fell out of his fingers.
Richie continued on playing with his hair for the next few minutes. He really wanted to make sure the other was asleep. He finally got up and went to work. He had smuggled in plastic spider's and cobwebs.
The package crinkled all too loudly, so he went into the bathroom to open both of them up. The began with the cobwebs, stringing them across the room and on his bed, on his dresser and his desk. It looked like no one had been in the room for years.
Satisfied, Richie weaved himself through the web and began strategically setting up spider's. He had at least twenty of them covering the space.
But he left the best for last.
A rather large, rather real looking tarantula was to hang from the ceiling and in front of Eddie's face. As carefully as possible, Richie attached it to Eddie's ceiling. He had to use his desk chair to reach, but he made it.
He settled himself back next to Eddie, and waited. He watched the tarantula softly swing back and forth in front of the others face, guided by his soft snores.
Finally the swinging went far enough, and it bumped into his nose. Eddie startled awake. A girlish squeal left his lips and he kicked and punched at the swinging spider before it fell. His eyes met the rest of the room and he screamed again, shocked.
Boy, did he look angry when his brain woke up more.
“RICHARD TOZIER!”
“Hey babe!”
“YOU’D BETTER CLEAN THIS UP! NOW!”
FOUR DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN
Richie was excited for this one. He even convinced Ben and Mike to help. Ben was more on the refusing side, not wanting anything to do with Richie’s pranks, but he finally convinced him.
Mike and Ben sealed him up in a box and carried him to Eddie's front door. They knocked a few times before rushing off and Richie sat in silence.
He knew Eddie was home.
Finally, he heard the creaking of the floorboards near the front door, and the door opening slowly, as if Eddie was expecting him.
He heard a huff, and shuffling away, before he came back. “Richie, I swear to God if this is another prank, I'm kicking your ass.”
Richie had to restrain himself from chuckling, and broke out from the top of the box, screaming loudly.
Eddie squealed and punched at him, effectively landing a few on his chest.
Richie grunted a few times before grabbing his boyfriend's hands.
“Let me go!” Eddie yelled. “You're such a fucking asshole, Tozier!”
Richie tugged the clown mask off his face to grin widely at Eddie.
“But you still love me, right?”
“Fuck you.”
THREE DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN
Tonight's prank was stupid. Richie knew that. But he was grinding down to nothing at this point. His ideas were getting dry.
And maybe he was playing down for the next two days so that one ahead would be particularly bad.
He was an asshole. He knew.
He really wasn't trying that hard with this one either.
He had a small bottle of red food coloring in his pocket. All of the losers were eating pizza together at Bill's house, and watching horror movies.
When Eddie turned away from him, Richie pulled out the bottle and squirted a bit of it up his nose. It resulted in him sneezing, but at least now it looked less like he'd just poured it up his nose and more like his nose was bleeding.
“Ah, shit.” Richie muttered to himself, swiping at his nose with his arm.
“Wha-Richie! Don't smear that all over your skin that's gross!” Eddie screeched, scooting away from his boyfriend.
“No, no, it's fine. I've been having them for the past few days.” Richie stood and started to head to the bathroom to clean up.
“What? The last few days? Then there's something wrong! You need to go to the doctor!” Eddie followed him.
“No babe, it's fine. It's nothing.” He turned on the faucet and started cleaning it off his arms.
“No Richie, it's not fine! You probably have a brain tumor or something!” Eddie huffed.
Richie shook his head, and continued rubbing the dye off of his arm. It was staining his skin, which wasn't good. He leaned under the faucet and started scrubbing at his face, not wanting the red there for who knows how long.
“...Richie I swear to god, if this is another prank.” Eddie growled from his side.
Richie lifted his head from the sink and gave his boyfriend a sheepish grin.
“At least you didn't scare me that much this time…” Eddie turned and left the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
TWO DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN
Today was another easy day. Today he was just going to periodically sneak up on the boy and scare him. This was sure to be fun, even if his boyfriend refused to kiss him before he went home.
The first time he did it before class started, rushing up behind him and grabbing his side's. Eddie flinched and gasped before realizing it was Richie and smacking his arm.
Richie didn't get a good morning kiss.
The second time Richie just saw him in the hallway on accident between classes. Just before the boy reached his classroom, Richie put a hand around his mouth, and his other snaked around his waist. He could hear the muffled scream, before Eddie turned around and stomped all too hard on Richie’s toes.
“God dammit! I thought I was safe on this side of the school!” Eddie huffed.
Richie just grinned, and pecked the boy’s lips, before hopping off to his own class.
The third time had been on accident. He’d just come around a corner and the two of them smacked right into each other. It had startled Eddie enough to drop his books. Maybe not so much as a scare, but it still happened...and Eddie blamed him.
The last time was probably the best. Richie told Eddie to meet him at his truck after school, instead of on the front steps. When Eddie approached his car, Richie hopped out of the bed and landed in front of him, yes, scaring him.
“Fuck you. I’ll walk home.”
It was a fake threat, but Richie decided that was the last one, simply because he wanted to keep a hold of his balls.
ONE DAY UNTIL HALLOWEEN
Richie knew this one would piss Eddie off more than anything. And he almost felt bad, but he was running out of ideas here and tomorrow was the last one. He was going to go easy on Eddie for the last one.
He had invited Eddie over to his house because he knew the other would freak out even more if he'd done this in his room.
But Richie wasn't going to mind if the red didn't come out of his floor. Honestly, it would just be a reminder of this amazing week.
Richie had Bev help him this time. She was rather good at makeup. She made it look like he'd been hit in the back of the head with something. The gash was rather large and real looking and Richie knew Eddie was going to kill him for real this time.
He laid, face down, on his floor, and Bev went to work. She made it look like a real crime scene before shoving herself in the closet and hiding.
It was another ten minutes before Eddie started coming up the stairs.
“Richie you'd better not be planning anything else!”
He could hear him loud and clear.
His bedroom door swung open. “Rich-”
A sob sounded through the room, and Richie felt his heart break. This wasn't a good prank, not at all. He stilled his breathing as much as possible.
Eddie rolled Richie over onto his back and pulled him into his lap, blubbering and crying. Richie could feel tears hitting his cheeks.
Eddie started hyperventilating and that's when Richie knew he had to stop. He sat up quickly and held Eddie's head to his chest. “I’m sorry… I'm sorry…”
Eddie punched him harder than he had the whole time.
HALLOWEEN
Richie had something simple planned for the day. It wasn't a big deal. He really wasn't even planning to do it until later tonight.
So when he rounded the corner in the school, and a scream sounded out, Richie knew he didn't even have to do his prank tonight.
He'd already scared Eddie.
“God damnit, Richie! I'm fucking tired of this shit! Yesterday was fucking terrible! I can't get that image out of my mind, you ass! And now you're hopping around corners to fucking jump scare me?! No! I'm fucking done, Richard.” A finger was jamming harshly into his chest. “I'm. Fucking. Done. You're the worst boyfriend in the goddamn world and I'm not fucking taking it any more! It's over, Richie! I'm not...I can't…”
Richie could physically see Eddie's anger dissolve into exhaustion, and his heart broke. “Hey,...I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have done this… I mean it was fun for a little bit but…” he brushed some of Eddie's hair out of his face. “I just wanted to have money for once. To take you out on a nice date, you know?”
“You did this for money? For me?” Eddie asked, stepping a bit closer to Richie.
“Yeah...I did. I'm sorry it hurt you so much.” Richie pressed his forehead against Eddie's.
“I'm sorry too...for getting mad.” Eddie tells him, voice soft.
“It's okay. I deserved it.” Richie grinned down at Eddie. “But that's it. It's over. I can collect my money and take my boy out on a good damn date.”
“You'd fucking better, Tozier. You're still in the dog house.”
And he did. The day after Halloween, Richie took Eddie to a nice restaurant in Bangor. He let him pick anything he wanted. The bill amounted to about forty dollars for the both of them. After they had full bellies, they went on a short walk in the park, killing time before their movie.
“I’m sorry, again.” Richie told him, lifting his hand up to press a kiss to it.
Eddie shrugged, “It’s okay, just next time tell me what’s happening. If we can get more money out of those guys let's do it.”
Richie grinned down at his boyfriend, “You’re an evil little thing, aren’t you?”
“Did it take you this long to find out?” Eddie teased right back, “You must be a lot slower than I thought, Trashmouth.”
“Hey, that’s not nice.” Richie pouted, bumping his hip softly against Eddie’s.
“Who said I was ever nice?” Eddie retorted, shifting to wrap his arm around his boyfriends waist.
Richie lifted his arm to drape across Eddie’s shoulders.
“Hm...I think Bill said it one time, but I can’t be sure… You know, the stutter and all...makes it a little hard… you know what else is a little hard?”
“Beep beep, Richie!”
#reddie#halloween#richie tozier#eddie kaspbrak#fanfiction#it fanfiction#richie tozier fanfiction#eddie kaspbrak fanfiction#reddie fanfiction
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Rooftop N.8
Ao3 N.7 N.9
Friday 21.05.1993
Unlike the few other parties that Eddie attended, this one was already being different without having started. Usually, he’d be in the company of six, or five if one of them was the host. This time, however, he was able to sit in the back of Bill’s parents’ car without having to squeeze himself between shoulders. There was even an empty seat.
An empty seat.
That’s a big deal for them. As he shut the door on his side of the car along with the other boys, his usual internal pep talk came into play, which happens every time Eddie is forced to attend a social event.
It’s just a party. Everyone goes to parties.
Then he freaks out because everyone is a lot for him.
Still, you’re supposed to have fun.
Despite the short time it takes to get to the barn, the quietness inside the vehicle is enough to break the built-up courage. Eddie busies his hands scuffing the end of the navy pants he reluctantly put on earlier, one ankle balanced on top of his knee. Some minutes ago, as he hopped down the stairs and announced that he was leaving, Eddie felt confident. His mom couldn’t have done much after their fight, they barely interacted, and Eddie had to show her that he was independent enough and responsible by himself. He kind of doubted that, now.
Here, inside this car, he feels unprotected by simply knowing that there’s no one worrying about him at home. Ridiculous way of feeling. So, when Bill parks the car among many others on the street where the Hanlon’s residence is located, Eddie puffs air in his chest and grips the door handle, ready to have a good time.
Or so he hopes.
The four of them approach the dirt trail that guides them towards the reddish barn, although it looks greyish in the night sky only illuminated by the dim lights pouring out of the open gate. Music was already playing as they go inside. He scanned the place only to realise how many people already crowded it. Bad idea.
As per usual, Ben and Eddie stay together, Stan hovers closely, and since Bill doesn’t want to go around alone just yet, the four of them stick together while trying to find their remaining members.
That’s when, while on his toes to see over the heads, Eddie sees the made-up stage. He was awestruck at first, couldn’t look away, but examining it for longer made him notice that it was not that impressive. Sure, it had some height, maybe like two steps higher, and he could see it was made from reclaimed wood from the farm. The setup looked cheap, no surprise there. He could see a full drum set, although the various components had different colours, which was a give-away that it was put together by older parts, and there was also what looked like a keyboard, plus some extra keys that didn’t belong on a piano, set upon a stand so that whoever played would be able to be standing up. In the middle stood two guitar stands, one held an electric, all wood and heavy looking, and the other had an acoustic, which looked incredibly like the one that usually stands on a corner of Richie’s bedroom.
And well, that only meant one unfortunate thing.
“This can’t be happening.” Stan’s words were a little bit muffled by the general noise. Eddie shot him a knowing look, both were desperately hoping it was some kind of joke or coincidence.
“That’s…” Eddie gulped and pointed back to the stage, specifically to the guitar both of them had seen many times before. When Stan nodded and draped a hand over his face, Eddie needed a miracle of some sort. Unaware of their discovery, Bill dragged Ben over to one of the tables filled with food and various coloured drinks, separating the group in half.
“They can’t be that dumb. Tell me they’re not that dumb, Eddie.” Oh, how similar both of them are. Only that Eddie can’t really find words to voice his concern right now. His mouth hung open, ready to answer that yes, they are that dumb, but Mike walked up behind Stan with a nervous grin at that exact moment, shutting Eddie up immediately.
“That’s not the support we were hoping to get.” Mike shot him a wink while Stan turned around in a startled jolt. Eddie didn’t have it in him to be playful back.
“It’s a prank, right?” Stan asked with big eyes. Eddie could see that Mike was taken by surprise, his eyebrows furrowing and the smile faltering. Being mean was a gift to Stan’s existence. “Mike, everyone here isn’t like us, they’re mean.”
Mike shook his head and laughed poorly. “You’re the one being mean. They’re just teenagers, students-”
Stan’s throat did a funny noise. “My point exactly. They’ll make fun of you!” Deciding that this was going too far, Eddie elbowed his ribs, which successfully toned him down. With a long exhale, Stan rubbed his eyelids. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to be the target of mockery.”
There was a hurt frown on Mike’s face. “We’re just having fun here, friends having a good time.” His eyes met Eddie’s, probably expecting backup. He had yet to say something so he chocked up, caught by surprise.
“Uh…” He awkwardly cleared his throat and glanced between the two boys. And if guilt wasn’t already eating up his insides, all Mike did was roll his eyes, nod his head and move to another topic.
“Where are the others, anyway?”
Eddie was sure that the devil had fiery hair and a fuck ton of freckles, because she appeared just then. Beverly came from the back entry, probably there smoking, skipping on her steps with a giddy smile on her lips. There was a happy energy radiating from her that could be noticed miles away. She swung herself on Eddie’s shoulders and started jumping up and down, shaking him in the process. The shame was adding up along with a fastening heartbeat on his chest.
Not now. That’s all he wanted. Don’t panic now.
“You actually came!” She shouted over the other voices. The music playing changed.
In order to keep himself stable, Eddie placed both hands on her wrists. She kept laughing, Eddie wanted to breathe the outside air but she smelled of nicotine instead. With a forceful grip, he tore Beverly’s hands out of his shoulders but didn’t let go of them.
Not now.
But her laughs died down, and he felt even worse for ruining something they probably looked forward too. He shot a glance at the stage again and felt her tugging at his wrists. She was smiling softly, a cure for his worry.
“I think you need a drink, Eddie.” She meant those words.
For the first time in his life, Eddie didn’t think that was such a bad idea. “I think you might be right.”
-
Eddie’s little freak-out took him outside, elbows resting against the wooden fence.
Previously, he had pretended to be present while a cup was placed in his hand, he couldn’t remember which of his friends did it. Then, he had hovered around the group religiously and pretended to drink whatever he was given. He just needed the right moment to back away without them noticing.
Ironically, it was beer pong that saved his ass. His thoughts drifting completely from what was in front of him, which was pretending to agree with whatever Stan was babbling on about and watching a fair amount of people (Beverly included) cheer whoever was heavily invested in playing the pointless game. All it took was Stan giving up on being answered, turning his head to the other side to talk with Mike instead, and Eddie was out of there in an instant. He ignored the girl he run into on his way to the back entrance and took the longest breath of his life as soon as the chill air of the night hit his nostrils.
He tried hard to keep his head out of futile worries. With a swirling cup, Eddie’s mind hovered above many things, desperate for a healthy distraction:
Stan is quite talkative when he’s out of his comfort zone, which is very out of character.
Where did Ben and Bill go?
He stared quizzically at the party cup. What the hell do they put in this? Why am I still holding it, anyway?
I wonder what my mom’s doing.
Probably snoring.
I haven’t seen Richie yet.
Damn it. That’s not a healthy thought.
But it was impossible to stop once it set. Richie, what he could be doing. Who he could be with right now. And how they could be together outside, instead. Eddie would probably ruin his wild fun by begging for his company, not that he would do that anyway.
Maybe internally.
He licked his dry lips, then remembered Richie’s.
“I’m a lost case.” He huffed out, exasperated.
“Woah, don’t think so high of yourself.” Every muscle in his body jolted, startled. Yep, there goes the drink spilling out onto his fingers.
Parties, greatest human invention.
It was Richie, he acknowledged without turning around. Eddie was hit with such gratitude and relief that tears prickled his eyes. So, like the lost case he claimed to be, he lowered his head to let it rest against his upper arms that sat upon the wood railing. Now staring at the way his shoes were digging in the grass, the gravity pulled one on him and made it easier for the tears to escape, falling near his feet almost as soon as they abandoned his eyes.
Laboured breathing made its presence, he left the sense of reality behind and began to shake compulsively. Whatever was done to him for the following minutes would go subtly fogged up.
Up until now, Richie had been with both Bill and Ben inside, convincing them to try the pot brownies they had previously baked for the party. Before, he had taken a little container, filled it up and put it aside to share among the Losers once they were alone.
Bill had agreed to eat them eagerly after listening to how Mike had to steal his mother’s recipe so that the three of them could bake them in his kitchen. How hard it had been to get her to miss the part where they added the best ingredient hidden in Bev’s coat pocket. His mom had bought it when they said the scent came from a burnt batch. Ben refused them kindly, Richie didn’t push him.
There was this annoying press near his heart due to Eddie’s absence that was pushed behind with a stupidly, fake, contented grin as he hung around with his two friends and some other teens that suddenly seemed to realise he existed.
A bunch of turds, if you asked him.
So, there he was, a deep need for a second smoke in less than two hours. Frustrated and disappointed, he snapped out at the sight of some brainless group hanging around the couch meant for his friends and his friends only. He was cursed at while hushing them away, head a bit weary due to the stupid drinks he downed already.
Once he turned back around, Bill and Ben weren’t with him anymore. He kicked the side of the couch with a curse lost among all sounds.
“Hey, easy!” Bev’s careful hand curled around the fabric of his sleeve. He turned to face her, surprised. How did he not see her? Taking a short glance over her head, Richie saw the rest of his friends laughing hysterically at something that he failed to catch.
Bev tugged at his sleeve again so he locked eyes with her.
“Sorry.” He said. “I didn’t-”
“Have you been drinking? You shouldn’t have, Rich.” He shrugged in response, careless. Worried, Beverly took his hand between hers. Richie lowered his eyes to stare at the faint bruises marking his skin.
“It’s healed, you know. I’m fine, all good. Fully operational-” He had to stop himself from babbling on and on.
With an excessively happy smile, she squeezed his fist and nodded her head towards the back-barn doors. “He’s in the back, you know?”
She laughed when his eyebrows disappeared behind his curly bangs. “You should go get him while we finally break in our red beauty.” She motioned towards the sofa he angrily kicked.
Suddenly hopeful but anxious, Richie silently mouthed fuck under his breath. “I shouldn’t have drunk.” He said to the air. As soon as those words left his mouth, Beverly flicked his forehead and hushed him away. Richie complied on heavy feet, unsure of how to approach Eddie.
At the sight of him outside, alone and tense, Richie felt guilty for making him come. He knew Eddie didn’t deal well with these things, and just a few days ago Richie had been the cause of a family fight. Way to go, dickhead.
As he got closer and closer, Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure became less ear deafening and gave him a chance to hear the incoherent mumbling that fell from Eddie’s mouth. Richie was watching his profile, noticing that he was frowning and staring deadly at the cup in his hands.
Now, that’s new. He thought.
Eddie’s distressed expression mirrored into Richie’s features as well. He seemed out of it, not even acknowledging his presence only a step away from touch. Richie was about to lay a careful hand on his shoulder when Eddie’s mumbles became clearer.
“I’m a lost case.”
“Woah, don’t think so high of yourself.” Richie couldn’t help it as the words left his mouth. At least he hadn’t acted like an asshole this time, that alone was a great achievement.
Eddie was startled, that much was expected. He was also waiting for the inevitable bickering that would follow next, but when all that happened was Eddie melting in his own body, hiding his face from the world and shoulders shaking compulsively, Richie had a hard time figuring out if he was laughing or crying.
Slightly freaked, he started by taking the full cup out of Eddie’s hands, which were doing a poor job at keeping it stable anyway. He balanced it on top of one of the vertical wood posts that constituted the fence. Then, he maneuvered Eddie’s body around until he saw how blotchy his face was. There were almost no tears staining his skin, but his breathing was irregular and faltering, a certain rasp to it.
“Hey, hey.” As if he was dealing with a child, Richie ducked his head and pouted, an attempt at making Eddie smile. It didn’t work, Eddie looked away and rubbed his eyes quickly.
“Sorry.” He said between wheezes. Confused, Richie studied him. What was he sorry for? He must have stared for a long time, because Eddie started looking around in every direction, anxiety once again filling him as he stared at the few people crowding the outside space, along with the both of them. Unshed tears filled his vision, fogging his eyes. Richie broke out of his trance once Eddie’s throat gave a pained and squeezed whistling sound as the air passed quickly.
“Don’t apologize, you moron. And don’t look around.” Richie fully crowded his space, hands coming down to circle Eddie’s waist, pulling his body flush against himself close enough so that he’d block the outside from him. “They don’t care about us, promise.”
Eddie stood unmoving. His hands limp by his sides as he let himself be hidden from the world and submerged in the heat Richie was providing. After some hellish minutes of trying to keep his heart at a normal, painless beating rate, he had to admit with, agonizingly but still.
“My mom’s right.” And how it hurt him to say something like that.
Relief washed through Richie. At least Eddie was speaking coherent sentences, mostly. “I don’t know what you think she could possibly be right about, Eds, but your mom is wrong about everything.”
Squeezing him a little bit closer, Richie felt him shake his head against his chest. “I should have just taken the stupid inhaler.”
“What?”
“I’d be better by now and not-”
“Not what? Anxious?” He asked incredulous. “That crap’s fake medicine, wouldn’t have helped you.” Eddie’s arms made a shy way around Richie, making him smile. “You know what’d help, though?” That made him finally look up, searching for another type of comfort out of Richie, which he got just by watching him under the poor lighting. He looked… well, words are overrated.
There was glitter on his cheeks, which was new. Weird, but welcomed.
“Making good use out of that cup.” Richie answered his own question. “Never thought I’d ever see you holding alcohol.”
Ignoring the suggestion, Eddie nodded towards the boy’s glowing cheeks. “You’re sparkly.” He stated. A shit-eating grin took over Richie’s face, smug and victorious. Eddie felt embarrassed for no apparent reason. “What?” He asked in a warning tone.
“Nothing!” With a shrug, Richie tried to hide his amusement.
“No, what is it?” He demanded.
For a second time, Richie shrugged. “S’just, staring at my face calms you down?”
“Like hell it does.”
“Oh, so it’s the opposite? Gets you all worked up?”
“You need to stop putting words in my mouth.” Eddie warned with a typical roll of his eyes.
See, he could have gone for ‘I could put something else instead.’ But he settled with for other words.
“Yeah? Some nights ago, you wouldn’t have valid arguments.” Which weren’t really better.
Eddie’s face paled up, whatever hints of a smile lost. Richie should really think before speaking.
"Fuck, okay, I'm an asshole." He licked his lip in a nervous habit. Mentally, Eddie stabbed him. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable… I was too, you know…?"
The confusion behind Eddie’s eyes was noticeable, so he tried to explain it without really doing it. "You know... You couldn't feel it, but..." He spoke sheepishly.
Yeah, there it was, the moment of recognition he was waiting for. Embarrassed, Eddie adverted his eyes somewhere else.
Right.
"Shouldn't have said that, either…? Okay, well, we can just... we can pretend it never happened, right?" Richie gulped down, dry scratched throat. "If that's what you want."
But Eddie’s response never came, despite the fact that neither of them were doing much effort to let each other go of their embrace. Talk about awkward.
With a heavy sigh and pleading eyes, Eddie whispered. “That’s not what I want.” It was enough to relieve the tension, although both of them failed to see how fucked up their friendship was becoming with each and every one of these occurrences.
Whatever. As always, worry about it later. As usual, ignore the consequences.
Deciding it was best to leave it at that, with a much clearer mind there were some things that Eddie needed to confirm. “Just to be clear, hm… the live music is you guys?”
With an enthusiasm that Eddie himself couldn’t feel, Richie nodded eagerly, a large smile taking over his features. “Aye, captain. We sure are!”
Figures. Eddie groaned, dropping his head to let it hit Richie’s chest.
“See lots of excitement right there, uhm?” Despite the twist his stomach did, he hid the disappointment.
“Sorry…” Eddie sighed. “I need to apologize to Mike and Bev, too. I’m being kind of a jerk about this but… I feel embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed?” That was weirdly unexpected. “What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“…Your voice isn’t exactly up to society standards.” Upon seeing the true impact his words had on Richie, Eddie started spitting out words. “I mean, I’m afraid someone may pick on the three of you for it and then turn it into another way to mess up with you guys. And, and I just feel embarrassed, okay? I hate that I do but I’m being honest with you, Richie-”
“Eddie.” He frowned, reluctantly starting to step back from his space. Eddie’s heart broke.
“I’m sorry.” He pleaded.
“Hey, it’s fine. Hear me out.” He placed both hands on Eddie’s shoulders. “Do I need to tell you you’re overthinking? This isn’t really a big deal.” Well. “If it ends up being horrible, I promise you no one here will actually remember most of it.”
“Won’t we?”
“I sure hope not.”
“I’m the asshole tonight.” He said sheepishly. “Not you.”
Turning to look at the plastic cup, Eddie thought ‘fuck it’. He grabbed and gulped it down in one go, almost chocking up. Richie was stunned, looking at him as if he’d grown another head. Once Eddie finished, his face was scrunched up from the burning sensation rolling down his throat.
“You know that doesn’t have any alcohol, right?”
Richie almost lost it when Eddie’s skin burned red, even noticeable in the night, eyes so big and ashamed that, for a moment, he thought the boy would dig a hole in the ground and disappear. He finally cracked up, hunching over the railing to laugh until his eyes stung.
“God, I’m joking! Your face, dude.”
“Fuck you, you’re suck a jerk.” He threw the cup at Richie’s head, feeling guilty as it fell to the floor and picking it up immediately so as to not litter anything.
After straightening himself up and shaking the last remains of chuckles out of him, Richie started pushing Eddie in the direction of the barn once more. “There’s vodka in that, by the way.” It took them a little longer to actually get inside since he fell into another fit of giggles upon seeing the terrified look on Eddie’s face.
-
After what felt like hours for Beverly, Richie finally decided to appear, Eddie by his side. She, along with the other four, were sprawled in the comfortable sofa waiting for them, barely any space to fit anyone else.
“You turned us into a charity case.” The smile painting Richie’s lips fell at those words. With both hands resting on his hips, he looked at Stan comically.
“What do you mean?”
Stan rolled his eyes, a maddening habit, and spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You guys put this couch here for us.” Eddie hid a laugh under his palm when Richie looked at him, lost but trying to follow along.
“I’m… not following?”
Ben, however, laughed freely. “It feels like you’re protecting us from the beasts.” He motioned around.
Richie kept staring at Eddie, who was having a hard time keeping a serious expression.
“Is that a bad thing? It’s a nice-looking couch.” He stated, still confused.
“You’re babying us.” Eddie concluded. Richie’s eyebrows shot up.
“No, no I’m not. I’m VIPing our club.”
“That’s not even a verb.”
“Oh, spare me, Stan. If you don’t like it why are you sitting on it?”
The piece of furniture was diagonally positioned to the stage. Now that they were closer, Eddie could see that the stage’s shape wasn’t regular, like the common rectangle. Instead, it was almost hexagonal, which made sense because they’d be standing in the middle of a large room and, this way, people would be able to watch from every corner.
Yeah, it’s not that bad at all.
“So, how long for us to see your talent?” Ben interrupted their little argument. Mike and Richie shared a look along with shrugs.
“We planned waiting until more people were around.” Mike explained.
“Yeah, but how much more can you fit in here?” Bev had a point, the place was crowded with familiar faces who kept trying to stick around their little hangout, but not tonight. Tonight, they had a silent agreement on staying close, for comfort and support.
To say that Eddie felt clingy as soon as the three of them excused themselves to go get ready (more like mentally prepared), was an understatement. The passionate kiss shared between Ben and Bev had him turn his face around, always felling wrongly intrusive when it came to public romantic gestures.
As the time passed, he found himself lower and lower on the couch, until most of him was hidden by the back part of it. Somewhere to their left, he could hear the far, yet familiars, ‘chug! chug! chug!’s over whatever crap was currently playing. A faint scent of what could be recognized as weed mixed with puke painted the air. It’s only been what? Three hours? I mean sure, they never arrive on time to these things, having come probably a little over an hour ago, but people lose their shit too easily.
Ever since he came back inside, his curiosity was stolen by Bill, drinking. Probably for the first time in his life, not probably, for sure, Eddie had finished a full cup of alcohol. He feels slightly looser, but he wasn’t sure it was due to that. Maybe, maybe not. He wouldn’t be caught accepting to be, what his friends called, a lightweight. Back to the main point, he wanted more. Might as well get it over it, get drunk once, regret it, never repeating it again for the rest of his life. But, unfortunately, he wasn’t really able to go get it himself, just because.
Because, well, he’s just Eddie. That’s a valuable reason. And like the coward he is, as soon as Bill gets up with an empty cup in hand, Eddie grabs him by the arm. Bill jumps and curses as if he was being attacked. Drama queen.
Trying to act nonchalantly, Eddie asks him if he could possibly bring something for him, too. He has never felt as thankful before as when Bill simply nodded and asked if he could bring the same stuff he was having. As expected, though, once the drink was in his hand and Bill by his side, there was no courage to actually drink it. Paranoid that everyone else was watching, he just twirled the liquid around for a while.
That’s when the music stops abruptly, a chorus of complaints emerging quickly. Eddie’s heart skipped a bit, looking around for a moment until the lights go off and suddenly, his pupils grow significantly, for the place is nearly pitch black. The grunts of disapproval were replaced by gasps, then an eager silence.
If he could see, Eddie would bet that Stan was probably rolling his eyes from the extravagant and unnecessary suspense that they wanted to cause over something like this. But on the other hand, Eddie was finally excited, even giddy with anticipation. His worries about Richie’s voice failing or any other components were tossed to the side momentarily, and he took this chance to gulp down half of what Bill brought him, which Eddie recognized as the same thing he had outside. Its taste was okay, besides the burn. However, he choked up when, out of nowhere, these beautiful lamps over the stage glowed an orange tinted light over the space.
It was still a dark environment, but warmer and cosier. That turned out to won’t be the big surprise as Mike, Beverly and Richie were already on their spots, having come up while it was room was dark, mysteriously not tripping over the dozens of electric cables crossing the surface. Eddie wanted to melt through the floor.
A round of cheering came and Bill placed two fingers between his lips to give a high pitch whistle that Eddie envied so much. Once the shouting, whistles and clapping began to fade, Richie’s impertinent voice was amplified through the one microphone standing in front of him.
“Fuck yes! What an entrance.” Even Eddie laughed along with all the others. “So, I’m not gonna make a pretty speech about how thankful we are. You’re all drunk by now, just enjoy the shitty entertainment.”
More cheers. Why is Eddie surprised. He should have guessed this, but now it’s too late to take back that mild insult to Richie’s voice and hope for the best.
He took his time to watch them in this specific setting that he never would have guessed to see them. Beverly was all smiles, torn between looking at Ben and scanning her eyes through the room. Ben, on the other hand, was at the edge of his seat, right by Eddie’s side, giving her a silent pep talk every time they locked eyes.
Mike, his cheeks were glowing. Oh. Now he sees, all of them have glitter on, which he failed to notice and feeds into his guilty state. Mike’s cheeks are the most noticeable due to the contrast between colours. He looks amazing, no doubt, sending goofy, genuine smiles at the back of Richie’s head while he talks nonsense into the mic. His hands are skilfully turning the drumsticks as if they were bendable and the tank-top he chose to wear does him justice on showing off the strong arms he built over the years of hard farm work.
“I’m making the fine assumption that we’re all broke here.”
Right, Richie’s speaking. What’s all of that about? Eddie finishes the second alcoholic drink of his life, distracted by the happy sight in front of him. Richie’s still the same, dishevelled person. Nonmatching clothes and big teeth for a big mouth for a regular-sized face. Uncombed hair, which is the best way to go around it, and a non-filtered brain-to-mouth way.
Yeah, Richie’s still the one Eddie fell for two years ago and hasn’t been able to let go yet. Nor is he trying to. And, holy, if that’s not a hard thing to admit to himself after so much time of dancing around his feelings. So, maybe it’s the vodka-ish drink. Or maybe it’s his screwed-up appearance. Or the lightness that settled upon Eddie’s stomach moments ago.
Right now, in this room, if someone asked him who’s the most attractive person present, Eddie wouldn’t have thought twice before flinging himself at the mess that Richie Tozier is.
“Dear poor, empty-walleted high schoolers, this one was meant for us.” Richie started by running his fingers over the frets in such a rapid motion that Eddie gave up following it with his eyes. The tempo of the song was quick, his ring finger held a golden slide, and the sounds produced by it were actually good. It was really, really good. If there’s one thing that he’s actually committed to, is self-learning guitar. He had begged for one a few years back, and his parents gave in to his request after making him do all types of chores to prove how far he would actually work for it.
Eddie watches, with big shinny eyes, skilful hands and a concentrated face. A bitten tongue as he focused on the repetitive pattern and tried not to mess it up. The rings are missing from his fingers, tonight.
When the first hints of Mike’s drumming skills started to show, Richie began to sing, if you could call it that, and Beverly busied herself with the sound effects produced by the keyboard Eddie’s seen so many times before in her house.
It wasn’t really singing, it seemed to him that Richie was speaking at a fast speed with a certain rhythm, which made perfect sense. They had certainly picked songs that go along with his voice, what a relief.
Eddie paid attention to the words, and an inevitable groan made its way under the music and all types of encouragement everyone was giving as feedback. He was fucking singing about a prostitute, and using his famous voices to impersonate her within the song. He chose what seemed to be British hooker.
‘If you can pay the right price, your evening will be nice But you can go and send me on my way.’ I said, "You're such a sweet young thing, why you do this to yourself?”
And the rest of it went subtly ignored once Eddie turned to stare at Bill who looked like he was having the time of his life. To his right, Ben was laughing, reasons unknown. Stan was hiding his amusement behind a hand. After the prostitute, came a robbery. What the fuck’s this song about? Yeah, got it. Being broke. Unbelievably, Richie was putting another voice into action every time a new character made an appearance.
The robber sounded from the south. But maybe it was a failed attempt at any other accent really.
‘Give me all you've got, I want your money not your life But if you try to make a move I won't think twice I told him, "You can have my cash, but first you know I gotta ask What made you want to live this kind of life?”
Was it bad that Eddie was enjoying it? Richie either had his eyes closed or stuck on his guitar, and if he knew him well enough, it was from being nervous or afraid to face an audience. But if Richie did dare to look, he’d see so many faces of contentment. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their selves once Eddie turned to steal a glance. Mike was killing it, too, lost in his own world and feeling things to their maximum extent. There were other faint background sounds that made everything better, those were Beverly’s contributions. Eddie could hear bass, xylophone, too, played by her skilled moving hands over the keys.
Sure, the song’s also about a priest stealing money from the church.
By the end of it there were so many whistles and cheering that Eddie saw the exact moment of realisation hitting Richie in the face. Take that, he thought. The idiot should think better of himself, and Eddie can be a real horrible being sometimes. To prove his point, he got up from the couch to applaud them that way, a genuine smile to go with it.
Richie seemed surprise, eager to get some kind of support. Eddie shot him a wink and didn’t think twice before puckering up his lips in a quick air kiss.
So, I’m drunk. Okay.
With eyebrows suddenly flying off his face and a stupid grin, Richie didn’t look away from him as he tried to switch guitars, blindly feeling for the stand. When things got messy and he lost his balance for a second, he had to actually look away and do the task properly. Once the electric was hanging around his shoulder and properly connected to the speakers, Richie started a new combination of chords without a word. Eddie let his body hit the couch again, face red and suddenly overly shy. He placed both hands on his cheeks to check the temperature rising on his skin. What’s gotten into me?
It took him exactly 3 seconds to realise what song they were playing. It wasn’t shocking, either, to anyone, that tonight they’d be hearing Teenage Dirtbag. What a classic. Richie sings it all the time at Losers’ hangouts. Once again, it’s obvious that the voices will come into play, for every time he sings or performs, hat song he always sounds like a clogged-up chicken in a puberty-hit preteen boy.
“That’s my Noel impersonation!” It’s what Richie claims once the ‘I’ve got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby’ part comes along and someone mocks him for how bad it sounds.
Truth is, Eddie doesn’t think it sounds so bad this time. Maybe Richie does it on purpose when they’re all together, but tonight he sounds different, there’s effort, there’s rehearsing. There’s an expectation he put on himself and that he won’t fail to achieve. Eddie is in love. Tipsy, likely, but in love.
It's a great surprise when Beverly’s voice joins Richie’s in some harmonies. Their voices crash, not at all alike. Bev’s serious, Richie’s playing around. When people hear the first words out of her mouth, most of them wowed, stunned, which made her giggle in between words and her chest faulter with quick breaths, probably nerves, after returning her full attention to the keyboard. Ben was ecstatic.
By now, a lot of people are dancing around the weird lyrics, singing along too. This song makes better justice to Beverly’s capacities, along with Mike’s. The electric guitar is louder and different to Eddie’s ears, it does sound amazing, and Richie’s eyes are open for a change. Something quite great strikes his chest when that famous girly voice comes out of his lips. Eddie laughs because it sounds girlier and perkier than ever before, improved. And what were the chances of Richie singing those exact words without breaking the eye contact with him.
‘I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby Come with me Friday, don't say maybe I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you.’
Instinctively, Eddie bites his lip, and it stays between his teeth right until the very end of the song. The only thing that pulls him out of it is the intervention that follows.
“Alright, alright, chaps! There’s one last song we’re gonna play, and if you wanna get yourself laid tonight, you should take care of the arrangements in the next three minutes.” Richie took a small step back to laugh at his own joke and catch his tired breath. “I’d like to dedicate it, personally, to a lovely human being tonight.”
That’s when Richie winked in his direction.
That’s when his heart stopped.
“Eds, this one goes to your mom and all the amazing nights we spend together.” If he hadn’t looked away right in that moment, Richie would have seen the disappointment painting Eddie’s face. A hand made contact with his elbow, Bill was babbling on while the beginnings of a new song were born.
“A duh-douchebag once, a douchebag f-for life.” He’s high, Eddie thinks. He doesn’t bother with a reply, instead sinking down on the couch seat and trying to pay attention on this lovely tribute aimed for his overbearing mother. He begun to lose hope after some horrid words like:
‘I hope it's not a one-night stand
It's just you're so cool, and I wanna steal this moment with you.’
The images in his mind were worse than ever. But some made him laugh.
‘I miss your pain, I miss your brain, I miss your kiss, already’
And Richie was using this as a way to mock her, so Eddie felt thankful for the obvious hatred behind the words he was singing. Things only started turning the wrong way, a better one, when something changed in his voice. Eddie just knew, right when their eyes met without further interruption. Eddie was sure, when hating sentences softened and eased the lines on the skin of their foreheads. It was clear that, unlike before, Richie had a new subject of dedication. It was Eddie.
‘I'll hold you dear I hope that you don't think I'm weird’ I don’t.
‘Pretend it never happened’ That’s not what I want. That’s not what I want, Richie.
‘Cause we made a pact And I'll try my best not to get attached …I'm such a fool for you’
And like all good moments, there’s only one person to ruin them.
‘Well, I miss your sex, I miss your lips, I miss your tits I miss your kiss, already’ Richie smiles playfully, still a hint of seriousness hiding underneath. This time, Eddie blushes and mouths at the edge of his cheap party cup with a fire growing inside his chest.
Maybe parties aren’t so bad after all.
-
Eddie didn’t have any sense of what time it was. Late, probably.
“Why’s everyone leaving?” He pouted and turned to look at his friends, who were entertained by the sight of Eddie and Bill dancing comically in front of them. They had their arms linked, facing different directions and spinning around in circles. “Woah, the room’s spinning.”
Beverly lowered the cigarette from her mouth, Mike allowed her to smoke inside now that the space was clearing up. “That’s because we shut the power down half an hour ago so they’d get bored and leave.” Tightening the grip he had on Bev’s mid-section, Ben chuckled.
“You’ve been dancing without any music.” Bill started to sing some tune they all remembered from childhood, tugging on Eddie’s arm to keep spinning. He wasn’t prepared for such movement so he fell on his butt and dragged Bill along by the arm, who started laughing as soon as he hit the floor, and Eddie.
Their little show had ended some hours ago, with a lot of success, anyone would say. A group hug was shared, along with some drunken apologies from the ones that hadn’t shown support previously. Needless to say, everyone was forgiven without resentments.
Eddie let his head hit the floor, laying there with Bill half on top of him. It was very warm inside.
“So, what now?” Stan asked, although he would regret this as soon as Richie dizzily got up without a word. “Oh, no.”
“Shhhh.” Richie said while rounding the couch to stand behind it. He placed both hands on the cushioned back and pulled so hard his knuckles turned white. At last, he gave up and huffed out an exhausted breath.
“What, exactly, are you trying to accomplish?”
“Stanley, I’m starting to believe you have a fixation on me. I’m flattered.” He ducked his head to lick a long stripe on the side of Stan’s face. He jolted with disgust and desperately rubbed the spot with the back of Mike’s hand.
‘Such weirdos.’ Eddie thought. But he was still on the floor, maybe Bill was snoring by now. Who’s the weirdo, in the end?
“Miikeeeey.” Richie keened. “Come save me with your guns.”
The said boy turned his head around in his seat. “My what, now?” But he got up anyway at the sight of Richie’s baby pout. They both stood behind the sofa and started pulling again, moving the piece of furniture along, gaining speed at each step.
“What the fuck?!” Stan jolted in his seat while being moved backwards.
“We wheeled the couch, babes!”
“Why would you do that?!” But Stanley didn’t get an answer, watching Ben and Beverly have fun. The room was moving in the background. Soon, Mike and Richie were giving one final tug and running out of the way, the couch rolled around at a fast speed until it stopped right before hitting a wall. Richie mocked Stan for the high-pitch scream he let out.
Eddie sat up, shaking Bill out of his sleepy state, to stare with amusement at the little wheels he failed to notice drilled on the couch feet. When Richie and Mike resumed their previous place ready to push their friends to the opposite wall of the barn, Eddie got up and tried to run without falling. He messily threw himself on top of the legs of those who were sitting, earning a groan in response. No one tried to move him away.
“I don’t think we can move the four of you as easily.” Mike stated.
“Cowards, do it.” Eddie retorted back, and everyone laughed at him. What’s so funny?
“Hop off, Eddie. I’ll help.” Beverly pushed Eddie off of the couch. He ended up on the floor for the second time that night before sitting on Bev’s previous spot and bending his legs underneath his weight.
Bill stumbled to his feet and tried to look for the main power switch to turn on the stage lights again while Bev, Mike and Richie finally started their little race. A collective scream came from the group at the speed they were gaining. The barn was wide, sure, but they were close to hit the wall if it wasn’t for the sudden turn the ‘drivers’ managed to do. The sofa started to spin at a slower speed until they decided to keep doing that instead of running around. The three of them pushed the right places to keep the couch rotating until Ben begged them, with tears streaming down his face from laughing, to “Please, stop, I’m going to pass out.”
It was the most stupid thing they could have done, but it was also the most fun.
That fun was instantly killed when Eddie threw up outside after getting up. He had ended up crying, too, maybe because he was pissed, or maybe because his feelings were all over the place.
It was probably around 4 a.m. that Mike announced he would get everyone some blankets and throw pillows from his house. He was gone, approximately, 15 minutes. That time was enough for Bill to park his car inside the barn and scrape his right rear-view mirror even though the barn entrance could fit a bus.
By the time Mike came back, the lights were already off and he was greeted with the sight of Bill’s car inside, every door opened and the couch placed directly underneath the trunk. Both Beverly and Ben were already squeezed on the red sofa.
Bill was awkwardly trying to curl himself inside the trunk without stepping on the couple sleeping. Mike suppressed the urge to laugh and helped his drunk friend inside while giving him one of the many blankets he brought, along with a pillow.
Another one was draped over Ben and Bev, but no pillows for those two, lucky ones. When Mike peered inside the car, he saw, fondly, that the backseat was slightly tilted back, minimizing even more Bill’s space. Richie and Eddie looked very uncomfortable in there, bigger legs hanging outside. He threw them a blanket aggressively, startling both of them up. He was flipped off, worth it.
Lastly, both front seats had also been tilted back as much as they could go. Stan stood on the driver seat, laying sideways and looking at Mike with interest. He was minorly tipsy, but his cheeks were the most flushed. No words were spoken as he climbed on the passenger seat and gave Stan the last pillow. His arms curled around it. The remaining two blankets were sorted between them, deep breaths already being heard by some of their sleeping friends.
That night, the only reason Eddie woke up was to curl around Richie’s body and being held tighter right back.
Happiness was truly intoxicating.
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