#just fluff bc I’m tied lf horror and angst ugh

[clean-bands-dirty-stories]

Wait... WHAT? (Richie) (Part 7)

A/n: Second to last part- we’re almost there.

Word Count: 1527

Anon: Pidge

On our way to see meet the Losers per request of Bill for an emergency meeting, Bev leaned forward. “So you love Bill?”

I smiled. She was on the back of my bike as usual and we hadn’t talked about Bill or me since the day we’d broken into a fight after Eddie had been carted away by his psychotic mother. There were problems so much bigger than our love lives going on. Beverly leaving. I was still living under a bridge. We didn’t know if It was really gone. ur families were fucked up beyond healthy and we were all traumatized and deranged because of it...

“No,” I called over my shoulder. “I don’t love him. I don’t think I ever did. I loved the ice of him, you know?” I shrugged. “I didn’t know him. Now he’s like basically my older brother... even though we’re the same age.” I laughed. “He’s all yours.”

I knew she was blushing without looking, and when we stopped and Mae our way through the grass to the other Losers, I grinned at her when the sight fo the fading red confirmed it. She glared at me playfully.

The mood shifted when Bill asked us all to recount everything we could remember. Bev had the most to say, talking about the future and things that she thought were going to happen. “I don’t remember a lot but... I saw us, here. But older. And we were terrified.”

Well that didn’t bode well.

Bill stood, grabbing a piece of glass from the ground. “Promise me,” he urged, looking each and every Loser straight in the eyes. “Promise me, if It comes back, we will too.” Each of the Losers stood - Bev first, urging the rest of us to follow. As per usual. Bill cut himself first, drawing the glass across the palm of his hand. Then Richie, onto Eddie, then Ben, Mike, and Stan. He paused at me, meeting my eyes and offering a smile, nodding. I smiled back, giving my palm in response. He cut it and I hissed, wincing hard. When Bev’s turn came, he didn’t hesitate but I could tell he was different with her than with the rest of us. The way his hand held hers, readying it. She graced herself, making no noice or even blinking- only giving the slightest of winces. Her strength was ever present and annoying. She was so good for him I couldn’t imagine I had ever had a chance if they didn’t fall for each other. I could never be her, and she was what he needed.

Once he was done, Bill took his place back in the circle and we all held hands, sealing our blood vow. After a while, we dropped hands.

Stan was the firs to leave. “I hate you guys,” he told us before going, without much hate in his voice and a smile on his face. And then he left. Eddie was next, and then Ben and then Mike.

I made eye contact with Beverly and then smiled, turning and leaving. I snagged Richie, dragging him with me. He didn’t complain out loud, despite a small huff. As we walked though, he lengthened his strides so he was pulling me, shifting the hold so that we were holding hands, fingers interlaced. I watched our hands until we reached our bikes. We both paused, our eyes meeting.

“Richie?”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me something. No blood oath, just a regular old promise.”

He chuckled, but nodded. “Whatever you need I will give to you.” He winked and I didn’t even rolled my eyes because I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t pretend not to enjoy it.

After a second’s pause, I took a deep breath. “I’m not... good. At communicating. Especially when it comes to feelings.” I rubbed the back of my neck with my free hand. “Just... look, don’t forget me okay Trashmouth? We have to stay together forever.”

I winced at how it sounded but Richie grinned. “I’m okay with that,” he mused. “I got plans, though.”

My grin shown brightly. “I’m willing to be apart of those plans, if they’re open.

“For you?” He winked. “They’re 24/7 for you, babe.” I did blush at that, but I didn’t mind. I liked his jokes and his nicknames and his stupid habits and his voice. I liked his presence and how he never failed to make me laugh. I liked his outrageous style of shorts and Hawaiian shirts and how it matched his personality. I liked how his hand felt in mine and the way the idea of kissing him felt so perfectly right in every way. I liked how he was so easy to follow, jumping around as much as I did, just at my speed. I liked how he always made time for food and how he put on this grand show, but in the little moments, he could be gentle, caring, observant, and supportive. I liked his loyalty and braver that wasn’t loud or dramatic like Bill’s but was wrong and selective and forever. I liked his curly, dark hair that made me want to run my hands through it and the way he laughed too loud and thought he was funny even in the moments she he really wasn’t. I liked how he didn’t stop talking and being himself even when everyone else was annoyed because they had no tolerance at the ripe age of thirteen.

Overall, I... I liked Richie Tozier. I had a crush on the Trashmouth, A big one. A real one. One that put my little idealistic nothings towards Bill to absolute shame.

We got on our bikes, racing to the arcade, my laughter and his innuendos echoing through the town- both of us were being too loud this time...

His hair was pulled by the breeze and his grin was so wide it hurt and his eyes sparkled in the most adorable, gorgeous way. And I watched him. I watched him ride and then I watched him play games at the arcade afterwards because I was too bad at gaming to waste my money trying. And I watched him from the corner we parted ways, when I headed towards the woods and he headed to his house. I watched the sun disappear in the sky from my little place under the Kissing Bridge and I thought about bringing Richie here. Kissing him.

I realized I would watch him to just about anything, as long as I could do it by his side.

- Time skip-

“That sounds amazing Bev,” I mused, grinning from ear to ear. It was her last day in Derry, only a few days before school started again and the Losers were chucked into high school. “I’m glad you got that kiss with him.”

She giggled, singing and running a hand through her hair. She was blushing and flustered and seeing her so happy was bittersweet because I knew that the people who made her that happy were in Derry and she was leaving. Her eyes met mine and she seemed to read my mind. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered. The tone grew sad and I pulled her close, the both of us hugging as tightly as possible. “I love you,” he whispered. “You’re my sister, not just my best friend.”

I smiled. “I love you too, Bev. If I have to have a sister, I’m glad it’s you.” We parted, both smiling with tears eyes. “Oh don’t cry you’ll make me cry.” We both laughed and she leaned close, kissing me gently on the forehead.

“Call me once a week MINIMUM,” she reminded.

“I know,” I sighed.

Her frown came back. “Your grandma reason won’t let you get a house phone?”

Internally I winced but on the outside I just shrugged. “She’s REALLY old school, prefers pen and paper. The ringing gives her anxiety anyway.” She nodded. “But we’ll write letters and I’ll call you from payphones once a week like we planned.”

We were quiet for a long time. It was only but by someone yelling her name. She was leaving and this was our goodbye moment. Oh no... The other boys had already said their goodbyes leaving the two of us alone- just as we began. She placed a hand on my shoulder. “Good,” he sighed. “I’ll want an update on how you and that boy of yours are doing.” She stood, moving towards the car that would take her to the plane that would take her far, far away.

I stood as well, calling, “What? I don’t have a boy!”

She laughed, walking backwards to say the last thing she would say to me for the next 27 years. “Say hi to Richie for me!”

As she got in the car and it pulled way, I blushed. Was I that obvious? Geez if Beverly could see it in the short time she’d seen me and Richie together since we’d made the oath and I’d realized I liked him, then there couldn’t be much longer before everyone else knew too.

Man, I really had my work cut out for me.