#wereallinthistogether.mp3

[katecarteir]

BLOOD IN THE WATER

summary: “I think we’re all going to have do some pretty terrible things,” Eddie said quietly. His hand came to wrap in Richie’s shirt, trying to burn out the violent grip of his father’s from earlier. “None of us have a choice in anything anymore. Whatever happened at Greta’s tonight-“ Eddie’s voice broke and he felt Richie press a kiss into his hair. “There isn’t a good and a bad anymore. There’s just die or don’t.”

[or: after the gruesome murder of his younger brother, Bill Denbrough is determined to bring about the end of the string of crimes in Derry no matter the cost. As stories unwind and fall apart, there’s only more questions as everybody’s lives hang in the balance.]

chapter count: 16/21

Taglist: @honkhonkrichard @hufflepuffkaspbrak @emmieliabedelia @reddie-for-anything @reddiesetrichie @beepbeepbitchard @lemonadeandrice @mirandosky @vanilluna @fivxharmony

[Prologue] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [Read Full Story on AO3] [Playlist]

Eddie fiddled with the collar of his white dress shirt, feeling as though the high rised fabric may grow a mind of its own and suffocate him. Or maybe it was the acknowledge that before this night was over, something else may very well try to. Something all the more human than his dress shirt, but endlessly more evil.  His mother had begged him- screaming, crying, pleading- not to go out the prom that night. Screams and beggings of how Richie was an evil boy, with darkness in his blood, and that going to the prom was sure to get Eddie hurt. That he would safe at home, with her, where nobody could hurt him. It burned at Eddie that- perhaps for the first time in his life- his mother’s frantic pleading was the actual truth and he was ignoring it anyway. This was simply what Eddie’s life was now, and he knew if he was meant to die this night- it was going to happen whether he attended the prom or not.

The door to Eddie and Richie’s bedroom at Frank’s apartment creaked open and his boyfriend came in to lean against the door frame. Eddie’s heart thrummed in his chest as he took Richie in, from the ratty combat boots on his feet, the ripped black skinny jeans and that Devils Jacket hugging at his shoulders like it once again belonged there. It reminded Eddie suddenly of the day in Richie and Bill had confronted one another in the quad, something that had truthfully only been two months earlier but might as well have been a completely different life. Eddie hadn’t seen his best friend since the night of Greta’s party, and it still left a hard, disgusting feeling of guilt in his gut. Eddie had turned his back on Bill at that party, and had been so caught up in everything with Richie and his father that by the time Eddie had the knowledge that he should go visit Bill he was sure the boy wouldn’t want to see him.

Richie tilted his head and smiled softly at Eddie. “We really don’t have to go,” he repeated for what must have been the seven millionth time in the past two days. “I am 100% fine with not going, I didn’t go to junior prom, it’s not going to kill me to stay home from the senior one… but it might kill me to go to it.”

Eddie let out a small laugh, letting himself fall forward into Richie’s waiting arms. The warmth surrounded him as he remembered his own junior prom. Eddie had come out as gay only a few weeks before- though he suspected that everybody had already known long, long before that- and Audra had insisted that they get together before the dance. He remembered the look in Bill’s eyes when Audra had come down the stairs, that look of absolute utter love, and Eddie had thought for the first time in his life that maybe a high school relationship really could last forever. Closing his eyes tightly, he squeezed Richie tighter. “Audra would’ve wanted me to go,” he said quietly against Richie’s chest. “Last year it was all she could talk about. How for senior prom she was going to make sure I had some hot date and that we’d double with Bill and her and how amazing it would be… Obviously, that’s not what..” Eddie cleared his throat, shivering slightly as he felt Richie’s nails scrape against his scalp. “I’m going to the prom for her, because she fucking deserved her senior prom with Bill, and there’s no way I’m wasting my chance to go to the dance with hot boyfriend even if somebody is going to try to kill us a little bit.”

Eddie pulled up, looking up at Richie with wet lashes. Richie pressed a kiss to Eddie’s forehead then grinned down at him, waggling his eyebrows. “You think I’m hot.”

“Oh my God,” Eddie let out a wet laugh. “Shut the fuck up, I hate you.” Richie wrapped his arms tighter around Eddie’s shoulders, and hid his laughter into Eddie’s hair.

xxx

Stanley Uris stepped out of his father’s car, fiddling with the cuffs on his dress shirt, Patty coming out the passenger seat and Beverly out of the back. Beverly’s satin red dress came down to the ground, with a spilt up the leg and her red hair was done up perfectly on the top of her head. Patty’s dress was the matching shade of red, cropped short and frilly, with her hair falling down her back in flawless curls. Both girls had donned their Devil Jackets over top the dresses. School dance or not, the both felt in their guts where this night was going to lead them and those Jackets kept the same mark of loyalty they always had even in times of peace.

Stan adjusted his matching red tie as he turned to the girls. He held out both arms, Patty linking into one and Beverly linking into the other. Lithium by Nirvana was playing as they walked into the building, Aurora Morgans turning and smiling pleasantly at them. She moved forward, accepting the tickets that Stan handed to her.

“Two dates, Uris?” Mike Hanlon called from where he was standing near by. He moved over, grinning. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

Stan grinned back. “Richie was too busy to take all the Devil girls this year, I’m just doing my civil duty.”

Mike laughed, holding his hand out for Stanley to slap and shake. Aurora looked between them, eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion but still holding a genuine smile. Beverly slapped at Stanley’s shoulder. “Richie basically my brother, Uris. That’s disgusting.”

“Hence why you’ve been my date for every dance of since we were old enough to have dates,” Stan shot back in reply, drawing a laugh even from Aurora.

Beverly pulled away from Stan, pressing her hands to her chest in mock horror. “And here I thought it was because you were secretly in love with me. There goes all my plans for the future!”

A small, dark look crossed Stanley’s face at that, the boy turned away with pursed lips. Beverly’s face fell and she bit at her bottom lip as Patty rubbed her hands together. Lithium turned to Black Widow by Iggy Azaela from the gym.

“Bev!” Richie Tozier’s voice called from the front door where he waltzed in with Eddie’s hand tangled with his own. “They’re playing your song!”

Beverly shot her god-brother a dirty look but Aurora had to slap a hand over her mouth after a single bark of laughter escaped her. Richie’s eye line jerked over to her, eyes hard for a moment before a small, genuine smile tugged at his lips and he winked at her. Aurora’s expressions to seem to stall for a moment, before she smiled back just as gently.

“Where’s your little boytoy?” Richie asked as he approached with Eddie in tow. Eddie was looking around the group of people with a confused look on his face. His eye line bounced from one person to the next, seemingly only growing more confused with each person standing there. “Ben? Benny Boy? Hay-“

Aurora reached out and clasped a hand over Richie’s mouth. A moment of surprise travelled through the group before Aurora let out a loud shriek, reaching out to rub her own wet palm on Stan’s suit jacket. Stan let out a horrified gasp and jumped away from her, knocking into Patty and sending the girl tumbling to the ground. Richie clung onto Eddie’s shoulders to keep himself standing straight up while he laughed.

“Do you see the chaos you cause?” Mike asked him, but his twitching cheeks made it obvious that he was fighting back his own laughter. Eddie smiled softly, wrapping down arms around Richie’s head and pressed his cheek to his boyfriend’s hair.

“Tozier! Marsh!” The voice carried over to them as their school principal came walking over towards them. “I need you to go the supply closet by the Student Council office to get streamers for the gym.”

“You haven’t finished decorating?” Richie asked incredously, brows shooting up to disappear under his hairline. “Who fucking organized this shit?”

A small, disapproving look crossed the principals’ face. “Betty Ripsom and Greta Bowie were in charge of the prom committee. Some things were unable to be completed in time, understandably. Please get the streamers.”

Richie nodded slowly, giving Eddie a quick kiss to the cheek before making a sweeping moment. “I will see all you lovelies in the gym! Bev, let us get streamers for the kind lady!”

Beverly rolled her eyes but she was smiling as she followed after Richie. Eddie watched him go, trying to ignore the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Beverly kept her eyes on Richie as they walked down the hallways in silence, Beverly playing awkwardly with the zipper on her undone jacket. Richie would occasionally glance towards her, but every time he noticed she was still looking at him, his gaze would jerk away and he would frown. “Rich…” She finally brought up the courage to say, taking hold of Richie’s arm lightly and pulling them to a stop. “I… Richie, I’m sorry.”

Richie let out a rough breath. “It’s funny you apologize, considering I don’t know what it is you did.”

“I…” Beverly choked on her own guilt for a moment, feeling her cheeks start to burn to the colour of her dress. “I needed the money, Rich. I can’t live off your parents forever, and they offered a lot. Too much to turn down, and they… they told me they wouldn’t hurt her. They promised!”

Richie’s face turned sheet white, body swaying for a moment like he was about to pass out. “Oh my God, holy fuck Beverly,” he clenched his jaw as though holding back to need to vomit. “I.. I vouched for you! And you… you’re fucking guilty and you let me… Fuck you, Beverly.”

“Richie!” Beverly cried in a small sob as Richie turned and began stomping towards the student council supply closet. “Richie, please, please. They would’ve have killed me if you hadn’t vouched for me, what I did-“

“You would’ve deserved it for what you did!” Richie practically spat at her, body trembling. “Jesus fucking Christ, Bev. She was fucking thirteen years old! And Bill’s brother… all those other kids…”

“I didn’t have anything to do with any of that!” Beverly pleaded. “I swear I didn’t! They just… they needed Neibolt, and the house is technically… I mean, it’s mine. And they promised they wouldn’t hurt her, but Janie, she-“

“Why the fuck would you believe them?” Richie asked, eyes wide and burning with something that even Beverly had never seen in them. “What the actual fuck could they have done to make you think that were trustworthy?”

Beverly let out a shaky breath. “Richie, you… you can’t trust Eddie, okay? You can’t-“

“Are you fucking kidding me, Beverly?” Richie shouted, tugging at the strands of his hair. “You’re literally standing here and telling me about the hand you had in my sister’s murder and then you’re telling me I can’t trust my boyfriend? Who the actual fuck do you think you are?”

Richie’s hand dropped onto the knob of the supply closet but Beverly grabbed at his wrist. “Please, Richie. I know I’ve given you absolutely no reason to trust me, like, at all but… Eddie isn’t who he says he is, there’s no way he doesn’t know something… Just trust me.”

Richie let out a shaky breath. “No fucking offense, Beverly. But you’re going to have to do a lot fucking better than that.”

Richie yanked the door open, something falling immediately from behind it. It crashed into Richie’s chest and letting out a sharp shout, Richie shoved at it and it fell to the ground.

Beverly screamed, clapping her hands over her mouth as the lifeless face of Henry Bowers stared up  at her from the floor. The smell hit her, a smell that brought her to cleaning out her childhood house with Stanley, and she had to swallow back the bile that filled her mouth. Eyes tearing up from the stench, Beverly looked up at Richie. Richie was staring down at the body in still horror, and Beverly let out a scream of his name when she noticed the movement over his shoulder.

Before Richie could react beside jerking to looking at her, a hand holding a white cloth wrapped around his mouth and nose and tugged him down.

xxx

Funhouse by P!nk blared throughout the gym as Ben Hanscom milked that same cup of punch he’d gotten an hour earlier. He’d spotted nearly everybody he’d knew through the crowds of people in the gym. It seemed the threat of impending attack hadn’t stopped any of the surviving members of his graduating class from showing up.

“I didn’t think you’d be here,” Aurora Morgans appeared by Ben’s side with Mike Hanlon following not too far behind. Ben fought off the impulse to roll his eyes. He’d realized, of course, that none of what was happening was Aurora or Mike’s faults. It had been happening before the three of them starting investigating the case, and would have happened if they never had. It was still a little difficult to turn off his hard feelings completely, but he was trying.

“I wasn’t going to,” Ben admitted with a sigh, sipping the drink again for something to do. “But I figured, we’ve all come this far, you know? Might as well let it all play it out the way it was meant to.”

“Even if it means people die?” Mike asked, helping himself to a cup of punch himself.

Ben smiled sadly. “People are going to die anyway. We know that.”  

Mike smiled sadly, swirling the liquid around in his cup, while Aurora moved closer to Ben and took his hand in hers. He looked to her, heart smashing against his chest and opened his mouth to speak. He never got the chance. Eddie Kaspbrak came running full tilt and smashed directly into Mike’s chest. Mike startled but managing to grab Eddie before they both went tumbling to the ground. “Whoa, little dude! What’s happening?”

Eddie pressed his hands to his knees and let out a wheeze. “Have you… seen Richie?”

Aurora raised her brow. “Not since he and Bev went to get the streamers?”

Eddie shook his head, tears filling up his eyes rapidly. “I haven’t seen him since then, either.”

Mike and Aurora jerked to look at each other, matching one another’s looks of panic, while Ben looked at his classmates in confusion. “Have you tried calling him, or texting him?”

“Have I…” Eddie blinked and gave Mike an incredulously. “Noooo, I haven’t tried texting him because I’m a fucking idiot!!! OF COURSE I’VE CALLED AND TEXT HIM!”

Mike held his hands out in front of him while Aurora reached out and started rubbing at Eddie’s back when his breathing started to heighten. “Something is really fucking wrong you guys… I know it.”

“I believe you,” Aurora said firmly, looking Eddie right in the eyes. She had a similar feeling of fear and dread in her gut from the second Eddie had asked if they’d seen Richie. “But we’ll find him, Eddie. I promise.”

Eddie looked up at with such hopeful, yet scared eyes, that Aurora felt her heart stall in her chest for a moment. Aurora opened her mouth but was cut off by the music skidding to a sudden stop. Every eye in the gym turned to look as their principal took hold of a microphone and looked out around the crowd of her students. She cleared his throat and Eddie was ready to throw up right there. “We are putting the school under a lock down situation,” she said. “Nobody is to the leave this gym under any circumstances until it is lifted.”

Eddie and Aurora looked at each other with panic, before both moving immediately to run towards the exit. Mike and Ben both gaped after them for a moment before running themselves. Ducking quickly through the crowds of people, there were enough students milling around with the surprising change of events, that they were as disguised as easily as they possibly could be.  

Stan and Patty seemed to appear out of thin air at the side door of the gym, the only exit that didn’t seem to be guarded by two or more teachers- the only exit from the gym that lead right outside. “Wait, wait,.” Ben said suddenly. “We’re under a lock down, maybe we… maybe we should stay. If they’re keeping us here then that’s because this is where we’re safest.”

Eddie turned to him, face pale and cheeks wet. “You can stay. You can all stay. But Richie… Richie is in trouble, and Beverly. I’m not going to sit here on my hands under some fucking lock-down while Richie could be dying. I’m not asking you to come with me, but I’m telling you… I’m going.”

“I’m going too,” Patty said with a firm nod. Stan reached out and took Patty’s hand in his own, nodding along.

Aurora stiffened her figure. “I’m going to,” she said. “I’m sick of this shit. It ends tonight.”

Mike smiled. “I’m with you guys, I have just about enough of this, too. Let’s get Richie back and kick some murder ass.”

Eddie beamed and every eye fell to look at Ben. Ben let out a shaky breath. “Where are we going to go? We don’t know anything. There’s no where that’s safe to talk, let alone plan out some super hero mission.”

Stan looked at Eddie, who met his look and smiled. “I know somewhere.”

[minhyukie]

Where do I stand in Minhyuk's hate books?! I love cucumber and I love pineapple on pizza. The duality..

he respects ur love for all pizza but if u love cucumber then he hates you :/ it’s okay he hates me too 😔✊

[dokkaebies]

i love it when you’re fighting a boss and you can see the white ghosts of other people fighting that boss at the same time

[merricats-blog]

happy biiiiirthdaaaay courtney ur great it's great i'm happy we can talk about beautiful turkey sandwiches and tragic assholes i mean it this ask sounds really casual but i'm 100% serious

there is nothing i take more seriously than beautiful turkey sandwiches and tragic assholes