she lingers , allowing herself to simply stare at the man she knew she loved before finally letting herself untangle from his body to move towards the bedroom . she heard the door click behind her as she leaned against it , taking the deep breaths that were deemed necessary in that moment . it was a lot to take in , having to endure the bad with the good , but she knew dwelling on the bad would allow the bliss of happiness radiating her body to disappear . she had endless days to let the bad get to her , endless days to make the bad decisions that were looming over her head like a dark cloud to rain down upon her but tonight ? tonight she was going to let herself enjoy her time with the man she loved , a man that managed to save her more than once in her lifetime , & managed to still stand by her , with all his love & devotion when she couldn’t remember a single thing about their time together . she walked to the closet , pulling out an oversized t - shirt that would have to do for the night before she sneaked her way into the bathroom . turning towards the mirror , she let the haze of her drunken state slowly fade away , a soberness falling on her features as she saw the mascara that had run down her face & the blotched redness under her eyes , showing the irritation of her crying fit moments prior . her hands gripped onto the sides of the sink , looking down at the drain with a sense of fear but also a sense of satisfaction that she knew no voices would be entering her mind . knowing that eddie’s sacrifice would forever keep the world at peace & safe from the infamous pennywise the dancing clown . leaning down , she allowed her hands to gather up the cold water , a shockwave moving through her body as she splashed it on her face before repeating the gesture , enjoying the sensation that was rushing through her body . after a few moments of indulging in the coldness of the water , she dried her newly fresh face , sliding out of the clothing she had on & practically drowning herself in ben’s top . she made a neat pile in the corner , knowing she would head home in the early hours of the morning to properly shower & nurse her hangover . hand on the doorknob , she paused for a moment , reassuring herself that she was safe & the man on the other side of the door was indeed ben hanscom . opening & entering the rest of the home once again , she couldn’t help but finally let a small smile on her lips radiate towards ben , hands dropping to her sides & legs slightly rubbing together before she took a deep breath . ‘‘ so this is it , huh ? ’’ she asked quietly , red hair slightly stuck to her face still from the water she had splashed moments prior . ‘‘ this is our second chance ? our ——- our time to do things right ? ’’ did he want that ? her eyes asked the question she was too afraid to ask .
his smile carried the infinite warmth of reassurance as she stepped away from him to accept his plea of changing clothes into something which would not cause a cold or any type of illnesses and fevers; which eddie could probably tell them about now. ben didn't move, only his gaze following after her, until his bedroom door fell shut, breaking the lock of his eyes, and even then his body acted not as much on choice as it did on the opportunity to let himself drop onto the couch behind him, his elbows coming to rest on his knees as his face buried in his hands. it was a confusing mixture of emotions – exhaustion putting strain on his body, pure ecstasy beating his heart because beverly marsh remembered him and the dread which came with knowing what else remembering entailed, rising concern and infinite worry, all mixed with an undying love – and yet, he was certain he was the one getting off easy; caught off - guard and slightly overwhelmed. rubbing the tension off his face, ben pushed himself up with new determination getting some water for her and himself; to help sober up and swallow down the abundant feelings. he picked up an apsirin as well, leaving it in plain sight — just in case; she needed it in the morning. his attention easily shifted at the sound of the bathroom door, his head turning to look at her —– and she was saying something, quiet enough for his mind not to snap out of its dazzled state quite yet. red hair a small mess; sticking to a face with a worn out expression, the last remains of smudged make - up still reading that she had been crying – even if it had been blithely tears, in the end – and her frame cloaked by the dullness of one of his plain shirts, he found himself smiling without any effort, not knowing what good he had done in the world to ever deserve her. his eyes closed, only to be able to focus more on her, and his smile widened into the breath of a chuckle because it was such blatant question. “ i don’t think you and i need a second chance, “ he said, reaching out to offer his hand to her so he could pull her closer and brush the sticking hair out of her face, “ i’ve loved you right the first time. i don’t regret any of it. “ would he’ve liked the world to be different; without twenty - seven years of either pain or loneliness? of course, but he did not regret their story under its circumstances. “ this is just... an extension to our first one —– if you want to; “ his voice almost a little melodic, “ be my girl. “
