@couldntcut! / starter call!
richie is a lonely adult. he’s made few lasting connections in the last twenty-two years, hiding behind the trashmouth persona in an effort to appeal to the masses. no one wants to hear from the twenty-eight year old who can’t quite recall the first eighteen years of his life, or the thirty-two year old that spends most nights drinking alone in his apartment, or the forty year old pretending he isn’t fucking miserable. it’s a sad reality, but one richie resigned himself to years ago. he’d assumed his childhood was similar. telling jokes to make people laugh so hard they forget what’s bothering them. spewing bullshit that doesn’t always make sense, but still gains some kind of acknowledgement from others. talking, talking, talking all the time because if he fills the silence it will never have a chance to become an oppressive weight.
he was right, in a way. richie’s done these things since he could string together full sentences. but he had people that loved him. a select few allowed to see what lies beneath his funnyman facade – the good, the bad, and the ugly. the losers. his REAL family. i feel very relieved to be here with you guys, richie said in a rare moment of complete honesty, and it remained true in spite of the hellish turn of events their reunion took. an empty space within him was filling the more time they spent together, one he hadn’t even realized was there until he stood in that chinese restaurant staring at the only six people who really got him.
he’s alone at the moment, but it won’t last. they’re reluctant to let each other out of sight for long. a little codependent, maybe, but richie thinks that’s allowed after their most recent ordeal. richie had only gone outside in the first place because eddie gave him a pointed look when he noticed the comedian fiddling with his lighter. he’s pulling a second cigarette out of the carton when someone sits next to him. and sure enough… he glances sideways – neat curls, more tightly coiled than his own. stanley. his oldest friend. the very best of them. richie turns to face him, raising an eyebrow. ‛ did ya miss me, stanny? ’
