ST/IT Richie and Eleven Friendship
Eddie and Will were friends, which meant Mike and Eddie were friends, which means Richie had to be added in at some point
Eleven meeting Richie and being super confused at first because “Mike, why are you wearing those?”
Richie at first flirting with her until he realizes how much she means to Mike
(besides, he likes guys better anyways)
Him and Eleven seemingly not talking alot, until one day when Richie comes over to Mike’s house after visiting family somewhere in Maine for a week, she sees him and wraps him in a huge hug
“CAlm down Ellie, its been like a week. Did you miss me that much?”
Ellie?
(He calls her that because it sounds like Eddie)
Mike and Eddie looking at each other like Wtf is going on
Turns out Richie and El have been hanging out together and have become like best friends
She calls him “ ‘Chee” occasionally, because of once time she got his name wrong and he thought it was so precious
Eddie wonders how he didn’t think of that nickname first
Richie would originally curse and stuff around her, but she didn’t really get it, so he tried stopping as to not corrupt her
Eleven starting to become more talkative with him before everyone else after spending afternoons together talking
One time, Richie does her makeup and gives her smokey eyes and black lipstick (he had asked Bev for the materials), and she loved it so much it reminded her of 8
In return, she goes out one day to the park and finds a bunch of pretty flowers, and once making a huge bunch of them (all the most randoml colored and interesting ones she could find), she gives them to him and says “Here. Give these to Eddie”
(He does and the brunette almost cries because its so sweet,but he is also suspicious because how could trashmouth tozier had put this together??)
One day, she cusses (no, not ‘bitchin’) and Eddie just dramatically gaps and Mikes like “RICHIE WHAT HAVE YOU DONE”
But no, these two are super pure and wholesome together like wow
Richie doesn’t think she notices, but she sees through him. he always makes jokes and doesn’t let the others’ insults get to him, but one day El saw him crying behind the school after Troy had been particularly rough
From then on, if anyone insults him and makes it sound even slightly serious, she stares them down with a death glare
One day after school (because its been a year, El goes to school in Hawkins to get that edumacation) they bike to Richie’s house because they are doing a group project with Mike and Eddie, and Richie tells her to wait outside while he runs in
She waits for a minute before hesitantly stepping up to the porch because he was taking so long
She reaches the front door before hearing the screams
Fucking blasting that door open, and seeing Richie against the wall, slumped after his dad had twisted his arm so hard it popped out of the socket. He had not shown up to another detention, and the school had called his parents this time
Eleven screaming, blasting Wentworth across the room
Maggie coming around the corner after hiding, unable to bear seeing her husband hit Richie again, and sees this girl
“Went? Richie!? Who is she? What are you doing?” she screams
Eleven being next to Richie, coaxing him up before turning to Maggie, eyes blazing
“He hurt him!” she yells, and Maggie cowers.
Eleven leaving, holding Richie up as she leaves the house, slamming the door behind her, leaving Maggie to tend to her abusive husband
Richie and her becoming way closer after this, after she reluctantly agrees not to go back after his dad
“It’s just the way things work around there, Ellie”
El would never admit this to Mike, but sometimes she thinks Richie is the better friend
He is fiercely loyal, and despite Mike apologizing a million times for the 1 time it happened, he has never once yelled at her or made fun of her lack of understanding
He thinks of her as one of his top friends, right alongside Eddie Spaghetti and Staniel. She has never teased him about his glasses or teeth, or made him feel unwanted.
Occasionally however, they do tease or joke with each other
Like the time Eleven used her powers to lock Eddie and Richie in the basement together overnight
they ended up getting together that day
Or that time Richie took off his glasses, and when Eleven couldn’t stop staring he smirked. “What do you like looking so much, Ellie? Is it ‘cause I look like Mike now?”
They both are just best friends and have a bond nobody understands
Bonus: Eddie and Mike are both secretly jealous of the two at first, and when they attempt to make the pair jealous one time by hanging out with each other for a while, Mike’s basement window ends up shattered with a 3 jugs of Pina Colada spilled on his rug. Pro Tip: Don’t mention that day to any of the 4 of them.
Thank you for the awesome request @mileven-bughead I had SO much fun writing this, even if I did a trash job haha