I really hope you enjoy my final fic for ReddieWeek2020. I’ve had an absolute joy participating.
@dibujos-de-la-orilla Ao3
Richie had decided he was a wimp, a huge one in fact. And here’s why, he had decided to finally tell Eddie how he felt. Only issue was that Richie was leaving tomorrow to go to school at UCLA in California, while Eddie would be leaving the next week to go with his mom to New York, where he would be going to NYU. So Richie was a big fat wimp because he had decided to wait until it wouldn’t matter how Eddie reacted. If he hated him it would be fine because they would never have to see each other again. And if not… Richie didn’t think about what he would do if Eddie actually took it well.
Richie took a deep breath as he stopped on the kissing bridge right next to the R+E he had carved just a few years ago. Richie and Eddie had spent the afternoon with Mike, the only other loser still left in Derry; and after they had said goodbye Richie worked up the courage to ask Eddie to follow him, he had simply looked at Richie confused before agreeing, and now here they were.
Here they were indeed. “So umm here we are,” Richie said nervously as he gestured to the bridge around him.
Eddie just looked even more confused. “And here is the kissing bridge?”
Richie nodded. “Okay so I need you to hear me out, I need to get this all out in one go or I’m never gonna be able to.” He looked to Eddie expectantly.
Eddie stood there for a moment looking worried before eventually nodding.
Richie looked at Eddie and took a deep breath before closing his eyes. “Okay here goes nothing (everything). Back in the summer when we were 13 I carved our initials into the kissing bridge-” he opened his eyes and waved a hand at the R+E before shutting them again, and sure enough Eddie turned and looked. “- because I was in love with you. I still am. That’s actually why I was such a bitch to fucking Rachel, because she was flirting with you for weeks, but you never noticed, thank god for that because if you started dating her I think I would’ve lost it. It’s also why I never really went on any dates with any girls, oh that and the fact that I’m gay… yea I’m gay. Every time you pushed your way into that hammock with me, or every time we jumped into the quarry together I felt like my heart was going to explode. I always wondered what It would be like to hold your hand, or just get to have you like that, even if it was just for a minute. Because Eddie Kaspbrak I am head over heels in love with you and I think I have been for my whole life.” Richie paused for a moment. “And look, I know that I’m leaving tomorrow, but I just couldn’t leave without you ever knowing. I know that telling you before skipping town was kind of a pussy move, but I figured it would be better that way. That way you didn’t have to worry about avoiding me, or me getting my germs all over if you decided you hated me. But Eds… maybe if you don’t hate me… would you consider coming with me. Cause like I know that you got into UCLA also, I saw the letter on your desk last time I was over. If you don’t really hate me I don’t want to leave without my best friend. I need you.” Richie stopped ranting, he’d done it, he’d finally told Eddie how he felt. He had even managed to ask him to come with him if he didn’t hate him, it didn’t matter that he knew Eddie would say now, what mattered is that he had managed to ask him. Right?
Richie kept his eyes closed and held his breath as he waited for Eddie to do something, but he didn’t. So Richie opened his eyes and looked at him, he was just standing there with a shell shocked expression on his face. Richie couldn’t blame him, but he wanted him to do something, like yell or kick him, even leaving him to stand here alone was better than the nothing Eddie was giving him.
“It’s okay Eds, you don’t need to respond. Just uhh… give me the middle finger or something and I’ll get the fuck out of your hair, you’ll never have to worry about ol’ trashmouth getting his gayness all over you ever again,” Richie said trying to force a joking tone, but it just came out as sad. This seemed to snap Eddie out of whatever trance he was in.
“You’re an idiot. You’re a giant fucking idiot, you know that?” Before Richie had a chance to respond Eddie was pulling him down by the collar of his worn out leather jacket and smashing their lips together. Richie instantly melted into it, bringing one of his hands up to cup the back of his head, and the other to rest on his waist. Eddie hummed in response, pulling Richie deeper into the kiss. After another moment they stopped kissing, foreheads still touching, breath hot on each others mouths.
“Yowza Eds, I take it that means you don’t hate me?” Richie managed to breath out.
“Of course I don’t fucking hate you. God Rich I wish you had said something sooner.”
“I would’ve if I had known this would be your reaction, I was just scared that you would leave.” Richie felt like he could sob out of relief, as Eddie tilted his head and stole another kiss.
“Richie I’ve been in love with you since you picked me up off the pavement when we were five,” Eddie said, voice sincere. This time Richie did cry.
“God Eds, I wish we could have this,” he sobbed.
Eddie backed his face away a little more, and let one and fall from his collar only to bring it up to cup the taller boy's cheek. “We still can, I’ll go with you.” There was no hesitation in his voice.
Richie let out another sob and pulled Eddie in for another kiss. “Thank god, I never wanna fucking let you go again.
They left on a Thursday afternoon and never looked back (at least not for a long time).
~*~
Richie was on in Ten. Makeup people bustled around him fussing with his hair and the collar on his shirt. The sound guy was busy unpinning the small microphone attached to his shirt because he had said he’d rather have the larger one, something to keep his hands busy while he was up on stage. He looked himself in the mirror and downed half the bottle of water in his hand. He could do this, if this show went well he might even get that Netflix deal he’s been trying for. He was on in seven and the makeup people and sound guy had left the room, their jobs done. Richie got up to follow them out of the room and head for the stage when his phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, but he picked up anyway, probably spam.
“Yellow? Richie Trashmouth Tozier speaking.”
“Richie? It’s Mike,” the voice on the other end responded.
“Mike… Mike who? I don’t think I know any Mikes.” His head hurt, he should get an aspirin.
“Mike Hanlon, from Derry.” Those simple words hit him in the face like a large sack of potatoes, a large sack of potatoes being dropped on him from the roof of a skyscraper that is.
“Right… Mike yea, how are you?” His voice was shaky.
“I’m good, listen you need to come back to Derry, something's up,” he sounded serious.
“Yeah umm, okay when do you need me there?” he asked.
“Tomorrow would be good, I already called Bill and he’s coming.” he said that like the fact Bill was going to be there would convince him he should be too.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Alright, I’ll text you the details on where and when we're meeting,” Mike responded.
“Sound good, bye”
“Bye,” and with that he hung up.
Richie was on in five. He stood there for a few seconds before he felt like the world was practically tilting. He burst out of the dressing room and barely made it out the back door before he was blowing chunks over the side of the railing. He barely registered the door opening behind him. It was his manager Steve.
“Jesus Christ Rich, you good?” He actually sounded concerned.
He tried to catch his breath. “Yea… yea i’m good.”
“Well that’s good, come on you’re on in four and Eddie will blow a gasket if he doesn’t get to wish you good luck. Which means he’ll have my balls on a platter so let’s get a move on.” Steve grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and began leading him in the direction of the stage.
“Shit Steve, Eddie!” Memories came flooding back in a whirlwind. “Steve I can’t go on, I just got a phone call and me and Eds have to go.”
“What the fuck do you mean you have to go!?” he yelled.
He pulled Steve to the side and looked him in the eye. “Look I know it doesn’t make sense but Eddie and I have a family emergency we need to go take care of. I can’t go on.”
“Shit Rich, you sure? This could lose us the Netflix deal.”
Richie nodded. “Yea I know, but this is really important, trust me.”
Steve looked at him for a minute before sighing. “Shit… fuck alright, you go do what you need to do and I’ll worry about the refunds.”
Richie patted him on the back. “Thanks Steve, you’re a lifesaver.” Richie barely waited for Steve to mumble an ‘I better be’ before he was booking towards where Eddie was waiting for him off stage. When he found Eddie he looked like he had just seen a ghost and was slipping his phone into his pocket. Eddie looked up and immediately found his eyes and rushed over.
“Shit Richie, did he call you to?” He looked so worried.
“Yea he did.” Richie put his arm around his shoulder and began leading them to the exit. “Come on, we need to go pack.”
“Wait Rich, what about the show?” He forced Richie to meet his eyes.
He shook his head. “That’s not important right now.” Eddie looked at him for a moment longer before nodding and letting himself be led to their car.
~*~
Richie barely spoke a word as the two of them packed in a frenzy, Eddie however was going crazy getting them flights across the country that they were on barely an hour later. Only when they were settled on the plane did he really speak.
“You know I threw up when he called.”
Eddie snapped his head towards him as the sudden confession and squeezed his hand tighter. “Shit are you okay?” Eddie looked worried.
“I think so, it’s just everything came rushing back so fast. I felt like my memories were slapping me straight in the face” Eddie nodded along as he spoke. “I can’t even believe we even forgot about Bill and Mike.”
Eddie paused for a minute looking thoughtful. “The Losers club.”
“Oh shit that's right, we were a whole group.” Richie paused for a moment. “I wonder what they’re all gonna say about us being married, bet none of them would’ve thought the trashmouth would settle down” he said with a chuckle.
“I say we let them figure it out. Bill will probably flip his shit, but you know I bet Stan will probably have us pegged the second we walk in the door together with matching rings. He always looked so pained whenever we argued with each other, thought he was tired of us, maybe he was just tired at our horrid attempts at flirting,” he smiled at the thought.
“Oh fuck that’s right, Stan the man, my main Jew. How could we forget about them?” he asked Eddie.
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling Mike might.” Richie nodded before giving his hand a squeeze and resting his head on Eddie’s shoulder, grateful for the contact.
“Babe, wanna watch a shitty airplane movie?” Richie asked, grabbing the remote and turning on the little TV in their area.
“Oh you know I want to watch a shitty airplane movie with my husband.” Eddie responded, turning to kiss the top of his head. After a while they eventually settled on Jaws 3 and other just as horribly rated movies, enjoying each other's company as they made their way to Derry.
~*~
After about ten hours of travel, and an hour of settling into their room at the town house they made their way into the Jade of Orient. After they walked inside and were greeted a nice waitress led them back to a private room Mike had apparently booked for the occasion.
Ben was the first one to notice them approaching. “Oh shit guys look, it’s Eds and Trashmouth. What took you two so long to show up? You’re like 30 minutes late.” he all but yelled over the other conversation happening at the table. After he spoke all the other losers looked up.
Eddie was the first to speak up. “Yea sorry about that, if Richie didn’t keep taking the wrong fucking turns we would’ve been here on time.” He pointedly shot a glare in his husband's direction.
Richie held up his hands as a sign of peace. “Hey don’t blame me, twasn't my fault that the GPS said something different than you.”
“It totally was your fucking fault, if you had just gone where I said to begin with we wouldn’t have gone down like three dead ends and have somehow ended up on the fucking highway.” He was doing the hand chop this now and all the losers were watching them.
Stan made a pained noise from across the table. “God you two haven’t changed one bit, have you?” They both shrugged in response.
Ben broke the silence. “Did you two drive together?”
Eddie snorted a short laugh. “Yea, what gave it away?”
Richie couldn’t help but smile as he rolled his eyes. “Come on Eds let’s sit down,” he said, ignoring the confused looks all the losers gave then, except for Stan of course.
Conversation flows easy for the most part. Richie tells them of how he might be up for a Netflix deal, and Eddie tells them about the car garage he owns. All the rest of the losers go on to tell about their equally successful jobs, except for Mike who just works at the Derry public library. Eventually the conversation drifts to spouses after Stan mentions Patty.
“Eddie, did you ever get married?” Beverly asked, pointing to the silver band on his hand.
Eddie couldn’t help but let a smug smile creep onto his face as he spoke. “Yes actually, I am married, tied the knot back in 2008. But honestly I do have to say that I married an idiot.” Bev’s eyebrows shot up on her forehead as he said this, meanwhile Stan just had his face in his hands.
Two could play it that game. “You know I also got married,” Richie said, causing all faces to turn to him.
“N-n-oh way the trashmouth got married,” Bill said.
“Yeah there’s no way,” Bev agreed. Stan looked like he was ready to leave.
Eddie raised his eyebrows and turned to Richie in mock surprise. “Really you’re married? Tell us about this poor sucker you tricked into getting hitched with you.”
“Eh there’s really not much to say, all I can really add is that I also married an idiot.” He smiled at Eddie and shrugged.
“Oh really now, I’m sure you’ll agree the person I married is way worse. They’re always leaving their socks around the house, and they never use a cup, always straight from the carton.” Eddie looked Richie straight in the eyes. “It’s disgusting,” he deadpanned. The losers all looked at them with vague concern. Did they really hate their spouses so much?
“Well I think I may just have you beat. The fucker I married always gets the both of us up at the ass crack of dawn, only so that they can go jogging, fucking jogging at four in the morning.” His arms were beginning to fly around, becoming animated as the teasing started getting a little more heated.
Eddie opened his mouth to respond but Stan cut him off. He was looking at Richie with a knowing look. “So Richie, how about you tell us something about your wife that you don’t hate.”
Richie looked at him for a moment. ‘Dang he’s good.’ he thought before opening his mouth. “Well for our anniversary I took me and my husband-”
“My husband and I,” Eddie interrupted.
Richie just rolled his eyes and started over. “For our anniversary I took my husband and I- ” He pauses to look at the losers gawking faces. “You guys good?” He stares at them all for a moment before Bill speaks up.
“Y-y-your h-husband?”
“Fuck yea my husband. I’m gay in case you guys didn’t know. Anyway so for our anniversary I tell him that it’s a surprise and I’m taking him somewhere nice. We drive for about thirty minutes and he’s guessing all these places he thinks I'm taking him to, you know like nice fancy places that you should take people for your anniversary. Only for him to absolutely lose his shit as I pull us into the Olive Garden parking lot. He wanted to leave, but I told him we couldn’t as I being the loving and smart husband I am called ahead to order for us. About twenty minutes after we sit down the waiter brings us out two plates of spaghetti, I’m pretty sure they almost threw us out with how loud he yelled fuck you at me,” Richie finishes, he’s smiling wide and looking at Eddie who lets out a pained sigh.
“Yea dickhead laugh it up, but you still owe me a nice anniversary dinner,” he said, the insult losing effect as a smile found its way onto his face.
“Fucking finally, thought you two were never going to say it!” Stan yelled at them.
“Wait did you two get fucking married?” Beverly asks, a look of astonishment and joy on her face.
“Fuck yea, asking this little cutie the second it became legal in California,” Richie says as a smile overtakes Eddie’s face. Not able to help himself Eddie leans up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, Richie leans into it.
All the losers take a second to give them varying congratulations before Bill breaks the joyful mood.
“M-mike, why are we here?” Bill asks.
The smile instantly falls from his face and everyone turns to look at him. “Guess I have some explaining to do.” They all listen intently as he tells them that It started up again, and that they have to take it down for good. Just as he finishes the waitress walks in with a bowl of fortune cookies, and a moment later all hell breaks loose. And then the waitress comes back in. Mike is hitting the table with his chair, Richie’s in a corner shielding Eddie, and the rest of the losers are scattered throughout the room, each looking equally horrified.
Luckily, Chloe was fine but the doctors wanted to keep her in the hospital overnight for safe measures. The Losers Club banded together forgetting the fact that they were close to seventy. Pennywise made the wrong move going after Eddie and Richie’s daughter. Now they were going to kill IT once and for all.
The clown didn’t just reside in Derry. Mike learned that the alien clown lived underground in all the sewers of the world but Derry was its home. IT’s powers were not as strong, however, outside of Derry.
“Are we really going to do this?” Bill asked once they put their plan into action.
“That clown went after our daughter. Of course, we are!” Richie told him at the front of the line. How ironic when he was always the once who was at the back of the line in situations like these.
“Richie, wait we need to talk about this!” Beverly called out to him. She almost tripped up on a root but Ben caught her in time. Her knees weren’t as strong as they used to be.
“Yeah, we don’t know what we’re getting into!” Mike warned him. Pennywise always had tricks up his sleeves.
“We didn’t know what we were doing the first two times,” Was all Richie said when he threw off the top of the sewer grate.
Eddie finally caught up to his husband and pulled him to look at him. For a moment, they stared into the eyes of each other, their life flashing before them. Some mornings it was hard to believe that Richie’s hair was graying. “Richie, I have been with you for twenty-seven years. I am not going back in there unless I know that we’re coming back out alive.”
Mellowing down, Richie hugged him tightly. He then looked back at his friends realizing how carried away he got. “Oh Eds, this is our daughter we’re talking about,” he said softly to him. “We can’t let that fucker get away with this.”
Kissing, for how frightened they were, it made everything a little better. It didn’t matter what sewer Pennywise waa in. He lurked anywhere below their feet. Carefully maneuvering there way into the sewers, they found themselves in another dark cave.
“So, you have returned?” A cryptic voice echoed throughout the cave. The Losers banded together, watching each other backs just like when they were kids. Abandoning was not an option.
“We’re back, and we’re going to kill you!” Richie spat, looking in every direction for where the clown could be. The clown could have been anywhere. He kept his arm wrapped around Eddie so the claw wouldn’t protrude right through him again. “You hurt our daughter so now its war!”
Yellow eyes glimmered but then faded in the dark. They shivered seeing a spider leg in the corner. Pennywise laughed. “Oh dear, did Pennywise do bad? I’ve missed you these twenty-seven years!”
“Scatter!” Mike yelled.
To the clown’s surprise, the losers who were close to their seventies were quite nimble. Pennywise was not as compatible as he used to be. One by one the Losers grabbed one of its legs and tore as hard as they could. Pennywise lost balance, again growing smaller. As hard as he tried to fight them off, the Losers were stronger. Hollering out in pain, the clown collapsed impaling itself against the same spiked rock.
Slowly approaching the clown, he was back to regular size, weaker. Together, Eddie and Richie ripped through its chest and took out the heart. They crushed it. Unlike the last time where the clown evaporated into thin air to fool the Losers that he was gnome for good, the body of the clown remained.
The Losers rejoiced. It was done.
“We did it,” Eddie whispered into Richie’s ear as they hugged.
“You’ve still got it, Eds,” Richie told him. And Eddie felt a hand spank his rear end.
“Come on, let’s get back to Chloe,” Eddie took his hand. And the Losers emerged from the sewers, never to go back in.
