-- 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘗 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘗.

                         he  was  glad  richie  didn’t  push           …         as  good  as  it  would  have  been  for  braxton  to  be  forced  to  talk  about  his  feeling  for  once,  he  didn’t  mind  keeping  them  deep  down  as  he  always  did.  he  held  the  comic  above  his  line  of  sight,  reading  it  as  he  lay  there  on  richie  bed.  because  he  was  so  good  at  pushing  thoughts  away,  it  was  easy  for  him  to  not  overthink  that  he  was  laying  on  another  man’s  bed.  (  or  that  he  was  finding  himself  more  and  more  attracted  to  men.  )  or  that  he  actually  found  richie  quite  cute.

                         richie’s  words  made  braxton  drop  the  comic  to  his  chest,  looking  up  at  the  other  with a  quirked  brow.  he  didn’t  give  braxton  a  chance  to  respond,  already  rushing  out  of  the  room.  he  enjoyed  video  games,  but  only  found  himself  able  to  do  so  at  the  arcade.  they  were  banned  from  his  house  by  his  mother  after  all.

                         “  sure.  ”          …        he  said  simply,  setting  the  comic  beside  him  as  he  sat  up  from  where  he  was  laying  on  the  bed.  though  he  had  be  comfortable  where  he  was,  braxton  should  have  guessed  richie  wouldn’t  let  him  lay  there  all  night.  finger  brushed  through  hair,  pushing  locks  back  and  out  of  his  face.  “  what  games  ya  got?  ”

——- Richie went to work setting up the system, he’d done it so many times before it was like clockwork. He only paused to look in the shoebox where he kept the game cartridges he had. He didn’t have many, but he had enough that the two of them could have fun, even if taking turns on some games,       ❝ Well, I got Super Mario World, MegaMan X, Punch-Out, Street Fighter, and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. That one’s kinda lame but it’s fun enough. ❞ he shrugs, setting the box on the bed next to Braxton, ❝ There are a few others in there. Go ahead and take a look. ❞ he then went back to setting up the system to the TV.

                         “  a  real  blast.  ”          …         he  agreed,  though  braxton  was  speaking  sarcasticly.  he  had  once  been  a  pretty  sweet  kid.  telling  jokes,  laughing  with  people,  smiling  all  the  time.  after  betty,  he  only  turned  into  a  depressed  and  angry  one.  people  would  step  out  of  the  way  waiting  for  him  to  snap  one  day.  some  called  him  a  ghost,  his  face  always  pale  like  he  had  been  the  one  that  died  and  came  to  haunt  the  school.  that  we  before,  now  he  dad  was  gone.  it  was  almost  certain  he  would  get  more  mad  from  now  on.  he  agreed  to  the  sleepover  partly  because  he knew  that  if  he  didn’t he  would  go  out  looking  for  a  fight.  he  had  no  way  to  let  emotions  out  other  than  with  his  fists,  braxton  was  unable  to  find  a  better  outlet.  even  now  his  body  itched  for  something,  a  way  to  let  out  his  anger  and  sorrow.

                         he  did  his  best  to  ignore  it  though.

                        “  comics  are  fine.  ”   he  said  reaching  over  richie  to  grab  the  other  comic  that  sat  on  his  stand  and  opening  it  with  brown  eyes  focusing  on  the  pages.  most  about  braxton  was  pretty  scary  to  some.  the  scars  from  those  he  got  from  fights  to  the  claw  like  marks  that  traced  down  his  arm  that  still  looked  painful.  (  mysterious  to  most,  pennywise  to  everyone  else.  )  the  one  thing  that  wasn’t  scary  was  his  eyes.  a  soft  brown,  almost like  those  of  an  innocent  deer.  maybe  that  was  part  of  the  reason  he  didn’t  look  people  in  the  eyes  anymore.

                         “  ah  right.  ”          …        he  said  awkwardly  as  well.  of  course  everyone  in  derry  already  knew.  already  talking  about  the  forever  falling  to pieces  ripsom  family.  he  shifted  on  the  bed,  flopping  back  so  he  could  lay  across  it  as  if  he  didn’t  have  a  care  in  the  world.  his  head  near  richie’s  hip,  but  not  touching.  his  shirt  slightly  ridden  up  to  reveal  muscles,  but  he  barely  noticed.  he  opened  the  comic,  hiding  his  face  from  the  other  behind  it  as  he  laid.  “  it’s  whatever.  shit  happens.  ”

——- Richie relaxed back again, reading his comic a bit more and listens to the short response Braxton gives him. Right, he probably doesn’t want to talk about it. Richie wouldn’t if it were him, so he gets it.           He tried to ignore it, but his eyes did wander just slightly off the page to notice the defined muscle of Braxton’s arms and the parts of his abdomen that he could see from his shirt riding up. Richie glancing back to the page quickly, adjusting glasses on his face and trying to be nonchalant. 

       They read for a while, Richie’s ADHD stopping him from finishing the comic and so he set it aside on his bed, ❝ Alright I’m bored. ❞ he announces, not really to Braxton, just announcing to the universe. Richie shifts on the bed, looking at Braxton, ❝ You like video games, yeah ? ❞ Richie didn’t wait for an answer before he got up and left the room, returning a few minutes later with some cables and a plastic box. His dad said to keep the game consol in the livingroom but Richie was the only one who used it and also his parents weren’t home.

                         he  was  surprised  richie  agreed  to  it      …      many  would  think  they  were  far  to  old  to  be  having  sleepovers.  (  that  only  kids  would  enjoy  such  things.  )  maybe  that  was  true,  but  deep  down  braxton  was  happy  to  be  away  from  his  house.  his  family  had  always  been  broken,  but  watching  his  father  sped  away  this  morning  only  made  it  feel  more  so.  his  father  was  a  quite  man,  but  kind.  braxton  felt  he  could  always  stay  sane  around  his  over  religious  mother  as  long  as  he  was  around.

                         but  now  even  his  dad  was  gone.

                         “  hanging  out  yeah.  ”   he  repeated,  barely  noticing  the  teen  had  said  it  twice.  he  moved  across  the  room,  sitting  down  on  the  edge  of  the  bed  next  to  richie.  braxton  didn’t  really  hang  out  with  people,  most  were  to  scared  of  the  boy  to  do  that.  he  spent  more  time  getting  into  fights  then  being  social.  even  now  his  cheek  bore  a  faded  bruise,  the  black  starting  to  fade  away  into  an  ugly  yellow  blotch.  toned  arms  crossed  in  front  of  him,  his  physical  appearance  going  from  string  bean to  muscled  teen  over  the  past  year  or  so.  “  i’m  a  pretty  fun  guy.  ”  believe  it  or  not,  a  joke  coming  from  the  mouth  of  braxton  ripsom.

——- Richie cracked a smile, ❝ Well I think you’re fun, or well, fun enough. ❞ He teased, shifting back on his bed so his back was against the wall. Richie had a ton of friends he felt like, but at the same time, it sorta felt like it had dwindled. Growing apart because of school, or moving, or what have you. So it was nice to be able to hang out with someone for once.            ❝ There isn’t much to do here, but I’m sure we could convince my parents to bring the VCR in here so we could watch something. If ya like comics I have a ton of those too. ❞ he says, leaning forward to grab the comic he had been reading earlier that day off the nightstand, opening it up and paging to find where he left off. 

         There was a pause, before Richie spoke up again, sorta peaking over the pages, ❝ Sorry about your dad. . . ❞ He said sympathetically. It was an awkward thing, and he didn’t know if he should say anything or not. Richie was lucky, he felt. He had parents who loved and supported him, sure they didn’t really understand him and sometimes they were shitty but they weren’t like some of the parents in Derry. He couldn’t imagine what he’d do if his dad just up and left.

“Did you seriously just wipe blood on your fucking sleeve, Richie?” The thought was disgusting, and he could only imagine the trouble that would cause to wash out. Ugh, gross. Eddie had to assume it was Bowers, or someone within that stupid gang that had hurt Richie, and if Eds was a fighter, he’d be inclined to go kick some ass because of it. He was the furthest thing from a fighter.

“You said something that got you punched in the nose, didn’t you? You know there’s a time and a place for your voices, or whatever the fuck it was.”

——- ❝ Yeah sorry, seems I left my monogrammed handkerchief at home. ❞ Richie mocked, a fake posh accent coming out on that last part. A voice Richie had practiced but was still not fairly good at yet. He sort of laughed, ❝ Relax, Eddie Spaghetti. I’m sure it’ll come out, and if it don't, well, oh well. ❞ Richie shrugs. Not like it’s his problem, he doesn’t really like this shit anyway.         ❝ I mighta -- but I didn’t say nothing that wasn’t deserved ! ❞ Richie argues, crossing his arms, ❝ Like I said, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Someone just said something and I got mad and said something I shouldn’t, and I got the snot beat out of me. It’s not anything out of the ordinary. ❞

                   hands  in  pockets      …      he  wasn’t  sure  why he  came  here  to  begin  with.  braxton  felt  like  he  had  no  where  to  go  most  days,  the  teen  struggling  to  find  connections.  today  though,  especially,  he  needed  to  get  away  from  the  house.  it  wasn’t  everyday  a  boy  woke  up  to  find  his  father  gone,  all  his  thing  packed  and  truck  speeding  off  to  a  new  life.  he  wasn’t  surprised,  shocked  it  took  him  this  long  to  leave  though.  “  it’s  fine,  i  don’t  need  anything.  ”  hand  left  his  pocket  to  point  at  the  door.  “  i  can  leave,  if  it’s  an  issue.  ”  if  he  was  an  issue  or  annoyance.  deep  down  maybe  he  was  just  seeking  something  to  ease  his  broken  heart  and  richie  was  the  first  that  came  to  mind.

——- ❝ Nah -- It’s fine, dude. Just ain’t had a sleepover in some time. ❞ He jokes. It’s been a few years, and when there was cause to get together for a night, it was rarely ever in Richie’s home. The other Losers would complain it’s too messy, or they just all preferred Bill house, his home was bigger and his parents left the group alone. Richie never minded. However, it was somewhat exciting to have someone over.        ❝ I don’t mind, I mean. . .I like hanging out with you, so give us more time to uh. . .hang out. ❞ He shrugs, hopping up onto his bed. Richie tried to control his stupid mouth, saying nervous things. He felt silly, he had no reason to be nervous. They were just hanging out, right?

PLOTTED COLLEGE STARTER FOR @crudecomedy·

  ONE of these days, Eddie is going apartment hunting with Richie. ONE of these days, but not today. And probably not until next month, or perhaps the month after that– ONE DAY. He can feel a certain depression loom over him whenever he sees the state of the huge building they’re currently residing in. 

  Seven story building with eight tiny flats on each level, meant for students and it’s cheap, but the quality is BAD. Thank god, for Eddie’s handyman skills. It has saved him a couple of times. 

  He pulls the scarf more securely around himself to block out the winter air that brushes against his neck as he punches in the code and waits for the door to unlock. 

  The elevator is out of drift, STILL, and he makes the journey to the fourth floor to their shared flat. Aching for a LOOOOONG shower and to collapse onto his bed and fall asleep. 

  Once home, he removes his winter boots and outdoor clothing, and with his bag hung over his shoulder, he enters. 

     “Hey Rich?” 

  Eddie calls into the dimly lit living room when he sees light from the TV. 

     “Sorry I’m late. Work was a little crazy today. I picked up some Chinese, though, if you’re hungry” 

——- It was somewhat surprising for everyone that Richie was going to college. Not for his grades of course, Richie was smart and his grades clearly showed that. It was just that he wasn’t serious about school, or about anything really. His friends probably expected him to run off first chance he got, he talked about it all the time. Going to LA to become a comedian, saying sayonara to Maine and his boring life. But with the pressure of his family, and his father’s unwillingness to let Richie enjoy himself, he wound up here.         Wasn’t all bad, of course, Richie had made it a point to apply to whatever college Eddie did, and with luck he got in. Pursuing a degree in writing, lame, of course, but he was just happy to still be around Eddie. Even if their apartment totally sucked.

               ❝ What’d ya get ? ❞ Richie hummed, leaning over the back of the couch to look at Eddie in the kitchen, ❝ I swear if one of those containers is full of mixed vegetables I’m gotta scream, Eds. ❞ He declared, hopping up off the couch to walk over to greet him.        A hand reaching out to ruffle Eddie’s hair while the other snatched the bag away and walked back towards the counter to dig through it, ❝ How was class, or work, or whatever it is you were gone to ? ❞

❝ what is your reason for calling aliens? ❞ - @bathtook​

——- ❝ Are you kidding, it’s obviously aliens, Stanley ! There’s no other explanation ! ❞ Richie exclaimed, as if this was common knowledge. Kids disappearing, adult not caring, the entire town seemingly unable to connect the dots that any third-grader could.         ❝ No, it’s obviously aliens and they’ve come to suck out the brains of all the adults in Derry and turn them into zombies. It’s just, textbook alien stuff ! Here. ❞ Richie reached into his backpack, pulling out one of his fave comic books, ❝ It’s all right here ! The aliens are taking over and they’re starting with Derry because we are like, the test run ! ❞ 

𝙷𝙴’𝚂  𝙻𝙰𝚄𝙶𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶,    𝚃𝙾𝙾.    he’d  never  admit  it   —   the  corners  of  lips  are  pulled  down  comically  in  an  effort  not  to  give  richie  the  satisfaction  of  a  smile   —   but  it  lingers  in  his  eyes,    in  how  his  nose  scrunches  in  attempt  at  remaining  emotionless.

‘    𝙽𝙾𝙽𝙴  𝙾𝙵  𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁  𝙱𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙴𝚂𝚂,    asshole.    ’    he’s  got  him,    just  a  little.    the  seed  of  a  smile  starts  to  bloom  as  eddie  shoves  into  richie,   all  everything  playful   &    childish.   ‘    you’re  disgusting,    &   -   &    i’m  SERIOUS  by  the  way,    okay,    i  COULD  die.   you  know  that,   right?   that  i  could  die?    but  yea,    go  on,    make  your  𝙳𝙸𝙲𝙺  𝙹𝙾𝙺𝙴𝚂!    ’

——- Richie could see the threat of a smile looming over Eddie’s features, and Richie got a sense of pride over that. He laughed once again when Eddie knocked into him, a joyous smile across his face.        ❝ You’re not gonna die, Eddie. Honestly I’m surprised you lasted this long. I swear I was ready to read in the newspaper; ‘ Eddie Kaspbrak, dead ! Died choking on a cashew ! He leaves behind no wife nor child, as he died a virgin ‘ ❞ He did a rather compelling news broadcaster’s voice on the headline part, ❝ But look at ya ! All alive and well, who woulda thought. ❞