#it17

We heard you wanted more Quackerjack so I decided to draw up an idea I’ve had for a while.

I got so excited when I thought of it that it was almost euphoric so I stayed up late and got these done.

In the posters and such they have Pennywise pretty heavily shadowed and I wanted to emulate that. But I included an unshadowed version so you can see his pretty face!

Eddie: Richie! Can you grab my fanny pack before you come down?

Richie: Yeah sure.I don’t know why you need it though.

*washing machine falls from window*

Eddie: I said my fanny pack!

Richie: I thought you said washing machine.

All the losers are starting to pair off. They're falling into relationships that have been building for years, and Eddie feels like he's just. There.

Because he's had feelings for years, too, okay? But that doesn't mean they're reciprocated.

In fact, he knows they're definitely not.

(They definitely are.)

So when this boy from the grade above him asks him out, he says yes.

And everyone knows that this boy is super bad for him.

All the losers try to tell Eddie that this relationship isn't healthy for him, and they want to be happy for him, but they want him to be safe.

But Eddie won't listen to any of them, because Richie said he's happy for him, and that's the only sign he needed.

Because of course he wants Richie, but Richie doesn't want him, so he'll settle.

Bev threatens to punch Richie, and he just looks confused until Stan calls him out on his bullshit.

"Why do you keep supporting this? You know you're the only one he'll listen to."

And Richie shrugs it off, because he knows it'll sound pathetic if he tells them the truth. Because he wants Eddie to be happy, and he knows Eddie will be happier with anyone else than he would be with Richie.

So he pretends.

And smiles.

And jokes.

And every day Eddie comes into school, he looks more tired. More drained from constantly fighting with this boy.

And everyone tries to let it go, because nothing they say works, but they're all worried.

Eddie stops hanging out with them as much, claiming to be spending time with his significant other the way they all do, but half the times he's actually isolating himself in his room or at school after hours.

Until one day Richie finally loses his mind, because Eddie ditched again, but Richie saw his boy in town alone with his friends.

He goes to Eddie's house as fast as he can, but he's clearly not in his room.

But he also can't be at the arcade or the barrens or the quarry, because all of the losers would have seen him, those are their frequents.

It takes him two hours to end up at school, but it's worth it when he does. There's Eddie, sitting on a blanket with his back against the brick wall, bike laying in the grass.

He doesn't look up at Richie, which is infuriating.

It doesn't take long for gentle questions that go unanswered to turn into an argument between them.

"I can't fucking pretend anymore, Eds! He's toxic! How can you not see how bad he is for you?"

"It doesn't matter!"

"Of course it matters! Why wouldn't it?"

"Because at least he cares about me! At least he cares that I exist!"

Richies jaw hangs open, one of those rare moments where he's speechless - almost speechless, at least for a few seconds, because how could this have happened

How could he have let the most important person in the world think that he didn't care about him

(For a second he thinks of his parents, but then he's looking back at Eddie, and he's gotta do what he does best and talk)

"You think I don't care about you?"

"Why would you? You're Richie Fucking Tozier, and I've got nothing on you."

"Fuck, Eds-"

"I told you not to call me that."

"Just listen to me! Please. I know you ignore half the things that come outta my mouth-"

"I listen to everything you say."

It's quiet, after that.

And there it was, twice in one day that Richie almost didn't know what to say.

(Almost)

And there's his Eddie, looking at the floor, brown curls falling into his face. His hands are tucked away, hidden in the inside of the sleeves on his oversized sweater. It's too much.

"Eddie Kaspbrak, I have been in love with you since seventh grade."

And then there's tears in Eddie's eyes, and Richie doesn't know who closed the distance between them, but Eddie's face is pressed into the front of his shirt and his hands are holding on to Richie for dear life.

Richie is holding him back as tight as he can, holding him like Eddie is his whole world. His face is pressed against the top of Eddie's head, and they just stand there like that for a while.

They stand there like there's no where else to be, because there isn't.

Eddie conveniently breaks up with the boy from the grade above the next day. The losers don't ask.

Eddie tells Richie that he isn't ready to date again, and Richie is super understanding and willing to wait however long it takes, but they still hold hands under the lunch table anyway.