Since Eddie and Myra are still legally married, Myra gets Eddie's disability benefits due to Eddie now being on a wheelchair (spinal injury). Eddie's in the process of setting up divorce papers.
Myra freaks out when Eddie shows her the paperwork. She tries to say he can't live without her, to which Eddie responds, "There's someone else, Myra. That's why I'm leaving. Also, I'm gay."
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"He--t-t-took--Georgie," Bill grunts, dashing forward out of Mike's hold to help Richie pull Eddie up, "h-h-he's n-n-not taking you t-too, get up, get up, get up come on please please please--"
Bill doesn't realize he's started screaming, that the stutter is gone because he's screaming and this plea is coming from somewhere deep inside him, ripping through his body as if he had been the one stabbed, not Eddie.
As he sits in the waiting room of the hospital, leg bouncing, he wishes he had been stabbed. He wishes he could take Eddie’s place. It would have been poetic, had he nearly died by the hands of the thing that took his brother, that took Stan, that took the innocence of the Losers and--
Well, that last one was his fault. One hundred thousand percent his fault.
You see that guy I'm punching? I'm pretending it's you. Richie.
I hate you. Stan.
Please don't be mad, Bill. Eddie.
Out of his first three friends, Eddie was the only one who never actively hated him. Had been so scared, but walked right into hell because Bill asked him to.
And look where it fucking got him.
Audra calls again and he throws his phone at the wall, shattering it.
He thinks he hears Mike get up and whisper to Beverly that now he has to make a call, but he ignores it. Audra hates him, too. He can't handle that right now. He's known that for a long time, known that his marriage was crumbling and God help him, he could not deal with that right now. He'd replace his phone some other time and sign anything she wants to end things. He doesn't want to fight. He's tired of being hated.
So, he sits. And waits. He's hunched over, his hands on the back of his neck and his head down so he can hide. He hates this waiting room. He's been here 3 days, only moving to go to the bathroom. He thinks the phone shattering incident happened around the middle of day 2. He remembers a lot of yelling about that. It hurt his head.
He thinks it's the night of day three when he feels a hand on his back. It's large and soft and could be Ben or Richie. He lets out a sob. He hasn't seen his best friends in 27 years and he can't tell their hands apart even though they're his best friends and they're the most important things to him--
"Bill," Richie coos from somewhere above him. Richie, then. It's Richie who has his hand on his back. Richie, who may have just lost the love of his life after finding him again. Richie is being sweet to him even though Bill has a stupid crush on Eddie too and there's no way Richie doesn't know that by now. No way. "Bill, bud, come on. You've gotta sit up. You've gotta eat something."
"I'm sorry."
"Nope, that's not related to what I said."
Bill doesn't move.
"Bill, you have five seconds to come with me willingly and go get food. If you don't, I'm throwing you over my shoulder and walking out of here with you, and the tabloids are going to have a field day with that that I'm sure our managers are going to love. Five."
Bill storms out behind Richie on 2.
*~*~*
Bill eats with Richie in relative silence, and it's as if some God has finally heard their prayers.
Stan calls in tears. The suicide attempt failed. He’s heard about Eddie and he's coming to Maine immediately.
Eddie wakes up.
Eddie wakes up.
Bill throws a $100 bill on the table and they run to Richie's car. Richie does 70 to get to the hospital, parks in the middle of two spaces and they run. Richie ends up running past Bill, who's stopped in the doorway and is fidgeting as Richie and Eddie reunite.
A lot of things are going on. Bev jumps up from her spot near Eddie’s hips and lets Richie sit there. Ben pulls her into their lap in a free chair near the bed, and Mike’s on the other side wiping at tears of joy and relief. Richie leans forward and kisses Eddie’s forehead, then takes his hand and holds it tightly between his own.
Bill feels like an outsider. Eddie’s breathing and he's awake and fuck, he's so happy, and he's not yanking away from Richie or teasing him and Richie looks lighter and Bill can see it, they're finally getting their shit together, they were in love all those years ago and they're in love now and that's great. Fantastic.
Maybe he's a little bitter.
Maybe he wanted Eddie, too.
That's selfish, though. He'd almost gotten the man killed due to Eddie’s hero worship and Bill’s stupidity. He fidgets at the door like he stutters on his words.
"Where's Bill?" Eddie finally rasps, starting to move. Richie forces him to settle back down before looking back at Bill.
"He's here, Eds. C'mere, Billiam, Eds is looking for you."
Bill moves forward a few feet, and he and Eddie lock eyes. "Bill, you look like shit."
"Says you," Bill retorts, but there's no heat behind it. There's so much guilt. His voice breaks and he has to wipe at his eyes so he can see Eddie.
"Bill," Eddie starts, gently tugging his hand out of Richie's hold (it’s the only one not covered in wires and an IV or it would have stayed tangled with Richie's) so he can reach for his friend. "Come here, dipshit."
He does as he's told, finally making it to the bed and half sits on it, taking Eddie’s hand. The other man interlocks their pinkies, making Bill chuckle for the first time in days. They'd done that the first day they met and promised to be the bestest friends forever. Eddie had, quite literally, gotten shafted on that deal, according to Bill.
"I can't do all the talking," Eddie wheezes, smirking at Bill. "It hurts. So, tell me what's going through your head."
"Later," Bill promises, squeezing Eddie’s pinkie finger before letting Richie take Eddie’s hand again. The two share a look, and Bill bites his lip. Maybe this will get easier with time.
Reddie (and everything else) fix-it where once IT is defeated the losers wake up as kids again, except they remember everything that happened, Georgie, Stan, Eddie and everyone else are alive and well, and everyone gets the opportunity to make up for 27+ years of lost time and live actual lives
It didn't surprise Richie that only two months after the losers defeated Pennywise, he received a letter announcing that Ben and Bev were getting married. After all, he’d seen them be all over each other not one hour after they left the house on Neibolt and then every minute after that until they all left Derry.
The letter was also an invitation to their engagement party in Ben’s house in New York.
That’s where Richie currently was, sitting on the couch, a beer in his hand and watching the door like a hawk.
“Stop that.” Stan said, he was sitting next to him with Patty on the other side, glaring at Richie’s leg as it bounced uncontrollably. “He will be here okay?”
“What if he changed his mind?” Richie asked, nervously chewing on his bottom lip. “It’s been over two months, maybe everything he said back in Derry⎯ maybe that was only because we had almost just died. Maybe he realized he doesn’t really want me.”
Richie didn’t need to be looking at Stan to know that he was rolling his eyes at him. “He left his wife Richie.”
“Yeah but he didn’t do that for me.”
“No, he did it for himself, but he also told you that he loved you and that he wanted to be with you and that he would be here. You need to trust him.” Stan said calmly, but Richie could hear the underlying you’re being an idiot tone that was usually there when Stan talked to him.
It still surprised Richie just how easily Stan and him had fallen into their old dynamic. It was like the past twenty seven years and the whole forgetting each other thing never happened⎯ just like Eddie never stopped being the love of Richie’s life, Stan never stopped being his best friend.
And as his best friend, it was Stan who Richie went to the night after they defeated Pennywise, after Richie and Eddie confessed their feelings to each other.
Richie hadn’t planned it, Eddie was married and he was pretty sure his feelings were unrequited anyway and the last thing he wanted to do was lose Eddie just as he got him back. But then Eddie had walked out of Richie’s bathroom after a shower, because the one in his room was still covered in blood, and he looked so beautiful and soft⎯ cheeks tinted red, hair wet and curling at the tips, sleeping clothes just slightly big on him⎯ and he was alive and Richie couldn’t help it, he blurted out everything he had kept locked in for thirty years.
After he was done, Eddie simply smiled and said, “I love you too asshole.” Those words were enough to get Richie moving and leaning down to kiss Eddie but he was stopped by a hand on his chest. Eddie was still married and he didn’t want their first kiss to constitute as cheating. Before Richie could argue, Eddie had placed a kiss on Richie’s cheek and said they would talk again when he got divorced.
Tonight was the first time he would be seeing Eddie since Derry, since Eddie’s divorce.
When Eddie said he would be at the engagement party, Richie felt hopeful⎯ for about a second. Then that hope had turned into doubt and now he was worried that Eddie had changed his mind and realized Richie wasn’t the person he wanted to be with.
“Richie, honey?”
Richie had zoned off, he shook his head and grinned. “Yes Patty, dearest?” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Stan’s mouth twitch into a smile.
She smiled knowingly at him. Richie wasn’t sure how much Stan told her about them, but based on the way she stared at him it seemed like she knew everything. Fucking Stan and his big mouth.
“Eddie’s here.” She said.
His head snapped towards the door where Ben was welcoming Eddie in, wrapping him in a hug and accepting the gift in his hands. “Fuck me.” Richie muttered, breath catching in his throat.
He heard Stan snicker, “You wish.” Then Patty lightly smacked his shoulder and lovingly shushed him.
Richie watched as Bev joined the two men by the door, giving Eddie a hug. “What should I do?” He asked, feeling his palms already starting to sweat as he took in how good Eddie looked in his black slacks and his tight button up.
“You should go say hi.” Patty said sweetly.
Richie shook his head, he raised his beer bottle to his lips only to find it empty. “I need another drink first.”
“You’re being an idiot.” Stan said. “And a child. Just go talk to him.”
“Actually, he’s coming our way.”
Patty was right, Eddie had spotted them and he was walking towards their couch, stopping to say hi to Bill and Mike on the way. “Shit shit shit.” Richie muttered and before Stan and Patty could stop him, he left the couch and snuck into the kitchen.
He knew Stan was right, he was being an idiot. He had been anxiously waiting for Eddie to arrive and now that he was here Richie was hiding from him, but he wasn’t ready to face him, to face rejection if it came to that, so instead of going back to the lounging room where the party was happening, he slid into the hallway.
He wandered aimlessly around the house until he finished his beer. Then he stood there, staring at the moon through the glass walls, trying to gather the courage to go face Eddie.
“There you are.”
Well, shit.
Richie spun around, knowing he would find Eddie standing there but even then, his breath caught in his throat again and he could barely get out a weak, “Hi, Eds.”
Eddie’s face scrunched up at the nickname but other than that he ignored it. “Why are you lurking around Ben’s house?”
Richie didn’t want to tell Eddie that he was running away from him so he shrugged. “Uh, Ben said they had a dog, I was just looking for him.”
“Really?” Eddie quirked an eyebrow at him. “Because Stan said you were hiding from me.”
“That bastard.”
“He also said you were worried that I changed my mind about us⎯”
“I’m going to fucking kill him.” Richie groaned, scrunching up his face.
“I don’t think Patty would like that.” Eddie said with a snort. He moved closer to Richie, frowning at him. “Do you really think I changed my mind?”
Richie gave a noncommittal shrug, running a hand through his hair. “I mean, I wouldn’t blame you if you did, all those things we said⎯ we had just gone through a lot, you could’ve said things you didn’t mean.”
“Did you say things that you didn’t mean?”
Richie’s eyebrows flew towards his hairline, he shook his head. “No, fuck no. I meant everything I said, Eds I still do.”
Eddie smiled, reaching over to grab Richie’s hand, it was warm and slightly sweaty, just like his. “Me too.”
Richie bit on his bottom lip to stop his face from breaking into a dopey grin. When that didn’t work, he ducked his head down and stared at their joint hands. “You’re not wearing your wedding ring.”
“Well I’m not married anymore so⎯” He trailed off, taking a step forward and closing the distance between them, their faces were only a few inches away.
“Too bad I’m still married to your mom.” Richie joked.
“Fuck you asshole.” Eddie said, poking Richie’s chest with his finger. His jaw was set and he stared up at him with determination. “I’ve waited two fucking months to do this and I won’t let your trashmouth ruin it.”
Richie cocked his head. “Waited two months to do what?”
Eddie’s answer was to grab Richie by the lapels of his blazer, pull him down and press their lips together. Kissing Richie, hard. There was a moment of hesitation and then Richie’s hands were reaching up to cradle Eddie’s face, their lips moving together.
Eddie sucked Richie’s bottom lip between his teeth, making him groan. He broke them apart and Richie couldn’t help but try to chase after his lips. Eddie chuckled. “That.”
Dazed, it took him a second to realize Eddie was answering his question. He grinned down at him. “Only two months? I’ve been waiting to do that for almost thirty years.” Richie said, watching Eddie’s cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink. “Fuck you’re cute.”
“Shut up.”
“You know what? For the first time, I think I will.” Richie said, leaning down and kissing Eddie again. He ran his thumbs over Eddie’s cheeks and the scar there, coaxing his mouth open. Eddie let go of his blazer, his hands sneaking underneath it, fisting Richie’s shirt. His mouth slipped open and he licked into Richie’s mouth, eliciting a desperate and needy whine from him. He could feel a familiar heat coiling in his stomach.
Crowding Eddie against the wall, Richie slid his thigh between his legs, pressing against him. He could tell that he was half hard already and so was Richie, it was a little embarrassing, that at this age all it took was some kissing but this wasn’t just a kiss, it was a culmination of everything he wanted to do since he was thirteen.
“Richie, Rich.” Eddie gasped, sounding breathless. “We’re at a party, we should⎯” His words trailed off into a moan when Richie caught Eddie’s earlobe between his teeth and bit down. “Fuck Richie, we’re in the middle of the hallway, anyone could walk in.”
Richie leaned back, stared down at Eddie. His cheeks were tinted red and his lips were a pretty kissed-pink and slick with spit. Eddie licked them and Richie followed the movement with half-lidded eyes. “Fuck them. I’ve waited long enough for this.”
Eddie’s thumbs rubbed circles on Richie’s skin, he hadn’t even noticed the moment his hands snuck under his shirt. “I know, me too.” He said, his hips twitching forward against Richie’s erection, making him gasp. “I’m not saying stop, I’m just saying not here.”
Richie swallowed loudly, nodding. “Okay.” He said, looking around them. “How mad do you think Ben will be if we sneak into one of his rooms?”
“I don’t think he’ll notice. He’s too caught up in Bev to care right now.” Eddie said, pushing up on his heels to give Richie another kiss, short but desperate at the same time, before leaving the space between Richie and the wall and starting to drag him to the nearest door. “Besides they owe us, we had to watch them kiss while they were still covered in sewer water, which⎯ gross, man.” Eddie said, scrunching up his nose.
Richie laughed. “I can’t blame them. I wanted to kiss you when we were covered in sewer water. I wanted to kiss you even when you were covered in that black vomit thing.”
“Richie! Stop being gross, you’re killing my boner.”
“Find us a room and I will have you back up in no time, baby.”
Eddie rolled his eyes but Richie could see them darken with lust. He opened a door, took a step inside and stopped.
“What?” Richie asked when he hesitated. “You’re not changing your mind, are you?”
Eddie whirled around, he was frowning. “Do you get a kick out of being obtuse?” Eddie snapped, when Richie only blinked at him, he grabbed his face and kissed him hard enough that he stumbled back. “I’m not changing my fucking mind. I love you. Get that into that big forehead of yours.”
Richie’s face broke into a giddy smile. “I love you too Eds.” Eddie smiled back and started to close the door. “What’s wrong with that room?”
“Oh. I found the dog.” Eddie said, shutting it. “And I’m not traumatizing the poor thing. Let’s find another one, you can pet him afterwards.”
“I like the way you think.” Richie said, letting Eddie drag him to another room, hopefully one with a bed and no dog.
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anyways the quarry scene? the one where all the losers huddle around richie and hold him? yeah that was actually richie crying in relief after he finally came out to his best friends in the whole world and told them about his first encounter with pennywise. eddie and stan were there too, in case you were wondering. idk where else theyd be.
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"It was called Al’s. The sign had said Al’s Diner, though it was now missing most of its letters, and said something closer to Ale. Each little crevice and seam in the building was stuffed with the curling tendrils of quick-growing ivy. The windows were dark and boarded over. The outer walls, which had once imitated the bright sheen of chrome, now were grimy and dull. The bell above the door was silent. The kitchen was still and cold."
-afterimage by @mushroomdoggo
(ao3 link is on her blog! but I want this to show up in searches)
you can think that you’re in love when you’re really just in pain
Summary:
“Hey Eds?”
“Don’t call me that!” Eddie had no idea why that was the first thing that flew out of his mouth. If he had to be honest, though, it almost felt like a reflex. The boy ignored Eddie’s sudden outburst and began to sing.
“Talking with my lawyer she said, ‘Where’d you find this guy?’”
“What?”
“I said, ‘Young people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes.’”
“You’re fucking kidding me. Isn’t this that song the driver was listening to in the car earlier?”
“Some mistakes get made. That’s alright, that’s okay. You can think that you’re in love when you’re really just in pain.” That specific lyric hit on something deep in Eddie and, though he would never admit it, he knew exactly why. As if the boy in front of him could read his mind, he stopped singing and asked, “Are you really happy, Eddie? Or do you just think you are ‘cause you think this is the way it’s supposed to be?” Eddie felt his heart drop to his feet and his mouth go dry. “Who are you?” he opted to say, ignoring the question completely.
A Losers Club fanfic about It Chapter Two, not following canon.
Warnings: not canon, post It Chapter Two, Eddie lives, Stan lives.
Relationships: Richie/Eddie; Ben/Beverly
----------------------
"Thank you! Thank you! Have a great night ladies and gentlemen!"
The crowd clapped excitedly, blowing whistles at him, cheering him on, and Richie grinned to himself, bowing towards them a few times and winking to a couple nearby before leaving the microphone and making his way out of the stage. He waved to the people behind the curtains and tapped one of them in the shoulder. They were all saying what a good work he had done that night and he just waved them off, smiling to himself. He loved those guys, he loved his crew so much.
He got inside his room, finding his producer there, smiling at him.
"Richard the man! What a great show you did tonight!" John told him, pulling him for a quick hug and making Richie snort and tap his back in the hug. "Honestly, I should have believed in your talent sooner. Your scripts are so much better than the old ones."
"I told you man, I'm a good comedian" Richie said, smiling and looking around. "Well, same time next Thursday?"
"You are correct. But wait Richie, aren't you going to drink some with me and the guys? A lot of people want to congratulate you for your show" John said, watching him as Richie walked towards the couch and grabbed his backpack, organizing his stuff.
"Nah man, I wanna go home" he said, looking back at John who had a knowing smirk on his face.
"Right. Ever since you returned from that trip in your hometown, you've been such a home guy. You weren't like that before Richie."
"Now I have a reason to go home to" Richie smiled and walked to him, tapping his shoulder. "Next show I will stick around, I promise. But tonight I have plans. Alright?"
"No problem Rich. Have fun at home" John said, always understanding, and Richie smiled, nodding and walking out through the backdoor. He lit up a cigarette before getting inside his car, smoking it and looking up at the moon. The backdoor ended up in an alley, and a few months ago he would avoid it at all costs, not knowing why. Now, however, the dark alleys and abandoned houses and sewer drains felt almost like old friends.
The danger was gone, and everything seemed so much brighter in the future.
The threw the cigarette in the trash once he was done, making sure to make it well unlit before doing so, and got inside his car, turning on the radio in any random station, ending up at the traffic station, talking about how calm the traffic was at these hours.
Of course. Richie rolled his eyes and let a fond smile curl up on his face as he drove off, listening to that god damned radio station that he found so stupid and redundant. The night was so bright as it always was in LA, and it was around four am, or close to it. That city really never slept did it. He chuckled and turned into the avenue, letting his eyes drift around, seeing all those familiar places. He liked that city so much. Of course, it wasn't as nostalgic as Derry, but Derry sucked and he wished it would burn down to ashes before his eyes.
But that was besides the point.
It took him half an hour to get home, the building he had been living since he moved to LA. He parked the car in its usual spot, got out, grabbed the elevator and went all the way up to the 11th floor where he resided. He liked high places, he loved seeing LA from above. He unlocked his door, sighing in relief, turning on the lights and heading for the kitchen. He grabbed some water, drank it up, and then headed to the bathroom, turning off the lights behind himself. He got inside, took a hot, steamy shower, brushed his teeth, grabbing a pair of boxers that he always left there just in case, pulled them on and headed into the bedroom. He felt so god damned relaxed.
He climbed on the bed, slowly and carefully, using only his phone lights as his guidance, and pulled the sheets over himself, moving closer to the warm body that waited for him every night. His arms wrapped around their waist, pulling them closer, and he received a little complaint groan before they turned around in his arms, sleepy eyes opening and being lit up only by the moon light that made its way inside through a gap in the window.
It was the most beautiful sight.
"What time is it?" Eddie mumbled in his sleep filled voice, rubbing his eyes and making Richie chuckle quietly.
"It's like four thirty am"
"I hate... your job" Eddie mumbled, his arms finding their way around Richie and pulling him closer as tight as he could with his weak from sleep arms. Richie felt his whole heart combust in happiness, he was so fucking cute. "Was it good?"
"Baby, sleep" Richie said, smiling fondly and kissing his forehead. Eddie whined quietly, moving up and trying to reach his mouth. Instead, his lips ended up on Richie's right nostril and made him snort, and Eddie let out a whine again. It was so cute, he was so sleepy. "Baby..."
"I wanna kiss" Eddie complained, and Richie held back a coo, leaning down and pressing his lips to Eddie's. He finally calmed down, kissing him back, just a sweet press of lips that left him pliant and sleepy again, a yawn being the thing that broke them apart. Then, Eddie let out a satisfied sigh and pressed his face to Richie's neck, curling up against him for his next one and a half hours of sleep. Richie sighed contently and held him close, closing his own eyes and allowing sleep to reach him.
It felt so right, being like this.
----------------------
"-chie! Richie! Richard! RICHARD!"
Richie groaned, his eyes blinking open slowly. He felt like shit. What time was it? He looked around, and Eddie was shaking him desperately, his eyes wide. Richie frowned and held his arms.
"Calm down Edward I'm awake" he complained, rubbing his eyes. "What the fuck is going on? What time is it?"
"It's six in the morning, get up" Eddie said, firmly, and Richie frowned even deeper.
"I only wake up at eleven... what the fuck?"
"Richie, get up and make your bags now. I just called the airport, our plane leaves in two hours" eddie said, angrily, throwing some clothes at Richie when he sat up. He was utterly confused, had they made plans for that day that he didn't remember?
"What is going on Eddie?"
"Stan woke up!"
Richie's eyes widened and he looked at Eddie, who looked back at him, determined.
Oh.
That made sense.
"So... Florida?"
"Yeah"
"Cool..."
-----------------------
They weren't the first to arrive, but they weren't the last ones either so that was fine. Richie was still tired as fuck, but it was pushed to the side when he and Eddie entered the hospital, meeting the losers all there but Mike, who would be arriving in a few hours. Billy, Bev and Ben looked at them and immediately ran, pulling the two for a tight hug. They hugged them back, sighing shakily.
"How is he?" Eddie asked, looking between the other three and receiving relieved glances.
"He is confused, and weak, but he is fucking alive" Ben said, holding Bev's hand tightly. Billy sighed shakily.
"I c-c-can't believe it... H-he..."
"Relax Billy" Richie said, tapping his shoulder. "I know you're still going through stuff but like it's the clown's fault, not yours okay?"
"Yes. Besides, we need to give him support now" Eddie added, holding Billy's hand and smiling. Bill smiled at them, weakly, and then sighed.
"Thanks guys..."
"So, when is Mikey arriving?" Richie asked, and Bev looked down at her phone, checking the messages.
"um... he said he had left New York in the morning at the same time you two did so probably soon" she said, putting her phone down again. Just in time, the hospital doors opened and Mike showed up, his eyes widening as he ran to the group.
"Guys!"
"Mike!" they all responded, pulling him for a group hug before he pulled away and looked around.
"Where is he? Have you guys seen him yet?" he asked, almost desperate, and Bev placed her hand on his chest.
"Relax Mike. We haven't, his family is inside right now. They have been for a while now, his parents and his wife. They said that as soon as he is stable they will call us inside" she said, looking back at the doors. "I think they are trying to convince to let the six of us inside. Usually only three people can be inside with him at a time."
"I'm pretty sure Bill and Eddie count as a fourth of an person so that's not a problem" Richie said, making the group chuckle for a moment aside from Bill and Eddie. "But then again, Mike and I count for four people, so we have a problem."
"Beep beep Richie" Eddie said, shaking his head and looking up when a woman walked out of the door separating the rooms from the waiting area. She looked up at them and smiled weakly.
"Oh, the gang is all here now... Hey, I'm Patricia for those who don't know" she said, walking closer and shaking Eddie, Richie and Mike's hands. Bev placed her hand on her shoulder, worried.
"So, can we come in? How is he?"
"Stanley is... well he is shocked" she said, sighing and crossing her arms. "He has been crying for the last hour or so... only now he stopped. He said he isn't ready to see any of you... but his parents are convincing him."
"We un-understand" Bill said, and she smiled at him. "B-b-but tell him we a-aren't mad..."
"Actually we are relieved" Ben said. "And very, very happy he is okay."
"I am trying to, but he insists... He said he was a coward, that he left you guys behind... I don't know what he is talking about" Patricia sighed, rubbing her eyes. "He said he had dreams of you being hurt... fighting a monster... I think he is not being able to deal with his guilt, but I don't understand..."
"Don't worry, we totally do" Richie said, smiling at her. "Tell him to let one of us come inside. Any of us. Whoever goes inside will be able to convince him to see the others, I'm sure."
Patricia sighed and nodded, holding Bev's hand for a moment before heading inside again. They all looked at each other and most of them sighed.
"God Stan..." Bev mumbled, leaning against Ben. "Imagine what would have happened if he had died..."
"Pretty much the same but this would be a cemetery instead of a hospital" Richie said, and they all looked at him, with Eddie having enough and slapping him in the arm. "Hey!"
"Shut the fuck up Richie" he said, shaking his head. They all got quiet then, and after a few minutes, Patricia and Stan's parents walked out. She came closer to the group and looked around.
"He agreed. He wants to see three of you first. Bill, Ed and Rich."
"The original losers club" Mike said fondly, and both Bev and Ben smiled. Eddie, Richie and Billy looked between each other before nodding, heading inside after saying hello to Stan's parents and knocking on the door. Eddie opened it up, and they all walked inside, seeing Stan looking out of the window, surrounded by machines that beeped all the time. Only after Bill closed the door that Stan moved his eyes from the window to the covers, and they slowly made their way around the bed, Richie on one side, Eddie and Bill on the other.
"Hey there Stan the man" Richie said, smiling a bit, but Stan didn't respond. He didn't smile or move his head or anything. They stayed quiet for a moment, before Eddie reached out and held Stan's hand.
"Hey man" he said, smiling. "Good to see you."
Stan finally had a reaction then. His eyes didn't leave the covers, and he didn't squeeze Eddie's hand back, but his lips pressed closer together and his eyebrows furrowed, before his eyelids closed and two tears slid down his face. A sob shook his whole body and the three reacted at the same time, sitting down and pulling Stan into a hug. Stan curled up between them, sobbing now loudly, and even Richie could feel the sting in the back of his eyes, forming cloudy tears in his vision.
Fuck... Stan was alive.
Thank god.
-------------------------
"So... what did I miss?" Stan asked after long, long hours of talking and crying. Now all the losers were inside the room, sitting around wherever they could, talking to Stan. Mike, Ben and Bev had said their hellos and cried as well, but now they were all calmer and trying to catch up. Richie chuckled at Stan's question though, shaking his head.
"Well you missed Derry, which isn't anything to miss, you missed cursed Chinese restaurants and a killer clown that turned into a giant spider... so nothing really. Nothing you hadn’t seen before" Richie said, smirking. Stan gave him a small smile.
"So... you guys killed it?" he asked, softly. "I had so many dreams while I was in comma... I think I saw you guys doing it..."
"Oh yeah, we crush its heart with our bare hands. It was disgusting" Eddie said, nodding and leaning back against Richie. He wrapped an arm around Eddie, pulling him closer. Stan looked at them and raised an eyebrow.
"Am I missing something over there?"
"Oh yes, actually they are the group's power couple now" Bev said, smiling at them, and Stan's eyes widened in surprise. Eddie rolled his eyes but Richie blushed and looked away. "We call them Reddie."
"You call them that" Ben corrected, shaking his head. "But yes. Turns out they loved each other since forever and never had the guts to say it until Eddie was about to die. Crazy right?"
"I mean I can't say I saw it coming... but I like it" Stan said, smiling, and Mike nodded.
"We all do."
"Can we talk about literally anything else?" Richie complained, his face completely red by now, while Eddie smirked widely.
"He's so shy" he cooed, poking his cheek and making Richie groan.
"You're such an asshole."
"Only for you baby, love of my life, cherry of my eye-"
"I swear if you keep that going I will break up with you right now Kaspbrak."
"You couldn't."
"Are you challenging me?"
"Guys oh my god" Beverly laughed and Stan had a wide smile on his face. Suddenly he started laughing, and they all looked at him, with Eddie and Richie smiling back. He snorted, looking at them, and sighing happily.
"I missed you guys so much" Stan mumbled, and Bev moved closer to him, signaling for everyone to move close. They all joined up on Stan, pulling everyone else for a group hug with Stanley right in the middle, snuggled against them all.
"We missed you too Stan. A-a-a lot" Billy said, nuzzling against his curly hair and sighing contently.
They all stayed quiet for a long time, enjoying the group's company and breathing each other in. Suddenly, it felt like they were 13 again, just living their best lives, without any fear or threat in the air.
It really felt perfect, that little moment between them.
And now they really would never forget each other again.
-------------------
"Back home at last... god that was a long and emotionally heavy trip" Eddie said as they walked inside their flat, throwing his stuff anywhere and laying on the couch with a loud sigh. It was five pm but they were both exhausted after that trip, seeing Stanley and everything. Richie put his bag on the floor and moved closer to Eddie, climbing over him on the couch and laying half on top of him. Eddie complained quietly and wiggled to get in a better position, settling eventually and holding Richie's waist.
"At least Stan is alive" Richie mumbled against Eddie's neck, kissing it and humming happily. Eddie sighed, nodding and rubbing small circles on Richie's back.
"Insane right... everyone thought he was a goner... and there he was, alive and well and laughing with us... fuck" Eddie mumbled, hiding his face on Richie's curls. They both got silent, letting the thought linger.
After too long in silence, Richie decided to break the sadness, kissing Eddie's chin.
"We are all alive. That's what matters, isn't it?"
"Pretty much yeah."
"Then let's not linger in what could have happened" Richie said, looking up at Eddie and kissing him softly, lovingly, longingly. "I love you, Eddie Spaghetti."
"And I fucking hate when you call me that."
"I know. It's a nickname. A petname. It brings me comfort."
"You'll see the comfort when I kick you in the balls."
"Eds, why are you like this?"
"Don't call me Eds!"
They kept bickering for what felt like an eternity, in between kissed and tickles and laughs and annoyed sighs, until they began feeling too sleepy for it and fell asleep in the discomfort of their couch, holding each other closer.
