Chapter Text
Homecoming was one of the most stressful situations for something that should, logically, not bring much stress. It's a good way to let off some steam from the first semester stress. But, despite the intent, the thought of it caused Richie some stress. Like. He was supposed to dress up, but not too much. But not too casual, either. Something in the middle. He couldn't wear shorts, those were too casual, and so was a brightly patterned shirt, but he could wear a funky tie because that was endearing, not cringy.
All this to say, Richie had turned up in black trousers, a white shirt, and a tie he found in the back of his closet which he couldn't figure out if he'd had it from another formal, or if it was from a cosplay.
The lights inside the sport hall were flashing red, blue and green and it was making Richie's head pound alongside the music. He just wanted to get out of here, but he'd promised his friends that he'd just try to stay for a little while. He could feel eyes of his peers on him as he sat alone at the table, waiting. For once, Richie was the first of his friends to arrive at one of these things, and he hated every second of it.
The bullying had stopped fully the week of the game, so he didn't even have the interaction of bullies to distract him from the situation. Thankfully, Ruth had decided that was their moment to enter the function. Despite their trousers being the same as nearly every day, she wore a white shirt and orange suit vest over the top of it. For once she'd actually dressed up. When she saw Richie, she grinned and ran over.
"Richie!" They exclaim and sit next to him. "This is gonna be the best night ever, yeah? Because like. Everyone is gonna look so hot and the dance didn't get cancelled, so you know what that means?" Her smile remained on her face.
"No, tell me." Richie had a hunch he knew what that meant, but he just wanted the conversation to continue.
"It means that there's gonna be so much dry humping, dude!" She gently hit Richie's arm. "Remember, you've gotta tell me if anything happens!"
Richie rolls his eyes, but nods and leans back in his seat.
Peter and Stephanie eventually join them at their table and Richie catches them holding hands. He gives Peter an approving smile. Ruth gasps.
"What?! When did this happen? Why did nobody tell me?" She all but shouts at them, leaning across the tablecloth with wide eyes. Richie rolls his eyes.
"Pete asked me out a couple of days ago." She explains and Peter winces.
"Oh no-"
"A couple of days?!" Ruth shouts before quieting down. Richie pulls her back into their seat. "You have been going out for a couple of days and you never told me?!" She tuts and shakes her head. "Does nobody here tell me when they're in relationships? I mean. First Richie, and now you, Peter? I'm hurt."
Pete rolls his eyes and Stephanie laughs. She leans against his shoulder and Richie feels that jealousy settle in his stomach again. He wanted that, to be that open about a relationship. He understood why he couldn't, but it didn't stop him from wanting it. Even if sneaking around did feel fun. But the prickle of guilt settled in his fingertips and bitterness pressed against the backs of his teeth. A lump formed in his throat and he was going to excuse himself before a weight was pressed against his shoulders.
He looks up and sees that the feeling was Max putting his elbows on Richie's shoulders.
"S'up dorks?" Max was smiling as if it was as easy as anything. The table says that they're fine in an overenthusiastic chatter, even if Richie isn't quite feeling it.
After what had happened, it was easy to fall into a new behaviour around him. Max had officially said that the nerds weren't to be bullied anymore. Though nobody really knew why, or where Max had gone for the two weeks he was missing.
If Richie was honest with himself he didn't even understand what had happened himself. He gets flashes of it, in his nightmares, from time to time. But he's not entirely sure he's not making it up a lot of the time.
Richie goes to Miss Retros whenever it gets particularly bad, the constant Deja Vu of everything, and Miss Holloway always gets him a plate of pancakes or a desert. She says it's on the house every time, but Richie always leaves some money by his plate anyway before he leaves. It feels weird to not pay.
And Duke is a chaperone at homecoming, this time, and Richie has caught him keeping a close eye on their table more times than he could count. It's a nice feeling, to have an adult that he could turn to if he felt like he needed to. It's been a while since he'd had that.
Max's arms shifting against him brings Richie back to the present, his shoulders now being held by Max's hands. Richie tilts back to look at Max, the top of his head gently bumping against Max's torso. Max smiles and Richie smiles back at him.
So maybe they were awful hiding their relationship when the people they were around knew about it. But Richie found he didn't even really care that much. And clearly Max doesn't either otherwise he wouldn't be interacting with them.
Ruth interrupts the moment with a high pitched awing noise. Richie snaps his head back up and gives her a "really" look.
"You're so obvious, guys." Steph comments, lightly. Max snickers above him and Richie rolls his eyes.
He feels like they're being watched and looks to the side to see the other members of the football team looking at their table. Richie feels discomfort itching under his skin. He shifts slightly to get Max's attention before he pulls out the notes app to talk to Max without it being obvious.
"Are you fine with it being obvious?" He types. From behind him, Max reads it before humming and lowering himself to be level with Richie's ear.
"It's fine. I'll talk to them later about it." He says, quietly. Richie's cheeks get slightly warm, and he nods.
The anxiety around it settles slightly. Max pats Richie's shoulder slightly before standing properly again, still leaning against Richie.
A friendly chatter falls around the table again as the nerds get used to the unfamiliar setting. Even the lights don't seem too bad anymore. Steph and Pete are holding hands on top of the table, dodging uncomfortable questions from Ruth with smiles on their faces as Richie pulls up a Manga on his phone to read. At one point, Max looks down and asks him what it is, and Richie explains about it. He then finds one that's got an English translation so Max can read over his shoulder with him, slowly scrolling through the pages.
Grace finds her way over to them and seems torn about what to say to the PDA being shown at their table. Richie hides his vision in his phone again before he gets a personal lecture about it, but he doesn't miss the matching orange and blue bracelets that Ruth and Grace are wearing. He's not exactly sure on what's going on between them after the Waylon place, but Grace hadn't been calling Ruth meek or helpless as often anymore.
Grace tuts, shaking her head, and muttering "sinners" under her breath before sitting at their table. So Richie thinks it's probably more for a cover for herself than actually calling them Sinners. Ruth is smiling and immediately brings Grace into her conversation with Pete and Steph and thankfully stops the sex talk.
---
They don't dance at Homecoming. It doesn't feel right to. So Richie sits and watches as Pete guides Steph around the dance floor. Pete was always the better dancer in their group, even if he met Ruth at tap class. Steph keeps tripping over Pete's feet, and he just keeps smiling at her, and Richie realized that they must be made for each other because there's no possibility that someone as patient as Pete is exists to fill his place in Steph's life. And there's nobody other than Steph who would encourage Peter to get out there and dance in front of virtually the whole school.
Richie leans back in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest.
He's sat alone, now. Ruth and Grace are also dancing. But they're being goofy about it, and Richie still can't figure out what the exact nature of it is. And Max is talking to the football team, presumably about their relationship, which alights some form of giddy butterflies in his stomach.
Maybe they will finally be open about it, at least at school, anyway.
Peter walks up to Richie and smiles, his hand in Steph's.
"We're gonna go to the playground on Laston to hang out for a bit. You coming?" He says. Richie looks at the time on his phone and nods.
"Yeah, why not." He stands up.
The movement notifies Grace and Ruth, who also walk over and join them as they begin to leave the hall.
Richie turns back at one point to look over the hall, and notices as Kyle all but pushes Max in their direction. And before he knows it, Max is waving back at the team and joining them in leaving.
They're not even outside before Max puts his arm around Richie's shoulder and smiles. "They know now. And they're gonna help not let it get back to dad." Richie smiles up at him.
He feels all warm and happy as they make their way to the empty playground.
It feels like the group has been friends forever. Richie and Max walk side by side at the rear of the group and Steph and Pete are hand in hand at the front. Ruth and Grace linger around the middle, chatting until Ruth grabs Grace's hand and drags her up to the swings, yelling about calling dibs for them both.
Laughter lights their hearts as they find seats on rubber floors and play equipment.
And, at least for that night, everything is okay again.