Chapter Text
Early February 2001 - Glendora, California
Richie stood in the middle of the road looking one way, then the other. Taking in the whole street scene. The mountains jutted up as a backdrop to what could have been Jackson or Witcham street back in Derry. A tree lined street with large older homes on it.
“Fuck. I feel like I’m back in high school, walking to Billiam’s or Spaghed’s place.” Richie muses to himself, still in the middle of the street. “It’s abso-fucking-lutely perfect.” He says again to himself as he turns and takes in the house directly behind him.
It is exactly the type of house Eds had fallen in love with so many years back when they first came to California for school. Taking the first, of many long drives, to familiarize themselves with Southern California.
The home in question faces north and the wide front patio has a view of the San Gabriel Mountains that was blocked here and there by large live or black oak trees that arched over the street to create a beautiful tree lined street. The house sat on a good sized plot and was bigger than they really needed, but that’s ok that would give the Losers someplace to stay when they visited.
“This is the 10th house I’ve looked at and it’s the one.” He told himself, still standing in the middle of the street. “Eds will love it. Once I tell him about it.” He mused wondering if he had overstepped the bounds of his relationship with Eddie by doing this on his own. He quickly brushed off those thoughts.
He and Eddie had been talking for years about what it was they were looking for in a house, and this one fit the bill. It was far better than the 2 bedroom condo they had in Glendale. Sure it was close for him, but Eddie had to drive for an hour in heavy traffic to get to his job at the Kaiser hospital in Baldwin Park. This was much closer for Eds but a bit of a longer commute for himself.
“Yeah my commute is going to be hell but Eds and this house are worth it.” He said aloud. He was THE DJ for a nationally syndicated prime time radio show. Eddie was the the chief administrator for the hospital, and was in charge of all the nurses and policy making for the hospitals in the area. “I’ve got some pull at the station. I can make it work.” He said convincing himself.
“Mr. Tozier, would you please come out of the street? There is some more I would like to show you.” The real estate agent shouted from the porch, looking decidedly worried that Richie would get hit by the non-existent cars.
“Yeah sure dude, keep your pants on. I’m coming and I think we have quite a bit more to talk about.” Richie shouted back.
If any of the Losers had told him that one day he would be buying a California bungalow for himself and Eddie in Glendora, California he would have told them to run down Center Street naked.
Late March 2001
“Babe, why the fuck are we driving way the hell out to Glendora again?” Eddie asks. Just a bit annoyed.
“Jeezly fuck Eds, I told you. Josh told me that there was a Mexican food place out here that we would love and could not miss.” He lied to Eddie again for what felt like the millionth time.
“Your board operator told you this? When the hell was here out here? Isn’t this hell and gone from where he lives?” Eddie pushed again. He knew something was up. Richie’s tells were all going off. He just couldn’t figure out what it was.
After so many years of being friends, then as a couple, Eddie had gotten very good at reading his dear Richard. Rich thought he was good, not great, at keeping things secret. He may well be good at it with others but not with Eddie. Richie was like glass to Eddie, he could see right through him.
“He was coming back from Big Bear and stopped cause he tenia hambre and found this place by accident.” Richie says as he rubbs his ear lobe.
Eddie saw this and just knew something was up. “Oh ok. Well you know I love me some Mexican food. When will we get there?”
“Soon.” Richie says with unusual brevity.
The two of them drove on, listening to the radio, Richie adding color commentary on how bad the DJ was.
About 10 minutes later Richie takes the second exit for Glendora off the 210 Freeway and starting making his way north. Richie was getting quieter and more nervous by the second. It was getting harder and harder for Eddie to ignore it. Just as Eddie was going to burst and just ask Richie what the fuck was up, they turned onto a beautiful street and Eddie’s concern about Richie’s nervousness faded in an instant.
“What a beautiful street. These houses are so cute.” Eddie commented.
“Yeah, they are aren’t they Spaghetti.” Richie answered. He says as he drives slowly down the street. Kids were playing in the yards and riding their bikes up and down the street.
“It looks so much like home, Derry home, I mean. Holy crap, check out that view. Oh my god the mountains are so close here.” Eddie continues.
By this time Richie had slowed to a crawl and was pulling to the curb in front of a beautiful pale green and yellow house with a huge front window and large 2nd floor window and a large patio.
“Rich why’d you stop?” Eddie asks forgetting about his previous suspicions.
“Let’s take a look at this bitch Eds.” Richie says with a great deal of confidence.
“What. What the hell Tozier? We can’t just bust in on this house. The neighbors will call the cops.” Eddie says looking around at the neighbors.
“Nah Spagheds we’re cool. I know the owner. I told him that you loved houses like this and he offered to let us take a peek.” Richie responded.
“Richard Wentworth Tozier what is up with your so-called mind? As far as I know you don’t know anyone in Glendora.” Eddie chastised him again.
“Eds… sweetie… trust me, ok.” Richie pleaded. “Come on, let’s go take a look.”
“Ok. I’ll trust you. But the last time I did, we almost wound up in jail.” Eddie stated.
“Look Eds, is it my fault that the rangers at Acadia National Park don’t take a shine to skinny dippers.” Richie said with a huge smile. Getting out of his side of the car and going around to open Eddie’s door.
“Yes, it is. I still don’t know how we didn’t wind up in jail.” Eddie says as he gets out of the door Richie held open for him.
“You have been living for years with a silver tongued devil, Eds. You just underestimate my power of persuasion.” Richie said beetling his eyebrows at Eddie.
“Well you are a devil. I’ll give you that.” Eddie said. “Who owns this place again?”
“A friend sweetie, a friend. Don’t worry.” Richie reassured Eddie as he takes a set of keys from his pocket. “Now come on.”
Together they mounted the steps and looked around the front porch.
“Oh my lord this is such a beautiful porch. Perfect for a couple of chairs to sit and watch the mountains.” Eddie said looking around at the size of the porch. “Where’s the porch furniture?”
Richie simply ignores Eddie and opens the ornate oak front door with the bubble glass quadruple windows. First Richie walks in and then with a bow and sweep of his hand Eddie follows him.
“Richie where the fuck is the furniture? Why is this house empty?” Eddie says with more than a little bit of alarm.
“Eds it’s ok. Relax babe. I told you that the owner is a friend. Well, you’ve been my friend longer than almost everyone I know. It’s yours, or rather, ours.” He says as he drops the keys into Eddies hand that he had taken into his own and upturned.
“Wha…” Is all that Eddie gets out.
“It’s our Eds. This is our new house.” Richie said swinging his arms wide. “I bought it for us. It closed a week ago. I’ve only just gotten the keys.”
“Rich we can’t…” Eddie started.
“Yes we can and I did. I just hope that you don’t mind. I wanted to tell you. But this had to be a surprise. Hell I didn’t even tell Stanisalus when he called last month. That was fucking hard let me tell you. What with him going on and on about him and Mikey were making the farmhouse their own.” He says making a mock disgusted face.
“Eds look around. It’s ours, promise. There are a few papers I need you to sign, but other than that it’s ours. Go look.” Richie said shooing Eddie off.
They spend the next two hours going through the whole house and yard. Talking about paper, paint, furniture, etc. They leave to eat, ironically at the Mexican restaurant Richie had been recommended. Not from Josh but from the real estate agent. They then went back to the house and did more planning. While they were their their next door neighbors came over and introduced themselves. It was a perfect afternoon. As they were getting ready to leave. Richie calls Eddie over to the fireplace.
“Come ‘ere Eds. I need to ask you something.” Richie says and then subconsciously rubs his ear lobe.
Eddie is instantly alert but comes over anyway. “What do you want Rich? You’ve surprised me enough for three lifetimes today.” He says as he takes Richie's face into his hands and kisses him tenderly on the lips.
At that Richie smiles widely at Eddie. Then he drops to one knee and takes a ring from his pant pocket. “Edward Franklin Kaspbrak will you marry me? You’ve had to put up with my shit since we were kids. Will you continue to put up with my shit? In return I promise to never look at another bowl of spaghetti since I have you, no other spaghetti will satisfy.”
With tears in his eyes, Eddie says, “Richard Wentworth Tozier bane of my existence since I was a toddler, the only man to make me smile at dumb jokes. Yes Richie, love of my life, I will continue to put up with your shit, so long as you promise to put up with mine. I will marry you and be the only Spaghetti in your life.”
“Kaspbrak gets off a good one!” Richie yells and then slips the ring on Eddie’s finger, lets out a huge woop, sweeps Eddie up into his arms and kisses him.
As he puts Eddie down he whispers in his ear, “Let get our furniture over here, STAT, so that way we can christen the bedroom.”