Chapter Text
Its 10 pm, a late hour to be out in the woods for any kid in Derry except for Connor who is used to lurking around till midnight only to find a new spot to watch the stars. This night is different than the others, while walking around he found himself behind a boy who was sitting in the grass bellow, the boy was hugging his legs tightly close to his chest, he can hear little sniffs coming from him, the boy hasn't realize that Connor is right behind them.
Connor is debating if he should come close to the boy and try to console him or if he should leave him alone. He wonders who is that boy? why is he there? why is he crying?
The sudden movement of the boy shakes Connor out his thoughts, with one hand the boy leaves his big bulky glasses on his side and then Connor really takes a look at the boy, the lanky figure, the black hair, the white as snow skin, the hawaiian t-shirt and it hits him, the boy standing there, crying, its none other than Richie Tozier, Richie the nice boy he met at the Aladdin, the same boy who because of his fear of henry he threw under the bus.
Since the incident he is being dying trying to apologize to the boy, hopping he would understand why he did what he did so Connor could feel less guilty, and now, here he was, alone at dark. Before Connor could change his mind he convinces himself that this is his only chance..
"Richie..?"
In one fast movement the boy puts his glasses on his face, he stands up and turn around. Connor is surprise by the expression of pure fear that cover the boys face and he realises that Richie probably thinks about what happened, did the thought Connor was gonna hurt him? or that Henry was around? He couldn't know the reason of the intense fear but he felt sad, Richie was so nice that day and he betrayed him...
"Don't be scared of me please, i come here to apologize.... I am just as afraid of Henry as you are.... im sorry, what i did was not cool at all, i shouldn't have done that, i think you are such a nice guy and it's so unfair that you get pick at... and fuck.... i just made it a lot worse for you didnt I?....I'm sorry... I mean it" Connor realises he is rambling so he looks at the ground and takes a deep breath.
"If i could change what I did, I would.... sorry again"
Richie is shocked, he is suddenly angry, does this boy think and apology will change things? he is getting bullied to life about what happened. He is about to start shouting at the boy but one look at him and he notices the shame, the sadness lurking in his face, his eyes not leaving the ground, his body still, waiting for an answer from Richie, with that he realises that he understands,because at the end, we all do crazy things when we are afraid....
"I forgive you"
As soon as Richie said that he turned around and sat back down in the grass, he didn't expected a conversation with the boy so he made things easier by turning around and giving Connor a chance to leave at his own pace without being watched. Something that Richie didn't expect was for the boy to sit by his side, he expected even less to have a conversation with that boy that would last hours, but it did happened and Richie couldn't help but feel excited when the boy asked if he was going to be there in the barrens at the same time tomorrow. He knew he was playing with fire by spending time with Connor but he couldn't help but love hearing and looking at the charming boy.