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You didn't know why you couldn't bring yourself to walk inside. As you stood outside the Jade of the Orient, your hands shoved in the warm pockets of your beige coat, you heaved a great sigh. A million thoughts raced through your head, filling you with a sense of dread that crept through your entire body and chilled you to the bone.
Maybe it was that strange, unsettling feeling pooling in your stomach, telling you that before the night was over, something would go terribly wrong. Maybe, you thought, some things were better forgotten, buried.
You bit your bottom lip and moved to stand in front of the door, your hand hovering over the handle for a few seconds. Bracing yourself, you wrapped your hand around the cold, metal handle and pulled the door open, slipping into the restaurant. Just as the sudden wave of cold air hit you, a waitress approached you with a small smile. "Welcome to the Jade of the Orient."
"Hi, yeah, I'm here for a reunion with Mike Hanlon? Y/N L/N?" You managed to speak, your fingers fidgeting with the change in your pocket. The waitress's eyes scanned the long list on her podium, and she smiled and nodded her head.
"This way, please." The waitress then led you through an array of booths, and down into a small dining area. Despite your initial anxiety, you couldn't deny the warmth that enveloped you at the sight.
The Losers, in all their glory, sat around a table, all of them laughing amongst each other. One by one, they turned to look at you, the laughter ceasing. You smiled widely. "Hey, Losers." You greeted, chuckling as their faces lit up in recognition.
Ben was the first to approach, chuckling at the confusion evident in your face. Behind him, Beverly subtly mouthed the name 'Ben', and without sparing a second, you launched yourself at him in a tight hug.
"Holy shit, huggy bear?" You gasped, making Ben laugh as he returned the hug, greeting you. He pulled away, and you took his face between your hands, playfully looking him over. He had lost weight, that was a given. But those kind, gentle eyes of his gave him away. "Look at you! Still as cute as you were back then." You teased, making him roll his eyes fondly and blush.
Bill was next, pulling you into a hug and lifting you off the ground, spinning you around and making you squeal and laugh. It was refreshing to see that Bill hadn't changed one bit. He still treated you like a sister, just as he had 27 years ago. "Hey, Denbrough." You grinned, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Bill set you down and smiled. "It's been so long." You sighed wistfully, giving him another quick hug.
"Hi, excuse me, can I cut in?" Richie interrupted, causing both you and Bill to turn to him and laugh. He hadn't changed either. His dark locks were just as unruly as they had been before, and the glasses that sat atop the bridge of his nose were still a size too big. "Hi, peaches." He greeted, kissing the side of your head. You pulled away to look at him, bringing your hands up to playfully adjust the glasses on his face, which made him scrunch up his face.
"Hi, Trashmouth." You giggled in return.
"Seriously, though, I have a question. How the fuck are you still so hot?" He asked as he looked you over, causing you to tilt your head back and let out a small laugh. You gave him a light shove after you pulled away from the hug, and turned to look at Beverly.
Both of you stared at each other for a second, taking the other in. Beverly had definitely gotten taller, but her face stayed the same. Just as stubborn and badass as she had been when they were teenagers. Squealing in excitement, you pulled her into your arms. "God, finally. The only other sole voice of reason!" She teased, making you laugh. When you both broke away from the hug, your body automatically launched into something you honestly thought you'd forgotten.
The secret handshake you and Beverly had made up as kids. Ending in a pinky swear, you both looked at each other, delighted and confused.
Everyone fell silent for a second, thinking about what had just happened. But soon, everybody was laughing.
"How did you remember that?" Bill asked with a smile, and both you and Beverly just shrugged and grinned.
You then turned to Mike, who hugged you and smiled. While you'd never admit to having favorites, Mike was definitely your favorite. He had always looked after you, even though he knew it would cause him trouble. He'd stand up for you in school, not caring that he'd get shit from the Bowers gang for it later, and he had been your date to homecoming when your date canceled on you last minute.
"Gremlin." He greeted, causing you to smile, closing your eyes and hugging him just a bit tighter.
"Bubba." You said in return, a tiny sigh escaping your lips. "Thanks for calling, Mikey." You said quietly, and he nodded his head, an honest smile on his lips.
"It's not a party without you, Y/N. You know that." He said, and you just nodded.
Finally, you pulled away, and as Mike moved back to the table, you met face to face with none other than Eddie Kaspbrak. You took initiative and hugged him tight, your chin resting on his shoulder. His arms came around your waist, holding you close. "Hey, Eds." You spoke just as softly as you had back then, back when you'd have to calm him down after an asthma attack. He caught on to this, and his grip tightened on you a bit.
"Hey, Y/N." He smiled. The two of you broke away, and when he went to sit down, that same sense of dread that had filled you before you had stepped foot into the restaurant came back. Your eyes scanned the table, and you realized somebody was missing.
"Is Stan not here yet?" You asked, taking a seat between Ben and Richie. Across from you, Mike shook his head. The feeling grew stronger, and your eyes locked with Beverly's for a split second.
She hadn't been the only one caught in the deadlights. You both knew. You had seen what she had seen.
As the food arrived and the laughter grew, you could only hope you were wrong.