Chapter Text
You know that feeling of wanting to escape, to feel free and surrounded only by the people you love? It doesn't matter where you are, if you're hot or cold, if you're hungry or full, if you're full of energy or your eyes are barely opened of tiredness...just being with the people that are important for you and be free! Free to feel whatever you want, free to say all it comes to your mouth without thinking it twice, free to do what you want without being judged. For sure Ben Hanscom felt that before he built the fort for The Losers Club. He only did it thinking of them and the amazing time they will spend here. Yes, you couldn't feel the brize down here, it's humid and dark but, with them, it feels like home. 3 years since they have been to this place and nothing seemed to change. Stan keeps rolling his eyes at every stupid thing Richie and Eddie say and do, Ben's feelings for Bev are growing more and more as her feelings for Bill, apparently. Bill is as blind to these feelings as he has always been and Mike tries to keep them all together in peace. About Richie and Eddie, well.....
" Get the fuck more to the left, idiot! I have no space in this freaking hammock because of you! Jeez!"
"If you wouldn't have insisted to climb in with me, asshole, space would not be a problem for any of us! Why are you so idiot, Eduardo? Don't you see we don't have space in this together?"
" Your time EXPIRED, fool! 10 fucking minutes! 3 years and your little brain still does not understand this!"
" YOUR little brain does not understand that we DO NOT HAVE SPACE here together, asshole!"
Ben thinks Stan's eyes couldn't roll more on this point. Mike is smiling fondly looking at them. Somehow, Ben feels that Stan and Mike are knowing something about Richie and Eddie that no one else does, neither Richie and Eddie. Bill is looking calmly at them like the leader he is. Ben knows he is the leader and always respected him. He is their ideal and none of the boys needs to say this out loud because it is like a silent agreement. Each one admires Bill and wished secretly to have the power he has when they will be adults. Bill has grown up way too quickly sadly since those incidents....those times that no one wants to remember and hope secretly that they will forget somehow, someday. They will? This is another silent thing that everyone wonders but no one speaks about it. They wish so bad to forget it hurts sometimes. They would give everything to forget everything that happened that summer. Bev holds a cigarette and the smoke from it touched Ben's cheek. To Ben, this is almost like one of Bev's touches and he shivers. He hopes that his feelings would be reciprocated one day but he knows it's only a dream. Bev likes Bill and he is nothing like Bill. This wouldn't happen. He would at least have the memories with her from these years. It's not what he wants, of course, but it is something. He would never be the brave, strong, good-looking guy Bill is. He would never have the power Bill has towards others. He can't hate Bill, though. Uncontrary, it seems like he admires him even more now, while he's looking at him and sees those old eyes in this tiny body. How much he had suffered and what a courage he had...Bill is great, indeed, and he is not. If he would have been a girl and he had to choose between him and Bill, he would choose Bill too. Well, at least they are happy. It's all Ben wants. Seeing Bev happy even if it's not with him, but with Bill or whoever she wants. He sighs.
"I've told you to move, jackass! Your butt is occupying 80% of this hammock!"
" 80% ? Wow! So precise, Eds! How'd you know that? You checked out the hammock or my butt?"
"I..."
Suddenly, Eddie stops. He can't see his face, but Ben can feel it. He sees it on Richie's face, who's staring at Eddie with his lips parted like he always does when he says one of his stupid jokes and he knows it is a stupid one. He feels like he shouldn't be here anymore. Luckily, he doesn't have to say it because he really doesn't know how should this be said without causing more awkwardness.
"It's enough! I would hear about anything, literally ANYTHING on this planet, but not about Richie's butt!" Stan is talking and he does it right because the tension is quickly solved. " Let's go, guys!"
" Yeah, I am so done being here!"
Richie wants to get up, but Stanley stops him.
"Hmmm, who was talking to you, again? No! I've talked to the WISE people in here, the five of us. You, little idiots, will stay here and solve this shit. Ok?"
" Oh hell, no, Stan! I am not staying here with this idiot!"
"Well, you will, Eddie, otherwise I'll be very pissed and you really don't want to get me pissed, ok? Now, when we'll return, I don't wanna hear anything, neither the smallest thing, about Richie's butt! I that clear?"
Both Richie and Eddie have to accept the fact that Stan is incredibly decided at this point and they both know that, in this situation, no one can do a thing to make him change his mind. Stan is calm and quiet most of the time, but he has the fabric of a leader too. Not like Bill, who's brave and who'd go to warfighting with his bare hands to protect the people he loves. Stan fights with words. Stan fights with the brain. If Bill is the one who can start a war, Stan would be the one who'd end it. Richie remembers his Bar Mitzvah. How brave Stan was to talk like that in front of all those people! Richie felt the urgent need to applaud, forgetting for a moment that his mother is there, his neighbours. He wishes to be as brave as Stan was that day and to say what he thinks, what he feels too...but he can't.
''Fine."
"Aye aye, Captain!"
"Stan, this won't work! He is annoying already!"
"You'll make it work. Do not make me say it again! You have 3 hours."
And, with this, Bill, Ben, Bev, Mike and Stan left and let Richie and Eddie mad in the hammock.
" I'm not making peace with you, butt-face!"
" The only peace would be making with me, Eds, has a lot to do with your butt, actually, and believe me that you don't want to give you another detail!"
Richie did it with this line because Eddie's cheeks are dark red right now and he is staring at him with an angered-shocked expression and, with this, both of them know that this has just begun! These 3 hours would be some long hours, that's for sure!
'I'll fucking win, you bastard!' think both Richie and Eddie at the same time.