Chapter Text
"You're the only person I've ever..." Richie sighed. "Sorry, it's just– I don't talk like this."
"No, no. It's okay."
"I think of you all the time, Eddie. Even if I try not to. You're in every song I listen to, you were the first person to ever be nice to me when I moved here, and at first I thought maybe, I don't know. When my dad passed, you were the first one to call. Even when I didn't have anything to say, we just sat there."
Richie rubbed the back of his neck.
"I keep telling myself, 'Don't tell him, he's not like you. You'll lose him.' But you should know that..." He swallowed. "I'd choose you over anything."
"Aw, that's so—"
"Stop. Th-That was c-cringey."
Bill interrupted, shushing the waiter and Richie entirely. He leaned against the wooden counter, legs crossed and looking down at the two who sat at the table in front of him.
"Oh my god, I knew it."
"You go-gotta do it a-a-again. That w-was way too mu-much."
Richie's eyes widened. "No– No. I'm not doing that again. That was so fucking embarrassing."
"That w-would freak– I m-mean, that freaked m-me o-out, Rich. E-Eddie would vomit."
"I poured my heart out!" He buried his fingers into his frazzled curls, then dropped his head to the table. "I never get that vulnerable, you know that."
The waiter awkwardly watched them argue for a few more seconds before shaking his head and returning to work. Apparently, one of them had needed some sort of 'practice' to confess his feelings for a childhood friend. Cliché.
"J-Just be less s-sappy. Eddie h-hates t-that sorta thing." Bill paused. "Have y-you ever even f-flirted with E-E-Eddie? Like i-in a s-se-serious w-way? You need to b-be serious."
"Really, Bill? You're asking Richie Tozier to be serious?"
"C-Call him E-Eddie-Bear, or so-something. Do s-something you ha-haven't done before."
"You want me to call him Eddie-Bear? He hates that." Richie lifted his head from the table, grinning for a moment as Bill looked at him knowingly, "Okay, I mean– He dislikes a lot of things, but he hates being called that, seriously. His douchebag mom used to call him that. I'm experienced in the mind of Eddie Kaspbrak, y'know."
"You s-say that, but y-you can't even ask h-him to go o-out for a drink w-with you."
"I always ask him to grab drinks with me. He just always invites you and Stan! Can't you guys just not come to Trivia Night for once?"
"Richie, I'm n-not going to miss T-Trivia Night for y-your ten-year-l-late confession. I wake up on S-Sundays only f-for Trivia N-Night." Bill crossed his arms and leaned back on the counter behind him, pondering for a moment before continuing, "A-All you ha-have is time, Rich. S-So don't r-rush it."
Richie held his hands up. "Fine, fine. I won't rush it... I'll wait."
Slam.
Richie pushed the car door closed and fumbled with his keys. His eyes felt heavy-lidded from working so late. Any thought he could conjure in his mind was about passing out onto his bed. The only light outside came from his front porch and crickets chirped in the quiet neighbourhood. Every day felt like a cycle; wake up, go to work, silently curse yourself for failing to ask Eddie out, go to sleep.
When he at last got the correct key in hand, the front door creaked open. Most of the lights were off except for a few that kept the hallway dimly lit, enough to navigate himself around. Richie discarded his shoes and bag to the side of the hall before he turned his head forward and saw something lying on the floor. His breath hitched.
It was his cat, Sandy. She lay lifeless before him.
"Sandy...?" He knelt down beside her, calling her name repeatedly and checking for any signs of breathing. "No, no, no..."
From the corner of his eye, Richie could see a pill on the tile. Then more, and more. Pills scattered the ground, alongside cat food and water. His medicine must have fallen from the shelves and spilt all over the floor for poor Sandy to accidentally consume.
"Shit..." The store had already been so hectic and busy that day. People complaining, not putting things back correctly, and to top it all off, he had to work overtime. It drained Richie completely, so much he couldn't even try to properly process what had just happened. He bent down, collecting the pills from the floor and setting the tub back onto the shelf inside the cupboard, which he had accidentally left open that morning. The accident had led to his pet's death, Richie thought.
After cleaning up the fallen food, scrubbing the wooden tiles clean of grease and hair, and disposing of the small corpse, he fell onto his bed and nearly sunk into the thick duvet. Richie stared at the ceiling. His eyes still drooped, but he was unable to sleep after experiencing what had just happened. He'd never felt so alone. He had friends, family, and had had a pet, but none of those seemed to cure the growing pit in his heart. None of them could, except...
...Eddie.
Richie turned onto his side, grabbing his phone from his pocket. The bright screen glowed in the darkness of his room and nearly blinded him. He scrolled through Eddie's social media before lightly flinching when his phone started to vibrate.
Incoming Call: 'Eds😘😘 Kaspbrak'
A smile began to appear on his lips. Richie quickly sat up and switched his bed-side lamp on. It was almost like the call had immediately made him feel better.
"Hey."
"You were so unlucky working overtime today, it was so busy." A voice from the other end began. Eddie's voice sounded warm and made Richie feel the same way.
He chuckled, "I need a day off after that. It was like every lady on the block suddenly wanted to talk to me."
"Yeah, totally." There was a pause. "Oh yeah, what time are you showing up tonight? I wanna secure a spot early so none of those pricks take one before us."
Richie's smile slowly faltered. The idea of going out after Sandy died neither felt nor sounded right, even if it meant he could spend time with Eddie. "Oh... Uh– I don't think I can make it tonight, actually." He winced at the confession.
"Oh no, seriously? You know we need your brains for Trivia Night, Rich."
"Yeah... I've just got stuff to do, y'know? I've got some forms, applications, your mom."
Eddie huffed, "That's so gross. Anyways, I was going to tell you something."
"What?"
"You want me to tell you now?"
"I mean, yeah. Sure."
"I'm... putting in my two weeks."
"Really?" Something strange set in Richie's stomach and he felt his heart slowly drop. The thought of Eddie not being at work for a whole two weeks made him dread going to the hell-hole even more. "How come?"
"I don't know... It's just— We're running out of time, you might wanna skip that stuff you're working on."
"You're right, tonight's a night." He gently smiled and his finger hovered over the red button, ready to end the call.
"Shit!" Movement filled the audio for a moment. Richie's eyes widened and he waited for a follow-up. "Fuck, I just dropped my crystal ring down the drain!"
"Seriously? Did you get it back?"
"No! Like, it's gone! Of all days..." Eddie muttered to himself.
"Jeez, I'm sorry."
"Yeah, so annoying... Anyways, I'll see you there?"
"I can meet you there early if you want. You don't have to secure the spot alone."
"Actually, Bill's meeting me early, so I won’t be alone, but thanks."
Richie's head tilted up in frustration at the mention of Bill. He tried his best to play it nonchalant as he replied, something unnatural for him. "Okay cool. I’ll probably show up at around nine then. Working on some stuff."
"Sure, 'stuff'. See you then."
A bell jingled outside the shop as Richie strode in. The fairy lights, draped on each wall of the interior, were luminescent in the otherwise low light. Shelves were cluttered with incense, witchcraft books, and crystals.
"We're closing soon, so let me know if you need anything." The clerk announced to Richie without looking up. She continued her gossip on the phone when he approached her.
"I actually do need some help. Do you guys have like, uh, crystal rings?" He asked.
The clerk led Richie to a corner of the store. A miniature tree stood before them with delicate, crystal jewellery hanging off of it. "This is all we have. Each rock has its own unique energy," she explained, phone still in hand.
Richie peered at the tree for a moment, glancing at all the crystals they had. Amethyst, rose quartz, emerald, and a few more. "What's one that's good energy? Like, good vibes?"
"Probably citrine, it's basically sunshine in a rock." She brought the crystal to him.
"Okay, thanks."
The lady walked away. "Yeah, let me know if you need anything else."
"Sunshine in a rock... Eddie would hate that." Richie muttered, hanging the ring back onto the tree branch. He sighed, looking around the shop for anything else worthy of buying until something else caught his eye. A crimson, triangular prism box. It read, 'One Wish Willow. Spark the middle and break it in half! You only get one wish.'
A wish. That sounds fun, doubt it's real though. Richie thought, holding it in both hands and turning it over to read the rest of the information. Can't be that bad, I'm sure Eddie would like it.
The box slid across the counter, making the clerk look up from her screen. Her eyebrows raised. "No crystal?"
He shook his head. "I like this."
"Yeah, well, they've been pretty popular since we put them out. Y'know, 'everybody wants a wish!'"
"Well it's not for me, so..."
"Don't come back complaining." She chuckled as she scanned the box, handing it to him.
"Do people complain about these or...? "Richie chuckled too, although it was more of a nervous one.
The woman explained they were 'collectibles', that people didn't usually open them and that the people who did often came back complaining.
"Cause it's a scam? Or...?"
Hey, man, we're not sca–"
"No, no. I mean, why do they complain? Because they're mad it doesn't work?"
She exhaled through her nose, clearly getting frustrated, "Yeah, yeah. Something like that."
"Or it works and ruins their lives?" Richie continued, trying to joke with her.
"Yeah, they wish they were dead and end up dead."
They both exchanged smiles and laughed together for a few moments. "You're good, you need a raise." "Write a review."
Richie's laughs quieted down as he left the shop, the bell jingling once more. He fiddled with the One Wish Willow in his hands as the engine of his car switched on.
Barker's Pub was written on the bright, white sign that illuminated the Trivia bar. People constantly shuffled past, and surrounding conversations slowly became white noise to the four who sat. Stanley and Eddie discussed certain topics, Richie occasionally chipped in and Bill listened with a smile.
"And this woman kept asking me why the guitars were two hundred dollars over and over again!" Eddie gripped his hair aggressively. Small, brunette curls stuck out from between his fingers.
Stanley leaned forward in his seat, arms crossed. "It was horrible to even watch."
“I said, 'Well, ma’am, it's made with bronze and spruce wood'. and then she was still like, 'Okay well, why is it two hundred dollars'."
"Are you serious?"
“'Ma’am, these are very high quality.' I answered, then she said, 'You’re not answering my question. What makes these two hundred dollars?'."
Richie tried to fake a grin, listening to the gang. He couldn't stop his gaze from returning to Eddie, despite multiple attempts to look away. It was almost like he was a magnet to Richie's eyes. Jesus Christ. He knew he had been acting weird recently, but he somehow couldn't help it.
"Finally, I was just like, 'Why don’t you go interrogate the company who made the fucking guitar?'." Eddie shook his hands in anger and his cheeks appeared pink either from the drinks or the overall temperature in the bar.
"You definitely didn’t say fuck."
"No, I didn’t. But God I really wanted to."
Bill's hand gently rested on Eddie's shoulder in comfort. Richie forced a laugh and managed to grab Bill's attention.
Get Stan and go. He mouthed.
Bill's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. No.
Go—
"What the hell are you guys doing?" Eddie grinned at the two, then turned to Stanley. "I look over to these two and they're acting like blob-fishes all of a sudden."
"I'm not surprised." Eddie began to stand up from his seat, "Of course. Anyways, I'm going to go get some drinks."
"I'll come." Richie arose from his seat along with him.
"And anything else?" The bartender sighed.
"I'll get a uh... Piña Colada."
Richie's head immediately perked up at the request. "A Piña Colada?" He giggled at Eddie.
"Don't make fun of my drink!"
"I like a man who's in touch with his femininity!" He blurted out, his eyes nearly beginning to water from how much he was laughing.
Eddie's cheeks noticeably turned pinker than usual. "Why is that feminine!" He whined, "I just don't the taste of alcohol.
"Yeah, well get your juice!"
Eddie sighed in annoyance as Richie poked at him further until they stood in a comfortable silence, waiting for the bartender to pour their drinks.
"So, I was thinking—"
"Here's your shots!" Drinks gently slid across the counter. They both thanked the man.
"Anyway, I went to the store—"
"Open or closed tab?"
"Open," Eddie informed the bartender.
"I was just trying to say that since you dropped your rin—"
"Guys, S-Stan just told m-me that h-his dad used to ke-keep a gun in their sa-safe."
Bill suddenly approached them. Eddie looked somewhat surprised, to say the least.
"I feel like he should have told us that earlier..." He turned back to Richie, "Wait, what were you going to say?"
Richie huffed through his nose. "I was going to say, before I was interrupted, that I went to the st—"
"I didn't realise we were all taking a field trip to the bar." Hands on his hips and head tilted, Stanley had come out of nowhere. He stood beside Eddie and took a drink.
Bill held his drink up. "What a-are we to-toasting to?" The four murmured amongst themselves for a few moments before Richie blurted, "To Sandy."
They exchanged confused looks before chugging their shots.
Stanley's expression immediately softened as Eddie and Bill left to get ready for Trivia Night. "Why to Sandy?” he asked over the loud cheers of others.
Richie’s forced smile faltered for a moment as he stared down at the amber liquid in his glass. “She died,” he blatantly stated, clearing his throat. “She got into some pills while I was at work today."
Abrief silence settled over them, the noise of the pub suddenly feeling distant. Stanley looked genuinely taken aback and put a warm hand to Richie's shoulder. "Richie, I’m so sorry.” He felt tears start to well up in his eyes.
"It's okay."
"Let's go to karaoke!" Bill cheered, his arms swayed by his sides as they all exited the bar. Crickets chirped in the scene, the street outside was solemn and peaceful.
"No, I wanna go home."
"You're saying no to karaoke?"
"I'm saying no to bad singers and sticky tabletops when I just want to go home and sleep!" Eddie groaned.
"I can take you home, I'm fucking exhausted."
"You're not fucking with me, are you?" Eddie raised his eyebrows as he turned. "Richie Tozier is going to miss karaoke night?"
Richie rolled his eyes. "Write an article about it."
Eddie's gaze averted to behind him before pausing to search his fanny pack. "Does anyone have spare cash?"
"I think I have a twenty somewhere. Stanley had pulled a crinkled note from his pocket. It only lasted a few seconds in his hand before Eddie snatched it and ran towards a homeless man near them.
"I'll pay you back!"
"I never said you could have it." Stanley called, "Great, I just bought a guy's hairline."
Richie watched the brunette crouch beside the old man, who smiled and thanked him profusely for the money. For all his aggression and sharp tongue, Richie thought Eddie was one of the kindest people he'd ever met. Thoughtful, caring, and willing to help when it mattered. Richie’s grin widened as Eddie jogged back across the pavement toward his car. He tugged at the handle of the passenger seat's door. "Let's go."
"Okay, passenger princess."
"Shut up. I'm too tired for your bullshit."
"Sorry about your cat."
"'S fine." Richie slurred, keeping his eyes on the road. He didn't want to think about it. The drive had been quiet, with both of them exhausted it was hard to keep a conversation going. It consisted of Richie having to stop himself from slowly dozing off every once in a while as Eddie had his head turned away, staring off into the distance outside the window. "Well, it's not. But I guess it hasn't really hit me yet."
"You know you can always call me when it does."
"Yeah." He paused. "It's gonna be weird, y'know. Not seeing you everyday at work."
"I'm just... not happy there."
"I mean it's just a job, Eddie."
"I don't feel loved there, and I wanna feel love if I wanna bring my story to life." Eddie huffed, slumping down in his seat. "You know, you're the only person I can really talk to about this stuff. Especially a work. You're not a complete goof."
Humming of the car was the only noise that could be heard for a few minutes. After passing a few familiar streets, they were approaching Eddie's.
"Oh– I got you a little something, by the way." He sat up as they arrived.
"Ew, no. What'd you get this time?"
"Oh, you'll see."
Eddie chuckled as he leaped out the car, about to shut the door. "Night!" He called out.
"N-Night, Eddie-bear." Richie stuttered.
Suddenly, there was silence. Eddie turned around, facing Richie once again. But this time, it wasn't him yelling about annoying customers, or getting all red in the face after being teased, it was an expression that Richie hadn't seen often. His face was scrunched in disgust.
"Ew. Don't call me that."
"I-I know, I was kidding." Richie backed up in his seat as Eddie approached the car once more. "Sorry."
"You know I don't like that." He then asked warily, "Do you... like me?"
"What?"
"'Cause if you do, nows the time to tell me."
It was almost as if Richie's brain had short-circuited. Did he like Eddie? No. He loved Eddie. He loved Eddie's soft, brown hair, his doe-like eyes, the way he got all red when he was angry or flustered. He loved Eddie.
"I think we're good friends."
"'Kay. Good. Goodnight." Eddie sped-walked to his door, almost running away before Richie could spit another word or phrase out of his mouth. He had to blink three times before realising what he had done.
"Fuck." Richie's head dropped to the wheel in despair. He'd ruined it all now. He should have just said it right there and then. Even Eddie had told him that it was the time to say so, but he was a coward. The door slammed shut before Richie decided he was allowed to lift his head.
His thoughts were racing as he reached for his back, rummaging until he found what he was looking for. 'One Wish Willow. Spark the middle and break it in half! You only get one wish.' He desperately pulled it out of its packaging and held it in both hands. The branch-like stick inside chimed a melody loud enough the startle him. Richie took a deep breath.
"I wish Eddie Kaspbrak loved me more than anyone in the fucking world."