Read on Twitter
never in his life did richie think he would tell anyone, but he does. it's hard to think about, and harder to actually say.
he tells stan first, his first friend. stan doesn't hit him with a pretentious "i know," or a sarcastic "finally." the first thing stan does say is "you're
he tells stan first, his first friend. stan doesn't hit him with a pretentious "i know," or a sarcastic "finally." the first thing stan does say is "you're
gonna overheat your phone if you keep hyperventilating like that."
"i'm not hyperventilating," richie says, and then he starts crying instead. stan comforts him easily, even through facebook messenger (stan has an android), and he lets richie change the subject over and over.
"i'm not hyperventilating," richie says, and then he starts crying instead. stan comforts him easily, even through facebook messenger (stan has an android), and he lets richie change the subject over and over.
"give me some time before telling the others?" richie asks, which makes stan shake his head.
"i'm not telling anyone anything," stan says, which holds true even months later, when richie finally tells someone else.
"it's not a bit," he adds quickly after he comes out to steve,
"i'm not telling anyone anything," stan says, which holds true even months later, when richie finally tells someone else.
"it's not a bit," he adds quickly after he comes out to steve,
"you just have to know because, i mean, i might have some material for it. not just about, like, that, but maybe a couple jokes about it. i don't know."
steve isn't nearly as good at comforting richie when he starts crying, but he's supportive nonetheless. richie finally shows
steve isn't nearly as good at comforting richie when he starts crying, but he's supportive nonetheless. richie finally shows
up to a show on time for the first time in years, after telling the rest of his friends and then the entire internet. the first show after coming out is a hit, and richie shakes the whole way through.
"what time do you brush your teeth?" eddie asks one day. richie says, easily,
"what time do you brush your teeth?" eddie asks one day. richie says, easily,
"never done that before in my life." eddie growers at him, except it's hilarious because even sitting on a barstool, richie is a little taller than he is.
"if i'm gonna be rooming with you, i want to know when you do things. when do you eat breakfast? wait. if you say never, i'm
"if i'm gonna be rooming with you, i want to know when you do things. when do you eat breakfast? wait. if you say never, i'm
gonna hit you over the head with a cast iron pan."
"promise?" richie asks.
"yeah," eddie says. "your hair grease would probably season the thing just right. when do you shower? morning or night?"
"never. if you see me showering at any time, that isn't me. that's my clone."
"promise?" richie asks.
"yeah," eddie says. "your hair grease would probably season the thing just right. when do you shower? morning or night?"
"never. if you see me showering at any time, that isn't me. that's my clone."
"let me check my google calendar real quick," eddie says, though he doesn't pull out his phone. he's baiting richie for a joke.
"why?" richie asks, already smiling.
"so i can schedule time off to beat your ass," eddie says, and grins when richie wheezes with his entire chest.
"why?" richie asks, already smiling.
"so i can schedule time off to beat your ass," eddie says, and grins when richie wheezes with his entire chest.
"you are disgusting," eddie tells him months later, when richie has his whole weight against eddie on the couch. despicable me is playing on the tv, but neither of them are watching it.
"why, because i'm gay?" richie asks. eddie looks at the folded pizza box richie has stuffed
"why, because i'm gay?" richie asks. eddie looks at the folded pizza box richie has stuffed
down the front of his sweatpants for a "or are you just happy to see me?" joke in the group chat.
"yes," eddie says, and richie snorts in a way that makes him sneeze into the pizza box. "oh my god, ew, get away from me."
richie carefully shimmies the pizza box out of his pants.
"yes," eddie says, and richie snorts in a way that makes him sneeze into the pizza box. "oh my god, ew, get away from me."
richie carefully shimmies the pizza box out of his pants.
"never," he says, dropping the box onto the floor and looking up. eddie pulls him into a kiss then, for the first time ever, and he tastes like alfredo pizza and white wine, and despicable me is still playing on the television, and richie kisses him back.
"eddie, were you ever
"eddie, were you ever
gonna tell us you were gay, or was i just supposed to get a snapchat streak of you guys kissing and figure it out myself?" beverly says a day later, over facetime.
eddie hums an "i dunno," not looking up from where he’s cutting his pancakes into clean, even wedges. like pizza.
eddie hums an "i dunno," not looking up from where he’s cutting his pancakes into clean, even wedges. like pizza.
"run off to your own lover and stop hogging mine, miss marsh," richie says, leaning in close to the phone so his forehead takes up the whole screen.
"you're so greasy," bev tells him.
"you love it," richie replies, and beverly makes a show of smooching his head via facetime.
"you're so greasy," bev tells him.
"you love it," richie replies, and beverly makes a show of smooching his head via facetime.
around springtime, mike tells the Losers that he's gay, too. he's alone with richie when he says he's in love with bill.
"why did you tell me first?" richie asks, staring at him in shock over his second helping of patty's risotto.
"you set a trend," mike says. "you, then eddie
"why did you tell me first?" richie asks, staring at him in shock over his second helping of patty's risotto.
"you set a trend," mike says. "you, then eddie
and bill, and now me. plus, i know you've been talking about me behind my back."
"bill, too! i report about you, eddie reports about bill." mike grins at him, and richie slaps him on the back. "thanks for telling me. say, what about we ditch the kids and grab some d-e-s-e-r-t?"
"bill, too! i report about you, eddie reports about bill." mike grins at him, and richie slaps him on the back. "thanks for telling me. say, what about we ditch the kids and grab some d-e-s-e-r-t?"
"desert." mike raises his brow.
"dessert," richie corrects. "d-e-s—did i spell desert?"
"yes," mike says, and he lets richie give him a second helping of risotto as well. "it's okay. i love you, even if you can't spell."
"what's happening in here?" eddie asks from the doorway.
"dessert," richie corrects. "d-e-s—did i spell desert?"
"yes," mike says, and he lets richie give him a second helping of risotto as well. "it's okay. i love you, even if you can't spell."
"what's happening in here?" eddie asks from the doorway.
"you hitting on my man, hanlon?" his plate is clean, and he eyes the food on the counter before shuffling up to bill's attempt at tossed salad.
"mike is telling me his secrets," richie coos.
"i'm in love with bill," mike says.
"even though his salad's shit?" eddie asks. "wow."
"mike is telling me his secrets," richie coos.
"i'm in love with bill," mike says.
"even though his salad's shit?" eddie asks. "wow."
(they ditch the party for dessert and come back with tubs of ice cream, to the others' delight. richie feeds eddie sorbet when he denies getting his own bowl. he falls in love, not for the first time, when eddie kisses some off the corner of his mouth.
it's easy to think about.)
it's easy to think about.)
thank you for reading! now read the first word of every tweet in this thread
