cynosure [it characters]

june 9, 1989 [16]

after eddie and richie left, late night was a bust for both bill and stan.

they only really went because of their other two friends; it was almost as if they felt the need to babysit them. well, they ran away, and now bill and stan have no choice but to give up. they silently agreed to leave with a head nod, followed by the boys simultaneously standing up and walking out.

"do you think they'll find each other?" stan asked, only slightly worried about his fragile roommate.

"i'm puh-positive they will, s-s-stan. it's ruh-r-richie and eddie," bill shrugged. stan chuckled lightly, the sound resembling angels to bill. they walked in silence, and while so bill thought about their kiss earlier. how it made him so incredibly happy; how blessed he felt to be able to press his lips against stanley uris' extremely soft ones; to feel his body against his own; to finally have relief settle in his veins. all thanks to god's beauty, stan.

stan felt the same. both of the boys liked each other very much, but in this moment, where the two are simply walking towards stan's cabin with no exchange of words, nothing needed to be said. they both knew.

bill glanced at stanley with a small smile that appeared ever since he thought about the kiss. stanley returned the smile, gently taking bill's hand with his own.

•

"are you fucking kidding me, eds?"

richie shook his head, his finger pressed against his temple as he paced the wooden floorboards. eddie was sat on richie's bed, fingers intertwined and set in his lap neatly. he was slightly afraid of the anger booming from his friend.

"oh, sorry, eddie. mike owns eds now, right?" richie retorted, rolling his eyes.

eddie frowned, "rich, it wasn't a big deal-"

"not a big deal?" richie's eyes widened underneath his coke bottle glasses. he stopped pacing and stood in front of his bed. "are you serious, eddie? you could've gotten killed out there! imagine all the possible diseases just waiting to get caught."

eddie shrugged and bit his lip. he felt guilty for leaving with mike, holding hands with mike, even talking with mike. but why should he? they're just friends. "i can't get something from walking with a friend."

richie scoffed, "a friend? mike whatever-the-fuck is a friend? real funny, eds, funniest one you've given to me this whole trip." he rolled his eyes, not paying attention as eddie stood up. "and you can get diseases out there, eddie. ever heard of an STI-"

the smaller boy wrapped his arms around richie's torso, his cheek pressed against the other's chest. "shut up, rich. i don't know why you're so worked up about this."

richie didn't know either. he let his arms rest on eddies shoulders and leaned into the hug. "look at me, eds." eddie places his chin on richie's chest, their eyes connecting. "i just...there's something off about that kid, okay? i mean, don't you think it's strange he looks exactly like me and he's going after you?"

"why would that be strange?" eddie asked, disconnecting himself from richie. "and he's not going after me." of course, eddie has always been oblivious.

"he's just...off. something's not right about him. i don't want you talking to him, okay? this is comin' from old rich, old bucky beaver, 'kay?" richie was desperate for eddie to understand his words. anyone could tell he stared to worry when he would crack jokes or break the serious tension. sometimes it worked, most times it didn't.

that's just richie tozier.

eddie shrugged. "okay, rich. whatever. i'm tired, can we go to sleep?" he walked to bill's bed, climbing in and pulling the covers up to his chin. richie only sighed, reaching over to shut off the lantern.

"night, eds. don't let stan's mom bite," richie chuckled. he knew it wasn't a good one, hell, close to his worst,

but he was thankful eddie chuckled with him.

•

mike's fists curled in anger.

he looked like such an idiot. there he was, standing in the middle of butt-fucking no where, getting stood up by a 5'3 kid with asthma.

not to mention the hero, the night-in-shining-armor, richard tozier himself. eddie just submitted himself to richie, gave in like that! he didn't even bat an eye! mike was clearly the better looking of the two, he had way prettier eyes and softer hair and-

"why can't eddie fucking like me?" mike cursed under his breath. he liked eddie. he thought he was a boy's dream; short, cute, submissive, problematic but in an adorable way, always in need of some kind of helping. he was perfect. "so why the hell would he go for bucky-fucking-beaver?"

mike sighed and began walking back to the campfire. he felt defeated. small. lonely.

angry. god, how he was pissed. and he would make sure everyone knew it.

especially richard tozier.