The Trashmouth [Richie Tozier x Reader]

14: The Arcade

"So let me get this straight," Eddie says, "It comes out from wherever to eat kids for like a year? And then what? It just goes into hibernation?"

"Maybe it's like, what do you call it? Cicadas. You know, the bugs that come out once every 17 years," Stan replies.

"My grandfather thinks this town is cursed," Mike says, "He says that all the bad things that happen in this town are because of one thing. An evil thing that feeds off the people of Derry."

"But it can't be one thing," Stan argues, "We all saw something different."

"Maybe, or maybe it knows what scares us most and that's what we see."

I guess losing Richie and all the losers is pretty scary to me.

"I saw a leper," Eddie says, "He was like a walking infection."

"But you didn't," Stan argues, "Because it isn't real, none of this is, not Eddie's leper, or Bill seeing Georgie, or Y/n's fake Richie, or the woman I keep seeing."

"Is she hot?" Richie asks. I shoot him a dirty look. Is he serious right now?

"No Richie!" Stan shouts "She's not hot! Her face is all messed up. None of this makes any sense! They're all like bad dreams."

"I don't think so. I know the difference between a bad dream and real life, okay?" Mike responds.

"What'd you see?" I ask. "You saw something too?"

"Yes. You guys know that burnt down house on Harris Avenue? I was inside it when it burnt down. Before I was rescued, my mom and dad were trapped in the next room over from me. They were pushing and pounding on the door, trying to get to me, but it was too hot. When the fireman finally found me, the skin on their hands had melted down to the bone. We're all afraid of something," Mike explains.

"You got that right," Richie says.

"Why Richie? What are you afraid of?" I ask.

"Clowns," he answers.

"I should probably get going," Eddie says.

"Me too," Beverly adds.

"O-okay, come to my house t-tomorrow guys. I-I have something to show you," Bill says.

"Let's go to the arcade," Richie suggests to me excitedly, patting the back of his bike.

"Okay," I shrug and climb on, "I've never been there before."

"Are you fucking serious?" Richie asks shocked.

"Yes," I laugh.

"Wow," Richie says, and begins speeding to the arcade.

"This is cool," I say as we enter the arcade.

"This is more than cool," Richie responds.

"Okay," I laugh, "What should we play first?"

"Street fighter is my favorite."

"Teach me."

We walk over to the machine.

"Use the joystick to move and the buttons to do a special move," Richie explains.

"Seems easy," I shrug.

"Street fighter takes years to master," Richie retorts.

"I doubt it," I reply.

"Alright you vs me."

"You're on."

After several rounds I finally get the hang of the game. It's actually not that hard. My strategy is to just mash all the buttons and move around. It's not really a strategy, but it's working.

"How the fuck are you beating me?!" Richie shouts, "You don't even know what you're doing!"

"I'm just too good" I reply.

"FUCK!" Richie shouts as I beat him again.

"Hey, language!" some random worker shouts at him.

"Fuck off!" Richie yells, flipping him off. I laugh at his frustration.

"You up for another one?" I taunt.

"Yes, and I'm going to win."

"We'll see about that."

A few minutes in, the game is neck and neck, and it's the final round. I'm about to win--

"Y/n," Richie says.

"Yeah?" I answer, glancing at him.

Instead of answering me, he kisses me. I forget about the game and let go of the controls.

"I win!" Richie shouts, pumping his fists in the air.

"That's so not fair!" I yell, "You cheated!"

"No I didn't, you got distracted by my lips."

"You kissed me first!"

"So?"

"So?! You distracted me!"

"Not my fault you can't resist me."

"I-I can so resist you!"

"If you guys aren't gonna play, can you move so we can?" a little boy asks.

"Yeah, you guys have been playing for hours! It's our turn now!" another boy adds.

"Fuck off kids, we're older than you," Richie says to them.

"Richie!" I scold him. "Of course you guys can have a turn."

"We weren't asking," the second boy says rudely, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, move," the first one adds, mimicking his actions.

"Listen you little shits--" Richie starts, getting close to them.

"Richie," I say seriously. "They're kids."

"They're about to be put in their place."

I roll my eyes. "Let's just go."

"Listen to her!" one of them says.

"Yeah, go make out or something!" the other says.

"Gladly," Richie says, then turns to me and kisses me passionately.

"EWWWW!" they shout in unison.

"What's going on over there?" a worker asks, then sees us. "Hey! Knock it off! This isn't a nightclub!"

Richie flips him off then takes my hand as we walk towards the door.

"Go take your ugly girlfriend somewhere else!" one boy shouts, causing Richie to stop in his tracks and spin around.

"The fuck did you just say?" He growls angrily.

"I said--"

"Richie, come on. He's not worth it," I say, and pull him out of the store.

"I hate kids," Richie says.

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~word count: 900~