[ It's the summer after Neibolt, and for most of the people in Derry, nothing bad ever happened. It's as if the events of the previous year never occurred - there are no more missing children posters, the curfew has been lifted, and life goes on much like it always has.
For the Losers, though, nothing will ever be quite the same.
Bev's gone, for one thing. She comes to visit sometimes, but without her their little ragtag group doesn't feel complete. Ben and Mike hang out with them more often, which is fun, and now that Bowers is in juvie life is a little easier for all of them. The biggest change is the quietest one, though: it's the way they've all matured a bit, the unspoken knowledge that what they've been through has made them different.
Richie finds it harder to spend time alone nowadays. His parents have gotten even busier with work, and his sister's always out with her boyfriend, so even at home he never really has company. Maybe that's why he's taken to inviting Eddie over for sleepovers more and more often.
Tonight is just like all the other nights they've hung out together. They play some games on Richie's Atari, eat way too much junk food, and eventually pass out after talking like into the night, Richie in his bed and Eddie in a sleeping bag next to him. Only tonight, after their conversation trailed off and Eddie's breathing evened out, Richie found himself still awake, his brain filled with thoughts he doesn't quite know how to handle.
After what feels like hours, he gives up on sleeping and leans over the edge of the bed, squinting to try and make out Eddie's blurred form in the dark. ]
[ Rarely did the events at Neibolt come up when the Losers were all together. Mostly for comfort. It was in the past, for now anyways. More than anyone Stan wanted to push past what had happened.
Eddie though, his mind wandered too much. It wasn't so much about what had seen, but more about how he felt. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered those missing children. Well, they weren't really missing anymore. They had found them. Betty Ripsom's mom coming to school every day to look for her. Bill's determination to find Georgie. All the while those missing kids being right under the foot of everyone mourning the loss of them.
He had been teetering on the brink of sleep when Richie spoke up. Really Eddie shouldn't have been expecting any different. This is on brand for their usual sleepover. ]
I almost was. It's hard to sleep over your mouth-breathing.
[ Despite chastising him, Eddie's thankful he doesn't have to be alone with his mind anymore. ]
[ Even though they don't talk about it, all of the Losers know they're still dealing with the effects of what happened last year. Richie's glad that none of them want to change - well, okay, he's mostly glad that Eddie still wants to hang out with him like they used to.
Waking him up is pretty typical, as is the other boy's ability to retort with an insult. It's familiar, and safe, and yet Richie still can't help feeling a little on edge.
He does his best to hide it when he speaks, though. ]
Like your shitty lungs make you sound any better, [ he fires back. Usually he'd be grinning, but it's hard to feel super pumped up right now. He goes quiet for a second, then asks slowly, ]
Hey, uh... I was wondering. Do you, like. Like anybody right now?
[ Somehow, no matter how many sleepovers they have, seeing Richie without his glasses always is a bit jarring. Eddie never truly takes into account just how much they obstruct his face. But it's nice. The moon peeks in from the windows and paints the sides of his face, it's the only way Eddie can even see him as he blinks the darkness away to stare up at his best friend with mock frustration. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
for lovser
For the Losers, though, nothing will ever be quite the same.
Bev's gone, for one thing. She comes to visit sometimes, but without her their little ragtag group doesn't feel complete. Ben and Mike hang out with them more often, which is fun, and now that Bowers is in juvie life is a little easier for all of them. The biggest change is the quietest one, though: it's the way they've all matured a bit, the unspoken knowledge that what they've been through has made them different.
Richie finds it harder to spend time alone nowadays. His parents have gotten even busier with work, and his sister's always out with her boyfriend, so even at home he never really has company. Maybe that's why he's taken to inviting Eddie over for sleepovers more and more often.
Tonight is just like all the other nights they've hung out together. They play some games on Richie's Atari, eat way too much junk food, and eventually pass out after talking like into the night, Richie in his bed and Eddie in a sleeping bag next to him. Only tonight, after their conversation trailed off and Eddie's breathing evened out, Richie found himself still awake, his brain filled with thoughts he doesn't quite know how to handle.
After what feels like hours, he gives up on sleeping and leans over the edge of the bed, squinting to try and make out Eddie's blurred form in the dark. ]
Eds? [ he whispers. ] You asleep?
Re: for lovser
Eddie though, his mind wandered too much. It wasn't so much about what had seen, but more about how he felt. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered those missing children. Well, they weren't really missing anymore. They had found them. Betty Ripsom's mom coming to school every day to look for her. Bill's determination to find Georgie. All the while those missing kids being right under the foot of everyone mourning the loss of them.
He had been teetering on the brink of sleep when Richie spoke up. Really Eddie shouldn't have been expecting any different. This is on brand for their usual sleepover. ]
I almost was. It's hard to sleep over your mouth-breathing.
[ Despite chastising him, Eddie's thankful he doesn't have to be alone with his mind anymore. ]
no subject
Waking him up is pretty typical, as is the other boy's ability to retort with an insult. It's familiar, and safe, and yet Richie still can't help feeling a little on edge.
He does his best to hide it when he speaks, though. ]
Like your shitty lungs make you sound any better, [ he fires back. Usually he'd be grinning, but it's hard to feel super pumped up right now. He goes quiet for a second, then asks slowly, ]
Hey, uh... I was wondering. Do you, like. Like anybody right now?
no subject
Just your sister. Why, do you?