As soon as he got home from the garage, Fonzie stopped by Richie's room to check on the baby.
(It wasn't Richie's room anymore, it was Lori Beth and the baby's room. But Fonzie still thought of it as Richie's room, even though once he came back he was probably going to get his own place, with Lori Beth, away from his parents and Joanie and Fonzie.)
It was quiet as he entered. Lori Beth was sitting on the bed, reading a letter. It was probably from Richie, not that Fonzie cared. Lori Beth was Richie's wife. Of course Richie would write to her, specifically.
Fonzie knocked on the door to get her attention, then let himself in.
"Busy day?"
"I just got Richie to go to sleep. I think he might be coming down with something."
As if on cue, a loud cry burst from the crib. Lori Beth shut her eyes in disbelief and began to get up.
"I'll take this one," Fonzie said, and Lori Beth sat back down as Fonzie picked up Junior. She didn't say anything, but watched as Fonzie rocked the baby until he stopped crying and he drifted off to sleep, a warm weight in Fonzie's arms.
Lori Beth stood up and approached Fonzie as he set Junior down in his crib, careful to set his head on the pillow.
"Sometimes I think Richie likes you more than he likes me," Lori Beth said quietly.
Fonzie smiled as he watched Junior's chest rise and fall. "You're his mom. I'm not going to get in the way of that."
"Not the Richie I meant," Lori Beth gently corrected without looking at Fonzie.
Fonzie wouldn't say he was surprised. Caught a little off-guard, maybe. But he didn't show it, he just kept looking at Junior sleep.
Richie probably did like Fonzie better than anyone else. It was just how things were.
Fonzie just didn't think Lori Beth had noticed.
Had Richie told her? It wouldn't make much sense to do that, but Richie always had been on the goody-two-shoes side. Maybe he figured it was only fair to tell his wife about the time he and his best friend had necked after his high school graduation.
But why now? Had he suddenly felt guilty about it four years later? Or had he told Lori Beth earlier, and she was only getting mad about it just now?
Or Richie hadn't told her anything, and Lori Beth was mad because she thought things were more serious than that. Because she didn't realize that even if there were moments where Fonzie wanted to kiss Richie senseless, and even if Richie developed a habit of staring at Fonzie when he thought nobody was looking, nothing was going to come of it.
It almost had, once; the night before Richie reported for basic training. Richie had convinced Fonzie to take him to a bar, a little out of the way, for the night.
They didn't actually do much drinking, or at least, Fonzie didn't. Richie downed two beers and almost fell out of his seat, and Fonzie decided that it was time for them to go home.
When they left the bar, Richie leaned over and rested his head on Fonzie's shoulder, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
Their arms bumped together, and Richie took the opportunity to take Fonzie by the hand, threading their fingers together.
"Rich," Fonzie said. He meant it as a warning, because they were in the middle of the street, and even in the dark anyone could see them.
Richie just laughed and continued cozying up to Fonzie, going so far as to press his face into the crook of Fonzie's neck and breathe hot against it, before moving so he and Fonzie were nose-to-nose.
Fonzie could feel the rise and fall of Richie's chest, the steady beat of his heart, the smell of alcohol on his breath and the aftershave he used despite not being able to grow facial hair just yet.
In the light from the headlights of passing cars, Fonzie could make out Richie smiling at him, almost shyly, almost invitingly.
Richie didn't know what he was doing. He was tipsy and nervous about leaving town, that was all.
Fonzie took Richie's hands and moved them down to his sides.
"I think it's time to head back. Don't you?"
Richie didn't take his eyes off Fonzie, looking at him with wide open eyes and slightly parted lips.
"Rich?" Fonzie prompted.
Richie nodded and looked at the sidewalk. "Yeah. We should probably head back now."
He didn't look at Fonzie the entire way home.
The next day, Richie shipped out. It was like that night had never happened, and that was for the best.
Fonzie's no homewrecker. He doesn't take what isn't his, and Richie was never his to take, even before he got married.
He didn't say any of this to Lori Beth, because if Richie hadn't told her, then he wasn't going to.
"Richie likes you, too."
It was a stupid thing to say; of course Richie liked Lori Beth, he married her. But Lori Beth relaxed a little and even smiled.
"I guess that's the problem, isn't it?"
