Eddie waited outside in the parking lot, listening to the radio as the car ran. Richie had a doctor's appointment.

He had asked if Richie wanted Eddie in there with him, but when he got no as an answer, Eddie respected that.

So here he sat, scrolling through his phone. This was the first check up after what they now called The Incident. "You okay, hun?" Eddie sends through, waiting for some sort of message notification in return.

It took a few moments, but it did appear. "I guess so. Dickwad keeps asking if I want to try again," Eddie frowned before another text came through, "I dunno if I can, Eds,"

"And you don't have to!" Eddie sent back, "I'm going to be with you either way. We can still have a family. No one said there's a deadline to heal,"


By the end of the appointment, Richie was given a clean bill of physical health. It was the mental health Eddie was worried about. Richie was so much more quiet... it was weird.

They had a long, extensive talk when they got home. Eddie cuddled Richie close, letting him cry it out or cling, or do whatever he needed to.

"I-I dunno..." Richie sniffles, "I don't wanna lose another one... but I want a family so bad!" Richie sobbed into his husband's chest.

Eddie frowns deeply, holding Richie close as he rubbed his head. "I know you do, sweetheart," He murmurs, pressing a kiss to his hair, "And we still can... . We can wait, try again... We've got so many options, baby. I'll die before I stop finding a way,"

"Promise..?" The broken tone in Richie's voice made Eddie's heart re-shatter into a million pieces. "With all my heart," Eddie answers.


And Eddie never broke that promise. They read articles together about what could help, went to all sorts of support groups online, all of it.

And four months after The Incident, Richie was terrified. He wanted this to be a pregnancy, but at the same time, he was more terrified that it was. He didn't want to lose another one... .

"Rich?" A knock at the door followed, breaking his trance. The male took a deep breath, looking down at the two tests in his hands. Richie's eyes filled with tears, but for a different reason.

Eddie had slipped into the bathroom, kneeling next to his husband. He saw the tests. His heart leaped with joy, but his stomach sank. It was such a contrasting mix of emotions, he could throw up. "Honey..."

"W-What now..?"


They took nearly every precaution they could. Eddie banned Richie from any exercise, tours, shows, junk food. All of it. Richie was so scared, if he wasn't in bed then he was on the couch, texting friends from his group about the tiny worries littering his brain.

"You're doing great so far!"

"Don't give up!"

"Everything is normal right now! That's supposed to happen, I promise"

But Richie's gut kept telling him something was wrong. It might have been wrong; which is what Eddie said. He just couldn't shake it. He really did hope though.