For a while, it was just the Toziers, Bev, Bill, Eddie and Stan in Richie's room. Stan got everyone an early-ish dinner- it was only six in the evening. He even went to KFC just to get Richie some mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. He could eat the latter as long as he chewed it enough.

They'd already began eating their food when Ben and Mike arrived with their own, and a single chocolate milkshake for Richie.

"You are the love... of my life." Richie said, taking the shake from Ben.

"Mike bought it." Ben chuckled.

"Love of my life." Richie repeated. "Thank you both... though." he said, taking the top off and just licking a glob of whipped cream in his mouth.

"Does your mouth not hurt when you do shit like that?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah." Richie replied, doing it again. "My whole face... hurts. I'm fucked up."

"You're swollen, too." Maggie told him. "Like in the face and your hands. Probably your feet too."

"You look like baby Richie again!" Bev cooked. "Adorable."

"What… was adorable about… me and when? Cause… I don't… remember that."

"Bitch." she replied. "You've always been adorable." Richie let out a snort and shook his head.

"Hold on." Stan said. "Everyone find your favorite picture of Richie on your phone." he whipped his phone out.

"Does it matter if it's a good or bad one?" Eddie asked. "Like if he's doing a dumb face or pose or something?"

"I wouldn't call that.. Bad. Thank you very… much." Richie stuck his tongue out.

"Anyways," Stan shook his head, "no, it doesn't matter."

Stan went first, as he was the first to find his favorite picture. Richie was standing on a skateboard in Walmart, wearing a red child's cape, and doing a superhero stance, the biggest grin on his face. He'd been in the middle of laughing. Stan showed it to him.

"Didn't I knock one of my teeth loose right after this?" Richie asked.

"You did."

"That was a fun day." he sighed. It had been during the summer, all of them were bored, and it was nearing two AM, so they made a trip to Walmart and almost got kicked out.

"Oh never mind, this isn't a bad one." Eddie muttered to himself, holding his phone close to his chest.

"Here's mine." Bill said, showing Richie and taking Stan's phone and showing it to Richie's parents.

"I'm gonna like… make a group chat with all of us just to show our love for Richie, dammit." Bev said, doing exactly what she said. "That way everyone can see the pictures rather than passing it around."

"Are you doing that because you know Richie will go through your pictures?" Eddie snickered.

"Psh, no… yeah…" she couldn't help but laugh a little.

Mammy Bev added The Water, Pappy Ben and six others to a group chat

Rcihie Tozier Appreciation Squad

(7:36 PM) The Water- how. Did you spell my name. So wrong.

(7:36) Mammy Bev- shut your fuck

(7:36) Wenty- what the fuck are these names.

(7:37) Micky- they're Richie's works of art leave him alone.

(7:37) Wenty- my apologies

(7:38) Mammy Bev- omg richie before we send our fav pics come up with names for da parents

"Oh God." Maggie muttered, watching her screen blow up with texts. "I'm not new to the group chats, but this is gonna be wild."

"You should see our chat at 3 in the morning when Richie's on an annoying spree." Eddie said. "It's wonderful."

(7:39) The Water- I detect sarcasm, Eds

"Could you not have said that out loud, you dip?" Eddie asked him.

(7:39) The Water- no

(7:40) The Water- anywyas

(7:40) Stan the man- anywyas

(7:40) Billy Bill- anywyas

(7:41) The Water- fuck your shut

Maggie busted out laughing at that, shaking her head at her son. He just grinned.

The Water changed Mama Mags to Superior Mama

The Water changed Went T to Superior Fatha

(7:42) Superior Fatha- why was my name Wenty in your phone i'm your dad.

"You guys' names were like that in all of our phones." Ben told him.

"I think it was because Richie called Wendy's Wenty one time and yeah, it stuck." Bev added.

"You're a weird child."

"Yes."

"Okay I'm sending my favorite picture now." Bev said. "I have a lot but this has to be it."

She sent a picture of Richie back when he just got his braces taken off, he had the biggest grin on his face, one they hadn't really seen, before or after braces in general. He was holding up two peace signs- because he's Richie- and the middle fingers had the small rubber bands around them.

Ben sent his next, and it was of Stan and Richie, back when Stan was a lot shorter than Richie. He had his hand on Stan's forehead, keeping him from reaching Richie. Stan looked like he was laughing, and Richie was half covering his junk with his free hand, afraid Stan would kick him. He was laughing, head thrown back, actual tears rolling down his cheeks.

Bill's was next, and it was just Richie mid fall off of Silver, Richie's mouth wide open in a scream. Eddie was in the background with a shocked look on his face, pointing at him, Bev next to him cringing and bracing herself, ready for the fall.

The picture Mike sent, was probably the cutest of them all. He was sitting on a hay bail, Pig the Sheep standing on one side of him, nudging Richie's shoulder, and puppies and kittens all over Richie or around him, and he looked ready to cry he was so happy.

Finally, Eddie sent one. It was the calmest of them all, but Richie was still being his dorky self. The seven had been at the Quarry, and Eddie was taking pictures of everyone- for him, it was just an excuse to get one of Richie- and Richie was smiling a small smile, winking at the camera. His hair was all over the place, glasses crooked, but he looked happy and relaxed.

"I'm gonna cry again." Richie mumbled, putting his phone down.

"Please don't." Ben said. "I've cried enough and will one hundred percent cry with you." he said seriously. Richie looked at him for a second and snorted.

"How's your ear?" Richie asked, grinning.

"It's great."

"What about his ear?" Bev asked.

"When I saw him for the first time when he was in ICU I just started crying and he bitch slapped me in the ear with a wet rag."

"Richie!" Maggie scolded. Richie grinned.

"I didn't know... what else to do other... than slap you, man."

"I guess I still deserved it, ya know." Ben shrugged. "No worries." Richie flipped him off when his mom wasn't looking, knowing she'd scold him again.

Eddie's phone started going off repeatedly and then started ringing, and he let out a long sigh, and stood up.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." he said, trudging out of the room. They heard him answer the phone."Hi mom-" he couldn't even get mommy out and she was yelling at him.

"That's unfortunate." Richie muttered. "How much you wanna bet she's gonna ban him from seeing me now?"

"Even if she were to do that, Richie, it wouldn't stop him." Mike said, shaking his head.

"Do you know how many times that boy has been locked in his room and got out of his window just for you?"

"He did it for you guys too." Richie huffed.

"A few times, maybe, but countless times for you."

"I'm gonna ask you guys a serious question." Went said, clasping his hands in his lap and leaning forward a bit. "How bad is Sonia with Eddie?"

No one replied for a good minute or so, and finally, Bill said,

"She locks him in his room a lot."

"Locks him how? Like a lock and key?" Went asked. Bill nodded.

"It's not often. She tried to do it when he came out to her but he was gone before she could get up the stairs and stop him." Ben said.

"That doesn't make it any better." he sighed. "Has she ever hit him?"

"Not that we know of."

"One time." Richie said. "When we were thirteen. He didn't tell me why. He said she literally... spanked him with a fucking paddle like... he was a child."

"Okay… is she forcing him to take the medicine again?"

"If she is, he hasn't been taking it." Bill shook his head.

"Has she threatened to send him anywhere because he's gay?"

"Not that we know of." Ben repeated.

"She blames me for making him gay, though." Richie said. "Not exactly sure how that works but…" Richie shrugged a little.

Before anyone could say anything else, Eddie walked back in, huffing and puffing, red faced, hands balled into fists.

"Will someone come with me?" he asked. "I-I need to get my stuff. I don't care what I do but I can not stay there anymore." he shook his head. Maggie stood up and put her hands on his shoulders, squeezing gently.

"Calm down, Sweetie, you're okay." she whispered to him. "What happened? What did she say?"

"Sh-she said that if I couldn't come home when she asked, she was gonna make us move away so that I-I don't have any filthy friends." he took a deep breath. "And I know you guys think she's full of shit but you don't know what she's capable of. She told me we've still got my dads savings and the reason we were still in our shitty house was because I was disrespectful and didn't deserve a good home life and that I was gonna regret disobeying her. And I can't leave you guys, I can't leave Richie because he needs me and I need him and I need everyone but especially him because I love him and I will lose my mind if I lose him." Eddie stomped his foot for emphasis. Richie's eyes widened and Bev let out a surprised gasp. "I know I'm a pissy asshole and don't seem like I even like Richie sometimes but I do and-and fuck I'm sorry if I've ever made you feel like I hate you but I don't, I love you so much I don't know how to act because I've never loved someone like I love you and Goddammit Richie I'm sorry I'm doing this in front of fuck-all everyone but I love you and I know I'm in the middle of a panic attack but I love you and I don't want to leave you."

"'Good God, Eddie, take a breath." Richie managed to say.

"We're, uh, gonna go outside for a minute." Bev said, grabbing Bill and Ben by their wrists and forcing them up and out the door. Went followed the teens, and Maggie stayed with the two for now.

Maggie squeezed his shoulders and rubbed her hands up and down his arms.

"Eddie, look at me Sweetie." she gently nudged his face towards her. "Copy me and take deep breaths."

It took a few minutes but Eddie calmed down enough to where he wasn't gasping for breath, and Richie wasn't wide eyed with surprise.

"You okay?" Maggie asked Eddie. He nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm gonna go out with everyone else and let you two talk, okay?" Eddie let out a breath and nodded.

She left and Eddie stood there watching her for a moment, and when she looked at Richie, he was standing by his bed, holding onto the IV poll.

"What the fuck are you doing get back in bed." Eddie rushed over to him.

"No." Richie shook his head. "I'm fine." he said.

"Richie."

"Eddie." Richie replied. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Why would I lie about my mom saying that-"

"Not that, Eddie." Richie said, shaking his head. "That… that you love me."

"Yes I meant it." Eddie said immediately. "Please, at least let's sit down on the bed. Both of us." Eddie asked softly. Richie nodded and sat down without a second thought, and Eddie sat next to him, taking his hands in his. "I wasn't going to try and talk about anything, the kiss, you know? Until you got out of the hospital."

"Why?"

"I didn't want to add anything else in, you know? You've already been dealing with a lot. You didn't need anything else."

"This wouldn't have... bothered me, Eddie." Richie told him.

"It wouldn't?"

"Eddie, baby, no." Richie shook his head. Eddie could not describe the feeling he got when Richie called him baby. "We kissed twice before… everything fell further… down the hill."

"I know but…"

"The first time you kissed me. Then I asked you to... kiss me, I think. But either way… I wanted it too."

"You sure that wasn't just the pain talking?" Eddie tried to joke. Richie squeezed Eddies hands.

"No, it wasn't. Did you read the... captions on the Instagram posts?""

"I honestly haven't looked yet." Eddie squinted as if Richie would get mad about it.

"Oh, well… God, Eddie. You can be the biggest... asshole ever." Richie started. "Not a good way to start this, but… you're the cutest asshole ever. I love you too, if that... wasn't made clear." Eddie smiled at that. "You've got a temper… but I love it. I love arguing… with you and… just you in general. I can't… It's not a good time for words for me… I'm still out my… mind some."

"I can tell." Eddie smiled at him.

"Bitch."

"Dick."

"Kiss me."

"But… you just said you were out of your mind? I don't wanna do that if you're not thinking straight."

"No, no, no, I mean… There's so much I… want to say to you… and I can't form it… into words the way… I want to, yet. I want you to kiss me."

"Well, if you're sure."

Eddie didn't hesitate as he took Richie's face in his hands and kissed him full on the lips, their eyes falling shut as their lips moved. Richie gripped Eddie's shirt with both hands. He let out a satisfied sigh and Eddie couldn't help but pull away and giggle.

"What?" Richie asked, breathless- but when others come back, and ask what happened, he's not gonna tell them. I just talked a lot is what he'll say. He won't tell them they had a full on makeout session while they were gone.

"You're just cute." Eddie said. "Cute, cute, cute!"