#it’s also worth pointing out that we see a far more soft and vulnerable Eddie with abuela and Pepa than with Helena - perhaps the contrast

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Eddie diaz dealing with his mommy issues arc in season 8 is feeling realer to me than ever right now

[plasticnightmaredoll]

This is an idea/scenario I’ve had for a good while now pertaining to Arkham Knight Riddler. I don’t know if it’s any good -- it may be too “fluffy” to be in character -- but I wanted to write it down and get it out there, see what people think. Ironically, the idea came from a similar one involving Telltale Riddler, and I may post that one someday, too, but this AK Riddler one is...very different. Different in regards to a lot of headcanons, imagines, drabbles, etc. about him.

So, the scenario is like this: Someone wants to fuck with this poor guy -- not Batman, not one of the Bat family, not even one of the Gotham Rogues. It could be some random new villain, someone who is maybe more sadistic than any of the Rogues (save for Joker). I thought about this antagonist kidnapping AK Eddie’s s/o and holding them hostage …

But with a twist.

Catwoman has nothing to do with this because she’s not evil, but I thought about the explosive collar Riddler put on her in Arkham Knight, and what if this antagonist -- to really mess with Eddie -- decides to put such a collar on his s/o? And Riddler has to show up and complete some tasks (dangerous puzzles and riddle-based traps most likely), or else, his s/o loses their head.

Of course, Eddie shows up because he’s panicking. This was never supposed to happen! Nothing was supposed to happen to his s/o. This is beyond anything Batman had ever done. This is so sinister, so vile, so abhorrent, Eddie can’t even begin to comprehend it. At first, he bargains, offering money, tech, robots, his hacking skills -- even offers himself up to wear the collar instead because he can’t take the sight of his beloved wearing something that could blow their head right off, right in front of him, and leave him emotionally and mentally broken for life.

But the antagonist doesn’t want to bargain, even when Eddie begs -- like, really begs to the point of tears, asking for mercy and pleading with the antagonist to let his s/o go free. They have nothing to do with any of Eddie’s work. They’re innocent, and they’re too important to him! He can’t let this happen!

The begging amuses the antagonist but once again, it’s not enough. Eddie has to do the challenges, and if he completes them all correctly, the collar comes off. If he messes up, then his s/o dies. Eddie reassures his s/o that everything will be just fine, he’s got this under control, they’ll be out of trouble in no time so don’t be afraid.

It’s difficult to not be afraid when you have a bomb around your neck and a sadistic psychopath with the trigger. As bad as Eddie can be, he’s not THIS malevolent. He has some humanity left in him. But this person, they’re just out there to make him suffer because it’s “entertaining” to watch him squirm. 

As you know, by this point in his life, Eddie is very mentally unstable and could have a mental breakdown if pushed even just a little too far. His s/o is the only thing keeping him grounded, the only reason he has to keep his sanity (or what’s left of it), and this is the only person who has ever cared for him despite the fact he knows he’s not worth it. If he loses his beloved, then what would he have left? There would be no recovery from such a thing.

So, Eddie completes the challenges, although he is internally freaking out the entire time, partly because he doubts himself and partly because he has no idea if the antagonist will just press the trigger and kill Eddie’s s/o without warning. By the time Eddie is done, he’s a nervous wreck and on the verge of a breakdown, but he hopes that, by enduring all this, by letting this person watch him squirm, sweat, beg, cry, and panic, that maybe it’s enough to end this madness without his s/o dying.

But the antagonist doesn’t care that Eddie completed all the tasks. In the end, it’s about making Eddie suffer horribly because watching a nearly broken man finally break -- shatter -- is the point of all this. So, the collar has a 30 second timer set, and as it counts down, Eddie obviously freaks out, hyperventilating as he tries to plead once again for his s/o’s life, offering himself up again in their place, and yet, it’s not enough (kind of reminding him how he was never enough for his father, even if he agonized over pleasing him). The antagonist just laughs at Eddie’s mental breakdown and tells him he better use the remaining time to say goodbye. And no funny business. If Eddie or his s/o attempt to remove or disarm the collar, then it will detonate. 

Eddie’s s/o, despite being terrified does their best to put on a brave face and they tell him it’s ok, it’s not his fault, just don’t look, look away, it will all be over soon, he has to keep going for them...Eddie doesn’t know what to do, and seeing as he now has 10 seconds left, he does the only thing he feels he can and should do, and he grabs his s/o despite their protests and holds them tight, crying and saying over and over how sorry he is, he’s so sorry. 

And the timer reaches zero on the collar.

There’s a soft click.

Then nothing.

No explosion. 

The antagonist bursts out laughing, confessing that the “bomb” is a dud, was never going to explode, and since both Eddie and his s/o were too distressed to think all this through, they never even considered this as a possibility. The collar has been unlocked and Eddie’s s/o just kind of sinks to their knees in complete shock, and he can’t believe what he’s seeing. At first, he’s confused, wondering if this is all some sort of twisted dream, then he’s relieved because his s/o is safe, then he’s angry because what the hell was this?! He vows to get revenge on the antagonist and throws the collar away as he all but screams in rage.

Now alone, Eddie remembers his s/o is still on the floor, pale as a sheet and unresponsive. Kneeling down, he asks if they’re ok, tells them they’re ok, that this was all some sort of sick joke. When his s/o snaps out of their daze, they get mad and push him away, yelling at him for being so foolish

“You were just going to let yourself die with me?!” they demand.

“Yes!” Eddie responds, too overwhelmed to even know how to respond to this. 

“Why? Why would you do that?”

“Because!”

“WHY?”

“Because I can’t go back to my old life! Not having known you! You think that I would just sink back into my old routine without a hitch? You think I would forget you? You think I’d just move on and live life normally? How could I do that? How? If I lost you, I’d have nothing, do you understand? Nothing. My life would be empty, more so than it’s ever been, and nothing could fill that void, not the way you do. No one has ever loved me, not even those who were supposed to! But you, you love me! I didn’t ask for it, and I don’t even deserve it, but you love me anyway. You make me feel valid, you make me feel like...like I exist, like I actually matter.”

His s/o is crying, and he’s crying, and they’re both going to be emotionally traumatized for a while. Sure, Eddie will get revenge but he’s also going to be having night terrors -- nightmares would be much better than what he experiences at night -- about his s/o dying in gruesome ways while is helpless to do anything. Sometimes, he won’t even be able to sleep because he doesn’t want those ghastly images in his head, and he’ll stay up holding his s/o as they (try) to sleep (they have nightmares of their own after this experience). 

He has to come to terms with his first real encounter with the threat of loss, a real loss. He never cared about anyone before because no one ever cared for him. He was used to being ignored, bullied and belittled, and he always had trouble trusting others because of how he was raised. He never had friends, never thought he would need friends because, well, he never had any. Forming emotional attachments was beyond him, as he never had such a relationship with his parents, and that is the first time children are supposed to experience attachment. If your parents don’t love you, you grow up feeling unloved, alone, and don’t understand what it’s like to be close to people, so you just push everyone away and look out for yourself. It makes you selfish just as much as it makes you feel lonely.

But now, Eddie has his s/o, someone who just kind of barged into his life and stole his heart despite his best efforts to not feel anything sentimental because being vulnerable meant he could get hurt, and he didn’t like the idea of forming an attachment only to have it ripped away from him due to the other person’s betrayal. In his eyes, love equals abuse, since that’s the only kind of “love” this Eddie seems to have ever experienced. 

It’s going to take a lot of time -- and patience -- for Eddie to deal with this, and he’s going to be watching his s/o like a hawk. They won’t be allowed to go anywhere alone, and definitely not at night. He’ll be very clingy, protective, maybe a little possessive but mostly protective. When he does eventually find a way to calm down, it will actually make him a stronger person emotionally, I think, because he will understand himself better, and he’ll understand the relationship he has with his s/o better. This experience has taught him -- in the most insane and unwelcomed way -- why his s/o is so vital to him, and while attachment like that is almost frightening because of the risk of loss, he doesn’t want to go back to his old life and be alone, being seen as some sort of joke by everyone in Gotham. He doesn’t want to go back to being isolated, left with only his thoughts to comfort him despite his dwindling sanity and self-esteem. He needs to have a reason to press on, and trying to be better than everyone just won’t do it anymore. He needs to be loved, loves to be loved, but is also thrilled to be able to give it in return, whatever the risks may be.

And you know the antagonist is going to be utterly destroyed by Riddlerbots. Or something. Something awful will happen to that person. We know that much.

-------------

Ugh, so let me know what you guys think! This is way out there in left field in terms of portrayal of Arkham Knight Eddie (or just Arkhamverse Eddie in general) but this idea has been stuck in my mind for so long now. Feedback is definitely encouraged and appreciated here because this is such an epic and crazy h/c. Constructive criticism is welcome. Just don’t be mean, please.

[tcheschirewrites]

Happy New Year!

Part of me wanted to do a Year In Review post, like I’ve seen a few other creators do, but instead of talking about myself (which I do for the entire rest of the year anyway lmao), I’m gonna do a reclist instead, of the best fics I’ve read this year. A lot of it is BNHA, because that’s been my main fandom for 2020, but I did spend a decent amount of time in other spaces. If you see a **, that means there’s boning at some point – if the fic is in bold, then there’s a lot of boning. I @ed their Tumblr if I knew it off the top of my head, but I may have missed some.

BNHA

Don't Yuck Her Yum by rumblefish ( @rumbllefish) (League of Villains Gen)

Complete – A quick disclaimer, pia is a mutual and a friend. That being said, this is such a cute little snapshot into the LOV with everyone’s favorite Found Family trope. Now, I’ll admit to being additionally biased because pia gave me that sweet sweet Dadpress food, but her Spinner is also on point. Short and sweet.

the Issue of the Jeanist Corpse (the Jorpse) by Princeliest (Hawks & Jeanist Gen)

Complete – Witty and hilarious, a deleted scene when Hawks went to visit Best Jeanist before War Arc. I love how antsy Hawks is, and how fussy Jeanist. Also, I’m a sucker for putting a j at the beginning of everything for Jeaninst.

Queer Eye: We're In Japan! And There Are Pro Heroes Everywhere!! by night_of_the_living_trashcan (Background Erasermic Family)

Complete – I love a good Queer Eye fic, and this one is so spot on. The Fab Five couldn’t get a better candidate than Aizawa (well, almost; see below). And I’m a sucker for Erasermic family.

 **Yesterday's Gods by Karzai (All Might/Reader)

WIP - Reader character is an ex-military doctor who comes to work at UA. If you’re a fan of very well-developed backstories, and reader characters that are their own people, then this is the fic for you. This fic gives me huge Newsroom vibes - we’ve got a past romance, and the tension after years apart. We get present day when they are older and more jaded, and we get the backstory of the reader character and All Might when they were young and spry.

**surrender (whenever you're ready) by OfMermaids ( @ofmermaidstories) (Bakugou/Reader)

WIP - Bakugou accidentally destroys a florist’s shop. Bar none the best Bakugou fic out there - his characterization is so on point. He is grouchy but so vulnerable, he’s coarse and soft and insecure and such a perfectionist. The relationship with the reader character develops very naturally, and the chapters are long. Bonus, we get some bangin’ Kiri as well.

 **if i could keep cool by andypantsx3 ( @andypantsx3) (Todoroki/Reader)

Complete – I’m in love with the premise of the fic: a hired cleaner gets kidnapped due to a misunderstanding of the romantic variety. Andie’s Todo is well written, and the pacing of the story is nice and tight. An easy read.

 **Subject: RAPTOR by Tainted_Wine ( @tainted-wine)(Hawks/Reader)

Complete – The villains have turned Hawks into a Nomu, and reader works collecting semen for the facility for breeding purposes. Bigtime monster-fucking, but it’s very poignant and well-done. Very long, but well worth the time.

 **My Hero by HeroAssociation(Aizawa/Reader)

WIP – Reader character is a milf whose son enters a contest to meet his favorite hero and wins. The author’s Aizawa is really good, and the scenes with the reader’s son are very realistic for maternal love. And, I cannot emphasize this enough, reader character is a milf. It’s incomplete, and hasn’t updated in a while, but the premise is so cute I can’t not include it.

 suffer the signs by advantagetexas(Aizawa/Reader)

Complete – Baby’s first hanahaki. Honestly a very cute little hanahaki – no angst or sads, just two idiots in love. A nice quick read.

 But they're soft... by coffee_dessert (Aizawa/Reader)   

Complete – Aizawa gets turned into a cat by a villain’s quirk, and the reader character takes care of him until it wears off. I’ve heard this premise is popular? But I haven’t seen too too many, and this one is very well executed. Aizawa’s characterization is solid, and the pacing is very good. A very sweet read.

**no grave to hold my body down by Hawnks (supermintfluff) ( @hawnks)(Shinsou/Reader)

Complete – Pro Hero Shinsou saves the reader character, and they keep running into each other. This one is a good character study on adult Shinsou, and Hawnks’ writing is always very clean and lovely. I recommend going through their entire selection.

Love Like You by Queen_Kai (Shinsou/Reader)

Complete – Color Soulmate AU with a villain reader. Very cute, and I adore Shinsou’s characterization in this one. I honestly wish there was more, but it stands on its own very well.

Naruto

**Maid with Benefits by awolangel (Akatsuki/Reader)

WIP – Reader is hired to be a live-in maid to the Akatsuki, and also have lots of sex. This fic is hilarious, and so well characterized. The pacing is actually really good, as well as the development of all of the relationships. There are some characters that get more attention than others, but we do get a nice spread. Very fun escapism fic.

Moonshine by Victopteryx ( @ancharan) (HashiMada)

Complete – Prohibition Era Bootlegging AU. Author’s handle on both Madara and Hashirama is incredible (and they draw their own fanart, and it’s also incredible). A whole-ass meal.

Tobirama Kicks Some Sense Into Konoha by allseer15 (Tobirama&Naruto Gen) 

Complete – Tobirama gets sent back in time due to an accidental jutsu, and is horrified at the way Konoha is run, and promptly Rampages over it. Wonderful catharsis for anyone who wondered why it was okay for a rich-ass old man to just leave an infant a welfare check and a shitty apartment and dip out on his development even though he has the equivalent of a nuclear warhead in his upper intestine.

Misc

**Clouds by moriamithril (Star Wars Rogue One, Cassian Andor/Reader)

Complete – Reader character is a handler/assistant type figure to Cassian over a series of missions. We get a lot of emotions in this one – we get the tenderness of caring for someone who is ill, we get devotion, we get yearning, we get delicious jealousy. Well written and lovely.

Fresh Coat by scrapmetal (The Mandalorian, Boba & Din Gen)

Complete – Fantastic Boba and Din, the Mando culture representation we deserve. I’m love.

**A Far Greater Sin (Reader version) by Yavannie (The Mandalorian, Din Djarin/Reader)

Complete – Reader is a healer, and builds a relationship with Mando over the course of a couple decades. Great pacing, great RC development, and the author’s Mando is quite good. The premise/setting gives me wicked fantasy vibes, even though it’s obviously In Space, but that’s definitely a draw.

who's gonna save us now (when the ashes hit the ground) by chancellor_valdez (Ready or Not, Grace/Daniel)

Complete – My favorite of the “Grace and Daniel Survive Together” subgenere, this one is very raw with its emotions. There’s a lot of hurt, and there’s a lot of self-harming coping mechanisms. Recovery is ugly, and the author did a very good job showing us that. And their ending was lovely.

not your garden variety demon lord by rizahawkaye (Inuyasha, SanSessh)

Complete – Sango takes care of Rin sometimes, and gets confused when Sesshoumaru brings her gifts. The author’s Sessh is so good, and it’s a great exploration of a relationship we don’t see much of.

Mine Enemy by Ayrith (Inuyasha, InuSan)

Complete – I love this fic, okay. Fantastic character study in Sango and a lot of the rougher parts of her that canon shied away from, and the author’s Inuyasha characterization is fucking great. Just go read this, yes.

Frozen Plus One by Meowzy (Frozen, HansAnna)

WIP – Troll AU, ie the trolls cursed Hans and that’s why he is That Way. Look, this author has done such a good job with all of the characters. Their voices are very distinct, and it’s not a reach at all to see how it could have gone differently. And we get some sweet HansAnnaKris action, and it is just as we deserve. Honestly, this fic is so well written, it deserves the world.

Knives In by anomalation (Knives Out, Marta/Ransom)

Complete – My favorite of the Pen Pals subgenre, this one is a fantastic slow burn. Ransom is really forced to face himself, and Marta is such a babe. Meg makes a few appearances, and her confusion over her place in the world is really well done. A great enemies-to-lovers.

It's Not Anxiety, It's a Parasite by squadrickchestopher (Venom, Queer Eye)

Complete – Look, I’ve mentioned before, but I love a good Queer Eye fic. Eddie gets what he deserves, and the symbiote couldn’t be more happy. So funny and clever.

You Find Yourself in a Maze by FloaromaMeadow ( @zombiekaiba) (S0 Atem Gen)

Complete – Very short and very poignant, the style is modeled after text-based command games. It fits super well with the Season 0 aesthetic, and there’s so much punch in each command.   

Gaud's Grinch x Tony Fix-it Fic by gaudy_writes ( @biggest-gaudiest-patronuses)

WIP – Look, I know, all right. Just read it.

[beepbeeprichiellc]

31. With Reddie

31. “Are you jealous?”

It was hot, way to fucking hot to be anywhere but inside and yet here they were, seven friends lounging at a public pool with the rest of the town of Derry. Eddie had protested against it vigorously, listing off the endless bacteria that cultures in public pools, that’s not including the ones that come for the feces and urine that originated from the children. In the end, he had been vetoed-like usual-and brushed off. He refused to get into the water, and did nothing but apply sunscreen to himself and the others. Seething hatred and annoyance wasn’t what he had planned on doing today but then again he also didn’t plan on burning like bacon on top of an oven.

“Don’t you think you are being a little over dramatic?” Beverly asked from her spot beside him, dressed in a two piece bikini while the sun cooked her back. She called it tanning, he called it skin cancer. “I mean it’s just a pool for god sake.”

Eddie snorted, turning his nose up in disgust. “I do not, thank you very much! When everyone gets a infection I’ll be there to shove it into their face.”

“Whatever.” She muttered, rolling over onto her back and leaning upward onto her elbows. “Wallow in your self righteousness than. I like the company anyways.”

“You know Ben would be more than happy to keep you company.” Eddie pointed out, smugly smiling down to his friend. “I can move if you want-”

“EDS!” A loud voice called from across the poole, grabbing his attention. There, standing on the edge of the high dive waving his hands like a huge dork. “EDS! WATCH ME!” People were staring, glancing between the two boys with curious eyes. Eddie could feel his face fluster from all of the attention. “WATCH ME THIS!”

“Right, please tease me while Richie is over there begging for your attention.” Beverly mused, laughing at the irony. “Do you want me to move?”

Eddie tried his best to ignore here, all the while watching the trashmouth jump from the edge, attempting to do a flip and ending up belly flopping. The sound was horrendous but the smile that Richie wore afterwards was worth the embarrassment that it earned him. Maybe he did have a small thing for his best friend, what was the harm in that?

The sun was lowering and people were heading out, the scorching sun finally saying goodbye to another summer day and closing the waste of the day. Most of the Losers were gathering their things, talking among themselves about the “fun” day they had. Eddie was already ready two hours ago, having felt left out once Beverly decided to jump into the chilly water. “Hey,” Mike muttered, looking around from friend to friend. “Where’s Richie?”

Eddie’s head immediately shot up, looking around the pool for their missing friend. He found him, across the way, leaning against the chain link fence with a tall blonde lifeguard. They were standing close, too close if you asked Eddie, smiles curling at the corner of their lips. There was a sudden ache in Eddie’s chest, watching as they spoke quietly and leaned into one another while he stood like an idiot with the others. There was a laugh among the group, and Stan’s sharp voice stating, “Look at that, only trashmouth could get into the lifeguards pants.”

Swallowing, Eddie dropped his gaze, biting his lip and shaking his head. Beverly was beside him, sliding her hand atop of his shoulder in a gesture of kindness but it burned him, like so many other times this exact thing had happened. He brushed her off, grabbing his bag and walking away from his friends in a huff. Someone called after him, but it was lost along the way.

Cursing he jumped into the cab of Bill’s truck, the gnawing in his gut making him want to vomit on the dash. When the others finally walked out Richie took one look at him sitting in the car and beelined to him. Eddie kept his face forward, not even looking over to his friend that pressed his body against the door. “Hey Eddie Spaghetti, you are in the wrong car. You rode with me remember?”

“Bill’s going to take me home.” He snapped back, nodding to their leader who didn’t even argue as he shoved his key into the engine. “Don’t worry about it.”

“What?” Richie asked, half chuckling. “But I always take you home.” Eddie only shrugged, slightly adjusting his body so that his back was turned. “Haha, very funny. Come on, I’ll stop at that ice cream place you like so much.” He tried to open to door, pulling on the handle but failing due to the lock. “Eddie?” He asked softly, looking up him with magnified eyes. “Are you mad at me or something?”

“Drive.” Eddie grumbled over to Bill, not bothering to answer the trashmouth. Bill tilted his head, wavering for a moment. “Come on, if I’m late my Mom won’t let me go to the Aladin tomorrow.”

“Sorry Rich.” Bill muttered, putting the gear into reverse and pulling from the curb, shooting the trashmouth a sympathetic look. Richie stood there as they drove away, shoulders slumped and and sadden eyes. It took all Eddie had not to tell Bill to stop so that he could give in, wanting nothing more than to console his best friend.

But they drove on, leaving the pool behind in their dust. It was silent, other than a soft tune coming from the radio. Eddie knew he could speak at any moment and Bill would engage but he didn’t want to, not right now. That was the best thing about their leader, he knew when to stay quiet and when to speak. Derry flew by, and soon they were in the middle of town right by the ice cream shop that Richie had mentioned. Eddie felt a pull in his chest, a want that he tried to ignore.

They rolled to a stop light, and Bill shifted his weight. “Hey Eds?”

“Yeah?”

"Are you jealous?”

Eddie glared over to his friend, “Jealous? Of you and Audra? Why would I be, I think she is great! A real good fit or you, and she obviously likes you too.”

“No.” Bill shook his head, “Are you jealous of Richie?”

This nearly made the short boy choke, his face reddening. “Why because he got that girl to talk to him? I didn’t even think she was attractive, so not my type and-”

“Are you jealous because Richie was talking to her.” Bill corrected, giving Eddie a knowing look. “I know you don’t like girls, we’ve been friends for thirteen years. I know you aren’t out, and that’s fine, but I know you’re gay.”

Eddie deflated entirely, melting into the cheap cloth. Maybe he wasn’t as subtle as he had thought, He felt so vulnerable, sitting there bare and exposed for all to see. Rubbing the bridge of his nose he had to ask, “Do the others-”

“No.” Bill finished, shaking his head. “They don’t know. Well, I think Beverly does but that’s it.” Eddie wanted to cry, and his friend must have picked up on this because he added, “We don’t care Eddie. If you’re happy, we happy. We love you no matter who you love.”

“You don’t know that.” Eddie whispered.

“I know Richie likes you, as in likes you more than a friend.” Bill answered softly, pressing the gas as the light turned green. Eddie snorted, “Everyone sees the way he looks at you, the way he goes out of his way to make you happy. He likes you too Eddie, it’s so obvious.”

“If it’s so obvious then why did he nearly shove his tongue down that girls throat?” He shot back, growling under his breath. “This conversation is pointless, he doesn’t care about me or like me or whatever. He’s only after one thing and I don’t have that one thing.”

“Eddie, that isn’t-”

“Whatever.” He cut harshly, looking back out the window as they pulled into his neighborhood. “I don’t care.” But they both knew he did, oh god did he care.

Bill pulled into his driveway, parking it. Without another word Eddie grabbed his things and opened to door, hopping down onto the pavement. Before shutting the door Bill called out to him one last time. “Give him a break okay? Richie is smart but he can be real dumb sometimes. He doesn’t know how to act around you, and can forget his feelings unlike you but he does like you and he does care. I’d bet my life on it.”

Eddie bit his lip and shut the door, muttering a quick thank you. The walk up to his door was agonizing, Bill’s truck squeaking loudly along the way. With a deep breath he went inside, cringing as his mother called him over to her, fawning over the slight redness to his skin.

Maybe Bill was right, maybe he was being too harsh.

Weather the rest was right or not, weather Richie really did like him, he didn’t know. Things were complicated between them and they were probably always going to be this way. It was the painful truth, so painful that he pushed it as far back as he could for the rest of the afternoon and when the familiar knock came at his window he didn’t even give it a second thought.

Richie tumbled in awkwardly, falling onto the floor with a thud. He looked up with a broken smile, his eyes sorrowful and so welcoming that Eddie could drown in the deep blue pools. With an eye roll, Eddie walked away from the mess and sat on his bed, waiting for the ramble to start.

And start it did because when Richie was nervous he did what he did best, talk. “Hey, yeah…hi. Thanks for letting me in, it’s still hot outside can you believe it? Fucking summer man, it sucks ass…well better than being in school…man are can you believe we are going to be seniors this year? Well I guess you can because you are…..well smart and I’m….awkward so yeah senior year! You excited? I am….kinda scared but excited and-”

“Beep beep Richie..” Eddie said, rubbing his temples and laughing.

Richie’s eyes sparkled, “Yeah, beep beep me.” Slowly and gently he sat down beside his friend, leaving a small space between them. It was silent for a moment and then, “Are we okay?” The trashmouth whispered, so softly that it was almost nonexistent.

Eddie wanted to say so many things, to pour his heart out onto his bedroom floor and throw himself at his best friend but he didn’t. Couldn’t. Not now. Not when their entire relationship was on the line. He could lose so many things, but Richie it seemed, was not one of them. So he answered honestly, nudging Richie’s shoulder in the friendlies way possible, giving nothing up.

“Yeah, we are okay.”