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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 5 years ago

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Lethobenthos || Mike Hanlon x Reader

⊳ Ch. 2: The Butcher's Daughter⊲

A/n: on the off chance that y'all know about butcher shops and meat or whatever, im so sorry cause even though i did a bunch of research, I know it's still pretty inaccurate so please don't come for me 😂 EDIT: I am crying cause I have 950 followers 🥺🥺🥺 I love each and every one of you guys, thank you so much babes 💞

Warnings: Alv*n Marsh being Alv*n Marsh. He briefly leers at reader. There's no comment, but it still needs a warning i feel. Also, long ass chapter. I truly don't know how to write short chapters, yall. Brief mention of animal death (natural causes) and signs of a PTSD attack. Marker for PTSD attack will be labeled [●●●]. Safe reading loves

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

- 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟗 -

ℕ𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 of Costello Avenue Market, sandwiched between Terry's Barber Shop and one of the finer footwear retailers in town, was Derry's very own, Quality Meats. A quaint little shop - as quaint as butcher shops come, that is - right smack in the middle of the street, just across the road from the Capitol Theater. It was always a treat for Y/n L/n when the annual fourth of July parade was in full swing, she always had the best seat in the house from her bedroom window. It sat just above the shop, and truly had the best view overlooking the street. But the parade was weeks away, and it couldn't come soon enough.

For now, she was stuck in her daily routine at her father's butchery. Every morning it was her job to prep the shop before it opened, check the stock, and assure that everything was in order. Her father oversaw the shop but most of his time was devoted to preparing and tending to the meat in the back. This also left the task of receiving, inspecting, and storing meat upon delivery to her.

Her favorite part of the week. Because it meant seeing her favorite person, Mike Hanlon. He was the delivery boy who supplied some of their best selections, straight from the famous Hanlon Homestead. But this was not what thrilled her, what thrilled her was the company of the thoughtful boy. They had met the previous year when her father had hired him for deliveries, Mike had just taken up work at his grandparent's farm and the two quickly hit it off.

Mike was her saving grace. She never had the stomach for her father's work, and despite their weekly heated arguments on the matter, she'd get stuck with the tasks. At the very least, he didn't force her to work in the back in the meat locker. Not anymore. He had learned that lesson the hard way when he dragged her in despite her kicking and squirming - he figured she was just being dramatic, throwing a fit. But low and behold, it all ended with him clearing out the locker for sterilization when she got sick.

Now the only times she ever stepped foot inside was to get to the back door, which is something she didn't do - something she couldn't do - without plugging her nose and blocking out her peripheral vision as she slipped through the back door to greet her best friend.

An occasion, she feared, that she faced as she glanced impatiently at the clock on the wall for the fourth time on this hot June day. Mike was usually pulling up outside the store by now, hell, she clocked out at four to spend time with Mike and it was already three forty-five. Well, three forty-eight according to the shop's clock which one could always rely to be just three minutes fast no matter how much you reset it.

From her spot behind the counter, she had a limited view of the sidewalk outside. A variety of people passed, but none of them were Mike, the person she most wanted to see. And it certainly didn't help that a crowd of people were bunching up near the door, blocking her view of the window.

Three sharp notes from the counters bell broke her from her trance, throwing her harshly back to reality. A rather intimidating man stood on the other side of the counter, he was quite tall and everything about him put Y/n on edge.

"Sorry sir," Y/n mumbled, not feeling very sorry at all. "How can I help you, today?"

The man seemed to rethink his anger, though she would have preferred it over the new look on his leathery face. A wry smile stretched his lips and Y/n did not fail to notice his wandering gaze, only proving her first impressions to be correct. She felt her skin crawl and she did not fight the disgusted look cementing on her face.

"Just don't let it happen again, sweetheart. Now listen up, I'm in a hurry," Christ, she thought, even his voice is unnerving. "I need a pound and a half of the ground round beef."

"Right away, sir," she says, through gritted teeth. "One moment,"

Y/n hated when people ordered when her father was in the back, even though it happened often. Not just because she despised such tasks as grinding the meat and preparing it, but talking to the customers was never a favorite of hers. This was a fine example why.

Instead, she slipped into the back where they kept their stock that wasn't on display and began preparing the meat with a wrinkled nose.

"Fucking creep," she mumbled.

She wished she could say this was the first time something like this had happened, but unfortunately, Derry was filled with scummy people. Something did seem familiar about him though, she might have seen him here before. It'd make sense, Quality Meats was the only butchers around for miles.

Deciding she didn't want to dwell on it any longer, her mind began to wander. Anything that wasn't the man waiting out front really, thankfully that was easy enough. Hopefully, the rest of her workday would go by much quicker so she could meet with Mike. He said he had a surprise for her, and she had been wondering about it all day. The very thought fills her stomach with butterflies. Well, Mike did that all on his own, anyway. He always brought out that side of her. A bubbly, giddy side of her that always seemed to lose any sense of time around him.

Just ten more minutes, she thought. Just power through.

With the order all prepared, she returns to the front counter to find the man leaning against the counter in boredom. Great, now I have to redo the counters, too. When he spotted her, he straightened up and gave her a disapproving once over.

"What took you so long? I'm in a hurry. Fixing your hair couldn't wait, or something?"

Oh, a sexist fucking creep, she mentally corrected herself.

A snarl curled its way onto her face, but before she could make a bitter remark her dad's voice boomed across the shop.

"Well, if it ain't Alvin Marsh," The man in question moved his attention to Y/n's father, and remarkably enough, a somewhat friendly smile appeared on his face. "Good to see ya,"

"You too, always a pleasure,"

Y/n watched the exchange with shocked uncertainty. It frankly appalled her that this man was capable of being friendly, and even in such limited time in his presence. More importantly, she wondered, how could her father know this man? Why would her father know this man? Everything about this Alvin Marsh guy set her teeth on edge, and the only word coming to her mind for how to describe him was... slimy.

"So," the butcher asked, gesturing around the shop. "is there anything I might be able to help you with? Or has my daughter taken care of you, already?"

Y/n watched with great disdain as the man returned to her with another pointed look, glancing down at the packaged meat ready to go. He looks as if he's mulling it over, and finally, he clicks his tongue.

"Sure," he nods, looking back to her father, chuckling dryly with one elbow back on the counter. "when she found the time,"

"Ah, I see," He nods, sending a disapproving look to his daughter.

"Y/n," he sighs, nodding in the direction of the back of the shop, still a stern look upon his face. "Go wash up and clock in early, I'll take care of Mr. Marsh, and the rest."

Her mouth parted, ready to argue - not out of disappointment, for there was none, but to defend herself - when her father cut her off with a warning look.

"Now?"

She sighed heavily, her head rolling with her eyes as her arms snaked around to her back to untie her apron. At least she didn't have to pretend to care anymore now that she was technically off the clock. Her feet dragged across the ground subconsciously showing her frustration. As she made her way to the back when she heard that godawful grating voice again.

"Unbelievable, isn't it? There's just no respect anymore."

Y/n rolls her eyes when she hears her father chuckle. She sighs as turns the corner and hangs her apron up.

"Yeah, I got one of my own at home. Gorgeous little one, feisty too. But one hell of a mouth. Real bitch sometimes,"

Wide-eyed, and seeing red, Y/n is unable to take any more and heads farther back, slamming the door behind her, not caring if she took the fall for it later. Hell, she just might take the meat locker over that. She's shaking with rage, and his words echo in her skull still as she washes her hands. Her hands begin to sting and she realizes she had lost herself in thought and was just about to wear her skin down under the water as she scrubbed. Y/n shook her head, killing the water and drying her hands when her mind finally manages to break away from the creep when she thinks of the time.

Fuck, it's already five!

Quickly, she heads for the door to the meat locker, her nose already plugged when she pushes it open. Luckily, these trips were always fairly quick given the back door to the ally was just a few steps away, but what she saw when she stepped inside completely threw her through a loop.

The back door was wide open.

Upon first glance, she figured her father had opened it, and even though that was the most logical explanation, it didn't make sense. He never left it open. Not when he wasn't there. He was a stickler about that. Her head whips around the locker, but she was the only one. Fighting the urge to take an anxious deep breath, she creeps forward and peers around the corner, not knowing what to expect.

Her E/C eyes widen happily and relieved when she realizes it was only Mike. But her happiness vanished just as soon as it had come when she saw the state he was in, nevermind the fact he was laying in the heap of recycling!

"Mike!"

He jumped as she stepped out into the light, the entrance to the meat locker was quite dark from where he sat. And before he knew it was her, all he had seen was something moving in the shadows towards him. Y/n felt her heart tighten at the sight, something clearly must have happened, and it must have been bad for him to be startled by her.

Not unlike herself, though, he seemed to calm significantly when he realized who he was in company with. And yet, he still wasn't speaking. His eyes just bore into the darkness of the entrance, still panting heavily. Thick beads of sweat slid down his face.

"Mike," she knelt beside him, subtly checking for any signs of injury. "what happened?"

"I..." he gulps, finally breaking his gaze away and looking at her. "don't know."

Her eyebrows raise a bit higher in question, and curiously she searches his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Despite the comfort of her gaze, he breaks himself away from it to look back into the dark abyss, fearing It would come back. Whatever It was. And as he does so, he swears he can still hear the rattling of the chains and the bleating of a goat, and the very very very back of his skull was the chilling sound of a clowns laugh.

"Mike?"

He realizes he hasn't answered her yet, and quickly he shakes his head 'no'.

"Here, let me help you," she rises to her feet, extending her hand.

He gladly takes it, and despite his lingering fear from his encounters, she still manages to send a spark through his skin just with her touch. Little did he know, she felt the same way. Y/n pulls him to his feet, and already, his attention is centering away from the locker and towards her. She's watching him carefully, and only now does he fully process the intensity of the worry held in her eyes.

"I-I think I'm okay," he stammers, chest still heaving with his labored breathing. "really."

Y/n nods after a moment, concluding he must be telling the truth. Over time she had picked up on Mike's body language, including all of his tells. For instance, she could usually tell when he was hiding something. He'd always tug or scratch at his ear. Or when he was lying, the ends of his lips would twitch up. Almost as if subconsciously offering a guilty smile before quickly suppressing it. But Y/n found no such thing, and she felt the muscles in her shoulders relax.

"Good," she sighs with a weak smile, her eyes falling to the ground. "Here,"

Her hand leaves his and immediately, they both miss each other's touch but say nothing of it. She steps around him and begins picking up the many packages of meat that had spilled out of the basket. He joins her, just as soon.

"Oh," he steals a glance at her, a small smile creeping up on him. "thanks."

It goes away just as fast, his heart still aches from how hard it had been beating. Y/n does not fail to notice his darting glances over her shoulder at the meat locker. They both rise to their feet, and Y/n casts a confused glance over her shoulder before turning back to him.

"Are you sure you're good, Mike? You don't seem yourself,"

He sighs, not entirely sure himself. His shoulders rise and fall in a shrug, and his lips part to speak but the words die in his throat when he hears the sudden and obnoxious revving of an engine nearby. He flinches, head jerking in the direction of the sound.

A ghostly expression washes over Y/n, and her anger visibly rises in seconds.

"Was it Bowers, again?" She scoffs, just enraged at the thought of him and she even begins to stammer as she grasps for an insult, anger clouding her brain."That-That bigoted fucking... dickhole!"

She stomps her foot and huffs, unable to properly deal with the overwhelming amount of anger and exhaustion building up in her. Mike looks at her with the tiniest hint of a bemused expression. His brow shot up and he almost felt a chuckle come out. Almost.

"Dickhole?"

"I know, I know," She chuckles dryly, the ends of her lips twitching up. "Shut up,"

The chuckle in his chest breaks loose and he feels as if another piece of stress has been chipped away. A long process in the making, but it was better now that she was here. Mike had yet to find out, the same went for Y/n. Mike placed the packages he had collected thus far back into his basket and Y/n popped her head back inside to grab a small bin by the door. She brought the small container over, placing the few packs of meat she carried inside and the two filled it in a matter of seconds. Any trace of a smile has fallen off her face as she looks back up at her best friend, shrugging.

"Well, he is," she defends. "All of them are. They're wrong in the head, Mike,"

"Can't argue with that," He shrugs, sending a grimace down the alleyway where the Bowers gang had just disappeared. "Need any help?"

"Nah, I got it. Thanks though," she grabs the bin, holding it against her frame and sends him a short smile. "Be right back,"

He answers with a curt nod, his sweaty palms unknowingly rubbing against his jeans out of nervous habit. She disappears back into the darkness, and Mike immediately feels the weight her absence leaves. The guard she had coaxed down had returned, plaguing his mind as several scenarios spiral out in his brain.

He couldn't tell her about the clown, he'd sound crazy! Hell, maybe he was. At least that's a what small voice told him in the back of his head, but deep down he knew what he saw was real. Real to him. Shaking that terrifying image from his brain would be harder than he thought.

Don't forget the turtle.

Mike shook his head, bewildered at the intrusive reminder his brain sent him. It was a strange sensation like the thought was not his own. It was a gentle voice speaking directly to his subconscious like a radio with interference. And yet, it didn't frighten Mike. Not at all like the dark, intrusive thoughts that had been occurring lately. This was soothing and gentle. Nonetheless, the message sent his hand flying for his pockets.

Relief swept over him when he felt the small lump in his right pocket where the gift resided. He smiled to himself at the thought of giving it to Y/ n. He had been working on it all year, a small wooden turtle he had carved himself in the many free moments he had stolen on his grandparent's farm. Mike couldn't quite pinpoint the exact moment he had decided to make a turtle, or that it would come to be such a big secret he would keep until he could give it to her. He had just sat down one day and started carving as if something had compelled him to do so.

And now here he was, ready to give her the small carved necklace. Mike was quite proud of it, not only was it his first carving but he had managed to secure it nicely in a thin - but sturdy - string of twine. Mike takes the time to spare a glance at the darkened doorway where his best friend disappeared, before his hand descends into his pocket, his heart hammering against his chest. His hand fishes amongst the pocket of denim and lint where his fingers find the cool touch of wood and twine. He pulls out the necklace and it dangles in the air as he carefully inspects it.

Was the twine fastened tight enough? Was the belly of the shell smooth enough where it would rest comfortably on her chest without splintering? Most importantly... Would she like it?

He sure hoped she would, given her connection to the reptile. She spoke often of it, the turtle that visited her dreams. Y/n never thought much of it, it had become merely a topic of conversation meant only for small lulls but she did find it funny the reoccurring figure. She described it as being the same turtle somehow, and it was never a threatening presence but a calm one. Like a guardian almost. It was a small and silly feeling that abandoned her by the time she was up and awake but little did she - or Mike - know just how deep the connection ran.

These were all thoughts that flooded Mike's mind but he quickly has to put them and himself at ease. The hiss of the airlock to the meat locker and the backroom reached his ears and quickly he stuffed the necklace back into his pockets. When Y/n returns, looking far less than relaxed do all of his previous worries evaporate into the humid summer air. His hardened stare never leaves her troubled frown as she locks up the side door, all the while he grabs his bike.

The pair falls into a comfortable silence as they head for the back of the alley where Y/n's bike was hidden. All that hung in the air was her defeated sigh that had accumulated after a long and stressful day, and the buzzing of cars as they passed by on the main road behind them. His worries now gone in the wake of her newfound stress he pulls up a curious brow as he walks his bike alongside her.

"Rough day?"

Y/n laughs dryly, nodding to her best friend as they round the corner and picks up her bike. "You could say that."

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

The town of Derry was quaint and rather cozy upon first glance. Quite a charming spot on the map with its snug downtown streets filled with local businesses such as Quality Meats. And one couldn't help but admire the long and beautiful running waters of the Kenduskeag stream that bled out from the Penobscot River, under the town and out into the Barrens stretching past the old train yard. The Barrens were the stretch of woods just outside of town.

And it was precisely these woods that the pair had found solace in the cruel and evil world they called their home. Months after their meeting, they had both explored the Barrens and to their luck, they had stumbled upon the Fort. The Fort was what Y/n and Mike called the large pit they had discovered past the train yard and just over the stream. You had to swing across an old rope swing they had found, but that made journey all the more fun. They almost hadn't seen the Fort behind the fallen trees walled around and piled over the top.

The way the trees had fallen it had created a rather spacious room just below the earth. When inside, one could see through the branches slats and out into the rest of the Barrens without being easily spotted. It made the perfect hideout from those who wished to see them harmed, and it also made a wonderful makeshift amphitheater. It was often they would look up from their conversations and see the wildlife walking around just feet away, still unaware of their presence.

This is where they found themselves now, deep amongst the thickets, far away from their everyday troubles. It wasn't until they had abandoned their bikes at the stream to cross and venture deeper inside did they finally feel the effects of the change in scenery. At long last, the weight that settled on their hearts and troubled minds began to evaporate slowly as they inhaled the fresh and pleasantly overwhelming aroma of pine and fresh dirt. It blended perfectly with the dewy oak that hung in the air after the past week's summer storm, as did the gentle breeze that managed to reach them after a long journey through the trees.

The sight of the Fort puts the last of their darkest thoughts to bed - for now. The crunching of twigs is the only sound that reaches their ears as they approach their haven. It is then that it occurs to Y/n, the birds have stopped singing. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard any birds in weeks. It was quite unusual considering these woods of all places were where their song carried the loudest. It was as if they were all... hiding.

She realized even the atmosphere felt different, and not just in the Barrens. It had been a thought blooming in the back of her mind for the past few months; that the town had been cast into a dark shadow. While Y/n had lived in Derry all her life, it had always felt mysterious to her. But this was different, it was darker. Like a cloudless storm had rolled into Derry, with no intention of leaving.

Mike brought her from her trance, pulling her gaze back down to earth from where it was previously fixed on the treetops.

"I feel it, too."

"What do you think it is?" Y/n asks finally.

Mike's lips crease into a flat shrug, eyes flitting to the ground as his shoulders briefly rise.

"I don't know," he sighs, his gaze trailing up to where hers laid in the treetops as if expecting to see this so-called storm with his very eyes. "But it's nothing good,"

Her hardened frown turns back to the forest floor, blinking several times as she reached for a thought that was fast asleep in the farthest corner of her brain. It almost didn't even feel like a thought so much as a part of her brain itself. But it quickly dissipates as calm washes over her, taking with it any budding anxieties. She could almost laugh, none of this made sense. Y/n had been waiting all day to be here with Mike, and now she was.

Y/n wasn't going to let anything ruin that. Or so she hoped.

A coy smile plays at her lips as she picks up her pace towards the Fort, and swiftly she navigates through their hidden entrance. Her hopeful attitude is just infectious enough that it takes to Mike, and warmth blooms in his stomach as he quickly follows her. His feet bring him to the entrance of the Fort, and through the slats, he can see Y/n settling in.

The sight of her relaxing brought a small smile to Mike's face, and quickly he joined her inside. The welcoming effect of the Fort just as soon touched him as it had her, and never had he been more relieved to see the sight around him.

Soft light from the gas lantern bathed the small dome inside the earth, illuminating the many mossy branches perched above their heads. Several discarded wooden boards lay tucked into the dirt beneath their feet, creating makeshift wooden floors that had long been covered in several spare blankets they had brought. While the dome was just that, it was not a perfect circle. It was a bit uneven but this gave the pair the advantage of a single corner. This is where they kept the single beanbag they had managed to get their hands on.

It was just as they had left it, a warm and cozy corner of the world that belonged just to them. It smelled just as the forest around them, only more intensified in their close courters.

[●●●●]

Y/n stumbled away from the bean bag suddenly with a horrified shriek, her band coming to rest shakily over her mouth as she backed into the dirt wall behind her. Mike jumped to her side, eyes wide and fearful as his mind conjured every horrible possibility. The fear from the alley returned.

"What? What's wrong?"

A heavy sob was building in the far back of her throat, her wide e/c irises were beginning to dilate and her limbs trembled. Mike recognized within moments what had caused her such distress, having recognized an attack of hers like this only twice before. But the pain of seeing her so distraught was burned in his brain so he might never forget. His hand that had come to rest on her shoulder now brought her into his embrace. As she stumbled numbly into his arms he saw her eyelids screw shut, and several heavy tears were squeezed free.

"Hey," he whispered soothingly, his hand rubbing circles in her back. "Hey, it'll be okay. You're not there anymore, you're not there. You're not there..."

Slowly but surely her breathing becomes less ragged, and he can feel her head nodding into the crook of his neck as she takes in his words. Y/n's sniffles are loud in his ear but he couldn't care less. Mike just wanted her to be okay. He only now realizes he was still muttering sweet nothings into her ear as he feels his mouth grow dry.

"We're okay, Y/n. You're safe."

She takes a long and trembling breath that he can feel in the crook of his neck. Her breath brings out goosebumps on his skin but he quickly banishes the thought away in her troubled state. When she speaks, her voice is barely audible, even from beside his ear.

"Thanks, Mike,"

All he can find himself doing is pressing a flat smile to his lips, his eyes glazing over sadly at the limp pigeon in the corner behind the beanbag. The sight brings a strong and forceful wave of sadness that washes over him, but he knows it is not quite the same kind of sadness as she is experiencing. Finally, after almost twenty minutes have passed, she breaks away, sniffling.

Mike feels the weight on his heart triple in size when she pulls away to reveal her puffy eyelids. The whites of her eyes are laced with red veins, and her trembling lips let loose a few shaky breaths. Immediately, she does all she can to wipe away the tears, but the evidence of her sadness remains. She shakes her head, disappointed in letting herself show this side and chuckles bitterly as she clutches her aching chest.

[●●●●]

"I'm sorry,"

"No," he says, shaking his head. "Don't do that, okay? You should never apologize for this. For feeling anything. You have your own baggage, just like everyone else."

She chews the inside of her lip in a nervous habit, heat creeping up in her neck.

"Sor-"

He eyes her warningly, and she bites back a sheepish smile and clears her throat. "Okay."

He studies her for a moment, not aware he is even doing so as her swollen eyes trail sadly across the room where the pigeon lays. He can hear a mournful whine building in her throat before he cleared his own with a somber expression.

"It's okay, I'll take care of 'em."

A weak, thankful smile flickers across her face and she watches thoughtfully as he rises and crosses the fort to the pigeon. He grabs one of the spare towels they kept around - sometimes the old rags they spread across the wooden grates would need a quick replacement, as they discovered the hard way - and knelt before the limp bird. Y/n finally rises to her feet decidedly and slips past Mike and outside the Fort without a word, a rusty trowel now in hand.

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

The pair now stood before a small lump in the dirt, their heads pulled down with gravity as they stare at their feet. After Y/n had dug a small grave, Mike had buried the old pigeon, and the two had managed a small eulogy. Hosting a small funeral for a pigeon is certainly not what the two had envisioned their day would look like, but oddly enough, it was cathartic for both of them.

Mike was hardly old enough to remember his parent's funeral. The same could be said for Y/n, and like Mike, she hadn't exactly been emotionally or mentally present for her mother's funeral, for when the time came she had still been in quite the state of trauma. Y/n didn't like to talk about it, and in their year of friendship Mike had only recently found out, but she had been the one to find her mother's body as a very young child. So it was no surprise the familiar sight of the limp body brought her such distress.

As her glassy eyes stare numbly at the mound in the dirt she feels a soft yet somehow calloused hand slip into her own, giving her palm a light squeeze. Her head feels heavier than normal in her crestfallen state, she notices, as she picks her stare up off the ground to look at Mike. He wears a small and gentle smile for her and gestures past her head towards the Fort that lies beyond only a few feet.

"C'mon. We should settle in before it gets too much later."

Her thumb flitters across his skin in response, and she nods. The two of them make their way back to their hideaway, the sounds of the earth beneath their feet filling the pensive silence once more. When they enter, her eyes flicker to the seat she was previously ready to occupy. A small shudder passes through her and she instead chooses the pile of blankets across the cramped room.

Mike settles in beside her, his hands flying back to his pockets again to ensure the turtle remained on his person. Sure enough, the small wooden necklace could be felt floating amongst his things inside his pocket. He breathed a silent sigh of relief, one she would have caught had she not distracted herself with the task of fishing out their stored away activities. A deck of cards was pulled from the small and rusty tin lunchbox they kept there for storage, soon to follow was an equally rusty - and rather dusty - silver spoon. Y/n shrugs with the spoon in hand.

"We could play Spoons or something?" Y/n suggested half-heartedly, her eyebrows falling into a curious frown. "Or was there something else you wanted to play?"

He gulps nervously though he doesn't quite understand why he was even nervous in the first place, it was Y/n! Then again, all the more reason for his heart to be aflutter... It was Y/n.

His sweaty palms return to his jeans and he wipes them anxiously hoping to keep his hands dry, and he sends her a weak and nervous smile.

"I um," he cleared his throat, and she emptied her hands, curiously turning all her attention to him. "I uh, wanted to show you something I made?"

"Oh," she says, a bit taken aback. "Yeah, okay. What is it?"

Any and all responses he had gone over previously in his mind vanished into thin air, leaving him speechless. All he could do at that moment was fish into his pockets, his fingers lacing around the string as he pulled out the necklace. It dangles in the air, the soft golden light from the lamp beside them illuminated the many grooves engraved into the wood that created the illusion. It sways back and forth before their eyes, but his gaze is set not on the turtle but her.

Her eyes had widened in reverence, and he could feel his heart swell with pride. She shakes her head in disbelief, the ends of her lips tugging up in a smile.

"This is incredible, Mike!"

He can feel a heat in his cheeks and the tips of his ears that could rival the summer sun. His grin widens bashfully.

"Thanks," he says, gesturing towards her with the necklace, inwardly cursing at himself for this moment not going as smoothly as he had hoped. "It's, uh. It's yours. I made it for you. This was the surprise I was telling you about."

Her attention is on him now, and he can feel his heart skip a beat. He notices that the swelling in her eyes has gone down a little, but the smallest of beads pool in her eyes. She was welling up a bit.

"Mike," she breathes. "Thank you. I... Don't know what to say, I feel like "thank you" isn't enough."

He shrugs as she takes the necklace into her hands to examine it more closely, her thumb tracing the shell of the wooden reptile as she gapes fondly at it. Unbeknownst to Mike, her stomach won't stop its series of flips. Finally, she looks back up at him, and he's happy to see the first genuine spark of glee in her eyes he had been longing to see all day. The pride in his chest grows even bigger knowing he had been the one to make her feel better, even if it was only a little.

"I love it." She says finally.

Y/n takes the necklace by the twine, parting it in two as she brings it to her neck. Her eyes are travel across the fort as her tongue pokes out from between her lips thoughtfully as she attempts to secure the necklace in place. She struggles for several moments, muttering a few frustrations to herself as she fumbles to tie the knot properly without it slipping from her fingers first. Seeing this, his own stomach doing a flip, Mike scoots himself closer and gestures to her neck.

"Here, let me," he offers.

A heat rages up from her neck and to her cheeks and ears, not unlike Mike had moments ago but she complies and turns herself so he can reach the back of her neck. He takes the twine from her hands, their fingertips grazing briefly creating a matching storm of butterflies in their stomach. And as Mike sets to work on the knot, neither of them can see the brilliant grins stretching across their faces that they wished to hide from the other.

"There you go," he mutters shakily, praying she can't hear his voice wavering.

She does, but it only sends her heart racing faster. She mumbles a 'thanks' as she turns back around, and sends him another thankful smile as she simpers down at the turtle that now hung from her neck. Already her fingers had snuck up to her neck to fiddle with the turtle, and a warmth washes over her.

Y/n does not know whether it was her nearly intoxicating feelings for Mike, his kindness, the reassuring presence of the turtle, or perhaps all of the above, but she now felt a great deal better. It was as if a great weight had been taken off of her shoulders, the banishing of great unease as she wore the necklace now. Perhaps it was all in her mind, but Y/n rather enjoyed the strength the gesture had brought her.

And maybe, just maybe, Y/n could take on whatever the future might throw at her.

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Black Lives Matter m resources, what you can do to help. Link in the comments below, can be accessed on any computer.

Support black owned businesses! There's this great app shared by @lovechlmt on Twitter, which I found on a post from Tumblr but either way I downloaded the app and it is a great way to find black owned businesses in your area! Please download and use if you can! It is called Black Nation

As I've heard, there is a wonderful website that provides therapy specifically for black and other poc, so you can speak to someone who shares your experiences and can truly get you the help you so deserve. Particularly black women. Its a simple url: therapyforblackgirls.com

Here's the description provided from @ madamblack on tumblr for the info:

"This reminds me, if y'all haven’t heard of therapyforblackgirls.com please visit if you need a therapist. You can search by mental health need, location/distance, insurance, etc. I believe there are some that provide a sliding scale payment method for those without insurance.

If you’re not quite ready to make the jump, there is a podcast you can listen to as well as articles and links to help answer some of your questions about mental health and/or therapy.

The purpose, as I understand it, is to provide a place where black women can go to find culturally sensitive therapy. Some specialize in family/couples as well.

Take a look."

[Link]

I'd also like to provide additional resources that were added on to this source, this being a collection of free therapy resources found by @ ntbx on tumblr:

[Link]

As well as Black Minds Matter UK resource from @ girthcobain on the very same post.

[Link]

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Taglist:

@loversclwb @bibliophilesquared

Let me know if you would like to be added!

#lethobenthos #mike hanlon x reader #mike hanlon x you #chapter two the butcher's daughter #mike hanlon rewrite #MH rewrite #it reader insert #it reader rewrite #mike hanlon #chosen jacobs #derry maine #you'll float queue

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 5 years ago

Photo

MY GUYS!!!!

The bird came back, screeching triumphantly, and Mike rolled his body over Eddie’s and waited for the worst.

#mike hanlon #eddie kaspbrak #mike hanlon x reader #eddie kaspbrak x reader #it rewrite #it chapter two rewrite #mike hanlon rewrite #lethobenthos

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cocastyle · 5 years ago

Text

Change - Ch. 2 | F I V E

Pairing - Bill Denbrough x reader

Word Count - 6,390

A/N - sorry for the wait but I’m going to be starting college soon so I’ve been busy with family, friends, and buying stuff for my dorm. I’m hoping to start writing updates again so here’s the first one many! let me know what you think especially with Greyson in the mix because I just love him so much! also, let me know if you like me including the flashbacks because I kind of loved it and was thinking about including more than what is just in the movie!

if you would like to be added to the tag list for this series let me know!

C H A N G E

Change Series Masterlist

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

F I V E - Remember

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

Y/N stared up at the Derry Townhouse in front of her, a sick feeling in her stomach as she realized that she had to go in there and convince her friends to stay. If there was any shot of them defeating It, it had to be with all of them there. That's how they defeated It last time and that was the only way they would be able to defeat It this time.

She knew her friends would think she was crazy. She was well aware of the fact. Y/N just wasn't sure what she was going to say or if she was even ready to face them after what they had all just found out. She wasn't ready for the looks of pity or the reminders of Stan especially since her heart was already so fragile that one more blow might actually kill her.

The woman found herself spiraling down a whirlpool of her own thoughts and she would've only gotten worse if it weren't for Greyson gently grabbing ahold of her hand and giving it a squeeze. Y/N glanced at the boy, his red eyes matching hers despite the small reassuring smile on his face.

Y/N really didn't deserve Greyson as a son. It was almost too good to be true.

"Together," Greyson whispered, reminding her once again that she wasn't alone no matter how much she felt like she was without Stan. Y/N gave a short nod and squeezed Greyson's hand once before the two began walking up the steps of the townhouse.

They were inside within seconds and were instantly met with Richie yelling at Ben and Beverly with his bag hanging from his shoulder, "Whatever you guys are talking about, let's make it happen fast, alright? We got to go." He turned towards the stairs and yelled up, "Edwardo, andele! Let's go!"

Richie then seemed to notice the presence of Y/N and Greyson and let out a small sigh of relief. "I don't know where the fuck you've been, but go grab your shit. We're getting out of here pronto," Richie announced as he walked over to behind the girl and began lightly shoving her towards the steps. "Come on, Uris. Move it."

"Rich, I can't," Y/N managed to say, her words causing the man to freeze before letting out a loud laugh.

"Real funny, Y/N. Now come on. I'm not leaving here until I know you're safe and on your way home," Richie insisted as he tried to move her again.

"Richie," Y/N sighed, but the man was barely listening to her as he caught wind of Beverly and Ben's conversation in which Y/N and Greyson couldn't help but listen to either.

"There's something you're not telling us. You knew how Stanley died. You knew," Ben said, his words making the three wide eyed while Beverly just remained silent.

"Wait, what?" Richie questioned as he let go of Y/N and walked into the small parlor the pair was in. Y/N quickly followed after, coming to a stop beside Richie while Greyson came up behind them.

"You. . .knew?" Y/N whispered, a flicker of hurt flashing through her eyes while Beverly lowered her gaze to the floor.

"I can't do this," Beverly muttered before brushing past the four and attempting to walk away into a different room.

"She knew how Stanley was going to die? Is that what she just said?" Richie asked, but Ben and Y/N were already following after the red head. Richie glanced to Greyson who merely shrugged. The man noticed his red eyes and sighed before placing a hand on the kid's shoulder in comfort as they walked after the three.

"You can't just walk away from this," Ben insisted while Beverly rapidly rang the bell at the front desk. "How did you know where he killed himself? Bev."

The red head ignored them and moved around the counter. "Talk to me. Just talk to me like we used to!" Ben exclaimed, but when his attempts still didn't work, Y/N stepped in and was quick to stand in front of the girl to stop her from moving.

Beverly was quiet as she stared at Y/N, the later staring at the red head in a mixture of pain and sadness as she reached out to grab onto Beverly's hand. "Bev, please," Y/N whispered, her eyes flickering over the girl's face as she desperately squeezed her hand.

If Beverly had known that Stan was going to die, Y/N needed to know how and why. It just didn't make sense. None of this did. And Y/N really just wanted the whole picture. She deserved that much.

Beverly let out a shaky breath, tears beginning to fill her eyes as she whispered, "Because I saw it. I've seen all of us die, even—" She trailed off as her eyes flickered over to Greyson. Y/N's breath caught in her throat and she glanced back at her son who stared back wide eyed while Richie tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder.

A heavy silence fell among the group as Beverly's words began to sink in. No one even bothered glancing at Eddie who was noisily making his way down the stairs with his two bags that kept banging against the wooden railing and wall.

"Okay. I just got to grab my toiletry bag and then we can go," Eddie announced as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He set his bags down and looked up at the group, pausing almost instantly at the looks on their faces while Y/N finally glanced over at him. The look she gave him made his blood run cold.

"What'd I miss?"

- - -

"Okay, so what do you mean that you've seen us all die?" Eddie questioned, not being able to fathom what Beverly meant. Y/N just put her head in her hands, the regret of deciding to stay coursing through her body while Greyson just sat silent by her side at the mini bar in the room they were in.

"Yeah, cause I got to be honest. That's a fucked up thing to just drop on somebody," Richie muttered.

"Every night since Derry I've been. . .having these nightmares," Beverly explained. "People in pain. People dying. People—" She fell short as a look of horror and pain flashed across her face.

"So you have nightmares?" Eddie questioned as he stopped next to Y/N's chair and leaned against the back. "I have nightmares. People, they have nightmares. But that doesn't mean that your visions are true."

He nudged Y/N and the woman glanced back at him to find Eddie giving her a look as if to ask her to back him up, but for once she couldn't. Y/N just looked away and Eddie swallowed thickly, dread washing over him as he looked to Beverly.

"I've watched every single one of us this week," Beverly whispered, her words making Y/N lean further into her hands as she shook her head.

"You've seen every single one of us what?" a new voice questioned. Y/N sat up almost instantly, her head turning around so quickly she could've gotten whiplash. Her eyes locked on Bill who was already staring back at her from where he stood beside Mike, a small look of surprise and relief on his face at seeing her sitting there.

Y/N didn't know why she had the sudden urge to cross the room and fall into the man's arms, but she did and somehow she was able to keep herself in her seat. Bill's eyes flashed with an unreadable expression as he stared at her, but then he seemed to remember what he had been saying and blinked before looking back down at Beverly.

"To the place where Stanley wound up. That's how we end," Beverly said, her eyes flickering over to Y/N who immediately avoided eye contact and stared down at her hands. A hand was placed on top of her own and Y/N glanced to her side where Greyson was giving her a soft reassuring smile as he squeezed her hand. Y/N squeezed his hand back, her heart warming at just how amazing her son was.

"Okay, how come the rest of us aren't seeing that shit? What—what makes her so different?" Richie asked.

"The dead lights," Y/N muttered, her whole body feeling as if it had suddenly been dunked under cold water. She distantly saw Beverly floating in the air, her eyes glazed over as she floated above them trapped in some sort of prison that Pennywise was able to conjure.

Everyone's eyes flickered over to her and Y/N sighed before taking her free hand and running it through her hair while the other one held on tightly to her son. "It's the only thing that makes sense. No one else's got trapped in the dead lights, only Bev," she explained.

"She was the only one of us that got caught in the dead lights that day," Bill muttered as the memory came back to him and the others.

The man shook his head and crossed the room to sit in the seat beside Y/N, plopping down in disbelief while Greyson watched his mother gently reach out and place a hand on Bill's shoulder. Bill's hand flew up instantly, settling on top of her own and holding onto it tightly before the two exchanged a small look.

"We were all touched by it. Changed. Deep down like an infection or a virus. A virus! You understand! Slowly—" Mike tried to say as he reached out for Eddie, but the man quickly slid past him and began pacing around the room. "That virus, it's been growing for twenty seven years. This whole time metastasizing. It just got to Stan first because—"

"He's the weakest," Richie said and before anyone could even blink, Y/N had slammed her hand on the counter in order to push her up off her seat. She was in front of Richie in a matter of seconds, her finger pointed at his chest while a look of pure fury dawned her face.

Tears pooled in her eyes as she darkly said, "Stanley was not weak. He. . .he was brave and kind and. . .and—" Y/N had to pause in order to stop the sob that had begun to cross her lips. "And a better man than you will ever be!"

Richie's face softened as he looked down at his friend and for a moment it was like he saw the same thirteen year old that had been his best friend all of those years ago, the same girl who rarely left her cousin's side and loved him with all of her heart. Fuck, he was an asshole, wasn't he?

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to hurt you," Richie whispered as he carefully reached out and wrapped his arms around the girl, pulling her closer to his body for a hug. She fell against him with no fighting, her body limp against his own while her hands balled into fists on his jacket.

A soft sob escaped her lips and she weakly shook the man as she said again, "Stanley's not weak. He's not. . .he's not weak."

Richie just held her tighter, his eyes flickering up to the others who were all glaring at him. He gave them all an apologetic smile and most of them shook their heads and looked away, but Bill and Greyson continued to glare at Richie from where they sat next to each other at the counter.

"What Beverly sees, it will come to pass," Mike said after a moment of silence where Y/N finally managed to calm herself down enough to look back at the others while Richie continued to hold her comfortingly which no one bothered pointing out. He had always had a soft spot for the girl since they were younger and now was no exception, especially considering the fact that he had been the one to make her upset. "It's what'll happen to all of us eventually unless we stop it."

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Eddie questioned, glancing over at Y/N to see if she was alright and smiling softly as he watched her pull away from Richie and return the soft smile that Richie was giving her as he brushed her hair out of her face and whispered another apology.

"The ritual of Chüd," Mike told them.

Y/N scrunched up her nose, wiping at her eyes to get rid of the last of her tears as she pushed her emotions aside and tried to be the brave girl she had been twenty seven years ago when she first fought the clown. "The ritual of what now?" she questioned, her and Richie sharing a look of disgust and confusion.

"Chüd," Mike said again. "The Shokapiwah, the first ones who fought it, they have a saying. All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit."

"Tribal ritual? Are you fucking kidding me, man?" Richie questioned while Y/N just shook her head and walked over to the line of alcohol bottles on the wall. She was quick to grab a bottle and pour herself a shot before downing it in a matter of seconds. She could feel eyes on her and glanced over at her son who had an eyebrow raised. Sighing, Y/N poured herself one last shot and set the bottle down before walking over to the counter and leaning opposite of Greyson.

"There's gotta be another way," Y/N insisted, downing her last shot and setting the glass down while Bill sneaked a worried look in her direction.

"Y/N's right. This thing comes back what? Every twenty seven years? Let's kick the can down the road and do it then," Richie suggested.

"We'll be seventy years old, asshole," Eddie pointed out.

Y/N winced. "Yeah, I'd like to think I'll be up and kicking at seventy, but I'll have one foot in the grave before I can even think about fighting some fucking clown at that age," she muttered.

"It doesn't work that way," Beverly assured her. "None of us make it another twenty years, not even Greyson, and the way it happens—"

Beverly trailed off again and Y/N glanced at Greyson before clenching her jaw. "You trailing off every time you're about to say something horrible does not make this any less terrifying," Y/N said, her eyes locking on Bill who had his concerned gaze on Greyson as if he couldn't imagine the kid dying a horrible death this early in his life because of Pennywise.

"So if we don't beat It this cycle then we die," Ben concluded.

"Horrible," Eddie added.

"Yeah, I don't need the horrible part," Richie assured the man.

"I didn't say it, she said it. Not me," Eddie muttered.

"Wow, such great options we have. Either give up and die, lose and die, or somehow pull a win out of asses and actually get to live the rest of our lives. I'm loving this whole reunion thing so far," Y/N grumbled, earning a small glare from Greyson as the boy silently told her to play nice.

"Alright guys, look," Bill said as he pushed himself up off his seat, patting Greyson's shoulder once before glancing around at his friends. "I've seen w-w-what he's talking about and it's. . .it's all true." Bill's eyes stopped on Y/N and she lightly shook her head at him, but he only gave her a small look as he whispered, "It's the only way."

Y/N bit her lip at that, staring silently at Bill as she tried to decide if she actually had to do this. But then she was reminded of Stanley and how she wanted to make him proud. She was reminded of Greyson who had a future she needed to protect. She was reminded of the Losers', her friends who she made a pact with long ago at the age of thirteen to return and defeat this clown once and for all.

And then there was Bill. Bill Denbrough, the boy who she hadn't remembered until Mike spoke to her over the phone but the boy who she knew had meant so much to her back in the day. This was the boy who had willingly offered to sacrifice himself to Pennywise in order for them to escape and the same boy who had comforted her after her parents' divorce.

There is no way I'm leaving you behind. And there is absolutely no fucking way I'm going to be able to live a happy life without you in it.

You make me happy, Bill Denbrough.

"Fuck," Y/N whispered as she ran a hand through her hair in frustration. She let out a sigh of exasperation and looked at Bill a moment longer, the man giving her a shy smile for he knew she was breaking. She was quick to look away and instead turned her attention to Mike. "If you want this ritual to work—" she trailed off, ignoring the small sighs coming from Eddie and Richie as they both hung their head because they knew if Y/N stayed that meant they would be staying as well.

"We have to remember," Mike told her, his words making the group hesitate while Greyson began to smile excitedly.

"Remember what?"

- - -

"No fucking way," Y/N breathed out as her eyes flickered around the scenery that surrounded her. "The Barrens." Subconsciously, Y/N glanced over to her side, a small smile on her face as she expected a certain curly haired boy to be standing with her.

She was met with nothing but empty space.

Her smile instantly vanished as she was once again reminded that her cousin was gone, but she didn't have long to think about it before a hand gently grabbed ahold of her shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. Y/N turned, relaxing a bit at the sight of Bill standing there but also feeling her stomach erupt with butterflies almost instantly.

She momentarily saw Greyson glance back at her and Bill from where he stood beside Richie and Eddie who were also looking back. The three all gave her different looks, Greyson smiling with a thumbs up while Richie smirked and Eddie gave her a knowing look. Y/N quickly ignored them and instead looked back at Bill who was watching her expectantly.

Realizing she had missed his question, Bill chuckled before saying, "I asked how you are doing."

"Oh, uh. . .fine. Fine. Fine," she said, wincing slightly at her own words while Bill raised an eyebrow at her. Y/N let out a soft sigh, "We can talk about this later, okay? Right now is really not the time."

"Right, of course," Bill nodded, letting his hand fall back down to his side. "I just. . .I'm here, okay? You're not alone in this."

Y/N hesitated at that, her eyes flickering up to lock with Bill's before she smiled her first genuine smile since the news of Stan's death. Bill almost swooned at the sight and he swore his heart leapt out of his chest for a moment when Y/N brushed her hand against his before grabbing onto it and intertwining their fingers together.

"I know," she whispered, chuckling softly at the sight of Bill's red cheeks while he gripped onto her hand just as tight.

"This is where we came," Ben spoke up, his voice snapping the two out of their trance. They glanced over at Ben before looking around at the part of the forest they were in which looked really familiar. "After the rock fight."

"Ah, the rock fight," Y/N sighed. "Henry Bowers didn't know what hit him. You remember us telling him off, Rich?"

"How could I forget? That was the day I learned you had such a potty mouth, sweetheart," Richie teased, glancing back at the girl and tossing a wink in her direction.

"You're telling me Mom didn't come out of the womb telling everyone off?" Greyson asked, quickly holding his hands up in surrender when Y/N playfully glared in his direction.

Richie suddenly let out a small gasp, his eyes widening as he said, "The Clubhouse."

"Holy shit," Y/N laughed, squeezing Bill's hand as she glanced at the man. "We use to sneak out here all the time." Richie immediately wiggled his eyebrows at the two and Y/N frowned before letting go of Bill's hand in order to walk over to her friend and whack the back of his head. "Not in that way, dumbass. I started coming out here by myself when everything going on with my parents just became too much and Bill often joined me."

"Did you and Bill have a thing?" Greyson suddenly questioned, trying to hide his smug grin behind a curious expression that Y/N saw right through.

However, she wasn't able to handle the situation very well because the suddenness of the question made her face instantly turn bright red and Bill wasn't much better.

"Oh, they totally had the hots for each other," Richie assured the kid. "In fact, they even—"

"Okay! That's enough!" Y/N exclaimed. "We're getting off subject. We were talking about the Clubhouse, remember? Ben, you built that for us if I am remembering correctly, didn't you?"

"Yeah, the hatch has got to be around here someplace," Eddie agreed, sending a small look in Y/N's direction before grabbing ahold of Greyson's shoulder and beginning to push him forwards. "Come on, Grey. You're gonna want to see this."

The two walked off in search of the hatch along with the others leaving Bill and Y/N to awkwardly stand there before the woman abruptly turned around. "I'm sorry about Greyson. He doesn't exactly know when it's appropriate to ask personal questions like that," Y/N said.

Bill just smiled and stuffed his hands in his pockets before saying, "No, it's fine. He's a curious boy is all. Just like his mother."

"At least he's not walking into sewers looking for missing children," Y/N joked, her words making both of them halt. The woman blinked and furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm sorry. That kind of just slipped out. I. . .I don't even—"

"Remember that much?" Bill finished, an understanding look crossing his face. "Me too. Although, I do remember some things." His eyes flickered over her face for a moment as if he were trying to find some hidden answer. "What. . .what do you r-r-remember?"

"Just some of the basics like spending the summer with Stanley because of my parents. Meeting everyone and that fucking house It resides in. And I remember some of the fighting, but not that much other than that," Y/N explained.

"Any—anything else?" Bill asked, his eyes still scanning her face and making Y/N's cheeks heat up a bit.

Was there something she was forgetting? She only remembered what she had told Bill and then the fact that she had a huge crush on him back then and that it seemed like he had liked her too.

"No," Y/N hesitantly said, a sinking feeling growing in her stomach once she saw the smile wipe off Bill's face. "Is there something you remember that I don't?"

Bill lowered his gaze to the floor and quickly shook his head. "No, no. Nothing important anyways. Don't worry about it," he assured her, although the tone of his voice told Y/N a different story.

"Bill—" Y/N began, but she was cut off by Ben's voice suddenly calling out to them. Bill was quick to brush past her as he walked over to the others, an action that made Y/N frown and stare after him.

So she was definitely not remembering something, but what?

"You know, I actually think the door was more like around—" Ben started to say, but he fell short when the ground beneath him suddenly gave way and he fell tumbling into what was below.

Y/N's hand flew over her mouth in an attempt to stop her laughter and the others had to stifle their laughter as well while Greyson walked over to the edge of the hole and looked down with a cheeky grin. "You okay there, buddy?" Greyson asked, earning a small groan in response.

"Found it," Ben's muffled voice could be heard calling out. "I'm okay! Come down!"

Everyone hesitantly stared at the hole while Greyson glanced at his mother as if to ask her what their next move was. For a moment, Y/N was met with a memory that she hadn't thought of in quite some time. A small smile appeared on her face as she walked over to the hole, glancing back at the others and giving them a mock salute that made some of them blink in surprise at the familiarity of the scene. In fact, it was like they could see a thirteen year old version of Y/N doing the exact same thing.

Y/N stared down at the hole before letting out a shaky breath. "Welcome back to the Clubhouse, Y/N," she whispered. And with that, she began to make her descent back into the clubhouse of her past.

- - -

1989

"What do you think it is?" Y/N questioned as she rested her head against her hand and looked up at the sky. "A new jump off spot at the Quarry? Some secret passage that will take us to Narnia?"

"Y/N, I don't think it's any of those things," Stan chuckled, glancing over at his cousin as a wide smile appeared on his face.

"Why not? Ben said he had something to show us. It could literally be anything in the world!" Y/N exclaimed happily, throwing her hands up in the air for exaggeration and making Richie groan.

"I hope it's a back brace because I'm going to need it if you keep moving around like that," Richie grumbled below Y/N who he was currently carrying on his back through the woods.

"And whose fault is that?" Y/N inquired, a smirk on her face as she glanced down at the boy. Richie frowned and Y/N chuckled before reaching out and pushing his glasses back up his nose which in turn received a thankful glance from the boy.

"You were the one who bet Y/N couldn't do a round off back handspring followed by four flips in the air before hitting the water at the Quarry," Eddie pointed out, earning a small glare from Richie.

"How was I supposed to know she did gymnastics for seven fucking years? She didn't disclose that information to me. This isn't fair," Richie complained.

"Quit complaining, Rich," Mike laughed, pushing a tree branch out of the way in order for Richie to walk under it successfully without Y/N being hit. "It could be worse. She could've made you do literally anything else, but all she's doing is making you give her a piggyback ride."

"Yeah, through the fucking forest," Richie grumbled. "I really think you just love to torture me, sweetheart."

"It's my job," Y/N replied with a smug look on her face.

"I can't!" Richie exclaimed suddenly placing the girl on the ground and putting his arms up in the air in order to stretch. "I think my back is about to spaz out or something."

"Rich—" Y/N began, a bit of concern flashing through her eyes as she looked at the boy.

"It's fine, Richie. I'll carry her for you so that you don't have to worry about it anymore," Bill spoke up, his words making Y/N's eyes widen as she quickly spun around to look at the boy.

He stood there with his hands in his pocket, a shy grin on his face as he let his eyes flicker over to her. "As long as that is okay, of course," Bill whispered.

"Thank you!" Richie exclaimed before beginning to shove Y/N over to the boy. "I know I practically carry the whole group with my dazzling personality, but I didn't think I'd literally have to carry one of you. Please, just take her."

If Y/N had wanted to protest, she had no chance for Richie had shoved her forward one last time and she was suddenly face to face with Bill. Her mouth hung open a bit, her face beginning to heat up while her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

"You sure you're okay with this?" Y/N questioned, hesitantly watching Bill who just gave her a warm smile and nodded his head before turning around in order for her to climb onto his back.

Y/N let out a shaky breath and placed her hands on Bill's shoulders before jumping up, the boy catching her legs while she desperately wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her face into the crook of his neck in order not to fall off. Once she was sure she was okay, Y/N peeled her eyes open and let out a small sigh of relief as Bill began to walk once again, this time with her gently holding onto him for a piggyback ride.

Y/N glanced over in Richie's direction to check and see how he was doing before her eyes widened at the sight of him smirking at her. It didn't take much for her to realize Richie had planned this, had been hoping this is how it would play out. She sent a small glare in his direction and didn't even think twice in leaning her head against Bill's while the boy tried to hide his growing blush.

The group walked for a while longer, some of them mumbling their own conversations to one another while Bill and Y/N remained silent and enjoyed the small walk.

"Now that we finally managed to get Richie to stop complaining, I've got to say I'm just as curious as Y/N," Beverly spoke up, glancing between her friends before stopping on Ben. "What is it, Ben?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but it's nothing like what Y/N suggested. However, I think it might be a bit better," Ben said, a small smile growing on his face as he suddenly stopped in a small clearing in the center of the woods.

The group came to a stop and Y/N sat up a bit and leaned an arm against Bill's shoulder which she used to prop up her head. "What are we looking at here, Hanscom?" Y/N questioned.

"Oh, right," Ben said as he snapped out of his daze and hurried over to a small spot in the ground. Y/N couldn't quite understand what he was doing and Bill glanced back at her, the two both sharing a look before realizing how close their faces were and quickly looking away.

Before they knew what was happening, Ben had grabbed ahold of something and pulled it up to reveal some sort of hatch with a hole in the ground. Y/N furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she watched Ben glance at them before he began to climb into the hole.

"Uhh, whatcha doin' there, Ben?" Stan questioned, walking over to Bill and Y/N in order to help the girl get down.

"Come down!" Ben called out. Everyone left above shared a look before hesitantly staring at the hole. Finally, Y/N let out a small laugh of excitement and broke everyone out of their trance as she skipped over to the hole. She gave them a mock salute before beginning to climb down, the others shaking their heads at her in amusement before following after.

Y/N made it only halfway down the ladder before she managed to piece together what she was walking into. A look of shock appeared on her face as her feet managed to touch the ground. She stepped away from the ladder allowing the others to get down as well while she tried to take in her surroundings which looked to be some sort of clubhouse under ground.

"What the dick is this?" Richie asked as he jumped off the last part of the ladder and onto his feet. He adjusted his glasses and began to walk around while Y/N shook her head at the boy. "How'd you build it?"

"When did you build it?" Bill questioned, scaring Y/N as she realized the boy was standing right beside her. She couldn't stop herself from jumping in surprise and Bill quickly looked at her, a startled and guilty look on his face while Y/N nervously laughed and looked away with red cheeks.

"Here and there, I guess," Ben said with a small shrug as if it were no big deal.

"Ben, this is so cool!" Y/N exclaimed as she hurried over to the boy and gave him a big hug. "It's like our own little Narnia."

"Minus the creepy witch trying to kill us and the talking animals and—" Richie began to list off, but one glare from Y/N had him putting his hands up in surrender.

"It was already dug out from something," Ben said while Y/N let him go. "So I just had to reinforce the walls and get some wood for the uhh. . .for the roof door and that's pretty much it. Pretty good for my first time, huh?" He leaned a hand against one of the wood beams and a piece of the ceiling suddenly broke off and fell to the ground.

Y/N had to jump out of the way and she stumbled into Stan who was quick to catch his cousin and help her stand up right. She sent him a grateful look and wiped the dust off of her shirt before linking her arm with Stan like always.

"Now that's a cool feature," Richie mused. "What happens when you put your hand on the other pillar, Professor?"

"Okay, you see, this is exactly why there are safety codes, why we have permits!" Eddie exclaimed, slapping his hand on top of the palm of his other one for emphasis. "This place is a death trap, you understand that?"

"Right. Well, it's a work in progress, okay, Eddie?" Ben said, his shoulders slumping a bit.

Y/N frowned and gave Stan's arm a small squeeze before moving over to Eddie. "Come on, Eds," she said as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down a bit, okay? We're fine. Ben was just trying to do something nice for us and he did all of this by himself. Be a kid for a minute and realize how fucking cool this is."

Eddie glanced at the girl and despite his frown, managed to relax a bit before giving her a small smile. Y/N grinned and wrapped an arm around Eddie's shoulders in order to give him a side hug while the boy weakly tried to push her away while hiding his smile.

"Just know if I get hurt, you are liable," Eddie said as he pointed at Ben. "Also, what is this?" He pulled away from Y/N in order to whack a small metal box. "The switch of the Iron Maiden?"

"That's. . .that's a flashlight," Ben replied.

"And what is that? A horse hitch?" Eddie questioned while Y/N put a hand to her forehead and lightly shook her head. She loved Eddie, but he could be a bit high strung at times. "When do you have horses down—oh, this is cool."

He got distracted from his ranting and picked up a paddle ball. "That was like three dollars so be careful with that please," Ben muttered.

"I have one of these," Eddie said before beginning to play with the object. He bounced the ball as far away as he could and looked to Stan with a smile. "Hey, Stan. You see this?"

"Yeah, okay. Can. . .maybe. . .you not?" Stan asked as he flinched back, the others all watching the two in slight amusement and annoyance.

"Maybe not what?" Eddie questioned as he bounced the ball faster. "Yeah, yeah. Hold on. Maybe I'll not what? Maybe I'll not what? Be awesome and have fun and celebrate the magic of the power of the paddle ball?"

Y/N raised her eyebrows in amusement and was just about to tell Eddie to cut it out when he dropped the paddle to the ground, the ball falling off of the string and rolling across the ground and between some wooden skates in the ground.

Everyone was silent before Y/N let out a loud laugh that had Eddie glaring at her while she stumbled over to them and leaned against Stan for support. "That was on you!" Y/N exclaimed while Eddie pouted.

"Uhh, no. It was Stanley. Good going, fucknut. You broke his thing," Eddie said causing Stan to blink his eyes in surprise band before looking at his friend.

"I broke it?" Stan questioned.

"Yeah, you broke it with your face. Y/N saw," Eddie said as he pointed at the girl who held up her hands in surrender.

"I saw nothing," Y/N insisted earning a smug look from Eddie and a look from Stan that practically screamed 'seriously?'

"I'm not putting my fucking hand down there," Eddie insisted before him and Stan began to argue.

Y/N watched the two in amusement before leaning her arm against Stan's shoulder and turning to look at the others. "Oh, this is going to be fun," she said, a grin appearing on her face while the others began to smile.

Her and the Losers would end up spending half of their summer in there and Y/N would be the one to give the place a name one evening when the group was all joking around and eating the candy Y/N had managed to sneak out of the house with Stan. And that very name would stick for years to come.

The Clubhouse.

* * *

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dykemusic · 5 years ago

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Idk about chili’s *discourse* but now i cant stop thinking about ch 2 dinner scene taking place in a chili’s

oh my god.... you’re right.....

it’s richie’s idea. derry’s started to get with the times (as much as derry can, which is why they end up with a chilis) and richie’s gotten into this habit of ending the shows that dont go well by finding the nearest applebee’s and drinking as many dollaritas as they’ll give him before ubering home and passing out shirtless on his couch. sadly, there’s no applebees, but chili’s is close enough, even if the drinks are a little bit pricier (not that richies thinking hes going to need the drinks or anything-- its just his old pals, right? eddie, and .... eddie..........hm. whatever, two-for-one margaritas arent that much more expensive)

stan vehemently refuses to come (yes, he’s alive, suck my dick andy mushtitty). seriously? a chilis? they’re already going to be in derry of all places, and now stan’s gotta deal with it being in a chilis on top of that? stan suggests no less than five other restaurants, which most of the losers reply they’d be happy to go to, but richie is firm on the fact he refuses to get drunk in a nice restaurant. stan eventually gives up after richie promises not only to buy stan’s meal, but to owe him Some Big Favor when all of the clown bullshit is over.

mike eats at chilis about once a week, so its nothing out of the ordinary for him. actually, when he walks in, the staff recognize him, and mike’s not (that) offended when they hide their shock that he’s not eating alone this evening. they set up a table in the back and they’re all so excited that mike’s out on the town with his pals that they bring over a whole round of drinks for everyone for free. bill rests his hand on mikes as its happening when he thanks mike for such a special treat, and the waitress leans down and whispers (loudly) she’ll make sure the table has their private time. mike will probably never return to this chili’s based on that comment alone, and the rest of the pennywise spectacular hasn’t even happened yet

bill is JAZZED. are you kidding? chilis? thats like, unironically his favorite restaurant. the endless chips & salsa, the decadent chicken crispers, the ranch dressing that is, for whatever reason, way better at chilis than any other brand of ranch dressing hes ever had. richie pitches the idea and bill gets so excited that half the reason stan gives up on finding another place to eat is because bill starts getting those big sad puppy eyes that no one, not even stan, can resist. once seated, bill, blushing, asks mike if he wants to split a flatbread. stan and bev just roll their eyes at each other because splitting a flatbread in chilis is basically gay first base.

eddie hates chili’s. he’s never actually been to one before, but he hates it. at least, he hates it until he has 3 & 1/2 strawberry margaritas and all of a sudden he LOVES chilis, and he LOVES these margaritas, and hey, richie, asshole, lets fucking arm wrestle, right here! why doesnt he go to chilis more? they should go to chilis all the time.

bev and ben split a 2 for $25, and when the waitress delivers their food “to the happy couple”, neither of them try to correct her.

the rest of dinner goes probably very similar to it chapter 2 except at the end of the meal there’s no fortune cookies, instead monsters start crawling out of the lavacakes everyone had ordered, and when mike starts slamming the chair on the table, the chili’s staff don’t even come over because last year their rat problem nearly got the building shut down and they trust mike to kill it

#it 2019 #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #bill denbrough #mike hanlon #ik this was a gag post but i couldnt stop thinking about it #stanley uris #beverly marsh #ben hanscom #im demanding a rewrite!#mp #ladystvrk

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heyheycharlatte · 5 years ago

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Corcoran—teaser

IT (2017) rewrite

bill denbrough x reader

a/n: hey lovelies! i’ve been mulling over this idea for a few months now, and i wanted to get this teaser out for a while now. i don’t have a masterlist yet, but i’ll make one as soon as i get some requests. taglist/requests are always open! enjoy xx

»»————-　♡　————-««

Eddie Corcoran was a timid boy. Quiet. Good student, good grades, good life, but that was only what was shown by him on the outside.

This made him an easy, very easy target for Henry Bowers and his gang. A small kid like that would never tell anyone about the bullying, right?

Wrong.

Y/n Corcoran was Eddie’s other half. Twins, you see. Loud. Well-known, fiercely protective, but sometimes rather brash and spontaneous.

The Bowers gang didn’t touch her or Eddie after Y/n handed them their asses.

Dorsey Corcoran was the youngest of the Corcoran family. Rarely spoken about, rarely talked to, and adored by his siblings.

Then he was killed, last week, by Richard Macklin, the Corcoran siblings’ abusive stepfather.

Then Eddie was reported missing.

#bill denbrough #bill denbrough x reader #richie tozier #stan uris #eddie kaspbrak #ben hanscom #mike hanlon #beverly marsh #the losers club #loser’s club x reader #it rewrite #it chapter 1 #it 2017 #pennywise #richie toizer x reader #it series

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1990miniseries · 5 years ago

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love the idea that mike and patty are the only competent ones when coming to face it

like theyll both bring guns while stan brings his old boyscout swiss army knife

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dumbass-denbrough · 5 years ago

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Losers Club as Actors

Bill: bill worked for small parts and indie movies until he was cast as a side character in a very successful comedy movie. he took roles in different teen comedy-dramas and even had a stint on a short-lived netflix show as the love interest of the main character, but soon the show was cancelled and he decided to take his career in a different direction. he was tired of being pigeonholed as boy-next-door types, so he auditioned as the main antagonist in a promising horror film. the reviews were great and he loved doing it, so bill stuck with horror and eventually became a legend in the horror industry

Mike: mike started his acting career in theater, not television. he was cast as the main character in a musical that, with his incredible acting, eventually made it onto broadway. the show stayed running for six months, but when it was taken off broadway mike decided to try to make a name for himself in the tv world. it was fairly easy to find roles since he was so successful before, but they were small and unsubstantial. he did what was supposed to be a one-time gig as a doctor on a comedy show on nbc, but the audience loved him so much the writers made his character a regular, until he was one of the central actors in the show

Ben: ben started his career as a child, starring in a disney channel show when he was eight. the show ended when he was eleven and he decided to take a break from the public eye. he reappeared when he was cast in a drama show as the main character’s oldest son when he was 16, but he hated his time there. he was miserable, until his agent brought him a role as a minor but important character in a movie about the moon landing. he found his niche in historical dramas, and he spent the rest of his career making historical films

Eddie: eddie started his career as a model. he never really thought about acting until he received an offer to appear in a calvin klein commercial. while he was there, he decided to explore the world of acting a little more. he discovered that, while he still loved modelling, acting made him feel more like himself. he had a slow beginning as directors didn’t take him very seriously, but after building up his resume with a few more commercials, he started getting small roles in teen dramas and rom-coms. he fell so deeply in love with acting he took almost any role he was offered, but had a special place in his heart for murder mysteries

Bev: bev never really considered acting either, but a friend told her a project he was working on had lost an actress and asked her to fill the spot. she agreed and had a ton of fun, so when it was over she decided to audition for a low-budget indie coming-of-age film. she got the main role and enjoyed the experience lots. she continued making these types of movies, and eventually she started getting offers for higher-budget, more rewarding films. after a lot of thinking, bev decided to her passion lied in the realistic, gritty films she had already been making and that’s what she wanted to keep doing

Richie: richie had just finished doing a stand-up routine one day when someone recommended he use his voices to do voice acting. he laughed the comment off but the idea stuck with him. the next morning he decided to look into it and found a developing video game that was looking for someone to voice a radio announcer, one of richie’s favorite voices to do. he sent in a recording of his audition to the dev and was cast almost immediately. after the video game gig, he started sending in auditions wherever he could, and after doing a few more va jobs here and there, got cast voicing in an animated short film. after that, his fame in the va world skyrocketed overnight and in a few more years, he’d become a regular voice in pixar and dreamworks movies

Stan: stan always figured he’d work in the film industry, but he always thought he’d be a cameraman or an agent, or maybe even a director. he never saw himself as a star and never really thought about if he was a good actor, but after he enrolled in his high school theater program, just to get some experience in acting to help get him into film school, he realized he was meant to be an actor. he auditioned for tons of parts, but had no connection to anyone in the film industry, so he got almost no callbacks, until he was scouted in his school play and offered a part in a new sci-fi movie, and stan agreed. he worked his ass off and even though the part was tiny and had almost no lines, he killed it and went on to become a sci-fi icon.

#it 2017 #it 2019 #losers club #losers club hc #losers club headcanons #bill denbrough #mike hanlon #ben hanscom #eddie kapsbrak #bev marsh #beverly marsh #richie tozier #stan uris #stanley uris #i hate stan's lmao #maybe one day i'll rewrite it

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reddie-ao3feed · 7 days ago

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IT 2017 rewrite

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/efSZNnd by Awesome_Possum69 I’m rewriting the entirety of the IT 2017 movie but making reddie and stenbrough extremely prominent. Words: 1234, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: IT - Stephen King, IT (Movies - Muschietti) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Multi Characters: Richie Tozier, Bill Denbrough, Mike Hanlon, Eddie Kaspbrak, Ben Hanscom, Beverly Marsh, Stanley Uris, Georgie Denbrough Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, slight Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh Additional Tags: Rewrite, Movie rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Universe, Queer Themes, Queer Character, Violence, Killing, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/efSZNnd

#reddie #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #it 2017 #it 2019 #fic rec #reddie fic red #stephen king it

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millieswickedbooks · 6 years ago

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The Somewhat Tragic Story of Georgie's Savior MASTERLIST

✎ = wip/not completed yet

IT (2017) Rewrite

MY ENTIRE MASTERLIST (if you’re interested in any of my other writings)

Jordyn is known as the town's loner. Mostly due to the fact that many people are straight up racist to her, but even to those who aren't, Henry loves harassing and attacking her, they are too scared, thinking he'll do the same to them as well, she keeps to herself most of the time.

But that soon changes.

On one rainy afternoon with a turn of events, Jordyn converts from being the town's loner to the town's savior in Derry, Maine. Why? She just happened to, fortunately, be there when poor little Georgie Denbrough had gotten his arm ripped off by... something she couldn't even begin to comprehend. A psychotic man dressed up as a clown? With yellow eyes and razor-sharp teeth? In the sewers? She was confused and terrified, but all that mattered to her was that Georgie was safe. But she soon came to know that that wouldn't last long.After successfully saving the little boys' life, she has now made herself a target to 'IT' and 'IT' certainly loves the sweet smell of fear that lingers on the girl like a second skin. When he entered her dreams he was fascinated by how complex and complicated her fears are. He sees this as a challenge. She will be his, all in good time.

IT Masterlist

introduction

chapter one: what exactly happened on the eventful rainy afternoon in Derry, Maine of April 1989

chapter two: how she became a savior in the small town of Derry, Maine and the consequences of being the savior in the small town of Derry, Maine

chapter three: bowers, burgers and b-what in the actual fuck is happening?

chapter four: untilted (for now...) ✎

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 5 years ago

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Lethobenthos || Mike Hanlon x Reader

⊳ Ch. 1: No One Here ⊲

𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨 // n. the habit of forgetting how important someone is to you until you see them again in person

- dictionary of obscure sorrows

- 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟔 -

It is not often the streets of Derry Maine catch a glimpse of Mike Hanlon roaming its streets. The older folks in the community - who had been around when he was young - remembered him as that orphan boy of the “crackhead kook” that burned down Harris Avenue. But the false rumors had fizzled, slowly dying out with the older population that had started them. Nowadays, he was known by most as the recluse librarian, the one who spent most of his days holed up inside the loft above the Derry Public Library working on who knows what. No one really knew, of course, no one ever bothered to ask.

Mike didn’t know many people, and yet everyone seemed to know Mike. He did know a great deal about the town and its residents, more so than any other citizen of Derry. When he wasn’t holed up inside, he was gathering information. Information from the townsfolk, their stories. He conducted many interviews over town as a part of his research on his own existing knowledge of the town’s darkest secret. Yes, Derry knew Mike, and Mike knew Derry. The history of the town and its people, that is. And yet, no one truly knew Mike Hanlon.

Nobody that lived in Derry at least. There was one person that knew Mike like the back of her hand, and she was the only person he knew more than anything. But she was miles away, and any memory of Mike was fuzzy and unclear, and if she thought hard enough she would find nothing more than a blurry shape on the other side of that foggy windowpane of her memories. And no matter how hard he tried, he could never shake her from his mind permanently. She visited his thoughts often, and not a single one of his efforts to rid her from his conscious once and for all proved fruitful.

To him, she was every catchy song on the radio. The tune you could never drown out no matter what else you played, the picture that never quite faded. Decades of his life were spent trying to forget her, and while he had eventually learned how to cast her from his mind for periods of time, she always had a way of sneaking back in. They were cursed, she was doomed to forget, and he was doomed to remember.

When she had left Derry at the age of seventeen, she had taken his heart with him. Of course, it was never his, to begin with. It was hers since that humid June day all those years ago when they first met. How important that day would come to be he had no clue, but it didn’t matter now. She was long gone, and as Mike had quickly come to learn, he and Derry had been stripped from her memories not long after her departure. People who leave Derry, he discovered, don’t return. Derry in itself was cursed, a mere bubble out of time that brought nothing but foggy memories and sorrowful voids in the hearts of those who left. And for some, like Mike, who has stayed.

A low grunt rumbles through his chest and he shakes the thoughts away. Instead, he turns his attention to the details surrounding him on his walk. Every independent crack in the pavement below his shoes, and the vibrant blades of grass - no, it was moss, he realizes - growing up from in between. The wind picked up from a subtle breeze to a small burst of air that carried with it the overwhelming but intoxicating smells from the bakery down the street. And despite the warm air, the wind had been a refreshing burst that cooled his skin that was covered in the thin layer of sweat on his brow. The pleasant sounds of a wooden wind chime rang through the air that brought his attention to the streets.

It was only then when his eyes landed on the familiar lamppost with the chipped paint on the base, and the overpowering fragrance mix in the air did he realize where he had wandered. Costello Avenue Market. Despite the small changes in one or two venues, it was almost identical to how it stood 27 years ago. The savory smells of the bakery around the block were snuffed out in the unusually pleasant blend of popcorn from the Capitol Theater and the faint hint of chocolate and sweets from the new ice cream shop across the street. Well, newish… It wasn’t new at all.

Derry Scoops was one of few selected venue changes in Costello Markets and while it had felt to Mike as only a mere few years ago, it had truly been decades. As long as Mike had been around, it had changed from place to place. It was a flower shop, shoe store, even a small book shop at one point; Derry’s Book Nook. But Mike would always know it as Quality Meats. He had been employed there in the summer of ‘88 delivering meat from his family’s farm. That’s when he met her.

No, he told himself as he shakes his head, he couldn’t keep doing this to himself. It wasn’t healthy. Besides, he had bigger things to worry about, much bigger things! The pattern was starting up again, the pattern he studied and memorized over the past thirty years or so but he wasn’t completely certain. Not yet, but then again this wasn’t something to wait around for. Mike is suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude he had decided to go for a walk to clear his head.

The fresh air was certainly, well, a breath of fresh air, he realizes. The combined hours he had spent in that damn loft in the past week alone was enough to drive him mad. With no company other than his books and sketches, every scrap of research he had compiled in the past few decades was bouncing around his mind and had turned into white noise. Nothing but static. And all he could focus on was every creak in the floorboards, funny enough, he knew exactly where they were, given the time spent inside. Another reason to be grateful for the outdoors; unpredictability.

Mike took a long deep breath, letting the warm summer air fill his lungs as his chest swelled. He can feel the clouds over his mind start to blow away like a small fan against a tide of fog, slowly draining his mind of the heavy thoughts that have plagued him the past few weeks. The ritual, the rising number of missing person reports, even the turtle; but he was no help to Mike now. And as he’s done a million times before, with a deep breath and his heart open wide he allows the scents of the city mix with the scent of freshly cut grass and he is transported back to the simpler times as his legs continue to carry him across town.

Mike almost laughs at the thought. ‘Simple’ was far from the right word to describe his youth. Things were never simple in Derry, no matter how happy or complicit anyone seemed it was always a mask. Everyone had their secrets, their demons. After all, Derry was the town of such creatures, the birthplace of true evil and it was this very plague on the town that had weighed Mike down. Kept him tied here. And even though Mike had dedicated his entire life to the research and observation of the town - the plague he was tasked with keeping at bay - he hardly dared to even think of Its name.

It was truly an evil thing, just maybe evilness in and of itself. It wasn’t quite a monster, no, a monster would be far kinder than this. It was a presence, a dark and cruel presence that you could never quite escape. It was an entity that fed on your darkest fears, using your deepest, darkest secrets against you in the most twisted ways possible. And It thrived on it. Fear. What It did with you after was far more gruesome if at all possible, and it was the reason behind all the missing person cases in Derry. Mostly young children. They were the easiest to scare.

It appeared in many different forms. To some, It presented Itself as a frightening figure you’d find in a children’s fable. The big bad wolf, the monster lurking under your bed or in your closet, like the boogieman. For others, people like Mike who have faced great trauma before, It would present itself as a memory. A cruel reminder that they could never escape the past, nothing but a cheap trick to throw them back into what could truly hurt them, to scare them. But of course, It didn’t mind using this to Its advantage.

But It’s favorite form, the one shape it took most of all was that of Pennywise, the Dancing Clown.

And Mike knew all of this. He knew more about this entity than just about anybody, not only for his dedicated research. But his experience. Billions of years ago, this entity landed in what would come to be named the town of Derry Maine. Derry had never existed without It lurking beneath its earth. For roughly one year every twenty-seven years it would emerge from a deep sleep, a hibernation, and feed off the people that inhabited the town before returning to Its cavern far beneath the surface. And yet, in all the centuries It has lived on earth, only eight people in existence had faced It, fought It and survived It. And Mike was one of them.

They were young, just a bunch of kids. The Losers, they called themselves. They were each branded with this name, but when they found each other, it became a symbol of pride. Because as long as they had each other, they were safe. Safe from the bullies that had casted them out, the parents they rebelled against, and of course the evil presence lurking around every corner. Days after they emerged from the sewers, after their defeat against the evil - scraped knees, bruises, new traumas and all - they made a vow. A vow to come back and fight should It ever return.

Mike remembered that day very clearly. He certainly remembered that summer clearly, but that day… That day was special. He remembered the warm breeze and grass tickling his ankles. The bleeding hands he held in his own - one in particular - as they spoke the words that would bring them back. He remembered how nervous he felt despite seeing It die. It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel permanent. Watching It disappear into the black abyss, while it was a great relief, it felt… incomplete. Almost like listening to a song and it all comes to a sudden halt, it’s over before it’s finished and you’re waiting for the final note.

Maybe this is why he was the only one to remain in Derry. He always knew things were never quite finished. The final note had yet to play. Things did, of course, slow down after that fateful day in the cistern, and the Losers spent several weeks in a true state of summer bliss. Especially Mike and Y/n. They had found each other along the way, before their defeat against Pennywise and they were stronger together because of it. But after their oath, one by one the Losers club of eight became six, then three, and then it was just the two of them.

While they missed their friends terribly, they were thankful for each other and they never took a moment for granted. It truly was bliss. At least until that gloomy day at that damn train station. It’s not long before the heavyweight returns to his shoulders, he can feel the tension in all his muscles and the sickly black sludge stewing in his stomach and he knew.

He had been denying it for so long but he just can’t anymore. It’s back. Or at the very least, It’s rising again. Testing the waters. He knows this in his heart of hearts. He’s always known. Since that day in the cistern, since the day of the oath, and the day he found the first missing child flyer last month. And he could almost hear it, he could certainly feel it. The final notes of the unfinished song beating in his chest. This is why he was the one to stay in Derry, he was never too scared to leave. No, he was the bravest because he stayed. The guardian of Derry. And this meant one thing.

The phone call. The return of the infamous Losers Club. But how would he face them? It seemed far too cruel to simply pick up the phone and call them home, cause doing so would inevitably change their lives in the worst way possible. It would destroy them. The new lives they built for themselves, away from their dark pasts they didn’t even remember. There was no telling what they’d do.

And yet, a tiny voice in his head was telling him - pleading with him to stop and think. Tp wait. The logical side of his brain, he first assumed it was but it was truly the small part of him that wanted to leave. Abandoned the town he begrudgingly called home and the oath him and his friends had made. The voice that reminded him that there was nothing stopping him from dropping everything and buying the first ticket to Florida he could find. Or any other goddamn place on planet earth cause he knew anywhere was better than Derry.

You don’t know, the voice said. Not really, not for sure. For all you know it could stop tomorrow and you would have been worrying for nothing. You’re paranoid.

Mike sighs once more, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands and it is only then he realizes he has ventured to the park, now occupying a bench. The heels of his palms dig further into his eyes and he only stops when he notices the spots forming behind his eyelids. His fingers part and his eyes flutter open, his gaze falling to the concrete as his eyes readjust to the slight but sudden change in brightness. He blinks away the blurry lens in his vision and that’s when he feels the wind pick up once more.

He can hear it shift the trees and the rest of the world around him and for a brief moment, he relishes in the stimulation, the connection to the outside world he has been missing. He can feel the collar of his worn-out beige flannel shift in the wind and his ears perk when he hears a weak and delicate scrape on the concrete. Curiously, his eyes follow the noise and he spots a crumpled stray flyer tumbling against the pavement and come to a stop when it catches on his foot.

Wearily, he reaches for the paper. The dog-eared corner catches between his two forefingers and it moves frantically in the wind as he raises it into his grasp. Flipping over the paper, he half expects to find another missing person flyer or even an older one. Lord knows they had plenty around town. But to his surprise and great disdain, he finds an advertisement for the upcoming Derry Canal Days Festival. He can feel his heart sink and yet it still manages to pound horribly against his chest. The all too familiar image depicted as the entrance to the funhouse of mirrors.

The cookie-cutter child that seemed far too happy in his surroundings at the fair, a seemingly normal thing but to Mike it set his teeth on edge. The blood-red clouds looming over the fair - meant to coordinate with the fun color scheme of this years fair - but to Mike, it was only a visual aid in the depiction of his darkest nightmare. His past, taunting him. The giant pale white clown carved into the entrance, it’s mouth the very mouth of the entrance to the funhouse that casts a shadow that seems to loom over his heart.

Mike felt his mouth run dry, his tongue almost felt like sandpaper against the roof of his mouth and he could feel his stomach plummet. The words printed at the bottom of the page only taunted him more, and he could feel the painful twinge in his heart at the words. It was the medicine he was dreading to swallow, the task he had hoped he would never have to take on.

As he read the three simple words it felt as if even he were a stranger to himself, that after all this time in this godforsaken town he lost himself in it. He was no note than the rotted, virus inflicted town that he feared in for forty years. It was three words that put the task at hand, the only three words that could simplify the phonecall the Losers would be receiving if Mike picked up the phone.

Derry Is Calling!

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

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eyeimagery · 7 years ago

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The Seventh Loser

All through dinner and the night, the six Losers knew something was amiss. Of their small group, only six of the seven had succeeded in showing up. The seventh being one Stanley Uris who, in the Losers memories of him, had never been late to anything in his life. Mike had told them he would call again, but insisted they give Stan until the next day to show up though he too had the same uneasy feeling as the rest.

The night went on and still, there was no word from Stan. The club had gathered in the library, all six standing around the help desk as Mike made the phone call to the Uris house in Atlanta. He was met with a voicemail at first, the sound of Stan’s recorded voice coming through. Mike dialled again, the phone rang three times before someone on the other end picked up.

“Hello? Stan?”

#literally just a rewrite of the fridge scene #stanley uris #mike hanlon #richie tozier #bill denbrough #ben hanscom #beverly marsh #eddie kaspbrak #it 1990 #it 2019 #it chapter 2 #please enjoy this free sample #uh read the tags mate #major character death #sorta

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cocastyle · 5 years ago

Text

Change - Ch. 2 | F O U R

Pairing - Bill Denbrough x reader

Word Count - 5,290

A/N - it’s been so long and I am so sorry for that, but here is the next chapter for Change!! I’ve been super busy the past couple of weeks with AP exams, a college class my school is letting me take early, and I’ve had a tiny bit of writer’s block. but I’m back and hope to be writing more updates really soon! let me know what you all think so far and I’m sorry in advance for the tears this chapter :((

if you would like to be added to the tag list for this series let me know!

C H A N G E

Change Series Masterlist

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

F O U R - Unwanted Answers

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

An inhuman like sob escaped Y/N's lips as she stared at the paper shaking her head. Before anyone could even blink, she was stumbling up out of her chair, almost knocking her chair over by her clumsy movements. The woman continued to shake her head while Bill quickly reached out to steady her, but the girl shook in his grasp.

"I can't breath. I can't breath," Y/N gasped, tears falling down faster now as it felt like her throat was closing. "This isn't happening. There's no fucking way this is happening."

"Y/N," Bill firmly said, his voice being enough to have the girl's eyes snap over to look at him while he grabbed her arms and held her steady. He gave her a look and subtly glanced over at Grayson who was staring at the papers with tear filled eyes and Y/N flinched. "You need to keep it together," Bill whispered.

Y/N knew he was right, but how could she when her cousin's life was on the line? All she could think about was how she had left him behind. She should've stayed. She should've gone to his house and checked on him before It could do anything.

But then there was Grayson. Her son who had spent his whole life growing up with her and Stan watching over him. Stan, the one who always bought new puzzles for the two to work on. Stan, the one who would bring Grayson to the book store before the two would spend hours reading together.

Stan may have been her cousin and best friend, but he was Grayson's Uncle Stanley and right now he didn't understand what was going on. Y/N needed to be there for him, even if she was terrified more than ever.

Numbly nodding to Bill, Y/N gently shook out of his grasp before going over to Grayson and placing a hand on his shoulder. Grayson instantly leaned into her touch, his eyes still focused on the papers before he looked up at his mother and then the rest of the group in panic.

"Why does it say Stanley?" Eddie finally asked, breaking the tense silence that had fallen upon the group. No one responded and Eddie clenched his jaw before looking around with wide eyes full of panic. "Someone else fucking answer me!"

Before anyone could, the whole table shook. "Holy shit," Eddie muttered before the table jerked again. Grayson was up on his feet in no time, Y/N wrapping an arm around him as they slowly began to back away while Bill inched in front of them to block them from whatever was coming.

"What the fuck," Grayson whispered as soon as his eyes locked on the bowl of fortune cookies that were all trembling. Y/N inhaled sharply, the arm in front of Grayson pushing him back a bit more as a fortune cookie flew out of the bowl and landed on the table in front of them.

Beverly let out a small yelp while Y/N took another step back. She had a really bad feeling about this and it seemed she was right because at that moment the fortune cookie broke a bit to reveal some sort of creature coming out of the cookie as if it were an egg.

Everyone jumped back and Richie stared at the thing with wide eyes of disbelief before saying, "What the fuck is that, man?"

The fortune cookie broke some more as a creature crawled out. Y/N barely even had time to process what the hell the thing was before it let out a cry that sounded a lot like a baby. In fact, the head of creature looked like the head of a baby, its body a different creature that Y/N could not decipher at the moment due to her own fear.

"Woah. Woah."

"What the fuck?"

And if things couldn't get anymore creepier, the baby insect looking thing grew wings. Grayson was gripping onto his mother's arms in pure fright now, everyone jumping back again as the creature began to run across the table.

"Shit!" Richie muttered, more fortune cookies falling onto the table and opening up to reveal different creatures like an eye with tentacles. "Hey! Hey! That fortune cookie's looking at me!"

"Mom!" Grayson cried out as two fortune cookies broke open to reveal winged creatures resembling those of decaying birds. The Uris' didn't know what was happening to the others because before they could even blink the two demon birds flew straight towards them. Y/N and Grayson both yelled out in terror, the woman wrapping her arms around her son as she tried to shield him with her body while they stumbled back into a corner.

Y/N tried swatting at the creatures, but they only grew closer and closer until all she could do was bury her face into Grayson's shoulder as the two continued to yell and cry out.

It took a moment for the two creatures to finally fly away, but even then Y/N shouldn't have pulled her head away to look at what was happening. Her eyes widened in horror and Grayson was practically shaking in her arms, the two trying to come to terms that some burning goo was devouring the table while floating heads and blood filled the fish tanks around them.

"It's not real!" Mike exclaimed, but it was hard to believe him when everything looked pretty real to them.

"Y/N, watch out!" Beverly exclaimed before the flying creatures came back at them again.

Y/N screamed and Grayson had started to cry as they ducked further into the corner, Mike beginning to hit the table with a chair as he cried out, "It's not real! It's not real!"

"Everything alright?" a soft voice ask and all at once it was like everything had stopped.

Grayson was still shaking in his mother's grasp, the woman not quite better than him as she looked up with a tear stained face. The creatures, goo, and fortune cookies were all gone. In fact, the room looked completely normal except for the fact that a few things on the table were broken from Mike having whacked them with his chair.

By the doorway stood their waitress for the evening and she looked around at the group with wide eyes while Grayson let out a small sob and hugged his mother, muttering, "What the fuck? What the fuck?"

Richie glanced over at the young boy, his eyes softening as he realized Greyson was now exposed to the horrors Richie wished he could forget. Swallowing thickly, he looked to the waitress and tried to act natural as he said, "Yeah. Yeah. Could we get the check?"

The waitress hesitantly nodded before walking out, leaving the group to their stunned silence. It was only when Y/N and Bill locked eyes that the girl broke the silence with a gasp, her eyes wide as she whispered out.

"Stanley."

- - -

"This is what Pennywise does, right? He fucks with us," Eddie muttered as the group hurriedly walked towards the exit of Jade of the Orient. "Stanley's probably fine."

Waiting for the check had given them all enough time to calm down enough to where they were more just hyper aware of everything around them instead of shaking and crying.

In fact, the adults were pissed. Whether that was because of Mike or Pennywise was still unclear.

Grayson was disturbingly quiet, his eyes on the floor while he stuck by his mother's side. He had never been this clingy before, but Y/N couldn't blame him. After all, that's why she was practically riding the heels of her friends as they hurried out of there.

Y/N's thoughts were consumed with Pennywise and Stan. She needed to call her cousin as soon as they got out of there. She needed to know he was okay. He may as well be. After all, It did like to mess with them. Stan could be absolutely fine and on his way here right now for all they know. There was no use panicking until she heard confirmation that something had happened.

"Eddie's right," Y/N said, her voice soft but hopeful as it had to be. "I'll. . .I'll call Stanley. Uh. . .Gray, could I borrow your phone? I left mine at home."

Grayson didn't even respond, just handed his phone over to his mother who stared at him for a moment before glancing at Bill. The two both shared a look before Bill reached out and placed a hand on Grayson’s shoulder. The boy flinched almost instantly, but relaxed once his eyes locked with Bill's and gently leaned into his touch as much as he did his mother's.

"Hey, Richie!" a young voice called out causing everyone to freeze before turning to see a young boy around the age Georgie Denbrough had been when he died. His curly hair fell in front of his eyes, but he didn't seem to care as he looked up at the man.

"How'd you uh. . .how'd you know my name?" Richie asked, growing a little tense while both Eddie and Y/N rushed to stand on either side of the man. Richie relaxed a bit with the two by his side, but kept staring at the boy warily.

"The fun's just beginning," the little boy said, his words making Y/N's eyes widen as she gently reached out and grabbed onto Richie's arm. The little boy grinned up at them. "Right?"

Richie took a step closer to the boy and before Y/N could go with him, Eddie had grabbed ahold of the girl and pulled her back, a panicked look on his face as the two desperately tried to calm themselves down.

"Listen. You think this is funny?" Richie asked. "Alright, you think this is some sort of game? Huh?" He grabbed ahold of the boy's shoulder and pointed at him. "Well fuck you, alright! Fuck you! I'm not afraid of you!"

The little boy stared at Richie, his face contorting in confusion as he hesitatingly leaned back. "The fun's just beginning? The line from your act, dude. I'm a fan," the little boy said and instantly the group all relaxed.

"Oh my," Y/N whispered, not being able to stop herself from letting out a soft chuckle while Eddie lightly whacked her in a way of telling her to be quiet. She shot him a look and Eddie in turn shot her a sheepish smile before the two looked at Richie whose face had fallen in guilt.

"Are those your parents?" Richie asked as he pointed towards a couple who was walking towards them with angry expressions and a young girl by their side.

"Yeah," the boy said and Richie stared at him blankly before asking, "Do you want a picture?"

"I think I'm good," the boy told him before turning and hurrying over to his parents' side while they glared at Richie.

"Okay, cool," Richie muttered before looking at the parents and smiling nervously. "Good kid." The family walked away and Richie turned to his friends who were all looking at him in disbelief.

"Jesus, Rich," Ben said making Richie sigh in frustration. "You don't remember a line from your own show?"

"I don't write my own material," Richie mumbled as the group began to head towards the door, Y/N dialing Stan's number into Grayson's phone as fast as her shaking hands allowed her. Eddie's eyes widened and he let out an almost victorious laugh at Richie's words.

"I fucking knew it! I fucking knew it!"

- - -

For a long as Y/N could remember, it had always been her and Stan. It was her and Stan who had been bird watching in the early morning since they were younger, having woken up way before their parents every morning and sneaking out to the back yard as the sun began to rise. It was her and Stan riding on his bike through town, Y/N's arms out in the air as she yelled out in pure joy while Stan chuckled as he looked back at her.

It was her and Stan on their nights when they were at their lowest like when Y/N's parents got their divorce or when Stan got yelled at by his father for walking out on his bar mitzvah. From little moments such as eating breakfast together in the morning to big moments like when Y/N first had Grayson, the two had been by each other's side.

There was no way they could ever forget about each other like they had with the others simply for the reason that they were two halves of a whole and had been for their whole lives. Everyone knew that, especially the Losers who had seen the way Y/N and Stan interacted with each other when they were younger.

So the moment Grayson's phone slipped from Y/N's hand, the device hitting the ground so hard that she was lucky to not have cracked it and a heartbroken wail leaving her mouth as she began to fall to the ground, everyone knew what had happened.

Y/N couldn't breath, her hands clawing at her throat as her sobs wracked her whole body. She couldn't keep herself standing, her legs giving out as she began to fall down to the ground. Bill was there to catch her, his arms instantly wrapping around the girl and helping her to softly reach the ground as she desperately tried to grab onto something to keep her steady.

Not even Bill was able to help her for it still felt like the world was being ripped from underneath her feet as she fell further and further down a black hole, the crushing realization that her cousin, her best friend, her Stanley, was gone hitting her so hard she swore she saw stars.

Stanley Uris was dead.

Y/N couldn't stop herself from sobbing long enough to explain what was going on, so Beverly was the one to move forward and pick up the phone before shakily putting it to her ear.

"Hello? Uh, Mrs. Uris, my name's Beverly Marsh. I'm an old friend of your husband's," Beverly said. There was a silence as the red head listened on the other end of the line before her eyes widened and she glanced at Grayson.

Grayson stared back at her, his eyes beginning to fill with tears as he shook his head. Beverly just gave him a sad look and that was when the boy broke down. He let out a heartbroken sob much like his mother and Ben was quick to go over to the boy and hug him, Grayson holding back onto him almost desperately as he cried.

"When did it happen?" Beverly's voice rang through the air, but neither Grayson nor Y/N could focus on what she was saying as they cried. "In the bathtub," Beverly whispered in unison with Party as if she knew about the incident before it happened.

Those words were enough to make Y/N sob harder, her cries loud and haunting as Bill tried to keep her steady while fighting his own tears. It felt like a part of Y/N had died and everything felt so unreal that she could barely think straight and didn't even notice Beverly had hung up the phone.

Y/N had never felt more defeated in her life and the moment she noticed Grayson crying against Ben's chest as the older man hugged him, she felt even worse.

"Stanley," Eddie finally said once Y/N's sobs had quieted down enough that they could speak. "Pennywise knew. He knew before we did."

"We have to stop him. I have a plan," Mike announced as he pat his hand against a book, but his words were enough to snap Y/N out of her misery long enough to stand up in pure anger and disbelief.

"You're kidding, right? Tell me that you're fucking kidding right now, Mike," Y/N insisted, tears rolling down her face as she stared at her friend with red eyes. She was shaking in pain and anger, her body on the verge of another breakdown.

Bill was back up on his feet behind her and he placed a hand on her shoulder, the girl turning and looking at him with a totally defeated look on her face as more tears fell. It took all of Bill not to break down at the sight of her. He was already upset about the death of his friend, but something about seeing Y/N look so lost and broken pushed him towards the edge.

"I got a plan. Get the fuck out of dodge before this ends worse than one of Bill's books. Who's with me?" Richie asked before him, Eddie, and Y/N all raised their hands.

"We made a promise to each other," Mike reminded them, his voice desperate.

"So then let's. . .unmake the promise!" Richie suggested.

"Richie, other people are going to die," Ben told them, both Y/N and Grayson flinching at his statement while Ben continued to keep a comforting arm around the young Uris boy.

"Other people die every day, man!" Richie exclaimed and Y/N hated to say it, but he was right. Stan's death had hit her when she least expected it. She couldn't bare to lose her son or the Losers because they were stupid enough to try and fight the clown who had been terrorizing them since they were kids. "We don't owe this town shit! Plus I just remembered I grew up here like two hours ago, so I'm fucking leaving. Fuck this!"

Richie turned and began to storm off while Eddie turned to leave as well. "Sorry, man. I'm. . .I'm with, Richie," Eddie said while Y/N walked over to where Ben and Grayson were.

"Y/N," Ben whispered, but she could only give the boy a teary eyed stare and a sad look before she glanced at her son.

"Come on, Gray," she whispered and her son instantly went to her side, sobbing a little harder as he held his mother. Y/N's lip began to tremble, but she somehow managed to stop herself from breaking down again as she wrapped an arm around her son and began to walk after Richie and Eddie.

"Guys, please," Mike said as he hurried after Eddie, Y/N, and Grayson.

"Listen. What? We stay. We die. That's it? I'm gonna go back to the inn. I'm gonna back up my shit and I'm gonna drive to my home. I'm sorry, man. Good luck," Eddie said as he patted Mike's arms before glancing at Y/N. The two shared a look and he whispered, "I'll see you at the inn, okay?"

Y/N numbly nodded before Eddie gave her a short nod and began to walk away. "Eddie, please. Please, Eddie!" Mike called out, but the man had already reached his car. Mike instantly turned to Y/N and hurried over to her. "Y/N, you can't leave. Please. You know we have to do this together."

The woman sighed and looked to the ground before glancing back up at her friend with tear filled eyes. "I can't," she whispered. "I'm not fucking doing this, Mike. I have a kid to worry about and I'm not about to bring him to a fight I don't even know we'll win. I can't lose anyone else, Mike." Her voice cracked and she had to take a moment to let in a shaky breath before she began to back away while shaking her head. "I'm sorry."

"Y/N," Mike pleaded, but the woman didn't stop backing up. Her eyes flickered over her friends that remained—Mike who was staring at her desperately, Beverly who sat on the ground smoking a cigarette with tears rolling down her cheeks, Ben who was giving her an almost as pleading look as Mike but with a hint of sadness hidden within, and finally Bill who had tears rolling down his face as he just stared right back at her.

Her eyes remained locked with Bill as she whispered, "I can't." Bill didn't say anything back and Y/N quickly turned before grabbing onto Grayson's arm and walking away as fast as she could.

Mike called after her, but Y/N ignored it. She knew she was in the verge of another breakdown by the way her breathing rate increased and she had to choke back her sobs. Tears blurred her vision and she kept her hand wrapped tightly around Grayson's wrist as she blindly stumbled towards her car.

Y/N let go of Grayson in order to try and unlock the car, but she failed to notice the way her son stood by her with his eyes glued to her face. "Damn it!" Y/N yelled as she struggled to open the car door. She slammed her hand against the roof of her car, a sob escaping her lips as she shakily continued to try and get her key to work.

"Mom," Grayson whispered as he hurried to her side. "Mom, stop. Just stop." His hands grabbing ahold of hers were enough to make her freeze, her head hanging low as another sob wracked through her body. Y/N lifted her head and her heart broke at the sight of Grayson staring back at her with red rimmed eyes full of tears and so much pain.

"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry," Y/N choked out, her words making Grayson break down as he fell against hers. His arms wrapped around her almost instantly as he cried against her chest and Y/N was quick to hug her son back, cradling his head as she broke down too.

The two let it all out in the parking lot that night, their anguish and heartache having them holding onto each other so tight like they were afraid they were going to lose each other. Stan Uris, Y/N's best friend and Grayson's uncle, was dead and there was nothing they could do about it. Being the type of people they were, this killed them both. It felt like another dagger to the heart and only the hug they had was enough to keep them standing up.

They cried for what seemed like forever, hidden away from the view of anyone who happened to walk by. Grayson was the first to calm down and he just held his mother for as long as she needed, knowing that she was feeling ten times the amount of pain and sadness he felt.

He had never seen any pair as close as Y/N and Stan were. Since he was little, it had always been his mother and his uncle there for him, always the pair showing up to every important event of his. Grayson had always wanted a friendship like theirs and he knew that, to his mother, losing Stan was like losing a part of herself.

Y/N eventually calmed down enough to pull out of the hug, but she kept one hand on Grayson's arm as she wiped away her tears. "Mom," Grayson said, his voice soft. Y/N hummed in response and the boy stared at her a moment before whispering, "What's It?"

Y/N tensed almost instantly, her face paling as she looked at her son with wide eyes. She was quick to shake her fear away and forced on a shaky smile as she said, "Nothing you need to worry about. We're going home and you'll never have to hear about this ever again."

Before Grayson could say anymore, Y/N managed to get her car door open and began to get in. It was time for her to push aside her sadness and mourn Stan later. Grayson was her number one priority right now and she needed to get him out of here as quick as possible before It could reach them.

"Mom, come on," Grayson tried to say, but Y/N just ignored him and climbed into the car. "Mom." She went to close the door, but Grayson was suddenly grabbing the door and forcing it open, his hand gripping onto the metal tightly as he exclaimed, "Mom!"

Y/N instantly froze before letting her gaze flicker up to her son who was standing there staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Gray, honey, we need to leave," she insisted, but Grayson only let out a sigh and shook his head.

"We can't go."

Y/N blinked in surprised before giving her son a confused look. "Why not?" she asked, curious as to why he didn't want to leave after the horrors he just witnessed.

"I've never seen you as happy as you were in the restaurant," Grayson admitted, his shoulders relaxing as he gave his mother a sincere look. "I've never seen you care about people that much other than me, Uncle Stan, and Aunt Patty."

Y/N flinched at Stan's name and Grayson hesitated for a moment before kneeling down before her, his knees on the road while Y/N still sat in the car with her head lowered and her gaze on the steering wheel.

"I'm upset too and I know it's different for you, but Stan was my uncle and I know he wouldn't want you to just walk away. He took what he believed to be the easy way out, but he would never want you to just give up," Grayson said. "And quite frankly, you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if someone else got hurt because you ran away scared."

Y/N was silent and Grayson let his eyes flicker over her face before falling into her hands which were shaking in her lap. Sighing, Grayson reached up to hug her, the action making Y/N shake more as she went to hug him back.

"You don't understand, Gray," she whispered, her voice shaking almost as much as her body. "This thing—"

"Then tell me. Help me to understand," Grayson told her as he pulled away to look her in the eye. He kept his hands on her arms while Y/N stared at him for a moment.

"You shouldn't have to deal with this," Y/N finally said, a haunted look in her eyes. "No kid should."

"Mom, we're a team, remember?" Grayson reminded her, his voice steady as he gave her arms a gentle squeeze. "You've done so much for me. Let me help you this one time."

Y/N isn't sure what had her doing it, but something about the look in Grayson's eyes and his pure determination to help her and the Losers stick together was enough to have her explaining everything that happened during the summer of 1989. She told him about meeting the Losers. She told him about the missing kids and Bill's brother. She told him about the Well House, It, the fears that came to life that summer, and the promise they had made. Everything that happened that summer, she told him about.

Grayson took it all in without saying a single word. He just listened and in that moment, that was all Y/N needed. Grayson just sat there running a finger along the scar on her hand as she talked, his eyes flickering up to her every once in a while.

It wasn't long before she had told him everything, minus the parts about Bill of course since she still couldn't figure out how to tell him. A silence fell among them when she stopped talking and Y/N kept her eyes on Grayson while she felt as if she could practically see the gears shifting in his head as he tried to make sense of everything.

"Well, then I guess it seems like you know what you have to do," Grayson finally said, his eyes flickering up to meet his mother's while she gave him a confused look. "You wouldn't have made that promise all of those years ago if you don't intend on coming back. You knew that you would have to come back and protect the kids who couldn't help themselves—to prevent them from having to go through the same things you did. And that was all when you were only thirteen!"

Grayson got up onto his feet and reached down to wipe the gravel from his knees before saying, "That leaves us with only one option—stay and fight."

Y/N shook her head lightly and looked down at the scar on her hand. She was silent for a moment before whispering, "I don't know how I'm supposed to do this without Stanley."

Last time she had fought It, her cousin had been by her side every step of the way. Even when they were fighting with the others, she still had Stan. What would she do now that he was gone?

Grayson stared at his mother for a moment before reaching out and gently taking ahold of her hand with the scar so that she was forced to look up at him. He gave her a small smile before whispering, "We'll get through it how we always do—together."

Y/N squeezed her son's hand in response, a small smile appearing on her face as she felt a little bit of hope coursing through her veins. Grayson always had been able to do that, give her hope when no one else could. It was one of the things she loved most about her son.

Grayson let go of her hand and walked around the car before getting in on the other side. Before long the doors were closed and Y/N began driving towards the inn where the Losers would no doubt be trying to leave as fast as she could. Y/N knew they couldn't leave and it was going to be partially up to her to get them to stay.

Knowing this, the car ride was quiet as Y/N tried to plan her next move. However, there was a sadness looming over the car caused by Stan's death, but Y/N tried to ignore it the best she could. That was. . .until Grayson spoke up.

"Uncle Stan loved you so much, you know that?"

Y/N faltered, her eyes filling with tears once again as her heart ached. Swallowing thickly, Y/N glanced at her son to find him staring back at her with a small smile on his face and tears in his eyes.

"I know. He loved you too," she whispered back as she gently took her son's hand in her own and looked back out at the road. Grayson held her hand tight, not even caring that he was too old to still be holding onto his mother's hand.

Wiping away his tears with his free hand, Grayson smiled a bit more and whispered, "I know."

The rest of the ride was even quieter than before as they both sat there silently mourning Stan's death. However, with their hands still linked together, Y/N and Grayson knew that all this pain they felt would get better as long as they had each other by their side.

They knew that Stan would always be with them and Y/N couldn't help but be reminded of something Stan had said all those years ago.

"I know I'm a loser. And no matter what, I always fucking will be."

Even in death, Stan would still be with them. He would forever be a Loser and Y/N's best friend.

And Y/N planned to make him proud.

* * *

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