Chapter Text
Richie’s flight had been delayed by hours. When the Uber finally pulled up at the curb of his house it was late. Way later than he had anticipated.
"Thanks, Mark.“ Richie slung his duffle bag over one shoulder, gave his driver a tired baring of teeth that might pass as a grin. "Have a good night – oh, and remember what I told you about Vaseline! That is wisdom seldomly shared.“
It made the younger man chuckle. "Sure, I’ll keep it in mind.“
With a yawn, Richie trudged up to the entrance. The cactus next to the door looked like a diseased rabbit. Nothing much had changed. The LA night was just as warm as before, the pink flowers blooming all over his neighbor’s yard still smelled horrendous and you couldn’t see any stars. The stars in Derry had been so different. Actually visible for starters.
“Good evening, Mr. Carrot”, Richie greeted the cactus. “How is this night treating you, good Sir? I’ve had quiet the experience back home. One out of five stars. Would not recommend. Man, I hate clowns! Fucking finally know why.”
Richie withstood the ever-present urge to give the cactus a pat on the head. Instead he fished the keys out of his pocket and opened the door. The delightful smell of rotting peaches wafted straight into his nostrils, made him stumble back. He gagged impressively.
“What the fuck?” Richie exchanged a look with the googly eyes he had stuck onto Mr. Carrot. “Smells like Eddie’s Mom in there.”
For a second, he seriously considered entering the house. But like, he had fucking killed a fucking killer clown! And it didn’t really smell that much better outside. He should just order a cow off of craigslist of something. Let it destroy those disgusting flowers.
Bracing himself Richie entered the hallway. He slipped out of his shoes and pushed them into their space next to his running shoes. The automatic action made him pause. He frowned. Memories of Eddie bitching at him because he was lounging on the bed with his dirty, bacteria invested sneakers on bumbled out of the woodworks. Eddie’s face going red, his hazel eyes big in overexaggerated disgust. Arms gesticulating wildly. Talking so fast spit went flying. His voice rising in pitch and volume as he was talking himself into a rage.
Remembering the past always left him aching with nostalgia. Remembering Eddie… Remembering Eddie was even harder. There were so many memories. So many feelings. So Richie did what he had learned early on in his life and what his therapist told him was the most asscrack coping mechanism that he should stay the fuck away from if possible. He repressed. Took all his feelings, walled them up in a safe little space, maybe for later, maybe for never, just not for now.
Richie placed his keys in a bowl on the sideboard and wondered for a while when exactly he had lost his sense for organized chaos. Eddie would laugh so much if he could see him like this. All neat and tidy and shit.
Richie pulled a face. Feeling rebellious he pulled off his socks and threw them at the dark shadow of the couch not too far away.
Someone shrieked. High-pitched.
Richie’s heart skipped a beat. Startled. He barely withheld a very manly screech. Maybe not as successfully as he would have liked.
A small head appeared above the back of the couch. “Daddy?”
Richie flung his arm out in a dramatic gesture, hitting the light switch with more coordination than he would have thought himself capable of. “Lily!”
The girl owlishly blinked at him, her eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. “Daddy, you’re late.”
Richie sighed. “I know, bug. There was a problem with the plane. Why aren’t you in bed?”
Lily pulled her face into an impressive pout. “Ami snores. Sooooooo loud. Sometimes I think it’s an earthquake. And I wanted to wait for you, because you were gone forever. Sooooo long. I finished all Fruit Loops is how long. And Ami said she wouldn’t buy them ‘cause they are too much sugar and make my blood sticky.”
Richie chuckled. “So I guess we have to go shopping tomorrow.”
Lily squealed excitedly and scrambled up off the couch. “You’re the best Dad ever! Way better than Eva’s! The best to the very end of the Universe!”
She crashed into Richie’s legs, her favorite blanket tied around her neck like a cape. He leaned down and picked her up with a slight groan. She was growing so fast, almost too heavy to carry already.
He walked them back to the couch and settled into the soft cushions. She buried her face in his neck, her little hands fisting into the fabric of his slightly sweaty shirt. Holding her, feeling her breathing made him choke up. He could have lost this. He could have died. Left them alone all over again.
It was difficult to control his breathing, to not slip into a panic attack. Suddenly overwhelmed he pressed Lily closer. Her hair smelled like lemongrass – his favorite shampoo. She hugged him back equally as strong.
It took a while for his pulse to slow again. Until he didn’t have to count his breaths anymore.
“I missed you, Daddy”, Lily whispered.
Immediately, Richie was all chocked up again. “I missed you too, bug.”
He wouldn’t be here if it not for Eddie saving his life. So close. So fucking close. He’d have to call Bev first thing in the morning, ask how he was doing. Whether he had finally woken up. Whether his wife had arrived.
Richie was happy to be home. But he also missed the Losers already. Their easy camaraderie. How they just got him, understood him. Accepted him.
Lily fell asleep in his lap. Richie sat there for a long time, mindlessly rubbing her back and listening to her breathing.
Hugging her felt different now. Like remembering his childhood and teenage years opened up a deep, hidden part of his self. Like he was now able to hug his daughter with more of his heart.
“Richie?”
He swiveled his head back until he was able to see the stairs. “Hey Ami.” His voice was soft, slightly broken.
“Did you cry?” Amelia sounded horrified. “Wait! Are you crying?”
Richie shrugged with the one shoulder Lily wasn’t resting on. For once not cracking a joke.
“You look like death warmed over.” Amelia came to a standstill in front of him, scrutinizing him. “Did you get into a fight in Derry fucking Maine, Richie? Like seriously? I thought it was some kind of reunion with childhood friends you didn’t even remember.”
Richie shushed her, gesticulating at Lily. “Nothing I couldn’t handle, don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry?” she mouthed at him, flinging her arms out and rolling her eyes. “Have you looked into a mirror recently?”
“You wish you were as pretty as me!” Richie whispered back.
“Yeah! You wear your bruises like makeup. Sure! You could’ve just asked for my eyeliner.”
“I’m more for the natural products. All organic and shit.”
Amelia sighed, long and suffering. Flipped him the bird. Richie gripped her wrist and pulled her down onto the couch. Kissed the offending finger. Amelia burrowed into his side after only a short moment of hesitation. He slung an arm around her shoulders, held her close.
“Are you okay, Dad?” Amelia’s voice was slightly wobbly, cautious. Like she was afraid of the answer.
“I’m fine, Amelia. Only some scratches. A few bruises. It’ll heal.” Eddie is of far worse.
“Good.” She muffled a yawn in his shoulder. “I won’t even ask about your emotional state but you should know I care.”
Richie couldn’t help the fond smile. He tousled her hair until she beat his hand away. Lily mumbled something in her sleep, tossing her head slightly to the side. Amelia put a hand on her sister’s back, rubbing soothing circles.
“She had a lot of bad dreams while you were gone.” She looked worried.
Her words hurt. “I’m sorry for leaving you two alone for so long.”
Amelia shrugged, all trying-to-be-a-grown-up teenager. “Mrs. Alvarez is here, she’s been showing me how to cook Mexican food. We made Tamales for dinner. There are some leftovers in the fridge if you want them. She’s also been teaching Lily and me some Spanish. I love her, she’s great.”
Richie hummed.
Amelia sat up and looked at him. “I’m happy you’re home though.”
“Me too.”
“I’ll demand the full story of what happened tomorrow! I’m too tired to pry it out of you right now.”
“So responsible, I’m proud.”
They were gearing up for another Sarcasm Contest when Lily whimpered and their attention got diverted.
“I’ll let her sleep in my bed tonight.” Richie hugged her a bit tighter. “Do you want to join us?”
It said a lot about how much Amelia had actually missed him that she didn’t even protest. She nodded. “Only if you shower first though. You smell like you took a shower in grey water.”
Richie chuckled. “I guess the smell is more persistent than I thought. Do I smell like caca, señorita?”
Amelia pulled a face. “Worse.”
In the morning, Richie found the source of the rotten smell in the kitchen. On the kitchen counter sat an assortment of decomposing fruits. All carefully labeled with the Latin name and a date. It was Lily’s science project.