Tight-Knit Family| Richie Tozier

20-

July 2004-

Everyone was married. Bill and Audra, Stan and Patty, Ben and Beverly. Everyone but Richie and Eddie because it wasn't legal. They wanted desperately to get married but they wasn't allowed. Stanley and Patty also now had a four year old son called Wren, who Richie adores.

"He is a blonde version of you." Richie laughs as Wren rushes around the house, laughing loudly. Stan nods and sips on his coffee." I want to be a dad one day."

"You'd be a great dad." Patty says. Richie shrugs." Somethings wrong...what's wrong?"

"I don't think Eddie wants kids." Richie replies." I do...desperately, and I know my parents want to be grandparents."

"Have you spoken with him?" Stanley asks and Richie shakes his head, sipping on his coffee slowly." You should. You never know, he may want children too."

"Maybe." Richie says with a grin." But for now I may have to settle for being Gay Uncle Richie."

"And you do an amazing job at that!" Patty chuckles as her son pokes Richie on the leg. Richie grins and sits him down on his lap with a smile. Wren giggles as Richie starts tickling him, Patty and Stanley smiling at one another.

"Hey, Rich, if you and Eddie were to ever have kids, how would you do it?" Stanley asks, Richie grinning and looking up at him as he hugs Wren." Y'know, adoption or surrogacy?"

"Uh...I think surrogacy would be pretty cool. But, I don't know, if Eddie does want children then it's up to him aswell." Richie explains as Wren pokes his cheek." I have that premiere to attend tonight and so I'll talk to him during that."

"In a public space so he doesn't freak out? Good plan." Stan chuckles.

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Richie glances over at Eddie later on as they sit in the limo. Eddie's texting his work colleague Sharon and Richie can't stop thinking about his conversation with Stan and Patty earlier. He really wants children and he's praying Eddie wants them too. He isn't sure what he'll do if he doesn't want kids.

"Everything okay?" Eddie asks, looking up from his phone and over at Richie, who smiles and nods." Hmm...you've got that look on your face."

"What look?" Richie asks with a nervous chuckle.

"The 'I want to ask you something I'm afraid to ask' look." Eddie replies." What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you later." Richie says as they pull up on the red carpet. Eddie nods and the there door opens. Richie grabs Eddie's hand and helps him out of the car.

The two smile as they step onto the red carpet, Richie putting an arm around Eddie's shoulders and Eddie gripping onto his wrist. It's their first time at any event like this and they're both extremely nervous. Richie smiles and waves at fans, who then offer things for him to sign, which he does. Eddie stands beside him anxiously, not sure of what to make of this. He isn't the famous one, Richie is. There's flashes from a few camera and Eddie jumps, shaking his head.

"Richie." He squeaks out, tugging on Richie's sleeve like a child. Richie finishes signing something and looks at Eddie, who's on the brink of tears." Can...um, can we go somewhere private?"

"Why?" Richie asks and then he realises what's going on." Eds, are you having an overload?"

"It was the flash of the cameras." Eddie breathes out and Richie nods, searching for a place they can go for privacy so Eddie can calm down away from the public eye. He spots an alleyway and takes Eddie's hand.

The two walk into it, far enough so no one can see them. Eddie sits against the wall, crying, and Richie kneels infront of him, talking to him and reassuring him that everything is okay. He passes Eddie his inhaler and he takes it. Eddie soon begins to calm down until there's a flash of a camera and he whimpers and covers his eyes.