Tight-Knit Family| Richie Tozier

24-

The next day-

Richie sits patiently in the waiting room of the doctors office, Willow fast asleep in her pushchair, hugging Richie's stuffed giraffe with her pacifier in her mouth. Richie smiles and strokes her cheek gently, moving her blanket over her to make sure she's warm.

"That your daughter?" A woman asks, who smiles at Richie. She's sat beside him, looking at Willow who is facing them. Richie nods and smiles back." Aww how old is she?"

"One and a few months." Richie replies and the woman coos over Willow." She's called Willow."

"She's beautiful." The woman says with a grin." What does her mother look like?"

"Ah, well...she isn't her mother, per se." Richie says, getting his phone out to show her a photo of Beverly. The woman gives him a weird look." This is my best friend Beverly...well, she's more like my sister. She agreed to be my boyfriend and I's surrogate."

"Boyfriend?" The woman asks and Richie blushes, adjusted Willows blanket again.

"Uh yeah...um, I'm gay." He admits and the woman moves away slightly." Oh wow. Okay."

"It's not natural for two men to father a baby together, especially a girl. She needs a motherly figure." The woman says.

"Well, she has her aunt Beverly, aunt Audra and aunt Patty— who is pregnant with her sibling. She also has my mom and my aunts. So, I'm pretty sure she is fine." Richie explains." Plus, my boyfriend and I are doing a pretty good job at being dads. We love her a lot and she loves us. She is healthy and happy and that's all that matters."

"If she's healthy then why are you here?" The woman asks and Richie's starting to get annoyed by the questions.

"Oh I'm not here for her. No no, I'm here for me. To request for my medication to be slightly stronger. I'm autistic so I'm prone to overloads and meltdowns and stuff." Richie explains and the woman looks at him in horror." Oh wow yeah, autism isn't seen as a socially acceptable thing. Right. Well here's where I tell you my boyfriend and I are both autistic and working parents."

"What're your jobs?" The woman asks and Richie's normally relieved when people don't recognise him.

"Oh well, my boyfriend is a risk analyst and I'm...a comedian." He explains." Quite a famous one."

"Richie Tozier?" The Doctor calls and Richie stands up, holding onto Willows pushchair. The woman sits in shock.

"Holy shit my brother is a huge fan." She mumbles as he pushes his daughters pushchair, smirking as he goes into the medical room.

"How're you doing, Rich?" His Doctor asks, shooting him a small smile as he puts the brakes on the pushchair.

"Umm I'm doing okay." Richie replies, sitting down." My anxiety is playing up a little and I've come to request stronger medication for my autism and such as I'm constantly having overloads. I think it's probably something to do with my heightened anxiety and being a new dad and such."

"Hmm okay. Well, we can retest and see if anything has changed. It's not likely that it has...it may mean you were misdiagnosed when you were young." His Doctor explains and Richie nods.

He sits through the questions and the tests and then waits in the waiting room again. Willow stirs in her sleep and then wakes up, crying slightly. Richie calms her and she smiles at him before falling back to sleep. Richie grins and then shoots Eddie a text to check up on him.

"Mr Tozier." The Doctor says as she approaches. Richie smiles up at her." I have your results."

"Okay." Richie says, glancing at Willow, who stirs in her sleep again.

"And you still are autistic...but we've discovered that you also have ADHD and always have had ADHD." His Doctor explains." So, I'm going to put you on ADHD medication and some anxiety medication, because I know you're struggling with that. Here is your prescription, the pharmacy is just down the street, as you know."

Richie thanks her and then takes his prescription, pushing Willow out of the doctors office. Willow wakes up as they wait in the pharmacy and then once Richie has his medication, they head to the car. The drive is spent with Willow trying to sing along to the radio, Richie glancing at her in the rear view mirror and smiling.

The two head straight to Richie's dressing room when they arrive at the theatre, Richie carrying Willow as fans try and get photos with him. He apologises to them and heads upstairs, opening the dressing room door with a sigh of relief. His dressing room has everything a dressing room would need but also includes a portable high chair, a portable cot,a toy box plus a microwave for heating up Willows food.

Richie sits Willow down by her toy chest and heats up some food for her as it's almost time for her dinner. He sighs and takes his medication whilst he waits for the food. Then, he sits Willow down in her high chair and puts a bib on her, placing the food down infront of her before kneeling infront of the high chair. He puts some of the food onto the spoon and blows on it to cool it off.

"You're such a good dad." Come a voice and Richie smiles as Eddie walks in. Eddie places a kiss on Richie's  cheek before he sits down, undoing the button of his blazer.

"Did you walk here?" Richie asks as he feeds Willow. Eddie nods." Did you visit Patty today?"

"I did and she said that everything is good and the baby is healthy." Eddie responds as he fiddles with his watch. Richie smiles and continues to feed Willow." What did the Doctor say?"

"That I have ADHD." Richie replies before blowing on the food." I've always had it apparently. They retested me."

"Should I be retested?" Eddie asks, watching Richie feed Willow with a tired smile.

"It's up to you, hon. If you feel like you want to be retested then go for it." Richie says." But they would've picked up ADHD when you were tested the first time."

"True....fuck it I can't be bothered." Eddie yawns, itching the back of his head gently. Then Willow begins to make a fuss as Richie tries to feed her a potato.

"Come on, Will. Please!" Richie begs as Willow turns her nose up at it." You like potatoes. I know you do because you've eaten them loads!"

"Let me try." Eddie says, standing up and kneeling beside Richie, taking the plate from him and offering Willow the small piece of potato. She turns her nose up again and shakes her head stubbornly." Here comes the airplane! Whoosh!"

Richie smiles as he watches Eddie finishing feeding Willow. He stands up, kissing the back of the shorter mans head, before walking off to get changed for his show.

Once he's changed, he walks back in to find Eddie carrying Willow and dancing to some music, Eddie singing along softly. Richie smiles, chest filling with love. But the love he feels is over shadowed with slight sadness as he remembers he can't marry Eddie. He wants to marry Eddie and it upsets him that society won't allow it.

"You're awfully quiet this evening." Eddie says as he gently bops to the music, Willow smiling at Richie.

"I want to marry you so badly." Richie states as he walks into the room. Eddie's smile falters a little as he gives a sad nod of a agreement." I love you, Eddie spaghetti."

"I love you too, Trashmouth." Eddie states as he stops dancing. He kisses Richie gently and then Richie prepares to go onstage. Eddie watches him with a smile and Willow pinches his cheek, making the older man laugh." Oh you're just like your dad."