✓ | BETTER WITH YOU → richie tozier ³

thirteen

chapter song: in my veins by andrew belle

"YOU SON of a bitch." Richie said in a barely there voice, staring at Mike, disbelieving.

Ash was mute, her mouth softly open, trembling, but no sound came out.

"Richie, come on-" Mike said, his voice calm, but Richie's face was twisted, his eyes dark.

"You'd better shut your goddamn mouth before I come over there and punch your fucking face in." He said sharply, and Mike shot, "You don't have the motherfucking guts, Tozier."

"Mike." Ash said in an undertone, nudging him, and Richie's eyes flew to her.

"Yeah, that's right. Defend him." He said, his voice steely and steadily rising. "You know what? I'm done! You and all your secrets and all your lies-"

His voice shook with anger, and Ash took a step away from Mike, trying to reach him but Richie jerked away as if she was on fire.

"Stay away from me. Both of you. Stay the fuck away." He hissed, and then turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

"No- you know what-" Mike said, and pulled away from Ash, following after him.

"Mike, no!" Ash said sharply, but Mike didn't listen, following Richie back into the living room where everyone was still partying.

"Mike- stop it, Mike!" Ash said, catching up to him and grabbing onto his arm.

Mike tried to jerk free, saying loudly, "Hey, Tozier! Tozier!"

Richie stopped, and then turned, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"I suggest you get your ass out of this room before everything becomes a lot fucking worse for you." Richie said sharply, and Ash yanked at Mike's arm.

"Mike- he's not kidding, let's go-!"

She was cut off as Mike spat, "You're not the ruler of everyone anymore, Richie. They bumped you back down to where you were supposed to be. You were never shit!"

The people next to them had gone silent, watching, and Richie's eyes flicked to them and back before he said, "That's none of your business. Nothing about that is any of your-"

"None of my business?" Mike asked, giving a short laugh. "None of my business? So you're saying-"

"Shut the fuck up." Richie said, his teeth clenched together, and Mike shook his head, barrelling on, "You're saying you weren't the one that got me wasted and filmed me having sex with a girl? You're saying you're not the person who got sent to jail, and had to get your gay ass-"

"I said shut the fuck up!" Richie shouted, and then had shoved Mike backwards, who stumbled into Ash, who almost fell.

There was a moment of complete silence as Richie stared murderously at his cousin, who glared back.

And then, something snapped.

Mike dove forward and tackled Richie to the ground, starting to punch him in the face as Ash started to run towards them, shouting, "Stop it! Stop it, you guys, stop!"

She was feet away before someone hooked her around the waist, their arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Let go- let go!" She yelled, and she heard the voice of Stanley Uris say, "No. You stay out of it. You're only going to get yourself hurt."

She craned her neck to see him and saw him staring sullenly at the fight, his eyebrows drawn in a crease as Richie shoved Mike off of him and started to punch back, his fist hitting him over and over again.

"What's going on?" She heard an anxious voice say, and saw Eddie Kaspbrak pushing past people before letting out a groan, "Oh my God, no."

"Don't, Eds." Stan said firmly, and Eddie ventured, "I'm just going to-"

"Eddie, I said no."

Eddie lapsed into silence as the fight continued before Stan took a deep breath and looked at Bill, who had appeared in seconds at the first sign of trouble.

Then, quickly, he had passed Ash to Eddie, saying, "Hold her" before him and Bill both ran into the circle and pulled a furious Richie off of Mike.

Chaos was swallowing the party whole as Richie's breathing became fast and heavy, feeling hot tears spill down his cheeks as he drunkenly tried to fight Stan and Bill, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"You piece of shit, Wheeler! You piece of fucking shit- I'm going to fucking murder you!"

Mike's nose was pouring blood as he shouted, "You're pathetic, Tozier!"

Richie was thrashing in Stan and Bill's grips, and Mike shoved past the people in the circle, bruises starting to form over his face as he caught sight of Ash.

"Come on. Let's go." He said firmly, and Ash looked at Richie, who's gaze snapped to her's and spoke to her since he had first seen her and Mike.

"I fucking trusted you!"

Ash shook her head silently, mumbling, "No, Richie, I swear- it wasn't my fault!"

But Mike had said more urgently, "Ashley, let's go."

Ash pressed her lips together, and then let herself be pushed towards the back of Mike's house as Stan and Bill yanked Richie outside, Ben and Eddie following closely behind them.

"You shouldn't have fucking done that!" Richie snapped, pushing them off of him. "That wasn't your fight- none of you should have-"

"Saved you again, Richie?" Stan exclaimed. "Don't fucking act like we did something wrong here."

"Don't fucking talk to me." Richie spit. "Don't. I don't want a single goddamn one of you- this wasn't your fucking place, and it never was. I'm done with her. Forever."

"No, Rich, think about this- please- you all are an Asshole Duo!" Eddie tried to reason with him and Richie whipped around to face him, his cheeks flushed a dark red and anger brewing in his eyes.

"Don't ever say that again." He snarled, and they both stared at each other before Richie turned and was storming into the night.

The Losers stared after him, before Eddie said, "I'm gonna go with him."

"No, Eddie-" Stan said, and Eddie interrupted him.

"Don't you dare bring that piece of bullshit up now, Stanley Uris. This could get him killed again, and I don't give a single fucking damn if your ego is too far up your ass, I'm doing this."

Eddie stared at them all before he too disappeared into the night after Richie, a cold creeping up his spine at what they had all just witnessed, and what may have been the end for the Asshole Duo.

13.