THE SEVENTH WHEEL.. mike hanlon x pennywise ✔️

v. a confession

Mike drove his bike home, feeling extremely sad. His friends had rejected Penny. Nothing could be worse than this. Not even that time when he caught Bill and Stan making out under the bleachers.

He stopped at the butcher shop, to see if his grandpa was in. "Grandpa?" he called. "Are you here?" The tiny bell clanged against the doorframe as he walked in.

But the only response was from Larry, the man that worked for his grandfather. "Hey, Mike! Your pops called off today."

So Mike left. And he continued to bike home. What was sad was that none of the Losers had even followed Mike to see if he was okay. Tears burning his eyes, he rode on.

☾

When Mike finally got home he checked the mailbox. Nothing there. The orange tree in their front yard was blooming with little flowers, as it usually did in late May. In fact, almost everything was the way it usually was. The only thing out of place was that Penny was waiting for him.

"How did you know where I live?" Mike asked, walking up to the clown, who was sitting on his front porch. Mike wondered how he hadn't seen his friend earlier, since he was so obviously spotted in plain sight.

"Oh, just a guess," Penny murmured. "It's okay that your friends don't like me. I'm used to it."

"Oh, Penny, don't say that! I like you." I like you a lot, he wanted to add. But he couldn't say that. Not yet, anyways. He sat down next to Penny.

Then he did something he had never done before. He hugged Pennywise. And Pennywise hugged him back. It felt like Mike was meant to be there, in between Penny's arms. Like that was where he was always supposed to be, even if it were just for a moment. "I'm sorry they were mean to you," Mike said softly.

"Like I said, I'm used to it," Penny muttered into Mike's shoulder. "They'll come around, don't worry."

But if Penny had meant something menacing, Mike did not notice. He liked the feeling of being in Penny's arms. So much that he didn't notice what Penny had even said.

Then, he let go. It was hard; Mike could barely bring himself to do it. But in the end, he had to.

"Mike, I think I like you," Penny said. "A lot."

"I was just gonna say that!" Mike exclaimed. "I really like you, too."

Penny looked embarrassed. "As a friend?"

"No, definitely as more than a friend," Mike admitted. "Is that how you feel about me, too?"

"Yes," Penny said with a smile. Penny's smile, Mike thought, will always light up my day. Even if it was a little creepy, Mike loved it.

Mike toyed with one of the puffballs on Penny's top. It was yellow, which was odd, because Mike remembered it as being a deep red-orange color earlier.

Penny leaned his head into Mike's shoulder, and they sat like that for a while, not knowing what lay ahead for them.

☾

Eddie and Richie pulled up to Mike's house first. Their bikes skidded to a stop in perfect unison. To Mike's surprise, no one followed them. It was just Trashmouth and his boyfriend.

"Hey, Mike," Eddie said, giving a shy wave. "We're sorry for how we behaved earlier." The shortest Loser walked up to Mike and Penny. Richie did not move, and said nothing. He's not sorry, Mike thought with a scowl.

"C'mon, Rich," Eddie called, and Richie approached. He was still quiet.

When he was angry, Richie only responded to Eddie, if he responded verbally at all. Mike knew that if he had tried to call Richie over, he would have only gotten the cold shoulder.

Quietly, Richie said through his teeth, without meeting Mike's or Penny's eyes; "Sorry." Eddie smiled at him and leaned his head into Richie's arm, since he was too small to lean it on his shoulder.

Penny did not look convinced. "Say it like you mean it," he said. But this was not the voice Mike had learned to like so much. This voice sounded auto-tuned and put into slow motion, 10 pitches deeper.

Richie's eyes widened in fear and he took a step back. "Holy shit— I'm sorry, man!" And he got on his bike and drove away, faster than Mike could say, "Derry."

Eddie's face drooped. "Sorry, Mike. Sorry— what was your name? Pennywise?"

"Call me Penny," said Penny with a smile.

"It took me so much to get him to even come here. He's deathly afraid of clowns. No offense Penny," he added quickly.

Mike knew Eddie was being honest, but the way he hesitated when saying Penny's name said it all. None of the Losers would grow to accept Penny for who he was. And Eddie's words also made Mike realize just how much it took Richie to gather up his courage and face the clown.

He could clearly imagine Eddie begging Richie to come and apologize to Mike with him, and Richie being too afraid to even consider it. Mike sighed. "I forgive you for everything, Eddie."

Penny nodded. "I do, too. Tell your friend Richie that I'm sorry if I scared him."

Eddie's face slightly brightened, but his eyebrows were still creased in hurt from Richie leaving. "Thanks. I will. Bye!"

☾

As Eddie rode off in the distance, Mike felt the need to ask Penny a question that had been on his mind for a while.

"Penny, I was wondering something," he murmured, reaching for the clown's hand. Pennywise let Mike take his gloved hand.

"Yes, Mike?"

"Will you.. be my boyfriend?"