Roses - Richie Tozier x reader

6- THE BARRENS

I awake to the weirdest yet most comforting surroundings. The smell of lilies fills the air. I guess it beats the smell of weeks worth of unwashed dishes.

I'm wearing an old Fresses t shirt and shorts. I don't think I've ever been more comfortable. Knowing Richie is only a couple of rooms away is making my heart race though. It feels surreal, I've only met this boy a couple of days ago and I'm living in his house.

And I feel like this about him.

I hear a gentle knock on my door, "Y/N, are you awake, do you want something to eat?"

I smile to myself under my blanket "Always" I reply.

"Get your lazy ass out of bed then, I want to make pancakes but I don't know how" he says jokingly.
I carefully manoeuvre myself up, taking care with my aching limbs.

"You know, you should be bringing my breakfast in bed, I'm injured." I rely mockingly, with hand upon my hips.
"Well lady I don't know how to cook, that's what women are for." I gasp and punch him on the arm.
"joking, joking, don't kill me bowers."
"Fine, come on, I'm starving"

We leave the kitchen in total disarray but the pancakes were delicious. Once we finished them we sat in the table in an awkward silence.
"Sooo, what do you want to do today?" Richie asks, getting up from his seat and walking towards the sink.
"I don't know, you can choose, I owe you for basically saving me life."
He walks over and puts an arm around my shoulder. "Well sweetcheeks, you can come and meet the losers." He says with a smirk in his face.
" I really wish you'd stop calling me that." I try to stop me cheeks flushing red.
" I know you love it baby." He responds in one of his ridiculous accents.

He gives me more of his clothes to wear for our trip to go and see his friends. We set off towards the barrens and as we get closer the more doubt seeps into my mind. I'm extremely nervous. I can already tell what they're going to think of Henry bowers' sister. He's made their life hell for years, so why would they think I'm any different.
"Richie, are you sure this is a good idea, why would your friends want to hang out with me, they'll think I'm as psycho as the rest of my family."
He stops us walking and grabs my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes. " you're nothing like them Y/N, you're kind, funny, beautiful and great at making pancakes." His cheeks flush red as he says beautiful. We stand there for a moment in silence. I want to kiss him but I don't know whether it's right. I opt for a hug.
"Are you sure?" I say with my head against his chest and my arms around his waist. His heart is beating like a rabbit's. I pull away and look up at him, our faces only a couple of centimetres away.
"I'm sure, I think you're perfect." He starts to lean in when suddenly a voice comes from behind us.
" Richie?" The voice was high pitched and followed by lots of laughter from the people around him. Shit. It was Richie's friends. The voice belonged to Eddie Kaspbrack. Richie pulled away from me as quick as he could and gave an awkward smile to his friends.
" Guys, this is Y/N"
"Yeah we know who she is" Beverley says. I'd never spoke to her before, I guess because I'd always been a little scared of her. She doesn't look happy to see me.
"H-h-Henry's your brother, right?" Bill Denbrough asks, I remember his stutter being a lot worse.
"Yeah he is." I respond, looking down at my feet in shame. They hate me like I knew they would.
"Yeah and that's why she's staying with me for a couple days, he nearly killed her." He grabs hold of my hand. All of the losers eyes turn towards the gesture, a few raising their eyebrows. Eddie looks especially shocked.
I break the silence, " I'm not expecting you guys to like me, knowing who my family are. But I can promise I'm not a murdering psychopath."
There's a silence.
"Well that's g-good enough for me." Bill smiles at me. "Right guys?"
They all nod but still look slightly hesitant.
"Welcome to the Barrens Y/N" Richie says, pulling me towards the mass of leaves that the others had started to walk through.

We reach a cliff edge and the others start taking off their clothes.
"Not to ask an obvious question, but what's going on?" I ask, standing hesitantly away from the edge.
"It's a loser's tradition, you wouldn't get it." Eddie states, not even looking towards me. What is his problem?
"We jump off the cliff and hang out in the water down there." Stan Uris says.
"Oh okay cool." I reply.
"Scared?" Bev says, smiling.
"Never" I start to take my t-shirt off so I'm just wearing my bra. All them turn towards me with their eyes wide, complete shock on their face. I look down, I forgot about my bruises.
"Holy shit, Henry did that?" Beverley asks, approaching me and looking concerned.
"Did you guys not believe me when I said he almost killed her!" Richie exclaims looking kind of annoyed.
I interrupt, "it's nothing I'm not used to guys, don't worry."
Then the most unexpected thing happens, Beverley hugs me and says quietly, "I get it, my dad gets like that too." She pulls away and smiles at me, but I can see the sadness misting over her eyes.
I smile back and try to change the subject " ok everyone, are we jumping off this cliff or not?"
I take off my shorts, sprint towards the edge and jump. I can hear everyone one at the top exclaiming and cheering me on. Have I been accepted into the group?

We spend a while in the water, Richie constantly splashing me and putting me on his shoulders. I've never had a group of friends before and it feels great. Although I still feel slightly like an outsider. Once we get out and dry off people start leaving one by one, since it's almost 4 o'clock. Just me and Richie are left on the rock at the side of the lake.
"How do you feel?" He asks, moving closer to me.
"I feel great, I had fun. Even my bruises are feeling a little better." I say, even though I'm still in pain.
"I can tell you're lying."
"Ok maybe about the bruises but I had a lot of fun, your friends are great."
" yeah well you're great, I wish they wouldn't have been like that when they first met you."
"It's fine I get, I'm a bowers."
"Not really you aren't, I don't want you to ever go back there." He looks so serious. It's kind of odd, considering he's joking around 99% of the time.
" It's not like I can stay with you forever Richie, I doubt your parents would like that."
"I could always ask, and if you can't stay with us maybe my mom can help you find somewhere else. You just can't go back there, I can't let you get hurt again." He moves even closer. "I really really care about you and seeing all that on your body, I can't bear it." He puts his hand on a bruise on my waist and rubs it. My heart starts racing again. His hand rises to my neck and he leans in once more, but there's no on to interrupt this time.
Our lips meet in soft gentle kiss. His lips brushing hesitantly against mine. He pulls away to look at me, but I place my hand on his shoulder and pull him close again. It's not as gentle this time. It's long and yearning, I feels like I can't get close enough to him eventhough our bodies are completely pressed together. He slips his tongue into my mouth and this new feeling completely overwhelms me. We get a good rhythm going and he lays me down, the cold rock pressing against my bare back. His hand moves to my hip as he moves on top of me. I can feel how hard he is against my leg. We continue kissing for a while and then break away.
"Wow" Richie says in a breathless whisper.
I giggle and prop myself up onto my elbows. I don't know what to say to him. I just feel too overwhelmed by everything.
"Was that good for you?" He says worried, perhaps concerned why I haven't said anything.
"Incredibly." I sit up and give him another gentle kiss.  He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and we both smile.
"My mom and dad are home tomorrow, so we have the house to ourselves tonight." He says with a smirk. I feel the heat in my cheeks. I wish I could stop blushing, it's so embarrassing.
"Hmm we'll see" I reply teasingly, pushing his chest.
He laughs, " come on, let's get dressed and head back."