𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 [R.Tozier]

XIII. So This Is Love

"Thanks, guys, but you shouldn't have done that. They'll be after you guys, too, now." Mike says, thankful but worried for the others' safety. "Oh, no, no, no. Bowers? He's always after us." Eddie assures him as he turns back to face him. "I guess that one th-th-thing we all have in common." Bill adds.

"Yeah, Homeschool. Welcome to the Losers' Club." Richie calls out, intertwining his fingers with Alisa as they walk behind everyone, trying not be noticed.

The losers walk along back to where they left their bikes and prepare to set off. "Hey, can I stay over again?" Richie asks, smiling to Alisa. "Always." She replies, sending him a smile and getting onto Richie's bike.

"See ya later, guys!" The two call out as they ride off back to Alisa's cold and empty home. "Today was beautiful." Alisa smiles, thinking back to everything. "You know who else is beautiful?" Richie replies, a grin on his face. "Hmm?" Alisa hums in response, expecting to hear herself, but surprised when Richie says something completely different.

"Eddie's mom." Richie finishes, earning a slap to the head from Alisa. "If we weren't riding a bike right now I'd-"

"Ride something else?" Richie smirks, cutting her off, leaving her with a disgusted face. "No! I'd slap you harder!" She shouts, causing Richie to burst out in laughter. "Please do." He simply replies.

The two finally pull up to Alisa's house, getting off the bike and heading up the front door steps. "Besides being a dumbass, what else do you do for a living?" Alisa asks, turning the key and unlocking the door.

"Besides being cute, what else do you do for a living?" Richie grins, entering the house and immediately heading upstairs.

Alisa shakes her head yet smiles to herself, following closely behind the boy. "You never cease to amaze me, Glasses." She enters the room, sitting beside him on the dusty bed. The sudden impact causes dust to fly up, hitting Alisa's nostrils. She lets out a sneeze, then turns to Richie who remained silent.

"Aren't you gonna say bless you?" She asks. "You're in my presence, you're already blessed." The four-eyes boy smirks, staring directly into her ocean blue eyes. "Is that so?" Alisa smiles back, inching her face a little closer. "Mhm."

The two lean in, sharing another soft kiss. They're third in one day. After pulling out, Richie unexpectedly grabs a bright highlighter from the girl's desk, and drawing a straight line right across her cheek.

Alisa's jaw hung open in shock, glaring directly at the boy. "What was that for, dumbass?!" She shouts, holding her hand up to her cheek. "Teachers at school always told me to highlight whatever's important." He shrugs, knowing exactly what he had just started. "That's not gonna get you out of this, Tozier."

"What is that supposed to mean, Parker?" Richie raises an eyebrow, then is attacked with an eraser. "An eraser? I'm pretty sure you meant to grab the highlighter beside it, right?" Richie asks, pointing to a neon blue marker laying on the dusty desk. "Teachers always tought me to erase mistakes." She smirks in victory as she wins their mini war.

"This isn't over, Longstocking" Richie says as the red head leans her head back, onto his lap, looking up at his slightly freckled face. "How's the view from down there?" The boy asks, starting to take out her braids and playing with her red coated hair. "It's atrocious." Alisa replies, smiling up at him.

The two stare into each other's eyes for a little while, not really thinking much about the silence, but daydreaming about what it would be like if this relationship continued on for the two.

"Hey, wanna hear a joke about ghosts?" Richie breaks the silence. "Not really." Alisa responds, playing with the bottom of his Hawaiian button up. "That's the spirit!" Richie responds, chuckling at the end of his sentence. Alisa quickly leans up from his lap and faces him, sending him a look fo disapproval. "I'm starting to regret that kiss now." She says, although her sparkling eyes say otherwise.

"Oh wow. That's hurts. Not a big fan of jokes I presume?" He asks. "That joke was pathetic." Alisa defends herself, putting her hands up.

"You're pathetic!" Richie fires back.

"You're annoying!" Alisa replies.

"You're the most amazing thing to ever happen to me." Richie finishes off, taking the red head by surprise. She feels her cheeks burn as she flops backwards onto her bed, smiling like a fool.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're a pretty decent dude." Alisa says, leaning on her shoulder.

"I'm so honored."

••••

Later that night, the two prepare for their slumber. Richie gets comfortable on the mattress as Alisa does the same on the bed above. As the seconds pass, Alisa can't help but feel like she can't get comfortable. Something wasn't feeling right with her and she couldn't sleep.

It's as if Richie knew, since before she knew it, Richie brought himself into the bed without asking. "Move over a bit, this bed won't fit the two of us if you're sleeping right down the middle." Richie says, pushing the girl over. He hadn't even asked to come in, but Alisa would never protest. She wouldn't admit it, but she needed someone that night and she didn't mind at all that, that person was Richie Tozier.

Alisa lays on her side, facing the wall. There was an over weighing amount of awkward tension between the two at the moment and looking at Richie would only make her feel more nervous. Richie hesitantly wraps his arm around the girl's waist, inching himself closer to her. "Goodnight, Ally." He says, snuggling up into the crook of her neck.

"Night, Richie."