𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 | ͏reddie

35

⚠️warning: it gets HOT⚠️
(lol, ily all. happy new year)
____

"You... You really did it?!"

Richie can only begin to nod before the arms of his red-headed best friend are clasped around his neck and she's hugging him like there's no tomorrow. He begins to laugh and hugs her back without hesitation.

"I can't believe it." Beverly pulls away so that their faces meet again. Her cheeks are noticeably flustered along with the dazzle of excitement in her emerald eyes. "You really gave him the ring?" She whispers.

"Yes, Bev." Richie rolls his eyes playfully after repeating it for what feels like the tenth time.

"Did he love it?"

"I think so." The raven-haired teen quickly shifts his gaze over Beverly's shoulder and into the distance. He can faintly see that the rest of the group have now formed a small circle around Eddie and are pushing to get a view of the ring. It makes Richie's insides warm with pride.

Although, his stare is quickly intercepted by the face of Beverly Marsh, who smiles brightly at him still. She still has her arms wrapped around his neck, but it feels normal. However, her expression soon changes, and Richie watches her closely as she looks down and sighs a little.

"Richie..."

Her voice is soft, delicate. Richie's eyes stay on her intently, until she meets their gaze again.

She releases a small breath.

"I'm so proud of you."

Richie is almost left speechless. He wasn't quite intending those words to leave the girl's red lips. However, when they do, a rush of warmth overrides his body. It starts at his chest, brewing, like a warm cup of tea on a brutal winter's day, then spreads through the rest of his body within a matter of seconds.

Proud?

Proud of me?

Those words remind him of his mother almost immediately. After all, she's the only other person who has ever said those words to him. God, he misses her. The warm hugs, the laughter, their chats: It's all so different now. He can't just go home and expect to greet his mom in the kitchen, tell her all about his day and help her around the house.

All of that is gone. Instead, now he only has a mental facility to visit whenever he wants to see his mother.
It's just not the same.

"You... you're proud of me?" Richie repeats the girl's words for clarification that he heard her correctly.

There's no way–

"Of course." Beverly smiles back, almost dumbfounded. "You've achieved so much, Richie. You don't even realise. We're all proud of you."

The raven haired casts his eyes downwards and lets out a nervous laughter. He's not used to all of this sudden praise. He can almost feel his cheeks beginning to burn.

"Thanks," he pulls a hand through his messy curls, "but I couldn't of done it without you."

Beverly's eyes suddenly widen from the cheesy line. It doesn't take long before she's hitting Richie's chest and letting out a small spurt of laughter.

"Don't make me laugh, Tozier." She folds her arms across her chest and tuts playfully. The boy in-front her her just grins back on response.

"I'm just too hilarious not to laugh at." He winks.

Whilst they both stare into each other eyes and live out the moment, a distant yelling cuts through the foggy woodland air. They both snap their heads around in an instant, only to see Hanlon and Ben approaching them. It's not until they both stop in-front of them when they quickly realise that Ben is holding a pair of cooking tongs.