mike wheeler/richie tozier 🔓🗝

This place.

The next day approached, and Karen entered Richie's room. He was on his phone in the bed in the room and looked up at the woman. She smiled.

"Hey, hon. I made breakfast," she said. Richie rose an eyebrow.

"Really?" She nodded. He nodded in return and rose from his new bed. He sat down at the table next to Nancy, who smiled at him.

"Hi, Richie," she said. He smiled back at her.

"Hi."

Karen brought food to the table and sighed. "Ted! Come have breakfast with your family!" Richie was just shocked she didn't have to curse to get him moving. That's usually how his parents spoke to each other. He liked this.

Ted came over at sat at the other side of the table. He looked grumpy, causing Richie to shift in his seat. Once everyone was sitting down and eating, Richie looked up at Karen.

"Hey, um.. m-mom?" Richie said in question, not feeling comfortable calling her 'mom.'

"Yes, Rich?"

"Uh.. is it possible that I could get contact lenses in exchange for my glasses? Like, it's totally fine if not,  because I'm aware it's a lot to ask for," Richie said.

Karen smiled. "Of course-"

"Not," Ted interrupted. Richie looked at him, and Karen shot him a nasty look.

"Dad," Nancy said strictly.

"I get you're ours now, but you're not going to be some greedy kid who demands expensive things from us the second day of meeting us," Ted said with a mouthful of food.

Richie glared at him as Nancy and Karen backed him up. He wasn't used to people standing up for him like this.

"Dad, what the hell?!" Nancy exclaimed. Holly peeked over her sippy-cup and watched as everyone began to argue.

"Ted, if you're going to talk to my son like that, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. That was uncalled for," Karen said.

"What?? We were all thinkin' it?" Ted tried to speak for everyone.

"No. No we were not," Nancy said. She sighed and turned to Richie. "Hey, sorry about all this."

"Don't apologize. It's kinda what I'm used to," Richie admitted.

"Well, that's 'kinda' sad," Nancy said. Richie laughed. 

"Ted, I need to talk to you for a minute." Karen stood and Richie watched as Ted rolled his eyes and did the same.

"He's got an attitude," Richie said, sassily.

"Tell me about it," Nancy cracked up.

"So? Any tea with the guys?" Richie teased, puckering his lips and kissing the air.

"Uhh, n-no," she laughed at him. Richie exchanged a pathetic look at her, and she sighed. "Okay, yeah maybe. But you can't tell mom or dad about him." Richie mocked zipping his lips and locking them. She chuckled. "His name's Steve."

"Ugh, see, that's your first mistake," Richie interrupted.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"Never date a guy with the name of Steve! He's a fucking player, I'll tell ya right now!" Richie said, causing Nancy to sigh.

"He's actually a really sweet guy once you get to know him," she said with a smile, her face heating up.

"Yeaa, you're only saying that because he's your boyfriend." Richie looked at her with an unpleased expression and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I am. He wouldn't be my boyfriend if I didn't think that way about him," Nancy said.

Holly began to hit her plate with her fork and whine. Richie and Nancy looked over at her, realizing she hadn't gotten breakfast yet.

"Oh, uhh," Richie said. He stood, grabbed a pancake, brought it over to Holly and put it down on the plate. "Syrup, madam?" he asked in his horrific British accent.

"Ughh, PLEASE never talk like that again," Nancy said.

"What are you talking about? My accents are really good, I'll have you know," Richie said, cupping a hand over his heart.

"In your dreams, Rich," Nancy said with a chuckle, grabbing her own pancake and beginning to eat. Richie plopped back down in his seat and pulled out his phone. No new notifications. He sighed through his nose, grabbed a pancake, and stabbed at it. Nancy glanced over at him. "You okay?" she asked.

Richie looked over at her with raised eyebrows. "Heh?"

"I asked if you were okay."

"Ohh, yes, I'm fine," he chuckled.

"What's on your phone?" she asked, taking notice of the fact he got all mopey after picking up his phone.

"Just a groupchat."

"Oh? Old friends?"

"Yeahh," Richie said.

Nancy let out a breath. "Don't worry, we can fly there whenever you need. Well, not technically, but like, every two months maybe? I dunno," Nancy said, trying to make him feel better.

Richie smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Nance," he said.

"Of course," she smiled. 

idk what else to do to transition so onto the next chapter we goo