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• w i l l - y o u - g i v e - m e - t h e - h o n o r - o f - a
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"I love you, Bill." Richie said in between kisses, making his way down Bill's neck. Bill moaned and tugged at Richie's hair, his hands moving down Richie's bare back.
Richie smirked, "You sure you're okay with this? Here?" Bill smiled and looked up, the sky filled with stars as they laid on a soft blanket, just near the edge of the quarry.
Bill nodded, "Yeah. Only you, Richie."
Bill shot up from his bed, drenched in sweat as his heart beat rapidly against his chest. He couldn't believe he had another dream about Richie and himself having sex. Sure he heard kids his age were hormonal, but damn.
He chuckled to himself before reality set it when his eyes fell on a sleeping Henry in his desk chair. His eyes open wide as his mouth fell open, he looked under his covers to see himself sleeping in last nights clothes. That would explain why I'm drenched in sweat.
Bill threw his blanket off of him and started to walk towards Henry, tapping his shoulder as he waited for him to open his eyes.
Henry sat up and groaned in pain as he brought his hand up to his neck, "Fuck, your chair isn't as comfortable as it looks." He complained, now sitting up as Bill walked to the end of his bed.
"Y-You sluh-slept here?" Bill asked, Henry lifting his brow as he found it was pretty obvious considering he was sleeping in his chair.
"No, I came over this morning, saw you were sleeping and decided I'd take a nap in your chair. Nah shit I slept here, Denbrough!" Henry yelled, chucking midway as he stood up and stretched, his butt numb from sleeping on it.
Bill shushed him and ran to his bedroom door, locking it and turning back to him, "You have to be
q-quiet. I-If my duh-dad hears a g-guy up here who isn't wuh-one of m-m-my friends he'll think—" Henry nodded, his smile fell as he took the hint that he wasn't considered one of Bill's friends.
"No, I get it, I'll always be Henry Bowers, just a school bully." Henry walked to Bill's window and opened it, Bill shaking his head as he stopped him from leaving.
"That's not what I m-meant. It's j-just.. he doesn't n-know you l-like I do. He oh-only knows your d-dad." Henry nodded and smiled, reassuring Bill it was okay before he said goodbye and left out the window before Bill could stop him again.
Bill sighed and ran his hand through his hair before jumping at the sound of a knock on his door. If his dad heard Henry, or any guy's voice he didn't recognize or see come in, he'd think the worst and Bill would be the one to get the outcome.
He walked to his door slowly before opening it to see Richie standing there with an apologetic expression. Suddenly Bill remembered what it was that made him go home in the first place and just who brought him home.
"Can I come in, Big Bill?" Bill nodded, a smile on his face as he moved aside for Richie.
Bill locked his bedroom door and turned to him, crossing his arms over his chest as Richie stood awkwardly by his bedroom window.
"I'm sorry.. about yesterday." Richie's apologize sounded sincere, and deep down Bill knew he meant it. But he couldn't just forgive him so easily, he didn't want Richie to end up being another person who hurt him.
"So I g-guess you weren't drunk enough t-to forget what y-you did, b-but you weren't suh-sober enough to remember w-who you were t-there with?" Bill's never struggled with his words around Richie, but he couldn't help but feel things were changing. And he wasn't sure it was a good thing.
"I screwed up, Bill. I knew I would, okay? Look, I didn't come here to use the pity card, but I wasn't in the right headspace and no! No, it doesn't make up for the fact that I hurt you!" Richie's voice grew louder, the fury and outrage he felt towards himself was indescribable.
"I hate myself for hurting you, Bill. I hate myself for screwing up something else like I always do because you.." Richie walked forward, his eyes watery as he reached for Bill's hand. "Shouldn't feel like an embarrassment or..." he grabbed Bill's other hand, gladly and thankfully taking them into his as he stared into Bill's beautiful green eyes. "Like you're my second choice."
"I am not embarrassed by you, and you are not my second choice, Bill Denbrough. I like you, I like this, us. And taking you to a party as a first date might've been a stupid idea." Bill chuckled and nodded, tears now in his eyes as they intertwined their fingers together.
Richie sighed and looked into Bill's eyes, nothing but love and honesty in his heart as his heart beat faster against his chest. "You'll probably regret this, but.." Richie kneeled down on one knee, looking up at Bill as Bill's eyes blinked away the tears.
"Will you, Bill Denbrough, give me, Richie Tozier, the honor of a second chance?" Bill rolled his eyes, it was so stupid, yet so perfect. It was just them two, alone in his bedroom, asking for something that would change their lives.
They both knew that; but they were ready.
"No.." Richie's eyes widened as his smile fell, "No, I won't regret this, Richie Tozier." Richie stood up and pushed Bill's back as he started to sob out in laughter.
"You're an asshole, Big Bill!" Richie cried out, a few laughs creeping in as he sighed in relief. He couldn't believe he almost screwed up the best thing he could ask for and would've lost the one person who loved him as much as he loved them.
"I'm s-sorry! I-It was suh-supposed to b-be funny! I d-didn't mean to muh-make you c-cry! Th-This is why y-you make the j-jokes—" Richie cut Bill off with a hug, shaking his head as he dug his smile into Bill's shoulder.
"I deserved it." Richie admitted with a chuckle as he squeezed Bill tighter.
Bill sighed in relief bringing his hands up to Richie's shoulders as he dug his head into his chest. Although Richie said he was okay, Bill couldn't help but feel bad for what he had done.
"Are you oh-okay?" Bill's concerned tone only made Richie love him more. Although Richie was the one at fault for kissing a girl on their first date, having a party as their first date, and denying his hand, Bill was still the one who felt the need to be sorry.
Richie smiled and nodded, "Perfect."
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An hour after Richie left...
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Bill was smiling to himself, happy that he'd finally get to go on a real date with Richie and he'd finally get to be happy with someone he loved.
But all that was interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door. He opened it and saw Beverly, she didn't give him a chance to say hello or even move aside, she pushed passed him and turned to him with her hands on her hips.
"Is something wrong?" Bill asked, a small chuckle as he shut the door and turned to her with a smile sitting on his face, unable to go away since Richie left.
Beverly sighed, "What's going on between you and Henry?" And just like that his smile fell, not because he was upset, but because this wasn't exactly how he thought his afternoon was gonna go. And frankly, he was tired of being questioned by everyone all the time. It seemed to be happening a lot more.
"He's...." No, I get it, I'll always be Henry Bowers, just a school bully. "H-He's my f-friend. He's been
h-helping me." Bill felt pretty relieved to get this off his chest, he felt good not being the only one who knows Henry changed.
But he was still the only one who believed it.
"Your friend? I thought I was your friend. I thought Richie was your friend. I thought the losers club were your friends." Beverly's disappointed expression wasn't very hard to see. It hurt him that she would look at him with the same look he was so used to getting at home already.
"You guys are." Bill stated, defending the truth.
"Really? How could you be friends with someone who called me a slut? Who made my life hell. Who made the losers lives hell, who made Richie's life hell." Beverly was disenchanted with Bill's attempt with defending Henry.
She wasn't mad, she wasn't sad, nor was she even hurt, she was just disappointed in Bill for keeping this a secret from her. From all of them.
"T-That's not f-fair, Bev. He's trying, okay? He's try-trying to change. T-There's a l-lot you don't n-nuh-know." Beverly sighed and nodded, knowing there wouldn't be a point in arguing since it never did anything for anyone.
Beverly walked towards his bedroom door and opened it before looking back at him, "I know you like to see the best in everyone, Bill. It's what I love about you.." Bill smiled and nodded.
"But some people can't change. You, of all people, should know that. I hope it's worth it, Bill." Beverly was about to walk out, but Bill grabbed her hand and stopped her, asking her what it was she was talking about.
"I hope being friends with Henry is worth losing the ones you have now.. because that's the risk you're taking by lying to us. And by being friends with someone who's hurt us.. and if you don't tell them, and I mean Richie too, I will." with that Beverly left, leaving Bill with no choice, but to tell the losers the truth about being friends with Henry.
The losers had all been through a lot, together and individually. They all knew there were some people who couldn't change, or choose not to.
Beverly had to live with that person, and so did a lot of the others. Henry did some pretty fucked up things to them, none of which Bill is defending, but sometimes people can change.
Sometimes they leave a trail of broken glass behind them, sometimes they change before they can do any real damage. But Bill believed, no matter what, people deserve a chance to be the best version of themselves.
Even if forgiving them came harder to some rather than others.
Henry had his own demons to face, who was Bill to judge him and be the one to decide he would always be a bully.
Bill was the leader for a reason.
But sometimes leaders can lose their way.