Reddie For You [On Hiatus]

| Chapter 13 |

"It's burning."

"No it's not Eds, trust me."

"Yes it is! I smell it burning!"

"That's how it's supposed to smell!"

"That is not how turkey is supposed to smell!" Eddie pushed him out of the way to open the oven, but Richie wrapped his arms around his waist to prevent him from getting far. "Richie let go!" He wiggled around stubbornly, fighting against the strong forearms that encased him.

"Nuh uh, let me do it!" Richie twirled him around easily, wrapping an arm around his neck to put him in a headlock. Luckily his arms were long, because Eddie's elbows were a force to be reckoned with and Richie didn't know if his ribs could take it.

They decided to have a small Thanksgiving dinner of their own before the real deal at the Tozier's house in Bar Harbor. They both worked together to cook some staple dishes, which was pretty fun to say the least. The mashed potatoes and green beans came out perfect, and so did the corn bread which was more of a hassle. Though the hardest part by far had to be the turkey.

It was tiny, considering that it was only for the two of them. So maybe it should've been easier to cook than a full-sized turkey, but it was about to start a brawl in the kitchen. Eddie stepped on Richie's foot, hard, ripping a yelp from him. He took the moment of distraction to dash towards the oven, tugging it open while sliding the oven mitts over his hands. Richie didn't even try to stop him now, preoccupied with balancing on one leg while rubbing his injured foot. Eddie glared at him, slowly sliding the bird out of the oven before kicking the door closed. "Look, this side is burnt, dipshit."

"Whatever! Eighty percent looks perfectly fine!"

"Yeah, good thing I took it out now before we lost those parts too!" Eddie tossed the oven mitts onto the counter and frustratedly ran his fingers through his hair. "We can't even cook a fucking turkey right. How are we going to help your parents with the real thing?"

Richie frowned at him, crossing the kitchen towards his high strung boy. Eddie had been panicking for the past few days about seeing Riche's family for Thanksgiving. It meant a lot to him, getting to see the Tozier family again after all of these years and he needed it to go perfectly. Richie assured him that everything was going to be fine and they were going to have a good time, but Eddie couldn't help but obsess over how to make it the best Thanksgiving ever.

It wasn't hard to beat for Eddie. Thanksgiving was never a fun holiday for him, especially when his mother stopped celebrating with anyone else from the rest of their family. Richie wrapped his arms around him, nosing in his disheveled hair. "Is that why you've been so uptight today?" He laughed at the small groan he let out as a response. "Eds, you know they love you right? They never stopped loving you."

"Yeah..."

"They are so excited to see you again." He promised. "So just try to relax okay?"

"Okay." He sighed, really trying. "I'm just being ridiculous again."

"You're not ridiculous." Richie pecked the top of his head, pulling away to look at the mess of a kitchen. Ingredients and cooking tools were scattered everywhere, used napkins and empty bags flowing out of the trash. "Well, maybe we are both a little ridiculous."

It made him feel a little bit better, and as they ate their fucked up turkey they forgot about the big day slowly creeping up on them. But nothing ever really escaped Eddie, especially when he was scared. The only way he saw it possible to make it through the last night before leaving for Maine was to get completely wine drunk. And Richie let him, trying his hardest not to give in to his advances. Because drunk Eddie was two things.

Giggly and very, very touchy.

"Okay, I think you're ready for bed." Richie chuckled as Eddie ran his hands over his chest. "I'm gonna clean up the kitchen a little bit, why don't you go lay down. I'll be right there." It took some negotiation, but he eventually got Eddie to go to their room. He'd never let him know, but Richie was nervous too.

There was a time that Richie went to celebrate Thanksgiving with his parents every year, but he slowly trickled off into a depressive spiral. Sometimes the only way he knew it was Thanksgiving was from the worried calls he'd get from his parents. It wasn't their fault, they tried multiple times to get him help but at that time, Richie didn't think anything could help. By the time that he'd finished cleaning up the kitchen, he was afraid that he'd psyched himself out of being excited to see his parents again. And that was the last thing they needed.

"You look comfy." He smiled at Eddie, all curled up in their bed wearing only boxers and one of Richie's hoodies. "Should've known that Kaspbrak can't handle drinking."

"Not my fault you've got good wine." He grumbled, tugging the strings on the hoodie to tighten the hood around his face. "Can I tell you something?"

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"No dummy." He giggled. "I actually haven't been this tipsy, like ever."

"You're a little more than tipsy right now baby."

"Whatever." He waved him off. "You remember when we were at the Jade of the Orient? When we were acting stupid after drinking?"

Richie nodded quickly. Let's take our shirts off and kiss. Like he'd ever forget that.

"I actually wasn't drinking." Eddie snorted. "After that first shot I just drank some water and tea. I can't even remember the last time I was drunk. Fooled you guys good though. Pretty sure you're all a bunch of alcoholics..."

"So what I'm hearing is that you were flirting with me while you were sober?" Richie raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the way his stomach was doing summersaults.

"Maybe. I don't know why I'm telling you this." He shrugged. "Get over here Tozier."

Richie's legs were moving before he could even finish the sentence. "This isn't a ploy to get me to have sex with you right? You know I'm not gonna when you're drunk right?"

"Yeah yeah you fucking sap." Eddie shook his head, crawling next to him. "The whole point of me bringing it up is that I love you, even when I'm not drunk... like sober too. I don't know what I'm saying anymore. Can you hold me?"

"Of course." He reeled him in closer, wrapping his arms around him and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I love you too."

"Mm. You're my favorite person on the planet, you know."

Richie barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "Oh baby, you're gonna regret this tomorrow."

Eddie snorted into his neck, the need for sleep washing over him. "Probably."

Despite Eddie's headache in the morning, he made sure that he and Richie were at the airport early before their flight. Another six hours on a plane was something that neither of them were looking forward to. It had been a while since Eddie took medication, especially after getting off of the one's he was prescribed for his chest, but he shakily swallowed a big gulp of water along with a low dose Xanax. He didn't know why he was feeling so distressed, he should've been excited to see Richie's parents again.

He didn't know if it was because he was going to meet the rest of the Tozier family, or that he was going as a gay man who was dating Richie.

Or maybe it was just the sense of doom that came along with returning to Maine, even if it wasn't Derry. Thanks to the power of anti-anxiety meds, he was at least able to space out on his flight. Unfortunately, it didn't completely stop him from thinking, and although Richie was trying his best to lighten the mood, it wasn't helping.

"You know what might help get your mind off everything?" He snickered. "If I gave you a little road head."

"You're the one driving dumbass."

"We can always switch. Or if you're willing I can at least give you a handy, maybe it will help you relax. You're thinking so loud right now it's literally hurting my brain-"

Eddie sighed, letting his head drop against the window. "Hey Rich, you love me right?"

"Of course baby, more than anything."

"And you'd do anything for me?"

"Anything."

Eddie grabbed his hand gently and gripped it, patting the back with his other hand. "Then please, for the love of God, can we just sit in silence and listen to music? Blowjob in a rental, no way..."

Richie pouted at him, rolling his eyes. "Sure Eds. I was just trying to make you feel better."

"You just being next to me makes me feel better." He challenged with a small smile.

"Yeah I know, but I also know you're still nervous."

Eddie dragged his lip in between his teeth before turning back towards the window. "I'm not sure why." He shook his head, almost like he was fed up with his own feelings. The sense of anxiety that he couldn't explain. "It's not you or your family... I don't think. I just don't know why I feel like this."

"It's okay." Richie assured him, giving his hand a squeeze. "I'm nervous too and I don't even have a reason to be. I mean, maybe it's because we are back in Maine or whatever but... we're safe. You know that right?"

"I know, but I still feel like a wreck." Eddie squeezed him back, sighing at the coolness of the window soothing his hot skin. Maine was colder than he remembered, but it was winter after all. The mountains were sprinkled with snow and the thick pine trees littered the edge of the road. He kicked himself for not being able to enjoy it. "I want to be excited but a part of me is not letting me."

Richie bit the inside of his cheek, nodding. He felt sort of the same, but now he was starting to regret bringing Eddie along. Maybe it was too soon for them to be back in Maine. "Eddie-"

"No turning back now." He laughed, like he could read his mind. "I'll be okay. We'll be okay."

"Yeah." Richie ran a thumb soothingly along the back of his smaller hand. Right over the ring, and it made his body warm. "Everything's gonna be fine."

The Tozier household was only fifty miles from Bangor International Airport, and it somewhat eased their worries once they got to the opening of Bar Harbor. It went from looking like the deep woods of Canada to the remote islands of Ireland. It almost didn't look real, punctuated with ocean cliffs and rocky beaches, glacier formed lakes and valleys, unobstructed mountain vistas, and tall boreal forests. It looked like Hawaii if it ever had a real winter, and it was beautiful. No wonder Richie's parents didn't hesitate to leave Derry after he graduated.

"Fun fact Eds, we are on Mount Desert Island right now. But it's actually pronounced 'dessert' like the French say it. Kind of an homage to the guy who founded Bar Harbor I guess."

"No way." Eddie smirked.

"It really is! I'm trying to save you from looking like a tourist. There's a whole bunch of cutely named places. Bass Harbor, Otter Creek, and Seal Harbor. C'mon don't those sound like towns from Animal Crossings or some shit?"

"If you're kidding and I get laughed at for saying Dessert Island, I'm going to destroy you." He narrowed his eyes, firmly pressing his lips together to hide a smile at the silly names. "Acadia National Park is near here right?"

"Mhm, it's really beautiful even in the winter. Just that the lakes are frozen and the trails get icy."

"We should come back when it's nicer then."

"Come back?" Richie snickered. "We haven't even gotten out of the car, how do you know you don't hate it here?"

"I just know." He shrugged. "It's beautiful here."

"Yeah." Richie grinned at him, sensing that they were both feeling a little better about everything. That didn't stop Eddie's legs from wobbling when they walked up the stone path to the front door of the Tozier House. Richie could practically feel him vibrating next to him as he rang the doorbell, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. He could audibly hear him swallow when his mother opened the door, letting out a little gasp at her son.

She reached out for his face for a moment, already fighting back tears before pushing him aside to get to Eddie. "My goodness, I know I shouldn't have expected a boy but you are so grown." She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

She was always a tall woman, probably why Richie was so tall, but even Eddie managed to grow an inch or two taller than her. It took him a second, but he gingerly wrapped his hands around her too, the expensive bottle of wine still clutched between his fingers.

"Jesus, you'd think he's the son you always wanted." Richie squinted at her, but was immediately disarmed by the innocent smile she flashed him.

"Richard." She shook her head, throwing her arms around his neck. "I missed you too, so much. My sweet boy." She sniffled, carding a hand through his hair. "Come inside boys, it's chilly out."

After a quick exchange of smiles, both boys shuffled inside and out of the brisk air. Maggie motioned for them to hang up their coats, well, jacket for Richie. "What do I always tell you about not wearing a coat? Do you want to catch a cold?"

Eddie gave him a look of 'I told you so' and hung his coat while Richie held his hands up in defense. "I'm a grown ass man, I have the right to catch a cold if I want."

"Your mother is still your mother." Wentworth appeared against the doorway, raising his eyebrows at his son. Richie stuck his tongue out before making his way over to greet him. "You know, if you're going to be a punk you can sleep outside." He chuckled, patting him on the back as they hugged. It didn't take long before he turned to Eddie, flashing him a bright smile.

Eddie held out his hand for a shake, but Went pulled him in quickly, patting his back like he did Richie. "You look just like your dad." He said it with a squeeze and Eddie just smiled in response. "You boys hungry?"

"Always." Richie groaned, rubbing his hands together. Went motioned them to the kitchen where Maggie was standing in front of the table with her arms folded behind her back. "We missed your birthday Eddie, but it's never too late to celebrate."

"I know it's not a birthday cake, but I figured you've had enough of that." She smiled, revealing the tin behind her back along with a wrapped box. "I thought about saving this for Thanksgiving and making you something a little more traditional but I thought why not!"

Despite turning a nice shade of red, Eddie could feel himself already salivating over the coconut cream pie. It looked just as good as he remembered and it took him a bit just to gather his thoughts. But just like they always had been, the Tozier's were patient with him.

"Wow." He finally choked out. "Thank you, this means a lot."

"Happy birthday son." Went nodded, gesturing to the giant wrapped box.

"Oh please... I can't accept anything crazy-"

"We know." Maggie interrupted him. "Richie told us you would prefer something small, the box blows it out of proportion. But you are fair game for Christmas, we agreed." All three of them watched him intently as he surveyed the box. It was wrapped in a dark blue paper that was easy to tear under his nimble fingers. Richie was on the edge of his seat right there with him, having absolutely no clue what was in it.

It was true that he'd told them not to go crazy, which wasn't news to them. Eddie had always been weird about accepting gifts, even if he really secretly wanted them. It was some sort of a mental block that forbade him from feeling like he deserved to receive gifts.

He hesitantly peaked inside the gap of the cardboard box, lifting the corner carefully to uncover the neat pile of papers and clothing. Slowly, aware of three sets of eyes watching him, Eddie grasped one of the small bundles and unfolded it. It was a light wash denim jacket with several different patches on it; Coca Cola, Harley Davidson, Matterhorn, and Impala among others. He ran his thumb over the various logos as Went placed a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Your dad loved his jacket." He said gently, halting all of Eddie's movements. "I wanted to give you this box of his stuff before you left for college, but I didn't get a chance. I thought if I gave it to your mother you wouldn't get it. I'm sorry it took so long, I guess we just all... forgot."

His grip on his shoulder tightened at the shaky breath he exhaled through his nose. Maggie smiled softly at him and reached to run her hand over his arm. "Hey darling, now that Richie's here how about you both go grab that firewood and get it all set up?" She tilted her head at her son and husband, clearly communicating to them with her expression.

Maggie Tozier was always a perceptive woman, smart as a whip and naturally kind. And she was highly respected by everyone who knew her, even Sonia Kaspbrak back in the day, so it didn't take long for the men to usher out of the kitchen so Eddie could have some space. "It's okay honey. Take your time." She gently held out her arms, offering him solace if he needed it.

He didn't even have time to think about the offer before his legs were carrying him the few feet and into her reach. Poor touch starved Eddie Kaspbrak, who swore his entire life that he hated to be touched, hugged her so tightly like he was afraid he'd crumble if she let him go. But she didn't, she held him in her arms, rubbing along his back soothingly as they started to sway in the kitchen. If it was anyone else he would've been embarrassed, but it didn't matter, he felt safe there. "Thank you." He huffed out, squeezing her hips gently to let her know he was good.

She pulled away gently, but not too far out of reach so that she could still cup his face. "I just can't stop looking at you. You look the same as you did when you left for college... but you also look so different."

"Yeah well you look exactly the same." He barked out a laugh, biting his lip when she ran a thumb over the dull scar on his cheek.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry. I don't want to bring it up because Richie said you didn't like to talk about it... but I need to ask." Eddie's mind raced with all of the questions that she could possibly ask him. Questions that he might not even be able to answer. "Are you alright?"

He blinked at her, staying quiet for a few seconds. "Huh?"

"Are you feeling okay? Your injuries, Richie said they were extreme so I wanted to just make sure you were feeling better and that everything is good." She placed a gentle hand onto his chest almost like she was checking to make sure the hole wasn't still there. He covered her hand with his and nodded, smiling at her concern.

"Yeah Maggie. I'm okay, it's been fairly easy to be okay with your son around."

"Thank God." She said under her breath, combing through his hair quickly before pulling away from him completely. "While they are doing God knows what, could you lend me a hand with dinner? I promise you can sample the pie after!"

Meanwhile, Richie was scolding his dad as they laid firewood into the fireplace in a pile. "All I'm saying is that a warning would've been nice. His parents are a sensitive topic."

"Relax Richard." Wentworth adjusted a few of the logs before turning to him. "He deserves to have some memorabilia from his father. Don't you think it's sweet?"

"I mean yeah-" Richie sighed, sitting down next to him by the fireplace. He didn't know how to articulate into words how all he wanted was to protect Eddie. "-I just hate seeing him get emotional, part of me just wants to shelter him from all that. I hate seeing him not happy."

Went laid down the last log and narrowed his eyes at his son. "Don't you think that's the last thing that he wants? That he needs? Sonia never let the poor boy be himself, I think the worst thing you can do is shelter him even more. Especially against his will." Richie had nothing to say to that, he knew his dad was right. And smart. "How has everything else been with you two?"

Well there was a lot to say to that, but he refrained. "Good." He said simply.

"How long is he going to be staying with you?"

Richie almost let out a laugh, but he held it together. Hopefully forever, he wanted to say but he just shrugged. "A while probably. It's nice having him around." Went's lips curled from their thin line into a smirk.

"You both seem just as close as when you were kids."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Richie gaped at his father before biting the inside of his cheek. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because you're funny son." He sighed after his short fit. "You've always been funny." Again, Richie didn't know how to respond to that. Went always encouraged him to be open, especially with his humor. But as he stood before him, Richie had nothing. "You know... when your mother and I were young we ended up taking a little break. We thought that maybe some time apart would be good for us, but really it showed us how badly we wanted to be together. A few days after we reconnected, I proposed."

"Okay?"

"My point is, sometimes being away from someone makes you remember just how much you cherish them." He smiled, standing up and helping Richie off of the floor. "Just something to think about. You up for a cigar with your old man? It'll be like the old days."

Richie followed him outside after shrugging on his jacket, the whole time thinking about what his father said. He took a drag of the cigar, puffing out a large cloud of smoke. "How did you know you wanted to marry mom?"

"Hm." Went took a long puff of his own cigar, looking in the distance over at the docks, thinking. "Well, I knew I loved her, that's just something that I felt. I can't tell you what love feels like, it's something that you can't describe. But you'll know you are marrying the right person when you feel support and encouragement about your own growth, both emotionally and intellectually. There's a lot that goes with that Richard. Love only goes so far, if that was all that it takes, not many people would get divorced. You need communication, trust, values. Compatibility in regards to personality and sex-"

"Gross."

"-And you have to work together to solve issues. No one is perfect, and there will be times where it feels like things are getting tuff but you have to remember that it's you both versus the problem." Went paused to take another drag of his cigar. "Does Eddie want to get married?"

The sudden question made Richie choke on the smoke, desperately sputtering for fresh air. "I mean- fuck, I don't know. He's still in the process of getting divorced, it will probably take a few months so... I don't think he's thinking about getting married like, at all."

"Have you both ever talked about it?"

Richie shook his head, following his father's gaze towards the distant water. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much of a weirdo he was as a kid. Not only was he a Trashmouth at a young age, and not only was he one of the gayest kids to come out of Derry. He was also planning to marry Eddie ever since he first realized that he was in love with him. Not many young boys think about marriage at that age. Hell, most adults don't fall in love like Richie fell in love with Eddie. But Richie's father wasn't blind, and he saw it all fall into place when his son was a young boy.

In the kitchen, Maggie was stirring a large pot of clam chowder, a recipe that she'd perfected during her time living in Bar Harbor. "Okay, you can add the garlic now." She instructed, slowing down her hand.

Eddie did what he was told and watched her mix it all in before he started to chop the celery. "I've never had clam chowder before." He admitted, washing the vegetable carefully before taking the knife to it.

"Really?" She looked surprised, frowning down at the pot. "I didn't even think to ask, I'm sorry. If you don't like it I can always make something else."

"No no." Eddie smiled at her. "It smells delicious, I'm sure it will be great. My mother just never let me try it and I guess, and as an adult the opportunity never popped up."

"I'm sorry."

"It's really fine, it looks-"

"I'm sorry about your mother Eddie." She clarified, laying down the giant spoon and turning down the heat on the stove. He paused mid-chop, setting the knife down gently. "I know things have been difficult for you, but I still am sorry for your loss. I'm sorry we weren't there for you."

He sighed, nodding his head. "Thank you." He licked his dry lips, feeling her eyes still watching him carefully. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts before he started shouting about how she shouldn't be sorry about anything, and once again she waited patiently until he was ready. "Is it bad that when she passed it was like a weight off of my shoulders? It's terrible to say, I know that, but finally, it felt like I could breathe." She didn't say anything just yet, waiting till he got everything out. He chopped the celery stalks quickly, dumping them into the pot and shoving the knife into the sink. "I moved her with me to New York after I graduated, and I just sort of forgot all about Maine. Believe me, I wish I never fell out of touch with you guys, especially Richie."

"That was our fault just as much as yours." She smiled, a twinge of sadness behind her eyes.

"Yeah but... I completely forgot who I was. Did Richie tell you I was married? How I pretty much married a replica of my mother? I finally got rid of my mother yet I managed to get sucked back into the same manipulative relationship. You and Went were the most stable figures in my life... and I'm sorry." He huffed out. "You should never feel sorry, you guys always made me feel welcome, even when I felt like I didn't have a mother who loved me."

Maggie was quiet as she started to stir again, not wanting the chowder to get chunky. "Well you do now." Her voice was hushed, and Eddie barely heard it over the simmer of the stovetop. He tilted his head at her, confused. "You have one now." She said a little louder. "A mom that loves you. No matter what, you hear me? I don't care what you've done, if you've made mistakes." Eddie opened and shut his mouth, feeling his chest tighten. "I've always loved you like a son Eddie, so did Wentworth. I wish I told you that sooner, I'm so sorry you felt that way. You're not terrible, you weren't then and you aren't now. You're a good person."

"I loved you too." He said quickly. "I-I still do. I always appreciated you all. And Richie-" His voice wavered slightly so he cleared his throat before continuing. "-Richie too. You guys raised him so... I've never felt so understood and so loved." His voice cracked again and he hissed at himself. "Shit- I love your son Maggie. So much, I'd do anything for him-"

He stopped talking when his words were muffled by her shoulder, pressed up against his face as she gripped him tightly, her own face burying into his neck. She shook lightly and let out a little squeak, so he squeezed her tighter. "I'm so lucky to have you both." She sniffled. "He tells me about how happy he is to have you back, and it just comforts me knowing that he has you by his side. I know you'll both always look out for each other."

"Woah, what's going on in here?" Richie asked as he walked back into the kitchen, hardly disguising the concern and confusion in his voice.

"Just reminding Eddie that he's family." Maggie giggled, pulling away from him.

"And telling her that I love your dumb ass." Eddie scoffed, blinking away any tears.

"Is it safe to come in?" Went called from the other room, slowly turning the corner of the kitchen to peak in. He smiled softly at his wife, circling his arms around her to ease her emotions.

"I still want grandchildren." She stammered, pointing at her son. "Don't think that being gay saves you from me nagging about it."

"Yeah Rich, this isn't fair. Eddie already knows all of your embarrassing childhood stories."

"Alright, both of you relax." Richie squinted at them, pulling Eddie into him so he could hide in his shirt, ignoring how Eddie retched at the smell of smoke. "Look, you're embarrassing him."

"Tell me what else family is good for, son."

"I heard family is great for setting up for dinner." Maggie winked, patting his chest lightly. "Chop chop boys, before dinner gets cold."

Turns out, Eddie really likes clam chowder. So much that he didn't even complain when Richie tried to spoon-feed him some of his, and so much that he went back for seconds even though he felt full. And he still had a slice of pie after, which was to die for, just as good as he remembered. Thankfully, Maggie promised to send him home with both recipes so he could make them whenever they wanted. "Play something Richie." She told her son as she sat next to Went on the couch, a glass of wine in her hand and scotch in his.

"It's been a while." Richie cracked his fingers, moving the arm that was casually slung around Eddie's shoulders so he could stand up and make his way over to the piano. "Can't believe you kept this, I loved it when you played this thing." He strummed his long fingers over a few of the keys, grinning at the notes ringing into the air. "I've always wanted one of my own."

"Give us a show!" Went clapped, encouraging him.

"Okay okay." He laughed, sitting down onto the small bench. "Remember, I'm a comedian and not fucking Beethoven..." He rested his hands on the keys, trying to remember a song to play, hoping that his muscle memory would aid him. When he started playing, Eddie didn't recognize the melody but as soon as he started singing he couldn't help but smile.

"Why do birds suddenly appear,

Every time you are near?

Just like me, they long to be,

Close to you."

He turned his head slightly to wink at Eddie, his fingers moving quickly across the keys. Eddie sipped his wine, rolling his eyes at him over the glass.

"Why do stars fall down from the sky,

Every time you walk by?

Just like me, they long to be,

Close to you!"

"You should play more often." Eddie told him once they got upstairs to the guest room. "I didn't know you could play."

"My mom taught me a few songs when we were in high school, I just didn't tell you because I thought it was lame."

"How is it lame?"

"It's not, but I thought it was." Richie unpacked his suitcase and moved the clothes over to the tall dresser. "Sixteen year old Richie thought it was going to be a huge turnoff."

"I think it's charming." Eddie smirked, unbuttoning his shirt as he watched Richie pace back and forth around the room putting everything away. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Sort of." He admitted, undoing his jeans and stepping out of them. "I haven't seen a lot of my family in a while. Are you?"

Eddie shrugged with a small shake of his head. "I don't think so. I think I was worried about your parents more for some reason. It was stupid."

"Even I could've told you that babe."

"Fuck you." He spat with no bite. "Get over here Risky Business."

Richie looked down at himself, laughing at how silly he looked without any pants, just in socks, boxers, and his button down. Even in the dimly lit room, only illuminated by the small lamp next to the bed, he could see how he'd fit right into Risky Business. He crawled across the bed up to his boy, planting a gentle peck on his lips. "Are you saying I'm just as hot as Tom Cruise?"

"No." Eddie snorted, gripping the collar of his shirt to pull him back in. "You're way hotter."

They stayed like that for a while, Richie nestled comfortably between his legs, kissing slowly and tenderly. It took a long time after for things to escalate, Eddie running his hands further over him and Richie nipping lightly at his jaw, rutting up against his thighs. "Richie." He gasped lightly, feeling the waistband of his boxers scrape harshly on his thighs. He felt him smile on his neck, and he did it again. "I thought you said no sex in your parent's house."

"This isn't sex." He said innocently, pulling back with an evil little smirk.

"So you're just gonna get us both worked up for nothing?"

"You know I would. But you get loud..."

"YOU get loud too!"

Richie gripped the back of his neck and tugged him in for a deep kiss to shut him up, humming into his soft lips. He'd never get tired of how soft and plump they were, somehow always tasting so sweet. "If you want to have sex in my parent's house, just ask."

"I'm not asking you for shit. You'd never let me live it down."

"Fine, I'll ask." Richie laughed lowly. "You want to fool around?"

"You've asked me to have sex in much more enticing ways." Eddie rolled his eyes, brushing some of the wild curls away from his large forehead before giving in. "Fine."

"But you have to promise to be quiet." He peppered kisses down the side of his face. "I'll keep quiet too." He shrugged the shirt off of his shoulders, helping Eddie wiggle out of his pants and boxers.

"Richie, look at me." Eddie held his face close to his, noses touching briefly. "Do NOT cum in me. I'm not going to mission impossible towards the bathroom afterward."

"Is that another Tom Cruise reference? Is there something you want to tell me?" Richie snickered when he was flicked on the forehead. "Okay, okay I get it."

"I'm turning off this light." Eddie reached for the lamp beside him, stopping at the expression on Richie's face. "Your parents can see that the light is still on, and I'm not giving them any incentive to interrupt."

"They won't. But fine." He threw his own boxers to the floor, kicking off his socks as he retrieved the small bottle of lube from his suitcase. "How am I supposed to see what I'm doing?"

"Figure it out." Eddie glared at him before the room went dark, surrounding both of them in silence and shadow. Richie found his way back to the bed in between Eddie's legs again and carefully leaned in, finally finding his face. They slotted their lips together again, quiet and slow. When they pulled away his glasses were taken off immediately. "You don't need these."

He didn't argue, just licking over his lips and leaning back in, cautiously so that they didn't bump heads. Finally, things continued to pick up, and soon Richie was slipping his tongue into Eddie's mouth, trying to keep his small noises of pleasure to a low volume. It was easier said than done, they both encouraged each other to be loud in bed, so this was a change of pace. The last thing he wanted was his parents teasing them about it.

He quickly shook the thoughts of his parents out of his head so that he could enjoy the moment, slowly trailing his hand down to grip Eddie's shaft, sending a shock through him. "Sh." He reminded him, muffling his small sighs with his mouth as he moved his hand slowly, getting him even more worked up. By the time Richie had two fingers in him, Eddie was quietly begging for more, whispering so lowly in his ear that there were a few times Richie wasn't sure if he'd actually said anything.

Regardless of if it was his imagination or not, Richie slipped in a third finger, making Eddie's back bow off of the bed. "Rich." He whispered quietly. "Let's go already, get in me."

Richie didn't dare deny him. He pulled out quickly and lathered himself up so that he was nice and slick before lining himself up. "I'm so fucking glad you're here." He grunted lowly as he slowly entered him, pulling a wheeze from him. "You've always been a part of the family."

"Stop." Eddie whimpered, shaking his head when his body stopped moving. "No, not your dick dipshit. I meant your mouth. You're going to make me emotional."

Richie chuckled softly in his ear, pushing in the rest of the way until their hips were flush together. "It's true though. We all love you." He pulled out an inch or two before thrusting back in, shivering at the hushed little noises coming from underneath him. "I love you, so so much Eds. I always want to have you with me, with my family. I've dreamt about this for so long."

Eddie pulled him down further, now crushed under his weight, chest to chest. He could still breathe, and having Richie curled around every inch of him felt safe, like home. He nuzzled into his neck when he started a slow pace, containing any noises that threatened to escape. Richie did the same, forehead resting on his shoulder, resting cheek to cheek as their bodies slid together.

His thrusts were shallow and slow, not at all like any other time they'd been intimate. This wasn't about getting off, it was enough to just be together, connected and close. Eddie thought back to what he'd said, how he was always part of the family. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but failed, ultimately letting a few happy tears escape down his cheeks.

He realized he wasn't alone though, his cheek also stained with the tears leaking out of Richie's eyes. He thought about what his dad said, about marriage. And fuck, Richie really wanted to marry Eddie, more than anything in the world. He'd always known that, but it was confirmed that day, one hundred percent.

"Richie." Eddie hissed quietly into his ear, hands gripping onto his back, both of them pressed impossibly close together. "I love you too."

Richie shivered against him, squeezing around him tightly like he'd fall apart if he let him go. After a few more sharp thrusts, he pulled out and emptied all over Eddie's chest, trying his best not to make any noise. "Fuck, sorry." He heaved, grateful for Eddie's hands combing through his sweaty hair soothingly.

"It's okay." He assured him, tilting his chin up to kiss along his throat. They'd agreed on leaving no marks, but the thought of Eddie marking him up made him growl low in his throat. He attached his hand back to Eddie's aching cock, kissing him hard to keep him quiet as he jerked him fast and tight. He circled his thumb around the swollen head just like he knew always drove him crazy, and it didn't take a lot for him to feel Eddie tense up and the warmth of his release leak over his hand. They both laid still, surrounded by the darkness, the only noise was their hushed breaths and labored panting. "In my bag." Eddie mumbled tiredly. "There's wet wipes."

Richie nodded, forgetting Eddie couldn't see him, and he carefully untangled their bodies so that he didn't make a mess. He used his phone as a flashlight to retrieve the package of wipes, cleaning off his hand first before pulling another couple of wipes to clean off himself and Eddie's chest. "I can't believe we just had sex in my parent's house. That's kind of gross."

"Technically you asked for it, remember?" Eddie huffed out an exhausted laugh.

"Whatever man." It was already late, and they had a long day of cooking ahead of them, so they collapsed back into bed, easily drifting off into sleep. But not before Eddie got the last word and made sure to tell Richie to get rid of the wipes without leaving any evidence.

It didn't really matter since Eddie woke up long before him to shower, so he made sure to dispose of the gross wipes. Thankfully, he didn't run into Maggie or Wentworth on his way to the shower, and he wasn't interrupted at all during it either. He made his way to the back porch, leaning against the banister and letting the chilled air hit his face. The cold was something that didn't normally bother him, and luckily there was no snow yet to obstruct the view of the mountains and the semi frozen waters. The sunrise in Maine was just as beautiful as he remembered, the way it reflected off of the water in the distance. Derry was never this pretty. Despite the calming landscape, it always felt sinister, and Eddie shivered just thinking about it.

"Still an early bird?" His heart skipped a beat until he realized it was just Wentworth behind him, sliding the porch door open and shutting it quietly. "Me too."

"I usually wake up for a run, but I think I'll give myself a little break."

Went snorted, placing his cup of what looked like coffee onto the banister. "Good for you. I can't remember the last time I've been for a run. This place has mellowed us down, very lazy. Hiking is a good substitute though."

"So I've heard. We'll have to check it out sometime."

"If you get my son to even step foot on a hiking trail, I'll pay you."

"You're on." Eddie smirked.

"Mm. I'll hold you to it." He followed Eddie's gaze out to the distance. "If you don't want to talk about it anymore, I'll drop it. But was it okay for me to give you that gift?"

Eddie licked over his dry lips. "Yeah, it was very nice. I'm sorry if it seemed like I wasn't happy about it. It's just... I feel like I never even thought about my dad and all of a sudden these past few weeks have brought a lot of memories. A lot of guilt too, I shouldn't have ever stopped thinking about him."

"You've been through a lot, kid." Went sipped from his mug, swallowing thickly before placing his other hand on Eddie's shoulder. "I knew your father better than anyone, even your mother. I know he'd be so proud of you."

Eddie smiled warmly at him, nodding his head. "Thank you."

"If you ever need anything, even if it's just to talk man to man, I'd be more than happy to help." He knew he meant it, and Eddie couldn't help but reach out for him. As far back as he could remember, Went was never a hugger. But regardless, he didn't hesitate to accept the embrace and give him a comforting pat on the back before pulling away. "Maggie and I were worried when he stopped visiting, when he started losing his grip on himself. My son is smart, sometimes too smart for his own good. And he loves hard, but I know sometimes he's hard to handle and he does dumb things. But with you I don't think we have to worry about him anymore. We know he's safe with you, and I need to thank you for that."

"It's a full time job, but it's worth it. Being with your son."

"Should we be paying you to babysit?" Went chuckled. Both men glanced back towards the house when more lights turned on. "Ah, Maggie set her alarm pretty early to get started on the cooking for tonight. It'll be all hands on deck today."

"Should I wake Richie?"

"After we prep." He sighed. "Best to let him sleep, I don't want him in a fussy mood while we cook. How about we just set up for now? Maggie is all about her prep." He slid open the door and stepped inside, closing it behind Eddie before greeting his wife.

"Morning boys." She beamed at both of them, clearly excited. Eddie remembered Thanksgiving at the Tozier's house when he was a kid. They never really had too many people over, and Eddie could never stay for the actual dinner but there were days where he'd stuck around past his mother's wishes and helped her out with setting the table. For once it was enough to help prep for dinner without getting lectured by Sonia. "Coffee Eddie?" She offered, placing her own mug down onto the counter.

He accepted, thinking back to all of the times she'd offered but he'd said no because "my mom said it would stunt my growth". She put the pot to heat and made her way to the fridge to start pulling out ingredients and the gigantic turkey. "Went honey, can you set the oven please?"

He did as he was told before helping her take out the rest of the various ingredients. "We've already got the soup, cranberry sauce, and lasagna done. What's for today's agenda?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Richie zombied into the kitchen, hair still damp from his apparent shower. "Perfect timing."

"Mm." He grunted, rolling his eyes at his father as he wrapped his arm around Eddie and planted a kiss on the top of his head. "Morning Eds. Morning dear parents."

"Awe how sweet." Maggie cooed, walking towards her son and pinching his cheeks. Hard, making him hiss and pull away from her, now totally awake. "Now wake up and get ready to help us!" She clapped her hands together, winking at Eddie before returning to her spot near the stove. "Okay gang, it's bright and early, and we're gonna need a lot of time to get everything done, so I need everyone doing their part. Richard."

"What?!"

"Listen up! You are going to prep the potatoes. Peel them and put them in the pot to cover until they're nice and soft, and they can wait in there until we are ready to use them. Honey, you're on bread and vegetable duty. When you're both done I want you preparing the casseroles." Then she pointed at Eddie brightly. "You'll be with me. I'll be keeping a close eye on the turkey and blanch the vegetables. If you could start on the stuffing and gravy that would be fantastic, I'll walk you through everything. We have people bringing in some other dishes and appetizers so we have less to do this year, you boys are lucky!"

"Aye aye Captain Mags." Richie saluted her, pulling a small laugh from her.

"Alright teams, three-two-one go!" And her words were orders. Everyone got into position and started manning their stations. Like Maggie promised, she guided Eddie through the recipe for the gravy pretty easily, and he was fairly good at preparing the stuffing on his own. While she kept an eye on the turkey, she flew through the vegetables and started on a few pies, humming as she folded the dough and layered the filling.

Richie and Wentworth were having a tougher time than them, occasionally bickering back and forth as Richie started to mash the potatoes and help his father with the casseroles. When that was said and done they moved on to heating the lasagna and soups, setting everything onto the table. Despite having to work for hours, time felt as if it was going by faster by the minute and it was thrilling. A race against the clock.

"People should be arriving any minute now." Maggie alerted, checking on the turkey once more before hurrying the boys to set the table. According to Went, there would be about twenty people eating, including them. That meant that a lot of silverware needed to be set out, and Richie was not helping by whistling at Eddie every time he bent over the table.

"Can you stop!" He scolded, flipping him off when Wentworth wasn't looking.

Richie held his hands up in defense and nodded, an evil smirk on his face. It was clear that his father had caught on, and he just chuckled and decided it was best to leave the room entirely. He knew his son had tricks up his sleeve. Eddie found that out when he reached over the table to set down the last set of utensils and received a swift smack on his ass.

"Richie!" He gritted his teeth, rubbing the stinging area. "You're a fucking asshole. I'm gonna kill you-" He stopped at the ringing of the doorbell, completely forgetting that he was mad at Richie and moved to hide behind him.

Wentworth dashed through the dining room towards the front door, and Richie and Eddie could hear that multiple people had arrived. "Hey." Richie rubbed his back. "It's okay."

"I know." Eddie breathed through his nerves, putting on a smile to try and mask them. A woman around his age sauntered into the kitchen, carrying a small boy in one arm and a tray of food in the other. Maggie took it from her, setting it near the table and immediately dragging her into a hug.

"Sweetie, so good to see you! Hey you!" She cooed at the young boy, taking him into her arms. "You didn't forget about me did you? You remember Mrs. Maggie right?" The little boy giggled as she swung him around, nodding cutely.

"Well if it isn't it Mr. Famous." The young woman approached them, hands on her hips. "Surprised to see you here. It's been a minute since you ghosted us you asshole."

"Hey now." Richie scowled. "You talk with that mouth in front of your son?" She nudged his shoulder before wrapping her arms around his torso, squeezing him tightly. "This is Eddie Kaspbrak, from Derry, remember?" He turned his shoulder to gesture towards him. "Eddie, Gemma."

Gemma. Memories flashed in front of him of when Richie's cousins would visit back in Derry. He and Gemma always got along, usually teaming up against Richie. She was just as feisty, and both Eddie and Richie knew not to let her little pigtails deceive them. She didn't look too different, her long dark hair tied neatly in a single braid and a few freckles peppering her face. "Wow, Eddie Kaspbrak." She smiled at him. "Haven't heard that name in a while."

She examined him for another minute before opening her arms. "I can't believe it's really you!"

"It's me!" He chuckled quietly, accepting her hug. He had a feeling that he'd be receiving a lot of them: the Tozier family was always extremely loving and touchy. "Last time I saw you I think you still had those rainbow braces."

"Jeez, don't remind me." She groaned, pulling away to look between the both of them. "Look at you two, together again. You both dating yet?"

"Gemma, for fuck's sake!"

"Hey, you talk with that mouth in front of my son!?" She mocked him before shaking her head at Eddie. "This guy used to always talk about you. He had such a huge crush."

"So did you." Richie challenged her, folding his arms.

"Yeah, a schoolgirl crush." She laughed. "You were practically planning your wedding." She smirked in victory when Richie burned red and didn't reply. "Don't worry Eddie, I'm happily married now so Richie can calm his pants. Daniel come in here! That's my husband Daniel, and Maggie has my son Ryan."

A man, presumably Daniel, sauntered into the kitchen and over to his wife with a small girl in his arms. "Rich." He greeted with a smile and a half hug. "Nice to see you again-"

"RICHIE!" The small girl chirped, nearly leaping from her father's arms and into Richie's. "Richie, mommy showed me your show when you dressed up like Mrs. Maggie, it was so funny!"

"What!?" He asked incredulously. "She let you watch me on tv? How old are you?"

"Six!" She giggled, his long fingers moving to tickle her sides a bit.

"Oh my goodness, you're so old! When did you get so big!?"

Eddie couldn't help smiling at the two of them, Richie once again showing off how good of a father he would be. "Dan, this is Eddie. He and Richie grew up together, remember I told you about Derry?"

"Oh yeah!" He nodded, holding a hand out to Eddie. "It's nice to meet you man."

"Likewise." He beamed. "Very cute." He nodded towards Richie and the little girl, dancing around the kitchen to go bother Maggie.

"That's Sarah." Gemma sighed. "Pain in the ass, just like Richie. Ryan's much quieter, he's only four though so I guess we'll see."

"Babe, I'm gonna go with Went to pick up Wendy, are you going to be okay with the kids?"

"Go ahead." She nodded, and Daniel patted Eddie's shoulder one more time before hurriedly leaving the kitchen. "Wendy's our grandmother, Went's mom. You remember her right?"

"Vaguely."

"So... are you and Richie dating?"

Eddie snorted, folding his arms as he continued to watch Richie dash between the rooms as he chased after the kids. "You haven't changed at all."

"Hey, if you are at least I can let people know so that they don't keep coming up to you guys to ask. They'll be asking me first, Richie's pretty much my annoying brother."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself." He rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah though. We're dating." He said calmly, actually not bothered at all by having to admit it out loud. I'm with a guy, so what?

"You haven't changed either." She huffed. "You're still a little shit." They both stood there in the room, watching Richie run between the dining room and the kitchen, occasionally getting scolded by Maggie. "You know I wasn't joking. Richie has been planning to marry you since we were kids."

"I'm aware." He smirked, ignoring the way his stomach flipped at the thought of marriage.

"Are you really prepared to marry that?" She shook her head. "He's clearly lost his mind."

"I'll take my chances."

She looked at him like he had ten heads before cracking up. "You're a good guy Eddie. I'm glad Richie has you. Even though you're way out of his league."

"Yeah right. He's fucking famous."

Gemma opened her mouth, probably to argue but another woman came bounding towards the kitchen. "Maggie, salad and empanadas are here! Where do you want them?"

"In here!" Maggie called from the kitchen, starting to get all of the food set up onto the smaller table in there.

"Here, I've got it mom." Gemma offered, taking the trays from her mother. "Oh mom, do you remember Eddie Kaspbrak, from Derry?"

"The one with the fanny pack and inhaler?" She panted, clearly exhausted from holding the heavy trays. "With the overbearing-"

"Yep, he's standing right there." She nodded towards him, winking before bringing the food to the table.

"No!" The woman, who looked a lot like Maggie, gasped and cupped his face. "Is it really you?"

"Woah woah, Aunt Deb!" Richie was behind him instantly, like a knight in shining armor, gripping his shoulders to slide past him. "I know he's handsome but hands off the merchandise!"

"This is Eddie?" She pointed at him, looking at Richie like she couldn't believe it. She gasped again at both of them nodding. "Oh my- are you two..."

"Leave them alone Deb." Maggie butted in, wrapping an arm around both boys. "Eddie is joining us for Thanksgiving this year, and hopefully more to come."

"If your son sticks around." She squinted, poking Richie in the ribs teasingly. "Eddie, you look amazing. How's mom?"

Richie and Maggie both palmed their faces, and Eddie couldn't help but laugh in response. "Well she's no longer with us, so... not well I don't think."

Aunt Deb's face cracked into a smile before becoming serious. "I'm very sorry-"

"You don't have to pretend, it's okay."

"Thank goodness." She huffed out, reverting back to her wide grin. "Well I know I speak for my family when I say that we are very happy to have you here with us. Keep this one in line." She rustled her hand through Richie's hair before following Maggie back into the kitchen.

"Christ, I'm sorry Eds."

"Why?"

"We're all crazy." He snickered like it was obvious. "Aye! Uncle Craig!" He broke away from him to greet the new man who walked into the dining room.

The man squinted at him. "Well I hope my eyes do not deceive me. Richard? THE Richard Tozier." He chuckled at Richie's frown, pulling him in for a bone crushing hug. "Thought you got tired of your ole folks."

"Of you, never. But your wife and daughter are just as annoying as ever."

"Debs, sure. But don't let Gemma fool you, she's been talking about how excited she was to see you again for the entire car ride. And don't even get me started on Sarah." He also ruffled Richie's hair.

"Oh, this is my boyfriend Eddie." He motioned to Eddie, who waved shyly, heart thumping at the title of boyfriend.

"Bless your patience." Uncle Craig laughed, unphased by the news, shaking Eddie's hand warmly. "Very nice to meet you. Alrighty, I'm going to suck it up and help the ladies. Let's chat after everything's ready."

"Will do." Richie saluted, wrapping his arm around Eddie to drag him a little closer to him. "I think my cousin Robert is coming with his family and then maybe a neighbor or two and then I swear, you don't have to talk to new people ever again."

"Stop it." Eddie smiled, leaning into him. "This is actually nice. Why did you stop coming?"

Richie tensed next to him for a moment before rubbing a big hand up and down his arm. "I started surrounding myself with the wrong people, missed one Thanksgiving and pretty much stopped showing up after that. It was shitty, and I know they aren't really mad but they should be. I was an ass."

"You still are." Eddie sighed, looking around briefly before reaching on his tippy toes to press a firm kiss to his lips. "There were nights where I flushed Myra's Thanksgiving food down the toilet. I was an ass too. We were just not in good places but now-"

As he was speaking, Ryan dashed between them, almost taking out his knees and Sarah followed close behind as she yelled at him. Both men stared at each other before doubling over in a fit of laughter. Richie wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him tightly and planting a kiss to the side of his temple.

"I was going to say now we are in a great place, but I think he pulled something in my leg."

"Want me to carry you to safety my sweet prince?"

"Not a chance."

"Richie! Eddie!" Maggie called from the kitchen. "All hands on deck again until Went gets back!" Both of them followed the commander's orders and helped bring more food in from outside. Richie's cousin Robert seemed to bring even more food, and what looked like gallons of eggnog. He and his wife, Marie, were very happy to see Richie again just like everyone else. And also just like everyone else, they were extremely warm and welcoming to Eddie.

Robert's mom (Richie's Aunt Kristine) was holding Carla, Robert's baby girl. Almost like he had a superpower with kids, she immediately made grabby hands at Richie, babbling at him happily. He obliged, picking her up and bouncing her gently, grinning brightly when she squeaked out a few laughs.

"That's not fair." Uncle Doug, Maggie's brother and Richie's Uncle, clicked his tongue. "She doesn't even smile at her own grandpa like that. She's never even met you Rich!"

"It's literally my job to make people laugh and smile." Richie smirked, placing a kiss on top of Carla's small head. "Call it a gift."

"You're not that funny." Eddie interjected, even though they both knew well that he didn't really think that. "She's laughing at you because your face is stupid."

"You're dating this face." Richie shot back, catching him off guard.

"I don't know how you do it kid." Doug huffed, also completely unphased by them dating. "But it's great to have you here. Joanna, see if Maggie and Deb need help will you?"

Joanna, Robert's teenage daughter rolled her eyes. "But Grandpa! Gemma and Craig are in there too, I don't want it to get too crowded."

"She can help us when my dad gets back." Richie offered, which seemed to please Doug enough to drop it. "You owe me Jo." He rustled her hair, making her swat at his arm.

"Thanks Rich... I guess you're still cool."

Wentworth didn't have any siblings, so the majority of the guests were from Maggie's side of the family. Sadly though, her parents had passed away years ago. But that didn't stop everyone from anticipating Went's mother, Wendy, the most. She was the type of woman who treated everyone like her grandchild, and Eddie was included in that when he'd met her a few times when she'd visit Derry.

Eddie always found it extra amusing when she came over because she HATED Derry. She always talked about how the town was no good for Richie, and how Went and Maggie should consider moving somewhere much nicer in Maine. Ultimately, they did, and Eddie could attest already that Bar Harbor made Derry look like a pile of hot garbage. Part of him agreed that Derry was not great for Richie, and he probably would've been better off moving, but another part of him knew that he wouldn't have survived till the end of high school without him around.

By the time dinner started, a few more guests had shown up, some neighbors from Bar Harbor. They were both lovely old couples that fit in perfectly, getting along great with everyone in the family. Brad and Nancy had also grown up in Maine and moved to Bar Harbor later in life, enjoying the distance from extended family. John and Alan, two gay men, had moved to Maine in 2012 from New Orleans to get married, and they fell in love with Bar Harbor after visiting from Bangor.

They didn't know why, but Richie and Eddie were both comforted by the fact that there was another gay couple at dinner, even though not a single person in Richie's family cared that he was gay. Or that he was with Eddie. In fact, they toasted to Eddie at the start of dinner, thanking him for joining them for Thanksgiving. And Richie being Richie, couldn't help but smile smugly at how red he turned, like a cute little tomato.

"Thank you." A warm voice spooked Eddie when he went into the kitchen for another plate for him and Richie. "I've never seen my grandson so happy. So thank you." Wendy tossed some more pasta onto her plate along with a big chunk of turkey, which Maggie had cooked perfectly.

"People keep thanking me, and telling me that they are happy Richie has me. But I'm the lucky one." He smiled at her. "Well, you're lucky to have him as a grandson too I guess."

"I really am." She agreed, mirroring his smile. "I'm also lucky to have you back in the family."

Eddie felt himself get bashful at that. "Do you want any help with that?" He pointed to the tall drink in her hand that seemed to be struggling in her grip, trying to change the subject.

"Thank you dear." She nodded, handing it over so that he could walk it back to the table along with her. People started to get full quickly, occasionally roaming back into the kitchen to pick at whatever was leftover while the others gathered into the living room to watch people take turns at playing the piano. Gemma and Robert were just as good as Richie, so it was definitely in the blood. Daniel and Uncle Craig tried their best, and regardless of how terrible they were, it was a fun time.

Sarah was currently singing along with her mother to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star when Richie leaned over to whisper in Eddie's ear. "Eggnog, who thought that one up? 'I wanna get a little drunk, but I also want some pancakes.' What an idea, huh?" Despite him whispering, the comment caught the attention of Wendy and Kristine, pulling laughs out of both of them.

And look, Richie loved to make people laugh. It was literally his job, his passion.

But nothing compared to making Eddie laugh. The way he huffs out a barely audible laugh as he tries to hide his amusement, or the way his nose scrunches up when he teasingly scolds "Richie!": now that was something Richie loved.

Eddie went to refill his glass with eggnog, running into Joanna in the kitchen. "Please tell me that's the virgin eggnog you're drinking?"

"What are you a narc?" She snorted, sipping from her cup loudly to make a point. "Yes, it's virgin. I'm only sixteen, I'm not stupid enough to start drinking."

"Well good." Eddie watched her with an eyebrow raised as she kept staring at him.

"Are you really dating Richie?" She asked as he filled his glass, almost like it was unbelievable.

"Yep." Eddie smirked. "And before I get a lecture from a sixteen year old, I've known Richie for longer than you've been alive. So I think I know what I've signed myself up for."

"You're just as crazy as him, I can tell." She bit her lip, trying to hide a smile.

"Oh I'm way crazier." He assured her, stepping back into the living room to see Carla back in Richie's lap.

"She's like, addicted to him." Joanna scoffed. "She likes him more than me already."

"I'm sure that's not true." He said absentmindedly, lost in watching Richie make the baby laugh, cooing at her and giving her small little kisses from time to time. "She's cute though."

"She's okay I guess." It was meant to be sassy, maybe even bitter, but Eddie didn't miss the softness and admiration in her voice. Joanna was the spitting image of Gemma, even though she was Rob and Marie's daughter. She acted like a pain in the ass, a punk, but Eddie could tell that she had a big soft heart like the rest of the Tozier family.

"Hi Carla." He waved gently as he sat back down next to Richie. "Having fun?" She immediately smiled up at him, making his heart swell.

"She has a crush on you." Richie said, still in his baby-talk voice, tickling her a bit.

"She's a baby Richie, don't make it weird."

"Not Carla, you dingus." Richie shook his head, dropping the voice. "Joanna."

Before Eddie could question or protest, Wendy and Kristine were nodding along in agreement. "I know my granddaughter better than anyone. She totally has a small crush on you sweetheart." Kristine laughed, taking a gulp of her drink.

"I- well... Maybe-"

"No need to be embarrassed hun, she's a teenage girl, they have a new crush every three seconds." Wendy assured him. Thankfully Carla saved him from having to continue the conversation when she wandered onto his lap. "My goodness, would you look at that. Maybe she does also have a crush on you."

"Stop it, you're embarrassing him." Richie glared at his grandmother. "Only I'm allowed to do that." As he said it, Sarah and Ryan flew up to him, almost like they were waiting for him to get rid of Carla.

"Richie, Richie!" She chirped. "Can we please play hide and seek?"

"No!" Ryan cried out, already looking quite upset that his sister got to pick the game. "Tag, Richie. Tag please!"

"Woah woah, hold your horses kiddos." He held up his hands, smiling down at both of them. "We can play both, I promise. No crying okay?"

"Tag first!" Ryan clapped, whining when Sarah shoved his hands lightly, stopping his celebration. "No! Hide and seek first Richie!" She pleaded.

"Okay okay, everyone relax. Sar, we are gonna play tag first because it's fast okay? Hold on, let me finish. And because you're such a good big sister right?"

He could practically see the gears turning in her head. "Okay." She agreed. "But you're it!"

"Fine." Richie sighed. "No driveway okay, that's dangerous, got it? I'll give you guys thirty seconds to run before I come chase you. Jo! Come play with us!" He called out to her, saving her once again from her family, this time from singing along with her mom. All three of them ran and Richie slumped back onto the couch. "My body is going to regret this."

"Look at you Richard!" Wendy said, almost astonished. "You're very good with kids!"

"Ever thought of having your own?" Kristine asked giddily.

Richie's eyes flicked up to Eddie's and back to his aunt's. "Yeah, I've thought about it." And before he could elaborate or before they could coax more information, he screamed "THIRTY!" and begrudgingly flung himself off of the couch to begin his chase. Carla's wide eyes watched him dash out of the room, giggling and clapping her hands before turning her attention back to Eddie. He thought it was the start of him having to entertain her now, but she quietly snuggled in his arms and just watched him calmly until she fell asleep.

He cradled her for a little while longer, torn between handing her off or continuing to rock her gently. It felt weird... but not in a bad way. Weird in a way that had him questioning what Richie meant about having thought about having his kids. If he was serious. He would ask later, but he eventually decided to hand her back to Marie so she could be put in a more quiet area for her nap. He couldn't help but feel a little sad as she was taken from his arms though.

Eddie politely declined to play the piano or sing, but he answered every single question that people had for him. What do you do? How did you and Richie meet again? When did you two start dating? How do you handle him all the time? Is it weird being with a celebrity? How do you like your first Tozier Thanksgiving?

And to be honest, he was having the time of his life. The house was constantly filled with laughter and music, and he was almost angry that he'd missed out on so many great holidays. Especially since Went and Maggie had offered him to stay plenty of times, but he was always too afraid to say yes. And they didn't think it was their place to persuade him to not have Thanksgiving with his own mother.

He walked into the kitchen to find Richie peeking underneath the table cloth, and he leaned against the doorway with his arms folded to watch him. "Whatcha doin Rich?" He asked, amusement apparent in his tone.

Richie sighed, setting down the fabric and slowly standing up. "We moved to hide and seek. These little fuckers are so small, they could be anywhere. I thought this game would be easier on my body than tag, but I'm still an old man."

"Whatever you say, grandpa." Eddie chuckled, marching up to him. "Richie?"

"Yeah baby?"

"I don't want to leave tomorrow."

Richie just stared at him, tilting his head like a confused puppy. "Huh?"

"I want to stay longer. Here in Bar Harbor." He said quietly. "I don't want to get on our flight in the afternoon. Can we just... stay one more day or something?" The thought of having to quickly exchange gifts with Richie's parents and immediately hop on a plane back to LA felt wrong. He finally had a family to connect with, and he didn't want to lose it. "Is that selfish of me to ask?"

"No." Richie said hurriedly, grabbing his face. "Of course we can stay a little longer. But you know we can come visit whenever we want right?"

Eddie didn't doubt it. He thought back to the millions of times Maggie and Wentworth had offered him to stay for dinner, to stay the night, to join them on family outings. Richie smiled down at him, petting over his hair gently. All he ever wanted was to make sure Eddie felt loved, and now he was asking to stay longer. In Maine.

"Richie? Eddie?" Maggie was calling them again from the living room. "We're going to sing our song before everyone starts leaving!"

"Oh no." Richie laughed, palming his face.

"Your song?"

"Technically it's not our song... You'll see." He led Eddie back into the room, almost immediately getting hit in the face with hard plastic. "What the shit?"

"Sorry honey." Maggie laughed, briefly rubbing his nose for him before standing on her tippy toes to hold the mistletoe a little higher over their heads. "But I've gotten every couple here besides you two! Pucker up boys!"

"This is so fucked up mom." Richie grumbled. "I know that you're gonna make me sing as punishment for not being here the last couple of holidays, but this is too far. You're going to embarrass Eds-" He was quickly shut up by Eddie pulling him down by his collar for a deep kiss, smiling against his lips.

Richie's family let out some hoots and hollers as Richie brought his hands to his face as they pulled apart, beaming at him. Maggie clapped beside them, a wide smile on her face as she pulled her son towards the piano. Went tapped on Eddie's shoulder, resting his arm there and smiling at him as he handed him another glass of eggnog. "Enjoy the show, son." Eddie felt warm inside, and he knew that it wasn't because of the alcohol in his drink.

He finally had a family. A crazy, ridiculous family who welcomed him with open arms, no questions asked. Even if Gemma stuck her tongue out at him playfully from the couch. She wasn't too happy anymore when she was selected to participate along with Richie and Robert. Maggie and Wendy were more than happy to volunteer themselves for the song, and Deb somehow got Doug to join in.

A Tozier performance, they called it. A Tozier tradition that hadn't been done since the last time Richie was there for the holidays. And it was absolutely necessary for their neighbors and Eddie to witness it. Even with the hesitance from some of the group, as soon as Maggie started to play the piano, everyone was in line and ready for their part. Deb and Gemma started first, only a hint of reluctance from the latter.

"There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall

And the bells in the steeple too

And up in the nursery an absurd little bird

Is popping out to say 'cuckoo'"

Instructed by Gemma, Sarah and Ryan mimicked their mother cutely "Cuckoo, cuckoo!"

Wendy, even in her old age nailed her notes and belted out her line with grace, the kids still mimicking her 'cuckoos'.

"Regretfully they tell us Cuckoo, cuckoo

But firmly they compel us Cuckoo, cuckoo

To say goodbye.

Cuckoo!

To you..."

Eddie recognized the song from Sound of Music, he'd seen it plenty of times since it was always on at Richie's house when they were kids. It was Maggie's favorite move so naturally she trained her family on every song. He felt bad for their embarrassment, he did, but he couldn't help but crack up at the exacerbated faces Richie was throwing at him as he was forced to single along. But to Richie, seeing Eddie laugh was worth the humiliation. Even though he knew no one was really judging him, his family never did. He rolled his eyes quickly before breaking out into song along with the rest of them. "So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night!"

Robert shrugged, laughing slightly through his line. "I hate to go and leave this pretty sight!"

"So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu."

Doug did a little bow, pulling a laugh from Maggie. "Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu."

"So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!"

Pulling it together, Maggie gracefully sang out her line. "I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye. Goodbye!"

Richie, of course, put on a shrill voice for his solo. "I'm glad to go, I cannot tell a lie. I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly. The sun has gone to bed and so must I."

Now everyone in the room was singing, even the kids, and it was silly, but Eddie felt fuzzy chanting the words along with them. "So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!"

"Goodbye!"

It was difficult for both Richie and Eddie to say goodbye, in fact, they tried stalling in any way that they could. But it was getting later and later, and people started to trickle out. Brad, Nancy, John, and Alan were the first to leave after helping clean up any mess. Before they did, they promised to plan another get together with Went and Maggie for the next holiday. And not before John and Alan congratulated Richie and Eddie on their beautiful, gay, relationship.

Robert and his family were the next ones to leave. "Be good Rich." Robert smiled, patting his back as they hugged tightly.

"You too man."

"Say goodbye to Eddie sweet girl." Marie cooed, bouncing Carla up and down in front of them as she reached for Eddie again. "She loves you."

"She's a sweetheart." He grinned, letting her grab his finger one last time before the girls walked out to their car. Robert hugged Eddie too, giving him a similar goodbye as he did to Richie before grabbing several tins of leftovers and following his wife outside.

"Eddie." Doug gripped his hand tightly as Kristine peppered kisses all over Richie's face. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Keep that one out of trouble, yeah?"

"Yes sir."

"Eddie! Gosh this was so fun, I hope you had as much of a good time as I did!' Kristine turned her attention to him, and sure enough, placing a big kiss on his cheek. "See you again soon?"

"I sure hope so."

Richie stopped Joanna, who was trying to dash past them without saying goodbye. "Hey hey hey, what the hell kid?" He chuckled at her sigh of annoyance. "No farewell for old Richie?"

She rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck as he squeezed the life out of her. "You're so weird. But I love you I guess." She grunted, shoving him away. "Can't wait till Eddie dumps you." With that, she sheepishly turned to Eddie, and reluctantly gave him a hug as well. "If you do end up dumping that idiot... can you still visit?"

"Sure." He laughed softly, smirking at Richie as she ran outside with the rest of her family.

Gemma and Daniel stayed a little longer, finishing off the almost finished jug of eggnog as an excuse. Craig clapped Went on the shoulder and lifted the giant back of leftovers. "Are you sure it's okay for us to take this much?"

"We have plenty." He assured him. "Don't worry about it."

Maggie had a sleepy Ryan dangling in her arms while Deb held onto Sarah who was also drifting in and out of sleep. It was clear that the sisters had missed talking with each other, and they wore sad smiles knowing that they had to leave each other again. Before grabbing his son from Maggie, Daniel hugged Went goodbye. "Are you sure you don't need me to go with you to drop off Wendy?"

"No need." He nodded, patting his back. "I think we'll just keep her here until after the holidays. We've even been thinking about having her move into our house permanently."

Daniel kissed Maggie goodbye and scooped up Ryan into his arms, stopping at the archway of the kitchen. "Richie. Eddie. It's been a pleasure."

"Bye Danny boy."

"Same here."

Deb pulled away from Maggie after a long hug, trying their best not to squish Sarah in between them. She gave Richie and Eddie both kisses on the cheek before attempting to leave, but the little girl shot awake in her arms. "Richie!" She cried out, trying to leap from her grandmother's arms and into his. "I don't wanna go." Her small lip was quivering and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey big girl, no need to be upset." He said gently, squeezing her in his arms. She wrapped her small arms around his neck and buried her face there, refusing to let go. "It's okay, we'll see each other soon. And you can always ask mommy to facetime me."

"Can we visit you in Cali-fornia." She asked, pronouncing it like it was two words.

"Anytime sweetie." He nodded, giving her one last squeeze before handing her back to Deb slowly. She seemed to accept his answer but still looked sad waving goodbye to him and Eddie. "Looks like your daughter likes me more than you." He teased Gemma, who still waited with them in the kitchen as she said bye to Went and Maggie.

"No surprise there." She rolled her eyes playfully. "She's just like you."

"I can't tell if that's a compliment or an insult."

"I hate to admit it... but it's definitely a compliment." She shook her head with a small smile. Like her daughter, she wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into her shoulder. "I love you Rich. Don't be a stranger okay?"

"I promise. Love you too... you bitch."

"Asshole." She laughed, wiping her glossy eyes. "Eddie. So glad you guys finally admitted your gross love for each other." She cupped his face, sticking her tongue out at him. "I better be invited to the fucking wedding."

"Hm." He pretended to think about it, pulling her hands from his face. The thought of marrying Richie made him feel warm inside and scared at the same time. But he played it off with a shrug. "Maybe. We'll see if there's room."

"Boom Eds!" Richie cheered, flipping her off.

"You're both the worst." She snickered, flipping them both off with each hand. "Let's make plans together again." And after blowing a few kisses, she left after her family, leaving the house oddly quiet.

Richie stretched, his joints audibly cracking from a long day of running around. Eddie yawned, forgetting that it was past midnight and that they still had some cleaning up to do. "Go to bed boys." Went told them, gesturing upstairs. "Get some rest, just try not to wake Grandma."

"Are you sure? We can stay and help some more-"

"It's alright Eddie." Maggie interrupted him. "You've already helped plenty today. All that's left really is to set the dishwasher."

Sensing that she wasn't going to budge, both men gave in and headed to the stairs. "Hey ma?" Richie stopped, remembering what he needed to ask her. "Quick question- is it okay if Eddie and I stay another day? Instead of leaving tomorrow afternoon... or today more like. We can push it back so we can stay another night-"

"Oh dear, I'm going to cry." She croaked out, shielding her face. "You both really want to stay? This isn't some sick joke right? I'm too old for that Richard!"

"I'm serious!"

"You both are welcome to stay as long as you want." Wentworth answered for her, chuckling as he hugged her for comfort. "Don't worry about it boys, our house is your house."

"Thanks dad." Richie winked before smiling down at Eddie. He pumped his fist into the air as if to say success! "Love you momma. Goodnight."

"Gee, thanks Rich. No love for pops?"

"I love you too Went!" Richie saluted, getting pulled upstairs quietly by Eddie. "Well that Went well huh?"

"Did you just use your father's name in a pun?" Eddie scoffed. "I thought comedians were supposed to be funny."

Richie followed him like a puppy into the guest room, smiling like an idiot as they undressed for bed. "You talk a big talk you little shit, but I saw you laughing and smiling all night."

"Because your family is funny, not you." He shrugged, not trying too hard to hide his little smirk. "Apple seems to fall far from the tree."

Richie placed a hand to his chest to feign hurt, frowning at the love of his life. "Wow Eds, you wound me. And here I thought you enjoyed me on SNL, and that you lived for my Sound of Music performance."

Eddie chuckled to himself just thinking about it. "Fine. That was pretty funny." He gave up, pulling Richie into bed with him. "You're kind of funny I guess."

"One of us has to be, you're as funny as a piece of plywood! You're lucky you're cute-"

"Asshole."

When everyone in the house woke the following morning, it was pretty much the afternoon. After a long night of celebrating even Wentworth and Eddie, the early birds, slept in until practically lunchtime. When Richie and Eddie both trudged downstairs after their showers, Wendy was already heating up leftovers for Went and Maggie.

It was a slow day from there, and Eddie was thankful that the hours stretched long instead of flying by. The group lounged on the couch after gorging themselves on leftovers and watched through recordings of the parade and a variety of other movies.

Richie wanted to watch a horror movie, which Maggie vetoed, saying that it wasn't festive. She suggested March of the Wooden Soldiers instead, but Wendy thought it was too cliche. Went and Eddie stayed silent, watching the others bicker back and forth about movies to watch. Ultimately, they watched Home Alone, Rocky (for some odd reason), Sound of Music (of course), Die Hard (which Richie swears is the 'best Christmas movie of all time'), and Gremlins.

Everyone chatted through every single movie, especially Richie, who had commentary for each one. Eddie pretended to be annoyed by it, but that was just so he wouldn't have to admit that Richie's stupid jokes and impressions of the characters were actually pretty funny. His parents' attempts at scolding him didn't do much either since they too were laughing at their son's ridiculousness. Wendy fell asleep halfway through Die Hard, of all movies, and Richie found that absolutely hysterical.

"Do you boys have any plans for the holidays?" Wentworth asked, giving everyone a break before starting their last movie of the evening.

"We haven't really talked about it." Eddie sighed, stretching his legs out, back pressed against Richie's chest. At first it felt weird being so touchy with Richie in front of his parents, but like always, there was no judgment radiating from any of them. Just love. "But whether it's Hanukkah or Christmas, I'm sure we'll figure it out."

"Just celebrate both." Maggie yawned. "Did you know that Went's family is Catholic? It's my side that's Jewish, actually. When we were younger, way back in the day, we celebrated both holidays but when Richie was born we just stuck with Hanukkah. I think it was easier that way with the family coming over and all."

"We should do that!" Richie grinned, kissing the side of his face quickly, also not bothered by his parents being right there. If he told little Richie Tozier that he'd be openly affectionate with his boyfriend in front of his parents, he'd have a stroke. And if he told him that said boyfriend was Eddie Kaspbrak, he would have ascended to another plane of existence. "We can totally blend the holidays. Chrismukkah."

"That name is atrocious." Eddie laughed, leaning his head back onto Richie's shoulder. "But we can talk about it. I don't care what we do." As long as it's with you.

"What did I miss?" Wendy finally awoke as Gremlins ended, just in time for the rest of them to break out another jug of eggnog. She was slightly dazed, looking between everyone and yawning loudly. "What day is it?"

"It's the day after Thanksgiving ma." Went laughed through his glass. "When you wake up a little more I'll drive you home."

"No no, I'll call David to come get me." She waved him off. "You need to stay here and milk the time you have with Richard. And Eddie of course." It was sweet, adamant about being driven home by her caretaker so that Wentworth could stay and continue to drink with the boys. It wasn't that big of a deal, since he and Maggie planned on her coming back to stay permanently while they arranged a good time for her to move in. "Before I go though, I do have gifts."

"G-ma coming through! Is it the number one spot in your will?"

"Richie!" Eddie scolded, mortified, but Wendy seemed to find it hilarious.

"You wish you little shit!" She snorted. "It's just small things, I heard that you were coming last minute." Despite Richie's constant guesses on what it was and Eddie's insistence that there was no need to get him a gift, she dismissed them both and calmly scooted to the dining room where she'd hid them. "I know it's not much, but after your parents filled me in I couldn't show up empty handed."

She handed Richie and Eddie each a wrapped bundle, watching them both closely as they tore them open. Richie dropped the paper to the side and wrung out the winter coat, inspecting it. "How did you know I needed a coat?"

"I've never seen you wear one." She glared at him. "Now when it's cold you have one just in case. Little punk..." She muttered under her breath.

"This is very sweet, thank you." Eddie smiled, examining his own vest. It was a detachable hood puffer vest, right up his alley. He used to wear vests a lot as a kid when winter would hit Derry, and even though his friends often called him an old man for wearing it, he enjoyed them.

"No problem sweetie." She smiled back at him, checking the time and humming to her son. "Well, David should be here any minute. I'll make sure to see you and Maggie around the holidays so you both can get your gifts. As for you boys." She turned back to Richie and Eddie. "It was so nice to see you again. Please, please, please come back to visit."

"We will." Richie assured her, wrapping his long arms around her to give her a squeeze. "I'll be sending you tickets to my show, keep an eye out."

"Can't wait." She grinned, giving him a big kiss on his cheek. "Eddie, darling." She cupped his face gently, giving him a kiss as well. "We are so very lucky to have you in this family." He didn't even know how to respond to that, so he just hugged her tightly, sad to see her go.

By the time her driver showed up, it was getting late, much to everyone's dismay. "I think you boys should sleep in some tomorrow morning, so should we exchange some gifts tonight?" Maggie asked, clearly giddy at the thought. It was crazy how much Richie took after his mother, both having that same excitement and kindness always present.

The men couldn't stand letting her down even if they wanted to, so they all sat around the couch one last time before bed to swap presents. They'd all agreed beforehand to one give ONE gift to each person, but of course, Richie found a way to bypass the rule.

"Technically these aren't a holiday gift, I was going to give them to you anyway." He laughed, waving the tickets in front of his parents.

"I can't believe you." Maggie huffed, shaking her head before taking them. Eddie had known that he was planning to reserve seats at him Netflix show for family and friends, but he had no idea what other gifts he had gotten for his parents. All he knew, for a fact, is that Richie loved to go big with his presents.

"Me next!" Maggie clapped her hands, grabbing the small box beside her and handed it to Eddie. "Open, open!"

He sheepishly unwrapped the box, breath already hitching at the Rolex logo. He slowly opened the lid, gasping at the silver and black watch inside. It was gorgeous, chic and lightweight. He picked it up carefully, rolling the smooth metal around his fingers.

"You needed a new watch!" Richie said before he could speculate on how expensive the watch was. He knew that the Rolex in his hand had to cost a grand or two.

"Not just any watch. It's an explorer." She added. "Every man in the family gets one." It made Eddie's heart clench, knowing that he now had physical proof that he was a part of the Tozier family. He smiled brightly at her as Richie helped him put it on his wrist. "Is that a ring Eddie?"

"Oh yeah." He held up his hand, flashing the ring and new watch. "Richie got it for me in Hawaii." Her eyes lit up, and both boys could see her mind racing.

"It's gorgeous." She gasped, reaching for his hand to examine it. "Good work Richard."

"Thanks mom. I told you I have some taste."

Went and Maggie didn't have Richie's gifts with them physically, but they told him that he'd get them when he arrived back in LA. At first they didn't want to spoil it, but after Richie's nonstop pleas, they finally let it slip that they'd not only sent all of his old comics over like they'd promised, but they also ordered him his very own piano for the house. And he was ecstatic.

"Oh I'm going to be brushing up my skills. Maybe I'll even dabble in songwriting... if Eddie doesn't kill me first."

"As long as the songs aren't stupid, you might stand a chance."

"My turn." Went rolled his eyes at them, handing Eddie another gift. "Happy holidays."

"Thanks Went." Eddie unveiled a brand new set of cufflinks and ties, in immaculate condition no less. "These are very nice!"

"Richie told us that you landed a new job, so I thought it couldn't hurt to be the best dressed." He chuckled. "Congratulations by the way."

"Hey, doesn't that technically count as two gifts? How come I got shit for the tickets?" Richie crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at his father.

"They came in a set, smartass." Went challenged, grabbing the small box that Richie held out to him. "This isn't what I think it is, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His son smiled smugly. Went opened the box and swallowed thickly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "What is it?"

"You've lost your mind." He huffed out a laugh, blinking a few times before staring back down at the box and pulling the car keys out. "A Mclaren Rich?"

Both Maggie and Eddie choked on air, exchanging looks with each other. Eddie wanted to smack him for spending so much money, but at the end of the day, there was nothing that he could say to convince him to not spend money on the people he cared about. "Yeah man, a Mclaren. But I didn't have time to go get it so you'll have to pick it up from the place."

"I don't need a car this nice."

"I know you don't, just like I don't need a piano." Richie shrugged. "I know you always wanted one. And let's just say I got paid a pretty penny for SNL."

Everyone could tell that Went wanted to argue some more, but he swallowed whatever he was going to say and offered his son a crooked smile. "Thank you. Can't wait to take her for a spin."

"What are you, a car dealership?" Maggie laughed, shaking her head at them both.

"Don't think I forgot about you mom." He grinned evilly. He handed her a box roughly around the same size and she looked at him skeptically.

"This better not be another car." She muttered, slowly working her gift open while staring at him with suspicion in her eyes. Hesitantly peeking in, she sighed in relief when it wasn't another set of car keys. It was short lived, because she was soon gawking at the white gold necklace she pulled out. "Richie."

It was a decent sized locket, with multiple layers for pictures. A variety of emotions crossed over her face, and she took a deep breath with her eyes closed and the locket pressed against her chest. She didn't even bother at this point scolding him for how much he probably spent on it. "This is beautiful sweetie, thank you."

"Love you mom." He smirked, hugging her tightly.

"Is it my turn?" Eddie asked, feeling somewhat nervous. "This one is technically a shared gift for both of you." He handed Maggie an unwrapped frame of some of his favorite photos of Richie with a small bow on the corner. She had complained numerous times over the phone that they had no recent pictures of Richie in their house, so it was a small little thing he thought of.

"Finally!" She cheered hugging it close to her, pressed against the new locket hanging around her neck. "Thank you Eddie, that is so sweet.

Next handed Wentworth an envelope that had his and Maggie's name on it, another shared gift. Richie had seen the frame in Eddie's backpack, but narrowed his eyes at the envelope, having no idea what was in it. "That's another shared gift."

"That's cheating." Richie snickered, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You found a loophole in the rules you little minx. Share gifts, huh?"

Eddie smirked at him as Went opened it up, pulling out a little card. He leaned over so Maggie could read it with him, both of their eyes softening as they scanned over the short chunk of text on the card. But Richie was left in the dark as to what it said.

After finishing reading, Maggie smiled at him, wiping the corners of her eyes as Went carefully unfolded the paper that was attached to the card. He read over it and furrowed his brows before looking up to him. "Eddie?"

"Really?" Maggie exclaimed, looking just as excited as she was emotional. "Tickets to Hawaii?"

Richie looked down at him, confused, and Eddie just laughed. "Well I thought it would be nice for you both to go. I had the time of my life there." He nodded. "It was fun... and romantic."

"When did you do this?" Richie asked, just as surprised as his parents.

"Not telling." He winked. "Happy holidays Maggie, Went."

Ever since he practically begged Richie for them to stay in Bar Harbor a little longer, he'd been dreading leaving. Now not only did he not want to have to say goodbye to Maggie and Wentworth, when they all woke up in the morning it was snowing.

It had been a while since Richie had seen snow, so his first response was to run out with the new coat that Wendy had gotten him and dive straight onto the powdery lawn. It was very pretty out, different to how pretty it was in New York when it was winter. In the city especially, the white blanket quickly turned into slush on the sidewalks and street. But here it was quite the sight.

Even Eddie thought it was fun for about three minutes before starting to panic about their flight. He wasn't sure if he was legitimately worried about flying in the weather or if it was his mind subconsciously trying to find another excuse to stay longer. But he knew that they couldn't stay there forever. Or can we?

He shook his head. No, it's time.

Eddie just landed a job, and Richie had his own career and connections to maintain in LA. The scary part was that he knew if he'd asked, Richie wouldn't hesitate to throw it all away for them to stay, to make Eddie happy.

So he knew that it was his responsibility to make sure they got on that damn plane.

"Call me when you land. I'm serious Richard, do not give me a heart attack." Maggie held onto her son tightly, combing her slender fingers through his hair. He could tell that she was having a hard time saying goodbye too.

"Bye son." Went, in the meantime, hugged Eddie. "You are always welcome back, anytime. Take care okay?"

"Thank you." He breathed out, trying to hold it together. "For everything. Send us plenty of pictures of Hawaii when you go."

"Roger that." He pat him on the back one last time before moving to bid his son a farewell.

"Eddie." Maggie smiled sadly, almost suffocating him with her hug. "This has been the best Thanksgiving, ever. Thank you for making it so special."

"No, thank you."

"Sweet boy." She laughed into his neck. "Please look out for each other okay? I know you are going to keep doing great things, you deserve great things." She pulled away, pinching his cheek lightly, nearly killing him with the tears welling up in her eyes. "I love you."

Eddie's breath hitched, nearly shaking from trying to hold in his own tears. "I love you too Maggie. We'll come back, I promise."

As soon as they pulled out of the driveway and the Tozier household was out of sight, Eddie broke down, covering his face with his hands as he cried like a baby. Richie gripped his thigh tightly, giving him a moment to let it all out. It took a good few minutes of driving for him to stop and laugh at himself, drying his face off.

"If I would've known you enjoy the holidays so much I would've planned to stay longer." Richie smiled at him. He hated that Eddie was upset about having to leave, but he was happy that he had such a good time. Really, the few minutes of tears were worth the past couple of days of happiness. "We can always come back, but now I have to step up my game for Chrismukkah."

"Woah, slow down." Eddie snorted. "We are still doing one gift each."

"Ugh that's so stupid, this is for Christmas and Hannukah."

"One. Gift." He repeated. "We don't need any more stuff, I'm going for more sentimental."

"You're boring." Richie rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll pick one gift."

"Do not go too crazy-"

"Too late..."

"Richie!" He scolded with a little laugh. "Don't."

"It's Chrismukkah Eds, but I'll take your dumb rules into consideration."

"Stop calling it that, it's silly."

"Chrismukkah?"

"Yeah, it's ridiculous."

"... Chris-"

"Rich!"

"-Mukkah. God, I can't believe I'm with such a Scrooge!"

"Whatever. You're the one that wants to spend the holidays with me. And combine the holidays with me." He chuckled fidgeting with the watch on his wrist. "I'm reinstated in your family. It's official. You're never getting rid of me now, Tozier."

"Good, I never want to."

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