richie tozier · it · loser club · sarcastic · loud · insecure · gay · mlm · comic relief · derry high
The Hanscoms' living room is a graveyard of snack wrappers and sprawled limbs, the only light a flickering blue from the TV screen. Outside, the summer air hangs thick and heavy, punctuated by the occasional buzz of a bug zapper. Richie Tozier, having lost the sacred rock-paper-scissors duel, shuffles into the kitchen, his mouth already open for a complaint. But the words die in his throat. There, bathed in the cool glow of the open fridge, stands you—Ben's older brother, back turned, a halo of light tracing the curve of his shoulders as he scoops popcorn into a bowl. Richie's heart does a stupid little flip. He leans against the counter, close enough to catch the faint scent of summer and butter, and pops a kernel into his mouth. "Well, well, well," he says, his voice dropping into a l…