Archive of Our Own ^beta

It takes him fucking ages to convince his parents to help him. It doesn't even start to work until after that fucking disgusting creep of a clown is dealt with and even then it's too long too long too long . His soulmate is scared, terrified, needs him . He can feel it . Has nightmares in his sleep, has everything horrible in that part of him reserved for his distant soulmate's emotions and he's been trying to send calm, send love, send some sort of reminder that his soulmate (full of affection and happiness and gentle concern) isn't alone , is never alone. But it's not like before, when the unhappy feelings fade, when they were replaced with gratitude and love and the sort of warmth that makes him feel amazing .

The Losers Club wish him luck, don't even offer their usual friendly mockery because they know why he's leaving. (He can remember the beating and the fact that he'd cried not just because of the pain but because his scared sick soulmate was trying to offer him something to help him, some shard of calm and comfort even though he's terrified . He'd never have made it out of the sewers if not for his soulmate's fear reminding him he has to survive if he wants to see the person on the other side of the connection)

The lodestone that has always tugged at him, told him where his soulmate is, leads them west. And the terror has eased lately, become a quieter sort of fear, but strange, as if coming from far away (almost like before, with the terror that had been like a punch to the gut) but Richie isn't going to tell his parents to turn around. He's going to find his soulmate and he isn't going to leave because clearly someone needs to keep him safe .

The lodestone takes them west and south and it takes fours days of trying to figure it out (and two days after he woke up screaming from the worst pain he'd ever felt, terror and agony and he can't even think beyond it, just desperately wants to make everything better but doesn't know how ) (but it's not like it comes with a fucking road map , it's just a compass trying to guide him) until it finally takes them to a place called 'Hawkins' in Indiana.

This close that compass is a lot more accurate and he's out of the car before it's properly stopped, before he can even think about it, up onto the porch and rapping on the door.

The woman who answers has messy hair and dark circles under her eyes but smiles when she sees him. Doesn't say anything just lets him in before going out to talk to his parents. And he knows the way, opens the door and there's his soulmate, just barely awake and tired and the most beautiful thing he has ever ever seen.

"Mmm... Oh."

Big brown eyes open and sweet lips curl into a smile and a hand reaches out for him. And who is he to deny that silent request? He comes close, full of love so intense it hurts and there's a sweet echo in that place that has been so full of terror.

"I'm so sorry it took me so long to get here. But I won't leave. Um."

He feels suddenly awkward, kneeling next to his soulmate's bed, holding his hand, looking into the very definition of doe eyes.

"I'm Will. Will Byers."
"Hi Will, Will Byers. I'm Richie Tozier."

And Will's giggle is the sweetest sound he's ever heard. And he knows his soulmate's name now. But this close, he can pick out nuance and there's still pain and fear under it all.

"What happened Will? I mean, you've been so scared and I had to come. And you're still hurting and-"

He's normally good with words (even if he does add a lot of swearing. Provides emphasis.) but he can't seem to find the ones he wants, the ones he needs.

The ones to say that it doesn't matter what it was, Richie will believe him, and now Richie's here and he'll keep Will safe, make sure none of it ever happens again. He'd faced down that thing in the sewers, he's not going to let anything hurt his soulmate again (although, universe, if you're listening, not another clown. He's had more than enough fucking clowns for a fucking lifetime).

And he wants to know everything, wants to meet Will's friends (and this summer he'll find a way to take Will back to Derry, introduce him to Richie's friends (even though they already seem to be forgetting about It)) wants to learn all the things emotions can't tell him, favorite foods and movies and music and...

His brain slightly shorts out, because Will is pulling his hands away, sitting up and pulling up his shirt (Look, Richie knows himself and this is his soulmate and he'd been planning on getting some practice in so he'd know what he was doing but-) and there's a bandage there, on Will's side and he can't keep himself from reaching out, touching the very edges.

"It's... a long story. And I don't know if you'll believe me..."
"A. You are my soulmate, I'd believe you if you said the president was a purple potato and the sky was green with pink polka dots. And B. I had to face down a murderous shapeshifting monster clown and I helped my friends kill it by hitting it repeatedly with a baseball bat. There is nothing you could tell me I won't believe even if you weren't my soulmate. But you are. So you should tell me so I'll know if I need to go find another one. Baseball bat that is."

He's making an effort to keep his swearing in check, wants to make a good impression and he's made his soulmate smile and giggle again and it's the best feeling in the world (why don't they warn you about this in the books? why don't they warn you that once you meet them, once you know those feelings are because of you , you'll be willing to take a beating for a smile, you'll be willing to murder for a giggle, you'll be willing to burn the whole world down for a taste of the love spreading out from that place inside you).

And as Will tells him the whole thing, explains why his poor soulmate has been so scared , he's... okay, pretty sure if it weren't for the soulmate thing and the clown thing, he'd have thought the cute guy needed a long stay in the loony bin. But this is his soulmate and he's willing to believe anything and yeah, Richie is about 90% certain he needs to get his hands on a baseball bat.

Eventually, once his knees are killing him and the sun is up, Will's mom leans in and says she hates to interrupt them but they should probably come have lunch. And he's smart, he knows he's smart (except when he's being really fucking stupid) and so he waits until Will's mom has left the room before he reaches out, slides a hand into very soft hair (and it's a very silly hair cut. Silly, not stupid because nothing about his soulmate could ever be stupid) and gives Will a gentle kiss (not the sort of kiss Richie is certain they'll exchange someday) and Will presses back and then smiles against his lips.

Fuck this amount of love is almost painful, but in the best way possible. But when he pulls away (because Will is injured and Richie is never forgiving that bitch he doesn't care that it was apparently necessary, his sweet soulmate is hurt because of her ) and says "Your mom's going to come back. And I'm hungry. Are we going to have to kill squirrels or something?" Will laughs.

And Will's careful as he slides out of bed, stands up with a slight wince (Richie's going to have to take up weightlifting. Clearly he's going to have to be able to carry Will.) and replies "No need for killing squirrels. But she does have my painkillers."

"Shit, sorry, want me to go get them? ...crap I didn't mean to swear. Damnit." and the sudden flood of awkwardness in his veins was worth it for the way Will falls back on the bed, giggling all over again.

"It's okay. I can manage the walk," comes once Will has calmed a bit, the pain under everything a bit more pressing, and he feels bad because he hadn't remembered Will was still in pain, was too busy basking in everything else.

And then Will says the words that made Richie's cheeks go red.

"I like your glasses."
"Um."
"You were worried I wouldn't. But I do. And I like your teeth. I know you were worried about that too."
"Wait. I get the... yeah I was worried because- but-"

And now Will's blushing.

"After I... came back, I wasn't just feeling your emotions. I was sensing your thoughts. Sometimes at least."

Then there's a little smile that he knows is going to be the death of him (but what a good death it will be) and Will says "You have a very dirty mind Richie."

"...I am so fucked ."