[He doesn't know what he was expecting, for Eddie to pop out from behind fucking nothing, somehow materialise out of thin air and let Richie start breathing again? Obviously this doesn't happen, and Richie is right on the verge of something terrible and all-encompassing, a feeling that crawls it's way up his spine - and then he hears a sound that is still so incredibly familiar and immediately recognisable, regardless of whether or not it's been awhile since he last heard it.

Richie spins in place, breath catching, towards the sound of Eddie's inhaler. He's fast enough to watch Eddie beginning to circle, to see his face scrunch up as he screams.

It's not a fun, playful sort of scream, like every time Richie had dunked him underwater at the quarry. There's genuine frustration and anger in there, and Richie can't stand to hear it, but at the same time, he's so fucking glad.

The tension largely drains from his body (there's still something weird going on here, something isn't right at all, but Eddie's back so it'll be okay) and Richie laughs and wipes a hand over his face, disguising the movement of his sleeve against his eyes as best he can.]

Eds! Holy shit. Oh,god. What the hell? I love the energy, but where the fuck was that belting two seconds ago? Where were you?