A/N - [Light fluff at the end, but after this chapter it'll be awhile til I write more.]

Ashley Walker was a victim of rape. Richie had finally found that out and it sent him into a highly protective mode. Nobody would ever get away with touching his girl in ways they shouldn't, especially Thomas Barley. That led Richie Tozier to be standing outside of the Derry grocery store where Barley had worked. He wasn't going to let this off the hook, nor was he going to let Thomas Barley run around and slut shame the one girl who didn't deserve it.

The door to the grocery store opened, causing the bell to ring and bring the cashier's attention to the front. He stood there in deep thought as his eyes scanned the area of the store, looking forward to his chat with Thomas Barley. A sweet lady looked over at him, smiling widely. "Do you need anything, young man?"

"Just looking for Thomas.", He gave her a huge smile as he stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, causing her to nod her head. As soon as she turned around, her eyes landed upon the teenage boy as he was putting items back onto the shelf.

"Thomas! Come here!", She shouted, bringing the boys attention to the front. He set down the items, brushing his hands on his clothes before making his way to the front. That's when his eyes locked with Richie Tozier's.

"Can I help you?", Thomas asked in a nice voice, obviously faking it because he was in front of his boss. Richie didn't know she was his boss and even if he did, he wouldn't care at all.

"Yeah, you can help me.", Richie tried to keep himself from lunging towards him and tackling him down to beat the ever living shit out of him. It took a lot of self control, but he was sure he'd manage. "By apologizing."

"Apologizing for what?", Thomas asked in confusion, which wasn't necessarily an act. He was confused about what he would have to apologize for.

"For what you did to Ashley.", Richie clenched his jaw as he saw Thomas grin. His boss, Barbara, was listening in while ringing up the next customers. Richie watched as Thomas stepped closer, that same grin still plastered on his face. He stopped directly in front of Richie, staring him dead in the eyes.

"Don't let that slut make you think she didn't have fun.", He whispered so that Barbara couldn't hear anything. Richie clenched his fists in his pockets, trying to remain calm. "She'll eventually come running back for more. She felt so good around my–"

Richie cut him off by punching him square in the face, sending Thomas to go stumbling backwards as his right hand flew up to his nose. The customers gasped as they watched closely, making Barbara turn around and look at her employee. Her eyes quickly glanced towards Richie. "Young man, I need you to leave!"

"Not until people realize how much of a creep he is.", Richie dryly stated, stepping forward towards Thomas Barley. He turned to look at everyone, quickly speaking up, "This dipshit is a rapist. He raped a girl at his own party, labeled her as a slut, and then was praised for having sex."

"Richie, I'd suggest you leave.", Thomas snarled at him, causing Richie to smirk mockingly at him.

"Why?"

Ashley grabbed a jar of pickles from the shelf, rushing over to her mother by the cart. She gently placed it in the cart, causing her mother to glance up at her in annoyance. "No."

"Mom, please?"

"You go through a jar of pickles in a whole day. You've got a problem.", Her mother stated with a sly grin plastered on her face. Ashley rolled her eyes playfully at her expression.

"At least it's not a drug addiction.", Ashley argued with a giggle following after once her mother nodded in agreement. Her mother grabbed a loaf of bread, placing it in the cart while Ashley began talking again after a few minutes. "Richie and I are talking again."

Lorelai Walker never looked at her daughter quicker than she had just then. A smile rose on her face, glad her daughter and Richie were finally getting through whatever they were going through. Lorelai Walker never knew about the rape, the reason behind the the breakup, or why her daughter ran around town with Thomas Barley. After she hit high school, she never told her mother anything that happened.

"That's good, honey.", Her mother smiled widely, showing her daughter that she was excited that the two were back to talking. As they rounded a corner of the store, they saw people gathered around two teenagers fighting. Her mother was quick to notice who one of them was. "Is that..Richie?"

Ashley's eyes squinted as she focused on the face of the dark haired boy, quickly causing her to react as she scurried across the store. Lorelai followed after her daughter, just to try and keep her away from the two boys who were tackling each other.

"You're just jealous!", Thomas shouted after getting shoved down onto the ground by Richie, who was hovering over top of him and slamming his fists into his face repeatedly as blood splattered from Barley's nose. "You're jealous that she wouldn't do it with you!"

Ashley's eyes widened in realization of what was happening, causing her mother to glance over at her daughter. Lorelai drew in a deep breath as she realized that her daughter was involved in this outburst of two teenage boys arguing over a girl who wouldn't do it with one of them, instead she did it with the other.

"You forced it! You fucking creep!", Richie was then shoved off of him, then being tackled to the ground. Richie took a blow to the face as Thomas grabbed him by the jacket, picking him up and slamming Richie's head down against the floor.

"Richie!", Ashley slipped past the crowd, standing directly in front of the two boys. Richie looked up towards the voice, seeing the girl he cared for before taking another hit in the face. All he saw was fear in her eyes and he was tired of seeing that expression coming from her.

Richie rolled Thomas over, punching him one good time in the face before Ashley rushed over to him and pulled his jacket. She held his arm back, not allowing him to hit Barley again. She pulled him to his feet, quickly glancing at Thomas Barley before eyeing down Richie's glasses that were lying on the floor. She quickly picked them up, then turned to Richie and placed them back onto his face.

Thomas stood up and faced the two of them, blood trickling down his face. "Tell him, Ashley. Tell him how much you enjoyed it."

Richie's nostrils flared in anger, clenching his jaw as he took a step towards him. Ashley stood in the way, stopping Richie by placing her hands on his chest. Her mother watched in disbelief that her daughter was in a situation like this and now she realized why Richie never came around anymore.

"You fucking raped her!", Richie shouted as he kept trying to step closer to him, but Ashley kept him in his place as she used all her strength to hold him back. "You fucking asshole!"

Lorelai Walker was now glaring at Thomas Barley as she stepped past the workers, causing Richie's eyes to glance over at her. His eyes quickly widened. Lorelai walked towards Thomas, anger flowing through her veins. "You raped my daughter?"

"Mom.", Ashley called out, turning to see her mother standing directly in front of him. Richie grabbed her wrists gently, keeping her from walking over there.

"He's lying.", Thomas Barley shook his head vigorously. "You're really going to believe the trashmouth?"

"The trashmouth is like a son to me, so yes.", She seethed, gritting her teeth in anger as she spoke. "Don't ever let me catch you near my daughter again if you want to keep that little pecker of yours. Touch her, look at her, speak to her, or even think about her...you will be so fucking sorry."

A grin rose on Richie's face, letting out a hysterical laugh at her mother's choice of words. Ashley on the other hand, looked extremely embarrassed. Now the whole town was going to know of it. That was the last thing she wanted, but it was going to come out sooner or later. She could already see it now, Ashley Walker is a lying s.o.b.

♡ ʀ + ᴀ ♡

"Mad? Me? No.", She sarcastically replied, pacing around her room while Richie laid sprawled out on her bed with his arms under his head as he kept his eyes fixated on her. She was busy fussing about what happened at the grocery store. "You only told the gossiping women of Derry about how I was raped! Why should I be mad!?"

"Ash, come here.", Richie moved his left arm out from under his head, gently patting the bed beside him. She ignored him, continuing to rant.

"Thomas is still gonna be loved by so many because he still got in my pants! Greta Keene is gonna have a fucking blast over this shit!", She took a long, deep breath before lowering her voice. "I'm just embarrassed.."

"Ash, come here.", Richie repeated, bringing her attention towards him. "I'll chase your blues away."

"How?", She crossed her arms over her chest, sighing softly once she saw a smirk appear on his face. She let out a short laugh before trying to be serious. "Gag me with a spoon."

"Oh, I'll gag you with something, alright.", He winked at her, causing her to gasp in shock. She wasn't used to his sex jokes anymore, which made her realize how much she actually missed him over the past year.

"Richie!", She giggled softly as he began wiggling his eyebrows at her. She rushed over to him, yanking a pillow out from under his head and smacking him in the stomach with it since his face was still getting used to just being punched in the face. His lip was busted and his nose was bleeding earlier. He let out a short breath after getting hit in the stomach before he snatched the pillow from her hand and tossing it on the other side of the bed. She went to crawl over him, but he held her in place before rolling her over to where she was under him. That's when he began tickling her sides, causing her to begin giggling as she begged him to stop.

"Kiss me and maybe I'll stop.", He suggested, causing her to shake her head.

"I'm not kissing you.", She giggled more when he tickled her neck and stomach. "Fine! Fine!"

His tickling came to a halt as she took his face into her hands, smiling widely as she leaned closer to him. He returned the smile before kissing her softly with a quick peck on the lips. Her eyes met his as their smiles faded, both pairs of eyes averting to each other's lips. Closing their eyes, they both leaned in towards each other and connected their lips into a longer kiss.

Ashley's hands ran through his dark, curly hair as they continued to melt into each other's touch. Their lips moving in sync as their hands explored each other's body. Richie's left hand moved from her thigh and up to her hip. Her hands fell to his shoulders before pushing him away gently.

"What?", Richie asked after their lips departed with a slight smack. His eyes scanned her facial features, quickly asking, "Are you okay?"

Her hands gripped his sides, pushing him over onto his back as she was now straddling him. "Do we do this too much?"

"Ash, it's normal.", He chuckled softly, pulling her gently by her waist and sliding his body further down on the bed to where she now barely sat on his stomach, allowing him to prop up his legs against her back. She glanced down at Richie's torso, sliding her hands against the soft material of his shirt. Richie had never been the muscular type of boy and Ashley always loved that. She never cared whether or not a guy had muscles or not, but she did have a type; tall, skinny boys. She loved Richie with every bone in her body and she loved him for who he was.

"Yeah, but don't you think that we used to make out all the time? We never had a break, unless we were out in public or in front of my mom.", She sighed softly, still eyeing down his torso in amusement. His hands brushed over the back of her own, causing her eyes to quickly avert to his.

"Ash, are you saying you hate it?", He raised an eyebrow in confusion, causing her to shake her head vigorously.

"No! No.", She responded. "I just think that we should chill on making out."

"What do you suggest we do then?"

Her heart skipped a bit, taking in a deep breath before leaning towards him. Her hands rested on the bed on either side of his head, bringing him to look at her in confusion as he tried to figure out what she was up to. Before he could ask, she placed her lips beside his ear and whispered, "Watch a movie."

Richie let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding, quickly pushing her off of him. "Jesus, Ash. You can't fucking do that to me."

"What?", She asked innocently as she watched him climb off of the bed. "What'd I do?"

He ran his hands through his hair, pacing around her room as he began thinking of things that grossed him out, either that or pissed him off. He sighed in relief, glancing over at her as she stared back at him with confusion laced in her expression. "Nothing."

"Richie, what'd I do?"

"Ash, nothing."

"I did something or else you wouldn't have said that."

"Ash, forget it."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No.", He chuckled softly as she kept on.

"Richie, please.", She whined.

"It's nothing."

"It's obviously something."

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Fine.", She sighed in defeat, reaching on her nightstand for her book. She opened it gently, beginning to scan through the words to find the place she stopped at. Richie stood there with a smile on his face before walking over to her.

"I've got to get home.", He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss to her head, picking up his glasses from her nightstand and placing them on his face. Ashley looked up at him, smiling as she saw him with his glasses on.

"Why don't you just get contacts?", She asked curiously, making him sigh as he shrugged his shoulders.

"My mom doesn't want me to. Too expensive. I'm just glad I got these new ones that don't make me look weird."

"I think you look cute either way.", She replied to him before turning her attention back to her book. Richie kept his smile on his face, turning towards the door of her room before hearing her speak up again, "I love you."

"I love you, too.", He answered sweetly, walking out of her room and headed down the staircase of her home. Once he reached the end, he heard her mother crying in the living room. His smile had faded as he snuck up slowly to see what was wrong.

As if right on cue, Lorelai Walker looked up at the boy with tears rolling down her cheeks. She was quick to brush them away, hoping he wouldn't notice. But he did. Richie walked into the living room, sitting down in front of her with a frown plastered on her face.

"She didn't tell me.", Lorelai sniffled as she thought of the situation at the grocery store. "She never told me what he did. God, I feel so terrible that it happened to her. She's gotta live with that her whole life."

"She never told me either.", Richie responded, making her look at him with a confused look. "Well, until now. When she told me, I felt so angry. Not at her, but what I did today– he had it coming."

"I appreciate what you did, Richie.", She nodded gently, letting out a deep breath before continuing, "I was always wrong about you. I thought that all you were was that little trashmouth kid that would hurt her in the end. I was wrong and I'm so sorry for thinking that. You would have never–"

She broke out into tears again, causing Richie to close his eyes as he struggled to keep his own from slipping. "I made a promise to Ash. I'm gonna keep it. I'm not letting her get hurt ever again. I swear it."