Distractions were always nice, and Richie would take them -- and cling to them if need be. It probably wasn't the most healthy coping mechanism but it wasn't like he wasn't trying. And he genuinely appreciated Stan trying with him. It mattered, even if he was closed lipped about some things -- the opportunity to just talk instead always helped.
"He's our goblin, though," Richie said, and god if he wasn't a little dreamy about it. If Richie only knew one thing, it was that he was gone on the very concept of Eddie Kaspbrak. He rested his head on Stan's shoulder, his own posture less tense than what it'd been before. "I promise too," he said after a moment. Because he couldn't ever see himself leaving them again. He didn't want to. "But if we get a sewer alligator in here, we're moving houses."