𝐹𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 - 𝐴 𝑅𝑒𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑐

Realisation

Eddie wanted to scream at the thoughts that had finally admitted how he felt.

He had a crush on Richie. He fucking had a crush on Richie Tozier.

It wasn't normal to have a crush on a boy, let alone his best friend. His mother would kill him if she ever found out he liked a boy. No, she would do worse than kill him.

Eddie and Richie had both been bullied and called f•gotts and fairy's but never had Eddie believed it more than he did now.

Richie didn't care about the names and Eddie had tried not to care but deep down he knew they had been right. And that was something he hadn't wanted to admit.

He had always felt ashamed, because he knew deep down that he was different. He always had been, even though he had tried to pretend he wasn't.

The feelings had never gotten easier and Eddie felt so alone and afraid. He thought something was wrong with him. But there wasn't, he had just been made to believe there was.

"Come on let's go find the other losers!" Eddie says pulling himself together.

He removes his hand from Richies and stands up. The rain has reduced to a drizzle and the sun is back out again.

"Yeah let's go!" Richie jumps up like nothing happened.

Maybe nothing even happened. Maybe it was just a friendship gesture. But did friends hold each other's hands like that? Eddie didn't think so. But then again Richie was different from most people.

"We can't just walk into the diner all drenched." Eddie says wringing the bottom of his shirt.

"We could stop back at your place and get changed?" Richie says.

"My mom will have an aneurism if she sees me soaking wet!" Eddie whines.

"She didn't have an aneurism when she and I-" Richie jokes but Eddie cuts him off.

"Richie. Shut the fuck up!"

"Okay Eds." Richie grins.

"Don't call me that."

The two boys make their way back to Eddies house. They open the door and dash up to Eddies room.

"Here." Eddie chucks Richie some dry clothes.

"These aren't my style." Richie scows looking at the plain red T-shirt and the grey shorts.

"Feel free to freeze in your soaked clothes." Eddie says grabbing a towel and drying his hair.

"I swear you wear the same boring clothes all the time." Richie says grabbing his towel.

"I wear the same clothes all the time? You own like five of the same Hawaiian shirts!" Eddie says back.

"They are different! One has a slight darker shade of blue and the other two are a different green! It's so obvious!" Richie says.

"That's ridiculous you know that." Eddie tries not to smile.

"Well at least they are stylish!" Richie shouts back.

"My clothes are stylish." Eddie protests, shoving Richie slightly.

Richie shoved him back but harder. Which results in the boys toppling over. Eddie panics as Richie lands on top of him. He feels himself blush. Eddie doesn't know if he wants to throw himself off a cliff or pull the idiot in for a kiss. But Eddie decides both of those things are stupid and unrealistic.

"Hurry up and get changed you dumbass!" Eddie says pushing Richie off of him.

Eddie stands up trying to hide the blush that has flushed his cheeks.