Half The World Away

After A While, Crocodile

LOS ANGELES, JUNE 5TH, 2016: 10:18am

"But, yeah, we should meet up...maybe in a week or so? Because I really miss you. I am so stressed right now, like, Sharon...my best friend and work colleague, admitted she likes me after I kissed her. I shouldn't have kissed her because I don't like her in that way...um, yeah. Call me back, asshole! I'm sorry I missed your call earlier. Bye." Richie grins as he listens to Eddie's voicemail again. He'd woken up 10 minutes ago and had already listened to it 3 times through. He lies on his side, a goofy grin occupying his face, and then he's hit with an overwhelming sense of love for Eddie that makes his heart ache and eyes fill with tears. He missed Eddie and Eddie missed him.

"Richie." Comes his mother's whisper from where she opens up the door a little, peering in. He looks at her, sliding on his glasses, a few tears rolling down his face." Your dad is making some breakfast, it's time to wake up, sweetheart. Oh, what's wrong? You're crying."

"I love him so much." Richie whispers, a few more tears escaping. Maggie stands and stares at him in confusion.

"WENTWORTH, CAN YOU COME HERE A MOMENT?" She calls out and soon enough, Wentworth is stood beside her in the doorway, looking at his sobbing mess of a 40 year old son." He's crying because he's in love."

"In love? Is that so?" Wentworth asks and Maggie smirks." Who is the mystery guy? Do we know him?"

"Yeah you did...when we were kids." Richie responds and Maggie and Wentworth glance at one another before looking back at their son, who's sitting up and wiping his eyes." But we've recently been reunited and I...I'm still very much in love with him."

"So, it's someone from the lucky seven?" Maggie asks and Richie nods.

"Eddie Kaspbrak." Wentworth states and Richie looks at him in a stunned silence. Maggie glances at him too with a smile." What? It was obvious when you were kids. Didn't I predict this 33 years ago, Mags?"

"You did." Maggie responds, looking back at her son, who is still staring at her husband in complete shock.

"I was 7!" He says, making his parents chuckle.

"Get up and we will discuss this more over breakfast, yeah?" Wentworth states and he leaves the room. Maggie grins at Richie before she follows Wentworth to the kitchen. Richie sighs and gets out of bed. He debates on throwing on a hoodie, but he's already hot from the heatwave, so he just walks into the kitchen in his sleep shorts, phone in his pocket.

"Pancakes, your favourite, and yours are made without peanut butter." Maggie states as Richie sits down. She stands behind him, hand on his shoulder and he looks up at her with disgust.

"You have peanut butter in your pancakes?"

"Yeah...it's actually really nice." Wentworth responds, placing his and Maggie's pancakes onto the table. Maggie kisses the back of Richie's head and then sits down opposite her husband, who smiles at her.

"You still carry your EpiPen with you, don't you?" Maggie asks and Richie nods as he eats his pancakes and bacon." Good, because I know you don't make sure if something has peanuts in, even though you're deathly allergic."

"If I have a reaction, that's on me?" Richie states with a shrug and Maggie chuckles before she says," So, Eddie Kaspbrak?"

"Yeah." Richie replies, sipping on his apple juice.

"You're in love with him?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you told him?" Wentworth asks.

"Obviously not." Richie responds." He's going through a divorce and having a child; he doesn't need his oldest friend dropping that bombshell on him. He's already a ball of anxiety without me adding to it. Besides, if there was a slim chance that he wasn't straight then why would he love me back? All I do is irritate him. I'm incapable of being loved."