Some Reddie content for you guys, I hope you like it! :)
Richie Tozier was always losing things. His glasses, his cigarettes, his homework, and, more recently, his mind. His friends could always help him find his glasses while he sat blind and vulnerable, he could always buy more cigarettes, and he could always afford a couple points off of his straight As.
But that goddamned Eddie Kaspbrak was making Richie's head and heart ache. He couldn't think straight - literally. He listened to Ben ramble dreamily about Bev, on and on, and it made Richie's head spin. Beverly? Beverly Marsh? Yeah, sure, Ben, she's pretty I guess. But Jesus, have you taken a look at Eddie?
While Ben spouted poetic verses about the winter fire that was Beverly's hair, Richie sat with his chin propped in his hand and for once he shut his mouth. Richie didn't say a word because even though his mouth always seemed to blurt out things he didn't want it to, something in him was strong enough to keep it shut as he daydreamed about that short little kid who really did make him lose his mind.
---
On one summer day, Richie was able to get out of the house without his dad asking him to do any chores, and he raced his bike down to the Barrens, tucking it under a bush. It was hot and he could already feel his hair starting to stick to his neck. He couldn't wait to go splash in the creek until the sky turned pink and the curfew set in.
As he skidded recklessly down the slope into the Barrens, he heard just one startled yelp. It was familiar in that it was timid and high, just like-
"Jesus, I thought you were Henry," Eddie gasped, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath from the little scare.
With a laugh, Richie brushed the dirt off of his pants and ruffled Eddie's hair playfully.
"Maybe you shouldn't be down here all by your lonesome, huh, Eds?" Richie asked, suddenly bending his knees a little and walking around Eddie as if he was some sort of monster.
"You never know, I could've been Bowers and then-" Richie, now behind Eddie, suddenly put his hands over Eddie's eyes and yanked him into a tight squeeze, then set off wailing.
"Ohhh, no, I wouldn't be able to look, Eds!" he cried in a not-so-convincing female voice. "Oh, what Henry would do to you and your cute little cheeks, I think I'd die if they hurt Wheezy!" Richie moved his hands from Eddie's eyes to his cheeks, where he pinched them like a grandma or an aunt would.
Eddie, squirming to get out of Richie's grasp, pleaded, "Get off me, Richie- hey, don't pinch me! - you know I hate when you call me Eds, and it's not funny to scare me-"
Richie finally let go, and Eddie tumbled forward into the shallow stream with a grunt. Even in his pleadings, Eddie was almost as bad as lying as Richie was at his voices. He loved when Richie called him Eds and pinched his cheeks, but that was unspoken and definitely not true as far as he was concerned.
Actually feeling a little bad as he watched Eddie try to get mud off his hands, Richie stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry, Eddie, I didn't mean for you to fall," Richie apologized, and Eddie turned around to face him.
"Yeah, but I meant for you to," Eddie replied with an uncharacteristic grin. Before the puzzled expression even fully settled on Richie's face, Eddie tugged on Richie's arm and pulled both of them into a heap in the water.
Before Richie could react or process what just happened, his glasses were knocked off and landed a few feet away. He laughed, loving when Eddie finally did something spontaneous and fun. The only problem was he couldn't see the smile that made him melt or the twinkling brown eyes that made him see stars.
"Wait, Eds, my glasses, I can't s-" Richie started to say, but he was interrupted by Eddie putting both hands on his shoulders and pulling him very close very fast and-
Even though Richie was close enough to see every freckle on Eddie's face and his long, dark eyelashes, he chose not to see and closed his eyes as he melted into the kiss.
Richie let his hands find Eddie's waist and pulled him closer, their noses bumping awkwardly together. Their knees were wet from sitting in the stream, but neither one seemed to notice. Neither one really knew how to kiss, but it was still happening.
As they pulled away, breathing heavily, they each laughed at the redness on the other's cheeks. Eddie looked shyly at his legs, but Richie just stared at the boy, surprised that Eddie even had the guts to do something like that. But boy, Richie was sure glad he did. He didn't know how much more pining he could take.
They shared a moment of silence that was not awkward but somehow full of understanding and relief; the secrets were out and neither one regretted what had just happened.
The silence was broken by Bill Denbrough crashing through the greenery with a bright smile, Ben and Stan close behind. Everyone said 'good morning' and they all went about their usual activities of splashing and digging and playing. Eddie seemed unfazed as he picked dandelions on the streambank, and Richie seemed perfectly normal as he threw mud at Bill and laughed hysterically.
But inside, Richie was so overwhelmed that he didn't feel like he had time to think, so he just played without really thinking, and his head spun with images of the kiss as he kept thinking on repeat:
I can't believe that happened but God am I glad it did. I was really about to lose my mind.
