oneshots (reddie +)💫

happy birthday ~ reddie

"Why thank ya, Haystack!" Richie exclaims to Ben in one of his voices. "I'se goin' ta wear this here time ticker 'erry day fo' the rest o my life, I'm tellin' ya! Just you wait an' see!"

"Beep b-beep R-Richie." Bill intervenes.

"Okay, but honestly, thanks Haystack." Richie says and puts his new watch around his wrist. The Losers were over his place for his birthday and were all sitting in a circle while he opened his gifts.

"Now, who's next?" Beverly asked, rubbing her hands together, seemingly more excited than the birthday boy himself.

"Me!" Eddie volunteers and shuffles forwards with arms outstretched offering a neatly wrapped box to Richie, who takes it with a wicked grin on his face.

"Can I guess?" he asks, bringing the box up to his ear and shaking it a little. Eddie shrugs. "Is it... a new vaccine for cancer? Or is that a little too far-fetched? I know! It's cold and flu medicine." he said sarcastically. "No, no," he shook his head. "It's definitely gloves and a scarf for when it's cool out. Don't want to catch a cold now do we?"

"Just shut up and open it, you idiot!" Eddie yelled, tired of Richie's childish behaviour, although also a little amused.

"Alright, Jesus!" He tore off the lid and fiddled with some tissue paper before revealing a brand new radio, the upgraded version of the one he dropped in the water down in the creek in the Barrens messing about with Stan last summer. "Holy shit, Eds!" he said, admiring it. Bill and Mike peered over his shoulders to get a better look, their faces holding the same bewildered expression as Richie's.

"That ought to have cost a fortune! How long have you been saving up, Eddie?" Mike asked.

Eddie shrugged again, a red tinge to his cheeks. "A while, but I wanted to get you something good."

Richie passed the box to Bill, who took it gladly, keen for another look, and got onto his knees and made his way over to Eddie, engulfing him in a huge hug. Eddie almost fell backwards but clung onto Richie, hugging him back.

"Thanks Eddie Spaghetti." Richie said after a while, releasing the smaller boy and sitting next to him, squeezing in between him and Beverly. She didn't mind, only moved over, making space and handing him her own present.

Richie opened the last presents with his knee resting on top of Eddie's. Bev had given him a shirt she saw him eying in the window of a store a few weeks back, Mike gave him three of his old funny books, and Bill and Stan put their money together to buy him the well-needed bearings for his bike. Richie appreciated his gifts and he thanked his friends before asking if they could play a game.

"What about hide and seek?" suggested Ben.

"What are we, five? No, let's play ninja." said Beverly.

"W-What's n-nuh-ninja?" asked Bill.

"Okay so, we all stand in a circle. Come on, get up." she began as the boys all stood up, interested in the new game. "And we take turns going around the circle trying to hit people's hands to get them out. You can only make one move and if they go for you, you can move out of the way, but once you've moved, you have to stay in that position until it's your turn again. Get it?"

"No." Eddie said, honestly.

"You'll get the hang of it once we start. I'll go first." she said and swung her arm to hit Mike's hand but he quickly pulled his hand back behind him. "Yes, that's it! Now you go."

Mike made a move for Beverly's hand as it was just in front of him but she swiftly moved out of the way. Bill was next in the circle and almost immediately slapped Mike's hand when he wasn't paying attention. "No! Am I out now?" he asked while everyone else laughed.

"No, you've still got your other hand." Bev told him.

They went around the circle Ben, then Stan, then Eddie, then Richie, then Bev again and so forth. No one got both hands out until Eddie got Stan's second hand when he was facing the other way.

"Now you have to stand back and wait until someone else gets-" Richie slapped her last hand as she was speaking.

"Out." he smirked. Bev rolled her eyes at him and joined Stan on the sidelines.

A few hits and a few misses later, it's only Richie, Bill and Eddie left standing and they've all got only one hand left. Eddie makes a move for Bill's hand and only just skims it but gets him out.

"Eds, you're on a roll tonight!" Richie says as Bill takes a seat amongst the others. "But you ain't rollin' quick enough fo' this ninja master!" he says, lunging for Eddie's hand but misses and hits his leg, just beneath his shorts. He quickly stands back up again, blushing. "Sorry."

"You can't move Richie! You have to stay in the same spot!" Bev calls out.

"But-"

"I-It's the r-rules Richie." Bill joins.

"Right, sorry. Gotta follow the rules." he mumbles under his breath and tries not to notice the red undertone that comes to Eddie's face as he places his hand on his leg again. Eddie then quickly goes for Richie's hand and grabs it, holding it in his own. Richie looks at their intertwined hands and then up to Eddie's eyes. He has a smirk playing on his lips.

"I believe you're out." Eddie says very matter-of-factly, all the nervousness of before gone. It seemed to have transferred to Richie as he felt his own cheeks heat up, looking at their hands still connected. And then, as Richie does when stuck in an awkward situation, he turned to absurdity.

"My, my! You certainly are the foinest ninja master out there!" he yelled and spun Eddie around by his hand. "Whaddya reckon, folks? I think the ninja master deserves a round of applause, don't you?" he said to the rest of the Losers and held up their hands in the air, taking a bow. The Losers laughed, clapping along, and Ben asked to grab some drinks from the kitchen after the tiresome game.

"You're unbelievable Richie." Eddie giggled lowering his hand, now that the other Losers were in another room.

"You're cute Eds." Richie said and unconnected their hands to pinch Eddie's cheeks.

"Stop it." he said brushing Richie's hands away. "And don't call me that."

"You love it Eds." he teased, smiling.

"No I don't. You're so annoying." Eddie said, though the corners of his mouth were slightly curving upwards.

"You love me." Richie said, stretching his arms out and stepping towards Eddie.

"No. No I don't." he said, trying to sound stubborn while moving backwards. Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie shoulders and rocked from one foot to the other.

"Yes you do. I know you do." Richie said and Eddie gave up, moving his arms up around Richie's back and leaning his head on his chest.

"I hate you."

Richie smiled. "You know, there's still one more thing I really want for my birthday."

Eddie looked up at him. "Yeah? And what's that?"

Richie slid his hands from Eddie's shoulders to his cheeks, not pinching them, but gently cupping his face. He closed his eyes and began to lean in. Eddie's eyes widened for a moment before he followed Richie's suit. Their lips met. There were butterflies, oh yes, they both felt them scurrying in their stomachs at the soft touch of each other. Neither boy moved, it was just a peck but it meant so much more. The clang of a plastic cup dropping to the tile ground broke them apart as they turned towards the source of sound. All five other Losers were staring at them, mouths agape. Stan covered a snort.

"Um, we were just- I- uh..." Eddie stammered, letting go of Richie and retrieving his aspirator from his pocket, taking a big puff.

Richie fell straight back onto the couch with his arms outstretched. "Best birthday ever!" he squealed, grinning at the ceiling. 

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My first chapter tada! Sorry if it sucks, let me know what you think, I love comments :))