Bichie

Video Games

Authors Note: thank you all so much for the positivity on chapter 1!! i wasn't going to continue but i think i will now, thank you all so much <3!!

Richie sloppily pushed his bike into the bike rack parked in front of the Derry Arcade. He adjusted his glasses slightly as he pushed open the large glass doors. He was suppose to meet Bill there at least fifteen minutes ago, which felt like an eternity.

Bill and Richie had been friends for at least a month. And almost every day of that month they were together. Whether it be playing in the quarry, riding bikes, or running from angry dogs after they "accidentally" stumbled onto "private property". They had both quickly come to appreciate each other's company, and suddenly Derry seemed a lot less lonely.

Richie rushed in and looked around the crowded arcade, trying to remember the exact spot he'd promise he'd meet his friend. He turned to the dinning area of the arcade and smiled as he saw a familiar boy sitting all alone. He rushed over quickly and smiled.

"Why ello' there! Top of the fifteen minutes late to ya'!" Richie chirped in a horrid accent. Bill turned to him and groaned playfully.

"Wh-What? That do-doesn't even make sense," he chuckled as he stood up from where he sat waiting. Richie shrugged and followed after him.

"How much money did you bring? This bitch wants to play some street-fighter," Richie rubbed his hands together as he scanned the arcade.

Bill shrugged and pulled some quarters out of his pockets. "I o-only have three dollars and seventy five cents. Wh-What about you?" Bill asked as he turned to face Richie again.

Richie pulled out a three crumpled dollars and a handful of quarters and grinned. "Five twenty five! AKA Enough to buy the whole arcade," he bragged as he moved toward a lonely pac-man machine. Bill snorted and shoved Richie playfully, but said nothing else on the matter.

Pac-Man was gracious enough to not cost a whole dollar, only twenty five cents. Bill couldn't help but be surprised as he watched Richie push two quarters into the coin slot.

"Yuh- You know it doesn't c-cost that much... R-Right?" Bill asked as he stared at the luminous screen of the game. Richie shrugged, but didn't move his eyes to meet Bill's. 

"I know. Just thought it might be more interesting to whoop your ass instead of playing single player," he was surprised how well he managed to keep his voice flat, he was already feeling embarrassed. Doing nice things for your friends was something Richie was almost positive is a completely normal thing.  Not at all gay. He was so caught up in thinking of non-platonic and platonic acts that he didn't even see the Blue Ghost sneaking up on Pac-Man.  He groaned as the sound of defeat rang from the machine and Bill began to laugh. He simply stepped back and let Bill take the controls.

As Bill maneuvered Pac-Man around the board, Richie watched closely.  At first Richie had his eyes locked on the game, he quickly found himself drifting over to Bill. He found the way Bill was acting far more interesting than the stupid game. He silently noted how cute it was when Bill stuck his tongue out to focus and how handsome his eyes looked as they narrowed on the screen over something sosimple. These were normal things to do with your friend in Richie's mind. He was just noting down important features, being inquisitive perhaps? He decided that would be what he called it.

His deep thoughts were interupted again by a quick cheer from Bill. Richie turned his attention to the screen again, only to see his friend had already advanced to level three.

"Be careful, your lucks gonna run out soon Billy Boy," Richie sneered playfully as he leaned into the screen. Bill pushed Richie back softly and muttered a quiet 'shut up'. Richie's turn finally approached, and the two kept advancing farther and farther into the game.

"Loser has to get food for the winner," Richie announced as Bill played. Bill groaned and rolled his eyes quickly as he continued to jostle around the joystick.

"I-It's a d-deal," Bill mumbled back. He had to focus even harder than normal, seeing as he only had one life left. His breath caught in his throat as he realized he was trapped in the top corner, and he could only groan as the "game over" screen appeared.

Richie bragged and boasted the whole way over to the snack bar, Bill couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Both boys decided they just wanted pizza. It seemed to be one of the only foods you really can eat at an arcade. Bill only had enough money to buy food for Richie, so Richie decided to show some human decency and buy food for his friend.

They both sat down across from each other on the dusty looking arcade booth seats. Richie quickly took a bite of his pizza.

"Food here tastes like ass!" he mumbled angrily through a mouthful of cardboard like pizza.

"Then wh-why d-di-did you insist i b-buy you something," Bill huffed before taking a bite of his pizza slowly. It really was just as terrible as Richie described.

"Because I wanted to make you suffer obviously," Richie smiled a toothy grin, and then took another bite. The red sauce began to slowly drip down his chin and smear onto his cheek, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He took another bite and looked up at Bill, who happened to be staring at him. Bill quickly looked down and took another bite of his food.

Richie hesitantly took another bite, "Tastes like cardboard," he chuckled slightly, and took another bite, spreading another small dabble of sauce onto his cheek.

Bill finally decided to say something. He raised his finger to his own cheek and looked Richie in the eyes. "Yuh-You got something r-r-right there," he smiled slightly.

Richie took his own hand and raised it to the opposite side. "Right here?" he inquired as he frantically wiped where he assumed the spot was.

"N-No dipshit. Other s-side," Bill chuckled slightly and tapped his own finger against his face again.

Richie went to the other side and vigorously wiped where he assumed it was, only it seemed to smudge the red sauce more.

"Did I get it?" Richie asked again, he smiled slightly, he could actually feel where it was at this point. But getting under Bill's skin seemed more important than having a clean face.

"Y-You're such a mess Ruh-Richie," Bill sighed as he pulled over his own napkin.

He seemed to move in slow motion as he reached over and gently wiped off Richie's face. Richie couldn't help but feel himself lock up the closer his friend came. He was so close that Richie could see the vibrant colors in his eyes and how soft and pink his lips looked and how smooth and soft his skin looked.

Even Bill couldn't help but feel flustered as he reached across the table and wiped his friends face. He hadn't even noticed what he was doing until it was to late. He leaned back quickly. At least Richie's face was clean.

"I-I n-knew you w-were to st-st-stupid to get that yuh-yourself," Bill huffed as he quickly shoved the last bite of his food in his mouth. At this point he'd gone so numb he couldn't even taste it.

Richie just chuckled softly. "Y-Your probably right Denbrough-" he smiled and stood up. "Common, I'm full and feel like kicking your ass in Street Fighter," he said quickly. Bill quickly stood up and followed after him.

Thankfully Street Fighter had captured their attention and threw any memories of their last 'incident' and threw it out the window. After a few rounds of Street Fighter it began getting dark and both boys headed their separate ways.

But Bill lay awake in his own bed later that night, clutching his heart so tight as though to stop it from bursting out of his chest. He'd felt like he was going into cardiac arrest ever since he got home.

He wondered if Richie felt it too.