my boy | reddie

six

over the next week richie and eddie grew closer than ever. at this point they basically lived at each other's houses, staying the night even on weekdays and it never consisted over anything special just morning and night routines that happened to take place at each other's houses.

"so w-w-what a-are you?" bill asked as the four sat at their usual lunch table.

"what do you mean?" richie asked obliviously.

"you can't be that blind?" stanley asked. richie just shrugged as he took huge chug of his chocolate milk. when he got up to throw out his tray stanley and bill both looked at eddie in unison.

"you have to notice." stanley said. eddie sighed and nodded. "so what is it?"

"i don't know." eddie sighed. he was as confused as stanley and bill even if he were the one involved. "just call it what you want."

richie walked back to the table towards eddie with his head down. eddie had to admit that he did look quite adorable.

bill and stanley exchanged looks and smiled.

when the bell rang for lunch to be over they all headed toward their sixth period. eddie and richie went to algebra together. "you should come to my house after school." richie suggested.

"what are we gonna do?" eddie asked.

"a whole lot of nothing." richie started, "but it's better to be doing that with you." he confessed. eddie felt heat rising to his cheeks but quickly pushed away the feeling. he never wanted to overthink anything richie said.

"can i stay the night?" asked eddie.

"do you even have to ask?" laughed richie. as said before the boys had grown so close it was almost mandatory that one stays at the other's house.

after school eddie went straight to richie's house with him. "hey eddie spaghetti." the usual greeting was called out when richie and eddie walked through the door.

"hey ms. tozier!" eddie exclaimed.

the two boys ran up the stairs together and laid next to each other on the bed. richie had recently gotten a tv so they usually watched that until they fell asleep but eddie had a different idea. "let's build a fort." he immediately undid richie's bed without consent and started to pull the sheets in all directions.

within half of an hour the fort was complete. richie and eddie made a bed beneath and laid down. "you know i'd feel stupid doing this with anyone else." richie told him. "but i trust you like a brother."

eddie didn't say anything he just took the compliment. that was until richie continued, "i know i say stupid things a lot and get myself in trouble. i make a lot of mistakes too." eddie looked up from his hands to meet richie's eyes. "at least i did one thing right." eddie smiled softly in this and pulled richie into a hug. it wasn't often richie went soft on eddie but eddie loved it so much.

no one said it but this moment seemed like one in movies where two people would kiss. the boys both settled with the thought rather than the action. would their choices falter if they knew what the other was thinking?

when the two laid down to sleep richie stayed wide awake, occasionally glancing at the beaut next to him richie couldn't help but think of him. gently richie pulled eddie toward himself without waking him and embraced him in his arms.

richie would never know that eddie woke at this moment.

"eddie." he paused shortly. "i would never tell you this if you were awake." he stopped again, questioning if he should continue. "and i know...that this is dangerous. many people will think it's wrong." richie couldn't tell if he was sobbing or stuttering but whatever it was made him choke on his words. "but..." he stopped once more to kiss the top of eddie's head and his cheek. "i think i love you. you may never know this." he twirled his fingers throughout the curls atop eddie's head. "but i do adore you, sleep well bubs."

richie closed his eyes and thought up all the scenarios that could occur if he had the guts to tell eddie this when he was awake, or when he knew he was awake. good and bad, richie just wish he could tell him.