the lockbox [richie tozier x eddie kaspbrak]

004

"I can't wait for our prom." Ben says. All the losers are sat in the cafeteria watching two teachers hanging a sign on the wall Senior and Junior Prom '90.

"Ew, why?" Eddie asks, picking up his apple and taking a bite. He cringes as he watches Bill eat his own apple that has a dark spot on it. Gross.

"It's gonna be fun. We'll be older and we each can bring dates-"

"I call Eddie." Richie butts in, nudging the small boy. Eddie just rolls his eyes and ignores the flirting from Richie. It's always been Richie flirting with Eddie but for some reason Eddie thinks Richie is doing it more and more often. He asks Eddie to go everywhere with him and then makes constant comments about how cute Eddie is. It's maddening.

"Like I would go to prom with you." Eddie snorts. That would actually be fun, not that he'll say it out loud.

"Your mom will go with me then." Eddie rolls his eyes at him.

"You can't just call Eddie, he's not an object," Mike says on the other side of Eddie. Both boys growing much taller than him and begin talking over his head.

"I too can call him." Richie sounds frustrated. "He's cute, I call him." Ah, there is the comment again.

"Eddie isn't going with you, he'll probably ask some nice, sweet girl and take her." Bev adds.

"I'm right here guys." Eddie says but everyone ignores him. Bev is the only one who sees him and she gives him a small smile as if she knows something that he doesn't. He tilts his head at her in question.

"Why would Eddie take a girl? He likes boys." Richie blurts out, breaking Eddie away from what Bev was about to mouth to him.

"Richie!" Eddie shrieks. Everyone looks at him as if they finally notice he's at the table. His face turns red as he elbows Richie as hard as he can in the side. Motherfucker.

"W-what?" Bill asks.

"Nothing," Eddie says sharply. "Richie is being a trashmouth, he doesn't know what he's talking about." He says it fast, biting his apple with anger and embarrassment. He doesn't look at Richie.

"If you like boys, it's not a big deal." Stan says in a bored voice, Bill nods in agreement.

"Eddie, if you're gay, just say it. We'll still love you." Bev says sweetly. Fuck her.

"Guys, don't press-"

"Beep, beep, Richie." Eddie growls. "You've said enough." He's annoyed. He trusted Richie with his secret and now Richie goes and blurts it out.

"I'm-" Richie tries again.

"Yes, I like boys." Eddie says to the table and then turns to Richie with a face of anger. "I fucking told you because I trust you and you broke my trust and told the entire group!"

"I'm fucking sorry, Eds-"

"Don't call me that!" Eddie is trying not to yell and it makes his voice very high pitched. "I just, I trusted you and-"

"I only fucking said it because us going to prom together would be sweet!" Richie fires back. "If you don't wanna go then I'll go with your mom-"

"Oh, stop being such a fucking asshole." The table is watching them, Bev is trying to interrupt.

"They are your friends! How can you be mad at me? It's not like I fucking told the entire school!" Richie is mad, his voice very low, but not the good low he uses when he's serious. His face is red, probably as red as Eddie's.

"I just want to be able to trust you-"

"You can fucking trust me! I keep all your secrets and you keep mine!" That makes Eddie stop, he thinks about all the secrets they have. Big secrets like Richie's abuse from his parents and then little secrets like the time Eddie gave Ben ice cream that had fallen on the ground. They have so many. More than Eddie thinks two people should share together. So what? He told the rest of the losers that Eddie is gay. He can't be too mad.

"In Richie's defense," Bev gains Eddie's attention. "We were smoking last week and I interrogated him for an hour because I could tell he was keeping a secret, and he didn't dare tell me." Eddie looks back at Richie, his face no longer angry. Eddie relaxes his own, Richie smiles.

"Fine," Eddie sighs, a bit irritated still. "But no way I'll say yes if you ask me to prom." He plays along.

"But I fucking called you." Richie whines and the entire table just groans.