later that night, when richie had reluctantly returned to his home and eddie had equally as reluctantly allowed him to leave, a line was crossed.
as richie rested his head upon his pillow, a welcomed crackling sound emitted from the large grey block on his desk.
and as eddie sat anxiously on his bed with the same device gripped tightly in his palm, the two somehow knew that it was now or never.
"richie?"
richie gently picked up the source of the sound and hesitantly pressed the button on its side.
"i'm here."
a long sigh could be heard through richie's end, but somehow it only brought them closer to the finish line both had been so desperate to reach for so long.
"i...you said- you said you, loved me. is that true?"
richie felt as though eddie's stuttering was mocking the same blips that his heart suddenly produced, but he remained trapped within a still whisper.
"cross my heart, hope to die."
it was silent for a very long time, and richie was almost certain that eddie was gone. but there was a minuscule sliver of hope as his finger determinedly continued to put pressure on the small red button that felt as though it could end his life.
he let go, and he returned to his bed, with a heart just as empty.
but as eddie's hold on his tongue loosened and richie's eyelids drooped melancholically, a small whimper echoed throughout the four walls richie couldn't quite call home without his other half there.
"i love you too, rich."
and with the prolonged lack of response, eddie assumed richie had fallen asleep, and he accepted that maybe he would never hear the three words he broke himself to utter.
but richie heard it, god he'd never heard anything so clearer in his entire life.
and now they were both going to pay the price.
