kissing in cars|reddie

sixteen

Richie had been driving for more than an hour. And just around the corner was Frank Kaspbrak's home, Eddie's father's home.

It felt thrilling and all to finally have the opportunity to meet his father, but each passing second, Eddie felt even more sick. He didn't know if it was nervousness, or the fact that he knew Frank didn't know he was coming...but it was sick. Eddie had had enough and wanted to use a bathroom.

"Can we stop for a second?" He asked Richie. The raven haired boy turned to look at him for a split second.

"Sure. Grocery store?"

"Sure. I just need to use the restroom..." Said Eddie. To Richie, he looked like a puppy, sitting in the passengers seat, an impatient and nervous-looking puppy. And Richie wanted to hold his hand, but couldn't just do that. There were unspoken rules. He wouldn't dare to break one and risk having Eddie bash at him again.

Richie parked the car into a random grocery stores parking lot, he and Eddie got out of the vehicle. It took a few minutes for Eddie to find a restroom, but he did, and Richie waited outside in the small corridor.

While waiting he saw a bulletin board plastered against the wall with a few papers taped to it. He walked over to read the papers.

There were two papers titled 'MISSING'. And one of them was of his face and his information, the other one was of Eddie. He was smaller and looked younger. Perhaps the police took their disappearance seriously...but this was bad. If someone caught them right now, they'd get arrested and sent back to Derry. Richie couldn't have that. Eddie couldn't have that.

Richie quickly ripped the papers off of the board when he heard Eddie washing his hands, and he crumpled them up. He threw them in a waste basket.

Eddie stepped out, looking at Richie who looked back at him and gave him a shy grin. "Nice pee?"

"Ugh, come on, 'nice pee?' Let's go, Trashmouth. What're you waiting for?" Eddie smiled at him.

"Nothing. I just wanted to stare at you."

"You're a creep..."

"I'm your creep!" Richie said, taking a few strides over to the brunette and closing the distance between them with a small, soft peck. He leaned away quickly when a young woman stepped out of the girls restroom.

Eddie whispered to him, "Doofus," But he was smiling sheepishly.

As soon as they got back to the car, and before Eddie got in the passengers seat, he kissed Richie's cheek. Then he leaned back to look at the flustered mess Richie became.

"You're lucky we're about to meet your dad, or else I'd have you bent over-"

"Richie!!"

•

"You're going to be alright. I promise, nothing's gonna go wrong."

"You promise?"

"I swear."

They were parked right in front of the house. The house. And there was a silver Chevy in the driveway of the neat home. It was in one of those wealthy neighborhoods up in Massachusetts, and Eddie had pointed out three dogs he saw ("Richie, look! It's a poodle!!). Frank's house was actually really decent looking, with maroon bricks stacked up to a brown roof, and bushes in the front yard outlining a hedge.

"Let's go, then." Said Richie, opening up his car door.

Eddie gulped before opening his, stepping out slowly. He felt his knees grow weak with every second that passed by.

They were walking to the front door. He heard Richie telling him that he'll be alright, that his father would take him in, but he didn't pay any attention. There was just buzzing. His mind was static, like the noise you hear when the TV signal doesn't work.

Then he was staring at the brown front door. There was a small doorbell on the side, but he didn't bother to suppress it. He just stared...  Inside his mind, a man in a small glass tank dressed in white, pounding at the unbreakable glass that surrounded him, screaming. Wanting to be free. His ankles were chained up. And there was a moment where Eddie felt like that man- that man in his mind that he couldn't put a face on, because something was coming, water rising to the man's ankles—

"Ring it, Ed's." Richie's voice burst through his mind, he was standing behind him.

"Oh...yeah..."

Ding dong. Ding don't.

At first, all Eddie could hear was shuffling in the home, but then the door unlocked. And he waited in anticipation to see his father. Next, the door opened.

Except it wasn't Frank Kaspbrak. It was a woman- and behind her, a crying baby.

"Hello? May I help you boys?" Her voice was soft and sweet. Like a princesses, royal and kind and polite. Her hair was blonde, and her eyes were like Richie's- a steely blue, almost pastel. She was beautiful.

"Um," Eddie started. "Is Frank here?" He asked.

The woman blinked. "Not at the moment. Do you want me to leave him a message?"

"N-no, I-" he stuttered. "Frank is- he's my-"

"Eddie is Frank's son." Richie said from behind him.

The woman blinked again, before her brows binded and a look of shock covered her face. Frank was her fiancee, and he did tell her about a son he had...but why would he come to his house? Surely, Frank's other son would stay with his mother, right?

"You're... you're Frank's son? Edward, right?"

Eddie nodded, blushing madly. Of course this was the other woman his mother always talked about- she was young. She was outgoing and she was nothing like Sonia.

"I came to see him...if I could talk to him."

The woman stepped aside and motioned for Eddie and Richie to come in.

"And who might you be?" She asked Richie.

"Oh, I'm Richard. Richie. I'm Eddie's friend."

The woman nodded. "Alright, do you boys want something to drink? We have..." She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "Orange juice, milk, Sprite-"

"I'm alright, thank you." Eddie was looking at the baby that was in a swinging carrier on the floor, playing with a toy and wearing duck pajamas. He smiled at the baby boy. "Who's this little guy?"

Frank's fiancee quickly hurried to the living room from the kitchen, picking up the crying child. "This is baby Tony. Actually, his name's Anthony." She smiled at the child. "Would you like to feed him?"

"Yes, please." Eddie smiled as she handed him her baby very carefully. Upon seeing the small milk bottle, Tony started to latch his mouth to the tip and drink. Eddie felt like tearing up. "He's a beautiful boy." Anthony had brown hair like he did, with small bits of dirty blonde. The baby's eyes were exactly like Eddie's- mocha and chocolate and shiny.

And Richie melted at the sight. Eddie was holding his baby brother and looked so happy, so caring, and Richie never wanted to see the brunette sad again. He realized that Eddie belonged to a family like this, that Eddie deserved to be so happy. He felt himself smiling. He felt like his heart was about to leap from his chest and beg for Eddie to stay like this forever.

"My name's Laurie." Said Frank's fiancee. "I'm so glad to meet you, Edward."

Eddie looked up at her, "I'd prefer Eddie, Laurie." He smiled.

"Okay then, Eddie." She emphasized the name. "Frank's going to be so happy to see you!!" Laurie said, looking out the window in the living room.

Richie and Eddie looked through that window as well, and there was a red car pulling into the driveway.

•

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