When Eddie woke up the following morning, he smiled seeing that he was still entangled in Richie's skinny limbs. He had finally been able to process everything that happened the previous day, and decided to ignore the dread in the back of his head about his mother coming home.
He wanted to focus on Richie.
Richie Tozier. The trashmouth with his noodle arms and lean figure, with his coke bottle glasses and untamable hair. All of it. The way he could make a joke one second then turn around and care for his friends a second later. The one who was willing to push his problems aside to be there for a boy he had met just days ago.
Eddie wanted to focus on it all, to be with it all. He didn't want to be with anyone else.
Yes, he loved the losers and being around them, but Richie was part loser and part something else.
The other part was something intimate, something vulnerable and unexplored. That's the part Eddie wanted and the part that he was in love with.
His breath caught in his throat a little at the last part. No, he couldn't love Richie. They've known each other for three days! Besides, liking a boy is wrong.
"But he kissed you," said the voice in the back of Eddie's head.
Eddie shook his head, battling with himself mentally. No, Richie was doing it for comfort.
"He initiated it, though."
Eddie was seconds away from slapping himself in the face to make the voice shut itself up, but at that moment Richie began to move around, waking up.
Eddie couldn't fight back the smile that made its way to his face. "Morning, Rich," he said softly.
Richie groaned and reached for his glasses, throwing them over his tired eyes. Then he caught sight of Eddie smiling at him and broke into a grin. "Good morning Eddie Spaghetti," he said, laughing when Eddie wrinkled his nose at the nickname.
"Where's everyone else?" Eddie asked, mildly anxious.
"Probably making food or something. Are you okay?" Richie looked at him, concerned.
Eddie nodded, biting his lip and playing with his hands. Richie smiled at him and pulled him back down so they were cuddling again.
"You're so cute," Richie said, running the pad of his thumb over Eddie's freckles on his cheeks. Eddie blushed and tried to look away, but Richie didn't let him.
"You're making me blush," Eddie stated.
"That's the point of a compliment, my dear Eddie Spaghetti."
"I don't like blushing," Eddie muttered, looking slightly embarrassed.
Richie couldn't help the laugh that had formed in his throat. "Why?"
Eddie sent him a challenging glare before his features returned to their standard shy and embarrassed expression. "It's weird."
"How so?"
"It makes my face all hot and it makes it obvious."
Richie smiled again and pressed his lips to Eddie's forehead. "It makes what obvious?" he whispered, resting his forehead against Eddie's.
"It makes it obvious that I like you," Eddie muttered, his eyes darting between Richie's eyes and his lips.
"You like me, Eds?" Richie teased, smiling at Eddie's blush that once again covered his face.
"I'm not supposed to. Liking boys is wrong. My mom never let me-"
Richie stopped him from talking, sitting up and crossing his legs. Eddie followed quickly, curious as to why Richie stopped him from talking.
