A failed attempt still counts

1.

The whole plan is very unlike himself. Eddie isn't used to prepare these things.
Richie is the one who always plans their dates, the one that keeps the romantic sayings going, or the one who initiates any sort of physical love demonstration.

Not that Eddie doesn't like them, no. He loves all of those things actually, but it usually takes him some time to ease up and accept them. He always puts up a tougher front, topped with teasing manners towards Richie's attempts at wooing him. But deep down he is craving all of those things just as much, despite pretending to be indifferent towards them. It's the way he grew to be, and Eddie isn't proud of that.

But today is a new day, and this one, in particular, is special. Today, Richie is coming home from his three week vacation away with his family. That includes parents, aunts and cousins. Eddie feels sorry for him.

Eddie remembers the way Richie had begged his mom for Eddie to come, but that hadn't worked out. So Eddie stayed, Richie went, and now they were missing each other too much. Even the other losers' jokes about how Eddie has been dragging himself around while Richie isn't there have lost their fun. He is dragging himself around, trying his best to act like his normal self and be capable of having fun while his boyfriend isn't there.

Boyfriend. That sure sounded like a joke to him for a while, everything did. The compliments that now had a new meaning, at least for Eddie, the constant touching that now had a different purpose, the lingering looks across the room, the kisses. Oh god, the kisses. For a long time, Eddie thought he would never get to enjoy something like that, but now that he has it, he can't get enough. Unless, of course, the only person who kisses him decides to disappear for almost a month.

It has been hard. But both of them were looking forward for this day when they would finally, finally, see each other again after such an eternity. Three weeks is a long time, okay?
Specially for a couple of 17 dudes who only got their shit together less than 3 months ago.

Initially, Eddie was more than content with their first plan. They ran it over a few days before Richie left. On the day of his arrival, Richie would go home, stuff his bags under the bed and then leave the house as quickly as possible, using the real excuse of meeting his friends because he's been dying without them. Then Eddie would wait for him at home and they'd have the rest of the day for themselves, outside. Not that they could stay at Eddie's, his mom would ruin everything. And if they went back to Richie's, his parents would make him help unpack things and get the house back in order, wiping dust, doing laundry, telling Eddie to come back later...

Clearly, Richie didn't like that plan, neither did Eddie.

So yes, that was the way things were supposed to go. But then, then, his mother had been invited to spend a weekend at her sister's house all the way near the coast, on that same fucking weekend. Eddie had flipped out on the inside, started to scream internally and thinking: what the fuck am I supposed to do now?

In fact, it was only two days, so he tried to convince himself that it wasn't that bad. They could work with that, Eddie and Richie could wait an extra couple of days to see each other. Right?

But then he remembered something that could, possibly, convince his mom to let him stay.