𝑺𝑳𝑬𝑬𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑫𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀 , reddie

night 5

"this is sleeping deliv... ed's? what's that look on your face?" as soon as richie arrived he started the quarrel.

"what's wrong with my look?" eddie retorted.

"it's beautiful." richie let himself in, walking past eddie as he blushed. "prettier than usual."

"i'm not a girly boy." eddie stated, fiddling with his shirt.

"ah forget it, what's wrong?" richie sat down on the couch, looking up at eddie with concern written on his face.

"strange things happened at school today.."

richie nodded while looking at his phone, he didn't seem to be listening. eddie almost felt the urge to throw richies glasses off and hit his cheek so he'd pay attention to him.

richie put down his phone and poked eddies cheeks. "why did you stop talking? and why do you look so sad ed's? what happened at school?"

eddie looked away, a bit of anxiety curling in his gut.

"nothing special but someone left me a snack on my desk," eddie explained. he suddenly found it nerve wracking to talk to richie. "my favourite snacks."

"i thought it was billy, because he's my closest friend but... it wasn't him. it has to be someone who knows me, they're my favourite snacks.." eddie continues. "marie biscuits and orange juice, they were the only thing i enjoyed at the cafeteria."

richie listened carefully now. "maybe it's a stalker?" eddie suggested.

pffft-

richie spewed out the water he had drunk.

"richie?" eddie looked down at him in worry, richie was in coughing fit.

"a stalker?" he blurted, covering his mouth to stifle is coughing.

"im just saying.." richie kept on coughing.

"why waste your money on someone you don't know? that's all i'm saying." richie coughs again, his face red and glasses slanted.

"i don't know who it is but i'm thankful for the snacks," eddie pats richie on the back. "you don't have to say it badly."

eddie didn't know who it was but he was thankful for the small favour. it was probably the best part of his day.

"are you on his side now?" richie lifted a brow.

"yes! i'm taking sides!" eddie stuck his tongue out at richie.

"what the— if he buys your more food it seems like you just might marry him.. oh eddie, my love, leaving me for such a merciless and materialistic soul?" richie pouts, his voice changing into a poor british one.

'it was strange that richie was so sure it was a boy.'

eddie mumbles something under his breath and rolls his eyes.

"did yah curse at meh boyo?" richie acted surprised, his accent morphing again into something of an irish police man.

"huh? no!"

"ai can tell by the look on yer face lass, have you been wishin death upon yourself now? cause i will gladly grant your wishes." richie pouted through his tasteless accent.

suddenly the story that billy told eddie came up in his mind. when some kind of anniversary comes, richies locker and desk will be stuffed with stuff. presents, candies, you name it.

"i hear you get a lot of gifts too, trashmouth."

"no way, who says so?"

"my friend."

"you have friends?"

eddie playfully smacks richie upside the head.

"yeah! dumbass."

"no way, i don't believe it. you're such a nerdy jerk at school," richie waved his hand. "but anyways, those gifts mean nothing to me."

it was surprising. eddie surely thought richie loved them.

"why?" eddie genuinely wondered.

"they don't mean that much to me." richie seemed like he wanted to extend that sentence, like he had something more to say. he mumbled as if he was embarrassed.

"they're..." he fixed his glasses. "not from someone i like."

eddie looked down at him again, there was some tension in the air.

"what others give me, doesn't matter, doesn't mean anything to me."

richie honestly seemed serious, and it somewhat concerned eddie. from what eddie knew, richie tozier was never serious.

richie looked up at him, and they locked eyes. "what's with that look?" and there he was, the silly richie tozier was back. no more serious talk, no more mysterious gifts or popularity. this was the richie that eddie kaspbrak knew.

"you're more pure than i thought." the words slipped right out of eddies mouth like butter, no time to take them back.

richie had to comprehend that for a moment. "what the hell you tryna say, kaspbrack!"

unlike richies slightly nerdy, athletic looks, he was a pure and soft person. it seemed almost suspicious. like there was some other richie tozier standing in front of eddie. one that no one else knew.

"cmon ed's, don't look at me like that!" richie dropped his head. "pretend you didn't hear anything.. you heard nothing. okay?"

eddie nodded as richies eyes were glued to the ground. eddie could almost feel the heat coming off of richies cheeks.

then richie held out his pinky.

"just... promise?"

with confusion eddie hung his finger over richies. richie grabbed eddies hand.

"if yah go talkin about this somewhere else lass, ai might have tah kill yeh."

eddie nodded again. his hand was warm from richies touch.

richie looked like a person who didn't believe in others well. he looked at eddie with suspicious eyes.

eddie gripped richies hand tighter. "i promise!"

they promised and then got to bed.

eddie was so tired he felt like he could sleep easy. richie was definitely talented in putting people to sleep.

maybe it was his silly nicknames that put people at ease, or his goofy presence. sure he was a little intimidating, but eddie saw right through him.

eddie dreamt of him when he fell asleep.