𝑺𝑳𝑬𝑬𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑫𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀 , reddie

night 10

eddie sighed.

he lost count of how many times he's sighed.

but he's seen it already. that richie came into his classroom.

it was the day eddie came early for a student council meeting. he walked down the empty hallway to go to the classroom when he noticed someone. it was richie. eddie thought he was visiting before his basketball practice.

in richies hands in why eddie has been sighing. eddie is confused, thoroughly, because in richies hands were the marie biscuits and orange juice, snacks that were left in eddies desk every morning.

it was the same gift the anonymous person gave him.

that's why richie had gotten defensive when eddie had said maybe it was a stalker. eddie knew something was off but this was way off from what he thought.

he saw it, sure, but he still didn't believe it.

why is richie so nice to him?

he's so cold to all the girls at the school.

on the way home, eddie told bill everything that he saw. then billy told him about the other day.

"w-when that girl asked you out ruh-ruh-richie and a bunch of other g-guys saw you," billy explained. "they were calling you puh-pretty boy and s-s-s-slut because you treat all the girls s-so nice like that."

"w-when richie heard them, he went buh-buh-balistic !" billy looked at eddie as eddies mouth dropped. "stan w-was still scared when he t-told me the story. he said he'd never seen ruh-richie so m-m-m-mad."

it was the day richie looked bad and angry because a girl asked me out.

eddie was curious about how he knew, but he knows well enough now.

'richie got mad because of me.'

eddie felt like scattered pieces of a puzzle were matched. even if eddie knew the fact, the situation was awkward. he couldn't go on and act like he didn't know this, but was pretending not to know good too.

eddies head was spinning.

richies curt face passed over his head. the biscuits he used to eat since he was a kid. how did richie know that eddie liked them? he had never told him about it. it would make sense if billy had left them for eddie, since they've grown up together. richie shouldn't know that, they only met not too long ago.

in the moment of thinking eddie heard a knock at his door, breaking his thoughtful silence.

"sleeping delivery!" richies voice whined. "open the door eddie pie, me legs hurt a wee lot now."

he was here rather early today.

eddie rushed and opened the door. when richie saw eddie, he frowned. "why are you surprised from looking at me?"

"is there something on my face?" richie suggested. "are you gonna kiss it away."

eddie rolled his eyes as richie winked. "there's no way i'm kissing your dirty face, i doubt you've ever washed it."

richie just dismissed that. "what's is it then? don't be foolish now. dun be foolish noa don ya go on been foolish yah hear yah hea."

"it's nothing!" eddie shrugged again.

"are yah lookin fer a fight now lass, ai might jus hafta kill yah for lookin at meh wit dah cute face a yers and then tellin me nun bout it."

eddie backed up as richie got closer, cornering him, his back against the wall.

"what is it, ed's?"

richies face came closer, close enough reddie could touch it. his heart started to run fast.

"too.. close."

richie looked at their position and stepped back.

"well ai s'pose yer right me boy." richie tried to brush it off as his face reddened.

"like i said, i like pretty girls."

eddie found that very unbelievable, considering richie has flirted with eddie countless times and given many hints.

"yeah, me too."

richie got stiff from eddies words. "you," richie took a breath. "is dis dere face not hansom nuff for yah now ere ere? did ya get too sick of seein me lookin so dere pretty now? s'pose you can't see me well though."

richie laid his hand over eddies head and moved it through the air back to his own chest.

"that's our hight difference ed's, can ya see me, shorty."

eddie grumbled. "it's not that much."

"you don't see this huge difference?" richie smirked. "are those baby browns only for decoration?"

richie pressed eddies head with his hand.

"my head isn't a human basketball, trashmouth." eddie looked up at him and made an uncomfortable face.

"your head is too weak to be a basketball." richie flicked eddies forehead now. "too small, too soft and.."

eddie moved richies hand off but he only put it back, playing with eddies soft hair. the hands that bothered eddie had become friendly.

"do you eat well ed's?" richie asked. "why does it seem like you get weaker every time i see you?"

"marie biscuits."

richie looked down at him, his hand freezing in eddies hair.

"no, thanks to someone who has been leaving me marie biscuits every morning."

"alas." was all richie said, pushing his glasses up his nose, it was a nervous tick.

'embarrassed..' eddie thought. 'he looks a little cute'

'is it because i found out it's him?'

eddie found himself pay a little more attention to richie without knowing it. though richie was strange and goofy, he took care of eddie well.

'does richie... like me'

the question eddie swallowed was stuck in his head.

'and what about me..' eddie continued his thoughts. 'what do i think about rich?'

ever since richie has been helping, eddies insomnia has surprisingly improved. 

there were nightmares at the beginning, but richie had always comforted him.

eddie wondered if what he needed was not an assortment of pills, but the warmth and attention of another human.

eddies insomnia was better, but when he thought about richie his head became complicated.

a sigh leaked from his mouth. another sigh after thousands had already come tonight.

eddie let richie put him to sleep, and he tried not to dwell on any of his thoughts.