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vingt-sept

"So, about that dare..."

"You're really adamant about this, huh?" Eddie asks with a sigh. It's the millionth time Richie's reminded him of the dare they'd made at the bonfire.

"Yeah! I want to know. You do have a crush on someone, right?" He grins. "Hey, yesterday was my birthday. You wouldn't tell me then. So will you tell me now? As a late birthday present?"

The two are in Richie's room. Eddie is standing up and flipping through one of the books on Richie's shelf- a choose-your-own-adventure book- while Richie is laying on his bed, staring up at the boy.

"Should I explore the cave or should I look for more secrets on the mountain?" Eddie says, and Richie sighs.

"Come on, please?" Richie begs.

"If you really want to know, fine." Eddie replies, annoyance lacing his voice as he shuts the book, putting it back on the shelf. He's nervous, but he knows Richie isn't ever going to give this up. "I'll tell you who I like, alright? You're acting like a twelve year old."

"It's my specialty." Richie nods proudly, sitting up. Eddie sits down beside him. He hesitates, taking a breath. "So spit it out, Eds!"

"Don't call me Eds." Eddie huffs.

"Okay, well, like, we're just messing around, right? So if you want to get with someone, I want to know. And I'll stop kissing you if you want." Richie says. Eddie looks over at him with an expression of absolute disbelief and annoyance. He can't believe he has to spell it out.

"You are one dense motherfucker." Eddie says incredulously. "Are you serious? I like you."

"Come again?" Richie squeaks out.

"Jesus Christ, I like you, you stupid bitch. Why do you think I was kissing you?" Eddie repeats, fire in his eyes, angry, embarrassed. But too nervous to let the anger take over. "You know that 'practice' stuff was bullshit. I mean, come on."

A smile spreads across Richie's face. He shakes his head, laughing lightly, and Eddie stares anxiously at him.

"Well, I thought you did, but I didn't want to talk about it." He grins.

"Yeah, me neither." Eddie agrees, raising his eyebrows, his hands gripping the sheets beneath him. "So...?"

"So I like you, too, dumbass. I think I liked you before you moved here." Richie takes Eddie's hand in his own, and the brunet sighs in relief. "I'm pretty sure we're the last ones to know about this."

Eddie laughs. "So... boyfriends, then?" Richie nods, leaning in to kiss him. Eddie reciprocates enthusiastically, and his heart doesn't ache this time; on the contrary, it soars.

"Man, I've been waiting so long to be your boyfriend. It'll be perfect. I know all your favorite things, I'm prepared for this shit." Richie says, determined, and Eddie grins wide, soft dimples pronouncing themselves on his cheeks.

Eddie kisses him again. He can't get enough. It's dizzying, passionate, and Richie is a really good kisser. Eddie could do this all day. Richie pushes him onto the bed gently, hands sliding up his shirt to roam over his skin, and Eddie gasps softly at his touch, reaching up to grab Richie's shirt collar. Richie straddles him, leaning down for another kiss.

"Fuck, you're so cute." Richie breathes, his hair falling down into his face, and Eddie smiles again. He'd kill for Richie's praise, it feels so nice. "Virgins get excited so easily, hm?"

"Hey, you don't know if I'm a virgin." Eddie protests, though he can't stop himself from smiling.

"You are. I can tell." Richie presses a kiss to Eddie's nose, and Eddie scrunches it up. "Want to change that?"

"I'm good for now, thanks." Eddie replies, flushing. It seems like he'll never get used to Richie's sexual jokes. Well, are they jokes? "At least take me out to dinner first, you know?"

"Alright, lovely." Richie says. Eddie smiles so wide, eyes softening.

"Aww, that's so cute." He coos, intertwining his fingers behind Richie's neck.

"Thought you might like it." Richie laughs softly.

He'd never say it out loud, but Eddie's reluctance for sex is completely new to him, and it's a little confusing. Richie was always known as Trashmouth Tozier (it was actually a nickname he'd brought over from his old school, reclaimed for himself) the sex-crazed maniac. He'd had his fair share of first-date hookups and one-night stands, because it's what people always expected of him. Sex, and that's it. Richie's never been in a relationship that was based on love rather than lust. He doesn't know what else he can give Eddie besides sex.

Richie rolls off of the boy beneath him, laying beside him on his back. Eddie turns over on his side, looking at Richie, and Richie turns his head to smile.

"Do you think we should tell the Losers?" Eddie asks quietly, and Richie snickers.

"Oh, Eds, they know." He says. "They've all been trying to get one of us to make a move. They gave up on me, so at the bonfire they were trying to get you angry enough to say something."

Eddie scoffs in disbelief. "Seriously? That's so mean. You're an asshole."

"Hey, it worked, though, right? Got you all jealous." Richie grins.

"Yeah, of course it did. You were kissing Beverly." Eddie huffs, and Richie bites back his laughter, opting instead to brush Eddie's hair back.

"It was a dare. You can't turn a dare down, spaghetti. Plus, I'll kiss you exclusively now." Richie promises, and Eddie smiles.

"You'd better." He says, sticking his tongue out at Richie playfully. "Don't call me spaghetti. That's my least favorite name."

"Sure, spaghetti." Richie teases. Eddie rolls his eyes. "Anyway, do you want to tell them?"

"I don't know." Eddie says quietly. He doesn't. This is new and a little scary. What if it crashes and burns? In that case, it would be better not to tell them; but they're his friends. Ugh, such a dilemma. "Will they care?"

"Maybe. Like, not in a bad way. But we're also trying to fight a killer mist, so I don't know if it'll be a huge deal. 'Hey guys, we're dating now,' after months of flirting probably won't be a surprise." Richie shrugs.

"'Months of flirting?'" Eddie repeats. "I could never tell if you were flirting or joking."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a Trashmouth." Richie smiles. He sits up, stretching, and Eddie watches him for a second, admiring his form. He sits up next to him. "You can't say anything. You just never flirted at all."

"That's fair." Eddie giggles. "It's difficult, alright? I don't know how to flirt. I get all confused and tongue-tied."

"That's fine by me. You're adorable when you're flustered." Richie says with a small, dreamy sigh. "See, that's how you flirt."

Eddie rolls his eyes. "Whatever. I don't have to flirt anymore."

"You never did. It's not like I expected anything from you." Richie replies.

It means a lot more to Eddie than Richie probably realizes. Even when Eddie was cold to him, even when he had bad days and would push him away or snap at him, Richie still liked him, just for being him.

Because that's how Richie is. He loves Eddie with all his heart, without expecting anything in return.