The Tension Between Us

Chapter Six - Night

I'm sorry y'all I know I said this chapter would be super long and angsty, but I changed the plot a bit, so there's only a lil bit of angst today - also Bowers didn't murder anyone in this AU, I needed him as a plot device I'm lazy ok 💗
Enjoy!!

- RICHIE'S POV -

It was Tuesday, and Richie had just spent the day with Stan at his house, hanging out, being stupid and playing videogames. He was on his way home as the sky settled into a dark blue, stars slowly sprinkling over his head as he boarded down the empty road. He liked skating at night, it was peaceful.
He's suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he comes up towards the woods, seeing a shadowy figure as he turns the corner, it was a part of town he had to take on the way back from Stan's direction where there weren't as many houses. As his eyes followed the shadow, he didn't notice the second one in front of him in time, colliding with them as hands shoved him to the ground. He groans as he skids across the road, scraping skin off his hands and knees as his skateboard rolls to the curb, "Thought we'd find you around here at some point Tozier."
The voice says coyly as Richie scrambles to his feet, looking around to see Bowers, Belch and a boy he didn't recognize, he couldn't take the three of them, even with his growth spurt.
"Did you have fun dancing with your faggot boyfriend at Griffin's party?"
He questions, Richie's eyes widen a bit in surprise as he looks between the boys, how did they know about it? He thought everyone was too drunk to remember it.
"Don't act so surprised, just because we graduated last year doesn't mean we don't still have connections."
He smirks,
"How is Eddie anyway? I've been meaning to catch up with him lately."
He laughs, the three stepping closer to Richie as he flares with anger, balling his fists,
"don't you dare touch him or I swear to god I'll kill you!"
He snaps, shoving Bowers back roughly, which earns him a shove twice as hard straight into the arms of his goons, who hold his arms back as he struggles. "Let me go!"
He growls through clenched teeth, but all it receives is a bone crunching punch to Richie's jaw, his glasses flying off to the ground before the second punch comes, hitting the side of his head. He feels his ears ring and his vision blur slightly before he snaps back into focus as Bowers screams in his face, he struggles with a yell,
"get off of me you assholes!" Voice breaking, feeling the blood dribble down his cut lip. He tries not to cry as a fist hits his stomach sharply, Richie coughing and gasping for air as they continue, four or five punches later, the two boys behind him shove him to the ground, Belch sending one more bruising hit to his cheek as he tries to get up again. It's all a big blur as he feels the kicks to his sides, his body spiking with pain as they stare down at him. Richie rolls onto his side and coughs, thick blood spilling from his mouth to the pavement,
"that's what Eddie'll get a glimpse of if you're not careful Tozier. This is a small town." Bowers warns, sending one last kick to the weakened boy before leading his friends to their parked car and speeding off into the night with a few wild howls called out through the car window, rock music following them. Richie feels pain everywhere, his head foggy as he tries to sit up, but the speed of it hits him and he blacks out.
The next thing he new Eddie was hunched over him with soft brown eyes riddled with worry, shaking his shoulders with tears streaking his tanned cheeks. "Richie? Richie! Oh thank God!" He calls, trying to lift him up in the middle of the empty road. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out but it was still pitch black outside, so he guessed not that long. A groan escapes him as he slowly sits up, Eddie wrapping his arms around the bigger boy, "You scared the shit out of me! What happened?!"
He says into Richie's shoulder with a sniffle before pulling away and helping his best friend up,
"Bowers."
he breathes, leaning on Eddie with an arm around his shoulders as they make their way to Eddie's bike, picking up Richie's glasses and Skateboard on the way.
"Get on, I'll take you back to my place ok?"
He says softly, helping Richie on to the back of his bike, his arms holding Eddie's waist lazily and resting his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes and trying to focus on the soft smell of Eddie's sweater instead of his throbbing head. Eddie pushes off with a sturdy pace with his eyebrows pulled into a frown, anxious thoughts obviously running through his mind.
It only takes about 5 minutes from there to get back to Eddie's, and they somehow manage to sneak in and upstairs without his mother waking up.
Eddie orders Richie to sit on the edge of the bed as he fetches a first aid kit, closing the door softly behind him and sitting next to his ravenette friend. He takes off his glasses carefully, which are somehow still in tact, and starts wiping the blood from Richie's face with a disinfectant cloth, eyebrows still drawn in worry, biting his lip.
"Hey,"
Richie says, grabbing Eddie's wrist,
"I'm ok! See? Still able enough to fuck your Mum!"
He grins, posing and pretending it didn't hurt as Eddie rolls his eyes,
"no need to worry Dr K."
He says, Eddie's shoulders relaxing a little with a sigh, not really saying anything, just pulling his wrist free gently and continuing to dab the cotton onto Richie's cut lip, his spare hand spread over the bruised cheek. Richie admired the boy in front of him, long dark lashes, perfect lips, freckles dusted over his nose as he frowned in concentration... Richie thought he was god damn beautiful, so he told him.
"You're beautiful Ed's."
He whispers with a hazy expression, Eddie looking up to him with big eyes, and surprisingly he doesn't snap at the trashmouth,
"You're beautiful too."
He whispers back after a moment with a small smile, before settling his gaze back on the boy's injuries. Richie's heart swells like crazy and he desperatly tries not to make it obvious.
After Eddie's wiped the remnance of the attack from Richie's face, he pauses slightly, blushing,
"I need to check your stomach..." He says awkwardly, Richie laughing in response,
"Damn Ed's if you wanted me shirtless you just had to ask."
He winks, receiving a light slap on the arm and a groan. Richie does as he's told though, lifting it over his head slowly as to not hurt himself too much. Eddie gasps with wide eyes a the dark purple and red bruises already rippling across Richie's abdomen and sides. Eddie brushes a hand over them lightly and Richie hisses in response,
"sorry."
Eddie mumbles, bringing his hand back before running downstairs, returning shortly with an ice pack. He sits back down and presses it to Richie's side where the bruising is the worst, earning a small flinch from the curly haired boy.
"This should help with the pain a bit, bring down the swelling,"
he mumbles,
"you should stay here, I don't want you going home this late after what those psychotic assholes pulled."
Richie shrugs, his Mum wouldn't care, she'd think he slept over at Stan's.
"sure."
Eddie then shuffles over to his usual spot in the bed, Richie carefully following. As they lay next to each other in silence, Richie practically feels his heart beating out of his chest, they did this all the time, slept in the same beds, cuddled even, but now things were different. There was a big ass secret wedged in between them that neither of them wanted to talk about, and weighed on them like a tone of bricks in the silence of the room. Eventually Eddie sighs and twists to turn off his lamp, burying himself in the covers and facing away from Richie. Said boy just glances over, biting his lip as the debate unfurls in his mind, should he just break the ice? Say something? Or turn the other way and follow Eddie's lead? He runs a hand through his curls and place the icepack on the floor beside the bed, then turning around and mustering up enough courage. He slides an arm around Eddie's waist and pulls him to his chest, burrying his face in the brown locks, they smelt like apple shampoo and Eddie. For a second Eddie was stiff in the boys' arm's, but eventually he relaxes, letting out an audible shaky breath in the dark room and cosying into the hold.

- EDDIE'S POV -

Eddie felt a surge of relief that Richie had pulled him closer, it was a sign they'd be ok, but at the same time his nerves we're on fire, he could feel Richie's breath against his neck, and it basically gave him goosebumps everywhere. Richie was also shirtless, and so unbelievably close, he wanted to do something but he felt like the moment would be ruined, though his mind is changed when he feels the small kiss pressed against his neck. He takes a breath and turns around to face Richie, who's dark eyes are sparkly and alluring without his Coke bottle glasses, curls falling over them as the moonlight gives him a blue glow. Eddie feels his chest tighten, and he hesitantly props himself up on one elbow to lean over his crazy friend, putting a hand on his cheek and leaning down. This whole 'making out with your hot best friend' thing was a lot more nerve-racking when sober, but he manages to shove down his fears and press a gentle kiss to Richie's lips, careful not to hurt the injured boy. When he pulls away, Richie doesn't say a thing, just looks up to him with wide eyes before reversing the rolls and climbing over Eddie slowly. He leans over him, holding himself up with one arm, one of his legs now in between Eddie's as he leans down to kiss the boy back. It's firm and quick, but more like a calm before the storm, because soon the pace quickens, and Eddie feels a hand slide along his thigh, hitching his leg up around Richie's waist as he wraps his arms around the taller boys'neck. He felt fire dancing along his skin at the touch, and the kiss made his heart hammer in his chest, it felt beyond perfect. A few minutes in Eddie gets a little too into it and pushes back a bit too hard, the ravenette pulling away with a hiss at his lip.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Eddie squeaks sitting up, Richie laughing a little,
"this was a stupid idea, you're all beat up, let's just- yeah, you need to rest."
Eddie rushes, Richie rolling his eyes and lying down again,
"it's fine Ed's, there'll be plenty more opportunities for us to lock lips, as best friends do."
He chuckles, Eddie blushing furiously and sinking down to the covers out of embarrassment.
"Don't be a dick Richie."
He says quietly after a minute or so, Richie notices his distress and shuffles over to wrap an arm around him, "hey," he says softly, "I'm just joking around Ed's, I didn't mean to be a dick ok? I'm sorry." Eddie sighs with a nod, burying himself into Richie's chest,
"talk about it tomorrow?"
Eddie asks, Richie nodding with a reluctant expression.

They fell asleep like that, not moving from the hug until sunshine started to poor in through Eddie's window, the boy waking with a gasp.
"Richie! You gotta wake up man my Mum will be up soon!"
He says, shoving Richie gently and stumbling out of bed, rubbing his eyes and heading for his closet at his best friend groans, sitting up and doing the same before slipping on his glasses. Eddie pulls out a yellow oversized sweater and throws it at the shirtless boy,
"here, it's way to big for me, now scoot before she finds you up here!"
He whisper yells, Richie slipping it over his head with a yawn and grabbing his Skateboard, heading towards the window and opening it. He starts his climb down, Eddie looking over the edge to him with messy bed hair,
"I'll see you at Billy's tonight ok?" He says quickly, Richie grinning, "c'mere."
Richie mumbles, grabbing Eddie's shirt collar and pulling him down into a short kiss. Eddie feels his whole face flush as he sputters, Richie just laughing and sliding down the side of the house to the shed roof, jumping off and skating down the road with a salute,
"cya Ed's!"
He calls, leaving Eddie a flustered angry mess,
"you haven't even brushed your teeth Richie! Your so disgusting!"
He squeaks, stupid Richie and his stupid flirty face. He closes his window and sits on his bed edge with a huff, he tries not to, but eventually let's the smile slip onto his lips, grinning and falling back with a giddy sigh. He didn't really know what they we're doing right now, but whatever it was, it was fucking brilliant.

Once again sorry it's short! Hopefully u liked the fluff tho,, thanks again for reading Luvs!
-P