whoa, baby! | reddie

- eight

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❝ be excellent to each other. PARTY ON, DUDES! ❞

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He called Eddie when he got in the taxi, though it had taken him nearly 15 minutes to convince the one he got to drive him anywhere other than a safe lodging spot.

"What the hell, 'Chee?!" Eddie said, voice exploding from the phone after the first ring had barely faded. Richie flinched, pulling the device away from his ear and lowering the volume slightly. "I was so worried— what the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you answer? The weather says that it's reaching blizzard levels up there. Are you okay? Are you somewhere safe? Are you going to be able to get home? Are you—"

"Eddie, love of my life, my heart's true and only desire, my beloved, my angel, sweetheart," Richie said, taking a breath. Eddie fell quiet, and Richie smiled a little bit. The last one always got him. "I am fine. I was trying to hail a taxi. Everything is A-O.K. I want you to stop worrying so much, alright?"

"I can't!" Eddie complained. "Look around you, Rich— look at where you are! How can I stop worrying?"

"Baby, it's really going to be okay," Richie assured him, exasperated. "I just need to stop one more place. I admit, I've gotten a little sidetracked— but I'm going to finish up, and hitch a ride to the airport if anyone will take me, and I'm going to catch my flight home. Then when you wake up, I'll be in our bed with you, and you'll wonder how you didn't realize I was back. And you'll snuggle a little closer to me, and realize that I am not, in fact, ugly— I'm actually pretty cute when I'm sleeping. And then—"

"Okay!" Eddie interrupted, before heaving a sigh. "I'm sorry... I've just been on edge ever since you left. I don't know what you could possibly want back there. But it had better be worth it."

"Oh, more than, buttercup," Richie replied, leaning back in his seat. The ride wouldn't be long— he was almost at his destination. "I promise I will be back by tomorrow morning. But don't be mad if I sleep the day away, okay?"

"Don't worry, I won't be mad," Eddie said. "I'll be pissed."

"Sounds lovely," Richie laughed. "Listen, I'm arriving— I gotta go. I might be MIA for a while— the thing I'm here for seems to have been buried pretty good in all this snow."

"Buried?" Eddie asked incredulously. "What are you—"

"Don't worry about it," Richie cut him off, unbuckling his seatbelt and handing the driver a few bills. "I love you, Eds."

"Don't call me that," Eddie said sourly. "I love you more."

"Impossible," Richie crooned, climbing out of the taxi. "If I don't answer this time, don't panic— but if two hours go by and I'm still not back, then it's safe to assume that something went wrong."

"Way to make me feel better, you jerk," Eddie hissed.

"I'll call you, my darling Lover Boy," Richie said, pulling his gloves on. "I anxiously await our next conversation."

"You're such a loser," Eddie grumbled. "Bye."

Richie waited for the line to go quiet, then slipped his phone back in his pocket. He looked around, breath coming out in puffs of white, and grimaced.