real; reddie

f i f t e e n

"shut up!"

eddie is chuckling, and he ducks underneath the slide at a children's playground, trying to get away from his pursuer.

"get back here!"

eddies giggles as he runs, dodging the play structure and the swings, sprinting into the forest behind the park and ducking behind a tree.

"eddie! where did you go?"

the small boy holds his hands over his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter. he can hear will crunching on the leaves as he walks, and he holds his breath so that he won't be caught.

it doesn't work so well, though, because will ends up tripping over a twig, and face planting on the forest floor, and eddie can't hold in his laughter. before he can stop himself, he's giggling like a maniac, and will gets up and grabs him from behind, swinging him around.

it's two months later, and eddie and will had been getting along a lot better than previously. when will wasn't constantly trying to hit on him or make crude jokes about his relationship with richie, he was actually pretty fun to hang out with. so, at least, the two were friends. i was almost as if will didn't start the friendship by threatening eddie.

"let me go, you dick," eddie complains, but he's still laughing a bit, so his request doesn't hold up very well.

"or what?"

before eddie can answer, it begins raining, and it catches will off guard, so eddie hops away from him, shielding himself from the water underneath one of the trees.

"shit," will curses as the rain picks up, and thunder booms. "that came out of nowhere."

"it's fine, i have to write an essay for class anyway. i should probably be getting home," eddie reasons, and he tugs the hood of his sweater up and over his head. "but you're still coming to the group hangout tomorrow?"

will flashes a smile and nods. "obviously. now come on, we've got to make a run for my car."

the two of them count to three and then begin sprinting through the forest, across the abandoned children's playground, into the parking lot. will unlocks the car, and the two of them, now slightly drenched fall into the seats. the rain had gotten significantly worse, and now lightning struck a few miles away.

"richie at home already?" will asks as he starts up the car and pulls out of the parking lot. the drive from that park to eddie's shared apartment with his boyfriend is not that far, and they only have to make conversation for three minutes.

"yes," eddie answers, a smile drawn on his features. "he's probably making dinner. we're probably going to watch a movie when i get home."

"what movie?" there is no trace of pettiness in will's voice, and it's refreshing that he doesn't seem to be attempting to 'get eddie back'. they're at a platonic place in their friendship, and it's comfortable.

"i dunno," eddie answers as will turns into the apartment parking lot. "maybe a horror."

will stops the car outside of the building, and eddie reaches over to give him a hug, and then he's running out of the car into their complex, up the stairs, and in the arms of his boyfriend in no time.