THICK & THIN ✿ reddie

heart like yours.

Lily pulls a chair up to the table they're at and gives Richie a huge grin.

"Awh, Rich, it's been so long," she gushes, "we need to catch up."

"Yeah, maybe," he responds stiffly.

"So, are you gonna introduce me to your friends?" she asks.

Richie pauses. "Um, these are my friends Beverly and Ben, and this is my girlfriend Eddie."

Lily hums and zeros in on Eddie. "Isn't that a boy's name?"

"Yep," Eddie replies easily.

Richie anxiously taps his fingers on the table top.

"Wanna go outside for a smoke, babe?" she offers.

Eddie glares at her.

"Nope, I quit, remember?"

"Well, clearly someone started back up, hmm?" she says, gesturing to his fingers.

Richie balls his hand into a fist.

"Listen, Lil, this really—"

"C'mon, just one smoke?" Lily insists.

Richie sighs. "We'll go for a walk," he decides, pulling a twenty out of his wallet and placing it on the table. "This should cover our food," he says to Ben and Beverly, "we'll talk later."

He holds a hand out to Eddie who slides out of the booth and laces their fingers together. They walk out of the diner, Lily at their heels.

"So, Lil, why are you here?" Richie asks, as they walk across the campus.

"I'm transferring here next year," she explains, "thought maybe you could show me around."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Richie says.

"Awh, why not? Don't act like you don't miss me," she says.

"I've been good actually," he snaps.

She scoffs. "Oh, c'mon, you can't tell me you're satisfied with this dyke. She looks like she's twelve"

Eddie frowns. "Why the hell are you dragging me into this?"

"Talk to me when you hit puberty," she quips.

"Lily, stop it," he growls.

"Oh, bringing out the full name, huh?" she taunts, "Tell me, has she put out yet?"

"Lily, what the fuck? That's not important," Richie says.

Lily giggles. "So, no then? God, how are you even surviving?"

Eddie's chest feels heavy with guilt. He hadn't really considered how Richie could be sleeping with a bunch of hookups across campus when instead he's waiting for Eddie to deal with his stupid dysphoria.

"Lily, I think you should leave," Richie warns.

"Don't act like what we had didn't mean anything," she continues.

"Now," he repeats.

Lily rolls her eyes as if Richie's being dramatic. "Whatever, Rich, we'll catch up later. I'll see you next year," she promises, walking away before Richie has a chance to respond.

Eddie notices how horribly Richie is shaking once Lily is gone. It doesn't take a genius to figure out he's having a panic attack.

"Hey, baby, you're okay," Eddie soothes, leading him to a nearby park bench to sit down, "she's gone."