[sunshine] // reddie (temporarily discontinued)

two

Richie Tozier sat on the bank with his pale feet in the water. He didn't think of the leaks in the dam. He didn't think of how everyone was playing but him. He most definitely did not think about Eddie Kaspbrack and his running shorts.

He was thinking about how he knew eighth grade would be just as boring as seventh. (And maybe the running shorts.) He was thinking about music and how he wished he was in bed listening to tapes. Maybe not in bed. Maybe at the park. Maybe in the woods.

Maybe anywhere away from the broken picture frames.

He shook his head to get the sound of shattering glass out of his ears. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, kicking his feet around. He looked up.

Meeting his gaze was a pair of chestnut eyes. They blinked once, sending golden lashes as soft as butterfly wings down to kiss honey glow cheeks splattered with freckles. When they opened, the light caught them, turning the dark iris into the warm burn of sunbeams behind an eclipse.

"Aren't you coming to play? The water is nice." Eddie questioned, his voice like songbirds on an early morning.

"I'm sure it is." Richie hummed. "But not as nice as your mom was last night."

Eddie huffed and kicked water at him. "Sorry I asked." And turned away.

Way to go, Trashmouth. He was trying to be nice to you. Went and screwed that up. Now he won't want to talk to you at all.

Richie closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Stanley called this Richie's "Brain Goblin". He even went so far as to name it Goober. Richie made a pact to tell Stan whenever Goober made him sad or put him in a "dangerous" mood.

Richie ignored this pact.

Right now at least. He didn't want to ruin Stan's time and he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the other boys by talking about his Brain Goblin.

But Stanley Uris, the angel boy himself, knew the language of Richie Tozier better than anyone. As Eddie stomped away, Richie looked after him with longing eyes. Stan took notice of this and held up a long finger to Bill. He made his way to Richie.

"Goober?" Stan whispered, crouching to his level.

Richie tried his best to ignore the eyes now focused on him. He glanced away and then back and nodded.

"We can go." Stan whispered.

"But you're having fun."

"Yeah, and you're not. We can go to town and invite them with. We can ride bikes. We dont have to stay here."

Richie debated this, his fingers lacing with his printed button up. He sighed and looked to Stan.
"Can we go?"

"Yeah. Alone or do you want me to invite them?" Stan asked with a soft smile.

He looked around Stan and met eyes with Eddie Kaspbrack. He looked away. "I don't think they like me." He whispered.

"No, Goober says they don't like you."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Invite them."

Stan grinned. He patted Richie's knee twice and stood. "Richie is hungry and wants to head to town. You guys coming?"

"Yeah!" Eddie replied a bit too quickly. He coughed. "If Bill wants too, that is."

"Y-yeah, su-ure."

"Great." Stan looked back to Richie and winked.

Richie's heart swelled with an affection so great that he was sure it would kill him. How could someone know him so well? How could someone love him this much? How could someone be as perfect as Sanley Uris? If angels were as real as Stan said they were, then he might as well be one.

Stan was the only person Richie ever told about his feelings, and now, he was taking him by the arm and leading him out of the woods. He led him into the sun with a touch warmer and more gentle than the beams themselves.

He made mental note to thank Stan a million times over.

Out of the woods, a hand rested on Richie's back. "W-w-where are we e-eat-ting?"

"Nicky's?" Richie suggested, the comforting thought of the diner bringing him actual euphoria.

"Never been." Eddie called, cathing up after stopping to tie his shoes.

"You guys would like it." Stan grinned. "It's our favorite!"

Bill nodded with a smile and allowed them to lead the way. They did, chatting with the group. Richie would make an inappropriate joke, Stanley would side eye him while he tried not to smile, Bill would double over laughing, and Eddie would cross his arms and turn his head away so they couldn't see him grin. It all felt natural. It felt like this was something they did every day.

And it would be. For the summer at least. Before it happened and they split up. Before it drove them away from each other.

But now, they were approaching Nicky's, tired after a long walk in the sun. They entered and Eddie's eyes lit up.

The diner was fiftie's themed. It's red booths and checkered walls made sure you were aware of it. This had been the one place Stan and Richie considered safe, seeing as Bowers and his gang knew nothing about it. Now that they were sharing it, it became a little less safe... And a single shared glance between the boys showed that they knew it.

They sat and browsed the menu.

"What's the best?" Eddie quized, kicking Richie under the table to get his attention.

"Stan and I usually combine our money and get a Wolfman Jack and a couple sodas." Richie replied. "Sometimes a milkshake if we have the extra."

"And that is?"

Richie glanced over the menu and put his finger on it, sliding it to Eddie. Eddie read it over and hummed thoughtfully. He nodded when he finished.

"I a-ate bef-f-fore I lef-ft." Bill announced. "B-b-but a Co-ola sou-ounds go-o-o-od."

"Eddie, is there anything you want?" Stan asked the boy.

"My mom makes sure I have then bucks on me at all times," Eddie replied. "I got mine and Bill's covered."

"Huh," Richie huffed thoughtfully.

"What?" Stan asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how all my money came from Eddie's mom too."

There came that crooked grin again and Eddie had to force himself not to smile. "Shut up, dude. That's so gross."

"Make me." Richie replied with a smirk. He cocked an eyebrow, doubting Eddie would do something.

Eddie kicked him again- this time with force- and leaned over the table to snatch Richie's glasses. He put them on and turned to the other boys.

"Look at me, I'm Trashmouth, and I make jokes about people's mothers to make up for the lack of attention I get at home." Eddie hissed in a mocking voice.

Stanley glanced to Richie for some type of sign that he was okay. There was no sign to show.

Richie tapped each of the pads of his right fingers to his thumb, the word for being uncomfortable in Tozier language. Stanley, angered by the remark, narrowed his eyes and turned his attention on Eddie.

"You don't know anything about him and his home life. You most definitely do not have the right to talk about it. Give him his glasse back, Kaspbrack, or things are going to get ugly fast."

Eddie obliged. "Sorry, Rich. It was a joke."

Richie went to forgive him, as he easily does, but Stan interrupted. "No, it wasn't. Richie saying that he's hooking up with your mom is a joke because nobody gets hurt. What you said wasn't because you meant for it to hurt."

"Stan, it's fine." Richie whispered. "The kid made a joke. He didn't mean it." But Richie most definitely knew that Eddie meant it. That's not the part that hurt.

What hurt, was that he wasn't wrong.