❦♰❀ reddie smut ☿✿☆

59. beyond the crescent moon

by: lil_lizard_leah

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Mike and Beverly's anniversary party had been fun. Relatively quiet since the only people there were their closest friends and a couple of Mike's cousins. Each equally as charming as Mike, and more than capable of making Eddie's heart ache to have someone to be with. Each taken. The wedding rings on their fingers making Eddie sigh out his longing and exasperation each time the shine of them caught his eye. But at least Richie'd been there, at his side. A fantastic distraction, making Eddie feel less lonely, at least for the time being.

Richie, who'd been Eddie's ride home.

Here they sat in Richie's car, and Eddie was hesitating to get out. An empty apartment waited for him. Ever since Stanley found Patty and moved into her place - and anyway, it was always hard to part from his friends all at once. And Richie... Richie, who made Eddie feel whole best of all, was the hardest to leave. Eddie swallowed and grasped his knees, before trying to make his tone light. Not needy, or pressuring, because he got it: Richie's bed was probably the comfiest place for him to sleep, and at the end of the night it was supposed to be good to go 'home.' But... he'd be positively restless, trying to fall asleep, if he didn't at least ask. "Hey Rich, do - did you maybe wanna stay the night? Since it's late?" Not that another twenty minute drive was gonna put Richie over the edge, into exhaustion.

Richie had been high strung all night. Bev and Mike's anniversary party had been an unwelcome reminder of his nagging loneliness. It wasn't that he was having a dry spell, per say. He could be dating people if he wanted to. But for the past few months his heart had been set on one person; an unattainable crush he'd finally stopped denying. He wondered how long he'd had a crush on his best friend; it certainly had been longer than he'd let himself acknowledge. His best friend, who had been looking just as forlorn as Richie felt all night, who was now sitting in the passenger seat of his car, staring up at him with deep brown eyes.

Richie realized too late that he'd missed the question Eddie was waiting for him to answer. "What?" Richie blurted, tearing his eyes away from the soft freckles dusted across round cheeks. Eddie laughed. It was his nervous laugh, Richie could tell. Eddie averted his eyes, focusing instead on the dashboard in front of them.

"I asked... If you wanted to stay the night. You know, because it's late." Eddie added quickly as an after thought. Richie's mind reeled from the punch those words landed. His entire body felt frozen and simultaneously lit up all at once. Surely Eddie was just offering in a friendly way... right?

Before Richie could over think the intention behind Eddie's question he was nodding vigorously, almost comedically. "Yes. Yeah, yes. That's a-a good idea, because, you know, it's late. I might fall asleep behind the wheel." Richie lied. He wasn't actually that tired, but any excuse to spend more time with Eddie was something he wouldn't pass up.

Biting into his lip, around a smile, Eddie felt his heart lighten when Richie agreed. Not that it was particularly unusual - the prospect of Richie staying the night. But he'd expected, because of work, and the close proximity of Richie's place, along with the fact that they'd already spent much of the night together, that Richie would find the offer superfluous.

"Right," Eddie agreed, passing the speed bump that was his elation, sweeping in to seal the deal. He didn't even want to imagine that possibility, frankly, but whether that was even likely wasn't the point, really. "It's safer to just stay here. Plus I have some eggs that are about to expire. So you know, this way you can help me finish them up for breakfast." Eddie licked out at his lip, and took in a quick breath, moving out of the car. He hesitated to approach the door to his apartment, keys being pulled from his hoodie pocket, letting Richie fall in line with him.