HOW DO I TELL A BOY I WANT TO KISS HIM? | reddie

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Rich is that cross legged it on his bed picking at the ukulele Beverly had brought over to his house. Bill and Beverly were there too. he sighed and flopped back on his bed.
Beverly sat at his desk, legs crossed painting her nails. They complained about the " suh-suh-smell" soso the window was left halfway open.
His cousin sat back against Richie's bed, flipping through a stack of comics Richie had on his floor already. Beverly turned in his wheely chair and looked up at Richie over her fingers she was painting blue.
"What's wrong?"she asked with a brow raised, eyes returning to her fingers.
"Nothing richie groaner. He returned the small instrument to the girls bag.
"He's thinking about eh-eh-eddie" bill added from the floor, eyes not leaving the comic in his lap.
"Quiet big bill" Richie hissed bopping the others head with a pillow.
"Do you like Eddie?" Beverly had asked without looking up at him. Concentrated.
Richie sat up and fixed his glasses. "We just met. I won't lie..he IS a good looking boy. But he's just my friend."
"Okay. Noted" bev turned away but Richie caught the small smirk gracing her lips.
"Oh p-puh-please." Bill rolled his eyes and turned to look at his relative. "The second you saw him in one of my p-puh-polaroids, you l-literally drooled."
Beverly snorted and Richie felt his face heat up. He hit his cousin again.
"Awe richie, that's cute"
"Listen. Say it with me. JUST A FRIEND" The boy with glasses used his hands as he spoke. All fingers kissing the tip of his thumb.
"For now" Bill snickered under his breath.

Only a few seconds of silence passed before out of nowhere, before he could stop himself;
Richie tozier blurted, "tell me about eddie?"
He was asking no one in particular. He doesn't know wheat eddies been through before and some part of his mind wants to know.
"Caring. Stubborn. Selfless. Takes care of everyone else before himself. He'll put himself on the frontline even if he knows he'll get no reward, or nothing out of it." Beverly spilled before biting her lip to focus on painting her left pinkie.
"He's suh-strong-st-" Bill paused. "He's stronger than an-any of us" he added
Richie pursed his lips, fixed his glasses and looked out his window.
"He's a good kid r-rich"
"He should be here soon it's almost ten." Bev  added turning to look at richies alarm clock tutting.
Then, again, out of nowhere;
"Can you paint mine?" Richie asked pointing to the bag of nail polish bev had brought over.
She tossed him the bag (careful to not ruin her nails). "Pick a color trashmouth."
Richie sifted through the colorful bottles. Little bottled up rainbows. Brights, darks, pastels.. "candy red", "baby blue", "bubblegum" "amethyst" "sunflower" "summer ray" the small bottles told him.
And as though answering his prayers Edward kaspbrak walked through his bedroom door followed by Stan ben and mike.  10:32 on Saturday -richies second Saturday in Derry- ANS today when richies mom got back from her errands around 11 with lunch, they were going to go swimming at the quary.
Today eddie was blessing him in a red polo, red running shorts and a black backpack.
"Welcome to casa de la tozier" Richie bullshitted and fixed his glasses
"Your sister is nice" Ben stayed as he sat in richies bean bag. Stan next to bill and Eddie plopped on richies bed.
"Thank ya tits, you're a doll." Richie blew a kiss to ben , using a horrible Brooklyn accent." and Jesus spaghetti, would you wear enough red?"
"Name is eddie. And red is my favorite color fucknut." Eddie rolled his eyes and shrugged off his backpack.
Richie smiled in victory and went back to choosing a color. All of them calling to him. But one calling more than the others did.
"Whatcha doin?" Eddie asked leaning his chin on richies shoulder to watch his hands.
"Planning out my night with your mom."
That earned richie a punch and an eye roll. He smiled softly and looked around the room. He retrieved the disposable camera and took a picture. All of his friends in his room.
He sat so his converse where in the picture.
He smiled and tossed it away. Six photos left to take.

"Boys and Bev!" Maggie called upstairs announcing she's home, the smell of pizza wafting up to his bedroom.
And as quickly as the smell came, they all ran downstairs to wolf down the food. As though it were their last meal.
Eddie had three with Ben
Bill and mike and Bev had two
Stan and Richie had one.
Maggie has already met Beverly and witnessed bills birth so she hugged and met the other four.
When Richie introduced eddie, Maggie took a double take and smiled even softer before giving Richie a knowing look when Eddie wasn't looking.
Richie rolled his eyes and fake gagged. That was a lie though.
"I'm maggie but call me anything you want."
"Okay mom" Beverly joked kindly before next thing richie knew.
All of his friends called his mother mom and boy did that make him happy.

After eating and getting a ride from Juliet- she had to run an errand anyways- the made their way to the water. Richie following close behind eddie to make sure he didn't fall during a climb on a few rocks and fallen trees. They got down to the shore and Ben set up his battery radio.
Beverly stripped to her bikini and Richie caught bill and Ben watch her lay on her spread towel. The ground was small rocks, little baby pebbles. Richie rolled his eyes and got in his boxers. Ben in his trunks and shirt and everyone else in trunks too. Eddie took off his shorts and shirt, in briefs?!
"Woah spaghetti- where art though pants?"
"I don't have any trunks, ma doesn't like me swimming." Eddie shrugged and got in the cold water.
Richie watched him and looked back at mike with a brow raised. Mike shrugged and laid back on a large bolder.
Beverly had on sunglasses, new kids on the block playing on the radio.
Richie and the other boys got in the water. Richie standing out to his shoulders Eddie trending water next to him as they talked. Ben and bill were splashing eachother. Mike was asleep and Bev and bill were talking.
"Your mom doesn't like you swimming?" Richie asked eddie quietly. He swam carefully to not lose his glasses at the bottom of the lake. 
"My mom is..manipulative, and controlling, and a while ago..she used to force sickness on me. Made me take placebos told me I was sick, took me to weekly check ups. But when I came out and she told me I was infected with a disease, I read the prescription. It was all fake.
I stood up to her. I refused to take anymore. But because I'm only 16, I have to follow some of her rules. " Eddie told him, bittersweet smile on his pink lips. " she didn't want to lose me like we lost my dad."
Richie bit his lip. In that moment he wanted to hug him.
So he did. He pulled the slender boy close to him and hugged him, moving his legs stronger to Keep the two of them up.
"I'm here for you"
"And me for you."
"Oh m-muh-make out already!"

After hours of bathing in the last of the hot summer weather and cool water, they got dressed and decided to take the scenic route to richies house.
"Hey ugly faggot!" Someone yelled. "New kid, with the dumb glasses!"
Richie turned, group stopped. Accross the small bit of water stood four boys. He had class with the blonde one.
"Leave him alone Henry." Eddie called stepping next to richie.
"Awe did you finally get a boyfriend girly boy?" Henry? Responded
"Fuck off bowers" bev rolled her eyes
"If you ask nicely darling~" Henry rubbed his crotch.
Ben screamed in rage and threw a rock as hard as he could.
Richie felt adrenaline course through his blue and green veins.
"Rock war!" He screamed before getting hit in the head. He fell back and the chaos commenced.
Rocks flying, curses being screamed and Eddie Kaspbrak getting in the water and going closer to throw. Getting soaked in the process. Knee deep.
Richie smiled when they won, before screaming to the other side,
"Go blow your dad you mullet wearing asshole." Flipping them off and following his friends.

When Richie got home he smiled to himself, he showered and bill and Mike and Stan were staying the night. Eddie was asking his mom if he could and would call with the answer.
Richie returned to the nail polish Beverly had left. His mind raced flashbacks of today, he touched the bandaid on his forehead. Eddie was on his mind day and night. He fixed his glasses and pulled out the nail polish marked, "lover". It was red. Pure red.