𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 // 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚 {Completed}

✨spaghetti boy?✨

Richie was currently lay across his couch, his head in Stanley's lap and his guitar in hand. Stan was busying himself with a book, feeling calmness at Richie's soft voice as he picked at each string on his guitar.

"How can you miss someone you've never met?

'cause i need you now but i don't know you yet

but can you find me soon because i'm in my head

yeah, i need you now but i don't know you yet."

The sun shone through the living room, casting a warm glow over the two inhabitants of the room. Richie stopped singing, just mindlessly picking at the strings on his guitar, letting itself create a melody. Stan was used to Richie's mindless instrument playing, finding piece in the little bits of music that flowed throughout the apartment.

When Richie first suggested that the two of them should move out of Derry and get an apartment together, Stan was hesitant. He'd never been outside of Derry in his life, not even on holiday, not even to mention the subject of money. But with Richie's gigs at random bars and clubs around town and Stan's job at the bar that Richie frequents mostly, the two had made it work.

Stan was also in college, Richie dropping out in his first year, him claiming that he 'just didn't vibe with school.' Stan thought it was an idiot move but Richie had his mind set so there was really nothing Stan could've done. 

"Hey Staniel, i'm bored." Richie whined, pouting at Stan. "Then go do something." Stan was hard-headed and had years of experience putting up with Richie's antics. Richie knew this so he didn't bother Stan anymore, instead he decided he would drop by the bar and go bother Bev instead. He'd leave Stan to his bird book this time.

****

"Hey Bevvie!" Richie exclaimed, walking into the bar, his mood always lightened when he was around her, like he was walking on air. "Hey Rich, you know your shift starts at seven right? it's only three." 

"what? i can't hang out with my favourite red-head?" Richie smirked, slowly walking up to the bar that Bev was wiping down the surface of. "i guess," Bev chuckled "How's Stan?" 

"He's fine, he's got his birds." The conversations that Bev and Richie had were always nice, they gave Richie an escape from his mind for a while, leaving him feeling airy and almost high, it was a high he would never not be chasing. Although he didn't show it often, he truly did love his friends. 

"Hey! you still with me Rich?" Richie didn't even realise he had spaced but Beverly's sharp voice was always able to cut through his thoughts, she was always able to bring him back to reality. He didn't know what he'd do without her.

Probably crash and burn.

"i'm still here Ringwald, just thinking about how good i fucked your mom last night."

"Ew...that'd be necrophilia Richie" Beverly had to put the glass she was cleaning down, almost doubling over in laughter at her comeback, Richie was not impressed. "anyway," Beverly quickly collected herself "I've got, you know, my job to get back to." Bev looked up at Richie smiling slightly before sauntering off to serve some other people.

*****

Eddie decided he would go into work early today, wanting to get his mind to focus on other things than how lonely and sad he was. That could wait for another time. 

Him coming in early was starting to become a daily occurrence, and Bev had asked Eddie if he wanted a raise since he had been working so any extra hours but he had declined, insisting that he was fine with the extra hours and didn't need to be paid for them.

Truth is that Eddie didn't feel comfortable taking the raise, it was like being paid for each piece of broken porcelain that landed on his apartment floor or wall. He only went to work to escape, if he got paid for it, it would feel like he wasn't escaping but more being greedy. He also didn't want to be paid more than his peers, he didn't want them to hate him. 

Eddie slipped through the bar door at exactly 3:24, this was the earliest for this week, once he came in just ten minutes after the bars opening time and stayed until closing. The panic attack before that had been a bad one. 

Richie looked over towards the door, the person had slipped in so quickly and quietly he almost missed them. but he didn't and he found himself staring at the same honey curls he hadn't been able to shake from his head all day. Eddie.

More specifically, Eddie spaghetti, that's what Richie had deemed him once Eddie had slipped out of Richie and Stan's apartment. "Spaghetti boy?" Richie didn't even realise what he had said before he heard it come out of his own mouth, he cursed his loud mouth. Now Eddie would definitely hate him, the party was redeemable, but this? he would not be able to come back from this.

Eddie whipped his head towards the voice that spoke, it sounded like it had been directed at him and he was sure it was when he saw the same familiar raven curls he hadn't been able to get out of his mind since meeting. Once he had landed his eyes on Richie, he couldn't keep his eyes off him, and Richie didn't move either, both of them stuck, eyes interlocked.

Eddie smiled, stepping closer to the bar where Richie was, quickly clearing his throat, "Thanks for the pancakes, by the way." Richie smiled, chuckling a little. "Well, when a cute guy crashes on my bathroom floor after puking his guts out, the least i could do was supply him with a good breakfast." And a good breakfast it was, Eddie thought, shuffling on his feet.

His shuffling stopped when he remembered how Eddie had just been left on the bathroom floor, all lights out and no blanket or pillow. Eddie furrowed his eyebrows suddenly looking quite frustrated, Richie gulped. 

"Yeah, about that, i'm sorry and all but...you could've at least have given me a pillow or something dude and next time i would like at least a little light and maybe a blanket would be nice and i know it seems like i'm asking alot but really it's just decency-"

Eddie's rambling was cut off by Richie "whoa whoa whoa spaghetti boy, chill dude."

"spaghetti boy? also i'm nineteen, okay, not a boy, a man!"

Richie tried his hardest to hold in his laughter at the sight of Eddie trying to desperately puff his chest up, going on his tippy toes slightly. "okay fine, spaghetti man-"

Eddie quickly shut down Richie, voice high pitched and panicked "no, no! spaghetti nothing! i'm not a spaghetti  i'm a bo-man! shit!" Richie couldn't contain his laughter anymore as he threw his head back, that contagious laughter that Eddie despised so much. He despised how he loved it and it belonged to what, Eddie now named him, his tormentor.

"okay! chill Ed's, don't worry, the only spaghetti head here is Staniel, you know, cause of his noodle curls!" Richie made his voice go all weird at the end, crossing his eyes while pulling at a strand of his hair as if it were Stan's. Or Staniel as Richie had named him. it was stupid really, but none the less, Eddie found a smile being pulled onto his face. he hated it.

"welp, i gotta get to work." Eddie stated bluntly, however he made no effort to move as Richie brought his hand up and brushed it against Eddie's cheek. Eddie was frozen, he didn't know what was happening. Is this normal? have i been living under a rock for so long that this is the new human norm and i just don't know it? 

Eddie's thought's were interrupted when Richie retracted his hand, putting it back in his jean pocket. "you had an eyelash on your cheek" Richie mumbled, looking down. He was closing himself off again and Eddie could tell, but truth is, he missed the warmth of Richie's hand on his cheek, missed the way that Richie seemingly got lost in Eddie's eyes for a second, or when his eyes would dart around, counting the freckles on his face. Eddie had to admit, he did the exact same, Richie had exactly twenty two freckles on his face, six on one cheek, seven on the other and eight on his nose. those were the most prominent ones.

Eddie then realised how creepy that was. quickly shaking his head, Eddie quietly thanked Richie and walked off, clocking in for work. As Eddie clocked in he realised that Richie would also be working there that night. He cursed the blush that spread across his cheeks and the more he thought about it, the more he missed the warmth of Richie's hand. God, he was screwed.