𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 // 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚 {Completed}

✨Hey Dad.✨

By the time seven rolled around, Richie had already clocked in and was proudly wearing his name tag. Bev didn't have to explain much since Richie had been helping out occasionally at the bar since it opened, he was always willing to help his friends, even if it left him with nothing.

However, this time he didn't have nothing, he had Eddie. That may sound weird or creepy,the two had only known each other for barely two days, but the truth is, Eddie didn't have an eyelash on his cheek.

Richie felt stupid but Eddie's skin looked so soft, almost fragile. Richie just wanted to see if his touch would cause it to crack, like it did for most things. at least that's what it felt like. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he started to feel. maybe he had overstepped his boundaries, Eddie probably hates him, wants him dead, like everyone else.

Richie was starting to get paranoid and worked up, Beverly noticed as she saw him wiping down a glass like it had just shot a puppy in front of him. "Hey, Rich! come help me bring something inside for a sec will you!" Beverly watched as Richie flinched slightly at the sudden mention of his name, placing the glass down and turning towards Bev, nodding as confirmation to Bev's request.

It wasn't a request though, and Richie knew that, otherwise he would've put up a fight, wanting to stay in the warmth of the bar. The two stepped outside the back of the bar, entering an alleyway, Richie looked around expecting boxes of whatever Beverly needed help with. he came face to face with nothing but a concerned looking Beverly.

"What the fuck Bev?" Richie looked around him, looking to see if he had missed anything before finally regaining eye contact with the red-head. "you're tense and distracted, i don't know what happened and i don't want to, just...here." Beverly shoved her phone into Richie's slightly trembling hands, Richie knew Bev wasn't going to give up so-reluctantly-Richie wrapped his fingers around the phone, giving Beverly another small nod.

Richie knew what he needed to do as Beverly sauntered inside, He knew she was only trying to help but he hadn't had to call him in over a month now. He knew that if he were to call him now, he wouldn't be able to stop, falling back in to his dependency. He had left Derry and with that, the people in it. some followed, some didn't, that's what the phone was for and now as Richie flipped it back and forth in his hands, the small device mocking him, he knew that he had to do it.

Richie bought the phone closer to his face, the reflection bouncing off his glasses lenses as he fiddled with the apps, looking for contacts. after the incident last year, Beverly kept the one contact Richie didn't want her to in her phone. You really couldn't say no to her.

as the phone rung, Richie's heart skipped a beat at every unanswered dial until three dials in and the person had picked up. Richie gulped, bringing the phone up to his ear. he could hear a faint 'Beverly is everything alright?' and a 'what's happened, is it Richie?!' before finding the courage to speak up into the phone, swallowing his nerves as he did.

"Hey Dad."

****

Eddie was about halfway into his shift when he realised that Richie was nowhere to be seen, maybe it was the fact that Eddie was deliberately trying to avoid Richie and maybe it's because tonight was pretty busy and Eddie was more focused on work, maybe.

But Eddie was stubborn, he concluded that Richie really wasn't anywhere in the bar. he didn't why that angered him, Richie's shift could've just been shorter than his, however, something felt different ad he thought that it was weird but it was like he could feel Richie's presence over him still. Richie was still touching his cheek, Richie was still towering over him, looking into his eyes and all over his face, just...Richie.

Everything had been about Richie lately, Eddie felt like, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. just confusing, Eddie was quite confident with his sexuality, even going as far as to come out to his quite homophobic mother. It feels stupid now but he didn't want to lie and hide anymore, he was sick of it. Coming out only gave his mother more reasons to shove pills down his throat, sometimes quite literally when he refused to participate in his own demise.

But now, Eddie was just confused, sure Eddie could appreciate how attractive Richie was, and Eddie had to admit that he really did want to see just how soft Richie's curls are. He wondered if they were as soft as his touch, Richie's hands were scraped and nimble but so soft to the touch that it surprised Eddie. For someone so rough looking, Eddie melted under his touch.

Eddie again wondered where Richie was, he didn't know why he cared so much but he figured that someone had to and maybe he was more than okay with that someone being him. Eddie was a always a lover not a fighter, he cared about people, sometimes too much. Either way, he loved to love people, to show them that there is someone to smile and laugh with. No one ever stuck around him too long though, the only people staying being Bill and Mike, but he was okay with that too.

Eddie may have hated Richie when they first met but he would be damned if he didn't smile for him. When he woke at Richie's apartment still that morning he made it his mission to make the man smile before leaving, however it seemed that the work had already been done when Richie burst into the room, a smile adorning his face. it must've been Stan Eddie thought.

Eddie also wondered if the two were maybe a couple but Eddie didn't even know if Richie was gay and yes, maybe that whole cheek touching situation earlier had been a bit more intimate than it probably would've been if a straight person were to notice the eyelash on his cheek. They probably wouldn't have touched him at all actually but Eddie wasn't about to assume Richie was neither gay or straight. He didn't even know why he cared.

He desperately wanted to know though, his curiosity getting the better of him. He'd just ask Richie the next time he saw him and he had now until then to figure out a way to subtly sneak in the question to conversation.

this was going to be hard.