Reddie Smut | I'll Be Loving You (Forever)

nine - Nightlife

Warning: period-typical homophobia, mentions of homophobic slur, internalized homophobia, mentions of a raid, cheating on partners
Song: Secret Love - Doris Day
Word count: 16,834
A/N: This took a shit load of my time, and ended up with way more words than I intended. Hope you enjoy, because I enjoyed writing it! I apologize for any typos <3

NOTES
(PLEASE READ FOR AN INSIGHT):
| All you need to know about this chapter (if you want, of course):
- This takes place in 1956
- Richie and Eddie are 37
- Eddie was born in 1919, November
- Richie was born 1920, March
- They're the same age, because this takes place in August, probably
- They were 10 at the start of the Great Depression
- They were 20 went World War II started, 21 and 22 when they had to apply to be eligible to be drafted.
- They're seeing each other for the first time since the early 40s
- Richie is a famous actor and comedian. Eddie is a business worker.
- Mary (Richie's wife (I know)) is a tall women of 5'10, with long brown hair and gray eyes. |

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"Dear?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't that the man from the television?"

Eddie turned to look at what his wife was referring to, and low and behold, the man from the television. Richard W. Tozier, The Man of 1,000 Voices. He was a sensation, and everyone loved him, he was funny and charming, and he was on every Saturday night at 7pm, doing a short comedy show for forty-five minutes. He was in several movies at this point, and a few talk shows.

Eddie hated him.

He hated how handsome he was, with his pressed suits that you never saw him out of, and his perfect hair and bright smile and strikingly boyish looks. Eddie hated his guts.

Sure, they used to be the best of pals back when they were just boys, and they used to play together when their mothers let them out of the house. Richard was handsome even when they were boys, and Eddie never really understood what he was feeling when he got around him, but he never told Richard, not when they were boys.

It didn't matter anymore, he was an adult, in his late-thirties. He had a wife, and she wanted kids,

(she wanted kids)

and he was happy where he was.

Without Richard W. Tozier, The Man of 1,000 Voices.

"I suppose it is." Eddie replied, turning away. He wanted nothing to do with Richard.

"Do you think we should go over and speak to him?" She asked him, and he settled his glasses a little higher up on his nose, clearing his throat. "Oh, no, I don't think that will be necessary—" Before he could finish his sentence, she was grabbing his hand and dragging him over to the man on the television.

"Excuse me?" She said politely, and it was a tone that Eddie didn't hear from her very often. Richard turned around and put on a smile, "Well, how are you doing on this fine day, my dear?" He said, holding his hand out for her to take, and he brought it up to kiss it.

Eddie rolled his eyes and hid behind his wife.

"I saw you from across the room, and I wanted to come over and say that I love watching you on the television." She said, blushing a bit at how he kissed her hand. He smiled and thanked her, complimenting her once. "Myra." She introduced herself, shaking his hand.