𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 // 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚 {Completed}

✨okay Richard✨

A/N: this chapter is very *gay panic*
( it's also v v cute :3 ) ~Elliot

Richie bought Eddie back to his place to hang out, the two decided they were just gonna watch some movies and binge eat until they couldn't eat anymore. Eddie was currently watching as Richie struggled to put a disc into the disc player, the disc being spat out back at him each time.

"Now this just homophobic..." Richie muttered under his breath although Eddie heard it and couldn't stop his stomach from doing a mini flip, He had a chance. a chance of what Edward? you don't like Richie, you just think he's hot...and nice and charming and- No! you. do. not. like. Richie. Eddie gulped as Richie finally got the disc to work, resulting in him doing a mini celebration dance in the middle of the living room. Eddie though it was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

"Hey Ed's, we should put some music on and dance, let's have a mini party!" Richie beamed while flailing his limbs around.

"But the movie hasn't even started yet." Eddie smiled, amused at the taller man's antics.

"Oh, well I've seen this movie a million times anyway, c'mon Ed's! let loose a little!" Richie's face held a toothy smile, stretching from ear to ear and the fact that he looked so happy made Eddie feel warm inside. He'd give the man whatever he wished for just to see that smile.

"well, okay, if you insist Richard." Eddie mused and Richie scrunched his nose at the name Eddie had called him, and as he did that Eddie's heart skipped a beat causing him to internally freak out for a second, thinking he was having a heart attack. Don't be so stupid Edward. He chastised himself mentally. 

Richie squealed and Eddie almost died right there, he really needed to get himself under control, this little crush was going to be the death of him. Richie bound over to the record player he had sitting on a little table near the window of the living room. "It was a birthday present from my dad." Richie quipped as he carefully pulled a record out of his sleeve and placing it onto the record player carefully. 

Eddie noticed that everything Richie did regarding the record player was done with precision and careful steps, He could tell that Richie really cared for it, He was glad that he had something he felt passionate about. 

"No parties tonight Richie?"

"Only ours Eddie."

Richie smiled as 'Africa' by Toto started playing throughout the living room. Richie made a little happy sound and Eddie smiled wider as the man started prouncing round the living room, all grace and  careful steps thrown into the wind as he threw his lanky arms in the air and swayed his body to the music. Eddie just stood and admired, it was messy but beautiful, he felt so captivated by the way Richie's hair swished around as he had taken the bobble out, letting his curls fall wildly across his jawline. It was beautiful, so so beautiful Eddie thought so anyway.

Richie's black combat boots squeaked against Richie's black wooden floor, causing Eddie to grit his teeth slightly and scrunch his nose, the sound starting to annoy him, it seemed to had gotten on Richie's nerves too as he momentarily stopped his flailing, Reaching down to untie his laces and throw his shoes off. 

Eddie blushed as he couldn't seem to help himself from staring as Richie bent over to discard his shoes, giving Eddie a perfect view of his ass. Eddie felt his whole body heat up, he was a whole body blusher and at this moment he cursed himself for letting his hormones take over. Come on Edward, you are nineteen, these hormonal teenage days are supposed to be over!

Eddie gulped looking to the side of him, looking anywhere that wasn't Richie's ass. Eddie mentally cursed him for wearing such tight fitting jeans, as Richie stood back up and starting stretching his back from having  to bend over, it's like he was trying to get Eddie to get an awkward boner. which he definitely didn't have.

Richie turned back towards Eddie, a huge smile spread across his face and Eddie couldn't help but smile too, his smile only increased when Richie started singing along with the song waving his arms around, eventually he reached his arms out towards Eddie, beckoning him to dance with him. Eddie knew the action would be painful for him since he was kinda popping a boner right now, but he couldn't really seem to care as Richie's smile increased, a light of hope in his eyes, Eddie simply couldn't resist. 

So the two were situated in the middle of Richie's dark living room, singing at the top of their lungs  and flailing their limbs like they were the only two people left in the world, and right now, to them, they were.

the song stopped and Eddie noticed that the needle of the machine had gotten to the middle of the record, stopping. Richie stopped, staring into Eddie's eyes for a second as they both stilled their movements, suddenly he was smiling again and Eddie got lost in the dimples that set in his cheeks, that was before Richie moved again, going over to change the song, slightly swaying his hips as he went.

The second record he had replaced the first with started playing as Richie carefully placed the needle at the start and Eddie recognised it immediately. He smiled wider as Richie came back towards him, the song was a slower one, one of Eddie's favourites, it was enough to make his situation in his lower region calm down enough for him to relax. 

Eddie's smile faltered slightly as Richie stepped closer to him, their chests almost touching as he entwined their hands, that happening to be the second time that they had held hands that day and Eddie smiled again as they slowly swayed to the lyrics again, Richie quietly humming them against Eddie's ear.

"cursed by the love that i receive...from my brothers daughter..."

Eddie chuckled slightly as he felt Richie's breath tickle his ear and the back of his neck slightly sending shivers down his spine as the two kept swaying to the music.

"now i'm bound to misery, the birth mark on your shoulder...reminds me."

Eddie hummed contently as he rested his chin on Richie's shoulder, finding comfort in the soft fabric that lay there, he felt like he could stay here, swaying with Richie forever, he hoped.

"Lord i no longer believe...drowned in living waters."

Eddie closed his eyes, taking in Richie's scent, he smiled wider when he realised that Richie was wearing a different cologne, it smelt good, he liked it. It didn't remind him of home it just reminded him of Richie, of them dancing, them holding hands...just them. Eddie liked the idea of that, just them.

The song ended and both men didn't move, neither of them even made an attempt to pull away, they just stayed there, bodies flush together, heat radiating over the two, the only noise being the November breeze sweeping through Richie's open living room window, the curtains flapping in response to the sharp chill. 

It was a cold time of year but right now the both of them felt as warm as ever, warm encased in each others arms as Eddie had placed his feet on top of Richie's, the two slow dancing to the gentle air that surrounded them. usually Eddie would find it suffocating, but right now, for what felt like the first time, he was breathing in clear air, Richie's clear air.

The more they swayed the more Eddie realised that his silly little crush wasn't as silly or as little as he thought, he was falling for Richie and maybe he was okay with that.

It filled his chest with a type of excitement he had never felt before, but for the first time he wasn't reaching for his inhaler and he wasn't reaching for another plate and he wasn't reaching for a way out because he had found his way out. The moment he grasped on to Richie's hand, Richie had pulled him out, Richie had saved him when he needed saving the most. 

Eddie never believed in fate but from the moment Richie asked him if he was okay and from the moment Richie brushed the eyelash of his cheek, which Eddie didn't even think was there at all, he knew him and Richie were destined to be more. He didn't know exactly what more but as Richie nuzzled into his neck, a content sigh being breathed against the fabric of his sweater, Eddie's head became clear and he believed that maybe he was in love with the man.

maybe, just maybe.