Watching a Silent Dawn

Ice Covered Confessions

It had been a few days since Richie had finally broke his 4 year streak of not speaking, and every day Eddie makes sure Richie talks- well, more like whispers, at least once a day to help him get used to speaking again. Richie was more than happy to whisper-talk to Eddie, but no one else. Not even his sister. Eddie was the one who got him to finally open up, so Eddie is the only one who gets to hear his voice.

~

Today the Losers Club had decided to go ice skating on the frozen-over quarry and brave the soul chilling cold to spend time with each other. Richie had never gone ice skating before, so Eddie promised to bring him a spare pair of skates and teach him how to ice skate. Richie was relieved he wouldn't have to look like a screwy idiot all on his own. Richie dressed himself in the proper attire, and left a note on his parents door telling them where he'd be, seeing as they'd be home (for once) in 15 minutes. As he was making his way downstairs, he heard a knock on the door and immediately began running down the stairs, almost slipping 5 times. He opened the door with a flush already on his face and a warm grin for Eddie. "You all ready to go Rich? I was thinking we could get there early so I could teach you how to skate and you could practice a little bit before the others arrive and probably jump on your ass for not knowing how to skate." Eddie said with a soft snicker and a bright smile. Richie just sighed in adoration and held his hand out for him. Eddie switched both pairs of skates to his left hand and grabbed Richie's with his right and they ventured onward towards their frozen playground. Eddie just rambled on about his day and some minor issues about his mom and Richie happily listened and squeezed his hand whenever Eddie turned his head to look at him.

~

Once the pair had reached the clearing that guarded the quarry, they stopped and sat down on rocks to catch their breath, but before Eddie sat down on his, Richie kissed the side of his forehead and quickly raced to his own rock, wearing a mile-wide grin on his face that spoke more words than his mouth could. It was daring, bold,....shy, timid, and yet, it spoke the words that Richie couldn't quite yet bring himself to say aloud. It spoke all the words that Richie couldn't find, didn't know how to say, or was simply too scared to say so. Nonetheless, Eddie blushed and smiled shyly. "What- what was that for Richie?" He just smiled with a dopy look on his face and shrugged. "Alright, well come on Romeo, I'm gonna teach you how to ice skate so the others won't pick at you for it." Eddie said with a laugh. He put on and laced up his own pair of skates and handed the spare set to Richie. Eddie stood up and walked over to the ice where he turned towards Richie and held both his hands out for Richie to grab. Richie wobbled his way over to Eddie and very gladly grabbed his hands. He cleared his throat and forced out a whisper. "I hope you have steel toed boots on, because I'm definitely gonna end up going over your toes alot." Eddie just barked out a laugh as he started to slowly scoot backwards as he held tightly onto Richie's hands. "Don't worry about me Richie, I had to teach both Bill and Mike how to skate too, so even though I doubt you'll crush my toes, I'll be fine if you do. I promise." Eddie responded. "Okay, what I'm gonna do first is try to get you to slowly start moving, okay? I'll be holding onto you and guiding you the entire time, so you don't have to worry about falling."

~

It had been about 3 hours after the boys had arrived at the quarry together, and still not a single member of the Losers Club had shown up yet. The boys had decided to take a break to catch their breath, as it turns out, Richie is basically a prodigy at skating. He picked up everything right from the start. It made Eddie smile to see Richie so happy and free. Smiling and laughing because he's even better then Eddie at skating, who would've been in the Junior Olympics by now if he hadn't quit the club when he was 10. Eddie stayed sitting on his rock watching Richie, who went back on the ice after barely 5 minutes of rest. Eddie smiled and let out a contented sigh. He was glad that no one had shown up but them. He liked the alone time. Eddie's mind began to wander, and eventually he wandered right back to when Richie kissed the side of his forehead just 3 hours ago. His face flushed even more while thinking about it. To be completely honest, Eddie loved it. He loved the feeling and he wanted more. He sighed and propped his head on his hand with his elbow on his knee. He knew he had a major crush on Richie, and he'd been crushing on him for months now. He just didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't consult Bev anymore because all she'd say was to just ask him what his sexuality is, which was far too direct for Eddie's liking, and he couldn't ask any of the other Losers because they're either too straight to understand or too lovestruck in their own world to notice anyone else. He watched Richie as he tried to find a solution to his problem. What if I just- no, that's stupid. Maybe I can- definetly not, I'd get teased until the end of time..........maybe I can just, I don't know, try what he did? It's really risky but also why the fuck not, right? Eddie immediately stood up and made his way over to Richie as he watched him fall on his ass. "Are you okay Chee? That looked like a pretty rough fall..." Richie just shook his head to clear it of any hidden pieces of ice and grinned at Eddie. He reached both of his hands up for Eddie, like a baby reaching it's hands to be picked up. Eddie scoffed with a smile and grabbed his hands and pulled him up. "You big baby, you can't even get up by yourself." Eddie said with a smirk as he skated away quickly to avoid being caught by Richie. All he did was laugh loudly and start chasing after Eddie with his arms held out in front of him. After about maybe 15 minutes or so of Richie chasing Eddie and Eddie squealing and skating away faster, he'd finally been caught. Richie grabbed him with both arms around Eddie's waist and pulled him in for a hug from behind while they both skated towards a shadowed part of the quarry. Eddie decided to be bold and grab Richie's hand and lead him over to the secluded part of the quarry covered in shadows from the trees above. "Whatcha doin, Ed's? Showing me your secret stack of s e x y magazines?" Richie joked at a level barely above a whisper. Eddie scrunched up his face in response. "Don't call me Eds, I hate it. And second of all, ew gross no." Eddie flicked Richie's wrist as a warning with a sly smile on his face. Eddie turned towards Richie with his hands on his hips. "Come over here Rich, I wanna show you something." Eddie said with not a single hint of nervousness in his voice that was flooding his nerves. Richie lifted an eyebrow in question but got closer anyways. Once he was within arm's length of Eddie, Eddie grabbed a handful of Richie's shirt and spun him around and pinned him to the icy wall of the quarry. "Woah there spaghetti, if you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was say so." Richie spoke in a soft voice barely above a whisper with his hands up in defense. Also with a shit-eating smirk on his face. Eddie just rolled his eyes at him. "Shut up Richie." And with that, Eddie leaned forward and kissed him. It's finally fucking happening, the one thing that both of them didn't know they wanted so badly, but needed it nonetheless. Eddie's left hand let go of Richie's shirt and instead let it rest on the corner of his jawline, and stood on his tippytoes to reach his Chee better. Richie had wrapped his hands around Eddie's waist and pulled him in against his own waist. It was a whole new world to them, like something magical, or biblical had happened to them. Eddie felt like some magical creature like a fairy had graced his lips, but no. It was Richie, it was HIS Richie. The one he'd known for all of 6 months, but had fallen for him so fast and so much there was no getting out of it. He loved Richie. He loved how he was such a good friend to everyone in the Losers Club, he loved how he always brought Eddie snacks on the weekends because he knew that Eddie forgets to eat on the weekend sometimes, he loves how he's such an amazing big brother to Clarissa despite losing her twin, he loves how he holds Eddie's hand wherever they go, he loves how they cuddle together during sleepovers, and most of all, he loves how Richie cares for and about Eddie every day of his life since meeting him on the sidewalk in the summer. He especially loved the feeling of Richie's lips on his. It felt like all the lighting he'd felt from touching Richie had met in between their lips and he never wanted it to stop. On Richie's end, it felt like a dream come true. All he felt was fire. Fireworks, sparklers, volcanoes, bonfires, lava, none of it compared to the enticingly electric flames he felt when kissing Eddie. He was on fire, but in the best way possible. If he had to choose between having only a day left to live after kissing Eddie or living to 309 but never kissing Eddie, he'd have to go with the first option. He knows all too well that it sounds incredibly clichè, but he understands why. He loves Eddie with his entire being, he'd do anything and everything for him, no matter what. He'd be perfectly content with having kissed Eddie and die the next day if it meant he knew that Eddie loved him back just as much he does him. Richie never wanted the fire in him to burn out. They stood there, pushed up against the frozen stone wall with only barely enough ice underneath their feet to support them, for barely a few minutes, but it felt like an entire lifetime had passed for them. Eventually, Eddie pulled back to catch his breath, his cheeks ablaze, and a meek smile on his face. Richie just shook his head with a grin on his face, looking the happiest he's ever been. "God, I really love you so fucking much Eddie Spaghetti. So damn much." Richie spoke in a normal volume, feeling like he deserves to talk normally now. Eddie's face lit up at the sound of Richie speaking at a normal volume for the first time, and he reached his hands up and rested them on Richie's cheeks. "I- you- don't call me Eds, I hate it, and you don't understand how incredibly proud of you I am for finally breaking your silence despite everything you've gone through, and I am so especially proud of you for finally reaching a normal speaking volume, I am SO proud." Eddie stood on his tippytoes once more and kissed Richie again, this time it's softer, kinder, and it speaks all the good things in the world to Richie, because finally someone is proud of him. After only a moment, Eddie dropped down to his feet again and grabbed Richie's hand. " And I love you too. Now come on Chee, let's go home and make ourselves hot chocolate at my place, sound good?" Richie just laughed as Eddie led them towards the edge of the quarry. "That sounds absolutely okay, Eds. I'm pretty sure my ears are frozen anyways." Eddie just laughed and smiled softly as they finally reached the rocks to take off their skates and put their regular shoes back on and finally make their way back to Eddie's house where they'd have Eddie's dad Frank make them hot chocolate, then disappear to the basement where they'd transformed it into their own personal hang out space, just for the two of them. Richie stayed the night for another sleepover where they cuddled together as usual, but not before a sweet and soft goodnight kiss.