𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡.

𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 | 𝐞 & 𝐫

R

    After the moment of peace, Richie smiled softly to himself. He shook his head a bit, slowly, unknowing why. His smile didn't fade away, and while he didn't look back up at Eddie, he was sure his didn't either. Richie's mouth opened, but no words escaped from his lips, as if his words were sealed in a letter at the bottom of a car's glove compartment, unsent in the mail. Sitting there, full of words and syntaxes waiting to be sent into the world. Never sent. Alas, the words still held their meaning to Richie. He didn't know what he wanted to say. No mere words could express the feelings he was feeling - feelings he'd never had for anyone, not in his entire life. He feels soft hands rest gently upon his, looking back up at Eddie.

    "I want to do something." Eddie says to him. Richie raises an eyebrow, confused as to what he was wanting to do. Not only this, but he was honestly just surprised that someone wanted to spend their precious time with him, especially Eddie, who treated every moment like it was the most important moment of his life. Richie quite liked this about Eddie - he wouldn't waste his time on anyone. It did, however, raise concern to Richie to notice that Eddie was in fact 'wasting his time' on Richie himself. Time was a thing you had to earn with Eddie, and Richie didn't see what he had done to earn his time. In fact, he could come up with more things that should dwindle his chances of deserving time with Eddie.

    "You do?" Richie asked the boy.

E

    "You do?" Richie asked the boy. Eddie nodded, looking into Richie's dark eyes. The storm seemed to be calmed. The waters were still, only seeming to ripple ever so slightly when he would do his usual nervous glare across the room out of paranoia. The ripples were similar to when Richie taught Eddie how to skip stones at the pond outside. Starting small, yet gently crescendoing. As Eddie hand grazed across Richie's palm, the more the ripples slowed. It was as if it was Eddie's way of getting Richie to tune out the outside world, or anything that could be distracting him from them. Somehow, it worked. It was almost as if at that very moment, Eddie felt what it was like to be in love. This time, unconditionally. Madly. Without reason.

    "Like what?" Richie asked, seeming to get a firmer grip on Eddie's hand. He saw Richie's facial expression change, almost like he was eagerly waiting for Eddie to say something that he'd been wanting him to say for a while. Eddie smiled a bit more, enjoying seeing Richie on the edge of his seat and waiting so patiently. It was like he had control for once. The chess board was flipped, Richie and Eddie switching sides for just a moment.

    "Like..." Eddie trailed off, not completing the thought. He traced Richie's arm with his index finger, gently caressing it to lead Richie on. Richie was hanging on tight, waiting in anticipation. It was like he was on the edge of a mountain, walking closer and closer. The precipice near the edge of the mountain was slick. Eddie's words caught Richie before he could slip. "I don't know. We could go somewhere, I guess." Eddie said casually, sitting back in his seat, no longer touching Richie. Richie seemed caught off guard, awkwardly looking around.

    "Oh." He began, sounding slightly disappointed. "I mean yeah, for sure. We can find somewhere, totally." He said, clearing his throat before he continued to raise his tone and seem less disappointed than he blatantly was.

    Eddie tried to hold back laughter. It was borderline sadistic, yes, but there was some level of cruel satisfaction that he got from seeing Richie flustered. It was happening more now than it used to, catering to Eddie's entertainment.

R

    Richie felt his cheeks get warm, the temperature rising like his desire for just something. Waiting. Waiting. Always waiting. At this point, the chess game between them didn't even feel like a two player game - it just felt like Eddie was turning the chess board each time it was the other's move, playing alone. When would it be Richie's move? And when it was finally his turn, would he immediately hear 'checkmate' following from Eddie?

    He sat back in his chair, looking at Eddie. Eddie himself was sitting back as well, in a relaxed, casual position as if nothing had happened. So uninterested, yet somehow clearly feeling a bit of amusement from the game. Richie saw a small smile from Eddie - just the two corners of his lips slightly upturned. Richie was beginning to believe Eddie found pleasure in making Richie feel... so indescribably lured in, yet cutting the cord at the last moment. Was it really just a game?

    As Richie sat back, watching Eddie as he rhythmically repeated the pattern of looking at the clock then looking at his phone, trying to see if they'd match up. It was little idiosyncrasies about Eddie that made him seem even more charming to Richie. It brought him back down to earth. It made him seem even more complex, which, to some may seem like a bad thing, but Richie thoroughly enjoyed the intricate details of people, even down to their favourite minute of the seven o'clock hour.

    Richie stared at Eddie longer, waiting for him to say something. He really wanted to believe that their relationship was pure, and not a joke to Eddie. He wanted to let his paranoia and blatant insecurity out of the way, even just for a few days. He was to be that perfect, trophy boyfriend that Eddie just couldn't help but to show off. However, there was a skeptic in Richie. He had to be sure. He just had to be.

    "Hey, I think I know where we can go, Eds. Get your things."