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

eight - the night we met

Warning: this is not smut, it's just a one-shot, and i thought it was cute so i'm fucking posting it <3
Song: The night we me - Lord Huron
Word count: 829
A/n: i needed something short to go between two long chapters

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Walking through the barrens, trying to avoid any small holes in the ground, to not twist an ankle or fall and break an arm, gazing around at the unbrush and looking up at the stars through the leaves of the trees. Maybe he should've grabbed a jacket before he snuck out; but it's a little too late, now.

Richie usually did this. Climbed out through his window to walk to the quarry or the barrens. He needed some freedom. A getaway. There wasn't much to do in Derry but wake up, go to school, and go back home. Then you repeated it until the summertime, where you stayed home the whole time. It was repetitive, and tiring, and just plain annoying.

He was nearing the creek he always skipped rocks in, and he saw them. Sitting on the rocks, away from the water of course because they were fully clothed. He took light steps, as to not alert them. For all he knew, they could be a crazy person minding their own business. The closer he got, the better he could hear them.

Crying.

They were crying.

"Hey." He said softly, and the person jumped.

They whipped their head around to reveal the face of Eddie Kaspbrak, a boy in a few of his classes.

"Oh! I'll, um... i'll just go." He said, standing up and dusting off his pants. "It's about time I went back home, anyway."

"Stay." Richie said, grabbing Eddie's wrist before he could walk away. "Keep me company."

Eddie nodded and sat down on the rocks with Richie, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Why are you crying?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Because i'm worried, obviously. You don't sneak out of your house and come down to the Barrens to find a kid crying everyday."

Eddie hiccuped and pressed his lips into a thin line. "My mom's a bitch."

Richie giggled and pulled the cigarette behind his ear out, sliding his lighter out of his pocket. "What makes her such a bitch? She was pretty sweet when I was with her last night." He put the cigarette between his lips and lit his, being shoved by Eddie.

"Don't joke about my mom." He grumbled, and curling in on himself, again. "She smothers me, and she's—"

"She's..." Richie egged him on, waving his hand around.

"She's..." He wiped the fresh tears falling from his eyes away. "Homophobic." His voice lowered to a whisper, and hid his face.

"Most people in this town are." Richie mumbled, and Eddie looked at him, puzzled.

"You're not gonna ask why she's homophobic towards me?"

"Why should I care, Eddie? It's your business, not mine."

Truth is, Richie liked boys. That was all he could think about a lot of the time; boys. Maybe boys were on his mind so much because he wasn't supposed to be thinking about boys like that, and his mind was just rebelling, because it wanted what it wanted. It's not like Richie had ever admitted to anyone that he liked boys, he mostly just thought about them to himself, minding his own business because he'd be beat to hell and back if anyone found out. He tried not to look too long, when guys had their shirts off around him, or just when he was around attractive guys all around. Like, after PE, in the locker room, when everyone was showering and changing, sometimes he'd catch a glimpse and force himself to look away, keep to himself, trying his hardest not to stare, because he wanted to stare so fucking bad.

But apparently Eddie Kaspbrak liked boys, too.

It's not like Richie was happy that there was someone like him in this town, he was just a bit relieved, because he wasn't alone, and maybe he made a friend tonight.

Maybe Eddie Kaspbrak was cute.

Maybe he watched Eddie in the halls at school, and stared at him from across the classroom.

Maybe.

"You don't care that i'm queer?" Eddie asked dumbly, and Richie smirked.

"No. I'm a fairy, too, so who am I to judge?"

"You like boys, too?"

Richie nodded and took a drag from his cigarette, blowing it in the air and watching it blow away with the soft wind.

"Cat's out of the bag, Richie Tozier's a sissy." Richie mumbled, waving his hands around. "Whatever."

"I'm glad i'm not alone." Eddie said softly, and Richie turned to see him smiling, blushing across his cheeks.

"Yeah, well, it's good to have a companion in this shithole town."

"Are you saying you want to be my companion?" Eddie smiled.

"Maybe. So, what?"

Eddie moved his hand closer to Richie, and Richie could only stare at it, frozen, because he'd never held hands with someone.

He moved his hand closer, also, and met Eddie halfway, their pinkies touching together. Richie flipped his hand, and Eddie slid his fingers between Richie's, holding his hand tight.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be your companion, Eddie Kaspbrak."