Chapter Text
“I swear to you I’m not high.”
Richie is in the bathroom, sitting on his toilet and he knows Eddie is in the other room, sleeping in his bed and he should probably be quiet but he’s too shaken up by the fact that Eddie is in fact not dead and loves Richie back.
Bev is on the other line of the phone, tired and confused, “Richie, honey, you’re telling me Eddie is alive so obviously you sound crazy.”
“Im- I’m not, I swear.”
He hears her yawn, “Mm, okay, well tomorrow were all meeting up for lunch so bring Eddie,” then she adds, “if he’s even there.”
“Okay, well—“
“Night, Rich, see you tomorrow.”
Richie sighs when the phone goes silent, clicking the button to turn it off.
He stands up, walking over to the door, his hand on the handle. He gives himself a silent pep talk (which is, of course, him going “what the fuck man he loves you, man the fuck up” over and over) before opening it.
He cringes at the way it squeaks in the silence and he sneaks his way over to the bed.
Richie looks down at Eddie and he looks totally different.
His face is relaxed, his hand thrown over his chest and his mouth is slightly open, soft puffs of air coming out.
But Richie does note he does look kinda gross.
Theres dirt all over him, tiny debris parts in his hair and he wonders how Eddie hasn’t showered at least three times now.
“Eds,” he whispers and he feels bad for waking Eddie at all, “Eddie. Get up, man.”
Eddie does wake up, slowly but surely, and he looks around the room, like he doesn’t know where he is.
Eddie’s eyes end up landing on Richie, “Rich?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Look, I’m sorry for waking you but I know if you don’t shower right now then you’re gonna lose your shit in the morning.”
Eddie face is still puzzled and he looks down at himself and when he ends up seeing the dirt and blood on him he frowns, “Gross.”
“I know,” Richie agrees, “so thats why you need to get your ass up before you end up having a heart attack.”
Eddie nods, stumbling out the bed and he rubs his eyes, “no clothes.”
“Oh,” Richie says dumbly and he then realizes that, oh shit , half of Eddie’s fucking house is still at the Inn, stuffed into two suitcases, “I can give you some of my clothes, they might be too big but—“
“Rich,” Eddie murmurs, still half asleep, “Look, I can’t compute half of what you’re saying, my brain is literally melting.”
Richie laughs softly at that, “Gotcha.”
He goes to his closet while Eddie makes his way to the bathroom, trying not to trip on anything.
Richie pulls out a t-shirt and some sweat pants and he hears the shower turn on.
He walks over to the bathroom, clothes in hand and he opens the door.
When he opens it, Eddie is stripping down, his back facing him.
He swallows when he sees Eddie fully naked, stepping into the shower but he doesn’t even notice Richie.
As he stands in the doorway, Richie ends up thinking about the fact that thirteen year old him would be combusting at this, at seeing Eddie like this.
He feels like he doesn’t need to be thirteen again to fucking combust right here right now though.
He throws the clothes on the sink counter, closing the door, trying to close it so Eddie doesn’t hear.
Richie walks back to his bed and he checks the time.
1:30 A.M
He sighs, climbing into the bed and he waits a full ten minutes for Eddie to come out but he doesn’t and Richie ends up falling asleep waiting for him.
-
He ends up waking up when he feels someone lay beside him and he wonders how long he’s been out.
He feels wet hair on his back, wetting his t-shirt and a pair of arms wrap around his waist.
“Eddie?”
“Mm?”
“Is that you?”
“No, its fucking Bill,” Eddie says, “of course its me, Einstein, who else would it be?”
“I dunno man, I wouldn’t mind if Big Bill decided to snuggle me in bed,” Richie says, smiling softly.
“Go to sleep.”
-
They end up waking at eleven A.M.
Eddie doesn’t wake first and Richie doesn’t blame him, him having to come back alive and everything.
When Richie does manage to get out of bed, he looks over at the clock and starts panicking.
“Oh fuck,” he rushes out of the bed and hears Eddie groan beside him.
“Rich, Richie,” Eddie mumbles, “the hell? Why are you running around?”
“Because the losers are meeting up for lunch at twelve and we have an hour.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” Richie grabs something out the closet, tossing it on the floor, “Fuck.”
“Oh my god,” Eddie sighs, getting out of the bed, “Can you at least pick clothes some what okay? Also, don’t throw them on the floor, it will just make them disgusting.” He picks them up, laying them on his arms.
Richie ignores Eddie though, not really paying attention as he looks through his pants.
“Richie.”
Richie hums.
“Are you listening to me?”
Richie sighs, “Sorry, Eds, it’s just—“ he grabs some jeans that don’t look actually that bad, “It’s just that I told them that you were here and no one believed me and now I have to go and show them and-“
“You told them?” Eddie asks, “When?”
“Last night when you were asleep,” Richie grabs the shirt and he goes to the bathroom, “Sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“No, no,” Eddie follows him, waiting beside the doorway so he doesn’t barge in on Richie, “Im not angry, just, did- did you tell them about..”
He trails off but Richie knows what it’s about.
Richie still thinks its a dream. A dream where Eddie is still gone and he didn’t come to his place and didn’t confess his love and didn’t—
Didn’t kiss him.
Richie shakes his head and looks back, realizing Eddie isn’t there so he speaks up, “No. No I didn’t, I didn’t think you wanted them to know.”
Eddie doesn’t reply so Richie speaks again.
“Did you divorce her?”
Richie doesn’t say her name but he knows who he’s talking about.
Myra.
God.
Eddie was married to a fucking woman and now he’s staying at his friends house and he’s already fucking kissed and cuddled with him.
He feels bad.
Eddie knows she’s not okay. She’s not the best wife, overbearing and protective. Like she feels the need to tell him every illness he has.
Like his mother.
Eddie is quiet for a moment, “No,” he finally says, “God, fuck .”
Richie comes out the bathroom a moment later and doesn’t look that bad.
“Hey,” Richie puts his arm on his shoulder, “I know this is kind of an awful conversation but it’s fine if you don’t wanna get with me or tell the losers about anything before you get divorced to her. I can wait. They can wait.”
Eddie nods and Richie smiles at him, “Now, get your ass in some actual clothes before the others commit homicide.”
“You ruin every conversation.”
Richie laughs and Eddie feels a little warmer.
-
They end up making it on time, with a few rushed screams from both of them, they pull up to a little restaurant that doesn’t look too fancy.
“Okay,” Richie puts the car into park, “ready?”
“No, but I guess it will be worth it in the end,” Eddie looks at Richie and he can tell Richie is acting like he’s fine but he’s not.
“Better than nothing.”
They get out the car and they walk into the restaurant.
They make it up to the counter and theres a sweet girl there.
She looks up at smiles at them and Richie sees the name on her name tag.
Jenna.
“Hello!” Jenna says, “How may I help you gentleman today?”
“Hi,” Richie smiles back, “We’re supposed to meet with someone here. It should be a table with six?”
She looks through her computer, which looks too fancy for this place, “Mhm, Marsh?”
“Yes.”
She looks back over, “Right this way.”
She stands up, going in front of them and she motions for them to follow her.
They do, through the restaurant and she stops at a big table with six chairs and four people are sitting there.
“Here you go,” Jenna looks back over to them, “Have a nice day.”
She walks away and Richie and Eddie stand there awkwardly as the losers stare at them.
Bev is the first to break the silence, “Holy shit.”
She stands up and grins at Richie, “You weren’t fucking kidding! Oh my God!”
Richie laughs as she hugs Eddie tightly, “Eddie, oh my God, your fucking alive!”
Eddie hugs her back just as tight and they sway slightly, “Yeah, I’m alive.”
Hugs are exchanged and so are some tears and suddenly, Richie is overwhelmed with emotions.
“I need to use the bathroom,” He mumbles and he stands up.
He’s successful in finding the bathroom and he checks the stalls and makes sure no one is in there.
He sighs, staring at himself in the mirror.
Richie puts his hands under his glasses and a few tears fall.
He hears the door open and he freezes.
“Rich?”
Oh Jesus.
Richie hums, wiping his eyes with more fierceness.
He opens them back up and they’re slightly red as Eddie walks behind him.
“Hey, whats wrong?” Eddie asks softly, putting his hands on Richie’s shoulders.
“So much.”
“What?”
“Eddie, god, you have no fucking idea how much I missed you,” Richie confesses, “I missed you so goddamn much and, fuck, it was so awful. So fucking awful to see you die, to see all the life drain out of you.”
“I know,” Eddie hugs him from behind, “I’m sorry.”
Richie lets his eyes fall to Eddie’s reflection, “Can- can we kiss again?”
“What?”
“Can we kiss?”
“God, Rich,” Eddie turns him around, “Fuck, I will kiss you no matter what.”
“Your wife?”
“Im calling her to divorce her after the lunch,” Eddie mumbles, leaning in and Richie has never felt so fucking happy.