Chapter Text
Stan had been staring at the boy in the booth a few down from them for like… the whole time they’d been at the bar. And not in a very coy way either. If this was a cartoon, he would have hearts instead of eyes and his jaw would be on the literal floor. It was cute at first, when Eddie and Stan had first walked into the bar, planning to have a night just drinking and dancing and catching up. They lived together and saw each other all the time, but with Stan finishing up his doctorate in Religious Studies and Eddie’s shift at the ER becoming more hectic, they barely got any time to talk. They were either sleeping, eating, or working.
But, they were both slowing things down so they jumped on the opportunity to spend a night together again. Stan was his best friend and he missed him a lot. But of course, the moment they sat down in their booth, Stan’s eye was drawn to the handsome guy a booth away, who was biting his nails nervously and flipping through his phone. And yeah, it was cute at first because his best friend rarely ever lost his cool, but also Stan had barely said a word to Eddie because of it.
“Go talk to him, Stan, for fucks sake.” Eddie snapped, mid-story about his supervisor that Stan just wasn’t fucking listening to. Stan looked back at him with wide eyes and shook his head.
“No, I can’t! He looks like he’s waiting for someone, anyway, he hasn’t looked up from his phone since we got here.” Stan argued and Eddie rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, you would know. You haven’t looked away from him for one fucking second.” Eddie teased. Stan blushed but of course glared right through it, as if staring hard enough at Eddie would make him any less called out.
“Shut up. Here, switch sides with me so that I can’t stare at him anymore.” Stan insisted and Eddie obeyed literally just because he didn’t want to argue that Stan was being a big baby.
“You’re ridiculous.” Eddie huffed as he slid back into the booth, this time on the opposite side so he could see the guy slightly better. Stan of course could still stare if he just turned slightly to the side, but whatever.
“You’re ridiculous. Now continue your story.” Stan urged.
“Continue or start over? Because I doubt you were listening to any of it.” Eddie deadpanned, making Stan laugh.
“Maybe start over- wait be quiet, he’s talking!” Stan whispered, leaning back slightly as he heard the boy behind them answer his phone.
“Oh my God.” Eddie groaned, spurring more shushing from Stan, which was honestly louder than Eddie could’ve been. But Eddie still shut up and joined his friend in spying on the hot stranger.
“Bev, this is so awkward, I hate blind dates! And he’s like thirty minutes late.” The boy moaned, and that held a few positive and negative conclusions. First, he was gay, but second, he was definitely here to meet someone. Stan looked conflicted. “Yes I know. I’m watching the door… yes I remember… his name is Richie, tall, curly hair, glasses, good cheekbones. Weird descriptors, but I’m looking… okay I might’ve been reading, but he could still find me! I’m the only one sitting alone and- okay fine. Yes, I’ll wait a little longer… okay. I’ll talk to you later, Bev.” The boy hung up and Eddie looked at Stan with a wide grin.
“What the fuck is that face for?” Stan asked nervously. Eddie titled his head and raised one eyebrow, “What?”
“That description! Tall, cheekbones, curly hair? Those are your most prominent features. That sounds just like you!” Eddie explained and Stan blanched.
“So? You want me to pretend to be his blind date?” Stan asked him, sounding incredulous. Eddie nodded.
“Yes!”
“No! What the fuck would I do when his actual date shows up?” Stan hissed and Eddie thought about it for a moment.
“I’ll run defense. I’ll sit at the bar, looking lonely, and if the guy comes… I’ll say he’s supposed to meet me.” Eddie shrugged and Stan stared at him like he was crazy.
“You really think that’ll work?” Stan asked, eyes wide. Eddie laughed and nodded.
“Yes! Now go, so I can stop staring at your lovelorn face! He’s looking down at his phone now, he won’t see you coming from the booth.” Eddie said, getting up and moving to the bar, shooing Stan along quietly as he went. He watched Stan walk over nervously, wiping his hands on his jeans. He got to the boy’s booth and cleared his throat.
It should’ve been in a cheesy rom-com, the way that guy looked up at Stan like the fucking clouds parted. Stan smiled and opened his mouth to say hi, Eddie was guessing, and the boy shot up out of his seat, jostling the table a little in his hurry.
“Hi, are you-”
“Your blind date? Looks like I could be.” Stan cut in and wow, nice save, kid, Eddie thought. He chuckled and turned to the bar in front of him, waving down the bartender and asking for another long island. The guy smiled and turned to make it quickly. Eddie tapped his fingers against the bar as he waited, looking around at who else was there, dreading the moment someone walked in looking for their own half of a blind date.
“Your friend ditched you?” the guy asked, handing Eddie his drink and gesturing to where Stan was sitting. Eddie gulped and nodded but then stopped.
“Um, if anyone asks, we didn’t come in together.” Eddie said and the guy looked at him weird, scrunching up his handsome face in confusion, “That sounds shady and it is but… please.” The guy laughed and nodded.
“Whatever you say.” He shrugged before moving down the bar to help the couple at the end. Eddie sighed and took a long pull of his drink, choking slightly when heard the door of the bar open and close widely. Literally everyone turned to see who walked in, a tall guy, with wild curls and… sharp cheekbones… and glasses.
“Fuck.” Eddie whispered. He looked over at Stan and his boy and luckily they were so engrossed in conversation, leaning in close to each other, that they were unaware completely of their surroundings. Eddie simultaneously rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. He sat up straighter on his stool and waited for the boy, Richie, he remembered his name was, to walk over.
Richie caught the attention of the bartender and smiled widely at him. Eddie… did not hate that smile. It was wide and genuine and made Eddie’s stomach jump. Eddie watched him closely as he took another drink, trying to summon the courage to say something to him.
“Hey,” the guy said to the bartender, “I’m supposed to meet someone here. His name is Bill? Have you seen anyone sitting alone or-”
“I think that’s me.” Eddie cut in and he don’t know what gave him the courage. It was probably the way that the guy’s lips quirked when he spoke, or maybe it was the way those black jeans stretched over his legs, or maybe it was the way his fingers gripped the shot of Jameson that had been poured for him. It could’ve been any number of things about this boy, honestly. Richie looked over at him with raised eyebrows and his grin somehow grew as he… appraised Eddie. Eddie felt his skin go hot in a mixture of annoyance and arousal as his gaze covered Eddie from head to toe.
“Really?” Richie asked, “You’re Bill?” Eddie blew out a heavy breath and nodded.
“I guess so.” He shrugged, raising his glass. Richie laughed and raised his too before knocking it back. Eddie shamelessly watched the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed, clearing his throat loudly when Richie caught him staring.
“So,” Richie said, walking over to hop into the seat next to Eddie. They both shifted their seats so that they were facing each other, legs slotted together. “Bill, right?”
“Yup. And you’re Richie.” Eddie added, trying to prove that he was Bill. Even though… he was not Bill. Richie narrowed his eyes at him and nodded.
“Uh-huh… so, Bill. How do you know Ben?” Richie asked and Eddie knew he was being interrogated. And fuck it all if he wasn’t going to pass this with flying colors. He knew how to bullshit, he’d been lying to his mother and to his teachers since he was fourteen, he could do this. And something about the challenge in Richie’s eyes made Eddie’s skin itch, made him want to rise up and knock this asshole off his feet.
Eddie thought back to Bill’s phone conversation, and- wait, he didn’t say Ben, did he? He said Bev.
“Through Beverly.” Eddie said confidently and Richie huffed, slumping back slightly into his seat, “Yeah, through Bev. Ben’s girlfriend.” And that was a total shot in the dark, what the fuck was he doing? He figured go big or go home, though.
“Nice girl,” Richie said reluctantly, “Where’d you guys meet?”
“At school, university. Intro to Politics, I think.” Eddie said, smirking around the lid of his drink. Richie grunted and nodded.
“Okay, Bill. Ben told me you’re a writer. How’s your new book coming?” Richie asked smugly. Eddie sighed and set his drink down dramatically.
“What’s with the third degree, Rich?” Eddie asked, desperately trying to change the subject because fuck, he was in over his head. Richie smiled like he won something.
“What? You give up? This is just normal date talk, Billy. You should be able to answer,” Richie teased and Eddie just glared. Richie leaned in close and whispered, “How about you tell me your real name and we’ll forget this mess ever happened?”
“The new book is coming great,” Eddie snapped, leaning back and leaving Richie hanging, “Inspiration is hard to find at times, but that comes with the territory. When you really love writing like I do though, its all worth it, you know?” Eddie added on sweetly. Richie barked a laugh and shook his head.
“No. No. You’re not Bill! You put on a good act, babe, you are balls deep in this lie and I love it, but you are not Bill.” Richie insisted and Eddie almost growled. What the fuck was this guy’s problem? Why couldn’t he just ACCEPT THIS BLATANT LIE?
“Why are you so sure about that?” Eddie snapped, grimacing, but Richie’s face kept that genuine smile, looking at Eddie like he won the lottery.
“Because… Ben said you would have auburn hair.” Richie said and Eddie shrugged. Easy.
“I’m pretty sure he’s color blind.” Eddie said dismissively. Richie scoffed.
“A color blind that turns browns into reds?” Richie asked and fuck, right. That’s not a thing.
“It’s a serious thing.” Eddie said casually.
“He said you were tall.”
“I usually wear lifts.”
“He said you were pretty pale.”
“I just came back from a weekend at the beach.”
“He said you don’t drink.”
“I… changed my mind.”
“He said you weren’t my type.”
“I- wait, what?” Eddie squeaked and he internally kicked himself because damn he’d been on a roll. Yeah, he lost it pretty bad towards the end, but he’d still been winning in a way. All of those things could’ve technically, maybe been true.
“Ben said, and I sort of directly quote, ‘Bill isn’t the type of guy you usually go for, but give it a shot. You could like each other’.” Richie took a big of gulp of his beer and Eddie didn’t like that, didn’t like the way he was celebrating his win before this game was even over.
“So? That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe he doesn’t think I’m your type. Maybe he doesn’t know your type that well.” Eddie argued, pulling at straws but still hanging on. Richie just rolled his eyes.
“Please, Ben is the biggest romantic I know and thus the only person who will let me rant to him about stuff like that. He’d know you’re exactly my type,” Richie teased, leaning in close again, “Big doe eyes, thick thighs, short, argumentative as fuck-”
“Okay, fine!” Eddie hissed, giving just so that the heat of Richie’s gaze might be tempered a little bit. Honestly, Eddie wasn’t sure he could handle that, how intense he was when he stared at him. It warmed him up better than the long island had. Richie crowed in happiness and leaned back in his seat.
“So, tell me. Why are you commandeering my date? You saw me walk in and you just couldn’t resist?” Richie asked and Eddie laughed once, sharp.
“In your dreams.” Eddie grinned, “But actually… that’s not too far off from what happened.” Richie’s eyes lit up.
“What do you mean?” he asked and Eddie gestured to the booth where- okay, where Bill and Stan now had their tongues down each other’s throats. Very classy.
“Um, I came here with my best friend and he… kind of wanted your date more than you did. Since you showed up half an hour late.” Eddie teased. Richie just stared with wide eyes and a wider grin.
“That is… fucking hilarious. So wait, how did you know all that stuff? My name and Bev’s and-”
“We overheard his phone call. We heard him say he was talking to Bev, that he was meeting a tall guy with good cheekbones, curly hair, and glasses. And that sounds… pretty much exactly like Stan, so. Here we are.” Eddie shrugged and oh the way Richie looked at him was nice. Like he was impressed. “You’re not mad?”
“Fuck, no, I am not mad. This is amazing. How did you know that Bev and Ben are dating?”
“Total shot in the dark. I took a big leap on that one. Paid off handsomely.” Eddie admitted, making Richie laugh again.
“That is amazing,” Richie laughed, taking another long sip from his beer, “Hey, you never told me what your actual name is.”
“Eddie.”
“Well, Eddie, let me tell you, this is going to be a great how-we-met-story to tell our grandchildren one day.” Richie said and Eddie groaned as he started laughing again, loud rolling laughter that he couldn’t stop if he tried.
“What the fuck?” he asked through heaving breaths, “You’re insane.” Eddie grinned though, looking up at Richie’s bright eyes.
“I’m sorry, am I moving too fast? Okay, how about I slow down a little and… you and I go out on our own date, sometime?” Richie asked. Eddie took a deep breath and nodded. His face ached from how long he’d been smiling.
“I’d like that.”
“Awesome, are you free…” Richie looked down at his watch and then right back to Eddie, “Literally right now this very second?”
“I think I could clear my schedule. Especially since my ride is currently indisposed.” Eddie said, turning back to glare at where Bill and Stan were- not. They were not there. “What the fuck?” Eddie pulled out his phone to see if Stan had texted him.
Left with Bill. Saw you were laughing pretty hard at the bar so I let you be. See you soon ;)
“Everything okay?” Richie asked with concern. Eddie nodded.
“Yeah, but… it really is just you and me, now.” Eddie said, showing Richie the text. Richie just grinned.
“Exactly the way I want it.”