Work Text:
Eddie handed the napkins to Bill as he came outside. He accepted the pitcher of iced tea from Mike and gave a short smile. The Uris family had taken over the Fourth of July party after Bill’s little brother had died. It had always to be held at the Denbrough family until two years earlier, and somehow there hadn’t been much question when the Uris’ took over the festivities.
“Hey guys!” Richie called over, walking up with his arm tossed around the shoulders of some random from their school. “This is Chip.”
Eddie rolled his eyes. This was so obviously a ploy. Richie had been very vocal of his crush on Eddie for several months now, and while Eddie liked his friend, there was just never going to be anything there between them. Richie had actually asked Eddie if he’d wanted to go to the Fourth Party together as dates just the day before, and Eddie had finally had to put him in his place. Let him know that nothing was ever going to happen between them. Apparently it worked.
“He’s been after me for a while now, so I just thought, you know...” Richie shrugged, glancing at Eddie for a moment before looking away quickly. “What the fuck. So, Chip... this is everybody.”
Eddie joined the rest of the Losers in giving Chip a welcome, and he shook his head to himself. He didn’t know whether to feel bad that Richie had blown this guy off for so long because he’d been trying to get with Eddie or if he was annoyed that Richie got been so quick to jump to the attention of another guy after Eddie had turned him down.
“Hey, everybody.” Chip said, sounding completely monotone and bored. “Rich, I’ll go get you a drink.”
“Whatever.” Richie replied, sounding almost equally bored. Chip took his leave, walking towards the coolers full of beer and soda. Richie walked in the other direction, towards the Losers. He greeted them more personally, reaching out for the disgusting sugar cookies he loved so much that were sitting out on the plastic table just for him.
“So, you’re with this Chip guy now?” Eddie asked Richie, keeping his voice low enough that it didn’t draw in too much attention. Stan’s lip tugged up just slightly in acknowledgement that he was absolutely eavesdropping, but nobody else seemed to pay any mind.
“Yep.” Richie replied with a pop of his bottom lip that made Eddie roll his eyes. “Why?” Richie continued, looking at the side of Eddie’s face with narrowed eyes. “Do you care?”
“Nah, I mean...” Eddie scratched at his chin. “If you wanna date this guy, that’s cool.”
“It is?” Richie seemed to squawk, before looking around to wildly to see if he’d drawn anymore attention. Stan was making himself look busy by stacking and unstacking the red solo cups. Eddie raised his brow at Richie, who cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s cool.”
⇾ ⇾ ⇾
“And then Eddie said ‘ that’s cool’” Richie was blathering on to Ben as Ben tried to put red, blue and white streamers up on the white picket fence in the Uris’ backyard. “But not like cool. More like he’s jealous.”
“Richie.” Ben said slowly, not turning around. “Or he just thinks it’s cool.”
When Richie’s crush on Eddie had first birthed itself, Ben had been the most obvious choice to talk to. A complete hopeless romantic. But as the months had gone on, and Eddie’s apparent uninterest hadn’t wavered, even Ben had started to feel it was time to throw in the towel. The only person who was still delusional to think Eddie would ever love Richie, was Richie.
“Come on, Ben! It’s so romantic! Just like West Side Story!” Richie cried excitedly, even going far enough as to clap. Then he paused, frowning. “Just without the dancing.”
Ben glanced over his shoulder and gave Richie what he hoped was a polite smile, but knew probably came out mostly bored.
⇾ ⇾ ⇾
The party was beyond swimming when Eddie finally was forced into contact with Richie’s stupid date. He really was an idiot looking fucker, with long messy hairs and camouflage shorts. Socks with sandals. Richie might be a little obsessed with bright colours, and have a messy mop of hair but this guy wasn’t anywhere close to Richie’s league.
“So,” Eddie said, feeling a little trapped just standing alone with the guy. “You and Richie, huh?”
“Yeah.” Chip replied, giving Eddie a smirk. “Isn’t he something?
Eddie crinkled up his nose. Richie was a lot of things. Sweet, oddly smart in a stupid way. Loyal as fuck. Funny as fuck. Eddie was pretty sure this Chip guy didn’t mean any of those things. Eddie simply nodded. “Sure.”
“Sometimes though...” Chip carried on, either not sensing or completely ignoring Eddie’s discomfort. “I kind of hate it when he talks.”
Eddie let out a low, slow breath. He forced out a chuckle. “I hear you.” He tried to take his leave then, moving to grab another soda and simply hoping that this stupid Chip guy wasn’t going to follow him.
Eddie had never really had good luck.
Chip moved to follow him, not missing a beat. “And he’s always talking.” He said, drowning the rest of his beer. “But I figure it’ll be worth it once I get to nail ‘im.”
Eddie’s jaw clenched beyond his control. He turned towards Chip and licked at his lips before forcing a smile. “Huh.” He nodded slowly, trying forcing the smile. “Yeah, you should probably think about that. You know, I mean, Richie is actually pretty sensitive. And he probably hasn’t mentioned it, but he’s a virgin. So...”
“Hey.” Chip said, laughing under his breath. “That’s not a big surprise. You know, because he’s a bitch.”
Eddie spat out a quick laugh, looking down at the ground. “Oh no.” He only hesitated another second before, reeling back and letting his fist knock angrily into the side of Chip’s stupid, asshole face.
Eddie gets a little fuzzy after that, not really processing anything except the fact that his hand hurt like fuck. When he blinked away the fogginess, Richie was stumbling to Eddie’s side. Eddie’s side. Not going to help Chip off the ground, but standing firm beside Eddie.
“Eddie! What happened?” Richie asked, eyes wide as he takes him Chip’s form on the ground then turns to look at Eddie.
Eddie was frowning at Chip, too. “I don’t know. Nothing?” He replied honestly. “Just somebody... and then the guys said, bitch , and there’s nothing.”
Richie looked up and down between Chip on the ground and Eddie several times and then gasped. “Oh my fucking God! Chip called me a bitch and then you fucking punch him in the face! That’s what happened, isn’t it?”
“No...” Eddie denied immediately, sounding completely and utterly unconvincing even to his own ears.
Richie’s eyes danced behind his glasses. “Liar.” Richie cried happily, grinning toothily from ear to ear. “I am the bitch. And you love me!”
Eddie stared at Richie, watching the horrible, nerve wracking lovesick face come over him. Eddie’s body started to crawl because no that wasn’t true. He didn’t love Richie, that stupid slimy idiot. If he loved Richie, he would know it! He would!! His heart is just beating really fast from the aftermath of the fight, he’d done what about would have done. It didn’t mean he loved Richie, his sweating palms and butterflies in his stomach didn’t either.
“Stop staring at me!” Eddie snapped. Richie’s grin just grew, his eyes getting even softer. Eddie’s heart smashed against his chest. “QUIT IT! I’m not this guy!”
Richie’s expression didn’t waver and Eddie let out a groan. “Oh, God.” He pushed past Richie and into the safety of the Uris’ house.
“Oh, Edward!” Andrea Uris greeted Eddie as soon as he came in the sliding side door. He smiled cheerfully at him, but her next words wipe it right off his face. “I saw what happened. Is your boyfriend okay?”
Eddie froze halfway between reaching out to mash the potatoes sitting on the counter and looked up to give Andrea a betrayed look. “My boyfriend?”
“Yeah.” Mrs Uris said with a simple nod. “Went’s boy. The tall, poorly dressed boy with the big laugh that you’re always hanging around with. Oh, uh! Richie!”
Eddie frowned, knowing damn well that Mrs Uris knew Richie’s name. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Mrs Uris paused from stirring whatever liquid was on the stove that was a terrible red colour that Eddie didn’t even want to guess about. “Oh...” She said, frowning. “Are you sure?”
Eddie’s mouth dropped open. “Yes, I’m sure!!” He cried, gesturing wildly towards the door that Richie was somewhere on the other side. “I don’t like him! He’s loud and messy and vulgar! And messy! Did I mention he was messy? He’s everything that I hate!”
“But Edward, lately you hate everything.” Mrs Uris said lightly and pursed her lips like she hadn’t meant for those words to leave her mind.
Eddie blinked. “What’s that supposed to mean? ”
Mrs Uris sighed, setting her spoon aside and finally fully looking at Eddie. “Well, it means that maybe you like him... because I kinda think that you do.”
Eddie leaned down to a closer to Mrs Uris’ small height and firmly shook his head. “No.” He said. “How could I like him ? Because I don’t like him! Because I can’t like him! Mrs Uris! If I like him, shoot me.”
Mrs Uris gave Eddie a small, sad yet amused smile and held her fingers up to mimic shooting a gun. “Pow!”
Eddie stood back up rim straight and clenched his jaw. He let out a harsh breath. Closed his eyes. Searched his soul. Turned around and walked back out the door to the party. He walked without pausing, without speeding up or slowly down, to where Richie was sitting and talking mostly calmly to Stan.
He stopped at the end of the table and sighed again. Stan and Richie broke their conversation and both looked at Eddie in different levels of confusion. “Eds?” Richie prompted when Eddie didn’t seem as though he was going to speak.
“Richard.” Eddie said slowly, sighing once again. “Get your stupid truck. We’re going a fucking date.”
Richie’s eyes blew open wide, looking almost comical behind his glasses. Stan’s mouth dropped open, looking torn between shocked and impressed. Eddie rolled his eyes, turning to stomp off to Richie’s truck at the end of the driveway.
He couldn’t hold back the fond smile as he heard Richie tripping over himself to follow him.