Chapter Text
After careful consideration, Eddie realised he hated New York. He hated how busy people were, how noisy everything was. He had only been there a few months after moving out of his hometown of Derry, and it wasn’t a decision he was enjoying.
His work had asked him to relocate for a better salary and a better job. Both positives. But, New York was the obvious downside to the whole thing. It was dirty, loud, stressful. Eddie really didn’t need anymore of those three things in his life.
He was on his way to work, dodging people on the sidewalk, seriously who walks that slowly in the city--
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” He stumbled backwards from the man in front of him, the now empty coffee cup on the floor, most of its contents covering Eddie.
“Oh shit, I’m really sorry, man!”
“Sorry doesn’t stop the fact that I’m gonna get ill from all your germs! I swear to God, I can feel myself gett--”
“It’s only coffee, and hey! You walked into me, asshole!”
Eddie grit his teeth, pulling his soaking shirt off his chest, cringing at the feeling of the wet cotton. He reached for his pocket, hands shaking slightly as he retrieved his inhaler, taking a large puff before sighing and looking up at the taller man.
The man was staring at him, his thick rimmed glasses sliding down his nose slightly.
“Wait, germs? Inhaler? Eddie Kaspbrak?” The man slowly started to grin as Eddie nodded, staring back at the man.
“It’s Richie! Richie Tozier! From summer camp, you remember? Oh my God, it’s been years!”
Richie Tozier. Now that name brought back memories. He looked different. The years had been kind to him. Soft looking hair, thick glasses, stubble. He still made Eddie’s heart hammer in his chest. Long, long legs covered in black slacks. Richie Tozier from summer camp.
“How’ve you been, man? You live in New York?” Richie asked, still smiling down at him, stepping out of the way of the people on the sidewalk, tugging Eddie with him.
“Yeah, yeah I moved here a few months ago for work,” Eddie told him, gripping his bag strap tighter, letting himself get tugged to the side.
“What do you do?” He sounded genuinely interested.
“Oh, I work in risk analysis, I manage a team of people and we get hired by companies to --” a snore cut him off.
Richie had his arms folded over his chest, his head leaned back and his mouth wide open. Eddie hit him in the side.
“Asshole.”
“Oh, sorry, Eds, I told you to tell me about your job, not a fucking bedtime story,” he teased, the crooked grin still there.
“Yeah, fuck you. What are you doing in New York?” Eddie asked, after composing himself from being grinned at like that.
Richie glanced to the side, pointing up to ta billboard on one of the buildings to their left. Eddie followed the hand, staring at the billboard and then looking back at Richie, who had a sort of smug grin.
“People pay to see you be annoying?” Eddie laughed, looking back up the board which had a large picture of Richie on it in a nice looking suit.
“People pay to see me be funny, big difference, Eds.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a grown man.”
Richie was about to reply when his phone went off, he pulled his phone out and winced as he answered.
“I’m on my way! I stopped for a coffee!” Richie called into the phone before looking at the stained shirt Eddie was wearing and trying not to laugh. Eddie did his best to glare at him.
“Yeah, I’ll be ten minutes.”
Richie hung up, pushing his phone back into his pocket.
“I gotta go, but you should come and see the show. It’s tomorrow night, 7:30 at the Beacon Theatre, I’ll put you on the guestlist!” Richie told him, grinning and patting him on the shoulder before disappearing into the New York pedestrian traffic.
Eddie just stood and watched the spot he disappeared into. He sighed softly, trying to ignore the fast beating of his heart and his sweaty palms. Before he realised he was late for work and he started running.
-
Standing in line for the show, Eddie realised something. Richie was a real hit with the ladies. The ratio of women to men was probably 5 to 1. He felt a little out of place, ignoring the few stares he got from a few of the ladies in line.
He did some research when he got home from work after bumping into Richie. He found that this was his second tour and it was completely sold out. Over 25 states, it was pretty impressive, he hated to admit it. He even watched a couple of Youtube videos, he was funny. Similar humour to when he was young, from when they were thirteen years old in Maine for summer camp.
The line ahead starting moving, people shuffling forward and showing tickets to the burly men next to the door. Eddie’s palms started to sweat, what if Richie had forgotten to tell them that he was on the guestlist? What if he wasn’t allowed in and he would miss his chance to see Richie again? His fears carried on until he was at the front of the queue and Richie was stood with the men, pointing Eddie out to them, a smile on his face.
He was waved past by the two guys, making his way over to Richie who was dressed in a nice suit, dark grey with a pale yellow shirt underneath, the top few buttons open slightly. Eddie wishes he had worn something slightly nicer than jeans and a shirt.
“You made it!” Richie called, adjusting his watch slightly as he met Eddie in the middle. He handed Eddie a ticket and a program, as well as a credit card.
“There’s your seat number, program, and my card, get yourself a drink and just meet me back here after the show. I gotta run, I’m on soon,” he smiled, winking as he turned and headed down the corridor behind him.
Eddie just watched him go, his cheeks red. He blinked himself out of the trance he had put himself in before pocketing his ticket and program, heading to the bar and getting himself a beer.
He got himself settled into his seat shortly after, finding it pretty close to the front at the end of one of the rows. The theatre was huge, pretty much full already but there was still a fair few amount of people milling around. Eddie checked his watch then his phone: a message from his mother but he turned his phone off and slid it into his pocket.
A few minutes passed and the lights started to dim, the crowd going quiet as an announcer called, “please welcome to the stage, Richie Tozier!”
Eddie clapped along with everyone else, a few people cheering as Richie came on stage, grinning and waving, eyes going straight to Eddie when he took the microphone from the stand. He scanned the crowd, “hello, New York! So nice to be here!”
He was like a different person, his smile was different. He wasn’t the kid Eddie remembered. Some parts were the same, he was all limbs back then too.
Eddie found himself actually enjoying the show, most of Richie’s material was what he expected it to be. Stuff about being old, stuff about living in California, stuff about being with women. The last one stuck with Eddie.
He sat through an hour and a half of the show, laughing when expected and grinning when Richie looked over at him. He stood to clap at the end when Richie took his bow and said his goodbyes, waving to the crowd as he left the stage.
Eddie slowly made his way back into the foyer, going to the bathroom before leaning against one of the walls in the foyer, waiting for Richie.
It was probably twenty minutes later when Eddie heard his name being called, looking up to see Richie heading over, a bottle of water in his hand and a grin on his face. A real grin. The one that made his nose scrunch.
“How’d you like the show?” He asked, opening the water and taking a drink.
“I still can’t believe people find you funny.”
“Your mom thinks I’m funny.”
And Eddie was thirteen again, laughing with Richie by the lake after spending the day doing some bullshit arts project with too happy camp counselors.
“Shut up, asshole.”
A moment of silence between them, just looking at each other in the quiet theatre.
“Let me grab my stuff and we can go for a beer, and some food, I’m fucking starving.”
They spent the evening at some random chinese restaurant that Eddie remembers seeing one time. They sit close together and reminisce about summer camp and about where they went to college, Richie having been to the University of Redlands in California and Eddie having been to the University of Maine.
The restaurant was empty when they finally decided to head off, Eddie apologised to their waitress about staying so late but she said it wasn’t a problem.
They stumbled outside, both of them pulling their jackets around themselves in the cold wind.
“How long are you staying?” Eddie asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“About a week, but I’m thinking about moving here, I’m apartment looking tomorrow,” Richie told him, pulling out his phone. “Give me your number.”
Eddie looked up at Richie before slowly taking the phone and putting his number in.
“We’ll meet up again, yeah? How’s Sunday for you?” Richie asked, typing something on his phone before pushing it back in his pocket.
“Sunday works for me. We could grab a beer?”
“Nah, we’ll go out for dinner, my treat.”
“But you paid tonight! I said I would get the next one!”
“Tough shit, Eddie spaghetti!”
“Asshole. Just text me, okay?”
“Of course.”
A taxi pulled up next to them and Richie headed over to it, telling the driver the name of his hotel before turning to Eddie.
“I’ll see you on Sunday, wear something pretty,” he grinned, winking before climbing into the taxi.
Eddie watched him leave, sighing softly and ignoring the red in his cheeks.
-
Eddie spent most of his Saturday panicking.
He was worried about seeing Richie again, he didn’t think his heart could take it. He couldn’t stand the way his heart clenched when Richie grinned, when he laughed. God, even when he just looked at Eddie. It hurt to see him, but he was still going to go and torture himself. He picked his outfit on the Saturday afternoon, despite knowing he was only meeting Richie at six the next day. Richie had text him to let him know.
rich: hey eds! its richie, i’ll pick u up at 6, okay? just let me know ur address
Eddie had stared at his phone when he got the message, his palms growing sweaty as he shakily typed his reply.
Eddie: Sure thing.
He sent over his address, Richie replying and saying that he wasn’t staying too far from there.
Eddie: How’s house hunting going?
rich: badly, why the fuck is everything so expensive?
Eddie: Welcome to New York.
They spent the day texting, Richie complaining about each and every aspect of New York to Eddie as he went about his day, laughing at his phone every now and then. It felt like they hadn’t spent 27 years apart from each other.
It was strange. Eddie had dated here and there, mostly women but he had tried with guys before, but none of them ever really worked out. The scary thing was that none of them could ever compare to Richie Tozier. Always in the back of his mind and always stopping him from ever getting too comfortable with the men he’d dated. Women he had no problem with, he was engaged once, but he found her in bed with her boss so that quickly ended things.
But with men, always dark haired and tall men, he never had any luck.
-
Richie was late.
Eddie was sat staring at his watch, 6:24, he was nearly thirty minutes late. What if he had decided he didn’t want to see Eddie anymore? What if he had realised that Eddie was completely in love with him? What if he had--
A knock at the door put a halt to his thinking.
Eddie got up from where he was sat at the kitchen table, heading over to the door and opening it, staring up at Richie. Richie who was dressed in grey slacks and a salmon shirt with a blazer covering his broad shoulders. Richie, who had an apologetic smile on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“Sorry I’m late, New York is genuinely the worst,” Richie told him, smiling down at him and pushing his way past Eddie into his apartment. He started searching through Eddie’s cupboards before standing back up straight and filling the vase he had found with water.
Eddie was still stood with his hand on the door handle. He watched Richie whirl around his kitchen, blinking slowly before closing the door and following him.
“You brought me flowers?” Eddie asked, staring at Richie as he put the bouquet in the water, placing the vase in the centre of his kitchen table.
“Yeah, isn’t that what people do?” Richie looked over at him, hands still messing with the flowers.
“I mean, I guess? I don’t think I’ve ever been given flowers before so I have no clue.”
“You’ve never been given flowers?”
“No, I’m allergic to pollen.”
“No you aren’t.”
“How would you even know?”
“Because you say you’re allergic to everything and you aren’t.”
“Asshole, yes I am.”
“Fine, throw them out.”
Eddie opened his mouth to reply before slowly closing it, frowning slightly. He did his best to ignore the grin that was slowly spreading over Richie’s face.
“C’mon, we’re gonna be late if we carry on.”
Eddie followed Richie out of the apartment, double checking that he had his keys and wallet with him, his inhaler tucked tightly in his jacket pocket.
Richie led him outside and down the street, pushing his hands in his pockets as he walked, slowing his steps slightly to let Eddie catch up with him.
“So, did your house hunting go okay?” Eddie asked, glancing up at Richie as they walked.
“It was alright, there’s a couple places that seem pretty decent but shit, everything is so expensive.”
“Tell me about it. Wait, aren’t you like rich? You could definitely afford a place in New York.”
“I know, but I don’t wanna spend $8000 a month on somewhere that’s just ‘nice’, I would want it to be fucking made of gold for £8000 a month.”
“Fucking tell me about it.”
They chatted until they arrived at the restaurant, a little hole in the wall Italian place that Eddie didn’t recognise. Richie lead them both inside, giving his name to the waitress who asked if they had a booking.
She lead them to a table near the back of the restaurant, setting their menus on the table and telling them she’d be back for their order in a few moments. Richie thanked her quietly before taking the seat opposite Eddie, pulling his jacket off and laying it on the back of his chair.
“So, Eduardo, tell me everything. What’s been happening in the 27 boring years I haven’t been in your life?” Richie leaned forward slightly as he asked, eyes never leaving Eddie’s face.
“Not much, I went to college, graduated, got a job, moved to New York. Average stuff.”
“God, you really are boring as shit.”
“Shut up, we can’t all be celebrities.”
“I suppose,” he picked up one of the menus and glanced over it, “how’s your mom?”
“Oppressive as always. She text me the other day telling me that she wanted to buy an oxygen tank for me, all because New York air is apparently the worst air in America.”
“You gonna let her?”
“Fuck off. My mother isn’t buying me an oxygen tank.”
“Because Eddie spaghetti is a grown man and he’ll buy his own oxygen tank!” Richie grinned, almost baby talking him and leaning back in his chair when the waitress came back over. Richie ordered a beer and Eddie got a glass of wine. Richie made a face when he did.
“You drink wine?”
“There’s nothing wrong with wine, it tastes better than beer.”
“Whatever.”
The waitress came back with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Eddie ordered a salmon dish and Richie went with veal. They thanked the waitress before settling back.
“Is it just you and your mom? A girlfriend or anything?” Richie asked after taking a drink from his beer.
“No, just us. I was engaged but she cheated on me so..”
“Ouch, sorry, man.”
“It’s alright, what about you? You were talking about a girlfriend in your show.”
“Nope, no girlfriend. Not really my area of expertise.”
What did that mean? Women weren’t his thing? But, that meant..?
“| mean, unless you count your mom.”
“Fuck off, Richie.”
It really was like they had never left each other. They cracked jokes, bouncing off each other with every word. It felt natural. They ate, ordered some more drinks. Richie asked him if he wanted to share a dessert.
“Only if you get two spoons, I’m not catching whatever you have, Tozier.”
They ordered a tiramisu and Eddie blushed the whole time they ate it. It felt too intimate for two people who had only just reconnected after 27 years. They ordered more drinks.
Everything was going well until someone recognised Richie.
It was late, they weren’t the only ones left but there was only about eight people left. A woman sat with two other women got up and headed over to their table. Richie was in the middle of his story about the time he drank coffee mixed with red bull in college to finish off a paper and thought he was going to die.
“Excuse me? Are you Richie Tozier?”
Richie looked up at the lady, putting on a smile and nodding.
“The one and only.”
“Would it be okay if I got a picture with you?”
Richie glanced at Eddie before nodding, slowly standing up. The lady held her phone up, taking a few pictures of them. Eddie tried to hide his laughter at how much Richie had to crouch to be in the pictures.
Richie saw Eddie laughing and flipped him off.
“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” The lady asked, looking between Richie and Eddie, lowering her phone slightly.
“Well, except my dinner.”
The lady frowned slightly, staring at Eddie before looking back at Richie. Eddie shrank in his chair slightly, finishing off his wine.
“I came to see your show, you were really funny! I didn’t know gay guys could be so funny!” The lady laugh, looking up at Richie.
Richie frowned, staring down at the lady.
“I’m not gay.”
“Yeah, okay, you’re literally sat here having dinner with your boyfriend.”
“He isn’t my boyfriend. We were friends as kids.”
“You don’t have to pretend! It’s okay, I have gay friends!”
“Look, lady, I’m not gay, can you leave us alone now?”
The lady scowled, pushing her phone back into her handbag. “Whatever, I just wanted to be supportive. Who knew you were such an asshole?” She turned on her heel and started to head back to her table.
Richie watched her go, before slumping down in his chair, finishing the rest of his beer in one go.
“Are you alright?” Eddie asked quietly, looking over at Richie, who wasn’t looking at him.
“Let’s just get out of here.”
Richie ended up paying, despite Eddie’s complaints.
They left, walking in silence for a little before Eddie looked up at Richie.
“Hey, just forget her, okay? She was a bitch anyway.”
“I know, but.. Nevermind. Let’s just forget it. C’mon, I’ll walk you home.”
Eddie didn’t have the heart to protest.
They arrived back at Eddie’s apartment, both of them standing outside the door. It felt tense, Eddie didn’t know why.
“I had fun tonight, maybe we could do it again before you leave?” Eddie told him, smiling at him and trying to fish his keys out of his pockets.
“Yeah, I’m gonna extend my stay anyway, I want to find a place before I go back to Cali,” Richie told him, hands in his pockets as he watched Eddie fumble with his keys.
“Oh, nice, just text me when you’re free, you’re probably busier than I am anyway.”
Richie made a soft sound of agreement, gazing down at Eddie. Eddie felt hot under the collar, turning away to unlock his door.
“So, I’ll see you aroun-”
“Eddie.”
Eddie slowly turned back around, looking up at Richie. Richie slowly cupped Eddie’s jaw with his right hand, pressing a soft kiss to the left corner of Eddie’s mouth before pulling away.
“Yeah, I’ll see you around.”
Richie smiled down at him before sliding his hand off Eddie’s jaw and heading back down the hall, waving to Eddie as he got in the elevator. His smile looked almost too soft for Richie’s face.
Eddie stood at the door, cheeks burning as he watched Richie leave. He could feel his heart racing a mile a minute, hands shaking and palms sweating. He reached for his inhaler, taking a deep puff before shakily breathing out.
But.. Richie wasn’t gay? Right?