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They were alone in the clubhouse, the rest of the losers leaving to get home before dark, Bill being the last one to stay and leaving only half an hour before. Both of the boys, well 14 years old was hardly considered 'boy' anymore was it, at least not to Richie and Eddie, were sprawled out on the hammock and trying to take up as much space as they could fit into. Richie was laid on his back, one leg only just reaching the floor to rock the hammock back and forth slowly with Eddie’s legs thrown over his own. Earlier there had been, a lively debate shall we say, about the intricacies of the 10 minute rule that all losers had agreed to follow in regards to the hammock which ended in the two teenagers trying to annoy the other into vacating the small hammock that they now comfortably shared, although neither would admit that.
It should have been a peaceful part of the day seeing as there was only two of them but of course, Richie and Eddie being Richie and Eddie, Richie was currently doing his best impression of what most likely was supposed to be a British guy but ended up sounding more like an old lady who had watched too much of 'that nice accented fella' on the television. Richie had been glancing at Eddie every now and then over his comic just to make sure he was still listening, which he was not, and decided to come up with the weirdest jokes to snap Eddie's attention back to him.
"-And so, that is how I came to realize," Richie glanced up again to see Eddie meeting his eyes over his comic. "that the fucking thing from last summer was basically a fucking discount horror version of what would happen if orphan Annie and Ronald McDonald had a wild night in the sheets and shit out a psychotic alien love child, I mean what are the fucking chances?"
Eddie was silent for a second before Richie saw his shoulders start to shake. Thinking that he was about to be beeped for mentioning It, Richie moved his eyes back to his comic and stopped, waiting for Eddie to say something. Richie's head snapped back up as he heard Eddie start to laugh. He watched as the giggles coming from Eddie delved into little snorts that Eddie tried to hide by covering his face with one of his hands. Richie swallowed around the lump in his throat and his heart began to speed up slightly.
He was still staring as Eddie’s laughter started to trail off awkwardly and he was now looking at Richie with a confused look, brows furrowed. Richie blinked again and fidgeted under Eddie’s stare, laughing nervously. ‘What are you staring at Eddie Spaghetti?’
‘Don’t call me that shitface, and I’m not the one staring, you’re the one staring at me, what’s so fucking interesting about my face?’
Eddie sighed and pursed his lips in the way he did when he was trying to look annoyed about something. Richie’s eyes snapped down to Eddie’s lips and caught himself before Eddie noticed what he did. Richie smiled, all teeth and replied. ‘Absolutely nothing Eds, I was just thinking about what me and your mom got up to last nigh-‘
‘Shut up, you fucking trashmouth.’
Richie grinned wider and couldn’t help but squint slightly from the last edges of sunlight creeping through the cracks in the clubhouse door that were blinding him. He felt Eddie shift slightly and lean towards him. Richie’s eyes widened and he leaned back, putting his hands in front of him.
‘Woah Eds, If you wanted a piece of this action you should know your mom has first dibs.’
Eddie huffed and frowned at him, taking his glasses off his face. ‘I’m just cleaning these you idiot, seriously when was the last time you washed your glasses? Do you even know how much bacteria you can get one these, it’s like you want to get an eye infection. And don’t call me Eds.’
Richie squinted yet again, his eyes trying to adjust to the now blurry clubhouse and boy in front of him, still rambling about what kinds of diseases he can catch and how if he didn’t clean his glasses regularly then his eyes would fall out and he would die. Not really paying attention to this rant, Richie didn’t notice when Eddie had stopped speaking, gently putting Richie’s glasses back on his face. Eyes focusing, Richie looked again at Eddie, unusually close to his face. The corner of Eddie’s mouth quirked up to the side.
The breath caught in Richie’s throat, his eyes darted around Eddie’s face until they finally lock onto Eddie’s eyes which were looking right back at him.
Everything stopped.
Fuck.
He fucking loved this wonderful, stupid boy.