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Eddie had managed to leave his house to meet the losers at their clubhouse that Ben had built them. He had lied to his mom yet again this summer. It was worth it, though. Every time he snuck out or lied to her that he was going to Bill’s place again, it was worth it to see his friends. He knew she didn’t approve of any of them. She definitely thought Richie was a bad influence, which was only a little true, but in a good way.
He had not ever had such an interesting summer? Not until he’d met and bonded with the other losers over Pennywise three summers ago now. By this point, every summer had been as interesting as that first summer together. He had never had such a closely knit friend group. Obviously, he’d never really had friends. He definitely did not miss the days of it just being Bill and him.
Right then, he was sitting between Richie and Beverly. Bill had a few giant pumpkins and knives spread out in front of them all. Eddie had never actually carved a pumpkin. He’d never been allowed to. He had always been told it would make him sick and a bunch of other bullshit.
Bullshit like his asthma. Bullshit like his inhalers. Bullshit like his many many prescriptions. All of the bullshit he’d been naive enough to believe all his life. He bit his lip at those thoughts and turned his attention from his own mind to Bill.
“We’re going to have to share because we only have three pumpkins. Here, Eds. Take this and share it with Trashmouth,” Bill told him with a small smile to him, earning a playful punch to his arm from Richie. Eddie gave a tiny chuckle.
“Stan, do you want to gut our pumpkin for-“ Bill started after handing Bev and Ben their pumpkin, along with Richie and Eddie. Mike, Stan, and Bill sat close enough to share. Stan immediately shook his head from side to side. He got a bit green just thinking about having to feel that disgusting texture in his hand. Bill rolled his eyes gently and shook his head over at the other. He totally didn’t find it kind of adorable. “You know, for someone who once took on It, you’re kind of a wuss sometimes.”
Beverly and Ben were already gutting theirs, Bev doing the deed, not that Ben couldn’t. He watched her with puppy dog eyes. Thankfully, she’d been told by Bill last year that Bill hadn’t written that poem from so many years ago. Therefore, it was okay for Ben to still have a massive crush on Beverly. He thought Bill was over that by now anyway.
“This feels like your mom, Eddie,” Richie teased his best friend he’d ever had. There was a reason he didn’t tell the shorter boy what he felt about him. Well, there were a lot of reasons why. Firstly, Richie had been brought up to believe that was wrong. It was just wrong to feel that way towards another guy. Everyone in this century knew that. Second off, Eddie already got bullied for being small and for his asthma. Richie did not want to add to that list. He definitely did not want him to ever be hurt because of him. Therefore, he’d kept quiet about his feelings for years now. He’d honestly started seeing Eddie differently during the summer they’d faced off with It.
“Shut the fuck up. That’s so disgusting,” he made a face and shoved at him. He didn’t think he wanted to touch the guts even before Richie had said that and added to that. He wrinkled his nose and Richie saw. It was cute. The taller boy reached over for Eddie’s hand to pull into the mush of the pumpkin. Eddie squealed ever so slightly. He shoved at Richie more and finally got away. “I am so going to murder you, Richard Tozier.”
“Aw, come on, Eddie Spaghetti,” Richie whined with a pout. “I’m sure you’ve never gutted or probably even been allowed to so much as touch a pumpkin before, right? Here.”
“I- ah-“ Eddie’s eyes got wide when Richie brings his hands slowly down into the swirling guts of the pumpkin again. The shorter boy bit his lip and not only could feel pumpkin guts both on his and Richie’s hands, but also he could feel how close Richie was to him suddenly. He shivered and cringed as he felt all that disgusting, gooey stuff on his hands. “Okay, okay. I did it and now I’m done touching them.”
“Oh, come on, Eds. Aren’t you the one that got your arm almost torn off by a clown three summers back? And the one who saved Ben’s life? Went through grey water to help us? Any of this sound familiar, Dr. K?” Richie reminded him with a small smile over at him. “Nowget in there before I get in your mom. Again.”
“Beep beep, Richie,” Eddie told him with a glare at that damn comment. He stuck his hands in and eventually got all the orange goo from inside their pumpkin. After that, they cute out the face and decorated it together, the other losers doing the same. Eddie used a lot of hand sanitizer from one of his multiple bottles from his fanny pack.
They all finished with the pumpkins and put them at Ben’s place for the time being. Bev mentioned the pumpkin patch and everyone got excited. Eddie bit his lip. He didn’t have a way to make any money for himself with his mother and the still being dependent on meds and inhalers. They all knew that and Bev gave him a little nudge.
“We actually already discussed this when we went to kidnap you. Richie offered to pay for you today,” Bev smiled down at him and back up to Richie, who looked down.
“What? R-“ Eddie started to question and protest. Richie put his entire hand over Eddie’s mouth.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s only because your mom is unavailable tonight, Eddie Spaghetti,” he explained with a tiny smirk down at him, causing Eddie to roll his eyes. They all started walking to the pumpkin patch together. It was nice to be part of a pack. They were his real family. He would not be alive without them and vice versa. He walked between Richie and Ben now. Their new kid had slowly been losing weight and gaining muscle mass instead. He was still as sweet as ever, though.
Eddie could have sworn he had seen Bev looking over his direction more than once just on the walk to the pumpkin patch. They arrived and started deciding what to do. The gang all looking around for what options they had.
“I haven’t actually been allowed to come here before because-“ Eddie started to explain to the group before Bill playfully cut him off.
“Because you might get cancer,” Bill interrupted with a tiny smile down at Eddie.
“Or get sick again,” Bev continued with her own smirk.
“Or literally anything else,” Richie finished the group’s joking. They all started snickering together, eventually making a dramatically sighing Eddie snort, too. He flipped them the bird as they all decided what to do.
“We obviously have to ride the hayride at least five times for Eddie’s sake of getting the whole experience,” Ben told them and pointed to the tractor for the hayride.
“Oh, also, the food and drinks are spectacular here,” Mike reminded them. Stan nodded in agreement.
“Oh, yes. The food. We all need to at least get some of their famous Pumpkin Spice Kettle Corn,” Stan added. They’d gotten that last year and Bill and he had loved it. Bill nodded to Stan.
“You have at least had pumpkin pie before, right, Eds?” Richie asked him as he looked down at him. He was probably already having too much fun, but he was nervous as hell.
“Nope, still comes with possible cancer,” Eddie looked up at him. He chewed his lip. He didn’t want any of them to ever know he secretly didn’t hate Richie’s nicknames for him.
Eventually, they all ordered their food and drinks to share with each other. They’d decided to do the hayride first while they ate. Eddie had been offered so many pieces of food and sips of fancy Halloween drinks he’d never have. He only had taken a sip of Richie’s drink he’d offered him. He didn’t like germs and as much as he loved and trusted everyone here more than anyone, he still was neurotic as hell.
Richie couldn’t help but to take it all in. He’d always adored anytime he got with Eddie. It was getting slightly darker out, nearing sunset. Eddie sat beside Richie on the hayride. Bill beside Stan. Ben and Mike sitting on both sides of Beverly.
They all shouted on the few times they went on the hayride. After a bit, they decided to go check out the corn maze. They got lost, but managed to at least keep a buddy system going. Richie got worried he’d lost Eddie. He’d always been so scared to lose him and he was so protective because he was the most important thing in his life. Richie had nightmares a lot of nights from that day Eddie’s arm had been broken. Richie remembered way too vividly how abosolutely terrified he was. He’d never been so panicked than that day. He’d been so worried Eddie was about to die right there in front of them all. He’d tried to get the shorter boy to pay attention to him and not the monster coming to kill them all. He’d told him jokes and even held his face to look at him. They’d both been horrified that day. Then, he took it all out on the other losers because they wanted to keep going after that. Thankfully, It was dead and they all were at a pumpkin patch. Eddie was safely beside him.
Richie wished Eddie felt the same way Richie did. Not that Richie had ever told him or anyone else that besides Beverly. He’d told her for the first time only today and she’d said she already knew, they all did. She also told him it was just as obvious that Eddie had returned his feelings for some time now.
The shortest of the losers jumped out and grabbed Richie to scare him. Eddie had yelled to try to make it more scary. Richie jumped just a little before hitting Eddie.
“You dumbass! I was looking for you so I can return you to your mom. Got to get on her good side, you know? Also, I definitely was not scared,” Richie told him, not moving away from their close positions. Eddie bit his lip unconsciously and looked up at the other.
Richie blushed in the dark slightly and cursed his best friend. Why must he always torture him like this? At that moment, the rest of their friends walked through the corn they’d all been yelling and sprinting through for half an hour before. Bev noticed their positions and gave Richie a smile. He shook his head side to side. She made a sad face and Eddie moved a bit away from Richie.
“Movie, anyone? Something scary?” Bev suggested with a glance around to everyone. Eddie shrugged along with the rest of the losers.
Later, they all walked in a line to buy tickets, Richie paying for Eddie’s ticket. The shorter boy gave him a look. He didn’t know what that weird churning in his stomach was. He bit his lip and blushed slightly when he made accidental eye contact with his best friend.
“You really didn’t have to pay for anything today… Th-“ Eddie said quietly to Richie.
“I’m just getting on your mom’s good side, remember? I don’t really mind what side I’m on, as long as I’m on your m-“ Richie started his mom joke and Eddie interrupted.
“Thank you, Rich,” Eddie said as he looked down and bit his lip. Thankfully, they had to go with the group to go sit down for the movie. The others sat down first, leaving Richie and Eddie on one of the two end spots. As soon as the lights turned out for the commercials and trailers and whatnot, Bev stood up, grabbing Ben’s hand to tug him gently.
“Psst. Hey, you two, if you guys wait here, the rest of us can just bring you guys back drinks and whatnot. What do you two want?” Bev asked Eddie and Richie. The rest of the guys stood up with her, unsure of why the two weren’t just coming with. Eddie was obviously confused as hell, but Richie responded with the first thing that came to mind. Beverly nodded and the gang wandered off. After a minute, Richie was a bit of a red faced mess. All of today had led to this moment. All of these long years of confusing feelings for his best friend.
“Are you okay, Rich? Are you sick? Your face looks red, but it’s dark so I’m probably seeing things. Are you okay, though?” Eddie asked worriedly. He gazed over at him.
“I’m not sick. I’m fine. I- so I have- Eds, you trust me, right?” Richie asked, glad they were all in the very back row of the theater. Eddie nodded a bit, obviously not any less worried.
“More than anyone. W-why?” the shorter boy asked in concern. What was going on?
“Good. If you trust me, please, close your eyes…” Richie asked, trying really hard not to come across as nervous as he felt internally. He’d never done this before with anyone. He didn’t want to mess it up with the one person he’d ever loved. Eddie gave the slightest nod and closed his eyes.
“I- okay… why d-“ Eddie started before he blushed when he felt something on his lips. Those were lips on his lips. Those were Richie Tozier lips on his own! What the fuck? What was happening? Eddie’s eyes opened wide as he saw his best friend kissing him. He was so warm all over and his stomach was doing that twisting thing again. He didn’t pull away, he couldn’t. He was paralyzed. He didn’t think he’d ever been so genuinely shocked. His eyes closed after a minute before Richie opened his and pulled away.
“Fuck- I- fuck, Eddie, I’m so sorry,” he started with a face as red as Eddie’s. “I didn’t mean to- I mean, I guess I did mean to… Look, man, I’ve kind of wanted to do that for… well, for a while- I’m so sorry that you don’t feel the same. I won’t ever do it again-“
“Beep beep, Richie…” he breathed out. Eddie stopped his words by shifting back to shakily press his lips against Richie’s again. He was still red faced as the taller boy’s hands went to gently hold his cheeks. It wasn’t a deep kiss, it was just a sweet, innocent first kiss, but it would be the kiss they both remembered forever.
“Awww!” they could hear all the losers humming in unison as they looked at the pair. They all sat down for the movie.
“Finally! It only took you all day just to kiss him,” Bev teased Richie with a smile and a pat on his back.
“Only all day? More like it’s taken them both over three years to finally confess,” Bill added as he threw some popcorn at Eddie. He blushed and just looked at the movie. They held hands in the dark theater during the movie like every cliche couple. They all ate their popcorn and candy. It had been a great Halloween themed day and they couldn’t be happier. Eddie knew he’d never been so happy.