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Eddie lay his head against Richie’s chest, feeling the gentle rise and fall beneath him. Neither spoke, the only sound the midsummer breeze that flowed over top of them, ruffling their hair and providing a welcome break from the heat beating down on them. These moments were perfect, they thought. Just the two of them, curled up together in the grass in view of the kissing bridge where they’d first shared an inexperienced kiss. That felt so long ago now.
They’d been younger and were crossing the bridge on their way home. They stopped to look at some of the new carvings, guessing who might have made them. Richie stood leaning against one rail. Eddie called him over to look at one he thought might have been made by Ben, but he refused to leave that spot. Grabbing him by the wrist, Eddie pulled him away from the rail only to see what he’d been trying to cover. An R+E became visible and Eddie’s breath hitched. Richie’s cheeks were flushed, and he looked at anything but the other boy.
“Did…did you do that?” Eddie asked, breathless.
“No. It must be Rachel and Elliot.” He lied quickly.
“Richie…that’s the way you write Rs.”
“I’m telling you it wasn’t me!” Richie raised his voice but didn’t really sound angry. More scared than anything else.
Eddie still held his wrist and he took a step closer to him, looking up at him. Richie kept his face turned to the side, not wanting to look at him lest he give himself away with the expression on his face. Hesitating, Eddie wondered if he was reading it wrong. What if he wasn’t lying or he’d written for someone else with an E name? There was Emily, Erica, Elizabeth and Eve. And that was just the girls in their grade.
It was the look on his face and the tone of his voice and the fact that he’d been actively hiding the carving from Eddie that pushed him to move forward. Gently, he raised his hand and cupped Richie’s cheek, forcing him to look at him. His eyes were glassy, and he was frowning. It was rare to see Richie frown so deeply and the instinct to kiss it away filled Eddie to the brim. Standing on tippy toes, Eddie pressed his lips to Richie’s in a quick kiss. When Eddie opened his eyes, Richie’s expression had changed. Tears were now visible in the corners of his wide eyes and his lips were parted in surprise.
“Did you carve it for me?” Eddie asked, sure he knew the answer but still afraid.
Richie nodded his head, his hands lifting to rest on Eddie’s shoulders. “I did it two summers ago.”
“You still like me…right?”
He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he kissed Eddie this time, sliding his hand up to the back of his neck. Eddie rose up on his toes again, trying to get just a tiny bit closer. It was awkward and perfect. Neither really knew what they were doing but they were determined to learn together. That had been nearly three years ago now. They’d been together ever since that day on the kissing bridge. It was rough sometimes, having to hide their relationship from everyone but the other Losers. Neither one of them had dated before the other either. They’d had a lot to learn about being in a relationship.
Their senior year had come to an end and soon they’d be leaving Derry behind. They’d gotten into the same state school and dreamed of finding jobs and saving up to live together by their second year. Every night, Eddie found himself dreaming of their future and what was laid out before them. He’d always known that Richie would be a part of his future. All the Losers would be. They were his family. His visions just changed when they’d started dating. Now he saw them living together, maybe marriage and maybe raising kids. They were still so young, but he knew it was destiny.
“Do you ever think about the future?” Eddie asked, turning to look up at Richie, his chin resting on his chest.
“What, like flying cars and houses on the moon?” Richie asked with a grin.
“You know what I mean. Our future.”
“Always.”
“Really?”
“I love you, Eds. You’re all I think about.”
Eddie smiled as Richie’s hand came down on top of his head, ruffling his hair before trailing down his neck. His hand was hot against Eddie’s skin and it made him shiver. They’d first said they loved each other in their first year as a couple. It had come so easily without a trace of doubt and sometimes they struggled not to say it at inappropriate times. Still, it sent off a flurry of butterflies in Eddie’s stomach whenever he heard it.
“I love you too.” He sighed happily, turning his head again so it was his cheek against his chest now. “Do you think we’ll still be together five years from now?”
“Absolutely.”
“Living together?”
“Of course.”
“What about marriage?”
Eddie winced as soon as the words left his mouth. It probably wasn’t the best thing to bring up when they were still so young. Of course, Eddie could see himself marrying Richie one day, but they were only eighteen. Who knew if Richie thought beyond living together for the rest of their lives. A quiet moment passed between them, dragging on long enough to make Eddie regret even bringing up the future.
“Maybe not in five years.” Richie finally said. “Eight years sounds about right.”
“What?” Eddie had been so distracted by his own thoughts he’d not understood what Richie meant.
“Marriage. I think by 26 we should both be done with school, right? Then we can get married.”
Eddie smiled. His arm was draped across Richie’s stomach and he tightened his hold just a bit.
“Is that a proposal?” Eddie asked.
“Oh God no. My proposal is going to be spectacular and way over the top.”
Eddie giggled and lifted himself up on his elbows so he could look down at Richie’s smiling face. He really was so stupidly perfect and sometimes Eddie couldn’t believe that he was all his. He lowered himself to kiss Richie, enjoying the way it still sent electricity through his limbs even after all this time. They’d both improved their technique quite a bit from that first kiss, but it still felt like the first time every time. That rush of adrenaline that came with that lightheaded thrill of kissing someone who wanted you just as much. When they broke the kiss, Eddie looked down at his flushed cheeks, wet, swollen lips and eyes that were so filled with love it made him dizzy.
“Eight years? I think I can wait that long.” Eddie said with a soft smile.
“Think we can make it that long without giving in?” Richie asked.
Eddie thought for a second. Sometimes he was so overwhelmed with his love for the other boy he had a hard time holding it in. There was a chance that sometime in the next eight years he might just blurt it out and ask him to marry him. Still, he wanted to see what Richie had planned for his proposal so he thought he might be able to refrain from giving in.
“I think we can.”
“Alright then. Eight years it is. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”