Work Text:
richie.boy sent you a message!
Eddie glances at his phone at the sound of a notification. He picks it up and swipes the screen open.
richie.boy: you look so cute in this
Beneath the message is the picture Eddie had just posted, showing himself smiling between Stan and Mike.
His heart swells as he reads and re-reads the message. It definitely isn’t the first time Richie had called him cute, but this feels different. It didn’t feel like he was just trying to get on his nerves or make him flustered. After all, Richie isn’t here.
Eddie stares at the words and tries to come up with a reply. What he wants to say and what he thinks is a good idea are two completely different things.
itseddiek: Fuck off
richie.boy: cant take a compliment eddie spaghetti??
itseddiek: I highly doubt you were giving me a genuine compliment.
richie.boy: what have i done to make you question me like this?
itseddiek: Um, where would I even begin?
richie.boy: lmao ur so dramatic
only you can turn me calling you cute into a whole thing
itseddiek: Bc you don't really think I’m cute! You’re probably just trying to mess with me.
richie.boy: whatever
Eddie bites his lip as he stares at the screen again. He felt guilty for being so harsh, but he’s positive nobody would blame him for being skeptical. Even so, the face Richie makes when he’s sad and disappointed keeps popping into his head.
itseddiek: Sorry, Rich. Thank you.
richie.boy: yw
Eddie reluctantly leaves it like this tonight, but the interaction keeps him awake well into early morning hours. He wishes he had just said thank you from the beginning—maybe this was his only chance to actually flirt with Richie. Not that he doesn’t constantly “flirt” with Richie by arguing with him and pushing him around and messing up his shaggy dark hair and taking his glasses so he can see his pretty blue eyes unimpeded, but clearly, Richie doesn’t get the message from all that.
Or he does and Eddie just fucked up his attempt to be nice to each other.
Having accepted there’s no way he’ll sleep anytime soon, he grabs his phone off the nightstand and pulls up Instagram again. He smiles as he reads you look so cute in this. He wants so badly for it to be real.
He doesn’t really know when he started liking Richie, but he’s known for a while. He definitely knows he likes him since he laughs and grins like an idiot at every post and picture on his profile.
As he goes through he comes across a post depicting the two of them. The picture is from a few years ago, and Richie had posted it to wish him a happy birthday this year. It showed Eddie facing Richie, sticking his tongue out and wrapping his hand around his cheek. He chuckles to himself at Richie’s expression and how tiny they look.
After very little contemplation, Eddie clicks on the ‘Share’ arrow, then Richie’s profile. He sends the picture after typing something out quickly.
itseddiek: You look cute in this. (:
Ignoring the prospect of Richie thinking he’s completely lost his mind when he sees the DM from 3 o’clock in the morning, the somewhat relief of having sent something flirtatious back allowing his brain to finally shut down just long enough to fall asleep.
_
As soon as his alarm sounds in the morning, Eddie checks Instagram.
richie.boy: thanks liar
itseddiek: I’m not lying!
richie.boy: i look goofy asf in that
itseddiek: You don’t, shut up
richie.boy: you look cute in that tho
itseddiek: You look cute in every picture.
richie.boy: aww (: gay
itseddiek: I hate you so much
richie.boy: you hate me so much you think im cute?
itseddiek: I think you’re cute despite hating you.
richie.boy: stop lying to yourself, you’re literally obsessed with me
i get it
it runs in the family
itseddiek: If that’s some stupid joke about my mom, I’m going to block you.
richie.boy: then how will u see all the cute pics of me ? (-:
itseddiek: I have plenty of my own.
richie.boy: awwwww (: Gay!
itseddiek: I’m going to kill you! (:
He texted Richie the whole way to school with nerves increasingly bubbling up with every step he takes toward his locker. He wonders what Richie will say to him about it; his knees feel like jelly at the mental image of a knowing smile across his crushes face every time they make eye-contact.
Soon enough, Bill and Richie come strolling down the hallway toward him, immersed in an animated dialogue as always. Eddie’s stomach drops and he pulls his locker door in front of his face, hoping his hair doesn’t look the wrong kind of messy since he was too tired to really fix it.
“Hey, Ed,” Bill greets, “w-wanna go see the new Ninja Turtles after school?”
Eddie huffs out a breath, doing his best to seem nonchalant. He glances at Richie, who looks completely unaffected in his band-shirt and baggy, torn jeans.
Pushing a myriad of intrusive thoughts aside, he replies, “Uh, sure, I don’t think I’m doing anything. As long as my chem partner doesn’t want to finish our project.”
“It’s getting terrible reviews so I know it’s gonna be amazing.” Richie says with a smirk.
Eddie lifts an eyebrow, “By ‘amazing’ do you mean ‘fun to make a joke out of’?”
“Of course I do,” Richie replies, gesturing to himself, “when do I not mean that?”
“Right,” Eddie scoffs, shutting his locker after he’s pulled out his binder and textbooks.
“For example, you are amazing, Eds,” Richie says, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and they start down the hallway.
“Don’t call me that, dickwad!” Eddie grunts reflexively at the nickname he has a love-hate relationship with. He winches at Richie vigorously ruffling his hair before letting him go and falling back into line with Bill.
Eddie’s foolish heart sinks further and further throughout the day when Richie makes no acknowledgement of anything being different between them. He should have known Richie would play it all off like everything’s normal even though they basically told one another about their mutual crush.
Was he reading into things? Does Richie say the same kind of thing to Bill or Bev or Mike? Is he just… weirdly complimentary?
Just minutes after the final bell rang, he received another message that rendered him even more confused.
richie.boy: you look really cute today
Eddie wants to shoot him something snarky or accusatory at first, but he doesn’t want to discourage it completely—whatever this is.
itseddiek: Thanks liar
richie.boy: if im lyin im cryin and i aint shed a tear
itseddiek: Ewe
richie.boy: fr you look adorable
i like your hair
itseddiek: My hair is the worst part!
richie.boy: ?? how ??
itseddiek: It’s a nest.
richie.boy: no
its very fluffy and soft looking
itseddiek: … Thanks. ):<
richie.boy: i love that you sent that bc i swear i can picture that exact expression on your face
you’re perpetually disgruntled
itseddiek: Am not! I’m just perpetually annoyed by you.
richie.boy: aww u dont mean it ):
itseddiek: I don’t. I kinda like you I guess.
richie.boy: gayyyyy
itseddiek: Never said it was in a gay way.
richie.boy: you don’t like me in a gay way?
then why did u text me at 3am calling me cute
itseddiek: Fuck off
richie.boy: i will not (;
itseddiek: If you’re not gonna fuck off, are you gonna do something about it?
richie.boy: perhaps
itseddiek: Perhaps?
richie.boy: yeah we’ll see
itseddiek: That’s a terrible answer.
richie.boy: i like keeping ya on ur toes (;
Eddie does not like being on his toes, especially since he agreed to hang out with Richie—and not alone. He woefully regrets not making up a previous commitment when he thinks about sitting in silence bedside Richie for an entire movie, tension heavy in his chest and thoughts of something maybe finally happening between them swirling in his head.
Honestly, he is starting to kind of hate that this was all being done over text. Whenever he imagine getting together with Richie, it would be him showing up at his doorstep in the pouring rain after an argument, clothes drenched and glasses foggy, just to tell him as soon as possible that he’s so sorry and the reason he acts like such an idiot all the time is because he has feelings for him. Then Eddie would leap into his arms and kiss him before forcing him to come in and get dry so he doesn’t get pneumonia. With Richie half-ass confessing over Instagram messages, he just feels unsure and… kind of robbed of his big, romantic moment.
_
richie.boy: hey look over here real quick
After reading the message, Eddie reluctantly peers across the cafeteria table to Richie. His stubborn heart flutters when he finds him already staring with that goofy, charming smile of his. He bites a lip and goes to the message.
itseddiek: Why?
richie.boy: just wanted to see your eyes
itseddiek: Why?
richie.boy: one sec
here
Beneath the word is an image message. Eddie clicks on it to find a snapshot of a drawing in Richie's notebook. He can’t help but grin at the pretty accurate depiction of himself angrily eating carrots.
itseddiek: You made me look way more mad than I am right now. But it’s pretty good.
richie.boy: that’s just cause i can’t draw eyebrows
itseddiek: Why’d you draw me?
richie.boy: i like the way you look in polos
plus i draw you all the time
itseddiek: Gay
richie.boy: exactly (;
The message sets his teeth on edge. He clicks his phone shut and shoves it in his pocket.
Why does he think he can just flirt with him whenever he wants on the phone and never say anything? They hadn’t even texted since last week, when their whole friend group went to see a movie together and Richie opted to sit as far away from him as possible. Why does he think that’s fair? Especially since he was the one who started this, he definitely feels like he should be approached in person about all this.
“Are you okay, Eddie?“
“Huh?” He sighs, looking up to find Stan looking at him with concern.
Stan quantifies his question, “You look pissed.”
Eddie stammers on his reply, inadvertently glancing at Richie again, who now looks worried as well. Heat flashing across his face, he fires back, “Well, I am a little pissed, Stanley. Thanks for being the only one who acknowledges my feelings.”
With that overly dramatic reaction, he fists his paper lunch sack and swiftly walks away from the table. He hastily makes his way to the restroom to judge himself in the mirror.
Is he being too hard on Richie? Maybe he’s just scared of people finding out or something and he wants to keep it private. He gets that, he really does—Derry’s not the safest place to let your freak flag wave. But even then, why fuck with his feelings like this? It’s like Richie knows exactly what he wants to hear and he’s feeding it to him just to get his hopes up and then see him crushed.
Realistically, knowing Richie, he would never do that to anyone, but what else is he supposed to think? What else does it mean when your crush of multiple years randomly starts flirting with you over text? And the actual kind of flirting—not the juvenile teasing they are accustomed to. If Richie is ready to move past that and just like each other, Eddie would certainly like to know—and not be caught in this frustrating limbo.
richie.boy: hey are u mad at me?
itseddiek: No
richie.boy: pls just tell me eds
itseddiek: I don’t want to fucking talk about this over text Rich. I don’t wanna talk about any of it over text.
richie.boy: what do you mean?
itseddiek: You can’t just flirt with me whenever you want and then ignore me in person. It’s fucked up and it fucking hurts my feelings.
richie.boy: im sorry
can u come over today?
itseddiek: I don’t want to see you.
richie.boy: please eds
it’ll just be us, i want to talk about this
im sorrg i havent before
*sorry
its just hard for me
im an idiot but i want to tell you how i feel for real
please come over
i’ll buy u food too
itseddiek: What kind of food?
richie.boy: whatever you want
itseddiek: Okay.
richie.boy: i’ll drive us over after school
itseddiek: I’m not getting in your deathtrap.
richie.boy: you mean my babe magnet?
itseddiek: Your deteriorating Dodge Magnum is not a babe magnet.
richie.boy: i guess we’ll have to test that theory today (;
itseddiek: Now I’m definitely not getting in it.
richie.boy: not even for me? ):
itseddiek: Only for Wendy’s first.
richie.boy: really? whatever you want eds
itseddiek: And I want a Frosty.
richie.boy: u got it then
_
“What made you want a Frosty?”
Eddie shrugs, swallowing the cold, vanilla goodness before returning, “Ice cream is my comfort food.”
“Ah,” Richie says with a nod between french fries, “mine’s Passover brisket.”
“Is it good?” Eddie wonders, peering over at the driver. He truly hates Richie’s car, but something about him behind the wheel is very attractive. He’s not sure if it’s the way his arms flex to reach the wheel since he has to pull the seat so far back to make room for his long legs or if it's just a really good opportunity to see his sharp jawline on display, but it certainly does something for him.
Richie hums, “Magnifique. My dad made it once, though, and it was very no bueno.”
“It’s gorgeous?”
“What?”
“Magnifique is gorgeous in French.”
“It’s fucking magnificent, you clown.”
“Okay, well, considering I’m the one who’s in French 4, I think I know what I’m talking about.”
“They’re teaching you la connerie in that class.”
“You literally don’t know what you’re talking about—that’s just proof, you only remember cuss words!”
”Je n’aime pas toi.”
“Tu est très stupide.”
Soon they pull into the driveway of the Tozier residence and Eddie is wracked with anxiety. He feels ridiculous for being kind of freaked out considering he’s just here with Richie, who he spends almost every single day with anyway, but it’s different. They’re going to fucking talk about their gay feelings for each other.
That’s definitely something to be anxious about, right?
The pair head inside and step awkwardly around one another for a few minutes, they decide to head up to Richie’s room to talk.
Eddie’s stomach is tied in knots. Part of him wants to just say forget it and ask Richie to play a video game, but he knows he would regret it and long for another opportunity to get everything off his chest.
Once inside Richie’s bedroom (which is in an upsetting state of disarray) Eddie decides to rip off the Band-Aid and get things going. He doesn’t know if he can physically handle any more beating around the bush.
“Look, I didn’t mean to be all dramatic and snippy with you about everything, I just…” He trails off, trying and failing to find the right words to say.
Maybe this would have been easier over text.
“Hey, you don’t have to say that,” Richie assures. After setting down his book bag, he steps over to him. When he approaches him, he looks into his eyes.
Eddie peers up to meet his gaze, chest tightening. It’s rare for Richie’s face to be completely humorless, and honestly, it’s always a bit unsettling. Right now, though, it just builds that hope inside of him that he occasionally experiences whenever he and Richie have one of those moments where it feels like this unspoken thing they have may finally go somewhere.
“The last thing I ever want to do is make you upset, so, I’m really sorry I did that. There’s just…” Richie pauses and wets his lips.
Eddie smiles, “It’s… kinda hard to talk about this.”
“Oh, it’s my nightmare,” Richie admits with a soft laugh. He scratches the back of his neck as he clears his throat, “but I really want to talk about this with you. Because you’re right, calling you cute on Instagram but never to your face sucks.”
Eddie nods, looks down at the space between them and wants it to go away. He comes closer and gently reaches out for his hand. When he looks back into his deep, blue eyes he feels a kind of calm come over him. “So… you think I’m cute?”
Richie’s grin is so soft and genuine, it melts Eddie to a puddle. He nods slowly before tentatively adding, “I think you’re perfect.”
Those four words were all it took for all of Eddie’s walls to come crashing down. Being in Richie’s bubble and hearing the kindest thing anyone has ever said about him electrified him with confidence, and he put all of the energy toward his longing.
He leans up on his toes and throws his arms around Richie’s neck. When their lips finally meet, he not only feels continually emboldened, but completely at ease. Kissing this boy with everything in him feels like exactly what he’s meant to do. It feels so unbelievably right.
Although he feels very happy with his decision and brave enough to kiss him a hundred more times, his heart is still pumping erratically against his chest. It’s the perfect combination of butterflies and safety—like he’s home, and home is exciting and bright.
Richie’s arms snake around his waist to pull him closer. Their chests collide with an ungraceful thud, but they ignore it in favor of continuing their first real deep, loving kiss. Eddie can feel Richie’s glasses bumping his nose and it makes him smile unexpectedly. It reminds him who this is—the most annoying and his favorite person on the planet.
When they pull back for air, Eddie’s face breaks into an even wider smile. When he opens his eyes, Richie’s are already on his, wide and full behind his smudged lenses.
“You look so cute right now,” Eddie whispers, quoting their online personas. A shy grin pulls at Richie’s lips as he struggles to find words. It’s way too cute, and Eddie just has to say something else, “I really like you.”
“I really like you,” Richie breathes, “you’re so cute—“
He barely finishes before leaning back. The second kiss feels just as passionate, and maybe even more so since Richie’s fingers weave into his hair. Eddie angles his chin to the side and parts his lips as he slides his own hands down Richie’s chest.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Richie whispers, opening his eyes.
Eddie chuckles, enjoying Richie combing his hair, “What’d you expect would happen when you flirt with someone?”
“Well I’d hoped maybe something like this but, y’know. You just seem too good to be true.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. You’re the best person I know. I was months away from verbally telling you I like you ‘cause I’m horrible with this kind of stuff, but you make it so easy. You just make everything so much better.” Richie smirks. “You’re blushing a lot right now,”
“Fuck off,” Eddie groans.
“Like, a lot ,”
“Shut up!” He exclaims, dropping his head down against Richie’s shoulder to hide his very red cheeks. “God, I was gonna say nice things about you, too, but now I’m not gonna.”
“Aww, c’mon, Eddie Spaghetti,”
“ Definitely not,”
They both laugh stupidly as Richie attempts to pry his head from his shoulder. Eddie doubles down, tightly wrapping his arms around Richie’s middle. They push each other around and grumble curses until Eddie has the brief upper-hand and shoves him against the bed—but Richie ensures they go down together.
Richie’s back hits the mattress and Eddie falls atop him. His heart flutters at the closeness of their bodies, even if it is a position they’d been in hundreds of times. Now he can finally satisfy the overwhelming urge to kiss his mouth shut, and he takes full advantage of the opportunity.
“Hey, I…” Eddie begins, hovering over Richie with passion burning a hole in his chest. He takes it all in at that moment—the week of flirty texting precluded by years of teasing and feigning annoyance for any excuse to be close to one another finally leading to this moment. “I think you’re perfect, too. It may not seem like it, but I wouldn't change a thing about you. You’re my favorite person.”
An expression he’s never seen before comes over Richie’s face. He’s just staring ahead as if Eddie’s made of magic—like he’s totally overwhelmed by the kindness.
“I don’t deserve you,” Richie declares quietly after a moment.
Eddie frowns, leans down again so the tips of their noses touch, “Then why am I here?”
“Temporary insanity?”
“Shut up,” Eddie sighs before their mouths find one another’s again. He kisses Richie hard to ensure he is right where he wants to be—that he feels lucky to be with him.
There’s a lot more making out than talking that takes place the rest of the night, but neither are complaining. When Eddie has to head home, they make plans to be alone again tomorrow and continue to work on their new, exhilarating thing.
Before he goes to bed, he checks his phone to find another message from Richie.
richie.boy: goodnight gaywad <3 thanks for kissing me
itseddiek: You’re welcome and you’re still obnoxious.
richie.boy: just the way you like me (;