Chapter Text
The smell of fresh air and the feeling of the hot summer sun after the final bell of the school year rings has to be every child’s favorite feeling in the world.
That year, it was particularly warm outside when Eddie and Richie walked home together after their last day of the second grade.
Normally, Eddie's mom would insist on picking them up from the front stairs and driving them to Richie's, but he’d somehow convinced her that Richie's parents would pick them up since they were back in town. They weren’t, of course, because they never were, but she didn’t need to know that.
Richie’s house was the best, in Eddie's opinion. He had all the good video games (like Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros) and the best snacks. But mostly, he just liked hanging out with Richie, no matter where they were.
Richie made everything just a bit more bearable with his stupid jokes and annoyingly relaxed personality. Eddie didn't mind being at school or at home or even being chased by Henry Bowers and his goons all that much when Richie was around.
"So, what d'you wanna do when we get home? Play Mario? Swim? Burn our backpacks and everything inside them?" Richie asked as he skipped along the sidewalk, avoiding every crack possible, despite the weathered state of the concrete. Eddie, on the other hand, was stepping on every single line he could.
"All of the above?" Eddie answered, and Richie nodded in agreement.
"Then after, I'll go have sex with your mom." He glanced back at Eddie and winked, which made Eddie roll his eyes (and maybe his heart skipped a beat too, he wasn't entirely sure).
This is how they always were, though. Ever since the beginning of this year when they'd become best friends, all of their conversations had some form of Richie teasing Eddie or Eddie getting mad over something stupid, or both at once. But it didn't bother either of them. In fact, they both loved their friendship. It just worked.
The walk to Richie's house was pretty far since he lived on the good side of town. His house was huge, and Eddie still couldn't help but gawk at how nice it was inside and out, even after all these months. At first, Eddie was too embarrassed to bring Richie around his place. It was so dark and cramped compared to Richie's, and he didn't want him to look at him or his family any differently. Now that he knows Richie doesn't mind, they still don't go to his house very much, because Eddie had come to realize he'd do anything to stay out of that place as much as possible.
He started to think about what his mother would do if she found out he had lied to her. She would likely think he was suddenly a pathological liar and needed counseling, or maybe that he was hiding something really serious. She was a chronic overreactor and Eddie had tried to learn how to avoid her blowups, but it was nearly impossible.
His pace started to slow and his breath started to quicken as the panic set in. He should go home right now. This is a small town, she ought to know by now that Richie's parents were actually in Vermont or Vancouver or whatever it was this time. He reached for the pocket that held his inhaler, but just at that moment, Richie slowed down and draped an arm over his shoulders. Eddie looked up at him, but Richie kept his eyes on the ground, still avoiding every crack in sight. Eddie thanked him silently and began focusing on slowing his breath, occupying his hands, and distracting his thoughts.
.・゜-: ✧ :- -: ✧ :-゜・．
Richie pulled two Coke cans out of the fridge and set one in front of Eddie. “Are you kidding me? Do you know how much sugar’s in these? My mom would fucking smell it on my breath.”
Richie sighed and put both cans back, grabbing some apple juice for them both instead. “Fine, we’ll have apple juice then, like always.” he said, exasperated, and rolled his eyes, but Eddie knew it was just sarcasm. Richie hardly ever said anything that wasn’t at least halfway sarcastic.
They took their juice boxes to the backyard and stripped down into their underwear, since Eddie hadn't brought any swim trunks and Richie's were probably buried underneath a pile of dirty clothes.
Eddie was focused on placing his inhaler carefully between his shirt and his shorts when he felt arms wrap around his legs and lift him with little struggle. He yelped, but it was already too late. He was soaring through the air for a split second before he slammed into the water, face first.
"Oh, fuck you Richie, that fucking hurt! Help me out!" he yelled as he wiped the chlorine water from his eyes, and he sounded dead serious. He reached out his hand and waited for Richie to grab it before yanking it and pulling him in over his head.
Eddie doubled over, laughing hysterically as he watched Richie gasp for air and push his long hair out of his eyes. When he felt his empty face, he began grasping at the water for his glasses. He wasn't supposed to wear them swimming, but he was quite literally helpless without the inch-thick lenses, so he usually did it anyway.
Eddie calmed himself down and quietly pulled the frames from where they floated in front of them both, placing them on top of his own head so they were near impossible to find.
"Eddie, I know you have them. Give 'em back! I can't see a fuckin’ thing!"
Eddie backed away slowly until his back hit the edge of the pool. "I don't have them! They're literally right in front of you!"
"Liar! Just give 'em to me Eds."
Whenever Richie called him Eds, he felt like he had to listen. He hated the nickname, but he tolerated it from Richie. He would never admit that to anybody though. "Don't call me that! Say you're sorry and you'll never call me that again, then maybe I'll consider handing them to you." He closed his eyes and turned up his nose, looking away from Richie.
He kept his eyes shut, so he didn't notice Richie swimming towards him silently under the water until his hands were attacking his face, grabbing at his ears and finally taking the glasses from him. "Never, Eds."
They were both thrown into a fit of giggles, long and intense enough that Eddie had to climb out of the water and take a puff from his inhaler. After they both got a hold of themselves, they went back to the pool and just swam back and forth, talking for hours.
.・゜-: ✧ :- -: ✧ :-゜・．
The fire burned bright against the pitch black of Richie's backyard. Eddie had already phoned his mom and convinced her to let him stay the night, on the condition that she would drop off his clothes and pills for the next morning. She'd come already, chastised him for not calling earlier, then given Richie a light flick on the forehead for making a joke about kissing her on the lips.
She had asked where his parents were, but Richie played it off easily, saying his mother was cooking dinner and his father was finishing up some work in his office. She didn't seem to give his answer a second thought, which relieved Eddie greatly.
Eddie had thought Richie was joking when he had suggested they burn all their school supplies, but when the idea was proposed for the second time, he was completely on board. He made sure to save his pill box and the nice pen his grandpa gave him from the bag, but other than that, everything he'd worked on for the past year was burning in front of his eyes. It was a satisfying occurrence, but also one that made his stomach churn for a reason he couldn't place.
He looked over at Richie, whose face was glowing in the warm light of the fire. His glasses reflected the light back to the fire pit and his freckles looked as if they were dancing across his face, and Eddie felt the sudden urge to touch them, so he did. He reached across the arms of both their chairs and poked at his cheek and his nose, causing Richie to scrunch up his face and bat him away.
Soon, they were in a cat fight, slapping their hands on each other's faces and arms while they each tried to keep their own faces turned away. When they stood up and got a bit too close to the fire, Eddie pulled them back and they sat down again, laughing and watching each other's lit up faces.
When the fire finally reduced itself to coals, they headed back inside. For dinner, Eddie made them both sandwiches and chips, making sure to avoid pickles and mayo on his own, but putting them on Richie's since that's how he liked it. He figured a Coke wouldn't hurt, since he could brush his teeth before he saw his mother again. He pulled two of them from the fridge and used his foot to close it behind him, holding the freezing cans in his armpits as he brought the meal to the TV room.
"Aw, what a little housewife," Richie commented as he entered the room, already playing Super Mario by himself.
"Shut up Richie," he muttered as he placed each plate and can on the coffee table in front of the couch.
They ate while they played together, Richie winning pretty much every time since he had the most practice. Eddie tossed his empty Coke can to the ground when he lost for the sixth time in a row, Richie jumping up and pumping his fists in the air before flipping Eddie off and dancing like an idiot.
"Yeah, yeah. You won, again, we get it," he said, sinking down into the couch and pouting.
"Hell yeah I did. Aw, don't be mad Eds, how 'bout I let you win next time?" he asked in a mocking voice.
"Oh shut up."
They continued playing about ten more times until Eddie finally won. He jumped up just like Richie had all those times, copying his dance and giving him the bird, then pulling him up from the couch and making him dance with him. They held onto each other's arms, Richie rolling his eyes at first before he let a smirk slip onto his face as he watched Eddie spin them both around in triumph.
They eventually slowed down, Eddie beginning to get dizzy and Richie having to be the one to hold them both up. They stood there catching their breath for what seemed like an eternity.
Eddie had his eyes closed while he tried to stop the world from spinning around him when suddenly he felt warm breath tickling his cheeks. He opened his eyes wide right before Richie smashed his face into his.
They stood there, unmoving for what seemed like an hour, but couldn't have been more than thirty seconds, until Richie pulled away. Eddie's eyes had never closed, and he just looked up at Richie, expression completely blank while the room continued to spin, but for a new reason.
They stared at each other, mouths thin lines until they both cracked up laughing and put their lips together again like it was a funny joke, pressing their noses against each other and both of their stomachs flipping. They kept giggling and putting their faces together a couple more times before sitting back down and going back to playing Mario, newly wide grins painting their expressions.