Work Text:
Max threw his bag down at one of the desks at the library. He looked down at his phone, getting a text from Richie who said he’d be there any minute. The jock sighed, boredom of his first algebra tutoring lesson already creeping into his brain. He pushed it away, remembering that he was doing this for his own sake. His grades were an eyesore to anyone, even his dad who hadn’t cared about them until he got a letter from the school saying Max possibly needed to be held back if he didn’t do well this year. Mr, Jägerman was sure he wasn’t going to keep his son in his house another year, he needed to be sure of it however and told Max that if he wasn’t going to find a tutor himself, Max wouldn’t be staying in his home anymore if he was held back in Senior Year.
With that threat in mind, he went to the only person he knew that was good at algebra. Richard Lipschitz. He certainly wasn’t proud of it, but the nerd and him had become closer since Max’s almost fall to his death back in October, and January in Hatchetfield was a boring time for him anyways so what a better time would it be to go through the torture of learning math? And he wouldn’t hate hearing Richie’s voice for another few hours, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
Max looked up from his phone to see Richie walking to the back of the library, a large binder in hand, “Hey Max,” he waved, setting the binder down on the table with a thump.
Max gave him a nod and put his phone in his back pocket, “So how long do you have?”
Richie thought for a moment, “I’ve got a couple of hours, my uncle wants me home by 9.”
“Alright,” Max checked the time on the library clock, it was almost 5:30 now. That gave him more than enough time.
Richie pulled over a chair and sat down next to Max, “So you know how to do the basic stuff, right? Like finding x?”
Max nodded, he wasn’t that stupid. He was an idiot for sure, but not that bad. He and Richie found a good place to start and for once Max seemed to be understanding. It helped that Richie’s voice was weirdly calming and easy to focus on, unlike the math teachers he had had before who were loud and trying to teach everyone everything all at once. Things felt like they clicked in Max’s head so easily, like he was trying to put a puzzle together blindfolded beforehand.
Around an hour and a half later, they both agreed to stop studying since the library was almost completely empty and it closed in 30 minutes, “Have you eaten anything yet?” Max asked, Richie shaking his head in response.
“I meant to but I ended up spending most of the time looking for the binder, so no,” he shrugged.
“Wanna get something? Pasqualli’s?” Max suggested, realizing how hungry he really was.
Richie’s senses heightened at the sound of Pasqualli’s being mentioned. That was the place on First where he heard all the football players talking about taking their girlfriends to after a big game. Max certainly knew about it, and he certainly knew what it meant to ask someone there to eat. “Y-yeah! Pasqualli’s sounds great,” Richie gave him an awkward thumbs up. He suddenly became aware of everything around him, every noise, movement, little gesture from Max as he put his hands in his pockets. They got into Max’s car and drove a few blocks, entering the restaurant. It certainly wasn’t anything fancy, and they both agreed to eat whatever they got in Max’s car before he drove Richie home.
They walked up to the young man who was working the counter, “Hey what can I get for you both?” he asked them.
“Two orders of breadsticks,” Max declared, putting his hands into the warmth of his varsity jacket pockets.
The man nodded, Max handing him a 5 dollar bill as they stepped off to the side, “Thanks for your help today, by the way,” Max gave Richie a grin.
“No problem, thanks for buying dinner,” Richie thanked him as well, before the man came out with their dinner. Max grabbed it as they walked out, heading back to his car.
The parking lot was completely empty, as the two of them listened to the radio and ate their dinner, “So then I was like ‘well why the hell didn’t you break up with her if she’s so terrible?!’ and he couldn’t give me an answer and that’s why I banned dating,” Max explained one of his long football team stories as Richie laughed along with him.
“These are the types of stories I’m into, that dumb drama that really doesn’t matter,” Richie grinned, finishing off a breadstick, “I’m happy I’m a part of the team, being Zeke has given me a place to belong, y’know?”
Max lowered the radio a bit, grinning at Richie, “Yeah it’s great to have you,” Max looked out at the sidewalk, staring blankly at it, “Man, I ruined something good, didn’t I?”
“What do you mean?” Richie asked.
“High school! For you at least, and the other nerds too I guess,” he sighed, taking another breadstick from the bag, “This is the last one, you want it?”
“We can split it,” Richie shrugged, Max nodding and breaking it into 2 and giving it to Richie. He looked over at the time, 8:03pm. He frowned and looked at Max, “How mad do you think my uncle would be if I went home late?” he asked.
Max looked at him, concerned, “You have an hour, right? What’s the rush?”
Richie shrugged, leaning back in his seat, “Nothin’, ignore me,” he laughed to himself.
Max laughed, “What’s the rush, shitlips?” he asked again, this time in a joking way.
“Nothin’,” Richie repeated, glancing at Max before looking straight ahead again. Max leaned back in his seat, his hand on the center console near Richie’s. He lightly tapped next to Richie’s hand, who’s hand inched closer and closer to the tapping before their skin touched. Richie felt chills roll down his spine, a mix of terror and joy rushing through his veins. To his surprise Max kept tapping, moving it farther and farther up Richie’s hand. Max’s breaths were long as he exhaled, the air visible in the cold.
“Richie,” Max whispered, the tapping stopping as he slowly rested his hand on top of Richie’s, “What’s the rush?”
Max repeating his question felt more and more nerve wracking the more he did it. His voice slipped back into old patterns, his voice tormenting Richie everywhere he went, following him, haunting him like a ghost. And yet this was different. His hand was calm, he wasn’t punching him, everything was easy, “Just wanted to see if you had any plans, that’s all,” Richie finally spoke again, feeling Max’s hand rest on top of his. His breaths sped up and his insides felt squished together, as Richie tried to hold his body together by the seams.
“I see,” Max laughed, his fingers crossing between Richie’s as his larger hand engulfed Richie’s smaller one, “Do you have plans?” he asked. Richie shook his head, his movements stiff, “Hm, coward,” Max laughed, Richie turning towards him but before he could think Max’s face was up against his, their lips on the verge of meeting. Richie took the final inch forward, Max’s lips meeting his own as he grabbed onto Richie’s hand like his life depended on it. Their first kiss was softer than Richie had pictured it, but it felt like it lasted for an eternity.
Slowly letting go, Richie touched Max’s finger tips, who shuddered at the touch, “Maybe I did have plans,” Richie spoke first, Max laughing in response.
“I could tell,” he grinned, tapping Richie’s palm, looking out at the sidewalk to make sure there were no onlookers, “My dad will kill me if he finds out.”
“Well I don’t plan on telling him anything so you’ll be fine.”
Max nodded, “Not if we keep this up though,” he sighed.
Richie looked surprised, “Keep this up?” he questioned.
“Only if you want, of course. If you don’t that’s fine I get it but-” Richie let go of Max’s hand and grabbed onto his cheeks, pulling their faces together again. The kiss was less gentle but just as sweet as their first, Richie finally savoring the feeling he first felt.
“Is that a good enough answer for you?” Richie let go of Max’s face just enough so that he could speak, Max nodding his head before going back to kissing Richie.
By the time they had finished, it was around 8:30 and Richie said they should probably go to his house just so that he wouldn’t miss his curfew. Max agreed, and they drove off quickly.
When they reached Richie’s home they still had 15 minutes left. He grabbed onto Max’s hand like it was second nature for him already, “You want to meet tomorrow for tutoring again? We could meet here if you’d like. My uncle is going to be at his girlfriend's house so we’ll be alone.”
Max looked at Richie and smiled, “I’d like that,” he smiled, putting his head onto Richie’s shoulder and nuzzling into it, “I’m exhausted.”
Richie touched Max’s hair, “Sleep, idiot.”
“Yeah that’s probably smart,” Max chuckled, checking the time, “You should head in.”
Richie nodded, giving Max one last kiss before heading inside.
Max watched Richie close the door, seeing the light from the side of the hour turn on. Max saw the blinds closed and he drove off behind the street. He parked nearby, putting his face in his hands, “The hell are you doing, Max? You couldn’t just stay into… Grace Chasity or something?!” he talked to himself, rubbing his eyes before driving back to his own house where he could safely understand what was going on inside his brain.