lightning : reddie

4

"do you want some clothes to change into? you must be fucking freezing." eddie said, placing his fork on his now empty plate. as he got up to put the dishes away, richie kept eating, but he seemed to think about it.

"eds, uh," he said, mid-bite. he swallowed whatever he'd been chewing, and went on, "you're a little smaller than me. i appreciate the offer, but i don't think i'd fit." richie finished his plate as well and followed eddie's motions, walking to rinse the dish and place it in the sink. 

"no, i still have clothes from my ex-boyfriend," eddie disappeared into his bedroom, leaving richie to turn around in shock. ex-boyfriend? well, wasn't richie lucky. eddie poked his head out of the door, "if you're okay with that, um, that is." richie vaguely nodded.

he wasn't going to complain if eddie offered him clean, dry clothes to replace the wet jeans and boxers sticking to his balls. but it was definitely going to be a little funny, explaining this to mike later. eddie returned a couple moments later with a dry sweater and pajama pants. richie took them graciously, the soft texture a blessing on his skin. 

eddie pointed him to the bathroom and richie took to it to change. eddie found himself uncomfortable in the silence without richie talking, so he focused on the noises coming from the bathroom. richie was a tall, lanky man, and so it was definitely a struggle for him to change in a bathroom like eddie's. to be fair, eddie reasoned, richie probably had the same kind of bathroom. either way, he was knocking into the counter and drawers. 

"is it okay if my toes are out?" richie yelled from behind the bathroom door. eddie couldn't help but laugh, his anxiety almost entirely gone. he choked out a yes, doubling over in laughter. "stop laughing! i'm self conscious!" richie said, slowly opening the door. eddie kept laughing, but couldn't help his face heating up when he looked at richie. 

richie, all dressed up in his ex's clothing. 

"so, tell me about this ex. i've got to get in character." richie said, as if preparing for a role. he sat down on the couch, now his bed. eddie sat on the other side of the couch.

eddie ran his tongue under his teeth nervously. "do you actually... want to know?" he asked, confused. richie nodded his head. eddie pursed his lips, "why? are you going to act like him?"

"no, jesus, i'm just... trying to get to know you. we're basically roommates now." richie responded, trying to soften his tone. eddie nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. richie sensed eddie's nerves, but figured he needed time to confide anything. 

"oh. he was a nice guy, i guess. we're still friends. took a while, but we're still friends. he let me keep his clothes because he said he doesn't like them anymore. i don't know. we just... my childhood made it hard for him to understand me, and his childhood made it hard for me to understand him. we weren't for each other, i guess." eddie finally said, picking at his cuticles. richie nodded along.

"is he on the track team too?" richie asked, crossing his legs. eddie shook his head, looking down at his ankles. he scratched at his ankles. 

"no. on the swim team, though, if you happen to stalk them too." eddie muttered, richie shaking his head and shrugging. "okay, tell me about your last ex, now. it's only fair." eddie's nails, richie was now noticing, were bitten all the way to his fingers. richie hummed. 

"okay. i didn't love her. i didn't know i was gay yet. t'was a while ago, y'see. she was fine. i just... didn't love her. i couldn't." richie replied, a lot calmer than he thought he would've been. normally, he'd be scared to shit to come out to someone, but eddie so casually mentioning his ex-boyfriend had made richie less afraid. 

"oh! we're both gay! what are the chances," eddie said, not really meaning to aloud, but doing so anyway. he clapped a hand over his mouth after, richie laughing at him. 

"we just might have to start making out right here, eddie, the gay population in connecticut is not that big," richie said, eddie pushing at him with his feet. richie, being attacked by eddie's neon green socks, started defending himself with his forearms, batting back eddie with full force. eddie's leg slipped through and jabbed richie right in the stomach, richie letting out a groan of effort.

"oh shit! i'm sorry," eddie pulled his feet back, richie hunched over and laughing. richie waved his arms, as if to say 'it's okay', but he couldn't stop laughing to actually communicate that verbally. 

finally, when eddie had relaxed, richie grabbed onto eddie's legs and pulled him towards him with a jolt, "i've got ya now, eds!" richie said, mimicking a pirate and eddie came sliding towards him on the couch. eddie screamed, laughing a little in between screams. the two ended up sitting rather close.

eddie's legs, pulled close, were now resting over richie's left leg. the rest of him was lying flat on the couch, and richie was sitting up, supporting himself with his left arm reached back. eddie decided not to move, since he felt so comfortable here. he hoped richie didn't mind, and he didn't really look like he minded, so eddie stayed right there.