pretend; reddie

p r o l o g u e

"i need you to fake a relationship with me."

the words fall from richie tozier's lips effortlessly, so much so that eddie kaspbrak is left in a stunned silence against his locker.

"hello?" richie hums after a moment with no reply, tilting his head impatiently.

however, he seems to have forgotten that his presence alone confuses the boy in front of him. they aren't friends; they're not even acquaintances.

"um," eddie utters out finally, forgetting the task of unpacking his bag and turning all attention to the stranger that stands a little too close, speaking in a hushed voice. "why is that?"

"my parents keep bugging me about it, and if i don't bring someone home soon, they're setting me up with this girl from church."

"okay," eddie pauses, attempting to sort out the situation in his head. "may i ask why you're asking a boy?"

"they know i'm gay," richie sighs as if eddie should've known this. but how could he have? they've only spoken two words to each other prior to this meeting, and it was only to exchange a pencil. "but they refuse to believe it. by setting me up with a church girl, they're trying to pray the gay away - double time."

eddie's eyebrows are furrowed. "aren't you just making it worse by bringing home a boy?"

"god, you ask so many questions," richie sighs, leaning against the lockers and shaking his head. "the entire point is to piss them off."

"okay, um-"

"no more questions until after you agree to the proposition."

eddie considers his options. "one more question."

richie quirks an eyebrow.

"what's in it for me? like, i see your problem and whatever. but nonetheless, why me?"

"don't act stupid," richie narrows his eyes. "you know you need this too."

"how so?"

"i know that claire has been trying to get into your pants," richie says as if he's some sort of high school god that knows every twist and turn, every little secret kept. "i know that basically half the girls in the school are. but i also know how gay you are."

"what? i'm, i'm not-"

"don't try to fool me, babe," richie's lip turns up in a half smile, half smirk. "just because others don't know, doesn't mean i don't. my gaydar is off the fuckin' charts."

eddie attempts to find a flaw in richie's statement. he's not wrong in any way. "i, um, alright? your point?"

"they see you with me," rich points at himself up and down as if trying to prove a point. surprisingly, it works. he's kind of known here; after getting into a fist fight with someone on he football team - and winning - he's been some sort of famous. and some sort of feared by a faction of the students. "they'll cut it out right away. then you'll have time to swoop in and collect that will you're so very interested in."

"i, i'm, i'm not, how did you-"

"i've got my ways, eddie kaspbrak. now, do we have a deal?"

eddie holds eye contact intensely, mulling over the opportunity as if it would greatly impact his future. which it would. "deal."