pretend; reddie

f i f t e e n

"my aunt wants to meet you."

richie is playing a video game, eyes completely focused on the screen, and eddie sits on the bed behind him, watching as he sneaks up behind another person's character.

"why?"

"'cuz," is richie's reply. "my mom rants about me having a boyfriend, and how much she wishes i would have a girlfriend, and that she hates that i'm gay-"

"she said that she hates that you're gay?"

richie laughs obnoxiously. "no, but i know she's thinking it. anyway, she keeps her sister updated on me and my life, or whatever she knows about it. she's been mentioning stuff about how you've been over for dinner a lot, and that you're really sweet — surprisingly, my mom actually really likes you — and now my aunt can't stop asking me when she'll get to meet you."

eddie smiles a bit. sure, the entire relationship is fake, but still, it's nice that his fake boyfriends mom likes him, so much so that she talks to her sister about him, and that she wants to meet him. "so will i get to meet her soon?"

richie shrugs. he doesn't really seem to be paying a lot of attention. "i dunno. she lives a few hours away. we may be broken up before she comes up here next, anyway. but if anything changes, i'll let you know."

"okay."

"okay," rich mocks, and then, "hey, how was your date with will?"

"it wasn't a date," eddie denies, but he smiles a bit when reminiscing of the night he'd spent with his crush. "and it was good."

"good, like, it was fine but i don't plan on seeing him again, good? or good, like, i think i'm in love oh god he's my future soulmate, good?"

eddie can't contain his laughter, and he turns, shifting so that he's lying on his stomach, watching richie play his stupid game.

"somewhere in the middle," eddie answers after thinking about it for a moment. "we had a really good time. he's such a gentleman. even opened my car door for me. three times. how sweet is that?"

richie stretches his legs out in front of him. "he kiss you?"

eddie furrows his eyebrows. "no. he held my hand though. it was really sweet, he like, was so kind and kept making sure i was happy with everything, and for some reason he ended up calling me prince or something-"

richie gags, faking throwing up, and he's teasing, but eddie shouts, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at his head immediately.

"shut up!"

"that's gross, man."

"it is not!"

"oh, it is too, my friend."

"you're not my friend."

"right, i'm your boyfriend."

"fuck you."

richie throws the pillow back, and it hits eddie's shoulder before landing on the bed next to him. "you wish."

"i'd rather be strangled."

"kinky."

"not what i meant."

"sure it isn't."

"i hate you."

"you really don't."

"whatever."

richie grins in victory, even if maybe it wasn't a victory. feels enough like it was.