off script || reddie

Ten

It was their first full run through rehearsal. Eddie tried putting the night before behind him and move on. He wouldn't let a little bump in the road ruin the play, Eddie just hoped Richie had the same mentality.

They were running over their big scene, the kiss scene. Eddie slid into character easily pulling on a flashing smile. He sighed wistfully. "You're the only one I know who loves his parents." He remarked quirking a brow at Richie who blinked at him.
Richie caught on and began the scene, scrambling awkwardly for his script.
"I know. It went out of style didn't it?" Richie fired back glancing up briefly from his paper.

Eddie gnawed his lip nervously. They were supposed to be off book weeks ago. "It's all right. It's a good thing. You know? It's lovely here. The air is sweet." His eyes fluttered closed, eyelashes fanning his burning cheeks. Eddie took a deep breath in and then sighed.

Meanwhile Richie stared intently at his script. "You're not sorry you came?" He asked voice sounding hoarse.

Eddie's eyes shot open his facade falling into a look of concern. He shook it away and hopped back into character. "Not sorry, no. But I'm...not going to stay..." Eddie turned his back on Richie hugging himself tightly.

"Why?" Richies voice cut out.
Eddie spun around huffing agitatedly pacing back toward Richie.
"In the first place, your mother as much as told me to go." He pointed out sticking a finger up matter of factly.

Richie shuffled nervously flipping his paper to the next page then clearing his throat. "Well..." He trailed off his eyes boring holes into the crumpled up script.

Eddie decided he'd get on him about it later and instead groaned quietly to himself. "You saw that...and then you...you've been kind of..." Eddie wrung his hands together.
"What?" Richie grabbed Eddies hands preventing him from continuing to wring his hands and crack his knuckles like he did when he was nervous.

Eddie dropped Richies hands and placed them on his hips instead. "Well...kind of embarrassed ever since I got here." He mumbled looking up at him through his eyelashes. Eddie brought his own hand up to cup Richies jaw but Richie moved his head quickly, avoiding the contact.

Richie pulled his script between them, keeping them apart. "The trouble is I planned on kind of sneaking up on you over a period of a week or so. But they take it for granted that we're all set." He spoke in a monotone voice, making Eddies blood boil.

Eddie could tell Richie wasn't taking this seriously. But he wasn't going to let Richies pissy attitude effect his performance. "I knew they would. Your mother anyway." Eddie said with more venom then he meant to let on, allowing  his own emotions to influence his characters.

Richie sucked his teeth and squinted down at his paper, scratching his scalp. "How did you know?" He shot back.

Eddie fell back a few paces tearing himself out of Richies arms.
He laughed dryly and shook his head.
"From her point of view, why else would I come?" Eddie shouted cringing instantly at how loud he'd gotten. The feeling immediately faded when he saw the glare Richie shot at him. Spurring Eddie on further.

"Well...would you want to? I guess you know this is why I asked you to come." Richie mumbled his line.

"I guess this is why I came." Eddie huffed delivering his line, that was meant to be sappy and sweet, furiously. He was exasperated, Richies attitude draining him.

Richie dropped the script staring intently into Eddies eyes. "Ann, I love you. I love you a great deal." He paused to wet his lips. "I love you." Richie directed his vision to the floor, shuffling his feet. "I have no imagination...that's all I know to tell you. I'm embarrassing you. I didn't want to tell it to you here." Richie sighed scratching the back of his neck.

Richie placed a hand on Eddies shoulder with hesitance. He continued to avoid eye contact.
"I wanted some place we'd never been; a place where we'd be brand new to each other...You feel it's wrong here, don't you? This yard, this chair?" He gestured to the stage props then focused back in on Eddie his eyes still refusing to meet Eddies steady gaze.

Richie sighed.
"I want you to be ready for me. I don't want to win you away from anything."

Eddie took a calming breath and forced on a dazzling smile. "Oh, Chris. I've been ready a long, long time!" Eddie gushed lacing their fingers together bringing Richie and his conjoined hands to his chest. "I almost got married two years ago." He stage-whispered staring down at their hands.

Richie subtly wriggled his fingers out of Eddies grip. He clenched his teeth when Eddie only tightened his hold on him.
"...why didn't you?" Richie seethed flashing Eddie a look.

Eddie dropped Richies hand dramatically and put some distance between them despite the nature of the scene. "You started to write me..." He hummed his voice coming off sickeningly sweet.

Richie cocked a brow and rolled his eyes placing a hand on his hip. "You felt something that far back?" He muttered.

Eddie nodded his head fervently. He jumped on Richie wrapping his arms around his neck just to piss him off. "Everyday since!" He giggled and squeezed him hard to get his point across.

Richie pulled away almost instantly glaring daggers at Eddie. He forced on a smile, the kind that didn't reach your eyes. "Ann, why didn't you let me know?" Richie demanded hotly.

Eddie clasped Richies clammy hand. "I was waiting for you, Chris. Till then you never wrote. And when you did, what did you say? You sure can be ambiguous, you know." He recited looking up into Richies big blue eyes, searching them for something anything.

Richie looked toward the house, then at Eddie trembling. He took a deep breath. "Give me a kiss, Ann. Give me a..." Their lips met for a quick moment. A burst of excitement covered any resentment Eddie held toward Richie in that soft brush.
Richie broke away first his eyes clouded with something Eddie couldn't understand. "God, I kissed you, Annie, I kissed Annie. How long, how long I've been waiting to kiss you!" Richie deadpanned then immediately snapped away as the scene ended coughing into his elbow to mask him wiping his lips.

Mr. Manski applauded briefly then cleared his throat gaining both of their attention.
"Good Eddie. Richie just one thing, you love him, act like it please." Their theatre teacher critiqued waving his hands around pen and paper in hand jogging down notes about the performance.

Richie rolled his eyes and walked off to the edge of the stage his entire demeanor screaming 'fuck off.'
"I'm trying okay." Richie slung himself off the side of the stage stomping toward the exit.

Eddie watched him walk away his heart racing with anxiety. He tore his eyes away to regard his teacher,
"I'll make sure he gets there Mr. Manski." Eddie promised then flew down the stairs heading off in the direction Richie went.

Mr. Manski slid his glasses up his nose and sniffed.
"Thank-you Eddie."

Eddie nodded shooting him a quick thumbs up. He couldn't lose this play, he needed it. Eddie wasn't about to let Richie ruin this opportunity for him. He picked up the pace, jogging after Richie.

"Don't even want to be apart of this shitty play." Richie muttered under his breath as he made his quick exit.

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