A Bed For Two ✔️ Reddie

Saturday Night

Richie flopped onto the bed, face down. 'I'm fucking exhausted,' he moaned into the pillow.

'Me too.' Eddie agreed, collapsing beside him.

Richie twisted his neck so that he could see Eddie. His face was distorted by the pressure of the pillow beneath it. 'Good day though.'

'Yeah, it was,' Eddie grinned.

Eddie had really enjoyed himself. Hanging around with Richie again, letting himself relax around him, he'd settled into an old, familiar rhythm. An easy rhythm. A rhythm he'd recently been trying to break. Maybe it was being out in isolation, away from the pressures of his every day life, but nothing seemed as real, serious or scary as it had seemed in Derry.

'It feels like ages since we've hung out together,' Richie said. 'All the Losers, I mean.'

The corners of Eddie's mouth drooped. 'I guess it's harder, now that we're older.'

'It's weird though,' Richie said, shifting his weight so that he was on his side. 'We're all still in Derry.'

'What do you mean?'

'We only live two minutes down the road from each other,' Richie shook his head slightly. 'But we still find it so hard to get together.'

Eddie shrugged, 'Seven people in one place though, isn't it? Around high school and clubs and part-time jobs and stuff.'

'Yeah, but what about,' Richie trailed off.

'What?'

Richie's brow furrowed. 'In a couple of years, people are gonna go off to college and stuff.'

Eddie didn't want to think about it. He dismissed, 'That's not for ages.'

'But it will happen.'

Eddie gulped, 'I guess.'

'Will we still,' Richie bit his lip, 'see each other, do you think?'

Eddie's stomach twisted. ''We' as in the Losers or 'we' as in you and me?' he clarified.

'Both,' Richie said, as nonchalantly as he could muster.

Eddie blinked, 'I hope we'll all still see each other.'

'And?' Richie probed the silence.

'Well, yeah, I hope we do too,' Eddie said. It hurt even to imply that it was only a possibility, and he knew it would hurt for Richie to hear it. So, he backtracked, needing to tell the truth. 'Actually, fuck that. We will. I know we will.'

Richie exhaled. He didn't realise he'd been holding his breath. 'How?' he whispered.

Eddie sank into the mattress. 'Well, you know,' he breathed, 'it's us.'

'What do you mean?'

'You're,' Eddie started and failed. He tried again, 'Of all the Losers, you know, you're –'

'I'm your favourite?' Richie finished, smiling.

Eddie scoffed, 'Fuck off. Don't put it like that.'

'But I am, aren't I?' he asked.

'You're the worst,' Eddie sighed.

'I'm the best, apparently,' Richie beamed. 'According to you.'

Eddie screwed up his face, 'Oh, I take it back.'

'Too late,' Richie taunted. 'You've said it now.'

Eddie paused for a moment, rolling onto his side, mirroring Richie's position. Then he said, softly, 'I didn't need to say it. You know it anyway.'

Richie felt the warmth inside him, like melted butter. He smiled, 'Yeah, I do.' As Eddie locked his gaze, he said, 'So do you, right?'

Eddie couldn't say anything else. 'Yeah. I do.'

Richie's gaze flicked momentarily, looking perplexed, then he reached a hand up and touched Eddie's hair.

'What the fuck are you doing?' Eddie stammered, frozen.

Richie snorted, 'Relax. You have a leaf in your hair. I'm just getting it.'

'Oh,' Eddie frowned, the thought of a foreign object in his hair making him nauseous. 'Thanks.'

Richie pulled at the dry, delicate article. It crunched and crumpled, so he had to keep picking. 'Son of a bitch,' he muttered.

'Ow,' Eddie complained, 'Don't mess it up.'

'We're in bed,' Richie said flatly. 'Who are you trying to impress?' Then he swiped his hand across Eddie's head, throwing the hairs off the grain.

'Oh, fuck you.' Eddie said, pawing it back down.

Richie reached over again and repeated his offence. 'What is the big deal?'

Eddie's face screwed up as he batted Richie's hands away, 'Your fingers have destructive oils.'

'They do not,' Richie laughed. He managed to dodge Eddie's defence enough to ruffle a third time.

'Fuck this,' Eddie challenged, pushing at Richie's stomach with his feet as he parried the onslaught of hands. The competition flared in his eyes, the smile slaked broad across his face.

'Whoa, careful!' Richie warned, sniggering as he shunted across the mattress.

'All you have to do is stop,' Eddie suggested, raising his eyebrows.

Richie paused for about three seconds before going in a final time. Eddie shoved, and Richie crashed out of the bed onto the floor in a heap of giggles. Eddie climbed over to observe the damage, laughing too.

'Serves you fucking right,' Eddie managed.

'Are you gonna help me back up?' Richie asked, extending a hand.

'Do it yourself,' Eddie said, putting his hand under his chin and batting his eyelashes.

Richie scowled, 'Oh, you are such a bitch.'

Eddie reached for his hand, 'Here.' He hauled, and Richie crawled back onto the duvet.

He snuggled under, co-opting the middle portion of the bed. 'Much better.'

'Stay on your side,' Eddie said, annoyed.

Richie threw his arms around Eddie's waist and whined, 'But I don't want to fall out again.'

'You won't,' Eddie rolled his eyes. 'Get off,' he said, but he didn't really mean it.

'I'm clinging on for dear life.' Richie cried melodramatically.

'I'm the reason you fell out in the first place so what kind of fucked up plan is that?' Eddie countered.

'This way you'd have to fall off with me.'

'Oh, that's better,' Eddie's voice was thick with sarcasm. 'Both of us falling.'

'Yeah, obviously,' Richie said.

'You're such a fuckwit.' Eddie muttered, wishing he could lace his fingers with Richie's, let their legs intertwine, shift backwards ever so slightly so that Richie's chest was flush against his back.

'I'm your favourite,' Richie teased, resting his chin in the crook of Eddie's neck.

'God, I hate you,' Eddie said, with as much deference as he could muster.

'Night, Eds,' Richie said quietly. He wondered whether Eddie would try and move away, or if he would let Richie stay where he was, holding him.

Eddie wondered whether Richie would let go, as he had done this morning at Eddie's behest. If he said nothing about it, maybe Richie would stay where he was, holding him. 'Night, Rich,' he whispered.

They both waited for what they each believed was the inevitable separation, but it never came. Eddie stared down at the hands clasped over his stomach. Richie stared at the slope of Eddie's shoulder, the exposed skin that was close enough to kiss.

Eventually, they both dozed off to sleep.