Chapter Text
Eddie had been pacing in his hotel room for an hour after the day's shoot had ended. He felt like he could still feel Richie’s hands on his face, and he was probably imagining it but he thought he could still taste him on his lips.
He was so fucked.
He stopped pacing and sat down on the couch, rubbing his hands over his face. He’d already run his hands through his hair so many times it was sticking up in the most ridiculous way, and he thought he might start pulling it out if he wasn’t careful. He sighed.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how carried away he’d gotten kissing Richie during If You Leave. He hadn’t even heard Bev yell cut, he just kept going, wanting to savor Richie’s lips on his own, and he’d already gotten several texts from both Bev and Mike about it.
Beverly Marsh: hey hey hey
Beverly Marsh: did you make a real move yet or are you being a chicken
Mike Hanlon: Hey so uh Bev is cackling at me while we go over notes and you and Richie are very pointedly not looking at each other at the same time are you good?
Beverly Marsh: eddie
Beverly Marsh: eddie
Beverly Marsh: eddie
Beverly Marsh: eddie
Mike Hanlon: I know I teased you guys during the WatchMojo interview but I just want you to be happy I just also think you guys could be happy together?
Beverly Marsh: did you
Beverly Marsh: eddie
Beverly Marsh: where are you guys did you run away together
Mike Hanlon: If I upset you I’m sorry
Beverly Marsh: Okay I’m being serious now. As evidenced by proper capitalization and punctuation and shit.
Beverly Marsh: Eddie, sweetie, you know you have to tell him. I think you know it’s gonna work out.
Eddie threw his phone onto the bed with a groan. Bev was too insightful, could see straight through him. He looked out the window at the rain streaming steadily down the glass.
He'd read her last message over and over. Maybe she was right.
Staring at his phone over on the bed, he realized there was only one way to find out. He shot back up onto his feet and walked out the door, disregarding the fact he'd forgotten his phone, jacket, and room key.
…
The cab pulled up to Richie's townhouse, wipers sliding smoothly and quickly back and forth, and Eddie took a deep breath. Paying the driver, he stepped out into the rain, which had grown on the way over from a steady sprinkle to a heavy pour. He chuckled at the irony, and decided to take it as a sign to push forward.
He looked up at the light coming from the front room downstairs, shakily inhaling as he heard the cab drive away. He flexed his hands and shook some of the water off of them as he walked across the deserted street to Richie's door, walking up the three steps to the landing.
"Okay, okay, come on, Kaspbrak, you can do this, just knock on his fucking door." Eddie tilted his head back, closing his eyes and blowing out a harsh breath before raising a shaking hand to knock twice.
He wanted to run away immediately, but he was frozen on the landing.
The doorknob turned slowly before the door swung open, revealing Richie, wearing a baggy gray shirt that said 'My dog thinks I'm kind of a big deal', his phone in his hand. "Uh… hey, Eds."
Eddie was immediately distracted by his shirt, "You have a dog?"
Richie looked confused. "No? Wha-" He looked down at his shirt and chuckled, "Oh, right. No. I found this at a Wal-Mart for like four bucks, thought it was funny. What are you doing at my house, Eddie?" He said softly, tucking his phone in the pocket of his sweats.
"Right. Um. Well, shit, I don't know, I thought…" Eddie groaned, turning around for a second before turning back to look at Richie. "No. I'm not gonna be a fucking coward, for once in my life."
"You're not a coward, Eds. You're braver than you think." Richie blinked at him, still looking confused. He reached out like he was going to touch him, but his hand fell back to his side before he made contact. "What's going on?"
"I-" Eddie could feel his breath coming in quick bursts, and tried to calm down.
"Do you want to come in? You're getting pretty soaked out there." Richie stepped back, opening the door wider.
"No, the gods of fucking irony or weather or whatever are clearly on my side here, and I have to say this." He scratched at his temple nervously.
"O-kay then, go ahead, Spaghetti Man." Richie leaned against the door jamb.
"Don't- Why do you call me that, it's not even derivative of my actual name!" Eddie chopped his hand toward Richie, before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose, "No, you know what, I don't care, that's not… look." Eddie looked up at him, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I know I was an asshole the first… uh, several times we worked together. But it was never justified, I get really in my head, and I took it out on you, and I wish I hadn't, because it's my fault it took so long to get… here. Not here, on your porch, but here… with you. Like I want to be. That doesn't make any sense, does it? What I mean is that I… I'm- fuck, I like you, you know?"
Richie's eyes shifted rapidly across Eddie's face. "I mean, yeah, I know that, we're friends now, it's cool, we're good, dude. I-"
"No, dammit, I… maybe Bev was wrong for telling me this was a good idea. Maybe I'm an idiot, I just thought… It feels like… because of these movies, we’ve lived so many lives together. And it… this is sappy as shit, do not make fun of me for saying this, but, it made me realize that I want to... live this life… with you. Earlier, when Bev and Mike yelled cut, and we didn't… we didn't stop kissing, or, I didn't stop kissing you, I barely heard her, I was so focused on you, I wanted to keep kissing you, and I thought, maybe it wasn't just me, maybe you felt the same, but clearly I was wrong, I just have a stupid one-sided crush, so I'm just going to go call a fucking cab and go back to my hotel," he searched his pockets, not looking at Richie, and realized he didn't have his phone. He closed his eyes. "Is there a payphone around here somewhere? I-"
Richie stepped out onto the porch into the rain, shaking his head and smiling.
Eddie stepped back, his foot slipping on the next stair down before he steadied himself, "What are you doing, you're getting all wet." He looked up at Richie, realizing he'd actually been the one to steady him before he fell, holding onto his arms to brace him. He dipped his head down until he was about an inch away from Eddie's face, a stray curl dripping water onto the shorter man's forehead as he blinked up at him. "Richie?"
"Shh." He reached up and cupped Eddie's jaw, skimming his fingers across the sensitive skin of his neck. He leaned closer, their noses bumping as he pressed their foreheads together.
Eddie gasped, tipping his head up, their lips nearly brushing, "Richie, please." He reached up and wove his fingers into the curls at the nape of Richie's neck, pressing their chests together.
"Gimme a sec, I've been waiting for this, let me savor it." He wrapped an arm around Eddie's waist pulling him up onto his toes.
"You-" Eddie whimpered as Richie interrupted him, finally pressing their lips together and sucking Eddie's bottom lip between his teeth. It was a good thing Richie was holding him up because he could feel his knees turning to jelly beneath him. He pulled on the curls wrapped around his fingers, drawing a groan from him. He'd have to remember that. He changed the angle while Richie was distracted, tasting his bottom lip and gasping harshly as Richie responded by tangling their tongues together, his hand bunching the back of Eddie's shirt in his fist before he pulled back, flushed. Eddie smiled up at him, "Been waiting on me, huh?"
"Glad I did." Richie looked up at the clouds still pouring rain down on them. "We've only ever kissed in the rain, have you noticed?"
"Let's fix that." Eddie pushed him back into his house, both of them grinning.