Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

i - leaving on a jet plane (john denver)

"i made it through the wilderness
somehow i made it through
didn't know how lost i was
until i found you"

eddie kaspbrak skips through the airport with his expensive pink luggage carrier and duffle bag rolling behind him on the rack that he's pulling along. his airpods are in his ears and his white tommy hilfiger t-shirt is tucked loosely into his jeans, that are rolled up above the ankles. his parents trail behind him with their luggage in their hands, big smiles on their faces that are going to disappear as soon as they're out of public and in their own little world, and together they all walk to the gate.

the boy listens to the madonna album off his spotify premium as he continues to jam out and dance around the crowded airport hallways. he sees people sitting in the waiting areas, some alone and some not, probably waiting to get on a plane and go somewhere for summer vacation. they're probably not going to a fancy place like paris, as he is, he thinks, because they're all still sitting here and not getting on the plane to go sit in first class.

he slips his designer, rose-tinted sunglasses over his eyes when they get to the gate, so he doesn't blind himself with the harsh sun when they get outside. they check all their tickets and make sure they're really the family that had bought the tickets in the first place, and then they get let go, scurrying past all the people that are flying in the regular seating so they can get in first. there's a group of people only a few feet in front of them, who must be flying first class as well, and he tries to spot out anyone that looks to be around his age so he can sit next to them if he can't find anywhere else to sit.

as they board the plane, his parents find a place to sit next to each other and he rolls his eyes when somebody takes the single seat in front of them that he was going to take. he would throw a temper tantrum to get his way if he really wanted to embarrass himself and his parents, but he has enough dignity not to.

instead, he maneuvers through the isle of seats until he spots a boy that appears to be a teenager just like him, sitting alone in the way back row, by the window. he has his airpods in as well, and eddie bends down a little to tap him on the shoulder and get his attention. the boy tilts his head toward him and takes out only one airpod so he can hear him, and eddie motions toward the seat with a hopeful expression evident on his face. "is this seat taken or can i sit here?" he asks, and he shouldn't have a blush on his face but he can't help it because this boy is so handsome. with his sharp jawline that could honestly probably cut his finger open like a papercut and the quiff of his shiny dark hair that he would totally run his fingers through if he knew him well enough.

the other boy shakes his head, moves the heel of his foot off the edge of the seat so he can make room for eddie. "no, go ahead, fine fellow," he speaks, and he's shocked to hear a british accent come out of his mouth. he really was not expecting that.

he thanks him quietly and rushes to get his luggage up to the holder above their heads but he's too short. he backs up a little when the boy stands up and goes to help, since he's a hell of a lot taller than he is, holy cow, and he easily slides it up there, going to sit back down with a polite smile on his face. eddie sits down next to him, flips the top of his airpod case open and closed repeatedly and just stares at it, until he realizes how annoying that is. he turns his whole body toward the boy that still has only one airpod in, holding the other one in his hand, and he can hear some form of indie music blaring from that one. he furrows his eyebrows as he watches him shake his leg to the beat of the song, and then he looks at him and they make continuous eye contact for more time than they probably should.

"what's your name?" he asks eddie, in a completely normal american accent this time. it makes eddie blink a couple of times in confusion, and then the boy starts laughing. "the british accent was a joke, by the way," he tells him. he sticks out his hand toward him after he switches the earbud to his other hand, and smiles a little. "i'm richie tozier. i'd like to consider myself a comedic genius, but richie's fine."

the brunet only looks at his big and bony hand for a few seconds, taking in the redness of his fingertips. he doesn't know what that's for but judging by his band t-shirt - some band he's never heard of, obviously, he doesn't listen to whatever he listens to it it's anything like what's blasting from his spotify right now - and just his personality from the minute he's known him, he probably plays a guitar or some type of instrument.

he finally holds his own hand out and shakes their together, which feels silly, like they're in a business meeting and are shaking on a deal or something. "eddie," he gives him his name, and richie just nods, lets his eyes drag over the fashionable articles of clothing that he's wearing, especially the shiny diamond necklace with some initials on it. eddie catches this and holds it in between his fingers, looking at it now, too. "kaspbrak," he explains. "eddie kaspbrak, my initials."

richie nods with an eyebrow quirked up in a teasing gesture. "wow, never would've guessed," he says. he looks down at his pink converse and pokes them with his own pristine black and white checkered vans. "i like your shoes," he quips.

eddie lets out a breathy laugh through his nose. "thanks," he nudges his shoe back with a shy smile on his face. "i like yours, too."

-

"what're you listening to?" eddie asks the raven-haired boy, who's been sitting next to him for three hours now. they're been chit-chatting ever since the two had sat together, about whatever they can possibly think of, and they still have eight hours to go.

speaking of going to paris, richie tells eddie that he's from new york (he can hear a hint of an accent in his voice now, not fake like the british one earlier) and that he'd been in california to visit family members before taking off on the plane, just him and his dad. he also tells him that he'd been living with only his dad for years now, since his mother had just up and left the two of them for some other guy. but he says he likes his dad more, anyway; he has a shit ton of money and every summer they go to paris for summer vacation and sometimes his dad can book him gigs to play the guitar and sing. apparently he's not a terrible singer, either, which he explains that he'll show him when they get off this plane and get away from other people.

richie takes his airpod back out of his ear for the second time today, figuring eddie was going to sleep pretty soon or was going to just relax on his phone for a while until they got too bored and began to converse again. he doesn't have his own airpods in now, he thinks they're in the back pocket of his jeans, but he doesn't pay any attention. "weezer," he answers the question he had just been asked. "they're fuckin' awesome, you should listen to them."

the brunet shrugs, curls up in his seat, that's surprisingly comfortable. he can't really say he didn't expect absolutely nothing from first class, though. "i would but my airpods are dead," he sighs, as he digs around in his sweater pocket. "i swear i kept my charger in here but i cant find it. and besides, i only like seventies and eighties music," he grumbles, richie is quite honestly awe-stricken by his grumpiness.

"you can use mine," he holds his hand out and waits for eddie to slip his case into it, then he plugs it in and sets it in the cup holder attached to his seat. he turns back to eddie afterward with a scoff. "but you haven't heard weezer. i swear to you that you're gonna listen and like them by the time you get back on this plane to go home."

eddie only shrugs, rests his head against the pillow that was provided for him and wraps his arms around it. he doesn't close his eyes, though, only maintains eye contact with richie, as if they're having a staring contest. they end up actually having one, and eddie accidentally blinks when he can feel richie blowing air past his lips and into his eyes, drying them out so he can win instead.

the taller, older boy laughs when eddie smacks him lightly across the chest. "you lose," he taunts.

"shut the fuck up," eddie replies, narrows his eyes at him, but he's not really mad. in reality, he doesn't want richie to shut the fuck up. he wants him to keep taking to him until he falls asleep in his comfy plane seat. after all, they are going to be best friends (he hopes, at least) by the end of this vacation.

this trip is going to be a thousand times most interesting now that he has richie tozier by his side.

Chapter Text

ii - summer (brockhampton)

the second richie tozier steps foot in the familiar, snug and welcoming cabin across the street from his all-time favorite pancake restaurant, he sets his luggage down in the corner of his respectable bedroom. his room is just as big as his father's, and if a middle-class citizen just happened to walk in here, they would be absolutely amazed at how cool the entire cabin is.

the lanky boy collapses on the bed and lets his feet hang off the end, never even bothering to kick his shoes off as he takes in the pine-like aroma of the freshly-washed sheets, sighing dreamily into them with his eyes closed and his face smooshed into the comforter.

sometimes richie wishes he could just live and thrive in paris and never have to set foot in new york again. it's so crowded back where he lives, and the people are dicks and he has to take a cab wherever he wants to go because there's practically no room in the streets for any cars that aren't taxis or buses. france is so calming, to him, at least. he enjoys staying here during the summer so much that he has way too much fun and ends up dreading going home on the last day, even though he has a nice, fancy house and, like, three cars and his very own music studio in his bedroom. he guesses it's just nice to have a break from everything, to find somebody here in paris (it is the city of love, he always says) and hook up with them for a month and a half and then go back home and never speak another word to them. getting into a relationship and having to leave them until the next summer would be way too difficult for him.

speaking of relationships and meeting people here, he starts to think about the pretty boy he had met on the plane, how sweet he was despite the downright snobbiness he'd inherited from his parents and just how absolutely adorable he was. even his name gives richie's heart a jolt.

he's thinking about that eddie kid when all of a sudden his phone rings from his back pocket, and he draws himself out of his daydreaming so he can grab it and see what's making so much noise. there's automatically a smile creeping up, pulling on his lips when he sees that said eddie has texted him from the number he'd given him as soon as they'd gotten off the plane and he had declined richie's offer to come see his cabin for a bit ("no thanks, i'd love to, but i have to unpack and my momma's gonna kill me if i run off without telling her!" a mommy's boy, richie finds himself chuckling at later when he's still thinking of him, who would've known.)

213-560-0978: hey bitch it's eddie
- you stole my fuckin airpods dude

richie physically cannot breathe as he slips carefully off the comfy bed and snatches his backpack from where he'd previously placed it, checking the front and side pockets with his eyebrows furrowed. he's literally never accidentally taken something like this before, pay attention to the word accidentally, and of course it happens with the cute boy he'd just spent hours sitting next to and chatting about life details neither of them needed to know about each other.

he slips the airpods out of the last pocket he checks and picks up his phone off the floor before entering his contact information and texting him back. 'fuck my bad. send me the addy 2 ur mansion so i can come give em 2 u,' he replies, already scurrying to get his shoes back on.

eddie: please don't tell me that's actually how you text.
- fyi, i don't own a mansion here. stfu

'my bad x2! can i get ur address tho?'

as he's rushing out of the house with only his phone and eddie's airpods in his hands, hopping quickly on his blue vintage bike that he's owned for years and is starting to get a little too big for, his phone beeps again.

eddie sent his location @ 6784 rue des cloys st n.

-

6784 rue des cloys st. north is most definitely the place richie would've expected eddie to be staying at while he's here for summer vacation. that boy was definitely bullshitting when he told him he didn't have a mansion here, this place is huge. just the suburban-type white picket fence is enough to put off the impression that this isn't just some random person's house.

he pushes through the already-opened gate and walks with his head down as he tries not to look too much at how spectacular this place is. he thought he had a nice place to stay - look at this!

before he can make it to the front door, which is paneled with white wood and has a big window right in the middle of it, stained glass so you can't see directly inside but you can still see the shadows of people if they decide to come to the door on either end, he can hear light footsteps along the grassy stone pattern of the trail leading up to the house. he perks his head up upon hearing the noise and eddie is running toward him, holding something in his left hand and attempting to make it to him as fast as possible, he doesn't know why.

standing in front of him now, eddie tries to catch his breath, and it's only now that richie realizes how small he is. not that he's totally short or anything, but he has a few inches to catch up to him and he's somehow lankier than richie himself. he holds his hand out when he finally regains his normal composure and richie looks down at it to see a twenty dollar bill pointing at his chest. "sorry," the brunet across from him exhales. his breath smells like bubblegum, probably what he'd been chewing and chewing and getting new pieces to stick in his mouth while they were on the plane together. "i don't want my parents to see you, otherwise they're gonna invite you to dinner and won't leave you alone," there's an exasperated gesture of his hand toward richie, motioning for him to grab the money and scaddadle. "this is for coming all the way over here just to give me my airpods. speaking of, where are they?" he asks, looking up at richie with his eyebrows drawn together.

the raven-haired boy reaches into his back pocket and takes eddie's belongings out, handing it over to him in exchange for the money that he doesn't really want to take from him. "maybe don't leave your shit in my backpack," he retorts, but his lips are starting to pick up a little and if they do any more, he's going to be really smiling. he slips the money away where he'll remember it and then turns to leave, but not before he hears eddie muttering something mean at him, which doesn't even make sense because he literally texts richie later that night asking if they can hang out at his cabin tomorrow. if richie was a jerk, he would've shut down his offer just like eddie did earlier that day, but he isn't. at least, not as big of a jerk as eddie kaspbrak. he thinks about him his entire bike ride home, though, almost crashes and gets hit by someone's truck, and while they continue to text all throughout the night, forgetting that sleep is something you need in life and your phone isn't.

Chapter Text

iii - gimmie more (britney spears)

being able to sleep in late is definitely something eddie had missed about the summer, especially when he gets to sleep on the softest mattress that's ever made contact with his body, and nobody is able to wake him except his parents when they need to get ready to go somewhere or it's an emergency. most people would assume eddie to be a morning person, but if he's awoken early in the morning, on a weekend especially, he throws tantrums and groans into his pillow until he finally makes up the logical sense in his mind that if he wants to get such the privileged education he's currently receiving, or if he wants to graduate and get into a good college and become a rich man just like his father, he better get up and go to school. private school, too, which starts later than the regular high school because they're just privileged like that. in the summer, however, he has pretty much nothing to do except dance around their big beach house and walk around town, trying to find something that interests him the slightest bit.

this morning he wakes up early with a soft sigh into his fluffy pillow, covered with a flower-like pattern and smelling just like a flower, too. he brings his arms up above his head and begins to stretch his small limbs, then rolls over onto his back and stretches from that position, too, making sure to get everything up and working right away, before he can even step foot out of bed. he lays in bed staring up at the skylight window above his head, takes in the pretty pink and blue sunrise, feeling like he could just reach his hand up and grab one of the sheep-like clouds up there and feel the softness in his hands, put it in his head to collect his dreams or something like that. can you tell he does a lot of thinking nonsense in his free time?

the first thing he does after rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes and yawning is grabbing his phone from where he'd left it tucked underneath his pillow, so his parents couldn't find it and snoop on it if they really wanted to. they have, actually, snuck around on his phone while he was showering and he'd accidentally left it down in the kitchen after breakfast, and his mother burst into the bathroom while he was bare naked and started scolding him over the shirtless mirror pictures he'd taken the last time they were on vacation here, leaning over the bathroom counter with his bottom lip snug between his teeth and one eye shut into a seductive wink. he'd sent it to this guy he'd had a crush on back then, and automatically got blocked, but he figured he would keep it because he looked hot in it and, who knows, maybe one day he would find another boy to send that picture to.

there's a notification for snapchat as soon as he unlocks his phone, and he opens the app and lets out a breathy laugh through his freckle-dusted nose as he taps on richie's new snap and sees a picture of him half-asleep, throwing up a peace sign with the hand that isn't holding the phone, with the caption first morning talking to u. arent u happy about that?

he holds his phone up to get a better angle - he can't have himself looking like a three-hundred-pound child with that under-the-chin one - and captures a quick picture of him looking absolutely quizzical, only one brow furrowed in consideration. does this answer ur question, he types out and then uses the drawing option to scribble over his bare chest, that's only half-covered by the white and blue, heavy comforter. he sends it without hesitation and waits impatiently for another reply, dropping his phone down over-exaggeratedly when he doesn't get any more notifications for five more minutes.

after deciding to finally get up and go into his very own bathroom, connected to his room, he grabs a towel from the big shelf behind the door and sheds his clothing, not bothering to set his phone down as he turns the water on in the shower and waits for it to get warm enough. he prefers the water to be as hot as possible, basically burning his skin off, melting it like he's a witch and someone had just thrown water at him.

finally a notification! he steps in the shower and slides the glass door shut before opening the snap. it's a picture of richie with a pair of glasses a bit crooked on his nose and his curls an unruly mess on top of his head. why u cover ur pretty lil body?? the caption reads.

the boy's got a rosy blush painted across his entire face as if someone's taken a paintbrush and dipped it in pink paint and then swiped it all over, over his cheeks and the very tip of his nose. he can barely even think of a response, he wants it to be something witty so he can get back at richie for saying such a thing to him, making him blush like a schoolgirl with a terribly adorable crush on some older boy. after thinking for a couple of seconds, he just takes a picture of his hand covering his face, showing a little more of his chest than the last one without scribbling anything out this time. he's grinning a little without even meaning to, you can see it through the spaces where his hand isn't shielding his face. better?

and he doesn't get another reply until he gets out of the shower and attempts to dry himself off quickly before he can drip water from his skin onto the marble-tiled floor. he opens the message and it's a picture of richie biting his bottom lip sensually, which eddie shouldn't find so attractive but he really does. he can say he's a bit guilty of making that exact same face in his pictures sometimes, too. gimmie more.

jeez let a boy get taken out to eat at least:( he sends his next snap before he slips his shirt on, with him posing in the mirror just like the last picture.

his phone pings and he picks it up to see the raven-haired boy asked for his location, although he had already gone there the day before to return his airpods. the picture is him throwing up a thumbs up, with only one eyebrow quirked. let me come over & have dinner with ur family?

he doesn't know why he immediately replies yes without even taking a second chance. something about that boy just wont let him think straight.

Chapter Text

iv - from the dining table (harry styles)

richie's not entirely used to meeting new people, let alone new, fancy families. well, growing up, his family had just kept a tight friend group of a couple families and that's it. there was never really anybody new that came into the picture that ended up being as close or as bonded as the people he had from the start. after his mom left, a few of those friends ended up leaving as well, ignoring him and his father whenever they tried to say hello or start a conversation. richie doesn't think he's ever going to understand why everyone leaves him. especially his own mother. after all, why would you bring a child into the world and then vanish out of thin air like they never even mattered to you?

that's the least of his worries at the moment, though, as he combs through his hair and tries to make it look presentable. he's got a black denim jacket over a plain white t-shirt and some new blue jeans that he's only worn once or twice for special occasions. he considers this a special occasion - meeting eddie's family - and he hopes he puts on a good first impression, otherwise he really has nobody to talk to in this pretty little town.

he sets his brush down on the pristine bathroom counter and looks in the mirror with his hands in his back pockets, dragging his eyes up and down his reflection and taking in just how absolutely stupid he looks in this outfit. he hopes he's not under-dressed, god forbid if he walks in and eddie's parents are in evening gowns and tuxedos he's not sure he's going to make it through dinner without anxiously, embarrassingly blowing chunks all over the dining table.

just as he's about to pick up his phone to send a text eddie's way and let him know he's about to leave the house, a notification from said boy pops up at the top of his screen. he opens it with a slightly jittery hand and smiles a little at the smiling eddie holding up a peace sign in the mirror. the caption reads 'ready yet? here's my fit check it out;)'.

he's sporting a blue jacket and a pink shirt underneath, and he's got some black pants on from what he can see from the mirror shot. he sighs out of relief that he's not going to be under-dressed in the slightest but still takes a picture in the mirror as well and types out 'sure i dont need to change or anything?'.

eddie sends a snap of him smiling with an eyebrow quirked. 'you look great richie'.

'u look better' richie sends a selfie of him winking back and sends it before he double snaps - he never though he'd be on double snapping terms with a cute boy in france! 'on my way pls wait 4 me outside so i dont have to completely embarrass myself in front of ur folks'.

all he gets in response is a shot of eddie giving a thumbs up and a cheeky smile before he puts his phone in his back pocket and slips on his vans, letting his dad know he's leaving before he shuts the front door and hops on his bike. he listens to some weezer in his airpods on his way there and makes sure he doesn't get absolutely annihilated by a car on his way down the small street.

-

as soon as he sees eddie standing outside of that suburban white picket fence, richie tozier picks up the speed on his bike and crosses the street to get there, parking it at the very edge of the yard, careful not to ride over the newly cut grass at all. he sets his airpods in his backpack and leaves that hanging at the edge of his bike as well, getting off of it and making sure it's not going to tip over before he turns toward the brunet with a smile. "you waited for me," he quips, smiling a little.

the smaller boy doesn't respond at first, just inches forward and leans up on his tiptoes to brush richie's unruly hair away from his face. it must have gotten blown around in the wind on the way here, richie thinks. "course i did," he scoffs, and then he finally gets done fixing his hair and he smiles back at him, holding his hand out for richie to take in his own. "you ready?"

"i'm ready," he nods back, and takes his hand. holding hands with a boy is definitely a new, thrilling experience for him. he can feel butterflies in his stomach and he curses himself for it. "you think they're gonna like me?" he asks, projecting his nervousness.

eddie nods, stopping their walk down the stone path to the house to turn around and give him a reassuring look. "would you stop being so worked up?" he asks, shaking his head. "richie, i promise my parents are going to love you. just don't say anything too stupid with that big mouth of yours, mkay?"

"okay," he nods once again, taking in a deep breath. with that, eddie leads him all the way to the front door and holds the door open for him and lets him inside first. richie is astonished by the decorative living room he walks into, looking around with bright, probably sparkling eyes as he takes in his surroundings. "wow," he murmurs. there are photos of eddie and his family on the wall, that perfect little family he wishes he could have but he never will have. "jeez, this is incredible."

"isn't it?" eddie brags, not in a bratty way in the slightest. "my parents worked so hard for this. i don't know what they did, really, but they did something and it's fucking awesome," he chuckles under his breath and puts a hand against richie's back to lead him into the kitchen and holy fuck, it looks like something straight out of a movie. the stone walls and the marble counters and the entire room looks like it could be sparkling with diamonds. richie is nonetheless in awe. "let's hope that when my parents die, they give this baby to me," he jokes. richie can tell there's just a hint of seriousness in there. hell, if richie's dad had a place like this, he sure would say the same exact thing.

he doesn't get to respond because there's a thin, young-looking woman standing right in front of them all of a sudden and richie is almost taller than her and she has to gaze up a little to look him in the eyes. she gives him a warm smile and then looks at eddie with a playful death glare. "now that you say that, eddie, i think we might just give this place to aunt meredith," she sighs exaggeratedly and then goes to the stove and takes out a big bowl of something richie isn't paying attention to. he's still too busy taking in the beautiful interior around him.

"mom, you hate aunt meredith," eddie groans.

she nods. "but not as much as i hate you, hon!" but she smiles as she says it and winks at richie when she notices his confused expression. "aren't you gonna introduce your friend, eddie?"

and before anybody can say anything a tall, black-haired man waltzes into the kitchen with a polo shirt on. he has a grown up version of eddie's face, richie realizes when he watches the two converse. is this whole family gorgeous?

"mom, dad, this is my new friend, richie tozier," eddie turns toward him just as both of his parents do. he probably looks like a deer caught in the headlights and he wants to speak but he's, to say the least, so nervous he's about to vomit all over this beautiful kitchen and never speak to this household for the rest of his life. "we sat together on the plane, remember? since you guys so rudely left me for dead," he crosses his arms over his chest, although he's sending a teasing glance richie's way.

the tall man steps forward and holds his hand out to richie, waiting for him to shake his hand. "it's nice to meet you, richie," he smiles at him, and richie smiles right back, polite for a change. "i'm frank and this is my wife sonia."

richie lets go of his hand to end his greeting and tries desperately not to stick his hands in his back pockets as a nervous habit. "it's nice to meet you, too, mr. and mrs. k," he nods.

"oh, please, you can just call us by our names," sonia waves a hand at him to dismiss the formal names he had given them. she holds up the bowl she was cooking earlier and quirks an eyebrow. "i hope you like baked mac and cheese," she smiles. her teeth are so white, richie wonders what she does to keep them like that. her whole face is kept so well he might have to ask her for some skincare tips.

-

richie, eddie, sonia, and frank are sitting at the black and white dining table with half-empty plates when frank's phone begins to ring from it's spot on the table. it makes eddie jump and they all look at him as he stands up and holds a finger up to apologize and then walks out into the living room. "hey, man!" he exclaims, voice getting more distant while he walks to the back patio and disappears outside.

they just sit there eating and not talking until he gets back, sitting down at the table with a grumpy sort of look on his face. sonia reaches over to grab his hand and he retracts from it. "frank," she sighs. "who was it?"

"just a coworker," he shrugs, and then he sighs loudly, burying his face in his hands. "they're shutting down the company, so now i have to look for a new job."

eddie and richie stay silent as eddie's parents speak and take in the news about the job loss. sonia doesn't attempt to touch his hand again or anything and only tries to make him feel better with her words. "hey, let's not worry about it right now, okay? it's summer, we're on vacation anyways."

frank picks his head up and glares at his wife, picking up his fork just because he can. "how about you stop telling me what to do?" he furrows his eyebrows. "it's my job, sonia. of course i'm going to fucking worry," then he shakes his head and gets up and leaves the table. the woman stands up as well, casting an apologetic toward the two boys before she follows him out of the room. the two bicker back and forth throughout the house.

richie keeps his head cast downward toward his now-empty plate and gets out of his chair to go put it in the dishwasher. he almost jumps out of his skin when he feels eddie's small, tan hand on his back and he turns to look at him with a confused look on his face. "you okay?" the brunet asks.

"are you okay?" he asks eddie, who nods. "uh, does this happen often or just whenever you have guests over?" he motions to the ceiling, where they can still hear quiet arguing above their heads, filling the house.

eddie rolls his eyes but he's smiling because richie makes him smile. "i'm fine," he nods, and then he starts walking toward the front door, richie following. "uh, i'm guessing you're really close to just running out of here and never coming back."

the raven-haired boy shakes his head and laughs but still lets eddie open the front door and lead him outside. together they walk the path that they'd walked only an hour ago and went back to richie's bike, where his backpack and his airpods still hung. "it's getting pretty late, actually," he murmurs. "which is the only reason why i'm going back to la casa de tozier, not because of your parents, i promise."

"understandable," the brunet nods, and he's about to bid his goodbyes and then turn around and go back into the house, maybe lay in bed with his music blasting to block out his parent's harsh words, but all of a sudden richie's arms are around him and they're hugging. richie's chin is against the top of his head and he's warm. or maybe they're both just blushing.

richie's words are a little muffled by his hair but he manages to speak clearly anyway, making sure eddie hears him. "call me if you need anything, okay?" he asks. "i'll come kidnap you if you need me to."

eddie giggles and it's heaven to richie's ears, although he'll never say anything about it to anybody. "i think i'll be okay," he nods, and they finally pull away from their comforting hug (it shouldn't have been that comforting, eddie thinks later that night while he's laying in bed staring at the ceiling with that stupid boy in his head).

and with that, richie hops on his bike, puts his airpods in and starts to play one of his playlists before he waves at eddie and begins his not-so-long journey home. eddie stands at the end of the driveway and leans against the gate, watching the lanky kid almost crash into a car because he's too busy looking at his phone.

Chapter Text

v - can i call you tonight? (dayglow)

richie is only a couple seconds from falling asleep with the thought of his plans for the summer in his head when his phone begins to ring from it's spot underneath his pillow. he jolts awake and hits his head on his headboard, reaching to find his phone and furrowing his eyebrows when eddie's contact is on his screen.

he swipes his thumb across the screen to answer the facetime and holds his phone in one hand and rubs his eyes with the other. he clears his throat before he speaks so he doesn't embarrass himself with a voice crack. this is weird, he's never called, let alone facetimed this kid. it's only been a couple of hours since he'd spoken to him last, they hadn't snapped at all really after that argument at dinner, so he's curious to know why he's being facetimed at one in the morning. "hello?" he greets, even though he knows he's there; he can see the boy's face and the very top of his shirtless, bony shoulders in the dark room, only being reflected and lit up by the brightness of his phone.

"hey," eddie sighs, quite loudly. his eyes drag across the phone and richie knows he's looking at his face and he gives him a sheepish, tired smile. the brunet coughs, hooking his white duvet over his shoulder to keep himself warm. "i just want to apologize for what happened at dinner earlier," he shrugs. "that really wasn't the best first impression they could've given you, i'm sorry."

the raven-haired boy just shakes his head as he swings his legs off the edge of the bed and stands up, bare feet against the cold wooden floors. he pads over to the open window and looks out at the small quarry only a couple hundred feet from his backyard and the luminescent lights of the pool by the deck. "it's okay, really," he nods, he can feel eddie watching him as he grabs a cigarette from the pack in his backpack and lights it up, sitting in his window frame and letting his legs dangle out into the dense summer air of the night. "are they okay now?" he asks, letting the cancer stick in his mouth as he looks down at his phone and waits for eddie's response.

the kid nods. "i think they're fucking now," he wrinkles his nose. richie laughs and eddie rolls his eyes and pretends to gag at the thought of his parents doing it while he's only a couple of rooms away. "wanna come over and outdo them with me?" he suggests, smirking with his clean brows quirked.

richie has a shocked look on his face that soon turns into a suggestive one as he grins right back at him and winks. "i thought you'd never ask, eds."

"eds?" eddie repeats, watching his friend nod. "i like it."

and richie just nods, knowing he would like a stupid ass nickname like that. they sit in silence for a while as eddie fixes his head against his pillow and richie continues to smoke his cigarette, looking at the smoke that disappears into the air. "listen, eddie, i had fun tonight," he speaks up after a moment, not paying attention to the smile on eddie's face but instead the glowing pool water and the sound of it, wishing him and eddie were swimming in there, or maybe doing something other than swimming, like, you know, kissing. "it's not like i'm going to stop talking to you or anything just 'cause your parents started arguing. i get it, your dad's probably stressed. you don't have to apologize at all," he shrugs, leaning his head against the window frame with his mouth twisted. he finally looks at the screen and eddie seems a little down. "chin up, eds," he gives him a smile, hoping it cheers him up at least a bit.

"d'you wanna hang out again tomorrow?" the younger boy changes the subject, but his lips curl up into just a hint of a hopeful, teasing smile. "unless you have more important people to be with?"

the ravenette rolls his eyes and shakes his head sarcastically. "i totally have cooler people to hang out with. so sorry, but i'm gonna have to say no, fuck off," he tries not to laugh but he can't help it and he bursts out laughing, holding his cigar between his two pale, lanky fingers with a dreamy grin on his face.

eddie grumbles. "that wasn't even funny, asshole. i'm gonna hang up on you now," he hovers his thumb over his camera to imitate that he's going to press the end call button and never speak to richie again.

"fine," richie blows some smoke out of his mouth, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds because he's still sleepy. "i'll just go facetime bev, then."

"who's bev?"

"only my bestest friend in the whole wide world," he smiles at the thought of the ginger girl and how much he misses her and all their memories and how she's literally the only reason why he still lives where he lives. if she would decide to move out of the country, he's sure he would follow her. they could be neighbors and richie could live alone with four cats and beverly could be married in a pretty white suburban home with two kids and a dog and they could die best friends forever.

nobody speaks for a second again, but the silence isn't uncomfortable or anything, surprisingly. eddie's too busy thinking over what he wants to ask that he doesn't realize richie isn't being sarcastic or implying that him and this bev girl are together. or is he? "so, she's your girlfriend?" he asks, eyebrows drawn together. should his heart be beating a million beats a minute right now?

the older boy shakes his head and laughs a little, stubbing out his cigarette and tossing it out the window. he gets back into bed and lays on his stomach, setting his phone against the headboard and resting his head in his arms. "no, i would never date that stupid idiot," he scoffs. "she's dating this guy, his name's ben, i've never met him in real life cause he lives in another state, i think she has once or twice but she said he's scared of me, so..."

he doesn't miss the relieved look on eddie's face at that, and the boy sighs. "oh," he twists his mouth. "so, you're single?" he asks, thank god the dark room disguises the blush forming on his face, scattering across his freckled cheeks.

richie shakes his head jokingly again and eddie's heart sinks before he realizes he's just kidding. "i'm a fucking chick magnet, eds," he grins, sending yet another wink eddie's way. "i'm kidding, jeez. no, i've been single my whoooleee life, believe it or not."

eddie thinks he should stop winking at him before he ends up having a fucking heart attack. he really can't believe this guy has never been in a relationship before, i mean, look at him! he does think he's pretty attractive, any sane person would. maybe his personality, his stupid humor adds to the attractiveness. "me neither," he shakes his head. "the last guy i had a crush on blocked me 'cause i sent him a shirtless mirror pic," he explains, still blushing.

"you can send me as many shirtless mirror pictures as you want," the raven-haired boy winks AGAIN and eddie rolls his eyes despite the fluttery feeling in his chest. "in fact, you already have. but i didn't get to screenshot them so i think you should send more."

"shut up," the brunet laughs, but he's not totally against the idea. maybe if he gets to know this kid a bit more, who knows. he yawns and doesn't cover his face so richie watches him, admiring him with a smile on his face. "well, i'm gonna go to bed now. i just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier, but i'm glad you had fun," he says with a sheepish smile.

richie nods, yawning now, as well. "alright," he moves to lay on his side now and holds his phone with one hand and waves with the other. "let me know when you wanna bang. i mean, hang. god, sorry, stupid autocorrect, this phone sucks," he rolls his eyes. eddie giggles like a schoolgirl and tells him to shut up again before he ends the call.

the ravenette falls asleep for the second time with that laugh stuck in his head. he's come to the conclusion that he loves making eddie kaspbrak laugh.

Chapter Text

the shirtless mirror picture that eddie sends at seven in the morning is the only thing keeping richie going in the morning before he bikes over to eddie's house to spend the day with him.

he packs an extra change of clothes just in case something raunchy happens -- which, under any normal circumstance, it won't, and his very own toothbrush. he might be making himself a little too at home.

the bike ride over isn't very strenuous. he doesn't bring much. he figures eddie would always let him borrow something if he needed it.

when he gets to the house, he immediately swings off his bike seat and stands on one pedal until he comes to a full stop at the end of the long driveway. he puts the kickstand down and parks it next to the garage before venturing to the front door, where eddie is peeking through the blinds.

richie sees the curtain close immediately and he struggles not to laugh when the door opens. he still can't help but mutter, "stalker," when he opens the door.

eddie swats him on the shoulder before he walks away, a silent invitation to come in the house. "my mom left pizza money," he informs him, venturing into the kitchen.

"what kind of pizza are you ordering?" the raven-haired boy steps behind him to grab him by the shoulders and halt him from making it to his phone.

the shorter one tilts his head back to see richie and tugs his bottom lip between his teeth in thought. "hawaiian."

richie almost vomits. "please, no," he shakes his head rapidly.

"why, are you allergic or...?"

"what? no. it's just disgusting," he responds, letting go of the other boy's shoulders.

eddie sighs, picking up his phone. "what do you want, then?" he asks.

"pepperoni... duh."

-

the pizza takes forever. richie ends up falling asleep curled up on the couch before it gets there. he doesn't wake up until he hears eddie talking, and the more he listens, the more he's pretty sure he's speaking french.

he's not going to lie and say it's not insanely attractive. he takes the pillow away from where it wraps around his head so he can hear it easier.

after hearing him laugh, he decides to check out what's going on in the other room. he gets up and doesn't bother to fix his lopsided t-shirt while he trudges sleepily toward the front door. "eds, who are you talking to?" he asks with a yawn.

there's a boy at the door. he's probably around their age. he's very handsome, he has to admit. it's the pizza guy, of course, and cute as he is, richie is annoyed with him right away. should he be jealous? "this is connor," eddie tells him. "the pizza guy."

"bonjour," richie gives him a false smile and grabs the pizza box from eddie's hands, disappearing into the kitchen and leaving him to flirt with connor.

by the time eddie closes the door and comes into the room, richie has already shoved an entire pizza slice in his mouth. "you're gonna choke," the brunet scolds.

the other boy mocks him with his middle finger up, laughing a little.

it's quiet afterward. richie kind of ignores any playful banter eddie tries to strike up, too caught up in his own head, wondering what eddie and connor could have possibly been giggling about. maybe he shouldn't be jealous -- he's known this kid for a couple weeks at most.

he only pays attention when eddie nudges his shoulder and stares up at him. "earth to richie?"

richie looks over at him sheepishly, nudging him back a little. "i like how you sound when you speak french," he admits, blushing.

it makes eddie's eyes sparkle, richie can see it. he smiles a bit, setting his pizza slice on his plate. "vous êtes mignon," he sighs. you're cute.

"i feel like i'm being insulted," the other boy only half-jokes. he hasn't been good at french since he learned it freshman year. "uhh.... merci?"

the brunet laughs, but nods. "je vous en prie. je ne t'insulterais jamais quand tu ne comprends pas ce que je dis."

richie hides his grin behind a slice of pizza. "i don't know what you're saying, but it's hot," he swallows, shaking his head. "je parle français," he attempts to speak, but he's embarrassed in comparison to eddie's fluency.

"tu as l'air sexy," eddie chuckles, turning in his chair to look at richie. now there's no way for him to hide his smile. you sound sexy. "i know you're jealous of the pizza boy, by the way."

his words make richie freeze, which turns into a scoff. he still crosses his arms over his chest and looks away with his lips curled up. "peut être," he mutters. maybe.

"there's nothing to be jealous of," the smaller boy stands up and ruffles his best friend's hair as he walks by to put his plate in the sink.

"you guys were on a first-name basis," richie pouts.

"sorry, richard," eddie holds his hand out so he can pull richie and his plate of pizza outside to the pool in the backyard.

"you get my pizza wet, you're dead," the taller boy grumbles, trying to shove the whole thing in his mouth so nothing happens to it outside.

the brunet sits on the ground and slips his socks off his feet. richie notices he recently painted his toenails pink. he's sure he's had that hidden from his parents for as long as he's had them.

eddie strips down to his boxers and jumps into the pool without hesitation. richie still continues to stand near the edge of the pool, looking at the boy's rippled form underwater.

he comes back up for air after a few seconds, laughing. then he inches closer to richie with his hands out toward him, grinning. "come heeeere, richie," he sings almost menacingly.

"eddie, i will kill you," richie warns through another bite of pizza.

but eddie, of course, pays no mind to richie's threats. he only laughs and grabs onto his ankle. "you know you want to."

it's a ten-second long battle of no's and uh-huh's between the boys, and richie only manages to get out, "don't! my contacts-" before eddie tugs him into the pool, pizza in hand.

he takes a bit to come back up for air, like a wet poodle emerging from the water, and his fingers are practically clutched to his eyes. eddie is laughing like a maniac. "you should've seen your face!" he cries out, nearly choking on the pool water.

"eddie..." his friend, still wearing all his clothes that are now drenched in chlorine, speaks lowly. he pulls one of his contact lenses out of his eyes and drops it on the concrete, then reaches for the other one. "if you don't grab my eye drops from my backpack, i'm going to strangle you."

the brunet scrambles out of the pool and rushes into the house without even caring about getting the floors wet. he comes back seconds later with eye drops in hand, sitting at the ledge of the pool. "i'm so sorry! come here," he motions richie his way.

richie stands in between his legs, struggling to see anything but a couple of blobs. "oh my god, it burns," he groans.

"sit still," eddie tilts the boy's head up and puts the eye drops in his eyes. he watches richie blink rapidly until the pain finally seems to subside. "i'm sorry, rich, i had no idea you wore contacts."

the other boy just shakes his head, starting to grin a little. "you tried to kill me," he pretends to cry.

"how many fingers am i holding up?"

"one, you dick," richie flips him the bird in response to his own middle finger. he then shrugs off his clothes and tosses them over at eddie as payback.

eddie still laughs and jumps right back into the pool. "you look so weird with wet hair."

"i'd say ditto, but i can't see."

the brunet hangs around by the ledge and watches as richie floats on his back in the middle of the pool. his eyes are closed because it probably wouldn't be of much help to have them open, anyway. "hey, richie?" eddie speaks up, getting a silent thumbs up in reply. "can i ask you something?"

his friend squints a literal blind eye at him, smiling a little. he nods hesitantly with a single furrowed brow.

"are you bored yet?" eddie sighs.

"never with you," richie replies easily. he closes his eyes once more but immediately stands up straight in the pool, swimming closer. "why? are you?"

the other boy just shakes his head, still smiling. he's thankful it's getting darker outside so richie can't see his flushed cheeks. "jamais avec toi," he repeats back to him. never with you.

the two boys are leaning against the side of the pool. richie chuckles when he looks over and sees eddie watching him, dragging his eyes over his wet curls and his damp, wrinkled shirt. "you know, edwardo, i'm nearsighted," he nudges the other's shoulder. "can kinda see you staring from here."

eddie reaches over and puts his hand over richie's eyes with a playful sigh. "i suppose i owe you another piece of pizza," he looks to the nearly disintegrating slice floating around in the water.

"damn right. but first you gotta let me out of these clothes before i freeze to death," richie makes a move to get out of the pool, but eddie gets out first and holds his hand to pull him out instead.

richie has to wear his big bulky glasses until it's time to go to bed, to which eddie taunts him in french words that are completely foreign to his friend. there's one word, though, that registers in his head.

handsome.

Chapter Text

richie rides his bike home the next morning with a bag full of his wet clothes tied to his handle bars. he leaves at six in the morning to avoid anything eddie's parents might ask. hey, tozier, what's up with the bag of clothes? why is there pizza in the pool? we heard you guys talking in the middle of the night. you think we don't know french?

it's not any of these questions that his own father asks when he walks through the front door, and it's most certainly worse. "hey, heart-eyes, where you been?"

what the fuck is he supposed to say? how does he know about his little crush? is it really that obvious?

wentworth chuckles and sets his coffee and newspaper down next to his recliner chair. "thought you wouldn't be back until later. what's the rush?" he asks again. whether he's truly puzzled or just teasing, richie still has no idea what to say back.

"i dropped a pizza in the pool and then went blind."

"excuse me?"

"i-it's a long story, i fell into the pool with my contacts in and he had to help me get them out," the teenager explains, only creating more questions.

his dad stifles a laugh. "who's he?" he asks.

"eddie."

the man quirks an eyebrow and settles back in his chair, reaching for his coffee. "hm," he nods at nothing. "you've been spending a lot of time with him."

richie pushes his glasses up on his face and could honestly piss himself at the amount of speculation his father is putting on him. "what's that supposed to mean?"

"nothing, it was just an observation," he puts his hands up in surrender. he still looks at his son with a knowing look in his eyes, like he can see how richie really feels. "did you have fun?"

the boy can't help but smile thinking of the previous night, although his eyes almost burned out of his skull. he won't lie and say he wouldn't want to stand in between eddie's legs like he did in the pool. "yeah," he sighs, his plastic bag still wrapped around his arm. "we're going to the beach later," he doesn't know why he says that, but there it is.

wentworth laughs again, getting out of his chair. "ooh, loverboyyy," he sings, thinking he's freddie mercury. he can physically see richie recoil from where he stands and laughs harder. "what're you doin' tonight, hey, boy?"

"stop!" his son whines, attempting to run to his room.

"he's my good old fashioned loverbooyyyyy."

—

after richie's nearly ten minute attack from his father and his horrifying singing, he decides to take a nap. he dreams of eddie. eddie riding on the back of his bike, which only makes him want to break the boy's bicycle so his dream will come true.

when he wakes up, he almost doesn't want to. that is, until he remembers he's going to see eddie later today. he lies in bed and reaches underneath him to find his phone.

eddie sends him a screenshot of that pizza boy's instagram profile, writing underneath it: looks like mr. bowers has a girlfriend. richie zooms in on one of the posts to see connor with a girl attached at his hip, kissing his cheek. and to think i assumed he was flirting with me !!! why does this always happen to me :( the rest of his text says.

richie would feel bad if he said something mean about eddie's little crush. if it happened to him, he would also be down in the dumps. he lets his thumbs hover over his keyboard before typing something out.

lol i still cant tell what you see in him

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE. now he really sounds jealous. he deletes it before eddie can even tell he's typing. let's try this again.

maybe ur just bad at reading that kinda stuff.

DELETE DELETE DELETE. now he sounds like a prick. it takes him an entire minute to come up with something that won't be too mean, too romantic, or too boring.

no longer on first name basis i see? he sends.

this is the first time richie has ever been careful about what he's saying to someone over text. he's never had to sit and think of how to talk to someone. his adoration for eddie keeps getting worse.

while he's using the bathroom, he gets a text back. the womanizer doesn't deserve my name in his mouth, richard.

jesus. richie swears he can feel his knees buckle underneath him while he's walking back to his room. he must take too long to answer because the brunet sends another string of messages.

anyway,, i will see u at noon. remember u have to come here so i can show you the way to the beach.

see u at noon.

—

the shorter, more tanned boy pedals through the path leading to the beach. richie follows close behind but leaves enough space so they don't crash and absolutely obliterate each other's bikes.

richie watches him closely. the way his hair blows in the breeze and his calf muscles contract with every press on his bike pedal. he stares at the back of his head for a while, only following by making sure his head is in the very center of his sight.

richie throws his bike down when they arrive at a nice enough spot near the water. eddie parks his nicely with his kickstand and tosses a tube of tanning lotion into the sand.

"didn't you put that on before you left the house?" the older boy asks.

eddie nods. "yeah, but you didn't," he assumes. embarrassingly, he's correct. he puts a towel against the soft sand and lightly smacks richie's shoulder. "so lay down."

i'm going to have a heart attack, richie thinks. after a moment of hesitation, he gets down and lies face-down. eddie barricades his body with his legs and richie has to bury his face into the towel to make sure he doesn't say anything stupid. if he were lying on his back right now, he really would die on the spot.

he can only imagine what eddie's face looks like, leaning over him. and then he decides to stop thinking for the rest of the day, otherwise he's going to lay like this for the rest of the afternoon.

the brunet puts sunscreen on the back of his neck first and without warning. richie nearly breaks his nose trying to flinch away from the coldness. he moves down to his shoulders after apologizing, and then all the way down to the waistband over his shorts. richie laughs more than he would like to admit when eddie's fingers make contact with his sides.

he lets richie cover his front half, but stops him before he can run into the water. "give me your face," he orders.

confused, the other boy bends down a little to make sure eddie can reach him, and has to fight off a smile when he coats every inch of his face in sunscreen.

"voilá," the brunet sighs, dusting off his hands. he gives richie no time to thank him before sprinting to the water, not even a yelp exiting his lips as he gets deeper into it.

richie, on the other hand, has to jump headfirst into the water as soon as he's deep enough to dive. he's not good with cold water, especially not at the beach. he comes up for air with a gasp and chokes when eddie is in front of him, laughing.

"you're a wimp."

"you're a jerk," the taller boy retorts, scoffing. even in the water, he still towers over him. if he were really mean, he could push eddie under the water and hold him there.

eddie doesn't seem to notice his hypothetical murder plan behind his eyes. richie can barely even see him without his contacts. he can see the way eddie's eyes connect the dots between his pupils and his lips. "catch me if you can, slowpoke," eddie grins after his little flirtatious gesture. he turns around and starts to swim farther out into the water,  his tan skin gleaming underneath the hot sun.

it takes five seconds for richie to snap out of it before he pathetically races eddie to the barrier blocking them from being dragged out to sea. eddie is obviously much faster than him. the guy has a damn pool in his backyard, for pete's sake.

eddie leans his back against the giant horizontal pole at the edge of the swimming limit, watching. richie has no intention to be embarrassed for how slow he is when eddie looks at him like that.

"i wonder if that pizza boy would be faster than you," the brunet yells to him.

richie grabs onto the pole for dear life, panting. there's no way to tell if that's sweat or ocean water all over his forehead. "i am fast at many things, edward. you just have to find out which ones," he says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"well, i know i can cross swimming off the list," eddie snickers.

"the fastest thing i can do," richie leans closer, still gripping the barrier. he can't feel the ground beneath his feet and it's freaking him out. "is beat it to your mom."

the other boy's mouth gapes so wide richie could fit his entire fist in it. "gross!" he whines, putting a hand in the water to splash at richie's face.

the ravenette cackles, refusing to let go of the pole. he puts his hand up to eddie to silently tell him to stop. "sorry, eds, we never told you. your mother and i are very happy together," he speaks in a sincere tone, trying his hardest not to laugh.

"i am literally going to drown you!"

"i'd like to see you try."

their battle of who-can-kill-who-first ends up with eddie's head underwater and richie holding him down with one hand. eddie smacks at his hand only semi-playfully until richie lets him up, holding him around the waist. "i hate you," eddie glares, wiping his face.

"that's funny coming from the boy i talked to last night, je déteste être loin de toi," richie repeats his words, 'i hate being away from you.'

"oh my god, you're bad at french," the boy in front of him laughs, hoisting himself up to straddle the barrier. "i'll teach you sometime."

the only thing in richie's head is the way eddie's legs bracket the red pole floating just on top of the wading water. the way his palms lie across it in front of him. he's sure eddie catches him staring. he clears his throat suddenly. "i'm having fun, eddie, but i might drown if i stay out here."

eddie swings his legs back over the side and blinks down at him, peering toward the shore. "well... we can go tan?" he suggests, bottom lip between his teeth.

—

richie and eddie are lying on the same towel, pressed together like sardines in a can. for some reason, richie never thought to bring his own.

they're both on their backs, eddie with a pair of designer sunglasses and richie wearing the ones his dad left out on the coffee table this morning.

the smaller boy turns his head to look at him. "i can feel you staring at me," he teases.

richie's glad eddie can't see the flush of his cheeks through his tinted glasses. he scoffs, closing his eyes and looking back up toward the sky. "you want me to stare at the sun?" he asks with an offended tone.

"i never said i minded it," the brunet replies with a breathy laugh, lying back down flat.

"you know you're cute," richie grumbles, resisting the urge to cross his arms over his chest.

eddie grins. "would you like to elaborate on that?"

"absolutely not."

they fall into another comfortable silence, listening to people's footsteps in the sand behind their heads. this whole time, richie's had an irrational fear that he's going to be kicked in the face or have his glasses stepped on.

the brunet next to him doesn't seem to mind the silence. richie has a hard time shutting up. in a way, he thinks that's what makes them perfect for each other.

suddenly richie opens his eyes upon hearing music faintly playing from down the biking trail. he sits up just in time to see two boys roller skating by, slowing down just as they reach he and eddie.

"hold on, mikey, i gotta call my mom back," the curly-haired blond says with a heavy sigh, grabbing 'mikey''s forearm to stop himself. he steps off of the trail and sits down on a slab of concrete, pulling his phone out of the pocket of his jean shorts.

"cute boy alert," eddie sings, sitting up as well. he pushes his sunglasses up on his forehead to get a better look at the two boys in front of them. richie almost forgot he was there.

richie's a little jealous and it shows. he nudges eddie's bare shoulder, forcing a smile. "you wanna repeat the whole connor thing?" he teases.

the boy's shoulders slump. it makes richie feel bad.

he pats him on the back, slinging his arm around his shoulders. "hey, mikey," he calls out to the guy standing in the middle of the trail, staring at the blond. eddie punches him in the side for saying anything to him.

"it's mike," mike says when he turns to look at them, swaying on his skates.

richie points behind him to the blond. "that your boyfriend, mikey?"

eddie is going to kill him when mike and the other boy are out of sight. mike's brows furrow for a moment before he puts his hands in his hips. "maybe," he shrugs, bottom lip between his teeth. he motions to eddie under his arm. "that yours?"

"maybe," he replies, like eddie's his territory. eddie doesn't say anything in retaliation, though.

mike gets a good look at the both of them, smiling at richie's big i-only-wear-these-when-i-have-no-other-choice glasses. "i like your glasses," he offers.

eddie laughs a little, patting richie's pinkish cheek. "right? i told him to wear them more, he doesn't listen."

before any of the boys can say anything more, the blond comes skating back to them, shoving his phone back into his pocket. he's wearing a pair of green and pink skates, with blue wheels.

"hello, mike's boyfriend," richie says, making an effort to really find out if these two are together or not.

"excuse me?"

bingo! he lifts two fingers to them. "mikey said you're his boyfriend."

"i didn't say that," mike scoffs, arms over his chest. his friend glares at him and he shrugs exasperatedly. "what? i didn't."

"i think he did," eddie speaks up, talking to the blond.

he sighs. "okay," he pokes mike's arm. "not my boyfriend," he points a thumb at his loose t-shirt. "i'm stanley."

richie finger-guns at the boys standing above them. "richie," he introduces. he doesn't drop the arm around eddie, instead jerks a thumb in his direction. "edward."

"eddie."

"richie, i hate your glasses," stanley admits.

his words make richie laugh. he stays seated on the towel, hand on his chest. "see? now that's a man after my own heart."

the blond smiles sheepishly and turns to eddie, whose cheeks are so pink he might as well have been slapped. "tu parles français?" he asks him. richie knows that means, ‘do you speak french?.’

"oui, monsieur," eddie nods. ‘yes, sir.’

"puis-je avoir ton numéro?" ‘can i get your number?’

bold. eddie likey.

the brunet stands up, leaving richie's half-platonic hold. "got a pen?" he asks, chewing a piece of gum he'd popped in his mouth when mike and richie were talking.

richie wonders who the hell brings a sharpie marker to the beach while stanley brings one out from his pocket. he hands it over to eddie, who uncaps it and writes his phone number on his forearm in big, fancy scrawl.

there's two cute french-speaking boys in front of him and richie doesn't know which of them he's jealous of. he sits there, staring at them, until eddie finishes writing.

"thank you, edward," stanley teases a little. he squeezes his shoulder and then steps back with a warm smile. "well, i gotta get home, mom wants me. i'll text you later."

he skates down the sidewalk like a master, gliding past people with polite apologies. mike follows close behind, speaking to him. eddie watches the ink on his arm get smaller and smaller as the boys disappear. "i'm pretty sure richie's his boyfriend," mike says once he believes they're far enough away.

stanley grins with his pearly whites, spinning around on his skates. "the more the merrier."

richie lies back on the towel, suddenly feeling like a loner. eddie gets down next to him on his stomach, tanning his back. "why didn't you just put your number in his phone?" the curly-haired boy asks.

eddie laughs breathily, slipping his sunglasses back on. "marking my territory," he jokes, smiling. "you think he's cute?"

duh, richie wants to say. "sure i do," he underplays it with a curt nod. "why?"

"just wondering."