No One But You ✔️ Reddie

Eleven

Eddie felt uncomfortable in a suit. The collar was too tight, the lapels too broad, the trousers too long and the shoes too slippery.

'Eddie? Are you in there?' It was Richie, knocking on the other side of the door. 'We've got to go soon. The girls are here.'

Hurriedly, Eddie opened the door and dragged Richie into the room. 'I can't do this,' he said, breathing heavily.

Richie hardly breathed at all. 'Fucking hell,' he gushed. 'I cannot believe you look better than me in a tux.'

Eddie finally looked at Richie. 'Wow, you look so...' he hummed. 'Clean.'

Richie laughed, 'You're so fucking weird.' He kissed him. 'Let's just get it over with, okay? We're not really going for the girls anyway. It's just one more night for you and me with Stan and Mike.'

'I wish the four of us could have just spent the night here,' Eddie moaned, trying and failing to tie a bow tie.

Richie snatched the tie from his hands and wrapped it around Eddie's neck. 'You can't go through all the bullshit that is high school and not go to your fucking prom. So, you're gonna go down there, give that girl a corsage, get in the car and fucking go.' He tapped Eddie's chest, satisfied with his handiwork.

'Okay,' Eddie grumbled. He kissed Richie lightly again.

They went downstairs. The girls were giggling in the kitchen. Stan and Mike were secretly siphoning whisky into hip flasks. Eddie gave his date her corsage, and they all headed out into the night.

As it turned out, Eddie had more in common with his date than he expected. They spent a few numbers on the floor, dancing the night away. Richie watched him from the side lines, desperately wishing that he could cut in.

Stan sidled over to Richie and handed him a glass of spiked punch. 'Hey.'

'Hey,' Richie said, not taking his eyes off Eddie.

'How're you holding up?' Stan said.

'Fucking peachy,' Richie said, taking a long glug at his drink. 'Just a few more days and I can say goodbye to this fucking town.' He continued to stare at Eddie and the girl.

'Richie,' Stan said quietly. 'Does he know?'

'Know what?' Richie asked nonchalantly.

'That you love him.' Stan said bluntly.

Richie almost spat out his drink. 'What?'

Stan rolled his eyes. 'Jesus, Richie. It's so fucking obvious. You're in love with him, you always have been.'

Richie considered refuting this. He traced the plastic rim of his cup with his thumb. 'How long have you known?'

Smiling smugly, Stan shrugged, 'A while.' He paused. 'So, does he know?'

Richie knew he had to be careful not to break Eddie's trust, not to reveal anything on Eddie's behalf. But he could reveal his own truth, with some omission. 'Yeah, he knows.'

Stan widened his eyes, 'Oh. That was not what I was expecting you to say.' He chuckled. 'I thought I was about to give a whole speech and it turns out I prepped the wrong one. How long has he known?'

Richie laughed, 'Years.' The thought almost made him cry. Because it really had been years.

He'd spent time pushing Eddie to come out of the closet with no success, trying to get Eddie to accept himself, arguing with Eddie over insignificant details, when all this time they should have just been enjoying it, knowing that eventually it had to end. There were no happy endings in Derry.

Yet, he'd been so lucky to have the years that he had with Eddie, every kiss, every touch, every cuss and tease and playful hit. He wished he could take back all his frustrations, all his anger, and just use all that empty time and space to tell Eddie he loved him over and over again.

'I bet you're gonna miss him.' Stan said. 'And me, obviously.'

Richie smirked. 'Course I'll miss you, Staniel. And Mike. I still miss Bill. And Ben and Bev, wherever they are now.' He nodded slowly. 'But yeah, I'm really gonna fucking miss Eddie.'

Stan slapped him on the shoulder. They were silent for a moment, then he said, 'Thanks for telling me, man. You know, the truth.'

'Well, while we're on the topic of truth-bombs, I have another one for you.' Richie seethed.

Stan looked concerned. 'What?'

'I fucked your mom.' Richie grinned.

Stan burst out laughing and jostled him. 'Right, my date is waving. I better go and give her a dance. You gonna be okay?'

Richie nodded, and Stan left. As he walked away, Richie noticed Eddie swanning over to him. There was a thin layer of sweat on his brow, his jacket slung over his arm, top button of his shirt undone.

'I could use some air,' Eddie announced, grinning. 'Should we go outside?'

They wandered round to the side of the gym where the shadows were cast long. The music came through the wall muffled and tinny.

'Thanks for making me come.' Eddie said, leaning up against the wall.

'God, Eddie, don't be so crude.' Richie snorted, moving to stand in front of him. 'I'm glad you're having a good time.'

'Aren't you?' Eddie asked.

Richie shuffled. 'Guess it's really hitting me now that I'm leaving.'

Eddie nodded. 'Yeah.' He glanced over his shoulder and, satisfied that they were alone, tilted his head up to kiss him. 'Hey, I've got something for you.'

Carefully, he reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out two old sets of photographs spat out of a photobooth. They were identical.

'You kept them.' Richie said, delicately plucking one from Eddie's hands. He turned it over to see Eddie's neat handwriting: R+E. 'What made you change your mind about destroying them?'

Eddie shrugged. 'I guess I just wanted us both to have something, you know, so it can't all disappear.'

Richie carefully tucked it into his jacket pocket. He kissed Eddie, deeply. 'You know, you're not a bad dancer.'

'I wish we could have had a dance,' Eddie admitted. 'Just one.'

Richie stepped back and extended his hand. 'Then let's.' When Eddie looked panicked, he laughed, 'Not in there. Right here. We can still hear the music, kind of.'

Eddie took his hand. They embraced and started to step. Richie's rhythm was appalling, but Eddie didn't care. With his head pressed up against Richie's chest, he could hear his heartbeat. With his hand in Richie's hand, he felt more at home than he ever had before.

'I'm sorry, Eds.' Richie said suddenly.

'What for?' Eddie asked.

'All of it. Everything. All the stupid fights. All the times I pushed you.' He puffed his chest. 'But I think I know why I did those things now.'

'Tell me.' Eddie pressed.

'I thought if you could accept yourself, if you could accept me, then I could accept me too. But nothing you ever did was ever enough for me to believe that I could really accept myself. And that's because I didn't want to believe it. Because then I'd actually have to do something about it.'

Eddie tightened his grip on Richie. 'But I do accept you, Richie. I always have.'

'I know,' Richie said happily, tears in his eyes. 'For the first fucking time in five years, I do know that.'

'I love you, Trashmouth.' Eddie said.

'I love you too, Eds.'

Richie rested his chin on Eddie's head and closed his eyes. He couldn't bear the thought that this might be the only dance they ever shared. Then he smiled to himself, because that was exactly what he'd thought about their first kiss.