richies bedroom was exactly how eddie had pictured it.
richie stood against the door frame as eddie looked around the dark room. the only source of light coming from fairy lights strung across the ceiling, and the walls were littered with band posters and ticket stubs. the slight scent of weed hit eddie's nose as he stood and took it in.
richies bed wasn't made, his brown bedsheets and green duvet messily draped on the bed.
"what do you think?" richie pushed himself away from the frame, letting himself walk closer to where eddie stood in the middle of the room.
"it's nice. cozy."
"yeah. it is cozy."
eddie walked to the bed, reaching a hand out to touch the sheets. they were soft and comfortable. eddie sat down on the bed, letting his eyes drift around.
"you can sleep in here." richie said softly, still standing where eddie had left him in the middle of the room. "i just thought it might be more comfortable than the couch since you don't really know us."
"no it's fine, i'll sleep on the couch. you've already done me a huge favor, letting me stay."
"i don't mind taking the couch for a night. in here you'll have privacy and i know stan so i feel fine sleeping on the couch for one night. i fall asleep on the couch even when there isn't someone sleeping in my bed."
"do you meet orphans and take them home within hours of meeting them often?" eddie looked up with a toothy smile.
"yeah, yeah all the time." richie laughed, somehow even softer than he spoke.
"damn, i really thought that i was special."
"no, you are. you're a special case, for sure."
"that felt rude." eddie watched as richie found his way to the bed, throwing himself down in the vacant spot next to eddie. their knees touched, just barely, only for a moment.
"it wasn't." and richie meant it.
"i'm gonna go smoke a joint, care to join?" richie said after quite a while of silence, before getting up and making his way to the door.
eddie smiled, following richies lead out of the bedroom.
the two walked through the apartment and towards a sliding glass door in the living room that led to a balcony.
on the small balcony, was a table and three folding chairs. the table held a rolling tray with an already rolled joint laying on it.
richie sat in one of the chairs, motioning for eddie to do the same, before reaching forwards to grab the joint. richie let the joint sit between his lips as he fumbled for a lighter.
"so, what do you do? like, school or work or?" richie said when he finally got the joint lit.
"um, i go to u-maine. but i dropped my classes when my mom died, so, i guess i'm on a gap semester or something. i live at home, my mom didn't want me to work. she said i was too sick to work and go to school at the same time so."
"hm. what do you study?" richie took a long drag off of joint and held it for a moment before blowing the smoke out through his nostrils.
"journalism. and i minor in digital communication and multimedia."
"i was thinking marine biology. or finance." eddie smiled at the thought of richie trying to pick his brain.
