~REDDIE ONESHOTS~

Recess

[1982, Richie and Eddie are six years old]

It was time for recess at Derry Elementary School, and both of the first grade classes went outside for recess on the afternoon of the first day. While all the other kids rushed to the field and the playground, a small boy with chestnut hair and a fanny pack stayed behind, wishing he could join them.

"Aren't you going to go play, Eddie?" Mrs. Byers asked the boy, kneeling down to his level putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No, miss. My mommy said I can't. I have-" Eddie's breathing began to become shaky and he stopped to take a hit from his inhaler. "Asthma." He finished, frowning slightly.

"Oh, sweetie. You can sit over here and I can get some chalk for you to draw with, okay?" Mrs. Byers offered, pitying the poor boy who couldn't play with the others.

"Okay..." Eddie slid down with the brick wall against his back until he hit the concrete and took a seat. He only felt like more of a loner as he watched the others already making friends and having fun. Why did he have to be different?

"What's a cutie like you doing on the wall?" a boy's voice asked from near him, causing Eddie to nearly jump out of his skin.

Eddie turned to look at the boy sitting next to him. He had dark hair and wore a tacky Hawaiian shirt and glasses too big for his face. He smiled a little at the fact that the boy had called him cute.

"I-I can't. I have asthma." Eddie explained, fiddling with the blue inhaler he held in his hands.

"Hey, I wanna try." The boy suddenly grabbed the inhaler from Eddie and triggered the medicinal air into his mouth, immediately coughing. "Ack! How can you stand this? It tastes like battery acid!"

"Ew ew ew! I had my mouth on that, oh my god." Eddie freaked out, grabbing it back and immediately rubbing it off on the edge of his pale yellow shirt before shoving it into his fanny pack.

"What's that? A man purse?" The boy asked, pointing to the pouch that rested on the shorter boy's hips. "No, it's called a fanny pack, silly." Eddie giggled.

"What about you? Why are you on the wall?"

"Got in trouble for cursing in class. Now I have to sit out for recess." The boy explained casually. "What's your name?"

"Eddie."

"I'm gonna call you Eds. I'm Richie, but some call me Trashmouth." The boy winked, extending his arm towards Eddie to shake.

"Don't call me Eds. And I'm not gonna shake your hand, either." Eddie replied, crossing his arms.

"What? Why?" Richie asked, confused and dejected. Was he being annoying again? Did he not want to be friends with him?

"Because germs." Eddie replied as if it were obvious, taking a small bottle of hand sanitizer out of his fanny pack and pulling Richie's hands closer. Richie flipped his palms upwards and allowed Eddie to squeeze some hand sanitizer onto each. 

"Here." Richie watched with wide eyes as the boy rubbed the gel across his hands and between his fingers. He felt his cheeks heat up at the contact but didn't understand why.

"Ow!" Richie shrieked as the gel stung a paper cut he'd forgotten about on the back of his hand. "Paper cut," Richie explained in a quieter voice.

"Oh, sorry." Eddie apologized, planting a soft kiss to Richie's cut. As if by magic, Richie felt all his pain melt away, the only thing he could focus on being the soft pink lips that had touched his hand and sent tingles up his arm.

"Thanks, Eds." Richie smiled. 

"I told you not to call me that," Eddie giggled.

Eddie and Richie didn't realize anyone was watching their moment, however. "Why'd he kiss you, Trashmouth? That's gay!" Richie's classmate Henry Bowers yelled from the field in front of them.

"W-what's 'gay?'" Eddie hesitantly asked the intimidating boy, growing uncomfortable with the unexpected attention. Was it a bad thing?

"When two boys like each other. Everyone knows boys are supposed to like girls!" The blond haired boy shouted in disgust.

"Well fuck you, Henry! I can kiss Eds if I want!" Richie leaned towards Eddie and quickly kissed his temple, leaving Eddie blushing and Henry with his mouth open in shock.

Just then, Mrs. Byers returned with the chalk in time to witness the argument. "Boys! Watch your language, Richard! And Henry, leave these two alone please. They can like whoever they choose to." She smiled at the boys sitting together while Henry huffed and stormed off.

"Here, boys. Don't mind Henry. Draw something that makes you happy, okay?" Mrs. Byers told them sweetly, handing them the box of chalk before she left to go watch the rest of the kids.

"So... what're ya gonna draw, Eddie Spaghetti?" Richie asked.

"I'm gonna draw you, Richie. You make me happy." Eddie replied.

"Well Eds, I'm gonna draw you too." Richie grinned.

Ten minutes had passed and the boys were done with their drawings. Both were stick figures, but they were sure to include important features about each other - like Eddie's fanny pack and Richie's big glasses - along with a misspelled labeling of "Trashmouth + Eds."

"It's time to go inside! Line up with your classes please!" Mrs. Byers announced, standing at the door and gesturing for her class to line up.

"I don't want to go, Rich." Eddie pouted. He wished he and Richie were in the same class.

"It's okay, Eds. Here." Richie stepped forward and gave Eddie a quick kiss on his lips, immediately turning his frown into a smile.

"What was that for?" Eddie giggled, touching his lips with his finger in awe.

"I wanted to kiss it better."

And from that day on, Richie would get in trouble each day in class just so he could meet Eddie on the wall during recess, the asthmatic boy who brought light to his every day.

A/N: SOPHIA WAS AT FINN'S CONCERT AND I WISH I WAS THERE ASDVFKBYLN

i also did a stranger things painting bc my byler heart :')

go check out my new reddie book if you haven't already! it's called can't remember to forget you