Richie fucking hates frat parties.
He also fucking hates being in public settings to begin with. And clowns. But that's besides the point.
But yet here he was, holding a hard lemonade in one hand, and his drunk best friend Bill's other hand, who was staring at his crush/other friend across the room.
"Why is S-s-Stan so b-b-beautiful?"
Richie gags, letting go of his hand and sipping his drink, "please let me know if in advance if you decide to bring him home."
Before Bill could reply, Stan was standing in front of them with a water bottle in his hand.
His eyes immediately go to Bill, "What's up guys?"
For a few minutes the two have a conversation (meaning Bill and Stan flirt while Richie makes your mom jokes). Until Richie looks over his shoulder and sees a shorter boy walk by the jungle juice.
And he was so damn beautiful.
The boy had hazel Brown hair and matching eyes that shine like diamonds. He's probably about 5'5, wearing tan cargo shorts that ran to his knees and a The 1975 t-shirt. He was smiling and talking with a girl with short red hair while she smoked a cigarette.
Richie feels a lump in his throat as he licks his lips. He'd been listening to Bill talk about Stan since they were all fourteen and he never understood it. But now, now he saw it.
"Rich, are you okay?"
The raven haired boy turned to look at the flirting pair and gave a weak smile.
"I will be. Be right back, I need to-"
He was interrupted by a gasp coming from his own throat. He sees his mystery boy kiss Henry Bowers, a senior from their schools football team.
This is why Richie gave up on love by his junior year of high school.
Bill sighs, "That's Eddie, he's in the same design class as me. Maybe others too."
"Maybe they aren't dating?" Stan says with a crack in his voice.
Richie just rolls his eyes, "Whatever, I'm gonna go for a shot. See you guys later."
He lets his feet bring him into the same room as the girl with firey hair, who was now holding a joint in between her left index and middle fingers.
"Hey kid," she giggled and takes a puff, "wanna hit?"
He hadn't smoked since high school, he had quit when Bill begged him to after he started ditching classes for a quick high. But, it was a party, why not?
So, he walks over, nods, and puts the rolled paper between his lips. As he breaths out, he lets out a small cough.
"So, I'm Beverly," the girl says, taking a drag. "I saw you glancing at my friend earlier."
Richie sighs, "Yeah, uhm...Eddie right?" He takes a hit. "He looks familiar."
Beverly doesn't say anything, just sips on a beer.
"Was that his boyfriend?"
She smirks, "Yeah, a few months now. But he's a dipshit, so you have a chance."
Richie coughed again, "I, uh-"
"Are you bi then?"
"Yes, yes I am, Beverly."
After talking and joking for about fifteen minutes, Beverly claimed to have left her phone upstairs, and asked Richie for her help.
Instead of finding the phone, however, Beverly was pressed against the hallway wall by Richie's lips, both of them barely breathing.
Richie could taste the marijuana on her lips, and they both backed up onto a door handle, which Richie wasted no time opening.
But what was inside the room was unpredicted.
It was a bedroom, obviously of one of the frat guys, flags of their school on the wall and textbooks scattered.
But on the bed, there was a scene. There was a boy on his knees on the bed, holding down another person under him. He could hear whimpers and pleas to stop from the person who was being held down.
"Eddie!?" Beverly squeaks.
"Get out!" The boy on top says, who turns his head to reveal himself as Henry, the class A asshole.
Eddie, however, you could hear him crying, "please let me go!"
When he realized Henry wasn't going to get up, Richie took action by flinging him off the bed.
Henry Bowers towers over Richie easily, him being about 6'4 and Richie only being 5'11. But he didn't back down, punching Henry square in the stomach.
Before the taller man could do anything, there was a familiar siren and red and blue lights flashing through the window. Cops.
Henry growls, "This isn't over pretty boy!" He storms out of the room, leaving the three other students to stare in wonder.
"We better get out of here," Eddie says barely above a whisper. "We can take my car I parked it in the back."
Richie was glad he had left his keys with Bill, as he knew Stanley long would've him back to their apartment by now. He follows the others through the back window, and hoping in the passenger's seat of Eddie's car.
"Are you okay, Eds?" Richie looks into the boys eyes for a swift second.
Eddie smiles, "Don't call me that, dude. Where do you live?"
After dropping Beverly off at her home, the two boys decide to make a stop at a diner near Eddie's apartment.
"Tell me something."
Eddie looks up from his milkshake, "something."
"Alright Eds we can fight!" Richie says, chuckling as he eats a fry.
"What's gonna happen with Henry?"
Eddie locked his eyes on his burger, not saying a word. It was silent for a few more seconds before his voice perks up again.
"This was bound to happen."
Richie scoffs, "rape wasn't bound to happen. He's a fucking rapist, we should go to the campus police."
"They wouldn't do anything. It's my fault, really. I'm a germaphobe and am not really a fan of... explicit stuff..."
The raven haired boy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Whoever put the idea in this bean's head that almost getting raped was HIS fault made Richie beyond pissed.
He softens his tone, "that doesn't mean he can just do as he pleases. Consent matters."
"I could have just given him what he wanted though, you know, and then-"
"'Eddie, if you dont want something then dont do it."
Out of no where, Eddie became hysterical, laughing so hard he almost had an asthma attack.
He puts his hand on top of Richie's, "you sound like a school guidance counselor."
They both burst into tears out of laugher, and Richie's heart was pumping so hard from the fact that "Oh my god Eddie is touching my hand" and "his laugh is adorable".
They stayed in the diner for another hour, telling life stories and getting to know each other down to the bone. Eddie scolded Richie for dipping french fries in their shared milkshake, to which Richie would say "your mom sure enjoyed my French fry in her milkshake last night".
Richie complained about being scared to walk home and see his two best friends doing it on their couch.
"You can stay at my place if you want. I have a two bedroom since my roommate moved about a month ago. I like living alone, strange enough."
So, next thing Richie knew, they were back at Eddie's apartment which was vintage themed, with a large kitchen, two bathrooms, and living room.
Richie sits at the bar in the kitchen, "nice place."
Eddie doesn't answer, instead running to his room and coming back with sweatpants and a Guns and Roses t-shirt.
"Hurry up and change you smell like a seventeen year old alcoholic."
"That doesn't even make sense-"
"Just change Rich!"
Richie follows orders and goes to the bathroom, and comes back to the living room to see Eddie blushing like a maniac.
"Would you be willing to sleep in my room with me? I dont know if I can be alone right now."
Richie silently nods, following Eddie into his large room and sat on his bed.
"I can sleep on the floor if you-"
Eddie shakes his head, "it's fine, I'm a cuddler." He winks and gets under the covers, the other boy following suit.
They stare at each other for a long time, Eddie admiring Richie's freckle constellations, and Richie studying Eddie's eyes, which eventually close much to his dismay.
With that, Richie puts his glasses on the boy's bedside table and everything slowly fades to black.
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A/N
New story (first story too!) Please give feedback and share this if you like it!