24. December ❀ age 6
"Merry Christmas Eddie!" Richie exclaimed and wrapped his arms around his best friend.
"Merry Christmas Richie" Eddie replied, tip toeing just a bit to reach Richie's height.
Sonia walked in the Tozier house, looking hesitantly at his son who was hugging Richie. Riley Tozier skipped down the stairs as Eddie and Richie separated from each other.
"Hey Eddie" she said quick and walked pass them to the kitchen.
"Hey Riley" Eddie smiled and turned back to Richie. "I got you a present"
Once again, the Toziers and the Kaspbraks were all gathered around on that snowy evening to have a dinner and spend the Christmas eve with each other.
Sonia had agreed to this only because it made Eddie happy. She didn't want her son to be sad on Christmas eve.
"I got you one too" Richie grinned. "Come on. Let's go to my room"
The two boys began running up the stairs.
"Boys, come down soon! The dinner's gonna be done soon" Maggie exclaimed before Richie's door slammed shut.
"Okay, I want you to open mine first" Richie smiled and took out a present from under his pillow.
It was messily wrapped in a news paper, a red ribbon tied around it.
Eddie's eyes sparkled as he took a hold of the package, sitting down on Richie's carpet, beginning to untie the ribbon.
"I hope you like it" Richie said quietly, biting his lip.
Eddie teared carefully the paper off of a book. Eddie's eyes widened, yet he furrowed his brows.
"o-open it" Richie stuttered out, scared that Eddie might not like it.
Eddie opened the book, seeing that it wasn't exactly a 'book' but a notebook.
On the first page, it said;
Hey Eds! You like to draw, so I bought you this notebook where you can draw anything you like! And you can wear make-up if you want, maybe guys can wear it too ♥ (messily drawn heart)
"aaw, richiee" Eddie bawled and pulled Richie for a hug.
The older boy blushed and adjusted his glasses behind Eddie's back, hugging him clumsily back. "It was the least I could do"
"I love it! I was running out of paper anyway" Eddie smiled and pulled away from the hug.
"Well that's great! I mean, not that you're running out of paper, but now you have tons of paper..." Richie blushed even more.
"I know I know...OH! Open mine now!" Eddie squealed and gave Richie his package.
It was wrapped in a brown paper wrapper and a golden ribbon tied neatly around it. It had Richie's name in beautiful cursive writing on top of it.
Richie removed the ribbon, looking at his name for a bit. "Eds, did your ma write this?"
"No. It was me" Eddie leaned forward to look at his hand writing closer.
"Well I'll be damned. Mine looks like magpie's toes" Richie rolled his eyes at himself, before ripping the package open, revealing a cardboard box.
"Wowza eds. A box! I love it!" Richie yelled, making Eddie slap him in the knee.
"The real gift is inside the box silly"
Richie grinned and opened the box, landing his eyes on the clean, dirty orange american football. It was on it's real size too, not those smaller versions for kids.
"Wowza..." Richie muttered under his breath, taking the ball out of the box and admiring it.
"Do you like it? Is it bad? I can return it and give you something better?" Eddie crossed his fingers.
"No, stop! I love this! This is great! I'm sick of those small replicas of this real shit! It's- wow, I love it, Eds! Thank you" Richie smiled and pulled Eddie for a hug.
"You're welcome and don't call me Eds"
"I won't, Eds" Richie smiled and kissed lightly Eddie's head, above his ear. "I love this"
"I'm glad! I was so worried that you might not like it" Eddie frowned and stood up, Richie following.
"Why wouldn't I like sports e-e-equipment?" Richie asked.
"I dunno...You like many sports but maybe american football isn't one of them" Eddie shrugged and opened Richie's door.
"I love it! And just call it football. There isn't any kind of other...'football'"
"There's soccer. In other countries you actually call it football...which makes sense, since they actually kick the ball with your foot. Mean while in America...we grab it and run senselessly around the field, everyone crashing one onto another! It doesn't make any sense! Why would we call it football, if we don't even really use our feet with the ball! Like what is wrong with people! Americans are just stealing sports from Europe, but just changing the names! Why can't we call it handball then? Why does it have to be 'american football'? It's so stupid!" Eddie breathed out, taking out his inhaler and took a puff from it.
"Damn Eds. You should be on a debate team. Those are some nice points" Richie grinned and tapped Eddie's rising and lowering back.
"Are you alright?" Richie asked from Eddie who seemed to have trouble breathing.
"N...No, I'm fine..." Eddie assured, taking out his inhaler again, releasing the trigger and shooting the mix of air and medicine in his mouth.
"Come on...let's go eat and after that, we can argue about how we should call it handball and not football" Richie motioned Eddie to walk down the stairs.
"Good idea...oh and please don't cuss on table...I don't mommy to freak out again and make us leave"
"Since when have I done that?" Richie laughed a bit.
"Since 4th of July dinner"
"Oh yeah...but that caviar did taste like shit" Richie believe.
"I believe you, okay? But don't ruin this dinner"
"I ruined the 4th July dinner?" Richie asked, truly a bit hurt that Eddie thought that.
"let's just go" Eddie sighed and began walking down the stairs.
Richie swallowed, looking at Eddie who skipped down the stairs, gripping the railing.
Richie let out a sigh and walked after Eddie.
-
"So! You two are leaving somewhere tomorrow, right?" Sonia said, looking around the table, mostly asking this from Maggie.
"Oh yeah. We're going to my parents to spend the Christmas break...well, Richie isn't in school yet, but Riley's break lasts about...how much was it sweety?" Maggie asked turning to Riley, who was about to bite on the turkey on her fork.
"Two weeks" she replied, putting the turkey in her mouth.
Eddie frowned. He had totally forgotten about that. Richie was going to be away for near two weeks.
"So, what are you going to do in there?" Sonia asked.
"Grandma and grandpa lives near this hill where we always ski and sled" Riley smiled to Sonia.
"Sounds fun" Sonia smiled, but Eddie knew it was a fake one. He glanced at his best friend, who was sitting next to him. Richie didn't look so happy either. He looked at his plate, while leaning on his other hand and poking his mashed potatoes with his fork.
Eddie nudged Richie's thigh under the table with his hand. "Rich?" he whispered, while the adults were discussing about something what Eddie and Richie didn't care.
Richie turned to Eddie, didn't reply, but waited for Eddie to reply.
"Why aren't you talking? You usually talk so much"
"I might ruin the dinner, eddie" Richie said bluntly, turning back to his food.
"Wha...Richie, I...is this about the thing what I said upstairs?"
Richie hummed a response.
"What?" Eddie asked.
"Maybe..." Richie shrugged.
"Richie...I didn't mean it like that..."
"Then how'd you mean it? You think I ruined the 4th of July dinner" Richie groaned and turned to Eddie.
The smaller boy bit his lip harshly before looking away.
Richie rolled his eyes lightly and turned, once again, back to his cooling food.
"Rich, if you're not eating your food, I'm eating it" Riley said and reached over the table for Richie's turkey piece.
"NO! MINE!" Richie exclaimed and pulled the plate close to his chest, realizing that this is exactly the opposite what Eddie wanted. Eddie didn't want him to lose his manners and ruin the dinner.
"I mean...if you'd like to have some turkey, sister dear, please do take. Here, have some" Richie straightened his posture and gave the turkey piece to his shocked sister. The whole table was quiet and confused/shocked. All except Eddie.
He was biting his lip and looking sad and tired. He was almost lying on his chair. he knew he caused this. He knew he made Richie act like an idiot.
"That's really nice of you, Richie" Maggie smiled.
"Of course mother" Richie smiled a way too sweet smile. "I don't want to ruin this nice dinner with my trashy mouth" he said, glancing at Eddie with that fake smile of his.
Eddie just felt mad now. He wanted to scream and punch Richie, but it was no use. Richie was stronger, taller and over all, this was Eddie's fault.
-
"It was so nice seeing you Maggie" Sonia fakely said while hugging Maggie.
Eddie was tying his shoes quietly on the stairs, Richie leaning against the railing, smiling widely.
"It's really my pleasure" Maggie tapped Sonia's back.
Eddie finished tying the bow on his laces, looking up at Richie, who was trying his best to look at his smaller friend.
"Richie" Eddie whispered.
"What?" Richie asked, not turning to Eddie.
"I didn't mean it like that...You didn't ruin the 4th of July dinner..."
Richie didn't look at Eddie. He only hummed.
"I'm sorry...I think I was just the one who ruined tonight's dinner" Eddie looked down.
Now Richie glanced at the younger boy, feeling terrible. He heard Eddie sniffle quietly, wiping his eye a bit.
He made eddie cry.
Richie let out a shaky breath and sat next to Eddie. "Don't cry" he wrapped his other arm around Eddie.
"I-I'm not...crying..." eddie said, leaning onto Richie.
"I know you are. And it's okay, but not in a stupid occasion like this. I was an idiot, okay? I'm the dummy! I know I ruined the 4th of July dinner and I ruined tonight's dinner for you...I'm sorry. You don't have to be"
Eddie looked up at Richie, eyes watery. "What if this time we're both sorry..?"
Richie smiled. "okay. I'm sorry and you're sorry. Sounds fine to me"
Eddie smirked and leaned onto a big hug, wrapping his arms around Richie's neck, able to fall asleep against his best friend, warmth glowing from Richie.
"I don't want you to go" Eddie mumbled.
"I don't want to go either, but it's not forever" Richie replied, holding his hands around Eddie's back.
"Eddie, let's go. Chop chop" Sonia rushed her son.
Eddie and Richie pulled away, sighing for the lack of their contact and warmth.
"Bye Richie..." Eddie said longingly, waving his hand at Richie.
"Bye Eds" he replied, sending eddie an air kiss, making Eddie pretend to catch it and grin at his best friend.
-
a/n guys. I'm a woman (AND I'M DAMN PROUD) and my birthday is on the 8th of March, International Women's day. So like, what's up??? everyone's kinda celebrating my birthday YEET
k, i'm joking