Chapter Text
Eddie had never seen himself as someone who would enjoy going to parties. All throughout highschool he’d hear about the shenanigans Bill and Stan would get up to at them, but he’d never gone to one himself. And he was pretty sure his mom would’ve grounded him for a lifetime if he had.
It was senior year now, just 5 months left and he could graduate and go off to college, and where did Eddie find himself at this moment? Standing next to a stripper pole, with a bottle of water in his hand, in the middle of some girl named Bev’s kitchen, at a New Years party. Out of all the things to put in a kitchen Eddie wasn’t sure why a stripper pole would be one of them, but it seemed to be popular with the other party goers. In particular, a curly haired and bespectacled boy who was surprisingly good at staying on the thing as it spun.
Eddie took a sip of his water, glancing over into the living room where music and lights were blasting from speakers laid out in front of the tv. A couple people were dancing but most were lounging on the various couches and chairs. One person had even brought their own lawn chair. Of the people dancing, Eddie noticed one was the curly haired boy. Eddie had picked up earlier that his name was Richie, but not much else about him. Eddie watched the boy a moment, mesmerized by his movements. He wasn’t good per se, but he had his own unique style, and Eddie liked it. Their eyes met for a moment, a smile on the dancer’s face that quickly turned to a smirk when he noticed Eddie’s prolonged gaze.
It took Eddie only a moment to realize he’d been staring. His eyes widened as he turned away. He could feel the warmth radiating off his face as a small laugh drew his attention back to Richie. The smirk was still present on the other boy’s face. Unlike Eddie, he seemed to have no problem making eye contact with the other boy.
“Richie!” somebody in the crowd called, drawing the boys attention away from Eddie for a moment. Eddie watched as he nodded and started to walk toward someone on one of the couches, but not before he could shoot a wink Eddie’s way. The boy’s eyes widened again. If it hadn’t been for the dull thump of his own heartbeat in his ears, he’d think he was having a heart attack. He reached into his fanny pack and pulled out his inhaler, taking a puff from it to calm his nerves. It didn’t do much. He took another swig of water, maybe that would help. Nope. He sighed, once more glancing around the party, this time not looking for anything in particular.
His eyes landed on the kitchen clock. 11:30pm, it said.
“Well at least I only have to deal with another half an hour of this,” Eddie thought out loud. Bill had said he’d take Eddie home whenever he wanted, but Eddie knew Bill’d be disappointed if he missed the New Year, so his only real option was to wait it out.
“Another half an hour of what?”
Eddie practically jumped at the sudden noise, turning quickly to face the speaker. It was Richie.
“Oh! Umm,” Eddie started to reply but trailed off, glancing slightly up at the face of the other boy. Up this close Eddie noticed his scars. He had many, most of which resided on his nose or near his lips. Already Eddie could tell he either does or used to get into a lot of fights.
“Umm?” Richie prompted again.
“Oh! Right,” Eddie let out an awkward chuckle, “Only a half an hour till I can leave.”
“Leave?” Richie glanced over at the clock, “Right after New Years?” he questioned, “Why would you wanna leave then? Everyone knows the real party doesn’t start till after the Ball drops.”
Eddie smiled awkwardly before glancing down at the floor, “That’s kinda what I’m worried about. This umm… This is kinda my first party.”
Richie smiled leaning a bit closer to Eddie. The smaller boy could smell the alcohol on his breath. He was at least a couple shots in, if not more.
“First one huh?” Richie smirked, “Well then we better make sure it’s a good one!”
Before Eddie had time to protest Richie was pulling him into the living room and onto the carpet dancefloor. Eddie stood there a moment not sure what to do, just trying not to get stepped on while Richie started to dance beside him to the booming sound of Baby Got Back.
“What’s with the lack of movement?” the bespectacled boy jokingly chided after a minute.
“I don’t know how to dance,” Eddie had to shout to be heard over the music.
Richie nodded, then lit up as if he had an amazing plan. He smiled and grabbed Eddie’s hands in his own, “If you can’t dance then I’ll help you!”
Richie held Eddie’s hands up and started moving them around to the beat of the song, pulling Eddie along with them. Eddie smiled. He probably looked ridiculous, but he didn’t really care. The other boy’s smile brought one to his own face, and soon they were dancing sillily together.
“I’m Richie, by the way,” the curly haired boy smiled, “I just realized I forgot to introduce myself earlier.”
“Eddie,” the smaller boy replied.
“Eddie huh? Oh shit! You're one of Bill’s buddies!”
Eddie nodded, still having to shout over the loud music, “Yeah! Bill and I’ve been friends since kindergarten.”
“Daaaaang,” Richie replied with a smile, “Ya know, Bill used to date the host right?”
“Really?”
“Mhm! Back in middleschool, but that still kinda counts.”
“Hardly,” Eddie replied back, smiling in return. Eddie had only just met the other boy tonight but he was sure he’d rather die than never see that smile again.
“Guuuuuuess what time it is everybody!” A loud, feminine voice spoke overtop the music and chatter. Eddie guessed she must be Bev. “1 minute till New Years!”
The crowd erupted into cheers, and Eddie almost had to cover his ears to protect them from the volume. One more minute.
“You still thinking about leaving after the year turns”
Eddie turned back to face Richie. The other boy had a knowing smirk on his face as if he already knew the answer. And he probably did. Eddie smiled and shook his head, “I think I’ll stay a little longer. But just an hour or two.”
“Thought so,” Richie replied.
Suddenly cheers of counting pierced the crowd.
“10”
“9”
“8”
“7”
“6”
“5”
“4”
“3”
“2”
As the counting hit 1 the room erupted into cheers and shouts of Happy New Year. Eddie, who had turned toward the shouting when the counting started, was quickly turned around, and met with a pair of lips on his own and the burning taste of alcohol. His eyes widened as the other boy pulled away with a smile. Richie had kissed him! Eddie had no words. He stood there dumbfounded, heat rising to his face once more. Water. He needed water. Where was his water? He looked around, he must’ve dropped it somewhere when they started dancing.
Quickly he moved his way out of the crowd, stumbling on the way. It seemed his body and brain hadn’t caught up to each other yet, though he wasn’t sure which was the one left behind. He moved into the kitchen taking a moment to steady himself on the pole before digging for a new bottle of water from the pallet. Turns out stripper poles can be a good thing to have in the kitchen. He shakily unscrewed the lid, pouring some of it on himself in the process before downing half the bottle. Despite the water though, he couldn't get the taste out of his mouth. The taste of alcohol. No, the taste of Richie.
Eddie slid to the floor leaning against the pole for support. Dang that thing really is coming in handy tonight. He sighed, coming to the realization of what just happened. Richie had kissed him. That part he had already realized. But as he sat there leaning against the pole whilst others continued blowing party favors and dancing to what was now the YMCA, he realized something else. Richie had kissed him, and then he had gone and run off without a word.
“Shit,” Eddie vocalized. He ran a hand through his hair, the spilled water and sweat leaving it wet and sticky. He sighed then buried his face in his hands. “Shit!” he said, only this time louder. He sat there a moment, the heat from his face dying down but in its place the threat of tears. Richie had kissed him and he had run away. Eddie was ashamed. He was a coward. He couldn’t even say something after the guy he’d been hanging out all night with kissed him, and now he was alone by the stripper pole half covered in bottled water.
He sat there for minutes, though they felt like hours. He was ready to go home now, but couldn’t bring himself to get up off the floor. Face still buried in his hands, he felt someone sit down beside him. For a minute they didn’t say anything but then they sighed and apologized.
“What?” Eddie asked, looking up from his hands to find Richie. Richie wouldn’t meet his eyes, instead staring up at the wall only a few feet in front of them.
“I’m sorry,” Richie repeated, “I-i shouldn’t have done that. It was stupid and I… I shouldn’t have done it.”
Eddie turned to fully face Richie. He fumbled with his words for a moment before settling with a “No, I’m the one who should be sorry.”
Richie looked over, finally meeting his gaze with a confused expression.
“I- Well I kinda… Liked it,” Eddie continued, “And I… Shouldn't have run away like that. I’m sorry, Richie.”
The two glanced at each other a moment before the taller boy smiled and looked away, “Is it bad I kinda wanna do that again?” He eventually asked.
Eddie smiled, “I think I’d like that.”
Richie leaned in slowly hesitating a second before capturing Eddie's lips once more with his own. Though unlike their first, this one was slower and gentler. Eddie much preferred it. In what must have only been a moment but felt a millennia they parted, still face to face. Eddie found himself looking once again at the scars across the other boy's face. Each one slightly different from the next.
“What cha lookin at?” Richie smiled.
Eddie thought for a moment, “You,” he smiled back, earning a playful eye roll from the other, and a small laugh. Eddie wasn’t sure what this New Year held for him, but he hoped he’d be seeing that smile, Richies smile, all year long.