ooh, maybe i can catch you while you’re answering questions! okay so i’m writing a fanfic, and i want it to be as true to the book as it can, cause imma big advocate for book!canon, so i was wondering what the most realistic way a love confession would go between reddie when they are kids. (maybe a kiss too???) could ya help me pls?
Oof this is hard… staying 100% true to the book, I’m not sure a confession as kids would be possible! Eddie is just sooo repressed, and although Richie is really obvious, he does it jokingly. So…
Eddie would need to be more self aware first, and then I think he’d get embarrassed and bitter about Richie’s “joke” flirting.
I think a teenage confession would be possible if Eddie is teetering on the edge of realizing he has feelings for Richie and is gay.
Eventually he’d get fed up with Richie joking about him being cute and calling him pet names, and essentially accuse Richie of making fun of him for being gay “just like everyone else does”.
And Richie would be shocked because he obviously never meant it that way, he was just kidding around trying to hide his own real feelings behind jokes. “I’d never do that,” he’d say in a rare moment of seriousness. “I’m just joking around with ya, Eds.” Nervous laughter. “Chuckalicious right?”
And Eddie would shake his head, eyes shining, and say it’s not a joke for him, it’s not funny at all because he doesn’t need to be reminded every day that there’s something wrong with him!!
And that’s when Richie realizes what Eddie’s saying and gets really serious - there’s nothing wrong with Eddie, Eddie is perfect, afterall. Eddie’s absolutely perfect.
And of course Richie tells him that.
Eddie still thinks Richie is joking, so Richie doubles down, and admits that he’s never been joking, not really. And if there’s something wrong with Eddie then there must be something wrong with him, too.
Eddie looks up, confused. Assures Richie that there’s nothing wrong with him, he just doesn’t understand.
Richie says he does understand. He’s loved Eddie since they met, “I knew you were a cutie the first time I saw you, remember?”
He laughs, feeling like he’s about to throw up, but he can’t stand Eddie looking so sad so some humiliation is totally worth it, if he can get him to smile again, right?
Richie starts rambling, listing off a bunch of moments when he knew he liked Eddie, and how even if Eddie hates him for it, he doesn’t think it’s a bad thing.
Eventually Eddie cuts him off by kissing him. And it doesn’t feel wrong. He always thought it would feel wrong, because that’s what God and his mom and all the kids at school say, but it doesn’t… at all.
So in conclusion, going off of the book, I think Richie would confess first because Eddie struggles with it more, but Eddie would initiate the first kiss because Richie’s all talk and Eddie is brave!
