#ecksdee

Ben had just bought a big pack of those conversation hearts valentines candies a few days before the first of February, because they were his favorite valentines candy, and he only got to enjoy them once a year. 

And he went to school on the first, the bag of heart candies residing in the smaller pocket of his backpack. And when he went to the library with Richie after school, he decided to give him one. He was careful to select an innocent one, not wanting to accidentally admit the crush he’s had on Richie for the last three years through a stupid little candy heart. 

He decided on one that said ‘lol’, and reached his hand out to Richie.

“Hey, Rich.” Ben tapped his shoulder weakly with the knuckles of his out stretched hand, just enough pressure to get Richie to raise his head from his homework. 

“Oh, sweet!” Richie’s eyes lit up a little as they landed on the candy in Ben’s hand, and he snatched it up quickly to read the little text before popping it into his mouth.

There was a sharp snap as he bit into the candy, “Thanks, Benathon!” 

And he continued to give Richie a little candy ever day, the boldest he was willing to go with the little phrases being ‘cutie’, which Richie had smiled at sweetly and thanked Ben with a “Thanks, cutie.” after he had finished it, which made Ben all red in the face, and made it hard for him to focus back on his book after the exchange was finished. 

And on the 10th, Ben had a absolutely insane thought. Maybe, just maybe, he could give Richie a little candy that wasn’t so innocent. It was stupid and probably cliche, but it didn’t seem entirely impossible that Richie liked him back. There were moments were he looked up to catch Richie staring at him, and he could swear the way he looked at him sometimes wasn’t the most platonic. 

He decided to take the issue to Beverly.

It was the 11th, and he had walked home with Beverly to hang out for a few hours before he had to be home for dinner. Beverly was the only person Ben trusted to know about his crush on Richie, and she had been watching him pine after Richie for the last two years. 

“So I have this little candy conversation hearts, right?” Ben said suddenly, interrupting the silence they had sat in while Beverly painted his nails black. 

Beverly raised an eyebrow, unsure where this was going, “Yeah?”

“And like, I’ve been giving one to Richie everyday when we hang out at lunch or after school, and it’s just been like, innocent ones cause i didn’t want him to think I was like, in love with him-”

“But you are.” Beverly smirked.

“Yeah but I didn’t want him to know that! Anyway, I was thinking maybe on valentines day I could give him one of the ones that says like, ‘kiss me’ or something, which I know is cliche but-”

“Oh thank god!” Beverly sighed with relief.

“What?” Ben furrowed his brows.

“You’re finally thinking about fucking telling him you’ve been in love with him for the last three years so he can be like,” she dropped her voice, trying to imitate Richie, “‘I love you too, Ben’ and you can stop making fucking googly eyes at each other when the others not looking.”

“You really think he likes me?”

“Yes! I’ve told you that like a million times.”

Ben thought on it for a moment, “So you think I should do it?”

“Yes! Give him like, a whole handful of them!” Beverly grinned.

And though she was probably at least half joking, that’s what he did.

He bought a few packs of the candy hearts the night before valentines day, and sorted out the ones to say ‘kiss me’ so he had a whole handful of them. 

And when he went the library after school the next day and found Richie sitting in the back at their usual corner, the nerves twisting in his stomach, almost, almost made him chicken out. 

“You got a candy heart for me today, Benny boy? I need my fix!” Richie put his hand out, swaying gently in anticipation. 

God he was cute.

“Uh, yeah,” Ben’s voice cracked as he pulled off his backpack, unzipping the front pocket and taking out the little napkin he had wrapped the candies in, dumping them into his hand.

He bent down awkwardly to pour them into Richie’s hand.

“Wow! A whole handful! I feel quite special, Benn-” Richie cut himself off as he read the few ones he had picked up with his other hand. Richie’s eyes were wide as he sorted through them, reading them all. 

God this was so stupid this was so stupid this was so stu-

“They all say kiss me.” Richie swallowed nervously, “Did you, uh,-”

“Yeah,” Ben scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not letting his eyes meet Richie’s. “it was stupid, you can just-”

Richie stood suddenly, gripping the candies in his left hand. “I can’t really, deny the all powerful heart candy, can I?” And Ben let his eyes fall on Richie’s finally, his whole body tense. Richie looked serious, he looked nervous. 

“I mean...” Ben trailed off, not having enough courage to actually fully respond to Richie.

Then Richie was kissing him, his free hand gripping Ben’s hood, and Ben didn’t have time to think about how absolutely ridiculous this whole plan was, and how ridiculous it was that it actually worked, cause Richie was kissing him, and then he was kissing Richie back, relaxing into it as he let a hand reach up and rest on Richie’s shoulder.