#sydwrites

but he could appreciate the cool, autumn air that swirled around him as he walked. it wasn't long to the party, and he liked crunching the leafs under his feet with each step he took.

eddie was walking behind his friends, stan and bill, on the leaf strewn sidewalk. they were not wearing matching costumes like other couples who have walked around them, on their way to the same party, but they were holding hands like them. the party invitation was from richie, and it was last minute, like a lot of his bright ideas. bill pulled what he could find from his closet: a long sleeved striped shirt and a pair of overalls for an improved chucky from child's play (the move series eddie didn't care for), but he sadly did not have time to apply the fake costume store gashes and bloody make up they bought earlier in the day. stan wore his baseball uniform, cleets included, and bought along a bat for a realistic prop.

his friends stepped on the red plastic cups scattering the lawn, but eddie tried his best to walk around them. the boys could hear the loud duran, duran playing from outside the house, but it penetrated eddie's ears when they first opened the door. the bodies of hazey, drunk teens propped against future, conversation almost louder than the music. there were streamers, silly, simple decorations on the wall, illuminated by black lights and a dark cloud of smoke hung over the room.

the house wasn't very big but it seemed to have enough space to fill all the guests. the boys shuffled through glass bottles that clanked together and made it to the corner of the room, where there was a large arm chair and a group of girls. the girls didn't have the best costumes, eddie thought. just different face paint and animal ears, and they sat around the arm chair, criss cross apple sauce, like it was story time. their friend, mike hanlon - or tonight - officer hanlon, was sitting in the chair, beer bottle in hand has he spoke to his audience. and.. buddy holly was sitting on the arm.

"stan, bill! oh, eddie! what took you guys so long?" buddy holly look-a-like stood up from the chair, throwing his arm around eddie's shoulder. eddie had his shirt over his mouth, protecting his air supply from whatever was lingering around.

it was richie tozier; his curls slicked back, but still noticeable, in a mustard yellow cardigan and tie. and last but definitely not least, those thick rimmed glasses, completing the look perfectly.

"where's your costume?" richie grinned, leaning into the boy, almost toppling him over. richie had at least a foot on eddie, the shorter friend in the group.

stan laughed, elbowing bill. "he borrowed it from bill, you like it?"

eddie gestured to his chest, where in black, bold letters, it said "this is my halloween costume" on his orange shirt.

the three boys settled down, mingling with the group of girls that were there too. eddie was pleasantly surprised with how nice they were, and how they could manage to hold a conversation. they sat around for hours while other guests danced, watching their feet to not step on the group. a pizza box had passed over head to them, and they finished the slices that were left.

mike was busy gloating, but who could blame him? everyone thought mike was a great guy, with a great smile, too.

"wow," one of the girls began. she leaned towards mike, hands underneath her chin, and voice dripping with sweetness, "it must be such hard work living on a farm."

mike grinned, like he's being waiting to use the line all night, and said: "not when you're packing these guns!"

girls hooted and hollered while he flexed, bill and stan grinned at each other. mike was a riot.

"hey, buddy," another girl said, "you should sing for us." eddie glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, and her smile melted into his brain. he didn't know why, but he was jealous. it didn't help that she was twirling her hair around her finger.

eddie looked towards richie, thinking there was no possible way he would actually belt out peggy sue or rave on. richie's dark eyes sparkled in delight as the girl spoke, a crooked smirk plying in the corner of his mouth.

"no, i can't, i can't fucking sing," richie said, laughing.

"oh, come on!" bill egged him on, tipping a bottle in richie's direction. the girls all chattered in agreement, even mike elbowed him.

richie starched the back of his neck, laughing a bit. eddie knew he couldn't sing, but he knew he would embarrass himself for any pretty girl. when his alarm beeped on his watch, he had the perfect idea.

"actually," eddie rose from where he was sitting, grabbing richie's wrist. "he needs to come with me real quick, isn't that right, buddy?" he didn't wait for a response before pulling him from the arm chair.

while dragging him through the crowd of dancing people, all sorts of thoughts raced around in eddie's mind. did richie really invite eddie to this party for him to flirt girls flirt with him the whole time? no, the two boys were not in an established relationship. not in a relationship at all, in fact. but eddie felt threatened, or was is possessive? whatever it was, he hoped he wasn't gripping richie's wrist too hard.

when they made it to the kitchen, he unzipped his fanny pack and popped his medication into his mouth.

it was much quieter in the kitchen. "you know you can take your medication by yourself, right, eds?" the amusement in richie's voice, along with the cool glass of water he downed, calmed eddie down.

he put in the cup in the overloaded sink, and leaned back against the counter, his arms propping him up. eddie wanted to speak his mind, but all he could say was: "i like your costume," and that was the truth.

richie smiled a genuine smile. eddie was sure richie heard the compliment all day, but for some reason, coming from him made it special.

"you like it, really?" richie asked, stepping back to give him a better look at the outfit.

eddie couldn't help but giggle. "are those your church shoes?"

"yeah," richie smiled, adjusting his glasses, "don't tell my mom, alright?"

richie's smile made eddie's heart throw itself against the walls of his chest, shaking his world apart. if he was going to make a more, he knew this was the time to do so.

"so, buddy," eddie didn't glance up at richie, his face hot as he looked to the tiled floor, "you gonna sing me a song?"

richie grinned one of his shit eating grins, approaching eddie closer. "that's what you bought me in here for?" he asked, placing his hands on either side of eddie, their two faces closer now. "mary tyler moore, what could you possibly be jealous of?"

"i was not jealous-" he didn't have to pretend to deny for much longer, because richie started to sing to him. there foreheads were touching, richie leaning down just a tad. his eyes closed as he sang, but eddie's were open, scanning richie's face, but especially his lips, where the words were pouring out.

"you don't like crazy music," richie bellowed. eddie wasn't too sure if he was giggling at how bad it was, or richie's hand grazing his waist.

"you don't like rockin' bands," he continued, both hands now pulling eddie closer as he kept singing.

"you just wanna go to the movie show, and sit there holdin' hands. you're so square," richie's eyes were opening now, peering into eddie's. the two boys were smiling, and richie paused the song just long enough to move his mouth to eddie's ear and whisper the rest of the verse in his best gravelly voice, low and rough, "baby, i don't care."

eddie snickered when richie began swaying them side to side as he continued to sing. richie could tell eddie was enjoying being serenaded, this music recital between the two of them.  eddie's eyes closed  in his fit of laughter, and richie couldn't finish singing to him. he just looked too good right now, all happy and smiley under these dim lights. richie leaned in, taking a chance, going in for a kiss. and eddie's mouth is saying he made the right choice.

richie leaned into the smaller boy, and the two giggled as eddie caught himself, gripping on to the counter. richie's hands gripped on eddie's waist, exploring deeper into their kiss. eddie's mouth was a new world richie wanted to get lost in. the noises of wet lips smacking together and teeth nervously, anxiously clanking were only audible to them, in this corner of the party they were only invited. eddie stood up as tall as he could now, with his limp jaw and broken knees for the other boy. he cupped the back of richie's neck with one hand, his other in between the boys, placed on richie's chest. the only song richie was singing was breathy chorus of "more, more, more,"

eddie pulled away, pushing the other boy away slightly. "you taste like candy corn," he whispered loud enough for the two of them to hear, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

"so, this is what was taking so long?" major league professional stan uris stole their attention. neither boy was too embarrassed, richie nuzzling his nose into eddie's hair as he pulled him closer by the waist.