#forst time writing directly in English without a first copy in Italian let's if it flops

[anellope]

"— a gentle shake of hands, confused because of that funny feeling coiling in the stomach" with reddie meeting as familiar strangers as adults !

Here we are maaate!

It took a single second to change everything.

He had felt his heart beat faster, the mind start racing, long forgotten the bad smell of cheap Chinese food or the chat of important people he still struggle to remember. As the sound of the gong grows all around the room Eddie felt his eyes on him and everything else disappeared completely.

Mike hugged all of them, kissed all their cheeks, crying a little bit in the way of it. And in a moment Richie Tozier was by his side, a warm grin on his face, as big as the sun itself.

“Eds…” he just said and Eddie felt his mouth open without warnings, his own voice speaking without him thinking.

“Don’t call me that, you know I… hate when you do that.”

And he was smiling like a fool at the gentle shake of hands, confused for the funny feeling coiling in the stomach.

“Oh, spaghetti, are you sure? I actually do remember differently.” he affirmed in amusement, a tender sight in his eyes, Eddie grinning like a kid on Christmas day

And it really was. That was his fucking 25th of December, surrounded by gifts and a huge tree with buns and colorful lights all over it; when his hands were still in Richie’s and all his friends were around him.

Well, almost everyone.

“C’mon Losers,” Mike said, hugging Big Bill from behind “let’s wait for Stan while eating something, should we?”

“After you.” Richie joked, showing off a clumsy bow, leaving Eddie stuck in a moment of familiar delight.

And he had so many things to say, too many things to mock him for. But inside him there still was that pouring feeling of lightness, that joyful laugh he had suppressed back then that was now so big, so unbearable, that he couldn’t do anything but smile again, voice as a whisper, like, after 27 years, there was still the risk of someone hearing him.

But she is dead, Eds. You can do it.

He raised his arm toward the other man, an hand out in a friendly way, no wait, not friendly, something more, something deeper, something scarier.

“I missed you, Trashmouth.”

He kind of liked using the nickname and a little giggle escaped his lips proving it.

And Richie finally broke in a breathless wheeze, a little laugh, a mix of the two, heart beating faster at each second. He grabbed Eddie’s hand and stood up again, a little closer than before, keeping the connection a little more than necessary, hoping no one would notice.

But his Eds.