The air was cold; Eddie went through his closet at least five times now and it was nowhere to be seen.
"Wow what happened here?"
Stan walked over the pile of clothes that was covering the floor, Eddie made an annoyed sound before continuing to throw things out of his dresser accidentally hitting Stan with one of his underwear
"Ugh gross! What the hell are you looking for?! Please stop trashing our apartment!"
Eddie closed the now empty drawer with a loud bang making both of them jump in surprise before he jumped on the bed face down
Stan nudged his arm to remind him he still owes him an answer
"I'm looking for my scarf! Its freezing and I'll for sure get Bronchitis if I go out like this!" he knew it was his mother talking but he couldn't help it
"Okay relax, where did you last see it?"
Eddie rolled his eyes "Well if I knew that we wouldn't have this problem"
"Come on THINK, when was the last time it was this cold anyway?"
Suddenly it hit him, he made himself forget but it felt like yesterday all of a sudden.
Richie opened the door for him to go in first, he was so nervous that he could feel his own heartbeat
"Rich are you sure it's okay I'm here?"
They've only been together for a week, why did Richie think it was a good idea to bring him to a family dinner was beyond him
"They're gonna love you Eds! My sister was thrilled when I told her you were coming and it is her birthday so she gets to decide" he winked at him
"TRASHMOUTH WHERE IS MY HUG?"
Beverly, Richie's sister came running out of the kitchen attacking both of them with an unexpected hug. It was weird but something about it felt like home somehow
"Oh my god! Give me your coats and everything I'll hang them in the closet"
Richie was smiling ear to ear while he removed Eddie's scarf from his neck, smelling it before passing it to Bev
"Smells like you"
Eddie blushed, he wasn't used to that kind of affection at all… Richie's family was so different from his own.
They spent that evening laughing and talking about everything, after dinner the entire family went to the kitchen to help clean up when Richie's mom brought out an old photo album
"Oh look at how cute you were here!"
It was a photo of tween Richie sitting on a small bed with huge glasses on his face, obviously angry about his parents taking pictures of him with one hand trying to cover his face but failing miserably
Richie's cheeks were turning red and he quickly closed the album
"Did he ever tell you about the time he got banned from the tee ball team?" Richie's father joined them
Eddie shook his head laughing
"Imagine him, 5 years old standing in the middle of the field holding a bat way too big for him screaming 'I don't want to play this shitty game!' that's how he got the name trashmouth"
"Yeah thanks for that dad! That nickname stuck with me till college"
When it was time to leave Eddie couldn't remember why he was so nervous earlier, Richie's mom hugged him for a solid minute and his dad gave him the good old fashioned tap on the back
"I can't wait to see you again Eddie spaghetti" Bev teased
"Don't call me that!" Richie imitated him
"Unbelievable! Like brother like sister I see?"
"Oh you have no idea" Their father yelled from the kitchen
The sound of the alarm clock made Eddie jump up from the bed.
His heart felt heavy, it's been so long since he thought about him… He almost forgot why he needed to forget when he woke up, for a second he was happy again.
He got in his car waiting for the heating to make it's magic, he turned the radio on hoping to take his mind off of him – is it possible to hurt for so long?
"I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had"
"Oh COME ON!"
It was THEIR song; out of literally any song that could have been playing it had to be that
They were sitting in Richie's car, singing their hearts out, wind in their hair. It was an old red convertible; they were trying to find some stupid bar upstate Bev's friends invited them to
"Gosh it's freezing here" Eddie looked around the car looking for something to cover up with
"Oh no Rich! My scarf! I left it at Bev's house the other night!"
"Oh yeah! It's in my drawer I forgot to bring it or maybe I just like having it around you'll never know"
"Haha very funny as if you'll ever wear it"
Richie laughed
"I was never going to wear it! It just reminds me of you"
Eddie's heart pounded in his chest.
The Autumn leaves falling down on them weren't helping and Eddie could swear they somehow landed specifically on his face.
A large one landed on his eyes and nose
"Wait! I got ya!" Richie took the leaf off and Eddie rubbed his eyes in disgust, he opened them to see Richie staring at him like an idiot
He could feel himself blushing again; Richie made it his goal to keep doing that over and over again
"RICHIE LOOKOUT!"
Richie slammed on the breaks, realizing he almost ran a red light
"Whoops"
"Whoops?! Are you insane?! Do you even know where we are?"
Richie looked left and right with that grin on his face
"Nope"
Eddie rubbed his temples but couldn't help the smile that was forming in his face
"Sorry babe I just want to be alone with you for a few more minutes okay?"
Eddie shook his head, not believing how much he loved that idiot
"That was Africa by Toto for all of you who have terrible taste in music and never heard it before, personal favorite of mine"
Wait… that voice… there's no way…
"I'm Richie and I'll be here for the next hour, text us your favourite 80's song and you might win a personal call from me! Do not even try if the song has the words girls or just want to have fun in the title thank you very much"
Eddie couldn't help but wonder if he was just the punch line in some terrible joke or was his life really this ironic.
He picked his up his phone and texted the number
"I want my scarf back by Eddie "
Was he being petty? Probably. But he wants his scarf back and after everything Richie did to him he didn't deserve his respect.
The memory of the last time they were happy together flooded his mind
It was the middle of the night, He slept over at Richie's place for the first time ever. He found Richie trying to decide what to eat,everything was dark beside the light that was coming from the fridge.
The radio was on as always in Richie's house, 'Time After Time' started playing and Richie gasped causing Eddie to drop the glass he was holding
"What is it?"
"It's perfect"
Richie grabbed Eddies hand and his waist, they started dancing around the kitchen staring into each other's eyes. It felt like hours like they can just stay there forever together, Richie kissed him it was like a drug. This is it. It can't get any better than this
"I love you Eddie" and then it did
"I love you so much Rich"
His phone beeped
"Call you when I'm done - Richie"
Tears filled his eyes, how can he answer the phone knowing it's going to be him? He used to hope it'll be him every time the phone rings but it never was.
Eddie looked at the box of things he still had in the backseat, Richie didn't even have the dignity to give him his stuff back in person he just mailed them to him. But the scarf wasn't there.
His phone started ringing, it was him.
He forgot to delete him so the photo was still there, it made him want to scream.
That last phone call coming back to him again
"Hey Rich when are you coming over tonight? Stan made me promise I'll warn him before you arrive"
Silence.
"Rich? What's going on?"
Eddie knew something was wrong even before he just didn't want to admit it, Richie was barely talking to him which was very unlike him.
"Eddie, I just want to be honest. I don't know what I want anymore… "
His heart dropped
"What?"
This can't be right, they were in love.
"I don't…
I don't want you….
Anymore"
Eddie had to sit down, he couldn't breathe he needs his inhaler
"Bye Eddie"
The line went dead. And so did Eddie.
He felt broken, like a piece of paper Richie crumpled up and threw in the trash.
He didn't pick up, he just couldn't.
"Can I see you? – Richie"
"My place in an hour, don't be late."
The knock on the door was so soft Eddie barely heard it, he took a deep breath before opening it.
In front of him was the same old Richie, like no time had passed.
While he's been trying so hard to be his old self again, Richie probably didn't even care…
"Hey Eds" he smiled with the same look he always gave him
"Where is my scarf?" Richie wasn't holding anything and he didn't have a bag was he serious?
"I uh didn't bring it… can I come in?"
They sat down in the living room Richie kept looking everywhere like he was trying to remember what it felt like back then
"Eddie I'm so so sorry…"
The tears was already standing in Eddie's throat threatening to come out the second he opened his mouth
"You're sorry? For what? For being cruel? For stealing my scarf? You need to be more specific"
Richie was quiet not saying anything
"You know what I think Richie? I think you're feeling sorry for yourself; you lost the only real thing you ever had. You just ran away scared ruining everything. Maybe I asked for too much and you couldn't handle it… whatever it was I don't care. "
Richie was staring at the same spot on the floor
"So my scarf where is it?"
He looked up
"I can't give you back your scarf" his voice was low and dark
"Why?"
"I don't fucking know Eddie! Because it's the only thing I have left of you, it smells like you and every time I smell it I remember everything! What we had…. It was rare! The car ride, the dancing, kissing you… Laughing with you… Loving you…"
It was Eddie's turn to be quiet
"Actually I don't need to be remembered what it feels like, Loving you…. I never stopped."
Eddie opened his eyes and saw a pair of legs standing right in front of him
"I love you Eddie"
He looked up just in time to see Richie's eyes watering before he kisses him, it was wet and salty but it was them.
"Do you remember the first time I kissed you?"
Richie asked while wiping away Eddie's tears that kept coming
"All too well"