Author's note: Yeah, I have no excuses for the amount of time it took me to get this chapter out. Suffice it to say, I was just being lazy. :P I hope it was still worth the wait! Please let me know if you're still enjoying this!

The Space Between Us
Chapter 18 – Perfect Puppucinnos

An hour later, Richie was sitting on the floor with a little rope toy, playing tug-of-war with 'Wayne'. Every time Richie pulled on the rope, the dog let out a playful yip deep in his throat and whipped his tail around.

This went on for nearly ten minutes, and when the dog finally succeeded in pulling the toy from Richie's grasp, he decided to take a victory lap around Richie. 'Wayne's' tail was still held high in the air when he rounded Richie and came around to his other side. He dropped the toy into Richie's lap then before pressing his nose into Richie's cheek, spurring him to pick up the toy again.

Instead, Richie brought his hands up to the dog's neck, scratching at his chin and slowly working his way up towards his ears. This caused the dog to flick his tongue out against Richie's skin.

"Really, Rich?" Eddie asked, his skin almost crawling at the thought of the germs now infesting Richie's face. He almost wanted to make a comment about not kissing Richie anymore because of it, but he stopped himself. Stopped himself, because they hadn't kissed in what felt like forever.

Richie, however, seemed oblivious to Eddie's discomfort. He only glanced at Eddie out of the corner of his eyes, and Eddie could clearly make out the tears swimming there. But this time, the tears were there for an entirely different reason than he was used to, so Eddie could hardly be angry.

"I want this dog," Richie whispered, a smile curling over his lips.

Eddie returned the smile, feeling the faint sting of tears in his own eyes. It had been so very long since Eddie had seen Richie so happy or excited about anything – at least since his attack – and there was absolutely no way Eddie could have denied him this.

Pushing himself up from the bench he had been sitting on, Eddie joined Richie on the floor. Tentatively reaching his hand out, Eddie held it out for the dog, not even quite sure how the animal would react to him. As Eddie had said, he wanted Richie to make this decision on his own and he wanted this to be Richie's dog; as a result, Eddie hadn't had any contact with the animal as of yet.

Swallowing, Eddie braced himself for the moment when the dog would probably press his nose into his hand just as he had done with Richie. That moment, however, never came. Instead, the dog saw fit to skim his tongue over Eddie's own fingers. Eddie's heart thudded uncomfortably, and it was everything he could do to not flinch away in terror. Because, Jesus Christ. Eddie couldn't avoid thinking about all of the germs and possible infections now swimming around in the saliva on his hand. Just as they were now swarming all over Richie's face. Shit. Eddie really needed to find a goddamn bathroom so he could disinfect himself. It almost made him sick thinking about spreading those germs all over his car and all over their house if he didn't.

Oh, fuck. But Eddie obviously had more pressing things to worry about, because Richie was watching him closely, hopefully, waiting for a response. Eddie could do this for Richie. He had to do this, because if this one little thing meant so much to Richie, then Eddie would do everything in his power to give it to him. If Eddie couldn't even handle a simple dog lick, then he was never going to get through having the dog in his actual home.

Eddie pressed his palm against the thigh of his jeans, trying his best to nonchalantly wipe the slobber off. Taking a deep breath, Eddie willed his breathing and heartrate to return to normal before Richie realized exactly how uncomfortable he really was.

But Richie was entirely too wrapped up in his new dog to even register the fact that Eddie was inwardly panicking. Richie was still smiling, his fingers continuing to curl in the dog's hair. "He likes you," Richie said.

"Yeah," Eddie huffed out, wishing he could wipe off the swarming feeling of germs on his fingers. "You're sure this is the dog you want?" he asked, focusing on Richie's excitement rather than the crawling feeling on his hand.

Richie nodded, leaning his head against the dog's, but keeping his eyes pinned on Eddie. "More than I've ever wanted anything." Richie bit at his bottom lip a moment later, his smile growing even more. "Except for you."

Eddie's breath caught in his throat and he had to fight down another urge to lean forward and kiss Richie deeply. To feel Richie's stubble against his lips and maybe even his tongue against his own. Oh god, if only. But no. That decision had to come from Richie and Eddie wouldn't do anything to press the issue. Just like Eddie hadn't done anything to influence Richie's decision about which dog to get.

Instead, Eddie laid his hand over one of Richie's, letting his fingers mingle in between Richie's and the fur of the dog's neck. Meeting Richie's eyes, Eddie smiled and said, "We can get him."

Richie's smile broke into a grin and he gasped quickly. "Really?"

"Yeah. You're two for two, because you already got me."

Richie pressed his lips together as he glanced down at his where his fingers were intertwined with Eddie's through the dog's fur. "Still?" Richie asked him.

"Always."

His cheeks burning red, Richie spent an inordinate amount of time staring down at the dog's fur. He appeared as if he was itching to do or say something, but he didn't.

Neither did Eddie.

When they were on their way home, Richie kept turning around in his seat, peeking around his headrest to try and see 'Wayne' in the backseat. There was a smile ever-present on Richie's face, and he would often reach around his seat to brush the dog's fur or let the dog lick his fingers. Every time he did, Richie would giggle madly.

"You're gonna love this dog," Richie said when he turned back around in his seat. He rested his head back against his seat, tilting it slightly. "He loves to lick."

For the time being, Eddie couldn't even bring himself to care about to the little doggy germs swarming all over Richie's hands or all over the backseat of his car. All that really mattered was the fact that he hadn't seen such glee present on his husband's face since that horrific night that changed their lives.

"So I've been thinking," Richie announced after a while, still watching Eddie steer his Cadillac through the streets.

Eddie briefly glanced at Richie out of the corner of his eyes before he said, "Scary."

"Fuck off." Richie started rubbing his thumb over his wedding ring again. "About this poor animal's name, because I'm sorry, but Wayne is way too plain for such a special dog. It has to be more unique."

Eddie was a little bit caught off guard, because he hadn't exactly been expecting this to turn into a conversation about the dog's name. He had been assuming that Richie was about to launch into a deep discussion about some aspect of their relationship. At the same time, however, Eddie still couldn't bring himself to be disappointed by it, because Richie was happier than Eddie had seen him in weeks.

Eddie hummed in response a moment later before he asked, "So what did you have in mind?"

"Well…" Richie said before he paused again. He fidgeted around in his seat and then said, "I keep thinking about when we were little kids in the hammock in the clubhouse."

"Um. Not sure what that has to do with our dog's name, but okay."

Richie giggled once more, and Eddie thought he could definitely get used to hear that sound again. He had really fucking missed it.

"That's what the name Wayne reminds me of – you know, Bruce Wayne who was Batman."

Why in god's name Wayne made Richie think of them sharing the hammock as children, Eddie wasn't sure, but he didn't say anything to interrupt; this was classic Richie to him – taking Eddie on a crazy thought process to describe how he came up with certain jokes and routines. This was so much his Richie that Eddie could feel a slight burning in his eyes. In the end, he only silently steered his car, waiting for Richie to…continue being his old self.

"'Cause I used to read those comic books when I was trying to pretend that sitting there with you, feeling your skin against mine wasn't making me absolutely crazy," Richie finally said.

If Eddie was honest with himself, he could almost still feel Richie's summer-warmed legs against his if he tried hard enough. "Me too. But…so you want to name our dog Batman instead?"

"Not Batman," Richie said around a snicker. "But…my favorite character from the comics was always Robin, you know? Because he was just a young kid like me – like us – and…he was still capable of fighting all the bad guys and…" Richie stopped for a minute, focusing on his wedding ring again. "Especially after the fucking clown happened, it kind of gave me hope that if Robin could hold his own against the Joker and shit, then we could survive too."

"And we did for the most part," Eddie said quietly, because they both knew that it wasn't entirely true. The thought of Stan hung in the air above them, and neither one of them needed to say so.

"Yeah," Richie said around a heavy sigh.

After nearly a minute of silence (which Eddie inwardly thought of as being for Stan), Eddie finally asked, "So what did you want to name him – Robin or Dick?"

Richie snorted. "As much as it would probably be appropriate for me to have a dog named Dick, no." Richie turned around in his seat again, staring intently at 'Wayne'. "And that name's kind of mean for such a nice dog, isn't it?"

"So Robin?"

"No," Richie said again. "That's kind of…a silly name for a dog, isn't it?"

"So what do you want to name him?" Eddie asked when Richie didn't say anything more.

Richie turned back around in his seat, watching Eddie quietly for a moment. Like Eddie would get mad at him for what he wanted to name his own dog.

"I…I always really liked Dick's last name," Richie said, his voice nearly a whisper. "Grayson. I…always thought it was nice. And…it's kind of regal for a dog. I like that."

Eddie briefly raised his eyes from the road in front of him to the rearview mirror. The dog was watching him, his wide golden eyes reflecting back at him. "Grayson," Eddie said, and the dog let out a quiet yip like he was agreeing with their conversation. Eddie's eyes met Richie's next and he said, "I like it."

"I think he does too," Richie replied, once again turning around in his seat to watch his dog.

Grayson.

Eddie's stomach fell when they got back to the house, because the very first thing Grayson did was make his way down the hall towards the kitchen. At first, Eddie thought he was just exploring his new home like animals did. No big deal. But then Grayson stopped at that spot. The spot on the floor where Richie had laid just a few weeks ago, a pool of blood spreading out around his head.

Grayson bowed his head, sniffing the spot where the blood had been for hours before Bill had cleaned it very early the next morning up. When Grayson raised his head, he turned and stared at Eddie and Richie, still standing in the doorway. Grayson let out a long whine.

Richie had never remembered where specifically in their home he had been attacked – of if he did, he never said anything about it. Eddie hoped that Richie would talk to him about it if he ever remembered, because god forbid he try to handle a memory like that all by himself. Richie stopped and stared at that spot on the floor sometimes, like something might be coming back to him, but it was always with a cloud of confusion. Like he knew that something had happened there, but couldn't quite recall exactly what it was. Eddie hoped it would stay that way.

The fact that Grayson now seemed to be taking great interest in that spot was making Eddie's skin crawl. Would Richie think something of it? Would he think it odd that Grayson was focusing on that spot in particular and would it stir something in Richie's own mind?

But no. Richie only joined Grayson at that spot, laying a few quick pats to the dog's head. "It's okay, boy," Richie said, continuing to scratch around the dog's ears. "We're just a boring old married couple here. No need to be nervous."

Setting his keys and wallet down on the table near the door, Eddie then placed his palms against the surface to try and calm himself. "Speak for yourself."

"A risk analyst," Richie said, momentarily glancing at Eddie before returning his gaze to Grayson. "I married a risk analyst and he has the nerve to tell me to speak for myself."

"Fuck off."

"At least I have a more exciting job," Richie argued. "I perform on stage and get to go on tour and shit sometimes." He broke off suddenly, growing quiet and swallowing. "And well…someone tried to bash my head in, so there's that." He was trying so very hard to make it sound like a joke, but it fell flat, the silence in the room becoming deafening in a matter of seconds.

Eddie crossed to the other end of the hall, reaching up to place a hand against Richie's back. He rubbed it up and down, attempting to offer Richie some form of support.

Lifting his gaze from the dog, Richie gasped in a soft breath when he realized how close he was to Eddie. They were only a few inches apart, and Eddie could feel Richie's breath against his cheek.

Eddie wanted so very badly to close those last inches, to press his lips up against Richie's, but he forced himself to stay put. Then he had a crazy urge to ask Richie if would be okay if they kissed, but then that urge passed too. He wouldn't attempt to do something like that until Richie let him know that it was okay; it had to be Richie's decision and Richie's alone.

"So I was thinking…" Richie began, but then he didn't say anything more.

"'Bout what?" Eddie couldn't even bring himself to make a joke about it, because his mind felt like it had gone offline with Richie standing so close to him.

"After we feed Grayson and he gets settled in," Richie told him, "we'll have to take him for a walk. And um…I…I really don't want to go by myself." Richie's eyes were growing wider, fixing Eddie with a terrified stare. "And maybe we should have talked about this before we got him. I mean, I know he's my dog, and I should be taking care of him, but-"

"You don't have to go alone," Eddie immediately cut him off. He let his free hand come to rest on Richie's forearm, squeezing it firmly. "I would never think of sending you out by yourself to walk the dog right now. I'll be right there with you."

At the same time, it thrilled Eddie to think that Richie wanted to walk the dog at all. Eddie wondered if considering everything that happened, it might be a responsibility that would fall to Eddie, at least for the time being. Eddie had thought about that long before he had brought up the idea of adopting a dog to Richie, so he thought it was quite encouraging that Richie wanted to take part in it. Since his attack, Richie hadn't set foot outside except for trips to and from the car when necessary, so Eddie was thrilled that Richie expressed even a little bit of interest in taking the dog out.

Richie shuffled back and forth in his spot. "Well…that's not all."

"Okay." Eddie tightened his hand around Richie's arm. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Um…well, we haven't really…done anything since…this all happened." Richie swallowed audibly, his breath growing a little heavier against Eddie's face. "I guess…we haven't really…been out in a while."

"No, we haven't." It was Eddie's turn to reach for Grayson's ears, to scratch at them for something to do while he waited for Richie to go on.

"Isn't…there's a coffee shop just…around the corner, isn't there?" Richie asked all in a rush, his eyes almost looking like they would pop out of his head.

"Yeah. We used to go there occasionally."

"Well, can we…you know?" Richie stopped, his cheeks blushing furiously red as he bit at his bottom lip.

"Richie," Eddie said, deciding to take the pressure off of his poor floundering husband. "Are you asking me on a date?"

Eddie couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face as a burst of excitement erupted from his stomach. He let his hand drift down Richie's arm, gripping his hand tightly. This was good, Eddie decided. Maybe they weren't quite ready for physical displays of affection like kissing and making out just yet, so perhaps it would be a little bit more natural to ease back into things with a date.

"Yeah," Richie admitted, letting out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cry. "I guess I am. Something that…I guess I've kind of wanted to ask you for a while. Other than the shelter, we haven't…gone anywhere since I came home from the hospital and…maybe it's about time we did. I thought it might be a good thing for us. Just to…get out, and do something, and start getting to know each other as husbands again." He intertwined his fingers through Eddie's before he asked, "That's…what we're going to do, right?"

Eddie nodded solemnly. "That's what we're going to do."

It had only been a few hours since they had arrived home from the shelter, but Eddie was already beginning to forget what life was like without a dog. Grayson had already seemed to insert himself into their lives, taking up an obnoxious amount of room on the couch and making it known when he was hungry or ready to go out.

Eddie had been concerned that he might be entirely overwhelmed with anxiety at this point, but he had to admit that when Grayson looked at him with those large golden eyes, he could almost feel his apprehension melting away. Besides, with Richie was still riding high on getting a dog, Eddie couldn't quiet bring himself to care about the germs or dirt that Grayson could possibly be picking up on their walk.

Eddie also thought that getting a dog that was a little bit older was helping too. He had almost been expecting Richie to pick out a puppy, and he'd been a little bit shocked that Richie had been drawn to a fully grown dog. Perhaps Richie would have chosen a puppy under normal circumstances, but given the fact that Richie was probably craving calmness and stability right now, it sort of made sense that he'd want a dog less prone to hyperactivity.

As it turned out, Grayson was already trained to walk on a leash, and he walked perfectly in between Eddie and Richie as they made their way down the sidewalk toward the little coffee shop just around the corner.

It was just edging on towards sunset, the bright orange ball of sun making its way down to the horizon. With the sunlight quickly fading, the streetlamps were just beginning to come on, and Eddie didn't think they could have planned a better or more romantic time for their date.

Eddie's hand itched to reach out and take Richie's, but the hand closest to him was holding Grayson's leash. Then again, Eddie's palm felt horribly hot and sweaty, which really wasn't romantic in the least. Eddie didn't even know why it was giving him so much anxiety to initiate all these little touches with Richie suddenly. He supposed it was because they were relearning their relationship and it was almost like they were doing this all over again from the beginning. It was nerve-wracking and exhilarating all at the same time.

When they finally reached the coffee shop, however, Eddie realized a flaw in their plan – one of them would have to stay outside with the dog while one of them went inside and got their coffee.

"Oh, shit," Richie muttered, the truth apparently dawning on him too. He turned to face Eddie, his knuckles growing white around the loop of Grayson's dog leash. "Oh, fuck."

"I know," Eddie agreed, rubbing at the back of his neck. "We didn't…think this far ahead, did we?"

Richie forced out a laugh that he obviously didn't feel. "I was too excited at the prospect of going on a date with you to think about the logistics."

Eddie tried to swallow down the lump that had formed in his throat. "So…we can forego the coffee. The…walk itself is still a nice date."

Staring back at the coffee shop, the light through the glass doors reflecting in his eyes, Richie kept switching the dog leash back and forth between his hands. Again, Richie seemed to be having a hard time making any sort of decision, because nearly a minute passed before he even said anything more.

Eventually, Richie stuck out his chin and shook his head. "No," Richie said firmly, stomping one of his feet on the sidewalk. "I'm not…" He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Fuck, I'm not letting those assholes dictate my life."

When he looked away from the coffee shop, Eddie thought he could see the faintest hint of tears in his eyes. Eddie wanted to take him in his arms, to let his husband know that whatever he chose to do was okay, but Eddie stood frozen to his spot for some reason that he couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was to try and let Richie stand on his own two feet for a moment, to let him make the decision that he felt was best for him right now with no interference from Eddie.

Richie, however, had begun to visibly shake, and that finally forced him into action. He laid both of his hands on Richie's arm, letting one drift down to his hand. Richie's own hands were just as sweaty and clammy as Eddie's own. Eddie wasn't sure if it was because of their date or their current predicament, but it was a little bit reassuring to know that Eddie wasn't the only one who was nervous.

Grayson sat down, reaching his nose up into Richie's other hand. The dog whined, seeming to sense the tension in the air, the change in Richie's demeanor. Richie tried to smile, letting his hand brush over Grayson's muzzle before scratching him behind the ears.

"Whatever you want to do," Eddie told him. "If you want to stay here with Grayson, or if you'd feel more comfortable going in to get our coffee…"

Richie nodded, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. "Yeah. It…fuck." He released Grayson's ears to reach his hand up underneath his glasses, rubbing at his eyes. "Okay," he said when he straightened his glasses on his nose again. "I guess…as much as I trust Grayson to protect me if something happened-"

Grayson made his thoughts known by letting out a high-pitched bark.

Richie dropped his hand back down to Grayson's head before he said, "I think I'd probably feel safer inside a coffee shop with other people."

"I figured," Eddie said, looping his own hand around the leash and gently taking it from Richie. "Grayson and I will be right here the whole time. You'll be able to see us and everything," Eddie said, gesturing towards the large glass windows and doors that led into the coffee shop.

"Yeah," Richie said around another gasp for air. He stared up at the sky above them, at the steadily darkening midnight blue and small pinpricks of stars beginning to pop out of the fabric. "Fuck, I can do this, right?"

"You can," Eddie said confidently. He continued to rub his hand over Richie's, weaving his fingers in between Richie's until they were gripping each other tightly. "You're one of the strongest people I know."

"Me?!" Richie yelped out, then he laughed loudly. "You're out of your fucking mind."

"No, but you are," Eddie said. "I…when I first came to see you in the hospital, you were unconscious, and…I told the doctor how strange it was to just see you lying there, because you were never so still and quiet."

Richie snorted. "So I can be an obnoxious bundle of nerves and energy. That hardly means I'm strong."

"You're my rock though."

"Take a look at me," Richie muttered, waving his arms out in frustration. "I'm fucking shaking at the possibility of even going into a coffee shop and ordering drinks!" He shook his head before hanging it miserably. "That's no kind of rock."

"Rich," Eddie whispered, taking Richie's hand in his again. "Listen to me. You've been everything to me all my life. Through all the shit that we've been through, you were one of the few things I could always count on. My one constant. That makes a difference, whether you think you're strong or not. You're a rock for me just by being there and letting me know I'm not alone regardless of what life throws at us. And, well…you're getting through this. You came forward to the police about what you know, and like you said, you're not going to let those assholes dictate your life to you. That takes strength."

Richie still didn't look convinced, so Eddie added, "And you know you don't have to be strong all the time. You're allowed to have a hard time when shit happens. You're…allowed to not be okay. That's not what strong means. It doesn't mean being infallible."

Richie expelled a breath, his bottom lip trembling. "I guess not. And…I guess it's hard to see our own strength sometimes, isn't it? Because you don't always see how strong you are either."

Eddie was prepared to launch into a rant about how he barely felt strong enough to get through half of the shit in his life, but…here he was. As it was, he decided that giving Richie examples of how weak he felt most of the time wasn't a good idea. He settled on giving Richie a small smile and admitting, "You're right. I don't."

Count on Richie, however, to know exactly what Eddie was thinking. "And if you think you haven't been strong through this, you're wrong," Richie said adamantly. "You've truly been my rock these last few weeks."

Eddie's smile widened as he rubbed his thumb over Richie's. "Do you remember what I take in my coffee?"

"Just cream. Lots and lots of cream." Richie looked down at Grayson and added, "Told you he was boring. All the options that coffee shops have nowadays, and he just likes his hot and creamy bean water."

"Shut the fuck up before I call this whole date off."

Grinning, Richie tilted his head back, staring down at Eddie with a knowing glint in his eyes. He didn't say anything, and he didn't have to; Eddie knew exactly what he was thinking.

Pressing against Richie's arm, Eddie said, "Go get your goddamn cup of sugar. Grayson and I will be right here waiting for you."

When Richie starting moving towards the coffee shop doors, he seemed completely oblivious to his earlier discomfort, giving Eddie a goofy grin as he progressed across the pavement.

"And make sure yours is decaf!" Eddie called after him.

"Fucking decaf." Richie couldn't even pretend that his spirits were dampened by the idea of decaf coffee, because there was suddenly a spring in his step that hadn't quite been there before. That hadn't been there since this entire ordeal had started.

There were those warm tingles erupting in Eddie's stomach again, because Jesus Christ, he was the reason that Richie kept going. That Richie was able to find even a little bit of happiness in their stupid bickering. Him. Stupid and anxious little Eddie who worried about germs on Grayson's paws and improper ingredients in his food.

Eddie only hoped it would stay that way.

Once Richie was in the coffee shop, Eddie found his apprehension seeming to melt away. The barista waiting on Richie had apparently noticed Eddie and Grayson waiting outside and had asked about them. Richie had turned around, grinning at Eddie through the glass as he talked animatedly, apparently telling the barista all about his husband and new dog.

Richie was lifting his foot off of the linoleum floor, kicking against it softly with his toe like an uncertain teenager. Fuck, it was cute.

When Richie finally emerged from the shop, he was carrying two large coffee cups, one in each hand, with a smaller cup that appeared to be full of whipped cream balanced between them.

"A Puppucinno," Richie said around a giggle as Eddie took the smaller cup. "They're on the house, but the barista said not to make a habit of it, because they're not the healthiest things in the world. "But I think his first night home deserves a special treat."

"Definitely," Eddie agreed, holding the tiny cup out for Grayson.

The dog sniffed at it first before he thrust out his tongue, scooping up a large portion of the whipped cream into his mouth. He licked his mouth several times as if deciding whether he liked it or not before shoving his tongue back into the cup.

It wasn't long before Grayson had finished the entire cup, leaving Richie grinning down at his dog like a proud parent. Grayson kept licking his lips as he looked back and forth between Richie and Eddie, as if he was waiting for more.

"That's enough for you," Eddie said, giving Grayson a quick head rub before depositing the empty cup in a nearby garbage can. When he returned to Richie, he took the cup that was labeled 'Spagheds'.

"I can't believe you told the barista my nickname." Eddie looped the end of the leash around his wrist so that he could wrap both hands around his cup, bringing it carefully to his lips.

"It sort of popped out," Richie clamed as he fell into step beside Eddie. "My dear Spagheds," he added nearly a minute later, like some long-lost memory slowly seeping back into his mind.

They continued along the sidewalk, following it as it looped around the coffee shop and the street that would take them back to their house. They were quiet for some time, each lost in their own thoughts as they sipped at their coffees.

"Can I ask you something?" Richie asked after a while.

"Of course."

"How did we get engaged?"

And Richie was still managing to keep Eddie on his toes, because it seemed like half the things Richie said to him lately caught him off-guard.

"I mean – did I ask you, or did you ask me?" Richie asked, stopping and turning to face Eddie. "Was it some big elaborate thing or…more subdued?"

Eddie shook his, trying desperately to hide his mouth as he drank from his cup. He didn't know why, but he wished that Richie had asked him something that required a bit more of an answer.

"It was stupid," Eddie finally admitted when he had swallowed his mouthful of coffee.

Smiling around his own coffee cup, Richie said, "I rather doubt that deciding to marry you was dumb at all. That's…sort of impossible."

"No, but…I don't mean dumb like that." Staring down at his coffee cup, Eddie said, "Because you're right – it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. But it was still dumb."

Richie stepped slightly closer, absentmindedly scratching Grayson behind the ears. "How so?"

Eddie and Richie had only been living together for going on a week, so they could barely keep their hands off each other. It was still so new and something they had never gotten to experience when they were younger, so they were reveling in finally being able to kiss and make out freely.

Richie had gotten home from work where he had been going over his latest routine with his manager and some of the staff to see how the jokes landed before Richie would try and polish it up further. He, however, seemed more than ready to leave his workday at the door and join Eddie in the living room. Eddie immediately popped up off the couch from where he had been reading, wrapping his arms tightly around Richie's neck as he pulled him down for a kiss.

"How was work?" Eddie asked, pressing kisses along Richie's jawline.

"Mm," Richie hummed in response as he slipped his hands underneath Eddie's t-shirt and started exploring his back. "Some new fuck nugget at my manager's office doesn't seem to like me – or my jokes – very much."

"How can someone not like you?" Eddie asked in between kisses. "Impossible."

"Shut up," Richie mumbled before pressing his lips over Eddie's again. "You know I'm an acquired taste. As are my jokes."

"That's true," Eddie said as he started stepping backwards. He pulled Richie with him as he sank down onto the couch, pulling Richie down on top of him. "It took me forty fucking years to acquire a taste for you."

"Liar," Richie muttered as he ran his nose over Eddie's ear, trailing his lips down Eddie's neck. "You know we've both had feelings for each other for thirty goddamn years."

Eddie giggled as he stretched out on the cushions, letting Richie straddling his hips. Richie wasted no time in thrusting down against Eddie, drawing a long moan out of his boyfriend.

"Thirty years, couple months – what's the difference?" Eddie asked, gripping Richie's belt loops in his fingers and pulling him down harder.

"Jesus," Richie bit out, finding Eddie's mouth with his tongue. When he pulled away, however, his face had fallen slightly. "I don't know though. This new guy sat in on my routine and…didn't laugh once. Even if my brand of comedy isn't his cup of tea, most people find at least a few things to laugh at. And he just sat there with this 'I just smelled shit' look on his face." He sighed, fingering the hem of Eddie's sleeve.

Eddie snorted briefly at Richie's description before running his hands up towards Richie's arms. He rubbed at them for a moment and then said, "Maybe this guy was having a bad day."

"I guess," Richie agreed, although he didn't seem convinced. "I tried to talk to him afterwards – you know, welcomed him to the company and shit – and even that didn't get much of a response. Just…seemed like he didn't like me at all."

"At least you reached out to him," Eddie pointed out. "Maybe he'll warm up to you. Your reputation precedes you and it doesn't always rub people the right way. It may take him a while before he realizes that you're not just a sex-addicted asshole."

"Just sex-addicted when it comes to you," Richie insisted, pressing his hips down into Eddie's and capturing his lips in a kiss again.

"We haven't even had sex yet!" Eddie cried, slapping Richie playfully on his ass. "God, do you think about anything else?"

"You, my dear Spagheds," Richie said, in between more kisses along Eddie's chin, "don't even know what you're saying anymore. First I'm not, then I am. Make up your mind."

"You make my head spin. I can't help it." He wrapped his arms around Richie's waist, hugging him tightly to him. Sighing softly, he stared up into Richie's eyes before he said, "I love you. I love you so fucking much."

Richie grinned, one of those huge ones that seemed to spread from ear to ear and emphasized his overbite, which Eddie found ridiculously adorable.

"I love you," Richie said around his own sigh. "And you know…since your divorce from Myra is going to be finalized here shortly…god, I want to marry you."

Eddie blinked up at his boyfriend, because in all his wondering and hoping about this moment, this wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. "Oh," Eddie gasped out around a laugh. "I mean…I want to marry you too, but I thought that was kind of a given. We're forty fucking years old and this is moving so fast, so where would it be leading but to marriage?"

Richie's suddenly blushed a furious shade of red before he ducked his head, hiding his face in Eddie's t-shirt. "Jesus, that was really tactless, wasn't it? It seems like I don't know what I'm saying either." When he lifted his eyes up, they were embarrassed. "That wasn't…a proposal. I mean, I still want to marry you, but I was just…expressing my thoughts."

"It's fine," Eddie said around chuckle. He brought his hands up to Richie's face, cupping his cheeks. "It's more than fine actually, because…I guess it's good to know where things stand."

"But that wasn't…I should have planned something big if I was even going to bring it up for conversation." Richie's cheeks were still burning underneath Eddie's fingers and he directed his gaze downwards.

"Rich," Eddie said, running his thumbs along Richie's cheeks. "It doesn't need to be this big huge thing. We can…save that for our wedding and do all the big shit then. I just like knowing that you're serious about this. I like…being secure in our relationship, because…not a lot of things in my life have been like that."

Smiling somberly, Richie pressed his own hand against Eddie's cheeks, rubbing against it with the back of his fingers. "I am," Richie told him. "So serious." Swallowing audibly, he eventually added, "I've never wanted anything more in my life."

"Neither have I." Eddie leaned his head up, kissing Richie deeply and wrapping his arms around Richie's neck. Richie went, deepening their kiss even more.

"Oh, shit," Richie said, staring past Eddie to the line of trees just on the other side of the street. "That was kind of dumb, wasn't it?"

"No, it wasn't," Eddie said, shaking his head furiously. "I didn't mean it that way either. It was really adorable actually, but…I just meant it wasn't a big production or anything. Not like you were thinking."

"So…did we make up for it at our wedding then?"

"Fuck yeah, we did."

Hanging his head, Richie let out a long and heavy sigh. "I wish I could remember it."

His coffee cup still tucked in between both of Eddie's hands, he closed the distance a little more, resting his knuckles against Richie's chest. "I wish you could too, but…it's enough knowing that I still have you. That you still want this. Still want us."

Richie's eyes were large and round, the tears there reflecting the light from the nearby streetlamp. He smiled, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I do. God, I do. So much."

And then it happened all at once. Eddie felt Grayson's leash tug against his wrist, and then a moment later, the leash was pressing against the backs of his knees. Eddie had no choice but to stumble forward, catching himself against Richie's chest. Then Richie's arms were wrapping around Eddie's waist, catching him as Grayson returned to his original spot on the pavement.

It took Eddie a moment to realize that Grayson had encircled them with his leash, wrapping it around their legs until they had no choice but lean up against each other fully.

"Oh shit," Richie gulped, his eyes even rounder than they had been before. He stared down at Eddie, clearly not sure what to say or do next.

Eddie wasn't sure either. His body was pressed up against Richie's from their knees to their upper chests, Eddie's hands pressed in between them. This was the closest they had been since Richie's attack, and Eddie had no clue what to do with that. It felt like his mind had short-circuited and he wasn't even capable of coherent thought anymore.

"Um," Richie muttered, blinking in confusion. "S-sorry," he said, and Eddie could feel his breath against his chin. "G-Grayson, really." His voice was void of any real scolding, however, because he clearly wasn't unhappy with their current predicament. Just nervous as fuck probably, because Eddie could feel Richie's heart beating impossibly hard against his fingers.

"It…it's fine," Eddie said. He tried to wiggle, attempting to loosen the leash somehow, but there wasn't any real struggle behind his movements either. On the contrary, this was quite welcome, because Eddie had been dying for this type of touch with Richie. For this sort of physical intimacy that their relationship now lacked.

Still, Eddie forced himself to hold back, because he wouldn't do anything unless or until Richie told him it was okay. A part of Eddie wondered how much longer they were going to do this, dancing around each other just like they had when they had been young. When they had first reunited to fight Pennywise the second time. But then, Richie surprised him yet again.

"You know what I think?" Richie asked, giving a sideways glance at Grayson before returning his gaze to Eddie.

"Huh?" Eddie wondered if he was even capable of forming entire sentences anymore.

Richie's breath was still hard, his bottom lip quivering again, but for entirely different reasons now. "I think Grayson wants us to kiss."

Blinking up at his husband, Eddie wondered if he had heard Richie right. Because it couldn't be. Richie couldn't be suggesting what he thought. What he had hoped for for so long. Eddie had to check, had to make sure that he wasn't imagining things.

"What…what about you?" Eddie whispered, feeling incapable of voicing his thoughts any louder. "What do you want?"

When Richie spoke again, his own voice was impossibly quiet, almost like a whimper, so at least they were in the same boat. "I…I want…to kiss you," Richie finally admitted, and once he said it, he laughed. "Oh my god, I've wanted to kiss you since I woke up in the hospital. Even before I knew we were…together." His eyes were searching Eddie's, looking for any sort of sign as to how Eddie felt. When Eddie didn't reply, because he still felt like his brain was malfunctioning, Richie asked, "So can I?"

Eddie's fingers curled around his coffee, still caught in between their chests before he said, "Yeah." He wished his voice didn't sound so much like a squeak, so he nodded. "Yeah," he repeated. "You can. I…oh fuck, I really want you to."

Richie grinned for a moment, but then he wasted no time in closing the remaining distance between them. He dipped his head down and tilted it to the side, gently kissing Eddie just like he had done that very first time at the top of the quarry in Derry.

Eddie, however, parted his lips slightly, inviting Richie to deepen the kiss, but not making any move to do so himself. He could feel Richie hesitating against him, but only for a moment. Richie responded to Eddie's invitation after a pause, seemingly allowing Eddie to break the kiss if he wanted. When Eddie didn't move away, Richie open his own lips, seeking out Eddie's mouth with his tongue.

Eddie couldn't keep the moan from escaping his lips, lost somewhere in Richie's own mouth. His legs felt shaky underneath him, and Eddie was suddenly very glad that Richie's arms were wrapped around his waist. Very glad that Richie was supporting him, holding him like he had done so many times before.

When Richie broke the kiss, they were both panting heavily, their eyes wide and searching each other.

"Was…was that okay?" Richie immediately asked, his heart still pounding against his ribs.

Sighing softly, Eddie said, "More than okay."

"Okay," Richie repeated, his lips suddenly morphing into a grin.

Just then, Grayson let out a soft yip before retracing his earlier circle along the pavement. The leash grew loose, falling away from Eddie's legs before Grayson returned to his previous spot. He sat back on his legs, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he stared up at Richie and Eddie smugly.

"Who knew?" Richie said, releasing Eddie's waist and bending over to scratch around Grayson's neck and ears. "It took this fucking dog for us to kiss again."

Eddie giggled, but he wasn't quite ready for his contact with Richie to end just yet. When Richie straightened up, Eddie leaned against his shoulder, entwining his arm around Richie's and holding it tightly. Richie wrapped one of his arms around Eddie's waist again, gripping it firmly as he and Eddie resumed their trek along the sidewalk.

It was dark now, and even with the light from the nearby streetlamp, it was impossible to make out the figure that was hiding in the trees just beyond.

To be continued…

Author's note: I hope you like Grayson's name! I really wanted something that I thought fit Richie's interests and personality, and once I came up with it, I thought it was perfect.