The sound of the doorbell resounded through the Kaspbrak household as Richie waited patiently on the threshold.

Sonia yanked the door open, looking at Richie with thinly veiled anger. "He can't see anyone at the moment. My Eddie-bear is very ill-"

Eddie's exhausted voice trailed down from his bedroom. "Is that Richie, Ma?"

Richie repressed a laugh as Sonia gritted her teeth in frustration. "Yes, one of your friends came, Eddie-bear!" she called upstairs with a voice as sugary and artificial as syrup. "Don't worry, I'll telling him to come back later. I know you need your sleep, sweetie."

"No, no, no, it's fine! I feel much better now, Mommy! He can come upstairs!"

Richie could almost hear the gears working in Sonia's brain. Ordinarily, she'd never let another child- especially Richie- into the house when Eddie was sick (Richie's nasty germs would spread and make Eddie even more sick), but she and Eddie were already on thin ice after the incident with his "asthma medication", and although she had convinced him to continue using it (or so she thought), he was still treading carefully around her.

"Fine!" she snapped, then composed herself. She tried to smile at Richie, but it looked more like she had a toothache. "You can see him for a bit. I want him to rest soon. Make sure you're keeping your distance."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Kaspbrak," Richie said eagerly, dashing to the stairs. He glanced back at her and forced himself to walk slowly and composedly upstairs.

"Bonjour, Eds," he grinned, flinging the door open. "And 'ow ez it to 'ave ze plague?"

Eddie sneezed violently, rolling to face him in bed. "It's great," he said as he rubbed his eyes, too tired to even complain about Richie's awful French accent.

"Wow," Richie said, observing the used tissues piled up in a trash can and Eddie's dropping eyes and slightly sweaty face. "You really do have a fever."

"No shit, dumbass." Eddie rolled his eyes. "What'd you expect when I said I was sick?"

"I just thought maybe . . ." Richie trailed off awkwardly.

"Maybe my mom made it up again?" Eddie smiled rather cynically. "No. Not this time." His voice was tinged with bitterness, and Richie shifted uncomfortably.

Richie jumped onto Eddie's bed, sitting in a kneeling position. Eddie yelped quietly. "Richie, you fucking- Mom's gonna hear!"

"But you're so cute, Spaghetti Man! Cute, cute, cute!"

Eddie swatted at his arm. "Stop it, Trashmouth. You're gonna catch whatever shit I have!"

"It'd be worth it," Richie replied, letting himself fall backwards onto the bed. "Besides, I'd be fine. I'd have Doctor K to help me."

The air between them became weirdly charged, and Eddie broke eye contact. Richie thought he might be blushing, although it was probably just flush from the fever. "Idiot," Eddie murmured, not sounding the slightest bit annoyed. He let out an enormous yawn, his mouth forming a wide O.

"Eddie-bear!" Sonia's voice floated up from the kitchen. "I need to grab more pills for your fever. Maybe . . ." Her tone hinted in a not exactly subtle fashion that she wanted Richie out.

Eddie ignored the implications and called back, "Okay! You can go, I'll be fine!"

They heard Sonia snort in disgust, then the quick opening and shutting of the front door. Eddie yawned again, but he tried to conceal it.

"Feeling a tad tired, guv'nor?" Richie became, in his mind, Toodles the Butler. "Fancy a bit of a kip, ay wot? Wot wot?"

"No, 'm fine," Eddie mumbled, though his eyes were already halfway closed. Richie made to sit up, but two small hands wrapped themselves around his midsection, pulling him gently. "Don' leave."

It was like arguing with a puppy. One look into those Bambi eyes, and any false protests that bubbled to the surface died in Richie's throat. He settled back down over the blankets and rested an arm over Eddie.

Eddie cuddled closer, his tiny back pressed against Richie's chest. His skin was quite hot from the fever, but Richie didn't mind.

"Thought you didn't want me to catch your plague, Eds," he whispered.

"Fuck you." Eddie's face was bright red again, and this time Richie was sure it wasn't just from his fever.

"Somehow I doubt Mrs. K will be too pleased when she finds us," Richie said quietly, his eyes closing.

"Well, fuck her too."

"Already did."

And indeed, as Sonia came back from the pharmacy, she was quite horrified to find her precious, delicate son cuddling with Richie Tozier of all people.

A/N: Aw, so much flufffffff-
Don't get used to it...