(1) "It's Just..." Bev Says, Her Expression Wheedling As She Holds Up The Tape Measure-- Eddie Feels

(1) "It's just..." Bev says, her expression wheedling as she holds up the tape measure-- Eddie feels a chill of pure dread run down his spine, because he knows, he knows he hasn't got it in his heart to refuse Bev anything. It would be hard to refuse any of his friends anything, really, but Bev is the sister he never had, they understand each other on a level the others just don't, and he won't say no to this. "I think your measurements are the same as one of my models."

(2) It's menswear. How bad could it be? It's something for a magazine shoot, so maybe it'll be a little more high fashion than the stuff she actually sells for people to wear, but he likes her stuff. Back when he couldn't remember her, or Derry, he'd bought a tie from her spring collection, it's still his favorite tie. He used to wear it for important days at work-- more recently, he's worn it out to dinner with Richie. Saying yes doesn't seem too scary.

(3) Bev takes his measurements and lets out a triumphant whoop when he proves just right-- she's made one round of alterations already and wants to know if she needs to change anything else. She starts him out in a suit. It fits like a dream, and it's a little more... well, 'fashion', than anything Eddie could see himself picking out, but not in a crazy way. Just... too high-end for work. He likes it, though. It's the sort of thing he thinks he'd get married in, if...

(4) There are two pairs of jeans he has to try-- he asks Bev what the odds are of his getting a pair when the casual line drops, because his ass looks fantastic, and she laughs and tells him he can get the pair he's wearing back after the shoot, since any pair he bought wouldn't be pre-tailored. The jeans for Eddie, she jokes, can be Richie's Christmas present. There's a sweater, and a jacket he also likes, a little bit edgy, but maybe New Eddie is a little edgy, too.

(5) And then, she has him try the mesh shirt, with the tighter jeans, the edgy leather jacket, and a mesh shirt doesn't make Eddie think 'fall'-- and it's definitely too edgy even for New Eddie, who dates boys and is back in school for a career he cares about and gives so many fewer fucks what people think than Old Eddie, but he kind of likes getting to play pretend for a little bit. He's not self-conscious like he thought he'd be, not with Bev.

(6) The black mesh softens the look of his scars, though they're visible. The shirt's collar, cuffs, and placket are satin, and he likes the way it all feels, even if there's nowhere on earth he would wear it, and very few people he would wear it in front of. It's when Eddie is just taking off the jacket that the second person he would wear it in front of walks in, Richie's jaw dropping as he takes Eddie in. Black denim, black mesh, half-shrugged out of black leather...

(7) "Wow." Richie takes a halting step forward, and then another, reaches out until his hand just hovers at Eddie's side. He moves over him as if there's a forcefield keeping him just an inch from touching Eddie's chest, his ribcage, his abdomen. "Wow. You look... wow. Can I touch, or will I be killed for crimes against fashion because I wrinkled something? Wow, you... you should get a shirt like this, honestly."

(8) "You can touch." Bev laughs, helping Eddie out of the jacket and hanging it up in its garment bag. "Just don't tear it off him. And don't try to have sex with him while he's wearing any of this, I know you're tempted. Actually, be very careful with that, it's going to be in a magazine shoot this week. And tell me what you think of those jeans, because those are coming back to Eddie after the shoot. You like?"

(9) "Yeah." Richie's voice is soft and shaky, his hands finally landing on Eddie, warm through the mesh. His thumbs rub gentle arcs over Eddie's ribcage, before his hands slide down to rest at his waist, before he leans in for a kiss. It's warm and slow, and Richie is just a little breathless when he pulls away to give Eddie another look-over. "Yeah, I like all of it. Babe, why aren't you modeling for real? I refuse to believe the real model looks better than this."

(10/10) "I'm not modeling this look for anyone else but you." Eddie scoffs. And he knows they'd understand, that if Bev asked her friends to do some kind of concept shoot instead of using real models, he wouldn't be in this, but it isn't really important now. What matters is that he had fun, that he got to play pretend with one of his best friends and be a model for an afternoon. What matters is that Richie thinks he looks good, scars and all. What matters is, New Eddie is happy, edgy or not.