Wildest Dreams || Reddie Fanfic

XIII

"Look who finally decided to show up!" Danny shouted as Eddie entered the house, his hair damp and wavy from the rain outside, little strands dangling in front of his eyes. "Teddy!"

"It's Eddie." He corrected absently. This was his third private visit with Danny and his crew. He had been thinking a lot about what Danny told him outside the dorm building. Mental strength was nice, but Eddie wanted more. He needed more.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Danny questioned and lit up a cigarette, offering it to Eddie who took it naturally and placed it between his teeth.

"I want you to teach me to fight." Eddie said, the group of hoodlums went silent, looking back forth at each other with amusement. "All of you." Danny smirked and nodded his head.

"Right... Eddie. Have you ever fought before?"

I'm not gonna make it easier on you now. That feeling of Mr. James jaw against his fist, the flavor of power was almost intoxicating. A smile crawled on his features and he shook his head. "No, I can't say I have."

"Well, first you need to learn how to defend yourself. Then we can teach you to fight." Danny's goon known as Jer chimed in.

"Yes, defense is the right place to start." Danny solidified. "But why do you wanna know how to fight?" Eddie thought about his answer for a moment.

"I'm tired of only having a few chips to play... I wanna go all in." He said vaguely. Danny studied him for a moment before shrugging.

"Good enough for me. Let's start with some basics then." He handed Eddie a shot. "Loosen up a bit, it's easier to learn when your not so... well. You." Eddie took the shot with less grace than he'd like to admit, gagging at the burn and smell of the alcohol.

"What's that suppose to mean?" He asked between coughs.

"It means you think too much. Your a tight ass." Jer spoke up. "Fighting is something that relies more on intuition and adrenaline and less on thinking and worrying."

"You're gonna have to learn to analyze fast and under pressure and act on your instincts." Kade, another of Danny's friends, added in. "It won't be easy, but once you start, you'll catch on fast."

"We're already wasting too much time talking, much better to learn through doing. Wouldn't you agree, Teddy?" Danny cracked his knuckles and walked towards Eddie calmly, a pleasant and giddy smirk playing at his lips. "Don't worry... I'll be gentle."

~

"Where's Eddie?" Connor questioned as he sat in Eddies dorm with Elio and Richie. Richie flipped through an old comic book from childhood and yawned.

"He's at another study group with a few of his criminology classmates I guess. It's like the third one over the last two weeks or something." Richie glanced up to Connor. "What do you care?"

"The same reason you care." He muttered and nodded to Elio who was plucking strings on a guitar and writing things down in a notebook. "Composing?"

"Trying to." Elio played a few chords and then shook his head with dissatisfaction. "It's sounds too... typical. Usually Eddie helps me with the originality of it. He says it's because I worry too much about if others will like the song that I don't play from the heart." He rolled his eyes as he added, "that I need to be more experimental and adventurous in my pursuits." Richie snorted and closed his comic book.

"Yeah that sounds like Eddie... solid advice though." Richie sat next to Elio grabbed his notebook. "Let's hear it." Elio grabbed the book back and shook his head.

"No! I can't. I mean you can't just put me on spot like that." He stammered and flushed. Richie deadpanned and looked to Connor.

"Don't worry about it, Connor wouldn't recognize a tune if it carried him and I'm a world renowned musical critic." He joked and patted his shoulder, "you're in good company." Elio chuckled at this and hesitantly looked at his notebook.

"Okay fine, but just alittle bit." He started a few chords and closed his eyes.

"Toxicity in your steps, you're a cold lover. Frigid hands in a white dress, steal the life from another. Ocean deep baby blue eyes and a mouth full of beautiful lies. Fantasize you, prints on the glass and lyrics in the steam. Pull them from me, woven into my dream." He faded off and gently placed his guitar next to him.

Connor and Richie looked back and forth to each other, mouths slightly agape.

"So... what do you think?" Elio asked cautiously. Richie smiled and grabbed the notebook again, reading over the words.

"The lyrics are good, like really good. Succubus?" Richie questioned, gaining a nod from him. "But Eddies right. The tune doesn't really match the lyrics. The words are adventurous and unique, but it sounds like I'm just listening to another teenie bopper song."

"I know." Elio groaned and fell backwards on his bed. "I don't know what else to do."

"Play badly." Richie offered. Elio looked confused.

"Huh?" He looked to Connor who nodded and gestured to the guitar.

"Play badly."

~

A thud sounded as Danny gently slammed Eddie against the wall, holding him by his jacket and making him stand on his tiptoes. Eddies breath caught in his throat and his hands flitted to Danny's where they gripped his jacket.

"Breathe, Eddie." Danny guided calmly, looking into his eyes and nodding encouragingly. "Just breathe, okay?" Eddie closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. "Good, now pay attention to your surroundings." He opened his eyes and scanned the area directly around him. "If there is nothing around you, what's on you?" Eddie shook his head, he looked at his outfit, shoes, jeans, long sleeve shirt, jacket, socks. Wait, my jacket. "Your small so getting you off the ground is easy, even now your barely standing on the ground. You're best bet is to get back on the ground."

"Okay," Eddie took a deep breath and quickly slipped his arms from his jacket, ducking and gaining his footing. He grabbed the sleeves and wrapped them around Danny's wrists, pulling hard and letting himself slip to the floor, dragging him to the ground with him. Eddie spun around and rolled on top of him still holding on to the jacket.

"Ooo quick. I like it." Danny commented. "I like the touch with the jacket." Danny pulled his wrists apart harshly, grabbing the ends of the sleeves and flinging the jacket behind Eddies neck and yanking him close, their noses almost touching. "Not quick enough though." Danny rolled over on top of Eddie and crossed the sleeves around his neck. His small hands reached to grab the jacket, but Danny was faster, he grabbed Eddies wrists and placed them at either side of his head, still holding the sleeves taut and tight around his neck. "Don't panic, Eddie." Danny noted the quickened pace of Eddies breathing. "The jacket is cutting circulation and air supply. You need to slow your breathing and conserve. Your arms and head are immobilized. What's free?"

You smell different. Eddie closed his eyes, hyperventilating and trembling slightly. Think, think. He looked up to Danny with distress, tears stinging at his eyes.

"You can do this, Eddie." Danny encouraged calmly. "Or you'll pass out from oxygen deprivation. Follow your intuition. What does your body want to do right now?" Eddies breathing slowed naturally as he started to get a bit lightheaded and dots filled his vision. He brought his feet under his knees and used the last of his strength to push his lower body up, sending Danny forwards. His grip loosened on his wrists and he broke free, wrapping his arms around Danny's waist and swinging their bodies to the side. He kicked Danny in the chest and slid himself away, pulling the jacket from his neck and coughing violently. "Nicely done, Ed's."

"Y-you said you'd be gentle." Eddie managed between coughs, sarcasm leaking through. Danny got up and adjusted the collar of his shirt before offering Eddie a hand and chuckling.

"I was."