𝓟𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓘𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

[6]

Richie stayed up after Eddie fell asleep the headphones still on the other's ears as the cord led down to the Walkman in his jacket pocket, he was sitting against his headboard listening to Eddie's steady breathing, He wasn't tired, he hadn't been in a long time. He has no time to sleep, he had to be ready to protect himself. He hated how things became, he hated that he never wanted to see his friends, and mostly he hated how Eddie was still coming over making everything even worse.

He waited till an hour before his parents were usually awake and shoved at Eddie harshly, like he did everytime he showed up, and Eddie sat up glancing over at him, Richie got up and went to his closet grabbing a sweater throwing it over his tank top and looked over at Eddie, there was a lot he wanted to say to him but didn't, at this point he wasn't even sure his voice still worked, he hadn't heard it in months.

Eddie got up and went over to him "Richie, what changed? Where have you been? Why does it seem like your parents fight now? They were so sweet."

Right, his parents had been sweet once, he forgot, Richie just shrugged, Eddie can't keep doing this, he'll try to ask if Richie's okay after sleeping in his house uninvited. And it was so..cute.. Eddie can't keep torturing him like this.

Richie pushed past him and Eddie turned grabbing onto his wrist, Richie looks at him quickly wide-eyed and lips slightly parted.

"Richie I'm your friend you should tell me if you're not okay, I can help."

Richie pressed his lips back together staring at their hands and tries to pull it away only making Eddie get closer to him.

"Richie please." He softly rubbed Richie's wrist with his thumb Richie looked up at him.

Why was he doing this?

Eddie sighed "I just want to talk to you again, you're my best friend Richie, I hate seeing you hurt. If I can he-"

Richie sighed angrily "You can't help, all of this is none of your business, you need to stop coming over here, I'm tired of you saying this over and over again, things might actually get better if I don't have a reason to be like this."

Eddie let's go of his wrist messing with his own fingers.

"Be like what Richie?"

Richie looked at the ground and backed up.

"If you're mad at me I deserve to know why."

"I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at me because of you."

"But why?"

Richie looks back at him, of all the fantasies of how he told Eddie, this is not how he'll let it happen, if it ever happens he's going to make it better, Eddie doesn't deserve this. So he just stares at him longing for him, thinking of anything he could do to avoid telling him.

Eddie sighs "Whatever it is Richie, I hope there's someone you let help you. I just wish you would tell me."

Richie goes to his door opening it quietly looking around and closes it behind him quickly going to the bathroom locking himself in.

Eddie sighs and goes out the window all the way back home.