𝓟𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓘𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

[7]

For Eddie's birthday his mom was out of town, she apologized a million times and called to wish him a happy birthday which turned into an hour long conversation, She allowed him to have his friends over but fought him for twenty minutes before finally agreeing that Richie Tozier could also go. Eddie called everyone over and as they hung out kept looking at the door hoping Richie would walk through it, but he never did.

They decided to spend the night and Eddie was up the longest out of everyone,  he was watching movies laying stomach down, pillow under his chin at the foot of his bed while his friends slept peacefully on the floor below him.

Late into the night Eddie's bedroom door was gently pushed open and there stood Richie holding toilet paper under his nose, Eddie sat up and Richie walked over carefully not stepping on anyone and sat down pulling a small blue box out of his jacket pocket handing it to Eddie "Happy birthday Eds."

Eddie took the box and pulled the top off setting the box inside the lid. Inside was a cassette tape with the words; 'For a rose in a field of daisies' on the front.

Eddie looks up at Richie and wraps his arms around his neck hugging him tightly.

Richie loosely hugs back and buries his face in Eddie's shoulder.

Eddie sighs "Please stay the night Richie. Whatever's going on between us can wait till tomorrow. It's my birthday Richie please stay."

Richie hugs a little tighter and nods silently causing Eddie to smile.

"Thank you for the gift."

Richie nods again and finally pulls away from the hug. Eddie closes the box and sets in on his nightstand, Richie takes his shoes off setting them aside and Eddie watches as leaning over causes Richie's shirt to expose some of his skin covered in unkempt cuts and bruising.

Eddie stands up and gently grabs Richie's wrist and walks him to the bathroom. He closes the door behind him and Richie looks at him, Eddie turns his eyebrows scrunched together. He steps close to Richie and takes the toilet paper, blood runs down and puddles between his lips. He throws away the toilet paper and looks back at him running his thumbs down the new ridges on his nose.

Richie goes up to pull Eddie's hands away but Eddie retracts his hands first and grabs Richie's instead, he sits Richie on the toilet and looks down at him as he tears up.

"I thought it was going to wait until tomorrow."

Eddie cups his cheeks in his hands, "It is, I just want to fix it a bit okay?"

Richie nods hesitantly and Eddie grabs a small box from under the sink and pulls out gause, he has Richie hold it under his nose and gently Pinched down the bridge of his nose and Richie winces. He begs Eddie not to tell any medical professionals or the other losers. So instead he cracks it back himself when Eddie leaves for a few seconds and Eddie comes back lecturing him trying his best to clean him up while getting distracted and tending to more injuries.

After about an hour he stops looking up at Richie from the floor and rolls his pant leg back down.

Richie looks back at him and they stay like that for a bit, Richie softly grins "Am I that pretty or something Eds?"

Eddie chuckles, "There you are."