Streddie: All I Need Is To Fix This Thing

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

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Eddie held Richie's face in his hands while he looked into his eyes. "Richie, are you okay? Do you feel dizzy, or disoriented, or, or-" Richie looked down trying to pull his head from Eddie's grip but Eddie just held tighter looking concerned. "I just, I just want to know that you're okay, Richie."  Richie's eyes started to water again as he saw Eddie's eyes tear up because he felt like such a horrible person for making Eddie cry. Richie started to tug on a lock of his hair again as his mind started to spiral, but he was pulled out of it when Stan's hand held onto his, gently removing it from his hair and replacing it with his own as well as stroking Richie's hand with his. Richie closed his eyes since he couldn't bare to look into either of their eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I just couldn't take it anymore after my parents told me I should lose weight, and that not even a queer would touch me because I weighed so much,  and Bowers- he told me that maybe if he beat me enough I could lose some pounds, and, and then my mouth, and I couldn't eat anymore if I wanted to and, and I'm sorry." Eddie and Stan looked so sad, all of them had looked so sad  when Richie had stopped his word vomit that he automatically began to spew apologies in the hopes that they would forgive him. Richie started talking in his hoarse voice, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you guys. I promise I'll be okay you don't need to be upset. I'm sorry." Eddie leaned forward once he finished spewing words and he hugged Richie as he whispered that he didn't need to apologize, but he hugged Richie just too tight for it not to hurt and Richie accidentally let a whimper slip from his lips that he knew neither Eddie nor Stan could have missed. "Shirt off Richie. Please" Richie quickly raised his shaking arms to his shirts hemline,  while the old Richie would have made a joke about being patient. but the old Richie wasn't here, so off went Richie's shirt.

The members of the group stared at Richie's chest until Eddie leaned back, reaching into his fanny pack to grab some supplies to stop the blood that was sluggishly leaking from his side after his encounter with Bowers the night before. Stan lightly ran his hands over the bruises littering Richie's stomach and back, and Richie flinched away when he felt the cool fingers. "I'm sorry, sorry, I know you just want to help, I'm so stupid sometimes." Stan retracted his fingers as Eddie stemmed the blood flow and he held Richie's hands in his own. "No no, Richie, it's not your fault. It's not your fault Richie, I love you so much. This is not your fault" Eddie peered up from the work he was doing on Richie's stomach and smiled slightly at the sight of the two boys sitting in front of him. "I love you too, Richie." Eddie looked back down to his work and sighed softly, whispering under his breath, "I also love you, Stan." Stan heard and gently ran a hand through Eddie's hair. He whispered just as quietly. "I love you also, Eddie." Richie hesitantly smiled and looked between the two boys in front of, and next to him. He said his next words quietly, maybe in fear of them being received badly. "I bet that I love both of you more." Stan and Eddie both smiled up at Richie, and Richie let a small smile wash over his face. The other Losers watched this unfold from their place in the doorway, smiling at their three friends, glad that someone had finally said something due to how obvious it was. As Richie flinched a little in pain when Eddie cleaned a cut Stan offered him his hand, and his heart went out to the boy sitting next to him because he was a survivor, and he loved him with every piece of his heart.

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Whooo, chapter five completed. My cats laying on me so its a little straining on my shoulder but I hope you enjoy it!