Breathe ⭐️ Reddie

10

Richie's situation wasn't anything he volunteered for, yet he found it to be the most relaxing and secure he'd ever felt. Sure, he was locked in a room with no outside contact and he couldn't leave, but since he'd left the only person he'd encountered that was intentionally set on hurting him was Stan after he tried to run away. Even then, Stan was laughing along when he made a joke in the room where he was brought after they arrived at their destination.

Despite the feeling of security, Richie was unable to sleep. He couldn't get Eddie's words out of his head. Nothing Eddie said was wrong, Richie didn't know when to shut his mouth, but it still hurt. The expression on Eddie's face screamed disappointment, and the last thing Richie wanted to do was disappoint one of the few people who hadn't tried to hurt him.

The room he was stuck in had no clock or windows, and Richie didn't have any of his belongings besides his glasses. That meant he didn't know what time it was, where he was, and he couldn't block out the world by listening to music.

He guessed he'd been in there for about twelve hours when a beeping sound filled the room and the door opened.

"Stan?" Richie asked, catching sight of a person with curly hair entering the room.

Sure enough, Stan walked in holding a tray and handed it to Richie. "Yeah, here's breakfast."

When Richie accepted it, Stan stood for a few more minutes in the silence of the room before sitting down and leaning against the wall in the room.

"Didn't sleep?" he asked, noticing how bloodshot Richie's eyes were and how slow he was eating.

Richie shook his head, eating slowly. He seemed like he was in a daze, unsure of what he was doing or what to think.

"Oh." Stan sat awkwardly, not knowing how to keep conversation with someone who looked like a walking zombie.

"Are there cameras in here?" Richie asked quietly. Even though he knew he had no power or control over the situation, Richie hated the idea of people being able to just watch him whenever they felt like it.

Stan shook his head. "No, Eddie told us last night to turn them off. He wanted you to have privacy, so Ben turned them off and assured our superiors that you wouldn't try to get out."

Richie smiled weakly, realizing that Eddie may actually care about him if he went out of his way to make sure he had privacy and wasn't under the constant watch of people he didn't know.

"He cares about you, you know," Stan said.

"Hm?" Richie asked, turning to look at Stan.

"Eddie. He told us he yelled at you for no reason, and he felt really bad. He knows you didn't do anything to deserve it."

Richie laughed dryly. "Then why'd he get all mad? I don't know what it is you guys do, but based on everything I've heard in the van and here, you guys aren't doing anything legal. So, yeah, I get that he might be stressed or whatever, but why the fuck did he have to take it out on me?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry. He'll probably come in later to talk to you, unless you don't want that."

Richie narrowed his eyes, trying to fight off the blush that covered his face. "Why the fuck would he want to talk to me?"

Stan rolled his eyes. "Because Eddie's a dumbass and clearly likes you, but he's not supposed to, so obviously he wants to talk to you but he's going to be a bitch about it."

"Why isn't he supposed to like me?"

"It's part of the job."

Richie sighed and laid back on his bed and ran his hands through his hair. Stan saw this as Richie being done with their conversation so he stood to leave.