Through Good & Bad (Reddie)

Chapter V- Trust

Eddie helps Richie get off his bike, and into The Wheeler's house
"Where are they?" He asks
"Arizona. I told you earlier" Richie sits against the wall, and sighs. He can't keep going. No one ever beat him this bad
"Where's the bathroom?"
"End of the hall"
"Cool. Let's go"
"What?"
Eddie lifts Richie up, and sits him on the toilet

"Shit, Rich. He really fucked you up"
"You should've seen him. I smashed him"
"I doubt it"
"You doubt of my fighting skills?"
"If you did smash him, how the fuck did you end up like this?"
"His goons were there. It wasn't a fair fight."
"They were all there? Shit, of course they were. Fuck, Richie. Why didn't you run?"
"I don't run, Eds"
"Fuck that. You could've died!"

He holds Richie's hands and put them under water. His knuckles are all bloody. Some of it is not his blood, but some is.
"Lucas would've disapproved me running away"
"Who the fuck cares?" Eddie barely screams, then looks down and sighs "That's not what I meant"
Richie just nods
"Lucas would've disapproved you dying"
"I'm okay, Eds"
"Shit, you don't know Henry, idiot. He could've killed you. He's capable of those kind of things. He's crazy, Rich"
Eddie rubs his soaped hands against Richie's, who makes a few pain gestures from time to time.

He finally closes the water tap, and carefully gets Richie's hands dry.
"This is gonna hurt" he grabs the alcohol bottle from one of the shelves, and drops some on his hands.
"WHAT THE FUCK, EDDIE?" Richie screams
"Told ya" he smiles
"Are you enjoying this, you little shit?"
"Little shit? How dare you!?"
"I'm just kidding" Richie fakes a smile.
He feels bad laughing, or even smiling. His childhood friend's dead.

"Let me see you" Eddie gets closer to Rich, and holds his face between his hands. He drops some alcohol on a piece of cotton, and gently cleans the boy's cuts.
Richie keeps his hands on the side of his body, trying not to touch Eddie, who's practically standing in between his legs.
Eds moves nimbly around the bathroom like it was his own. He covers Richie's injuries with bandaids he found on his funny pack
"Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead" Eddie replies, still cleaning little cuts here and there
"Why do you always carry a funny pack?"
"Um... I guess I like it? And, I needed some safe place to save my inhaler in"
"How asthmatic are you? I've never seen you get an attack"
"I have some trouble breathing sometimes. It happened at the park, before I woke you up"
"Awe, I took your breath away?"
Eddie looks at him, and shakes his head

"Is that really the first thing that came into your head?"
"Of course it was. 'Take My Breath Away' is a classic"
"Whatever you say, Richie Rich." Eddie smiles "Take off your shirt"
"What?"
"I saw you touching your ribs. Kicking you while you're down?" Eddie lifts his shirt up, showing Richie a few old bruises "I know Bowers' style"
"That's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna take my freaking shirt off" Rich blushes, shaking his head. He never undresses in front of people, no matter who they are "Thank you, but I'm fine"
"I'm not asking you to show me your dick, Richie. It's just a shirt"

Eddie knows what taking his shirt means. Showing all the bruises on his skin. Not the ones Henry Bowers caused, but the ones he caused himself, pinching his arm
"Why would I be embarrassed to show you my dick? It's longer than your life"
Eds frowns, and shakes his head
"Gross, Richie"
"I... I'm not exactly comfortable showing my body, Eds."
"It's just me, dude. You have nothing to be ashamed of..."
"I'm not hurt. I'm fine"
"Rich, please... I- What can I do to help?"
"Just..." Richie sighs.
"Look. It's just us. Okay? No one else. You know you can trust me."
Eddie takes off his shirt, and looks away, embarrassed. Richie looks at him, and blushes. He's been avoiding eye contact for the past five minutes, but right now, he can't stop staring

"See? There's nothing wrong with being shirtless" their eyes lock, and Eddie fakes a smile. He's not a fan of his body either. He's dying of embarrassment right now, but he has to hide it. For Richie. "C'mon now. Let me see what that shit did to you"
Rich closes his eyes, and turns around, as if that'd make things better somehow. He pulls his shirt off, and covers himself, showing Eddie nothing but his back.
Eddie steps forward, and just rests his hand on Rich's spine. He's really thin. Even thinner than he thought he was. He'd only seen Richie coatless once, for a few minutes, not ever thought he'd see him shirtless.
His ribs are very pronounced. He knew he was bony, but this is too much.