REDDIE ONE SHOTS

bubble gum.

you look so nice in your shirt, it's sad because it just hurts. i'd do anything for you. but would you do that for me, too?

he stood in the mirror, attempting to fix his bowtie. his usual mess of dark hair now styled. "fucking bowtie." he threw it down on the floor.

"need help?" bev stood in a beautiful red dress and her red hair in an updo. she picked up the fallen tie and adjusted it for him. "you're shaking, rich. what's wrong?"

richie just sighed as he put his head on her shoulder. "just nervous, i guess. i just need a xanax and maybe i'll be okay." he joked.

bev knew it wasn't his nerves. she knew he was in pain. his first and only love walking down the aisle with someone else. she placed her hand on his cheek and pushed his glasses up. "you got this best man, don't fuck it up." she kissed his cheek and left him alone.

"c'mon trashmouth, get your shit together." he hit his face. he began to pace around the room, almost hyperventilating. two knocks came from the other side of the door. stan said something about him being outside in two minutes or else his ass is grass. with one final glance, he put on his best fake smile and walked out the door.

only stan stood outside waiting. myra only allowed eddie to have one groomsman and a best man. "better late than never." he rolled his eyes before walking into another room.

"bite me." richie spat out. another door opened and eddie stepped out. his suit was perfectly ironed, no hair sticking up, everything was perfect. when was eddie not perfect? "eds, your mom is looking pretty fucking hot in that lime green dress." he sighed and let his back hit the wall, slowly sliding down. "woah, be careful myra doesn't eat your ass for that one. or do you like that, you sick fuck?"

"shut the fuck up, richie." he almost cried out.

richie's eyes turned huge as he saw him break down. "woah, woah, woah, spaghetti what's wrong?" he knelt down and touched his shoulder gently.

eddie's eyes met richie's eyes. "do you ever want to go back and change things? go back in time and fix all the mistakes you made?" richie remained silent as he sat next to his best friend. "like that one time when i accidentally broke greta's pencil and she told everyone that i still slept in the same bed as my mom?" both of them laughed. "i just wish i could go back and fix this one thing. maybe my whole life would be different and i would be happy."

richie just stared at his feet. "i feel you on that one, dude. i just wish i was more honest. honest with others and maybe myself? things would be so much different." he took a deep breath. he could feel eddie's eyes looking at his face.

"richie, i-i have to tell you something." richie looked into his brown eyes. "i-"

light music began to play and stan came in through the doors. he looked almost upset. "let's go, boys." they both stood up, straightening out their suits.

"eduardo, ándale." he pushed him to the doors though he so badly didn't want to.

♦

the wedding ended and richie couldn't be happier. he just wanted to get drunk and go home.

he sat up with eddie and stan while the rest of the losers had a table. "they better serve good food or i swear i will go kiss your mother right now." he whispered to eddie getting an eye roll in return.

myra stood up and smiled. "first, my sister will speak and then richie." her sister's speech was good but richie swore she stole it off of some website because it was too good. her sister sat down and everyone's eyes turned towards richie.

he got up and awkwardly laughed. "just like to start my speech off with saying hello to mrs. kaspbrak." everyone who knew richie laughed while eddie turned red. "anyways, at first i was like 'oh i can handle this like one of my stand up acts' but i do see many children here and i know eddie won't find it funny." he took a long breath. "i've known this shortstack for what seems like an eternity. seriously, i think we first met when that big fire ball killed our dinosaur friends. if anyone knows eddie and i, they know we fight. bickering about anything. what color the sky is or which street fighter character is the best, which we know is ryu. but you know what, i wouldn't give up those little fights for anything in the world. you know why? because it makes us, richie and eddie. richie and eddie, the two kids you'll hear screaming at dawn. richie and eddie, the polar opposite pair. richie and eddie, the two best friends." he looked at eddie and smiled. "i wouldn't trade anything for my eddie spaghetti. it's so hard not to end this on a 'your mom' joke so i'm going to part by saying something to myra. myra, eds may be a little psycho but he means well and i-i-hope the best for the both of you. to mr and mrs kaspbrak!" everyone clapped and he took his seat. eddie placed his hand on top on his and smiled with a few tears in his eyes.

the night was filled with drinking, dancing, and screaming 'dancing queen' with bill. richie was pretty tipsy by the end of the night. he lost count after six cups of whiskey. mike and stan were holding him up as they walked him up to his hotel room. "wait, wait, wait, where's eds at?" both of the men looked at each other quickly.

"i think you should lay down and sleep, eddie is with myra." mike said while richie hiccuped. they placed him on the bed and he sighed. "we are right down the hall, okay? don't do anything dumb." mike left the room first.

"i'm sorry, rich. i really am." stan whispered to himself as he turned out the light.

richie slept until ten thirty. he groaned as he got up. the daylight hit his fragile eyes. he could feel himself sobering up but it hurt like a bitch. he was nauseous and knew the fourth shot of tequila was a bad idea. he grabbed a bottle of water and sat on the edge of the bed. he wish he could blur out last night but he couldn't. the one thing he kept thinking of was what eddie was going to say before they were interrupted.

"richie, i-i-i-" eddie's face was still fresh in his mind.

what was he going to say? was he going to confess his love like richie has been dying to do for years. was he just going to thank him? he let it eat up his stomach until he forced himself up. he ran up to the honeymoon suite and began to bang on the door. no one answered but it did catch someone's attention. "richie, what the hell?"

"bev, where's eddie?" she looked down on the floor. "beverly, come on please!"

she spoke up. "they left this morning, i-i'm sorry rich." his back hit the wall as he brought his hands up to his tired face.

"i'm too late." he mumbled. "i'm too fucking late." he sank to the floor, letting the pain and grief hit him.