strawberries and cigarettes - reddie

three

song: the beach by the neighbourhood

hey guyssss. this chapter has some parts that might make you squeamish of uncomfortable. besides that, i dont really have much else to say, so i'm just gonna jump straight into it. hope ya'll enjoyyyy

"no, he's mine"

connor and eddie turned their heads in unison. "see, that's where you're wrong." connor spat out, still keeping a tight grip on eddie's thigh. eddie looked at richie with pleading eyes, practically begging him to help.

richie pulled a pocket knife (the same knife he used when carving he and eddie's initials) out of his back pocket, keeping it hidden behind his back. "let him go connor" he demanded, feeling his blood begin to boil. "or what?" connor chuckled. "he's my bitch, just like the rest of you losers"

eddie felt his throat start to close up as he looked at richie, daring a glance at connor's hand before looking back up at the raven-haired boy. eddie didn't want to be stuck in this position, but he really wanted to prevent this dangerous fight from happening.

"you'll be sorry if you don't, you fucking cunt." richie threatened, pressing the button which caused the knife to fling out. "let him go. now"

connor continued to laugh, giving eddie's thigh a light squeeze. "you won't do shit tozier? you're almost as pussy as eddie here" he brought a hand to eddie's jaw, forcing the asthmatic boy to face him. eddie gulped loudly and squeezed his eyes shut. he just wanted this to stop.

this caused richie to reach his breaking point.

he let out an angered, heavy breath as he swiftly moved the knife out from behind his back, slashing the arm connor was using to hold eddie's jaw.

"AHHH god damn it!! you mother fucker!!" connor screamed out in agony as he immediately removed his hand from eddie's jaw and examined the nasty wound. richie closed the knife and slid it into his front pocket before running to eddie's side and helping him out of the booth "lets get the fuck out of here!!" richie grabbed eddie's hand, dragging him outside of the building.

luckily, connor was in too much pain to chase after them, but they still ran for a good three minutes. "sit down" richie instructed, once he thought they were a good while away. eddie did as instructed and sat on the curb, grunting. richie crouched in front of eddie and searched the boy's face for any pain, his hands resting on eddie's knees.

before richie could begin talking again, he was interrupted by beverly, who was running over.

"richie, eddie!! is everything okay?" she asked, looking from one boy to the other, before she sat next to the smaller of the two. "connor" was all richie managed, both anger and tiredness in his voice. beverly nodded, going through her bag to fetch something. "here, give him some water. it should help." she handed richie her half-full water bottle, as she rubbed soothing strokes up and down eddie's back. 

richie's heart was aching as he watched eddie struggle to breathe. "it's okay, eds. deep breaths. in and out" he kept talking to him while attempting to open the water bottle. once he succeeded, richie held it towards the boy's lips. "drink."

eddie took a long sip before shifting around uncomfortably on the ground and coughing vigorously. "i'm going to have a rash from this grass." he panted out, as beverly dabbed the sweat off his face with a tissue she found in her bag. "eds, you're barely touching the grass," richie started, before deciding this wasn't the time to banter with the chestnut-haired boy. 

damn, girls have fucking everything in their bags, richie thought to himself.

"he's gone eddie, it's okay." richie sat down beside eddie, placing his hand on eddie's back. "are you okay? do you need your inhaler?" richie asked in a soothing voice, which caused beverly to bite her lower lip to keep from cooing at how soft the trashmouth was becoming. "i'm fine." eddie sighed, finishing what was left in the bottle and leaning his head against richie's shoulder weakly.