reddie oneshots

hh

     i noticed eddie had become withdrawn over the past few weeks. he stopped talking, began wearing baggy clothes, and overall became a shell of his prior, usually outgoing, self.
     i wanted to help him, by i didn't know how. i didn't want to seem clingy or overbearing, but he looked really sick. the rest of the loser's club had brushed it off as his mother getting in his head, but i didn't agree.
      something was wrong, i could tell. but eddie just wouldn't talk. not to me; not to anybody.
     the final bell of school rang, and i shot up from my desk, headed to mine and eddie's shared locker.
     he was already standing there, his dull eyes glued to the ground.
     "hey eddie spaghetti!" i said excitedly. i had began to realized something was wrong when he stopped getting angry when i called him that.
     "hi 'chee." his voice was quiet. almost nonexistent.
     "you ok baby?" i asked him, looking down sadly at him.
     he nodded, not meeting my eyes.
     "we were going to go to the quarry tomorrow. you wanna go?" i asked him excitedly.
     "yeah, maybe."
     i beamed. this was the most positive answer i'd gotten from him in a while.
     "will you walk me home today?" eddie asked me softly.
     "sure thing eds. is the bowers gang out to get ya?" i joked.
     "no. i just want to spend some time with you." he slipped his hand into mine as we walked out of the school.
     i grinned happily. it wasn't often eddie was touchy anymore.
     "what's the special occasion?" i giggled.
     "huh?" eddie asked, his eyebrows pinching together.
    "oh, uhh, sorry, you just haven't been touchy lately. are you ok?"
     "sorry," eddie whispered, beginning to pull his hand away, but i tightened up on it. "yeah i'm fine."
     he wasn't fine. i could tell. but i didn't know how to bring it up without upsetting him.
     we strolled to a stop outside of eddie's house.
     "welp, this is it," i smiled down at him.
     eddie reaches down into his backpack and pulled out a sealed envelope.
     "open this when you get home, ok? and not a moment before," he told me sternly in the same monotone voice.
     "uhh, ok. sure thing eds," i said, beginning to walk away.
     eddie grabbed my wrist, halting me in my tracks. he stood up on his toes and pecked me on my cheek.
     "what was that for?" i asked, smiling and blushing madly.
     "you're my best friend, you know that, right?" his voice cracked.
     i looked down at him, concerned. "what's wrong eds?" i pleaded.
    he shook his head and waved me off. "i love you."
     "i love you too eds. i'll see you tomorrow, ok?"
     he didn't answer, just walked through his front door.
     i fiddled with the envelope on my way home, shaking it a bit. something rattled.
     i bit my lip, debating if i should open it or not.
     sighing, i ripped open the envelope, gasping when i saw what made the rattling.
     it was the friendship bracelet i had made him so many years ago in kindergarten summer camp. my name was spelled out in the beads; eddie's name was spelled out in mine.
     i noticed a letter in the envelope, and pulled it out, my heart beating faster.
dear richie, my love

     by the time you read this, i'll already be gone-
     by this line i turned around and began running back to eddie's house, still reading the letter.
-it's not your fault. please don't blame yourself. i'm sorry i had to leave you like this. please don't forget me.
     i love you, eddie
     the words had been smudged by what looked like tear marks. i ran even faster then i was.
     i didn't even bother knocking on the front door, i just ran inside, much to the dismay of eddie's mother.
     "richard tozier!" she shrieked.
     "call an ambulance!" i screamed back, running up her stairs.
     i slid into eddie's room; he was there. laying on his bed, pale and unmoving.
     "eddie!" i cried.
      he didn't move.
      i immediately checked for a pulse; it was there, but weak. i could hear sirens in the distance.

     i sat in the hospital room; the only noises were eddie harsh breathing and the beeping of the heart machine.
     a quiet knock rang out, followed by a doctor walking inside. i could still hear eddie's mother screaming from the hallway.
     "that boy fucks everything up!" echoed through the hallway before the door was promptly shut.
     she had been mad when she realized eddie had tried to kill himself, and even madder when 'he couldn't even get that right'.
     i was just happy eddie didn't have to hear that.
     "we're going to try to wake him up," the doctor informed me, snapping me out of my thoughts. "you can stay, but i'd think it'd be best if you stopped crying. he's going to be stressed when he wakes up, and i don't think seeing you like that would help."
     i hadn't realized i was crying, but i nodded and stood up, walking into the small bathroom and splashing my face with water.
     when i walked back out, eddie's eyes were open. a fresh wave of tears welled up in my eyes.
     the doctor looked up at me. "don't cry!" she mouthed.
     i blinked rapidly, swallowing hard, before walking closer to eddie.
     his dull eyes brightened the slightest bit.
     i didn't know what i should say, so i just smiled at him. after a moment, the doctors were done, and they left the room, hopefully to go deal with his mother.
     i crawled into the bed beside eddie, wrapping him up in a hug.
     "i'm so sorry 'chee," he whispered raggedly.
i patted his head gently. "why'd you do it eds?" i asked, my voice wobbling.
     "i couldn't take it anymore, 'chee, i'm so sorry," he sniffled.
     "what couldn't you take?" i needed an answer. "you know i would've listened to you. i could've help-"
     "i know, i know, i'm sorry," he sobbed.
     i held him tighter; i hadn't meant to make him cry. "hey, hey. it's ok."
     "it w-was my m-mom... and henry- henry bowers... and teachers, and-"
     "eds, what are you talking about?" i cut off his babbling.
     he swallowed. "you asked me why i did it," he whispered quietly.
     i was confused, and eddie sensed that. he took a shaky breath.
     "i have to tell you something..."
     "ok? i'm listening."
     he quickly wiped the tears running down his cheeks. "i'm gay."
     "that's it?"
     "i came out to my mom, she told me i was sick, and some- somehow bowers found out... and he- bowers spread really vile rumors about me, teachers found out... they started treating me like i was invisible. richie i felt invisible anywhere, i didn't- i didn't think anybody would even notice if i was gone."
     he was gasping by the end of it, shaking with sobs.
     i couldn't think of anything to respond with. i just held him tightly, refusing to let him go.
     eddie collapsed into sobs, going limp in my arms. "i'm so sorry 'chee," he cried.
     "eds," i cooed. "look at me."
     he slowly turned his tear filled eyes up to my own.
     "i love you. you are the most important person in my life, and i could not imagine my life without you in it." i wiped the tears falling down his face with my sleeve. "you are my best friend, eddie, and-" i blinked back tears- "eds i think i'm in love with you."
     eddie sobbed, his face breaking into a grin. "r-really?"
     i nodded, tears streaming down my face as well. "please don't hurt yourself again eds," i pleaded on a more serious note.
     "i won't," he whispered before closing his eyes.
     i slipped my hand in my pocket, producing the friendship bracelet. i placed it on eddie's wrist.
he reopened his eyes, smiled down at it.
"you know what that means?"
"what?" he asked sleepily.
"that means you're mine." i kissed his forehead, pretending i didn't notice his flushed face. "i love you eds."
"i love you too 'chee."