"what are you- eddie? why are you guys out here? it's late." you could tell by his voice that he had been sleeping, rubbing his eyes too.
"heh, funny story. we needed to get the cops off our trail." richie awkwardly said while scratching his neck. mike widened his eyes.
"the cops?! why? what? how!" his usual soft voice was now louder than any of his friends have heard. before either of them could respond mike interrupted.
"it's cold out here guys, let's go inside I'll get you a blanket and some hot chocolate." eddie couldn't help but smile softly at mikes overprotectiveness. ever since his parents passed, he cared for every single one of his friends. he took it as a responsibility to care and protect his friends at all cost, make them feel cared about.
the three walked inside and mike immediately went to a small closet and grabbed one big cozy blanket. he pointed to the couch for them to sit down. they obeyed, only to be met by a blanket smacking them right in the face.
"bullseye." mike grinned. richie laughed and flipped him off while eddie just spread the blanket so neither of them had spaces to be cold. mike went to kitchen and started preparing the hot chocolate while the two just awkwardly sat on the couch, not saying a word. eddie felt extremely sorry for what he said to richie, but he thought it was the truth.
hint hint: thought
richies mind was wandering off.
why do I even care? I'm not gay either. I have no right to be mad at him. god richie you're so stupid, always messing things up.
he stopped for a second.
do I like him?
nah
before eddie could apologize, mike walked in with two light pink mugs.
"I hope it's not too hot, be careful when you drink it. so, what happened?" mike questioned curiously.
"me and richie went to the elementary school playground to hang out and the cop cars came out of nowhere." eddie blurted out. it was the first thing mike had heard him say since they got there.
"so... you guys were on a date?"
both richie and eddies eyes went wide and quickly shook their heads in denial.
"no no no! it's nothing like that, can't friends hang out? you know like friends who don't like each other that way!" eddie shouted out. mike held up his forefinger to his mouth to shush him.
"my pops is sleeping, quiet down!"
"nah mikey boy, eddie couldn't get with this" richie pointed to his body. "even if he tried." he replied with a smirk. mike chuckled while eddie just made a face. mike could feel the awkward tension radiating off the two.
"did something happen?" richie and eddie looked at each other and quickly shook their heads.
"n-no, we're just tired. we'll go home now." richie forced a tight lipped smile and got up, only to be stopped by mike.
"you really think I'll let you leave this late?" he scoffed before continuing "no way."
"but-"
"no butts."
"I hate you."
"love you too."
mike told them to sleep in the pull out bed that the couch had inside of it. they were both hesitant to sleep next to each other but did anyways, too tired to argue. mike headed back upstairs, leaving the two alone.
richie was on the left side while eddie slept on the right side. there was awkward yet comfortable silence thick in the air.
"um, bub?"
richie hummed tiredly in response.
"I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean to sound rude."
but did you mean it eds? richie thought loudly.
"don't call me eds." richie widened his eyes in realization that he had said that out loud.
"well...I forgive you. I'm not gay either eddie." eddie frowned at the fact that he called him eddie. richie continued. "I was also just caught up in the moment. you're my best friend, nothing more nothing less." he sounded like he was trying to convince himself that was true. he pressed a smile on his lips turned back around to his side.
"goodnight spaghetti."
"good night bub."
the two boys were both really cold, hoping the other would move in closer or something, for the sake of being warm, and wanting some affection. but neither of them did. eddie didn't sleep at all, while richie had a nightmare about his father.
"dad please no, stop!" the boy was small, 8 years to be exact. his father just grinned at him with a wicked evil grin.
"you're scared? pathetic!" he punched his son once again. right in the nose. the small boy had blood all over, and red cheeks that were stained from tears. his father had red knuckles with blood all over. he slapped the boy once more before walking away.
"you're a disappointment to us." he spat at him with one last kick to the stomach.
the boy silently sobbed on the floor, weak.
he was pathetic
he was scared
he was a disappointment to everybody.
eddie did feel how richie was thrusting in his sleep violently. he had no idea what to do so he just wrapped an arm around the lanky boy and caressed his hair soothingly.
richie stopped shaking a little after. eddie didn't know what the nightmares were about, but he knew about the boys past. so he connected the two and realized he was dreaming about something that did happen, breaking eddies little heart. he didn't wanna ask richie, it was too private and probably hurt to even talk about. but eddie was willing to help him through it all.
the suffering, abuse had stopped. his parents were never home, except for maggie. she came back home every two weeks just to get drunk and make sure CPS hadn't taken her son yet, it would bring too much trouble to both parents.
it's not like richie hasn't tried to get out of the living hell house hold, because he has. but derry is a shit town. who's gonna give a shit about some boy getting a couple of hits by his parents? richie did indeed go down to the police station, and the police did in fact come to their house but maggie was home that week. just in luck for her. she denied anything of abuse and forced a smile.
richie got a beat later that night for trying to say something.
so he never tried after that.
YOU ARE READING
(DISCONTINUED!) LOVERS, reddie
Fanfictionin which they're 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 in 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. (june 2020, willthew1se)
