𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡.

𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 | 𝐞&𝐫

[PRESENT DAY]

A chill rushed over Richie's bare back as it hit the cool tiles of the closet. His eyes looked upward at the flickering ceiling light, and then met Eddie's as Eddie hovered over him. Richie laughed a bit, and Eddie smiled back.

"Well? Are we doing this thing?" Richie said, sitting up against the wall now, letting his hands rest on the ground still. Eddie joined him, wincing at the grimy feeling of the floor, but trying not to think about it. Eddie looked at Richie with a playful annoyance. "I'd like it better if you didn't say 'doing this thing'..."

Richie sarcastically rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. Are we?"

The words vanished from Eddie's lips - he didn't know how exactly to answer. This was the feeling he'd felt before, his heart aflame with a red and azure hue, his knees weak, and the chilliness of the room amplified. He didn't know if Richie even realized how much of a hold he had on Eddie - he really was the one in control. No matter how hard Eddie had tried to suppress his feelings, they always came back. It was like feeding a stray dog - the more you feed it, the more it comes back, scratching and barking outside the door. The problem, however, is that it trusts you for one thing, and one thing only - food. What would happen if you let it inside your house? If you let it stay there, and let it see the good, the bad, and the ugly? Will that reliance on you for the food simply go away?

Eddie had been hurt. Numerous times, as has anyone. He didn't know if he was ready to have Richie. It was different than going on senseless dates on dating apps, or meeting someone at school and hooking up with them - no.

He knew the type of person that Richie was.

He knew that he could love in a sick fashion. Richie had a penchant for passion, and he would do whatever it took to satisfy that itch. Eddie knew it was dangerous, being obsessed with desire. He'd felt the same way in the past, so much so that now he despised it. Yearning was uncomfortable for him, and he'd had been feeling it ever since he first laid eyes on Richie. It was why he was pissed off all of the time - he absolutely hated having an urge for something he knew would be bad for him. It was like watching the burn of a flame - there's nothing you can do. The fire will consume what it wants and when it wants.

There would be no painless ending.

Eddie let out a sharp sort of laugh, sounding almost forced. He wanted Richie to know that he was still there, and not floating off into a world of his own.

"I'm gonna be fine either way." Richie said in a bit of a weaker voice, still having sort of smile.

They both knew that was a lie.

Eddie touched his own face for a second, resting his head. He's so...

"Richie, I want to know what happened with your ex." Eddie said, before he could stop himself.