Bloody Noses & Crack'd Crowns

Chapter 10

I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY. All credit goes to TheWeaverofWorlds on ao3

If Eddie had been asked afterward why he had said what he said, and he would be asked by Bill and Mike, he wouldn't be able to answer. Maybe the White Knight had broken through when Bill said he wasn't in the line for having boyfriends, angered by the unfairness of it all. Or perhaps the rebellious plant had pushed the gate open when Eddie had seen Richie looking at Stan with that soft familiarly fond expression. It could have been in the way Mr. Keene told him to stay away from the Losers or how Robert's smile curved as his hand wrapped around Georgie's shoulder this morning. For all Eddie knew it could be the goddamn universe telling him it was time to spill his secrets. It might have been all those things added up or none of them. Maybe Eddie had just wanted to prove that Robert hadn't done irrevocable damage to him yet, that he was still a free agent. Eddie didn't know what traitorous thing in him longed to speak the truth or how it gained control, but in that moment it did. Judas changed into Brutus.

As Eddie spoke Richie turned away from Bill and Stan, curiosity written across his face.

"The reason we moved to Derry was because of Robert's friends." Eddie said, his tongue tripping over his words as they spilled from his lips.

"Everyone's got to have friends, Eds. Even you."

"Not those sort of friends, dumbass. These men are evil."

"Eddie?" Mike's voice was pitched dangerously high.

The others must have heard him because now both Mike and Bill were looking at Eddie, eyes wide with fear. It wasn't enough to stop Eddie's treacherous tongue.

"They like to watch kids fight illegally. They make a lot of money off of it." Everyone in the room was listening now. There was no going back.

"Like Street Fighter?"

Trust Richie to try and make light of a terrible situation.

"No Richie. It's not like Street Fighter. People are getting hurt." Eddie gasped using his inhaler. "Mike and Bill are getting hurt." Another sharp inhale. "It's not a fucking game."

Beverly's eyes were wide with shock. For a moment no one moved.

"Is this true?" Ben asked Mike.

Mike nodded once. It was enough.

"Oh my god," Beverly said. From her tone alone Mike knew Beverly didn't know the truth, had never known. He felt a strange relief that he had been right about her after all.

Richie turned away from Eddie to Bill. "When you talked about beating me in a fight that wasn't a joke."

Bill looked at Stan who had moved away from him and was staring at him with an expression that could only be described as horror. He turned away willing himself to ignore the way his heart was beating so irregularly. "It w-w-wasn't a joke."

"Fuck."

Bill felt a light touch on the inside of his wrist. He turned and found Stan looking up at him. There was fear behind his eyes, and Bill hoped that Stan wasn't afraid of him. It would kill him if he ever did something to frighten the other boy.

"You came here to fight?" Stan asked. He needed to hear the truth from Bill.

"Y-yes."

"Chicago? Las Vegas?"

Bill closed his eyes suddenly feeling frightened. "There t-too."

Stan fell into Bill's lap, burying his head into the other boy's shoulder. Bill was shocked at the open display of comfort, but he breathed in Stan's scent relaxing into the embrace. The fear and horror hadn't been directed at Bill, but at the situation which held him captive. He had been silly to think it could have been anything else. Stan was shaking and Bill realized that Stan was angry on his behalf. Bill held onto him never wanting to let go.