Do Not Fucking Touch Me // Reddie

Three

The clock stares at Eddie. He stares back. It's 11:58. No one has come to pick him up yet. There has been no static voices emerging from the walkie.

He hears a knocking noise at his window. It shocks him and he jumps. He gets closer and sees none other than Richie, throwing pebbles.

Eddie cracks open the window. "Shutthefuckup," he says quickly, merging it into one word.

"Just come outside, Eds."

Eddie shuts his window and worries his mom has heard Richie or the window shutting. He laces up his shoes and puts on his fanny pack. He takes in a deep breath before emerging out into the hallway. 

He peeks his little head out of his door and looks in the direction of the couch. She's still there. She hadn't gotten up and moved to her room.

He winces and takes the first step forward. A board creaks underneath his feet. He gasps and looks at his mother. She is still snoring. He carefully walks on tiptoes through the hall and towards the door. He grabs the handle and twists it which creates a tiny noise. He hurriedly opens the door and runs outside and shuts the door behind him.

Richie is waiting out there for Eddie, leaning against the fence. Eddie is hyperventilating.

"What's the deal, wheezy?" Richie teases.

Eddie snarls at him. "I've never snuck out before."

"My mom's going to kill me," he says under his breath.

Richie laughs. "You're ridiculous. I've never met a man so deeply invested in his mother."

"Except I'm deeply invested in her too!" He couldn't resist a joke poking at Eddie's mom. Eddie hates those jokes particularly.

"You're the worst. Let's go."

The two start walking down the street toward the Barracks. It's only about a mile from Eddie's house.

"I wonder what this is about.." Eddie says.

"They just still want us to be close, I guess. Even after all that happened, Bill wants us to do things together, like we used to."

"It's never going to be like it used to be," Eddie says, looking down at his feet while he walks.

"Eddie stop that. Pennywise is DEAD, okay? Dead. We killed him. It's only natural that we go back to being just losers again," Richie says.

"Why are you friends with us?" Eddie spits out.

Richie furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're not that much of a loser. You have bad jokes, but other than that I just don't get it..."

Richie laughs. "I'm just as much of a loser as everyone else. Do you see these specks?"

He takes off his glasses and puts them over Eddie's eyes.

Eddie squints. "Damn, I can't see shit."

Richie nods and takes them back, adjusting them on his face.

"I get why they make fun of me though," Eddie adds.

"Well why's that?" Richie asks.

Eddie sighs. He looks down at the clothes his mom makes him wear, the fanny pack she makes him carry, it's all bullshit.

"Just look at me. I'm such an easy target. A fucking mama's boy germaphobe freak."

Eddie frowns. Richie tosses Eddie's hair.

"But you're not. I know that's what Henry and them say, but you hate your mom. I know you better than they do."

Eddie scoffs. "Please. You make fun of me more than they do."

"It's out of love, though. I don't mean it."

Eddie stops walking.

Tears well up in his eyes. "Can you stop then?" He yells. "Just stop teasing me so much! I hate it and it makes me feel like shit okay?"

Eddie sits on the curb and continues to sob. Richie pauses and sits next to him. He wraps an arm around him and pulls his friend close.

"I'm sorry." He finally says. Eddie Kapsbrack has been waiting to hear him say that for years.

Eddie stops crying and sniffles. He unzips his fanny pack and pulls out a pack of tissues and blows his nose. He throws the tissue in anger and wipes his eyes with his hands.

"Why am I such a crybaby? A fucking scaredy cat? Why can't I be like you?" Eddie asks.

Richie looks at Eddie while Eddie stares at the ground. He touches Eddie's chin and lifts his face towards him.

"Eds, you're better than me. I'm a piece of shit loudmouth annoying asshole."

Eddie laughs and forgets for a second why he is so sad. Eddie shakes his head in disagreement with Richie's statement.

The two boys chuckle on the sidewalk only another minute of walking away from the Barracks.

Eddie stares into Richie's brown eyes and smiles faintly. Richie pulls his small friend into a hug. He holds onto him tightly. He hates seeing Eddie feel so bad about himself and so fragile. He kisses the top of Eddie's head. Eddie looks up with a puzzled look on his face.

"Cheer up, buttercup," Richie teases. He leans down and leaves the tiniest softest of kisses on Eddie Kapsbrack's lips. 

Both boys blush and get up off the curb and walk to their friends, both looking down and smiling to themselves without saying another word.