Take me back to the start. (reddie)

1.

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

Richie met Eddie when he was 12, the smaller boy had a lot of issues and Richie's jokes about his mom were a breath of fresh air.
Eddie was a breath of fresh air for Richie as well, the light in the darkness of his life at home with his parents. The beer bottles smashing against the wall at 2am when he tried to sleep, over the screaming.
Eddie was a godsend.

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart

Sure, Richie was made up of sarcasm and dick jokes, but he had feelings! So when Eddie showed up at his window, tear stained cheeks, mumbling about how mad he was that his mom had lied to him about his medication, he let him cry as he kept an arm tightly around his shoulders.
"C'mon, you have us, Eds."
"God, stop calling me that."

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start

He was 15 when he really wanted to kiss Eddie that one time, when they were all sat at the barrens, Beverly tanning and pretending she couldn't see that Ben was watching her closely, love in his eyes.
Richie would laugh at Ben when he talked about his feelings for her, tell him he felt the same way about Eddie's mom. But when it came to Eddie rolling his eyes, and shoving Richie, before letting himself rest against Richie's side once more, he thought maybe Ben was on to something. 

Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads on a science apart

"What's the big deal? I know he's a dick, but it's just a movie." Eddie groaned, trying to explain to the other losers why he accepted an invitation ("that's a date!") from Jason Campbell to go and see Groundhog Day. "Let him go, if he's that desperate for a date." Richie wishes he hadn't said that, he didn't think Eddie was desperate. He just... Eddie was supposed to see Groundhog Day with him!
Eddie gave him a look, a look of anger that also said "Wow, I thought you'd be on my side." and left Bill's house, Richie looking between the boys with a shrug.

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

"I thought you were my friend! You're the one who told me not to be scared to be gay, and now you're mad i found a guy?" Richie let out a breath, throwing his cigarette to the ground and stomping on it. "You can do better than him! He's a dick, and he was friends with Bowers!" Eddie shook his head, an angry laugh escaping his lips. "You know, I thought you knew how much i needed you when it came to these things. You... You're not supposed to be the one to make me feel more alone."

Oh, take me back to the start

Eddie broke up with Jason on a tuesday, a few days after Richie's 16th birthday. Where supposedly, Jason had kissed Amy Weller in the garage when he was meant to be getting beer.
"I don't want to hear i told you so." Eddie breathed into Richie's shoulder, the taller boy finding him alone at the barrens.
"You've still got me."

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

Eddie was 16, and mastering the art of sneaking out of his house to go and meet the boys more often. Richie handed him another beer, but noticed how much Eddie was already tilting to once side.
"You know, you can stop drinking. No need to impress me, Eds."
"Don't call me-" Eddie clapped a hand over his mouth, and the boys let a howl of laughter out as Eddie ran behind a tree, proceeding to throw his guts up.
"You're lucky you're pretty, kaspbrak. Because that definitely was not."

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

"We'll go for an hour and if it's boring, i'm leaving." Richie stated, it was nearing prom and neither he or Eddie had anyone to go with. "Fine, but you can't whine the whole time." Stan grumbled, fixing his hair as Richie ruffled his fingers through it.
Eddie stood awkwardly besides Richie at prom, watching the couples dance.
And Richie could tell he wanted to be out there, on the floor, with someone he loved. "I've got an idea, let's go, short stack." He took Eddie's hand, leading him down the empty hallway of the school. "Slow down, we're not all 6 foot with long legs." He pulled Eddie up the stairs to the roof, ignoring the "NO ENTRANCE" Signs. "What are we-" Richie shushed him, still being able to hear the music from the auditorium downstairs as he inched closer to Eddie, gently sliding his arms around his waist and letting his cheek press against the shorter boys. It took Eddie a few seconds, but he was soon resting his hands upon Richie's shoulders, and smiling softly into his jacket.
And so they danced.

Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh, and I rush to the start

Richie was 18 when he finally kissed Eddie, after he watched the still shorter boy storm up to him and the others. "Another bad date? Did he tell you he loved you after 3 minutes?" Ben laughed, a situation that had occured a few weeks ago. "He's just boring. I'm going to die alone." Eddie stated, his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed Richie, who had a smirk on his face. "What? What have you got to say, trashmouth?" "You should go on a date with me." The boys stared curiously, Eddie was taken back but he pushed. "I should go on a date with you? Is there a joke about my mom involved here or-" Standing up, Richie reached out to take Eddie's hand and pull him in for a kiss. A soft one, that only lasted a few seconds. Eddie was left standing, Richie going back to his original position. "You're never going to find another me, Eds." The boy let out a laugh, smiling almost too much for his jaw to handle as he sat right besides his best friend. "I don't think i want to. I want the one right here."
There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Ben spoke. "Am i really not going to get any context to what just happened?"

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

"Go with me." Eddie was on the verge of suffering his first panic attack in months as his boyfriend told him he was leaving for New York. He had always wanted to get away for derry, and he was going to. "G-Go with you? To New York? What about-" Richie took his hand, shaking his head and pulling Eddie closer to him. "Nope, no. We're not doing that. We're not thinking about what we're leaning behind. It's a fucking clown down in the sewers that i killed, and fucked up parents. I'm asking you, Eddie Kaspbrak, to leave this place and be with me. Somewhere better." He knew he would get the answer he wanted, judging by how hard Eddie was trying to bite back a smile. And when he kissed him, he knew he wouldn't be leaving him behind.

Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

"Where- Where is he? Where is he?" Richie breathed heavily, a tear falling down his cheek as he heard his boyfriends cries. He could hear him from a mile away. Ben shook his head, a sad look on his face that Richie knew wasn't good news. He ran behind Ben, who led him to Eddie, laying on the ground as Mike held a ripped shirt up to his wound, his arm was missing. And blood was everywhere. He didn't know where to look. "Richie-" Eddie groaned, the taller boy dropping to his knees and cradling Eddie's head in his lap. His fingers ran slowly across his cheek, And Eddie used his strength to reach out for Richie's free hand.
"It's- I didn't mean to go after it alone, i wanted to stop it. I didn't want you guys to get hurt. I thought, i thought that maybe i could-" Richie shushed the boy, who was wincing in pain, blood slowly fell from his wound, and as much as he wanted to run far away from what was happening, deep down knowing he might never be able to hold Eddie in his arms again.
"You're too brave to be the same Eddie Kaspbrak who wouldn't even go into the 'grey water.'" Eddie let out a muffled laugh, which was replaced with a cry of pain as Mike repositioned the shirt wrapped around his shoulder. "I-i can't stop the blood, there's so much-" Bill put a hand on his shoulder, nodding towards Richie and Eddie.
"We need to go get someone. Now." Ben demanded, but he knew there wasn't much he or anyone could do. Still he led Bill and Mike away. Richie needed to be alone with him for one last time. He could see the love of his life deteriorating right in front of him, he didn't have much longer.
"Hey, remember that really bad song we danced to, at Prom? That you said you hated? I heard you singing it, the other day in the kitchen. And i saw you dancing with the mop." He whispered as he leaned down to press his lips to Eddie's check. Eddie breathed out a laugh of embarrassment, the best he could at this moment. "And that dip, wow, i'm surprised you didn't start making out with it. Nice hair though, that mop. Kind of like mine."
"Stop watching me from afar like a stalker, trashmouth."
The two stayed quiet for a long minute, before Eddie uttered out, "I'm gonna miss you." Richie shook his head, he didn't need the tears in his eyes right now. "I'm gonna miss you too, Eds." A laugh escaped Eddie through a cry of pain, as he gripped his shoulder. He laid his head back down, his breathing had escalated and Richie could almost count how many slow breaths he was taking.
"Richie Tozier. I've loved you for- for so many years. And i was hoping to love you- for so many more. But if this- if this is what it's going to take to keep you safe, from it, then i can handle it." His voice was almost at a whisper, but Richie had his lips still pressed to the younger boy's cheek and could hear him clearly.
"And for the last time, don't call me Eds."

it's such a shame for us to part.