soft ✃ reddie

2:46 pm

eddie and richie always walked home together.

without fail, everyday after school richie and eddie walked side by side, (and sometimes hand in hand) richie made sure to always ask the small boy how his day had been. he made sure eddie was eating enough, and if he heard even the slightest noise richie would go into full defense mode.

but after school ended, richie had a hard time constantly making sure the small boy was safe.

so every chance he got: richie would come to eddies house and go with him wherever he wanted to go.

and if he couldn't come over, he'd call him. every second of every day was spent with richie trying his best to keep up with the small boy.

richie knew about every doctors appointment (which was a lot), every walk to the pharmacy, every bird that eddie saw from his window, all richie cared about was eddie.

and eddie didn't mind.

one day, richie asked the boy if he'd so graciously accompany him on a walk to the gas station with the losers to get junk food and hang out. of course, eddie immediately said yes and stuffed his fanny pack with his few pill bottles, inhaler, band-aids, a crumpled 10 dollar bill, 67 cents, and richies extra pair of glasses.

yes, he cared a spare pair of glasses for richie. the boy is clumsy and taller than a giraffe, accidents happen and eddie was prepared.

"hey ed's!" he heard richie say as he stepped out of his front door and down the porch.

"hi richie!" eddie beamed as the tall boy hugged him softly, "i missed you, y'know that eddie spaghetti?"

the small boy giggled and basked in the short embrace, "we saw eachother three days ago, richie."

"and that was way too long ago!" richie said, finally pulling away from the hug and holding his hand out for eddie.

he smiled and intertwined their fingers together, beginning their walk.

"ed's, you know that walk man you had?" richie asked after a few minutes of comforting silence, eddie nodded in response.

"what happened to it? why don't you ever listen to it anymore? i know you loved that thing." richie said looking at the boy next to him.

eddie looked down, memories flooding into his head of henry smashing the music player in front of him.

"o-oh.. bowers.. he kinda.." it took eddie a bit to get it out, but richie knew to be patient with the boy. "he smashed it."

richie immediately fumed with frustration, "he, what?! eddie, why didn't you tell me?" richie stopped and the small boys eyes stung, "g-gosh rich, im sorry! i just d-didn't want you getting in anymore fi-fights, okay? kill me for w-wanting you to be safe.." the words spilled from eddies mouth like word vomit.

his stomach churned, staring at the ground waiting for a response from the tall boy next to him.

"eddie.. i-"

"it's fine." eddie interrupted, " just forget it okay?" he wiped the wetness off his face and sniffled, beginning to walk again.

richie had never seen him like this before.

"the l-losers are gonna worry if we take too long." eddie could feel richies stare burning in the side of his head, but he only stared at the road ahead, the gas station coming into view.

"ed's.."

"i said for-forget it richie, okay?" eddie sighed, putting a soft smile on his face while beverly called out to him.

richie's heart ached, he wanted to reach out and hold eddie, and thank him for caring so much.

he'd never had anyone care about him before; it made him realize how little he thought about how eddie would feel if he did something.

he felt horrible, but at the same time he couldn't help but fall even more head over heels for eddie kapsbrak.