{COMPLETED} cherry cola 🍒 reddie

12

"i heard him,  i swear to god, i heard him!" richie exclaimed. "we have to find that gate, now, we can't just quit!"

"richie, some of us need to rest more than five minutes at a time." mike was frowning.

"then i can go by myself!"

"that's too dangerous," ben sighed.

"dangerous, my fucking ass! eddie needs me!"

"rich—"

"i'm going!" richie barged out the door, clutching his flashlight in one hand, walkie talkie in the other.

he was going to find that damn gate, he was sure of it.

**

richie searched relentlessly for at least half an hour. he began to grow tired, though he wouldn't admit it to himself.

the exhausted boy leaned his back against a nearby tree. that was when he saw it.

he didn't think much of it at first, but then he realized that that weird, purplish-looking web-thing wasn't just some cobweb.

there was an opening behind it.

he shot up from his position, seemingly re-energized. he knew this was the gate, he just knew it.

eddie was in there.

richie, without hesitation, thrust his head into the opening of the tree, a slimy, mucus-like substance being smeared across his face until he felt his head come out on the other side of the wet membrane.

"eddie!" he called. "eddie, i'm here! i'm gonna get you outta here!"

richie pushed the rest of his body through the gate, his flashlight flickering and fading out. his walkie made a scratchy, crackling noise
(kssshhhhhhhhh)
as it entered through to the other realm. richie suddenly felt tense at the noise, turning the small, clicking knob, which switched the device off, now letting the ringing silence flood into his ears.

"eddie!" richie began to run forward.

everything looked the same. everything was the same, except for the thick, purple vines, clinging to almost every surface like gigantic veins, and the absence of any form of human life. small specks flew through the air, mindlessly floating along as if they had no cares.

though, richie's anxiety grew by the second, each step making his heart pound and his lungs burn. each call of eddie's name brought the familiar sting of tears to richie's eyes.

after what seemed like hours and hours of running, richie saw a faint, warm glow in the distance. if he hadn't have been on high alert, he would never have noticed it.

his eyes widened to the size of saucers as he ran towards the glow.

"eddie!" he called.

two small figures came into view, one of them standing up.

"eddie!"

the figure began to run to him, and soon the other followed.

"eds i'm here!"

a little longer... a few more steps...

the two boys practically tackled each other in a hug.

"oh my god, richie!" the tiny, freckled boy exclaimed, clinging to the taller one, both of them had tears streaming down their faces.

"fuck, eds, baby, i missed you so much, i'm so sorry for being such a fucking douche, i—"

"shut the fuck up richie, do you think i really care about that anymore? i fucking love you."

richie gave a teary grin. "i fucking love you too."

**

soon, richie had gotten both of the two boys, the other he had learned to be will byers, joyce's son, to the gate. he called the others on the walkie, screaming that he'd found them and he needed help getting them out since they'd begun to lose consciousness.

when the boys were out, joyce held her son, and richie held eddie. ben called an ambulance and the whole group sat close together as it arrived. richie never left eddie's side once, until they got to the hospital, and even then he stayed right outside the door, falling asleep that night in the same spot. he didn't want to be too far away from eddie. his pull to eddie felt stronger than ever.

eddie was meant to be his forever.

his forever.

forever.

the end.

.....for now.