CAN'T REMEMBER TO FORGET YOU // REDDIE

n i n e

"W-what are you doing here?" Eddie sniffled, wiping off some of his tears as he turned to face the tall boy behind him whose voice he immediately recognized as Richie's.

"Doesn't matter," Richie dismissed, stepping on his cigarette and walking over to the cliff's edge to sit next to him.

"Hey," Richie said softly, placing a hand on Eddie's tear-stained cheek and beckoning the boy to look his way. "Why are you crying?"

Eddie opened his mouth to speak, though all that came out was a choked sob. He couldn't hide how much his mother's reaction hurt if he tried.

"Shh, c'mere," Richie consoled, pulling Eddie's head into his chest and burying his nose in his fresh smelling brown hair, suddenly letting go of everything that had held him back from holding the boy once seeing him in this state.

"I told my mom I was gay, and... she told me I was sick..." Eddie cried into Richie's shirt.

"Oh god, Eddie, I'm sorry," Richie held onto Eddie tighter until his sobs died down. "You're not sick, you're not diseased, you're not a disgrace. Fuck her."

"Richie, I don't wanna go back," Eddie frowned and shook his head remembering he'd have to return to his mother.

"I know, you can come with me, okay? My place. You can stay the night, or however long you need," Richie offered. He of course didn't know if his parents were okay with it, but he had to do this. For Eddie.

"Really?" Eddie sniffled.

"Of course," Richie said, looking into his big brown eyes as they glistened with tears.

"C'mon, let's away from here." Richie picked Eddie up to move away from the edge and grabbed his bike that lay discarded on the ground.
"Hang on, Eddie." Richie took a seat on Eddie's bike that was slightly too small for him, and motioned for the boy to take a seat behind him. Eddie weakly joined him, wrapping his arms around his waist and nuzzling his head into his back. Richie smiled lightly at the feeling, reminded of the times they would ride together.

Richie began to pedal to his house, the smaller boy clinging to his back. Once they arrived at the Tozier residence, Richie stopped in the driveway.

"Stay right here," Richie told him as he jogged to the front door and peered inside the living room. Both his parents seemed to be sleeping or passed out from drinking too much - either was fine right now.

"Coast's clear," Richie said as he jogged back to Eddie, lifting the boy in his arms and into his house. Richie tiptoed up the stairs to his room, not wanting to wake his parents who would surely yell at him for this or that. Richie sat Eddie down on his bed while he rummaged through his drawers as if looking for something.

"I still have the extra pair of your pajamas that you keep at my house," Richie explained as he retrieved a pale yellow shirt and baby blue shorts, still a good size for Eddie as he hadn't grown much.

"I forgot about these," Eddie broke into a smile as he was handed the clothes he used to wear when he came over for sleepovers. Eddie had kept a pair of Richie's at his house too, he remembered, though he'd buried it far in his closet after they broke off.

"You can go change and I'll get our beds ready," Richie said, holding open the door to the bathroom so Eddie could go freshen up.

"Wait." Eddie stopped Richie before he closed the door. "Thank you," he said softly.

"It's no problem," Richie smiled small before lightly closing the door.

Eddie changed and cleaned himself up before stepping out of the bathroom five minutes later, seeing that Richie had set up blankets and a pillow on the ground and made his bed. He made his way to the bed on the floor only to have Richie hold an arm out to stop him.

"No, no, no, you're the guest Eddie. You can sleep on my bed," Richie told him as he slid into the blankets on the ground.

"Okay," Eddie nodded as he took a seat on the bed, missing the times that they would share the bed when they'd go to each other's houses.

Though neither were quite in the mood to eat, Richie brought upstairs a small dinner of leftovers for them which they ate before they decided to sleep.

"Good night, Eddie," Richie said from his bed on the floor as he switched the light off.

"G'night, Richie," Eddie replied, turning to face the wall. He couldn't fall asleep as he usually did, thoughts flooding his head instead. Richie had helped him after he'd gotten beat up by Henry that day and even let him stay over. They weren't totally avoiding each other. Did that mean they were on good terms now?

The two both lay awake for a while, neither knowing that the other was awake thinking about them.  

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】    

i have no idea where i'm going with this book, any suggestions??