𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌

↱ 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖘𝖎𝖝; 𝕴 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖐 𝕴 𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖉𝖆 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖙

"Eddie?" Karen whispered, peering around the door into Richie's dark bedroom.

"Mommy?" Richie yawned, sitting up in his bed and rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

"Hi baby," Karen sniffled. "I need to talk to Eddie."

"Is it about his daddy?" Richie asked, eyes suddenly wide and terrified.

Eddie had spent the last two weeks staying with the Wheelers because his father was in the hospital and Sonia refused to let Eddie stay there with them.

"Yes," Karen nodded sadly, turning on the small lamp on Richie's nightstand.

"No," Richie whimpered, sliding down onto his side and curling over top of Eddie's sleeping body, making the smaller boy stir slightly. "No, mommy!"

"Richie," Karen sighed, reaching out to rub at his back as Richie hid his face in Eddie's shirt as the other boy snored into Richie's twin mattress.

"He can't die, mommy," Richie continued, sobbing into Eddie's pajama shirt.

"Richie?" Eddie groaned tiredly, wriggling around under Richie's weight. "Your squishin' me Rich, get off!"

"Eddie, sweetheart," Karen spoke softly, making the smaller boy squeak with surprise.

"Yes?" Eddie mumbled, rolling out from under Richie and turning to face Karen with his knees pulled up to his chest.

"Eddie, your auntie just called me from the hospital," Karen told him, reaching out to place a comforting hand on one of his knees.

"Did my daddy die?" Eddie squeaked, chin tucking in to his chest nervously as his eyes flitted between Richie and Karen, both of whom were crying.

"Yes," Karen choked, wiping at her tears as Richie sobbed harder. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"He, he did?" Eddie hiccupped, breathing becoming shallow as his face turned pale before letting out a quiet gasp and howling in pain.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Karen whispered, pulling the crying boy to her chest as he continued to scream, waking the other three Wheelers in the house. "I'm so sorry!"

"Eddie," Richie sobbed, pulling at the back of Eddie's t-shirt impatiently. "Let me, mommy! Let go!"

Karen sighed, but let go of Eddie enough for Richie to pull Eddie's limp and sobbing form back into his chest, making the two topple over against Richie's pillows.

The two children continued to sob and clutch each other as Karen warily wrapped Richie's blankets around them before settling next to the bed once again and rubbing at Richie's tight and bouncy curls.

The two boys awoke the next morning with swollen and red faces, arms and legs wrapped around each other haphazardly.

"Eddie Spaghetti?" Richie whispered, wondering if Eddie was also awake.

"Yeah?" Eddie sniffled, having woken up shortly before Richie.

"I'm so sorry about your daddy," Richie whispered, squeezing Eddie tightly to him as the smaller boy did the same.

"Me too," Eddie murmured before untangling himself from Richie and pushing himself to sit up and lean against the wall beside Richie's bed. "I miss him," Eddie whispered, pulling his knees to his chest as more tears fell from his eyes.

"Eddie Spaghetti?"

"Yeah, Rich?"

"Can I kiss you?" Richie asked quietly, watching Eddie face sadly. "Daddy always kisses mommy when she's crying."

"Okay," Eddie whispered, staring at Richie with wide eyes as tears continued to slip down his cheeks.

"Okay," Richie repeated, crawling towards Eddie and stopping in front of him.

Richie leaned over, lips parted slight too wide in an attempt to imitate the way he had seen people kiss on television. Richie pressed his open mouth over Eddie's closed mouth, eyes wide as he stared into Eddie's while their noses bumped.

Richie pulled back a few seconds later, sitting back on his heels as he stared at a grimacing Eddie.

"Wet," Eddie commented, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

"Maybe," Richie squeaked. "Maybe we did it wrong?"

"You think?" Eddie asked, looking to his friend for further information.

"Maybe you gotta open your mouth too," Richie suggested.

"But then your spit'll get in!" Eddie squealed.

"That's how they do it on the TV though," Richie continued, moving to lean closer to Eddie again. "Let's just try."

"Okay," Eddie nodded, opening his mouth to mimic Richie and leaning forward until their noses bumped together.

They locked their lips together, Richie titling his head slightly as they breathed heavily through their noses. They stared at each other, unsure of what they were supposed to do now, just waiting as their open mouths salivated against one another.

"That was weird," Eddie murmured as they pulled back from one another, wiping at their mouths.

"Yeah," Richie nodded with pink cheeks, staring down at Eddie's bare feet. "But...I think I kinda liked it maybe..."

"You did?" Eddie asked, his own cheeks flushing at Richie's admission.

"Yeah," Richie whispered.

"I think I kinda did too," Eddie admitted, smiling slightly at his best friend.