Lover - Reddie

ten

these are my words and different to fit my story, but not my idea. ⚠️ tw ⚠️

it was a tuesday that eddie's trust was betrayed.

he would always distinctly remember the day that richie snapped.

eddie kaspbrak took a routine walk twice a week to the pharmacy. he whistled a song or listened to music or simply wallowed in unforgiving silence. lately, he'd had more to think about. like richie and richie, and a little bit of richie.

"come a little closer don't ya see," he muttered under his breath as he balanced on the curb. "come on, come on, come o-o-on. things aren't... always what...," he trailed off as he glanced up.

richie tozier and henry bowers, smoking cigarettes and sitting under a large oak tree erected in the park years ago. "they're meant to be," eddie finished in a soft hum.

he tried to shake it out of his head. he tried oh-so-desperately to ignore the pair. but how could he? his best friend making time with the boy who'd beat him up? the boy who'd made him question his sexuality and the boy who'd hurt him for it? the boy he loved and the boy he hated.

"-the little girl was so sweet with that pink dress and shit. but i can't get along thinking stuff like that," henry said, just unintentionally loud enough that eddie could hear.

eddie dropped his arms and kept his head down, praying that neither would notice him walking just across the street.

"hey! girly boy!"

dread rushed quickly through eddie's veins, hot and unwelcome. he picked up the speed, soon breaking into a desperate run.

henry was large, though. quick also. he and long-legged richie caught up in no time.

"hi, eds," richie said in a thick sneer. his eyes danced wildly under his glasses.

he's high, eddie realized. he stumbled back, fearful for another reason now.

"where ya going, little girl?" henry spat, advancing closer and jerking his head to the side in a way that enhanced his crazy appearance. eddie let out a wet whimper at the boy's hovering over him and curled himself in tightly.

richie's eyes flashed at the whine, but instead of stopping it, he took a step back and watched henry creep closer. "you like purple, dontcha eds?" henry asked. he spit as he talked, spraying eddie's face. the boy winced and fell hard on his ass, letting out another yelp. richie flinched toward him, but held himself back again, eyes still trained nervously on henry. "i could definitely color your face purple if you'd like," he giggled.

"richie...," eddie pleaded, forcing his glare away from henry and focusing on richie. he just had to break through that shell of fear and maybe richie would jump to his rescue. he could imagine it. richie would bolt forward, standing in front of his eddie and would fend off henry tooth and nail. then eddie would throw his arms around richie and they'd hug and maybe he'd cry and take richie back to his house and they would lay innocently together in his bed, richie's warmth breaking through that barrier of broken feelings.

but that didn't happen. richie didn't move when henry spat at eddie, and he didn't move when henry kicked him. he did move when henry told richie to kick him too.

"nah, i'll leave that to you," richie said in a voice so sorrowful that even henry picked up on it.

"excuse me?"

"i'm not into beating up innocent children."

henry thumped richie's chest. "c'mon bud, what's your problem?"

(anne with an e reference anyone?)

"you," richie gulped. when he realized what he'd said, he turned and pointed at eddie to make it seem like that's who he'd meant. "i hate that little... that little... fag. he's following me around everywhere."

eddie gave richie a chance to take it back or even just flash him a look that said: i'm so sorry i'm just scared and i don't mean it; i love you." but he didn't so eddie decided that he hated richie.

eddie got away without much more harm. it appeared as if the response from richie had left henry content, and was able to run off to bev.

...

"where's he at?" bill growled. eddie was chasing after him, grabbing at bill's arm in an attempt to slow him down. "i said where is that motherfucker!?" he wasn't stuttering.

"no, stop it bill," eddie whined, finding a hold in the crook of his arm but failing to withhold him. "it's not worth it."

"yes it is," bill snarled, whirling around with bright cheeks and fire blazing in his eyes. "you care about each other and he threw that away for the respect of a goddamn asshole? i don't think so. i think he deserves every fucking thing coming to him."

eddie let go. "don't say anything to him, bill," he asked.

dark humor flashed through bill's expression and he said: "oh i wasn't planning on saying anything."

eddie waited while bill stormed off, trying to grasp at what he meant. he only found out once bill spotted richie. he stomped over.

"hey billy. listen-."

but he couldn't finish. bill had pulled back that thin arm of his and socked richie straight in the nose.

"awe shit!" he gasped, falling back against the locker. "stop it, bill!"

bill didn't stop. he didn't stop until stan and mike ran over to pull him off.

"jeezus fuck! you broke my fucking nose!" rich howled, holding the bleeding stump of skin and cartilage. "why the fuck did you punch me!?"

"because if i didn't someone else would've, you motherfucking asshole!" bill screamed from where he was encased in stan's tight, holding grip. "how dare you!?"

richie fell silent, his hand dropping and his eyes instantly falling on eddie. "eddie," he breathed, all pain forgotten.

bev, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, stepped in front of her friend, who cowered behind her. "eddie told us what you did, richie. and it was a mistake." even bev's eyes weren't full of that beautiful kindness anymore. they blazed. "i hate you."

"fine. i don't give a shit." his eyes still hadn't left eddie. "eddie, please. c'mon, man. you've gotta understand."

el came up on bev's other side, an evil grin of pride and hatred on her lips. "he doesn't owe you anything! not even the time to listen to an apology. i never liked you, tozier. guess i have a solid reason now."

"wait, i'll listen to him," eddie said in a small voice. every single head turned to look at him, and he shrunk down.

el touched eddie's shoulder and richie's face twitched at it. "are you sure, hon?"

"mhm," eddie said dismissively. his hand shot forward and tiny fingers wrapped around richie's wrist though his sweatshirt. eddie ignored the strange bumps under it. "come on, trashmouth. you've got ten minutes."