whenever a saturday as bland as this particularly cold day rolled around, richie tozier would be in the arcade play street fighters, or at the barrens getting high with mike hanlon.
instead, he was curled up in his bed, tears drying on his face only to be replaced with fresh ones seconds later. he couldn't believe beverly actually left him. sure, they weren't the closest of friends, but he knew he could definitely trust her the most.
it was something about her that drew people toward her. she had qualities that made her different; that made people follow her. maybe it was her caring eyes, and they way she listened to any and everything. maybe it was just her fiery red hair, as simple as that.
richie didn't know what the fuck drew him to bev marsh, but it didn't matter because she was gone and it was more than a possibility that he wouldn't see her ever again.
the melancholy day matched the dreariness of rich's mood. heaps of gray and white clouds engulfed the sky, painting over the normal hues of light blue. rain splattered against the flower box on richie's windowpane, creating a small rhythmic pattern of the drops which fell lightly off the pink and white petals and onto the grass below.
even the car engines that roared to life outside of richie's window sounded like muffled sobs. it was calming, to say the least, beautiful even. but it was so not richie.
richie covered his ears with his pillow in hope to drown out any and everything. obviously, it didn't work as well as he thought it would because he could still hear the ringing of the doorbell as clear as day.
maybe if i ignore it, whoever it is will go away, rich thought and pressed the pillow harder to his ears.
the doorbell rang again, the chimes getting less and less bearable for the lanky boy. "alright, i'm coming!" he yelled abruptly. he wiped his face from under his glasses and made his way downstairs.
he opened the door and was face to face with- well, no one per se. richie peered at the small figure standing at (now 5'4) some 10 odd inches below his head top. "eds, what the fuck! it's freezing out and you're soaking wet, hurry up, get in here!" richie pulled the boy inside by his elbow.
eddie did nothing but grin at richie. he wrapped his arms around himself tighter in attempt to warm up his fragile body. his lips were purple and his teeth chattered like a jack hammer hitting repeatedly into concrete.
"lets get you out of these clothes," richie winked at the boy. eddie blushed— but it's not that you could tell. his cheeks were already a rosy red from the freezing cold temperatures outside of the door.
"you're gonna catch a cold eddie spaghetti," richie mocked and ruffled eddies wet curls. eddie glared at him and smacked his hand away. richie, who wasn't intimidated at all, smiled.
"c'mon, eds." richie grabbed eddies hand and pulled him up the stairs and into his room.
"let me get you clothes. i'll be back in a second," richie said and scurried down stairs to what eddie assumed to be the basement. eddie nodded picking at his clean, short nails to keep himself even slightly occupied.
a short while later richie burst back into the room. "here ya go, eds! fresh outta the drya," richie said in an accent even he couldn't recognize. maybe it was jersey, or new york was a possibility.
he handed eddie a pair of the sweatpants he had left there after a sleepover, and richies ac/dc hoodie— eddies favorite.
eddie smiled and ran into the bathroom. his wet socks sloshed against the hardwood floors. he was out of the bathroom in under a minute, which surprised richie.
he looked up at the boy entering the room. he smiled at the eddie, pure bliss pouring out of the up-rose corners of his mouth.
"you look gorgeous, eds," richie complimented and gave the boy a kiss on the cheek. "c'mon, we can cuddle and watch a movie!" richie grinned but let his face drop soon after. he and bev had movie marathons.
eddie chuckled at richies enthusiasm, and looked into the boys eyes. he saw the smudged tears that sprawled across his freckles like spilt ink on a sheet of paper. he saw sadness and the most surprising of all, he saw loneliness.
everyone knew richard tozier was lonely, but to what extent? even henry bowers had his band of misfits, patrick hocksetter, victor cross, and belch huggins.
"whats the matter, eddie?" eddie shook his head and reached his thumb out to richies cheek and wiped a stray tear. richie saw him wipe it on his hoodie sleeve, and his lip trembled.
richie was confused, maybe a bit more confused than eddie. he had been fine when eddie had appeared unexpectedly on his doorstep, so what changed? richie didn't know, but that didn't stop the boy from breaking down.
"f-f-fuck!" richie yelled, and just like the clouds outside, richie let streams of tears flow. his voice cracked like thunder, and eddie engulfed the part of his torso that he could reach.
he let his hands wander up and down richies back and into his mess of curls. eddie yearned for bill right now. he would know what to do— he always does.
richie lifted his head, and wiped the tears off on his sleeve. "jesus fuck, i miss bev." eddie rubbed his shoulder and nodded. he missed her too.
"c-can i talk about it? i know you won't be able to give advice or anything, but shit eds, it would feel so much better to let it out." eddie clearly couldn't decline his best friends request, so he nodded his head.
"well, my dad hits me. hard, eds. remember last week when i came to your house with that black eye, and told you i ran into the door?" eddie nodded, remembering vividly. "he punched me because he found me smoking weed. and i fucking miss beverly so much and i just don't know anymore, eds. you're the only one keeping me here, and fuck that hurts to say. shouldn't my parents love me more than anyone?"
eddie clenched his eye lids down to prevent the tears from spilling. eddie looked up at richie but looked down immediately after he felt the tear slip from his eye and run down his chin.
richie and eddie sighed simultaneously. "hey eds?" eddie looked up at the side of richies face and his eyes sparkled with tears. richies eyes stayed cast away to something in the far side of the room. "i know this is so fucking sudden but, i love you. i love you eddie kasprak."
eddies eyes widened. he wanted to say it back. he knew he had to. he smiled from ear to ear and he cleared his throat, and in the tiniest, hoarsest voice you could imagine he repeated the words at a pitch barely above a whisper. "i love you too, rich."
richies head turned at such rapid speed that eddie for sure thought he was going to somehow get whip lash. "oh my god, eddie! you s-spoke to me. oh my god, oh my god, oh my g-" eddie pressed his finger to the trashmouth's lips.
"shhh. i know," eddie croaked out. richie jumped up in excitement. "oh my god, eddie. you don't know how long i've been waiting to hear your voice. it's very cute by the way," richie said smirking at the boy sitting below his slender build.
"s-shut up, rich! it isn't cute. it's manly!" richie laughed and rolled his eyes. "whatever you say, sugar plum."
"stop it 'chee," eddie said trying to sound mad. "chee?" richie asked raising his left eyebrow. eddie shrugged. "y-yeah. is that o-okay?" richie nodded, slightly biting his lip.
"yeah, eds, i lo-" richie was cut off by his phone. "hold on eds."
"hello?" richie raises his eyebrow. "...oh hi, mike...now?...yeah..okay....bye."
"eds, do you want to hang out with the boys at bills?" eddie nodded, and richie smiled. "okay, let's go!"
-
hehe
