𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚝 // 𝔯𝔢𝔡𝔡𝔦𝔢 𝔣𝔞𝔫𝔣𝔦𝔠🦋

Chapter Two🎨

.•*
Eddie felt nervous walking to the classroom. Not only will he have to probably hear about the situation that happened that morning, but it's one of the only classes he walks to by himself.

He kept watching his back, watching for Bowers or one of his other gang members. Eddie felt so small, smaller than he already was. He started walking faster to get the anxiety out of his head. His eyes darted from person to person. Not Bowers, please don't be here. He started to fight back tears. He saw people give him weird looks and it made the fight harder. He walked faster, and faster. His eyes began to water, not now, please not now. He ran, all the rest of the way to his class, avoiding eye contact with everyone. He reached the door and quietly set his stuff down on his desk and buried his head in his arms.

Richie ran into the classroom as he always did and stood in the doorway. His playful mood faded in an instant. "Eds! Hey, are you alright?" He ran and put his arm around Eddie. Eddie jumped up at the touch and turned to look at Richie. His eyes were swollen red and his cheeks were stained with shimmering trails of tears. He stared at Richie for a minute.

It's just Richie. Richie placed his hand on Eddie's head, "Eds, it's okay."

Eddie stopped holding it in. He wrapped his arms around Richie and sobbed. He didn't care, he couldn't hold it in any longer. He pushed his face as far as he could into Richie's chest. He felt safe there.

He felt Richie's arms close around him. Eddie's crying slowly started to become a low sniffle. Eddie paid attention to small details. Richie's familiar scent of cigarettes and cologne, with other smells that he could never quite pick out. The extremely soft material of his flannel that made his bony frame less noticeable. Richie was asking many questions and Eddie didn't feel like an outcast inside his arms. He heard the other kids call them "gay" and laughing at the fact that he was crying. It was nothing new there. But he heard something else, something he never thought would be so comforting. It dulled the rude comments to a minimum until it was the only thing he heard. A gentle thump thump quickly pacing inside of Richie.

"Heartbeat." Eddie immediately regretted saying that.

"What?" Richie's voice was soft, softer than Eddie ever thought it could be. He felt his ears get bright red. "N-nothing! Um, your heartbeat is-"

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry Eds."

"No no no, it's- kind of comforting." Richie had nothing to say. He could only stay silent and overthink what he just experienced.

Richie's always loved Eddie, he's just to afraid to admit it to him and never be friends with him again, and he especially won't admit it after this morning. He doesn't love you Richard, was the only thing he can think of all day. But now, Richie can only think that the boy he's loved for years just found out because of a god damn heartbeat. At least it wasn't a boner. Richie would have laughed at that thought if it wasn't for the small boy in his arms.

"Hey! You two! No PDA in school! Get out of my class you disgusting fags!" The art teacher's screaming was enough to shake them out of the embrace. The entire class had been in their seats. Eddie's eyes were still glossy with tears.

"You know what! I gladly fucking will." Eddie looked up at Richie in surprise, but not as much as when Richie grabbed his hand and led him out. As a last action, Richie looked around at the class and stuck two middle fingers in the air at them. The art teacher was about to chase Richie down, but Richie took Eddie's hand again and ran down the hallway and towards the janitors closet.

Richie locked the door and turned on the light. Eddie stared at him, star struck, and smiled. Richie started to giggle. He put Eddie under his arm and they both sat down on the floor. "Eds, you okay?"

Eddie looked up at Richie, and scooted in closer to him. He was smiling now, but it was because Richie makes him smile. He knows how to make Eddie happier by just being him. "Yeah, thank you Rich."

"Eds. Tell me what happened. Please." Eddie didn't want to tell him about Henry Bowers chasing him all the way home, or the threat that he could possibly be dead the next time he gets caught. But looking at Richie now, he couldn't hide it anymore. Richie wouldn't hurt him, so what's the point in hiding?

"Bowers."

"That fucking asshole. I'll beat him up if I could, I really would want to Eds."

"No, Rich. Yesterday I rode home on my bike alone and Bowers followed me. He fucking followed me and threw disgusting garbage at me. I had an attack and I fell, now my bikes ruined and he told me that 'it won't be the bike next time.' He's gonna kill me Rich! And I can't even fucking do anything about it!" His tears came back. Rolling down his freckled face and they wouldn't stop. He was terrified of every corner he takes. Thinking Henry might be there. Eddie fumbled through his fanny pack and puffed his inhaler, trying to let himself breathe again.

Richie stared at him, he was beautiful. Even if he was an absolute wreck, he was beautiful in every way possible.

"Listen to me," Richie cupped Eddie's small head in his hands. "I won't let them get anywhere fucking close to you, okay?"

Eddie froze. He felt a warm feeling soar through his body, nothing like he's ever felt before. "Richie-" Eddie couldn't finish. He didn't need to. He wrapped his arms around Richie, he didn't want to let go. So he didn't. And neither did Richie. They sat in silence, holding each other tightly, not suspecting anything of it. So Eddie began to think, something that other people thought of him. Something he didn't think was true, until now.
"Richie?"

"What is it Eds?" Richie stroked Eddie's soft hair lightly.

"Stay with me."
.•*