Demon 🔥 Reddie

18

Eddie could sense Richie's shock and fear. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he felt connected with Richie and his fear was the first emotion he could sense.

He saw Richie cast him a panicked look. Eddie could tell Richie wanted him to stay put, so Eddie decided to stay still and only come down if Richie and his friends were in danger.

"Bowers, this is breakin' and entering!" Mike's mood grandfather yelled at the men who entered the barn.

Eddie growled to himself when he saw Henry. He recognized him as the one that had picked on Richie earlier that day and held a knife to his own throat in the process. The man next to Henry had to be his father.

"Step back, Hanlon. We're here for your safety. Is Richie Tozier here?" Henry's father asked, looking around the barn.

Eddie glanced at Richie who was being held down by his friends. He was okay with turning himself in to keep the others out of trouble, which pissed Eddie off. There was no way he was going to let Richie get into trouble for something he wasn't.

"I'm here!" Richie yelled in a broken voice, and Eddie snarled as he watched Henry's dad pull out his gun.

"Come down here, kid. We've got questions for you," the man said, and Eddie watched anxiously from his space up in the rafters as Richie pulled away from his friends and walked down to where the two intruders were.

"What's up?" Richie asked, arms crossed.

"Henry tells me you've got red eyes and unnatural senses. Demon-like. I assume you've read of the demon problems we used to have in Derry?"

"Sorry, I don't read. And my eyes are brown," Richie said, acting confused.

Eddie had to admit, Richie was a really good actor. If he hadn't shared his power, he'd believe Richie.

"Why don't you come down to the station with us?" Henry asked, reaching out and grabbing Richie's arm.

And damn, that pissed Eddie off. He barely knew Richie, but he liked him and had taken it upon himself to keep his safe. There was no way in hell that Eddie was going to let Richie out of his sight.

Using his powers, Eddie slammed Henry into the barn wall and dove down from the rafters. He grabbed onto Richie and started to run, only to hear a loud pop and feel a pain coursing through his side.

Eddie turned and saw that Henry's father was reloading his gun, so he didn't focus on the pain. Instead, he spread his wings and grabbed Richie around the waist before flying off. He didn't care that it was broad daylight and that he was definitely going to be in trouble if someone saw him, but he needed to keep Richie safe.

Two more popping sounds coursed through the air, and Eddie turned to make sure Richie wouldn't take a hit.

"Eds, get to the ground! You're bleeding!" Richie snapped, and Eddie was too tired to argue.

He flew toward the ground, ending up in front of Richie's house. Eddie hid his wings and allowed Richie to carry him inside.

Maggie Tozier was in the kitchen, eyes blown wide when she saw Richie carrying a boy she'd never met. Not only that, but his shirt was stained with blood and he was sobbing.

"Rich? What the hell is going on?" Maggie asked, rushing over to Eddie who cried out and tried to get away from her.

"He got shot. Mom, we need to help him."

"Call 911!"

"We can't, mom! He has to stay hidden," Richie said, putting pressure on Eddie's wound.

Maggie looked at how upset her son was, then to the crying boy on her kitchen floor and decided to trust him. She had gone to medical school, so she got out her extended first aid kit and began to clean the wound.

Richie held Eddie's head in his lap, brushing his fingers through Eddie's hair and whispering reassuring words. Eddie was still crying, but he was no longer panicking. Richie helped him drink water and take Advil once the wound was closed, but Eddie ended up vomiting it all up.

"Eds, are you sick?" Richie asked quietly, feeling the boy's forehead.

"T-too much food," Eddie whimpered, clutching his stomach. "I ate too much."

"You've only eaten once today!" Richie exclaimed, gently lifting Eddie up and carrying him to the living room. He laid Eddie on the couch and sat next to him so Eddie could lay his head on his lap.

"I can't eat to much. It's the curse of being a demon," Eddie whispered, closing his eyes as Richie ran his fingers through the smaller boy's hair.

Maggie came out of the kitchen with a new T-shirt and had Richie help Eddie out of his bloody clothes. From there, Eddie cuddled into Richie and began to doze off, while Maggie walked into the room and sat in the arm chair.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"That's a rhetorical question, isn't it?"

Maggie didn't laugh at Richie's weak attempt at a joke. "Rich, what's been going on."

"I... ever since the miscarriage, I've been distracting myself, and one of my distractions was memorizing Sonia Kaspbrack's routine for some reason. It never changed until a couple of days ago, so I broke into her house and found him," Richie said, gesturing toward Eddie who was asleep. "He's part demon. Like, he's got powers and wings, and Butch Bowers is after him."

"Richie, now is not the time for jokes!"

"I'm not joking, mom! You remember that handprint on my face and how it was really hot? That was Eddie! He thought i was a demon so he used some of his powers to try to find out and shared his power to help me stay safe from Henry! I know it doesn't sound believable, but I promise mom. He needs my help," Richie whimpered, laying out on the couch and pulling the sleeping demon to his chest.

Maggie shook her head. "Can you prove it?"

Richie nodded, shaking Eddie awake.

Eddie groaned and looked up at Richie with tired eyes. "Wh-what?" he asked in a quiet voice, his head throbbing.

"Show my mom your wings, Eds. Please. I need her to believe that you're part demon so she can help us," Richie said quickly.

Eddie was disoriented and confused, but he stood up weakly and gently let his wings burst out from his back. He spread them out to stretch them, and watched as Maggie's eyes widened in shock.

"See, mom? He needs our help!" Richie said as Eddie yawned and climbed onto Richie's lap, closing his eyes again.

"He looks like he can take care of himself, Rich," Maggie said, wishing that the demon wasn't sitting on her son's lap.

"He's hurt and I care about him, mom. Please?" Richie asked, hugging Eddie who had fallen back asleep.

There was a loud knock at the door, and Eddie opened his eyes, starting to panic again. Richie lifted his up, and looked at Maggie, pleading with his eyes.

"Go up to your the attic and hide. I'll get them to leave," Maggie said.

Richie smiled and ran up the stairs, holding Eddie who whimpered in pain. They rushed up into the attic and closed the door. Richie looked out the tiny window down at the cop car in his driveway.

Eddie was falling asleep again, since Richie told him to try to relax. Just before he fell asleep, he looked up at Richie.

"Th-the emotion you felt? It was good. I think I feel that emotion for you too, Richie. What's it called?"

Richie smiled at the smaller boy who was laying in his lap. "It's called love, Eds."