𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏 • 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒆

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

"Richie, no." Eddie puts a hand on Richie's shoulder in what he hopes is a comforting manner. Eddie had explained everything to Richie, from when they met to when it had started to get bad. Richie was confused through the whole thing, but he wouldn't say anything. Instead, he stood up and paced around the living room. "You don't need to do that."

"Why would I not, though?" Richie spins around to face Eddie, towering over him. Eddie can't help but to feel intimidated. Now that Richie is facing him, Eddie can clearly see the tears in his eyes. "He fucking - he hurts you, Eds!"

Eddie doesn't know what to say to this. What Richie is saying is true, Jake does hurt him, but what Richie doesn't understand is that it's all Eddie's fault. "Richie," he cries, and yes - now he's noticing the tears in his own eyes, as well. He reaches up and puts his hands on Richie's cheeks, forcing his to meet his eyes. "Richie, please. Calm down."

Richie looks like he hasn't slept - the bags under his eyes are magnified by his glasses, and his eyes are half closed and blood shot. He wonders if Richie had stayed awake last night after... well. After he discovered the truth. He wouldn't be surprised. Richie tended to get worried about things that weren't worth worrying for. Like Eddie, for example - he was always so worried about Eddie when they weren't together. He felt so bad for making Richie worry, and his situation now was only going to make it worse. If only there was a way to make Richie not worry, but he knows he won't stop.

"Calm down?" Richie's voice is quiet now, almost like a whisper. He's looking at Eddie with so many different emotion in his eyes that Eddie can't define a single one. Richie shakes his head, wipes a tear from his eye. "I can't, Eddie. You - you don't deserve this, Eds. You're so - you're a fucking angel , and the fact that Jake thinks he can lay his hands on you makes me sick. It makes me so -" a sob escapes his mouth, and Eddie's heart breaks a little.

Eddie's grip on Richie's cheek tightens, and he wants Richie to open his eyes so he can see Eddie when he's talking. So he can see that Eddie is telling him the truth. That he means every word. Richie's eyes stay shut. "You don't have to worry about me," Eddie whispers, and it sounds so loud in the empty house. Violently, Richie shakes his head. "It's not - it's because of me, Richie, I... if I could just -"

"Shit, Eds," Richie pulls away from Eddie and begins pacing again, his eyes squeezed shut and heart wrenching sobs escaping his body.

Eddie watches him with wide eyes. "I'm serious, Rich! It's all my fault, and I know it. I know it!" Eddie feels his knees weaken, and he thinks about the day before, when it was all so light hearted. Now he was falling to the floor, his face covered in tears and his heart hurting like it's never hurt before. "I know it, you know it, and Jake knows it! If I could just do something right, for once, this wouldn't even be happening!"

" Shut up! " Richie shouts, and he's stopped his pacing and is walking towards Eddie in an almost furious manner. "Shut up, Eddie. Everything you're saying - it's all nonsense, Eds." He kneels in front of Eddie and places both of his hands on Eddie's cheek. Eddie doesn't look at him, just keeps his eyes on his knees where they're pulled to his chest. "Eds, really. You're perfect, and if Jake doesn't see that - he doesn't deserve you. Just because you mess up sometimes doesn't mean he should hit you, for fuck's sake!"

Eddie just cries harder, because what Richie's saying isn't true. It c an't be true. All these things about Eddie just aren't right . He's not perfect, he's not even close. Otherwise, why would Jake need to punish him so much?