𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏 • 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒆

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒

Eddie stood in front of him, perfect as always, his wide eyes staring up at Richie. And, God, how Richie loved him. He forces himself to move forward and envelop Eddie in a small hug. Immediately, he can hear Eddie whimpers as he grips onto Richie for dear life.

"It's okay," Richie whispers to him, running his fingers through his short brown hair softly. "I'm here now. It's okay, you're okay, Eds. I've got you."

Eddie is crying. Richie can feel the wetness on his shirt, but he doesn't mind. As long as Eddie is safe, even if temporary. He wouldn't mind dying to keep Eddie safe - a little bit a tears on his shirt is practically nothing.

"Richie?" Mike asks into the phone. Richie nods, but then he remembers Mike can't see him. He curses and takes the cigarette from his mouth.

"Yeah, it's me." Richie stubs the cigar out. He looks around the apartment. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Stan and Bill's," he answers. Richie furrows his eyebrows. "With Eddie."

Richie drapes an arm around Eddie's shoulders as he leads the small boy into the apartment. Eddie stays close to his side, and Richie heart soars even though he knows the affection is only because he's struggling. Eddie would take the affection from any of them.

But Eddie had wanted him. Him .

"He wants to see you," Mike says. Richie's heart stops.

"Really?" Richie can't help himself. He thought Eddie would hate him for the stunt he had pulled with Jake yesterday. "Me?"

"Yeah."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Richie."

"Is he drunk?"

"What -?" Richie can practically hear Mike shaking his head in frustration. Richie curls in on himself. Jesus, why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? Eddie probably wouldn't even want to see him anymore after that accusation. "No. He's not drunk. Can we come over?"

"Fuck - okay." Richie looks around the apartment, biting his lip at the clothes lying around. "Yeah, just. Yeah. I'll be here."

Eddie had wanted him. Really wanted to see him, even when he had Bill and Stan and Mike there with him, he had asked for Richie.

Richie felt his heart swell.

And Eddie wasn't drunk - he was here now, under Richie's arm, and he was sober. Richie kind of wants to get him drunk, though, because maybe then he would get to see him giggling and smiling and being happy . But he knows he shouldn't do that. He needs to help Eddie right now, not get lost in his stupid fantasies about Drunk Eddie, no matter how adorable Drunk Eddie was.

Richie leads them over to the couch, not even acknowledging the others, but Eddie stops. He turns to look up at Richie, his eyes wide and wet, and Richie's mouth goes dry. It always does when Eddie looks at him with those doe eyes - he was rendered defenseless. He would do anything, any thing, for Eddie when he looked at him like that.

Fuck. Richie was whipped.

"Can I take a shower?" Eddie asks in a small voice, looking away from Richie. He reaches up to scratch the back of his neck shyly. "I feel gross, I - I haven't taken one since yesterday morning and I -"