Wrong

•7•

⚠ Minor spoiler for It Chapter 2 ⚠

*Eddie's POV*

Danny told me I couldn't go to the Potluck tonight. Even though most of the bruises had healed and I actually felt up to going out, he didn't give me permission.

So here I am, looking through old photos while Dan's at work and all of my friends are hanging out with each other.

"He's such an idiot..." I mumbled to myself as I picked up a picture. It was from the summer after It came. Richie had gotten a huge growth spurt and he towered over me, which he took to his advantage. He would always sneak up behind me and mess up my hair.

In the picture, we were in the clubhouse. It looked like Richie had just made another stupid joke. I was rolling my eyes and he was resting his arm on my head.

••flashback••

"Fuck off Richie!" I said laughing and pushed him away. "You're an idiot Richard Tozier."

"You're beautiful Edward Kaspbrak." he muttered. I pretended like I didn't hear him, but he hadn't said it that quietly and everyone heard. I turned away, trying to hide my blush.

I walked towards Stan, who was standing in the corner passing out the 'Spider Caps'.

"How's it going with your boyfriend Richie?" he smirked and handed me a shower cap.

"I don't know, how's it going with your boyfriend Bill?" I nudged him as his face turned bright pink.

"Shut up," he said and looked down. "Seriously though, what did Richie do this time?"

"What else does he do besides make jokes about fucking my mom?"

"Nothing much."

••flashback over••

I sighed and flipped through the other pictures. Most of them were at the Quarry or in the clubhouse. We didn't really go anywhere else in Derry. Sometimes we went to the arcade, but Richie didn't really like going there a lot after It came, which was weird at first. Nobody asked him about it though, we had just assumed he didn't like arcade games anymore.

But I remember, about 2 years after It, right before school was starting, Richie climbed into my room through my window.

••flashback••

I watched as Richie tumbled to the ground from my window.

"Fuck! Shit, ow that hurt." he whispered quickly and stood up. "Remember a couple years ago when Connor Bowers came here for the summer? Henry's cousin?"

"Um, I guess?" I mean, we were too busy fighting a demon clown to talk to him. None of the Losers even met him I don't think.

"He's moving here!" Richie whisper-yelled and looked at me with fear filled eyes.

"Ok...?" I don't know what the big deal is.

"Shit," Richie said, a look of recognition on his face. "I never told you guys. I never fucking told you." He turned away from me. "When the team got back together, it was to save Bev. By then, it didn't seem important." He sat down on my bed and ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "Holy shit." Richie turned to look at me, finally.

"Richie, what's going on?" I said and sat next to him. "Are you ok?" He let out a laugh, but there was no humor in it.

"No. No, I'm not fucking ok. You guys don't know about what It did to me! You saw the leper, Bev had the bloody bathroom, Stan got the flute lady, Bill saw Georgie, Ben had his experience in the library, Mike with the butcher. But you guys just thought nothing happened to me?! Of course something happened!"

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" I asked, not realizing how freaked out Richie was. He looked over at me, his face pale and sweaty.

"You really wanna know? Fine, I'll tell you. I'll just tell you everything, it doesn't even matter anymore! I'm fucking gay, ok?! And Henry saw me playing Street Fighter with Connor. And he called me all of these names, so I ran out to that bench by the Paul Bunyan statue. And It was there. And he tormented m-me and h-he t-told me th-things," Richie was sobbing now, but I didn't comfort him. I was just frozen in place.

Richie's gay? Why didn't he tell me, I came out to everyone during the blood pact. He knew I would accept him!

"And I w-was scared b-because Derry's sh-shit and everyone is homophobic a-and I thought you g-guys would ditch m-me and It would t-take me a-and nobody w-would care and-" I pressed my lips to his, but he didn't kiss back.

He's not kissing back. Oh fuck, he's not kissing back. Just because he's gay doesn't mean he likes you Eddie! Oh shit, I messed everything up.

I pulled away and started apologizing frantically.

"I'm sorry Richie, I just thought 'He never shuts up, maybe this will make him stop talking! And I've liked you for a while, but I just never admitted it, I'm sorry Richie!"

"Eddie..."

I couldn't bare to look at him. I knew he would hate me for that. Tears sprung to my eyes and I shut my eyes tightly.

Suddenly, his hands were cupping my cheeks and his lips were on mine again. They were chapped, and I could feel his heart beating out of his chest. It took a millisecond, but I missed back.

I felt...complete.

••flashback over••

I wiped away the tears I hadn't realized fell. I loved him back then, but Richie was still scared to come out. He told me that as soon as he told the Losers, we could go to a big, fancy dinner.

But that day never came. More and more people started calling him names because of Connor moving to Derry. He told everyone what happened in the arcade and everyone started to bully Richie.

So, he got a girlfriend. I knew that he didn't have any feelings for her, but they kept dating until we moved to Bar Harbor.

Then, I met Daniel, and we've been dating ever since. I guess my feelings for Richie went away within the 3 years he dated that girl.

And Richie doesn't like me any more either, or else he would've asked me out once we moved here. He had 2 or 3 months before I met Danny that he didn't do anything. So he obviously doesn't like me anymore.

Obviously.

A/N this is #63 in Reddie?? And my other story is #24 in Byler?? Thank you guys so much?? I love you all??