reddie oneshots

i won't leave him

"Eds! Eddie!" Richie shouted as he ran back over to the man he'd left lying on the ground. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw him. Eddie was slumped over against the wall, blood staining his clothes and the ground around him. All color and expression was gone from his face, the only sign of life was his clutch on Richie's jacket.

"Oh- no Eddie-" He ran to him and dropped next to him. It barely registered in his mind that the freezing cold gray water was soaking through his pants. He didn't even feel the cold, his body was numb to every feeling and every emotion. His vision was blurred with tears and the only thing he could see clearly was Eddie.

But he knew it was cold, and he knew it was dark. Eddie would hate it down here, and Eddie couldn't get out. Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie, pulling the smaller man into his chest and holding his jacket over the bloody stomach.

"Richie! Come on, we need to go!" Bill shouted, a loud rumble reverberating around the never ending sewer walls. It was dead, it only made sense that it's home was destroyed too.

Beverly and Ben grabbed one of his arms each and attempted to pull him off of Eddie, but Richie couldn't leave him. He had promised Eddie when they were only 13 that he would keep him safe. He would never make him go into the sewers if he didn't want to. He would always be there for him. He had meant it then, and he was going to keep it now. So his grip on Eddie's body tightened.

"I'm not going! Go without me!"

"Richie! You'll die down here, he wouldn't want that!!" Mike yelled as bits and pieces of the walls fell around them, forcing a space between Richie and Eddie and the rest of the losers.

"I won't leave him!" Richie shouted back, stroking Eddie's hair in an attempt to soothe his pain and fear. Richie didn't care about his own fear, if he could make this easier for Eddie he was willing to die afraid.

Eventually, the ground was shaking and it was clear the house was going to collapse, along with all of its underground workings. Bill gave one last, longing look at Richie. He had known from the second Eddie got stabbed, Richie would never be able to live on without Eddie. He didn't want to lose Richie, but there was no changing his mind. He had been stubborn and hard headed since they were kids, but it always came from his heart. This was what Richie wanted.

Bill dragged Beverly away, tears raced down her face as she begged Richie to follow. But Richie did not move, he didn't look away from Eddie but mumbled apologies to the losers as they ran to safety.

Debris rained down on them, the entire cavern shaking and groaning with strain. The Losers' cries and screams for Richie to get up and follow them faded away and were replaced with the sound of rocks and wood crashing all around them. Richie was alone, holding Eddie's small, weak body against his own to protect him.

"Richie-" Eddie gasped out, his voice strained and barely audible over the sound of It's lair destroying itself from the inside out.

"I'm here! I'm here Eddie." Richie cried back, cradling Eddie's head and speaking into his ear.

"Go- please-" Eddie choked out, blood pouring over his lips and drops hitting Richie's cheek.

"No." Richie shook his head, pulling Eddie closer to him, cupping his cheek and supporting his head and keeping a firm hand on his back to hold Eddie against his chest. "I'm not leaving you."

"Please-!" Eddie gasped, tears cutting through the dirt and blood on his cheeks as he used all the strength left in his body to put a hand on Richie's shoulder. He looked up at the boy- well man now- that he had loved since they were 13 years old. He desperately begged him with his last breath to leave, to run after the others and save himself. But he knew well enough that Richie was going to die holding him, he knew well enough he would die in Richie's arms. And he found some comfort in that as he gripped the fabric on Richie's shoulder. Richie just covered Eddie's hand with his own, squeezing it tightly and letting Eddie's head and body relax against him. Eddie didn't want to die, but he was too tired to resist it anymore. He let himself sink into Richie's grip, sobs echoing around the cavern walls as Richie watched Eddie slip away.

And then it was just Richie. He held Eddie's head up in his arms, pressing a kiss into his cheek as he cried. "I would never leave you alone in a place like this Eds..."

Richie kissed both of his cheeks softly and shut his eyes tight, clutching onto Eddie so hard his knuckles turned white, giving him his last source of strength as the house collapsed on itself. Richie couldn't imagine life without Eddie, and now he didn't have to. He'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with Eddie, and if Eddie had to go so soon he wouldn't let him do it alone. And then everything went dark.

i forget who requested this but emmystilinski reminded me of it a while ago so this is also for her