the kissing bridge [reddie+stenbrough]

2

Stan climbs down the ladder into the clubhouse. He sees Richie laying in the hammock with his arms crossed. His eyes were swelled and his nose was red.

"What happened?" Stan asks.

Richie takes off his glasses and wipes his eyes. "I went to the arcade and... and... and played 'Street Fighter' with Bowers' cousin and I didn't know that was his cousin and... and they..." Richie couldn't finish the phrase without sobbing.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Stan asks softly. "Not physically, no." Richie sniffles.

Stan laid down on the hammock next to Richie. "What did they do?"

"They... they called me a... a fairy and a... a..." Richie started sobbing again. He buried his face in Stan's chest.

"Hey, it's okay," Stan begins to rub Richie's back, "It doesn't matter what they think. You're not even... wait, are you?"

Richie looks up at Stan and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Stan. You shouldn't have found out like this."

Stan wipes the tears off of Richie's cheeks. "You don't have to apologize, okay?" Richie nods, "And can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, sure, What is it?," Stan asks.

"Don't tell Eds."

"Okay, I won't tell anyone. But, why not Eddie specifically?"

"I don't want him to feel weird about it."

"Eddie? Being weird about it? Why would he- oh...,"

"Yeah," Richie says awkwardly, "Thanks for coming here, I feel a lot better now."

"Of course. You know, I'll be here for you if you need anything." Stan stands up from the hammock. "It's getting kind of late. Maybe we should-"

"Why don't we just sleep here? I mean, only if you want to, of course. My parents don't care if I come home or not," Richie suggests.

"Okay, sure," Stan lays back down on the hammock with Richie.

///

"Shit."

Eddie hangs up the phone.

"He's not home," Eddie sighs and sits down next to Bill on his bed. "W-Where do y-y-you think he could b-be?," Bill asks.

"I don't know," Eddie answers, "I just hope he's okay. He couldn't have gone far, right? He has to be somewhere in Derry. What if he gets sick or something?"

"Eddie, calm d-d-d-down. He m-might just b-be at the c-c-clubhouse," Bill says.

Eddie continues rambling, worrying about Richie. He begins pacing around Bill's room, breathing heavily.

"Eddie, it's oka-"

Eddie sits back down on Bill's bed and tries to open his fanny pack, but his hands are shaking. Bill scoots over towards him and opens it for him before grabbing Eddie's inhaler. He gives it to Eddie.

Eddie takes a few puffs of the inhaler.

"Eddie, w-w-why are you so worried about R-Richie?"

"I don't know, Bill, but I'm kind of tired."

"W-We can go look f-f-for him in the m-morning."