the kissing bridge [reddie+stenbrough]

3

Eddie couldn't sleep.

He stayed up thinking about Richie. He didn't know why, he just wanted Richie to be with him, to be safe.

What is wrong with me?, Eddie thought, I mean, of course he's my friend, so I can be worried about him, right? But, something just feels... weird about it.

He tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable and go to sleep without waking Bill.

///

Stan woke up, Richie still asleep on his chest and snoring. "Hey, Richie?" Stan taps Richie's face until he wakes up. "What?"

"Get up, my back hurts."

Richie sits up and stretches. "Mine fucking hurts, too," he says, "Maybe this was a bad idea."

Stan and Richie stand up from the hammock. Richie puts his glasses on and they hear two muffled voices from outside the clubhouse.

"I swear I'm gonna have a panic attack if he's not in here, Bill."

"W-Well, where else c-c-could he be?"

"Shit, Bill and Eddie are coming," Stan turns to Richie.

"Fuck, what should we do?," Richie asks.

Bill climbs down the ladder, followed by Eddie. He turns around and sees Stan and Eddie. "S-See, Eddie? I-I-I told you he would b-be here. Hi, S-S-Stan."

Stan softly smiles at Bill. Eddie approaches Richie. "Where the hell were you yesterday?" Eddie asks.

"I wasn't feeling very good yesterday. What , did you miss me or something, Eds?" Richie jokes. Eddie sighs, "Stop calling me 'Eds', you know I hate that. Were you here all night?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"What the fuck, Richie? You know you could've gotten sick? It was cold as fuck last night!"

"Chill, Eds. I'm not gonna-"

"So you didn't feel good enough to go to the quarry but you can fucking spend the night in here? What the hell?"

"Eddie, he had a bad day, yesterday, okay?" Stan interrupts their arguing. The clubhouse got quiet and Richie glares at Stan. "Did you sleep here too, Stan?" Eddie asks.

Stan looks at Bill, then Richie, then Eddie. "I-"

"No, it's fine, at least if you both get pneumonia you can share a hospital room, too." Eddie sighs and stomps to the ladder, leaving the clubhouse.