The summer you were mine

17.

**TW- mention of past self harm. If this bothersome I'll mark where it starts and ends. If you feel lost or defeated, get help. You aren't alone. Be safe. **

Richie woke up, 2:47 am. He looked down and saw Eddie still asleep on his chest, his Eddie. Suddenly the sound of a car pulling up filled the room with a low, subtle sense of fear, his dad was home. Oh no. "Hey, Eddie Spaghetti? Wake up. Come on." Richie whispered, stroking Eddie's hand that rested on his stomach. "What time is it?" Eddie asked, feeling groggy. "It doesn't matter, you have to go." Richie said in a monotone voice. "Why?" Eddie asked, worry rushing through him. "Eddie, just trust me? Please? My dad's home..." Richie paused, "I don't want you to get hurt just for being with me. Please, you have go." Richie let a tear fall at the thought of Eddie getting hurt at his fault.

Eddie wiped the tear away and kissed him on the forehead before climbing out the window and going down the gutter. He paused for a moment and looked at Richie before turning and running towards his house.
Richie thought about how Eddie looked at him, not with regret, not with dissatisfaction, not with anger, but with love and understanding. No one had ever looked at him like that before. Eddie was his world and he would do anything to protect his world. "My name is Richie Tozier and I'm here to say that I pledge myself to protect this planet at all cost." Richie whispered to himself. He thought it sounded cool but then he thought, "There you go again making a joke in a serious situation. What's wrong with you?!" Richie thrust his fist against the bed frame. It hurt but he didn't care. Nothing mattered except Eddie. Keep Eddie safe. No matter what.

Richie heard his father staggering up the stairs, definitely intoxicated. He heard him stop at his door and then turn and walk to his own room and fall on the bed. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. He looked in the corner of his room at the bag he kept packed that had everything he needed in it. Including enough money to get him to California and get him started. He had packed that bag two days before Georgie had gone missing, his money stash growing and growing, and not spending a penny of it.

He had almost left last year, before homecoming but Eddie had asked him to go with the group, after he had said that dances were stupid. So of course he stayed. Eddie wanted him there, finally. He had went, had a terrible time, and sat in the empty hallway by himself for a while until Eddie had come out of the gym and sat with him, leaning his head on Richie's shoulder. Richie has blushed when a slow dance started and Eddie stood up and offered him a hand. They had swayed there, Richie's head on top of Eddie's. It was the best night of his life. That is, until he got home and his dad had yelled at him for letting Eddie walk him home. "What if someone would have seen you and thought you were a girly boy?.... ANSWER ME!" The man has yelled at him for almost an hour before he finally told him to go to his room.
(T/W)
Richie had cried the rest of the night, and made his first two cuts.
(T/W ENDS)
Yeah, I know, Richie Tozier, depressed? No, that can't be right. He's always making jokes and laughing! He can't be depressed!
But looks can be deceiving.
He hadn't told anyone about it, not even Eddie or Stan. He couldn't let them know. He had patched himself up the next morning and tried to forget about it. He couldn't. It wasn't the last time, but it didn't matter. He still wasn't going to tell.

Richie thought about it all and decided, if his dad found out about Eddie, he would leave, right then. As soon as possible. He would have to.

A/N - thank you so much for your support!