[sunshine] // reddie (temporarily discontinued)

fourteen

Richie Tozier sunk his teeth into his lower lip to keep from making any noise. It was not very effective.

"Did I hurt you?" Eddie whispered, looking up at him.

Richie shook his head.

"Okay then. Let me know if you need me to stop."

Richie nodded and closed his eyes. He let out a shaky breath and leaned back against the chair that Eddie had dragged into his bathroom. Supposedly, his mom had been passed out for hours in her chair, so they were completely alone. He jumped when Eddie's cold fingers slid under the hem of the sleeve.

Eddie took his left hand and began to clean the cuts and bruises along his hand and arm.

"He must have been out to kill you, Rich."

"Yeah, something like that."

Eddie stared at the boy's fingers. He noticed traces of chipped black paint. Nail polish.

"Will you tell me why?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Richie closed his eyes. "Because I don't want to, that's why."

"Why don't you trust me?" Eddie replied, standing up. "I'm trying to help you Richie! Why can't you just let me help?"

"Because I don't need your help!" Richie snapped, his voice dropping an octave. "Not everybody needs help, Edward. Get over it."

Richie felt bad about it almost instantly, but there was no way he would apologize.

Until tears formed in the corners of Eddie's eyes and he began to fumble through his fanny pack for his new inhaler.

Richie stood. "Whoa, hey, Eds.. I didn't mean it, bud. I'm sorry."

Eddie pushed his hands away when Richie reached for him. He was struggling to get the paper package open. In a fit of anger, he threw it as hard as he could against the ground and dropped into a ball.

"God damnit!" He yelled, slamming his fists on the floor.

Richie stood there, staring in panic. At his side, his fingers began to tap against his leg.

Your fault. Your fault. Your fault.

Richie slid down the wall a few feet from the other boy. He reached for the package, tearing it open slowly. The took the inhaler- which wasn't broken, thankfully- and slid across the floor to where Eddie was rocking against the wall.

"Sunshine, Sunshine, Sunshine." Richie whispered, running his hand along Eddie's back. "Take it, please."

Eddie did. There was the click of the inhaler and his breathing began to steady. He still rocked.

"I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day." Richie sang softly. Mouse sang to him when he was anxious. He only hoped that Eddie didn't find it weird.

"When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May."

Eddie picked his head up. "What are you doing?"

"I'm serenading you, Spaghetti."

Eddie smiled to himself and leaned into Richie. This caught Richie off guard and he slid over an inch or two.

Eddie looked at him, puzzled.

"Gotta leave room for Jesus."

"Oh." Eddie replied awkwardly.

Richie stood up quickly. "So, thank you for helping me out, but I think it's getting late and I should maybe, probably like... Get home or something."

"It's dark Rich, you should just call your mom and ask her if you can stay."

Richie panicked. Stay the night with Eddie Kaspbrack? He wanted to, naturally. But he didn't want to risk getting more attached then he already was.

"Fine." Richie replied, standing. "Your phone?"

"Down the hall and to the left. If my mom wakes up and asks who you are just say that we're working on a school project. She'll call me down and I'll handle it."

Richie nodded and exited the bathroom. The phone was on the inner wall of the kitchen, right above the table.

Three rings and she picked it up.

"Maggie Tozier." His mother hummed.

"Hey mom." Richie replied.

"Richard Tozier, where have you been!"

"Didn't I tell you that I had a project to do for science? I must have forgot. I'm sorry."

Maggie Tozier did not believe that for one second. But, she went along with it. "Oh, well that's alright then. You want to stay over, I suppose?"

"Yes, ma'am, if that's all right with you?"

"You can stay, Rich."

This was the part where Richie's heart began to beat unsteadily. He had hoped she would say no.

"Thanks, mom. I love you."

"I love you too, Richard." There was a long pause. "But I want you to promise that if Henry shows up, you will call me." Her voice was heavy with concern.

"Bowers? What does he have to do with this?"

Maggie laughed. "Richie, you can't lie to me. I know you're staying at that Connor Bower's house."

Richie's heart was in his throat.

How did she know? What did she know?

"How did you-"

"I'm your mother, Richie. I know I don't pry, but I still try to know who you're friends with. I don't want you falling in with the wrong crowd."

"Yeah, mom, I'm at Connor's. I promise I'll call if anything bad happens. Love you."

"I love you too."

He hung up the phone feeling worse than he had when he picked it up.

Back in the bathroom, Eddie had been picking up bandaid wrappers and bloodstained toilet paper.

"I can stay." Richie told him, rounding the corner.

Eddie was not going to tell him that he was listening in and already knew, so he just smiled and nodded.

"She thinks I'm at someone else's house."

"Who's?" Eddie asked.

"My friend, Mouse." Richie answered shortly. He did not like where this conversation was going.

"That's an odd name."

"Yep."

Eddie turned around with eyes narrowed. "You really don't trust me, Richie?"

Richie rolled his eyes. "This again? What is with you and trust, Kaspbrack?"

"You told her you were staying at Conner Bower's house! Why did you have to lie to her? Why did you just lie to me?"

Richie's fingers went to tapping on his thigh again. He wanted to go home. He didn't want to talk about this at all.

This must be how Eddie felt when I yelled at him.

With a deep breath, Richie steadied his hand and looked into eyes of liquid anger.

"It's a long story, so we might want to sit somewhere a little more comfortable." Richie sighed.

Eddie seemed content with this answer and led Richie down the hall quietly.

Richie Tozier was in the eye of the hurricane and he was no. where near prepared for storm.