reddie oneshots

n

quick backstory: the loser's club went on a little vacation and are staying at a creepy, ratty, old hotel.

i sat beside eddie on the bed, with stanley and bill on the other bed, mike and ben on the pullout couch, and bev on her air mattress.
     "guys we should go swimming!" bev excitedly exclaimed.
     "bev, it's like, midnight," stanley told her.
     "so?"
     "i th-think it's a good idea," bill said.
     "yeah let's do it!" ben said, and mike nodded along.
     the four of them turned to me, eddie and stanley.
     "yeah!" eddie said.
     "sure," i agreed.
     stanley sighed. "fine," he muttered.
     "yay!" bev squealed, grabbing her bathing suit from her bag and running towards the bathroom.
     i watched as the rest of the boys got dressed.
     "aren't you coming 'chee?" eddie asked me as he slipped off his shirt.
     i looked down, fighting the blush rising in my cheeks. "yeah, i just want to get dressed in the bathroom," i explained quietly to him.
     "oh. ok," he said.
     "alright are we ready?" bev asked, emerging from the bathroom.
     a chorus of 'yeah's rang out.
     "i'm gonna wait on richie," eddie told them.
     "ok, see ya down there," mike said.
     i smiled at them as they walked out. once the door was shut, i got up and walked into the bathroom.
     i pulled off my t-shirt, looking at the ace bandage wrapped tightly around my chest. tears welled up in my eyes; why had i agreed to go swimming? i sniffled.
     "richie, are you ok?" eddie's small voice asked from the other side of the door.
     i cleared my throat. "yeah," i told him.
     "we don't have to go swimming if you want to," he said.
     "don't you want to go swimming?" i asked, tears still rolling down my face.
     "don't you know how many germs are in that pool? more that are in this hotel room, i can promise you that."
     i laughed, but it came out more like a sob. "ok," i sighed shakily, before sinking to the floor. i places my head between my knees, and tried to control my breathing.
     "can i come in?" eddie asked me gently.
      "i-i don't want you to hate me," i gasped, and began crying harder.
     "richie," eddie soothed as he opened the door and slipped inside. i quickly wrapped my arms over my chest. "you've been my best friend since middle school, i could never hate you."
     "i've been lying to you eds," i sniffled, and quickly wiped my face.
     "about what?" he asked me.
     "i'm not a boy-" i paused to wipe my nose- "i-i was born female, but i identify as a gay man..."
     i removed my hands from my chest, and buried my head in my arms. eddie was silent.
     "do you hate me?" i squeaked.
     "oh, god richie, no. i could never hate you, i promise. it's just... a lot to take in," he breathed.
     i sniffled. "i know. i'm sorry."
"don't apologize, silly. there's nothing wrong," he reassured me.
i sniffled, and looked up at him. he took my hand in his, and gave it a small squeeze.
"thanks eddie," i breathed.
he sat down beside me, and wrapped his arm around me. i gladly curled up into his side and closed my eyes.
"eddie?" i whispered.
"hmm?" he asked.
"you won't tell anybody, right?" i asked shakily.
"oh my god, of course not 'chee. we don't have to tell them ever if you don't want to," he told me.
i let out a shaky breath.
"shh, shh, it's ok," eddie whispered, rubbing my back. "don't cry."
i was shocked to feel tears rolling down my face when he said that. "o-oh?" i whimpered.
"it's ok, 'chee. i promise," eddie murmured repeatedly.
"can we lay down?" i asked eddie.
"sure. i'll get dressed outside ok?"
i nodded. slowly i stood up, using the sink counter for support. i looked at myself in the mirror and hated everything about me.
     i wiped the remaining tears off my face and began to get dressed.

     "hey eddie?" i asked quietly, unsure if he was asleep or not.
     "hmm?" he mumbled back.
     "are you sure you aren't mad at me?" i shakily asked.
     "wha- of course i'm sure. i told you, you're still richie to me. i don't care who you were born as." he threw his arm over me, and i snuggled into him.
     i sighed, relieved. "i love you eddie spaghetti."
     "don't call me that. you know i hate it when you call me that," he said, giggling despite trying to be stern.
     "oh, come on eds," i whined, giggling as well.
     he pulled me closer to his chest. "i love you too 'chee," he breathed.
     i felt a blush rising in my face, and i was thankful for the darkness.
     the both of us froze when we heard the key in the door, and it slowly squeaked open.
     "pretend you're asleep," eddie whispered, and i quickly closed my eyes.
     "awe, they're asleep," bev cooed.
     "w-well i'm glad we didn't wait for them to go s-swimming," bill mussed.
     "i call first shower!" mike announced, and i heard the bathroom door close.
     "uhg no fair!" bev grumbled.
     i rolled my closed eyes.
     "it'll be ok bev," ben tried to reassure her.
     eddie let out a small cough that sounded a little bit more like a laugh.
     i snaked my arm around his waist; i felt him shudder. that was sexy.
     after about an hour, the loser's club was finally asleep.
     i opened my eyes again, shocked to find eddie asleep as well. i cupped his cheek with my hand.
     "you're pretty eddie spaghetti," i breathed.
     "thanks 'chee." his eyes slowly blinked open.
     i grinned. "you weren't asleep!" i barely mouthed the words.
     "maybe a little," he mused.
     "thank you for accepting who i am eds," i told him.
     "you shouldn't have to thank me, that's basic human curtesy." he yawned.
     "go to bed baby," i murmured.
     "i wanna talk to you though," he whispered back.
     "we've got all the time in the world to talk, just go to sleep," i told him.
     he obliged, and his eyes closed. i did the same.
     "i love you 'chee," he breathed.
     "i love you too eds."