reddie oneshots

y2

    i shrunk back from the clown, swallowing my fear.
     "where's richie?" i all but squeaked.
     "don't worry your pretty little head about him." he patted my head. "i'm here to make a deal with you."
     "i'm listening," i whimpered.
     "perfect," he said, smiling to show all of his pointy, yellowed teeth. "here's the deal, if you go a day without food, your little boyfriend will get something to eat. if you go a day without water, he'll get something to drink. but here's the real kicker, if i beat you, i won't beat him." the clown offered me his hand. i couldn't have richie get hurt. he was all i had.
     forcing back tears, i grasped the clowns hand, shaking it firmly.
"yesss," pennywise hissed excitedly. "so what first?"
"i don't want richie hurt at all." i knew what i was getting myself into. beaten almost senseless every day, if not worse, but i'd rather it be me then richie. "food for me every third day, and a drink every other day."
"would you like to start now?"
"do i have a choice?" i asked him shakily.
     the clown laughed, the noise ringing off the rock walls. "nope."
     i closed my eyes, accepting my fate, barely making a noise as the clown's fist made sharp contact with my face. nor when i felt his foot in my rib cage and something cracked. not even when blood began pouring from my nose, pooling on the floor.
all i could do was cry, thinking of richie's sweet, smiling face. that was all that got me through the beating.
i reopened my eyes when pennywise finally backed off. "i'll take your boyfriend his drink and food now," he muttered, seemingly upset i didn't have more of a reaction.
i weakly nodded my head.

for days, maybe even weeks, i was beaten mercilessly. given a swallow water the next day, then beaten again. given food every third day, then beaten. again.
everything hurt, my head was constantly pounding, and i could barely hold myself up.
"eddie?!" the voice sounded far away.
"richie?!" another voice called out.
"where are you guys?" that voice sounded like bev.
"hello?" that was richie's voice. i knew it from anywhere. i felt myself smile.
he was ok. that meant i was ok. i began sobbing, happy to finally hear from him.
something touched my shoulder. i shrieked and flinched back.
"eddie?" the voice was soft and soothing.
i slowly opened my eyes to find soft hazel eyes surrounded by curly, dirty blond hair.
"stanley?" i wheezed.
"oh god eddie," he sobbed, dropping to his knees. "they've been looking everywhere for you... we all have. what the fuck happened?!"
"the clown," i gasped. "where's richie?"
"he's with the rest of the losers," stanley explained. i could feel his cool fingers pressing slightly against my forehead.
"you're burning up eds," he whispered.
"do you have any water?" i asked, suddenly realizing how parched i was.
i heard him shuffling around before a cold thermos was pressed against my lips. i drank deeply.
"thank you stan," i breathed.
"let's get you out of here, ok eds?" he asked.
i nodded. stanley scooped me up in his arms, cradling me closely to his chest.
"holy shit," i heard stanley mutter.
"what's the matter?" i mumbled.
"you've lost so much weight," he whispered. "eddie, i think you need to go to the hospital."
"but i wanna see richie," i told him.
"i promise you can see him as soon as we get out of here, ok? just p-please, let me get you help."
i looked up at him in surprise. "why are you crying?"
"eds, y-you look like death. when i s-saw richie, he looked almost the same... i was expecting the same with you."
"richie's ok?" i asked, feeling myself smile.
stanley nodded slowly as we began walking. "why do you look like that? why is richie ok?" his voice was rising in panic.
"i made a deal with the clown. i didn't want richie to get hurt."
stanley stayed silent as we continued walking. i leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

i woke up to a loud beeping near my head and a bright lights. everything was blurry, but i could make out somebody sitting in a chair next to me.
"richie?" i asked hopefully.
the person stirred and scooted closer to me. my face fell when i saw stanley. not that i wasn't happy he was there, i just wanted to see richie.
"just me eds, sorry," he said gently.
i closed my eyes to hide my further disappointment. "s'okay," i mused quietly. "where am i?"
"derry hospital. you're getting fluid through an iv right now. i have to tell a nurse that you woke up so you can eat," stanley explained.
i nodded. "i'm not hungry. is richie coming by soon?" i asked hopefully.
"i... don't think so eds," stanley whispered.
"why?!" i asked nervously.
"his mom forced him to go home, he really did try to come see you though eds. but his momma kept going on and on about giving her such a scare."
"oh." i could hear the pitifulness in my own voice.
stanley's hands were cupping my face. "hey, eds. it's ok, don't cry," he soothed. "i'm sure he'll come visit you tomorr- well later today i guess."
i nodded my head, hoping he was right.
"hey stanley?" i murmured sleepily.
"yes?" he whispered back.
"thank you for saving me," i said, giving him a soft smile.
"don't mention it. i'm just glad you're back. i've missed you so much."
"you have?" i could feel a light blush creeping up my face.
"yeah. i cried every night," he whispered shakily. "i didn't know if you were gonna come back." his voice broke and he began to sob.
i scooted over on my little hospital bed and patted the mattress. i felt stanley's weight shift the bed, and then his arms were around me, holding me tightly.
"i love you so much eddie, and i know you're dating richie, but i love you. and i can't keep lying to you."
     my heart rose in my throat. i loved him too, but i also loved richie. i couldn't just leave richie like that.
     "stanley," i whispered shakily, forcing back tears.
     "no, it's ok. i don't want your pity."
     "stanley, i-i love you too..." i whispered weakly.
     "wha-what?"
     "but i love richie too," i breathed, hot tears leaking from my eyes. "and i can't choose between both of you," i sniffled.
     stanley held me tightly in his arms. "it's ok, i'm sorry i brought it up. shh don't cry," he soothed me, rubbing my back.
     a quiet knock on the door sent us scooting apart quickly. richie stood in my room, tears shimmering in his eyes.
     "oh, god, richie," i choked out. "i'm so sorry."
     he came over and sat down at the foot of my bed and gave me a small smile.
     "can we have a minute stanley?" richie asked him.
     he looked at him with wide eyes but nodded. "i'll be right outside," he told me.
     i nodded, wiping my streaming eyes. i watched him walk out of the room, before i forced my eyes back to richie.
     "richie... i-i'm so sorry," i whimpered, shaking.
     he cupped my face with his hands, wiping my tears with his thumbs. "i'm so glad you're ok," he murmured. "thank you so much for protecting me eds."
i began sobbing.
"i know you did this to protect me, and i can't thank you enough for that." he kissed the tip of my nose.
     he pulled me into his lap, cradling me against his chest gently.
     "richie... i-i love him... but i love you too," i sobbed into his chest.
     "hey it's ok, eds. it's ok to love more than one person," he whispered.
     "it-it is?" i sniffled.
     "yeah, it's called polyamorous."
     "oh," i whispered. "like having a lot of boyfriends all at once."
     richie chuckled. "it's having more than one partner, but all of the partners have consented," he explained.
     "oh. wait why do you know all this?" i asked him.
      "i've been thinking a lot eds. i still like men, don't get me wrong, but..."
     "you like more boys then just me?"
     he nodded, tears slipping down his cheeks. "i think i'm polyamorous..." he sniffled.
     "really?" i asked. "am i polyamorous?"
     richie laughed through his tears. "i can't tell you what you are and what you aren't, love."
     i bit my lip, thinking hard. i loved richie with my whole heart, but stanley had a piece of it for longer than i cared to tell.
     "do you like stanley?" i asked richie quietly.
     "i mean yeah, he's my best friend besides you," richie said.
     "i mean like like him," i mumbled.
     "oh... i mean, yeah... he's cute, and funny, and... yeah i do like him, eds." he quickly wiped his eyes, holding his head in his hands.
     i grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. "i think we need to talk to stanley," i whispered to richie.
     "yeah. i'll go get him."
     stanley walked in behind richie, his eyes as wide as ever. richie sat at my side, leaving stanley the foot of the bed.
     richie laughed under his breath. "we're not gonna bite your head off stan, take a breath."
     stanley instantly relaxed his shoulders, looking back and forth from me and richie. i looked up at richie as well.
     richie realized he had to speak first. "so, umm, stanley-" he cleared his throat. "eddie and i both like you..."
     "oh. oh!" he said excitedly. "i like both of you too," he whispered bashfully.
     richie and i smiled at each other.
     "well, we were wondering if you'd be open to a polyamorous relationship with us?" i asked stanley quietly, praying he'd say yes.
     he sat silently for a moment, lulling it over in his head. "yes. i would." he smiled brightly at us.
    i squealed. "this is the best day of my life."
     richie and stanley both chuckled.
     "of course, we'll have to discuss how we want this to work, but i think that can wait until you get better eds," richie told us.
     stanley nodded in agreement. "yes, i agree."
     i smiled at both of them, my heart swelling with love. "richie?"
     "yes love?"
     "stanley said you mother made you go home. how'd you get here?"
     "oh, i snuck out," he said, and stanley and i gasped. "i mean, the walk is only like fifteen minutes." he checked his watch. "my mom's probably gonna kill me, i need to go. i'll be here tomorrow, ok eds? i promise."
     "be safe richie," i whispered. "please."
     "i will eds. good night you two."
     "good night," stanley and i said simultaneously.
     stanley moved to where richie had been sitting, wrapping his arm around me. i leaned into his chest, closing my eyes, failing to stifle my yawn.
     "go to sleep honey," stanley whispered.
     "i don't wanna," i murmured. "i wanna talk to you."
     he began to run his fingers through my hair, my i unwillingly closed my eyes.
     "that's unfair," i murmured, half asleep.
     i could feel my body relaxing, and stanley leaned back so we were both more comfortable.
     "good night honey," he breathed.
     "i love you," i whispered. "you and richie both."
     "as do i."