𝑮𝑯𝑶𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮 ❥ ❥ ❥ reddie ~ time travel au

✯one✯

He had to say it.

Richies heart was racing, his raven curls slick with sweat as he panicked. He gripped Eddie's shoulder tightly, the blood seeping from his knuckles as they turned white. He could die at any moment. If he didn't say this now, he might never get the chance.

"Eds," he said under his breath. Eddie turned his head to face Richie, his breathing shallow as his face contorted into confusion. "I'm gay." Richie continued, possibly even quieter than before.

The air seemed completely silent as they trekked through the sewers. There wasn't a single sound between the two, and Richie almost tried to play it off as a joke.

"Now's not the time for jokes." Eddie muttered. Richie shook his head, letting out a breath of frustration. The air went silent again, and their breathing echoed against the walls around them. It was cold, and dark. Richie questioned why he even said anything at all.

Eddie quietly spoke up, having noticed Richies grip on him had loosened a little. Maybe he wasn't joking. "What... what do you mean?" Eddie asked.

Richie stayed silent. There really wasn't anything he could say.

Eddie felt the warmth from Richie breath on his cheek, and he knew he wasn't joking. He pulled away, eyes wide with shock as it dawned on him. "You... you're sick... you need help..." he whispered with alarm in his voice.

Richie shook his head. "No... no, Eds, I'm... I'm not..." he whispered, his eyebrows screwed into a confused and angry expression.

Suddenly, a loud clang made them both jolt. Eddie turned away from Richie and cautiously approached the other losers, Richie stood there dazed as he felt tears prick at his eyes. He quickly blinked them away and followed Eddie, seeing Bill in the grip of pennywise.

𒊹𒊹𒊹

Richie was sitting in a shallow part of the flowing river, gripping a rock in his hand. It was after the fight with pennywise, and he hadn't talked to Eddie since. He sat in the cold running water, still fighting off the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyes. He kept thinking about what Eddie said to him. Was that really what he thought? He threw the rock, making the water ripple into a giant splash.

He felt a cold hand on his shoulder, turning to see Stan. Stan was Richies best friend, he always will be Richies best friend. That's why Stan knew so quickly Richie was upset. Well, he wasn't exactly hiding it either.

Stan wrapped his arms around Richie as he sat down, the cold water running over his shoes and pants. He pulled away and looked at Richie as the threatening tears finally spilled out. "It's alright," Stan said quietly, rubbing Richies back soothingly. Richie sobbed in his arms.

As all the losers began to disband after the blood pact, Richie was the first to leave. He didn't say anything before he left, just put a hand up in a half-hearted wave. He shouldn't have said anything.

𒊹𒊹𒊹

tw; homophobia, slurs

"That's what he said." Eddie took the blanket his mother offered, but only set it down beside him. He was sitting on the couch, back in his home, with his mother worriedly examining his face. Of course, this was after he has a shower.

"Well sweetie, I told you not to hang around with that Tozier kid! I knew he was a bad seed."  Sonia said, her words rushed.

"I know, mommy." Eddie said, then letting the conversation cease. He had a lot of questions, but just didn't know how to ask them. "Is he... really bad, though?"
Sonia stopped in her tracks.

"Of course he's bad, sweetie. He's sick, and perverted. I don't want my little boy hanging around some dirty fairy." Sonia said, her words now slower, more threatening. "But, you're not like that, Eddie-bear, right? You would never be like that. I raised you right."

Eddie only nodded. But he realized, his mother's words were bullshit.

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670 words

sorry this is kinda short! hopefully the next chapter will be longer. ♥