reddie oneshots

ww

     richie watched as eddie ran out of the whole entire school. that was unlike him. richie stood to his feet.
     "trashmouth, don't even think about going after him," bev told him sternly. "he gave us up."
     anger boiled in richie's veins. "bev," he snapped. "don't you think it's funny that henry hasn't laid a single finger on us since eddie started dating him? doesn't that make you wonder what eddie goes through?"
     bev's mouth popped open. "oh my," she gasped. "i didn't even think about that."
     richie took off running after eddie. he couldn't have gotten that far.
     but there was no sight of him when richie ran out of the school. he paused for a minute, thinking. it was friday, and on fridays he and eddie always went to the quarry. well, they used to anyway.
     richie shot off like a rocket in the quarry's direction.
     he found eddie, laying like a broken doll on the cliffs edge, bawling his eyes out.
     "eds?" richie's voice was so soft, almost non-existent.
     eddie didn't seem to have heard him because he just continued to sob harder.
"oh eddie," richie breathed, running over to his best friend. richie kneeled down beside eddie before pulling the smaller boy into his lap.
eddie clung to richie's shirt, sobbing.
richie held eddie against his chest; one hand tangled in eddie's hair and holding his face against his chest and the other around eddie's waist.
"it's ok baby, it's ok, just breathe, please!" richie cried.
eddie managed to take a shuddery gasp through his sobs before he looked up at richie.
"don't you hate me too?" he asked richie sadly, the pain in his voice evident.
"hate you? baby i don't think i could hate you," he whispered back. "nobody hates you, i promise."
eddie sniffled and buried his face in richie's shirt once again, enjoying the feeling of soft hands instead of rough on his body. eddie relaxed for the first time in a month.
"why'd you do it?" richie pleaded softly.
"do what?" eddie asked, already half asleep in richie's warm embrace.
"date him," richie spat out.
eddie began crying again, instantly soaking the shoulder and neck of richie's shirt. "be-because... he was gonna hurt me... and i told him i'd do anything, but he said i had to date him... or he'd kill me. i was so scared... but i told him i'd date him if he didn't hurt you guys anymore... and he agreed. but he-he said that the beatings were gonna he worse now that we broke up-" eddie began hyperventilating.
richie held him tightly. "eddie, eddie listen to me, it's ok, it's ok i promise."
"no no no," eddie sobbed, repeating it over and over. "i'm sorry i wasn't thinking, i don't know what i was thinking-"
"eddie!"
he flinched at the suddenness of richie's voice. "just breathe, please."
eddie nodded and inhaled before closing his eyes.
"what if he hurts you?" eddie asked meekly after getting his breathing back under control.
"he won't lay a finger on me, or any of us," richie reassured him.
eddie didn't know how he could be sure of that, but he nodded along anyway. he wrapped his arms around richie's neck and closed his eyes. in mere seconds he was asleep.
     richie realized how exhausted his friend was and laid there for almost two hours, propped up against a rock with eddie cradled in his arms.
     eddie awoke with a start, staring up at richie with wide eyes. "i'm so sorry-"
     "eds, calm down baby, it's ok," richie reassured him.
     eddie closed his mouth and nodded his head.
     "stay at my house tonight? we can watch movies, make cookies?" richie offered the smaller boy.
     eddie nodded his head. "i'd like that."
     "come on, let's go!" richie said excitedly.
     they both got to their feet, and richie wrapped his arm around eddie's shoulders.
     once the two arrived at his house, they immediately grabbed snacks from the kitchen and headed up to richie's bedroom. they sat down on his bed and richie opened a bag of chips. he offered eddie one, who accepted.
     "so don't get me wrong, eds, i love the new style, but why the change?"
     eddie's face immediately flushed. he couldn't tell richie the real reason- hickeys and cuts galore- so he just shrugged his shoulders.
     richie didn't push the subject, and they both continued to chew quietly on the potato chips.
     eddie laid back on richie's bed, wincing slightly at the pain it caused him to lay on his back.  he rolled over to his side.
     richie joined him after rolling the bag of chips up. richie rubbed his nose against eddie's.
     "what was that for?" eddie asked sleepily.
     "that's how eskimos kiss," richie told him matter of factly.
     eddie giggled and blushed. "oh, ok." eddie's eyes fluttered closed.
     richie continued to analyze his face; dark circles shined like bruised underneath his eyes, his cheeks seemed sunk in and hollow, and it looked like he hadn't slept in a year.
     "eds," richie whispered quietly.
     "mhm?"
     "you can't sleep in jeans, let me find you some other clothes, ok?"
     eddie groaned but still agreed. he pushed himself up into a seated position and watched richie fumble around his room for clothes that would actually fit him.
     richie finally found clothes for eddie and handed them to him.
     eddie pulled off his black turtle neck without a single thought. richie gasped loudly.
     eddie froze up, his breath halting. tears began pouring out of his eyes at an alarming rate.
     richie stared at eddie with wide eyes. purple hickeys covered the majority of his neck, nail scratches covered his stomach, and long, deep cuts littered his arms.
     richie dropped to his knees in front of eddie, cupping his tear-soaked face in his hands.
     "easy baby, it's ok," richie consoled him. he helped eddie place the grey knit shirt over his head. it didn't help with hiding the hickeys, but eddie seemed to calm down slightly now that his wrists were covered.
     eddie stood up and quickly changed his pants; richie still noticed the wince that crossed eddie's face.
     he collapsed on richie's bed, and richie followed suit.
     "did he hurt you eddie?" richie asked, his voice shaking angrily.
     eddie squeezed his eyes shut. "what do you mean?"
     "baby, did he make you do stuff you didn't want to do?"
     a small sob escaped eddie's throat, and he nodded.
     richie pulled eddie to his chest, holding him snuggly as he sobbed.
     "it's ok baby, he won't touch you again, i promise."
     "i love you richie," eddie sniffled though his tears.
     richie's heart skipped a beat. "i love you too baby."