Angel's End / reddie ghost au

Forteen - You

"You- you what?" Richie asked with wide eyes. His face was so close to Eddie's he could see the small boy's porcelain cheeks fade to an embarrassed red.

"Holy fuck!" Eddie screeched slapping his hand over his mouth. His eyes felt glassy from pure fear of what Richie would think. He began to hyperventilate, looking away from the lanky boy.

A small smile curved onto Richie's lips. His expression soft and kind.

"Hey, hey it's okay," he whispered soothingly, reaching out and softly touching his shoulder, causing the guilty boy to look at him, "Why are you so upset Ed's? It's okay... you told me it was okay when I came out... Why is this any different?"

Eddie began to shake, panicked. He'd never learned to deal with his emotions. Confronting them sent his body into shock. His feelings were like poison, when in reality, they were very small.

"I don't know it's just complicated I don't know how to explain your going to hate me but I swear what I said to you is true mine is just diff-," Eddie said rambling, barley leaving a breath after each word.

"Ed's calm down." Richie pleaded soothingly, rubbing Eddie's shoulder softly with his thumb, "Talk to me... please. I promise you I won't be angry. I could NEVER be angry at you, Eddie Spaghetti,"

Eddie took a deep breath, "I don't know Richie! I've never had feelings like these before. It's so confusing,"

Richie didn't want to speak until Eddie had finished. Even though Richie could be obnoxious and loud at times, one thing he was good at was listening.

"I- I guess I'm just scared things will change if I talk about it." Eddie said self consciously.

Richie finally let himself intervene, "Eddie I promise it won't change anything... unless it's for the better, okay?"

Eddie took another deep breath, "Richie I-..."
He paused contemplating whether he should share his feelings.
He looked at the boy in front of him. Richie's kind and honest eyes sparkling behind the thick frames of his glasses. The mouth that could talk absolute nonsense and be hilarious at times having a set soft smile on it.

"Richie I like you okay?"

Fuck.

Regret washed over Eddie like the long slow waves on a shallow beach. Each wave was icy cold and sent shivers down his spine.

He jumped off the bed and rushed to the door on instinct. Forgetting of a brief, stressed second that he could not leave.
"Fuck!" Eddie let out in frustration.
How he longed to go back and take a different path, but now that was impossible. There was no way back. There was no way to renounce what he'd said. This would mess up their friendship. Make every second awkward. The remorse was sure to eat at Eddie everyday forever.

"Ed's...,"

Eddie turned around, stress plastered on his face. A hand on his forehead.

Richie just sat in the same position looking at Eddie. He seemed perfectly calm and still, something Eddie had never seen him like before.

He gently used the tip of his finger to push his glasses up his nose to get a better look at Eddie.
He smiled.

"Eddie. I like you too."

Eddie's panicked expression softened and moulded into a look of confusion. Surely Richie had misunderstood. He must've thought Eddie meant it 'as a friend.'
"No Rich I don't think you under-,"

"No, I do," Richie interrupted his tone still unusual but soothingly calm, "I like you as more than a friend Eddie... I've never met anyone like you. Your special. You make me feel complete."

Eddie felt breathless. He didn't know what to say. No one had ever said something like that to him before.
Richie thought he was special!
He was the only boy who had never turned on Eddie or brought him any pain, except for when they were play fighting and Richie got a bit to rough.

"You not gonna say anything?" Richie mused, smirking slightly.

Eddie swallowed hard and looked at the scrawny boy who still lay on the bed.
Bravely he walked over and sat beside him.

"Richie... I don't know how do say this so I'll say it like this;
One day a puzzle piece fell from my heart, as if it no longer belonged there.
When that puzzle piece went, so did my happiness.. when I was alive all I can remember was my sadness and dread. How hard it was to get up in the mornings because I enjoyed how numb it felt to sleep... but recently I've felt different. I never feel sad when I'm around you... you were like the antidepressant I was never prescribed... but in reality you are way better than that... Richie you are my missing puzzle piece."

Richie felt shocked. Genuinely no one had ever said something so touching and meaningful to him. It felt so indescribably warm and heart melting to hear it, but the best part was he could tell Eddie was being 100% honest.

"Eddie I want you to do something for me, okay?" Richie asked, a reassuring smile on his face.

"Okay," Eddie smiled shyly

Richie took a deep breath, "Eds, I want you to imagine you are holding every bad memory in your left hand and every good memory in your right..."

Eddie looked at him sideways on, confused.

Richie nodded his head slightly to encourage Eddie.

"Now... hold every one of them in your brain at the same time... Then, think about it... You should be able to realise how much we make up at the meeting point between dreams and memory. You should be able to see how great we are at creating our own fictions to help us to handle our emotions in the real world."

Eddie was focused on Richie's beautiful words. He had never heard him speak like this before; so knowledgeable and so heartfelt.

"Now imagine in each hand the memories have been transformed into a rich and fertile soil... weird I know... but now imagine it raining to your feet, the richness from which all your future grows... Do you see it? You are your own best healer Ed's, it is right there in your brain, the power to transform yourself. You deserve happiness and although I may have helped you find it, it could only have come from within you... you deserved happiness because you worked for it Eddie. That's why you deserve it more than anyone else."

Eddie felt as if he wanted to cry. He never thought a chaotic, loud, trashmouth like Richie could be so sensitive.
He learned over and wrapped Richie in a warm hug. Richie had always loved him. He had always wanted the best for him.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Eddie whispered, trying not to let tears slip from his eyes.

Richie sniffled, his arms tightly around Eddie too. He tried to hold back his own tears. The small boy had finally realised just how much he cares for him.
"You'd probably have less headaches,"

Eddie giggled slightly between his tears. His happy tears.
"I had no idea under all that swearing and stupid jokes you could actually be so sweet."

"Yeah well don't get used to it." Richie laughed, finally pulling out of the hug.
He gently held Eddie in front of him, just so he could stare into those innocent caramel eyes.

"I love you Eddie Spaghetti. Don't ever forget it." He smiled, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on Eddie's cheek.

When Richie pulled away it felt like a thousand tiny fireworks had been set of in the place Richie's lips had touched.

Eddie smiled, "Thank you. For everything."

They just stared at each other. Oblivious of everything going on around them.
Richie started to lean in again, and in a beautiful, exciting moment Eddie swore Richie was about to kiss him. This time not on the cheek but on his lips. He leaned in too. Excited to feel the warm embrace of Richie's lips.
Eddie closed his eyes, waiting for it.
Their faces when so close when...

BANG

The bedroom door swung open... In the door way stood a very familiar ginger haired girl and boy with a stutter.

What the heck?!