reddie oneshots

wwww

self-harm tw

eddie embraced beverly tightly before the redheaded girl bounded off to her aunt's van parked across the street. little did the asthmatic boy know, this was only the first of many heartbreaks to come.
barely three months after bev had left for florida, bill's number was drawn. it was his turn to leave.
of course, he wasn't going far. only to bangor. only a few hours away.
bill had pinky sworn with eddie he'd stay in touch.
but he didn't.
and yet again, at the beginning of his seventh grade year, a little over two years after the defeat of pennywise, stan left to go to georgia.
he said it was because this town was too small, and it didn't have the potential. whatever that meant.
and then he too was gone.
this left eddie, richie, mike, and ben.
however, the latter two left derry in their eighth grade in the same week; one for the midwest, and the other for somewhere uncertain.
mike's father had developed cancer, and at the rate it was disintegrating his lungs, they would have to travel across the country looking for a doctor who could help fix it.

eddie and richie lay together on the tozier's living room sofa, mindlessly watching a late night talk show.
with tears in his eyes, richie began to slowly speak. "hey eds?"
eddie, noticing the tone of richie's voice, immediately turned to look at him with wide, scared eyes. "yes?"
"i-i have to go..." richie whispered raggedly, a fat tear escaping his eye and rolling down his cheek.
eddie's heart shattered, but he turned numb. "where are you going?" he asked quietly.
"california," richie informed him.
"that's-that's across the country."
     richie wrapped eddie tightly in his arms as the boy began vigorously sobbing. "please don't cry eds," richie whispered as he began to cry harder too. "p-please! we've still got a week! we'll do whatever you want! just please don't cry."
     eddie clutched at the back of richie's shirt. "please don't leave me. i don't want you to leave," he whimpered. "you'll forget me like the others!"
     "eds, no. i could never forget you. you mean too much to me," richie soothed, but eddie couldn't hear him over his own sobs; he was much to afraid he'd be forgotten by his last remaining friend.
     richie just hugged him tighter, and eventually they both fell asleep.

     the next week flew by, much to eddie's dismay, and now he stood, clutching richie tightly, as if he hoped the hug would last forever, and richie would not have to leave him all alone.
"eds," richie whispered horsely, his voice choked with tears. "i've gotta go bubs."
tears flooded eddie's eyes as he continued to hold richie for just a moment more. "richie..."
"yeah bubs?"
"i love you." with that, eddie pressed up on his toes, and quickly pressed his lips against richie's.
     richie stood opened-mouthed.
with a final smile, tears pouring down his face, eddie ran without saying another word.
richie stood, frozen, until his parents honked the horn of the minivan. numbly, richie turned around and shambled over to it, folding himself into the backseat.
they began driving, and it wasn't until thirty minutes later the silence was broken.
"you ok squirt?" his mother finally asked.
richie blinked at her. "yes momma."
     "ok hun. try to sleep."

     eddie ran, blinded by his tears, until he reached the losers club clubhouse. he slid down into the musty, damp underground, before curling in on himself, sobbing loudly.
     "why did you do that edward?" he asked himself angrily. "you didn't even ask if it was ok!"
    he dissolved into sobs once again. "stupid stupid stupid," he muttered angrily.

     richie awoke four hours later, groggy, with a head that ached worse than anything.
     "where are we?" he mumbled sleepily.
     "nearly in indiana," he mother told him. "how are you feeling?"
     richie pointed at his head. "hurts a lot," he whispered.
     his mother smiled gently, reaching into her purse and producing a bottle of ibuprofen. "try to go back to sleep honey," she said, handing the bottle to richie.
     "thanks momma, g'night," he mumbled.
     he popped two pills in his mouth, and fumbled clumsily with his bottle of water. he closed his eyes once again and drifted off into an uneasy sleep, filled with images of eddie, along with all of his old friends.