𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎 - REDDIE AU

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛

"This project will be done in pairs," Mr King announced, he was the history teacher for Eddie and Richie, the only class the two boys shared. "It's about a piece of famous history in the town, pairs may be chosen and topics by the people," He hummed writing some random stuff on the board.

Eddie quickly sat himself down next to Richie really quickly, only knowing Richie in the class so if Richie didn't want to, Eddie would be stuffed.

"Wanna partner up? We can do that murder in that old house! We can even do it in there so it'll be spooky, I know you like horror so..." Eddie hummed, giving him a nudge for persistence.

Richie became stiff in his seat, shuffling around a little bit as his shaky voice hummed. "Uh, Nah...a lot of people are going to do that house, so..."

"Yeah, but we have a lot more info! We can do a floor layout plan and stuff!" Eddie grinned, really excited. It was the only history of the town he knew so.

Eddie smiled at the boy, that perfect smile that Richie had grown to known...that one that would make his stomach feel funny and his knees feel weak, how in gods name could he say no to that adorable and enchanting smile?

He couldn't.

"Fine, fine. So...do you want to start on it after school or?" Richie questioned, there was a bit of pain in his voice but he tried his best to hide it, didn't work though.

"Yeah...of course, what's wrong though?" Eddie questioned, scooting his adorable elf closer, practically rubbing against the other boy.

"Uh! Yeah, of course...I'm perfectly fine, I'm one hundred percent fine," Richie lied, humming as he wrote down some random notes. "Uh, after school? Wanna start? We can grab some books from the library and shit..."

And that's what they did, they got out three books based on the house, the history and the Topaz murder facts. But...something happened during the research.

First of all, they found out that the house was originally built in 1913, which made the house over one hundred years old, Eddie found that really cool, the house was almost burned down in the thirties due to two men living together, one of them was a widow with a child who had been rumoured to have been gay with the other man, and that it was a four personally family that was affected by the murder.

"Ok, so...do we know the victim's name or the family name?" Eddie asked, his legs crossed as he looked between the open history book and his notebook. "Cause...for some reason it's only noted as "Mr T"?"

Richie nodded, his head kept down as he read through a bunch of loose papers. "Yeah..." He mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"Yeah what?" Eddie questioned, eyebrows furrowed as he looked up from his book.

"Uh...yeah I know the family name," Richie practically whimpered, something was off. Something was really off.

Eddie pushed his books aside scooting into Richie's personal space, it confused Richie why but soon Eddie's arms were wrapped around Richie's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "Ok seriously, what's up?" Eddie questioned...it was really weird.

Being hugged in such a way, it was comforting and made Richie feel a little bit better, but he knew that this was going to be really awkward and really emotionally draining.

Richie nustled his head into Eddie's neck, he knew this was going to be bad. Really bad. It was one of the big things Richie had been bullied for, mocked for or pitied for. It was one of the biggest things. "Uh...it was uh,"

"You don't have to say.-"

"It was my dad," Richie practically whispered, but Eddie heard it. And it clicked in his head really quickly.

"Oh," Eddie hummed, he felt his neck become more than a little bit wet as Richie felt warm tears running down his eyes. "Now I see why you didn't want to do it...I'm sorry,"

"It's fine...I, he- I was like, two years old...and he- they killed him...they're still out there and they killed him." Richie cried, breaking down to the boy. "This place used to be so pretty,"

Eddie nodded, rubbing his back in support. "I bet it was Rich,"

"I don't even remember him- he got killed when I was like...two- I can't even remember my own dad," He cried, but, Eddie knew what that felt like. Wishing someone who you're meant to be loved by, supported by and protected by but not even remember what they looked like. It sucked.

"It's terrible," Eddie whispered, his arms tightening around the boy to hold him close.

"Yeah...like, everyone who met him constantly goes on about how much I'm like him and how he would've loved me- but I don't know that I have no idea who he was, it's like-"

"You don't know if they're lying to make you feel better?" Eddie questioned, that's how he felt, he was constantly compared to his dad and how he looked like him with his freckles, his hair colour, his eye colour, his tan, his facial shape. Everyone constantly went on about how he was basically his dads' clone, but he truly never knew that.

Richie nodded, humming a quick "yes" into the boy's neck, sniffling a bit as Eddie jumped a little bit.

"Oh! Oh, how about we do something?..then? Cause I think this will be a little bit too much for you," Eddie questioned, pulling back to look at his face. It was completely red and puffy from crying. And that created an unknown pain in his chest.

Eddie sighed cupping the boys face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that were sliding down Richie's face. "Come on, I don't know much about gardening but...I can try!"

Richie let out a chuckle, looking into the boys' soft brown eyes. "That'd be funny, you're too short to even get anything,"

"I- Fuck you! I could totally get them! You ass!"

"Bet?" Richie laughed, the smile finally getting back to his face.

"Yes bet!"

As the boys got up, Eddie sprinted a little bit too fast, making his way outside of the beautifully detailed back door, running without even his shoes on the soft, perfectly green grace. For once, it seemed like there was colour in Derry to Eddie.

He had Richie, no matter what his mum did, he had Richie. No matter how he felt or what was happening somehow every day since he met Richie the boy made him feel special inside. And that's what he was thinking about, the "cold" that Richie gave him and how even that didn't feel as bad as normal colds.

But the dumbass slipped on his own two feet, tumbling onto the ground with a burst of laughter, he rolled over as the boy stood over him.

"You ok?" Richie laughed, looking down at the boy.

"Yeah...help me up though dick," Eddie grinned, extending his hand. Which Richie quickly took, but that only created a spark in Eddie's stomach and head...something ticked.

'Oh fuck, I'm gay.'

₍₎

A/N: Damm...he finally figured it out like a dummy, ANYWAY, hope you enjoyed! Bye!