eddie sat by his bedroom door, leaning his head against the frame, knowing that richie was sitting outside of it waiting for it to be opened. eddie didn't want to talk, he didn't want to hear richie talk. he couldn't cry anymore. he body was out of tears.
"eddie come on, let me in."
eddie wanted to. though there was nothing stopping him, eddie couldn't bring himself to open the door. he couldn't hear another 'it's okay'. that's all his mom had said to him since she got the call. he knew it wasn't okay. he knew that it wasn't going to be okay.
"eddie, please?"
he couldn't. he just couldn't. eddie didn't want to see anyone. he didn't ask richie to come here. he didn't want to see richie. he didn't want to interact with anyone. he was terrified that the second he opened his bedroom door, he'd be taken away. he'd be forced to live with his father, who he didn't even know. he couldn't even remember what his face looked like, much less his voice. he hadn't seen his dad in years, and that's exactly how he liked it.
"eds, do you want a cup of tea? your mom made it, she said it's peppermint."
that bitch. eddie loved his mom, don't doubt him on that. but that bitch. she knew exactly what she was doing. eddie loved peppermint tea, and she knew it. she knew that he loved richie too, so of course, asking richie to give him peppermint tea probably seemed like the perfect way to coax him out of his room.
"i don't want any tea." eddie said softly. he heard richie sigh. eddie hated that noise, he hated hearing richie like that. he wanted to apologize, and to open the door and say he was sorry for acting so cold, but he couldn't. even if he felt so compelled to do so, his legs wouldn't let him up. he couldn't move, he felt paralyzed from his own thoughts.
"are you sure? like completely sure? i can just hand it to you through a crack in the door, you don't have to let me in." eddie felt awful. he knew that richie wanted to help. but richie had no idea what it was like, and eddie didn't want him to know what its like.
"yes richie, i'm sure."
"oh, oh well, okay." eddies heart sank, he could hear the strain in richies voice. eddie wanted to tell him to go home, and to forget about him. all eddies ever been is a burden on richies shoulders.
richie never seems to be able to catch a break around the smaller boy. it made eddie feel awful. he just wanted to be someone that richie was happy to be with, but all he felt like was a bad luck charm.
"eddie i'm not leaving. i'll sleep in your hallway if needed, i'm not going anywhere."
of course.
richie tozier was one stubborn fucker. of course he wasn't going anywhere. did eddie really expect that? eddie knew that richie would climb the tree outside his window and sleep in it if he had to. he knew richie wouldn't leave, even if his mom demanded it. richie would sit right there for the next two weeks if he felt like he had to.
eddie, now sitting on his bed, considered getting up and letting richie in. he felt awful for making him sit alone outside of his room, and he knew that his mother would be pissed the moment richie left. he sighed, looking up at the ceiling, before standing off of his bed. eddie walked to the door, putting his small hand around the handle. he took a deep breath, before pulling the door open.
richie fell backwards, but his instinct caught him before his back fully hit the floor. the lanky boy scrambled to his feet, turning around and engulfing eddie into an embrace. eddie wrapped his arms around the other, feeling his eyes fill with tears.
"richie," eddie started, though he knew full well that he wouldn't say anything else. richie ran a hand through the back of the smaller boys hair and pulled him closer, wordlessly saying what needed to be said. the two stood there, in eddies doorway, for what felt like hours. neither of them spoke, neither moved. they only parted when mrs. kaspbrak came up the stairs.
"sorry to interrupt but, richie, your mother called." richie blinked at her, confused as to why his mom would be calling.
"is she okay?" sonia nodded. there was no concerned look on her face, and she didn't sound panicked.
"yes, she just said that she needed you home, she assumed that you'd be here." richie looked down, then to eddie. he nodded slightly before sonia smiled and made her way back down the stairs.
"you've got to go?" eddie asked, barely above a whisper.
"seems like it. but i'll come back, okay? i'll email you." eddie nodded, before wrapping his arms around richies neck and pulling him back for one more hug. richies hands stayed securely on the small of eddies back, tightly hugging eddie back. after a few moments, richie pulled back.
"i love you." richie said, kissing eddies lips softly. eddies face turned pink, a smile appearing onto his face.
eddie nodded in response.
richie grabbing eddies hand and kissing it, before turning around and walking out of eddies bedroom door. eddie waited by his door until he heard richie's loud voice say 'thank you for having me, mrs. k! have an amazing rest of your evening."
it was barely noon.
