I Know || Reddie FanFic

IV

Richie never understood why, but this house always seemed drawn to Eddie. It had a way of using him and fucking with him, even before Pennywise made an appearance. He would talk about how he heard things there or he would always get hurt there.

"Okay... yeah.. home." Eddie mumbled, now staring at the door, almost in a trance from the eerie darkness seeping from it. As they got further from the house, Eddie slowly got back to normal. They walked in comfortable silence until they reached Eddies house. Eddie looked in through the window of his house and saw his mom passed out in her floral recliner.

"I guess I should probably go," Richie started back down the steps, looking out at the pitch black street, eerily empty for only being 10pm. Eddies heart rate picked up and his breathing increased. Leave? I don't want him to go... he thought with panic.

"Wait!" Eddie grabbed Richies sleeve, "Can you stay alittle bit?" Richie stared at him, pleasantly surprised.

"I don't think mommy Kaspbrak would like that very much. She doesn't seem to care for me." Richie moved towards him anyway.

"She's asleep," Eddie muttered and bit his lip. This brought a smile to Richies face. "I know it's late and your mom is probably worried, I'm sorry- I shouldn't have asked, I" he began to regret his forwardness.

"Shut up, Eds." Richie chuckled softly, "We both know my mom doesn't give a fuck. I'll meet you up there," he whispered, " I'll go the gentleman's way." He gave Eddie a wink and took off towards the backyard. Eddie breathed out slowly and smiled.

The gentleman's way, Richies favorite way to get into his room. This wasn't the first time Richie had a secret sleepover at Eddies, in fact, it was a regular occurrence, just not usually on a Thursday.

Eddie creeped in through the front door, tiptoeing up the stairs, careful not to wake his mom. He opened the door to his room just in time to see Richie climb in through his window, the gentleman's way.

"Is she still asleep?" Richie questioned as he shut the window. Eddie locked his bedroom door and sat on his bed.

"Yeah, I think she took sleeping pills." Eddie said and looked up at Richie as he took a place across the room from him. He played with some random thing on Eddies school desk and avoided looking him in the eyes. "What happened today?"

"Hm?" Richie glanced at him. "Oh... uhm. Connor nearly broke my nose, I hung out with a bunch of losers, went to a fucking clown invested crackhead house, and now I'm sitting in your room." He gave Eddie a literal answer and watched the signature eye roll ensue.

"You know what I mean. Ever since your fight with Connor, you've been acting... weird. I mean this isn't the first time you've been punched in the face for not shutting up. Usually you go right back to your old self. But at the clubhouse today, you... you seemed scared." Eddie rambled and fiddled with his hands. Richie just watched him sincerely and listened intently. "What did you see... in the clubhouse?" Richie pressed his lips together in a tight line, contemplating his answer.

"I saw you." Richie said, his voice cracking slightly.

"W-what do you mean? Of course you saw me, I was there."

Richie stared at him for a long moment before getting up and sitting next to him. "Eddie, there's something I've never told you and neither has Bill... at least I don't think he has."

"What..." Eddies breathing got ragged as he anticipated Richies next words.

"Back when... It happened. When we went in Neibolt the first time... when you broke your arm." Richie fought for the right words. "That was the first time I saw the clown. He used you... it used you. Like a puppet. To put an imprint on me forever."

"What... how.."

"You said you were unconscious for awhile after you fell right?" Eddie nodded at this, suddenly feeling violated.

"But... why? Why would he use me to scare you? You're afraid of clowns." Richie flinched at this alittle.

"Because I-" Richie paused and looked at Eddies flustered face, Now isn't the time, Richie. Look at him, he can't handle much more tonight. And frankly neither can you. "I don't know, Eds. Because he's fucked up. But, that's what I saw earlier. I saw you, but it wasn't you."

"Richie... do you think it's back?" Eddies voice wavered and his hands shook alittle as he rooted around his backpack for his inhaler. He wheezed slightly and made a short whine when he couldn't find it immediately.

"Eds," Richie started but Eddie was frantically looking now. "Eddie, look at me. Look at- Eddie!" Richie grabbed Eddies wrist and pulled it away from his backpack. Eddie had tears in his eyes and he fought them back.

"I-I'm scared, Richie." Eddie whispered. This brought Richie back and suddenly they weren't 17 anymore. He was looking at a 13 year old Eddie, his arm in a cast and his doe eyes looking at him. A reddish pink polo disheveled from their fight with Pennywise. Neither boys wanted to be alone that night. Me too. Richie thought suddenly and then shook his head.

"Hey... Eddie." Richie spoke softly and coaxed him to calm down. "Everything is fine, today has just been alittle crazy okay? Let's just relax and talk about something else okay?" Eddie took a shaky breath and nodded.

"O-okay... can you help me find my-my inhaler first?" His said between short struggling breaths. Richie frowned at him and started to shake his head.

"Eds, you found out years ago that you don't really need the-"

"Please..." he whispered in response. Richie grabbed his backpack and checked the pocket he had watched him put it in earlier. He pulled out the inhaler and handed it to him.

"You okay now?" Richie asked as Eddie took a couple puffs from his inhaler.

"Yeah..." both the boys laid down on Eddies small twin size bed and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry." Eddie mumbled and turned his head to look at Richie.

"For what?" Richie asked confused and kept his gaze trained on the ceiling. Eddie yawned and rubbed at his eyes.

"I kept pushing you to tell me things today and.. I just made things worse. I'm sorry." Eddie spoke softly, exhaustion evident in his voice. Richie rolled to face him and his breath caught in his throat by how close they were now. Their noses were but inches apart and Richie could feel the smaller boy's breath on his face.

Eddie looked into Richies deep eyes and blinked slowly. "Eddie..." Richie lulled, and Eddie hummed a response. "Go to sleep."

"Mmmkay." Eddie closed his eyes and shifted his body, some how closer to Richie than before. Their finger tips touched and the wavy haired boys cheeks heated up. He's so close... Richie watched Eddies breathing slow and grow steady as he drifted off to sleep. It had been a hard day for them both. He knows. The thought drifted by him again and made his body grow ridged as he looked at Eddies soft sleeping face.

"Goodnight, Eds." Richie whispered and gently stroked his cheek with the back of his hand.