✓ 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧, reddie

vi. the cottage

THE COTTAGE!

　 ҉ THE BEAUTY OF THE NIGHT  seems as if it will live on forever. They're laughing and softly exchanging words while the sky lights up brightly, as if it's grinning just as wide as they are. The saturated colors shout into the sky in streams, glowing loudly before they fizzle out and fall to the ground smokily. It feels like the moment will play on repeat before them for the rest of their lives.

But, as all beautiful things do, it ends.

Eddie stands up from the wall when the sky is dimmer now, no lights and booms, just smoky darkness. Clutching his bunny close to his chest, he carries his empty can of soda over to a garbage can; it's large and mostly empty, a deep sea green color. When he drops it in, it hits the bottom hollowly, and when he looks up he sees a figure before him. Eyes widening, he steps back, but it clutches his arm. When the figure's hood drops, he sees that it's mama. "Let go of me," He says, a bit harsh, and she tsks.

"You thought the boy cared about you, Eddie?" She asks, and gazes over his shoulder. He turns, too, looking back at Richie, who is speaking to Mike with a grin on his face. He doesn't spare a glance in Eddie's direction. "He gave you away, flower. Got tired of you. How do you think I knew where you were?" Face falling even further, Eddie whips his gaze to her.

"You're lying, mama!" He says, a little too loud, and she glares at him but he doesn't settle. He's holding Pascal the bunny close to his chest as he says, "Richie wouldn't!"

Sonia gasps in a betrayed sort of way, and if anyone else were in Eddie's place they'd know it was too dramatic to be anything but fake, but Eddie is Eddie. He's cutely naive, and although endearing, it's not helpful in the moment that his heart drops with guilt. "I'm your mother, Eddie," She says, staring at his face in faux shock, "You trust some ratty boy before you trust me?"

Shaking his head as she grips his arm and tugs him in the direction of the trees, he whimpers, "Mama, wait, no." The bunny drops from his arms lamely as he attempts to fight against her, but he's too sad, too weak. As he glances over his shoulder, he catches Richie kissing Bev on the cheek, and he calls out to his friend. Richie doesn't hear.

When he's back at the cottage, shoved into the house weakly by his mother, he stumbles against a wall as he stares at her. "I can't believe you would do that to me, flower," Mama says, glaring at him, tears gathering in her eyes, "You're so fragile."

"No, mama!" Eddie shouts at her, beginning to cry. He sniffles, stepping back from her further. "I'm not fragile! I'm strong, mama! I jumped off a cliff, I almost drowned," Mama sobs at this, a dramatic noise that Eddie doesn't dare feel guilty for, too busy trying to prove his strength to her, "And I didn't use my inhaler once! So why do you lie?"

Shaking her head, walking towards him even as he backs away, Sonia says, "I didn't lie, flower." She sobs again, shaking her head, reaching out for him. "I need you." She's putting on a show, clearly, her lips not even quivering while she cries.