Richie gripped his stomach and groaned, opening his eyes. His head was throbbing, his side was burning and he didn't really know where he was.
"Richie?" came an echoey voice, just barely registering through Richie's clouded mind.
"Are you okay?"
Richie groaned again, blinking. Everything was blurry, but the walls in the room were a light blue. He tried to sit up, but his head throbbed so bad that he quickly gave up, laying back down.
A hand touched his elbow, and Richie immediately realized that he must be with Stan. He and Stan had been friends for years, and whenever Stan was trying to comfort someone, he always touched their elbow. It was a nervous thing as well as a tell between the two.
"Stan the Man? What happened?" Richie asked groggily, chuckling when he heard Stan's sigh of relief.
"Here's your glasses, dickhead," Stan said, placing Richie's glasses on his face.
The room came into focus, and Richie felt a little more comfortable standing up. He winced sitting up, before seeing Stan sitting on a chair next to him.
"How bad does it hurt?" Stan asked, nodding toward Richie's stomach.
Richie instantly remembered what had happened the night before. He had just made it to Stan's house when he passed out.
"It's pretty fucking bad," Richie said, pulling up his T-shirt and looking at the bandage around his stomach. "What happened to 'I swear to god Richard, if you ever get hurt because you're being a dumbass, I'll leave you behind to bleed out!'" Richie asked, mimicking a high pitched tone.
"Oh fuck off, we're best friends, asshole."
"You're giving me whiplash, Stanley."
Stan shook his head in annoyance. "The other losers will be here soon. I called them once I got you back here and told them to come over once they woke up."
Richie nodded, accepting the Advil that Stan handed him, as well as the glass of water. "Then what?"
"We need to save Eddie. I have no clue how, since I doubt his mom will leave him alone, but we need to figure it out," Stan said. He and the others had decided that there was no way they'd leave Eddie alone any longer.
"How the fuck are we supposed to? He'll have nowhere to go," Richie whined, flopping back in his bed.
"He can stay here," Stan said with a shrug.
"Your dad is a psycho, no offense," Richie said.
Stan's dad wasn't a bad man, but he was strict and hard on his son. Richie was almost never allowed to be in Stan's house unless Stan's mom was home, ever since he told Stan's dad off for being an asshole to his son. Stan's mom had a soft spot for Richie, knowing who his father was, but she left a lot because she had a job with long hours.
Stan shrugged again. They had no good options, but they couldn't let Eddie stay in the mansion. He would be screwed if he stayed with his fucked up mom any longer.
"Does he have any other family?" Stan asked.
"Not that he knows of."
Stan nodded and disappeared down the stairs to get Richie some food. Richie laid back in the bed, thinking. He had to get Eddie to safety, even if it cost him living in Derry.
"Stan?" Richie asked in a nervous voice once Stan had returned with a bowl of cereal and banana for his friend.
"What's up?"
"You know I said I didn't want to call someone 'cuz they'd just send Eddie away? To an orphanage or something?"
"Yes?" Stan asked, his eyebrows furrowed in focus and confusion.
"I think we need to. I know it's stupid, but I... anywhere's better as long as he's away from his mom."
Stan inhaled sharply. It had been less than a week, but Eddie had become a member of their group. He thought that Richie would be the last person to suggest calling someone.
"Okay, Rich. Make the call," Stan said in a low voice, watching as Richie grabbed the phone book from under Stan's bed and dialing the number.
•••
Eddie had wondered how long he'd be trapped inside the mansion for most of the day. It was late in the afternoon, the sun reflecting the shadow of the bars on the floor of his room.
Sonia had returned from work an hour earlier, not speaking to Eddie and immediately heading to make herself dinner then going to her room. Not that it bothered Eddie. He didn't want to face her.
As much as he didn't want it to happen, he really wished that Richie would've come for him. Even if he'd still be trapped in the mansion, he wanted the knowledge that Richie did care and would try to protect him.
Like he promised.
"It's lonely inside this mansion," Eddie whispered to himself, subconsciously rocking back and forth on his bed.
There was a loud knock at the door, which Eddie ignored. Probably a solicitor.
Richie was much too smart to use the door. Especially with his mother home.
He heard Sonia open the door, then arguing? Eddie opened the door to his room, listening louder.
"Mrs. Kaspbrack, where is your son? We were told your son is being abused and mistreated. Tell us where he is, or we will search your house," came the deep voice of a man.
"I don't have a son, and you don't have a warrant," came his mother's voice.
"Bullshit! I know he's here, you fucking bitch!" Richie's voice rang from downstairs making Eddie's heart leap, and he urgently stood up and threw the door open so he was facing the bars.
Eddie couldn't let these people leave. They were going to help him. They were going to save him. He didn't want to speak to strangers, but Richie was there. As long as Richie was around he'd be safe.
"Richie! I'm up here!" Eddie screamed, grabbing on the bars that made up his door. "I'm locked in my room!"
Eddie heard his mom wail in protest before hearing sets of footsteps pounding against the ground and making their way up the stairs.
He saw Richie's face through the bars and almost started crying. Richie had come to save him.
"Eds! Holy shit!" Richie shouted, reaching his hands through the bars to hug Eddie as best as he could. "We're gonna get you out of here, okay? Don't worry."
The rest of the losers were standing behind Richie, smiling at Eddie. Behind them, a man and woman ran up the stairs, both looking grateful to see Eddie.
"Keys!" The man yelled down the stairs, and seconds later a third man jogged up with the set of keys that Eddie assumed they stole from his mother.
The door was opened within minutes and Eddie sprinted out, diving at Richie, who caught him easily and held him close. Eddie didn't want to, but he broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the whole situation.
"Shhh, it's okay, you're safe now," Richie cooed, running his hands over Eddie's back and through his hair to keep him calm.
The man and woman who had helped him escape led the teenagers to three cars. One of them took Sonia to the police station, and the rest of the teens piled in the other two, Richie still carrying Eddie.
They arrived at Bill's house not too long after and Eddie learned that the people who had saved him were social workers. They explained the situation to Bill's parents so Eddie could stay for the night. Usually they'd keep him somewhere secure, but after he refused to talk and held tightly to Richie, they decided the safest course of action was to let him stay with the losers.
They were all laying safely in Bill's room, Eddie and Richie curled up on the bed together while the others sat at the end of the bed and on the floor, watching a movie.
"What's going to happen to me?" Eddie whispered, terrified. He knew that no one in Derry would be able to take him in, and there was no way social workers would let him go back to the mansion or stay with his mother.
Richie hugged him tightly. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Eds. I didn't know who to call but I didn't want you there. I was scared she'd hurt you really bad."
"She told me you didn't care about me," Eddie whispered. He knew it wasn't true, but he needed to hear Richie say it.
"That's insane, Eds! Of course I care about you!" Richie said instantly, pressing his nose into Eddie's hair, leaving gentle kisses against his head.
Eddie smiled softly, leaning more into Richie. He finally had someone he didn't want to lose, but he had no idea what was going to happen to him, especially with the social workers and no longer having a mother.
He decided to push the thought aside and cuddle further into Richie, his only desire to be with the one person he felt he could trust.
I'm thinking of adding a crossover plot with Stranger Things, but I'm not sure? Comment what you guys think :)