by:
Anonymous
♥ reddie
♥ 9,440 words
♥ superpower au
summary: Theres a new kid in school with a mysterious look. Richie discovers he has dangerous powers with a high cost.
♡
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
rainy days always feel different.
the classroom couldn't stay quiet longer than a minute with the rain hitting the windows and making everyone speak louder. but it smelt nice, and made the room cooler. it was like every other day in Derry.
"are you paying attention?"
a pencil launches at his face bouncing off the frame of his coke bottle glasses. Richie pushes his frames up and sticks his tongue out at Stan, "yes mother.."
Stan rolls his eyes and glances over at Beverly who's silently doing her work as music plays through her headphones. at least someone would get their paper done. "Mrs. Eveline is collecting these at the end of class, just do your part of the paper, airhead."
Richie groans loudly and dramatically starts writing on his paper. he hates history class, too many notes to keep track of and lord knows he can't pay attention for longer than a minute of Mrs.Eveline's lectures. one more years and he'll never have to look at her wrinkly face again..
"Class, please put down your pencils for a moment," all eyes turn towards the front of the class and a new face is standing next to her, "we have a new student, Edward—"
"Eddie, nobody calls me Edward.."
Mrs.Eveline gave him a peculiar look, "alright.. well class, back to work."
the class went back to chatting as Stan, Bev and Richie watch the new kid take a seat in the far back corner. he wore a hoodie over his head and kept his backpack between his feet.
"jeez what's his deal? ever heard of sunlight?" Bev jokes earning a small chuckle from Richie and an eye roll from Stan
"he's new, give him a break." Stan looks back at the boy as he writes in a notebook, "maybe we should ask him to sit with us?"
Richie raises his eyebrow at Stan and glances at the boy, he can hardly see his face his hoodie is so big, "maybe he wants to be alone, he chose to sit in the back."
Stan shrugs and goes back to writing.
"yeah, what if he's a freak?"
— — —
_______
by the time lunch came around the rain drizzle had turned into a storm. kids that sat out in the court yard for lunch were now running in soaked with overflown lunch trays.
Beverly and Richie set their lunch trays down at their table in the corner of the cafeteria. Ben was already sitting their eating fruit snacks as he read a book about anomalies and mythical beings. he greets them as they sit, "ever heard of a Basilisk? pretty cool.."
"oh Benny, you and your books" Richie teases, "ever heard of not being a virgin?"
beverly punches his arm as Mike, Stan and Bill approach the table.
"Henry Bowers just got busted for having weed in his locker, shoulda seen his face!" Mike laughs as he sits next to Ben and Stan. Bill looks around the cafeteria and mike nudges him, "tell em Bill— what's wrong?"
"huh? nothing, i t-told someone id sit with th-them today." Bill answers as he searches for him
"who?" Bev asks looking now too
"new k-kid, he's cool. i was th-thinking about inviting h-him to the quarry" Bill smiles as he spots Eddie and waves, "i'll catch up with you guys l-later!" he calls as he jogs towards Eddie to meet him at the lunch line.
they all watch as Bill sits with Eddie at an empty table.
"why couldn't he come over here?" Ben asks curiously as he tries to catch a glimpse of the new boy
Richie shrugs, "because he's a hermit crab apparently—"
Stan punches his arm, "don't be rude— look!"
they look over at the table to see the boy hesitantly take his hood down. he smiled and laughed at whatever Bill said, he looked... normal. tan skin and fluffy chocolate hair, small too. his hoodie really made him look tiny.
"dang he's cute!" Bev nudges Richie and looks over to see him making heart eyes at the new kid, "bet i'll get his number."
Richie scoffed, "bet i'll get it first!"
Beverly held out her hand and they shook on it. before they know it the bell rings for fifth period.
"weren't you calling him a 'freak' and a 'hermit crab' earlier?" Stan criticizes as he watches them shake hands. it was a dumb bet, that he knew.
"it's in the past Staniel!" Richie shrugs it off as he hurries to grab his backpack, "i'm walking him to class." he puts an 'L' on his forehead with his fingers and jogs after Eddie.
—
Eddie puts his hoodie on and gathers his books in his hands. so far it was an okay day, he managed to keep everything under control. easy, as long as everyone just leaves him alone...
"hey! new kid!"
Eddie attempts to walk faster but he also had no clue where his next class was, besides that the idiot caught up.
Eddie sighs as he walks next to him, "Eddie, not new kid.."
"whatever, Eds, can i walk you to class?"
Eddie huffs and holds his schedule in front of Richies face, "no, tell me where my next class is."
Richie raises an eyebrow at his blunt attitude and read the schedule, "Mr. Cogs class is in the small building behind the school."
Eddie shoves his schedule in his pocket and begins walking again
"wait! do you even know where it is?"
Eddie stops in his tracks and sighs, lowering his head. he had to ask for help didn't he? he looks back at the tall boy and shakes his head no.
—
the late bell has already rung but as they walk down the hall Richie claims that this school doesn't care about being late. he had a feeling he was not correct but went with it anyways. they get to the back glass doors and watch the rain drizzle down.
Eddie frowns and curses under his breath, "shit, outside?"
Richie chuckles, "duh, your not afraid of getting a little wet are you?"
Eddie rolls his eyes, he didn't know the half of it. he opens the door slightly and sticks his hand out, a single drop lands on his hand and sizzles on his skin and evaporates. if it were more Richie would definitely hear and see it, he can't go outside. he quickly shuts the door and huffs, "theirs not another way to get to the building?"
Richie gives him an odd look, it's just a little rain he can't be that much of a wimp.. "unless you can teleport, short stack."
"stop with the nicknames.." Eddie grumbles as he lifts his text books over his head, "go away now, i'll find the building."
"are you sure? I can—"
"what is it with you? do i have a sign on my back that says 'annoy me' or something?" he glares incredulously at Richie as his eyes widen and he steps away from him
"i was just trying to help! Jesus kid you got a stick up your ass?" Richie scoffs and turns to walk away. he hears the doors open and footsteps running then a very loud static noise like a fire being put out. he turns back around quickly but Eddies gone and there's nothing else there.
———
_______
the radio plays "Friday I'm in Love" by the cure as the sun beats down on them. you can hear the waves of the quarry splash against the cliff. the sky has cleared up leaving it hot and humid.
Beverly lays on her back suntanning as the boys sit in a circle playing cards. they all have their trunks on ready to swim, waiting for Bill. Friday's are for the boys, every week they go to the quarry then walk to the diner for ice cream.
"where's Bill? he's always here first" Mike comments
"yeah does he have a dick appointment or something?" Richie looks to Stan because he's usually found with Bill
"he's bringing the new kid, maybe they had to stop somewhere" Stan says looking down the path that leads to their spot
Richie groans, "that kids a total snob, what the hell does Bill see in him?"
"oh shut up Richie you were just drooling over him at lunch." Ben testifies, "we don't know the kid."
"yeah then he freaked out on me when i offered to walk him to his class, he's weird." Richie defends, looking at Beverly for back up
Bev lowers her shades and rolls on her stomach, "maybe he just doesn't like you."
"me? what's not to like? i'm a classic guy" Richie slicks back his curly hair and shoots finger guns at Mike who raises an eyebrow at him and looks away as if he never saw that.
a bird chirp comes from the woods and Stan makes one back. Bill comes through the trees and shortly after the small boy appears behind him with his head hung low.
"hey guys, this is E-Eddie" He takes Eddies hand and they sit in the circle next to each other
Beverly sits next to Eddie and holds her hand out, "nice to meet ya, Bev"
Eddie hesitates for a second, looking into her eyes to see if there was any cruelty behind them. he shakes her hand gently, "i like your hair, it's pretty"
Beverly smiles and they all look at Richie like he's an idiot, he doesn't seem like a snob. "aw, thanks! where you from?"
Eddie hums and looks at Bill worriedly. he nods and Eddie looks back at Bev, "a lot of places, but i was born in New York."
"wow! i've always wanted to go to fashion week, what's the city like?" Bev gushes as she thinks about her dream of working in the fashion industry
"my mother doesn't like them, too many people. but i like them, it's just hard to be around a lot of people."
Ben nods, "do you like it here?"
Richie looks over at Eddie and he looking back but as if he just noticed Richie was there. he blinks slowly at him and shrugs, "it rains too much."
Beverly stands and stretches, "i don't know about you boys but i'm getting in the water." she runs to the edge of the cliff and jumps. Ben and Bill follow behind, shouting as they jump.
Stan holds his hand out for Eddie to help him stand, "we can jump together if you want, it's kind of scary the first time"
Eddie shakes his head quickly, "no, i'm okay thanks"
Richie stands and throws his glasses to the side, "come on it ain't that bad."
they hear another splash as Mike jumps too.
Eddie fidgets with the sleeve of his hoodie, now that Bills not here he's nervous. "i'm good."
Richie tilts his head at him, "you scared of water or something ?"
"no! i just can't go in the water!" Eddie crosses his arms as his cheeks start turning red. if he doesn't stop smoke will be coming out of his ears pretty soon
"then what's the big deal? let's jump,"
"Richie, lay off he doesn't have to.." Stan grumbles as he sees Eddie becoming closed off.
Richie sighs, "at least look at the water, it's pretty."
Eddie turns around and looks down at the teal water. he can see little heads above the water as they splash each other. suddenly he feels a hand push on his back and gasps, instinctively throwing himself back and hitting his bum on a log. he looks up at see Richie laughing and scowled, he puts his hands on the log and feels the wood burn beneath his hands. he had to leave before something happened,
he quickly stood up, and grabbed his bag as he ran into the forest.
"wait- Eddie!" Stan calls as he disappears in the trees. he glares back at Richie, "why the fuck would you do that asshole?"
Richie turns red in embarrassment, "i didn't think it would upset the kid that much.."
Stan rolls his eyes and walks to the cliff, "you never think, do you?" he jumps off leaving Richie alone.
Richie sighs and starts jogging in the direction Eddie ran. the tree branches scrape his legs and torso as he's only wearing swim trunks. he can hardly see through all the leaves
—
Eddie runs until his asthma makes him double over. he stands in the middle of a wildflower field, surrounded by thick dark pine trees. he looks around as his chest heaves, it's quiet and peaceful.
he groans as he realizes what a fool he made of himself. he looks like a huge dork and they'll probably never want to talk to him again.. time after time, same shit different day. why can't he be normal? why can't he be like everyone else? he wished he was never born this way, he hated it. he hated himself, and he hated how angry he always is and how everyone thinks he's a freak.. he so frustrated, he can hardly listen to any rational thought. the wind starts to pick up as he gets deeper in thought
Eddie looks up at the sky and just screams. as he does a wave of fire ripples from his body and disintegrates everything within 20 feet of him. his chest heaves as he clenches his fists, fire is spreading from his palms and escaping through the cracks of his fingers. he looks at his hands and wishes he could just cut them off. he tries to smother out the flames but he's so mad they won't go away.
"uh.. Eddie?"
Eddie jumps, whipping around to face Richie whos looking at him how everyone else looks at him. he's a freak. he looks down at his hands that are engulfed in flames and hides them behind his back.
"what was.."
Eddie huffs and steps closer to Richie as he steps back, "shut up! you didn't see anything! don't ever tell anyone or.. or.." he scrambled for words as Richie was backed against a tree and he pointed a flaming finger at him. he put his hand down quickly and started backing away, "please don't tell anyone."
he runs as fast as he can as Richie calls for him. a trail of fire if left behind him, leading into the woods but he doesn't follow. he doesn't know what he saw but he felt the heat, it pushed him to the ground that he knew was true.
"Rich—!" Mike came up behind Richie and freezes at the smoldering field. everything was ash, the trunks of the trees had burn marks going up them and it was still smoking, "what the hell happened.."
Richie shrugs and starts walking back to the spot, "i don't know."
———
______
the next day at school Richie waited outside by the front doors for Eddie but he didn't see him. every time he saw him in the halls he disappeared. even in the one class they had together he made sure Richie never got the chance to talk to him.
until lunch.
Eddie came up to the table with Bill and sat between him and Stan. he wouldn't even spare Richie a glance.
when Eddie started eating the group looked at him oddly. he raised an eyebrow at them as he picked up an ice cube with chopsticks and crunches on it, "what?"
"you on a diet?" Bev ask pointing to the ice cube
Eddie giggles, "no, i just like ice." he glances at Richie for a second to see him giving him that same look as last night. it makes his stomach hurt so he puts his ice away and starts eating his peppers. they looked at him oddly for eating straight jalapeños too but at least it was actual food.
"so Eddie," the group looks at Richie, "you have any hobby's? interests? talents? special abilities?"
Eddie feels his chop sticks start to burn in his hands so he quickly puts them down, "no." he goes back to eating with his fingers and Bev laughs at Richie for getting ignored.
"how bout we hang out after school then?" Richie asks knowing he probably won't say no to that in front of the others, that'd be rude.
Eddie sighs and looks around at the others. Bill gives him an encouraging look, he told Bill he didn't like Richie and Bill being the person he is told him to give him a chance. he doesn't want to, but if Bill wants him to..
"why?"
Richie shrugs, "we should get close."
—
as the last bell of the day rings Eddie rushes to put his books in his locker before Richie finds him. as he closes his locker door Richie leans against the locker next to him and he huffs.
"where we going?" Richie looked down at Eddie smiling. he never really paid attention before but Eddie is really pretty. unfairly so with his line of freckles across his cheeks and soft doe eyes. even right now when he's looking at Richie like a gross bug, he looks so..
"your adorable, even when you hate me." he winks as Eddie rolls his eyes and walks away.
when their out in the court yard Richie speaks up, "we should talk about yesterday."
"i told you not to. if that's all you want to talk about then leave me alone." Eddie looks around nervously hoping nobody can hear them
"you have superpowers—!" Eddie smacks his hand over Richies mouth and gets inches from his face. he blushes red as he realizes how pretty Richies eyes are and with that his hands start to heat up.
Richie can feel his lips getting hotter and hotter as Eddie blushes but he doesn't mind it when Eddies this close to him.
"shut up." Eddie whispers, his eyes stuck on Richies, "if i get angry in public, i'm dead." he removes his hand slowly hoping Richie will keep his damn mouth shut.
"you wanna go get dinner?" Richie asks randomly as he smiles down at Eddies cute face
Eddie scrunches his nose up at him, "like a.. date?"
Richie shrugs and leans closer to Eddie, "if you want it to be."
Eddie pushes Richie back and looks away bashfully, "not a date, i don't even know your name."
"Richie Tozier, at your service."
—
they sit quietly across from each other in the red vinyl booth. the diner is quiet, the afternoon rush over with. Richie eats his burger, and Eddie eats his requested bowl or chopped ice. it cooled him down.
"so what are they?" Richie asks quietly leaning over the table
Eddie sticks a cube in his mouth, "i said we're not talking about it. Bill wants me to be friends with everyone and i just want to get along. nothing more or less."
Richie frowns, a little hurt by his words. he leans back in his seat and sighs, "why do you hate me?"
Eddie glances up at Richie then looks back down, "i don't. you just know how to piss me off. i dislike you."
Richie chuckles and crosses his arms, "well i never said i liked you either.."
"yeah?" Eddie drops his spoon into his glass bowl making a loud clink, "then why the hell are you here? to stare at the freak and prod it with questions?"
"i didn't say you were a freak—"
Eddie scoffs and taps his ear, "i heard you say it the first day i walked into class. fire isn't the only thing i can do.." he mumbles the last part so Richie can't hear
Richie turns red and leans over the table to pat Eddies hand which he quickly swipes away, "i'm sorry, i didn't know you. but i'm trying to and your just... stubborn as hell."
Eddie rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, "live a day in my life and you'll know why trust isn't just handed out to douche bags that can't even read the book before judging the cover."
he gets up to leave but Richie catches him by the sleeve, "wait— i'm sorry! sit, we can start over," Eddie just stares down at him, "i'll but you ice cream?"
Eddie grunts and sits down, waving the waitress over and ordering a strawberry shake.
"do you have siblings?"
"why?"
"i'm trying to get to know you, you know, 'read the book' " Richie chuckles, "see, stubborn."
Eddie sighs, "no, just me."
"how bout your parents? are they good?" Richie is answered by a long pause.
"i don't talk about them." Eddie says avoiding the subject, "you?"
"no siblings, just my parents. my dads a dentist, he's alright," Richie sees that Eddie is now picking at his good instead of eating it. "what's wrong?"
Eddie shakes his head. he doesn't want to think about it, and now it's all he can think of. he tries to divert the conversation, "have you always lived here?"
Richie raises an eyebrow as the napkin in Eddies hand starts to smoke. he hums and takes the napkin from Eddie hand, sniffing out the flame and admiring the straight burn hole through it. Eddie grabs a piece of ice and holds it between his hands, "sorry..."
Richie laughs, "it's incredible.." he touches the white ash and it flakes off onto the table. "wanna go to your house and play video games or something?"
Eddie feels his hands melt the ice at the question, "no."
Richie raises an eyebrow at him, "i thought we were becoming friends now?"
Eddie slumps in his seat, "we are but.." he doesn't even know what to say. nobody ever asks to come to his house. he's never had to come up with an excuse for this..
"do you not have a console? i have comics in my bag, we can read them" Richie suggests as he puts money on the table
"Richie, you can't come to my house." Eddie finally says sternly.
"why..?" Richie ask curiously, "is it not safe? are you in danger or—?" he starts to worry for a moment before Eddie shushes him
he decided he had nothing to lose, and if this is what makes him move again then so be it. "i... i don't technically.. have? a home?"
—
they walk down the street as the sun meets the horizon making the sky a bold orange. Richie rides his skateboard slowly next to Eddie as he walks them to his "house".
"what do you mean when you say 'it's not your house'?" Richie asks
"we're almost there," Eddie directs Richie to turn the corner, "please don't be an asshole about it."
Richie barks out a laugh, "when have I ever been an asshole?"
they stop outside of the old abandoned house on Neibolt street. the walls are burnt and half the roof is caving in. Richie starts laughing, thinking it's a joke but when he looks down at Eddie his face is completely serious.
Eddie leads him inside and they stop in what seemed a to be the old living room. the broken glass form the windows was swept to the corners and a sleeping bag and duffel bag of stuff sit in the middle of the room. Eddie throws his bag down and sighs as he sits on the sleeping bag.
Richie looks around as if its a dream, this had to be a joke. there was glass everywhere and everything was burnt and ashy. how could he live here?
"are you gonna say something?" Eddie says looking up at Richie as he stares with his eyes wide.
"where are your parents?" he looks down at Eddie to see him frown and look away. he kneels down in front of him and lifts his chin up, "you can tell me, i won't tell anyone. promise," he holds out his pinky.
Eddie hesitantly links their pinkies and shakes, "my dad died a long time ago, cancer or something my mom never really talked about it. and ma'..." he trails off as a lump forms in his throat. as soon as the tears escape they sizzle on his hot cheeks and evaporate. Richie can't help but reach out an comfort him, rubbing his back. it makes even more tears sizzle, "i don't know, i woke up and she was—" he chokes on his words, he's never talked about this, "ash..."
Richie knows what that means. but looking at Eddie, he also knows that he didn't mean to. knowing so little about him he can still tell he's quite emotional, and that has some direct effect on his powers so he decides that maybe they shouldn't be talking about this. the whole town might burn down..
Richie takes Eddies hand and helps him stand, grabbing his bags and holding them for him as he leads him out of the house. Eddie rubs his eyes and looks down at Richies hand around his. he feels his hands turn red hot and Richie jumps and shakes out his burning hand, "ow!"
"sorry! sorry! sorry!" Eddie says as Richie curses from the heat. he folds his hands together and holds them close to his chest so they can't hurt anyone else.
"what was that for!?" Richie asks as the pain goes down
Eddie blushes knowing exactly why but he wouldn't be caught dead saying it, "I-I.. I'm sorry, i didn't mean to..." he looks at the ground shamefully and it breaks Richies heart. he ruffles Eddies hair and holds his wrist cautiously instead
"it's okay, i know you didn't mean to," they continue their walk
"Where are we going?" Eddie asks trying to grab his bag from Richie but he's too tall
"my house, you can stay with me—"
"—no!" Eddie rips his hand away from Richies and takes big steps away from him, "did you not listen to what i said?!"
Richie shrugs, "sure i did, but i think this is more important—"
"—more important than you possibly dying? no." Eddie grabs his bag, "it's better this way, i should be alone."
"you don't want to be alone." Eddie stops walking when he hears that, "i can see it, you don't. and you don't have to be, please. please, just let me help you."
Eddie closes his eyes. he hasn't lived in a normal house since.. his mother. he could hurt people, he doesn't want to, and especially not Richie. then he feels Richies hands run down his arms from behind and sighs.
"it'll be okay, we'll figure it out."
Eddie smiles and breathlessly chuckles, "I've never been in a 'we' situation.."
Richie hums and grabs Eddies bag, "well your never leaving it."
———
______
Richies house was cozy. it sat in a nook of trees in a blue neighborhood where every house looked the same. you could see the TV playing from the front window, and the kitchen light on.
Richie walks in first, Eddie sticking close by him suddenly. he sees his mom cooking in the kitchen, "Ma' where's dad?"
Maggie looks behind her as she washes dishes and sees Eddie, "he gets off soon, whos this?" she takes off her rubber gloves and walks over to Eddie. he hides behind Richie like a scared child as she approaches.
Richie chuckles as Eddie holds on to his arm tighter, "this is Eddie, Eddie my mom Maggie"
Maggie smiles warmly, "hi, how are you?"
Eddie looks up at Richie warily and he smiles back, "i'm okay ma'am, how are you?"
Maggie looks at Richie and smiles, wondering if their a new thing, "i'm great, thank you. do you want to stay for dinner? i'm making spaghetti"
"actually, i was gonna ask if he could stay the night, is that okay?" Richie cuts in
Maggie nods as she goes back to the sink, "sure, just keep the door open"
Richie rolls his eyes as she laughs. they go back to his room and he shuts the door anyways.
Eddie looks around, it's weird to see. there's a bed and furniture and a tv.. odd. he can't even remember what it's like to sleep on a bed. there's band posters hanging around the room, and a pile of records and comics on his desk. he points to the bed and looks up at Richie, "can i sit?"
Richie chuckles, "you don't have to ask dude"
Eddie smiles and plops on the bed on his back. he feels himself sink into the soft material and closes his eyes. it feels surreal, like he's back in his own bed in elementary school... he feels a dip in the bed as Richie lays next to him.
Richie can feel the heat coming off of Eddies body like a furnace, he's literally hot. "how long have you uh.. not had your parents?"
Eddie turns his head to look at Richie and he looks back, their noses inches apart, "she died when i was 10, the close family lawyer sends me money from their will, enough to buy me food and keep my phone at least."
"you said you've lived a lot of places, you just keep moving to abandoned houses?"
"yeah, whenever someone finds out, i leave."
"then why didn't you leave yesterday?"
Eddie looks down at Richies lips and back up in his eyes, "i'm tired... and at least here some people want me around."
Richie nods, too focused on Eddies soft eyes, "i promise i won't ever tell, i... i don't want you to leave.."
Eddie furrows his brows and sits up. he doesn't understand that, nor does he want to. "as long as nobody else knows.."
Richie sits up too, "what is it anyways?"
Eddie looks at Richie curiously. he already knows, might as well explain it, "i have no idea. my mom was too afraid to take me to the doctors, she said people would come for me. all i know, is that i am fire. it doesn't hurt me, and it's uncontrollable when emotions are mixed in."
"can you show me something?" Richie asks excitedly as Eddie rolls his eyes
"i'm not a zoo animal."
"i know, but it's cool!"
Eddie sighs, thinking of a trick. he holds his hand up and pulls a single flame from the center of his palm. it stands tall and still.
Richie moves his hand through it in awe. then it become a ball of fire and vanished into a smoke ring. "holy fuck that's cool!"
Eddie clasps his hands together and looks away. he felt uncomfortable, he hated showing him. he felt like a.. a freak..
Richie leans his head on Eddies shoulder and Eddie looks over at him oddly. what was this and how does he make it stop. it made his stomach feel like a cage of butterflies. he hates being touched, but Richie could be an exception.
"you're so warm.."
Eddie giggles and smiles, resting his cheek on Richies head, "is this a hug?"
Richie looks up at him weirdly, "no, this is," he leans forward and wraps his arms around Eddies torso, he felt like a teddy bear all warm and cozy.
Eddie didn't know what to do. he carefully wrapped his arms around Richies neck, trying not to touch his skin in fear of burning him, "like this?"
Richie chuckles and nods as Eddie hugs him back, "you looked like you needed one."
he was right, as he settled into the feeling he could feel his heart sink. he was so deprived of touch, the last person to do this was his mother and it was never gentle like Richies. it felt... nice..
"okay, you're starting to get really hot are you good?" Richie asks as he leaves the hug. Eddie cheeks were blushing and he nervously fidgeted with his sleeves
"i'm okay, just.. i don't know.." Eddie stops talking immediately as Maggie comes in with two plates.
"here you two go, don't make a mess Richard i know how you are.." As she walks out Richie mocks her and Eddie laughs
Richie holds out the plate for Eddie and he looks down at it warily.
"are you sure?" Eddie looks up at Richie, he nods. Eddie takes the plate and stares at the spaghetti. it's been awhile since he's had a meal like this, and usually when he did it came from a cheap fast food restaurant. he hesitantly takes a bite
Richie sets his plate down to put a record on. it was his favorite, three imaginary boys by the Cure. when he turned back around eddie was sucking his fork clean and his plate was empty. he wondered how Eddie eats, if he eats enough or how he gets his food. he still had a million questions but they'd all be answered in time.
"do you want more?" Richie asks as Eddie looks up at him
"please..?"
Richie chuckles and grabs his plate before heading to the kitchen.
Eddie wipes his mouth on his sleeve and burps. spaghetti is good, he can't remember if he'd had it before when his mom was still here.
a picture frame on Richies nightstand catches his eye. he picks it up and smiles, it's a group photo of the others when they were all about 13. Bill looked like a dork, with his bremuda shorts and flannel. and Stan looked the same, all dressed up even though it looks like their playing in the sand. and Richie, he looked cute as a kid. his glasses took up half his face and he had a few missing front teeth but a wide smile. Eddie wished he could of known them back then, their the nicest people he's come across so far..
"your a loser too now," Richie walked in and set his plate on the nightstand, "Bill came up with that name, but it fits"
Eddie was too busy eating to respond. Richie started to feel worried, maybe he wasn't eating at all, "can i ask where you get food?"
Eddie slurped up a noodle and shrugged, "depends on how much allowance i have, but i've learned that i can survive many days without it," he finished his plate and handed it to Richie, "thanks for the tomato noodles."
Richie chuckles, "it's spaghetti, eddie spaghetti," Eddie crinkles his nose at that nickname, "and you won't have to worry about food anymore."
Eddie feels ill from that statement. he lowers his head and fidgets with his hands. he couldn't stand to be another persons problem, or a possible threat to their life and home. he doesn't want people to care, in the end he knows he'll have to leave again..
"what do you do for fun?" Richie asks suddenly
Eddie breaks from his thoughts and sighs, "not much.. i usually walk around town until it gets dark. i hate sleeping alone, i'd rather be awake." he yawns realizing how tired he is.
Richie hums and throws a blanket and a pillow on the ground by the bed. he stretches and takes off his jacket and T-shirt, "do you need clothes to sleep in?"
Eddie looks down at his outfit, "what's wrong with this?"
Richie looks Eddie up and down. he's only seen him wear that tattered and ripped hoodie. does he not have clothes either? he glances at Eddies bags, "can you show me what you have?"
Eddie raises an eyebrow, "why..?"
Richie sits on the ground in front of Eddie, "my family is well off, we can help you get what you need"
Eddie huffs and crosses his arms, "i'm not a charity case."
"i know! i know, i'm just saying.." he feels like an asshole by the way Eddies looking at him, "..i just want to help.."
Eddie frowns at the way Richie shrinks into himself. he knows that Richie wants to help, but he doesn't want it. he's come this far without help from anyone so why would he change now?
but he grabs his bag anyways and hands it to Richie. Richie sits up on the bed next to him and opens his bag. there a small pile of clothes, little soap bottles, a toothbrush and..
"Frank!" Eddie grabs the old teddy bear and holds it to his chest. Richie smiles, he's absolutely adorable..
"you named it Frank?" Richie chuckles as Eddie rolls his eyes
Eddie looks down at his bear and softly pets its belly, "my mother never talked about my dad, she hates him.. but i remember his name..this was all that was left after the fire.." he hugs the bear again, it always brought him comfort even though a button eye was missing and his leg was starting to fall off
Richie feels his heart ache. he's never met somebody so.. lost. it's like he can see his innocence when he hugs his teddy bear, still there but hidden and blocked out.
"how do you shower?" Richie asks curiously
Eddie shrugs, "whenever i can, i use to use the school gym showers but.." he trails off as if it's too hard to talk about
Richie pats his back in an attempt to comfort him, "you can tell me, i won't think differently"
Eddie glances up at Richie nervously and shakes his head. he doesn't want to.
Richie simply nods and goes to his dresser to maybe find some old clothes from middle school that could fit him. he pulls out a T-shirt and old track shorts, "do you want to shower here?"
god he wants to. but he's not sure if he can, "will you come with me..?"
Richie turns bright red and stumbles over his words, "uh— well I... i mean you~... what for?"
Eddie tilts his head at him, he doesn't understand why Richies acting so strange. "i don't want to be alone..?"
"oh, s-sure? yeah.. not like... in the- right?" he nervously runs his hand through his curls as Eddie laughs
"no not in with me! just.. sit by me." Eddie realizes how weird it sounds, "or, never mind i can shower some other time.."
"no! it's fine, i'll sit on the sink or something"
—
Richies parents were asleep by the time they snuck into the bathroom. Richie sat in the sink reading a comic while Eddie got undressed in the shower, throwing his clothes over the curtain.
"what if they hear me?" Eddie asks referring to the loud and obvious sizzle sound when water touches his hot skin.
Richie shrugs, "they won't, they could sleep through an earthquake."
the shower starts slowly and it sounds like a hot frying pan being dipped in cold water. the steam rolled out from the shower making it look like a sauna. but as it went on the sizzling became less apparent.
"what's this?" Eddie holds a loofah above the curtain and Richie chuckles
"that's my loofah, i wash my body with it-"
he hears a tiny scream and the loofah goes flying. he laughs as Eddie peaks his head out of the curtain and flips him off. when he goes back in he holds up another object, "why do you have a knife in your shower?"
Richie looks at his moms razor and cringes, "that's called a razor, you use it to shave your arms and legs or something.."
Eddie shrugged and started running the razor up his legs.
"ed? when was the last time you were in a house?"
Eddie hums, "when my mom was here.." he lights a flame on the tip of his finger, "nobody has ever invited me in a house since then.."
Richie felt his heart sink. he really is alone. and obviously unaware of a lot of things without the guidance from someone else. how long has he been adrift at sea?
"until some kid wouldn't stop bugging me until i said yes.." Eddie let's out a small laugh and looks at Richie through the curtain, "why?"
Richie leans his head back against the wall and sighs, "i don't know, just a feeling."
"Beverly told me there was a bet to see who could get my number first, whatever that means.." Eddie still was puzzled if that was a good or bad thing, "i don't know what that means but i assume its good?"
Richie chuckles, "neither of us won, it was a stupid bet. but i think i won in terms of being your best friend—" He's interrupted by Eddie laughing. he smiles, "whys that funny?"
Eddie shakes his head even though he knows Richie can't see it. he turns off the shower and makes grabby hands at Richie until he hands him a towel. Eddie wraps it around his shoulders and steps out looking like a shivering wet dog
Richie blushes and adverts his eyes, "jesus Eds, give me a warning!"
"you wanna see something cool?"
Richie looks back at him and he's smiling widely. then, Eddie closes his eyes and a wave of heat ripples from his body, his hair fluffs up and his entire body is dry. Richies eyes widen as he laughs in disbelief, "fuckin' hell!" he could feel the heat on his face
Eddie motions for Richie to turn back around as he gets dressed. when he turns back around he sees that the shirt was a lot bigger than it looked. it hung down to his mid thigh and kept falling off his shoulders, "you look.."
Eddie looks up at him with a raised brow as he tries to pull the shirt on correctly, "what?"
Richie shakes his head but smiles, "nothing, ready for bed?"
—
Eddie took Richies bed without question. Richie laid on his back on the floor looking up at the ceiling. Eddie did the same, finding it harder to sleep now that he finally has someone to talk to. he sighs and hugs his bear to his chest, rolling on his side and peaking over the edge to meet Richie eyes before they both start laughing.
"i can't sleep," Eddie whispers
"me either" Richie whispers back
he doesn't know why he does this but he holds his hand out for Richie. Richie looks confused but hesitantly holds Eddies hand. and when Eddie squeezes his hand back he feels like his heart might grow out of his chest. when he looks back up at Eddie his eyes are closed and he's snoring softly
———
_______
the next morning it was raining hard. Richie woke up abruptly, sitting up quickly and looking over to see his bed empty. he quickly got up and ran down the hall into the kitchen
"ma, have you seen—" a wave of reliefs hits him as he sees Eddie and his mother looking at him oddly
"seen what?" Maggie asks before her and Eddie get back to talking. they both have cups of coffee in their hands and empty plates by them. Richie sits in his seat and starts eating his breakfast, listening to them banter on about some muffin recipe.
"how long have you been awake?" Richie asks Eddie as he looks at the clock on the oven.
"hmm... i don't know, but Maggie and i have been talking for a while" Eddie shrugs
"you'll be late for school if you don't hurry and get ready Richard," Maggie warns as Richie starts to shovel his food into his mouth, "are you coming back Eddie?"
Eddie looks at Richie and he smiles, "yeah, he'll be back."
after breakfast Eddie sits on Richies bed while he gets dressed. he flips through a comic book, he use to have a few but they always burnt up in his hands. that's why he's flipping the pages with a pencil right now.
"i miss Bill," Eddie says randomly taking Richie off guard
he almost feels jealous, "yeah? why?"
Eddie shrugs, "he was the first person to ask to be my friend." he hums in thought, "and he's nice, and handsome and funny.."
Richie bites his lip and tries to shake off the envy. he doesn't respond to that, and instead motions for Eddie to go out the door.
As they walk to school Richie holds an umbrella over Eddies head so that he doesn't make any noise. He talks on and on about Maggie, and the comic book, and that dog they passed,and his favorite flower, and— are you listening?
"huh?" Richie looks down at Eddie who's frowning
"why are you being quiet? you're never quiet." Eddie accuses making Richie sigh
"i'm just not in the mood, alright?" Richie says looking down at Eddie. Eddie opens his mouth to say something but quickly closes it, instead looking at the ground as they walk. he gently takes the umbrella from Richies hands so he doesn't have to hold it for him. he doesn't think he wants to. maybe him being around is too much stress..
Eddie feels the tears well up. he knows their coming and he hates the way it makes his gut feel.
Richie hears little sizzles and looks down at Eddie to see tears drop for only a second before they sizzled and evaporate. if he mentions it it could make it worse, but if he doesn't say anything then what kind of person does that make him?
suddenly Richie is pushed to the ground and Eddie is picked up by his waist and held tightly by two arms. he struggles to free himself as the four boys laugh.
"where you going freak?" Henry sneers as he gets in Eddies face
"get off him—" Richie tries to get up but patrick kicks him in the stomach and holds a knife to his head
"wo~ah.. are you two faggots together?" Henry burst out laughing as he points his knife at Eddie, "makes sense, neither of you could possibly get someone else. teach the fag."
Victor and Patrick start kicking Richie while he's on the ground. Eddie struggles in Belches grip, trying to get to Richie, "let me go you asshole!"
Henry back hands Eddie and calls for patrick, "we're gonna melt that pretty face.."
Patrick holds up a lighter and spray can, he blows fire at Eddie. Eddie doesn't flinch, or feel it. but it did make him slightly irritated and that was enough to make the bottle explode in his hand and engulf his body in flames.
the screams were the worst part. As Eddie was dropped to the ground he watched as Patrick rolled in the dirt, trying to put out the flames but his skin was turning into charcoal and splitting open.
while they were distracted Richie quickly got up and grabbed Eddie, running into the forest. you could still hear the screams echoing off the trees. they didn't stop until Eddie fell to his knees and covered his ears, closing his eyes tightly, "i didn't mean to, i didn't mean to, i didn't mean to, i didn't mean to—"
"—Eddie!"
Eddie opens his eyes and the grass around him was going up in flames. he started to cry harder as his hands enveloped in flames and his eyes started to turn bright gold.
Richie kneeled in front of Eddie in the burning grass and held his face between his hands even though it burned like hell, "-Eddie, it's not your fault, they were going to hurt us it's not your fault!"
Eddie kept crying and the flames kept getting higher.
"it's okay, they don't know it was you! you didn't do anything bad i promise!" Richie felt himself start to cry as Eddie kept sobbing and curling into himself, "Eds, please! calm down, we'll get through it but you have to calm down!"
he didn't know what else to do at this point so he wrapped his arms around Eddie and hugged him tightly, kissing his forehead trying to calm him. it hurt, his skin was on fire but he just wanted Eddie to be okay.
as Eddie hugs Richie back and cries into his chest the flames go down. the grass has turned into ash and leaves a cloud of smoke around them. Richie shushes him and kisses the top of his head, gently rubbing his back.
"i hate myself.."
"sh.." Richie frowns at that, "you're amazing, Eds.."
—
for the rest of the day Eddie refused to leave Richies side. no matter what class he had he went with him to it and if the teacher asked him to leave he started arguing so they ended letting him stay. even at lunch, when he was with all the losers we wouldn't talk, he just leaned his head against Richies shoulder and blankly stared at the table.
Bill tried talking to him but he'd just shake his head. even when Beverly offered him a cup of ice he wouldn't respond.
"is he okay? did something happen?" Stan whispered to Richie.
Richie didn't know what to say. he can't tell anyone about his powers and the events of this morning can't really be talked about.. "he doesn't feel good, i don't know."
"then why is he sticking to you like a lost puppy?" Bev asks with a raised eyebrow
he doesn't know the answer to that either. it's like he's afraid to leave his side, and when he talks to him he only gets a nod. his eyes haven't gone back to their brown color either, thankfully everyone just assumes he's wearing contacts. golden ones, but still.
"Eddie? do you w-want to hang out with us a-after school at the quarry?" Bill asks softly. Eddie looks up at him and smiles slightly before looking at Richie to answer for him
everyone looks at Richie too.
"uh.. do you want to answer him?" Richie asks Eddie to receive a quiet "no".
Richie looks around at the group and their all giving him a look. "yeah, we'll meet you guys there.."
———
_______
as they walk down the trail to the spot, Richie keeps looking at Eddie. he still hasn't said much and continues to cling onto him.
"your eyes haven't changed back, do you think it's permanent?" he doesn't get a response
"can you talk to me please?" Richie finally snaps making Eddie look up at him
"i don't want to."
well, that was the most he's said all day, "i just want to know why you're not talking to our friends and clinging to my side like a lost puppy.."
Eddie stops walking and looks up at Richie blankly. he doesn't want to talk, it's just not something he wants to do right now. "when i saw him hurt you i hoped that he'd die a slow, painful death."
Richie stares back at Eddie
"he got it, didn't he?" Eddie frowns and rubs his eyes, "and it was because of me."
Richie slowly shuffled towards Eddie and hugs him tightly, resting his chin on the top of his head. Eddie doesn't hug him back but he knows that it must be hard
"i wished the same thing for Henry when he hit you. it doesn't make you a bad person for thinking that, and if you didn't do what you did Patrick probably would of found out that you're not exactly flammable." he hears a small chuckle from Eddie and it makes him smile, "trust me, it looked like the can exploded on its own. i don't know if it was actually you, but even if it was nobody will know because to Henry and the other idiots, it looked like a freak accident."
"that doesn't change the fact that i've killed another human being."
"it wasn't on purpose." Richie defends, pulling away from Eddie slightly to look at his pretty face, "i don't believe that there's a mean bone in your body."
Eddie responds by hugging Richie tightly. Richie smiles and hugs him back even tighter
"i'm sorry that i follow your around.." Eddie steps back carefully and fidgets with the sleeves of his sweater, "i just.. i don't know.."
Richie lifts his chin up, "you can tell me, i'm not mad i promise"
Eddie blushes and glances away, "i don't want to leave you because you make me feel safe.. and you put the flame out... i don't know how but you did and that's all i want.." smother the flame.
Richie doesn't think about most of his decisions. and it didn't take him more than half a second to lean down and kiss Eddie softly. and god it was infatuating
Eddie stares up at him confused. he's never felt like that. he couldn't feel the heat anywhere in his body except for in his chest. he got on his tip toes and wrapped his arms around Richies neck to kiss him again. and again. and again.
Richie held his waist and pulled him closer, he never wanted to let go. when Eddie pulled away he couldn't stop smiling, "i really, really, like you.."
Eddie grins and rests his forehead on Richies shoulder. he had no idea what it meant but he really, really likes Richie too.
"what does it mean?" he asks softly
Richie shrugs and rubs Eddies back, "whatever you want it to.. but hopefully you want to be with me..?"
Eddie looks up at him and tilts his head, "like date you?"
Richie turns red in embarrassment and nods. Eddie grins and nods too, "okay, i want to do that"
Richie smiles widely, "you do?"
"yeah, but what does that mean?"
Richie kisses Eddie again making him giggle, and then kisses him all over his face, "it means, i get to kiss you, and hold you, and brag to everyone that i'm dating the cutest boy ever"
Eddie giggles and laces their fingers together, "you really wanna do that?"
Richie hums and kisses his forehead, "i don't think i'd mind—"
"—ooo!"
the two snap their heads over to see Bev and Mike. Mike catcalls them as Bev hoots and claps
"i'm telling the others first!" Bev shouts before running off. Mike chases after her and the two are left alone again
"well, that's what we get for being friends with Bev"
———
______
they arrive at Richies house before dark. Maggie is in the living room knitting a blanket while Wentworth watches the news.
when the two boys walk in Maggie greets them first, "hey boys, dinners on the stove"
Richie leads Eddie over to his dad, "dad this Eddie, Eddie my dad Wentworth"
Eddie shakes his hand hesitantly as Went smiles, "hello, nice to meet you.."
"so your the boy Maggie's been going on about? new in town?"
"yes sir"
Went nods and winks at Richie before they go to his room.
Richie throws himself onto his bed and lets out a long sigh. Eddie crawls on the bed and lays on top of him as he wraps an arm around him
"is this okay?" Eddie asks looking up at Richie who nods contently
it only took a few minutes for Richie to fall asleep. Eddie admires him quietly, tracing soft shapes on his chest and brushing his hair from his eyes. he kisses his cheek gently and sits up, "you'll never know how much i'll miss you..." he wipes his wet eyes and kisses him one last time on the forehead.
he grabs his bag and freezes at the door. he hates that he has to do this. but he wants to remember who Richie was and what he did for him, so he takes Richies hoodie that's hanging on the door knob. he hopes Richie will remember him too, so he leaves his bear on the bed and leaves.
———
_______
Richie sits in the black, burned, grass, picking at the earth tiredly. he goes there every night, he doesn't know why he still goes when it's been this long but he didn't want to give up. his heart wouldn't let him, it aches just to know. is he okay? is he eating enough? why did his hoodie go missing? why would he leave his bear after keeping it for so long?
why would he leave?
after everything, why?
"there you are,"
he looks up at Stan. he gives him that look, the same look everyone's been giving him since he left. sympathy, pitty, he doesn't know.
he looks back down at the grass and picks a half burnt daisy. he hears Stan sit next to him but doesn't say anything.
"Rich... i know it's hard but you have to—"
"—shut up." Richie glances at him and then looks back down. "i know what you all think but i don't care. he wouldn't just leave." how could he just leave?
Stan sighs and stands up, "none of us knew him."
"i did. and he was everything."
~A~
this writer sent this to me asking to be anonymous, they have a part two if you guys want it.