Chapter Text
Eddie loves thunderstorms. He sat at his window and listened as the rain hit the glass. He watched as water flooded down the streets. He remembered the last time there was a flood like this, the day Georgie disappeared. He suddenly felt guilty for liking the rain. His attention returned to the storm, as the wind rustled loudly outside. He felt calm, and felt bad for it. Eddie knew Bill was still having a hard time. After seeing It as Georgie, he had thought he had closure. Then his life was set into chaos again, because Beverly had left to stay with her Aunt. Eddie was glad Bev would be away from her horrible dad, but he still missed her dearly. He knew Bill was feeling 100x worse, though. The rain died down, as did his thoughts. As he finally started to drift off to sleep, he heard a loud thump on his window. He woke up immediately and went to check it out. His mind raced with horrible thoughts that It could return, and he slowly moved his curtain to see Richie, soaking wet with his fist to Eddie’s window.
“What are you doing here?” Eddie asked, relieved that his thoughts were just figments of his trauma.
“I- I don’t honestly know” Richie replied after a few moments.
“Don’t just stand there in the rain, come inside”
Richie climbed through the now open window, which was a difficult task since he was on a ladder due to the fact that Eddie’s room was two stories up.
“Well, let me get you something to dry off with.”
Richie jumped as thunder cracked loudly outside. Eddie turned and put his hand on Richie’s shoulder.
“Hey, it’s ok, just a little summer storm”
Richie glanced to the side before finally saying, “You’re right Eds. Sorry for coming so late… you’re mom just couldn’t stop asking for me.”
“Haha very funny.” Eddie went to his bathroom to retrieve a towel when he heard his mother moving downstairs.
“Shit” He said to himself as lightning struck outside the window, illuminating her figure in the staircase.
“What are you doing up, mister? Don’t you know you need to be well rested in order to stay healthy?” His mother had a menacing look to her eyes that would make just about anyone feel uncomfortable.
“I’m off to bed now, mom.” Eddie was tired of his mom following his every move. He couldn’t stand the constant attention she provided. He carried the towel under his shirt all the way back to his room. When he stepped inside, he saw Richie hiding under his blankets, snuggled up to Eddie’s pillow.
“You’re going to get my whole bed wet!”
“That’s what she said” Richie responded, suddenly red in the face when he was aware of Eddie’s presence.
“For God’s sake keep it down Richie, I don’t want my mom coming in here and seeing you, I’d be grounded for life!”
Eddie was unaware that his mom was in his bathroom right now, noticing the missing towel and deciding to interrogate Eddie about it in the morning. She went back downstairs to her bedroom to return to her scrapbooking. She placed the medical receipt for Eddie’s arm cast into her scrapbook titled ‘Eddie’s injuries.’ Sonia Kaspbrak loved when her only son was injured. It brought her so much joy when he was weak. She licked her fingers and turned the page over to see a picture she had taken. The image was of Eddie, unconscious in a hospital bed, after his cast had just been put on. She smiled to herself as she turned a few pages back, to the page about Eddie’s asthma. She couldn’t believe that he discovered his illness was fake, and longed for the days when he’d mindlessly taken his pills, fully trusting his mother when she told him to do so. She hugged the book before hiding it under her bed and turning off her lamp. She went to bed happy, dreaming of Eddie. She dreamt he was confined to a wheelchair, making him unable to see his friends and forcing him to be stuck with her for the rest of his life...
Eddie sat on the bed and took Richie’s glasses off his face, wiping the raindrops off of them and onto his pajama shirt. He handed Richie the towel and went to look for some clothes big enough to give him. Eddie was the shortest of all his friends, and knew none of his pants would fit Richie, because of the length of his legs of course.
“I don’t know if any of my clothes will fit you, but I guess this should do” He handed Richie a hoodie he had found in his closet. It was 2 am and Eddie just wanted to go to sleep. God only knows how literally nobody slept in that town.
“Thanks eds” said Richie as he took the hoodie. Eddie watched him as he peeled off his soaked T-shirt to reveal his bare chest. He didn’t know why he couldn’t stop staring at his friend, possibly because he was so hot. “Stop thinking like that” Eddie thought to himself. He tore his eyes away as Richie pulled the black hoodie over his head. Eddie became aware of the fact that he was still holding Richie’s glasses, and placed them on his nightstand before climbing into his bed.
“Just pick some of my shorts if you want” Eddie said as he pulled his blankets over himself. He looked at Richie and saw how different he looked without his big glasses on. He noticed his freckles and how they were only sprinkled across his nose, and his disheveled black hair sat unruly on his head, still wet from the still pouring rain.
“I would look if I could see, but someone decided to take my glasses.”
“Whatever, just get to bed already.”
Richie picked a pair blue pajama pants Eddie had thrown on the floor the night before. He changed into them quickly before climbing into bed next to Eddie. He watched Eddie as he tried to go to bed, lightning occasionally illuminating Eddie’s beautiful features. He could just get lost concentrating on his friend’s face for hours. The way his brown hair covered his forehead and partially his left eye when he layed facing him. His freckles covered his button nose so effortlessly. He listened to Eddie’s breathes, and focused on his own breathing. Eddie may be the one with asthma but he could surely take Richie’s breathe away. The loud sound of thunder woke Eddie up after about an hour of sleeping. Richie had curled up to him, and his face was to his neck, resting on his chest as it rose and fell. He breathed in and inhaled the scent of his friend, which was mixed with his own since Richie was wearing his clothes after all. He snuggled his face further into Richie’s chest, and placed his injured arm atop of Richie’s waist. Richie stirred awake at the sudden movement.
“Hey, Richie”
“Eds”
“Yea?”
“What are we doing?”
“I dunno…” Eddie thought to himself for a second before saying, “but I like it, whatever this is”
“Me too” Richie said these words tiredly as he lifted his own hand into Eddie’s soft brown hair”
He watched Eddie close his eyes again, as he smiled softly to himself. After he was sure Eddie was sleeping, he gently kissed the top of Eddie’s head before falling asleep himself. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all.