The man took a deep breath, trying to reign in his emotions in the dark streets of Derry.
He took a walk to keep his mind off of the other man, but it wasn't working. Everywhere Eddie looked, he was reminded of that goofy grin, his stupid jokes, and those enormous glasses that always seemed to be falling off his face.
He supposed that it made sense though, considering they had grown up together in this tiny town.
There probably wasn't a single place here that wouldn't remind him of Richie.
Eddie walks by the theater, barely pausing a moment to think about the last time they'd been there. He had run from home, his mom having told him that he was no longer allowed to see his friends, that they were a bad influence on him.
Particularly that Richie kid.
Eddie shook his head. Richie had collected him into his arms, pulling him in tight. He remembers crying into the boy's shirt, but Richie didn't seem to care, he only made a joke about Eddie owing him a new one.
When Eddie laughed and said he couldn't do that, Richie paused to think. "How about we go to the movies then? My treat."
They went and watched some corny RomCom that neither of them remembered afterwards, but they had a great time.
Eddie shook his head, continuing on his path.
He passed by their school, refusing to stop, but memories flooded towards him.
He recalled Bowers pushing him against the wall out back, fist clenched into his shirt, so tight Eddie's feet weren't touching the ground. Eddie remembered fearing that he wasn't going to get out of this one alive. There was no one around to see him, to help him, or at least go grab help because none of the students here would bother standing up to Bowers.
They were all terrified of him, even Richie, but Richie had always protected him. He'd done it as long as he could remember, even to his last breath.
Fear, like ice, flooded through him, coiling in his gut, as he stumbled into the cavern beneath the city, watching as Pennywise toyed with Richie, a predator playing with its food.
What was he supposed to do? How could they beat something like Pennywise, so large and terrifying? How were they going to save Richie?
They had to save Richie.
Eddie takes a shuddering breath, grip tightening around the iron gate, fierce determination pushing him forward.
"Beep beep motherfucker!" he yells, throwing the gate like a javelin, watching it hurl towards the monster he no longer feared, hitting it square in the mouth, a sense of pride washing over him as Pennywise began to crumble.
He only allows himself a second of victory before he rushes forward, all focus on ensuring Richie is okay, that he's still alive, relief flooding through him when Richie responds.
Eddie is murmuring words, unsure of what he's even saying as he shakes Richie to get him to focus, adrenaline coursing through him, making him feel invincible.
Richie's eyes widen below him, a faint shout of his name somewhere to his left the only thing alerting him that something's wrong.
In a movement, so quick that Eddie barely had time to register it, the two are flipped around, Richie on top of him as a shout tears itself from his throat.
Everything around Eddie ceases to a dull roar as he watches, horror gripping his heart, as Richie chokes, tears flooding his eyes. Richie shouldn't be crying. He's never had tears before.
Then everything comes back into a cacophony of sound as a squelching is heard. Pennywise tears the pincer out of him, dragging him back before shaking him loose.
Richie falls to the ground, bones cracking on impact.
Eddie stands, shouting without a thought as he rushes towards Richie, dragging him off to the side to help, to do something.
They can't just let Richie die.
He can't just let Richie die.
Eddie tears his jacket off, pressing it to the wound, hoping to stifle the bleeding.
He wipes a hand across Richie's face, smearing the blood from his mouth.
"You're going to be okay," he whispers, mostly to himself.
"Eddie," Richie starts and Eddie looks up, tears clouding his vision.
The look on Richie's face is one of acceptance and Eddie chokes.
Why is Richie accepting this? He's not going to die. He's going to be just fine.
"Yes?"
"I-I"
The words were left unsaid, dying on his lips as his body falls limp. The rattled, choking breath ceases and Richie seems so at peace.
"Richie!" Eddie shouts, frantically searching for a heartbeat, lightly smacking his face in hopes that it'll wake him up, pinching himself, desperately hoping it's all a dream, but he doesn't wake up and Richie is dead.
His friends pull at him, dragging him out but he can't find it in himself to care that the world is literally crumbling around them.
All he can see is Richie.
A sharp breathe rattles out of Eddie and he realizes that he's sat down at some point.
He recognizes his surroundings to be the kissing bridge and he can't help but wonder how he'd gotten here.
He takes a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, before deciding to head back home, to an empty room, to cry himself to sleep again, begging someone, anyone, that he won't wake up to see tomorrow.
Eddie tries to stand, legs feeling like jelly, nearly making him collapse.
He turns to use the railing to help himself up when he freezes, taking a moment to process what he's looking at.
Eddie chokes, a vice gripping his already shattered heart, tears burning his cheeks as he falls to the pavement, a sob racking through him.
One hand covers his mouth, trying to stifle the noises, as the other traces the letters carved into the railing, something that's clearly been there for years.
A declaration that Eddie had only heard too late.
The letters burn him as he traces them.
R+E