“ richie, ” he whispered.
“ what? ” richie was down on his knees, staring at him d e s p e r a t e l y .
“don’t call me eds,” he said, and smiled. he raised his left hand slowly and touched richie’s cheek. richie was c r y i n g .
“ you know i… i…” eddie closed his eyes, thinking how to finish. and while he was still thinking it over, he d i e d .
“ eddie? ” richie whispered, his voice desperate. he shook the poor man’s lifeless body once, twice, but it reared nothing. “ i love you eddie. ” richie whispered, almost like it was threat. “ i fucking love you. wake up! ”
not knowing what else to do, richie kissed eddie’s cold lips as hard as he could. maybe some fairy tale magic would bring eddie back, like the prince kissing the sleeping princess. but it didn’t. eddie still laid there, right side covered in blood and lips turning blue.
richie let out a w a i l like a wounded animal.
