reddie fanfics.

i write from time to time. sixteen. reddie enthusiast. side blog, main is @s-onora

[hadererer]

slice of pie

@it-fandom-exchange gift for @s-onora! 

prompt: a fic with young adult reddie, fluff and side stanlon-stanlonbrough

summary: of course richie would cause eddie and him to get detention on free apple pie day at the diner

Keep reading

[jojolarow]

I wanted an excuse to draw Eddie in every Richie shirt from the first chapter, and the result was this comic! Richie discovers giving Eddie his hand-me-downs is the equivalent of giving Eddie this ‘boyfriend shirt’ look. Moving forward, Richie anticipates out-growing his clothes, so he can hand them down to Eddie; Eddie complains that Richie’s just trying to brag about how fast he’s growing, but he takes the clothes anyways~

[donnasweettttttttt]

i love that the evil flute playing painting lady from it 2017 a) has a name, b) that it’s judith, and that c) wyatt will often casually refer to her in interviews as if any random person who’s seen the movie is going to know who “judith” is like we’re supposed to know that stanley’s on first name basis with the painting who tried to eat his face off like just say evil flute lady

[yallstillhere]

Come get this dick-fil-a

[yallstillhere]

I’m tired of y'all reblogging this every Sunday

[yallstillhere]

One of you shit heads are saving this post and waiting until Sunday to reblog it

I will fucking find you

[soft-hanlon]

Here I Am, With Arms Unfolding

 note: this is my side account, i wanted to post this to my main ( @s-onora ), but i’m having problems with that account right now but i’ll hopefully have posted this to my main within the next few days! so this fic is a gift to @the-antman for the @it-fandom-exchange event! i hope i was able to create something domestic and enjoyable to read! 

3k words / fix-it fic / reddie / mentions of stanpat

read on ao3

"What's goin' on in that funny head of yours?" Eddie moves his thumb across Richie's forehead, just like he's touchin' the silk at the market back in New York, all delicate n' gentle, revelling in the sensation.

Richie looks up at him from where he lays in the grass with a grin, toothier than any Eddie's seen on Richie's mouth since they arrived back in this town n' it's reminiscent of a specific expression he remembers from his childhood that is just so Richie—he's reminded of ice cream dripping over dainty fingers n' lips chapped from the dry heat, sticky with candy.

"Just a bit sore between the ears, Eds." He knocks the side of his head comically n' Eddie slides his palm beneath Richie's head, as he lifts it into his lap. It's better that Richie rests his head in Eddie's lap rather than on the grass, Eddie thinks, it's more comfortable—even if Eddie knows that the ache in Richie's head isn't physical.

Eddie pets Richie's hair back from his forehead, n' watches his milky skin catch the warmth of the July sun, "I know, 'Chie, wanna talk about it?" Richie cacchinates, n' thinks on the pet name, he thinks warmly of it—maybe it's one Eddie might've used in their teens, but it's still fuzzy.

"Do you think we'll forget this time?" The question lingers in the air, in Eddie's ears, for several moments as he moves his finger to stroke over the bridge of Richie's nose. Richie goes cross-eyed trying to watch his finger n' Eddie laughs, a real laugh, n' realises that he doesn't remember the last time he felt honestly happy enough to do so—not with Ma, not with Marty, not with his work friends. "I don't want to forget." Richie murmurs afterwards, azure irises masked over by his eyelids.

"I don't want to forget either, an' I have a feeling we won't." Eddie rests his head back against the trunk of the tree, doesn't stop stroking Richie's face n' petting his hair in a way that feels so specifically intimate, in a way he's never done before. "Hopefully, we'll remember the good things an' eventually the pain will fade. We were forced apart an' into unhappy lives for nearly three decades, an' I don't know about the others but I could always feel it—I always felt this weight on my chest, of knowing that something wasn't right."

"I felt it, too."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. Since leaving this shithole the first time, I've been living in LA, I've got a radio show n' a comedy gig on the side n' even though I love doing those things it's never felt like enough, even though it's the life I've always wanted. I thought there was something wrong with me." Richie shrugs, "It never even occurred to me that I couldn't remember where I'd grown up."

"I was always happiest with you guys. I think all of my memories are back now since we've been here for a month, an' I hope I can keep them when we leave." Richie blows a lock of hair out of his own eyes n' sits up, crossing his legs 'in a basket', directly facing Eddie. It seems his hyper energy has returned after a few hours of sitting out here in perfect serenity.

"All you needed was to see your old pal Richie!" Richie dives into an impression of an old radio announcer, "Lean, one-armed-machine Eddie Kaspbrak absolutely brand new after saucy reunion with hot-shot Richie Tozier!" He boops Eddie's nose, watching the blood rush into his cheeks as he giggles coyly.

"Maybe." Eddie shrugs slightly, smiling in Richie's direction. Richie composes himself a little, n' places a tentative hand on Eddie's knee, keeping it strictly in one place so that Eddie doesn't end up uncomfortable.

"Listen, Eds, I..." Richie sighs, looking to Eddie's eyes through the blond's round spectacles. "I've spent my whole adult life wanting something that I wasn't sure I could really have. I've been looking for fellas since I moved to California on the down-low n' I don't know... I could never really find someone I wanted n' I think I realised why when we came back here."

"Oh, yeah?" Eddie asks, pushing his glasses up a little. He just smiles warmly, doesn't comment on the fact that Richie's maybe just come out to him. "You can tell me, if you want."

Richie sighs, trailing his finger across Eddie's knee n' back to where he started, glancing up at him. He gives an encouraging nod, n' Richie wonders briefly how he ever could have forgotten him. "Don't wanna make you all jittery, Eds, ya probably won't like what I have to say."

"It's okay, say it anyway." Eddie shakes his head, still beaming, "I don't think you can say anything that'll scare me, not after everything we've seen."

Richie opens his mouth, but decides to shut it again. He begins tapping his finger against Eddie's knee subconsciously, n' Eddie brings his only hand to rest on top of Richie's, gently bringing his tapping to a halt. Richie considers for a moment, n' then turns his hand over so his palm slides against Eddie's. The blond's eyebrows shoot up past his dandelion curls, but he doesn't move his hand, waiting for Richie to do something else.

"Eds..."

"Yeah, Rich?" His voice is soft like Richie's cotton bed sheets at home, Richie wants to wrap himself up in the comfort of it to avoid the cumbersome weight of the conversation most likely following. But Eddie's still looking at him, a rhapsodic smile slowly forming over his lips, Richie's not sure it's even there at first. N' suddenly, there's a hand on his forearm, his bicep, his shoulder, his neck, n' then he's being kissed on the mouth. It's sweet-tempered n' careful n' once the initial shock wears off, Richie thinks it makes sense. Eddie's always been so brave, willing to take risks even if the outcome may not be in his favour. He's always been gentle, too—Richie often wondered, as a teen, if Eddie kissed with as much solicitude as he treated his friends with.

Richie doesn't have a lot of time to return Eddie's affections before the man in question lets their lips depart from each other with a soft click, n' his hand slips from Richie's jaw. "M' sorry if that was too forward, it just seemed like that's where you were going an' needed a bit of help." Eddie pushes his glasses up from where they'd slid down his nose, looking a little blissed out.

"Leave with me. Come to California."

"California? You want me to go with you?"

Richie clasps Eddie's hand in both of his own, squeezing it gently, "Please, Eds, come live with me, I don't want to be apart from you again. I have so much space, a spare bedroom if you want it. You'd live like a king, I promise."

Eddie huffs out a soft, astonished laugh, "Really? Rich, I couldn't invade your life like that, it sounds like a huge change for you. Even then, I'm the owner of a company in New York."

"You could move your company to Los Angeles, I can get in touch with someone who can help with the details. Besides, there's plenty of celebrities looking for limos in LA. I want you there, Eds." Richie sighs softly, "Down in the cistern, I thought you were going to die. In the hospital, when you wouldn't wake up for hours, it was the worst I've ever felt. I don't want to feel like that again. So if you'd like to, I want you to live with me."

"Okay... okay, I'll go with you." This time, it's Richie who goes in for a kiss. He cups Eddie's face in his hands n' brings their lips together, making sure to be gentle. He feels Eddie beaming against his mouth, n' he thinks this is maybe the greatest he's ever felt in his life. The way he feels, it's warm n' glowing n' fuzzy n' he knows that this is what he's wanted his entire life. Ever since the summers of his youth, when he was running free, full of July sunshine and orange pulp, n' his hand was in that of another's, the same hand holding onto his at this very moment.

"You sure? You really want to come with me?" Richie asks when they part, cupping his hand under Eddie's elbow n' leaving the other on Eddie's face.

"Being back here, it's made me realise I don't wanna be in New York, I don't belong with Myra. I don't think I was really sure who I did belong with until, well, right now," Eddie smiles coyly, "but now that I know, it makes sense—you were always different to me." Richie grins, sliding his hand up to drape over the back of Eddie's so that he can lean in n' kiss the skin on the inside of his wrist. "Jeez, Rich, you're gonna make me go bananas."

That comment receives him a gently pinch of the cheek n' an exclamation of, "Cute, cute, cute!" Eddie doesn't pull away like he used to, embarrassed, n' instead just laughs, his cheeks warming fast. Richie's face softens, he looks so pleased that he was able to make Eddie laugh. He cups Eddie's face in his hands, turning his head a little so he can press a kiss to the blond's cheekbone.

"Your moustache tickles!" Eddie giggles light and airy, snorting quietly n' gasping out of surprise when he does. He whines, covering his flushing face with two hands, obviously embarrassed. Richie's eyes light up, and he gently pries Eddie's hands away from his face, grinning.

"Oh, that's so cute, Eds, I forgot you do that." Richie realises with a pang that he's missed that noise all this time. He remembers teasing Eddie gently for it in their childhood, n' kissing his cheek when his face turned red n' he pouted at Richie's words.

"Okay, Rich, let's go back to the townhouse before I explode." Eddie pats his own cheeks in what Richie assumes is some sort of attempt to rid himself of the redness in his face. The taller of the two stands, helping Eddie up n' letting his large hands come to rest on Eddie's waist, making his body look much more dainty. The blond squeaks as Richie presses him back against the tree, leaning in for another kiss. Eddie accepts it without a problem anyway, laughing into Richie's mouth when Richie tugs gently on his suspenders to pull him just that bit closer.

"Sorry, Eds, jus' wanted one more before we had to go back to the losers." Richie murmurs, n' Eddie softens a little more if that's even possible, kisses the corner of his mouth, then clicks their lips back into place together for a brief moment. "You're swell." Richie sighs, smiling all dopey n' euphoric-like.

"You know I think you are, too." Eddie squeezes Richie's shoulder, hand sliding upwards to cup the side of his neck. Richie loves Eddie's voice, thinks that if it were a shape, it'd be something with gentle curves. "Now, the losers are probably expecting us to be back soon, we've been away for hours. C'mon." Richie finally lets go of Eddie's suspenders and clasps his hand around the other's, nearly engulfing it.

They walk back to the townhouse, not in any sort of rush, just enjoying one another's company until they have to face their friends again n' finally separate their hands. "You wanna maybe... spend the night with me?" Eddie asks as they approach the townhouse, "I'm not expecting anything—I jus'... I really liked spending time with you this way." He adds quickly, realising how it might sound.

Richie chuckles, pinching Eddie's cheek, "Of course, my love, I would enjoy nothing more." He brings Eddie's hand to his mouth, kissing his knuckles n' slowly, reluctantly, letting go of it. Eddie gives him a bitter-sweet, understanding smile, n' they make their way inside the town house, ready to face their friends again.

They're welcomed back with smiles n' alcohol from behind the bar that no one ever tended to. They talk into the small hours of the night, reminiscing on their childhoods together, times when they weren't being tormented by a murderous clown—Richie and Eddie sparing soft glances towards each other when no one's looking. Slowly, they all start to retreat back to their rooms one by one, until only Stan, Eddie and Richie are left.

"Alright, I think it's time for me to go to bed. I have to make some calls which'll probably take some time." Eddie tells them softly, standing up from the sofa, n' setting his almost empty glass of white wine down on the bar. "I'll see you tomorrow, g'night."

Richie watches him walk up the stairs, disappearing around the corner before turning back to Stan, who's been watching him from behind his glass, eyebrow raised. "What's up, Staniel?"

"Nothing." Stan blows one of his curls out of his eyes, sipping at his wine n' waving him off. "Can I ask you something?"

Richie grins, n' it spreads far enough to reach his eyes, "Well, sure you can, what's up?"

"When we all leave Derry, are you planning on going back to California alone?"

Richie's brow furrows, "I'm not sure I follow, Stanny."

"Come on, Richie. I'm not as oblivious as the others, give me some credit here." Richie chews at the inside of his lip, averting his eyes. "Listen, we don't have to talk about it now, or ever, if that's what you want. But I think whatever it is you have with Eddie, you should pursue it. I don't know how long you've felt this way, but I'm guessing it's been a really long time." His friend doesn't say anything, just sighs n' nods slowly. "You deserve a win right now, it's been rough being back here."

"Really?"

"Of course. I love Patty more than I've ever loved someone before, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have her. You should be able to openly say that about whoever you love, too." Stan simpers, standing from his chair, "I'm going to get some sleep, and you're going to go an’ see Eddie because, my God, it's been physically painfully watching you too make sappy eyes at each other all night."

"Alright, Staniel, I will." Richie chuckles, shaking his head at his words, "Could you maybe do me a favour? I wouldn't usually ask you to keep things from the other losers, but would it be okay if you didn't tell them about this? Me n' Eds, we're not ready for that."

"Yeah, don't worry, Richie. I wouldn't say anything regardless." Stan pats Richie's shoulder, "I'll see you in the morning."

"G'night, Stan." Richie waits until Stan makes his way upstairs n' disappears around the corner to retreat to his room for night before quietly jogging up the stairs so that none of the losers peek out of their rooms to catch him sneaking into Eddie's room. He knocks softly against the wood n' he only has to wait for a moment before Eddie opens the door, phone pressed between his ear n' his shoulder, a smile growing on his mouth when he sees that it's Richie. He opens the door and motions for him to come in n’ sit down. He's already changed into his pyjamas, n’ he crosses the room to his suitcase, lifting out a pair of sweatpants n' turning them around to offer to Richie. He's muttering quietly into the phone as he does so, clearly stressed by whatever the person on the other end of the line is saying.

He turns away while Richie changes out of his clothes n' into the sweatpants; they're a little snug, but he'll take them over having to go back to his room to change. Once he's changed, Eddie comes back to him, n' climbs under the bed comforter, motioning for Richie to join him. "I know, Myra, I'm sorry. But you know that staying together would be unfair to both of us." He sighs, voice quiet, almost guilty.

It finally dawns on Richie, n' so he slowly lays down next to Eddie, wraps his arms around him. He presses his mouth against Eddie's temple, rubbing soothing fingers over Eddie's bicep. "Please, listen to me, Marty. I don't love you the way I'm supposed to, I can't lie to you or myself anymore, we can't be together. I'll explain myself tomorrow, you can have whatever you want when we separate, but I won't be coming back home to stay. It's really late, I'm going to get some sleep and you should, too. I'll call you again tomorrow." There's a few moments where he doesn't speak, just listens to whatever his soon-to-be ex-wife says, n' then hangs up the phone, dropping it onto the bedside table n' dropping his head back against Richie's arm, sighing.

"Y'alright, Eds?" Richie whispers, tightening his arms around Eddie's torso. Eddie lets him, the frown lines on his face finally smoothing out as Richie pulls the comforter up and over their shoulders, keeping them warm.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Rich. Myra's just a little hard to shake, that's all." He tells him under his breath, moving to wrap his arm around Richie, too, finally feeling the aching flood out of himself. "I'll deal with it, tomorrow, I jus' wanna sleep right now, is that okay?"

"Of course, it's okay, my love. I'll be here with you tomorrow, an' I'll give you as many cuddles as you need and want." Richie chuckles, pressing his fingers gently into Eddie's side, eliciting a giggle from him, light n' airy n' euphoric. Eddie grabs his hand to stop him, but ultimately keeps his hand there, tilting his head up to kiss him.

"Thank you, Rich, being back here's been... a little crazy, but I'm glad we all came back. I'm glad we're together again." The blond yawns, tucking his head into Richie's pale neck, his slow breaths tickling Richie's neck, but he doesn't mind; it's a reminder that Eddie's here, breathing, alive."

"Me too, Eds, me too."

[soft-hanlon]

hold me so i’m not falling apart

summary: A sleepover at Eddie’s house was probably the worst place for this to happen, but Richie’s sort of relieved that it did.

pairing: reddie

words: 1963

disclaimer: i'm not transgender, so i only know the basics of the issues that a transgender person can deal with. If i get anything wrong, please leave a comment and we can sort it out. thank you!

read on ao3

***

Eddie was fifteeen on the night that he and Richie had one of their weekly sleepovers; only this time, it was different.

Eddie's mother had to go out for the night; she claimed she had a hospital appointment that she had made due to having a ticklish throat. Eddie knew that she would be there for a while, because she would probably try to blow whatever it was out of proportion.

At first, it was just the usual; they sat on Eddie's sofa, watching movies as they snuggled in one another's arms —they were very touchy-feely, despite only being friends.

Then, they had decided to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and Eddie ended up scolding Richie on more than one occasion because the curly haired boy continuously came close to burning himself on the oven.

They ate the cookies —which were slightly burned, but they loved them —in Eddie's bedroom as they read comics together. It was what they did every single Friday night, but they both loved the time they spent together and cherished it.

Come eleven-forty-five-pm, both Richie and Eddie were exhausted from school during the day and messing around that night.

"Are you sure you want to wear that hoodie? You'll get really warm while you sleep." Eddie quizzed softly, looking to the oversized 'Led Zepplin' hoodie that swallowed Richie's skinny frame.

"No, no. I'll, uh, I'll be fine." Richie murmured almost silently, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of the hoodie nervously. Eddie noticed his strange, sudden change in behaviour, and took a few steps closer.

"Are you okay, Rich?" He asked gently, reaching up to push some of Richie's black curls away from his face. Their eyes met and Richie nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Eds."

"Are you sure?"

Richie nodded again, offering Eddie a weak smile, which was returned immediately. "Let's get some sleep, I'm sure you're tired." Eddie combed his fingers through Richie's untamed hair, grinning when Richie practically purred at the attention.

Soon, they were both laying in their sleeping bags —Eddie wasn't keen on sleeping on his bed because he didn't want Richie to sleep on the floor by himself —and were on their sides facing each other.

Eddie had switched off his nightstand lamp, which had been the only source of light in the room, but they could still see each other in the dark faintly.

"Sweet dreams, Richie." Eddie whispered, his hand leaving his sleeping bag to reach for Richie's, who grasped onto his gently. Their fingers lay between them on the carpet, interlaced like the wicker of a woven picnic basket.

"Goodnight, Eds." Richie lifted Eddie's hand to his lips and kissed the back of his hand softly, and with that; Eddie drifted off to sleep.

[❦]

Eddie woke later that night, to the sound of soft whimpers and hushed sniffles coming from somewhere in his room. First, he looked to the digital clock, which told him that it was one o'clock in the morning.

Then, he sat up and turned to Richie, who he could just about see, was sat up in his unzipped sleeping bag, his body seemingly shaking.

"Richie, are you okay?" He asked, "Hold on, I'm going to turn on the light." He shuffled over to the nightstand where his lamp sat, and reached up to turn it on.

"Eds, don't-"

Richie's protests came too late as Eddie had already switched on the light and had turned to face Richie. His expression quickly turned concerned when he noticed the tears streaking his pink cheeks and the almost heartbroken look in his eyes.

His gaze then travelled down to Richie's sweatpants, which were stained a dark red on the material at the front. Eddie's eyes widened and he crawled over to Richie. "Richie, what happened? Are you hurt?"

Richie just shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut, causing a few more tears to slip from his eyes. Swiftly, he stood up from his sleeping bag and rushed into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it behind him.

Eddie jumped up and walked over to the bathroom door quickly. "Richie, are you okay?" He knocked lightly on the wood, hoping that Richie would let him in, but he just continued to sob behind the door. "Talk to me, 'Chee."

It was silent for a minute or so, before Richie spoke in a hushed tone. "Do you have any pads that I could use?" He asked, sniffling immediately after.

Eddie —although he didn't know what was really happening —replied gently, "Of course, Richie. They're in the cupboard underneath the sink."

"Would you like a change of clothes?" He asked, assuming Richie would probably need to change. "Yes, please."

"Okay, hold on a second, 'Chee." Eddie murmured before walking to his dresser and opening the drawers, rummaging through them and taking out a pair of boxers and a pair of sweatpants.

"Is it okay if you open the door, so I can give you these clothes?" Not long after he had spoken, the door opened slightly, just enough for Eddie to give Richie the clothes through the door, although he couldn't see the curly haired boy —only his pale hand was visible.

Eddie walked away from the bathroom door and sat down on his bed, waiting for Richie to come out. While he waited, he tried to make sense of the situation.

 Why had Richie been bleeding?

Eventually, the bathroom door opened and Richie walked out, wiping his eyes and holding his pair of stained sweatpants and boxers. Eddie quickly stood and made his way across the room to him, taking the sweatpants and boxers from Richie and setting them in the hamper in the corner of his room.

He took Richie's hand into his own gently, and led him towards the bed, sitting him down on the comforter and then sitting down himself, across from Richie.

Richie sat with his legs crossed Indian style, Eddie doing the same. The taller boy's head was angled towards the comforter of the bed, but when Eddie interlaced the fingers of his right hand with the fingers on Richie's left, he looked up.

"What's going on, bubba?" Eddie asked, wiping the tears from underneath Richie's eyes gingerly. "If you tell me, I can try to make you feel better." He whispered, offering Richie a small, reassuring smile.

"I—" Richie choked on his own voice, and Eddie hushed him softly.

"Take your time, 'Chee, there's no rush." Richie inhaled deeply, feeling dizzy at the thought of sharing such a secret with someone —he was just glad that it was his Eddie, though.

"This is the first time that's happened to me; but I know why it did." He started shakily, "It's because I'm not a real boy, I was born as a girl."

Suddenly, it seemed like all of the puzzle pieces had fallen into place —it all made sense now. This explained the huge hoodies that Richie would wear to hide the fact that he was developing, the fact that he refused to swim in the water at the quarry with the rest of the losers, the fact that his voice hadn't broken like the rest of the boys in their class and how uncomfortable he became when people asked him about these things.

"I'm sorry." Richie whispered, fresh tears forming and glossing over his eyes, providing them with a soft, glassy effect. Eddie's eyebrows immediately furrowed, and he squeezed Richie's hand gently.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, quite honestly confused, as to why Richie was trying to apologise.

"Because I'm not supposed to be like this; my mom and dad always tell me that I'm a girl and that's not going to change. They still call me by a girl's name every time I walk through my front door after school." Richie whimpered.

Eddie could feel anger bubbling in his stomach, because who could say such a thing to his Richie?, but he pushed it down, shaking his head and taking Richie's face into his hands carefully.

"Richie, I don't care." Eddie smiled slightly, "I don't care if you were born in a girl’s body; that's not who you are. And don't you dare try to tell me that you're not a boy because you're the realest boy I know.

"Don't let your parents control you, they can't choose who you are. Forget their opinions; they don't matter, okay?" Eddie brushed his thumb along Richie's cheekbone, doing his best to console him.

"Okay." Richie whispered, finally beginning to smile, much to Eddie's relief. Richie also couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with joy, he was actually happy that he had told Eddie, because he was actually accepting of him.

"How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" Eddie asked, as he continuously touched Richie's face gently, caressing his cheeks and his jaw and his silky hair.

Richie's cheeks warmed at Eddie's concern, and he shrugged slightly. "I just feel a little off, and my stomach hurts —nothing I can't handle." He smiled, holding one of his hands over his stomach, trying to soothe the pain.

Eddie smiled faintly, "Do you want to lie down? You must be tired."

"Okay." Richie took Eddie's other hand in his, "Can you lie with me?"

Eddie laughed softly, cupping one of Richie's cheeks and using his other hand to push some curls away from Richie's face before kissing his forehead. "Of course."

Both of the boys climbed under the comforter together and Richie laid his head on Eddie's chest, nuzzling him in an attempt to stay warm. Eddie smiled, wrapping his arms around Richie's slender frame and holding him tightly.

Cautiously, Eddie slipped one of his small hands underneath Richie's hoodie and began rubbing his tummy gently to help ease the pain. "Is it okay if I do this? It'll make your stomach feel better."

Richie nodded, "Thanks, Eds." He slid his arms around Eddie's midsection, whimpering when he felt an especially intense wave of pain wash over him.

"Shh, it's okay, 'Chee." Eddie murmured, using his free hand to play with Richie's hair comfortingly.

"It hurts." He pushed his face into Eddie's chest, trying to focus on the rhythm of the smaller teen's heartbeat against his cheek rather than the ache in his stomach.

"I know, I know." He pressed a kiss to the top of Richie's unruly hair. "Take deep breaths, for me." Eddie wiped the tears from underneath Richie's glassy eyes and proceeded to rub his back softly.

Richie inhaled heavily, and then breathed out shakily, closing his eyes and holding onto Eddie tighter than before. "You're doing so well, bubba." He murmured, rocking Richie back and forth in his arms.

The next while was spent with Eddie soothing Richie and trying to coax him to sleep. He must've spent at least an hour stroking Richie's hair and drying his tears, until his whimpers ceased to sound and he began to snore softly.

Eddie smiled, relieved that Richie had managed to finally get some well needed rest. He reached his hand to the nightstand, to switch off the lamp and once he had done so, he settled back down with Richie in his arms.

Now that he had time to think over everything, he was quite overjoyed due to the fact that Richie had opened up to him about something so personal. He was glad that he could now help Richie through this, because it wasn't fair for him to endure this alone.

It didn't matter to him that Richie had been born into the wrong body, because he was still the same immature, flirtatious boy that Eddie had always known. He loved Richie for who he was, and unknown to him, Richie appreciated that more than he could ever say.

[soft-hanlon]

I will make you believe you are lovely

summary: Eddie’s not had the best day, and Richie takes time to appreciate him.

pairing: reddie

words: 2255

read on ao3

***

Even at the age of eighteen, Richie was still climbing through Eddie's bedroom window every night at precisely nine o' clock on the dot.

It was his favourite part of the day, because he got to see his wonderful boyfriend.

Eddie made Richie very happy.  That was no secret to anyone who had ever seen Richie and Eddie in the same room together at some point.

Richie couldn't seem to keep his hands off of Eddie —to the point where it actually annoyed some people. 

He loved to approach Eddie from behind before kissing his neck affectionately, while caressing his arms soothingly and whispering sweet nothings to him. He liked the way Eddie blushed when he did so.

Whenever Eddie perched himself in Richie's lap, the curly haired boy liked to hold onto Eddie's full hips and rub them gently to show that he appreciated that part of him —he knew that Eddie had always been insecure about his hips.

He just couldn't function properly if there wasn't some part of him connected to some part of Eddie, whenever possible.

When he slid Eddie's window upwards and climbed into his bedroom, he smiled instantly as Eddie turned around in his seat at his desk and grinned.

Eddie never failed to be amazed by Richie's appearance; his ears actually visible when he tied his dark curls back into a bun, his strong cheeks bones and jaw made his face look very structured and additionally attractive.

His eyes were blue, a very deep blue; like the depths of the warm-watered ocean. His cheeks were dusted with a constellation of prominent freckles.

—And his lips. Oh god, his lips. They were pink, plush and full; Eddie couldn't help but stare at them and think proudly of the fact that he was the only one to kiss them.

Eddie thought Richie was truly beautiful.

Richie removed his leather jacket and placed it on a chair, leaving him in just his black jeans and a white t-shirt.

He then walked over to the desk and leaned down before he took Eddie's face into his hands, kissing his rose petal lips first, and then kissing his forehead. "Hi, Richie." Eddie laughed softly, standing from his chair and taking Richie's large hand.

Richie sat down on the bed, with his back against the headboard, and then he guided Eddie to sit in between his legs, the shorter boy's back pressed to Richie's chest.

Richie could feel Eddie relaxing into the mould of his arms and he leaned forward to kiss Eddie's neat, soft, brown hair. "I didn't see much of you at school today. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Greta just put a downer on my mood, that's all."

"What'd she do?" Richie asked softly, and then slid his arms around Eddie's waist and started rubbing his tummy gently to settle him when he noticed the boy hesitate.

"She and her friends caught up with me when I was walking to school today, and she just started saying things to me. She called me a freak and told me I was disgusting."

Richie's heart clenched, and he pressed his face into Eddie's hair as Eddie continued to speak quietly.

"She said that someone like you could never really love someone as ugly as me." Eddie whispered and it was at that point, that Richie turned him around so that they were facing one another.

"You don't really believe all of that, do you?" Richie asked, lifting his right hand to Eddie's cheek and using his left hand to play with Eddie's hair soothingly. Eddie shrugged, refusing to meet Richie's eyes.

There had always been a part of Eddie deep down that wondered why Richie would want to be with someone like him. Richie was liked widely amongst the people in their school, he wasn't as popular as jocks or cheerleaders, but he was pretty high on the popularity ranks. People loved him.

Eddie wasn't like Richie. He was a quiet boy who wore oversized sweaters, fanny packs and was practically invisible in a crowd, he only had one or two friends. Richie was way out of his league, and could have practically anyone.

Eddie didn't truly understand why Richie would want to be with him, if he actually did at all.

Richie frowned, but carefully shifted Eddie onto his lap, his thighs on either side of Richie's hips. He took Eddie's chin gently between his fingers and leaned forward to give him a long, loving kiss before pulling away and smiling faintly at his boy.

"I love you, bug, I really do. How could I not? I mean, look at you; you're gorgeous." The curly haired boy spoke quietly, almost as though he were afraid that if he spoke too loudly, he would scare Eddie away.

"No, Richie, I'm not." Eddie tried to climb off of Richie's lap, but Richie gently held him in place, shaking his head slightly.

"Please, just listen to me, Eds. I want you to feel comfortable in your body, let me tell you all of the things I love about you, let me try to change your mind about yourself." He pleaded, stroking Eddie's cheek with the back of his fingers.

Eddie sighed, closing his eyes, "Okay." He whispered, fidgeting with his fingers nervously, until Richie grabbed his hand gingerly with both of his own, causing him to stop and look up at Richie, who offered him a grin.

Richie brought the shorter boy in for another kiss, his hands sliding up from Eddie's, and settling themselves in Eddie's hair, his fingers combing through the hazel-toned locks. The only sounds in the room were their hearts drumming within their chests and the Elvis Presley songs playing continuously over Eddie's stereo.

Their lips departed with a soft popping sound, but Richie kept Eddie close, with his hands still in the younger boy's hair. "Your hair is beautiful, it's always so soft and it smells like that shampoo I love."

"I love playing with it, you always get really sleepy and cuddly when I do. It's adorable, Eds." Richie chuckled when he felt Eddie leaning into his touch, almost purring like a kitten.

"I've always loved the colour of your eyes, they're always so bright and when you smile, they crinkle by the edges." He kissed Eddie's forehead briefly, before leaving a kiss on each of his eyelids.

Eddie could feel his face warming up swiftly, the affection affecting him considerably. He tried to conceal his flushed cheeks, but Richie noticed almost immediately.

"You're so pretty when you blush, Eds." He laughed airily, kissing Eddie's nose momentarily, only making the slightly younger boy flush harder.

Richie cupped Eddie's cheeks in his hands and pressed their lips together, gentle and sweet, before pulling away and pecking Eddie's lips a few more times, then leaning back to look at his flustered boy.

"I love kissing you, it's my favourite thing to do. Your lips are so soft and they look so nice when you smile," Eddie began to smile involuntarily at those words, "So beautiful."

Eddie covered his face with his hands, trying to conceal his slight smile and cherry red face. It wasn't long before he felt Richie gently prising his hands away from his face, before taking them into his own and pressing multiple kisses to each of them.

He let go of Eddie's hands, and brought his own to Eddie's waist, letting them dip beneath his large hoodie and rubbing them against Eddie's hips soothingly. Richie nudged his nose against Eddie's, laughing almost inaudibly at Eddie's flustered expression.

"Are you okay with taking this off?" Richie asked gently, gesturing to Eddie's white hoodie, "If you don't want to, it's okay. I want you to feel comfortable, baby."

Eddie nodded shyly, and with the help of Richie, he slipped it over his head and placed it down beside him on the comforter. Richie took his t-shirt off too; he figured that Eddie would be more comfortable if he wasn't the only one with his top half visible.

It wasn't sexual; it wasn't supposed to be, and both of them were happy about that. It was about love, and feeling comfortable with one another.

Richie pressed his lips to Eddie's cheek, before leaving a trail of kisses from there, down underneath Eddie's ear, and along his jaw. Then, he buried his face in Eddie's neck, inhaling the scent of soap and memorising the feeling of Eddie's warm skin beneath his lips.

"Your skin is so soft," Richie's hand gently ran up Eddie's arm, leaving goosebumps in it's wake. He then hugged the short boy around his waist and placed his hands on the small of Eddie's back to hold him as close as possible.

He brushed his fingers along Eddie's collarbone and looked at him, to make sure that it was okay. Eddie just grinned bashfully, before nodding his head, immediately understanding that Richie wanted to know if he was comfortable. "You're absolutely gorgeous, angel."

"You're so short, and I know you don't like that, but I think it's adorable." Richie held Eddie's cheeks between his hands, "—because it means that I can do this." He moved forward, and pressed a kiss to Eddie's forehead.

Richie was listing off all of the things that Eddie felt insecure about, but instead, was making him feel a lot better about each of them. Richie just made him feel so safe and loved.

The taller boy brushed his hands along the outside of each of Eddie's thighs, "My thighs are so chubby." He sighed, frowning at his legs and trying to cover them with his arms.

"No, no, baby. You're thighs aren't chubby. They're so soft and cute and I love them." Richie reassured him, gently rubbing his thighs to show his appreciation for them while he leaned in for another kiss.

"Baby, you have to understand that you're perfect. I love your body and your mind and who you are. You're so precious and beautiful, you're my little prince." He whispered, caressing Eddie's face softly, running his finger tips along the shorter boy's jaw.

"I know that it's not easy to believe it, but I'll tell you these things everyday, if it means that you'll start to love yourself." He began playing with Eddie's hair again, combing his fingers through the soft, neat waves.

"You're such an amazing boyfriend." Eddie murmured sleepily, savouring the feeling of Richie's hands in his hair. Richie wanted to cry; Eddie was so sweet when he was tired. He would become so affectionate and soft towards Richie.

"Baby, I think it's time for you to get some sleep, yeah?" Richie was so soft-spoken around Eddie, and became even more so when Eddie began to get sleepy.

"I need to finish my homework, though." Eddie interjected, turning around in Richie's lap and pointing to the notebooks and worksheets that sat on his desk where he had sat previous to Richie coming into his room, "It's due tomorrow."

Richie just snaked his arms back around Eddie's waist, and pulled Eddie back against his chest. "Why don't we stay home tomorrow; it'll be Friday, anyway." Richie proposed, kissing Eddie's neck affectionately and rubbing up and down his arms soothingly.

"But, bubs-"

"Listen, bug, I know that you worry about school so much, but I don't know anyone who works as hard as you. You deserve a rest, hm?" Richie slid his hands down to Eddie's hips, circling each of them with his thumbs.

"Okay, 'Chee. But I can't stay here if I'm not going to school tomorrow; mommy will kill me if she finds out."

"That's okay, we can stay at my apartment. No parents will get in the way, I promise." He chuckled, and Eddie nodded slowly.

Then, Richie let Eddie change into his pyjamas, and of course he was respectful and looked away while the shorter boy changed. After that, Richie slipped his jeans off and put on a pair of sweatpants that he kept at Eddie's house for nights like this one.

They slipped beneath the comforter together, Eddie facing the wall and Richie facing his back. Richie pulled Eddie back against his chest, and let his arm rest over Eddie's hip and used his other hand to play with the younger boy's silky hair.

"You're so kind to me, bub. You make me so happy all the time, I don't deserve you."

"If anything, it's me who doesn't deserve you, sweetheart."

He just spent what felt like hours making Eddie feel safe and cared for; he loved to make his boy smile, and Eddie loved the affection —it was a win-win.

"Get some sleep, baby. I'll be here with you." Richie whispered, gently scratching the little curls of hair at the back of Eddie's neck to soothe him. He knew that Eddie suffered from nightmares sometimes, and he also knew how to comfort him. Eddie just needed Richie to hold him so that he knew he would be okay.

Eddie turned around in Richie's hold, his eyes half lidded and a sleepy smile resting on his face as he leaned up to press a little  kiss to Richie's lips. Then, he tucked his head beneath Richie's jaw, and listened to the steady thrumming of Richie's pulse in his neck.

"I love you, bub."

"I love you, too, bug."

They were both happy.