Work Text
Eddie catches up to Ben before he walks out onto the field, he hands him the small trinket Beverly had given him moments earlier.“Bev said this is for good luck, and that she loves you.” Eddie smiles when Ben blushes.“Thanks Eddie and tell her I love her too.” Ben claps Eddie on the shoulder before tucking the trinket under his jersey and into the padding strapped to his chest.“Good luck Ben!” Eddie yells as he runs off back to the grandstands.Eddie meets Beverly on the highest level of the stand and relays the message to her from Ben and watches as she too blushes. She couldn’t go to him because last time she did she wouldn’t let him out onto the field. Everyone likes to remind her from time to time to make her blush.“Man I love him.” She sighs lovingly.Eddie’s so happy for her, it took three years for them to get together but now that they’re together nothing could tear them apart. They’re truely soulmates, or so Eddie likes to believe.Eddie tries to follow along with the game but footballs never been his type of sport, any type of sport isn’t really his type now that he thinks about it. He cheers nonetheless for Ben and Mike, they win and it’s all loud screaming for the team. Why does Eddie come to these things again?“Bev I’m gonna go to the canteen, you want anything while I’m there?” Eddie asks over the excitement of the win.“Uh just twizlers Eddie!” Eddie nods and walks across the bleachers, down the concrete stairs and to the canteen.It’s mostly empty for… oh no.“If it isn’t little Eddie Kaspbrak.” Henry Bowers.Eddie really doesn’t feel like getting beat up today.“Hello Henry.” Henry’s gang circle around him and Eddie genuinely fears his life for a second.“Man I was having a real shit night, and you just happen to come along and make it better. Thanks Eddie.” Henry sneers as he grabs Eddie’s arm.“Henry please don’t, don’t!” Eddie looks around him fearfully when his eyes meet Richie Toziers.Richie stares blankly at him, he doesn’t care, what did Eddie expect.“C’mon Bowers, this little bitch isn’t worth our time.” Richie throws out casually.Henry looks to Richie and huffs, he lets go of Eddie’s arm and steps back with a dirty smile.“You’re lucky he’s right Eddie, or you’d be a bloody pulp on the ground right about now.” Eddie backs away as fast as he can.“Run before he changes his mind.” Richie warns.Eddie heeds his words and runs away from the canteen and back to the safety of Bev and the crowd.“Hey where’s my…. Eddie did something happen? You look like you’ve died and come back.” Eddie relays what happened moments earlier.“That fucker! Let me at ‘em! I’ll end that mullet wearing bitch for threatening you!” Eddie smiles a little at her bravery and courage.“It’s okay, Richie saved me, kinda convinced Henry that I wasn’t worth his time.” Eddie shrugs, thankful that Richie helped him, sorta.“Still I could take him! Tell me when and I’ll be there.” Eddie laughs this time. Beverly never ceases to amuse him.“Thanks and I’m sure you could.” Sometimes Bev could be scary, put a few vodka shots into her and she becomes something else.“You’re kinda lucky that Richie decided not to be a dick, it was sorta outta character for him though.” Eddie agrees. Very out of character in deed.Beverly and him walk down from the stands and meet Mike and Ben down by the sidelines, he feels instantly safer and lets the tension drop from his shoulders. It could have been worse he thinks.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Eddie had learnt at a very early age that bullying is a life long thing, it doesn’t go away when you hit high school and it doesn’t go away when you leave it either. Eddie learnt to walk in numbers, to make sure there was always someone next to him at all times, he’s a prime target for slamming into lockers and dumping his head into the toilet. That’s why he’s waiting patiently outside of the science block for Stan to come out, he stayed back to ask some questions and Eddie had stayed behind to walk with Stan once he was finished.Except Eddie now realises that everything about this situation reeks of trouble, and has him trying to get inside. An arm grabs him in that moment and yanks him back so hard it feels like his arm has been popped out of its socket.“Well what do we have here?” It’s not Henry, thank god, it’s only his dumbass friend Patrick.“Let me go Patrick.” Eddie knows that the pyro won’t listen to him even if he does plead.“Now why would I do that? Henry wasted a good opportunity on Sunday, I’m not gonna make the same mistake.” Patrick licks his lips and pushes Eddie into the brick wall.“Patrick please, don’t, just let me go. I’ll pretend this never happened and we’ll go our seperate ways.” Patrick shakes his head and cackles, actually cackles.“Nah, I rather fuck you up.” Eddie starts to shake when he hears Patrick ignite his lighter.“Patrick stop, stop, Patrick stop!” The flame gets so close to his arm it singes hair and starts to burn.“What? Afraid of a little fire?” The flame dies and Eddie thinks he’s gotten lucky but the metal head of the light is jabbed into his wrist and his skin bubbles under the heat.“Fuck!” Patrick laughs and tries to burn him again but he drops to his knees and groans.“Patrick you’re an asshole.” It’s Richie. Fuck. It seems that this week and the last Eddie’s been the damsel in distress and Richie’s been his hero.“Fucking Tozier, thought I smelt you.” Patrick spits at Richie’s boot and Richie winds him after kicking Patricks stomach.“You’re lucky I’m feeling generous Pat, or your balls would be up inside you right about now.” Richie looks at Eddie with a soft expression and it scares Eddie.“C’mon, I’ll take you to the nurse.” Richie grabs Eddie by the shoulder, he steps on Patrick’s leg instead of walking over him and the pyro screams.Richie herds Eddie away and walks with him to the nurses station.“Why are you helping me?” Eddie asks quietly as they arrive at the office.“Coz I’m an contradicting edgelord.” Richie watches Eddie for a moment before looking away.They walk into the nurses station and no one appears to be there, Richie strolls right in and motions Eddie in after noticing that he wouldn’t cross the threshold.“Are you coming in or what?” Eddie stares for a moment before hesitantly walking in.“We shouldn’t be in here without a nurse.”“Live a little Eddie, plus I come in here all the time without a nurse and I’ve never gotten into trouble.” Eddie is shocked that Richie even knows his name and then wonders why Richie comes up here all the time.It goes quiet, awkward silence is a pet peeve of Eddie’s.“Anyways, um I’ll just get some ice for the burn and you can be on your way.” Richie rifles through draws until he pulls out a plastic baggie.He searches through the mini fridge for ice then slips the cubes into the baggie, he ties it shut without getting the air out first and it irritates Eddie for some reason.“Here.” Richie places the ice on the burn and Eddie wheezes at the pain.“Oh shit that hurts.” Eddie doesn’t usually whine about this stuff, he’s use to hiding pain from his mother so he wouldn’t end up in the ER.“Keep the ice on for a while until the swelling goes down, it’ll most likely blister and if your lucky you can pop it with a pin later and let it heal with the help of some ointment.” Richie leans against the counter and pretends to be interested in his shoes.“Why do you know so much about this?” It’s the wrong kind of question and Eddie knows it by the look that flashed across Richie’s face.“None of your fucking business.” Richie snaps, Eddie flinches and waits to be punched, it doesn’t come though.He looks up and frowns, Richie’s gone.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Eddie has to sneak downstairs to use the home phone, he’s suppose to be sick, Sonia had ordered bed rest and soup as soon as she heard him sniffle this morning.The phone is so damn close though, he can hear soft snoring from the living room and runs into the kitchen, he grabs the phone off the wall and quickly dials Bevs number.“Eddie?”“Hi Bev, I’m not well at the moment could you grab my work from the teachers? Pretty please.” Eddie needs that work, he can’t afford to miss anything.“Yeah that’s fine Eddie I can do that, are you actually sick or is it your mom again?” Eddie sighs and that seems to be enough of an answer.“Hey there’s a party this weekend, Greta invited me and I invited everyone else, if you’re allowed to go out you should totally come.” Eddie mulls it over for a minute.“I should be allowed, we’ll talk about it later yeah?” Bev agrees and says her goodbyes.Eddie puts the phone back above the faceplate and tiptoes back upstairs. He lays down in bed and rolls onto his side, he absentmindedly strokes over the blistered skin on his wrist and thinks that he should probably burst it before it gets worse, but he’s also scared it’ll make it worse if he does pop it and he stares at the bubbled skin before leaving it be.Eddie’s wanders, specifically to Richie, it’s still making his head spin that, tough guy Tozier, helped him with Patrick. He went against his own friend to help him, someone who he doesn’t even know, why did he help him?Eddie falls asleep with the question on his mind.—————Saturday rolls around much quicker than he wants and before he knows it he’s sitting in the back of Beverlys Aunts car, squished between Mike and Stan. Ben is up front with Beverly and Bill is already at the party waiting for them to show up, she drives down a mostly empty street until she gets to Greta’s house. The two story is lit up like the Fourth of July and Eddie can already hear the overly bass boosted music coming from the home. Bev parks the car out front and everyone piles out of the SUV, they walk up along the grass and all stop at the stairs.“Are you sure we have to go in?” Eddie asks everyone.“Bill’s waiting for us Eddie, plus you didn’t have to come in the first place.” Stan remarks.“C’mon Stan don’t be a bitch, you can hang back if you want Eddie.” Mike smiles comfortingly at Eddie and knocks his shoulder against his.“I think I’ll just stay on the porch until I’m ready to go in.” Eddie decides.Mike clamps a hand on Eddie’s shoulder and smiles again, Ben gives the same smile and everyone goes in but Eddie, he sits onto the terracotta tiles. It’s kinda cold out and the music is just a little too loud and Eddie reasons that the only reason why he doesn’t like this is because he’s lame and would rather stay in and play World of Warcraft.“You look lonely.” Eddie looks up and sees Richie looming over him with a red solo cup in his left hand and a half smoked cigarette in the right.“Good job Captain Obvious.” Richie snorts and sits down next to him gangly limbs stretched out.“What crawled up your ass and died?”“Why are you even talking to me, you and your ragtag team of idiots bully me remember?” Eddie snaps.Richie takes a sip of his drink and puffs at the cigarette before blowing out the smoke.“If I remember clearly I saved your ass the other day.” Eddie grits his teeth.“Oh right just let me forget all the other times you layed into me, all is forgiven.” Richie stubs out his cigarette and tucks it behind his ear, curly ink coloured hair tucked away with it.“Well aren’t you salty?” Eddie watches Richie down the rest of his drink before chucking the solo cup into the lawn.“Well excuse me for not wanting to be in the company of my tormentor.”“You’re excused.” Eddie stares at Richie and the older boys lip quirks in an almost smirk.“I hate you.” Richie rolls his eyes.“What is this, fifth grade?”The music beats behind them and Eddie doesn’t even hear Henry approaching them.“Tozier! Thought that was you, and look at what we have here.” Henry is slurring and swaying as he walks down the stairs.“Henry you’re drunk, go back inside and have some water.” Richie tells him.“Do you forget your place in this group Richard? You seem to be on this little fairy’s side every time we try to beat the shit outta him, why’s that?” Richie stares at Henry.“Why are we getting into this Henry?” Henry kicks Richies foot out of anger.“Fucking tell me! Is it cause you’re a fairy too? Do you fuck him when you’re not with us? Is that why you protect him cause you’re actually a faggot as well?” Richie grits his teeth and grips the terracotta.“Henry shut up.” Richie sounds so calm it’s scary.“What you don’t like me picking on your little fuck buddy?” Eddie looks at Richie and Richie glares at him.“I’m not a faggot Henry.” Richie gets up and grabs Eddie by his collar.“And if you don’t believe me, this might help clear things up.” Richie holds Eddies collar tight as his fist collides with Eddie’s nose.Eddie vaguely feels the bones crunch and blood piss from his nose. Everything is a slight blur as Richie repeatedly throws fist after fist into his face. Henry cheers him on like some sick groupie and at some point a crowd gathers and watches as Eddie gets his ass handed to him. Eddie doesn’t even remember when Richie stopped beating him, just sees the stars in the sky and feels grass poking his skin.Everything hurts.His eyes are blurry and sees a swish of red before he’s hitched up and carried to a car.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Eddie wakes up groggy and in pain. His head feels like it’s been dunked under water for too long.“Eddie? Holy shit you’re alive.” Eddie tries to open his eyes but they sting and feel tight.“Where am I?” Eddie lifts his arm and it feels like dead weight, he touches his finger tips to his eyelids and finds them hot and swollen.“Eddie you’re in hospital.” He knows the voice that’s speaking to him, it’s Stan.“What why?”“You got beat to within an inch of your life. Richie was thrashing your ass.” Bill pipes up.“I don’t remember getting into a fight with him.” Eddie tries to recall but it hurts his brain too much.“Doctor said you’ll experience temporary amnesia of the last couple of days.” Beverly explains this time.Eddie wants to cry.“Where’s my mom? Does she know I’m here?” It’s quiet.“Sonia got into such a rage they sent her back to the waiting room.” Eddie almost laughs, sounds about right for his mother.“When am I allowed to leave?”“We’re not sure, you have to stay overnight though cause you cracked your head and they want to keep an eye on you.” Eddie takes a deep breathe and regrets it immediately, there’s a stabbing pain in his chest.“Oh fuck that hurts, fuck.” He wheezes, he tries to clutch his chest but there’s something wrapped right around his arm that won’t let him bend his fingers.“Be careful Eddie, you have a cast on.” That’s Mike, he sounds like he’s just been crying.“I-I think I’d like to be alone.” Eddie mumbles tiredly.It’s quiet again and Eddie can’t stand it.“Please just go.” He hears shuffling and the sound of the door closing.He cries, painfully.—————It takes a week in hospital before he’s allowed to leave, before he’s cleared of any brain damage. Sonia is waiting for him at the hospitals entrance, she pulls him into a hug that hurts so bad, she sobs into his ear and scolds him at the same time.“Eddie Bear why did you go to that stupid party? I knew it wasn’t a good idea.” His mom walks him out and to the car when she tries to strap him in like he’s five years old again.“Mom I’ve got it!” He yells.Sonia looks at him before solemnly nodding, she rounds the car and gets into the drivers seat and starts the Ford with ease. The drive back home is awkward and quiet, Eddie is leaning against the window trying to ignore the pain that comes with doing so.“Eddie? Why did that boy beat you up?” Sonia aks quietly.“I don’t know Ma.” Over the week he’s gained some picture of what happened that night. He recalls Henry calling Richie a faggot and how that made Richie mad, he sees a hazy picture of Richie grabbing his collar and punching him square in the nose but that’s all his memory gives him.“Did you… did you try to kiss him?” Eddie slowly turns his head to look at his mother.“What?”“You know that what you are isn’t excepted by people, it’s a sin Eddie.” Sonia looks at him briefly before looking ahead at the road.“What the actual fuck? Are you blaming me for getting beaten up?” Eddie can feel his temper rising.“Edward Kaspbrak, I will not have you use that kind of profanity around me.” Sonia snaps.“Stop the car.”“What?”“I said stop the fucking car!” Eddie yells with a kind of anger he’s never felt before.Sonia gasps and pulls over, Eddie unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out, he slams the door shut and gives his mother the finger.“Eddie!” Eddie starts to walk away and ignores the desperate pleas of his mother telling him to come back.He can’t be around her right now or he’ll lose his shit at her.Eddie walks the pavement until he gets to Beverly’s aunts apartment. He politely knocks on the door and waits, Bev answers the door and immediately pulls him into a soft hug.“Jeez Eddie I was so worried about you.” Beverly invites him inside and takes him to the kitchen, there’s a tea set on the dining table placed next to a tin of biscuits.“Yeah I’ve been cleared, all okay, except for some internal bruising… and external bruises and the broken arm.” Eddie waves his arm around and Beverly frowns.“I’m so sorry this happened to you Eddie, you didn’t deserve that asshole beating you up.” Eddie shrugs.“I’m over it.” He’s not.“Do you want some tea and biscuits?” Beverly drops the subject before she crosses a line.“Yeah that would be great thanks.” Bev pours him a cup and hands over the tin.“Take as many as you want.” The two sit at the dining table drinking black tea and eating crumbly oatmeal biscuits.It’s peaceful and Eddie almost forgets that he has to go home sometime soon.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Eddie picks at the cast, it’s itchy and Sonia won’t let him at it with her knitting needle, you’ll break the skin and get an infection Eddie-Bear, personally he doesn’t care he just wants the itching to stop.“Are you even listening to me?”“Huh?” Eddie looks up at Stan.“I ask you for one small thing, just listen to what I have to say, that’s all I asked.” Stan frowns.“Sorry my cast is itchy as fuck and it’s taking all my brain cells to try and not think about it.”“Why don’t you just scratch it?” Eddie looks at Stan, deadpan.“Why didn’t I think of that? You’re a real genius Stan, really-”“Alright alright, I get it. Why can’t you?”“My Mom has me under her thumb and won’t let me scratch it. Doesn’t want it to get infected.” Stan rolls his eyes and Eddie agrees wholeheartedly.“Alright if you wanna be distracted come shopping with me, I have to pick up stuff for dinner tonight.” Eddie lifts himself up from the lawn chair and helps pull Stan up.“Only if you buy me food.”“You drive a hard bargain Kaspbrak. Deal.” They pretend shake hands.Everything’s easy with Stan.—————Johns market should be out of business, the squat building has been there since the seventies and Eddie’s sure that ‘John’ actually died a few years ago so the slogan under the sign doesn’t feel right anymore.‘Nobody does it like John’. Part of Eddie doesn’t like the insinuation, another part of him thinks it’s hilarious and slightly morbid but that’s just Derry for you, too stuck in its ways to move forward. The nearest shopping centre is three towns over and nobody could be bothered driving that far for groceries, so Johns has been staying afloat for sometime now fuelled by stubbornness.“Man, Moms cooking that stupid chicken broth that I hate.” Stan mentions as he grabs a basket.“Gross, not even your dog would eat that.” They both laugh as Stan leads Eddie around the supermarket grabbing this and that and dropping it into the red basket.When Stan deems himself done they walk to the register, Greta is standing behind the register, magazine in hand and pink hubba bubba blown into a bubble resting between her lips. Stan loads up the conveyor belt and drops the basket underneath it, he grabs his wallet from his back pocket and waits for Greta to finish scanning and packing. She rings up the groceries and while Stan counts his money Greta stares at Eddie’s cast.“Can I sign it?” Eddie stares at her.“Why?”“Cause that’s what you’re suppose to do to them?” Eddie shrugs and hands over his arm, Greta uncaps a black sharpie and writes on the white cast.Stan drops the cash onto the bench and Greta stares unimpressed, she caps the sharpie and collects the money and hands Stan his receipt.“Have a good day Losers.” Eddie walks out with Stan.“What did she write on your cast?” Stan asks curiously as he readjusts the plastic bags on his arms.Eddie lifts his arm up and sighs, what did he expect? There in permanent marker in all caps is the word LOSER written on his cast.“I hate her.” Stan laughs and stares at it before shaking his head.“You’re the fool for letting her do it.” Eddie groans and hangs his head.“Shut up.”