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Stranger: ((Hey!))

You: ((Hello!! I'm so so sorry for the wait, I've had an awful migraine all day yesterday))

Stranger: (((Hey it's alright, dude! Are you feeling better?))

You: ((Yeah! I'm feeling just fine now, how are you?))

Stranger: ((I'm glad! And I'm just fine, buddy! I just woke up from a nap so I'm a lil groggy, but otherwise fine))

Stranger: ((Do you wanna continue?))

You: ((Yeah! I've got the log if you need it, and I think its my turn?))

Stranger: ((I've got it! And yeah, it is! Lemme send my last reply))

You: ((Awesome, thank you!))

Stranger: Eddie froze up when he felt Richie's hand curl around his hand too fucking gently, and he just sat there then, his heart beating out of his chest. He looked between the hand, and Richie's eyes, and only then seemed to realize where he was, just how fucking close they were. Fuck. ''Of course I'm more worried about you, asshole. You're never worried about anything.'' He pried Richie's hand away from his own, and pressed it above Richie's head, leaning over unitl their faces were only inches apart. ''I worry about you, asshole. You always put on a dumb smile, or tell some dumb joke when you're clearly not okay. And I want to help you, but you won't fucking let me.'' Eddie spoke calmly for once, but really only because he was acutely aware of just how close they were. He could feel Richie's breath against his cheek, the rise and fall of his chest against his own, and fucking shit, what had he gotten himself into? ''You're everything to me, Rich. I'd rather panic a bit too much, than just too little and have you fucking die on me,'' He snapped, and before he stepped over a line he couldn't go back from, he sat up again and continued to wipe at the wound. And yeah, even Eddie could admit that it wasn't that deep. It'd barely cut through all the skin layers. But fuck, it could've gone way worse, and just the thought of Richie in a hospital bed, stitches all across his chest, hooked up to a bunch of beeping machines, made Eddie want to reach for his inhaler that he didn't actually need.

You: Richie's face was bright red when Eddie leaned over him. It was too difficult to ignore it at that point. His eyes flickered from Eddie's hand holding his own up above his head, to Eddie's intense eyes, to his lips mouthing the words to him. It took Richie a few beats to really acknowledge what Eddie said, and when he did, he forced a little bit of a smile, his hands staying where they were even when Eddie pulled away from him. "I wasn't gonna die on you, dude. Have a little faith in me! I fought pretty hard, I think." He snorted, before interrupting himself with a wince that had his whole body tensing. "Ow, fuck, watch the sting-juice, dude." He whispered, looking up at Eddie and his heart nearly breaking at the sight of him looking upset still. He sighed and sat up a little bit on his elbows, leaning up to playfully ruffle Eddie's short-cropped dark hair. "Hey, hey. Look. I'm not gonna die, alright? Not yet, anyways. I gotta make it to 80 with you, so you can push me down the stairs and I die. I'm not gonna let Bowers take me out that easy. I'll just have to build up immunity to getting shanked." He snickered at his joke and flopped back to the mattress, rubbing at a bruised eye under his glasses. "Ye of little faith, my dearest Edward."

Stranger: ''You fought pretty hard, Richie, but you're not as big and intimidating as Bowers,'' Eddie muttered right back, only to be acutely aware just how much he sounded like his own mother, scolding Richie for damn near getting himself killed, and just that thought alone was terrifying in on itself. But for that moment, he tried to ignore it. Only because Richie needed him more, even if he seemed to act like he was a-okay. He could have his crisis later. Eddie squeaked in surprise when Richie ruffled his hair, and snapped his head up to give him a not so serious, but all the same deadly glare, his lips pursed out in a warning little pout. ''You better not die until we're 80, dude. Or I'll die too so I can kick your ass for it.'' He muttered, and really to spite Richie, he made sure to apply a little too much disinfectant on the next cotton pad, that he pressed against the wound. ''You're my best friend, I wouldn't have anything to live for without you.'' Eddie said, and immediately regretted it as he all but opened up a can of worms he'd much rather stay close forever. ''I mean life would be so fucking boring if I didn't have you to fuck with,'' He quickly added then in hopes of just saving whatever skin he had left. Eddie threw the final pad into the trashcan then, and began carefully applying bandages along the cut. He took his time, partly for a reason to keep touching Richie, and of course partly because he needed it to be perfect.

You: "I could be! I could try, Bowers has nothing on me except a knife and daddy issues." He snorted, although his argument didn't hold up very well when he let out a whimper at the stinging that followed when Eddie continued to clean up the blood and the cut. "Dickweed. Can't kick my ass if we're both dead." He muttered with a pout of his own. Richie opened his mouth to immediately retort, but then the words sunk in, and it shut him up real quick. The thought of Eddie dying like that terrified him, to the point his eyes went glossy and he stared at the ceiling instead, to avoid looking at him. "Eddie.." He whispered, fingers twitching for a moment before he pushed himself up and koala-hugged Eddie, wrapping both his arms and both his legs around the other. "Don't say that shit, okay?" He told him, a surprising amount of tenderness for someone who joked every few seconds about having sex with the local moms. "You have plenty to live for, you know that. Your life isn't just me." He hugged him, just a little bit tighter, not caring that a few bandages were falling off his gash. "Don't die if I die. Ever. Don't die for me, don't die with me, whatever. You've gotta promise me." A world without himself didn't bother him as much as thinking about a world without Eddie, even if he wasn't in it.

Stranger: Eddie had been far too focused on applying the bandages to see how affected Richie was by what he had said. He barely even acknowledged his own name beyond a soft 'hm?' before all of a sudden Richie had wrapped his limbs around him, and Eddie froze up in shock. Eddie wasn't used to such.. Direct physical affection, especially not from Richie. It would usually come in play fighting or wrestling, perhaps sometimes 'accidentally' falling asleep against the other's shoulder. But nothing like this, and for a few moments he wasn't even sure how to react. ''Rich..'' Eddie said, all too softly and carefully he wrapped his own arms around Richie and pulled him closer. ''I know that, dipshit,'' He said in that same soft tone, that really wasn't at all Eddie. But even he could see that Richie didn't need the usual, high-pitched bickering, and Eddie was more than happy to provide for once. ''You mean a fucking lot to me, Richie. More than I could ever actually say, and- If you end up dying on me, I really would have nowhere to go.'' Sure, he would have all of the Losers, but they didn't mean just as much as Richie did. There was just something special about this raven-haired kid with glasses too big for his face, and ugly Hawaiian shirts. Someting about his shitty mom jokes really effected Eddie, and he wasn't even sure why. ''I won't promise you shit, if you don't promise you're gonna be safe. Alright, Richie?''

You: ((hey i'm so sorry but my migraine is back so i'll brb for a few minutes kakkskaasassks))

Stranger: ((Oh christ, take your time my friend))

You: ((i'm so sorry dude, my migraine is killing me again, can i go take a quick nap and come back later to continue?))

Stranger: ((Of course my friend! Take care of yourself <3))

You: ((thank you so much for understanding, i'm sorry again, i'll be back soon!!))

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