"Morning, freckles." Richie rolled over and spoke to Eddie, a soft smile on his face.  He wasn't wearing his glasses yet, as he had just woken up. Eddie was a fuzzy blob to him still, but he found him adorable as always. Eddie was asleep still, sprawled out in the sheets of the king sized mattress. He faced richie, as he always did each night.

Light peered through the window as the sun was coming up on that autumn morning. It was peaceful outside, dead silent other than a few cars going by on the street outside of the room and some birds chirping on the window sill. Eddie groaned, facing away from Richie and cuddling into the blankets. "Shut up it's early," He grumbled, pulling the comforter over his head. Richie smirked playfully and pulled the blanket back, causing Eddie to sigh dramatically.

"Hey come on, please? I'll make you breakfast," Richie replied, shoving Eddie playfully.

"Listen, Rich, I love you, but we both know you're a suck ass cook." Eddie grumbled. Richie scoffed with a shocked face, pretending to be offended.

"I'm sorry, is the undercooked Kraft Mac and Cheese I make you for dinner not to your standards, your highness?" Richie laughed a little, rolling over and tickling Eddie's sides softly. Eddie laughed, the dimples in his cheeks showing up.

"Hey, stop it," he chuckled. Richie kept tickling him. "Stop!" Eddie kicked and laughed, shoving Richie away with a grin on his face. Richie laughed in response and rolled back over close to Eddie.

Richie scanned Eddie's face, his features blurry. "You're so cute in the morning, you know that, right freckles?" Richie played.

"You know I wish you'd stop calling me that. I only get freckles in the summer anyway," Eddie responded snappily.

"Hey! Stop dodging my compliment! And I'll call my husband whatever I want to, for your information mister."

Eddie just shook his head and laughed, a soft snort leaving his mouth. "You can't even see me without those dorky glasses you wear," he teased at Richie.

"I don't need glasses to know you're beautiful."

"Now you're just being cheesy."

"I know. It's kind of what i'm known for. Now kiss me, dork." Richie laughed softly and kissed Eddie. Eddie kissed him back, a soft smile lingering on his lips. The kiss lasted for a few moments before Richie pulled away.

"Now let me get up and get my stupid dorky glasses that I wear so I can see, and let's go downstairs and order breakfast, okay?" Richie grinned.

"Sure, whatever you say. Dork." Eddie laughed and rolled out of the bed. Richie got up, yawning and stretching as he rolled over to the edge of the bed. he put his glasses on before he trudged tiredly into his closet to grab a shirt to wear and different pants. He threw a yellow t-shirt with white vertical stripes on. As he was searching through the pants in his drawer, he heard Eddie gasp.

It was a sound he was familiar with, the gasp, that is, but it sounded different this time. The gasp sounded painful.

"Richie-" Eddie gasped, like he suddenly couldn't breathe. Richie turned around and saw his distress. He immediately turned to his bedside table and got out the extra inhaler he kept there. He moved over to Eddie, concern on his face as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you okay? Do you need this?" He asked quickly, handing the inhaler to Eddie. Eddie just shook his head. His face seemed to be white, like he wasn't getting enough oxygen. Richie felt sick to his stomach, not knowing what was happening to Eddie. He was terrified. Nothing had ever scared him more than the idea of losing Eddie.

"What's wrong?" Richie panicked, worried that he may be having a heart attack. Richie scanned Eddie's body, looking closely for other signs of distress. That's when he saw it. In the middle of Eddie's chest, blood was starting to soak through his white t shirt. Richie's heart sunk into the pit of his stomach and he froze for a moment, not sure what to do. After what was much longer than a suitable second for such an urgent situation, he finally unfroze and tried to do something. Richie quickly pulled off Eddie's shirt, seeing a large stab wound through his chest. Blood poured down his pale, almost blue skin and started to come out of his mouth as he coughed.

"No- no no Eddie no please.." Richie panicked and started to cry, holding his shoulders.

"Breathe... Breathe, baby, it's not real.." He continued, almost trying to convince himself of that more than Eddie. Eddie just shook his head, still coughing.

"Rich—Richie..." he choked out, tears falling down his face. He began to look dead and empty, but there was fear still behind his eyes.

"Please.. Not again, Eddie please..." Richie sobbed, holding Eddie's bloody body against his chest.

"I love you." Richie cried, sobbing softly into Eddie's shoulder.

"I—I... I love you, too..." Eddie whispered, his breathing growing shallower. Soon, his breathing stopped. Richie pulled away from his cold, bloody body and scanned his dead facial features. The room grew silent. The white sheets around them were stained with his blood. Richie's white shirt and hands were stained with Eddie's blood, and his face was stained with his own tears. Richie looked into Eddie's eyes. They were dead and empty, completely. Richie felt chills shoot through his body as the tears fogged up his sight. He hugged Eddie's dead body once more.

"I'm sorry, Eddie," Richie muttered, kissing his cold, blue lips.

Richie woke up gasping. Tears fell down his face as he sat up. He reached over and fumbled around for his glasses before turning on the lamp. He wiped his tears and slid his glasses on, looking around the room. 4:32 AM, the clock read. He looked around at the same room, the same house, the same bed, but no Eddie next to him. The same dead silence filled the room.

It had been 8 days since Eddie died. Richie hadn't gone a single night without dreaming of him.