golden boy : stozier

twenty seven

after beverly had left, stanley decided maybe he could sleep over after all, not wanting to disturb how much fun richie had been having. whether he wanted to admit it or not, richie did get along with his friends.

stanley was now playing uno with them as eddie went around, gathering up the evidence and garbage into a bag, gloves on in the most hypochondriac move stanley had seen from him.

"are you sure you don't want help?" stanley had asked, but eddie had firmly shook his head. so he left him to it. in a way, he'd been glad, because he'd been a little afraid maybe eddie was just a normal teenager after all.

"um, green," mike changed the colour of the card in the middle, placing a five down to match bill's red five.

"oh, mike, you're a devilish bastard," richie said, narrowing his eyes at his own cards. he glanced to stanley, to his left. "stan, i apologize," he placed down a +2, and stanley begrudgingly took two more cards.

"i don't accept it," stanley spit back playfully, richie sticking a tongue out in defense. bill played another card, and stanley laughed lightly at richie's face.

"ugh," richie said, watching mike place down another card, "i might as well go to sleep. this game is putting me down like a dog," he yawned for extra emphasis. mike rolled his eyes.

"sore loser~" mike sang, richie flipping him off. bill yawned as well.

"he's got a p-puh-point, i'm tired anyway," bill said, eddie finishing his cleaning. eddie sat down on the couch above them. bill looked around. "sh-shuh-should i get the sl-leeping bags?" he asked.

"well now that you mention it," mike said, leaning back on his arms. he lifted his eyebrows at bill, who was getting up. "want help?" mike offered, and bill put a hand out for mike to grab. he took it and bill pulled him up.

"gonna survive without brushing your teeth, staniel?" richie asked, leaning over to put his head on stanley's back. stanley let him, though he rolled his eyes.

"one night'll be fine. you should be concerned though, your breath already stinks," stanley retorted, richie sticking a hand in the air.

"yeowch!" richie exclaimed, though he did it in a quite a tired way. eddie pushed at richie, who fell over. stanley looked over to him.

he tried not to stare with eddie right next to them, but he couldn't help but get caught at the way richie closed his eyes so gently, his smile small but present.

jesus, richie was so pretty. he let his eyes linger, trailing down to his hands. his cuticles were scratched up, but his hands held a strength that stanley didn't think richie would ever admit. as richie's chest expanded and contracted, stanley felt heat in his cheeks as he thought about the way richie had been falling asleep on him.

"why are you looking at him like that?" eddie asked, and stanley looked away, caught in his shameful act. richie opened an eye, watching stanley blush red.

"thinking about the best way to murder him, that's all," stanley mumbled, thankful as bill and mike walked back into the room, sleeping bags in their arms.

"erotic," richie laughed, and eddie let it go.

"i'm gonna go get some fresh air, it helps me sleep better," stanley was standing up, bill and mike setting out the sleeping bags.

"oh, st-stuh-stan, if you need pajamas when you come b-b-back in, i c-cuh-can give you some of mine. you too, r-r-richie." bill let him know, and stanley nodded as he headed out to the back porch.

wordlessly, so much so that stanley didn't notice he was even behind him until he got to the door, richie followed him.

"s'okay if i come with?" richie asked, and stanley thought—his heartbeat quickening—of the last time they'd been on bill's back porch alone. he nodded anyway, and opened the door.

stanley sat down on the back steps, and as richie closed the door, stanley looked up at the sky.

"you okay, golden boy?" richie asked, stanley leaning against a post next to the steps. he let his socks sit on the dirty step. slowly, as richie sat down next to him, stanley turned his head.

"i think bev's gonna break up with bill." he said, richie pursing his lips.

"makes sense."

stanley looked back up. he ignored the way the moon lit up richie's skin, artificially freckling him with shade from the bugs in the sky. he ignored the way richie ran a hand through his hair, then pushing his glasses onto his face. his hair was straighter today.

"what are her parents like?" stanley wondered aloud, richie fumbling with his fingers.

"just got a dad. i think he's a dick, i'm not really sure." richie replied, nonchalantly. stanley nodded. the two sat in silence, stanley watching out of the corner of his eye as richie scratched at his nails. stanley wanted to stop him, but he knew it was for naught, so he kept his hands to himself. he gulped, and looked up to richie's face.

richie appeared deep in thought as he scratched his cuticles, staring off.

"i think you're the best friend i'll ever have." stanley said, immediately looking away as richie turned his head. he couldn't stomach the shame to tell richie that no one had cared about him like this before. no one had stuck around long enough to find out as much as richie knew.

when stanley finally turned his head back, richie was smiling. he spoke, "you're my best friend too." it was sweet enough that stanley felt comfortable to keep the eye contact, managing a sad smile.

"can i..." stanley noticed richie had stopped scratching, instead now rubbing the palms of his hands on his pants. "can i tell you something embarrassing?" stanley asked, his gaze focused on richie's hands rather than his face.

"'course." richie cocked his head, like that would help him listen better. stanley didn't know how to express how thankful he was that richie wasn't joking around.

"sometimes, when i'm bored and alone, listening to my parents talk, or doing homework, or something..." stanley laughed gently to himself, "i talk to you in my head. and i know that makes me sound like a crazy person, but..." he put his head in his hands, his face growing redder by the second. richie bumped him with his shoulder.

"hey, if it helps, i'm always talking to myself too in my head," richie replied, stanley shaking his head through a smile.

there was a moment of silence. then, "it's just... then i take things a little less seriously." stanley finally brought his head out of his hands, sighing. richie still had an impossible grin etched onto his face, and he leaned his head against stanley's shoulder.

the idea of going inside was now upsetting to stanley, so he didn't move. he'd rather stay here. not once did any essay cross his mind, instead focused on richie's weight on his shoulder.

as something to do to fill the silence, he bumped his knee against richie's. in return, richie bumped his, and it became a fight of strength, richie struggling to keep his head still as he put all of his force into knocking over stanley. stanley succumbed, a laugh relaxing him enough to tumble to the side, laughing even harder.

as he sat up, his smile now matching richie's, he spoke again, "i think you taught me how to live. it feels good," he sighed out, unsure where the need to tell richie every thought he was having came from.

"what were you doing before?" richie had shuffled now, sitting horizontally across the step, his back against the post. stanley shrugged.

"i dunno." stanley stared into richie's eyes, who was now nervously avoiding his gaze. stanley couldn't help it. richie was, unfortunately for stanley, too beautiful to look away.

jesus, i want to kiss you.

he didn't move.

he blew out a big sigh, "okay, i'm ready to knock myself out now," stanley said, beginning to stand up. richie looked up at him, reaching a hand out. stanley helped him to his feet, the two bumping arms as richie bounced up to meet his face.

"hit the hay, as it were," richie murmured, his face pink. the two were standing rather close before stanley stepped away, breaking the gravity that was pulling stanley's face towards richie.

stupid fucking balcony. stupid fucking beautiful richie.