ethereal : it oneshots

new years afterparty

pairing: stozier

a/n: little drabble i started last night but didn't complete, got drunk, and am finishing a little hungover. happy new year! thanks for reading :)

"are you alright?"

stanley turned around, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision. he saw richie, his head cocked. stan laughed.

he hadn't seen richie all night, and had yet to appreciate the glasses richie was sporting, one of those corny 2000 new years glasses, perched on the top of his head to push his hair back while his normal coke frames helped him see. richie squinted.

"what are you laughing at, huh?"

they hadn't spoken all night—it was the first time they'd seen each other in person since high school, when stan had had a crush on richie, and richie had wanted eddie instead. a part of stanley was happy that they were in agreement about pretending they didn't know each other, but a bigger part was aggravated by his apathetic behaviour.

"your glasses haven't changed at all." stanley snickered, shoving his hands into his pockets and continuing his walk.

"hey! hey, that's not fair, they were in style then, and they're in style now!" richie jogged after him, his jeans getting soaked underneath his runners. stanley slowed down for him, turning to purse his lips at him.

"they've never been in style," stanley said.

richie shrugged, "that's fair." he continued walking beside stan for a moment, fiddling with the tie around his neck. stan wanted to laugh at how ridiculously attractive richie was, in his loosened white button up and looser tie, no doubt trying to catch a guy for a new years kiss. "where ya headed?"

"where do you think, idiot? home." stanley chose to omit the fact that his home was an hour and a half walk away, and that his ride had bailed on him. supposedly, hooking up with some girl named shelby was more important. stan needed the exercise, or something. new year, new stan.

"let me drive you, my car's nearby. i haven't drank a peep, i swear!" richie bumped his arm into stan, a sign of friendship. richie used to do it so often in high school that stanley got used to being bruised by his left elbow.

"no, no, it's okay." stan looked down to the ground.

"c'mon, let's catch up, staniel," richie slung an arm around stanley's shoulders, and stan gulped. how bittersweet—richie probably hadn't uttered the word staniel since he'd told stan that he knew he had a crush on him.

it had been horribly awkward. stan hadn't meant for richie to ever know, but it was the last day of summer, before stan left for college out of state, richie pulling him aside as he said his goodbyes.

stan shook his head.

"only if you're sure. it's... it's been a while, richie."

"o' course! okay, turn around, my car's actually back here," richie led stanley to his left, then let his arm slip out from around his shoulder, like he was acknowledging how awkward it was. and it was, awkward.

"why'd you follow me, then?" stanley's arms were freezing, and he considered reaching to pull down his sleeves, but removing his hands from his pockets felt like a death sentence right about now.

"you looked cold. i actually meant to offer you my jacket, but i kinda forgot. i know it's been a while, yeah, but i dunno, we were close, and you looked kind of upset, and i didn't wanna be a dick." richie rambled on, and stanley shook his head as richie began to shed his outer layer, the bomber jacket over the button up.

"no, it's, um, okay. thanks though." stanley was actively shivering, but he said no anyway. a blush was creeping up on his cheeks, his nose already bright red from the cold.

"oh shut up and take it," richie threw it at stanley, it smacking him in the shoulders. stanley wobbled back a bit, having forgotten that he was slightly tipsy to begin with.

oh, and jesus, the jacket really was quite warm, and it did smell quite a bit like richie. he slipped his arms into the sleeves, and took a moment to look over richie, strolling comfortably.

"you still have the same car?" stanley offered for conversation, sticking his hands in the jacket's pockets. feeling with his fingers, he found a lighter, a pack of cigarettes, what he assumed were house keys, and couple bits of gum wrapper.

"nope. old shelly hit the dust. she wasn't named shelly, i don't know why i said that. anyway, nah, the engine and brakes died. well, truth be told i was doing donuts on the weekend, so that might've contributed. but i got myself a beaaaaautiful toyota celica, tail and all. she ticks a bit, but she's my girl." richie turned around to walk backwards while talking to stanley.

stanley could remember being in the garage while richie worked on his old avalon, having to replace the back speakers every third month when he inevitably blasted through them. how funny it was now, beginning of the new year, watching richie talk with his hands like he did then, about how sexy his car was.

he could've almost passed as straight. stan nearly snorted. as if.

"got an affinity for toyotas, do you?" stanley asked.

"i like their little beep beep's, reminds me of home." richie smiled, a little twinge that led into his wink. stanley hoped that being warm would eliminate his pink face, but he knew that it was doing the opposite.

speaking of, richie pulled out his car keys from his pocket and pointed it at his car, the car chirping at him. the two walked towards it, and stanley sighed through his nose.

richie hadn't changed that much, empty coke cans in the backseat on the ground.

"what's your plan for the new year, stanny?" richie slipped into the car, watching stanley scratch at his knee as he sat down in the passenger. "got any goals?"

"um, nothing new. try to drink more water, shit like that." stan felt like a shell of who he was when he'd known richie. he hadn't really felt like a person since not talking with richie. "you?"

richie started the car, shifting the gear.

"try to reconnect with people. that was, um, that was my goal. i dunno what you know, but uh, a year ago, eddie and i broke up, and i kinda realized then that i don't really... i don't really have that many real friends. at least, i haven't, since um, well, the losers." richie was driving now, "anyway, i saw you tonight, but i felt weird saying hi because you... i mean i know we left it kinda strange. and i mean, you looked really good tonight. you—you look really good."

"thanks." stanley muttered. he didn't want to tell richie where his apartment was—he wanted to go home with richie. richie was telling him he looked good, and stanley wanted to pull his tie over and look him in the eye.

"anyway, i miss you, and i don't want you to think i'm like, trying to come on to you because it's over with eds, it's not like that at all! i just, i haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and i was gonna try and let go in the new year, but then you were there tonight. and, and then you look so pretty. what am i supposed to do? you know? sorry, i can't stop talking, um..." richie was holding his tongue.

"it's okay. you, uh, you look really good tonight too. i'm glad you said something. i think i'm just not brave enough too." stanley didn't know what else to say. "can you pull over?"

richie turned his head, "oh shit, are you gonna puke? if i made you uncomfortable we can drive to yours in dead silence, i won't say a thing."

"no, no, rich, just pull over."

richie did as he was told, gulping as he pulled onto the side of the road. he was shifting the gear switch, purposely avoiding eye contact when he felt stan's hand, lightly making contact with his cheek.

"you get a new years kiss yet?" stanley spoke gently, unsure where his bravery was coming from. maybe the alcohol in his system, maybe richie's honesty, but he felt courageous.

"no." richie suddenly seemed shy, and stan liked having this control over him. "i'd, um, be down with changing that, though, if you like—"

stanley surged forward, kissing him madly as he grasped richie's jaw. richie smiled against the kiss.

"happy new year, then," stanley whispered for a moment before kissing him again.