ethereal : it oneshots

big back yard

pairing: stozier 

"did i ever tell you i used to imagine being your husband?" richie blinked his eyes open, the whites of his eyes bloodshot as he looked over at stanley. stanley furrowed his eyebrows. 

richie shuffled a little bit over the ground, scratching his back with the carpet. stanley watched as richie's hair lit up as he moved towards the ray of sun shining in through the window. his hair changed from black to light brown, and stanley wanted to grab at it.

stanley's blinked a couple times himself, trying to focus his eyes on richie's.

"what?" stanley scooted closer. he felt lightheaded. 

"like, when we were little. i had a big crush on you, y'know," richie said, laughing softly to himself. stanley shook his head in disbelief. "i did! i thought you knew! i thought everyone knew." richie rolled closer to stanley. stanley felt his face warming up.

richie's eyelashes batted as he blinked a little more. stanley could smell the weed on his breath, as he was sure richie could smell it on his own. 

"i never knew that," stanley said softly, withholding the urge to reach out for richie's arms. they looked so comforting and warm. 

"what?! it was so obvious!" richie snickered. stanley couldn't have known this, but it had always been obvious. the two of them had always seemed in love. 

"i didn't know," stanley said, with the tone of someone who had just been surprised on their birthday.

"anyway, so i used to picture that i was like, your classic night in shining armour." richie was now the one to reach out for stanley. stanley didn't complain when their and connected. "that we had this big backyard, with like, long summers, and a firepit for roasting marshmallows, and maybe a dumb oak tree swing, i wanted it all. with you." 

there was a silence, and stanley leaned his head closer to richie's chest as they lied on the floor. 

"that's so.. cute," stanley mumbled, richie's hand finding a place in stanley's hair. the affection was strangely new for the two of them, but neither of them were complaining.

"yeah, it's embarrassing to admit it, but i really don't care." richie slurred his words a little, holding stanley tighter. "but i don't... i mean, like, we're grown up now. i don't need a big backyard anymore. i don't want a big backyard anymore."

stanley inhaled softly, "what do you want?"

richie hummed, then went quiet. he scratched stanley's scalp. "a home. ideally, with you, but y'know, whatever works." his words were simple and pure, and filled stanley with a warmth.

"that sounds nice. i liked you too, by the way. when we were little." stanley could feel the intoxication in his words, but he didn't mind. he didn't mind admitting it, not when richie's mouth was so close to stanley's forehead.

"really?" richie was now the one in disbelief.

stanley gulped. "yeah. and now. never really went away." the admission made his heart beat loud enough to beat in his chest.

"mm. didn't for me either."

stanley felt richie kiss the top of his head.