festival of lights : stozier

7

stan: i'll be back i promise i just need a bit. sorry

richie was staring at his phone. his knee bobbed restlessly.

after getting back, richie couldn't find stanley anywhere, until he'd opened his phone to that text. stanley's pack of cigarettes was gone from the bedroom drawer and the snow where his borrowed boots had been was still melting.

"oh, he needs to get out sometimes. he's like a holistic dog, sometimes, i swear." richie had lied, scratching the back of his neck rapidly.

"man, you love him bad, don't you?" maria pinched richie's cheek, and for a moment richie understood what eddie back at college must feel like. he smacked her hand away, rolling his eyes.

"shut up." he kept scratching the back of his neck. soon the area hurt and he took his hand away consciously. you love him bad. "maybe. shut up."

"he took the guy to a tozier chanukah and you think he doesn't love him bad? no sane person would take a third date boyfriend here." tyler was leaning into the couch, almost entirely consumed by the gap between the couch cushions. maria in return smacked her hand against his chest, tyler letting out an "oomph!"

"how long have you guys been together anyway?" sarah leaned forward from her spot, tucking her hair behind her ear. richie gulped.

"uh, six months or so. seven next month," he wasn't sure where the lie came out of, but he liked it. six months with stanley uris; it had a nice flow to it.

"oh, adorable. richie gets a boyfriend for six months and he's invited to the get together but no—if i bring lucas then i'm out of place," maria butt in, michael leaning over tyler to push her into richie. the five all moved around a little in the commotion.

"lucas sucks ass! it's not richie's fault he has better taste in men. and anyway, i like stanley." michael continued, leaning back into his spot.

"i like him too. i might invite him next year even if you break up just for another calming presence around here." sarah added, richie flipping her off. he couldn't help but laugh, even though in the back of his mind was the image of stanley, sick in the snow.

fuck, he must be freezing.

"what on earth is going on over here?" wentworth, a mug of coffee in hand like always, strolled over to the group, sitting down on a laz-e-boy chair across from the couch. michael leaned his head against sarah's shoulder, who pushed her shoulder up to shove him off.

"nothing, we're good." tyler said, a little too fast, his eyes a little bloodshot. sarah lightly smacked him over michael, glaring at him to shut up. richie laughed, almost forgetting they were all still high. he wasn't sure he could feel it anymore, stanley's moment in the snow sobering him up. but as he blinked to look back to his father, he decided, nevermind. i can feel it.

"where's stanley gone?" wentworth asked, turning to the electric fireplace and leaning out of his chair to turn it on. richie gulped.

"went to explore the neighbourhood. needed time away from these weirdos," sarah replied, again flicking michael. he flipped her off quickly, then turning back to wentworth, having forgotten in an instant that he was there.

"i do not blame him for that," wentworth chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee.