festival of lights : stozier

11

the menorah lay lit on the dining room table, the prayers done, the family sitting around. in stanley's hand was his fifth? maybe sixth? cup of kosher wine. he didn't think he was tipsy, but he couldn't stop loving the sweet taste of the glass. either way, he was lying in richie's lap, like they were dating.

he was just perpetuating the lie they'd been telling anyhow. did it matter?

richie had been flush red since, and stanley wasn't sure if it was because of stanley or because he was a little allergic to wine. there were orange peels discarded on the table, oranges that sarah had shared with each cousin, stanley included.

it was overwhelming, to be loved this way. to have the candles burn until they finished, rather than to be blown out. to see the love in an image. to see love in richie's face, smiling awkwardly as stanley reached up for it.

"oh, watch out, he's a clingy drunk," maria had joked, but richie was nowhere near complaining. his hand rested on the edge of stanley's face, and it felt as good as burying his face in stanley's stomach had. to get so close to something he wanted so bad. he could entertain the fantasy.

"it's okay, he can get away with it, he's pretty." richie said, hamming it up to make stanley blush. it only made him smile deeper, reaching his hands out to hug richie's waist.

"see? is it so much to ask that someone talks about me like that?" maria turned to sarah, flipping her arms up. sarah laughed gently. maria rolled her eyes, continuing, "if richard here can do it so easily, maybe there is hope for the rest of us."

"i think those two are disgusting to watch, and no, before you say anything maria, it's not because they're gay, it's because pda is gross." michael butt in. he made a shooing motion with his hands towards the two boys, whose only focus was each other.

"and that's why you're never finding love, dear brother," maria flicked him in the forehead.

in the conversation between them, stanley and richie stayed transfixed on each other. suddenly, with no prior warning, stanley sat up a little, reaching his face up to reach richie's. he kissed him on the lips, light and gentle, the way he'd been thinking about. stanley backed away and smiled giddishly, lying back down.

richie's mouth hung a little open with shock.

"e-ew! what did i say!" michael turned his head away dramatically from the two boys, of whom only richie seemed embarrassed at all. stanley was relaxed again, his face still pink.

"michael, please tell me you aren't going through a virginity rocks phase," sarah said, putting a hand cautiously on his shoulder. it made maria laugh, and michael swatted at her hand.

"i hate you. all of you." michael rolled his eyes and looked back over to richie, then down to stanley, seemingly sleeping peacefully, "okay, maybe not him. he's alright. but the rest of you can eat shit."

"michael!" michael's mother's voice came from the other side of the room, like she had supersonic hearing. michael looked down shamefully.

stanley shuffled further into richie's lap, richie still burning bright red. his fingers were stiff in stanley's hair, but they still felt comfort simply from being there.

stanley suddenly moved, however, putting his cup down to shuffle into a sitting-up position.

"hey, where you going?" sarah asked, stanley turning his head to her slowly. he could feel the blood rushing from his head from sitting up so fast, and he squinted at her for a second.

"piss." stanley said, then snickered, and tried to stand up. tried being the operative word, as richie awkwardly had to catch him as he stumbled over his own foot. "i swear, i'm not drunk on kosher wine—" stanley began, richie laughing and shushing him.

richie walked with him to the bathroom, making sure he stayed upright. as he walked, stanley felt a little more sane.

"so... was that acting, or..." richie trailed off, leaning against the door outside the bathroom. stanley grabbed the door handle and looked up at richie, his face pink now that he remembered what he'd done.

"no. i... is that okay? i like you quite a bit." stanley said, quietly. richie smiled, reaching to push some of stanley's hair out of his eyes.

"cool. i like you too, you know. have for a bit, actually." richie knew he was blushing, but he didn't mind, because he matched stanley's complexion.

"wouldn't have fake dated you if i didn't like you, duh," stanley laughed sweetly, and he had to hold himself back from kissing richie again, "i actually have to piss, though, so give me a second." he closed the bathroom door behind him and richie heard it lock.

"you mean i can't watch you piss? shucks," richie said through the door, laughing as stanley told him to fuck off. after his hands were washed, and the door reopened, love was practically emanating off of stanley, his eyes flickering from richie's eyes to his lips.

richie kissed him this time. and he kissed him again. and again. the two kept laughing, trying to stay quiet as they made out, feeling just like two teenagers sneaking around. it didn't matter that they were artificially out, it didn't matter that this was probably what everyone thought they were doing anyway.

it was just them, overwhelmed with the new sensations of each others hands, finally permissed to hold each other how they wanted.