ethereal : it oneshots

to love is to want, isn't it?

"where are you going?" stanley grabbed onto richie's arm, richie turning his head. he motioned to his ears, i can't hear you, and stanley repeated the question, louder this time to beat the music.

"oh, bev and i are gonna smoke some on the fire escape," he pointed out the kitchen window, ignoring the people in the kitchen looking at him weirdly as he opened it.

"can i come?" stanley raised an eyebrow, and richie made a confused face.

"duh," richie mouthed, like it was obvious.

once he'd fit his lanky legs through the window, richie began ascending the stairs of the fire escape, glancing back to make sure stanley was following him. sure enough, stan was fitting himself through the window, eager to join him.

beverly was already three stairs up, leaning against the back of the metal, playing with her cigarette. it wasn't lit yet, and when she saw richie her eyes lit up, passing the one in her hand to him.

"i have cigs, bev, i don't need to bum yours," richie said, stanley following behind him, feeling a bit like a dog.

"yours are camels, mine are marlboros, accept it, asshat. hi stan," she said, waggling the cigarette at him. rolling his eyes as he sat a step above her, he took it out of her hands. she turned around to face him, on the platform between stairs.

"hi bev," stan said briefly, sitting down next to richie. he watched out of the corner of his eye the way richie leaned back against the stairs, getting his lighter out of his pocket.

beverly lit up another one of her cigarettes as richie did, but stanley's eyes were caught on the way richie cupped his hand around the fire. richie glanced at him, but pretended not to notice him watching.

stanley continued to watch as richie breathed the smoke out, into his nose first before out his mouth once more.

"doesn't that burn your nose?" stanley asked, shifting around to get comfortable. his knee knocked against richie's thigh, and he let it rest there as he sat.

"naw, not really. hardly feel it." richie said, looking back over to beverly.

"dickhead just likes to look cool," beverly rolled her eyes, and richie flipped her off. she flipped him off in return, and stanley sighed contently through his nose. the music of the party was much quieter now.

the three sat in a bit of silence, except for the noises of the apartment and the city. someone on the street below was singing to themselves, and the three gently laughed at it. cars passed by, revving their engines.

"rich, i've never heard you this quie—i mean, i've never not heard you for this long." beverly said, cocking her head, "you okay?"

"yeah," he mumbled, "it's the smoke."

"wow, baby gets a headrush that easily? told you you wanted a marlboro," beverly laughed, but richie shook his head, leaning forward. he put his elbows on his thighs, his chin in his hands.

"no, it's just... easy to stop thinking." richie stared mindlessly past beverly into the sky.

"do you want that?" stanley asked, bumping his knee into richie's thigh again. richie raised his head to look at stanley, and nodded. "why? thoughts are... they're like the only reason anyone does anything good in the world," stanley said, beverly chuckling.

"you sound like an english teacher, you dork," beverly said through her laughter, stanley smiling stupidly before laughing a little himself.

"yeah, i really do," he sighed dramatically, leaning back again. his leg didn't break contact with richie's. richie, of whom, was still staring at stanley.