MIXTAPE. [STAN MARSH X MALE READER]

TRAFFIC.

CHAPTER 11

You laid back against you seat, annoyed at the now 30 minute delay of traffic. You weren't sure what had happened, but it had to be some type of accident up ahead with how slow everything was moving. "Dude how long have we been here for," Stan grumbled beside you. "Like half an hour, we gotta be clearing it out soon," you answered, trying to add some type of positive view into the situation. "Don't worry, after this we just have an hour to go." Stan sighed at your comment. You were using your phone for the directions, so you didn't have a device you could distract yourself with, plus you were driving.

Suddenly Stan spoke up "[name]." "Yeah?" "What's it going to be like where we're moving, like, you know the area and stuff," Stan wondered. "It's pretty chill, like you get traffic and stuff, but the house it pretty nice, it's a few minutes to walk to the beach," you informed him. "It's small though right?" he asked. "Two rooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom," you said. "I don't remember exactly if there's anything else, it's been a while since i've visited my aunt." You and Stan looked at each other as you talked. "So, what about your other friend?" You shrugged a bit before answering. "He's a pretty cool guy, I always remember having fun with him, I haven't seen him in person in a couple years," you told Stan. He processed the information you told him before continuing. "Have you heard from Craig and Tweek?" "Yeah," you began. "Craig texted me earlier this morning they were going to start heading out, I don't know where they are right now though."

A few more minutes passed between you guys, before you decided you had an interesting topic to bring up. "You know, we're probably going to be meeting a lot of new people," you started, "Are you going to try your luck with someone in L.A.?" You leaned against the steering wheel turning forward, seeing you guys hadn't moved from the same spot for the past few minutes. "What do you mean?" Stan looked at you, leaning back farther in his seat. "Like dating," you cleared up for him. "Oh," was all he could get out. You turned your head to face him again. You could see a small hue of red on his face, whether that was from the sun shining in your faces or what you just asked you didn't know. "I don't think i'm really focused on that," he said. You saw him hesitate for a second, almost like he wanted to say something else. You wouldn't lie to yourself and say that you weren't a bit glad at hearing he wasn't that interested in finding someone new to date. "I... uh, i've been thinking about some stuff, so I think before I decide to date someone again I need to figure that out," Stan spoke, but he seemed embarrassed of what he was saying. "What type of stuff?" He went quite at your question, finally breaking eye contact with you. He seemed hesitant, almost scared to answer you. "Just, maybe, you know.." he trailed off. You tried to put two and two together, studying him to see if you could get the gist of what he was trying to say. "Maybe.. well, i've only ever dated Wendy, and I never got the chance to think of trying to date anybody else.." you hummed at him, showing you were listening "Well, what if.." He kept trailing off his sentences. You heard him let out a small exhale, before he turned to make eye contact with you again. "Can I ask you something?" You just nodded at him. "Has it ever crossed your mind, to you know, date another guy?" The question caught you off guard, not expecting for that to be what he's been debating. A few seconds passed, and he looked at you expectingly, as if he was waiting on reassurance.

"Yeah, it has actually," you finally answered, seeing his eyes widen a bit. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah, a few times to be honest." Stan just stared at you. "Was it someone specifically?" he interrogated. He caught you by surprise again, not expecting to be having this conversation, but you weren't complaining, just a bit shocked. "Yes," was all you said. "Who?" You stopped to think for a moment, debating on telling him or not, because in all honesty, it was Stan that had crossed your mind a few times before. "Uh, doesn't matter," you told him. "What?, No you gotta tell me!" he begged. "It's secret," you told him again. "[name], I swear if you tell me, I wont tell a single soul." You rolled your eyes at his curiosity. "Then you tell me which guy you think you like," It was your turn to interrogate him. Stan just continued to stare at you, you saw his face grow a slightly brighter tint of red. "I can't tell you," he said, although it almost sounded like a whisper. "Well we're even then." Stan studied your face for a moment, before turning away again. "Whatever, it doesn't matter," he mumbled out. If he was being totally honest, he was a bit dissatisfied with the fact you wouldn't tell him who it was. He silently hoped that the reason you wouldn't tell him who, was because it was him. Then maybe, if he did realize he liked you, as more than a friend, he had a chance.

    You saw the car in front of you guys start moving, so you quickly sat up and began driving forward slowly. Concentrating back on the slow movement of the cars around you, you had stopped paying attention to Stan. "Was it Craig?" you heard him ask from beside you. "What?" you said confused. "The guy, was it Craig that you liked?" As he asked that he silently hoped you would deny it. "No." He couldn't help the small twitch his lip did at your answer, fighting back a smile. "Tweek then?" "No Stan, It's none of them." Stan stared at you, but you didn't look at him. "Ok ok," he said, you thought he was just going to leave it there. "Wait, don't tell me it was Kyle?" "Stan, you're so childish." you mumbled. "Fine, i'll leave you alone, but can I ask you one more thing about it?" You sighed at him, before deciding that one more question couldn't hurt. "Fine." Still looking at you, Stan began to speak, "Did you ever figure out if you really did like him, like if it was really a crush or just admiration?" A small silence grew between you two, Stan eagerly waiting your answer. "Yes," you told him. "So it wasn't a crush?" "It was." Stan's eyes widened for the second time in this conversation. Processing what you just told him, "Dude.." was all he could say. "So does that mean your.." he continued on, in a quite voice. "Yes Stan, I like guys too." Stan couldn't help but just continue to stare at you. "Why didn't you tell me before!" he spoke up. You shrugged a bit. "I never found it that important, and I didn't want everyone to know, like you said, I needed to be sure," you answered him.

You could feel him still staring you down, then you heard him speak up again. "But i'm your best friend," he said. "You should've told me, I tell you everything!" You sighed at his comment. "I'm sorry Stany," you spoke adding the nickname as a joke. "Dude you suck, here I was getting all scared to bring this up to you, thinking you'd judge me or wouldn't want me moving in with you," he rambled on. "Only to find out you've already experienced this whole questioning thing!" You laughed slightly at his outburst. "Well, at least you know now," you told him. He curled back into the passenger seat, still slightly annoyed at how you never told him this. Well, at least now he maybe had a chance at an actual relationship with you, but would that make things weird between you two? Would it ruin your friendship with him? He still wasn't even 100% sure he was romantically into you.

"How were you sure?" he asked before even thinking it through. "If I liked guys?" He nodded beside you, "Yeah," he replied. "I don't know, I just did, thought about him, and I realized I liked him," you told him. "Descriptive," Stan mumbled, but he continued speaking. "Do you still like the same guy?" he questioned. You thought about it for a second, before answering him. "I don't know, he wasn't available when I started to realize I liked him, but I don't know about now," you sighed. "I bet he'd like you back," Stan spoke out, before he even realized what he said. He still hadn't even processed it, until you spoke up. "He would Stanley?" you teased him. Stan perked up as everything hit him. "I just uh, meant you know you're a great guy." You smiled at his words, both oblivious to each other's feelings.

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   "Stan," you looked over to find him still slumped in the seat. He had fallen asleep a while ago, a little bit after you guys got out of the traffic jam. You reached over and shook his arm a bit, trying your best to wake him up. It a quarter till 7 now, and you had parked in your aunt's driveway to go pick up your key. "Stan," you called his name. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking before looking over at you. "What?" he questioned still processing everything as he woke up. "We're at my aunt's new house, i'm picking up the key for ours," you informed. "I'll be right back, unless you wanna go and say hi as well." Stan looked up, seeing the house in front of him. It didn't look like a mansion or anything, but it was definitely still impressive. It made him wonder if your guy's house would be as nice. "This is her new home?" he asked, watching as you started getting out of the car. "Yeah," you answered. Stan decided the polite thing to do was go and introduce himself as well.

You two walked up the door steps. He stood next to you as you rang the doorbell at the front. A few seconds later, the door opened revealing a woman who he assumed was your aunt. He watched you two greet each other, both seeming excited to see one another. "..And this is Stan Marsh, he's my best friend, the one staying with me," you told your aunt. Stan shook her hand "Nice to meet you," he greeted. The woman seemed to be in a hurry, so she handed you the keys he guessed were to the house. Waving you two off and saying her goodbyes, she closed the door, letting you two head back to your car. "She seemed nice," Stan told you, sitting back down in your car. "She is, she's super fun to be around too," you responded. Stan smiled, excited to be moving in with his best friend (and possible crush).