The Bath || Stenbrough

1958

"Pretty good for my first time, huh?" Ben smiled, showing the losers around his clubhouse.

His boasting was soon cut off by a part of the ceiling collapsing near Beverly's feet, making Stan jump behind Bill, who made him feel safer. He clung onto Bill's arm as Eddie bickered about safety hazards.

"You o-okay?" Bill whispered in the boys ear.

"Yeah, I'd just rather not have the walls collapse on me." Stan smiled.

"Hey I have one of these!" Eddie began flicking a paddle ball in the curly headed boy's face.

"Can you maybe not?" Stan scrunched up his nose. Bill stared at his annoyed expression with hearts in his eyes, thinking about how adorable the boy was.

Flick, flick, flick!

"Maybe not what! Maybe not want!" Eddie continued to hit Stan, much to his dismay. "Maybe not have fun and celebrate the magic of the paddle ball?!"

Snap.

The paddle ball went flying across the room, the string breaking off leaving the ball and racket to be separated.

"Well good going fuck-nut, you broke his thing!"

"Don't y-y-yell at St-Stan." Bill half-whispered.

"I broke it?!"

"Yeah, you broke it with your face!"

"What."

"Yeah, and I'm not putting my fucking hand down there!" Eddie pointed to cracks in the wood, where the little red ball had fallen.

"Don't be m-m-mean to St-St-Stanley." Bill demanded, rubbing Stan's arm.

Though the boys were not yet 'a thing,' they sure were close.

Stanley smiled, before grabbing a hairnet and placing it over his curly head.

"Here Bill." He smiled and handed the auburn haired boy one as well.

"What's th-this f-f-f-for?" Bill hesitantly took it out of his hands, brushing his fingers against his.

"So we don't get spiders in our hair." Stan replied, ruffling Bills hair in his hands.

"D-D-Don't d-do that to m-my h-hair, you a-a-always d-do that." Bill stretched the hairnet out, placing it neatly on his head.

"Sorry." Stan apologized. "It's just really soft and...pretty, I guess."

"Um...th-th-thanks." The stuttering boy blushed, flashing him a sparkly grin.

"I'm going to give one to Richie." Stan said, trying to avoid the awkward spark between the two. "Give these to the rest.'"

"O-O-Okay." Bill took the rest of the hairnets.

"Here." Stan handed Richie, who was laying in the hammock reading a cheesy magazine, a hairnet.

"What the fuck is this?" Richie asked, rolling his eyes. He snatched the hairnet out of his hand harshly

"So you don't get spiders stuck in your hair when your down here." Stanley answered, unbothered by the boys aggressiveness. 

"Stanley, we're not afraid of fucking spiders!!" Richie tossed it to the floor, only to see everyone else wearing one behind them. Eddie quickly took his off, not wanting to seem stupid in front of him. "I stand corrected!!"

Bill sat on the floor, next to Stan who was reading a book. The not-so-pleasant sounds of Richie and Eddie fighting over the hammock filled the room. 

"What a-are you r-r-reading?" Bill leaned over Stan's shoulder, revealing a book about birds. Stan didn't reply, he was too focused on his reading and the fact that the boy he liked had his chin laying on his shoulder. Bill kept his face there though, even as Stan flipped the pages. Eventually, the chin turned to his entire head laying on the boys shoulder as he read the book, but Bill was more interest in Stan's sparkly eyes than the book itself.

"Y-You h-h-have nice e-e-eyes." Bill pointed out, yawning.

"O-Oh, um thanks." Stan said, trying to hide how flustered he was. 

Bill closed his eyes softly, almost falling asleep on Stan's shoulder before the boy stood up, engaging in conversation with Beverly and Mike.

"Do you guys think we'll still be friends? You know...when we're older?" He asked.

Everybody giggled.

"Why wouldn't we be?

"Of course we will!"

"No shit, Stan."

"Do you any of your parents still hang out with there friends from middle school? Things might be different then." Stan remarked, sadly.

"My p-parents were f-f-friends in m-middle s-school." Bill pointed out. "A-And we'll always st-still be friends that doesn't just g-g-g-go away because we get older."

"Yeah Stan come on, you don't have to be so...." Bev paused finding the right words. "Sad."

"Yeah, sorry." Stan sat back next to Bill, opening his book.

"I'm t-t-tired." Bills eyes grew and shrunk, struggling to stay open. 

"Here." Stan grabbed an old blanket off the floor, wrapping it around Bill.

"Thanks." Bill yawned, once again using Stan's shoulder as a pillow.

Stan smiled, looking at the sleepy boy. "I love you." He whispered, earning no reply from the now asleep boy. 

"Like...as friends." He added, even though nobody was listening. Maybe the only person he was trying to convince was himself.

"Why the hell is Bill's face in Stan's neck?!" Richie blurted. "Fuck each other at home." Eddie giggled.

"Shut up Richie, he's just tired!" Stan exclaimed.

"Dude, it was a joke, chill." Richie chuckled.

"I know!"

"Someone in love with big Bill!"

"Shut up!"

"Stop b-being loud." Bill mumbled into Stan's shoulder.

"Sorry Bill." Stan apologized. "I'll take you home if you want."

"Yeah, sorry Bill." Richie said.

a/n: not my fav chapter, but im pretty excited for the next one, which will be out either today or tmrw

(girl you have no readers who the fuck are you talking to)