RACIAL SLURS AHEAD: You've been warned. I am strongly against the use of racial slurs in real life and this is a PSA to not fucking use them. Thanks and enjoy
You and the rest of the Loser's club were walking home from school one Friday afternoon. The sky was crystal clear and blue, and you had all almost made it home peacefully. Slowly, the group split off, each going to their own streets, until it was just you and Stan. The two of you were neighbors, and though Stan wouldn't admit it, he liked to be able to walk you all the way home and make sure you got inside safely.
The two of you were only about three minutes away from home, talking cheerfully about what to do over the weekend and complaining about how much homework you had, when you ran into Henry Bowers and his gang.
"Hey, jew," Henry spat once he was a few feet away from us, "and Jewie's little friend. Shouldn't you be inside making me a sandwich?" Your mind immediately skipped over Henry's comment about you, still thinking about what he said about Stan. Your blood boiled, and you thought steam might be coming out of your ears.
"Shouldn't you be fucking off somewhere else?" you commented in a snarky tone, crossing your arms over your chest, a glare trained on Henry's face.
"Watch it, short stack, before I-" Henry started threatening you, stepping closer. Quickly, Stan stepped in front of you protectively.
"Leave her alone, Henry," Stan said, mustering up his most threatening voice.
"Get out of my way, fuckhead! Go back to your gas chambers," Henry snarled, right in Stan's face. That was it; that was the comment that sent you over the edge, and you couldn't take it anymore.
"I swear to God, Henry Bowers, if you say one more fucking racial slur I am going to deck you in your filthy goddamn mouth. You are a damn coward! Now take you and your racist ass out of my fucking neighborhood," You growled, staring right into Henry's eyes. He seemed to look scared for a few seconds, before returning to usual. Still, he and his goons turned and walked away. As soon as he was out of earshot, you turned to Stan with a concerned look on your face.
"Are you okay, Stan?" you asked, touching his arm gently. You were heartbroken that he had to endure such hateful words thrown at him. He was the last person on Earth to deserve them; you couldn't think of a single time Stan had ever said or done anything mean, and it angered you that the universe was taking unfair shots at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine (y/n). Thank you, though. Henry's hard to face alone sometimes, I'm glad you were here with me," he admitted, smiling at you, though you could see the sadness in his eyes.
"It's nothing, Stan. You're one of the best people I know, I'd stand up for you any day," you answered truthfully, a small smile gracing your lips. Stan's cheeks dusted pink. He couldn't help it, you had been so heroic in his eyes today, only making his crush on you grow.
"One of the best people you know? I don't know about that," Stan said, shaking his head dismissively, "I can't even protect you, you had to protect me."
"So? You're still one of the bravest people I know. And one of the strongest, smartest, kindest, most determined people to have ever lived, probably. I really admire you, Stan, for real," you said sincerely, stopping so you could look into his eyes, the full effect of your words getting to him.
He couldn't help it; he just kind of leaned down and pressed his lips to yours, both hands going to your waist. You immediately responded, kissing him back, hands locked behind his neck. This was your first kiss, and was by far exceeding all of your expectations. You couldn't help the grin that overcame your features during it as you realized you were kissing Stan Uris, the best person you know.
When you pulled apart, both of you were smiling, panting, and red-faced, still wrapped up in each other's arms.
"Come to my place to watch Star Wars and eat food? We can call it a first date," Stan proposed, hands not moving from your waist.
"Right now?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yup," he responded simply.
"Consider it a date, Uris."
