" LIPSTICK " + STENBROUGH

[13]

( warnings : swearing )

"i bet it's condoms," richie says.

"richie, not everything is about sex," eddie tells him with an eye roll. richie smirks and pokes his side lightly.

"you wish it was." eddie giggles as richie's fingers move against his side.

"guys!" ben says, sending them a small glare. "just let bill open the present."

"thank b-ben," bill says, and turns his attention to the present in his lap, which he has been gifted by beverly.

the girl in question is sitting to his right, anticipation shining on her freckled face. it's kind of gorgeous, actually. the rest of the losers are sitting around bill's living room, watching as he opens gifts. he turns sixteen today, which is kind of a big deal, but only bill's friends really care about it. bill doesn't even get what all of the fuss is about. but they insisted on coming over anyway and spending the day with him, and bill's heart swells when they suggests it.

he begins delicately peeling away the wrapping paper on the thin box, partly because it's such a pretty design, and partly because stanley sits on the other side of him and bill knows tearing it away messily sets off his ocd. bill lifts the lid off of the book. inside is a leather bound notebook.

"bev, y-you didn't have t-to," he says, and smiles at her.

"i wanted to," she says, kissing bill's cheek. "i know how much you love to write. this is just a place to put your ideas, share your thoughts. it can get kind of cramped up there, and you have to be able to get it out." beverly taps her head. bill chuckles.

"thank y-you."

"open mine next!" eddie says excitedly, and hands bill a small square box. bill opens it slowly, once again watching the wrapping paper. sitting in the box is a shiny red bell for a bicycle.

"thank you suh-so much!" bill says, smiling at eddie. he's in need of a new bell for silver, and this is the perfect thing.

"okay, stan the man, it's all you," richie says, patting him on the back. the boy beside bill rolls his eyes, and pulls a card out of his pocket.

"that's it?" richie asks, eyebrows raised. "you've got to be fucking kidding me, stan? you're bill's best friend and you got him a fucking card for his sixteenth birthday?" stan sends richie a glare.

"fuck you, rich."

"i-i really dont muh-muh-mind," bill assures. he carefully opens the envelope, and slips out the card.

the front is simple, reading 'happy birthday' in a multitude of colors and fonts. he opens it and reads:

bill,

happy birthday! i really hope you have a fantastic day. i'm so glad that you're my best friend.

love,
              stan

"that's a shitty gift, stan," richie says, reading the card over bill's shoulder.

"a-a-actually i-i like it," bill counters, giving stanley a smile. "tha-tha-tha-thank you, stan."

"movie time!" richie shouts, and jumps down from the couch. he goes for the tv to set up a movie.

"we'll get snacks," ben says, and him and beverly exit to the kitchen.

"i'm guh-guh-going to take these uh-upstairs," bill says, gesturing to the gifts in his hands.

"i'll help," stan says, and grabs a few gifts from the small pile in his friend's arms. while eddie and mike stay behind to babysit richie and make sure he's choosing something they all want to watch, bill and stan head upstairs to his room.

once inside, bill places the gifts on his bed, stan following suit. there's a heavy feeling in the room, and bill is suddenly reminded of the week before when he called stan over, crying. he's embarrassed.

"i know the card was a bad gift," stan mumbles. bill turns to him, eyebrows furrowed.

"n-no it wasn't. i like i-i-it," bill says. stan scratches the back of his neck, cheeks pink.

"it's not the only thing i got you, you know." stan pulls a small, velvet drawstring bag out of his coat pocket, handing it to bill. it's rather heavy.

"i figured it's better than stealing your mom's stuff," stan explains, as bill opens the bag. he pulls out a foundation, concealer, mascara, and a lipstick. "sorry if the shades are a bit off, and that i didn't get any tools. i went to my sister's house and asked her what kind of makeup is good to start out with, and she said this. i-i don't know what i'm missing, but your collection can obviously expand. you probably know more than i do."

bill is in shock. stanley uris bought him makeup. he looks up at stanley, and something clicks. suddenly, he sees this boy, who stands nervously beside him, and everything seems to fit together. stanley is the missing piece in the puzzle that makes up bill's life.

"it's perfect," bill says.

it's in the spur of the moment that bill puts his hand on his shoulder and places a kiss on stan's cheek.

stan's cheeks go bright red, and he smiles nervously. bill's stomach erupts with a feeling that can only be butterflies. but it isn't anything like he's experienced with beverly.

"thank you, stanley."

maybe boys can wear makeup. maybe it doesn't matter if it's considered normal or not.

——

i really liked the first like four chapters of this book, and they're slowly getting worse whoops

you guys also are literally the best you're so sweet omg and we're almost at 1k reads im???

vote, comment, and check out my other stuff, you know how it works

- m