your love // stenbrough

10

Spending time with Bill proved to be much more difficult than Stan had ever imagined. When the younger boy had revealed that the reasoning behind his hardships with communicating was his father, Stan had no idea that the man would become such an obstacle. Day in and day out, Stan would ask Bill if he'd like to come to the quarry with - what had quickly become - that gang of misfits that he somehow had the privilege of calling his friends, but time and time again, Bill would insist upon his inability to the accompany them.

Each time, a frown would work it's way across Stan's ever-tense features. He wondered why he was trying so hard if the universe was only planning on letting him down relentlessly. No sooner had the question crossed his mind that he found his answer - he was trying so hard because he was slowly coming to the slightly terrifying realization that the butterflies in his tummy every time Bill engaged him in conversation was something more than platonic feelings. 

Even still, his new friend was quickly becoming quite the challenge. Not that Stan didn't appreciate a good challenge every now and then, but he preferred when he knew that there was a set answer, a solution that he would eventually stumble upon, however, it seemed that everything that he tried with Bill would turn out to be futile, a complete and utter waste of time. 

Although he would backtrack on that wording seeing as any time spent with Bill couldn't be considered a waste, even if it was just him hopelessly trying to get the younger boy to cave and defy his parental lockdown. Quite ironic really, since the closes Stan has ever been to defying anybody is rejecting Richie's insistence on apologizing to his stupid, fucked up vehicle, who he continues to refuse to acknowledge as Angela. 

Weeks passed with no progress in his relationship with Bill - something both frustrating and horrible. 

"Can't you just sneak out?" he asked, chin resting in his palm as he faced the stuttering boy in his desk, a few minutes before the bell was due to ring for their first period class. It was the last week of scheduled classes before exams and Stan had desperately been trying to get Bill to come to his place to study for their AP Chem. 

Bill let out a heavy sigh, eyes fluttering closed as he leaned back in his desk chair. Really, Stan couldn't say anything about no progression, seeing as Bill had become exponentially more comfortable in his presence. His eyes no longer darted away in direct conversation and his hands visibly shook less than they had before, which Stan had to take as a good sign. 

"No, I c-can't just s-s-sneak out," he answered with a small huff as he moved the fringe of his auburn hair out of his eyes. "Don't be r-ridiculous, Stan."

Stan couldn't help but bite back a smile. He had quickly learned that (contrary to popular belief), Stuttering Bill had quite the personality, and could actually show a little bit of bite when he really wanted to. Stan, being the king of sass, found this incredibly endearing, though he knew that Bill would never be able to claim his title. 

"Just say that you're going to the park," Stan tries, pushing the conversation further, although he's gotten used to being continually denied. "You know, since you were there the other week and all."

Bill's eyes focused in on Stan's as he processed the words. He hummed for a moment, fingers fiddling with a few of the loose pencils that he had scattered across his desk, much to Stan's distaste. Another new colour decorated his skin this week. Green. Light and beautiful and natural. Stan shook his head, pretty much decided that he would never be able to discover the meaning behind such delicate brush strokes. "I c-could..."

Stan let himself be hopeful for a moment, waiting on the edge of his seat for the end of that sentence. Anything that Bill could give him would be enough. He needed more time outside of the classroom with the younger boy so that he could feel him out, learn more about him, get to know his story and mostly importantly, delve deeper into whatever the fuck he had begun to feel for the other boy. 

Boy. 

Boy.

Boy.

The word tumbled around his head, heavy. Still new. He would have to learn to get used to that if he ever wanted to get anywhere with the beautiful, mystifying boy across from him. He blinked hard, trying to focus his attention back to where it was needed. 

"W-would you m-m-mind meeting up early, then?" he asked, and if Stan knew any better, he would have called it a hopeful glint in his brilliant blue eyes. "On a w-weekend," he continued, voice shaking, though with a hint of something else... maybe excitement? Stan figure he was probably over-analyzing, as per usual. 

Stan grinned, wondering how it had never come up in conversation before that he was up early on the weekends for his own enjoyment anyways. Before he could get a word in edgewise, Bill was already spiraling, backtracking his own words as his eyes moved frantically around the room, passing over everywhere that wasn't Stan.

"Only if y-you want t-to, of c-course!"

Stan couldn't help but let out a little laugh. "Of course I want to," he smiled, indulging himself for a moment and reaching out across the gap situated between the two of them, laying a gentle touch on Bill's closer arm. "Or has my borderline begging not been enough of a dead giveaway?"

Then it was Bill's turn to laugh - something melodic and soft - and Stan decided right then and there that if that was the last thing he ever heard, he would be able to die happy. He couldn't believe that weeks ago, he thought Stuttering Bill to be a freak (just like the rest of his idiotic classmates), and now, he felt privileged that he was the one to make such a precious and wonderful person laugh. 

He swore to himself that he would get Bill to do that as often as possible.

(He would probably need to enlist someone funnier than him to aid him in his humour (so not Richie), seeing as he lacks anything that doesn't fall under the category of "dry")

"Okay," Bill said softly, giving Stan the softest smile he had ever witnessed, his heart palpitating in a way he wished it wouldn't. He didn't need any health scares this young, even if it is in the name of hopeless pining. "S-Saturday, then?"

Stan felt at least ten times lighter. When he had woken up earlier in the morning, he had not expected the first couple hours of his day going so well. "As long as you don't run away from me this time."

Bill released a little laugh but his eyebrows knit together in tension. Stan wished he had bit his tongue. It wasn't his intention to make the other boy uncomfortable in any way. Before he could make up some sort of apology, Bill was intervening, allowing the moment to pass without much thought. 

"I w-won't."

When Stan fell asleep that night, he was nothing but hopeful for Saturday (only four days away!), and the promise of spending more quality time with the most interesting person that had ever stumbled their way into his life - and weirdly enough, his heart. 

LMAO HI EVERYONE. I AM NOT COMING BACK BUT I WAS SO BORED AND IT'S 4AM AND I LOGGED ON TO THIS HELLSITE AND TYPED THIS CHAPTER UP IN 30 MINUTES SO HERE YOU GO, IT'S PROBABLY INCREDIBLY INCONSISTENT BUT I DON'T CARE. I READ ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IS SO WONDERFUL, EVEN THOUGH I AM LITERALLY NEVER ACTIVE HERE AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AND I'M SORRY YOU HAVE TO WITNESS THE SHITSHOW THAT IS THIS FIC LOL.

LOVE YOU ALL!