infatuation|reddie

six

To say Stan Uris was nervous would be an understatement. He was fucking terrified.

After school, Stan decided to walk Eddie to his house for the big news he was about to reveal.

"So what's the deal?" Eddie asked him, twirling his earbud wire around his finger and then unwinding it, only to do it again.

Stan, with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets, shrugged. "I-its not a big big deal...it's like, not that important, either, I guess."

"So why do we gotta talk in private?"

"We aren't necessarily in private, per say..."

"Just tell me, Stan." Eddie looked at him, waiting. Stan bit his lip anxiously, readjusting his glasses as a habit. He was so, so fucking frightened of what his friend would think. Especially since Stan is Jewish, and it's kinda forbidden, and-

"Hellooo? Earth to Stan?"

"Oh- fuck, yeah, um..." Stan sighed and wiggled his hands vigorously in front of him. It made Eddie narrow his eyes in confusion and concentration. "So, I don't really know h-how else to, like, say this. But I'm-, um, you know what? Forget it."

Eddie shook his head. "Just tell me. You can...trust me. I know you said it wasn't important, but still." After a pause he added, "I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

"Y-yeah," he nodded. "Fuck, Eddie, um..."

"Stop pausing so much."

"Sorry! Sorry."

"Go on, Stan. I'm sure it's nothing bad...right?"

"Right, um. Oh my God. Okay, so, basically, I'm- you know how you like girls? Well, yeah, so, I do too!"

Eddie blinked, baffled. "That's...bad??" He asked, although not turning down that blunt guess of him liking girls (because he doesn't like girls. Ew. Periods and boobs and shit? Gross).

"Well no, haha, actually...I like, like, guys too, I guess?" Stan continued to stammer.

"So you're bisexual?"

"I'm bihumanumana?"

Eddie chuckled. "You're bisexual, doofus! You like both genders. You're bi."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"...I'm proud of you, Stan." Eddie said after some silence. He kept his gaze down at the concrete below him as they continued walking to his house. "That-that shit takes guts to tell someone..."

"You're not mad or anything?"

"How can I be mad?" Eddie scoffed in an unoffensive way. "You're a cool person, Stan. Real good guy. That doesn't change just cause you like your same gender."

Stan smiled and blushed. "Eh, haha. Thanks, Eddie..."

"So, who's the lucky guy?"

"Um- who's wha?"

"The dude you're crushing on?"

"..."

"Stan?"

"Fuckin' Bill."

Eddie snorted. "That nutsack?!" He laughed. He thought maybe Stan would like someone like Dylan Ives, or something. Not Bill Denbrough, probably one of the most nerdiest and baseball-obsessed guys in Derry. Of course, how could Eddie blame poor Stan? Eddie likes Richie Tozier. Who's also his best friend.

Apparently Stan and Eddie had more things in common than they thought.

"Yeah...I'm sorry about him being a jackass about your, er, clothes?"