freaks of nature - stenbrough

-23-

TW: mentions of a medically coma, implication of sex

——

Betty sat on her bed with her legs crossed. Stanley rested his head on her lap as he laid on his back. She played with his curls as they talked about nothing. He had a small smile plastered to his face as he listened to her speak.

"Do you reckon aliens exist?" Stanley asked.
"Of course! But I don't think they're like the way they are in movies. The universe is literally endless, there has to be other life except for us, right?"
"What do you think they're like?"
"They could look like us or they could be harmless like a bird, or a fish."
"A fish?"
"Well you know that one episode of the Simpsons where the fish mutates after Homer spills the stuff from the power-plant in the river and ends up three eyes?"
"Yeah, vaguely."
"Aliens could look like that. They don't necessarily have to be big evil monsters who want to destroy all of humanity, they could be small and just living their best lives. I know you like birds, what if they were like birds?"
"Then couldn't they just fly over here and visit us?"
"No, because there isn't any gravity in space meaning they wouldn't be able to move themselves."
"But they're aliens, what if they could?"
"Then, yeah, they could visit us."
"What if birds are aliens?"

Betty gasped and covered her mouth. She looked down at Stanley with wide eyes.

"You have opened my eyes, Stanley Uris!," She exclaimed, gripping the side of her head, "birds are aliens! That's why pigeons act so weird!"
"But don't people think they work for the government?"
"Nope, they're aliens."

Stanley laughed and smiled up at her. She placed her hands back in his curls.

"You know that Bill woke up?"
"What?"
"The doctors don't know why...he wasn't meant to, but they can't get him back under. It's almost like his mutation is fighting back and it's stopping them."
"Have you visited him?"
"I was there when he woke up. They basically kicked Richie and I out the room straight away."
"You said he wasn't meant to wake up, right?"
"Yeah."

She began fiddling with some of his curls. Somehow, feeling so the soft hair that framed Stanley's face made her stomach fill with butterflies.

"Well your mutations are connected...maybe you being there somehow coaxed him out of his coma."
"Maybe, but he's in such a fragile state I don't want him to be awake when he's going to be bad for him."
"Bill's a fighter, he's going to be okay."
"I loved him..." Stanley said, "I...well, Richie helped me figure it out, but you have to know that I don't anymore...that's not me."
"So you're saying you like both boys and girls?"
"Yeah...I think."
"I'm proud of you. I know we don't live in the most accepting town or decade, but I'm happy that you've finally figured yourself out and I will always support you, no matter what."
"Thank you, Betty...it means a lot."

Stanley sat up and Betty gave him a comforting smile. He looked into Betty's soft brown eyes and he felt like he was falling for her all over again. He was so in love it almost hurt.

"You're so pretty," he blurted out.
"Well, Stan, you are the prettiest of all the boys out there."
"And you are the prettiest of all the girls."

Betty smiled at Stanley, but it quickly faded and she looked away.

"Is everything okay?" Stanley asked, sitting up.
"I...I wanna tell you something and you don't have to say it back because I know you're confused with everything at the moment and this probably won't help-"
"I love you."
"I love you too," Betty responded quietly with a small smile.

Stanley smiled and held her hands. He softly squeezed them as he rubbed his thumbs along the back of her hands. He had loved Bill, but not anymore. He'd come to terms with the emotions he felt and what he was feeling now.

He took one hand away from Betty's and placed his hand on her cheek. He meant forwards and pressed their lips together for a second before pulling away and smiling. She smiled back and pushed their lips together again. Betty moved closer and climbed into his lap. Their lips made a soft and slow rhythm as she bought her hands up to cup the bottom of his jaw. Stanley put his hands on her waist.

Betty pulled away and couldn't help, but smile. She kissed his nose then began showering his face in kisses. He let her for a few moments before turning his head and connecting their lips again. He could tell she was smiling into the kiss as she snaked her hands into his hair. They both pulled away. Stanley grinned and bit his bottom lip.

"Would Richie mind if you stayed over tonight?"
"I don't think he would."
"You don't?"
"Nope."

Their lips connected again, but it slowly turned into a sloppy mess of tongue and teeth as Betty pushed him back.

——

"We should do the dirty dancing lift!" Betty laughed as she held his cheeks.
"Are you not gonna take this seriously?"
"It's just dancing, how hard could it be?"

Stanley leant down and lifted her by her legs. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he walked her over to the kitchen counter. He placed her down and she grinned.

"You can choose the music, but we gotta figure this out. I don't wanna step on your toes at prom."
"It's cute how you worry so much."
"Betty," he smirked and titled his head.
"Fine," she leant forwards and kissed his nose, "let me see what I have."

After a while of searching through her cassettes she settled on End Of The Road by Boyz II Men. She put it in her stereo and pressed play. Betty walked over to Stanley and hung her arms around his neck. Stanley put his hands on Betty's waist. She stepped closer to him and Stanley began stepping in time with the music. She looked down and tried to copy him, making sure not to step on his toes.

They quickly got the hang of it and looked up at each other.

"Who knew that the kid who made me break the coke bottle machine at the movie theatre would be the person who I slow danced with in my living room."
"I don't think I made you break anything, that was all you."
"Which shows I'm stronger than you as you couldn't even break it."
"I just wanted some coke bottles, I didn't want to break it."
"But you could've."

He smiled and pressed their foreheads together. He never wanted this moment to end. He wanted to stay in her embrace forever.