dawn : stenbrough

5

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑, and surprisingly, bill is awake when it happens. 

it's late at night. if he hadn't been awake, honestly, he might not have noticed the knocking. it was incredibly soft, and barely there at all. trying hard not to wake up eddie and richie (who were very pointedly in different beds), he gets up and opens the door.

at the door is a disheveled stanley, and bill swears he sees tear tracks on his face. 

"i'm sorry, i didn't know where to go," stanley's voice is a hoarse whisper, and bill's face changes to one of concern. he nods, letting stanley in the door. they stay on the direct opposite side of the room from the bunk bed, hoping it'll keep eddie and richie from waking up. 

"what's wrong?" bill asks, sitting down on his bed. stan sits down as well. all their sentences are spoken in whispers, and stan holds back a tear. stanley opens his mouth, but no words come out at first. 

"parents, you know," bill doesn't know, but stanley doesn't elaborate. that's okay, bill thinks, he's here for stanley anytime. stanley is hiding his hands under his legs, and bill doesn't really know what to do. 

"do you w-wuh-want..." bill is unsure. he holds out his arms, giving stanley the opportunity for a hug. untucking his arms, he takes the hug. he wraps his arms around bill's shoulders, keeping his sobs silent. bill closes his arms around stanley's waist, and puts one on his upper back. 

"i'm sorry. i know that we've only known each other two days, but i don't really know anyone else." stanley mumbles into bill's ear. bill finds it surprisingly soothing, despite how hitched stan's breathing is. 

"that's okay. i'm g-guh-glad you came to me." bill replies, backing away from the hug. he takes stanley's hands in his own, and realizes stan's hands are shaking. bill looks up from his hands, and sees stan's lip quivering. it's very obvious he's trying to be quiet for eddie and richie's sake. bill has a feeling richie is awake, from the way his snores have disappeared, but he doesn't say anything about it. 

"i know these beds are fucking t-tuh-tuh-tiny, but you can stay here if you want," bill offers, the train chugging along the tracks loudly in the background. stanley is quiet for a long time. bill waits. 

finally, a "yes please," and bill lies down, stanley lying down right next to him. their backs were touching, but that was it, stan facing the wall and bill facing the bunk bed. 

in the morning, richie doesn't make fun of them. eddie is a little confused by his lack of making fun, but richie gives eddie a look. it means "i'll tell you later", so eddie isn't worried. he simply snickers once or twice. 

bill and stanley wake up late, stan waking up just a little before bill. richie and eddie are already out of the room, having breakfast. stan feels obligated to wake bill up, because he's breathing incredibly shallowly, and keeps making sounds in his sleep, and his face is scrunched. he shakes his shoulders a bit, and bill mumbles more. he slowly wakes up, opening his eyes to see stanley there, concerned. 

"good morning, it's 10. i'm sorry about coming to you last night. i was all kinds of messed up, i apologize." stanley says, bill processing all of his words in his dreary state. when bill does process his words, he shakes his head. 

"i h-huh-hope you're feeling better," bill replies, getting up, out of the bed. stanley nods in response to the question, and feels himself heat up immediately the moment bill starts to change. 

stanley turns around, flushed and embarrassed. bill notices, and smirks a little bit, putting on a new shirt. he shuffles his pants off, putting jeans on. when he's done, he coughs, and stanley turns back around, still tinted a little pink. 

"did'cha like what y-yuh-yuh-you saw?" bill teases stanley, who snickers. stanley's snicker is more of a defence mechanism rather than an actual laugh. 

"shut up," stanley mutters, his face red again. he turns back around, having thoroughly embarrassed himself. he's mumbling something to himself, probably profanities. 

"it's okay if y-you did," bill says quietly, shoving his hands in his pocket. it's a bold move for bill to say that. sometimes bold moves must be taken. he's basically staring at the back of stan's head, admiring his curls. he feels a little nervous, as if he's doing something wrong. 

"oh-okay," stanley replies, looking down. 

maybe too bold of a move, bill thinks. 

there's silence for a moment, then bill opens the door and they leave for breakfast.