i'll love you from afar - a reddie story

~ 6 : Richie ~

Why would I invite him to my house? Richie said to himself while pacing around his room nervously. I fucking like him and I'm probably gonna do something stupid.

Suddenly, Richie gets a call from his phone in his room. "Hello?"

"Hi," says the voice on the other end of the line.

"Stan? Why the fuck are you calling me?"

"Look, Richie," Stan sighs. "I need to tell you something."

"Oh," Richie then remembers how he slipped up in front of Bev and decided he would come clean. "Yeah, me too."

"Can I come over?"

"Yeah, sure. Bring snacks, though."

"Whatever. I'll be there in ten minutes." Stan hangs up the phone leaving Richie on the other line now even more nervous then he was before.

Oh, shit! He thought. How am I gonna tell him I almost spilled the one secret he trusted me with? While in the middle of coming up with a plan, he hears a knock on the door and goes to answer it. Sure enough, Stan is standing there with a somber look in his eyes. He walks right past Richie and into his bedroom where Richie follows. He plopped down on his bed and looked up at him.

"I-" Stan struggled to find the right words to say. "I think I'm in love with Bill."

"I'm sorry," Richie said with his mouth gaping open. "You fucking what?"

"I don't know, Richie." Tears started forming in the corner of Stan's eyes.

"Last time you were here you told me you only liked him. You said you thought it would go away. What changed? And when?"

"After I stormed off at the Quarry," Stan starts to explain with tears slowly coming down his cheeks. "Bill followed me. He kept apologizing over and over again, telling me I was his best friend and he would never want to hurt me. I was so angry at him, I thought I was over him  even-" Stan paused.

"And, then what."

"And then he hugged me. And I just melted, Richie. I melted. I wanted to stay there in his arms forever. And that's when I knew. Because I wanted to kiss him, Richie. I wanted to kiss him. Isn't that terrible?"

Richie sat down on his bed right besides Stan, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"And you're the only one I can come to-" Stan said, a sob catching in his throat. "And I hate that I bother you with this stuff because you have your alcoholic mom and Eddie and-"

"Who cares about them?" Richie said softly. "This is important! You're not bothering me at all. I know how it feels to like someone you shouldn't. There's nothing wrong with it. Your secret is safe with me. Somewhat." Richie muttered the last part under his breath hoping Stan wouldn't hear. But he did.

"What do you mean 'somewhat'?"

"I may have told Bev you were jealous. But when she asked why I said it was because of their relationship and she believed me." Richie hoped Bev believed him.

"You're impossible," Stan rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but you love me. Platonically, that is." Richie put his arm around Stan's shoulder. They both laughed softly. "If it makes you feel any better, I compulsively invited Eddie over for a sleepover knowing damn right I have a huge crush on him."

"What are you going to do? Do you think you're going to confess?"

"I hope I don't," Richie said, lifting his glasses up to rub his eyes. "But sometimes this stupid mouth has a mind of its own."

"I think he likes you back, to be honest."

"Really!" Richie hopped up from his spot on the bed, realizing how immature that looks and sat back down. "Ahem. Really?"

"I don't know, though. So don't quote me on it."

"I won't. I wouldn't even believe it if he liked me. That's something a lonely heart can only dream of, Stanley."

"You are such a dork, Trashmouth."

"Right back at ya', Stan the Man."

a/n: shit goes down in the next few chapters y'all. so best prepare yo selfs