casual : stozier

TEN

richie opened the door slowly, and he felt as though he was blasted with boreal cold, seeing stanley huddled in the corner of his bed. somehow, it felt bleaker than outside.

"i-i'm sorry, stan--" richie started, stan looking up from his corner of isolation. 

"did you mean it?! "

"what?"

stanley breathed in sharply and stared the raven-haired boy straight in the eyes. he pulled the duvet covering him further up. richie could tell stanley was grinding his teeth. he held back his words despite the instinct to tell stan, knowing it was bad for stan's molars.

"did you fucking mean that? or did you just say it? "

"i-i-it was for our friends, stan, i--what? "

"they couldn't hear you! you must've known that richie, you must've! "

stanley couldn't help the the tears escaping him, and soon enough he was sniffling. he did his best to wipe the tears from his skin.

richie's heart broke. 

"i'm only going to ask this one more time--"

"i don't know, stan. i don't know if i meant it."

stan rolled his eyes bitterly. 

"why does this matter to you so much? " richie asked.

"why? because you might not love me but i love you! and i have for a godforsaken long fucking time, much longer than this stupid fake relationship. and i know it was stupid to think that maybe this dumb trope would get me somewhere with you, but i was naive, okay? i might not be the one you think about every passing moment but for me? it's always been you, richie. it's always been you."

"i..."

"i don't wanna hear it, richie."

richie shook his head.

"please, just let me say s--"

"go back outside. tell them i'm feeling a little better but i don't wanna risk it. i'll see you in class tomorrow, richie. goodnight." 

stanley lied down and turned, back facing richie. richie's eyes watered, but he did as stan asked. standing in the doorway for a moment, he mumbled back, "goodnight, stanny."