timing : stozier

71

a/n: short..... sorry....

august 24/25

"i'm considering going home for a bit." stanley tapped his foot awkwardly, hoping richie wouldn't notice that he'd hardly eaten any of his scone. richie, mid sip of his coffee, raised his eyebrows in surprise. he put down the cup, his hands still wrapped around it.

"really? like, to derry?" richie asked.

"yeah. a change of scenery ought to be good for me." stanley picked at the scone with a fork until one of the corners fell apart. a blueberry hidden within the corner fell out onto the plate. stanley ate that.

"what's wrong, stan?" richie said. 

stanley gulped. how were you supposed to explain to the man you're in love with that you need him to be in love with you back when he's not?

so you don't explain that.

"i don't feel good." he considered sharing more, but he wasn't sure how. stanley scratched his head. "well, i..." stanley didn't continue, instead leaving a pause while richie figured out he didn't have anything more to say.

"what about work?" richie said, lifting his coffee cup back to his lips. stanley watched him with intrigue. since when did richie think so objectively? whatever.

stanley cleared his throat, still pushing lightly at the scone. "i've cleared enough vacation days for it. i think it's probably fine."

"i... if you think it's best."

"is it best?"

richie took another sip of coffee. he sighed out of his nose. "stanley, i don't know if i'm qualified to make that decision."

"but..." stanley kept his composure, but blinked several times, formulating a sentence. he finally took a bite of the scone, because richie kept glancing from it to him. stanley swallowed the piece of dough and looked up to richie. "rich, do you want me--do you think i should stay?"

"i think you should, uh..." richie's brain screamed stay, stay, please, just ten more minutes and i'll outright tell you, but he didn't say anything. instead he trailed off until stanley's look made him remember he had to reply, "go. it'll make you feel better."

"oh."

silence passed, and richie felt guilty. i want you to stay, stanley. please refuse to go.

"yeah, i mean, you want the scenery, i'm sure your parents would be happy to see you, you know," richie continued, thinking of how little scenery there was in derry. it wasn't an ugly town, but it wasn't a pretty one either.

"yeah. okay, uh, yeah, you're right," stanley said. he pushed at the scone with his fork and sighed.