timing : stozier

34

june 15/16

a/n: man i don't know why there's so much vomiting in this story but. emetophobia tw i suppose.

the moment they were out of sight of any of the possible vantage spots in the theatre, stanley kissed richie. richie kissed back, and they stumbled to a back part of stagecraft one, keeping them from being seen by any other students who might accidentally wander in.

"you look really good today, by the way," richie mumbled in between kisses, stanley grinning.

"come closer," stanley pulled richie closer to him by his shirt. richie sniggered at how desperate stanley seemed.

richie's fingers found their way underneath stan's shirt, and they traced stan's hip bone up and down. his cold fingertips on stan's warm skin made stanley giggle a little, but they continued.

"can i?" richie tightened his fingers around the hem of stanley's shirt, and stan muttered back, "absolutely."

stan's shirt now on the ground, richie moved on from stan's lips to his neck, littering kisses down the entire trail. stan's shirt had to be taken off so that the hickey wouldn't be in an obvious spot. richie's hands moved up and down the sides of stan's chest.

stanley's fingers were knotted in richie's hair, and his breath hitched as richie sucked on the soft skin near his collarbone. he tugged a little on richie's hair, and heard him snicker.

soon enough, a reddish mark had been left on stanley's chest, and richie kissed it lightly one last time. he bent over and picked up stan's shirt, tossing it to him from the ground.

"thanks." stanley was glad he had worn a t-shirt that day. easier to get off, you know? it was a rarity to see stan in a t-shirt, but this one was one of richie's that he barely wore. stanley had worn it so he could feel like he was wearing richie's clothes without anyone suspecting anything. "you look really good today, too," stan added, smiling warmly towards richie.

"i'm smoking hot, i know," richie pecked stan's lips, sitting down in a creaky old chair that had probably been used for a show at some point.

he patted his legs and—rolling his eyes—stanley sat down on richie, his legs on either side of richie's lap. his hands found a resting place on the back of richie's neck.

"what's going on with you, rich?" stanley asked, his fingers tapping along richie's skin.

"what do you mean, baby?" richie replied his hands around stanley's waist.

"i don't know, you just seem more reserved and sad today. i want to help in anyway i can, even if that's just sitting here with you. and if you want to talk to me, i'm here," for the second time that day, richie found himself being asked to open up. honestly he was a little mad at himself for letting them see he wasn't doing the greatest in the first place. he didn't want to worry them.

"you being here is all i need." richie grinned, and hoped to god it looked real. it seemed to partly satisfy stan, who smiled sadly.

"rich, what's wrong?" stanley asked, one of his hands moving to richie's face, running his thumb over richie's cheek bone.

richie's lips parted, and he looked down, and stan thought he might actually tell him. just for a moment, a flicker of something real flashed through richie's eyes. but the moment passed, and so did the words on the tip of richie's tongue.

"i really appreciate you asking, stan, but this is something i need to deal with alone." it wasn't, of course. but richie really did not want stanley to worry so badly on the last day of school. if he knew the cause of richie's sadness, it would not help much. honestly, it had barely set in in richie's mind.