timing : stozier

50

december 23/24

"so, tell me about axel," bill said, stan slowly turning his head. stan was on the couch, previously sleeping, but he stumbled upon bill and richie, standing near the kitchen in bill's apartment, talking. based on the light, stanley figured it was morning. all he knew was that his head hurt, like, really hurt.

"well, he's nice, really nice... um, we met when i was really fucking depressed in school. i had just left you guys, and we were friends for maybe two weeks before he kissed me and asked me out. mhm, it's good, we haven't set a date for like, a wedding right now, we're still settling into moving in and, y'know, things like that," richie replied, scratching his neck.

"oh, wow so you guys have been together a long time," bill said, a little shocked. neither of them had noticed stanley, who was still lying there watching them. stanley had remembered the three of them going out for drinks, and maybe karaoke ?

"well... we broke up for some time, but we're back together now, and it was for the better. i-i don't even know if it's a breakup, it was just like a break for us to breathe, y'know? for us to grow up by ourselves a little," richie clarified, stan gritting his teeth. he would've opened his mouth to say something, except he was sure if he moved his head would shatter. 

"o-oh, okay," bill began, eddie walking out of their bedroom to see richie. richie and eddie had already reacquainted themselves yesterday, when they'd got home from karaoke (and they had to drag stanley by his arms onto the couch). bill turned to him and smiled warmly, and eddie waved. "good morning, eddie," bill murmured as eddie just buried his face in bill's side. bill wrapped his arms around him, laughing a little. 

richie kept scratching his neck, and he glanced to stanley, and noticed he was awake. "oh, good morning--" richie cut himself off, not quite sure what he was going to say. bill looked over, and laughed at how hungover stanley really looked.

"good morning sleeping beauty," bill snickered, eddie laughing into bill's side. richie felt a knot in his throat. bill noticed richie tense up, but walked over to stanley anyway.

"you feeling it, huh?" eddie laughed, stan coughing a good morning. the three of them wandered over to stan, and stanley reached an arm out blindly. the arm hit richie's leg and he grabbed on, his eyes shut. richie flushed red but laughed a little, bill snickering and swatting at his arm. 

"shu-shmh-shut up" stanley murmured, reaching out again like a child and this time falling off the couch, smacking his head with a loud groan. bill hissed at the sight, eddie laughed, and richie flinched. the laughter died down, and they all stood in silence for a moment. 

they heard a buzzing, and richie turned his head back towards the kitchen. eddie didn't even flinch and said, "that's your phone, richie, it's been going off all morning," he nattered, richie nodding. he slowly wandered over to the phone, and all of sudden stan was perfectly awake.

he sat up, his head throbbing as he watched richie pick up his phone. he climbed back onto the couch. richie stared at his phone for a moment, holding the gaze, and then answering it. he yelped the moment he answered it, and he stood, frozen, as he listened to the other person on the phone.

"yeah, i know, but," richie tried to get a word in, but he ended up swallowing the rest of his sentence. "no, i fucking know, but, wait, i'm sorry, fuck--" he continued to mumble into the phone. stanley simply watched him, his fists clenching. bill and eddie were mostly focused on each other, but stan watched richie. 

"i'm not-i'm not doing this right now," richie hung up the phone. he stared at it for a moment, waiting for it to start buzzing again. after a minute, he walked away, back to the other three. he sat down on the edge of the couch, leaning back and sighing. 

"you okay?" stanley muttered, bill and eddie too caught up in good morning kisses.

"i should be asking you that," richie sighed, and he played with his fingers aggressively. 

"no, i'm... i'm just hungover. this is almost normal for me at this point. i should stop drinking." stanley groaned, sitting up better to see richie. richie nodded empathetically.

"yeah, it took me a year of drinking every day to realize i had a problem, so... here i am now. dumb-fucking 19 year old richie..." richie mourned his decisions, and somehow, stanley felt that maybe richie was talking about more than just alcoholism. 

"well, i'm glad you're doing good now, that's a good thing, right?" stan asked hesitantly.

"yup. one year sober in two weeks. and it fucking stinks." richie muttered, tapping his fingers on his lap. stanley almost reached out to soothe richie's back, but stopped himself last second. instead, he hummed supportively, and his eyes watered. why? he wasn't sure, really. 

"yeah," stanley didn't really know what to say, "who was calling you?" he asked. his voice was hesitant, unsure if he was overstepping a boundary. richie sighed. 

he didn't hesitate to answer, "my parents..." richie turned to stan, who looked even more concerned. "uh-bu-but we're good now. we just have some days where, well, it's complicated. but, my dad is much better... it's nothing like when i was young, he's apologized a lot," richie smiled sadly, "i promise."

stanley wasn't so sure that it was richie's parents that he had been talking to in the first place, but he shrugged it off. they finally turned back to eddie and bill, who had remembered their presence again. 

"stan, you want a glass of water, yeah?" bill offered, and stanley nodded meekly. richie watched in concern as stanley's headache seemed to bother him once more, him shoving his head into the blanket that was covering him. richie stood up suddenly.

"i could go for a glass of water too, where's the cups?" he asked bill, and bill let go of eddie for a moment.

"i'll show you." the two of them wandered to the kitchen, and richie's mood seemed to have improved. maybe bill was imagining it, but he could've sworn richie looked everywhere but at his phone. 

"so, how did you and eds finally get together?" richie asked, taking two glasses from the cabinet bill gestured to. bill laughed fondly.

"well, we were very aware that we both liked each other for a while, but it took until i was 17 to ask him out, that's when we officially got together. i... i had kissed him before that." bill smiled as he spoke, and richie reflected silently. bill took one of the glasses to the sink. the sound of running water filled the content silence between them. 

"i'm happy for you guys, dude. eddie liked you for so long, it was unbearable! i'm glad he got his happy ending," richie mused his own words, bill grinning and putting a hand on richie's shoulder.

"do you really love axel?" bill asked.

"yeah" richie responded. his phone buzzed once. he didn't look.

"then i'm glad you got yours too, man." bill pat richie's back and picked up the two glasses now full of water, and handed one to richie. the two of them shared a small smile, and richie mumbled thanks. his phone buzzed for an extended amount of time, and he looked over, concerned. richie sighed out a long breath, and bill watched him carefully. richie picked up the phone, and turned to bill.

"i should get going back to my apartment, y'know," richie said, bill nodding. richie put the glass back down on the counter, and the two of them walked past the kitchen.

"alright, well, let's do this again sometime," bill suggested. richie bit his lip nervously.

"yeah. for sure. i've missed you guys."