stanley doesn't like looking at someone when being vulnerable emotionally, so whenever richie senses he needs to do so he gets behind him, and sits with stan back to back.
one night during their sleepover, in the middle of the night, when richie wakes up and sits on the edge of the bed, hoping stan didn't hear him despite his rapid breathing and choked out sobs, it takes him by surprise when stanley sits behind him, wraps an arm around richie's stomach from behind and rests his forehead against his back. richie is sure he can't open his mouth without letting out sobs, so he stays silent - and stanley starts talking. he starts telling stories from when they were young, when they were just two dumb boys who thought everything was about running around and playing. he starts talking about the first time he realized richie was his best friend, the first time he started seeing richie in everything he looked, the first time he thought richie was his other half.
richie would laugh and smile as tears dropped to his lap, letting out broken 'yeah?'s for stan to reassure him. for stan to talk to him. for stan to never stop.
richie turns around the moment the words 'i love you' spills from stan's lips and buries his face in his neck. he starts silently sobbing and crying as stan leans back until they lay down with richie all over him. stanley plays with richie's hair and holds him until he falls asleep.
