' 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 '

"what are you talking about?" stan laughed, nudging bill's shoulder. "this one is definitely better!" he smirked, holding the two stuffed animals. bill laughed, hiding his face in embarrassment.

bill pointed to his bed and stan threw them on, before digging in the box once again, pulling out another picture frame, this time of bill and georgie. bill smiled at the photo, it definitely was a keeper. bill remembered the day, like it was yesterday.

his mother telling them to stay inside, since it was pouring, then heading out for groceries. his father always was adventurous, something bill lost when his father died, but that day he remembered sneaking outside with his father and georgie and playing in the rain, like there was no tomorrow.

one of their last memories together.

bill blinked a few times, stan placing the picture frame on his shelf, next to the family photo, and coming back, picking up two more frames, the last frames in the box.

"who are these girls?" stan asked, pointing to a girl hugging bill in a photo, pressing a kiss on my cheek, and another girl, her hair burning red, making his heart hurt from remembrance of his old friends.

"her name was jane, but everyone called her elle. she was quiet, like me, but she spoke a couple words." bill wrote, pointing at the short haired girl in the photo.

"and this is max. her and elle were my best friends, and she was a lot different than her, she was kinda a badass. she loves to skateboard too. i miss them."

stan smiled at the two girls, nodding, not bothering to say much more, placing the frame on the shelf next to the others. "one last photo." he said, and picked it up, staring at it, not sure if he should show bill a picture of his father and him.

"i..." he started, before he placed it on bill's bedside table, facing it towards his bed. "bill, maybe you don't want this picture here, but i'm sure your father would love you to remember him with only good thoughts, he loves you." stan said, and bill nodded, standing up and wrapping stan into a hug.

it wasn't just a hug, it was the most amazing hug he's ever had before, the boy wrapping him in his arms.

"i think it's time to go to bed." stan said after a few minutes, and bill nodded, pointing at stan, then the bed. stan gulped at the queen sized bed before hopping on, bill not hesitating to crawl in and snuggle against the boy, stan blushing furiously as bill turned the light out.

bill opened his phone, opening a note and typing a few words, then showing it to the other boy.

"tell me a story." it read, and stan nodded, bill closing his phone, along with his eyes.

"once upon a time, in the ancient town of shitty derry," stan started, making bill giggle, and stan's heart melt with the short laugh. "a new boy moved to town. he was quiet, and extremely lovable. he was kindhearted, and everyone wanted to be his friend. especially stan uris. he did-,"

stan stopped talking, hearing bill's breathing slow down as he fell asleep, his heart beat even.

"and then stan uris fell deeply in love with the quiet boy next door." he finished, before grabbing his phone and clicking "recent caller".

it rang a few times because richie answered, voice raspy and tough like before. "richie?"

"what? and be quiet, eddie's sleeping." he whispered, and stan almost laughed.

"be quiet too. bill's sleeping." he exasperated, making richie laugh.

"what did we get ourselves into?" richie asked, and stan shook his head, even though richie couldn't see him through the phone.

"we got ourselves into some deep shit."

"yes we did, stan the man."

"don't call me that, trash mouth."

"but you can call me that?"

"yes."

"but-," stan hung up, and snuggled against bill, holding the boy and closing his eyes, wishing he could stay there forever.

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