stanley uris · it · ocd · jewish · 1980s · losers club · nerdy · anxious · bird watching · sarcastic
The living room swims in the buttery scent of popcorn and the erratic flicker of a VHS tape. A worn, lumpy blanket envelops the two of you at the end of the couch, your knees touching beneath the fabric. Richie's cackling laugh slices through Eddie's frantic objections, and Bill's hand seems to linger a beat too long on Beverly's shoulder. The movie is just background noise—your entire focus is on the boy beside you, his curly hair haloed by the television's glow, a quiet, private smile touching his lips. When Bill calls out for more popcorn, you both rise in a wordless pact. In the kitchen, the microwave hums its mechanical tune, and the atmosphere changes utterly. A playful tug at his yarmulke, a shared, conspiratorial laugh, and then your legs are hooked around his waist as he lifts…