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acid isn’t nearly as fun as people make it out to be.
i mean really it’s a process – i mean, really, it’s like science homework if you’re doing it with someone like edward. that’s what they were supposed to be doing, science homework, it’s what they were doing, until bruce mentioned having a tab in his bag. it wasn’t really an invitation either.
bruce was a chemistry god, he’d finished the work in 30 minutes flat and eddie didn’t particularly care about chemistry when he could listen to bruce – he was detailing the events of earlier that day, an altercation with two boys that ended in belonging being flown everywhere and an extra tab of acid in bruce’s pocket. look. look, he didn’t intend on using it, he didn’t even go out looking for it, but when eddie found out he had it…
—
the boys didn’t see much use in getting up from the floor at this point. when bruce had mentioned the acid eddie was already halfway in the process of tackling him by the time he’d finished the sentence, his arms were wrapped around bruces neck and they fell chest-to-chest. bruce huffed when his back made contact with the floor, but eddie was already sat up straddling his legs, searching his pockets.
bruce stifled his laughter, an amused little smile settling over his features while eddie filtered fruitlessly through his pockets. the tab was in a clear plastic bag, which was in his wallet, which was in his backpack, tucked under eddie’s desk. it was funny to watch the 18 year old, a tall mess of lanky limbs and shaggy hair struggling with the simple task of getting into his pockets.
“at least take me to dinner first,”
eddie groans, rolls off of him and lays beside him on the hardwood floor. the bristles of the carpet tickle his neck and he shudders uncomfortably but doesn’t dare move, moments like this are bliss. heavy breathing and chests rising and falling dramatically, staring at the ceiling. the glow of the lamp, the only light in the room, creates a halo around bruce’s dark hair when edward turns to face him. if he could he’d seal this feeling up in a bottle, a little glowing jar of warmth he’d store on his desk.
bruce turned to him and smiled, clunky and wide. edward could only smile back.
—
it was quite small when you actually took the time to look at it, you could barely make out the design and eddie concluded that it was probably a small part of something bigger. the blues and purples and pinks all blurred together — it didn’t really matter in the end.
“just- ok if we’re gonna do this, just tear it-“ bruce reached out to grab the tab and eddie slapped his hand away, “you don’t need to be so neat about it, eddie.”
bruce was sat on edward’s bed while the other boy sat at his desk; he had the tab on the table, holding a pair of scissors around the halfway point. they’d agreed to split it in half, but bruce had intended on just tearing it haphazardly with his hands — eddie had other plans. his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth and you could see his eyes squinting behind his round glasses, the definitive picture of concentration.
it had taken him maybe 3 minutes to be satisfied with his placement of the scissors, and another minute for him to slowly cut the tab in half. proudly and with a winning grin, he plopped the scissors onto the desk and presented the split tab to bruce. his friend — friend? — just shook his head, reaching out to finally take his half of the acid tab.
they’re sitting together on the bed now, facing each other with a sort of giddy, scared glee bubbling in their chests. they’d smoked weed before, obviously, but weed was weed, this was different. with the tab under their tongues they sat in comfortable quiet; deftones played softly somewhere in the background but the volume had been turned down since they’d started on homework. bruce placed a chaste kiss to eddie’s lips and the other boy rushed to deepen it, but stopped when he felt a hand on his chest.
“do you want to swallow the tab early?”
eddie raised his eyebrows in realisation and only nodded silently, he moved so he could lay backwards with his head in bruce’s lap, staring up at him with wide but content eyes.
—
you can definitely tell when acid hits.
they were both equally giggly, falling over themselves and each other at the tiniest things — their laughs made each other laugh, increasing in volume and intensity each time the other opened their mouths. it was a miracle they’d remained on the bed; the sheets and blankets were tangled and at some point a pillow had been kidnapped to be utilised as a cuddle-buddy by edward, arms wrapped tightly around it as he swayed in his spot.
he stared up at his ceiling once more, noticing the way the swirled pattern of the plaster seemed to be more prominent in this lighting. now that he thought about it, the swirls seemed to be moving, endlessly in circles, wrapping around itself and melding into each other. eddie’s giggles started up once more, abandoning his makeshift teddy bear in order to point upward with a wide grin.
“bruce- brucie, bruce. bruuuuce,”
“what- what?”
“is it just me or is the ceiling … moving?”
“what?”
“just look,” he keeps insistently pointing at the ceiling.
bruce’s gaze follows edward’s line of sight and he makes a quiet sound of awe.
“woahhhhh, your room is breathing,”
“oh god don’t put it like that,”
“but it is!!”
“nooo..”
he groans, descending into another fit of giggles. eddie doesn’t stop his stream of laughter, mirroring their earlier position as his head falls face first into bruce’s lap. the other boy pats the top of his head before ruffling his hair, then finally letting his hand rest atop his hair.
“eddie, not while we’re tripping,”
the other boy shoots up as fast as his body will allow, the blood rushing to his head as he sways once more in his seat. eddie swats his hands in bruce’s general direction, shaking his head despite its lightness.
“no, ew! shut up,” he frowns, “i was just trying to get comfortable,”
the other boy only shrugs and they quickly move past it, but that doesn’t stop edward from poking his tongue out childishly.
—
eddie squints and pulls away from bruce’s neck before he makes his evaluation;
“you smell like gummy bears…”
“what the fuck.”
“you do!”
bruce pushes bruce away playfully and eddie lays sideways on the bed limp, playing dead. bruce kicks him again in the thigh, and eddie insists upon his silly act, not reacting to the action. when bruce settles and goes back to his intense observation of the dead plant that sits on his bedside table, eddie pounces, placing a series of light punches to his chest. the other reacts accordingly, feigning wound and offence.
“wow… i see how it is,”
they’d fallen off the bed by this point, rolling around on top of each other and landing a series of harmless attacks on the others bodies. the teens seem as though they’re tickling each other more than anything, and by the end they’re dishevelled and tired with messy hair and flushed, pink cheeks.
—
by the third hour you’d expect they’d get tired of their childish, energetic antics, but they were just as manic as they’d been the hour prior.
a prominent effect of an acid trip is intense mood swings; health websites state you may experience rage, anger and hatred towards those around you, or …
“y’know bruce, i really love you. like reaaaally love you, a lot.”
“i love you too eddie,”
“no, you don’t get it, i love you man. i want to kiss you,”
“we kiss all the time, you’re my boyfriend-“
“but i looooove you, y’know,”
the entire time eddie has got this dopey, lovestruck grin on his face and if bruce had to wax poetic, he’d say he had stars in his eyes the way they shon. bruce took his face between his hands, and it's almost as though he could feel the liquid warmth of his blood dripping over his fingers with the way his cheeks were so hot. they make eye contact and the tension is palpable, eddie’s mouth ajar only the tiniest bit when bruce’s kisses it.
“i love you too, ok?”
“yeah- yeah.”