#mini psa but if you experience any form of psychosis be so so careful with edibles

[intothedysphoria]

Billy was looking particularly majestic that night but maybe it was the edible Steve had taken.

Squinting through the slightly blurry see-saw the world had briefly shifted into, Billy was wearing a t shirt for The Jam and was dancing like a 1980s punk. He was sober in a way Steve wasn’t, amped up more on adrenaline than drug use. Flailing wildly back into the crowd, arms swinging.

That was just college, Steve supposed. Previous small town popularity by an abrasive Marxist(?) who used words Steve hadn’t heard outside of 1950s detective films. The lustre of Steve “The Hair” Harrington had been relegated to watching Guardians of the Galaxy on a Friday night and ignoring the horror of the Disney corporation.

They’d somehow all gone to the same college after high school, all of Steve’s old crew and adversaries (bar Nancy who went Ivy League and Jason who Steve was pretty sure had become a moderately successful drag queen.)

So, Steve could see everyone from the class of 2023 scattered across the club, particularly Eddie who had assigned himself as Billy’s best friend and was shouting Lord Of The Rings quotes at anyone who looked at him funny.

And of course he could see Billy, but really who couldn’t. The man was hard to miss.

Deciding to just ride the high out, Steve snunk off to the bar and decided to scroll through tiktok, occasionally snickering at a particularly ridiculous video, sending them to Robin or Carol and generally trying to not fall off the bar stool. That shit hurt.

He was content staying there until Carol wanted to go when he felt someone behind him, a little to his right. Judging by the cologne just dripping off him in spades, Steve immediately knew who it was.

Billy took a seat next to him and ordered a water. His hair was held up into an unruly bun by a pin with an opossum on it. Frankly, he was a weirdo but so was Steve.

They’d both gotten over the animosity in high school like 9 months ago so Steve wasn’t expecting a fight. Neither was he expecting what the part of his brain that watched too much porn wanted.

Billy inched slightly closer towards his seat and turned to him, clearly expecting to make some sort of conservation. Steve’s high brain scrambled to keep up.

“So, how’s things been Harrington?”

The tone was casual. Casual was Steve’s middle name. Not Joshua.

“I’M FINE HOW ARE YOU!” Steve shouted, then realised he’d shouted it as Billy and about half the club winced.

He then repeated what he’d just yelled, but in a whisper.

Billy looked both slightly stunned and heavily amused.

“I’m good Harrington, you seem like you’re a bit spacey though”

Steve attempted to nod but got distracted by the colour of Billy’s eyes. They were such a pretty blue.

“Come on Steve, time to get you back to your room.”

He grabbed Steve’s hand in a firm grip and suddenly they were moving. Billy made some hand signals to Carol, she sent a thumbs up and Steves face was blasted with the night air.

It was probably about midnight. The only other people out were students walking to and fro from bars and campus. People like Billy and Steve.

The lift wasn’t working so they had to walk up four flights of stairs, Billy semi carrying Steve by the third floor. Steve briefly felt like the lead in a romance novel then felt stupid for thinking that.

Billy led him into his room and they played Mario Kart with a large pizza for a good hour before Steve passed out. On Billy.

He was still there when Steve woke up. Hovering next to the bed with a slightly worried expression on his face, presumably because he’d thought Steve had greened out last night.

Steve gave a thumbs up to indicate that yes the high had pretty much passed.

They stood in front of each other, Steve still in his pyjamas and then Steve’s dumb brain decided to give Billy a remarkably chaste kiss.

As a thank you.

Because he was an idiot.

Evidently Billy didn’t mind because he kissed him back, very intensely.

That morning was Steve’s favourite in college thus far.