Chapter Text
"come oooon shrimpo. it's just a little bit of pot, it's not gonna kill you."
sprout's voice was sugary sweet as always. his expression a perfect pleading pout. he shook the little sandwich bag in his hand, it's contents shifting around in a slew of green flakes.
shrimpo's face scrunched up. he could almost smell it. it was revolving to him, he couldn't understand why sprout liked it so much. every time he tried to hang out with him, it was more of the same.
"hey shrimpo! wanna smoke weed with me?"
his bedroom smelled disgusting. reeking of the stuff constantly.
you could always tell when sprout was high. he was overly calm towards everything. the usually worry and overprotectiveness that characterized the strawberry was just gone. replaced by someone who wouldn't blink if you fell on the train tracks in the lobby. that and his eyes were so bloodshot you'd think he was going twisted.
sprout batted his eyelashes, crouching on his knees to be at eye level with his tiny partner.
"you need to relax more.." he purred.
shrimpo scowled at him.
"you think weed's gonna make me relax???" he spat, crossing his arms and turning his head away from sprout.
sprout shrugged, but shrimpo wasn't looking. "it helps me relax..." he muttered.
"it changes you, sprout. i hate it when you do drugs. i hate it." shrimpo took a few steps back, eyeing the door. he wanted out. he didn't want a repeat of last week.
sprout's laughter swirled around shrimpo's head, thick as the smoke in the air. his eyes felt dry, but watered all the same. he needed a bath. he needed water. he needed to get out of here. the stinging headaches and nausea of being on dry land only amplified by the powerlessness he felt now. anxiety gripped his body and gave him goosebumps he couldn't shake. he felt like he was being watched by something just out of sight. some predatory being waiting to make him it's meal. but he knew he was alone here. alone on a bed with sprout seedly. he reached up to rub at the nubs where his antenna used to be. he could almost see them back in their rightful place. but it wasn't real. he was just seeing things. he couldn't feel them. it hurt so goddamn bad.
"isn't this nice?" sprout's words were slurred and slow. the kind of tone you'd use when explaining something to a child. sprout clambered over shrimpo's small form, placing his hands on either sides of his face, rubbing circles into his cheeks. "you look so pretty right now..."
i don't feel pretty.
it hurts.
it hurts.
it hurts.
IT. HURTS.
"get OFF." without warning shrimpo shoved sprout away with all four of his arms and all the strength he could muster in this state. he was uncoordinated. sprout didn't move too far, flopping down onto the bed limp like a ragdoll, still close enough to be touching shrimpo. he needed to get out of here. he could feel something warm and wet sliding down his cheeks. it took his brain too long to catch up and register that he was crying. he tried to get up, but another wave of nausea hit him like a brick wall to the back of the head, sending him tumbling to the floor. he faceplanted, clutching his stomach with his lower arms.
MAKE IT STOP.
shrimpo rolled onto his side, willing himself not to vomit. "you're no funnn..." sprout complained, pouting as he peered over the edge of the bed. he looked twisted. his eyes were bloodshot, and his stupid leafy hair was messed up and crinkled. shrimpo half expected vines to shoot up from the ground and trap him there. maybe if he was lucky, they'd kill him and end his suffering.
shrimpo locked eyes with his boyfriend. but they weren't his own anymore. sprout seedly was gone. replaced by whoever this was. if sprout seedly were here, he'd get up, scoop shrimpo into his loving embrace and help him feel better. he'd stop it from hurting. that was what he did best. that's why shrimpo fell for him in the first place. this monster impersonating him just stared, laughing at his misfortune. this was not sprout seedly.
"I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO DRUGS." shrimpo jerked his shoulder away from sprout's hand. his face contorted in a kind of anger sprout had never seen from him before.
shrimpo turned and pointed at him. "IT MAKES ME FEEL DISGUSTING. AND IT MAKES YOU AWFUL."
"it's not that bad." sprout held his hands up. he'd already dropped the bag on the ground. shrimpo wanted to pick it up and throw it away so badly, but he held back the urge.
"and anyways, you've done it before and it wasn't a big deal." sprout pointed out.
wasn't a big deal? WASN'T A BIG DEAL???? I WANTED TO CLAW MY INSIDES OUT WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT "WASN'T A BIG DEAL"?? ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID??
shrimpo seethed, but he didn't air his thoughts. he didn't want to yell at sprout, not while he was off it. not while he was his normal, loving boyfriend. especially with the way he was looking at him. with those puppy dog eyes. but it was clearly an act. shrimpo couldn't deal with the peer pressure he was trying to inflict onto him.
"i'm not doing it."
shrimpo turned to leave again, but sprout grabbed one of his wrists.
"please?"
shrimpo jerked his hand away. "NO!"
"why are being so mean about this?" sprout cried, feeling hurt. shrimpo frowned at him.
"i know you like the way it feels, but i don't. and besides, you're like a completely different person when you're high!" shrimpo hissed. he finally made it to the door. he was almost free.
"why can't you just support me??" sprout yelled, collapsing onto his knees. "i can't be the person everyone wants me to be all the time! it's so fucking exhausting having to care so much! i need this, shrimpo. i need some way to unwind from all the stress i'm under!"
"ever tried yoga?" shrimpo spat. "you're destroying your brain, sprout. i don't want to be a part of that!"
"FUCK YOU THEN!"
shrimpo froze. he could hardly believe those words left the other's mouth. his sweet, kind, caring boyfriend. saying something like that. a pit opened up in his stomach. he felt like he was going to puke.
"I DON'T NEED YOU, SHRIMPO. IF YOU CAN'T ACCEPT THAT THIS IS SOMETHING I'M GONNA DO, THEN MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE TOGETHER!" sprout yelled, standing up and backing away until his legs hit the edge of his bed.
shrimpo didn't know how to react.
you're breaking up with me...?
tears welled in his eyes. he'd never felt so betrayed by anyone. sprout was choosing drugs over him.
he couldn't let sprout have the satisfaction of hurting him.
"FINE. MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T." shrimpo grabbed the doorknob. "I HATE YOU, SPROUT SEEDLY."
he slammed the door behind him, immediately sinking to the ground and hugging his knees, sobbing.
i hate you...