Double Trouble (discontinued)

Storytelling

"C'mon, please?" Danny pouts at Benji from his spot cuddled into Beau's side. "It'll be fun, I swear."

Benji groans, letting go head fall onto his hands. "Danny, sweetheart, you're really cute-"

"Benji," Beau warns, wrinkling his brow.

"You're really sweet," Benji amends with a pointed look at his brother, "but I have no interest in this book thing."

Danny pouts, leans forward over Beau's lap. "Please? My friend will be there and I don't want him to feel like a third wheel." He bats his eyelashes for added effect.

Benji sighs, looking towards the ceiling. As usual, no answer is written there. "Danny. No."

Sulking, Danny leans back on his boyfriend's shoulder. A swirling, bored silence blankets the space. Then, Danny grins suddenly. He murmurs something into Beau's ear, darting furtive glances at Benji.

"What if Danny's friend is cute? Like, proper cute. And probably interested in you," Beau proposes. His cucumber cool negotiator face is on, and Benji pouts; he'll not get out of this if Beau is the one doing the convincing.

"Well, what if I don't like the friend?" If there is anything that Benji is definitely not looking for, it's a relationship.

Beau lets out a weighty sigh. "As much as it pains me to say this... I'll do your laundry for the week."

"What, really? No way. You're bluffing." Benji knows how his brother is about germs, and his brain can't seem to process the offer.

With a sage nod, as though he already knows what Benji will say, Beau adds, "I've just bought fresh latex gloves. And Danny's been working with me about the breathing thing. I can do it."

Grudgingly, Benji nods. "Alright, fine, whatever. I'll go to your book thing."

"Yay!" Danny clasps his hands in front of him, grinning. "I'm glad. He'll like you, I'm sure of it."

Benji smiles, tries not to. "We'll see about that."

***

The bookstore is tall, far taller than it is wide, but the high ceilings do nothing to vent the heat. Benji believes it must be the books, the tall shelves of books lining the walls, that must be the cause of the insulation.

Benji stands in the middle of a throng of people surging towards somewhere, slightly damp and, unsurprisingly, alone. He doesn't even completely blame Danny and Beau for escaping while they had the chance. He only wishes he was so smart.

The crowd jostles Benji, knocking him almost over, but he manages to keep standing. "Hey," he says. Excited chatter returns to him in bursts.

"I just can't believe he's here! I..."

"We're almost to the front! Just a little..."

"Obviously not, Jodi. They aren't ready for a relationship yet, they need..."

Benji, slightly overwhelmed, peers around wildly, looking for his crew. This is nothing compared to the amount of people he's used to, clubbing on Friday nights. The difference is that club people are usually at the very least on the lighter end of wasted, and these people are all very much alert. The effect is a strange, self aware discomfort.

Benji grabs his necklace, spinning it with is thumb, and pops up onto his toes for a better view. A flash of blonde hair, very much like Beau's, in a secluded corner near the front of the shop shines in the sunlight from the window; Benji heads towards it gladly.

By the time he arrives at his destination, the blonde is nowhere to be found. With a sigh, Benji leans against the shelf behind him, grateful for the bit of space. The only other person nearby is a short guy in a dark hoodie, an employee judging by the faded name tag on the chest. Dark bushy hair covers his eyes.

The boy glances at Benji when he thinks he isn't looking, quickly looks away when it becomes obvious that he's been spotted. His hand flies up to his hood, like it's instinctual to pull it up, then slowly lowers to his side. He settles for biting his lip and looking away, tucking his hands away inside his sleeves.

A light flush spreads over the boy's ears. Cute. Benji adjusts his lean so that he looks more like James Dean, smiles his charming, boy next door smile. "Hey, cutie."

A beat of silence, during which the boy doesn't turn Benji's way. Then, "Can I help you, sir?"

His voice is quiet, lighter than Benji expected. He smiles wider. "Well, I was wonderi-"

"I would ask if you needed help finding something, but..." Here, the boy scans Benji slowly from head to toe. Then, he smiles, a sweet, innocent thing, and flicks his hair away from his face. "You don't look the type for reading."

Benji's smile is frozen on his face. His mouth doesn't know what shapes to make, and he racks his brain for something to say. He'd been prepared for this one to be the shy, bookish type. "W-well, what type do I look to be?"

The boy runs a finger along the shelf nearest him as he speaks, inspecting it for dust. "Oh, you know. Tall, suave, dumb fuckboy that I don't have time for. Something like that."

"What?"

The boy snorts, rolls his eyes. "Oh, and the poor thing has the gumption to look shocked," he murmurs. Then, louder, "What, you wanna tell me I'm not right?"

Benji's eyebrows raise, and for a moment, for once, he has nothing to say. Then, he laughs, pleased at being taken by surprise. "Wow. You are something. Let me take you out sometime."

"You expect me to just bend to your will because you act impressed by my wit? Puh-lease. I told you, I don't have time for you."

Benji smiles nearly as sweetly as the boy had earlier. "Oh? Then what are you doing standing here talking to me, sweetheart?"

A beat of quiet. Then another.

"Shut up. You're dumb."

Benji smirks, watches the boy's ears turn pink. Before he can speak again, though, the boy pushes off of the wall speedily.

"Danny! Thank God you're here! This cretin was trying to flirt with me." Dramatically shuddering, he scowls at Benji.

Danny smiles. Beau, with a very similar smile, squeezes Danny's hand. "Tate, this is Benji, the guy I was telling you about. Benji, this is my friend Tate."

Tate groans, looks back at Benji. He grins, waves enthusiastically.

Tate puts his hand on Danny's shoulder. "No. Danny, please no?" He pouts, brown eyes pleading.

"Tate. Be nice."

"Fine." Shooting a furtive glance at Benji, Tate adds, "But I won't like it."

A/N:
Tate! I love him. Agh. You guys don't even know how much I'm looking forward to this story.
So excited!

I don't have a question this chapter aha this was a fluffy light one.

Speaking of fluff *seamless segue into shameless self promo* if you love it, you should check out my new short story, Strawberries + Cream! Good stuff. Good for the soul.

If there are errors, pls let me know and I'll love you forever ^^

Thanks for reading!
AJ