Double Trouble (discontinued)

Fairytales

Somehow, the day after gaining his very first phone number from a boy, Benji has found himself back in the bookstore that Danny dragged him to. It's much less crowded than it had been, but the lack of people makes the building seem even skinnier somehow. The windows seem to let in a lot more light, however, which Benji isn't sure he quite likes.

He's wandering up and down the aisles aimlessly, scouting for Tate. Mainly, he only lets his eyes skim over the book titles when someone nears him. He doesn't want to look dumb when he finally does find Tate. Benji isn't even sure if Tate is working today, but the boy strikes him as the type to spend free time in bookstores.

Sure enough, only twelve minutes into his search, Benji finds Tate snuggled into a plushy armchair a size too large for him. He's curled into a ball, huddled in a black hoodie, eyes trained on a book. His right sleeve is tucked in between his teeth. When he's distracted, too lost in another world to be hostile, he's sort of nice looking, Benji supposes. Softer, cute in a non threatening kind of way.

His hair is wavier than before, and messy in a way that almost suggests that he just rolled out of bed and came here. It hides most of the upper half of his face, and Benji wonders exactly what color Tate's eyes are. All at once, Tate smiles at something he's read, revealing a dimple in his right cheek. Benji bites his lip to hide a grin of his own.

Suddenly, though, the smile drops. Without looking up, Tate mumbles, "Do you need something?" Benji, startled out of his staring, grasps desperately for a response.

"Your number would be nice." Benji mentally congratulates himself for the fast recovery.

A glare from underneath Tate's bushel of hair kills the party. "You interrupted my reading, my absorbing the great works of Stephen King Himself, to ask for my number?" Rolling his eyes, Tate curls further into his ball. "Get away from me. Your plebeian fuckboy vibes are suffocating me."

Benji ignores the latter comments, eyes wide. "You like Stephen King?" Then, he gives himself an exasperated look. "I mean, who doesn't, right? Which one are you reading right now?"

Tate gives the boy a skeptical once over, mumbles, "Misery. It's the one about--"

"The author that gets kidnapped!" Benji clasps his hands together, grinning madly. He's not had anyone to gush over horror novels with before. "That one's so good! Not my favorite, of course, but it's still really good. What were you laughing at just now?"

Tate mumbles something that sounds like, "Im gonna get whiplash from the change in intellect, what the hell." Then, louder, "Oh, the part where she runs over that policeman in the lawn mower. I don't know why, it's just so overkill that it's funny, you know?"

"Yes, for sure. Man, Stephen King is so good. What's your favorite? I think mine is Rose Madder. There's just such great symbolism and--" Benji notices the surprised, unexpectedly starry eyed way that Tate is staring at him, and realizes that he's fallen hopelessly out of character. Way to be the cool kid, Ben. Now he probably thinks you're a nerd. That's just swell. Everyone loves a nerd. C'mon, bring this back. You can do it. Self conscious hands fly up to fiddle with the pendant at his neck, and Benji stutters, "N-not that I'm a big Stephen King fan, or a-anything. I just read him s-sometimes, when I'm not, you know, partying and stuff." And stuff? You've got to be kidding me. You really have fallen out of touch.

"Right," Tate, now dreadfully unimpressed, drones, drawing out the word. He swings his legs over the arm of the chair, adjusts his book. "Well, when you're done being awkward as hell, I'll be here."

Benji winces, resists the urge to face palm himself. "Alright, rude. C'mon. Just let me take you out sometime. We can watch the movie to that book you're reading?"

Tate hums, flipping his page with a papery snap. "And suffer through an attempt to fondle me around the halfway point? I'll pass."

Benji scoffs and pretends that isn't the plan he had in mind. "And miss the amputation scene? Never." He walks a bit closer, leaning on the arm of the chair that Tate is folded in. "It'd be fun, and you know it. Don't even pretend it wouldn't be."

"I think our definitions of fun are very different things. You think fun is me sitting on your couch for a while before you put your arm around me, or a hand on my thigh if you're feeling smooth. I'm supposed to just melt into your arms. Then we probably fuck, probably wildly, and you never call me again. Correct?" Tate takes in Benji's dropped jaw. "Puh-lease, sweetheart. This is not my first rodeo."

Benji, after managing to get his mouth closed and erasing any flush from his face, says, "I wasn't even thinking of doing anythin-"

"Stop lying to me. I'm not stupid." Tate gives Benji a bored look.

"I- You aren't being fair." Tate shrugs, and Benji groans. "Just give me a chance, alright?"

"Hm. How about I don't and say I did?"

Benji realizes that his usual tactics aren't working, falls on his backup. Pouting just enough that it isn't annoying, he turns on the shy boy charm. "Danny said you had to be nice to me, remember?" He glances at Tate from underneath his eyelashes. "I just wanna get to know you a little better."

Tate clears his throat, a light blush on his ears. "Y-yeah, well. Whatever. You have a paper, or something?" He produces a pen from his hoodie pocket, muttering to himself. Benji grabs a bookmark from the nearest shelf, holds it out. "Alright, enough with the shit-eating grin. I can still change my mind."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'll be good." Tate doesn't react, hunched over the bookmark, but the back of his neck grows a warm pink.

"Here. Now, leave me in peace," Tate flaps a dismissive hand at Benji, turning back to his book. Benji bows dramatically, and leaves the bookstore.

Once outside, stood underneath a shop awning, safely away from the glare of the sun, Benji looks at the bookmark.

Here, knucklehead. Don't call me if it's not an emergency. XXX-XXX-XXXX ~Tate

Benji enters the number in his phone, a small smile on his face.

To: Sass Master Tate
You never said I couldn't text 😜

A moment later, Benji's phone buzzes, much to his delight.

From: Sass Master Tate
Do you get pleasure from the pain of others generally or am I just a special case?

Benji, partly to annoy the boy, partly because he doesn't want to seem to attached, leaves him on read.

A/N:
I wrote this v quickly guys, sorry if it's sorta not very good. Any editing mistakes caught get 10 points.
Progression! We've got the main characters for Act 1 so far all introduced and connected to Benji, so yay! The romance stuff is coming soonish, so that will be fun :)

QOTC: Who's your fave character so far?

Thank you for reading! Vote/comment if you feel the urge. Love y'all!
AJ