Double Trouble (discontinued)

Small Packages

To: Sass Master Tate
Taaate

To: Sass Master Tate
Tater Tot

To: Sass Master Tate
Taterino

To: Sass Master Tate
Yo nerd

To: Sass Peasant Tate
Text me back pls I have a surprise

To: Peasant Tate
Plssss 😖 it's a good one

Benji flops back on his bed, spinning his phone around on his fingertip, watching the ceiling fan rotate much slower. Beau and Danny are out on a date, his mother at work, and Benji has run out of ways to entertain himself. Still in his pajamas, woken perhaps twenty minutes ago, he has decided to try to get on with his day.

If only the boy would cooperate and make plans with him. He opens his messages to try Jude instead, when his phone vibrates.

From: Jude 🍀
Morning, sleepyhead! I know you're probably just waking up. Just letting you know that I'll be busy for a few days (I'm working on some new stuff). Hopefully we can hang out again after, though?
Talk to you later x

Benji hides his face in his pillow, willing his cheeks to return to normal, kicks his feet against the end of the bed. No one has ever sent him a good morning text before, let alone the kiss. When did you get so soft? C'mon. You're better than this. Suave. Confident. Sexy. That's you, not this blushing mess. Get it together. Taking a deep breath, Benji opts to keep his response simple.

To: Jude 🍀
Yah totally. Have fun x

Elsewhere, in a storeroom, Jude is blushing furiously while trying to plug in his sound equipment, trying to hide his smile. His band mates and a friend of the guitarist named Abel are teasing him mercilessly for it.

Meanwhile, Benji huffs. He's gone to get a pop tart and a glass of milk, and has returned to still no reply from Tate. Whatever. He'll find someone else to play with, then.

Just as Benji rolls his eyes, stepping into his closet to find something to wear, the phone vibrates. He fights the urge to lunge at it immediately, instead pulling on his favorite black t shirt. There's a party somewhere in town, he's sure. He'll go there instead.

But first...

From: Peasant Tate
I just wanted to see how many texts it would take for you to give up. What do you want dork?

Benji pockets his phone, stalking determinedly towards the front door. No one jerks him around. Tate's surprise will just have to wait. He gets into his car, throws it into reverse, but, just before he pulls out...

Another buzz.

From: Peasant Tate
Darn. I forgot I'm supposed to be nice to you. I'm at the bookstore if you need me?

Hm. I could go to that banging party downtown... But I want to get these books out of my trunk. Benji starts towards the bookstore, for the sake of trunk space, of course. It's not like he really wants to see Tate, or anything.

***

"Huh. You came." Tate hasn't looked up from his book yet, explaining his blasé reaction. He's snuggled into what seems to be his usual armchair, soaking in the bit of light he can through the skylight. "I thought maybe I'd managed to scare you off. Pity."

Benji smirks, shifting the trash bag in his arms back and forth. "If you don't look up, you won't get to see your surprise."

Groaning dramatically, Tate marks his spot with his finger and lifts his head. Unimpressed, he glances at the bag, then at Benji. "What."