Prompt: I can't sleep + Tory and Ben? (Bluenan?)

Oh… Hell yes… I'm here for this. Victoria Brennan, Ben Blue and the magical mystery of the high school to college transition…

Hiram's phone buzzed in the front breast pocket of his sports coat.

7:45 - BEN: What's the story?

7:45 - HI: Still waiting on a refill at the seafood station

7:46 - BEN: What's Tory doing?

7:46 - HI: Strangling a priest in the bathroom. What do you think? Dancing.

7:46 - BEN: With WHO?

7:46 - HI: Dunno, haven't seen her in a bit.

7:47 - BEN: YOUR THE FUCKING DATE WHY ARE YOU NOT DANCING?

7:47 - HI: one word: bacon.

7:47 - HI: scratch that, two words: BACON SCALLOPS

7:45 - BEN: WHO IS MY GIRLFRIEND DANCING WITH?

Hiram shivered uncomfortably. On one hand, entertaining Ben at all was a bit underhanded in his friendship with Tory. On the other hand, Ben was basically his brother and he'd known him longer. On the rarely-considered stomach, they just refilled the seafood tray. Ben could cool his heels for a minutes or two.

7:48 - BEN: WHO?

7:50 - BEN: Hi, who is she dancing with?

7:55 - BEN: Is it Chance? JASON?

7:56 - BEN: HI

7:56 - BEN: Stop ignoring me, who?

7:59 - BEN: HIRAM! I WILL TELL YOUR MOM ABOUT THE BACON!

8:05 - HI: Jesus Christ, take a Xanex. She's dancing with her dad. Where's the faith?

Hiram applied a little shame, feeling only slightly bad. Tory and Ben had a recent fight about her being on an accidental double date with Ella, Ella's new squeeze Phil and Phil's cousin. Apparently, Phil's cousin was in the dark as to Tory's status up until he put his lips on hers and the smack that followed. Despite the smack, Ben was not happy she'd basically given "date-vibes" for three hours. To say Ben was shaken, especially being stuck up in his dorm room two hours away, was an understatement. The fact that Hiram and Shelton knew at all was testament to the depth of that earthquake. Ben had confided, probably drunkenly, in a group chat and begged them to not hold back if they thought she was over him.

Hiram glanced at the dance floor on his way to investigate the little cakes now appearing on the far table. Chance Claiborne reached out–Hiram saw it in move-style slow-motion–Chance pushed a stray curl behind Tory's ear. She pursed her lips. Hiram waited for the smack. She said something. Chance stayed in one piece. They moved on…. no smack. But also no dance, no returned gesture, no change in body language.

They had little graham cracker crusted raspberry tarts. Hiram hoped there would be fifty more dances before Ben got home for the summer.

Tory collapsed onto her bed in the silk dress unconcerned about wrinkles for the first time that night. She pulled her phone off of her desk and flipped to her text messages.

7:46 - Ben: Hope you're having fun. Miss you.

8:45 - Ben: Hey, if you get home early, call me.

9:24 - Ben: Need help on this Bio question…

10: 23 - Ben: don't care how late, call me

She looked at her clock, decided a few minutes to her self wasn't going to end the world and rescued her face from the layers of make-up she hung her dress and pulled on soft pajamas. She dialed.

"Tory?" Ben sounded tired, his speech slow like he'd woken up to take her call.

"Sorry, is it too late?"

"No, no. I'm glad you called. I can't sleep."

"Sound like you've been sleeping." He cleared his throat. "No, don't do that, you sound so sexy when you just wake up."

"Well, I'm not just waking up. I've been up, waiting."

"Waiting for me? I told you I could be out late. You should go to bed."

"I just wanted to check in. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was alright. Not great, but it is what it is."

"Any accidental dates?" Ben's words were distinctly slurred.

Tory sat up, cocked her head to the side, and narrowed her eyes like she could exact her glare through the airwaves that connected them and stop his heart. "Excuse me?"

"I dunno, just wondering."

"I'm not gonna stroke your bruised ego over a non-issue. It happened, I told you, it wasn't my fault, now move on."

"Move on? Is that what you want? To move on?"

"You've been drinking again, haven't you?" She accused, even more certain from his speech.

"Better than going out and dancing with Charleston's most eligible bachelors."

"Good night, Ben. Do me a favor, don't call me tomorrow. Take a day and sort your shit out." She hung up. She silenced her phone.

"Great, now I can't sleep!" She huffed, exasperated, and set her course for the left over peach cobbler in the fridge.