"hey nerd" "hey doofus" -rodrick x reader

Chapter Nine: Ben, The Matchmaker

It had been weeks since Y/N and Rodrick's first tutoring session and they had never been closer.
Everyday after school, they would go to Rodrick's and study for an hour. Then they would drive around Plainview and just talk. They hung everyday and Ben was starting to catch on to something.
"I know this is premature of me but who are you planning on asking to the end of year prom?" asked Ben as he and Rodrick sat down at their usual cafeteria table.
Rodrick shrugged. "I probably won't even go."
"Why not?" Ben asked. "You have to. Besides, I know someone who'd be your perfect date."
Rodrick looked up from his cafeteria gruel and his eyes widened. "Who?"
"I dont know.... maybe Y/N?" Ben smirked as Rodrick's cheeks coloured pink.
Rodrick scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Why— why do you say that?"
"You two spend a lot of time together," Ben said.
"Yeah well, can't guys and girls be friends with each other?" Rodrick asked defensively.
"Sometimes.... but not when they act like you and Y/N," Ben stated.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rodrick asked.
"Rodrick, you like her. That's clear to anyone who has eyes," Ben said. "It amazes me that you two aren't together already."
"Well maybe you should get a reality check, Ben. No girl like Y/N is going to like me like that," Rodrick said, resting his head in his hands.
"Rodrick... don't put yourself down like that," Ben said. "Things will work out. Trust me. Just ask her out."
"I would if she weren't Y/N," Rodrick mumbled.
"Why?" Ben asked.
"Because I think I could handle being rejected by someone else. But if it were Y/N..." He shook his head.
"It may take time but things will work out," Ben promised. "She'll come around."
"Who will?"
Rodrick jumped at the sound of Y/N's voice. She stood by their table with her lunch tray, her gaze shifting between them.
"Rodrick's having girl troubles," Ben said. Rodrick kicked him from under the table.
"You poor soul," Y/N said as she seated herself beside Rodrick.
Ben smiled at the fact that Rodrick became very flustered when Y/N sat down.
"So, tell me about this girl," Y/N said. "Do I know her?"
"Actually, I think you could say you're practically the same—"
Before Ben could finish his sentence, Rodrick kicked him again. Harder this time.
"It doesn't matter," Rodrick said quickly.
Y/N nodded. "Promise to tell me about it later?"
Rodrick gulped and nodded.
Y/N scanned her lunch tray and frowned. "Shit," she said.
"What's wrong?" Rodrick asked her.
"I forgot to get juice," she replied.
"Oh, I'll get you some," Rodrick said, getting up from the table.
Y/N smiled as he walked away.
"So..." Ben said, a mischievous grin on his face. "When's the wedding?"
Y/N rolled her eyes. "You're funny."
"Okay but seriously, when are you two going to confess to each other?" he asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Y/N said, stabbing her plastic fork into her cafeteria lunch. "We're friends."
"Yep. Sureee," Ben said with a smile.
"Why are you acting like this?" she asked him. Her eyes widened suddenly. "Did he say that we weren't friends?"
"Nope. I can just tell you want to be more than that," he replied.
"You're funny, Ben. Very, very funny," said Y/N.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak in denial. I'm guessing that translates to: You're right, Ben. You're very, very right." He gave her a big grin.
She sighed and continued to play with her food. "Why are you so invested in my personal life?"
"Because I have nothing better to do," Ben replied.
"Don't you have a contest you have to prepare for?" Y/N asked.
"Yes. But I have a few days to wait for that," Ben replied.
"You also have a million years to wait for us to "confess to each other" because it'll never happen. We are friends and that's it," Y/N said.
"It pains me to see how in denial you are," Ben smirked.
"Even if I liked him that way he would never feel the same," Y/N said.
"Oh I'm sure he would come around," Ben replied.
"Who would?"
Y/N flinched at the sound of Rodrick's voice. "No one."
Rodrick sat beside her and Ben watched Y/N blush. He smirked to himself as he watched his perfect plan unfold. He was going to do everything in his power to get them to confess.

Two days after that lunch, Ben noticed that Y/N and Rodrick weren't hanging out that much anymore. Other than when she had to go to his house to tutor him. It was strange and mildly concerning. He was praying that it didn't have anything to do with what he said to both of them that day in the cafeteria.
"Hey, dude, wanna come over and practice today?" Rodrick asked at the end of the school day.
"I thought you'd be busy with Y/N?" Ben said.
"She said she couldn't make it to tutoring today," Rodrick said with a shrug. Ben caught a glimpse of Rodrick's sad eyes and frowned. Something must have happened between them.
"You two haven't hanging out that much have you?" Ben asked as he and Rodrick walked out of school and hopped into Rodrick's van.
"Nope," he sighed. "I don't know what's going on. She doesn't even talk to me."
Ben buckled his seatbelt, bracing himself for Rodrick's insane driving skills. "Have you tried talking to her?" he asked as Rodrick drove out of the school parking lot.
Rodrick shook his head. "I don't wanna make her feel like she has to tell me just in case it's personal."
"You might as well just ask if she wants to hang out, dude," Ben said.
"I don't want to get in her business," Rodrick countered. "If she wants to tell me, she will."
"Do you think she's not talking to you because of what I told her?" Ben asked without thinking. He cursed himself for saying it.
"What?" Rodrick asked, glancing at Ben worriedly. "What did you say to her?" Ben kept quiet. "Ben! Answer me!" Rodrick hit the steering wheel. "I swear if you said anything to hurt her I will kill—"
"Calm down, Rodrick," Ben said. "I never said anything like that."
"Then what did you say?" Rodrick demanded.
"I was only teasing her," Ben said.
"About what?" Rodrick asked.
"About her liking you," Ben replied. Rodrick tried to keep his eyes on the road.
"She likes me?" he asked.
"Well, she never actually told me but it's obvious," said Ben.
Rodrick furrowed his brows. "So she didn't tell you she liked me but you were teasing her? I know I'm dense but that doesn't make any sense."
"Listen, Rodrick," Ben began as they drove down Rodrick's street. "She is in denial. It's so obvious. She's good at hiding it, so good that she can hide it from herself but she likes you. And that's why I teased her because I thought if I teased her enough, she would give in and confess."
"That doesn't seem right," Rodrick said. "You teasing her and all... if she really does like me she should have time to figure it out for herself and then tell me."
They pulled up to Rodrick's house and hopped out of the van. They made their way up the drive way and into the garage.
"Well don't you want to know?" Ben asked.
Rodrick was about to shake his head but he sighed. "Yes. Yes I do."
"Let me tease her then," Ben said. "And maybe I can sneak a confession out of her."
Once in the garage, they assembled their instruments and practiced a few songs while waiting for their bass player, Barry.
When Barry showed up, they played some original songs and covered some. After a few hours of practice, they started a discussion.
"So are we playing Devil's Diper?" Barry asked as he put his bass into its case.
"Yeah, it's one of our best," Ben said, imitating a guitar solo in the air.
"What if we did something different?" Rodrick asked suddenly from his spot on a bean bag chair in the garage. He nervously fiddled with his drumsticks.
"What do you have in mind?" asked Ben.
Rodrick shrugged. "Maybe we could write a new song. One that doesn't involve... diapers?"
Ben and Barry made noises of disagreement. "But that's our thing!" Barry protested. "Our songs are supposed to be about diapers!"
"It was just a suggestion," Rodrick mumbled, doing some tricks with his sticks.
Ben furrowed his brows at Rodrick. Somethings wrong... Rodrick is the reason Löded Diper's trademark was diapers...
Barry picked up his case, his bass safely secured inside and turned to his band mates. "Well, I've gotta go. See you tomorrow." Ben and Rodrick nodded and watched Barry leave.
Ben immediately turned to Rodrick. "So, what's up?"
"Nothing," Rodrick said, eyeing Ben with a confused look.
"Why would you ask to write a new song?" Ben asked. "You created the band. You made the song titles... why are you so opposed to them now?"
"I don't know, they're kind of... stupid, you know?" Rodrick said with a shrug.
"Is this about Y/N?" Ben asked.
Rodrick's eyes widened. "No!" he squealed, voice high-pitched. He cleared his throat. "No, why?" he asked, voice too low to be his own.
"Because why else would be changing up on the band?" Ben asked.
Rodrick shrugged. "Maybe diapers are just immature," he said.
"Rodrick, you are anything but mature," said Ben. "Now tell me the truth, is this about Y/N?"
Rodrick nodded slowly.
"Do you mind elaborating?" Ben asked.
Rodrick sighed and said, "She's coming to the show and I want her to be impressed. I want her to see that we can actually be serious. I want her to see we have good talent."
"So you want to woo her with a song?" Ben asked, brow raised.
Rodrick nodded, fidgeting with his drumsticks.
"I'll talk Barry into it," Ben said. "But if you can't come up with a good song in three days then we're going to do Devil's Diper."
Rodrick's face lit up. "You'll do the song?"
"Of course. I want you to be happy. And I want Y/N to be happy. So if this is what it takes then I'll do it," said Ben.
Rodrick smiled brightly. "Thanks, man."
"No problem," Ben replied, mirroring Rodrick's smile.
After a few minutes, Rodrick offered to drive Ben home. They discussed some song topics, most of them being about love songs since that's all that was on Rodrick's mind. When they got to his house, Ben bade his best friend goodbye and went into his home, picturing the day of the contest where Y/N would watch from the crowd, eyes on Rodrick. He smiled to himself, knowing that he was doing a great thing for his friends. And that soon enough they would thank him for being their match maker.