ADJOURNMENT || benny watts x reader

chapter four

It was easy to feel elated and happy in the weeks after the game. It was easy to go about your days, to and from university, making coffee in the morning, reading a book in the afternoon, writing up a paper in the early hours—

You hadn't felt this fulfilled in years.

You could finally think and talk about chess without feeling sick, or getting flashbacks to your father's games. You'd even started reading new chess books.

You frequented Monte's most weekends now, always going with Amanda or some of her other friends from Columbia. Occasionally, Benny and some others would arrive as well, though they never sat with your group anymore. The most you'd see Benny on a night out was at the bar, when both of you went to order another round for your tables.

You had a feeling Benny wasn't rushing to introduce you to the people he knew, and that it was all entirely for your sake—

You couldn't deny that it made you feel cast out in some instances. He hardly said more than a 'hello' when he saw you in the club, anymore.

In truth, your skin was itching for another game. You were itching to play, and to play against him.

But while there was that side of you that was screaming to play, there was an opposite side that was crying for you to stop. You'd gone back on everything you'd ever thought, every feeling of animosity, pain, hurt, from the chess world, from what happened to your father—

Just to play a stupid game with wooden pieces and black and white squares.

Nevertheless, there was one night at Monte's, almost a month after you'd played him, where you felt something snap. You were sat with Kayden while Amanda danced on the disco floor with another friend from university, and you couldn't take your eyes off Benny's stupid hat.

You tapped your glass restlessly. "What do you reckon they're talking about?" You said, and Kayden eyed the way you stared at their table.

"Jealous?" He said. You shot him a disapproving glare, before you bit down on the straw from your drink.

"Far from it. I just want to know what they huddle up and talk about every week, without so much as a greeting to us," The huddle in question: Benny, Matt and another man you'd never met before.

"They come here often, even before you arrived. Sometimes I join them," Kayden said nonchalantly.

"Then why don't we go over there and say hello?" You offered, and Kayden's eyes flashed.

"You and I both know they're talking about chess. They're probably talking about you." But you were already grabbing his arm and pulling him to standing.

"All the more reason to say hi,"

"Y/N—," He let out, before you gave a large tug on his sleeve, forcing him in front of you. The two of you walked to Benny's table, Kayden's uneasiness slowly fading to playfulness as he leant on their table and stole a shot from in front of Matt.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Benny said jokingly, grabbing Kayden's collar and shoving him round to sit next to Matt. His eyes flashed when they hit yours. "Y/N, come join us," You took the other seat next to Matt, right opposite Benny and the other boy you didn't know. "This is Mike—Mike, Y/N—Y/N, Mike,"

You stuck out your hand and shook his, smiling sweetly.

"Benny tells me you beat him at speed chess," Mike said, and you were taken off-guard. You tried not to sound smug when you replied, despite how smug you felt.

"Did he tell you I threw up afterwards?" The tension on the table melted with your words, as Matt and Kayden laughed to themselves, reminiscing.

"An honest reaction from anyone going up against me, obviously," Benny joked, finishing his beer. Chuckles surrounded the table, and you had no idea why you'd got so pressed about them before—you'd had a strange feeling of the avoidance Benny was giving off, but you had to realise it was probably off signals you'd put out.