ADJOURNMENT || benny watts x reader

chapter nine

When you woke on the 11th of December, you'd almost forgot what day it was—your 24th birthday.

You were struck with a memory, of your 16th birthday. Your father had been invited to a charity game abroad on that very weekend. You'd had no choice in staying or going—you didn't get to spend the day with your friends, celebrating your first pivotal birthday the way you'd wanted to.

Your mother held no remorse, "You have next year, and the year after that. This game is good for your father."

Your father, however—he'd had guilt behind his eyes the entire time. You hadn't realised just how bad he'd felt until you woke up in a hotel bed to him singing you Happy Birthday, a cupcake with a candle poking out of it cupped in his hands.

You told yourself not to cry as you sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. This was your first birthday without him; without his smile, without the crow's feet around his eyes starting to reveal his age.

You had to take in multiple deep breaths to stop your throat from closing up. You hadn't thought about how difficult your birthday was going to be—you hadn't even considered it a possibility of feeling emotional at his absence. And now you were paying for it.

You forced yourself to look at the lake outside, as the ice glistened beneath new flurries of snow that melted immediately upon touching its surface. You focused on the moon, still visible despite the sun being up in the sky—

The landscape calmed you immediately, tethering you to the world around, instead of the world inside your head. You dressed after a quick stretch, running a brush through your hair for the first time in a few days. It was easy to relax without inhibitions in Maude's cabin—it was easy to just exist, day to day, without a care for anything.

It was something you could have easily got used to.

This little slice of the world; secluded and beautiful; cold yet full of life.

You left your room, shuffling on the wooden floor until you rounded into the kitchen—what met you made your heart burst—

"Happy birthday!"

Maude, Benny and Matt boomed from around the table, smiles plastered on their faces. The table was topped with pancakes, waffles, fresh fruit. In the centre sat a homemade birthday cake, no doubt baked by Maude.

You simply stood as you tried not to crumble on the spot from the amount of love you felt. It filled the room to the ceiling, stuffing the furniture, the doors, the rugs, with so much light and life that if you'd died right there, you would have been happy about it.

They all came to you as you stayed, glued, to your spot, too overwhelmed to step forward. Matt encased you in a hug with Maude close on his tail. When Benny approached you, he paused before he placed his arms around your neck, bring a hand to the back of your head and gently resting it upon his chest. You embraced him back, squeezing him as you tried not to show how much your eyes were beginning to water.

"Presents!" Maude yelled theatrically, revealing a gift bag and patting the chair at the head of the table impatiently. You willed yourself to sit, gobsmacked.

"You got me presents?"

"It's your birthday, what did you expect?" Matt laughed, as everyone took a seat themselves.

Benny stole a strawberry from one of the plates, biting into it as he huffed at your expression. "You're acting like you expected us not to remember,"

"I just didn't think you'd all—," You let out, but you stopped yourself. "Never mind. I'm talking drivel."

You opened up the presents from Maude. She'd bought you a crystal glass and a bottle of gin from a local distillery. You practically hugged the bottle, your cheeks flushing. "I love gin."