ADJOURNMENT || benny watts x reader

chapter ten

Exhaustion washed over you as Benny bandaged up your hand. As the cold had steadily left your body, it was replaced with a warmth that was intent on making you fall asleep at the touch of his fingers to your palm.

The king piece sat on the dining table between the two of you, blood already drying on its crown. You found you could look at it now—without the feeling of your whole body going into shock or on the brink of collapse.

Benny sighed as he tied the bandage, sitting back in his chair and not meeting your eye. You had the sudden urge to apologise, but you knew he'd only tell you there was no need. You could see guilt appear behind his eyes, thick and strong, encasing his logical brain that knew he'd done the right thing.

You cleared your throat. "Thank you," You said. Benny looked at you then, his eyes finally letting in the light and shoving away the dark. "Like I said, you kept a piece of him for me. I'm sure that king has been burning a hole in your pocket for a long time."

Benny chuckled softly. "Yeah, something like that."

"I hope I didn't scare you," You let out. It was as much of an apology you could give without it actually being one.

"Scare me?" Benny repeated, raising his brows at you. "Y/N—you terrified me," You hadn't been expecting such an open answer. You'd thought he'd maybe shrug, or laugh, or roll his eyes. Not this. "It was like you froze, like you weren't here anymore. When you opened the door and rushed outside, I didn't know what to think."

"Neither did I," You added, letting out a pent-up breath.

"I'm sorry," He let out, and you heard the worry in his voice. "I didn't know—,"

"You didn't know I would react like that," You finished his sentence. "It wasn't your doing that made me snap in the slightest. I think this has been a long time coming."

Benny nodded once. "I think so, too," He reached out and grabbed the king, rubbing off some of the blood with his thumb. "I've seen you slowly get more comfortable talking about him, playing the game—but I've also seen the moments where you couldn't stand to have thoughts of him inside your head."

You let out a chuckle to try and hide the way your cheeks were gently flushing. You didn't realise Benny paid this much attention to the way you acted. "If you've observed me this well it's only a matter of time before you beat me at chess."

He smirked. "I'm working on it."

You retreated to your room, chess piece in hand, after Benny saw how tired you were. You didn't get into bed, though—you wouldn't be able to nap with the whirlwind of thoughts pelting your mind.

You sat on the floor by the window, your eyes hitting the phone on the corner table of your room. You grabbed it swiftly, punching in a number that you'd known from memory since you were thirteen—

"Y/N?" Your mother said as soon as she picked up. She knew it was you. Your chest immediately felt tight, but after your earlier release, you knew you wouldn't be able to hold back the tears that had begun to well once more.

"Hi, mother," You replied, your voice coming out small and childlike compared to the usual headstrong tone you carried.

"Oh, my dear," She knew you were crying; mothers could sense that kind of thing. "Has it sunk in?" She asked. The most you could do was nod as you felt sobs rise up from your chest. You let out a gasp, the breath catching in your throat, as you forced yourself to inhale.

"He's really gone, isn't he?"

As your mother's silence drifted over the line, you knew she too had a colossal lump forming in her throat.