1967
(3rd person POV)
Being woken up by the sounds of the morning traffic was not how Beth envisioned her stay with Benny to be.
Groaning, she groggily sat up to see the blonde pouring two cups of coffee. She stumbled slightly and slid off the air bed.
"Careful." A voice said beside her.
She looked up and saw Y/N sitting crossed legged on a chair with a magazine on her lap, and mug in one hand.
Beth stumbled as she stood up. Benny walked over and handed her one of the cups he was holding.
"You can get changed in my bedroom." Benny told her as he sipped on his coffee.
Beth smiled playfully.
"I need a shower." She said softly, bringing the cup to her lips.
Benny turned around and pointed to the poor excuse of a shower next to the fridge.
"She's all yours." He said before walking off.
Beth must've been staring at it for too long.
"If you're worried that Benny will rip off the shower curtains while your in there you can put your mind at ease." Y/N flipped to the next page of the magazine.
"I will personally lock him out of the house if he does so." Y/N smiled at the girl.
Beth, in return, smiled back
________________________________________________________________________________
The door creaked as she opened the door. Tugging her cardigan over her shoulder, Beth walked over to the table where Benny had set up the chess board.
"Here, we'll start with these." He placed a stack of books next to her seat.
Beth picked the first thing on the stack.
"The Hastings Christmas Chess Congress." She read aloud.
"Falaise Hall, White Rock Gardens."
"Record of games."
"Luchenko-Uhlmann. Borgov-Penrose."
She picked up the next one.
"Grandmaster Chess. Whoo!" She cheered.
Benny gave her a look.
"Play the Hastings games first." He told her while adjusting his chess pieces. "I'll play black."
"I haven't had any breakfast." Beth deadpanned.
"I think Benny here is trying to starve you Beth." Y/N joked as she placed a plate of pancakes next to her.
"But then again, he starves himself too. If it weren't for me, this poor man has probably starved to death by now."
"My hero." Benny rolled his eyes.
Beth chuckled at their interaction.
"Thank you." She turned to look at Y/N.
"Anytime. Enjoy." She patted her shoulder before walking back to the sink to clean up.
Beth took a bite of her breakfast, savoring the taste.
"Then, we'll play the Borgov games first." Benny's voice broke her out of her trance.
"All of them?" She raised an eyebrow.
"He will be in Paris." Benny pressed.
Beth sighed.
"Fine." She turned to look at him.
"I will eat first."
"Well you kids have fun." Y/N said as she grabbed her purse from the counter.
"I have a performance to get to. I'll see you tonight." Y/N walked over to Benny and pecked him on the forehead.
"Ah, ah, not so fast." He gently grasped her wrist and pulled her in for a kiss.
"Good luck." He wished.
Y/N smiled and pecked him one last time before heading out the door.
"Please tell me I'm invited to the wedding." Beth piped in.
________________________________________________________________________________
Beth had been staying with the couple for quite some time and was beginning to adapt to the area. The morning traffic sounds no longer bothered her, the coldness of the shower was now numb to her, with every passing day, she felt more comfortable then ever.
"We're playing serious chess." Benny started. "Workmanlike chess."
"The kind of chess played by the best players in the world, the Soviets."
Benny paused.
"And you know why they're the best players in the world?"
"They have the best suits?" Beth suggested.
"It's because they play together as a team." Benny revealed. "Especially during adjournments."
"They help each other out." He explained.
"Us Americans, we work alone because we're all such individualists." Benny leaned back in his chair.
"We don't like to let anyone help us."
"You're helping me now." Beth yawned.
"Am I?" Benny raised an eyebrow. "'Cause it looks more like I'm putting you to sleep."
"I'm sorry. I'm tired." Beth apologised.
"Give the girl a break." Y/N said taking a seat next to her boyfriend. "You've been training her day and night. She hasn't had the time to rest properly."
"She needs it! She'll be facing the Soviets sooner of later!" Benny exclaimed.
"Yeah, and you'll be facing a lot worse now if you keep overworking her." Y/N glared at him.
"I should probably go to bed." Beth said as she got up from her seat.
"What, and miss out on all the fun?" Benny smirked.
"Mm. I'll survive." Beth said while walking over to the deflated airbed and grabbing the pump.
She paused for a moment.
"What fun?"
Three knocks rang from the front door.
"I wonder who that could be." Benny joked.
He ran up to the front door and threw the door open.
"Hey!" He greeted. A chorus of 'Heys' greeted him back.
"Right on time." Benny smiled. "Come on in, come on in."
"Good to see you." One of the men said as he hugged Benny.
"Y/N! So good to see you again!" One of the men exclaimed as he embraced the girl.
"Good to see you too Arthur." She smiled before pulling away.
"Y/N you get more beautiful every time I see you." The other man complimented.
"Aww...thank you Hilton." She enveloped him in a tight hug.
"Hey paws off." Benny said and took Y/N be the waist.
"Beth Harmon, this is Hilton Wexler and Grandmaster Arthur Levertov."
"The new champ." Arthur said as he shook Beth's hand.
"Hi." She greeted.
"Congratulations. Benny needed a second lesson in humility. His first was Y/N obviously." Hilton shook her hand as well.
Benny rolled his eyes.
"I'm already tops in humility."
"Y/N!"
"Cleo!"
Cleo greeted her with kisses on the cheeks.
"It is wonderful to see you again." Cleo smiled at the Y/H/C haired girl.
"The same can be said to you." Y/N grinned.
"Hello, Beth." Cleo walked over to the young red-head and kissed her cheeks.
"Uh... oh..." Beth was stunned at the gesture.
"I'm Cleo." She introduced.
"Hi." Beth greeted.
"Do you do problems?" Hilton asked, pointing to the chess board.
"No." Beth admitted.
"Never?"
"I always found them irrelevant." She explained. "Positions that never come up in actual games."
"Let me show you one you might like." Hilton smiled.
"Okay." Beth said, intrigued.
"Can I mess this up?"
"Go ahead." Benny answered.
"We are in for one long night." Y/N groaned.
Cleo chuckled.
Y/N tuned out most of the conversation between the rest of them and went on to prepare the food. Soon enough, Beth came and joined them.
"Are you here with Arthur or Hilton?" Beth asked Cleo.
"Both of them. Neither of them." She answered. "Two of them are better than one, if you know what I mean."
Y/N snickered at her friend's comment.
"Well I'll bring this board out first. Can you two handle the rest?" She asked.
"Of course Y/N dear. Go ahead." Cleo reassured.
Y/N nodded before walking away.
She placed the board on the table before moving to take a seat.
Benny on the other hand had another idea.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, positioning her on his lap.
"Benny, what are you doing?" Y/N asked trying to get up.
"Harmon's here, so we have one less seat. Just thinking ahead Y/N/N." Benny smirked.
"You're insufferable." Y/N rolled her eyes as she snuggled closer to Benny.
"And here you are in my arms." Benny laughed.
Y/N smacked him on the chest.
The man yelped in pain.
"Hey, hey, save it for the honeymoon." Hilton joked.
"You'll be lucky if this bloke even pops the question." Y/N laughed.
Benny rolled his eyes at her.
Just then Beth walks over with the remaining boards in her hands.
"Here we go." She smiled as she placed them on the table.
The three men stare at her.
She was confused.
"What?"
"Let's do a simultaneous." Benny suggested.
"You...play all of us."
"Uh, not me."
They turn to look at Cleo.
"I don't even know the rules. I'll spectate."
"Same here."
They turned to Y/N.
"I'm really not in the mood to think of tactics right now."
"Then it's settled." Benny shrugged.
Beth looked around the room.
"Do we have enough boards, enough pieces?"
"Yeah," Benny pointed to a corner. "In the closet. We can set them up right here on the floor."
Beth stayed silent for a moment.
"Okay." She agrees.
The three men silently cheer.
"Time control?" Arthur asked.
Beth thought for a while before finally saying,
"Let's play speed chess."
"Well, that'll give us an edge." Benny said, leaning forward a little. "We can think on your time."
"Mm." Beth shrugged. "I wanna try it."
"You're not so good at that, remember?" Benny said snarkily.
"I'll bet you ten I can beat you." Beth said, confidence dripping from her voice.
"What if you throw the other games, spend all your time against me?" Benny questioned.
"What if I kick you in the crotch?" Beth glared at the blonde.
Y/N stifled a laugh which she quickly covered with a cough.
Cleo smirked at her antics.
"I'll bet you ten on them, too." Beth nodded towards Arthur and Hilton.
Benny nodded.
"Okay. It's your money."
"It will be." Beth kept her poker face on.
The next few rounds were a blur.
Within minutes, Beth has managed to put all three of them back in their places and Y/N has witnessed her dear old boyfriend reluctantly shoving money into the young girl's hands.
With each loss they had, Y/N found it harder to contain her smile as her and Cleo watch them desperately trying to wriggle out of Beth's intense competitiveness.
"Again." Beth said after winning for the third time that night.
Benny looked up at her.
"No." He said firmly.
He leaned back and propped himself up by the elbows.
"Well, kid..." He choked out.
"I think you've got it."
Cleo placed her glass down and started clapping for the young girl.
Soon enough, the rest of them joined in, applauding for the redhead.
________________________________________________________________________________
Although it was a little sad to see the night end so quickly, they knew that it was time to wrap things up.
Cleo went up to Beth and kissed her cheeks.
"It was such a pleasure. Do look me up if you come to Paris." She smiled at the girl.
"Will you be there in two weeks?" Beth asked.
"Oh, who knows?" Cleo winked at her before heading out the door.
"We'll walk you out." Benny suggested as he grabbed Y/N's hand.
"Beth, why don't you start getting ready for bed." Benny said as he dragged Y/N out.
Y/N managed to shoot an apologetic look towards Beth before Benny managed to fully drag her out of the house.
The cool night air immediately hit her in the face making her shiver.
Benny instinctively wrapped his arm around her.
"Always the gentlemen aren't you." Y/N teased.
Benny rolled his eyes.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Well this is us." Hilton said as they stopped in front a car.
"We'll see you two around."
With the last round of hugs Y/N bid everyone goodbye.
Benny was exchanging some last bit of conversation with Arthur who seemingly passed him a small object before patting him on the shoulder and getting into the car.
As the couple watch their friends drive away, they enjoyed the silence between them.
"Should we head back now?" Y/N turned to look at Benny.
"We could, but there is one last thing I need to do." He turned to look at her. "These aren't the best circumstances to do this but I told myself it has to be today and since those three have basically been pressing me to do it for the longest time, I'm going to."
"What are you talking about?" Y/N's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.
Benny sighed.
"It's not entirely how I pictured it but.."
He got down on one knee.
"Wait...you're not...." Y/N's Y/E/C eyes widened in realisation.
"I know it's not the most romantic thing in the whole world or whatever but let's be honest, this screams me. And you'd much rather have something that is from the heart than some stupid planned romantic gesture." Benny smiled.
"Me emptying my wallet to Harmon earlier was just the cherry on top you know what I mean?" He chuckled as he pulled out the ring box.
"Alright, you know I'm horrible with speeches so I'm just going to go straight to the point. Will you marry me?"
Y/N didn't hesitate to answer.
"Yes." She breathed out.
Benny's smile brightened.
He slipped the ring onto her finger.
He got up and hugged her tightly.
He pulled away before pressing his lips firmly onto hers, to which she kissed back.
"I love you." He mumbled against her lips.
"I love you too."