#because this chapter is currently fifty-five pages long and will take a bit to edit

[mirchloe]

ohhhhhh, my god, the draft is DONE!!!!! i have jotted down so many notes about the ending that i'll put in the ao3 end notes because hoo boy, i ran into so many issues. the first problem was that the ending after a particular point was too quick. then, it became too morbid when i started combining ideas. it wasn't coming out right the way i wanted! i thought of a gorier way to conclude it, but that was dashed pretty quickly since it went against the entire premise of the story. i don't want to spoil too much, so i'll save it for the end notes. have fun reading my phone notes because you can easily pinpoint where i become enraged at my own ideas lol.

[the-fiction-witch]

Books

TV SHOW: THE QUEENS GAMBIT COUPLE: BENNY WATTS X READER  RATING: FUNNY + FLIRTY

I walked down the half broken, foul smelling new york streets. Hearing my heels clacking in the pavement as I walked, the swishing of my petticoats and my dress, the small sun trying to peek through the thick grey clouds. I put my sunglasses in my handbag as I arrived at the tall buildings I saw the beaten up beetle parked in the street and the small handful of parking tickets it had under the wiper blade so I picked them up and sighed turning to look down into the ever stretching darkness of the stairwell. I stepped down trying not to touch the handrail to the first level of little doors with some lights and then down the second stairwell into the dark nothing's, it smells like shit down here. 

I got to the door trying to not touch the gross walls tapping in the door as hard as I could hearing the metal echo through the basement.

The door opened tenderly and careful a first as if trying to peak before it opened fully revealing a barefoot, Benny watts. Stood in his black dirty jeans where he'd clearly wiped his hands down his legs for some reason, his black t shirt with his usual chains, his hand fixing his hair out of his eye with a small smile on his lips 

"Hey you"

"Hey" I smiled briefly stepping inside, as soon as my foot crossed into his apartment he put his hand on my waist and gave my cheek a kiss "move your car" I told him pushing the tickets into his chest he took them and I headed inside slipping my Jacket off and laying it over the chair 

"I'll move it in a bit" he says "coffee?"

"Tea" I Answered "extra milk t-"

"Extra milk two sugars I know" he laughs going over to his kitchen setting the tickets down in a forming pile on his kitchen counter 

"You should pay them"

"I should do a lot of things"

"Pay your parking tickets Benny"

"Suck my dick y/n" he says leaning against the counter looking at me crossing his arms over his chest "we both don't do what the other wants us to"

"You make me suck your dick I'll bite your cock off" I sighed sitting at the table 

"I know, I still have the bite mark from Last time" he sighed bringing the cups over sitting across from me with his coffee instantly I took my little hanki from my handbag and cleaned the top of the cup seeing the white cotton turn grey 

"What is it Benny? What did you summon me to the slums of new york for?"

"Oohh sorry, next time should I request an audience at mi lady's palace?" 

"What do you want Benny before I pour this tea down your pants"

"I need your help"

"... Hu. Never thought I'd hear you say that but go on"

"I need your help with something that only you can help me with"

"Right…"

"I wanna write a book" 

"A book?"

"Yes"

"What kinda of book?"

"One with... words?"

"No shit. Fictional or non fictional?"

"What's the difference?"

"Fictional is a story, non fictional is real life."

"Oh, non fiction"

"Okay, do you have a plot structure"

"A who what?"

"What's the plan for the book Benny?"

"I shall write it. And then I shall publish it." 

"Did you wanna edit it somewhere in the middle there?" I laughed

"Eh, you can do that" 

"Okay… so lemme guess this is a book about you? Or about chess?"

"Little I'd both"

"Who's publishing it?"

"Me?"

"Ohh so you have four thousand dollars laying around do you?" 

"What!"

"If you wanna self publish Benny, the basic level is four thousand dollars and that will get you local distribution if your lucky which is about five states out if that." 

".... Uuuughh, I'll publish through a publisher? Your publisher?"

"Eleanor doesn't take non fiction"

"Then she has to know someone who does? Right?'

"She does but then have to pay for meetings which cost roughly fifty bucks per ten minutes, and you have to get an approved manuscript before they'll even meet you, and even though a publisher for international you’re taking nine to ten thousand. Dollars."

"Uuuuuuughhh, wait. It's a chess book so I could get funding for it from the chess federation"

"Maybe, but then they are going to need to approve it first, and the send to a publisher willing to carry it, and then designing, and editing and printing and stocking which could take over five years" 

"Five years!"

"Yep. The novel world is a slow one Benny" I said "besides that's all publishing stuff, you can worry about that when you have a manuscript"

"A what now?"

"Manuscript is like the… actual book pages and all the words that will be on them"

"Ohh, well that shouldn't be too long, bang it out over a long weekend or something"

"You think you can write a book manuscript over a long weekend? Three days?"

"Yes"

".... Okay, so you wanna write a book? Which for non fiction about chess really a good level would be five or six hundred pages minimum, your going to get it written, edited, and ready to send to the chess federation for approval by Monday morning, even though they might reject it or just plain not fund it, you'll be already one thousand dollars in the red, before you add shipping, handling, copywriting, paying me for editing because I ain't doing that shit for free and as it's currently four pm on a Saturday afternoon and you haven't even writen a word yet"

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

"How long did it take you to write your book?"

"Six years, in and off with a full time job and without an editor"

"I'm fucked aren't I?'

"Not fucked Benny. Overambitious" I laughed "do you have a title?"

"No."

"Do you have a synopsis?"

"No."

"Do you have a typewriter?"

"I was going to write it by hand?"

"With your handwriting?"

"What's wrong with my handwriting?"

"Benny, it looks like a spider learnt cursive and then got drunk"

"I don't own a typewriter. May I borrow yours?"

"No. Buy one"

"There like sixty dollars!"

"I will buy you a pre-owned typewriter"

"Aww thank you sugar"

"How are you intending to pay me for being your editor?"

"... Royalties?"

"Awww Benny darling, if you sell your book for a dollar each you'll be lucky to make 25 cents per book in royalties, less if you go though a publisher, and even less if it's being funded by the federation… you'll maybe get about six pennies if your lucky" I explain 

"Then how the hell do you afford your car? Your house? Your dresses?"

"I sell alot of books Benny"

"I'll give you three pennies if my six pennies royalties?"

"Of your not yet existing book? So I'm just meant to wait and see if I get paid?"

"I'll bake you a cake?"

"You can't cook Benny"

"... I will eat you out?"

"No deal"

"I promise you half of all royalties, editor credit and I'll fuck you as much as you want, now will you please just help me?"

"Fine. I'll be needing a deposit payment" I said 

"Alright, you know where the bedroom is I'll finish my coffee and be there in a sec" 

I sat on the leather chair looking at the handwritten chapter structure Benny had given me "Benny?"

"Yeah?" He asks slightly jumping where he had been sat for so long at his table with his notes and the old typewriter I got for him trying to figure out how he loaded paper in it 

"What is this word?" 

"What word?" He asks 

"The something with something"

"Which chapter?"

"Four?"

"The faults with defense" 

"That is how you write an s?" 

"Yes"

"... How do you not write an s right it's in your name?" 

"No it's not?"

"Yes it is"

"B. E. N. N. Y. No s there?"

"Watts?" 

"Ooohh yeah"

"You fool" 

"Also, does this have a E?"

"No."

"And how am I meant to write a chess book without the letter e? I sort of need it? Chess. Defensive. Queen. Benny."

"Antidisestablishmentarianism" 

"That's a word?"

'"yep"

"Can you use it in a sentence?"

"Screw you bitch I can spell antidisestablishmentarianism" 

"A.n.t.i.d.i.s.t?"

"Nope"

"Damn it" he sighed "but I need e how am I meant to write chess without an e?"

"Write an o and then draw a line in the middle?" 

"Fine" he said starting to type one key at a time "Openings… and… tactics… by… Benny… watts" he said but the typewriter had got to the end of the spool "y/n! Why won't it type!"

"Benny just… ughh come here you child" I sighed getting up going over and moving the spool back to the centre so he could write "there. You have to do that at the end of each line"

"Really?"

"Yep. Isn't writing fun" I smiled kissing his head 

I sat listening to the clicking and clacking of his typewriter keys, sounded like music to my ears in his quiet dark and cold apartment

"Fuck!" He yelled breaking me from my relaxation as he stopped

"What?" I asked

"How do I undo?" He sighed rubbing his eyes 

"You can't what happened Benny?" 

"I typed porn instead of pawn" he sighed resting his head in his hands

"You fool" I giggled "you wanna know how we fix mistakes Benny?" I giggled going over wrapping my arms around his neck 

"We we write the whole page?" 

"Nope. White out" I smiled handing him the shall bottle 

"Fuck! That smells like paint"

"Ehh pretty much is"

"Thank you y/n"

"Your welcome" I smiled giving his head s kiss "call me when chapter one is done I'm going for a shower" 

"Uuuuhhh… yeah I'll do that" he says not sounding confident 

"How close to finished are you with chapter one?"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhh… next week sound good?"

"And you could bang out a whole book in a weekend" I laughed sitting back on the chair 

"I said I'm sorry! I didn't know it was this hard" he says 

I sat the other side of the table with my lovely blue pen, my leg over my knee, smirking slightly at him as Benny sat on the other side his hands to his face watching me Intently, panic in his eyes everytime he saw me use the blue pen, which I was having to do alot. 

"Here" I said throwing it back to him now I was done "you should probably re write that's a little too much editing for white out watts"

"What's wrong with this?" He asks as he looked over the page 

"You used the wrong there"

"I hate you. Beyond words can express." 

[taotrooper]

Everlasting Flower: The Library 3 (end)

Everlasting Flower (masterpost, tag, AO3 series) is an AU in which Ouryuu allowed Zeno’s blood to give Kaya a kind of immortality.

→  Part 1 → Part 2 → Bonus chapter → Link to AO3

Chapter summary: After some bonding with Yoon, it's time to say goodbye to the city of books.

"At some point, I asked myself: What's the use of living forever without a purpose, if you don't give back to the world? Even if it's short term, life has a meaning. If I can heal or save someone, I'm really glad! But staying with the others is just as important.”

Yoon found Kaya at the attic they used as bedroom, sitting at the desk and humming a song. She squished and ground the leaves of a plant into the walls of a wooden mortar with the cadence of the song she sang. Yoon couldn't understand the lyrics, but the melody was similar to a folk song from the Fire Tribe he knew from childhood. He wondered if she was humming an original version in words long forgotten by even their ancestors.

He waited next to her. As a fellow herbalist, he sure didn't like to be interrupted while he was working on medicine. He wasn't going to do something as unpleasant to her.

Eventually, she put down the pestle and stretched her arms behind her head.

"Hey, Kaya?" Yoon said.

"Eeeeeeek!!"

She jumped and took the chair with her. After glancing at the source of the call, she exhaled with a grimace.

"You scared me, Yoon... How long have you been there?"

"Like five minutes." He cocked his eyebrow. "Couldn't you feel my presence behind you like Zeno does?"

"Geez, no. I'm not like him, I normally can't tell those things. I have no sixth sense, I'm normal." Yoon bit his tongue. He knew what she meant to say, but that wasn't the right adjective to use. She grabbed the chair from the floor and put it back against the table. "What can I do for you?"

"I finished it." He held the book in his arms towards her. I was wondering if I could..."

"Go grab the one you want, yes!" she beamed. "You don't have to ask me."

"Thank you very much," he nodded and ran to the shelves to put back the book he had read. Yoon had already considered his options beforehand, so he only had to find the title he had chosen already, written on the spine of a blue one.

"Can I see?" Kaya asked, with a curious look in his eyes. Yoon raised it up. She seemed to think about it for a bit.

"Oh, that one's really, really outdated," she sighed and walked towards the shelf. "There's this horrible side effect to one of the recipes that was discovered later, so please don't read it. Here." She took a different volume and offered it to Yoon. "It has another title and I used a different pen name, but it's pretty much like a newer edition of that one. It's good. Except for the last chapter; there are way better techniques today."

"Wait, whoa," he gasped as he grabbed the book. "You're the author of these?"

"Uh, yeah," she blushed. "These are mine. From my notes over the centuries. I also have some diaries about geography and history and personal stuff I don't want to forget, but most of my published books are medical textbooks."

"That's so cool!" Yoon said with fervor. It had been a dream of his to write a book one day.

"I... I figured... uh... more people need that knowledge to pass down through generations. It can reach more patients if you teach others, rather than just tending everyone yourself."

Yoon skimmed through the pages. It was a rather old book, at least fifty years old or more. The pages were quite yellow. So impressive! He couldn't help but admire Kaya even more.

"Is it hard? Writing a book?"

"Actually, yeah!" she laughed. "I'm not a genius so it takes me ages to get anything done. You need to do two difficult things." She raised her index and middle fingers. "First, you need to research and learn, so you know what you're going to write about and how to say it, and it has to be current, real facts. Second, you need motivation to want to sit down and write. And most times, having both at the same time isn't going to happen. Not to mention the time."

"You have all the time in the world, though."

"I do but I also do other things, like to travel with Zeno or tend people or sometimes do other jobs that aren't healer-related. Sometimes we don't have ink or paper with us either! So I take it easy and wait for my books to become pretty obsolete before starting anew."

The ink and paper was a problem Yoon knew well. He also realized that her rest stops at the library were likely with the purpose of authoring books and filling up her diaries, rather than actual vacations.

After all, caring for patients... In Kaya's condition, it would be insane to do that all the time. Yoon had been thinking about it, ever since she had revealed her story to them. It bothered him and concerned him a lot. He sat on Zeno and Kaya's bed, crestfallen.

"I don't understand how you do it..." he whispered.

"Well, I carry notebooks with me for when I discover new stuff. Then I use what I've written in other books and update it with my notes."

"No..." He closed his fingers against the book cover and pressed it. "How you can be a healer while being immortal. Doesn't it... dunno, break your heart? Knowing you're outliving everyone? That no matter how long you live... some people will still die on you?"

He had treated sick and wounded people he was unable to save. He couldn't even imagine how many people Kaya had met and failed to save. Had she gotten used to it? Was she desensitized? Did she still see them as important souls to help at all costs like Yoon, or were they akin to tiny birds with broken wings to her, nearly a goddess among mortals after living for so long?

And in a more personal sense... Three faces flashed in Yoon's mind. He knew the dragons would die soon. Lately, he had realized how much worse it must have been for Zeno, finally having brothers again to then losing them too soon. So he could, sometimes when the journey was arduous, feel the weight of dread in his chest that he usually tried to bury deep within and forget. He knew the fear of outliving, even if in a lesser scale than those two.

He felt the bed bouncing down. Kaya had sat next to him. When Yoon looked up, the youth and spark was gone from her dark eyes. He saw a sorrow most ancient in her stare, he saw her real age for once.

"...Constantly, yeah," she finally said. "Even after all these years I cry sometimes, when it's too unfair. It's never easy and it'll never get easier."

"Then why? Why haven't you quit?"

"Hmmmm." She clutched the hem of her kimono. "The same reason you haven't quit, I guess. It's just the right thing to do. In fact... I think it's better for them that I do care that much. Doctors and nurses should keep their heart, don't you think? Even if it hurt us."

Yoon said nothing, but he knew what she was saying. She looked ahead, through the window. Her voice turned softer and kinder.

"At some point, I asked myself: What's the use of living forever without a purpose, if you don't give back to the world? Even if it's short term, life has a meaning. If I can heal or save someone, I'm really glad! But staying with the others is just as important. You know, hundreds die alone because no one will treat them." Yoon knew. Kaya's voice broke. "I could have died alone myself at seventeen. It's so, so scary! Even if you prepare yourself, it crushes you. That's why I don't want people to leave this world on their own. Even if all I can do is giving some solace and hold their hands until it's time? I'm willing. Even if I'll mourn them and sob for days, I'll get better, I'm not alone. That's why it's okay. That's why I still help."

She looked at Yoon and moved a thumb to wipe a tear from his cheek. He hadn't noticed he had started crying. Kaya then put her arms around him. While she didn't cover much of him, being the same size roughly, her hug felt warm and cozy. Her hands, which smelled vaguely like the fresh herbs she had been grinding, moved to caress Yoon's hair. He embraced back firmly, unsure if she was comforting him or if she was looking for comfort from him. It was probably both, he concluded.

"Keep it, Yoon," she murmured after a long silence, still hugging him. "Keep that big heart inside your chest, never lose that humanity. I've met so many geniuses in this field who lose themselves and stop caring about people. But you mustn't. I mustn't. Even if it tears you apart, please keep it."

"You better believe I will," he grumbled with gritted tears, restraining a sniffle. He felt a kiss on his temple. After his journey with Yona and the others, after seeing and fighting against so much poverty, how else would it be?

And she was right. He wasn't alone. He had everyone and even Ik-soo back home. Thinking about the future was just unnecessary pain. They lived now and that's what mattered.

"Oh? Can Zeno join the hug?"

They looked at the threshold: Zeno had just entered the room. That day he had his hair braided. Yoon had thought that morning that Kaya was making up for their time apart in creative ways. The boy unhanded Kaya but before he could say no to the offer, a dragon had coiled around his body. He could hear the girl —the woman—'s giggles as he resigned to his fate.

"Zeno, Zeno! Yoon is so kind and considerate and cute! The cutest of them!" Kaya chirped.

"Yep!"

"Zeno, Zeno! Say, can we adopt him? I really want to adopt him!"

"What the hell?" Yoon cried, annoyance written on his face.

To his surprise, Zeno let him go and stood in front of his wife with a serious expression.

"No, Kaya. That's out of the question."

"I know. But..."

"He's your mother-in-law, Kaya! It makes no sense to adopt my mom!"

It was Yoon's turn to get up, anger piling up, while the other two were snorting.

"I'm neither your mother or your son, you eternal seventeen year-olds!!" he yelled.

"Eternal eighteen year-old," Kaya corrected with a grin.

"Argh!" He grabbed the book and walked towards the door. Before he could leave, he heard Kaya's voice.

"Being your mom was a joke but... Please do think of me as an older sister, okay? These adults keep forgetting you're younger, this one here included, and they should be the ones nurturing you just as much as you nurture them."

Zeno mumbled some excuse Yoon couldn't hear, but he stopped when Yoon turned to look at Kaya. Ever since Ik-soo took him with him, no one else had been so conscious about his needs.

"I... I appreciate it," he blushed lightly. "I think I'll do that."

He left immediately, embarrassed, before Zeno or her said something stupid again. After that conversation and learning so much about Kaya, having her in his strange family of sorts was an honor.

******

"Okay, you can open them up whenever you want!" Kaya said after handing out the last package. She was bouncing on her heels while everyone opened their gifts.

The first one was Kija, perhaps because of his large hand. He stared at the wooden figurine and the bottle with confusion.

"What is this?"

"The bottle is home-made bug repellent. It smells a bit weird so I added some flower scent so... now it smells like a weird bouquet instead, sorry. But it should keep mosquitoes and crawlies away! The other one..." She smiled as she looked at the vaguely dragon-shape statue. "To be honest, it's a present I got but I think you should have it. You see, it was given to me by ancestors of yours, long ago. It's time it returns to the hands of Hakuryuu Village."

Kija looked like he was going to cry.

"Kaya... Thank you very much for sharing this piece of our history with me. It's an honor. May I ask what it's for?"

Kaya-chan, I can't believe you and Lord Ouryuu still haven't had children! Here, have this fertility charm. My sister carved one and prayed to it before her wedding night, and they've had four bundles of joy so far! You have to continue the lineage of the Ouryuu as his wife, so please take it with you so you can be blessed and fulfill your duty.

"F-For good luck," Kaya lied without losing her smile. She didn't have the guts to throw it away, because she considered Guen's family as her own, so she took it as a souvenir instead. Not like it mattered since Ouryuu's blood made it impossible for her to get pregnant, but those ladies were too exhausting to argue against. "Oh! And I'm teaching Yoon my plum sauce recipe so that should be a present for you in a way."

"Ooooh, what a pretty comb!" Yona said with sparkles in her purple eyes. It was lacquered black and had tiny colorful flowers painted on its design.

"That kind of comb has big teeth with large gaps too, so it should be great for your curls. I have one to do Zeno's hair and it's amazing for unruly sorts. Ah, the other present is medicine for..." She made a pause and lowered her voice. "They're special painkillers. For cramps." Yona understood immediately and reached for Kaya for a hug. She returned the gesture.

"Thank you! They're both so useful!"

"A sharpening stone and..." Hak opened his eyes wide. "No way, is that a bottle of Fuuga Galebrew?"

"Saw it at the marketplace and I figured you haven't tried it in ages."

"Wow, thanks!"

"Not fair, I want to try that sake as well," Jae-ha sighed.

"Well, I guess I could give you one glass, Droopy Eyes."

"Yessss." Jae-ha's grin faltered once he saw his present. "A fan? Well, it's beautiful but I don't think I get it, Kaya-chan."

A smiling face and a wink came to Kaya's mind, long gone and a bit blurry but still alive in her heart.

"Some time ago, Zeno and I traveled with this girl for a few years. She was like a sister to me. You remind me of her sometimes and I think she would've liked you a lot, Jae-ha. I know you have your own fighting style but that fan was her weapon. Maybe you could find it a good use one day?"

"Oh, I see." Jae-ha touched the edge of the fan. It drew a drop of blood he sucked immediately. "Not bad, actually. I can't refuse the will of a young lady so I'll take it." He then turned to the booklet with interest. "Are these music sheets?"

"Yup! Should be handy for your traveling artist shows. Besides, I want to hear you play."

"But of course!" Kaya felt relief when she saw him smile. She didn't know Jae-ha that well, so she had feared he wouldn't like his gifts. She looked at Shin-ah, who was observing and touching his new soft scarf.

"I heard you're cold sensitive and I saw this pretty sky blue fabric. It's still a long way for winter, but for trips to mountains they're nice to have."

He nodded.

"And two bags of pistachios, one for you and one for Ao. Since they don't grow in Kouka, I figured you haven't tried them yet?"

He shook his head. She moved to him to pet his hair.

"I hope you like them, then!"

"Thanks, Kaya..."

"I can't accept this, Kaya," Yoon said as he pushed his package against her.

"Why?"

"I should've suspected you were up to something when you asked me what books I had liked the most yesterday. But this one is yours! And the other is from the library!"

She laughed but her hands remained behind her back.

"We have copies for both in the second building. Don't worry about it and accept them! Or if you want a different book you couldn't read yet, we can check if there's a copy of that one instead."

"There's... There's really no problem? Just like that? Are the librarians fine with it?"

"As long as there's at least one copy left they can remake again, they won't mind because it's me asking."

He looked torn, but the power of free books won.

"...I have enough notes for this one, so I want to check out this world atlas I saw," he said. "After we pack our bags, though."

"Sure thing. You guys take your time."

"Doesn't Zeno get presents...?" Shin-ah asked after munching a pistachio.

"Zeno got new robes," Zeno grinned, laying in bed on his belly and chin cupped inside his hands. "Also, just being with Kaya for a few days is my present."

"Smooth," Jae-ha teased.

"Ah, is it okay if we pass by Ryusui first?" Kaya asked. "They have a really nice marketplace and I want some supplies that are cheaper there."

"Sure! It sounds like fun," Yona smiled.

"It's a gorgeous town. We'll have lots of fun seeing the stands there," Kaya nodded.

"Its settled," Yoon said. "Let's hurry and pack now, rare beasts. I still have to check the books."

"Yeeeeeees!"

Kaya was sure it was going to be a lovely trip.

Notes:

Well, here it is, the last part. I want to thank you guys for your patience. I've been building up to this chapter since even before I finished the main fic, especially the "you can't adopt your mother-in-law!" joke. So here it is and I hope you've liked this miniseries. I don't know if it met your expectations but that's how I envisioned the way they'd meet Kaya and how they'd get along with her. There's a lot of stuff to explore in their dynamics, so feel free to leave drabble requests for interactions or even just unrelated-to-HHB Everlasting Flower prompts if you want, either here or on my Twitter (username is the same everywhere, taotrooper) or AO3 comments. I have no idea if I'll be able to get inspired or fulfill them, but I'll be taking notes and we'll see.

The timeline for The Library is between the Lushing Forest arc and the Sei arc. They're still stopping by the same marketplace so the canon events (meeting Ayura and Tetora, Yona buying the lapis lazuli for Hak) should still happen despite Zeno not needing a new outfit anymore.

I hope you enjoy!