Deep Like Water (Yandere!BEN Drowned X GN!Reader)

Ding Ding Ding! Power Misuse!

With a grand total of one hundred and twenty-seven points, you were declared the winner of Scrabble. When you read out the scores with a self-satisfied smirk, you couldn't resist doing a little dance to rub your victory in a little bit more.

'Can't believe you beat me in our first board game,' BEN grumbled. 'Cheat.'

'You were the one who didn't take advantage of the triple letter,' you said, snickering. 'I wasn't going to miss an opportunity like that.'

He frowned. 'Meanie.'

'They always say the truth hurts.'

'Hm! Touché. I didn't have an 's' so there's no way I would have got it anyway.'

'Alright then, you liar. Because 'plush' doesn't have an 's' in it.' With a roll of your eyes, you began to pack everything away, scooping the tiles up into the dark green bag. 'When was the last time you played Scrabble?'

'Oh I don't know—a few weeks before I died? I think?' He shrugged. 'Boardgames were one of the things I got introduced to at an early age. Scrabble taught me to spell, Monopoly taught me to count and handle money, and Cluedo taught me problem solving.'

'So they're pretty important to you, huh?'

'Yeah. My parents were chilled out but super involved, so they introduced me to loads of stuff at an early age to see what would stick.' BEN pushed himself to his feet, meandering over to the fridge. 'What's Frankie like as a guardian?'

'He's good. More of an older brother, though. It would be weird to call him 'Dad' or something,' you said with a grimace. 'Nope, too weird. Did you have any siblings?'

'Nah, I'm an only child.'

'That explains a lot.'

Shaking a can of coke in your direction, Ben gave you a mocking stern look and spoke in a deep, serious voice that didn't suit him at all. 'Now listen here, you,' he began, 'this only child has been doing a lot of work that goes unnoticed, so he would very much like some appreciation.'

'What hard work?'

'I'm not telling you now.'

'Come on, please? Whatever it is, I'll definitely appreciate it.'

'Well,' he drawled, 'I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to tell you...'

Folding your arms, you gave him a look that said: 'You better tell me or else.' He didn't respond, leaving you to pull out the trick that usually worked on people: staring at them uncomfortably until they break.

It didn't take long for BEN to give in. 'Alright, alright, you can blink. I've updated your security system so absolutely nothing can get in. The house is safe, you're safe, and so is Frankie. Anyone trying to do what I did would have to go through three versions of me.'

'And what did you do...?'

'Broke in and lived in the wires for a while,' he answered like it was the most normal thing in the world. 'How else do you think I messed with everything?'

'I don't know,' you said, 'maybe I assumed you sat back somewhere else like a big villainous mastermind and watched me lose my shit.'

'I'm flattered that you think I'm that powerful, my dear, but my abilities don't extend to the "god-like" category. It doesn't matter, though. No one else can do what I do.'

His words set off alarm bells in your head, echoing around your skull like a drill. 'No one see can do what I do' implied that there was more people—more ghosts—like him. You knew that, based on the internet story, he had been sacrificed to a cult, but never once had the thought of other people crossed your mind, and it made you feel stupid. (You could beat yourself up all you wanted, but you knew that your exhausted mind had fixated on BEN and his backstory. You didn't have the energy to care about anyone else involved.)