Friends With Benefits | Chishiya x Reader

Chapter Five

☆ In which muesli bars are briefly mentioned. ☆ 

When you found the dreadlocked woman this morning, she was lounging half-asleep in one of the chairs by the pool. 

"Have you seen Chishiya?" you inquire as Kuina cracks opens a sleepy eye. 

"I think he's at an executive meeting." She unfolds herself from the chair and stretches immensely, giving you the sort of grin you'd find on a child holding a hefty chocolate bar. "Let's go find ourselves an executive, shall we?"

And so you and Kuina now lean against the plaster walls of the corridor leading to the executive's room - the two of you had been waiting for over half an hour for the meeting to finish and the woman next you is fiddling with her makeshift cigarette. Bored out of your mind, you sigh and playfully nudge Kuina's shin with your leg.

"Why are your legs so long, Kuina?" you sing-song. 

"All the better to kick you with, my dear," she replies. The two of you then engage in a War of Legs where the only possible victor is Kuina, who's legs reach so far there's no possibility of you being able to avoid the wrath she brings upon your shins. You're so preoccupied with dancing around Kuina's attempts to buckle your knees you don't hear the footsteps approaching from down the corridor. 

"What on earth are you doing."

Chishiya's voice cuts through your yelps and Kuina's giggles, irritable and unamused. He spreads his arms as if waiting for an explanation that will never come.

"Oho, my good friend!" Laughing, you untangle your legs from the taller woman's and clap his back obnoxiously. Chishiya grimaces as Kuina snorts, and then performs a comical double take. 

"Your good friend?" She wheezes.

"I was coerced," Chishiya mutters. 

You give Kuina a thumbs up. 

"We've got to stop meeting like this," you grin as you climb onto the rooftop yet again. 

The moon blinks at you in welcome and Chishiya gives a humorless chuckle. Like always he never turns fully to face you, but his eyes flick toward you as you approach. 

"What do you want now?" 

"I came to talk to you, idiot," you sit down next to Chishiya. He raises an eyebrow. "Ah, don't take offense, I meant it in a friendly way."

"You don't have to clarify, I can tell."

"Good!" You clap your hands. "So...let's play a game, Chishiya."

"A game." The response is phrased as more of a statement than a question; his chin tilts slightly, and you can tell you've gotten his attention.

"It's called, I Ask You Lots of Questions So I Can Get To Know You."

Just as quickly as it was gained, the attention is lost.

"That's a terrible name," Chishiya responds flatly.

"I just came up with it, okay?"

"No."

"And why not?" you prod his shoulder teasingly and he shifts himself further from you. 

"I can't see why I should," he retorts. 

You blink, and place your index finger to your bottom lip. "Well, friends are meant to know lots about each other!" You muse with a twinkle, hands clasped together in a pose of the most earnest intentions. "Like, if you told me you liked muesli bars and I happened to find myself in a situation where I was getting a muesli bar, I would get another for you because I know you like them." 

Chishiya never hesitates with an overly condescending and glorified reply, and now is no exception. "I don't intend to tell you about myself, or 'share secrets,' as you so enticingly put it yesterday." He smirks, and it's your turn to raise an eyebrow. "And in any case, it doesn't seem fair that you are the only one benefitting from playing such a game."

"You can ask me questions too, y'know," you point out.

The bait apparently does not hook. 

"There's nothing about you inherently interesting enough for me to ask about. Even your status as a Hearts player is a given, since you seem to be of the fungal type."

At this, you give a cry of indignant shock. "The fungal type? I'm sorry?" you demanded, incensed. "Did you just call me a fungus?"  

Chishiya snorts, and you jab his shoulder again. "I meant you latch onto people - stop touching me - like a fungus." He bats your hand away as you reach in to poke him again. "I don't know what you're complaining about, I'm simply stating the obvious. You fungused me yesterday, and you shamelessly continue to do so as the night progresses."

 "I fungused you?" the words catch in your throat and your arm falls to your side, because a sudden burst of laughter is bubbling from your chest and out of your mouth. Chishiya watches you, amused, as you laugh yourself breathless. 

"I didn't peg you for the nonsense type." You press a palm to the corner of your eye. "If anyone's a fungus, it's - stop smirking, that's horrible." You extend your arm forwards to poke him again, a habit of annoyance you seem to have developed. Chishiya continues to move backwards to avoid your touch.

"Why are you so violent?" He lets out a long-suffering sigh. "If this is what your friendship is like, surely you can see why I don't want it."

"That sounds like denial, Chishiya."

"Your train of thought is unbelievably wrong."

At this, you offer an indulgent grin and thread your fingers together. You allow a lengthy silence to infiltrate the conversation before getting back to the topic at hand - a moment of tranquility seems to be the best strategy to reset an exchange. You intend to find at least one thing out about Chishiya, and you will not leave this roof until you have obtained your prize. 

The neon lights in the distance flicker on and off at three-second intervals; after the third interval, you call Chishiya's name. 

"Chishiya?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your favourite colour?"

He paused. "What?"

"Don't have one? That's okay, mine's blue. What kind of music do you like?" 

His brow furrows into a frown. "I told you, I won't play your game." 

"Very well then." You carry on, undeterred. "I like anything by Mariya Takeuchi. Her songs are the best! Are you a morning or night person?"

You continue like this, providing a barrage of questions as Chishiya ignores each one. It's almost remarkable how he remains to say absolutely nothing, not even to shut you up. At this point it's more for your entertainment, coming up with questions you know he won't reply to.

"What's your favourite food?" 

You're prepared to move on to the next question, and open your mouth just to shut it just as fast.

"I like anything with matcha flavour."

Chishiya's answer surprises you. He says it thoughtfully, with a lilt of amusement. "Though, I must say I don't see how this information would be of use to you." His voice is toneless and his eyes don't drift from the city ahead, but he'd replied nonetheless. You find your hands are lacing back together again, this time with a strange kind of delight. You blink once, twice, and then smile softly in encouragement.

"Matcha's nice! I like it too. Favourite movie genre?" 

I realise not everyone likes the things I listed in this chapter, so feel free to substitute [Y/N]'s answers with your own!