Checkmate

"Check."

Yuu lifted his eyes from the chess board with a defiant glare and a grim smile of satisfaction. His white rook had an unobstructed path to the black king. Yuu's opponent, a tall, young man with ocean-blue eyes and silver hair afforded a bemused grin.

"Good move."

The younger boy scowled, his emerald eyes gleaming angrily. "I don't need you to patronize me."

Zen raised an eyebrow. "I meant it."

​Aggravated, Yuu forcefully ran his hand through his straight, raven locks. He was the number one undisputed champion in the Sonnet Heights Junior Chess Championship. He had even beaten the first place winner in the Sonnet Heights Senior Chess Championship. In fact, it was pretty well known that he was the best chess player in a five town radius. And yet here he was, not only having to actually plan his next moves but also having lost both his knight and his rook to this man, the individual he resented the most. It wasn't like he was losing: he had 10 pieces on the board compared to Zen's 8. But the fact that he was exerting effort, the fact that he actually had to try... It was maddening.

​"Take me seriously! Stop messing around and focus on the game!"

​Zen looked up from his analysis of the chess board. "I'm taking this game very seriously, Yuu." Gingerly, he lifted his king and moved it safely behind his bishop. As Yuu examined the board to calculate his countermoves, Zen stared out the window.

Yuu glanced up from the board at Zen. It's always the eyes that give it away. Yuu had learned that early in life. No matter what an individual said or did, no matter how they acted, you only had to look in their eyes to truly know their inner thoughts. Whether it was an opponent calculating his next chess move, a mother pretending everything's fine, a deranged man about to snap, a counselor withholding the truth, or... someone not really looking out the window.

Yuu followed Zen's apparent gaze toward a spot outside. There was nothing there. From the expression of distant longing on Zen's face, Yuu knew instantly. Irritated, he turned to the scene that Zen was actually looking at in the reflection of the window, Yuu's sister Riis making dough in the bakery. Her red braided hair flung around furiously and a silver plated ring on a chain around her neck swung back and forth as all her concentration was spent on mixing the ingredients for the bread evenly. Yuu glared at Zen.

Zen felt his gaze and casually turned his head to Yuu, the rays of the setting sun glinting off his silver hair. He must have known that Yuu had figured out what he was really looking at because he said, "You know, Yuu, you can't shield her forever. She's already a young woman, older than you even."

"I promised I would," Yuu said, gritting his teeth. Zen, this insolent human. He'd never get it, would he? He would never know, he'd never understand. How could he? A gradual breakdown, eyes holding inner pain, a mind bordering insanity. Hushed whispers, furtive glances, a tear streaked face. An estranged cry, furniture crashing, a sickening thud. A lone white chess piece, the queen, rolling out into the hallway, stained with blood. How could he know?

Yuu vengefully moved his knight and took Zen's bishop. "Check again."

Zen leaned back into his chair to quietly think, his mind on more than the chess board. He had known about Riis and her brother and what had happened in their past. He had done his best to show his sincerity and his authenticity, to show that he actually cared. Although Riis had been more than glad to accept him, her brother seemed as dogged as ever to keep him as far away as possible, both from him and his sister.

Firmly, Zen moved his rook to take Yuu's bishop. The young boy almost fell off his chair; he hadn't noticed that move.

"Why don't you trust me?"