(no subject)
And another chessfic - these are fun to write - but this time it's for Death Note. Cower in fear. ^^;;
L/Raito hints, if you read it that way; the two geniuses play chess. One shot.
L and Raito shared classes on three days each week, and they spent nearly all of their time on campus together those three days - they were inseparable, others would note - a serious, studious pair. Standing proof, the boy-love fangirls would giggle, that opposites attract. The meeting of two great minds, the professors would say.
The deathlock of two opponents, L and Raito would think.
In an apparent effort to pass the time somewhat less awkwardly between their second and third classes, Raito borrowed a chess set from the school's chess club. Inwardly, Raito counted the different facts about L he might be able to learn by playing this game.
Raito ended up with the white pieces and so started first, putting forward a pawn, and L, legs curled up to his chest and his thumb well-chewed, followed suit. Raito followed up by putting forward his bishop - but he saw the three-move-checkmate had already been blocked, and so did not put the bishop as far forward as he had originally intended. L moved a pawn, positioning himself to take Raito's bishop in two moves; Raito snorted and protected his bishop with his knight.
L stared at the board for a while, eyes wide; then abruptly he shifted his gaze back to his pieces, put forward his bishop agressively, and warned, "Check."
Raito had to do a double-take, but indeed, his king was in check. He shot a look at L; L was watching him. But L, Raito reflected irritably, was always watching him. A moment more of assessment revealed that he was forced to back his bishop into the hole, or sacrifice his queen - and then he realized-- "My king started in the wrong place."
L just gazed at him, and shrugged. "fix it, then, I don't mind."
Raito wanted to glare, to snap - how - how!? - could one man make him so angry, so stupidly angry!? Why did he feel so threatened?
He could outsmart L. He would prove it. He smoothed his expression. "Thank you." He then proceeded to take L's bishop with his newly placed queen, and looked up at L for his reaction.
L stared intently at the board, not even a twitch in his face.
But of course, but of course. L recognized the pieces for what they were, after all - merely pawns, with varying degrees of usefulness, and no one ever won a game of chess with a bishop. Raito sighed inwardly and recentered himself, forced himself to focus and play fairly and forget that it was L for a moment. This is a chess game, he told himself. This is not the Death Note.
He watched while L covered his back line with his queen, threatening Raito's queen but from a safe postion, and Raito was forced to slide his queen forward one space, out of danger.
Several more moves into the game Raito finally realized: L had snatched the advantage of the having the first move away from Raito, forcing Raito into a reactionary game with agressive moves, all because he put Raito in check. Illegally, even! But if L had realized what he had done, he gave no reaction, his wide-eyed, unnerving stare rarely leaving the board while he chewed his thumb vigorously, as if he someday intended to strike bone.
In the end, it was the fastest game of chess Raito had ever played, each move taken quickly by both players. L didn't hesitate and Raito never felt the need to, meeting each blow with parry until finally they reached a stalemate around Raito's king.
"Well played," said L, but his eyes didn't leave the chessboard, and Raito could almost see him replaying each move in his mind while his eyes slowly widened further and further, his lips moving slightly as he tried to see where he had gone wrong and failed to seal his win.
"Well played," Raito agreed, but inwardly he promised, Next time there will be no stalemate, and it will be your king I knock over.
L looked up at when Raito stood, starting to put away the borrowed chess set, and Raito thought for a second that L's eyes reminded Raito of Ryuuku's eyes. Idly the thought crossed his mind - can he see my name and how long I'll live by just looking at me? - before he dismissed the passing fancy as absurdity and gathered up the board itself. "Would you like to play again sometime?"
L chewed his lower lip, then considered his toes for a while, drumming his fingers on the tops of his knees, before answering. "Sure," he said. "I love spending time with Yagami-kun."
Raito forced his bow with tired ease and took the chess board with him.
fin
mm, someday I'll do that DVD meme again with one of the chessfics, I think. they were FUN to write. <3
L/Raito hints, if you read it that way; the two geniuses play chess. One shot.
L and Raito shared classes on three days each week, and they spent nearly all of their time on campus together those three days - they were inseparable, others would note - a serious, studious pair. Standing proof, the boy-love fangirls would giggle, that opposites attract. The meeting of two great minds, the professors would say.
The deathlock of two opponents, L and Raito would think.
In an apparent effort to pass the time somewhat less awkwardly between their second and third classes, Raito borrowed a chess set from the school's chess club. Inwardly, Raito counted the different facts about L he might be able to learn by playing this game.
Raito ended up with the white pieces and so started first, putting forward a pawn, and L, legs curled up to his chest and his thumb well-chewed, followed suit. Raito followed up by putting forward his bishop - but he saw the three-move-checkmate had already been blocked, and so did not put the bishop as far forward as he had originally intended. L moved a pawn, positioning himself to take Raito's bishop in two moves; Raito snorted and protected his bishop with his knight.
L stared at the board for a while, eyes wide; then abruptly he shifted his gaze back to his pieces, put forward his bishop agressively, and warned, "Check."
Raito had to do a double-take, but indeed, his king was in check. He shot a look at L; L was watching him. But L, Raito reflected irritably, was always watching him. A moment more of assessment revealed that he was forced to back his bishop into the hole, or sacrifice his queen - and then he realized-- "My king started in the wrong place."
L just gazed at him, and shrugged. "fix it, then, I don't mind."
Raito wanted to glare, to snap - how - how!? - could one man make him so angry, so stupidly angry!? Why did he feel so threatened?
He could outsmart L. He would prove it. He smoothed his expression. "Thank you." He then proceeded to take L's bishop with his newly placed queen, and looked up at L for his reaction.
L stared intently at the board, not even a twitch in his face.
But of course, but of course. L recognized the pieces for what they were, after all - merely pawns, with varying degrees of usefulness, and no one ever won a game of chess with a bishop. Raito sighed inwardly and recentered himself, forced himself to focus and play fairly and forget that it was L for a moment. This is a chess game, he told himself. This is not the Death Note.
He watched while L covered his back line with his queen, threatening Raito's queen but from a safe postion, and Raito was forced to slide his queen forward one space, out of danger.
Several more moves into the game Raito finally realized: L had snatched the advantage of the having the first move away from Raito, forcing Raito into a reactionary game with agressive moves, all because he put Raito in check. Illegally, even! But if L had realized what he had done, he gave no reaction, his wide-eyed, unnerving stare rarely leaving the board while he chewed his thumb vigorously, as if he someday intended to strike bone.
In the end, it was the fastest game of chess Raito had ever played, each move taken quickly by both players. L didn't hesitate and Raito never felt the need to, meeting each blow with parry until finally they reached a stalemate around Raito's king.
"Well played," said L, but his eyes didn't leave the chessboard, and Raito could almost see him replaying each move in his mind while his eyes slowly widened further and further, his lips moving slightly as he tried to see where he had gone wrong and failed to seal his win.
"Well played," Raito agreed, but inwardly he promised, Next time there will be no stalemate, and it will be your king I knock over.
L looked up at when Raito stood, starting to put away the borrowed chess set, and Raito thought for a second that L's eyes reminded Raito of Ryuuku's eyes. Idly the thought crossed his mind - can he see my name and how long I'll live by just looking at me? - before he dismissed the passing fancy as absurdity and gathered up the board itself. "Would you like to play again sometime?"
L chewed his lower lip, then considered his toes for a while, drumming his fingers on the tops of his knees, before answering. "Sure," he said. "I love spending time with Yagami-kun."
Raito forced his bow with tired ease and took the chess board with him.
fin
mm, someday I'll do that DVD meme again with one of the chessfics, I think. they were FUN to write. <3