Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Death Note
CHECKMATE
GAMES
The girl stood, the snowflakes spiralling down around her, scattering a ice-laced layer of pristine white upon the ground around her. Although her hands were clean, she could feel the metaphorical blood of her parents staining them. Although she had not physically killed them, she felt as if the snow around her feet should be stained scarlet.
It was her fault after all.
"I win." Sitting hunched over the chessboard that sat on the ground, a girl, about fifteen years of age shifted lightly on her feet, straightening up and fixing the boy sitting opposite to her with a questioning glance. Looking up from the chequered slab of wood before him, he raised his head, scanning his opponent for any form of smugness, any triumph, yet found only a bored expression that reflected her monotone voice, the words that, in a normal person, would be filled with pride empty of emotion, dull and unexcited. The boy, however, wasn't surprised. The girl opposite from him would win so often, it almost seemed like routine, her frame permanently rooted to the ground by the chessboard, her eyes darting over the black and white squares, cursed to win every single time. To others, it would seem like a dream- to be unbeatable, but, the boy was right. To the girl, it was inexplicably boring.
Her hand hovering over the small army of chess pieces that she had collected from the boy, the girl glanced upwards again, her raven hair masking her eyes, the sunlight streaming in through the window casting jagged shadows across the contour of her skull. Letting her spine arch outwards from her hunched position, the girl clasped her opponent's hand in hers and shook it, a rare smile playing on her features, her voice slipping out again, quiet yet filled with meaning.
"That was a good game, Near. Thankyou." she spoke in an almost informative tone, more trying to convince herself than the boy opposite her. Shaking his head, his snowy white sweep of hair dipping into his eyes, the boy trained his darkened gaze on the raven-haired female opposite him, moving his hands as he gathered up the remaining pieces scattered over the chessboard, sliding them back into their original positions, aware of his opponent's meticulous gaze trained on him as he moved, the intensity of the girl's eyes, dark pools behind her narrow-framed glasses still unnerving.
"It's me that should be thanking you, Check. It was entertaining as always." A rare laugh rising from the girl, Check's, mouth, spiralling into the air and joining the illuminated dust particles dancing around the lofty room, the shafts of morning sunlight throwing shadows and warm orange light across the room.
"I doubt you really mean that. It must be boring, watching me win each time." She paused, gaze flickering back down towards the newly arranged board, the pieces tempting her to move, causing her hand to instinctively jerk out to the side, the involuntary movement sending a sharp tug of irritation down her spine. "Yet, still, you play almost every day." Near shrugged, and scrambled to his feet, looking down upon where Check sat, still crosslegged on the wooden floor, gazing down sadly at the ground, her hair falling in curtains around her face. Blinking behind her square-framed glasses, the girl forced out towards the ground with the palms of her hands and staggered to her feet, her clothes shifting over her body with the movement, the loose jumper hanging over her hands and creasing over her frame.
"Come on, Check. Let's go and find Mello and Matt." Nodding slowly, the girl clenched her hands into fists and released them again before stooping down, swiping a hand over the chessboard and plucking a pawn into the palm, letting her gaze slide back over to Near, who stood in the doorway, waiting expectantly.
"Yeah." The statement was bored and dull, yet it held some hope, and, satisfied that Check was pulling from her brief spell of silence, Near turned and walked down the corridors, the surroundings changing rapidly from the sunwashed light of the room they had sat in before to the darkened corridors, all of the other students at the Wammy's house in lessons, leaving the usually conversation-filled halls empty- Alike to Check's mood. Spotting a door open up ahead, spilling light into the corridor, Check and Near peered inside to see two heads peeking over the top of a worn-down sofa, one blonde, one red, indicating the presence of Mello and Matt. Stalking forwards, Check leant over and, extending a hand, deposited the pawn that sat in her hand onto Mello's forehead, the wooden piece balanced precariously as the boy glanced upwards and spoke in a bored tone, not shifting from where he reclined, sprawled out on the sofa.
"Check, what do you want." Feigning surprise, Check leant over and peered down into Mello's face, the chess piece wobbling on his nose before tumbling down his face and scattering onto the floor.
"How did you guess?" The blonde rolled his eyes, still motionless, gaze fixed on the TV screen before him, Watching intently as Matt stabbed furiously at a game controller, eyes glaring intensely at the screen.
"You're the only one here with the nerve to deposit a pawn on my face, that's how." Letting out a grunt, Check slid down the arm of the sofa, curling up on the floor and letting her eyes drift to the TV screen, where Matt was growing increasingly frustrated at whatever game he was playing, his frantic clicking on the keys barely stopping, his goggles pushed up on his forehead, teeth clenched in annoyance.
"I'm bored." The statement, however short, seemed to greatly annoy Mello, and he let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm not playing chess with you. You'll win, there's no doubt." A huff of breath hissed from Check's throat, and she doubled up, her forehead smacking against her knees in frustration, coiled up like a broken accordion, crooked and bent over.
"Just Die Already!" An angry screech sounded from Matt, and Near flinched where he stood in the doorway as the redhead let his controller slam into the floor, his eyes narrowed at the TV screen, scowling at the red haze that had descended on the game, proclaiming his virtual death.
"I've had to watch this idiot decapitating zombies all morning. I'm literally ready to smash the stupid TV screen." Mello voiced his annoyance at the redhead next to him, and Matt opened his mouth to protest, but closed it sharply as a voice sounded, Check snapping around to see Watari, standing in the doorway, sweeping the four with an unreadable gaze.
"L has called. He wishes to speak with you."
A/N: Wellll that was awful. Anyway, this is my first Death Note fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy!
Storm