All in the Strategy

Written for the livejournal community, deayza. 20 themes. Theme 3: challenge.

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"You're not going to be much of a challenge." Yzak stated, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. He eyed Dearka suspiciously.

"Oh well." The blonde shrugged, sitting opposite of Yzak, and looking over the chess pieces.

"Do you even know how to play?"

"Not hardcore. But I know the moves and some basics."

Yzak sighed. "Again. You're not going to be much of a challenge then."

"So you'd rather play a losing game and then break one of my CDs again?" Dearka continued despite the other boy's threatening scowl. "If you keep trying against Athrun instead of trying out different strategies and moves against different people, you'll keep losing."

"Playing against someone as bad as you isn't going to help me improve, either!"

"Shut up and start." Dearka smiled.

And Yzak made the starting move.

He had to admit, Dearka wasn't completely dense; able to get out of a couple of traps, and to foresee the outcomes, good and bad, in the moves he was thinking to make. All in all, though, he wasn't hard to back into a corner and defeat.

"Checkmate," Yzak drawled. "I told you."

"Ah well." Rubbing the back of his neck, Dearka stood up. "Well, at least I just saved another one of my CDs from getting broken."

"Please," the silver-haired boy said knowingly. "You only played me out of pity so I could get off on winning this time."

"Half right. Now if only you could figure out Athrun's moves like that."

Yzak twitched.

"It's also just nice seeing you when you're not breaking something or mouthing off to somebody."

So all it had been was Dearka's own little strategy to keep his little hot-tempered friend cool for a while, because he did feel bad that Yzak was sometimes like a stupid moth drawn to a flame of defeat and persistence.

He left Yzak in the silent room, and these pieces all fit together in his mind. Dearka's reasons, his pity, his… caring?

Yzak grimaced, arranging the small, plastic pieces back to their starting points. "Son of a bitch."