A/N: I suddenly had the random inspiration for this after my sister cruelly beat me in a game of chess, so yeah.

like red on a rose ~ Thanks for being so understanding!!! I really will try to write something about Juli, don't worry!

franfranlove ~ Thanks! –hugs- And Gray x Claire was one of the planned pairings, so Yay!

Pairing: Mark x Chelsea

Chapter Title: Checkmate


"I'm playing white."

How odd that Mark's observations on her would start with that simple line; that that simple line would start a whole chain of reactions that would immediately change his opinion on the girl across the chessboard.

Chelsea, on the other hand, as she gathered up her black pieces, was totally confused. Her dainty hands swept across the board, placing the pieces one by one into their respective spots.

"Now, Chelsea, I'm going to teach you the basic rules of chess," he said, eyeing her warily. "This tiny one here is a pawn – people think it unimportant, but no…"

Chelsea was studying the board intently, as if already planning her strategy, but who was counting? She was a beginner, a simple amateur at this game of wits. At school she'd felt left out because chess was obviously the fad, and she'd had no idea how to play it. She'd try, but no, she could never learn.

She was thankful she'd met Mark here on Sunny Island, who, as it seemed, was a chess genius, and had an unbroken win record. As she eyed him now as he talked about the rules of chess, she noticed that his green eyes were sparkling with confidence, like they themselves were saying, "She's an amateur. I have this in the bag."

Mark was thinking no such thoughts, though. Chelsea was his friend, and he'd hurriedly finished all his farm chores just to teach her how to play a simple game of chess. He cleared his throat. "Chelsea?"

She looked at him with baby blue eyes. "I'm ready, Mark."

"All right then," he said, moving his middle pawn two spaces forward.

Chelsea eyed the board carefully; her eyebrows furrowed together, and then lifted her knight.

As they took turns, Mark's attention drifted from the chessboard to Chelsea, watching her. When he'd first met her she was shy and demure, the sweet type. She'd hardly had any friends except for Alisa, her pillar of wisdom, cheerfulness, and religion.

The Bishop. Mark absentmindedly lifted his, moving it two diagonals northeast.

Chelsea snickered and moved a pawn on the far side of the board one space forward.

Of course, Alisa was the one who had introduced reserved, friendless newbie farmer Chelsea to Mark, farmer extraordinaire, popular guy, and chess whiz, separate pawns in the chessboard of life. But the two of them had hit it off right away, going from acquaintances to friends to best friends.

Chelsea moved a rook five spaces forward.

The Rook always traveled in straight lines, like Mark's life once did. He had always known what to do and how to do it. But since he had met Chelsea, his brain's path had been like the queen he touched with his fingers when he was around her, with several tasks and total confusion in front of it.

He used his queen to take down one of her pawns. Chelsea saw this immediately and used her own queen to attack his.

Damn. He didn't see that one coming.

He knew that, to him, Chelsea was just as important as the Queen was on the chessboard (and he just lost his), the most powerful and valued piece. Chelsea had more power over Mark than even his own little sister did. She could ask anything she wanted him to do, and he would do it excellently without hesitation. It was like serving a queen.

Chelsea, though, didn't look like a queen at all. She looked perfectly regular, the mediocre lady. Thanks to Mark, though, she'd made plenty of friends, like Sabrina, who'd she'd wheedled out of her shell, and Natalie, Mark's own neighbor. Mineral Town's Karen was one of her friends, too, and to her, that was looking like a queen.

Mark tackled her Rook with his knight.

She took her remaining Rook near her King.

King.

To Chelsea, the word itself was resounding, powerful, yet kind at the same time. That was Mark for you. Next to Alisa, Mark was her best friend here. She loved him like she would a brother (and, Goddess, she had plenty of those) and he was her idol, and if she could, she would carve a statue of him and stick it on a pedestal.

Mark was a model of modesty, and he didn't think of himself that way at all. Chelsea was his best friend, and all he thought about was her…

"Mark?"

Chelsea's soft, melodic voice brought him out of his daydream. He glanced at her with confused eyes, and then glanced down at the board. His now-dim eyes widened in shock. She giggled.

"Checkmate."


Gosh, I hate this so much!!! T.T I feel like this one sucked...

Please review!