Thank you so much for the reviews! Here's a new chapter for you, wonderful readers! :)-

-DAY 17: Challenge each other to a board game-

Who said chess couldn't be this interesting?

-X-X-X-

The first thing Minho saw when he got home was Newt, holding a box with CHESS printed across the side in curly letters. The blonde was also wearing baggy sweatpants and a suspiciously bulky hoodie that belonged to Minho. After informing Minho that Belle had been sent to a friend's house for the evening, he told Minho that they were playing chess. And that he better put on some more clothes.

Minho, who thought that he was perfectly clothed in jeans and a pale blue tee, couldn't think of a reason to say no to such odd requests. So, he dropped off his guitar case in their room and threw on his maroon jacket over his shirt. Newt rolled his eyes pityingly when he saw Minho, but Minho still couldn't of why.

They were now sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, the chess board between them. Minho was playing with the white pieces, Newt the black. There was some kind of charge in the room, as though someone was holding their breath, but Minho didn't understand why, exactly. Why did Newt keep glancing up at him like that, deep blue eyes playful? He was fidgeting too, pulling at the sleeves of his hoodie. Minho wasn't sure what the shuck was going on, but he had to admit, it was kinda intriguing.

"Okay, what's going on here?" he asked at last.

Newt glanced up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Hm?"

Minho sent him a flat look over the board. "Don't play dumb," he deadpanned. "I can see that something's happening here. What're you planning?""I don't know what you're talking about." Newt shook his head, a blank look plastered to his face. But then he had to bring a hand up to his mouth, smothering half of a smile. The way he looked then, too-large sleeves covering part of his hands and a sly expression on his face, was undeniably hot.

Minho narrowed his eyes. "Yeah you do."

"I'm not planning anything."

"You're not planning anything?"

"Nope."

"You just wanna play chess with your husband."

"Yep."

Minho stared at him for a long moment. Smiling sweetly, Newt gave him nothing but puppy-eyes as an answer. Finally, Minho gave up. "Whatever you say..." Trailing off, he turned back to the game. It was his turn, after all. Nearly all of their pawns were gone, because those were always the first to go during their chess games. They didn't play very often, but when they did, Minho liked to jump all the pawns first. Now, he surveyed the rest of Newt's pieces. I'm taking out his knight, he decided, and carelessly knocked over Newt's knight with his queen.

"Not bad," Newt remarked, a strange tone in his voice. Clearing his throat, he took the bottom of his hoodie and tugged it up over his head. Minho's eyebrows lifted when he saw that Newt wore a long-sleeved shirt underneath.

"Shuck, was it cold in here all day or something?" he asked curiously.

Shrugging, Newt straightened out the hem of his shirt. "I guess." He didn't seem to put any thought into his next move, which was getting rid of Minho's last pawn. Then he waved impatiently at the board. "Your turn."

Minho raised a brow at the tone, but didn't argue. "Okay..." He scrutinized the board for a minute, before choosing to use his queen again and bump one of Newt's pieces over.

The clatter of it tipping over was still in the air as Newt started pulling his shirt up his torso. Minho's eyes widened in first surprise and then confusion when he noticed that Newt wore a T-shirt beneath. The blonde tossed the long-sleeved shirt away, unbothered, and looked back at Minho. The tiniest smirk danced over his lips as he rested his elbows on his knees. "What?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Minho looked first at the chess board, then at Newt's shirt crumpled on the floor, then at Newt. Slowly, the pieces fit together. "Are you...stripping every time I jump your pieces?" he asked.

"Oh, good, you finally get it now," Newt remarked cheerily. Selecting his queen, he scanned the board deviously. "Now I can jump one of yours. I've been waiting for you to get it, so I can make you take your clothes off."

"What—Wait, no!" Minho stammered as Newt shoved one of his bishops off the board. "I'm not wearing enough clothes for this and I suck at chess!"

"I told you to put more on."

"Well, I didn't realize I'd need plenty to TAKE OFF."

"Too bad. I just jumped you, didn't I?" Newt's words were punctuated with an evil twist of his mouth.

"...you shank," Minho muttered, because he could think of nothing else to say. Sighing heavily, he unzipped his jacket and shrugged out of it. Well, now Newt was wearing multiple layers and Minho was in only everyday clothes. And Newt was a pro at chess compared to Minho.

Minho was so screwed.

It especially showed twenty minutes (only twenty freaking minutes!) later, when Minho was glaring at the chessboard while Newt watched him smugly. The blonde had discarded his sweatpants and T-shirt, but he still wore a tank top and ANOTHER pair of sweatpants. The jerk had come prepared. Minho? Minho was in his shucking boxers already.

"You do realize that no matter what you do, you're getting jumped," Newt pointed out helpfully.

"Shut up," Minho replied. His fingers were hovering over his queen. He really needed to be careful now. As much as he normally enjoyed being naked with his husband in the same room, now was not the time. Now was the time for him to show up Newt so that the blonde would wipe that smirk off his face.

Newt let out a flicker of bright laughter. "You're gonna lose, Minho. Why don't you just give up now?"

"Cuz I wanna get you to take off that damn shirt."

"Why?"

"So that I can feel better about how badly I lost."

"Uh-huh. Right. Nothing will make you feel better about this atrocious loss."

"Be quiet and let me think."

Obediently, Newt fell silent. He leaned back, hands planted on the floor behind him, and golden lashes low over his eyes. He looked like a cat watching a mouse in his claws. He already knew he'd won. Mumbling about how jerky Newt could be, Minho glanced back down at the board. Yeah, he was pretty much done for after this move. There was no denying that. But he wasn't going down without a fight. Searching desperately for one piece to jump, he picked up his queen. Oh, look, Newt had a knight left...

"Ha!" he crowed, as he practically threw Newt's knight across the room. The blonde looked amused at Minho's foolish victory, as Minho jabbed a finger at Newt. "Take your clothes off, shuckface!"

"I hope you know I'm only taking off my shirt," Newt replied mildly.

"Don't care," Minho chirped. "That's one less piece of clothing and one more win for me." He twirled his hand at Newt imperiously. "Carry on. I'm waiting."

Sitting up, Newt shook his head. "Try not to enjoy the view too much," he said, with an uncharacteristic and flirtatious wink that sent Minho's heart into dizzying circles. Newt reached back for the top of his tank top and peeled it off, taking his time. Despite himself, Minho swallowed at the lazy bend of muscle in Newt's arms as the white fabric slipped down them. The feather-soft skin of his chest was revealed, along with the cursive lines of his M tattoo. Tossing his tank top away, he sat back again, giving Minho a perfect view of his slight six-pack (holy shuck, had Newt been working out when Minho wasn't looking?!).

"Uhhhh..." was all that came out of Minho's mouth, which was hanging open dumbly.

"What?" Newt angled his head back a bit, letting a lock of blonde hair slip into his eyes.

"You..." Minho stopped talking. He was too busy staring at the lines of Newt's hips, forming a tantalizing 'V' that dipped into the low waistband of his sweatpants.

Something like a coy little giggle came from Newt and the sound was so adorable, it made Minho's hands tremble. "Stop looking at me like that," Newt mumbled, allowing his shyness to surface as he looked away from Minho. He knew exactly how to affect Minho.

Minho pretended that he was going to control himself for about two seconds more. Then he gave up.

"Get over here," he growled, and scrambled across the board as fast as possible. Newt yelped as Minho caged him with arms on either side of his waist. Grabbing Newt's hips, Minho sat down and hauled the blonde into his lap; he wrapped Newt's legs around his waist as Newt laughed and struggled feebly.

"Minho," Newt scolded between chortles, then, "Minho!" when Minho nuzzled into his neck. His fingers twined themselves in Minho's hair as Minho kissed up his throat. "Someone doesn't have much control," he purred, letting his head fall back in bliss.

"You were asking for it," Minho flashed back. He planted his palms flat on the small of Newt's back, pulling him farther into Minho's lap. "Stripping in front of me with that stupid shucking smirk on your face..."

Minho's teeth had found Newt's earlobe and he gasped. "Oh?" he asked breathlessly. "So I don't get a say in this?"

"No." Minho leaned Newt back in his arms so that he could kiss that M tattoo. "I'm gonna make you crazy right now, angel."

Newt's breath left in a long exhale. "We still didn't finish the game, you know."

"Shut up and take your pants off."