Title: Beginners
Word Count: 432
Prompts: Eyes, Guarding the Keep
Timeline: Volume 5 of the manga - when Aido decided to move in for awhile.
Yuki and Aido were on the floor in the sitting room, a chess board between them and playing pieces scattered around.
"Zero," Yuki said, "is it queen on her color? I can never remember."
Zero was on the couch solely to keep an eye on Aido. He had his feet stretched out across it and his arms were crossed. "Yuki, I can't see how you are going to teach someone chess if you barely can play it yourself."
"I know how to play chess," Aido protested. "It's just been awhile."
"You didn't answer my question," Yuki said to Zero.
"Yes, queen on her color."
They started setting the pieces. Yuki had chosen black, and Aido was using white. Zero had to wonder if they knew they had unconsciously picked the colors of their school uniforms.
"White goes first," Yuki said.
Aido moved a pawn forward one space, and Yuki mimicked the move with one of her own pawns.
There was something slightly entertaining about watching two novices play chess, Zero thought as they continued to move their pieces. While a skilled player had moves planned in advance, Yuki and Aido constantly made moves that were unexpected and often did not make any sense.
Zero eventually cut in, "Aido, you can't move a rook diagonally."
"What's a rook?"
"The one that looks like a castle tower."
"Oh," Aido said, and moved the piece correctly.
"And, if you don't have something guarding the castle," Zero said, "Yuki's knight is going to take it."
"Can I use the king?" Aido asked.
At the same time Yuki murmured, "I didn't see that move. Thanks."
"The king is the most useless – though most important – piece in the game," Zero told Aido. "I wouldn't recommend using him as a guardian."
"He should let the pawns do the work," Yuki said.
"Sounds familiar," Zero said. Yuki narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't have to tell her who he was referencing.
Within a few moves, Yuki said with a grin, "Check."
"That's not fair," Aido said. "Zero's been helping you." Aido picked up his knight with the intention of knocking Yuki's bishop away.
"Knights can't be moved that way," Zero said.
"He should be able to, it's a horse."
Zero opened his mouth, then decided against arguing with a fool.
"And explain to me how the castle can move at all?" Aido asked. "Shouldn't it be, like, where the king is kept protected?"
Yuki put a hand on her chin, surveying the board. "He has a point."
Zero just leaned back on the couch and said, "I give up."