King and Rook (A Yu-Gi-Oh! DM Oneshot)

Knight and Rook

Seto sat at the far end of the orphanage's courtyard on a small wooden bench, a chessboard spread out in front of him. The early afternoon sun painted the yard in soft blue hues, but Seto paid little attention to the burning daylight. He moved his queen across the board, his brow furrowing as his gaze followed her path. He was deep in thought, a look of quiet intensity on his face.

Mokuba, on the other hand, was a blur of energy, darting around the yard. He had spent the better part of the afternoon trying to fight off his boredom with different games: marbles, cards, even checkers. But none of that was satisfying. None of it challenged him the way Seto's focus on chess intrigued him.

Finally, Mokuba couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed over to Seto, practically bouncing with excitement. "Seto! Seto!"

Seto barely looked up, his fingers pausing over the pieces as he rearranged them for another match. "What is it now, Mokie?" he muttered, trying not to let his concentration break. He already knew what was coming. Mokuba was persistent, and when he had an idea in his head, there was no shaking it loose.

"You've beaten everyone at everything with your awesome skills!" Mokuba declared, hands on his hips, chest puffed out proudly. "So I have a tiny favor...can you please teach me how to play chess? Pretty please?"

Seto's lips pressed into a thin line. Chess. Of course, it had to be chess.

He glanced up at Mokuba, who was practically vibrating with excitement. "Chess? You think you're ready for that?"

Mokuba nodded enthusiastically, grinning like it was the greatest idea in the world. "You've beaten everyone! I saw you! And I know I can do it too!"

Seto didn't answer right away. Instead, he leaned back slightly, tapping a finger on the edge of the chessboard as if in deep thought. But it wasn't really that thought that held him back. It was hesitation. 

He didn't want to teach Mokuba. Not yet. Mokuba was still so young, still full of the reckless energy of childhood. He didn't need to get wrapped up in Seto's own obsession with the game--not yet. He didn't want his little brother to think it was just another way to prove how smart Seto was. Or worse, that it was something Seto would keep to himself, something he couldn't share.

Mokuba, however, misinterpreted Seto's silence. "Oh! So you think I'm too young? Too dumb?" He crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his lip, giving Seto a dramatic pout.

Seto blinked. "What? No! I just..."

Mokuba wasn't having it. "You're saying I can't do it because I'm not smart enough, huh?"

"Mokie--" Seto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's not that--"

"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Mokuba interrupted, his eyes wide with mock hurt. "I'm just as smart as you! You think you're the only one who can do hard stuff?"

Seto froze, suddenly aware of the misunderstanding. His heart twisted uncomfortably at the thought of Mokuba feeling rejected. He opened his mouth to explain, but the words didn't come out right. Not that he had any better way of saying, it's complicated for a five-year old, okay?

"Fine," Seto finally said, putting his hand up in defeat. "I'll teach you. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Mokuba's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll teach me?" He was already bouncing in place, as if he'd won the greatest prize in the world. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! You're the best, Seto!"

Seto shook his head and muttered under his breath, "I don't know why I agreed to this."

Mokuba sat on the edge of the bench beside Seto, bouncing with excitement. Seto, his fingers scrambling to move all of the pieces back to their original positions, tried to contain his growing discomfort. This was harder than he thought. It was easy to explain the rules, but hard to explain why each move mattered.