Checkmate

Checkmate

A wooden square was all it really was. Elevated merely an inch off of the warm, carpeted floor. Decorated with alternating and contrasting, and equally square, patterns of an almost artistic nature, if one wanted to look at it that way.

And there, sitting atop this block of decorated wood, was a scattering of small, almost human-like, wooden figures. And there, sitting on opposite sides of this block of decorated wood, were two, very human-like figures, of a much larger proportion than their small, wooden counterparts.

The truth of the matter was simple. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were playing chess on the floor in the deserved Gryffindor common room, and all either could look at, or dare think of, was the wooden block sitting between them, like a wall of silence.

And the silence was indeed welcome, until one of the boys chanced breaking it with a small grin.

"You don't want to be doing that, Padfoot," said the boy covering the ebony pieces. Remus Lupin.

The boy addressed as 'Padfoot', looked up sharply, his hand hovering over one of his own white marble pawns. "Why not?" he asked, half-teasingly, but half-bemusedly, as he scanned the board, frowning.

Remus grinned a little wider. "Because," he said simply, his eyes falling to where the other boy's hand was resting, tentatively, on his only remaining pawn.

"Because, why? Exactly?" the boy, Sirius Black, inquired, retracting his hand and resting it on his bent knee.

A sigh was first, and then; "Because, dear Padfoot, you'd lose your pawn," He indicted said lone pawn with a sharp nod of his head. "And you'd lose your knight." He nodded his head at the endangered knight, and looked up at Sirius, amber eyes glowing with anticipation -- or perhaps the firelight. Or perhaps, something else....

Sirius sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair, and scanning his pieces once more. He knitted his eyebrows.

"Are you sure?"

Remus made a noise, like laughter, at the back of his throat, and rubbed his forehead distractedly. "Fairly sure, yes."

"Because I don't see what's wrong with moving my pawn--" He used his index finger to point out the move. "Like so."

And since Remus made no more protestations, Sirius went ahead and executed his plan, smiling happily when nothing happened. And the he let go of the pawn. And then, oh and then....

"I told you, Sirius," Remus said in a huff of breath, the reflection of a shattered pawn glinting in his eyes.

Sirius's reply was not discernible, and perhaps, it is best that way.

At this moment in time, the un-chiding carpet seemed the better companion for the rather put-out Sirius Black, and he stared at it with vigour, as if half-expecting it to take up conversation with him.

"Your move," Remus said, quietly. Sirius looked up, and Remus looked away.

"Right." But he couldn't tear his eyes from the boy sitting cross-legged in front of him. Well, sitting cross-legged across the wooden block from him. He watched the firelight dancing playfully across Remus's fair, almost freckled, skin, forming a slight flush on his cheeks. Remus looked up, and his eyelashes were caught in the glow of the fire; their shadow dancing across his face. He smiled in a bemused fashion, causing the shadows to shift dramatically. But so perfectly....

Sirius coughed and looked at the board. But now, now that his head was turned, he felt the eyes of his friend upon him, as his had been upon his friend. More than just a simple stare, for lack of any other scenery (which, of course, there truly wasn't); more than just a quick glance to gauge the move....

Involuntarily, Sirius's breath hitched in his throat, and he knocked over a chess piece.

The gaze upon him was broken then, and Sirius half-whinged for its return. He looked up at Remus, grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry," he said, voice hoarse. He cleared his throat in order to relieve himself of the embarrassment.

"What for?" was the response. It was small and tentative in its presentation, and only seemed to be offered for the soul purpose of...wanting to hear Sirius speak again.

"Kn-knocking that over," Sirius stuttered helplessly, clearing his throat again as he indicated the fallen piece with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The atmosphere at obviously changed. Something had passed between the two; or at least, so it seemed to Sirius. He shifted uneasily, and quickly shoved his knight to the correct cream-coloured square, not caring whether that would prove a costly mistake or not.

And it wasn't.

Sirius, daring himself to look back at Remus, met not the werewolf's amber eyes, but the top of his head as the boy was bent down over the board, examining pieces; eyes darting up the rows of squares with an intensity that seemed almost desperate.

"Remus?" prompted Sirius, his voice choked with something akin to fright.

Remus looked up, dragging his eyes away from the chess board so slowly, it were as though he wanted to look nowhere else. "Yes?" he managed, keeping his calm demeanor... or perhaps, façade, alive.

"Remus, I..." But that was enough. He held the other boy's gaze with his own, searching the eyes for emotion; any emotion that would give him permission to speak further.

But Remus wanted to play the naive school boy. "Padfoot?" he asked.

Sirius shook his head and looked down at his trembling hands. He hastily clasped them together and scanned the chess board. "Never mind," he said.

"No," Remus objected, softly. "What is it?" The concern evident in the boy's voice was so strong Sirius couldn't help but look up and into his eyes. And, oh those eyes...

Before he even understood what he was doing, or perhaps, before he even realised what he was doing (the more likely reason), he found himself leaning over the chess board, staring directly into those eyes; the eyes that were now much wider than they had been before.

And, if he had been able to assess the situation, Sirius would have realised that Remus had leant forward as well, their noses barely touching. Sirius blinked, and looked down at the board.

He smiled and looked back up, catching Remus's eyes with his own as he gently used his index finger to push his formerly-endangered knight to the exact space he wanted it. Remus didn't seem to notice. He seemed more intent on examining Sirius's eyes.

Sirius smiled again, shuddering with pleasure as Remus's warm, sweet breath flowed over his face. "Remus?" he addressed the other boy, his voice low with desire.

If it were possible, Remus leant forward even more so that now their noses were touching. "Yes?" he breathed.

Sirius's lips barely graced Remus's as his mouth formed the response....

"Checkmate."

Fin.