Chapter Text
1
Two weeks after the coronation
“Checkmate,” Ben says, and Doug groans in frustration.
“Why do I keep playing this with you? We both know you’re always going to win.”
“Because Ben likes chess and none of the rest of us will play with him anymore,” Lonnie chimes in from across the room. “Ben always wins at chess.”
“I don’t always win,” Ben protested.
“No, just every time in the last three years or so. When’s the last time you actually lost a game of chess?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“To someone other than your mom.”
“Probably about a year and a half.”
“Mind if I give it a shot?” Carlos asked from where he sat on the other side of the room.
“Be my guest,” Ben said, waving a hand toward the chair across from that Doug had recently vacated. “Have you played before?”
“No, but I’ve been paying attention. I understand the basic mechanics of the game at least.”
“Well, let me know if you have any questions,” Ben said as he reset the pieces.
Ben won their first game, of course. Carlos was smart, and a good strategist, but so was Ben, and Ben had years of experience and Carlos had never seen a chessboard before that day. Still, the game was close, much closer than the game between Ben and Doug. And so, Carlos became Ben’s preferred chess opponent, and their games became a weekly occurrence.