"Things I Didn't Want To Know" by chicafrom3 (G)

[stars-inthe-sky.livejournal.com]

Fandom: Musical Theater / Chess
Pairing: Gen, really, though I suppose it could be Anatoly/Freddy if you squinted enough, and there are references to canon pairings
Length: 50 one-sentence drabbles
Author on LJ: chicafrom3
Author Website: fandomfrom3

Why this must be read: Most Chessfic focuses on individual characters, or on Florence's relationship to the Russian or to the American. So it's refreshing to see fic like "Things I Didn't Want To Know," which focuses on the relationship between the two champions, as adversaries in chess and romance, and the grudging respect that grows between them over the years. This particular story is told through a series of one-sentence snippets out of chronological order--which turns out to be less confusing than it sounds, and just the right way to tell this particular iteration.

#02 – Apples
Florence brought an apple with her to Anatoly's hotel room; he watched her eat it and found himself wondering if she'd taken it from Freddy's room.

#03 – Beginning
Anatoly started playing chess when he was six, fascinated by the board game that his grandfather brought to him; Freddy started when he was nine, blocking out the sounds of his parents' fighting; somehow, both men came to this place, staring across the board at each other.

#04 – Bugs
"I hate you and everything you stand for," Freddy said, blunt as always, but they'd been enemies for so long that Anatoly just laughed and took it as easily as if the American had commented on what nice weather they were having.

Things I Didn't Want To Know