Fic: Bobby/Darien, Untitled

Bobby and Darien play cards. *g*



“Read ‘em and weep, my friend.” Bobby laid his cards on the table and flourished his hand over the now nine card straight as he dropped the ten and jack next to his earlier meld of four through nine. He extended his elbows, holding up his remaining two cards for Darien to see before discarding one on the rummy pile. “Uno. U-no.” He grinned, resting his arm over the back of his chair as he tapped the one remaining card against the table top. “Take ‘em off, Fawkes.”

Darien tossed his cards on the table and shook his head. “You can’t do that. You picked up that club too.”

“What club?” Bobby challenged. “I picked up the ten of spades.”

“And the three of clubs. You have to play the last card you pick up, Hobbes.”

“That’s not in the rules,” Bobby argued, looking almost gleeful. He pulled out a barely creased so obviously new pocket-sized rule book and tossed it on the table. “Refresh your memory, my friend; nowhere does it say that Bobby Hobbes has to play by your house rules anymore.” He tapped the book. “I checked.”

“My grandmother taught me how to play,” Darien reminded him, tipping back precariously on his folding chair. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, shivering a little as the air conditioner vented a cold blast down his spine. “And you haven’t had any problems with my house rules before.”

Bobby stood, adjusting the waistband of his boxers before he pointed a righteous finger at Darien. “I am no loser.” He took their empty beer bottles to the counter and grabbed two more from the refrigerator, popping the caps.

“Right, right, my mistake.” Darien held a hand to his chest in mock apology. “You’re not losing because you cheated.”

Bobby slammed the beer the beer on the table and foam rose over the glass lips and down the side, soaking Darien’s cards. Darien twitched and almost lost his balance. He quickly righted himself, bouncing out of his seat before Bobby knocked him over. Bobby glowered up at him. “You think I didn’t notice that little magic trick you pulled with the ace of hearts? Bet you thought you could get away with a little invisible hocus pocus when I wasn’t looking,” he scoffed. Darien didn’t deny it and Bobby thumped him on the chest. “Now who’s the cheater?”

“I wasn’t cheating to win. You have the ace of hearts!” Darien shoved his hand away. “This is stupid. Who plays strip rummy anyway?”

“Not granny I hope.” Bobby shuddered violently and tapped his finger on the countertop. “We need at least a third for strip poker. Could call Claire--”

“Or Alex--”

“Four is actually preferred. Do you think they would--” Bobby’s eyes glazed a little, “you know.”

Darien was afraid to ask what sort of skeevy fantasy Bobby had in mind. It was usually run-of-the-mill stuff with Claire, he sort of considered her like a virgin bride, but with Alex, he usually talked about whips and chains, and that was just to get her in the apartment. “Remember you didn’t exactly enjoy your last prostate exam from the Keep,” Darien reminded him, once again. “You called her a ham-fisted--”

Bobby winced. “If the Fat Man would actually pay for health insurance--”

“We could just skip the poker,” Darien suggested, plucking his fingers under the shoulder of Bobby’s wifebeater. He quicksilvered them both and shifted Bobby around so he could lean on the wall. Bobby’s head lolled back and Darien kneaded his neck, bending closer to breath in his ear. “Get right to the main event.”

“I’ve always said you have the better bedside manner, Fawkes.”