Poker Face
Title: Poker Face
Rating: PG-13
Summary: An ordinary poker game between two old friends quickly becomes high stakes, with a twist.
Prompt: "Strip Poker" for fivebyfiction and "bet" for whedonland Big Bang.
Disclaimer: Eric Kripke owns "Supernatural" and all related characters; Joss Whedon owns "Firefly" and all related characters; I own nothing
Jo forced the smile that threatened to spill across her face down and focused on the player opposite her. It was down to the finish line for the two of them, all the others having since dropped out. Looking at her cards, the smile threatened once again before she fought it down. All she needed was the ten of clubs and she'd have a royal flush.
"So, what's the bet?" she asked, drumming her fingers on the table. Across from her, Malcolm Reynolds gave her his typical winning grin. Jo had met him and Zoe during the war while she was out hunting some particularly nasty spirits preying on his battalion, and even though she had settled down into the family business of running a hunter bar, Mal and his crew would swing by every now and then when they needed a place to relax, or more likely, a place to hide. Her policy was not to ask which it was, although she made sure two shotguns were always loaded and in reach whenever he was around. Trouble followed Malcolm Reynolds worse than anybody she knew but the Winchesters.
"Ain't much left to bet, darlin'," he answered with what only could be described as a leer. Jo raised her eyebrow and didn't reply. "Fine, I'll throw in my left sock."
"So we're switching to strip poker," Jo commented, leaning back in her chair. "Right then. I see your left sock and raise you my right one."
“You sure about this, sir?” Zoe asked from the dealer’s chair in between the two players, her face impassive. “Hate to see you literally lose your shirt as well as all your credits.” Jo did laugh at that one as Mal shot his second in command a annoyed look.
“I can handle myself in a card game, Zoe,” he said. “Let’s not forget who the reigning poker champion on our boat is.”
“That would be River, sir.”
“OK, the reigning champion who ain’t a supergenius.”
“You going to bicker all day or are you going to see my bet, Mal?” Jo cut in, tapping her cards on the table. “I ain’t got all day.”
“I see your right sock and raise you my shirt,” Mal responded with a smirk. Jo just raised her eyebrow at him. He either had a very, very good hand, or he was bluffing the hell out of it. She’d put her money--and her clothes--on the later.
“I see your shirt and I’m throwing in my pants for good measure,” Jo replied, flashing him a smirk of her own. He should know better than to think he could out-bluff her. She had been raised on poker and hustling pool, despite her mom’s half-hearted attempts to the contrary. Bobby and Rufus would be glad to know their lessons were being put to good work.
“You’re a cocky one,” Mal observed. Jo’s smirk deepened, but she didn’t respond, waiting for his move. “If you’re that sure of your cards, full. Monty.” Jo hesitated for a moment. This could easily be Mal raising the stakes so high that she’d fold, but it could also be that he did have a good hand. For the first time, Jo felt a twinge of worry that she heartlessly stomped on.
“I see your full monty and call. Wouldn’t want you to accidentally bet Serenity,” she told him, full of bravado that was only partly real. Both of them turned towards Zoe, who was giving off an amused vibe despite her impassive face.
“And the river is...” Zoe said, laying the final card on the table. Mal’s smirk became full-blown as he laid his hand down on the table.
“Best start stripping, Jo. Four of a kind,” he announced gleefully. Jo waited silently for him to calm down before allowing a self-satisfied smile cross her face.
“Read ‘em and weep, Mal. Royal flush.” Laying her cards down on the table, she gathered the money that was in the pot and pulled it towards her. “Now, how ‘bout that full monty?”
Rating: PG-13
Summary: An ordinary poker game between two old friends quickly becomes high stakes, with a twist.
Prompt: "Strip Poker" for fivebyfiction and "bet" for whedonland Big Bang.
Disclaimer: Eric Kripke owns "Supernatural" and all related characters; Joss Whedon owns "Firefly" and all related characters; I own nothing
Jo forced the smile that threatened to spill across her face down and focused on the player opposite her. It was down to the finish line for the two of them, all the others having since dropped out. Looking at her cards, the smile threatened once again before she fought it down. All she needed was the ten of clubs and she'd have a royal flush.
"So, what's the bet?" she asked, drumming her fingers on the table. Across from her, Malcolm Reynolds gave her his typical winning grin. Jo had met him and Zoe during the war while she was out hunting some particularly nasty spirits preying on his battalion, and even though she had settled down into the family business of running a hunter bar, Mal and his crew would swing by every now and then when they needed a place to relax, or more likely, a place to hide. Her policy was not to ask which it was, although she made sure two shotguns were always loaded and in reach whenever he was around. Trouble followed Malcolm Reynolds worse than anybody she knew but the Winchesters.
"Ain't much left to bet, darlin'," he answered with what only could be described as a leer. Jo raised her eyebrow and didn't reply. "Fine, I'll throw in my left sock."
"So we're switching to strip poker," Jo commented, leaning back in her chair. "Right then. I see your left sock and raise you my right one."
“You sure about this, sir?” Zoe asked from the dealer’s chair in between the two players, her face impassive. “Hate to see you literally lose your shirt as well as all your credits.” Jo did laugh at that one as Mal shot his second in command a annoyed look.
“I can handle myself in a card game, Zoe,” he said. “Let’s not forget who the reigning poker champion on our boat is.”
“That would be River, sir.”
“OK, the reigning champion who ain’t a supergenius.”
“You going to bicker all day or are you going to see my bet, Mal?” Jo cut in, tapping her cards on the table. “I ain’t got all day.”
“I see your right sock and raise you my shirt,” Mal responded with a smirk. Jo just raised her eyebrow at him. He either had a very, very good hand, or he was bluffing the hell out of it. She’d put her money--and her clothes--on the later.
“I see your shirt and I’m throwing in my pants for good measure,” Jo replied, flashing him a smirk of her own. He should know better than to think he could out-bluff her. She had been raised on poker and hustling pool, despite her mom’s half-hearted attempts to the contrary. Bobby and Rufus would be glad to know their lessons were being put to good work.
“You’re a cocky one,” Mal observed. Jo’s smirk deepened, but she didn’t respond, waiting for his move. “If you’re that sure of your cards, full. Monty.” Jo hesitated for a moment. This could easily be Mal raising the stakes so high that she’d fold, but it could also be that he did have a good hand. For the first time, Jo felt a twinge of worry that she heartlessly stomped on.
“I see your full monty and call. Wouldn’t want you to accidentally bet Serenity,” she told him, full of bravado that was only partly real. Both of them turned towards Zoe, who was giving off an amused vibe despite her impassive face.
“And the river is...” Zoe said, laying the final card on the table. Mal’s smirk became full-blown as he laid his hand down on the table.
“Best start stripping, Jo. Four of a kind,” he announced gleefully. Jo waited silently for him to calm down before allowing a self-satisfied smile cross her face.
“Read ‘em and weep, Mal. Royal flush.” Laying her cards down on the table, she gathered the money that was in the pot and pulled it towards her. “Now, how ‘bout that full monty?”