Author's Note: For afteriwake for the castle100 Holiday Drabble Exchange on LJ. Thanks to MC for the readthrough.
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"That's it, I'm out," Ryan said, disappointment tinging his voice, as he dropped his cards on the table. They were too much of a mess to match Castle's bet. He grabbed his beer, some fancy import Castle had offered them, and leaned back in his chair to watch.
To his side, Esposito shuffled his cards around before tossing a chip in the pot. Ryan played with him enough to know he didn't like his hand but was willing to risk it. Beckett was unreadable as usual, but he'd begun to pick up a few of Castle's tells - thanks to Martha's tendency to announce them if she was at one of their games.
"Raise," Beckett said, glancing at Castle. Ryan's pretty sure she can read Esposito, too. It looked like Castle was the real competition here.
"Got something you like?" Castle asked, giving her an appraising look as he met her bet.
They all turned to Esposito, who shuffled his cards again. Scrunching up his mouth, he looked over his cards, the pot and back at his cards. Finally he grabbed a chip and tossed it on the pile. "Fine, I'm staying in."
"'Bout time," Castle joked as he pulled a card separate from his others. "I'll take one new."
Ryan dealt him a new card before turning to Esposito. "Need anything new, man?"
"Give me two," he said finally said, discarding some cards and taking a long draw on his beer. He looked through the two cards Ryan gave him, shrugging as he added them to his hand. Not that much better, Ryan decided.
Beckett waved off any offered cards as the new round of bets began. After the chips stopped flowing, Castle put his cards down face up to show two pair: threes and eights. Beckett followed his move with four nines and an ace.
Esposito's face cracked into a wide grin as everyone turned to him, chuckling as he tossed his cards out to show a straight flush of clubs. "Some risks are worth taking."
Ryan watched as his partner swept up the substantial pot, sharing a grin when he caught his eye.
Some risks indeed.