Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in this fanfiction and have no intention of making a profit, it only serves to entertain. Also, I do not own the cover picture, since I also do not own Las Vegas (isn't that shocking?) Also, I don't own the lyrics.
Beta: juliana677. Thank you!
Say you don't need no diamond ring and I'll be satisfied
Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can't buy
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love
Can't buy me love, everybody tells me so
Can't buy me love, no no no, no
Can't Buy Me Love, The Beatles
It Happened in Vegas
While scanning the room, Angelina wondered why she ever thought this was a good idea in the first place. Next to her, there was a pathetic man, obviously off his rocker, trying his luck at the slot machines, and failing epically. Across the room, loud, obnoxious people shoved others aside in an effort to get where they were going. Did she really want to spend her fortieth birthday in a casino? A muggle casino, no less?
Sweet Merlin- the drinks. She didn't know drinks could do that.
Yes, yes she did.
She supposed she owed George a 'thank you,' considering it was his idea in the first place, and she'd be far too inebriated at the end of the night to say anything coherent. She turned to tell him so, but his gaze was locked on the stage, where scantily clad women were just beginning to put on a show. Angelina scowled, and elbowed hard into her husband's side.
The pain visibly wrangled his face, and he glared at her, while she shot it right back.
"It's my birthday. If you're going to sit around and enjoy this show, you won't be seeing any for a very, very long time," she snapped.
George grinned winningly at her, moving forward to place his hands on her hips while she stood tall. "Aw, someone getting touchy in their old age?"
Angelina laughed this time, "Hey, I'm counting down, now. Thirty nine, younger than you," she said cheekily.
George scoffed, "Please. You're just upset I'm perpetually ageless. I mean, look at me? Really?"
Ugh, he's so annoying sometimes.
"Shut up," she scowled at him, "there's many a thing you need me for and I'm not about to give them willingly."
"Fine, fine," he rolled his eyes before leaning in to kiss her, smiling against her lips. Then he pulled away with a mischievous look in his eyes, "Happy fortieth birthday," he quipped, wrapping in arm around her waist.
She shoved him away, laughing, before looking back out across the casino. She reached up on her toes a bit, brushing her lips against his ear.
"I believe, dear, we're going to get smashed."
George grinned.
"Angggiiieeeee" George slurred, bumbling over his words at the craps table.
Angelina giggled as she threw down the dice. "Georgieeeee," she teased, and George scowled in his drunken stupor, before his eyes went fuzzy again and he leaned in close to her ear,
"I've got no bleeding idea how to play this game. Is this how muggles gamble?"
She threw back another drink, giggling, "Search me!" she said loudly, "You think I do? And hush!" she scolded, "Lower your voice! The muggles will hear! How-" a hiccup, followed by a laugh, "how much did you put in for this?"
"Not a lot, I hope," he hiccuped too, and Angelina went into a string of giggles, "Bill gave me the American money. You think I know how much that's worth?" He grinned and unceremoniously rolled the dice yet again.
The rounds passed in drunken hiccups and emotionless glares to her competitors, and before Angelina knew it, there was a cheer at the end of the table!
"YES!" she screamed, turning around to hug George. They got up and danced around, until they realized they both lost everything. They slumped against each other and collapsed to the floor in girlish giggles.
It was a bit later when George found himself, fire whiskey in hand (it was quite funny; when he asked for one, the bartender questioned him several times before pouring a glass of whiskey and scorching it with some insane muggle contraption that spouted fire; good enough for him) sitting close to Angelina at the slot machines. Every time he pulled the lever, the knobs inside would whirl and click, but he struck out every time. Considering he had no idea what was going on, he was quite bored and pouty. He turned to the right and placed an awkward hand on Angelina's thigh,
"Any luck?" he husked into her ear, eyes clouded.
Suddenly, he heard an indignant yelp, and before he knew it, his shirt was soaked through, ice cubes sliding across his chest. Clearly, she had been the only one in the casino not drinking alcohol, but an icy concoction instead...the melty one, he couldn't remember what it was called.
The leggy blonde slapped his arm with her heavy bag for good measure, before getting up and stomping away. He looked across to Angelina at the other chair, and she was practically on the floor laughing.
The dealer was shuffling the cards again, and Angelina still had no idea what was going on. The muggles kept using these strange words- that she assumed had to do with the cards, but she put down a card when the guy told her to, and let the game go on. She wasn't terribly broken up about losing, especially when the dealer passed the cards to George and told him to "cut the deck."
George looked at the dealer with a strange look on his face, and he grew red as George repeatedly laughed and told him he had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, the dealer reached out and took half the cards off the deck-
"You broke it!" he exclaimed, a horrific look crossing his features. "Ange, look, he broke it!"
Needless to say, they were escorted from the table.
George grabbed Angelina's hand and ran across the casino, cutting people off left and right as Ange trudged forward through the crowd behind him. She mumbled drunken apologies through her laughter, before being yanked beside him on a couch. She threw her head back and laughed loudly, as George wrapped his arm around her and nuzzled her neck.
"Happy Birthday," she felt him grin against her skin. She leaned down to kiss him, and the contact electrified every nerve in his body, clearing his head for only a moment.
"Thanks," Angelina smiled. She curled into him as he wrapped an arm around her. After a moment, she looked up at him, "How much money have we lost? Worst gamblers in the history of ever," she laughed.
George shrugged and grinned sheepishly at her, and even though they were both completely sloshed, it felt amazing: them, together, as she knew it would be for a very long time. "I haven't seen you smile that wide in awhile, and it's so beautiful when you do. I want one of these moments again," he gestured between them, and her smile widened, "we haven't had one in a while. Your smile, there; that's priceless."
Angie was at a loss for words, so she tilted her head and kissed him again.
"I love you."
A/N: I hope you liked it! George and Angie are so fun, I could so see them getting trashed at a casino. The counting down thing is something my mom and grandma do. Please drop me a review if you did! Concrit would be appreciated as well. I'm quite proud of how this turned out, and it would be lovely to hear from you if you enjoyed my story. Written for:
Pick A List Challenge: George/Angelina; Las Vegas; broken
Cinema Comp: Amelie: write a comedy
Occasions Challenge: birthday
Disney Plotline Comp: Alice in Wonderland: write about traveling to somewhere new and exciting
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club challenge: can't buy me love
Chapter Acrostics Comp: Chp.2: I: prompt-ice
Off the Block comp: Extra Hard Freestyle: write a story taking place somewhere other than Hogarts, the Ministry of Magic, or Diagon Alley
Star challenge: Vega: write about someone annoying (I might never go to Vegas, thinking about all the insane people there :P)
Winter Games comp: Freestyle Skiing: Moguls: choose a character to write about (George Weasley)
Hogwarts School comp: Orchestra- prompts: hush, lower, voice, cut; GhoulStudies- prompts: believe, scowl, awkward; MagicalTheory- prompts: heavy, forward, search
...whoa
I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading!
Lara,