A/N: Hello all! This story is actually supposed to take place within another story that has not yet been written/posted. After multiple failed attempts to write the full story that's supposed to lead up to this installment, I decided to just scrap what I had and go straight for the kill. That's writer's block for you. As stated in the summary, this fic is loosely based on "She Said (feat. Leighton Meester)" by Stephen Jerzak and is rated T for alcohol use, gambling, language and the general dirtiness of a drunk, adult male's mind. XD;

Please enjoy!


Judai could not, absolutely, without a doubt, believe his luck.

As if things could get any worse.

Irritated, he flipped over the ace of hearts onto the table in front of him, silently cursing at the card that had just cost him his last game. Maybe if that son-of-a-bitch, Manjoume Jun—or whatever the hell his name was—hadn't been so cheap as to change the rules halfway through the game...

Judai sighed, pressing his fingers to his temple, trying to calm himself down. Yes, he knew that when it came right down to it, it was the skill of the player, not the rules of the dealer, which determined the winner of the game. And by name, the game in itself was, indeed, a gamble. So in the end, it really was his err that had led to such a costly loss in the casino earlier that night.

And yet...

Trying to calm himself, Judai leaned back in his velvet, hotel room armchair, visualizing the game he had just devastatingly lost. There hadn't been too many notable high rollers at the table, a fact that probably hurt Judai's credibility more than it helped it. He swore again as images of tomorrow's headlines danced through his head: "World Renowned Gambler, Judai Yuki, Loses Big in a Small Game". Angrily, Judai steered his thoughts back to recalling the night. No use in speculating what was sure to hit the presses in about eight hours, or so.

Across from him had been the infamous card counter, Misawa Daichi and to his right, Kenzan Tyranno. Judai scrunched up his face as a bitter taste laced his tongue. If only Johan and the Kaiser hadn't been there that night, he'd really have given that bastard exactly what he deserved. But, as of now, Kenzan was no longer 'public enemy no. 1'. No, that title belonged to someone entirely different.

To Misawa's left were two no-names. Likewise for Tyranno's right, plus a few more tacked on around the table. And flanking Judai were a few no-names, as well. Judai sighed rather banally, as he wasted no time or energy trying to match faces to the no-names in his memory. There was the no-name on his left that seemed to be constantly looking at Judai's cards... The disgusting bastard...but that no-name had folded after the first hit.

As had several other players.

In fact, it was that very action that made the whole game significantly less difficult. Both Kenzan and Misawa had also followed cheater-no-name's play and had folded early, leaving just Judai and the one and only, King of Bastards, Manjoume Jun to duke it out...sans fists and with cards.

...Unfortunately.

Judai shook his head, as memory-Manjoume's face smirked back at him from across the table.

And then...

He blinked as he caught a glimpse of flowing blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes in his mind's eye. She had come to watch, for once, though he wasn't sure if she'd come for him... or her beloved fiancé, the King of Bastards.

He rolled his eyes as the qualifier "beloved" crossed his mind. Surely, both he and the woman in his memory were being sarcastic on that note...right?

With calculating eyes, she'd watched him from across the table, as if asking him what his next move would be. Once, or twice, she'd brushed her long locks behind her ear, or placed her right hand on her hip, her curves accentuated by the flowing, silky, white dress she'd chosen to wear for the evening. And with every move, her golden bracelets had jingled with an irritatingly inviting echo.

And crap, what card had that Manjoume-bastard had face-up, anyway? Judai leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.

Perfect, just perfect. Johan was going to get a kick out of this one.

"I need a drink..."


Without a second thought, Judai drained the liquor from the crystal glass as the loud dance music continued to blast from the speakers.

It had been a while since he'd come down to the club, mostly because he was anything but fond of the atmosphere. Hundreds of sweaty bodies pressed together, music loud enough to shatter your eardrums, and the unmistakable scent of alcohol permeating ever fiber of his being.

Oh yeah... he loved the place...

But tonight was different. He needed a good drink and to lose himself amongst noisy music and hundreds of drunken dancers he'd never see again.

That was the point of a club, after all, wasn't it?

Placing his glass back on the bar, he spun around on the stool, surveying the people around him. He had a sneaking suspicion that most of them were single, lonely and, most prevalent of all, depressed. They were gamblers, no-names, losers that had pushed their luck one bet too far today at the slots and had wound up here to forget their troubles. His eyes drifted from the sluts in tube tops to the desperate animals vying to get a chance with any girl that would look twice in their direction.

Animals clawing at each other's bodies with lies, looking for a lust-filled one-night stand.

He tapped his fingers on the bar absentmindedly. Really. What was he thinking? Coming here, of all places, to blow off steam?

Just as he was deciding whether or not to order another shot and continue his attempt to drown his losses in whiskey, he caught sight of her.

Same blonde hair, same lithe figure, and if the neon lights hadn't been flashing all shades of purple and green, he could swear: same azure eyes.

He quickly sucked in a breath of air, holding it, as his eyes got to work scanning the club for any sign of the King of Bastards.

Of course, that was his immediate reaction.

As his eyes drifted over the fern near the club's exit, he scoffed. He just couldn't imagine the classy Manjoume Jun, heir to the milestone company of the millennium, Manjoume Incorporated, at such a vulgar place as The Rare.

After what seemed like another minute's worth of surveying the club, Judai turned back to his drink, finally deciding that his gut feeling was indeed correct: the King of Bastards wasn't here.

Tenjouin Asuka had come to The Rare alone.

And given her recent history with her fiancé, who could blame her? Thinking hard, he stared at the empty glass before him. This was his chance... if he had one, that is. His last meeting with the femme fatale known as the Asuka had been anything but smooth. It had been memorable, Judai was sure of that, at least. A slight smirk crossed his features as he recounted those brief moments in the coatroom outside the casino. Her body pressed against his. The feeling of her breath against his ear. His hands on her...

He blinked, trying to push the thought away, though for what reason, he wasn't sure.

He had a right to remember their somewhat forbidden encounters, didn't he?

And more importantly, in the club, none of it mattered: their history, their future.

He was here. She was here. And they were both probably drunk. Was this really the time or place for rhyme and reason?

Pushing his empty glass towards the bartender, Judai rose from his stool and straightened his jacket.

There would definitely be no rhyme or reason tonight.

And logic? Screw logic.

This was his chance.

Suavely—or, as suavely as he could manage amongst the hundreds of sticky bodies, which all seemed intent on impeding his quest to get the girl—Judai made his way towards the seemingly bored blonde. She just had to choose to stand oh so close to the blaring speakers, didn't she?

Don't look back.
Give all your love to me.
Don't resist.
I can set you free.
Just one look,
Don't take your eyes off me.
Come a little closer.
I know you're dying to see.
Just one taste,
You won't forget me.

Judai navigated between wildly gyrating bodies, his eyes focused only on her.

"How would she feel if I told her..."

Just a moment ago she had seemed so bored, but now, with a new flashy, seductive song playing, her body had followed the mood on the dance floor, and was now displaying what Judai found to be very sensual behavior.

Across the room, her eyes flashed from the stage to Judai, her gaze set on him. Neither stopped moving; she with her dancing and he, on a seemingly endless quest to reach her.

Endless.

Why was it always like that?

And why the hell was this so important, anyway?

"She's not quite right." Johan's words echoed in the back of Judai's mind as he finally reached her, a knowing smirk on her lips. There was no trace of surprise in her features, not even a glimmer of recognition. It was as if she had expected him to come all night. As if he were late for a date they had never set.

Though the music was blaring, Judai effortlessly leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I know honesty is not the policy you like."

Asuka let out a chuckle, which was effectively concealed by the pounding music. "Is that so?" she mouthed once Judai had leaned back, resuming his position a few inches away from her. He crossed his arms over his chest as the current song ended, leaving The Rare oddly quiet for a moment. Drawn to her, Judai reached out to finger a lock of Asuka's hair, his eyes focused on hers.

If only he could stop time...

"Do you love me?" she suddenly asked, a hint of dangerous playfulness in her voice, her hands reaching up to touch his chest as her entire body shifted closer to his.

Judai raised an eyebrow, caught off guard for the first time in months. After all, as a gambler, he wasn't one to show surprise. Her devious grin widened as she took in his confusion and the very effect she had on him. "Tell me something," she purred, drawing circles on his ivory, silk shirt,

Judai's eyes unwillingly drifted from her face to her purposefully low-cut dress. His thoughts swirled: "How'd you get to be so bad?"

"We can go wherever you want," she finished suggestively, her eyes showily scanning his body.

Judai didn't know whether to give into his carnal urges right there on the dance floor (it's not like others restrained themselves here), or to just leave right then and there...and perhaps have a cold shower upstairs.

And damn those flashing lights and the alcohol... and her body... all of which were currently not making it any easier to think.

Why the hell did she think with one wink, he'd be putty in her hands... her soft, dexterous, delicate...

As if on cue, the loud dance music started up again with a hasty apology from the DJ. "She planned that," Judai thought bitterly, fully taking in Asuka's position of power within the Fantasme. Being the daughter of the hotel owner had to have its perks now and then, Judai supposed as their bodies began to move in sync with the hammering baseline.

"Yuki Judai," her voice was cool and reminiscent of a snowy evening as she eyed him with mild interest, "I hear you're good at lying."

"The best," he answered, his gaze unwavering.

Coyly, she flashed a smile at him before turning on her heel to return to her important dinner or whatever it was, leaving him no more unhinged than he appeared to be. "Everyone says she's a damn good liar herself," Johan warned him, both men still staring at the door the young heiress had disappeared through.

Johan knew stuff. He was good at that. That's one of the reasons he and Judai made such a great team.

But of course...Johan didn't know Tenjouin Asuka like Judai did.

And Judai doubted anyone else ever would.

Including the King of Bastards.

Seductively, Asuka ran her hands over Judai's body, enticing him to do the same to her. Wanting him to break.

Damn, she was good at that.

Against his better nature, Judai returned her gesture, his body pressed against hers, all reason gone from his mind. "How would you feel," he grunted, their bodies now practically melded, the neon lights disguising their sinful actions, "If I told you..."

He was good at this.

Lying through his teeth.

"We can go wherever you want," Asuka whispered back, her arms locked around Judai's neck, her lips inches from his collarbone, "To go."

Leaning in, Judai's lips grazed Asuka's ear, his breath hot, causing Asuka to shiver and falter in her movement for the first time all night. "How would you feel if I told you," he repeated again as her arms squeezed tighter around his neck.

"You ain't worth the trouble."


A/N: I know it was a little confusing and jumpy, but all references will be explained...should I ever write the full story to accompany this. xD; (What do you guys say to a full story, eh?) I'm also pretty sure this was my first time writing from a guy's point of view, so, any apologies that seem appropriate to go along with that as well. Haha. So, please review? Please? :D It shall help cure my writer's block! (and we all know the kind of writing that is produced when I have writer's block...)

Thanks for reading! :)

(Oh, one last thing. Lyrics to the "song" are mine. Just a short little thing I wrote because I needed lyrics there. Haha.)