Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki or any of the characters. That honor belongs to Kazuya Minekura.
This was written for a challenge in the livejournal group, Saiyuki time. The prompt was first time, nonsexual and had to be completed in under an hour.
"There's no way, no fucking way."
"I'm afraid you're wrong, Gojyo." Gonou turned the cards over in his hand. A royal flush. A goddam royal flush.
"No, that's just not possible!" Gojyo slammed down the cards he had in his hand. They landed face up. "I had four of a kind! Do you know how hard that hand is to get with only one draw? You took one lousy card and you get a royal flush!" Lighting up another cigarette, Gojyo sucked hard on the filter, letting the smoke fill his lungs and hopefully, calm his temper down a bit.
"I've always been a bit lucky at cards." Gonou scooped up the cards and started shuffling them again.
Gojyo watched with narrowed eyes as Gonou shuffled. A professional dealer couldn't have shuffled as smoothly as Gonou did now. Rifffff…rifffffff The cards practically flew between Gonou's nimble fingers. Tapping the deck, Gonou handed the cards to Gojyo, smiling at him.
"You can cut the deck, if you want to."
"What did ya do to them?" Suspicion made Gojyo's voice hard. "Stack the deck, put the ace on the top…what?" The smile on Gonou's face faltered at Gojyo's suggestion that Gonou may have cheated. "I play cards for a living! I've met card counters, deck stackers and more cheaters in the last year than you've probably met in your entire life!" Gonou watched Gojyo, fascinated by the way his right eyebrow twitched in agitation. "There in no way in this world that one person is that lucky!"
"Really, Gojyo! You're acting as if it's your first time losing at cards." A flush crossed Gojyo's cheeks. Gonou was speechless for a moment before he broke out laughing. "It is your first time losing at cards!" Glaring at Gonou, Gojyo got up from the little scarred table in the kitchen. Mumbling to himself and digging around in the refrigerator, Gojyo brought out two beers.
Setting a beer down in front of Gonou, Gojyo stalked over to his chair and sat down hard. Popping the top of the can, Gojyo drank. "I got lots of beer. When you get thirsty, help yourself." A calculating look came into Gojyo's blood red eyes. Playing cards in bars for most of his life, taught Gojyo one thing. Once a man gets drunk, he starts losing at cards.
"If you're hoping to get me drunk so that I lose at cards, I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you. I can tolerate a high amount of alcohol." Gonou watched, his hands crossed over his chest as Gojyo dealt the next hand. "However, that being said, there is a first time for everything."