"You're cheating."
Atton grinned at her lazily, putting one hand behind his head. "You suck at this Cel."
Celaena ground her teeth together and glared at him. "I'm dealing."
He tossed the deck at her. "Knock yourself out sweetheart. It won't make a difference."
She shot him a suspicious look and started shuffling the deck. "I haven't played this stupid game in years."
"Blah blah blah, Jedi excuses."
She tossed down his card, eight, her own, ten. Atton fanned himself with the cards in his hand, still wearing the lazy grin that had the power to infuriate her and make her want to make him to kiss her in equal turns.
"Hit me."
She throws down another card. A two for him, four for her.
"Another please Mistress Jedi. And no Force to see my hand."
"I haven't done that. Yet."
He snorted. "Right."
She dealt another round, eight for him, ten for her. With a grin he threw down a two. "I win again."
Celeana threw up her hands. "I don't believe this."
"Come on Cel, round two."
She dealt again. Two eights.
"Hit me."
She smacked his arm and threw down another card. Eight and three.
"Ouch! No Jedi strength." He put down a three. Nineteen for him. "Stand."
Celaena bit her lip, counting the numbers up, eleven, plus the six in her hand, that would be seventeen or take her chances with the deck. Well odds were she would get less than a ten.
"Damn it."
Atton laughed. "Lucky thing we aren't playing for creds. For you anyway. I could use a new jacket." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "So want to wager?"
"Not a chance."
"We could play strip Pazaak!"
She snorted and dealt another hand. Four and two. "In your dreams Rand."
"Oh you are. Gimme another one."
With a scowl she dealt. Ten and eight.
"Hit me."
Seven and eight. She crowed in delight. "Finally."
"Well you had to get one eventually Cel. It's still sixty-three games to four."
"I should've wagered that time," she said
"You are a monster."
"I know. You love it."
He smirked. "Well that's true at any rate. Deal again."
'Nine, then a two, he has seven total, hit again, fifteen for me, ten for him, I hit again, twenty-two for me, nineteen for him, negative two, twenty to nineteen.'
The numbers flash through her brain, a mischievous grin on her face as she worked to keep ahead of Atton. It was true, he was a wizard at the game, even before she showed him the Force. He didn't need to cheat to beat her.
It didn't matter than somewhere, her broken body was in the hands of the beasts she and Revan called the true Sith. It didn't matter when they shattered her bones and made her bleed. It didn't matter how they tried to break her and the fact that her battered body was bleeding out on the hard ground. It didn't matter that she was in their hands, theirs to do with what they wished with no way to free herself.
They could scream and threaten all they wanted. It didn't matter. Her mind was far away from them. She was with Atton, playing their game. Just like he had taught her, his brown eyes laughing into hers, his free hand clasping hers, their fingers entwined. No one could touch her there, no one could hurt her when she was with Atton.
A/N: I'm finally playing KOTOR II and I have a helluva lot of AttonxExile feels. This occured to me after the conversation where Atton tells Exile to play Pazaak, because then no matter who tries to get into her mind they cant touch her, since she'll be far away with him playing Pazaak. :'|
This ship will be the death of me.
Atton, Pazaak and standard Exile belong to Obsidian/LucasArts. Cel is mine. Hat tip to Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas for the name Celaena, it's a good book check it out if you have a chance.
