Disclaimer: Still broke, still poor… still don't own a thing except for the plot.

Chapter I: Ante

Everyone's face was a blur. To Rei, they all looked the same. Well-wishing and unnecessary pleasantries, she dealt with it all. She even shook the hands of unknown dignitaries, her father's friends- she shook the hands and smiled at strangers, going as far as thanking them for their blessings and unwanted praises.

After the exhaustive pleasantries, the couple headed for the dance floor for their first dance. Rei graciously took her husband's hand and smiled pleasantly, if only to keep up the charade.

And so they danced like two graceful angels- gracefully gliding across the massive dance floor, dipping, twirling just like they did during the rehearsals. Rei could feel her father brimming with pride at her display of false nonchalance. She was proud of herself too, proud that she was brave enough and suppressed her urge to run away from the horrible nightmare that was her wedding.

The song was now coming to an end and Rei found herself unceremoniously dipped and kissed. She looked up, startled by her husband's actions. She wanted to glare but knew that she couldn't, not in front of everyone. Moreover, her husband looked particularly appealing when his eyes sparkled with mischief and mirth. It was a rare sight, something she knew she would not be seeing over the course of their marriage because he, Jared Masato, was almost as cold, if not colder, than her.

Mister Pokerface.

She knew about her husband- she was well informed. She knew about his coldness, his arrogance- the two things that made him a successful businessman. Any information not disseminated through word of mouth was acquired through research. Rei knew that even when he looked like an Apollo incarnate, he had the soul of Hades- at least that's what she made herself believe. She constantly reminded herself that behind those deceptive baby blue eyes was a man who thought nothing else of her than a business transaction.

"Rei?" His smooth, baritone voice called out.

"Hmm?"

Jared looked at her strangely before saying, "You're staring, is something on my face?"

"Uh, no. I was just thinking." She hastily mumbled.

Cordial, you have to be cordial. People are watching… Kaidou is watching.

"About what?"

A new song played, and Rei all but smirked. Maybe if she played along, things won't be horrible as she predicted. Maybe if she played along, she might actually have a chance at being happy. Maybe if she played along, she could deceive herself.

"About how lucky I am to be married to you." She smiled up at him and wound her arms around his neck. "Dance with me."


Jared looked down at his wife, perplexed. Sure they had agreed to put on a show, but this, this went beyond their plans. Something was not right, he knew. Nevertheless, even if he knew there was something amiss, he simply could not refuse the first request of his lovely wife. He smirked as he put his hands on her waist and lead their merry dance. She was simply far too beautiful for him to resist. She looked stunning in her simple, satin gown- and her smile, a genuine one, was breathtaking.

What game are you playing, little girl?

While they danced, making a beautiful spectacle of themselves, Jared thought about possible explanations for Rei's current behavior, not that it wasn't a pleasant surprise, but he was not used to her being so… cordial. She was hostile, especially around him. Even with the people in attendance, he did not expect her to act this way. He had not expected her to take her role very seriously.

Keeping in mind that something was amiss, Jared smiled and pulled his wife's petite frame flush against his. He loved the feel of her soft body against his- a stark contrast to his masculine build. She was soft and beautifully curved in all the right places- best of all, she was his.

Be careful, little girl. I know more about games than you do.


He tried to calm himself. She was not his; his anger was unwarranted. She was a married woman now, and her husband could do any damn thing he pleases to her.

Husband…

That word did not sit too well with him. They were kindred; she had said it herself a long time ago. They were still kindred, despite the fact that they were both married. He had done everything in his power to forget about their bond, to forget that they, according to her, were kindred spirits. It had taken him longer than he had expected, but as the days wore on and his love for his wife grew, eventually Rei was nothing more than a fond memory of a love gone wrong. But now that he was looking at her dancing with Jared, looking every bit as immaculate and regal, all that he fought to forget came flooding back.

And she was smiling, a rare, genuine smile. She smiled a lot when they were young. She was, he remembered, so happy back then. He remembered being the only person, other than her now deceased grandfather, to make her smile. But now she was smiling, and it was not because of him. He leaned against the pillar and vigilantly watched- envious that someone else made her smile that someone else got to see that rare smile.

You don't deserve her. You're not kindred.

Kaidou downed the rest of his champagne and made a pact with himself- even if he knew he was fighting a loosing battle, he was not going down without a fight. It was an impossible task, with both of them being married, but he simply could not allow Jared to win so very easily. He had come up with so many reasons as to why Jared did not deserve Rei; he was not there when she mourned the loss of her mother, he did not religiously send her casablancas on her birthday, he had not known her since childhood… and it went on and on- a million different reasons why he deserved her more than Jared.

Even if they were married, he knew Jared had not completely won yet. There was still a matter of heart. He knew, from personal experience and from years of observation, that Rei was not the type to love easily. He still had a chance, though slim.

I'll bluff my way to a win.

With slow, purposeful strides, he walked over to the dancing couple and tapped the groom on the shoulder. Jared's blonde head turned slightly towards him, his blue eyes looking suspiciously irate. Kaidou smiled, ignoring the faint hostility, and calmly said, "Congratulations, Jared. Would you mind if I dance with the lovely bride?"

-TBC-

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A/N

REVIEW damn it. There are almost 200 views and only 5 reviews. WTF? If it sucks, tell me so I can improve. Flame me if you want… Anything! Feedback is necessary.

It's my computer's fault that this came out later than planned. Something got f$ed up in the CPU hard drive and blah… insert confusing technical bullshit here

ANTE- a forced bet in which each player places an equal amount of money or chips into the pot before the deal begins. It guarantees a winning for each hand. (you all probably know this already)

Their hearts/feelings/emotions is their ante, hence the title 'Ante'. (bear with me on this, okay?) The succeeding chapter titles will still be related to poker because it's fun.

I love poker, which is why I took on this fic. I play for candy with my friends because I'm too broke to play for money… But Blackjack, well, that's a different story. :P