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Laughter rang off the walls of the apartment, carried out through the window and into the cold, open air. Huddled around a low table, held together by a ring of light that swayed gently side-to-side, were Weiss and Schwartz; howling with laughter and pounding strong fists against the wooden tabletop. Empty alcohol bottles rang hollowly as they rolled along the planks of the floor and settled against the rugs.
It had been a while since it had all ended - since the members of the opposing teams had served their terms of penance and were set free to lead their own, individual lives. They had all longed for freedom and yet...still they remained together, drawn to each other as teammates in a greater battle. Gradually, the members of what had once been Weiss and Schwartz came in each other's company more and more frequently. Facing the prospect of death at each other's hands had created an insoluable bond between them; at times exemplified in a sort of playful competitiveness, at others in acts of genuine kindness. Lately, however, there had been another demension to the dynamic that drew them to each other. It was as if they had all looked back, taken stock of the demons of their pasts and asked, "why shouldn't man be happy?" They had earned, with blood and sweat, their moments together of giddy and light abandon.
So far, in the course of the evening, they had given themselves over to various forms of entertainment. They had tried to play a game of twister, which had ended almost immediately after Aya had been forced assume a position that would have made the Kama Sutra blush. The cat calls from Yoji and Schuldig had really been too much. As the empty bottles of alcohol slowly stacked up, blackjack had also been attempted - but Omi and Nagi's pathetic attempts at poker faces and Schuldig's unequal advantage had caused more than one quarrell. And now ...
And now Schuldig shifted, uncomfortably warm and absurdly lumpy beneath three light shirts. Around his neck pants were tied together in a make-shift scarf, and knotted socks encircled his head and neck. At his side Crawford was characteristically grim, his strong grip tightened around a bundle of clothing and something about his face remotely conspiratorial.
At the moment, the game was strip poker - and Weiss were losing quite determinedly.
They sat, pressed together on the opposing side of the table, in various stages of undress. Yoji was apparently the worst at the game - though he had been wearing the most layers he was now almost naked, save the burgandy-and-gold-polka-dotted boxers that barely covered his natural gifts. Ken, sloping drunkenly against Aya and giggling, was also shirtless and pantless, although the only member of the assembly still in possession of his socks. He was also, noticeably, the worst at handling his alcohol. Aya was better off than the others : still wearing his pants, and directing an inhuman amount of fury against the uncooperative hand of cards he'd been delt. His legs were tucked beneath him, naked toes curled primly and an anklet visible beneath the hem of his pant. He was slightly tipsy - they had, as per usual, gotten heavily into the liquor - but no river of alcohol could dissuade Aya from being ashamed to be shirtless. He could feel Schuldig's eyes groping him from across the table, while Crawford poured him another stiff drink.
"Alright, kitten - time to show your cards." Shuldig cracked a slanted grin, fanning his cards out on the table. Royal Straight Flush. Damn, he was good at this. As the others followed suit, Aya clutched his protectively closer to his chest. There was no way ... no way...
Beside him, Ken leaned over and whispered, quite loudly enough for the entire table to hear, "What's a madder, Aya? Don't want to show your pair twos?" As he spoke he ran his fingers down Aya's naked back, linking his fingers in the empty belt loops. "Don't wanna lose your little panties?"
Aya, purposefully avoiding the look Schuldig was giving him, took the drink that Crawford handed him and tossed it back. He downed it in one shot, flicking out his Tongue to roll the icecubes around. "We're not playing this anymore - there's no way for us to win!" He wiped his mouth with his wrist as he spoke and turned towards Ken, whose head was in Aya's lap and whose hands seemed to be wandering around his jeans like whores on the curb. He gritted his teeth, "and I do NOT wear PANTIES!"
"Too bad - now I quess we'll never know." Schuldig smirked and stuck out his tongue at Aya as Crawford sighed, leaning across the table to collect the cards.
Omi, who had been huddled with Nagi at the far end of the table, suddenly piped in. "Well...now what do we do?" Although he and Nagi had been excluded from the last game they were also, somehow, both now only half-dressed.
Nagi climbed onto Omi's back, giggling and posturing seductively. He leaned over, close to Omi's ear, and flicked his tongue out to tease the tiny gold loop. He purred, "How about...seven minutes in heaven?"
Weiss and Schwartz looked at each other for a long moment across the table. From what they could read in the drawn, perfect faces etched in shadow by the lamp, each man was game. "Fine," said Crawford, tucking the cards away and flicking them back onto the table with a hollow thud. "How do we choose who goes?"
"Easy!" Slurred Yoji, reaching down into the bag and taking out a small bundle of straws bound by a purple thread.
Schuldig laughed. "Always prepared, aren't we Yo-tan?"
Yoji lifted his eyes slowly to meet Schuldig's and winked, "That's the name of the game, baby - the name of the game. Now, there are seven straws, two long ones."
"I want the loooong one!"
"Shuddup, Omi. Now, whoever picks 'em - the long ones, I mean - have a date in the closet. And it's not debateable - whoever you get, you have to go with. Now close yer eyes," Yoji held his hand out, the straws poking up evenly, "and choose. I get the leftovers."
"...like always."
"Shuddup, Ken."
Each of the men covered their eyes and extended a hand, reaching into the jumble of straws and thinking of a name as they pulled one out. Let it be Omi. Let it be Aya. Let it be...Yoji could feel al the men pulling the straws slowly out of his palms in anticipation, and hoped for luck to rule in his favour. Which it usually didn't. When he felt only one left, pliant in the warmth of his grip, he opened his eyes. "Okay - who's getting lucky?"
Each man looked down at the thin piece of plastic held he held in his palm.
"I got one!" Nagi smiled triumphantly, holding it up.
"Mou! I didn't - that's not fair!! We have to re-draw!" Omi looked as though he were about to cry, watching Nagi wave the this straw about. He turned back to the one he held, the look in his eyes commanding it to grow another inch.
Ken, relieved that he was not the one holding the matching straw, looked around. "Well then, who has the other ...' His words trailed off as he looked across the table. Crawford was clenching his fist tightly around something, and looked, if possible, more murderous than usual.
"No. Absolutley not." Crawford tossed defiantly onto the table the other long straw, slightly crumpled. "We will do it again."
Schuldig reclined against the couch, looking as though he was enjoying himself thouroughly. "Shouldn't you have seen that coming?" He asked baitingly, swirling the crystal glass of scotch he held delicately between his fingers. The look that Crawford proceeded to give in answer told all those around the table that this was better left alone.
Yoji, one for sticking ruthlessly to the rules only when it pertained to cards, was about to protest but quickly though the better of it. Better not to traumatize Omi's boyfriend - not to mention risk getting pummeled by such a well-built and angry-looking American. After downing the neglected Corona by his side, Yoji gathered up the straws and commenced again. "Okay, boys - take two!"
Again, each man reached into Yoji's fist to extract a straw.
"Eeeee! We each got one!!" Omi squealed in delight, grabbing Nagi by the wrist and dragging him off before the other boy even had a chance to open his eyes. "Don't start counting until we're actually in the closet, now. Hey..!?" Suddenly Omi, pulled by an unseen force, was suddenly lifted off his feet, and began careening through the air like an oversized puppet. "Nagiiii!!!"
Nagi stood up and brushed himself off, as the closet door magically swung open and Omi glided inside. He inclined his head towards the group in parting, and walked off towards the closet. Unaided, the door slammed shut behind him, and the light that seeped from the room blinked off.
While the other four remaining at the table stared in shock off towards the concealing door, Aya stared down into his palm. It was better off this way, he decided, tucking the straw into his back pocket. Omi was still a bit young, after all. Beside him Ken was practically bent in half, reaching under the table for something that seemed just beyond his reach. Despite himself, Aya could not help but stare for an instant; the tanned skin on Ken's back, muscled and taunt, looked so smooth in the lamplight. He found his eyes trailing down, dipping in every shadow, counting the vertebrae until they disappeared beneath the fitted curves of Ken's baby blue Hanes.
"Aya! I'm getting jealous..." Aya snapped his eyes back up, seeing Schuldig watching him from across the table. He didn't even bother to register that Schuldig, despite his own threats, was smoking another cigarette in his living room. "I didn't even need powers for that one," Schuldig grinned, tipping his ashes into an empty beer bottle, "because of that look on your face, kitten." He added, "I've missed it."
Aya decided it was better not to answer, and looked down at the table instead. "What are you doing under there, Ken?"
Suddenly Ken's head popped back up, smiling widely as he slammed the empty champagne bottle onto the center of the table.
"What's 'this?'" Asked Crawford, his tone business-like as he lowered his glasses to better inspect the object.
"This is our next game," Ken went on, turning the vessel on its side and flicking his wrist. "Spin the bottle. Wanna play?"
"That's for wusses!" Yoji reached into the black bag, quickly finding what he wanted. He tossed the object of the table. "This'll make it MUCH more interesting."
Five men leaned closer over the table, trying to see the two small objects that Yoji and so eagerly set before them. They were dice, six-sided and slightly worn from use. However, instead of numbers, each dice had written on them the names of different body parts, accompanied by small cartoonish drawings. Inhaing sharply, all eyes whipped back up to Yoji.
"I'm sure you all understand - you roll the dice, and you have to do an action that involves the two corresponding body parts. For instance," Yoji assumed the air of an expert as he picked up each die independantly and rolled them onto the the table. This really was his strong suit, after all. While the others all watched with rapt attention, Aya could not help wondering at how much smarter Yoji sounded when he was drunk. The dice turned up: one showed a picture of a hand, and the other of an ear. "If I was playing, I would have to ... tickle someone's ear, I guess."
They all, simulaneously, blinked.
"What the hell is sexy about that?" Ken demanded, reaching out and twiddling his fingers in Yoji's soft hair. "Coochie-coochie coo!"
"Well there are other combinations!" Yoji protested, defending the honour of one of his very favourite pastimes. "And besides," He added, leaning close to Ken, "anything can be sexy ... if you know what you're doing." He leaned forwards, one hand on either side of Ken forcing the younger man into a reclining position. The other men around the table all watched as Yoji leaned in even closer, his chest pressed to Ken's and his mouth hovering teasingly an inch above his ear. He exhaled, running a long and elegant finger along the rim of Ken's ear and down along his jaw, and every man at the table simultaneously shivered.
"Ok, I'm sold." Pronounced Shuldig, putting his hand decicively on the bottle. Yoji re- assumed his sitting position, leaving Ken with his back to Aya's arm and a new, burning desire.
Aya, irritated, nudged Ken, who sat up with a lost and longing look on his face which Crawford noted. "As soon as our friend Ken rejoins us, we can begin."
Ken looked at Crawford: the sight was like a stiff drink. He blinked, turning to Yoji as he spoke, "Damn. You ARE good."
"Hey - the ladies don't complain."
"Nor the men, apparently," said Crawford, taking the bottle that Schuldig passed him. "Now, let's play." He flicked his wrist, and the bottle spun on the table like a wild compass. They all watched with baited breath, wondering who it would land on first, while Crawford warmed the dice in his hands.