A/N: Thanks again to those who reviewed!  For those of you who know how to play Egyptian Rat Screw, You rule!  For those who don't, I had Hakkai tell Gojyo the directions.  (I'd contemplated leaving that part out and just jumping in somewhere in the course of their game, but I don't want to lose you.  Besides, it's a great game!)

"They could at least be vulgar about it.  Egyptian Rat Fuck.  I like that better," Gojyo muttered, holding out the beer and the cards to the youkai.

"You would," Hakkai replied, taking the beer and opening it.

Gojyo smirked.  "So.  How do we play?"

"It's better in larger groups, but it can be played with just two."

"We could drag in Sanzo and the saru," Gojyo said with a shrug."

"You want to interrupt them?"

Gojyo paused, remembering the look and tone that Goku had had.  "Never mind.  Maybe next time."

Hakkai laughed and began shuffling the deck.  His eyes, however, stayed on Gojyo.  The pair was sitting at opposite ends of the bed-Hakkai near the headboard, Gojyo at the foot, with the 'playing field' between them.  Gojyo had lit a cigarette and taken a puff, but now the stick just hung limply from his lips.  Much to his surprise, he found himself envying that cigarette.  He shook his head and chased away the thought with a soft laugh.

"What?" Gojyo asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Hakkai replied, dealing out the cards.  "First, the dealer deals out the entire deck of cards to the players.  In this case, we each get half.  You're not allowed to look at the cards, and when you flip them onto the table-"

"You mean bed."

Hakkai smiled, but ignored the comment.  "-pull them so the other player sees it before you."  Hakkai demonstrated, playing his first card.  Gojyo followed suit.

"Now what?"

Hakkai looked at the two cards.  Three of hearts and four of spades.  He flipped another card.  "Jack.  When a face card is flipped over, the next person has a certain number of chances to flip another face card.  Jack gives one chance, Queen two, King three, and Ace four."

"What happens if I don't flip a face?"

"Whoever played the last face card takes the pile.  The object is to collect all the cards."

Gojyo raised an eyebrow.  "Doesn't sound like much of a game."

Hakkai smiled.  "Like I said, it's best played with three or more.  In those cases, once a player is out of cards, they can return to the game.  When two cards of the same number are played, the first player to notice smacks the pile and takes it.  If the first player to do so had had no cards at that point, they are back in the game."

Gojyo flipped over a card.  "Damn. Six."

Hakkai took the pile.  "Now that you know, there is one final thing before this game really starts."

"What's that?"

"Play fast," Hakkai answered, flipping over his next card faster than Gojyo's eyes could follow.

"Damn.  Aren't you supposed to be slower when you're drunk?"

Hakkai looked at him innocently.  "I am."

Gojyo sweat dropped and flipped over his next card. "Ha! Ace! Beat that!"

Hakkai turned a jack.

Gojyo turned a seven; Hakkai took the pile and turned an eight.

Gojyo turned a four.

            Hakkai a 7.

            Gojyo – Q.

            Hakkai – 5, J.

            Gojyo – 4. "Damn!"

            Hakkai smiled.  "Seems lady luck is with me," he spoke as he paused for a sip of his beer.

            "Damn whore, that woman," Gojyo replied, taking a drag on his cigarette.  Hakkai laughed.  "So, how long's this game supposed to take?"

            "As long as it takes for someone to get all the cards," Hakkai replied, flipping over a King.

            Gojyo flipped a 6, 8, A.  "Booh-ya!"

            Hakkai flipped the fourth and final jack.

            "Fuck."  Gojyo muttered as he flipped over his next card.  A queen.

            Hakkai flipped; another queen, and Gojyo smacked the pile a fraction of a second before Hakkai.

            "Ow, dude, you hit hard!" Gojyo said, making no effort to move his hand.

            "Sorry," Hakkai replied, only moving his hand when the door to their room opened once again.

            "Whatcha guys doing?" came Goku's voice once more, though somewhat more harshly than it should have.

            "Playing a game.  How's Sanzo?" Gojyo asked with a snicker.

            "Ch," Goku sounded, walking toward the bed.  "Passed out."

            "You sound upset," Hakkai voiced.

            "You would too, if---" Goku blushed.  "Ah, never mind."

            "He passed out on ya, didn't he?" Gojyo concluded as he finally picked up the pile.

            Goku blushed harder and nodded.  "So what are you playing?"

            "Egyptian Rat Fuck," Gojyo replied.

            "Screw, Gojyo," Hakkai corrected, picking up his beer for another drink.

            Gojyo smirked. "Screw who?"

Hakkai spat out the beer as his face turned an interesting shade of red.  "The name of the game…" he began, after regaining a small amount of his composure.  "Is Egyptian Rat Screw."
            "Oh, I've played that.  Can I join you?" Goku asked, climbing onto the bed and over where the pile had been, seating himself cross-legged, and his back to the wall.

"Only if you smack in," Hakkai told him.  "Then we can give Gojyo a taste of what this game is really like," he finished with a devilish, though somewhat lopsided, smile.

Goku nodded.  "Fair."

Gojyo flipped his card. 

Several rounds passed without the pile being taken, but when two Aces finally fell together, Goku smacked in and grabbed the pile before even Hakkai could smack the bed.

"Fuck.  He's even faster than you, 'Kai."

"It'll be a good game, then," Hakkai replied, his gaze falling intently on Gojyo.  "You will be able to keep up, ne?"

"I'd have to be drunk not to," Gojyo answered, meeting Hakkai's gaze with the same intensity.

"You are drunk," Goku replied.

            "Shut up, saru," Gojyo growled. 

            Hakkai looked suddenly to Goku.  "You up for this?"

            The youth grinned. "You bet," he answered, flipping over his first card.

            And thus began the dangerous real game.