We are almost to the wedding. Just wanted to get the bachelor and bachelorette parties out the way.
Everyone anted up. Scott, the dealer this round, set the card on top of the pack aside, then dealt each player two cards. The Wolverine was the last before the dealer to receive his cards. He took a surreptitious glance at them. Two queens…hearts and spades. Kurt bets and the others call. Scott again sets aside the top card then placed three cards faced up on the table. Logan glanced down…queen of diamonds, six of clubs, ten of hearts. He held onto his grin. After the second round of betting, Scott set aside the top card then flipped over the next. The Wolverine took a full sweep of the circular table, taking in the competition.
Scott's tell was the easiest of all. The fearless leader would rub the space between his eyebrows every now and then. Just a gentle whiff told him Hank was sweating bullets…yep his hand sucked. Mac, he had pegged a long time ago as Mac's eyes would swing from one person to the other nervously. Remy, however, was a different story. The man wasn't named Gambit for nothing.
Logan reached over and grabbed a handful of pretzels and waited for Nightcrawler's tell…he was about to ask a question. "So, Logan, vhere is the honeymoon?" Logan had to hold his laughter in. Kurt never disappoints.
Both Kurt and Hank folded. Logan waited until the bets were in before answering. "'Don't go blabbin' ta 'Ro or the other women…but I'm takin' her ta Mauritius."
Scott burned the top card, then placed the next card face up. Logan glanced down. This was indeed his lucky night. The queen of clubs sat there seemingly winking up at him.
Scott checked. Mac called. Remy raised, as did Logan. After Logan's call, Mac folded. Scott checked again. Remy raised, prompting Logan to raise double.
"Ororo would definitely love Mauritius. It is an excellent choice for a honeymoon, with all its flora…"
Scott's loud "Fold", stopped Hank from giving what was about to be another of his longwinded speeches. That left Gambit and the Wolverine to face off. The others look on with baited breath.
"If they make it out the hotel room," Mac interjected, prompting laughter.
Logan grinned and raised again, after Remy. The pot now stood at roughly seven hundred and eighty bucks.
Remy doubled Logan with his own raise. "Hope ya got a good excuse fer Rogue when ya end up broke, Cajun." Logan quipped.
"What I can't believe is the great Wolverine settling down," Scott tossed in, his eyes darting between the two participants.
"Tell me about it. I've known Logan for years. Didn't think he'll ever make it to the altar," Mac said, taking a swig of his beer.
Hank not to be left out, replied, "I do believe when we meet our soul mates, then things have a way of coming into perspective."
"Dat's de first t'ing de good doctor said all night, Remy understands." There were snickers around the table. Remy glanced at Logan. The man was good. His empathic abilities revealed nothing from Logan. He felt confident with his hand, but when Logan smirked at him, that confidence fled him.
Finally the hand reached the showdown. Before their hands were revealed, Logan said, "I've lived a damn long life and I've met and been with other women, but 'Ro…" he shook his head as if he was still in disbelief that she was his. "Women like 'Ro only come 'round once in a lifetime, if yer lucky. I count myself the luckiest man alive the day I met her. She accepts me, the good, the bad and the ugly. I feel like I can conquer the world, knowin' she's mine. I ain't givin' her up fer nothin'."
All the men were in awe of the Wolverine. It was such a rare thing for them to hear words like those come out of his mouth. "Only Ororo can deal vith you Logan," Kurt intoned jokingly.
"I still think she needs to get her head checked," Scott replied, shaking his head, "I mean, she can have any man she wants and she wants Logan. Now think about that."
"Remy still tryin' to figure out what Monsieur Claws got dat we don't."
"How many freak storms we had 'round the mansion in the last month or so?" Logan asked. "That's one 'o the reasons why she's sayin' 'I do' ta me."
The men all groaned, having drawn the same conclusions from Logan's shameless question and statement.
"Ok, ok. Show yo hand Wolverine." Remy grinned and laid his cards on the table. He had a flush. He motioned to pull the pot to him, but Logan stopped him.
"Not so fast, Cajun." Logan's grin was positively wicked when he revealed his four of a kind. "Me and 'Ro 'bout ta have extra spendin' money on the honeymoon."
Mac whistled. That was the reason why he almost never play poker with Logan. He wasn't the best at what he did for nothing. "What's next fellas?"
"Seven card stud," Hank of all people replied, "I feel like cutting it loose tonight."
"Cece may have something to say about that, Blue," Scott remarked.
Hank pushed his glasses up high on the bridge of his nose. "I was given permission to act rowdy. My love understands that the marriage of the Wolverine and our resident Goddess is an event unlike any other."
All heads swung towards the good doctor. Hank rolled his eyes. "What? I am not ashamed to admit that."
"Yo should be," Remy muttered.
"Why? I value Cecelia's opinions," Hank shot back.
"Yo a man fo cryin' out loud," Remy returned.
"You have to wear the pants Hank," Scott replied, tossing a handful of pretzels in his mouth.
"That's not what I heard 'bout you and Jeannie," Logan tossed in. "Wasn't she kickin' yer ass out yer room a week ago?"
"Pregnancy hormones," Scott defended weakly. Everyone was well aware that though Jean was still in her first trimester, her mood swings were already legendary.
"Good excuse, Cyke," Remy laughed. "Ain't she had yo washin' her drawers de other day? That redhead got yo on a tight leash."
"And Rogue don't have you on one?"
Remy had the good grace to lower his head. "Mi amour is a spirited woman. At de end 'o the day, she knows who's the man in our relationship."
The doorbell intruded on their animated conversation. Mac left to answer, asking Kurt to go with him. They returned a few minutes later with seven boxes of pizza and a few liter bottles of coke. Mac then left again only to return hauling a cart filled with beer, alcohol and utensils. "Help yourselves fellas."
They all went to grab food and drink. Not ready to drop their conversation, Scott said loud enough to be heard above the noise, "You're one to talk Logan. Who said we couldn't have strippers tonight?"
Logan replied around a bite of pizza, "'Ro knows it's my bachelor party and we did discuss me havin' strippers. But I didn't want ta disrespect 'Ro by havin' another woman's ass in my face. Besides I don't need strippers when I have a Goddess ta go home ta."
"In other words, mi soeur threaten to ram a lightnin' bolt up his ass." That produced a few chuckles.
They all reclaimed their seats and the conversation, poker, food and alcohol flowed around them freely. Logan couldn't asked for a better bachelor party. After all the ups and downs it took for him to get to this point, he couldn't envisioned a better way to spend his last night as a single man. He was surrounded by men he knew had his and 'Ro's backs at the drop of a hat. The relationships with these men didn't come easy because the Wolverine didn't trust easily. But over the years they had proved themselves and he had done his part to accept that solid relationships are needed in life because one couldn't go at it alone forever. He looked around and grinned and the beast inside grunted in approval. He asked for their attention and when he received it, he raised his glass of whiskey and said, "I just want ta thank ya all fer bein' here fer me and 'Ro. I couldn't ask fer a better sendoff ta married life."
