Status: Unpaused!
The "Z" Word
Poker
The rest of the day went on without anything eventful happening. It was getting late, and most everyone had gone to bed. Daryl was sitting in the living room watching a movie while Slater, Merle, Glenn, and Dale sat in the kitchen playing poker. The movie ended and Daryl got up to get something to drink. When he walked into the kitchen he seen Slater leaning forward to face Merle, her elbows were propped on the table, and she had one hand resting under her chin, her cards were in that hand. "Well," she prompted, "What are you going to do?"
Merle stared at the cards, then her, then back at his cards. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation. Finally, Merle put the cards face down on the table and said, "Fold."
"Chicken."
"No, I'm not."
"You're afraid I'm going to take more of your imaginary money. Chicken. Bock, b-b-b-bock!"
"Shut up! I'm not a chicken."
Daryl watched with much interest, he had never seen anyone, man or woman, talk to Merle the way Slater was. He was very amused by it, and leaned up against the counter to watch the rest of the game. "Then pick up your cards and keep playing," Slater told him, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
He sighed and pushed a stack of white chips into the center of the table before picking his cards back up. Happy with herself, Slater leaned back in the chair and turned her attention to Glenn, "Your turn."
"I hate playing with you," Merle muttered. "It's impossible to read your poker face."
"It's impossible for anyone to read any of my faces. If I don't show my emotions then I don't get burned."
Daryl didn't say anything, but he knew that was a lie. He knew Slater had shown her emotions in the garage when she was talking about her grandparents, and Isaac. That was why she had kept her back to him, to prevent him from seeing that she was hurting. Daryl couldn't explain it, but he had the need to break down Slater's walls. He wanted to show her that you could feel something about someone, and not get hurt.
After she won the game she glanced at Daryl, "Wanna join? Let me take all your imaginary money too."
"That's okay, I'd rather just go to bed."
She shrugged without looking at him, "Okay." When he was almost at the door she started the same taunting she had done to Merle to get him to keep playing.
Wordlessly, he sat down at the table and watched her smirk, proud of herself, and Dale dealt the cards.
It was nearly impossible to beat her, but Daryl wasn't going to give up until he did. Eventually, everyone else went to bed, leaving just the two of them there to play. Slater watched intensely as she waited for Daryl to decide on what he was going to do. Finally, he pushed his last stack of chips into the center of the table.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Slater asked. "If you loose, you're all out of money."
Daryl clenched his jaw, but forced himself to relax before saying, "You said it yourself, the money's imaginary. If I loose, I'll just have to put something real on the line.
A wicked grin spread across Slater's face as she matched his bet. Daryl laid his cards out on the table, full house. The smile never left Slater's face as she laid her cards down, royal flush.
"How'd you.....? You cheated."
"No, I didn't. How could I have possibly cheated? You dealt the cards yourself. Now, if we're playing again, you need to make a bet. What is it that you're willing to give me?"
Daryl glared at her, "I'm going to bed."
She smirked as she gathered the chips and put them away, along with the cards. Afterwards, she went upstairs to brush her teeth before going to bed. When she walked out of the bathroom, Daryl was standing there. "Yes?"
"I wanted to apologize for accusing you of cheating. I just....I've never been beaten like that....at least, not by a girl."
"You're forgiven." Thinking there was nothing more to say, Slater walked past Daryl towards her bedroom, but he stopped her by grabbing her forearm. She spun around to face him, irritated. "What?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words he wanted to say wouldn't come out. Finally he just cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, Slater gave into the kiss, allowing him to take over her mouth. A moan escaped her lips, only to be muffled by his, and her arms slid around his neck. When she finally regained her senses, she pulled away from him and just stared. Neither of them were entirely sure of what to say, so Slater turned around and quickly walked away to her bedroom.
Merle stared at the cards, then her, then back at his cards. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation. Finally, Merle put the cards face down on the table and said, "Fold."
"Chicken."
"No, I'm not."
"You're afraid I'm going to take more of your imaginary money. Chicken. Bock, b-b-b-bock!"
"Shut up! I'm not a chicken."
Daryl watched with much interest, he had never seen anyone, man or woman, talk to Merle the way Slater was. He was very amused by it, and leaned up against the counter to watch the rest of the game. "Then pick up your cards and keep playing," Slater told him, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
He sighed and pushed a stack of white chips into the center of the table before picking his cards back up. Happy with herself, Slater leaned back in the chair and turned her attention to Glenn, "Your turn."
"I hate playing with you," Merle muttered. "It's impossible to read your poker face."
"It's impossible for anyone to read any of my faces. If I don't show my emotions then I don't get burned."
Daryl didn't say anything, but he knew that was a lie. He knew Slater had shown her emotions in the garage when she was talking about her grandparents, and Isaac. That was why she had kept her back to him, to prevent him from seeing that she was hurting. Daryl couldn't explain it, but he had the need to break down Slater's walls. He wanted to show her that you could feel something about someone, and not get hurt.
After she won the game she glanced at Daryl, "Wanna join? Let me take all your imaginary money too."
"That's okay, I'd rather just go to bed."
She shrugged without looking at him, "Okay." When he was almost at the door she started the same taunting she had done to Merle to get him to keep playing.
Wordlessly, he sat down at the table and watched her smirk, proud of herself, and Dale dealt the cards.
It was nearly impossible to beat her, but Daryl wasn't going to give up until he did. Eventually, everyone else went to bed, leaving just the two of them there to play. Slater watched intensely as she waited for Daryl to decide on what he was going to do. Finally, he pushed his last stack of chips into the center of the table.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Slater asked. "If you loose, you're all out of money."
Daryl clenched his jaw, but forced himself to relax before saying, "You said it yourself, the money's imaginary. If I loose, I'll just have to put something real on the line.
A wicked grin spread across Slater's face as she matched his bet. Daryl laid his cards out on the table, full house. The smile never left Slater's face as she laid her cards down, royal flush.
"How'd you.....? You cheated."
"No, I didn't. How could I have possibly cheated? You dealt the cards yourself. Now, if we're playing again, you need to make a bet. What is it that you're willing to give me?"
Daryl glared at her, "I'm going to bed."
She smirked as she gathered the chips and put them away, along with the cards. Afterwards, she went upstairs to brush her teeth before going to bed. When she walked out of the bathroom, Daryl was standing there. "Yes?"
"I wanted to apologize for accusing you of cheating. I just....I've never been beaten like that....at least, not by a girl."
"You're forgiven." Thinking there was nothing more to say, Slater walked past Daryl towards her bedroom, but he stopped her by grabbing her forearm. She spun around to face him, irritated. "What?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words he wanted to say wouldn't come out. Finally he just cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, Slater gave into the kiss, allowing him to take over her mouth. A moan escaped her lips, only to be muffled by his, and her arms slid around his neck. When she finally regained her senses, she pulled away from him and just stared. Neither of them were entirely sure of what to say, so Slater turned around and quickly walked away to her bedroom.