Fic; Wicked Games (April Fic Challenge)

[csi_sanders1129]

Title: Wicked Games
Chapters: 1/1
Author:csi_sanders1129
Ratings: T
Word Count: 458
Pairings/Characters: Audrey Parker/Nathan Wuornos/Duke Crocker
Synopsis: In which Duke, Nathan, and Audrey play a friendly card game.
Comments: Written for my April Fic Challenge 2021, Prompt: Games. OT3. Established Relationship. No troubles. Comments and kudos would be awesome. Enjoy!

It is a typical Friday night in Haven. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke are all sitting around the table below deck aboard the Cape Rogue sharing take-out and drinks over a friendly game of strip poker. Or, well, just poker, really, because the only one stripping seems to be Duke, who has lost an impressive seven hands in a row and is currently shuffling his way out of his jeans. "How are you this bad?" Audrey demands, having finally stopped laughing at Duke's misfortune long enough to take a sip of her beer.

Nathan smirks, leans back in his chair to enjoy the view, "Yeah, for a pirate," he teases, "you're really not very good at this."

"Hilarious, the both of you," Duke shoots back with an unimpressed glare. He reclaims his seat, down to just his boxers now. "My luck will turn around," he assures them. "Just you watch."

"Oh, I can assure you that we are definitely watching," Audrey says, shuffling the cards for the next hand, eager to see how this game plays out.

Somehow, though, Duke's prediction comes true.

Nathan loses the next five hands and is suddenly down to his jeans. Audrey offers an appreciative whistle as he pulls his shirt over his head. Duke leans over to ruffle his hair when he spots the other man blushing red.

She loses one hand, after that – and shrugs out of her jacket without a care. "It was getting a little too hot in here for that, anyway," she says, almost as if she planned the loss.

"You are either very good at poker or very good at cheating at poker," Duke considers, eyeing her suspiciously, "And I'm not sure which one would be more impressive at this point."

"I'll show you impressive," she says, as she lays out a flush that beats the straight Nathan played. "Off with the pants now, Nathan."

Duke throws up his hands, "How!?" And then, somewhat distracted by the sight of Nathan stripping out of his pants, he adds, "You know what, I don't care how. You know why I don't care? Because chances are this game ends after the next hand." From there, they all know, things will escalate and any clothing that still remains on will not stay on for very much longer.

This prediction, however, is incorrect.

Audrey loses. And then loses again. And again and again and again, until she, too, is left in a similar state of undress. "How about we call this one a draw, boys?" She asks, well aware that Nathan and Duke have been watching her more than they've been watching their cards lately – and anyway, are there really any losers here?

Unsurprisingly, everyone is amenable to the end of the game.