Aces and Moonshine

            To say Will was on red alert would be an understatement.

            He’d won four hands so far. Two general questions, and two intimate ones. He hadn’t
touched ‘personal’ yet. He’d found out that Jack had been caught for mistakenly giving
moonshine to a cop, then they hit him with everything else. He’d also found out Annie and Jack
had never had a thing going, then why. Jack was a homo. Like himself. Which was something
that could’ve made things very interesting, had this not been the Jack Sparrow. He had to watch
his step around this guy. He could screw him over, big time.

            “Hit me.” he muttered as he looked down at his cards. If he could just get a... There it
was. Jack was handing him the Queen of Diamonds, and he kept his face stone, though he was
grinning from ear to ear inside. Royal flush. Exactly what he needed. No hand was higher.

            So, tell me about your family, Will. ‘Cause I’m the kind of guy who likes to know these
things.” Will looked down at his spread, Four of a Kind, then smiled softly while showing his
own cards.

            Shaking his head, Jack laughed. “I don’t believe it. Five in a row.”

            Will grinned widely. “So, Sparrow, what about your family?”

            Jack leaned back in his chair. “My mother died when I was ten. Accident. My old man
wasn’t exactly your model father. Usually left us unconscious on the way to the bar. I got one
sister, Hazel, but she’s in L.A.” He’d summed it up quickly. Will made sure to get it all. He
wanted this information. It could be useful.

            Jack kept his eyes down as he shuffled and dealt. He had his guard up, too, now. He
checked out his hand and felt like muttering a curse. It was just mixed numbers. He still had a
chance, but it was slim.

            Jack spread his cards. “Got a John out there, waitin’?” Just what he’d hoped for. While
Jack’s numbers added to twenty-four, his own added to twenty-nine.

            He spread his. “What about you?” he asked, arms folded across hiss chest.

            Jack shook his head and smiled. “Nope. No John or Jane. Thinkin’ I might just die
alone.”

            Jack’s eyes were downcast, and for some reason, Will’s heart wrenched. He didn’t want it
to. He didn’t want to feel anything for this man. He wanted to lay low, then get out. Maybe get a
little nookie along the way, but that’s about it. And it was most definitely not going to be from
the Infamous Jack Sparrow. He didn’t have relationships with bootleggers. He just took their
dirty money and got out.

            He’d visit Louie a little later.

            Jack looked up and smiled. “Why don’t we make some joe before you go on killin’ me.
I’m gettin’ kinda bushed, but I wanna keep the game goin’.”

            Will nodded and stood, going over to the coffee pot and searching for filters. “Don’t
worry. I’m just lucky tonight.” He heard Jack chuckle.

            “Yeah. Real lucky.” Will’s face grew hot as he figured out Jack’s meaning. He was
talking about Louie.

            He turned to glare at him. “Yeah, thanks for interruptin’, by the way.” he said,
sarcastically.

            “You’re welcome.” Jack grinned. “You look like a tomato. The edible kind.”

            “What? Don’t like the taste of the other kind?” Will asked slyly. He turned his head look
at Jack.

            “No, no, I like it fine.” Jack smirked. “I jus’ happen to like somethin’ else better, if you
catch my drift.”

            Will Quirked an eyebrow at him. “Well, then, it just so happens , we’re in the same boat.”

            “Really, now?” Jack had a half-smirk on his face. Somewhere in his mind, he registered
this meant trouble. And though he had no idea how he knew, he’d keep his guard way up until
that smirk faded away.

            Will poured the coffee when it was done. Sipping his, he looked up at Jack. The man was
something of a legend in Chicago. So many rumors circulated, it was difficult to pick the needle-sized fact out of the haystack of fiction. There were many reasons for Will to run away. But he
found he couldn’t. This man, Jack Sparrow, had something keeping him here. Something other
than safety.

            “So, tell me. Who was that boy you were with earlier? Old flame?” Jack was leaning back
in his chair, faint smile on his face. Will blushed.

            “So to speak.” He answered. “I used to come here a lot.”

            “You? Nah. Don’t have the name for it. Nobody’s ever heard of a ‘Will Brown’. So either
you’re fakin’ me out, or you had a job here or somethin’.” Will wanted to snap back that his
name wasn’t ‘Will Brown’. He wanted to say ‘I’m Will Turner, so there,’ and get a good
reaction. But that was a risk. And the only risk he ever felt like taking was gambling.

            “Guess so.” He replied. Jack raised an eyebrow.

            He downed his coffee, letting it scald his mouth. “Ready for another hand?”

            Jack set his coffee cup down, and picked up the cards. He shuffled and dealt in silence.
They looked at their cards quickly, then discarded and re-carded, until they were happy.

            Jack looked up from his cards, smiling. Will didn’t care. He had Four of a kind. He was
set.

            Something about Jack’s grin, though, made his stomach flop. It was strange. He felt like
he wanted to make him crazy, make him moan out his name. He wanted to make Jack scream so
loud the walls would shake. He wanted to feel Jack inside him, thrusting hard until he saw stars.
He wanted Jack rough. He wanted Jack dirty. He wanted Jack bad, and he wished he didn’t.

            “So, kiddo, what’s the dirtiest thing ya’ve ever done with a John?” Will’s attention
snapped to the cards.

            He couldn’t believe it.

            Royal Fucking Flush.

            He could not believe it.

            He spread his cards, and Jack raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling Jack couldn’t believe it
himself. Now there was the small matter of answering the question he had to answer.

            He leaned back in his chair, and looked at the ceiling. He was blushing, he knew he was.
“My old boyfriend and I, we played Strip Poker. I let him win. Then, we had sex standing up in
front of an open window.”

            He couldn’t believe he was telling him this. He had been so turned on by the world
watching, he came within minutes. But they did it again and again, and it felt so good... And that
guy wasn’t even that great in bed. Out of the few he’d been with, this guy was the worst. But it
still felt damn good.

            Jack was grinning at him. “I never woulda thought ya to be so bold, kiddo. You’ve
exceeded my expectations.”

            Will’s face was hot. He knew he was blushing. He didn’t care. “Hey, quit the ‘kiddo’
crap. My name’s Will Brown, get it straight.”

            That’s when Jack leaned forward. So close it was almost scary. His lips right next to
Will’s ear, so he could feel the warm air. He felt like he was going to melt. He didn’t know why.
It was like all his once strong reserve crumbled as soon as Jack was in touching-range. He could
smell good shampoo in Jack’s hair, which waved in front of his face, teasing him.

            “No, kid. It’s not. You know it. I know it. I’m jus’ waitin’ for ya to own up and gimme
your real name. Until then, you’re kid, or kiddo.” It was said in a seductive whisper, that nearly
killed Will with want.

            Then, Jack moved back, took off his jacket, and stood. “I’m goin’ to bed. G’night, kid.”

            Will watched him step into the bedroom. This was the devil’s right hand man. He was
sure of it.