I sat on the well-stuffed armchair that I had moved over, replacing the cheap wooden chair of the card table with my usual parlour armchair, my bare feet on the soft rug, the fire crackling and popping to my side as it worked away at the wood and coal I threw on a few moments ago. My cards on the well-polished wood of the card table, the edges slightly buffed and worn down from people's arms, my cards face down showing only the patterned back, coins in the centre of the table stacked up nicely, his cards on the other side. He sat in his armchair, well it wasn't his but it may well have been, leant back with his usual fluffy hair, his white loose sleeve shirt, his blue waistcoat, his green tie undone allowed to hang low and his brown trousers, his chocolate eyes leaving me with no place to hide, his smirk upturned on his lips.
I sat similarly in my chair with my arms over my chest doing my best to look at anything but him, flicking my eyes around the room that was meant to be our parlour but my father merely used it as a card room, with tables, chairs, a bar to the side and as many games as could be imagined. We were... A little, not tipsy, nowhere near Pidgeon step, but... Giggly, and giddy. Which didn't help matters.
He never moved his gaze though giving me very little choice in my proceedings.
"I don't know why I play with you." I snapped pushing my cards into the centre folding,
His smirk only grew as he moved the centre pile to his little pile proud of himself for his winnings, taking my cards and having a look before rolling his eyes "You had me going for a while at the start there," He smirked adding them along with his own back to the deck and beginning to shuffle them, "Again?"
"Alright," I sighed, as much as I didn't want to keep losing I didn't want him to go just yet, "I just need to be a bit careful..."
"Careful?"
"Umm... Last week someone took home my whole allowance!"
"Shouldn't bet it, if you not prepared to lose it."
"And you live by that philosophy do you?"
"I do indeed."
"No, you do not! I've known you to be in the whole for more than you make in a year?" I laughed "As I recall he was going to chop your hand off."
He smirked and very fragrantly moved his hands as he spoke making sure to draw attention to them "And do I have both still?"
"Yes, because you're a crafty little..."
"Ohh go on?" He chuckled leaning on his hand "I shall like to hear this,"
"You're a crafty little... fool."
"You're adorable" he smiled blowing me a kiss across the table as he dealt the cards I glanced at mine and had nothing but I wanted to keep him going a while, I did my best not to react watching him as he checked his own but god damn it he's good! not letting a single reaction make it's way though. He moved a coin to the centre so I did so too, back and forth this went on as the pile grew both of us constantly trying to read one another, I knew I didn't have much money left and I was no closer to knowing what he had so I folded before I lost everything and he smirked taking his winnings with a wide smile,
"Jack Dawkins, must you be such a .... Person." I sighed in frustration,
"A person?" He smirked shuffling the cards again,
"A... Person." I snapped,
"Aww, go on. you can do it. What am I?"
I know what I wanted to say but the words stuck behind my teeth
"Go on, I won't tell," He smirked winking at me as he delt the cards again
"Dick." I sighed glancing at my cards and for once I had something good! really good! but I kept my face still,

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Jack Dawkins One Shots
FanfictionThe Artful Dodger (2023) [Disney Plus] Jack Dawkins (The Artful Dodger / Dodger) Thomas Brodie Sangster If you have not seen this show... WATCH IT! I can't explain but just do it