Kigo

In the Middle by StarvingLunatic 3

3: Centerpiece

The outside was blanketed by the on set of night, covered in darkness with the streetlights illuminating the roads to assist anyone going about outside. The inside of the ladies' home was not much better. They had most of the lights off, save the one dining room, which lit the room that they were occupying. They could hear sounds of the night and the howl of the occasional wind, but they ignored it all.

The trio was gathered around the table and two of them were incredulous to what was happening, even though they should have expected it. It was not really anything new, after all. They all held their cards close to them while looking back and forth between the other two at the table. There was also a pile of candy in the middle of the table.

Bonnie stared down at her cards and then at the two others at the table, taking special care to observe the damnable redhead at the table. Kim was so damn nonchalant about everything and it was hard to read her, which might explain why she was winning. It upset Bonnie to no end that she sat there down to her underwear and her glasses while Kim was practically still fully dressed. All Kim had lost were her damn socks and her shirt, which did not even matter because she was wearing a sports bra under her shirt and that covered almost as much as her shirt.

Shego was not faring much better than Bonnie. She was down to her underwear, too, but she had been wearing a sleeveless shirt under her t-shirt, which brought her a bit more time than Bonnie. The pale woman glanced at Kim and wondered what kind of miracle hand the redhead held now. They could not understand how Kim was so good at the damn game.

They watched Kim as she sat with her cards in one hand while the other hand played with the stick of a lollipop that she was eating, which only annoyed them further. They wagered candy and clothing when playing to prolong the activity, especially when they did not have anything else to do with their time. Now, they were just prolonging the agony of watching Kim work that damn lollipop. Bonnie and Shego glanced at each other as if saying "if that thing is still in her mouth a minute from now, screw the game and get her." They both nodded; message acknowledged and received. Kim smirked around the lollipop, leading them to believe she knew what she was doing.

Bonnie wondered how it was possible that Kim was winning the game. She was a lawyer. I should be able to read people and tell when they were bluffing, especially someone I've had prolonged contact with. It was not working at the moment with the redhead. It never worked with the olive-eyed female. She sat there so casual about everything, as if she came to the table already knowing she would win the prize. It bothered Bonnie to no end.

Shego could understand that because she could not read Kim either. She had only been fighting the girl since Kim was sixteen. She had years, almost a full decade, of experience dealing Kim. She figured by now she would know what every muscle tick meant, what every inhale meant, what every exhale meant, and what every blink meant, but that was not the case. Seven years of going at it with Kim and she could not read the girl for one damn hand of poker! It was unbelievable to her. I'm a goddamn disgrace to my ninja and thief training for not being able to read Little Miss Perfect in the situation.

Kim glanced up at her lovers, totally aware of their internal struggles. Pondering how it was that they could know her for so long, but could not read her right to get her down to her under garments like they were. They seemed to forget that she was Kim Possible. She was used to being in sticky situations and she had to keep her cool. Playing poker was nothing to escaping a crocodile pit or a giant mutant octopus.

After each lady felt she had assessed the situation from every angle plausible, they began making their bets. They paid close attention to Kim, hoping to get an idea of if she was bluffing, as she tended to do, or if she held another killer hand. By the end of it, they had no idea what Kim had, but they had a feeling it would blow them out of the water. They were right.