Chapter Text
It was love at first sight.
A horribly cliché sentence, but the start of a story nonetheless.
The soft jazz music filled the casino, Chance had been at a poker table, winning so many of his matches, earning him a nice sum of money.
Chance had been just short of cheating accusations. Everyone else was puzzled for it wasn’t quite enough to have any solid proof. If there was enough incidents they could request he be removed — which was amusing seeing as it was his own casino — if there were enough incidents though he’d just keep playing. His luck was too questionable though, it was just a hairsbreadth away which confused his opponents.
Most likely coming to terms with the fact that they would not be winning against Chance, most of his opponents moved to a different table. Chance turned to his current dealer and asked for the deck of cards, of course he was handed it without a second thought; he owned the place after all.
Chance had thanked him and flipped the worn deck of cards over in his hands. It had been a long time since he performed a single card trick but he was bored and wanted something to do.
“Here, look.” He said, fanning the cards out for him to see, noting the tenth and eleventh card from the top before squaring the cards up again. “Name two numbers eleven through nineteen” Chance requested, looking up at his dealers slightly perplexed gaze. They were most definitely only going along with it because of who Chance was. He’s unsure how he feels about his authority. “Humor me,” He pauses for a brief second. “Please?” He adds on.
A soft sound is heard. Not quite a sigh but some sound of resignation. “We’ll go thirteen and seventeen.” Their voice was gruff, but not bad to listen to.
Chance dealt out thirteen cards first. “Thirteen with the digits one and three add that up you get four.” Taking the pile he just dealt, he placed the first three down then put the fourth in front of the dealer. Promptly, he repeated the same but for seventeen and instead of the fourth card, the eighth.
“Well? Take a look.” Chance said with a chuckle. “I’m willing to bet you have a two of spades and a two of diamonds.” He noted the t face, watching them nod.
“I’m surprised I still know that one.” Chance said also reminiscently.
He’s dragged from his stupor by someone sitting down at his poker table, face obstructed.
“Would you want me to-“
“Leave us alone for a moment.” The stranger said, words clipped and impatient.
The dealer glanced at Chance, it was his call on if he wanted to be left alone or not.
“I don’t see why not.” Chance said jovially, dismissing the dealer.
Before he had a chance to ask the stranger anything — such as their name — they had already spoken.
“I know how that amateur card trick of yours works. It’s a bit of basic math and that’s it.”
Chance shrugs. “It’s just something younger me was fascinated with.” He explains, his eyes dancing around the beautiful casino that was his own. “So, tell me, what’s your name?” Chance asked, not missing his opening this time. Idly spreading all the cards out and slipping his finger under the first card, pressing it upwards and watching all the cards flip over, like a glissando.
“iTrapped.” The answer was short and simple. There was no other words used, no ’I’m’ or any form of filler word. Chance took a moment to really look at them; Long, blonde hair, a crown that resembled ice upon their head, fingers that were blue at the tips, perfectly polished shoes, a classy outfit and a blue vest, a white button up underneath, dark green pants.
Even if their face was impossible to see, there was one thing for certain.
They were beautiful and oh so pleasant to look at. The very definition of eye candy.
“iTrapped.” He repeats back, as if he’s figuring out how the name feels. “And I’m-“
“Save it. I know who you are.” iTrapped replies, oddly enough, Chance didn’t view the words as rude.
Instead, a smile pulls at Chance’s lips. “Yeah? Am I some form of celebrity to you?” The question was an obvious joke. He flips all his cards over again so his new guest couldn’t see which card was which. He places two face down on the table. “Call them predications.” He flips the cards over, an ace of diamonds and a four of clubs. The cards don’t get shuffled back in.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I know of you but that’s not readily available information.” The blonde man’s eyes lock onto the cards on the table to the ones now squared up and in Chance’s hand. “And how exactly do you think these predications will work? If not shuffled back into the deck?” His tone sounded amused, his words enunciated and drawn out; a stark contrast to his previous clipped words.
“I’ll find the cards they correspond to: same color, same value. So the ace of hearts and the four of spades. Call them soulmate cards.” Chance goes to deal the cards down. “Tell me when to stop.” iTrapped calls and he places the first prediction card face up. Rinse and repeat.
Chance fans the card out, the original prediction cards obviously standing out as he flips the card adjacent to them, revealing the matching cards. He removes his shades and sets them aside.
There’s no expression to read. iTrapped does lean back in his chair, though.
“I haven’t seen that one before.” They reply slowly. “Do you believe in soulmates? Are you one of those?”
Chance doesn’t answer. They’re unsure. “If you want to discuss this let me buy you a drink or two and we can talk there instead at this poker table, yeah?”
Chance is admittedly surprised when iTrapped just nods in agreement. He had thought the other was above that. “Sure.” They say pleasantly, standing up.
Chance follows suit and orders them two Bloxy Colas. A standard drink, it removed the need to ponder and think of a good drink to order that the bartender wouldn’t have a hard time making with how busy it was.
They’d been talking for hours easily, Chance didn’t even need to look at his watch to know that.
It was like they were always meant to be together, instantly drawn to each other. iTrapped was closed off at first but slowly loosed up, laughing at his jokes inwardly. As time passes, he lets his hair fall out of its original style, it was endearing.
“So your parents just gave you control of the casino, really?” iTrapped sounded genuinely interested, like he was actually seeing Chance. It was exhilarating. Despite his status, Chance had felt like he just blended into the background and was overlooked; seen as just someone to play against, that, he didn’t mind but people yearn for recognition.
Chance shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. “I mean, yeah. It was so I could ‘learn the ropes’ but it is a casino so I couldn’t really learn anything for a while. It’s kinda like an antique that gets passed down.”
iTrapped nods, fuck it was dizzying. Chance had never been shown this attention from someone else. The attention he received was because people found him exotic, a fascination. Not out of real interest. The others had wanted to become closer to this divinity and elitism Chance seemed to carry. Truly, he was more of a Belasco than a Brooks.
“Why were you wearing sunglasses inside anyways?” They ask, gesturing to his glasses, the stems currently folded inward.
“Poker face reasons.” Chance answers smoothly. “Makes it a bit harder”
“So you have a hard time keeping a straight face?”
“You could say that.”
It was rather confounding to Chance. He grew up wealthy with rich parents and that’s all people saw him as; his money. He knew this. Yet for some reason there he was, truly thinking iTrapped was different.
“I never did ask you, why are you here today? You didn’t seem like you came from any other part of the casino, more like you just bolted straight to where I was sitting.” Chance asks, finishing his first Bloxy Cola and ordering another one.
iTrapped looks as if he’s convincing himself to actually answer, chuckling quietly. “Well I wanted to talk to you”
Maybe Chance’s face went a little red. Maybe. Regardless, he tries to feign nonchalance, rolling his eyes in an amused manner. “And you said to not get ahead of myself.” He pauses for a moment to thank you bartender for getting his drink. “So, why’d you want to talk to me sweetheart?”
Now iTrapped rolls his eyes at Chance. “Sweetheart? Really? You’ve barely talked to me and already you’re using pet names?”
Chance doesn’t miss the way they dodge the question, but he’s willing to ignore it.
“Oh don’t get ahead of yourself. I do that to everyone.”
iTrapped glances around for moment before turning back to him. “What time is it?” It was cute, the fact he was looking for a clock (presumably) when it was relatively well known that casinos seldom had clocks. From what Chance could tell, iTrapped was very intelligent but he didn’t know about the clock fact, that was endearing.
Chance glances down at his watch. “Quarter after ten.”
iTrapped stands up from their barstool with effortless grace. “I’m afraid I need to get going.”
In spite of what his instincts are telling him, Chance grabs a napkin and scrawls down a phone number and passes it to the man. “Just, you seem like a good guy, you’re interesting.”
iTrapped folds the napkin and places it gingerly in his pocket. “Right.” They smile faintly and Chance has mixed opinions on how he feels. “I’ll see you around.” They walk away from the bar and towards the door out.
Chance was so done for.
Logically, they knew that they should, in fact, not be this enamored and fascinated with someone so quickly but there was little to do to control his emotions when someone was finally seeing him for more than his money.
Months had passed. Months. The feeling never went away. Their little on and off meetings at the Casino — in which Chance always bought them a drink; they didn’t need to ask. Chance would just wordlessly order and slide a drink over to him.
“I’m assuming so, but you’ve played Russian roulette, right?” iTrapped asks, a blue tipped finger on the rim of their glass.
Chance sat up a bit straighter at the question. “Well, no actually I haven’t, why?” In truth, Chance was willing to try it but it may not be the best idea considering this mental state.
“Just thought it could be fun” iTrapped says with a shrug.
“I mean I could definitely get it arranged it’ll take a day or so though.”
A smile plays at iTrapped’s lips. “That would be nice.”
“Consider it done then.” Chance says with a smile of his own, probably enjoying how cliché his reply was.
“You know I didn’t take you as someone that just took requests and agreed to them that fast.”
“Well it came from you, so of course I’ll agree.” Chance replies before he can think about his words. He doesn’t hesitate though, quickly moving on. “My turn, do you know how to play billiards?”
“Is that not a broad category?” iTrapped asks, clearly enjoying himself.
“Always so specific with you. Fine, let me amend that then, do you know how to play pool or more specifically 8-ball?”
“No,” he pauses and finishes up his drink. “But you could teach me if you wanted.”
They were now in one of Chance’s private suites, a perk of owning the casino.
iTrapped was hunched over a billiards table with Chance standing a bit away from him, sipping on his drink.
“Your forms a bit off, here let me help.” Chance murmurs, setting his drink down on the edge of the table promptly before placing a steadying hand on them, gently correcting their stance. “There, try now.”
Gently, they press their cue forward and tap a striped ball into a pocket. Their precision was remarkable, but Chance attributed it to beginners luck.
“You killed it!” Chance says with a large grin.
iTrapped looks a bit coy. “You’re too kind.”
The game continues but experience beat luck. Chance taps his last, solid ball into a pocket before finishing off the black one with an eight on it.
“You’re pretty good at this” Chance comments, setting his cue down.
iTrapped was leaning against the billiards table, a sort of distant look in his eyes. Upon receiving no response, Chance steps a bit closer to him.
“iTrapped?” He asks again, taking another tentative step forward. He goes to put a hand on his shoulder when suddenly there’s a hand in his hair. Chance doesn’t mind.
“You want this too, right?”
Chance can barely nod before iTrapped is learning forward, pressing his lips onto Chance’s.
Slow, soft, loving, gentle. Like he was getting paid for this.
Chance places his hands on the side of the billiard’s table, not sure if iTrapped would want his hands on him.
They separate after a few moments, iTrapped drops his hand from Chance’s hair, taking in his flushed face. “You alright?”
“Never better.” Chance replies basically breathless.
iTrapped pushes off the table. Chance doesn’t even need to ask, he glances down at this watch. “It’s half past ten.” He knows iTrapped is going to start walking to the door and excuse himself. So, Chance follows suite, walking with him to the door.
It was a bit strange, sure. They just kissed and already iTrapped was leaving. He usually left at a bit after ten, around there. He probably was just nervous and wanted to do it before he left. Kiss and Go.
Chance finds it endearing.
What’s not ideal is its pouring rain. iTrapped usually detested the rain, for it ruined his hair and made him cold.
Without thinking, Chance slides off his sports jacket and places it around the other’s shoulders. “I can’t do much about your hair but-“
“That’s fine.” The words were a bit short, it threw Chance off guard for a moment before it was followed by a smile that ameliorated any sense of discomfort.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Chance asks in a somewhat lower tone. If they were on a phone call he’d be twirling the cord in between his fingers.
“That’s the plan.”
With that iTrapped leaves, Chance stands there and listens to the rain for a moment.
He got so lucky.