I knew the game. But that's nothing special. Lots of people know the game. But only few master it. If you play by your own rules, you can only win. You can cheat; but it isn't cheating since they're your rules. It always depends on the goal you set yourself. You want to make them smile. Well, that's easy. You want to go out on a date with them. It‘s not too difficult either. You want to get them in bed. It can be very difficult, depending on the person.

It was a game of strategy. You had to estimate your chances, set your goal, and then do exactly what you have to do. What would be the right move with one could be a dead end with another. I was the master of it. I had millions of different types: the cute, the helpless, the charming, and the forthright. I always knew how to use the different facets of my personality.

And then he came and changed not only the rules, but the game.

When he walked onto my playground and looked me in the eyes with a glare that said „I dare you", I was already lost. I hadn't lost the game. Hell no, it's still not over. But I had lost my dominant position. I had no time and had my goal too quickly. Him.

It was only later that I realized what he had done. I could have lived with it to lose one game. It's like poker, some hands you have to lose or the others won't play with you anymore. But this was different. I realized that every game I played beside this was just to kill time before the next move. Sometimes it was the move. But those games weren't important.

He had taken the game out of my hands. My nice game of strategy and had become a game of chance. What worked the day before wouldn't work the next day but would work three days later, maybe. What threw me back one day, would bring me forward the next.

But now I know why it suddenly changed. For the first time I had found an equal opponent. He knew the rules just as I did; and once I found that out, I could fight back. I realized when he was making his move and I threw him back or let him advance just as he did with me. I had to play by his rules and he had to play by mine.

It's kind of funny that it actually was a game that changed everything again, for both of us. I put all my money on one chance and invited him over. Of course not just him. A nice poker game with the team, that'd be good. One by one they were out of the game quickly and only he and I were left.

"Ok, that was nice and all, but I think I'm going home now."

Ziva had said well after midnight. Of course it was boring for them. We still had about the same amount of chips: and whereas I'm quite sure neither of us was really playing to win, neither would suggest quitting either.

The game had been going on for too long and we both knew it. I had come to a decision to make a final move. All-in. Win or lose. There's nothing in between. The team was gone and only we were sitting at my table.

Two cards were dealt and I had to make my call.

„All-in..."

„That isn't very much."

He grinned at me but I grinned right back. I peeked under my cards as he dealt the five cards on the table. Slowly I leaned forward.

„How about a raise?"

„You don't have anymore chips."

I looked at the table in front of me and acted surprised.

„Mhm...you're right...no more chips...guess we'll have to switch to strip poker then."

I grinned at him but that quickly vanished as he gave me one of those unreadable stares.

„If you want to get your butt bare... I'm in."



As usual with strip poker we started with socks and shoes. God, I still have trouble believing that Gibbs actually went for it. It took a lot of will but I lost nearly every hand until I only had my boxers and shirt. But hell! There was nothing! Duh, DiNozzo! Gibbs probably invented the poker face. Ok...stay calm. He laid down his hand. Two pairs.

„Well, damn."

I said and threw my cards away. He didn't need to know that I had a flush. As I stood and unbuttoned my shirt, I could see his gaze harden on the exposed skin of my chest before he dropped his eyes to the cards he was shuffling. When I sat back down and he dealt the cards, I noticed his eyes were darker than they had been just moments before.



Some hands later, I have him down to shirt and boxers.

„Mind a little music?"

„Go ahead."

I went over to the stereo but I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. Now that I have my back to him I allow myself to a small smile. Suddenly, it seems too easy. Maybe we've been playing too long. I started nodding to the rhythm of the song and before I knew it, I was almost dancing. Spinning around I realized that Gibbs was still sitting at my table. With a small smile on his lips he raised an eyebrow.

„Sorry...music in boxer shorts usually means I'm alone."

More than anything I wanted to pull him to me and dance with him. Though most people probably would call it seducing rather than dancing. Biting the urge back I sat and peeked at my cards. Letting out a soft sigh I watched the cards on the table follow. At that point I was quite sure I would lose. A pair was nothing you could win with. But he put his cards down and stood. As he pulled his shirt over his head I couldn't help my eyes dropping and what I saw made me grin. Obviously I wasn't the only one having fun. But I held his gaze as he sat back down.

„Something wrong?" he asked since I couldn‘t put on a blank face fast enough.

„Nope. Last hand then."

He nodded as I dealt. I peeked at my cards and then at the cards on the table and couldn't help the „oh no" that left my lips. He laughed softly at that and put his cards down.

„Straight."

I looked him in the eyes and I knew there was only one thing left to do. Putting my cards on the table face down, I slowly stood. Although we kept eye contact, I couldn't really tell what he was thinking. Hooking my finger into the waistband of my underwear, I pushed them down. And then, like God made me (for him), I stood there, literally.

„Oh."

He said softly and looked at the floor as he stood up. Slowly he approached me, he even reached for me but before his hand touched my skin he hesitated. Nervous blue eyes searched mine.

„We can't do this... It would change everything."

„It already has, Jethro. This was my final move. The game's over."

I bend down to get my boxers from the floor. I had lost. We had lost. We both had the same goal but then he changed direction. He canceled the game. But then he was right in front of me and one hand closed around my wrist.

„It's not over. It'll never be over."

He whispered his lips just inches away from mine. Could we really do this? It would change everything. It would bring me to a whole new game. A game I didn‘t know the rules to. A game neither of us was good at. But the touch of his lips was so soft, the hand on the small of my back was so warm and the other in my hair was so gentle, I couldn't get myself to care. Gentle but firm he pulled me towards the hall and I remembered falling on the bed some moments later.



It was some hours later that I got up to get some water. Jethro was still asleep in the bedroom and it was good that way. Once he was awake the new game would start, and I didn't know if I was looking forward to it or if I was anxious. Probably both.

As I walked into the living room, I wondered what the chances are that Jethro was the one for me, and that I was the one for him. That this would actually work out. Mathematicians would probably make calculations. But let's face it... they wouldn't make much sense to me. And besides there are always anomalies to them.

Are we an anomaly?

I think the chances that we're the perfect match are as great as to get a royal flush...


I grinned as I picked up the last hand I played and laid the King and Ten of heart to the Jack, Queen and Ace on the table.