Just a little something I wrote while I was gone from twitter and all.

I hope you'll like it!

PS: Here the rules of the game they're playing:

The game is called 'The Gambler': you have to guess what card is on top of the pile. If you guess right, the gambler (the one having the pile) has to drink two shots. If you guess wrong you have to drink the difference between the card and your guess. For example, the card on top is the 8 but you say 4. Well, 8-4=4, so you have to drink 4 shots. You have two chances to guess right.

Two people in a row have to guess wrong to allow the gambler to pass the pile. The loser is the person who is the last gambler, and he has to drink five shots.

To match the fic, I just made them team up, but the rules don't change.

Part I:

It's stupid really. How it all started, and how all the gears worked their magic to end them in this position.

It began with, yet again, Donna's great idea of putting the original team back together for one night of fun, to reminisce the good old days as she put it. The planets all aligned themselves to let them reunite. Mike and Rachel took a trip to the city for Robert's birthday and Jessica had some undone business to attend to in the apple city, so just like that they were all back again, they couldn't let the occasion pass under their noses.

Donna took care of it all, as usual, organizing them a nice evening at his condo, made of nice food, good alcohol, great games, and to peppermint it all, she paid a visit to the coffee cart guy.

But games are never friendly when you assemble a bunch of lawyers in the same room. The rules are cruel, just as much as the play, thus the price is worth the fight, rewarding the winner highly. But at the receiving end, the losing one, the bitter taste of humiliation makes you regret to have gambled in the first place.

Here, the war was terrible, neither of the three teams playing ready to drop the bone their fangs were biting. Frenzied and endearing, they were going at it as their lives depended on it, and in a way it was.

But the risks were too scary to lose, the stakes too good for let the victory slip.

The first round goes smoothly, the people still conscious enough to do the maths and quite take great guesses, the shots aren't too violent. But sadly, for Jessica, a twelve-year-old could hold his alcohol better than Louis, and so the very tipsy lawyer makes them loose. They're the first out, and on the right path leading to defeat. Donna and Harvey are declared winners having guessed most of the cards right.

The second comes right away, alcohol starting to fuel the blood with its poison, the atmosphere is both lighter and thicker. Their behaviour more carefree, and laughter easier as the shots keep coming and hitting like a ton of bricks all of their heads. As it was foreseen, Louis makes his team go out first once again, a screaming Jessica fed by anger and scotch shooting at a complete dazed Louis, on the verge of euphoria. This time, Mike and Rachel win the game, and Donna starts to slowly fade into dizziness herself.

And then, the third and last round, hammering its sentence between the two couples still competing, Jessica and Louis, both agreed it would be better for the sake of their relationship – and Louis state- not to participate in this one. This round is the rougher one, as planned. Both teams trying to act on their divination skills, making their way towards the trophy in the raging sea of alcohol and laughter, as liquor becomes more and more difficult to swallow, burning their throats and stomachs, tearing eyes blinking and foggy brains not cooperating to think properly.

Eventually, a wasted Donna and a more than drunk Harvey guess wrong, and so become the gamblers at the worst timing ever, allowing the other couple to fly to victory, conquering the game and taking the trophy home. Shots after shots, their defeat is certain in no time, crankiness invading Harvey while Donna drinks absent-mindedly the glasses Rachel gives her, her mind already wrapping around the idea of surrender.

The youth surpassed the experience, and so their fates have never been so uncertain, knowing on whom they're now resting on.

"And you lost!" Mike shouts, all giddy by happiness and alcohol mixing. He's high on both during that moment, and he couldn't be prouder of himself.

"I took the great Harvey Specter down.", he reinsures.

"WE took down his title you mean", Rachel corrects, asking for her part of the loot in this affair, the one leading to the mentor's defeat.

"You are right hon, we did it. We beat you this time fair and square, and we smashed you". He's bragging, and Harvey's veins won't be able to take the building boiling long enough, well knowing what prize is to be paid for this loss. A loss he didn't see coming at all.

"Mike, you cheated!", Harvey screams, not willing to be considered as a loser just yet, "You counted the cards, don't try to deny it"

"I did no such things", Mike immediately fights back, "I won fair and square", he pavanes, repeating his earlier statement.

"Plus, counting the cards is no use for this game Harvey", Rachel corrects, "We're just better than you are all", mimicking her husband's tone.

"Oh, come on Harvey, you just don't wanna lose", Jessica jumps in, "Admit it, the master has been defeated"

"That's rich coming from you" he scoffs to his mentor, "Weren't you shouting at Louis not an hour ago because you lost against me?"

"You did do that", Louis confirms, dumfounded, sitting alone on Harvey's couch, "I remember you doing that".

Jessica rolls her eyes at Louis' words, brushing her earlier behaviour under the rug, "Goddamnit Harvey, just swallow the pill!", she desperately wants this to come to an end.

"And you say nothing?" he then turns to Donna, silent until now, too taken aback by their loss and what it means. She did team up with the one person who never loses in all New York when she proposed the prize, she imagined for her to use, not to undergo.

All attentions are now drawn on her as everyone is waiting for her to backup Harvey on this one. But for once she doesn't, her alcoholic blood keeping her from doing so, "What the hell would you want me to say?", her shoulder rising a bit, "Mike couldn't have cheated because, as Rach just said, it's pointless here. And even if he did cheat, there's no way in hell I'm going for another round tonight to determine a new winner or another game for that matter.", she adds not even looking at Harvey.

"So, you just… accept it?", he yells at her, not understanding one bit her surrender.

"Yes, Harvey. sometimes it's the only thing to do.", she expands, "We lost. And I know the word isn't familiar to you, but please just sit down and goddamn deal with it." In truth she doesn't care about he's little ego's hurt right now, because let's face it, it's also the reason why he's discussing the younger pair victory. But she's passed that, at this point, Donna just wants for the sentence to fall, so she can move on and go to sleep, already hating the huge hangover she'll have a hard time to recover from.

"She's right, Harvey. Don't try to lawyer your way out of here. We got you", Mike's teasing never-ending.

Despair in his eyes, Harvey lets himself fall into the couch next to Louis, "Alright, what do you want us to do?"

"That's more like it, old man", Mike then pats Harvey's shoulder, satisfaction plastered on his face, as he makes his way towards Harvey's bedroom with Rachel to deliberate on the fate of their friends.

Mike and Rachel were now holding everyone at their mercy. By winning the little tournament, they were given the right to ask from anyone anything and everything. It could be a question, an act, a dare, money. Everything, no boundaries. And of course, the answer 'no' is not available. With this power in their hands, no wonder Harvey and Donna were scared as shit as to what Rachel and Mike will ask out of them.

They were on a good track to being back to 'normal', whatever this means between them. The whole Paula debacle was finally behind them, the confidence settling back stronger than ever between them.

Before Paula, they were an item, having this confident role towards the other, but that blonde therapist of his only made them grew apart, Donna's new position giving them time away from one another too. But the usually shared scotch has been rarer by the weeks, just as sharing his office. Donna missed listening to his dad's records, and Harvey missed hearing her humming them. The joyful banter and easiness between them gone, along with their facility to speak up the truth, not caring for possibly vexing the other.

All of this change the inner DNA of the, surely blurry, but faithful relationship they had for years. And during this storm, the pair both had someone to go to, finding a shoulder to cry on in Mike and Rachel. The younger couple already had a place and a role to play in their lives, but Paula only made that role bigger.

And now, all of them were gone, and they were the only two left, trying as best as they could to fix the pieces of their nearness together, bringing back the old little moments of life they liked to share. The conversations freer, the behaviour less controlled, it was almost as they were their younger self once again, before the whipped cream and strawberries. Harvey slowly turned into that cocky lawyer again, not afraid to push the banter a bit further, and Donna true to herself when she mocks him for it but silently wishes his actions could match his words.

It took mike and Rachel less than ten minutes to come back with bubbly eyes and proudness smiles, too sneaky and impatient to let everyone know what they chose for them.

"Ladies and gentlemen please" Rachel begins, facing her audience all sitting on the same couch, "After examining both of your cases, we, the jury, came up with decisions matching your defeats", her grin earning matching sighs from the four defendants.

"Louis Litt", Mikes then takes the lead, "For not being able to hold your liquor, you're forbidden to drink prunies for a whole month".

The stupid smile Louis wears since the Mary-jane hit his brain is replaced in an instant by globe eyes trying to escape from their orbits and browns frowning as his face turned red like a tomato, "A WHOLE MONTH?!", he shouts, "A WHOLE MONTH?!" he repeats, jumping up from the couch, "MIKE YOU DEVIL SON OF A-"

"LOUIS", he's cut short both by Jessica and Donna, reminding him he isn't able to refuse the punishment.

"I'M SORRY" he apologizes with the same high and squeaky voice, turning to Donna and Jessica, "But a whole month is worse than torture" he starts crying. He's still furious, but at least quieter alone in his sulkiness as the party goes on.

Harvey's pathetic gaze goes from Louis to Mike, "See what you did? There is no way the firm will survive with a deprived-prunie Louis for a month".

"Come on guys, it's gonna be so much fun", Rachel cheers them up, well knowing they won't survive if she judges by Louis' sobs at the moment.

"Yeah fair enough when you know it's coming from someone who won't have to deal with the consequences of her actions" Donna argues, sarcasm hitting her, as she's already tired by the amount of energy she'll need to calm Louis, and the good amount of work his state will add to her workdays since they all know, there's no way he's going to keep the associates if the firm wants to avoid useless harassment cases.

"Jessica Pearson" Rachel goes on, "You have been found guilty of 'none camaraderie towards your teammate', and to repair the wrongs you caused him, you will have to go mudding with him before going back to Chicago", she announces.

Louis' fury, even is exhausting, remains funny to watch and is 90% of the time harmless.

Jessica's one is something else.

No wonder then that, when she hears what she has to do because she lost this stupid game, Mike tries to hide behind Rachel, not ready to face the tornado currently forming into her chest.

"You've gotta be goddamn kidding me" she sharply exhales. If she would have had guns for eyes, the young couple would be dead bodies lying on the floor at this point. Nothing goes to calm her down when Donna and Harvey's laughter reach her ears, silly grins on their face as they mock her outrageously.

"You can do it Jessica" Harvey jokes, "You just have to swallow the pill", he reinforces using her own words against her.

"Don't be so cocky Specter", she warns, "We will see if you're still laughing like an idiot once you'll know your dare", she slaps not even trying to hide her annoyance, when she turns her head to a more than happy Louis, already forgetting the prunie interdiction in favor of what is for him a great moment of share with his friend.

Her index pointing, "Don't smile too much Louis, I hate every moment of it already".

"Alright, alright guys", Mike tries to calm down a bit, as Harvey's and Donna's laughter subside and Jessica returns to her seat. "The cases preoccupying us next, have been tough ones", he continues, "Hard to judge separately, and since the chief of accusation for both are the same, we agreed to a commune sentence".

"Donna Paulsen and Harvey Specter", Rachel declares, "You have been found guilty of criminal conspiracy with aggravating facts since you questioned our victory. You are then both condemned to spend the next twenty-four hours handcuffed to each other".

"I'M SORRY?!"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

Both of their voices pierce the condo in perfect sync, as their incredulous eyes land on Mike and Rachel, on the verge of bursting into laughter. Jessica and Louis, on their side, don't do any efforts to hide their hilarity caused by the latter statement.

"This is a fucking joke, isn't it", Harvey vainly tries to resonate, "No guys, come on, tell us the real shit", he practically begs.

"Rachel, you can't do this to me", Donna outbids, "We're friends remember?"

"Sorry guys, this is the real prize to pay for your loss", Rachel confirms what they all already know to be the real thing, just too much drunk to properly believe in.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me", Harvey's head now resting in his hands, as the news still doesn't sink.

On the couch, Louis and Jessica have yield into never-ending giggles, their stomachs hurting, cheeks stuck into a teething smile, as their eyes are crying from happy tears, the mixture of alcohol, pot and weariness playing a big part in their amusement.

"No guys, please anything but this" they plead, both not willing to let that happen.

"We're not doing this. Not even in your wildest dreams Mike. I'm not fulfilling this fantasy of yours" Harvey warns, irritated.

"I'm sorry Harvey", Mike smiles, "But you're the one who said 'no can't be taken as an answer' when we started this.", reminding his friend the rules they are playing by, "So, man up dearie, and be happy about your fate. I could force you to go mudding with Louis too".

Harvey is on the verge to burst when he's cut off, "What will you even handcuff us with?", Donna then asks, hoping somehow this logistic issue will dissuade the vanquishers to pursue this madness.

"Oh, I'm sure Harvey has something in there to provide us what we need", Mike pesters, motioning to the bachelor's room.

"I'm NOT allowing you to tie me to him with one of his private toys", Donna threatens, causing another wave of chuckles from Jessica and Louis, bent on the couch, their arms trying to keep their belly in place, and earning her a knowing gaze from Harvey since both are very aware, he isn't into that kind of thing, preferring free hands spreading whipped cream.

"For the record puppy, I don't" Harvey informs, "So you're gonna have to find something else, or we're not doing this", his voice assured.

"I have handcuffs", Louis then jumps in between two laughs, "They're new, we never opened them", realizing he and Sheila bought some months ago for one of their foreplay, even though they never actually used them.

"Oh, you do?", Rachel coos, "How convenient! See Donna? It'll be Louis', we can tie with you those!"

"Louis I swear to God you're a dead man", Harvey's voice thickening as he sees their way out being shut down by a drunk man.

"No joke aside" Donna gives it the last chance, "How do you want us to survive a whole day together enchained by the wrists?", she questions.

"You've spent a whole decade not further than ten feet away, you sure can handle another day with him" Jessica cuts her, turning down once more of their exit way.

"It's settled then!" Mikes happily end the discussion, "Louis come with me, I'm bringing you home and I'll grab the handcuff at the same time.", he orders then, Louis following him to the door, grabbing his jacket on the way, "Won't take long, see you in an hour, max guys."

"Better enjoy your last sixty minutes of freedom, you two" Jessica adds, grabbing her coat and purse and leaving the trio to themselves.

Part II coming soon!

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