Idle hands never suited Oliver. He had always been rather jittery, never one to sit round for too very long. Even in school, aside from times when he had been helping others, he had found it hard to focus and keep up with the work that was required of him. No, indeed, Oliver felt that he could have done better in school if he’d found a way to study properly. Other things had always seemed more important, though.
Now, as he sat next to Jack, he was insanely tempted to reach into his messenger bag and retrieve his playing cards. At the very least, shuffling them would make him more attentive – it directed his focus, allowing him to think when he felt lost. But regardless of how many times she may have seen him do the same, surely she would expect him to have grown out of such a habit by now. Just as bad habits died hard, strange ones seemed equally difficult to get rid of.
Although he absorbed everything she said, Oliver’s mind was solely focused on the last bit. She had married. Not only that, she’d seen Ariel, and the man knew. It certainly explained the silence he’d been greeted with in the flat. On that note, it also explained Jack’s seemingly uncomfortable stance. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in her life. It really wasn’t. Rather, he was concerned she wouldn’t want to deal with him. Especially now that she had seen Ariel.
“Ah, um, no. He didn’t say anything.” Oliver’s hand lifted to rub at the back of his neck awkwardly as he spoke. “He’s actually living with me, not far from here. I’m not exactly surprised he didn’t say anything. He doesn’t always, you know, talk about his problems. He’s been almost quiet as of late, actually.” In an attempt to turn the discussion from entirely awkward to slightly bearable, Oliver shrugged and added, “I haven’t even gotten any back-talking lately. And Merlin knows he loves having at me.”
Sighing, he shifted in his chair, his hand moving from his neck to run once through his hair before falling back to the bartop.
“I think he’d be glad, though, secretly. To see you out of the Ministry’s hands to some extent, that is.”