Diamonds and Spades

It had, inevitably, been a long time since Oliver had experienced a night of cards with his funny hodgepodge group of friends. Perhaps that was why he hadn't warned Keiran ahead of time. The man hadn't wanted to go out at all since returning home, and although Oliver thought that was entirely valid after what had happened, it certainly wouldn't change the way his colleague felt about spending time away from home. So he had written to Jack, asking her to bring Gabby - and Kip, if he were available - to play poker like they used to. The only catch? They would be meeting at Flourish and Blotts after hours.

As Keiran crossed the main floor to lock the door and turn the sign from OPEN to CLOSED, Oliver leaned on the counter and changed topics away from their discussion of which genre had sold best that week. It was all very much a guessing game at that point, but Oliver needed to ensure that he stayed late rather than heading home before the plans could be explained.

"Mate, Jack and Gabby are about to come by, so you should stick around a bit. Kip might, too, if he's free. Not sure."

Keiran turned and looked at him, brow furrowed although he looked curious enough to make Oliver hopeful. "What for?"

"I asked them to have a poker night, like old times. We were hoping you would stick around, too."

Okay, so Oliver was lying a bit. Just enough to maybe convince Keiran that his friends were relying on him in one way or another. "Or at least stay until they come by to say hello, yeah? I'll need some help moving things around to make room and set up the table and things. Actually," Oliver cut in, interrupting whatever Keiran was preparing to say, "I need to run round and get drinks. Would you mind?"

Keiran's eyebrows lifted but he shrugged and Oliver grinned at him. "I guess so, yeah," the older man agreed. "It'll be good to see them again."

Oliver clapped his hand on Keiran's shoulder as he walked past, pulling on his jacket. "I'll be five minutes. Dunno when they'll get here, but obviously set up wherever you think is best."

Even as Oliver turned and apparated away, he couldn't help but think that Hayes looked a bit happier about the idea than originally expected. At least Jack probably wouldn't arrive and find a particularly cranky ex-professor waiting for Oliver to get back. The real problem, he supposed, would show up when Keiran started wanting to go home and they had to dissuade him. He had been more relaxed, a bit brighter, lately. Perhaps it wouldn't end up being a problem at all once they got settled in. Oliver certainly hoped so. With that in mind, he made a point to do his shopping quickly.

Jack had chosen a comfy outfit for the night, planning (maybe a bit too hopefully) on spending most of the night at poker. Though everyone had their own obligations, their own odd family units, the ragtag little group seemed to enjoy the relief from their daily personal strains that it was hard to tear themselves away. It wasn't about the money, or the cards, or the drinks (maybe for Jack it was the drinks). Honestly, it wasn't even what they talked about. It was just about the collection of tired individuals coming together, relaxing, unwinding, letting out some steam.

Gabby had not wanted to meet up with her. Whatever. He had been weird lately. She could still count on him to take care of the kids, to be lounging on her couch with the dogs running around him when she got home, but he never stayed for long when she was there. He would give her curt responses about the kids, would finish off his glass of her liquor, and he would be gone. She couldn’t even force in any questions as to how he was or how he was doing before he was gone.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one not getting letters from Maximus Morrison.

She thought about grabbing Kip beforehand, but a quick trip to the pub he frequented was met with an encounter with his Russian friend, who assured her that he had not seen Kip, but that her half-brother was planning on attending the festivities.

As she was leaving, her two usual companions were arriving, running into Oliver on his way out. Kip led the way, shrugging off his blazer to reveal him in a button down, pushing up his sleeves to give off a more casual vibe. Gabby kept his own cardigan on as they reached moved through the store to the till where they expected to find Keiran.

“Hayes!” Kip said cheerfully, his blue eyes twinkling brightly as he reached out an arm to clasp hands with the man. “Haven’t seen you in ages.”

“We’ve missed taking your money,” Gabby quipped.

Jack arrived, slipping through the door and looked around. She could hear the distant rumble of male voices and followed, slipping the box of cigars she had picked up for the occasion. It was more of a novelty, really, as she wasn’t all that fond of smoking. But there was an added level of fun to include cigars in the fun.

She reached the group and stopped short. Gabby glanced away almost immediately, but Kip's face brightened as he opened his mouth to greet her.

"Oh. Hi Gabby. Hi Kip."

Her words were clipped and her tone harsh. That's why Gabby hadn't answered. And she could tell it was purposeful. The three of them always showed up at poker together, but Gabby was being spiteful enough recently to do something as petty as interrupt tradition.

"At least I have Keiran," she said in a haughty voice towards Gabby. Kip was looking between the two of them, trying to piece things together as Jack turned to Keiran. "Hey man," she said, putting out a hand to clasp. "How've you been? Where's Ollie?"

For a man that had been without a wand for several months, Keiran hadn't actually lost his charm. In fact, he would argue to Oliver later, he may well have improved. With his added concentration and the concern that he would mess something up, his movements had become sharper and his transfiguration results looked nicer somehow.

Or maybe he had just missed it. It was probably that.

Either way, he did as Oliver had asked, only just getting a shelf to move towards the front window when he heard them. Keiran set the shelf down before turning to say hello, wanting to avoid any stupid mistakes. Seeing them, he decided that he was glad that Oliver had told him to stay. Glad that someone had planned it, as he certainly wouldn't have done so. He hadn't seen those two in far too long, as they were right to point out.

"Hah," he returned, reaching out to meet him and set his free hand on Kip's upper arm. "Don't get your hopes up."

He was tempted to claim that he had learned some new tricks while off in those other countries, but that wasn't quite true, as amused as they might be to hear him say it. Keiran wasn't really ready to dive into story time about that trip yet, besides.

"Can't quite lie about being happy to come back home," he conceded, though. "Been busy, fam?"

Not entirely certain where he had picked up that slang term, Keiran allowed himself to frown slightly as he turned away and started moving things around again. Once the front wall was covered aside from the door, he'd made enough space for a proper-sized table and chairs.

When Jack came in, he stopped in his cross to the back office. He'd been planning to change things in there into what they would need.

"No hello for me, Jack?" He cut in, hoping to alleviate whatever that awkward tension was. She spoke to him next and he chuckled, mirroring her movement as he was meant to. "If we play anything with partners, I'll go opposite you. But then someone will be left out, so unless people stop being purposefully awkward," he glanced towards Gabby for a moment, "the evening won't work out. So let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Swinging open the door to the back office, he registered that he hadn't answered the question about Oliver. "Connolly's out getting drinks and grabbing his poker set so we've got things to play with."

Almost comically, he began tossing pens and a couple of notepads out into the main area of the store. Keiran pulled the door to, and started dragging one of the tables they'd set up for customers into the center of the now-empty space. "Do watch out," he warned vaguely, beginning to alter the objects in front of him.

The notepads and pens, perhaps surprisingly, were saved. But the table was altered, and then he made the chairs left out for the customers a bit taller as well, and a bit fluffier for comfort. Those he levitated over and organized around the table as evenly as he could with his magic.

"Give those a test, yeah?" He requested, leaning forward and pressing against the seat cushion of one of the chairs. "Let me know if they're too short, why don't you, Short?" A smirk lifted his lips, even though it wasn't his finest joke by any means. Keiran had never been the funniest man, though, so he supposed they might at least groan, and that would be amusement enough for him.

"Anyway, you lot can go ahead and pick your spots if you want, though I should point out that the loo is in the back by the other door," he gestured with one hand, his thumb out to sort of point towards it.

Just then, Oliver came sweeping back in through the front door, locking it after it closed to. "Sorted?" He asked before setting things down and moving to greet everyone properly. "Glad you could all make it. It's about time that Hayes had a bit of fun, I think."

Kip was happy to see Keiran in good spirits, or at least goodish spirits. He knew from Jack all about the Ivanov problem, and it seemed, from what he knew, that Hayes’ protective feelings for Mrs Ivanov would have made failure to rescue her husband a deeply personal issue. Kip knew bits of the case as the Wizengamot had to review any sort of suspicious death of one of their citizens. Robin’s ties to Russia, and the location of his (as Kip saw it) murder had kept the Wizengamot from having any sort of powers to investigate. He had handed off the file to Claire Bishop in the hopes that she could help – only to find out Jack had done it as well.

He was also glad that Jack would have a chance to enjoy the poker night as well. Oliver had Alice, and Kieran had Millie. Kip had his group, and Gabby, though certainly not happy without Max, had thrown himself into other pursuits. Kip worried about Jack, however. Despite what she believed about her misanthropic nature, he knew that she needed to be someone’s hero. Without the Order, and with the Knight’s Watch fragmented, and with Max gone, Jack didn’t have anything but work. She needed to throw herself back into some sort of social scene in able to stay in touch with reality.

Her interaction with Gabby was cause for concern. Keiran quickly distracted them from their odd reaction to each other, giving Kip a moment to analyze and catch up. It struck him now that Gabby would have no reason to know that Jack was busy at work and not able to join them on the trip over – and why would Gabby lie if not because he knew it was something wrong to do? So he had done it purposefully, something pretty petty and spiteful for Gabby.

Ah, so he still blamed her for Max.

Got it. Caught up.

Kip answered for the both of them. “Summer seems to create a bit of a lull. We need some more projects, I think.”

Jack seemed to liven up as she decided to ignore Gabby and focus on Hayes. “No one’s being awkward, Kev, we can all be grown ups and just play the game.” She didn’t look at him, but Kip clapped a good-natured hand on Gabby’s shoulders, helping relax him.

Kevin quickly arranged the room and Jack tossed the cigar box on the table, before taking a place. Gabby laughed sardonically at Keiran’s joke. “You know, I’ve never heard that one before.”

Kip took a seat as Keiran pointed out the bathroom. “I think I’ll use that, actually,” Gabby said, turning and walking off. Kip tried to make eye contact with her sister to try to silently ask about the situation, as Gabby’s absence left a strange feeling of tension where he once was. Jack, however, was busying herself with the cigar box, tapping it open, her jaw clenched but her eyes focused. Oliver entered at that point and Kip turned to look. “Definitely, mate.”

“Hey, Ollie.”Jack reached out and took one of the bottles of whiskey out, opening the bottle and pouring herself a glass in one of the plastic cups. “Ice?” she inquired as she began to pour another.

Something strange clicked in Keiran's head when Jack used her nickname for him, and although it was a stupid thought to have, he realized again that he was home. He had a friend - a co-worker, at that - who had organized an evening with their mates despite all of Keiran's previous attempts to do as little socializing as possible. Perhaps people should have pushed him to it before.

He did feel better about the fact that they were in his own shop. Well, his and Oliver's, obviously. But he was glad to know that he was in an environment that guaranteed he wouldn't feel stressed. So that was really quite clever of Connolly, wasn't it? Keiran knew it was foolish to be anxious in places he had previously never felt any paranoia, but some part of him just couldn't help it now.

"My mistake," he replied, glancing at the lot of them out of the corner of his eye and smiling a bit to himself. Oh, no. Not awkward at all.

He only grinned more widely at Gabby's response, expecting about that sort of reaction. Keiran lifted his eyebrows as he took off, though; not because of the destination but because of what lingered in the air when he did so. Something was wrong and Keiran didn't think he had the right to ask. So he furrowed his brow for a moment before sinking into his seat.

Oliver rolled his eyes at Jack, saying, "Of course." They had been through plenty of evenings like this one, enough to know what they would need. He pulled an ice bucket out of his bags, the one he kept at home for events like this, setting it up for her. After that, his poker set was lifted out and set in front of Keiran so he could start unpacking it and shuffling through the deck.

He sank into the chair between Jack and Kip, which left one seat open for Gabby whenever he returned. "Alright," he said, relaxing into the back of the seat, unwittingly showing his appreciation for Keiran's alterations.

Keiran, mid shuffle, looked up at them despite the fact that his chin was lowered towards the deck. "Whose idea was this, really? It wasn't some conspiracy was it?"

Jack busied herself with making everyone's signature drinks, deftly pouring liquor over ice, mixing liquids in a cocktail shaker with practiced hands. She handed the glasses off to Kip, who distributed them, taking his own brandy with a small smile. Jack hesitated, but finally poured Gabby's screwdriver, before making her own whiskey and coke.

She managed to polish off a drink in one, thirsty gulp before making herself another. She settled at the table in time to here Keiran question the events that led to them all meeting and Kip opened his mouth to say something polite and good-natured, when Jack cut in. "The gods, my dear Kevin, the gods have ordained this holy meeting. They peered into the murky abyss that is human life-"

"Okay-" Kip said, rolling his eyes.

"-and saw what was lacking was the happiness of one Kevin Hayes. I was visited by an otherworldly messenger-"

"That's you, mate," Kip said, pointing his drink at Oliver before wetting his whistle with the drink.

"-and here we all are now." She settled back, smirking impressively. At that moment, Gabby reappeared, still looking grouchy. The grumpy expression was compromised, however, by the drink in front of him. He frowned and rubbed his fingertips together, before sitting down with a grunted, general thank you.

"All here," Kip said. "You deal, Connolly?"