The sitting room at 221b had once again been cleared of all furniture except the small folding table. John had carried it up all seventeen stairs because Sherlock was busy with a very important experiment, John. That was doubtful considering it involved shuffling cards and dealing them out.
"Show off," John muttered as he moved the chairs to the card table.
Mrs. Hudson came in with a tray of biscuits. John waited for Sherlock to take them but he continued to deal cards with a graceful turn of his fingers. John sighed and set the tray in the kitchen.
The doorbell downstairs rang and Mrs. Hudson hurried to answer. Sherlock looked up a moment then frowned and went back to his cards. A moment later Lestrade came into the room. Sherlock ignored the usual pleasantries until the doorbell rang again. Then he was tucking the cards into his pocket and waiting with his hands behind his back.
"Hello everyone," Molly smiled at the room.
"Nice to see you Molly," Lestrade offered.
"You just saw her last week," Sherlock said.
John raised an eyebrow at Sherlock. It was the look that meant bit not good.
"And now you're seeing her again. Lovely," Sherlock continued.
Then there was small talk and drinks and stories from Uni until Sherlock thought he might die from the sheer tedium of it all. Molly was conversing mostly with... Gavin, and Sherlock was left drinking a cup of lukewarm tea in one corner.
"Stop sulking," John whispered to him.
"It would be useful if we were to start the game soon," Sherlock muttered in return.
"What do you say we get started?" John asked, raising his voice to be heard from across the room.
They all gathered around the card table. Sherlock was the last to get seated. He shuffled the already shuffled cards and moved the deck to Molly.
"Ladies choice," he said. Molly cut the deck and she smiled at him from her eyes. Sherlock smiled back carefully.
"Texas Hold 'Em. Here's your chance to impress me," she said cheekily.
"I think we all know I excell at that," Sherlock replied.
"You're awfully cocky. As usual. Can we please play?" Lestrade said.
Sherlock discarded the top two cards then dealt out two more to each of of them. Molly's eyes were twinkling as she studied her cards. Sherlock raised one eyebrow. Lestrade and John were looking at their cards.
"A pair," he mouthed silently.
"Maybe," she mouthed back.
Sherlock dealt three community cards. A pair and a high card.
"I fold," Lestrade said, throwing his cards on the table. John let his chips rise and fall with his fingers, and they jingled together like little bells.
"Your bet, John," Sherlock said. He knew John was holding out for a flush. He put in two chips.
Sherlock and Molly met the bet and a fourth card was put in the center of the table.
"Oh goodies!" Molly grinned.
John groaned and left his cards on the table. "Fold."
The next card came out and Sherlock's hand was not improved. He glanced over at Molly where she sat holding her cards like a fan. Her confidence was not a facade. That didn't mean she wasn't bluffing. He planned on folding and then reconsidered. Molly would love to beat the one and only consulting detective. Sherlock placed four chips in the pot. They bet back and forth until Lestrade snapped at them to show their cards already.
Molly laid down four of a kind. Sherlock turned over two pair. She laughed softly as she pulled the pot in. The next round Lestrade folded again. John was a decent card player but had too many tells. Sherlock could always sumise when he was bluffing and John grew more frustrated as they played. Molly only grew more chipper, clearly enjoying herself. They played hand after hand, chips moving from one pile to the next. The pot grew boldly larger.
"You're bluffing," Sherlock said quietly across the table.
"So are you," she returned.
Molly giggled as she folded her cards. Sherlock did the same and gave the hand to Lestrade.
"Finally!" Lestrade muttered.
"Why don't you two play and we'll watch," John said. "It's your game anyway."
Lestrade sighed and went to get another beer. John joined him.
"I'm winning," Molly said stacking her chips into neat little piles.
"Not by much. If you'd like to go all in, we can see what happens next," Sherlock suggested.
Molly took a long sip of wine, her eyes never leaving her cards. John and Lestrade were talking quietly in the kitchen, their low voices a white noise in the sudden quietness between them.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" she asked.
"No," he answered truthfully.
"Then by all mean, let's go all in."
Molly turned over a flush. Sherlock slowly revealed the same but with an ace high. Neither of them moved towards the big pot of chips between them. Sherlock held her soft brown eyes with his piercing blue ones. John watched them both from the stool where he sat drinking the last of his beer.
"What now?" he asked softly.
"Well you did win. You can trade in your poker chips for a date. Or a kiss. Your choice."
Sherlock sat back in his chair.
"Do I need to decide now?"
"No."
"I'll call you this week," he said finally.
"You do that," Molly replied.
John came over to insist they leave for Baker Street.
"We have a case, remember?" John said, practically pushing him out the door.
"Ah yes, the string of piano thefts. I don't need to sleep before morning."
"Well I do. It's nearly midnight. Let's go Romeo."
Sherlock reluctantly left Molly behind with Lestrade. They both waited for a cab with their hands stuffed down their pockets and their breaths blowing small white clouds into the cold London air. Sherlock was bouncing on his toes and John didn't think it was from the cold.
"What?"
"John should I have kissed her?"
"Yes."
The cab pulled up to the curb and John went around to the other side. The ride back to 221b was quiet. Sherlock was crouched up into his corner and frowning out the window.
"Maybe next time," John suggested.
Sherlock went through the door and into his room without another word. John kicked off his shoes and headed upstairs. Sherlock and Molly's blossoming love affair made him miss Mary all the more. John sighed and spread out on his bed. Sleep was a long time coming.