Title: Times they are a-changing
Chapter title: One game ends
Fandom: Ocean's eleven (Ocean's 12, technically)
Pairing: Virgil/Turk (implied slashy feelings)
Rating: PG
Summary: It's the weirdest thing, they look at each other all the time, usually Virgil will tell you he's nothing but sick and tired of his brother's face, but this time, for some reason his pulse does this quick step move and it takes him by surprise. Virgil's POV during the happy poker game scene at the end when the guys (and girls!) are celebrating.
A/N: This is the third chapter in Times they are a-changing, that takes place during the second movie (Ocean's twelve) and is part of the Driving me crazy 'Verse (which includes all three movies)
Virgil tosses his cards down on the table and holds his hands up with a chuckle. Danny smirks at him briefly before returning his attention to the game. Next to him Turk avert his eyes, a little to casually, and his finger nails whiten slightly as he holds his playing cards a little harder. Then he tunes in to something Rusty is saying, some joke or funny anecdote apparently, because he immediately relaxes again and breaks out laughing, one of his ridiculous guffaws, all hearty and, well, ridiculous.
Virgil snorts to himself and reaches for his drink. He feels lighter than he's felt in a long time, and it's not just the aftermath of the job, or knowing that he isn't going to die, at least not today, because if he's being honest with himself he feels lighter than he's felt since the last time the guys were gathered together like this.
Turk laughs at something else that Rusty says. Virgil feels a strong impulse to join in, but he takes a sip of his drink instead, he doesn't want Rusty thinking he's laughing at whatever he said, because really, the guy isn't that funny, and Virgil doesn't want to encourage him. He gets enough attention, he thinks and leans back in his seat.
He takes another sip of his drink. Just then Turk glances over. And their eyes lock.
It's the weirdest thing, they look at each other all the time, usually Virgil will tell you he's nothing but sick and tired of his brother's face, but this time, for some reason his pulse does this quick step move and it takes him by surprise. He almost chokes on the sip of vodka cranberry, almost, but he doesn't. Turk gives him a funny look anyway.
Could be the vodka kicking in, Virgil tells himself. Or even the relief at being laughed with instead of at, for once. Not Turks eyes being all glittery when he's happy and noticing this for the first time ever after having known the guy your whole life. Nope, nothing to do with that.
And yet he quirks his lips and raises his glass slightly in a toast. Turk immediately gets suspicious, but then he nods, once, in acknowledgement. That's more than Virgil would have hoped for, anyway.
Rusty nudges Turk with his shoulder and steals his attention back. When he has it, he inclines his head toward the table, and following movement Turk stares at the chips, then at his cards, in confusion.
Virgil finishes his drink and claps Frank on the shoulder as he gets up and leaves the room. Before he shuts the door he can hear Turk folding and Basher snickering in response.
The night ait is soothing, not just to breathe, but against his skin as well. He can feel his cheeks cooling and his head clearing. He'd keep blaming the vodka, but the truth is he's only had a screwdriver and a cranberry.
Must be the adrenalin lingering, he figures.
He pulls out a pack of smokes from his pocket and lights one. Just as he exhales, Turk's voice speaks up behind him - "Hey" - and startles him into coughing up a lung and then he gets smoke in his eyes and starts to tear up, and of course Turk is laughing the entire time.
"Asshole", he wheezes at him just as soon as he can breathe again.
"I thought you quit."
"Really", Virgil shoots back. "You're gonna start with me already-"
"I'm not starting anything, I'm just saying-"
"You never just say anything."
Virgil turns back to the view, not that it's much of a view, just a parking lot and a thick blanket of grey clouds over the night sky. A moment later Turk sidles up to him. Virgil tenses up instinctively. He takes a passive-aggressive drag on his cigarette to distract himself. He will not be provoked into a fight, not now, he's just going to stand here and smoke and enjoy the peace and quiet, and ignore Turk.
"Can I have a drag?"
"You don't smoke!" Virgil retorts, his voice obscenely loud, even to his own ears, and Turk actually flinches.
"How do you know", he gripes back, stubborn mule that he is, and Virgil snorts.
"What do you mean how do I know, I know!… Fine, you know what-"
He pulls out the pack again.
"You want to start smoking at the age of 29, genius, be my guest, here, have a whole one, on me."
"You afraid I got cooties or something-?"
"Just take the damn cigarette!"
When the quiet settles again, as Turk takes the offered cigarette without further fuss and leans in to catch the flame of Virgil's lighter, it feels weird, out of place. And being this close to each other without fighting, or screaming in each others' faces, that is just surreal.
When Turk leans back, Virgil has to lock his knees to quench the impulse to take a couple of steps back.
They smoke in silence, side by side, Virgil keeping an eye on Turk in his peripheral and Turk sucking on his cigarette like he never does anything else. And it strikes Virgil that maybe his brother does smoke after all, or has smoked at least, and he tries not to investigate too closely how it makes him feel that there's something about his brother that he doesn't know.
"I don't smoke", Turk says then and meets his gaze.
"I know."
"I'm just saying you were right… but I have smoked before though."
"When?"
"In school."
Virgil clams down on his own cigarette to stop all the other questions from spilling out, questions like, what grade, where in school, with whom, where did you get the cigarettes, and where was I… and he holds the smoke in, trying to drown his feelings in it, feelings too similar to hurt and betrayal than he's comfortable with admitting.
"So", Turk says and turns to face him completely, like they're actually having a conversation.
"What?"
"Looking forward to going home? To the wedding plans and the little girlfriend?"
"Fuck you", Virgil says, but there's no real bite in it.
He flicks his cigarette butt away towards the nearest car. It explodes against the windshield like the world's smallest fireworks.
"What", Turk says.
"Wedding's off, man, that's what-"
"Whoa, hey-"
"Do you have to-"
"I didn't know that, come on-"
"Whatever, man…"
Virgil turns to walk back inside, but Turk reaches out and grabs a hold of his arm.
"No, hey", he says, and he sounds genuine enough to make Virgil curious, so he stills and glances back at him. "How was I supposed to know the wedding's off, you didn't tell me."
"I'd have thought it'd be obvious."
"Nah come on, you just gotta talk to her, explain it to her, just you know, tell her it was all a big misunderstanding, Benedict had the wrong guy… or, hey, you could always blame it on me!"
Virgil just stares at Turk without saying anything for a long moment. Turk stares back, all open face and big eyes. He means it. Furthermore, he means well. Virgil swallows, mouth suddenly gone dry, and he resists the temptation of listing to himself the other times in the past when that's happened, all of which he can count on his one hand.
Speaking of which, he thinks and carefully manoeuvres his arm out of Turk's grasp.
Turk immediately shoves his hands in his pockets and looks down on the ground between them. Virgil looks away.
"Wedding is off", he says again, calmly, hoping that Turk can read the 'thanks' and all the other sentimental crap from between the lines, because he'll eat the rest of his cigarettes before he says any of it out loud.
Turk drops his cigarette butt to the ground, then stomps on it.
They stand there for a moment, staring at the squished cigarette butt between them, awkwardly listening to the silence that settles.
Peace and quiet. What was he thinking.
"Wanna-?"
"Yeah."
"…'kay."
As they turn to head back inside and join the others, Turk reaches a hand up and claps Virgil on the shoulder, twice, in a brotherly gesture that speaks of comfort, and sympathy, and-
It's awkward as all hell, whatever it speaks of, Virgil decides.
They both clear their throats at the same time, then more or less power walk inside.
For the rest of the night, Virgil makes it his mission to get to know Frank, really get to know him, by asking him questions and listening with rapt attention to the answers, and not once glancing across the table at anyone else. If Frank gets uncomfortable by the attention, he's kind enough not to show it, but he does make a point of talking about women he's been with for most of their conversation. Virgil doesn't mind.
Once in a while, one or two of Rusty's comments to Turk reaches him, and he thinks Turk is having a similar agenda, either that or he's trying out a new tactic for his game, one that has him staring at his own cards and not once looking at the other players or the chips on the table.
"Well", Frank says finally. "It was nice talking to you, Virgil-"
"What?"
Frank turns to the room at large and says to everyone in general, "I think I'm gonna call it a night".
He's met by a choir of "Alrights" and "Good night Franks", Virgil's "Wait don't go" being the solo, and he turns to Tess and Isabel and bows gentlemanly, completely ignoring Virgil's feeble protest as he gets to his feet and leaves the room.
Virgil's eyes settle on Reuben, two seats over, and he contemplates scooching over to Frank's seat and strike up a conversation with him instead, but Reuben is still playing poker, not that Virgil gets why, you can't win over Danny, or Rusty, and Danny and Rusty in the same game, working together, forget about it.
"Don't even think about it", Reuben says, then tears his gaze from the table and fixes Virgil with a look.
"What", he squeaks with as much idignation as he can muster, even as his cheeks heat up with embarassment.
Reuben raises an eyebrow at him. His look is much too knowing for Virgil's liking. And he's smirking like there's something amusing going on.
"Don't drag me into it", is all Reuben says, then he turns back to the game.
Across the table, Danny is also smirking at him, and his eyes too seem to see right through him. Virgil wants to ask what exactly he sees that is so funny, but more than that he wants to get out of there, so he does.
Behind him he hears Rusty speak up just before he closes the door, "Turk, man, are you even in this game anymore?"
The door clicks shut, and Virgil walks away down the hall.
End.