Bright orange eyes set in a dark brown face shifted left, then shifted right. "All right, guys, who's up first?"
"I think you are, Quince, my main man." Beside him, Emma chuckled, yellow eyes drifting shut. It was evident from the way his leg was shaking under the table that even though he was willing to let someone else start the game, he was dying to play, to win!
"All right, sounds good!" Without waiting on the other two players, Quincy set down his first card. His excitement suddenly made more sense.
"Oh, of course you would…" Mallory hissed in deadpan, red eyes piercing Quincy's orange ones. Ace of spades.
"The aro-ace card! What could be more perfect for me?!" Quincy puffed out his muscled chest and raised his nose proudly (ha, ha) in the air.
"There's four aces in a deck, though." Mallory's deadpanning expression became a small smirk as she tried to rain on Quincy's Pride parade.
"But they don't mean the same thing!" Quincy argued back. "Spades are aro-ace. Hearts are romantic ace. Diamonds are demis. Clubs are gray or questioning! So yeah, for me, I DID get THE aro-ace card! One in 52 odds, baby! Woot, woot!"
"Oh, that's cool! I didn't know they had different meanings," Princeton piped up, the quietest of the quartet. Literally and metaphorically, he kept his cards close to his chest, pale purple eyes darting around nervously as he half hugged himself. "Hmm. I wonder if there are any trans cards?"
"Well, do you have a strategy for the rest of your cards?" Emma teased Quincy next, though unlike Mallory, she was playful rather than smug. "Or did you just set it down for the meme and now you have no plan?"
"I—!" Quincy held up a finger, eyes closed in a self-important expression. A second later, though, he and his finger wilted, and his eyes opened in embarrassed realization. "I- I- I mean I'm not gonna tell you THAT!" he cried.
"Careful, Quin, you really gotta work on that poker face," Mallory deadpanned again, snickering as she shuffled her cards.
"Hey! You don't knoooow me!" Quincy pouted. "Maybe I've got an AMAZING hand and I'm just PRETENDING I don't!"
Mallory nodded, as if to concede, but it was clear from her smirk that she knew better. Sorry, Quincy, but your face DID give it away. Maybe you caught yourself, but you can't claim a bluff just by pointing out the possibility of one. You put that ace card down for the meme. We all know this. Come on now.
They were the Quad Squad, after all. They knew Quincy was the epitome of a class clown, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for a good gay joke, even unwittingly sabotaging his own chances at winning a game.
Emma chuckled quietly, covering her mouth. She was far smaller and slighter than Quincy, her skin slightly paler, patterned brown and white by vitiligo while his was entirely dark brown. Like Quincy, Emma loved a good gay joke. Unlike Quincy, though, she didn't throw her chances at winning over it. Ah well, maybe Quincy's luck would finally start to turn later in the round. Or the next… Or the next…
"Oh COME ON! Are you SERIOUS?!"
"I'm all in." Emma set the last of her cards on the middle of the table, raising her hands in leaning back in her seat, smiling serenely.
"Me too," said Mallory, slapping her cards down before crossing her arms and leaning back with a smug expression on her pale face.
"Oh… Well ok, I guess…" Princeton gently placed his cards down too, though they were still face down.
"Oh, come on, man, are you sure?" Quincy looked at him pleadingly, orange locking with purple. "You sure you don't need one more turn?"
"Quincy. Seriously. Poker face." Mallory shook her head. It was obvious by the pleading in his voice and the worry in his eyes. He hoped to prey upon Princeton's own indecisiveness, but his was just too obvious.
Emma singsonged playfully, grinning. "Don't do it, Princey, don't do it…!"
"Em!" Quincy shot her a pleading, irritated look. Now orange locked with yellow.
But Emma only giggled and shook her head. "Sorry, bro!"
"Sorry, Quincy," Princeton said at the same time, smiling apologetically at the other boy as he turned over his cards.
Quincy clutched the sides of his head in disbelief. "No way!"
"Oooh… nice…" Emma's yellow eyes went wide while Mallory raised a mildly interested eyebrow. Somehow, Princeton had all four ace cards.
"This is ace-phobic!" Quincy despaired. "You're pansexual anyway! The literal opposite of me!" He looked so betrayed.
"And during Pride month, to boot!" Mallory said with a heavy, mocking sigh while Emma giggled again.
"Oh, don't patronize me!" Quincy rested his chin on the table, glum. "Can't believe it… Four suits and it's still not in the cards for me!"
"Yeah, that IS pretty unlucky…" Emma had to agree.
"Usually, I'm the one with the rotten luck," Princeton nodded with a soft, weak laugh. If Quincy was their squad's fearless leader and charismatic face and voice, Princeton was the butt-monkey loser. Though of late, it seemed that things were finally starting to balance out. Glow up! I'll take it!
"One more game!" Quincy pleaded. "Maybe four times will be my lucky charm! We're Quincy's Quad Squad, after all!"
"Hey! Your name was never in front of it!" Mallory interrupted with a snort. "We all had a hand in naming ourselves!"
"Plus… doesn't "Quincy" mean "five"?" Emma asked delicately. Quincy's face fell again. Wow. Today really was NOT his lucky day, was it?
Emma's name meant "whole" or "all" or "universal". It was the bringing together of multiple parts, fitting because of her role as the heart of the group, the other three each knowing her before they knew each other. In her opinion, her name was a little more suited (ha, ha) to the theme at hand. The number four was often seen as a sturdy, central number, symbolizing balance and totality.
If we were the four temperaments… I'd say that Quincy, Princeton, Mallory, and me are Sanguine, Melancholic, Choleric, and Phlegmatic. Though right now, Quincy looks more Melancholic and Choleric, poor guy! Emma bit her lip to hold in a laugh.
Across the table from her, Mallory looked like she was having the time of her life at Quincy's expense. Quincy sighed quietly in despair between them while Princeton cast the other boy a sympathetic smile.
Sorry, buddy, didn't mean to steal your luck! And then it occurred to him. Perhaps it sounded cheesy and cliché, but just a few years ago, Princeton would never have envisioned himself with a little friend group all his own. Maybe luck really was in the cards for him! Aces!
AN: View on AO3 or Wattpad for images of the OCs.