"The best kind of team building." Jinx starts pouring shots with the enthusiasm of someone who's been waiting for this moment all day. "Come on. We might all be dead next week. Let's have one night where we pretend to be normal."
That's a hard argument to counter. We gather around the living room, the fire crackling, snow falling softly outside the windows. Jinx distributes shots with the precision of someone who's done this many times before.
"To terrible ideas," he announces, raising his glass.
"To terrible ideas," we echo.
The whiskey burns going down. Good burn. The kind that settles warm in your stomach and makes the world's edges go soft.
"Another," Jinx says, already pouring.
Three rounds in, Elliot is telling stories about Jace that I'm pretty sure weren't meant to be shared.
"And then he just stood there," Elliot says, gesturing wildly with his glass. "In the middle of the kitchen. Covered in flour. Looking at me like I'd asked him to solve quantum physics."
"I'd never made bread before," Jace says stiffly.
"You'd killed two-hundred-seventeen people but you couldn't figure out yeast."
"Two-hundred-eighteen. And yeast is complicated."
"Yeast is literally alive. You just have to keep it that way. You kept killing it."
"It was resisting my methods." Jace sighs dramatically.
Jinx is doubled over laughing. Even Jagger's mouth is twitching in a way that suggests he's fighting a losing battle against amusement.
"In his defense," I offer, "I can't make bread either."
"Thank you," Jace says.
"But I also haven't killed two-hundred-seventeen people, so my skill set is less ironic."
"Eighteen. Do you guys not listen? EIGHTEEN. And I take back my thanks."
More drinks. The green stuff turns out to be absinthe, which Jinx insists is "traditional" and the rest of us insist is "trying to poison us." We drink it anyway.
"Okay," Jinx says, settling back into the couch cushions. "Game time."
"What kind of game?" Elliot asks warily.
"The kind where we learn embarrassing things about each other. It's called 'Never Have I Ever' and I'm sure you've heard of it."
"We're not teenagers," Jagger says.
"No, we're trained killers with emotional damage. Which makes the game more interesting." Jinx holds up his glass. "I'll start. Never have I ever... kissed someone to avoid detection."
He drinks. Jace drinks. To my surprise, Elliot drinks.
"What?" Elliot says at our stares. "It was before Jace. And it worked."
"I need details," Jinx demands.
"You're not getting them."
"My turn," I say, because this is actually starting to be fun. "Never have I ever... killed someone with a kitchen utensil."
Jinx drinks. Jace drinks. They look at each other.
