#I just spend a lot of time thinking about Nate and Eliot

[4acesofspades]

One of my favorite things in Leverage Redemption is Sophie. Every character has developed and we have a lot to talk about regarding this new information on Eliot, of course, but I think it's Sophie that is given the most room to grow here.

In the original, Sophie is never without her mask. We see her on the con, we're privy to her budding relationship with Nate, etc. etc. etc. Yet we never see her vulnerable. Even when she's caught without a plan, even when Nate gets shot, she may show true emotion but she is never truly Sophie. It's always under a guise or some pre-approved message.

In Redemption all walls seem to have fallen. Here we are presented with a fallen hero, a woman that used to walk around claiming to be a duchess, practically a goddess. And yet she is still just as human as the rest of us. She still mourns her husband, she still has a family to take care of. She was one of the greats, but unlike the greats she is not alone when she comes crashing down.

In the original most of Sophie's screen time was spent looking after Nate and the rest of the team. She would show up after he did something stupid or drank too much and force him to think about his decisions. And she would spend her time helping Parker learn how to be a human. When was Sophie ever just Sophie, with all the nuance, love, and grace her character deserved?

Now we get that. Now we are discovering for the first time who Sophie is, what haunts her, and why she fights. In a way we are better off without Nate, even if his death causes her grief, because for the very first time we get to meet Sophie unequivocally.

I didn't really like Sophie in the original because I felt like there was no effort put into her character. She felt flat, just someone there to keep Nate in line. But now she's someone I can root for.

[thegeminisage]

Identity Porn for the Never Have I Ever ask game, please?

HIII thank you so much <333

IN FACT I HAVE WRITTEN IDENTITY PORN! i think How Arthur Got His Groove Back 100% qualifies for this trope. merlin himself essentially has all the same beats that a classic comic book superhero does - secret powers that would endanger him and those around him if discovered, secret identity (emrys) that he wants to tell people about and can't which ruins his love life (in the fic, arthur is his semi-love interest; it's preslash, but it centers around their relationship), the object of his affections talking about his secret identity right in front of him (they have MULTIPLE conversations about emyrs even though merlin IS EMRYS), tragic backstory/dead parents that has something to do with his powers (rip balinor), exhausted from leading a double life, a big secret identity reveal, even an old guy mentor! actually if you count the dragon merlin has two old guy mentors, it's just that they both suck so fucking bad. and lots of that isn't even really specific to my fic. favorite identity porn excerpt:

euhehehe i love to have fun and be evil. i think this is probably objectively the best-written thing on my ao3, aside from of course @cambionverse

i'm not sure how i'd go about writing another - don't really like AUs, so unless that sort of thing is baked into canon the way it is in merlin i don't think i no wait stop the presses i just had an idea. well it's not my idea specifically i've seen it tossed around a lot on tumblr but whatever. essentially common trope/fanon that eliot leverage is still killing people in season 1 of leverage before he decides being good guys is serious business. this is the oldest trope in the world but eliot getting assigned to keep an eye on nate's team bc moreau feels threatened by them (i actually have a hard time buying he would do this, even though it's a very popular fanon, but just roll with it) and he's like getting closer to them but he always has to sabotage them on jobs where their success would hurt moreau in some way (I KNOW literally nothing they do would effect moreau but we're gonna pretend) but they KEEP SUCCEEDING ANYWAY. and eliot is like what the hell. is being good bad guys legit? hey (he's asking moreau this while they're fucking or something) is it legit to be good bad guys? have i made real friends while pretending to make fake friends? and moreau is like if you be real friends with them i will have chapman cut their fucking brake lines. and eliot is like got it and he continues to go to these meetings and wonder aloud who keep sabotaging these random ass cases and then nate figures out the cases are all connected with moreau and eliot is like Oops and then he and hardison do the pool thing and it all comes out and he decides to switch sides because he's in love w hardison and parker and he's tired of doing evil shit for moreau. so like canon essentially except eliot's conscience doesn't start working until season 3 and they spend the first two and a half seasons not knowing the Ultimate bad guy they are tracking has been making them fancy ass dinners and being their bodyguard and being their little pet hitman. and hes just kinda batting his eyelashes like who me? and then going home to stare at his blank apartment walls in all-consuming existential dread. yeah.

[ASK MEME]

[firebirdsdaughter]

So…

… I kinda mumbled about this in the tags of another post, but I do love how the fam all has different roles and positions and strengths and weaknesses in their relationships.

Like it’s interesting how something unplanned can result in some really interesting character stuff. The introduction of Tara in a role I like to dub the ‘wine aunt’ even if it never involves wine, gives some really great new angles for the characters, both their flaws and strengths.

Bc the fact is, Sophie’s right, they needed someone with a clear view on hand, for different reasons. Parker and Hardison are still the younguns; they absolutely talk back to Nate, esp when he deserves it, but ultimately go along w/ him, bc he’s dad and ultimately they trust and care about him, and Parker’s got that touch of the chaotic herself, to put it mildly.

Eliot’s a little different. I love how different his relationship is w/ the ‘parents’ and as a result how differently he responds to Tara. Parker and Hardison are tense immediately bc the primary grifter they’ve worked w/ is Sophie, they’ve already settled into family roles, and Tara is just that much different that it’s awkward. Meanwhile, as Tara herself notes, Eliot is a consummate professional when it comes to the job, but even his initial response to Tara is wary (he’s half in protective mode until Nate confirms her story). Further on, Tara proves she can be relied on on cons, and Eliot has enough concern for her to call Nate out about her (although he’d do that for anyone), but there’s still a distance, and I think you really see it in that moment at the start of the Zanzibar ep where she brings up Nate’s drinking.

I already love the moment where Nate specifically looks back at Eliot after being forced to take a drink in the Bottle Job, the way Eliot’s reaction is shown first. Eliot is the left hand, imo he becomes Nate’s closest confidant after Sophie, he’s the one Sophie’s always colluding w/ about Nate’s behaviour, something she presumably let Tara know. But when Tara tries to talk about Nate’s drinking, Eliot… Kinda shuts her out. He doesn’t outright push her off, and some of it may be that Nate is right there, but the way he responds w/ ‘I’m not an idiot’ and bluntly tells her it’s a symptom comes across to me as him almost telling her she doesn’t know what she’s talking about; and looking back, he never discusses private matters w/ her like he does Sophie, and she never asks him again, bc when she did (albeit not the most tactful or polite way), he closed ranks and pushed her off. And I think that’s the danger w/ Eliot—Eliot will absolutely keep an eye on Nate, call him out, stand up to him, do his best to manage things, but his first instinct will always be to protect Nate. And that’s what he’s doing in that moment—sure, Tara can be counted on for jobs, but Nate’s drinking issues are something personal that Eliot’s not going to discuss w/ just anyone; it’d take much more time for him to fully open up to Tara about that, he’s only semi just solidified his attachment to Nate and the rest of the team in the previous finale. Nate is kinda already filling the role of surrogate father for him, and by now his loyalty to Nate is totally locked in. It ties in to that conversation they have outside the hotel in the finale, where Eliot reads Nate the riot act and Nate asks if he’s walking away (something I think he only ever directly asks Sophie and Eliot, he says ‘anyone can walk away’ a few times, but I think he only ever directly asks them if they’re leaving, but I should be in bed, so maybe I’m wrong), to which Eliot says no, he’ll have Nate’s back, but he’s going to say his piece. But he’s still in.

And that’s it. Eliot is nigh too loyal and protective. He’ll try to stop Nate going off the rails, but there’s only so much he can do, and if it happens he won’t pull the plug, he will never cut out. He’ll follow Nate to hell and try to protect him from it. And that’s why they need that additional piece.

They’re all just so interconnected and I love it.

[evilwickedme]

Ok here's something that I spend a lot of time thinking about, especially as a fic writer, which is the energy a show gives us and whether or not a fandom matches it.

I'll admit I've never been active in the fandom of an office sitcom but I have been in the fandoms for serious dramas and for dramedies and I've found that while every fandom has its share of fluff and angst in general comedic content fandoms tend to take the content much more seriously than the original material. I'm specifically talking about leverage right now, because that's my most recent obsessions, but I've seen it happen in other fandoms as well. If a piece of media doesn't take itself seriously, the fandom will.

So in leverage so much of the fic is dedicated to Eliot and Harrison's trauma. A lot of it goes into how Parker's mind works and how she has trouble trusting. Where the show plays her poking Eliot for laughs fic will acknowledge that that shows she isn't afraid of Eliot and say, okay, that means something. I was surprised at first to see just how much fic features Eliot/Moreau until I realized that it wasn't shipping, per se, it was an exploration of abuse and how damaging it is to love the wrong person. I mostly read ot3 but I'm sure the same also applies in other sides of the fandom to Sophie's identity crisis and Nate's just, immense amounts of trauma and mental illness.

And I'm just comparing it the source material and seeing how few dramatic moments there are that feel like this. The big bang job is glossed over and never mentioned again, even though Eliot had to kill again and I'm fact killed a dozen and more people and he doesn't like guns because it makes killing so easy, so so easy. Hardison HAS to have claustrophobia now, having been both drowned and buried alive, and that's just never talked about. That's not to say that these characters are taken lightly - the reality of Parker's time in the foster system as traumatic is treated seriously, as is Nate's trauma with hospitals and sick children, but the consequences of things that happen within the show are often forgotten in favor of more positive character development.

But the fandom doesn't let go. The fandom says: we love these characters, and that means we love the light-hearted show versions but also the ones that are hurt and traumatized and survivors. And I love that. I really do.

[neighbours-kid]

sterling doesn‘t know. at the end of 515 he doesn‘t know that nate and sophie retire

he catches on to the con early, much earlier than we‘re explicitly told. when nate shoves him and turns him around so eliot, hardison and parker can enter the server room unseen, sterling gives nate a look, and he knows. he lets it happen, let‘s nate win this one time. he lets nate have the one big score

when they go down to the garage to hand nate over to his lifelong sentence in a secret prison, sterling asks him i don‘t suppose you‘re done and nate just goes what do you think? and then sterling asks about his acting skills and they talk about sophie

he knows sophie is picking nate up. sterling lets them go. he accepts his role as trojan horse when nate pushes him and lets it all play out. nathan, you and i are not the same, we don‘t believe in the same things. and yet. he lets them go. because in the end, justice is always easy

but he doesn‘t—sterling doesn‘t know. despite knowing nate for the longest time, or maybe because he‘s known nate for the longest time, he does not even remotely consider the possibility that nate might ever retire. it‘s just,,,, ridiculous to even consider. nathan ford, the nathan ford? retiring? psshhh never

so sterling goes on. does the work, plays Mr Agent Man at interpol and tries to not think too hard about what letting nate and sophie go means. what it says about him that, this once, he chose their side. that, after all, justice is always easy, and nate is always right, in the end. he packs that away, deep down, better not examine that one, better not think too hard about it

sterling does the work. climbs the metaphorical corporate ladder in the firm as he‘s always done

and then, like it always does, his senses start tingling. works his current case and Something is making him pay more attention. a familiar name maybe, or a routing number he thinks he might‘ve seen before. or maybe it‘s just,,, A Vibe that this particular case has. so he does the job, investigates, does what he‘s good at, excellent at

and a blurry security photograph, eleven espressos and a redacted number of scotches later, he‘s sure. and maybe despite himself, he spreads out the file and smiles. there it is again, finally. took him long enough

so sterling makes the call, files the plans, gathers the agents, gives the briefing, and off they go

but. they‘re not there. not them. sterling arrives at the scene of the crime con and it‘s just three. he shows up, having mentally rehearsed his entrance and the perfect delivery of the hello, nate, and he‘s just,,,, not there. there‘s eliot, glaring at him while finishing off a goon, ready to drop him and put all his angry attention on sterling. there‘s hardison, sticking his head out the van, glaring too. clearly still not forgetting or forgiving about the offices. and there‘s parker, obviously dressed like she played the part of the roper and exuding a confidence after a heist well planned and executed he‘s so far only seen on one face before. so sterling simply stops dead in his tracks

no. that‘s just,,,, wrong. and he‘s disappointed, almost. and very tired all of a sudden. and before eliot is even halfway across the lot, he just turns around and walks away. this is not what he signed up for. where‘s the fun in hunting these thieves if neither nate nor sophie are there to be prickled by his presence. fuck that. fuck the job

and so sterling retires. if nate ford can retire from being a fucking con artist then he can retire from interpol. and so he does. spends some time with olivia. takes a trip that isn‘t work related for the first time in ages. and by the gods he is bored out of his skull. and one day olivia tells him if he doesn‘t find something to do, she‘ll sign him up for some random ass activity for retirees (he‘s not that old, olivia, sweetheart, please)

and late one night over a glass of scotch he‘s mindlessly zapping through the channels on the tv. until he stops suddenly on a rerun of old magnum pi episodes. he used to be obsessed with this when he was younger. and nate teased him about it endlessly

now there‘s an idea

and so he pulls up some pages on his computer and the next day tells olivia he‘s got a new job, he‘ll be back for dinner, he‘s gonna go look at some office spaces downtown

[vickyvicarious]

Headcanon ask: Nate Ford

Headcanon A:  realistic

Back when he and Sterling worked together and were more openly friends, there were subtle mind games aplenty. The whole thing had less weight behind it, but there was still a lot of elements that we saw in their relationship in the show. The biggest one I can think of is when Nate basically forced Sterling to play Hot and Cold with him to get the clue... that sort of thing, but both of them. Obviously they were constrained by professionalism and affection but they absolutely had subtle prank wars or messed with one another all the time. It was the kind of thing that from the outside may have made some other people in the office think they hated one another, but honestly they were just playing together. There was still rivalry of course, but since both were internally 100% convinced that they were better than the other and would prove it eventually, there weren’t super hard feelings about it or anything. The main problem was that they didn’t get openly sincere with one another, and so more personal stuff like what was going on with Sam, or Sterling’s own messy family issues with his daughter/divorce just never really got brought up in conversation. This is one of the main reasons they drifted apart, because Nate was not in a place to interact the way he had before, and Sterling didn’t know how to bridge that gap and support him, especially while he had his own stuff going on.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Nate’s section of the con dress-up closet is by far the largest. You would think it’s Sophie, but you’d be wrong. Nate has a lot of WEIRD outfits that take up a lot of space and he chooses them all himself thank you very much. Hardison and Tara laughed at Eliot’s look in the Runway job but Nate came prepared for that too with that absolutely bonkers look, all on his own. He has like at least ten other distinctly loud and awful Jimmy Papadokolis suits. He also has a gigantic collection of hats and every single one has its own hatbox. Some of the weirdest elements of the other team members’ costumes actually were stolen from Nate’s section.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

(This started lighthearted as the realistic headcanon, but I moved it down here after the rabbithole took me to some sad thought.) Nate was a really dorky dad. Like this or this, but basically all the time. He and Maggie didn’t have a perfect relationship, and he wasn’t exactly a beacon of optimism and joy at any point, but his family meant so so much to him. Especially Sam, and the relationship he had with him. Nate lived in a somewhat constant state of amazement that he got to be a dad, that he got to have a kid who loved him and liked spending time with him. He got super excited to do “dad things” - especially when they were far removed from his memories of his own dad. There was definitely angst about not being a good dad, but while it recurred even later on, he mostly got over it when Sam was still really young, because he felt that he had so tangibly “gotten out.” When Sam got sick, Nate soon started getting pretty manic and scary. He’d be praying/cursing out God, goofing around with Sam, verbally tearing people to shreds, putting together a well-reasoned and very impassioned proposal for his boss to help him out, seeking comfort with Maggie, lashing out at Maggie, solving a fraud case in an unusually reckless way... all in the same day. However, he did a really good job even till the very end of keeping a mostly brave/reassuring face up around Sam, of indulging him and managing to seem relatively lighthearted and reassuring. After Sam died Nate physically destroyed a lot of little projects they’d done together and that sort of thing in a fit of drunken rage and grief, and the drawing we see that one time is one of the few things left. That was actually the first big schism between him and Maggie, because Nate was taking away her mementos as well. The very few times Nate ever visited Sam’s grave, he never was able to let down his goofy dad facade and face up to his grief, as though Sam could still hear him and needed the reassurance of dumb jokes or whatever. Every time he left, he went straight to a bar to get drunk.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

NATE DIDN’T HYPNOTIZE HARDISON.

Nate, in fact, eventually was able to find it in himself to have more genuine fatherly moments with Hardison. He was avoiding doing so for a long time, because it was easy to see Hardison kind of seeking that from him and it just brought back memories of Sam far too much. But being able to step into that role with Parker was easier since she wasn’t asking it of him in the same way, and the idea of a ‘daughter’ didn’t have the same kind of baggage, etc. Eventually this made it easier to support Hardison when he needed it, or even to reach out first. He stopped being so abrasive in his advice or corrections and gave Hardison more genuine compliments and support. Not all the time, but definitely more often, and he stepped up for him when he saw he needed it. I think this was implied by Redemption calling Nate Hardison’s father that one time, but I don’t think canon earned that really enough to say it that way. In my head, they did more so, although I still don’t think Nate would ever openly describe their relationship that way.

.

send me a character and I’ll answer with 4 headcanons

[wolves-in-the-world]

I present: Quinn/Eliot (with ambiguous background ot3), except Quinn is a vampire and so was Moreau.

Involves: minor violence; slight kinkiness of the kind you might expect; no sex stuff beyond kissing; implications of past abuse. Also, potentially, ace vibes. Expect gentleness and absolutely no plot.

[2.4k, also on Ao3]

—

It's quietly known in certain circles, and suspected in many more, that Damien Moreau is a vampire. It's not the kind of thing people talk about, but the signs are all there: his skin always cool when you shake his hand; his charisma bordering on hypnosis when he's dealing with enemies and subordinates; the way he favours dark glasses and doesn't spend much time in the sun. (Sensitivity varies between individuals, yes, but it tends to get worse over time - avoidance of sunlight is a classic indication.) Even the way he dresses, if the stereotypes can be believed. Vampires maintain a certain image for a reason.

When Parker slips into his villa to explore and to loot, she makes notes of the layout, the odd design choices, the way the rooms with all those big windows can all be easily bypassed to reach anywhere important, the kitchen properly equipped and furnished but the cupboards almost bare. She'll share her suspicions with Nate, she decides, in case they need to make tweaks to his accommodations.

Of course, Eliot knows the truth of it better than anyone.

~

It takes him a while to find out about Quinn. He gets Eliot pinned on his front with his hand bunched up in Eliot's shirt and then just goes still, giving him the opportunity to get the upper hand again. When Eliot shoves him away and regains his feet, ready to rib him for it, Quinn's frowning at him like something's wrong.

"He bit you?"

His tone makes Eliot blink and reassess. He sounds almost incredulous.

(Quinn knows about Moreau, knows the team took him down. He's had half a mind to visit, because cells don't hold his kind very well and Moreau is just clever enough to bide his time and build power again if he ever gets out, but so far Quinn's held back to avoid stepping on the team's toes. And, frankly, because he hasn't had any jobs in the area.)

Eliot tugs his shirt back into place and glares at him. He doesn't maintain eye contact for long. "I did a lot worse to the people he sent me after."

Quinn waves a hand and rolls his eyes: well, obviously. His arms stay folded. "You were working for him."

At that Eliot has to scowl, because it sounds like Quinn's offended and that doesn't make any kind of sense. Sure, some people would look down on him for what he entered into, for being a world-class hitter and still letting that happen - but if this is what gets Quinn to think less of him, and his stomach's sinking at the thought of it, then there's not much he can do about that.

He keeps his face stony and pushes past Quinn to head for the changing rooms. He's had enough for today.

"I'd never treat someone like that," says Quinn, and Eliot stops to look back at him. Quinn's expression is serious: still frowning a little, eyes steady on Eliot. Like it's something that needs to be said. Like it's a thing he could actually do.

Eliot feels the reaction shiver through him, dissipating quickly as he gets a handle on himself. He hasn't thought of it as fear for years.

They've been meeting every few months since the dam job, to train or - once or twice - even work together. Eliot's enjoyed it, appreciated it, the chance to practise with a hitter of his calibre. He's been thinking it might be useful to pull Quinn in for team jobs sometimes, when his shoulder's acting up or they just need another body for the con. It's been hard to admit. Quinn being so easygoing made it easier.

And he's realising, suddenly, that he's never seen Quinn eat.

"Yeah, well," Eliot says, a beat too late to sound normal, "most people don't share your sense of ethics."

It's true enough, and Quinn says nothing as Eliot walks away. He doesn't enter the changing rooms until Eliot's clean and dressed and ready to leave, and by then Eliot's composed enough that he can chat and bicker like nothing's wrong. And it isn't, really. Quinn's been decent enough, and Eliot's not going to be a jackass.

~

The next time they work a job together, Eliot sees when instead of knocking someone out, Quinn pulls them round the corner and buries his face in their neck. Eliot yells "Quinn," and the body falls slack to the ground, and Quinn's head snaps up towards him. His lips are stained red, and his teeth are out. "I thought I told you I didn't want to be party to this."

"She's not dead," Quinn says, and raises a hand to cover his mouth. When he lowers it again, his lips are licked clean and the fangs are receding. "Giving people concussions isn't pretty either, Spencer."

Eliot grunts, not wanting to get into it, and satisfies himself with the fact that the guard is still pink-cheeked and breathing. It's a mild enough sedative at that small a dose - she won't be down for long. "You know how many women have low iron levels?" Eliot says, and it's a stupid thing to say, but it's something that isn't lingering on this.

"Yes," Quinn says patiently, "that's why I normally go for men. Relax, I know the rules. You want to lead the way or shall I?"

~

The first time Eliot really bleeds in front of Quinn, more than just a bruise or a graze, he's cooking in the brewpub kitchen after closing. It's the first time they've used Quinn for a job, not including the dam thing - the first time they've run a proper job since Sophie and Nate left. All considered, it went pretty smoothly. They'll have to avoid letting Parker and Quinn work together too much - the new taser Hardison made for her has cut down on messier incidents, but it's not like she needs the encouragement - but he thinks it's going to work out.

He's not even all that surprised that Quinn wants a taste of what he's cooking. Damien would eat sometimes, too, though mostly he only bothered with wine: more often whites when it was just himself, but always reds when he had a point to make. He liked the way people would look at the glass when he was drinking. He liked the effect it had on them.

And maybe it was a bad idea to let himself think about that, because Eliot's mind is years in the past when he senses the body behind his right shoulder and whirls around, knife in hand, the fumble-and-catch too quick and smooth for him to even register the pain.

"Shit," says Quinn, frowning at Eliot's hand. He's shifted half a step back, and his own hands are in view, and he doesn't look dangerous, but Eliot's ready all the same. He knows how Quinn fights, and he knows vampires, and he can handle this if he has to.

"You should get that under the faucet," says Quinn, and a little of the tension eases from Eliot's shoulders.

"I know what to do with a damn cut," he snaps, turning for the sink. Behind him, he can hear Quinn moving, but he doesn't come any closer. "You should go. I'll dish some up for you with the others' when it's ready."

"I'm a hitter, Eliot." Quinn sets the first-aid kit on the side, opening it, and casts Eliot a level look. There's a touch of amusement in his slight smile. "And I'm insulted. Want me to get one of the others instead?"

"No," Eliot says quickly, because Hardison's squeamish and Parker's getting better (if not particularly gentler) but he doesn't want to explain this little hiccup until he has to. And it is an annoyingly placed cut. He could dress it himself - has done in the past - but it'll go much easier with help.

"Fine," he growls, turning off the tap with his elbow and letting Quinn shift closer. Quinn takes his wrist and surveys the damage. "But keep it in your gums. If you bite me, I'm biting back."

"Don't threaten me with a good time," Quinn says absently, reaching for the gauze.

~

The first time Eliot pulls Quinn against him in the flush of victory after a job well done, backing up until he hits a wall and Quinn presses him readily against it, he kisses up along Quinn's neck and jaw and Quinn just stays close against him, nose tucked briefly into Eliot's hair.

Eliot breaks off and draws back, still pressed against him, still grasping his arm. "Do you want this?"

"Yes," Quinn says, his expression guarded.

"But?"

"I'm not sure what you want."

Eliot hesitates, trying to work his way to what this situation needs. He wants to make it a joke and pull Quinn in for a kiss, dismiss this attempt at a conversation, but that doesn't seem fair. "This... isn't just a bit of fun for me."

"I know that."

"Then what-"

"I just want to make sure," Quinn says with visibly fraying patience, "we only do what you want to do."

Oh. Huh. That's... pretty irritating, actually. He has a sneaking suspicion the implications would be dizzying if he had more space to think about it. As it is, proximity makes it simple. "I want to kiss you." His voice comes out rough. He tangles his fingers into Quinn's hair, dislodging the hair tie, and Quinn draws in to meet him. "No teeth," Eliot murmurs, when they're only an inch apart.

And Quinn kisses him, perfectly well-behaved, at least until Eliot deepens it and they both get a bit distracted.

~

It's not all easy. For one thing, in the interests of openness with his family and his team knowing all the variables, he has to fill them in - only to find out that Hardison already knew (some old security footage in which Quinn hadn't quite been careful enough) and Parker had already been confided in. It leaves Eliot a little flustered, that he worked himself up to this for nothing.

"Well, I mean, I won't say we weren't worried," says Hardison, "but if this is something you want to do-" and Eliot can see him forging on past the innuendo possibilities there, damn him "-you should."

"And if he tries anything," Parker says, landing her fist in her other palm, "I'll beat him up for you."

It's all very matter-of-fact, and very sweet and very them, and Eliot's dying a little inside. Parker pats his hip on the way past, smiling sunnily at him, and Hardison swoops in to kiss his cheek. Eliot's left growling at an empty room, which even he can admit is a bit much. He sighs, shoulders dropping, then he goes to find Quinn.

~

Several months have passed since that conversation. Quinn's lying on the sofa at Eliot's apartment - not quite a safehouse by their standards, but safe enough all the same - and Eliot's straddling him, kissing him soundly and taking his time. It's a leisurely thing, neither of them with anywhere to be except here with each other. There's a flush in Quinn's cheeks from last night's job and accompanying snack, and Eliot's enjoying watching it darken.

"You can bite me if you want," Eliot murmurs against his mouth. It's something they've talked about. It isn't something they've done yet.

Quinn shivers beneath him and Eliot frowns at it, forgetting for a moment that he doesn't feel the cold. He's shifting his weight back to grab the blanket from the back of the sofa when Quinn pulls him down and kisses him again, catching Eliot's lip between his teeth, letting him feel the blunt tips of his human fangs. Eliot doesn't expect they'll stay blunt for long.

"Make me," Quinn murmurs, and nips at him again before pushing him away.

Eliot wasn't expecting a fight today - he's still bruised from a run in with some unexpectedly well-trained security - but it's possible Quinn goes easy on him. Very possible that neither of them are treating it like a proper sparring bout. It's a cursing, then a tussling, then Eliot getting Quinn pinned at least momentarily with an arm against his neck.

"Want to keep going?" Eliot says, a little more breathless than this short scuffle calls for.

Quinn raises an eyebrow at him. "Well, if you'd rather fight instead..."

Eliot moves his arm to offer him his wrist, and Quinn gives a very smug smile, straightening up as Eliot eases off him. Eliot runs his fingers through Quinn's curls as a distraction from the bite.

The sedative effect won't knock him out, not with his acquired resistance, but it warms him through like he's been drinking and leaves him a little boneless. His hand slips down to Quinn's shoulder as the feeling spreads through him, his eyes half-closed. It's not a feeling you ever forget. It's not a feeling Eliot had expected - or hoped - to feel again. But here, with the smells of Quinn and home, with the months of sparring and learning to feel safe enough to sleep around each other, it's okay. It's quite a bit more than okay.

Quinn kisses Eliot's forehead when he's done, teeth bumping against his skin, and tugs Eliot down to settle with him on the floor. The first thing Eliot stirs enough to do is pull him in and kiss him clumsily, tracing the sharp tips of Quinn's teeth with his tongue. He withdraws just a little at the faint tang of metal.

The second thing he does is call Quinn a jackass for playing dirty. From the satisfied look on Quinn's face, it's not a tactic he particularly regrets.

~

For another thing that makes this a little less than easy, Quinn's gotten more intense about the Moreau situation. It's simple: Eliot doesn't want Quinn to have that blood on his hands (a phrasing he only uses once, because it makes Quinn laugh until he actually cries a little) and Quinn doesn't want him to think that Moreau might possibly get out one day. It's an impasse. Regrettably, one of them is human and theoretically falls prey to things like flu, and the other is more than willing to wait for that opportunity to go tidy up this particular loose end.

Eliot isn't a fool though, so he sets out contingencies and calls in help. If Quinn ever tries it, Parker and Hardison will be ready to catch and stop him, and they're just the start of it. Quinn's looking forward to it. He doesn't get challenges often.

Besides, he can be patient. He's pretty sure he'll convince them some day.

[a short epilogue]

[what---i-dated-a]

Okay so I didn’t wanna derail this post because I think it’s a really good analysis of Parker’s character and her development into the Mastermind but it DID make me think of something and y’all know how I love to analyze and to go on my Nate Is Such A Dad rants so here we are

So the thing is, all three of the younger members of the team showcase different aspects of the Mastermind skillset.

Eliot is an observer, he is constantly absorbing information, analyzing it, filing it away in case it could be useful later. The repetition of ”What? It’s a very distinctive (blank)” and “What? I dated a (profession)” or similar lines are consistent evidence of this skill. He remembers things that the average person doesn’t even notice in the moment. He is constantly aware of what is going on around him, constantly watching. He knows how to insert himself into a situation as needed, knows how to adapt to unexpected circumstances. His vigilance and ability to think on his feet mirror Nate.

I’ve said it before, Hardison is the heart of the crew. He’s the one who cares. They all care, of course, but Hardison wears that on his sleeve. He’s invested. He digs deep into every case that they come across, dives into every job, does the research, forms the profiles, gets hands-on and involved even from behind his computer screen. (As an aside, I think it’s an interesting choice to take the character who has the least reason to be in the field, and make him the most visibly emotional person on the crew, rather than playing the ‘cold detached tech guy’ card.) Because he cares so much (and a little because of his ego, let’s be honest), Hardison doesn’t quit. He sees things through. Just like Nate.

Parker, meanwhile, is analytical. She’s a planner. She spends her free time plotting how to break into high security facilities for fun. Like the post I linked says, she’s the one who thinks of the details the others don’t remember to worry about. She’s (usually) able to set her emotions aside and look at things from an objective perspective. She sees the obstacles in front of her, and figures out if she needs to go over, under, through, etc. She is constantly treating the world around her as a puzzle she needs to solve. Again, a trait she shares with Nate.

And Nate is, yes. A dad. More to the point, he’s a dad with no child, a parent who lost his son, and he has no one to pass his knowledge and wisdom on to. That was taken from him. So what does he do? He finds surrogate children in his crew, and he teaches the three of them as best he can. He offers them advice, tries to help them improve and be the best they can be. Gives them little lessons and nudges them along, sets puzzles in front of them and helps them solve them. Because that’s what good dads do, and Nate is a good dad.

So then, what makes Parker the heir? It’s not that she was inherently more suited for the position than the others; they all had different traits that made them capable of ascending to that particular throne.

The difference is that Eliot and Hardison, for the most part, feel like Complete People. (I mean in their own perception, mind, not the perception of the audience, all the characters are beautifully well-rounded from a writing perspective, and no character is every really truly Complete.) They have their area of expertise, and while they dabble in other areas, they aren’t bothered by the role they play. Both of them are confident in who they are as a person, if not always happy with it (both have their fair share of anxiety and neither thinks that they’re perfect, far from it).

Hardison makes a couple of forays into stretching beyond his current abilities, but he gets in over his head and it sort of bites him in the ass. Considering how smart he is, I have to wonder if he has some of that Gifted Kid Syndrome, where if he’s not instantly perfect at something, he doesn’t want to do it. Because he tries at running things and seems to more or less decide he’s happy doing what he does.

Eliot, meanwhile, is too protective of the others to worry about being in charge. He doesn’t want to lead; if he’s in the lead, he can’t watch their backs. He teaches them a lot so that they can hopefully defend themselves if he’s not there, but at the end of the day, there’s no one he trusts more to protect them than himself. He’ll take charge when he needs to, but he’s more than happy to hand it back as soon as possible.

Parker, though? Parker doesn’t think she’s a Complete Person. She’s confident in her skills, but not much else. She’s uncomfortable with people and constantly being made aware of the fact that she’s Not Quite Normal. There’s nothing wrong with the person she is, of course, but try telling that to the people who keep giving her weird looks (including Eliot, he’s not getting off the hook for that one). She knows she’s different, and while she’s okay with who she is on a certain level, she also feels like she’s missing out on things, some of which she decides that she does, in fact, want.

So when Nate goes to teach, Eliot and Hardison learn what they need to, file that information away to pull out when it’s relevant, and more or less carry on with their business. But Parker absorbs it and makes it a part of herself. You can see, as the show progresses, how she goes from asking Nate questions just because she’s trying to solve The Puzzle That Is Nate, to asking him questions because she wants to solve the same puzzle he’s solving. Eliot and Hardison view Nate as an ally, a teammate. They don’t learn from him anymore than they do each other, or Parker and Sophie. Parker, on the other hand, very much views him as a mentor. More than the others, she sees him as what he’s trying to be to them, however subconsciously: a dad.

[alinaandalion]

#(i have A LOT of feelings about how this scene in particular#shapes the way parker and sophie interact from then on)

Ok please share your thoughts!!! :D

okay, today is the day I'm finally going to answer this. mostly because I forgot that I had left it sitting in my inbox.

so! I honestly think it was really important that sophie in particular went back for parker. I think parker expected that nate would attempt to get her out, but I think she thought sophie would abandon all of them. because that's what a good thief should do. take what you've got and get the hell out of town and forget about the people you're leaving behind. but sophie doesn't do that. she comes back (and without it even being a question between her and nate that she will do that; that one thing being a non-issue reveals so much about sophie's growth over the season and it's not even mentioned but i think about it all the time).

and she doesn't just come back to get parker. she gives up part of her stash. one of her most valuable pieces, something that was worth lying to the team about to her. and parker would get that the most easily out all of them, I think, what sophie gives up without a fight or question for her. parker values things and money above relationships with other people until she joins this team, so sophie doing this for her specifically carries a lot more weight.

and then! not only did sophie choose to come back, not only did sophie give up the other david for parker, but she also sets up the escape route to be how parker would do it. and of course she does in full sophie fashion with dramatics and all, but she throws her arms open wide and waits for parker and they take that leap of faith together. she not only values parker and is willing to do what it takes to get her back, but she trusts parker enough to leap off a building with her.

and I think that's why by the time the events of the second david job start, parker has already forgiven sophie. regardless of the betrayal, that was her amends to parker, and it's why parker defends sophie (albeit a bit hesitantly because eliot is still beyond pissed off and she maybe thinks it isn't "normal" for her to not be mad too) when eliot is still angry about everything. and i also think this is when parker starts to deeply trust sophie in a way she didn't before.

after all, we know she stayed in regular contact with sophie after the team breaks up while hardison couldn't seem to figure out where she was. she knows about the boyfriend first. and later on, she knows details about what sophie is up to that the others don't, which means to me that she and sophie are spending time together outside of work. and that's a huge step for parker. and we see how this plays out after sophie is gone where parker just tells sophie that she misses her and is also very, very slow to warm up to tara compared to the others. and i think that trust in sophie is honestly the only thing that really saved tara when parker was about to throw her off the roof.

anyway, I love them a lot and the way they interact and make space for each other is just! like, I think after nate, parker understands sophie the most? and I love it.

[brennansdice]

A Bookstore Romance

So here’s is my entry for @ot3tropetober. (I know I’m late, please don’t @ me).

My prompt (which I added to the sheet because I’ve been obsessed with this idea for some time now): Eliot is an owner of a small bookstore and Parker is his newest employee. Hardison is a frequent customer, but also the cutest big brother either of them have ever met.

I didn’t have time to write the whole thing, so I’m offering a summary and hopefully, one day, I’ll finish the actual fic (does it count if it is finished in your head?) and add all the little details that I forgot to add here. This was written in a hurry, so excuse any mistakes.

After leaving the army, Eliot used to drift from town to town, not settling down anywhere, doing all kinds of odd jobs. He met Sophie in one of those towns and they became friends. Years later, she calls him up and leaves him her bookstore because she got married and decided to retire and travel the world with her new husband (Nate? Harry? Haven’t quite decided).

The bookstore is called Sophie’s but she didn’t name it after herself, she named herself after the bookstore.

Amy and Quinn are employees in the bookstore and they help Eliot a lot in the beginning.

A strange, blonde woman walks into the bookstore one day. Eliot asks around and Amy tells him that her name is Parker and that she’s probably homeless. She used to come by a lot, but after Sophie told her she was leaving, Parker got angry and didn’t come back until now.

Eliot is intrigued because he sees himself in Parker and goes to talk to her. However, Parker is pouty and keeps accusing him of stealing Sophie from her. At first, Eliot doesn’t know what to do with her and leaves her be. She keeps coming to the bookstore and spending hours there reading, but never buying anything.

One day, he’s working a lot and he’s overwhelmed. Some lady asks for a book, but he can’t remember where it is, so Parker chimes in and tells her the exact shelf and between which books it is. Eliot is impressed and decided to hire Parker.

Parker reluctantly accepts, but turns out she is excellent in every aspect of the work — except the people part. One day, she admits that she likes reading so much because she’s trying to understand other people and “be normal”. Eliot says that while it’s good she’s trying to understand others, she should never try to change herself and that he likes her the way she is. After that moment, they truly become friends and she starts hanging out around his house (which he also got from Sophie) very often.

When he thinks she trusts him, he asks her about her living situation and she admits she leaves in an empty warehouse. He asks her to move in his house which is too big for him anyway. She is reluctant because she had bad experiences (especially with men), but he assures she would be getting a whole floor for herself and that he would never breach her space and privacy. He also says that he’s a gentleman and he would never hit on a woman who is clearly not interested in him. After talking to Sophie about Eliot, she finally says yes, but only after Eliot also promises he would cook her dinner and make her breakfast every day. Eliot of course acts grumpy about this caveat, but we all know he’s secretly pleased.

Enter Hardison. He’s recently moved back to town to be closer to his Nana and his foster siblings. He works from home and earns quite a lot of money, but when asked about he just laughs it off (he’s totally ripping off rich assholes).

When he first comes in, looking to buy books for Breanna, he immediately likes Parker and tries to flirt, but she doesn’t really like it. He backs off, but he’s really sweet and funny and, most importantly, patient with her, reminding her of Eliot, so she starts liking him which confuses her because she never really liked anyone. What also confuses her is the fact that in her head, Hardison and Eliot are on the same level, but if all the books she read taught her anything, you can only like one person, right?

In the meantime, Eliot also meets Hardison and he’s charmed as well and finds him hot as hell (which he is lbr), but he is very reluctant about liking a guy in a small town, so he tries to be subtle. (He is not because even Parker notices it). They banter all the time, but Eliot acts grumpy more time than not, but his heart melts whenever Hardison talks about his siblings and everything he does for them and his Nana.

Hardison is having the toughest time though because he likes both of them and he keeps buying Breanna (13) books she doesn’t even need. He starts to annoy her with this so she asks to go with him to see who is the person that makes him go to the bookstore almost every. single. day. Luckily for her, both Parker and Eliot are in the bookstore when they come around and she immediately deduces that her brother is head over heels for the grumpy short guy and a weird blonde woman. She is not surprised because she always knew Hardison had weird taste in everything.

Trying to help, she says when she knows that both Parker and Eliot can hear: “So, this is why you come here so often. You’re into them.” Hardison gets flustered and tries to make it into a joke. They leave in a hurry and Breanna apologizes. She asks him why he doesn’t ask them out and he admits that he tried do that with Parker, but that she’s not interested and that Eliot is probably straight. Breanna tells him that’s bullshit, but he doesn’t want to hear it.

After he’s calmed down a bit, he asks her how she’s so well versed in relationship problems and she uses this moment to officially come out to him and tell him about the girl she likes. They end up having an emotional moment, but they definitely don’t tear up. (They do).

The incident with Breanna, however, also forces Parker and Eliot to talk about their feelings for Hardison. They talk about their insecurities regarding a possible relationship with him (e.g. Parker is not very interested in sex and isn’t sure she would know how to be in a relationship, Eliot isn’t sure about dating a man or dating/settling down in general), but they agree that Hardison is worth it and that they want to be with him. The only problem is they’re not sure who Hardison would choose out of two of them and they decided to just outright ask him next time and be done with it.

However, weeks pass by and Hardison doesn’t show up.

While waiting for him to come back, Parker devours the romance section in the bookstore and decides that she found a perfect solution for their relationship. She confesses to Eliot that she loves him and that perhaps all three of them could be together if he likes her as well. Eliot does love her, but she was very clear about not being interested in him so he didn’t allow himself to think about her like that. He also says that relationships don’t usually work like that, but she just shrugs and tells him that she was always considered weird, so why would she do relationships in any other way and wasn’t it him that told her to always be herself.

However, they both decided that they don’t want to start anything until they get a chance to talk to Hardison.

Cue a “Let’s steal Hardison” scheme.

Parker finds out where Hardison lives and follows him to a coffee shop nearby. She sits at his table (scares the shit out of him) and asks why he stopped coming. He’s flustered and tells her he doesn’t actually need books. She tells he could’ve just come to see her and Eliot as they both miss him. Hardison admits that he walked up to the store one day, but that he saw her and Eliot being really close and her hanging all over him, so he assumed the two of them got together. And he admits it made him sad and he couldn’t bear to see them and talk to them at that moment, but he’s happy for them. Parker tells him that she and Eliot love each other, but when they’re together more often than not they’re talking about Hardison and missing him. They don’t see their relationship working without Hardison and they want to be with him.

Hardison doesn’t quite believe her, but she invites him to their house for a date and he accepts because he’s hoping real bad that it’s true and he gets to be with two most amazing people he knows.

Eliot cooks for them and they watch Star Trek because Eliot and Parker had been binging it lately in order to impress Hardison with their knowledge. (Eliot tries to deny it, but Parker covers his mouth with her hand.) Hardison can’t believe his luck and after two episodes, he turns the TV off and asks to kiss them. Parker is hesitant and pushes Eliot first who seems flustered and admits he’s been with a man only once before and it was a bad experience. Hardison, a sweetheart that he is, understands and gently cups Eliot’s face and kisses him. Parker makes a delighted sound while watching them and admits she’s ready for her turn. They both laugh and Hardison repeats it with her.

Afterwards, she says she loved it and that she was very glad that she had her first kiss with him. Hardison is confused because he thought she and Eliot must have kissed already. They admit it didn’t feel right to do anything without Hardison and he says that he’s there now and he’s not going anywhere. They go and cuddle in Sophie’s, now Eliot’s, huge bed which suddenly doesn’t feel that empty and lonely anymore.

The end.

[kookicat]

A Gift of Telling & Trust

Nate's words fade away and for a moment, they're all quiet, absorbing the story. There's a sheen in Sophie's eyes that looks suspiciously like tears, and Parker has curled into Hardison's side, resting her head on his shoulder. He's got one arm around her, thumb rubbing absent circles on her side.

Eliot clears his throat, feeling just a little self conscious, and downs the last of his long neck before he speaks. "Before… Before my Mom died," he starts, voice soft, reflective, because it's been a while since he dug up the memories, and he's not sure how they're going to make him feel. "I was twelve, Erin was ten. Mom had been wanting a puppy for a couple of years, and one of my friend's farm dogs was having a litter." He smiles at the memory and glances up, seeing everyone's eyes on him. He's not sure why, but it feels comfortable, and he feels the smile get a bit bigger. "They were seven weeks old on Christmas eve, all bitty black and white things. Only one girl, and we picked her and snuck her in the house. We'd saved up our allowance to buy food and such. She slept on my bed, and we put a bow on her and took her downstairs at the crack of dawn." He pauses, accepting a fresh bottle from Hardison, giving the label a quick check to make sure the other man isn't slipping him one of his weird brews. He's not sure he'll ever cleanse his senses of the last one- pumpkin spice and mint, for christsakes, but the bottle is one of his favourites and he twists the top off.

"What happened?" Parker asks, because she's an instant gratification sorta girl, but they're all still watching him, waiting for the end of the story.

"Well Mom fell instantly in love," he says, lip quirking into a smile, "Dad took some convincing, threatened to take the belt to me but I'm pretty sure he was smitten too."

The end of the story isn't so happy, and he's not sure he wants to tell it and break the spell. "They were inseparable. Mom named her Dodie."

"101 Dalmatians? I loved that book." Sophie asks, and he glances at her, nodding.

"What happened to her?" Parker leans forward to poke him and he bats her hand away, gently.

Part of him wants to lie and tell them a happy ending, but life doesn't work that way. "She was in the truck with my Mom when a drunk driver ran them off the road. They hit a tree. Both killed instantly," he says, and his voice only cracks a little.

It's a hard memory, but he's mostly made his peace with it. It's nice, too, to be able to remember his family and share that with his new one.

Sophie presses her hand against his arm. "I'm sorry, Eliot. I had no idea."

He covers her hand with his own, for a beat. "It's okay. Thank you."

Another memory sneaks in, one he'd all but forgotten about and he laughs, earning startled looks from the others that only make him laugh harder. It takes him a second to get control and he's pretty sure they think it's the start of a hysterical breakdown.

"I'm fine," he says, and waves his hand. "Just remembered something. My fourteenth birthday, Dad decided I was finally old enough to learn how to use the grill. Bought a big rack of ribs. Damn dog stole them from the counter. We spent half an hour chasing her around the yard but every time we got close, she'd manage to escape. I'd never seen my Dad so mad." He laughs again, then takes a swig of his beer, content to settle back into silence and just enjoy the memory.

They spend an agreeable hour, just trading bullshit stories about past jobs before they decide to call it a night.

He wakes up the next morning, more hungover than he'd ever admit, to find a black and white puppy staring at him from the other side of his bed. "What the hell?" he says and blinks, rubbing his eyes, convinced he's seeing things until a wet nose unerringly finds this side of his neck. He rolls out of bed, scooping the puppy up and heading to his living room, trying to ignore the soft brown eyes staring at him.

Just as he suspected, Parker is sleeping on his couch. The bigger surprise is that Hardison is curled up in the recliner in the corner, one arm draped over his face to block out the mid morning light. He's pretty sure it was Hardison's idea to break out the tequila. He's also pretty sure that they killed the bottle between them.

"Parker," Eliot says, trying to sound serious. It's a lot harder to do with a puppy trying to lick his face. "Parker!"

She jerks awake, and he blinks, feeling a little bad about that. "What?" she mutters, shoving her hair out of her face and stretching like a cat, all liquid grace.

"What's this?" Eliot asks, with what he feels is commendable patience, especially considering the marching band that's doing laps of his brain.

"That's a puppy," Parker says, like he's being slow.

"Yes, I know that," Eliot says through his teeth. "Why was she in my bed?" The puppy lays her head on his chest and sighs and he knows that if this gets out, he's going to have to blow up an orphanage or something to maintain his reputation.

"Because she wouldn't stay on the couch," Parker says and throws a cushion at Hardison.

The hacker jerks awake, flailing and the puppy barks. "I don't think she liked that," Hardison mutters.

"Why do I have a puppy?" Eliot asks, absently stroking the dog's head, surprised by how soft and fine her fur is. It's like silk against his skin and it feels nice. He's always liked dogs, but with the life he's lived, he's never had the chance to own one.

"Because they were going to kill her at the pound because no one had adopted her!" Parker says, just as Hardison blurts "Parker made me do it!"

Eliot rubs his face with his free hand. He's pretty sure he doesn't want to know the full story. He's also pretty sure he can't keep the puppy, no matter how darn cute she is. "Please tell me you didn't steal the puppy," he mutters and turns towards the kitchen, needing coffee and food.

He sets the puppy down, watching her as she sniffs her way around his kitchen, clearly looking for something. "You hungry, pup?" he says, and opens the fridge, pulling out a bit of roast chicken and almost losing his fingers to sharp puppy teeth. "Guess that's a yes."

He takes out the rest of the chicken, chopping it into smaller chunks before dumping it into a dish- though not one of his good ones, thank you very much-- and putting it on the floor with a bowl of water.

"We're sorry," Parker says, leaning on the door frame. "A puppy is a huge commitment and we should have checked first."

Eliot pulls the eggs from the fridge. "Have you been talking to Sophie?" he asks and sets a frying pan on to heat.

"Yes." Parker stoops, picking the puppy up and stroking her. "She did say a dog would be good for you."

Hardison joins Parker, reaching over to fuss the puppy. "I found a rescue that'll take her and make sure she gets a good home. We can drop her off later today."

The thought of handing the puppy over to someone else sends an unexpected pang through him. "You checked them properly?" Eliot asks, adding pre chopped peppers to the eggs.

"Have you met me?" Hardison says, voice full of only mostly faked offence. "Excuse you. Of course I checked them properly."

"Make some damn coffee," Eliot grouses at the other man. He's pretty sure they all know the damn puppy isn't going to any rescue. He has to admit, some nights it would be nice to come home to some non judgemental company.

"She's so cute," Parker says, sneaking a look at Eliot under her lashes. "Maybe I'll keep her."

Parker is proficient at many things, including keeping Parker alive but he's seen what she does to house plants and the thought of her being responsible for a living creature sends a stab of alarm through Eliot. Hardison is sharing the same thought, if the look in his face is any indication.

"Fine," Eliot snaps and portions the eggs with more force than strictly necessary. "She can stay here!"

He knows he's been caught neatly in a trap when Parker turns to Hardison, grinning. "Told you," she says and ducks when Eliot throws a dish towel at her head.

[faorism]

#give us sobriety in a series when they really couldnt do it with nate

i know this is a tag about hurley but excuse me that hurts

i don't even like nate but the idea that after his son dies he drinks, and then he builds leverage, he saves 4 people who are not himself, saves countless lives who are not his son. and he carves out a bit of happiness with sophie, but he still is this furnace of rage, this, he's still missing a piece of his heart

and you never get to see him recover, never get to see him live his own redemption, because his grief has killed him before he gets the chance

what i'm trying to say is this tag hurt me anyway what are ur thoughts on nate

[grief, alcoholism, canon character death, end of life illness]

i think about how they had those tall glasses for their whiskey in lr episode 1. they weirded me out, because it's so easy to over pour and (as hardison feels later) drink too much. surely they had to have a shorter glass, right? surely whiskey glasses? but i realized: no, no they dont. sophie has the liquor on hand for herself, when she feels most alone in her grief, to smell and remember the taste she associates with kisses with nate even though itd been two and a half years since nates last drink. (two and a half, not four as it could have been; the tears shed when nate had to give up his two year chip after his first and only relapse was horrendous. as was the weeks of his drunken stupor and the fighting until hurley was able to travel back to boston to help out. nate didn't have a chance to gain that two year chip again.)

i think about their last meal together as a full family—not that anyone knew that'll be what it was then. there was a lot they held back that night: eliot, parker, and hardison continued to avoid the topic of leverage international; and no one mentioned that the old man'd been jaundiced and clammy, even though eliot needed to prepare a separate, lighter meal after nate woke up with an upset stomach. hardison didn't point out the strain in sophie's eyes. yet even with all that they wouldn't say, they joked and laughed for hours like they'd just come off a gloat. 

they thought they had another few years. closer to a decade than not, maybe, with diligence and prayer, albeit with less comfort than preferred towards the end.

who'd expect that it wouldn't be the cirrhosis that did nate in but a heart attack? 

i think about how (gesturing to my characterization in it's a lot) peak nate was a bisexual disaster but mostly just an old mean queen. he brought a lot of snap to the group and a ruthlessness that caught the breath of his friends (and us, the viewers). i think his storyline was darker than the series warranted, but i also cannot see og leverage without it. this deep personal hurt, the kind of hurt that these corporate big bads are always doing; sam couldnt be (attempted to be) saved, and he was lost to the goliath that is greed and bureaucracy. nate broke over that in a way maybe only eliot can really relate to of the crew. nate changed. he changed and he drank and he was once the kind of man who went to chat with the accountants and remembered all their birthdays. now hes a man who can have a plan m.

i think about the peace on his face at the start of season five. the calm of the breeze on his face that is burned into my mind because it was so unusual for nate. i think of how much he must of spend so much of the time on his boat alone and thinking about, of all things, care. the thought of caring wounded him so often, but now, he crafted the world so his crew-and-family could go on, and his crew-and-love could find a new adventure with him.

i think him and sophie travelled the world. i think they met so many cool people and had a lot of fun and nate drank right up until he literally couldnt, and no one is a hopeless cause for sobriety but theres a way i think everyone left nate alone to his drink, and i think that's sad.

i miss nate more than i thought i would, and i love him more than i thought i would.

that's what i think.

[trekscribbles]

Cherry Juice

Fandom: Leverage Word Count: 1558 Pairings: Just Eliot and Parker friendship Cross-posted: AO3 and FF

Eliot had blood on his hands, and the fact that it surprised him... surprised him. The sight of it hit him like a punch to the face, the kind he hadn't been expecting—the kind that made him stumble when he needed to keep his feet. He sucked in a breath, feeling his muscles bunch in preparation, tucking his elbows against his body. Parker called it his Danger Mode, and he—

Parker.

Eliot took another breath, staring down at his hands. It wasn't blood, it was cherry juice. He was standing in his kitchen, making cherry chutney for a pork loin he was going to grill later. Parker sat across from him, perched on a stool with her elbows on his island, watching him like a cat studying a bird.

She was saying his name, her eyes all bright and curious. He gave her a wordless grunt and turned away, all but running to the sink, pushing up on the faucet handle with his wrist and scrubbing the red off his skin. It stained the creases where his fingers bent, running down underneath the nails and making his knuckles look bruised.

"Eliot?" Parker was next to him now, peering over his arms as if he was doing something interesting instead of trying to scour the skin off his hands.

He cleared his throat. "It's—the—the juice was sticking to the knife."

Parker's eyes followed the flow of pink draining from his hands. "It looks a little bit like..." Her eyes snapped up to his, and he looked away before he could tell himself not to. I hadn't noticed, he wanted to say, all gruff and confident and dismissive. It was just sticky. You don't want to use a sticky knife.

But he couldn't force the words out. He continued to wash until his skin burned under the steaming water, feeling the heat of Parker's gaze like a he was an ant under her magnifying glass. When his flesh was pink and raw and as clean as he could possibly get it, he turned off the water and reached for the towel hanging from the oven handle.

Parker beat him to it. "Is that what bothered you?" she asked, holding it out to him.

He took it roughly, ready to tell her to mind her own business, but he couldn't make himself say that when he couldn't even meet her eyes. So he nodded, and she nodded in response.

"It wasn't. It was just cherry juice."

"I know that, Parker."

"You wanted to fight something though."

He wanted to argue that too, but his still-tense muscles told him that denial was pointless. "It's a reflex," he murmured instead.

"Would you have fought the cherries?"

The question made him blink at her, and her face looked so sincere, like she'd just asked an actual question and was waiting for an actual reply. "No, Parker," he said, managing a little of his usual gruffness.

"Good. Then I'd have to tell Nate, and he'd have to tell Sophie, and you'd have to take a wellness quiz and—"

"A wellness quiz?"

"Yeah." She leaned away from him, plucking a pitted cherry from the bowl on the counter and popping it into her mouth. "You know, like How are you feeling today? and Why do you think there are monsters in your closet? and How did you find out the monsters had the key to the ice cream freezer?"

Eliot stared at her, trying to make sense of her words. "Did someone ask you those questions?"

She nodded. "You know, the questions they ask you when you're a kid. Wellness quizzes." Eliot shook his head, and Parker seemed to deflate a little. "Oh. Was that just me?"

"No one ever asked me anything like that," Eliot said. His hands were dry now, but he didn't want to put down the towel. "Did you get asked those questions a lot?"

"A few times," Parker said, and he got the impression that she was hedging.

Eliot sighed. The Question flashed through his mind again: How did he end up with these people, these damaged children with damaged pasts that wouldn't let them go? He used to be someone who wouldn't care about this kind of thing—about her wellness questions, about her childhood, about her. He used to be the kind of monster that would have hidden in her closet.

But he'd just tried to scrub the skin off his hands because of some cherry juice.

"Go ahead," he grunted, replacing the towel on the rack and picking up his knife again.

"What?"

"Go ahead and give me the quiz." He forced his fingers around a pitted cherry, focusing on relaxing his grip on the knife so it would glide through the fruit instead of chopping.

Parker tilted her head. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry."

"And how did you sleep last night?"

"Fine."

"No nightmares?"

"No."

"No getting up in the middle of the night to check for monsters under your bed?"

Eliot looked up from the cherries. "Do you do that?"

"Not anymore. Hardison said you chased all the monsters away for me."

A mix of emotions drove his eyes down again—he was irritated that Hardison was making promises for him, and touched at the thought that his name was enough to banish Parker's fear. "Next question."

"Have you been spending more time alone lately than is normal for you?"

"Parker, you're in my kitchen right now. I told you I was busy and you came over anyway."

"I thought it was code."

"It was code for I'm busy, don't come over."

"Okay. Are you having problems with your teachers or parents?"

He expected the mention of his parents to bring the usual spike of guilt, but instead he only quirked up his eyebrows and scraped the halved cherries into their waiting bowl. "Teachers?"

She nodded seriously. "Or parents. Any arguments with Nate lately?"

"Nate's not my dad."

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously. You don't look anything alike."

"No, Parker, I haven't had any arguments with Nate or Sophie, and I got Hardison to write my term paper for me."

Though he said it as sarcastically as possible, Parker nodded in approval. "Are you taking unnecessary risks or getting hurt frequently?"

"All of my risks are calculated and necessary."

"You did get shot during our last job."

"It was a graze," Eliot argued, rolling his shoulder to prove that it had healed. "Next question."

He waited, but she was quiet for so long that he was able to cut three cherries in peace before looking up. When he did, her eyes were focused on the counter between his cutting board and the bowl. "Will you tell me the next time you go into Danger Mode when there's no danger?"

Eliot frowned, setting down his knife and wiping his fingers on the towel. He wanted to say no, because admitting something like tensing for a fight while he was cooking at home felt like an admission of weakness, but her face was closing off in anticipation of his denial and he hated being responsible for that reaction. So he picked up a cherry half and held it out to her, waiting to speak until her eyes crept up to his. "I will," he said slowly. "If you promise to never tell Hardison."

In a heartbeat, her expression lit up and she plucked the cherry out of his palm. "Deal."

"You shouldn't be this excited about keeping secrets from your boyfriend."

"I don't want to get out of practice," she said, shrugging. "Besides, I keep tons of secrets from you."

"Like what?"

"Like that time Hardison put a clip in your hair while you were sleeping and you didn't notice it and then he got scared that you'd find it so he made me sneak behind you and take it out."

"Parker!"

She winced. "Which he told me not to tell you. So now you have to keep my secret too."

Eliot threw another handful of cherries onto his cutting board, scowling, and his gaze caught on his stained fingers. His body didn't react to the sight this time—his heartbeat stayed even, his shoulders relaxed. He glanced up at Parker, busy stealing another piece of fruit from the bowl, and failed to contain the burst of warmth that spread through him. Maybe she'd been right after all. Maybe "don't come over" was a code, one he hadn't even realized he'd been giving her. One she'd read as effortlessly as she'd read his reaction to the cherry juice on his skin. Had she always been that good at reading him? Were Sophie's lessons finally starting to take hold, or was Parker just getting better at recognizing emotion in others now that she had accepted it in herself?

Or did it have more to do with him than her? Was he starting to let down his guard more than he'd realized?

"Ask me another question," Eliot said quietly.

Parker beamed at him. "Another wellness question?"

"No. Anything."

"What else goes into the chutney?"

Eliot smiled, thinking back to the dish he'd tasted on his last trip to India. "I don't have a recipe, but I think I tasted onion, curry, lemon juice..."

"You always taste lemon juice."

"Yeah, well," he shrugged. "It's a very distinctive taste."

[firebirdsdaughter]

This is what I mean…

… The little synchronisations. The way they turn in sync and then glance at each other multiple times, both of them correcting Hardison’s spelling, every time they exchange a look, esp when one or both of them smirks about it.

[be-gay-do-heists]

another short ficlet for some hurt/comfort after the queen’s gambit job, with hardison trying to comfort eliot after he got drugged

Traveling back from Dubai in a private jet was a surprise luxury after a mess of a job. (Hardison suspected Sterling had something to do with their flight back in style, but every time he considered asking Nate about it, the mastermind had his ‘I am very deep in thought and do not wish to be disturbed’ face on, so he didn’t ask). With the exhaustion of the last forty-eight hours setting in, the extra space and privacy were appreciated by all members of the team. Sophie for one was taking advantage of the big cushy seats to fold her legs up and doze. Hardison looked at her, then at Nate (who was still brooding, how did he even have the energy?), and finally to Parker, who was probably decompressing the best out of all of them taking into account how frustrating this job had been for her. Her jump off the building after everything had likely helped; a little adrenaline was usually the key to getting Parker back to baseline. She had been content on the flight so far to sit and stare out the window, occasionally humming or bouncing her leg. Hardison smiled as he watched her.

Eliot, on the other hand, was going to drive him crazy if he didn’t relax soon.

The hacker had to cut him some slack. Being drugged would majorly unnerve anyone who relied on their control as much as Eliot did. He just hadn’t realized how much it would affect the other man. Not even fighting had gotten it out of his system. The hitter’s movements and speech had been slower, less clear than usual. His eyes would go unfocused briefly as he stared at whatever was in front of him, and once they got on the plane this was punctuated by his abruptly jumping up and walking the cabin end to end, as if doing a perimeter check. The fifth time he got up, Sophie caught Hardison’s eye from across the aisle and jerked her head subtly in his direction. The hacker mouthed some blustering in her direction (what did she think he could do about it??), but she just pretended to go back to sleep.

Hardison sighed. This was just putting them all on edge again, and he might as well try to see if there was anything he could do. He rose and followed Eliot back.

When Eliot turned at the end of the cabin to retrace his steps and saw Hardison there, he glowered at him. The effect was partially lessened by how the hitter’s hair was falling in his eyes, and he didn’t have the energy or awareness to brush it back. He looked, Hardison registered, bad off. He hated the dazed confusion that he saw cross Eliot’s face briefly. “Hey, you ok, man?” he asked, knowing both the answer and how Eliot would lie.

“I’m fine,” Eliot growled. Called it. “Get out of the way, I’ve gotta finish this sweep.”

Hardison blocked his path. “No, you don’t.” As Eliot he tried to get around him, he moved in front of him again. “Hey, listen to me. We’re in the air, have been for a couple hours, and nothing has changed since the last time you did a sweep. We’re all here, all safe, and we finished the job. No one’s coming after us. You have to trust me on this.” Remembering how the hitter had rushed to hug him earlier, he reached out and grabbed his arm to ground him. “We’re safe. You’re safe, you can relax.”

The second Hardison had touched him, Eliot went still. The hacker could feel the slight tremble running through him, but also how some of the tension was leaving his body. This better work, he thought, going in for the full hug. Eliot flinched and growled indignantly for a second before latching on to him with an iron grip and burying his face in his shoulder. Hardison patted his back. “It’s ok. You’re alright.”

Sensing he wasn’t going to be let go of anytime soon, Hardison shuffled them over to one of the seats. The awkward position was worth it to feel Eliot relax in his arms, becoming less tense with every deep breath he took. He restrained himself from startling when Parker appeared over his shoulder with a plastic water bottle. “He should have some water, it’ll flush the drugs out.” She waved the bottle at Eliot, who had opened one grumpy eye to look at her. “You’ll feel a lot better.”

Hardison took in the hitter’s hesitancy, and examined the bottle. “It’s unopened?” When she nodded, he patted Eliot on the back. “It’s just water, you can have it. Parker’s right, if you drink something you’ll feel better.”

Eliot growled something unintelligible, but took the bottle from the thief tentatively, and cracked it open to take a couple small sips. Parker beamed at him, flinging herself down to sit next to them, and the hacker squeezed a little tighter as positive reinforcement (judging from Eliot’s contented sigh, it worked). It was going to be a long flight back home, but as the quiet of the cabin settled around them again, Hardison didn’t mind spending it like this.

[suddenrundown]

Hey hey heartsong au but like

When the OT3 finally happens, when Eliot finally starts getting involved with Parker/Hardison, he spends like the first couple weeks so SURE that they're going to change their minds, that this isn't what they thought, what they wanted, and so the Nate Torture Du Jour (because he thought he was FREE of the Gutwrenching Eliot Country Ballads) is that one country song that's about wanting their lover to break things off quick and easy instead of drawing out slow (cuz the singer doesn't have the heart to break it off himself) like "if you're gonna break my heart, just break it"

I think it's called Have Mercy or something?

Had to look that one up and yeah, Mercy by Brett Young! Also I need you to know that if you just type "mercy lyrics" into google it comes up with a kanye west song and i was immediately like "oh that is NOT what she was referring to" lol. Eliot can do a lot of things song-wise but not that one....not that one. ANYWAY!

Oh Eliot....he would do that. Completely unfounded too, cuz like it's just his own insecurities and self hatred that makes him sing ♫If you made up your mind, then make it, make this fast, if you ever loved me, have mercy♫ at both Hardison and Parker one afternoon apropos of nothing as far as Nate can tell. Literally Eliot, all Hardison did was say your shirt brought out the blue in your eyes and that he liked it on you why the hell are you ♫HAVE MERCY♫ -ing them???

As much as Nate won't/can't/makes it a habit not to interfere with heartsongs, he does go up to Eliot later and in the most offhand way he can manage tell him "son, stop cutting yourself off at the knees" because while Eliot's been forlornly singing that one, Hardison and Parker have been singing I Really Like You at him all afternoon, which is, you know, cute for the first go round, maybe, but not so much after you've heard it 6 damn times in the span of 2 hours