#alec hardison imagine

[apocalypse-shuffle]

ALEC HARDISON (leverage)

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“Break” (Alec Hardison x Fem!Reader)

| You visit Alec to let off some stress and to get out of your own head.

| NSFW, 18+, minors dni, cockwarming, oral (male receiving), spacing out, sub space?

| Since Leverage: Redemption season two just came out and I watched Black Adam yesterday I’m gonna finally post this. Or not! It’s been, like, almost a full year since I wrote this.

| 1k+ words

Beg. NOTES: Listen, I don’t know how much of an audience reader insert fics with Hardison have (very little from what I’ve seen), and I don’t want to intrude by posting this, but hey! Without risks you’re not truly living, right? ALSO, I love Alec and Parker together and I love the OT3, okay? Don’t come for me.

You close your laptop only a little harshly, finally done with your work for the day. Now you could read or do something else to decompress and rest your eyes from the strain of your computer screen, but something is pushing you towards your boyfriend in specific.

You know he’s doing a virtual campaign right now so you haven’t seen him in a few hours, but he’s never rejected your presence as long as you weren’t disruptive, so? You shrug and walk off towards his room. No harm in testing it out. You feel the tiniest bit depraved of your Alec and you wanted to give your mind a break anyways.

He turns to you languidly, no startling and no obvious irritation on his face. You nod to yourself and softly click the door closed.

“Hey,” his voice is soft and he gives his usual bright utterly smitten smile that makes you want to die (in a good way). “Class go well?”

You smile just as sappily back at him and revel in the way it makes him soften even more.

“It was alright,” you incline your head as he chuckles. “I could use some of your company though. You know, if it’s not too much to ask?”

His eyes widen briefly before he starts hurriedly moving things around.

“Yea- yeah, girl. Come right ahead, you know I always got time for you,” he takes a second to unmute to declare he’s present since he was apparently on hold because of complications on somebody’s end. He beckons you over right afterwards. “You have something to do?”

You shrug, dropping down on all fours.

“I have four hours to waste, which means I have four hours to relax. If you wanna fuck around some?”

“Oh,” he breathes. He knows exactly how you like to fuck around when you’re stressed.

Alec looks at you wide eyed for the entire time it takes you to cross the room to his desk. Snapping out of it only when you’re kneeling in front of him and running your hands up his thighs.

He makes a choked noise, hand snapping up to cover his mike and pull it away from his mouth even with it being off.

“Jesus, baby, are you sure?”

His voice is rushed but he’s looking at you with obvious interest. You smile up at him before leaning in and ghosting the tip of your nose over where you know his cock is hiding in his basketball shorts.

You make eye contact, “Please?”

Alec’s leg jumps.

That, the soft needy question you pose, is all he needs because in a second he’s reaching his hand back for one of his pillows and dropping it down for you to kneel on. You do so with a small chuckle and a “thank you.”

He’s trembling and giving you the most eager looks in between participating, voice mainly only keeping steady because you’re not trying to distract him. You just want him in your mouth, no mischief needed. Though he is fidgety partially because he knows if the inclination struck you you could easily embarrass the hell out of him.

You laugh and move to pull his pants down his thighs with his assistance. Once he’s free to your satisfaction you brush the lightest kiss to his happy trail. He sighs, meeting your gaze intermittently as he plays through his turn. In response you trail featherlight kisses down to his dick, which is steadily hardening for your consideration, kiss at his base and then travel down to lick over his balls.

His voice stutters harshly over his next sentence and you smile before pulling away. He gives you this panicked desperate look, making as if he’s about to start complaining you, but you wave him off.

“Easy baby,” you mouth right before making him gasp by kissing his tip and then wrapping your lips around his head.

You keep your pace easygoing as Alec stutters and stops over his words; as he trembles against you, dick twitching while you slowly engulf him.

You wring your first moan out of him when you’ve gotten him all the way down your throat, mind steadily blanking on anything other than the weight of him on your tongue and the slight twinge in your jaw, when the back of your throat swallows over his head.

His head drops down and his hand clumsily snaps out to mute his microphone.

“S-shit girl, oh my god. It’s like you’re trying to kill me -goddamn.” he groans at the hum you give him.

You barely fucking hear him, have no clue when he moaned that he nearly did it for everyone to hear. You're just losing yourself in the sensations. The way he pulses in your mouth, the occasional twitch as he struggles not to fuck into your throat, how your jaw feels, the stretch of your lips, and then the drool running clear like polished glass down your chin and dripping onto Alec’s balls.

You sigh and go limp against him when his hand moves to your head. He burrows his fingers into your thick curls to get a firm grip but doesn’t do anything else. You swallow around his cock again in thanks, only in tune with the way it makes him shift against you. In the strangled noise he makes. The fact he’s on call isn’t even a factor any more; just his pleasure and how he feels in your mouth.

Your eyes flutter shut happily as he scratches blunt nails against your scalp.

“God baby,” he gasps and you whine just the tiniest bit, pussy twinging between your legs. Your hands don’t move from their position in your lap though.

Alec’s got you. The thought echoes in your mind nicely as you hand over control. You don’t have to worry about anything else but him.

- - -

Alec curses above your head, completely unregistered by you, and then rushes to get himself excused. You’re making him feel so fucking good and for that you deserve all his attention -and boy does he want to give it. Plus, you dropped so fast that he’s a bit worried about you; it typically took way more coaxing from him to get you out of your head.

He’s extra careful with his movements as he logs off and shuts down his setup. His eyes draw fully to you once he’s done and don’t leave. You were too pretty like this, face relaxed like it only ever was in sleep with your lips stretched to accommodate his girth.

He brushes his free hand over your face when he shifts too much for your liking and you let out an utterly disparaging whine.

“Shh, baby, it’s alright. You’re doing so good for me, you know that? I got you I promise,” he grinds forward the smallest bit, moaning when you squeeze down. “So damn good.”

NOTES: Hi, hope you enjoyed! I don’t know shit about dnd so I kept this as vague as possible, and I didn’t use gaming because I know even less about that shit.

I’ll catch any typos later!

I just got back on my Leverage bullshit and so now I feel I must finally blow the thick layer of built up dust off of this draft and post it. Keep in mind though that I have since turned this fic into another - heavily edited - Peter Parker fic with a similar premise because of how scared I was to post a “Hardison x Reader” story, let alone a smutty one. (I know, self plagiarism; the horrors! The whole idea of “self plagiarism” is nonsense anyway, but I digress.)

btw: if you’d like to leave a comment I’d very much appreciate it! this is a sideblog tho so I won’t respond.

[make-me-imagine]

Ways he says and shows he loves you (Alec Hardison)

Headcanons: Ways he says and shows that he loves you.

Pairing: Alec Hardison x Gn!Reader

Requested by: Anonymous

Warnings: Brief mentions of physical affection (hugs/kisses)

-

Alec isn't really shy when it comes to expressing love to his partner.

His giving love languages are words of affirmation, and acts or service

So he will always tell you how he feels. Reminding you how important you are to him, and how much he loves you.

"You're the most important person in my life. "I love you more than anything"

"More than orange soda?" "If I had to choose between you and Orange soda, I'd choose you"

"More than Star Trek?" "Well now don't push i- OW!"

He is very supportive, and the best hype-man a boyfriend could be lol

"You're doing great babe!" "That was awesome!" "That was hot" "You're amazing you know that?" etc.

When his words fail him or he isn't sure exactly what you need to hear, he does things for you.

He will bring you coffee, tea, water, food or snacks.

He'll run you a nice bath after a long day, or bring you a blanket or pillow to cuddle with on the couch (unless you want to cuddle him, in that case he is ready and willing)

If you are so busy and overwhelmed, he will help you with the tasks he can, to take some of the stress away.

He is alway a shouder to cry on, or an ear when you need to rant about something stressing you out.

He shows you he loves you by giving you the attention you need and deserve.

And making sure you know what is making you upset, whether its big or small is valid.

"It's stupid I know" "If it's hurting you it's not stupid"

If you need help with a solution he will talk you through it. If you just need someone to listen, he will give you all the attention you need.

Besides words, he is a fan of physical affection.

So he will show you how he feels with hugs, kisses and more.

Hugs from behind when you are trying to do something. Kisses on your cheek temple and shoulder.

He will sway you back and forth as he holds you tightly in his arms.

Hand holding in public, or an arm across your shoulders.

It's his way of showing you he is always there. And he just loves being close to you.

xx

Sorry its so short

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @imaginesfire, @onuen, @rexit-mo, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

Leverage Taglist: @groovy-lady, @aaannabbanana, @peoniarose, @fablesrose, @spuffyfan394, @malindacath, @winnifredburkleismyhero, @that-marvel-simp, @gatefleet, @bthtallmadge2 (<i'm not sure if you wanted to be added to only Eliot's taglist or Leverage in general)

[lindseymcdonaldseyelashes]

In a world where the Leverage OT3 were canon, we could have Eliot Spencer expertly cracking a safe and saying, "What? I dated a thief" and hacking into a high-security system and going, "What? I dated a hacker."

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

"Besides, I sleep better upside down."

Leverage S03E01 The Jailhouse Job.

[thesaintofnevergettingitright]

I find myself funny and I’m making it everyone else’s problem.

[finhere]

I would do unspeakable things to see Eliot Spencer on an episode of cutthroat kitchen

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

...i'm sorry but. are you saying that. ART. provided. leverage??

i have another crew it might be interested in. it and bot both, actually.

[harmonity-vibes]

Imagine

This?! It's your team, and you're saving poor innocent souls from injustice.

[buckybarnesb-tch]

A-Z NSFW Alphabet

Eliot Spencer

A = Aftercare (What they're like after sex)

•Eliot is always sure to make sure you're alright, he doesn't want to have caused you any pain and if he has he's sure to take care of it

•He will usually just pull you into his arms and hold you while he falls asleep, loving to be able to touch you

B = Body part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner's)

•His favorite body part of his is his hair.  He's quite particular about it and he loves it when you pull on it in bed

•His favorite body part of yours is your breasts. Eliot Spencer is a tit man and he always has been, he loves it whenever you wear a low cut shirt and show yourself off for him, and he even enjoys other men seeing how perfect you are, as long as they don't touch

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically... I'm a disgusting person)

•He loves to paint you with his cum. He's not one to risk pregnancy in any way but he would almost rather cum on you than in you, he loves seeing your chest covered in his cum, your face too and your hair on the rare occasion you allow it

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

•He loves you babying him. You figured out a long time ago he enjoys coming home from a job injured because you worry over him the entire time he's home, getting him ice packs, making sure he's taken pain meds, cooking him his favorite dinner and insisting he lay still and you take care of him whenever he wants you. He's never really been taken care of in that way and he loves it from you

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they're doing?)

•Eliot is very experienced in sex. He's practically a man slut until you come into the picture however he takes his relationship with you very seriously and he would never dream of cheating on you.

•In love he's less experienced, he's only ever had one girlfriend that he truly loved and that didn't end well for him but he loves you very much and though it scares him sometimes, he never wants to lose you

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying)

•He prefers you riding him, he loves watching your tits bounce above him and thrusting up into you with your hands scratching down his chest

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

•He's usually quite fun with you in bed, unless he's in a mood or has just come home from a job. He loves teasing you every chance he gets

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

•His hair on his head is always well groomed and taken care of, down below however is another story. He's always clean and sometimes trimmed but usually it's just his natural hair

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect...)

•You were shocked to find out Eliot is a big romantic, he takes you to wonderful restaurants when he's not cooking for you himself, though he knows you prefer it and he always sends you flowers whenever he's stuck on a job and can't get home to you, even sending you flowers for no real reason, making your friends quite jealous how thoughtful your man is

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

•Eliot had never been one to masterbate often, there was never a time he couldn't find a women if he wanted one, and now that he has you this hasn't changed, why Jack off when he had your sweet little pussy all to himself?

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

•Role Playing-Eliot has a huge role playing kink. Any kind of role playing, when you do the kind of job he does, when you're that good at pretending to be someone else it really makes the experience all the better whether he's playing a business man or a mafia boss

•Knife play- If there's one thing Eliot Spencer is good with it's a knife, especially considering his aversion to guns, he absolutely loves hearing your breath hitch when he drags the blade over your flesh, occasionally nicking it just enough to produce a bead of blood

•Food Play- He's an amazing chef, obviously there's going to be some sexy time in the kitchen, and one thing that really turns him on is watching you enjoy the meal that he has made. You often find yourself bent over the kitchen island in Leverage Inc. while Eliot cooks and insists you taste his food, your moan being just too much for him at that moment

L = Location (Favorite places to do the deed)

•He prefers the bedroom or somewhere in his home or office where no one will see you, Eliot is extremely possessive of you and would Never risk someone seeing you in any state of undress, that is for his eyes only

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

•When he has you taste his food and you make any kind of sound, moaning, groaning, whining, anything like that and he is instantly rock hard

•Watching you beat up a bad guy. Eliot was the fighter and he never wanted you to have to fight but watching you when you do anyway leaves him with the need to fuck you into next week

N = NO (Something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

•Piss kink- no...just no

•Pain- Eliot never wants you to be in any kind of pain, unless it's how sore you are from the night before

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

•He is fantastic at eating you out, however he is very demanding when it comes to blowjobs, he wants them everyday, multiple times a day, he wants you to swallow his cock for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

•Definitely rough, though on nights like an anniversary or when you're having a particularly bad day your boyfriend can be a very gentle and thorough lover

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

•Always, everyday, at work constantly, in his office, in the kitchen when the team is out, in Lucille just to piss of Hardison, All. The. Time.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

•He's down to try just about anything you want to do except anything in public. He refuses to risk anyone else seeing you in that state except him

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last...)

•Eliot can go for quite some time, however every now and then you truly surprise him with how horny you can be, being ready for another round when he thought you were going to pass out. Always a pleasant surprise.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

•He doesn't own toys, however he is perfectly happy to use yours if you want or get something new that you want to try. He loves giving you new experiences and secretly he always wants to keep things fresh and fun for you because deep down he's terrified of losing you

U = Unfair (How much they like to tease)

•He's not very big into teasing you unless you've riled him up beyond belief. If you were having a team meeting that involved, as it had several times, your hand down his pants while Hardison explained something long and boring or Sophie and Nate went on a tangent then you can trust he's going to edge you for hours to come

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

•You always encourage him to make noises, you love how he growls at you and the few times he does moan and groan, it's such a deep sound that you end up dripping

W = Wild Card (Get a random Headcanon for the character of your choice)

•He hid his job from you for a very long time because he was terrified you wouldn't want anything to do with him when you found out who he was, but now that you know you help out the team quite a bit when they need you

•The first time you 2 had sex he was trying to be so gentle and respectful that you actually attempted to dump him, telling him you weren't sexually compatible until he realized his mistake and Proved. You. Wrong.

X = X-Ray (Let's see what's going on in those pants, picture or words)

•6 1/2 inches

•THICK

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

•Quite high

•He is ready to go 24/7, sometimes it honestly surprises you because he'll come home with horrible wounds, broken ribs, internal bleeding, concussions and a fucked up face and while you're tending to his wounds he ends up hard and demanding your attention

Z = ZZZ (... how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

•Eliot doesn't sleep much, only about 90 minutes a day before he met you, you however force him to sleep a bit more, now he gets about 5 hours on average which you still don't like but it's an improvement

•He makes sure that even when he leaves bed early, you still wake up next to him almost always

[geekynightowl1997]

I just imagined Eliot as a dragon rider and I can't unsee it.

Now I want a Medieval Fantasy AU where they are all dragon riders. Hardison has trouble with his dragon and all the other riders (Besides Eliot and Parker) make fun of him for it.

So, Eliot and Parker help him- and Hardison becomes the best rider of them all. And then they band together to take down bad guys.

...also I haven't really slept in 24+ hours so this may sound totally stupid.

[my-beloved-lakes]

Headcanon: in like a bunch of years, when Parker, Hardison and Eliot are all sooper old and senile, they get sent to a nursing home. Cuz let's be honest, senile Eliot, Hardison and Parker would be too much for poor Breanna to handle on her own. After a little while of being in the nursing home, they realize that the people running it are actually scamming the residents and the families of the residents out of tones of money, so they decided to run one last job and take down the evil nursing home people.

When Breanna finds out what happened she's angry because "damnit, now I have to move you guys to another nursing home, again." But she's secretly proud of them.

(They got kicked out of the last nursing home because they were causing too many issues and stealing too many cups of Jello.)

[apocalypse-shuffle]

Five times he finds himself falling for you w/ ALEC•H

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SFW, 16+, mild profanity, canon typical sexual themes, 5+1 Things -chubby!reader & alt!reader/goth!reader

This follows an (altered) aftermath of the mission in S3E7: “The Gone Fishin’ Job”.

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#TWO

After the run in with the militia you insist on coming over to see him, and he likes the fact that you stayed too much to deny you your request.

You fussed over him until he got you to stop freaking and then you two talked for hours. You’d even brought him get well soon cookies and that was the shit (and very kind of you he was very flattered).

You’d asked to stay over again to binge watch series like you used to in college until he felt better (he was only playing up his injuries a little bit, okay?) and so as the sky got darker you’d gone to change.

Alec had just about been holding his breath for you to walk back out in the same two piece set as last time.

What you’d come out in instead was way more intricate than the last time. The cami and shorts had really worked for you, don’t get him twisted, but this somehow managed to upstage it.

It was a black slip dress for Christ's sake. One that suited your figure nicely at that. The back of it just barely went over your behind and everything - not that he let his clocking of those observations get disrespectful of course.

Once the time came, you’d changed the bandages Eliot dressed him with and redressed the cuts scattered all over his person. After that Alec would admit to being almost too caught up by your heat pressed against him to keep up with your excited barrage of chatter about the newest issues of Hellblazer: City of Demons and Hellboy Sacrifice.

Almost.

They weren’t the comics he frequented but it was nice to know you still liked the same stuff, and nice to see how animated you got while helping him out as he engaged in the topic of discussion with you.

That familiarity was good. It was safe and uncharted all at once and Alec couldn’t help but to be drawn in by that feeling.

That sense that - finally - something new was brewing on the horizon that didn’t include loft explosions and Alec running for his damn life because he refused to not fight for the little guy anymore.

That was the old him.

He watches, smiling and with a nearly shocked brow raised, as you draw literary parallels like they’re second nature (as easy to you as writing code) and realizes that this was a new you too.

A new you he hopes to get more opportunities to relearn.

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NOTES: Hope you enjoyed!!!

I didn’t specify what comics the Reader-Insert was talking about to un-generalize her too much; it’s just supposed to point out her and Alex’s juxtaposing similarities and show that she’s a lil alternative. Think PenPen before the BAU kind of - but black, obviously.

btw: there is basically nothing here but you can write a lil comment if you want to.

[violetdaphne]

i love the scene in episode 10 of season 2 of leverage redemption when breanna says she wants the evil professor dude like bagged and gagged, and eliot and parker are just immediately like "okay bet lets fucking go nab this guy". like no questions asked, breanna asked for it, so they're going to do it. sophie has to step in to stop it and it just has me thinking like damn. breanna really has some of the most powerful and influential criminals in her pocket and wrapped around her finger. the very power she holds, the sway she has. can you imagine just other criminals in the leverage world just knowing this. like, just understanding that you lay so much as a finger on breanna casey, slight her in any way, then they're going to have the wrath of the og leverage team of leverage international against them, the full rage of eliot spencer, alec hardison, and the parker plotting vengeance. like just ugh i love this family and i love how breanna is their (eliot hardison parker) kid, the same way they were nate and sophie's. it's just a beautiful full circle that honestly has to be some of the best media ever written.

[faorism]

thinking about @bisexual-enby-jellyfish talking about the lack of time travel fic in the fandom, and got me thinking that since canon is satisfying, instead of fix its, we gotta have break its.

BITTERSWEET CANON COMPLIANT PONDERINGS AHEAD

canon lev:red era and pardison is out on a mission for alecs non-leverage side hustle, and they are going to a specific town which they remember distantly eliot talking about it, from years back, how that was a moment of decision for him early in his military career. it was there—eliot admitted when he was feeling especially vulnerable, with a smile that was supposed to be funny but really wasnt—it was there that put him on the path that lost his soul. that comment has a lot more weight now, after eliot saying he has lonely he has been for years (which still haunts parker), and how apparently he told sophie he cannot be redeemed (which is now haunting hardison), and because of all the hitting eliots body is starting to betray him (which scares them both). maybe before they left, they had a tense argument. eliot wanted to go with them, but pardison was like?? you legit told us this is #trauma for you, no. and eliots shrug of a response to what it would put him through sat ill with them.

the memories of eliots unhappiness gives pardison the willies but they try to move on, but something feels... off? anyway MAGIC the resonances of eliot's soul-ache draw the two in to a long abandoned military coup base and they get sent back to around 20/21ish eliot (with alec around 35, the age difference between them but reverse in of s1).

they dont meet right the second they land, but its close: eliot finds pardison in the active base, and he rescues them because he thinks hardison and parker are his retrieval targets. (parker... was under the impression eliot wasn't able to get in time to save the real target in his timeline?? hardison just grumbles uhh.... multiple universes are a headfck irl.)

eliot is on an extended mission, one of his first serious solo ones, one that is clearly testing him out for recruitment for special ops. so hardison and parker can't be whisked away and has to stick around eliot For Reasons with an assumed identity. pardison realizes that eliot's mission can be better resolved (aka little/no bloodshed) with a con, and they convince eliot to go along. they aren't there long per se, but there is a lot of thrills and suspense and tension and idk plot stuff, i hate plot stuff so imagine that's happening in the background.

throughout it all, hardison and parker treat eliot like they normally would... which is utterly familiar and intimate, which throws young eliot. and by throws i mean seduces accidentally. eliot gets all heart-eyed, which hardison and parker don't notice right away because they miss their home time, but also eliot just always kinda acts like that. eliot is falling so hard but he tries to be respectful because obviously pardison is together, but a man can dream...

hardison and parker have Talks about how important it is to not change the past, as much as their presence undoubtedly has changed something. but as much as hardison is genre aware, it's harder for him. the rawness of eliot's confession—that he doesn't think he can ever be redeemed—sits heavily on hardison. and he also is like... why are we here, why were brought back? maybe we are supposed to heal a hurt, right a wrong, maybe... parker just wants to go home.

but she is the one who breaks. eliot is shot at and hurt while protecting them, and the screams from parker and hardison are just... gut wrenching. and as hardison is patching eliot's shoulder up and parker is wiping down eliot's dirt and sweat-drenched face, eliot is like... something aint right with you two. hardison tries to deflect with a joke, but eliot is like, no. you... know me. you care about me. please—he interrupts, when hardison is about to deny harder—the truth. and hardison and parker look at each other. she nods so hardison tells him. some of it, but enough. he tells eliot that they know him from the future. they work together, but it's more than that. parker and hardison arent sure how they came back, but they know some of the why. maybe. they are gonna help eliot, and maybe they get back to their time. maybe not. but they aren't gonna abandon eliot here if they can help it.

eliot gets quiet and is like... do you... are we... and hardison furrows his brows. eliot decides to be brave, braver than he may have ever felt before (and thats saying something) and he asks, are we together? and parker is like, yeah he just told you, we are a team, have been for years, we're family and eliot is like no not... hardison and parker are like what?? and eliot just shakes his head and is like, when you say family, you mean...?

hardison pauses from his stitching to say, you two have a permanent kill switch for my computers in case i go evil mad scientist. and parker says only you and alec can look over my harnesses before i jump. i don't double check your work anymore. hardison says you... and what can he say that would make sense to this eliot? what would have the weight? you let us take care of you.

eliot's eyes go wide, hardison's observation landing just right, and here is where parker meets her limit. dont enlist, she says

and eliot, stunned, tries to make a joke to cut the tension choking him: he looks over his gear and is like, little late for that, darlin'.

and parker is like, don't join black ops. go to aimee back as soon as you can.

parker breaks because... parker sees this eliot, this softer version of himself and parker loves eliot, her eliot, but also this one. she didnt know what eliot had lost but now she knows. she knows and she has the power to do something. she can't hoard eliot away when things can. be. better. for. him. she knows what make us us, but...... us is a lonely eliot. us is an eliot that feels damned. us is an eliot who deserves so much more, everything, anything. they can promise him robot bodies, but there's something else they can give him. a life beyond what he... what he had to make with them. a life with whatever eliot calls a soul.

hardison gasps parker but doesn't disagree with her, and if eliot had doubts they were from the future or had some special knowledge about him, this was proof enough.

and what'll happen if i dont?

parker hugs herself tight: you can have a good life, el. the one you want.

what do you know what i want? and god, he sounds so much like their eliot but also so much his twenty/twenty-one years.

it's what you've told us, hardison says.

and what about what we got? parker and hardison don't say anything. i don't think its enough? i ever say that? exactly that?

parker and hardison want to say yes, but they can't. they also cant quite say no. both hurt. the lack of clarity burns.

as parker and hardison try to find the words to convince him, eliot just sighs. in your time, did i even tell you i love y'all two?

and parker... okay, look there's a lot going on and she is very very sad and she is always very very shocked. so she responds, you don't love us.

eliot gets that... that fucking martyr smile of his: the way you treat me? respect me? and... you two are gorgeous. funny. smart. there's no way i aint in love.

and parker is like. you can't know that.

eliot is like, i can because im halfway there myself. more than halfway, if im honest.

and parker and hardison are... floored. no, you can't love us, hardison repeats. he is sure of this. he has to be.

eliot: future me or now?

hardison: either. both. eliot, you can't love us. eliot can't. that... that doesn't make sense. no. god, what have they been doing for fifteen years if... no. god no. if eliot loved them, he would have said something. they would be together. no. this eliot is so green and young and unbroken and... this eliot doesn't know their eliot. he's wrong. he... has to be.

eliot frowns. so i trust you with everything i am but i aint in love, you aren't enough, and... and you want me to take a different path. away from y'all

hardison: it sounds awful when you say it like that.

eliot: it doesn't sound like a good situation, from where im sitting

parker: we just want you happy, eliot. even if it means we cant have you.

eliot sobers. nods. i won't promise you i will. but... i will consider it.

and that's what parker and hardison want but they are just… spooked. but so is eliot. he withdraws and says he has it from here. hardison and parker try to insist they need to help, but eliot gives them a stare down until they take the out.

after that... things are heavy. but the con is rolling along fine, and above all else, they are professionals. as the con is wrapping up, parker is planning out the last details about the gloat and she's like, we won't be there but you should... and they are like oh. yes. that.... that's gonna happen. that will be when they leave.

the con goes well until inevitably they hit a snag, so when they are gonna break up for separate parts of the con, the departure is on a much more sudden time frame than they expected. they three look at each other because they know they won't see each other again, not like this. maybe not ever again.

as parker and hardison try to find the words to leave eliot behind, eliot just sighs. i told you i would consider leaving the army but you gotta answer me and don't lie.

parker: anything

eliot: is there a time you are alive now because i was there? not... not any hitter. specifically me.

oh. tear well up in parker's eyes. not fair.

because parker thinks about a sunken cavern of ice. that one shouldn't even count, any other hitter would probably have just told her to leave the body from the beginning. parker does not care. eliot saved her in more ways than just convincing her to climb out of the cave in the end.

and hardison thinks of that second day, technically the first twenty-four hours.... thinks of eliot pulling hardison up before the warehouse blows up. maybe the choreography of the day would have meant hardison didn't fall, or maybe he did live but was injured, or maybe a million things. eliot steadied hardison, was his friend, his confidante, the one who held him first when hardison came up from the ground.

so the answer yes then?

parker: it's not that simple

eliot: why can't it be?

parker makes an unhappy sound. the time is running out. they need to get to position. now. but...

hardison holds eliot by the neck, as eliot once did him, and says. you once told me all i had to do was to show you the way and you would save the world for us. we want to show you the way to save your soul, whatever it takes, whatever happens to us, because... that's what love can look like, too. we just want what's best for you, whatever that looks like. just think about it. okay?

eliot looks like he wants to resist, but hardison squeezes desperately, trembling.

okay. i'll think about it.

hardison draws eliot close, into a hug. thank you.

eliot clutches him back. goddammit, he whispers, no explanation.

parker is there when hardison pulls back an inch. eliot hugs her too, and says into her ear, make sure he doesnt get into too much trouble without me, alright?

parker does not say anything at first. says, goodbye, eliot, with their cheeks squeezed together, that's how hard she's hugging him.

bye, park.

and so.

they part.

they finish the con, and parker and hardison are so incredibly anxious about what the repercussions are gonna be (they are willing to take them, for eliot) and also are already like, mourning eliots place in their lives because they love him

they finish out the con and they feel the tug and they get back to the present. its done. they did it.

parker and hardison are shaking and things seem similar enough, that means eliot had to have chosen them.... no, no, they can't get their hopes up.

......they had to have found a way without him. they had to, because that's what eliot would have wanted from them in exchange for his soul.

but just as they get their bearings, there's a sound just a little away. they stiffen; parker gets ready to fight. but it's...

oh.

eliot holds them close and he's like, god, it's been weeks i've been checking every day

you can't be here, hardison says

you promised you would consider it, parker says, distressed

and eliot... doesnt respond with confusion, i... knew it had to be around now if it really was you but i was never sure it was real before

parker, face tucked squarely into eliot's neck: you remember us?

i didn't or... i didn't include you in my mission report. there was no proof yall existed and then the next deployment, the very next one, they... they got me. held me for months. i was convinced yall were a fantasy to give me hope. over the years, i thought maybe, maybe it was... but no, it couldnt be. but since y'all vanished, it's been coming back. eliot's fingers dig into them where he's holding them. its been coming back, ive been remembering, and ive been here, waiting

hardison, tears flowing: we told you to go home. we warned you. you could have been okay.

eliot pulls back to meet hardison's eyes: when you left, i imagined my life if i went back. it... wouldve been nice. married to aimee, likely, but that would've never lasted. not forever. too the same, all passion and no patience. mightve gone to work for my dad. itd be comfortable. a decent life.

parker: it would have been good. safe. you would have been happy.

eliot shakes his head: i chose the army first, before you showed up. it was always gonna be what i did. i was stubborn, then, and i didnt understand the scope but i was following it to its ends.

hardison: so it was all for nothing.

eliot: no, fuck. no. you showed me a way to keep my soul, but whatever happened to it, a way i couldnt take, but i at least knew, somewhere deep inside... eliot stops, tries to untangle them.

hardison: what did you know?

eliot: i'm here that's what matters

parker: please

eliot: even then, i knew at least... my soul might be lost but i would always know where my heart was

parker: oh. you love us

of course, darlin'. eliot swallows.

you never told us

you never told me

hardison: we didnt want you to leave

eliot: i never wanted to give you a reason to push me away

parker: we're so stupid.

hardison puts his forehead to eliots. like really really stupid. you said you liked us because we are smart, but we're so dumb, man

theres so much to resolve. so much doubt, so many feelings to untangle, too many misunderstandings to air... but for now, when eliot laughs and says at least youre still pretty, and hardison huffs offended before trying to tickle eliot saying oh did you say petty? i heard petty did you hear petty parker? and parker is like, oh i think i did and they overpower eliot with tickles and ninja attacks that lead to cuddles and kisses.

and the soul-pain will always linger for eliot, that won't ever go away. not quite. but in the warmth of their silliness on a spot that once hurt so bad, there... their laughter brings something that has been there longer than eliot knew to look: a heartsong of devotion, of care, of love... and that? that wont ever go away

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment during a flashback, but Hardison is wearing one of Eliot's bandanas!

Now the question is, does Eliot know? XD

[eldritcheden]

re your post about the potential of Parker being pregnant- it got me thinking and, oh my god, it could give so much more depth to Eliot’s excitement/joy at thinking about “cute little baby clothes” in redemption season two episode nine if he and/or Parker and/or Hardison have started looking into things like that (and it works regardless of it’s the ot3 or P/H and uncle Eliot)

Omg YES!!!!!!!! You're right!!!!! Hahaha also imagine them all going baby clothes shopping and bickering over the style of clothes to buy!!

Anddddd also now I'm imagining Eliot with a baby carrier pappoose thing, and he has little matching outfits with the baby!! And it's all cuddled up in the carrier on his back while he cooks the most gourmet baby food on the planet!!

Idk but the Eliot + baby combo brings me the absolute most joy. I mean it all brings me joy lbr.. Alec teaches the baby basic sign long before it can communicate verbally, meanwhile he's hacking the cia in the background, there are colourful flashcards and empty orange soda bottles scattered everywhere! Parker talks to the baby like it's a fully grown adult and the baby is also definately autistic too, cause it does run in family's and I'm gonna combust!! It's a little girl, she's perfect and clever and the best bits of all of them!!!!!! And Brea does her hair but refuses to change nappys, and Harry's been there done that and is actually very helpful and Sophie is the most doting grandmother figure you've ever seen and loves sneaking the baby into every con she possibly can!

Maybe, just maybe, one day, when the little one is all grown up and kicking ass and taking names and doing good in the world, Eliot can look at this person that he helped to raise and loves as his own and finally, finally recognise in them the immense good of his legacy and not just the old wrongs and he can can actually feal like he's earned redemption!!

It's a baby, it's new begginings, it's legacy, making the future better for and with them!!! What a great layer to add to add to a show exploring redemption!!!

Wow. Where am I? Who am I? I just got lost in a leverage fugue state. This started with think about cute baby clothes.....