#ot3: we change together

[alphacrone]

imagine your ot3

[lemissingmask]

[ID: sketch in blue hues of Hardison and Parker in the background and Eliot superimposed in the foreground with red lights behind him, showing Parker and Hardison from when Parker says “we change together” in the rundown job, and Eliot’s reaction to this. End ID]

Just love this episode and that “we change together scene” so much 😭😭😭

[asphyxiatedredherring]

Quick best ot3 episode of leverage

[caseys-breanna]

Ok I just finished rewatching The Rundown Job and so far I have -

The most ridiculously peacocking display of competence porn. What do you mean "'sup Eliot." What do you mean "who needs luck". Where is your damn shame? Where is hundred more episodes of just like this? 10/10 worth every watch.

'I've got a hacker *enter bf*, and a thief *enter gf*'

Only Parker noticing 'too many cops'. It's such a cool detail throughout the show how observant she is just offhandedly, unlike Eliot who observes actively.

Parker pretending to promptly fall asleep as soon as they're in the truck, only to have the handcuffs off in seconds.

"What do they say about me? I hope they gave me a cool nickname." I'll bet all the kudos on my most popular fic that he hacks into his own pentagon file regularly to make up his own nickname.

"Hell your girlfriend's already out of the cuffs" *Parker smiling and sliding them off* AND IT'S DIRECTED NOT TO HARDISON, HER EXPLICITLY STATED BOYFRIEND, BUT AT ELIOT, THEIR BOYFRIEND.

Putting Hardison in those glasses. Those damn glasses. I need a glass of water jfc it's hot in here

'For better or worse, we change together'. Aaaaaand that's on wedding vows.

"I'll drive." "Hold on." "Exactly." "No, I mean hold on. (Our gf is a former gateway car driver)". "Oh. Oh you mean. Yeah."

The hand on the wrist and eye contact and saying 'I'm not afraid. I got the best thief and the smartest guy I know chasing this guy'

HAND ON THE BACK OF THE NECK AND PULLING CLOSER 'HEY LISTEN TO ME YOU'RE THE SMARTEST GUY I'VE EVER KNOWN HARDISON I NEED THAT BRAIN TO GET ME TO HIM. GET ME TO HIM'. Screaming crying frothing at the mouth et cetera et cetera

Figuring out the job TOGETHER

This is Hardison. Hardison likes his personal space. These are Parker and Eliot. Parker and Eliot also like Hardison's personal space.

The eyes on each other's lips during unlocking doors and saying thank you

'Kiss for luck?' the sequel: love boogaloo

HACKING THE MF CAR HORN WITH AN SOS THROUGH A MOBILE PHONE

"BOOM MY BOY THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!" first of all that's his boy so jot that down

Also side note this episode shows the fascinating way Hardison uses his brain and I wish we saw more of it because it's fascinating how he derives what he does from the few bits of data he gathers

"He's on the train!" "Yeah well so am I." "When you pick him out of the crowd-" "No. I'm ON the train! 🙄 Never mind..."

Two good ole boys behind the wheel 🎶 chasing the target and their gf in a million dollar car 🎵 two good ole boys-

*Hanging by her fingertips from a running train roof almost mashed into pulp by signage" WOOOOOO HOOOOO

The way Parker picks him out, not by using thief sense, but mastermind sense that he's immune -> got vaccinated -> pain in the arm. Brilliant way to pick someone out from a crowd while not raising panic

Keeping him talking till she takes the briefcase that he HANDCUFFED to himself right under his nose. How? Well, she's Parker.

"I kept one diamond. Sorry." I love her

Finally "kiss for luck" the trilogy comes to an end

*casually endangers self* "Fire is the only thing that kills it right?"

"Don't do that to me, I can't lose you. Do you understand? I can't lose you. Don't scare me like that. I can't-"

Eliot Spencer: *Barks 'Alright!' at the guy touching him to literally patch up his bullet wound.* Also Eliot Spencer: *ditches crutches so he can lean on his girlfriend and boyfriend*

"I work with them now." Would you like to stay for dinner? "Honor among thieves? Something like that." WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY FOREVER??!!!

"I don't do hospital." "I told you, he takes getting shot very lightly." Uh huh, you know what I smell? LOVE. In the air! Might be some blood from those bullet wounds too ig.

What a show.

[princesssarcastia]

re-watching bits of leverage right now and it really, truly holds up.

I actually caught the bug, so to speak, after seeing a post where someone watched it for the first time *checks notes* expecting an explicit textual polyamorous triad on a major u.s. network TV show that started airing in 2008, and was supremely disappointed in what they got instead, which is a lot of glaring subtext. which. lol my dude, that's on you.

obviously all the news a couple years ago about timothy hutton and christian kane was deeply, deeply disappointing, and soured my love of the show a bit. but coming back to it is, as always, like wrapping myself up in a blanket fresh out of the dryer.

the team dynamics in the pilot are fascinating to watch—especially around sophie. nate's got his thing with her, obviously; Elliot marks her as dangerous by the end of their second meeting, which is a hell of a compliment to Sophie; and Parker, of all of them, flirts with her a little, which is so amazing to see. And of course Hardison is impressed, but she doesn't seem to ping his radar the way she pings everyone else's.

it also got me thinking about age; nate's definitely the oldest, with Sophie close behind, but I also feel like Elliot is, in the very beginning, meant to be a lot closer to them in age than he is to Hardison and Parker. I mean, by season 5, where Elliot is marked as a contemporary of a Colonel in the U.S. Army, it's clear he's a solid decade older than Parker, let alone Hardison, but we lose that sense in the middle game for a bit.

in connection with the ot3 it's kind of interesting, because of the wider spread of experience among the three of them. it puts a little more of a barrier between elliot and what he wants, for those people who are so inclined to think about how they all got together. not that the age gap is ~problematic~, just that it might make elliot, out of all of them, hesitate more.

[formosusiniquis]

I don't trust myself to write Leverage fic, I just don't think I could capture the nuance of everyone. But I think if I did it'd be a road trip fic.

It's sometime in the mid-s2 era. Everyone's kinda gone to ground after either Nate's whole going to prison thing or after Sophie has had to fake her death. Either way Hardison, Parker, and Eliot have lost that stabilizing mentor energy they had previously. Not that the three aren't perfectly capable on their own, but it's a rapid, dramatic, and emotional shift in the dynamic you're used to and you've got to part ways with the people you care the most about in the world.

So after some time passes -- enough that everyone can do what they need to do to be sure that they're safe but not enough time to feel settled to leave the safe house and go home -- someone (Alec, probably with his slightly more average childhood, but maybe Eliot who didn't gave the best childhood but we see these moments of average stability throughout the series) suggests a road trip.

So they gather together: Hardison and Parker and Eliot to reclaim the stability that they've lost. While Nate mourns Sophie, or she rages at Nate. And Hardison and Eliot take Parker to the places she asked about in the Three Days of Hunter job. The places where there are real conspiracies, the places that are really just tourist traps, the places that they decide along the way that they want to break in and see.

And along the way they find the things they needed to so they can go back. The trust, the camaraderie, the joy. Things they hadn't ever really lost with eachother but can be hard to separate from the inside this codependent knot of reclaimed family. And maybe it's a ship fic, maybe it's not, maybe when you fit together the way they do it doesn't matter. Either way by the end they're ready to go home and get back to work.

But mostly it's about Parker getting to see Area 52.

[themackenziemachine]

Parker would never tell either of them but she likes it better when Eliot helps with her hair than Hardison. Don't get me wrong, she'll happily flop down in front of either of them nursing a cup of way too sugary coffee and melt into them while they brush/style her hair but Eliot is so aware of his movements and any signs of discomfort that it's (eight times out of ten) a much more pleasant experience for her

[1980ssunflower]

god how are my husbands the most amazing men in the world

[penstealingghost]

Wild that the ot3 isn’t canon despite it being so canon

[hanafubukki]

The song "Seasons" from Rival and Cadmium came into my playlist some day ago. I like a lot the melody so I listen it for time to time. But it's just now I truly put some attention to the lyrics.

Now this is Lilia theme song for this OT3 ship in my brain. Totally the song that would be play during a timeskip where we see him wait for years, decades and centuries until Y/N return. Seeing seasons pass, Malleus grew up and Draconia family happy, Lilia waiting alone, a few silenced flashback with their time together and all the adventure they lived, Silver awakening, his grow, the NRC start...

And the song ending, the day Y/N return from the past, when Lilia found her, and when she offers him a big bight smile. Even he can't hide his teary eyes under his relieved smile. And then a big hug ! 🥹

- 🦋 Anon

(Fanfic References: Part 1, Part 2 )

[Ask References: Ask 1, Ask 2, Ask 3, Ask 4, Ask 5, Ask 6, Ask7, Ask 8, Ask 9]

Hello 🦋 Anonie,

🦋 Anonie, I am shaking you. I haven't heard this song before and I am so, so in love??? It fits so well that I am internally screaming and crying.

Here's a little drabble/scenario I thought up of 🦋 Anonie:

I can just imagine him waiting as time passes and seasons changes. Thinking back on all the fond memories he has of YN. Thinking of all the precious memories he has made with his family. The spars he would have with Dawny (I need to figure out a name for him lolol, or we could keep calling him that too). He remembers blessing Silver and the time his son came to rescue him from the evil Meleanor.

Then years later, Silver wakes up and time continues to pass. Malleus, Silver, and Sebek is growing and becoming fine young men. He thinks about how you would have loved to see them. How you would have adored seeing Malleus teach the boys magic and helped them with their penmanship.

He thinks about how Dawny would have loved to see Silver turn into such a fine young man. How Silver would have made him a bracelet too. Lilia hopes that he raised Silver into someone you both would be proud of because he especially is.

Soon after, the NRC letters arrive and he remembers what you told him. How you attended NRC and he goes with the boys with the hope in his heart that he would be reunited with you again.

Time continues to pass like all seasons do, and Lilia watches his boys make friends and enjoy life at NRC. He meets you but it's a version of you that doesn't recognize him, Malleus, or Silver.

He remembers what you had told him in the past and knows that this you will soon be his YN in time. That the inquisitive looks you give him will soon be those of the fond and loving ones he remembers.

(I am still thinking about this scenario still and how it would go so it might change later on, since we want to keep canon events in the story if we go the "YN came back in time when she was her original age when she was transported to the past")

He sees you and remembers when he first met you, so so long ago. The connections you made with him and the Knight of Dawn. He remembers the family dinners with the Draconia Family. He remembers when Silver was first born. How painful and yet how sweet these memories are, how loving.

He protects you secretly.

Then one day, you go missing and he can't help but hope. He waits and waits with a racing heart.

And then he sees you, at the cottage you and yours had called home. YN smiles, understanding now what all his looks meant, the love he has secretly tried to hide but always shone through despite his efforts.

Lilia felt tears form and fall, feels the smile he can't hold back anymore. YN rushes to him,

He catches her in a hug, twirls her around and kisses her. Oh love, how he has missed you so.

Both of your laughter echoes in the gentle wind.

Welcome Back, Precious One.

[olderthannetfic]

Idk if this is a trope, or a genre-thing, or a real life thing, but I've been seeing more and more of my internet acquaintance circle say that a character being friends with an ex is a big turn-off to them in media they consume. It's really weird to me because I don't even know it's apparently such a big deal in media to be mentioned, but also, what's bad about staying friends with an ex to begin with? If we split amicably I'd rather stay in good contact, than completely cut someone off. Especially if that person was a good friend to begin with. I don't think I've seen that much media revolving around this at all tbh, and it's weird how they started mentioning it recently. Ok Christmas is the time of love and friendship, but stills feels kinda random. Is it like a side effect of current dating culture, or is that an old thing? I notice it more with internet acquaintances than my IRL friends as well. I don't think the idea of writing about two people staying friends after a break-up turns into a cheap porn plot of them just fucking behind any new girl/boyfriends. If that happens, then that is a cheap porn plot. I just wanna know what the fuck they're media they're looking at.

--

Well... to be honest, a lot of people aren't friends before they date someone and do treat romantic prospects and friends differently.

I think a lot of media also does this. Not only does your standard bad tv writing use the ex for drama in most cases, but the writing of the actual friendship part is often unconvincing.

I know a lot of people, usually guys, who met some girl on a dating app or asked her out in a bar because she was pretty who pull the "We should stay friends" thing, and it's laughable. They weren't friends, and the way that woman socializes outside of her boyfriend isn't compatible with how he socializes.

It's much less weird if it's somebody from your friend circle whom you knew for a long time first.

For me personally, in the context of fiction, the biggest problem is that a sufficiently interesting friendship will make me ship those characters and not the current ship that the media is pushing. Or, on rare occasions, I won't even ship them, but I just want to hear about their friendship and not the romance.

IRL, there are lots of reasons people just don't work out, but in fiction, I'm constantly going "Okay, but they could get back together though!" Unlike with real people, there's no reason some subtle shade of their personality couldn't be a little different or they couldn't change their mind about lifestyle things in a way that would make the couple great together this time around.

It would probably annoy me less in extremely realistic dramas about daily life, but I dislike those. Most things I actually consume just either make me think "Why are we wasting time on the current ship?" or "OT3! OT3!"

Part of making good fiction is paring away the less essential stuff to let the main points shine. A too-good friendship does steal airtime from a romance in a lot of cases.

--

OTOH, I do know a bunch of neurotic people who just hate it when any ex is within a thousand miles because they've got cheating on the brain.

[fonulyn]

fon's 2023 in fic

so in order to distract myself from yet another fic flopping miserably i'm gonna do the compilation of all the flops from the entire year! :'D

a big big thank you to those of you who said nice words about my stuff, who left comments on the fics, and who helped me finish surprisingly many works this year. i am truly grateful for every single lovely comment i got! 💖 that is what kept me going, what made things feel worthwhile, and what helped me through many a dark moment.

i do still have works in progress but at the same time this sort of feels like a goodbye. idk. we'll see. but I can't keep pouring from an empty chalice and the fandom clearly does not want to help me fill it so we're at an impasse :'D it feels increasingly much that exiting stage left is the right move, as much as i don't want to and as much as it hurts to let go. but I digress.

on a more positive note, I can, hand to heart, say that I am extremely pleased with pretty much everything i wrote this year :D it's got to count for something, right!

ANYHOO I posted 217k words this year, and it includes:

21 Piers/Leon

5 Krauser/Leon

3 main Piers/Leon and heavily featured past Krauser/Leon

2 OT3

1 Chris/Leon

1 Tyrants/Leon

1 Jake/Piers

1 Marcus/Dom (Gears of War)

fic links and short summaries under the cut.

Piers/Leon

good to be prepared | E | 9k | Leon gets stuck in a snow storm when his car breaks down, and a handsome stranger saves him from the roadside. It ends up in a fun night together but that's only the very beginning for them.

'cause you know the love we have is always gonna be | T | 6.7k | Finally they get to say "I do" to each other.

bad exes and a better future | T | 2.9k | Leon's very jealous ex does not know when to quit, and refuses to believe Leon wants nothing to do with him. So, logically, Leon kisses Piers to prove a point. Thankfully Piers is all in.

i crave therefore i am | E | 7k | Piers has been half in love with Leon for what feels like forever, but there's nothing he can do about it when Leon is in a long term relationship. ...Except he's not.

as long as you'll have me | T | 5.2k | Leon gets infected on a mission, then has to suffer through treatment for an infection. Thankfully Piers is there to help, in more ways than one.

you're a dream | E | 23k | Piers Nivans is eleven years old when he starts dreaming of death and monsters. It takes him well over a decade to find his soulmate, and even then, it's not all easy.

that heaven in your eyes | E | 2.7k | They finally get the honeymoon they deserve.

light in the darkest place | M | 3.6k (WIP) | Leon and Piers grew up together, and when at twenty-one they both got a job at the RPD they thought it was a giant stroke of luck. They had no idea their first day was going to be one hell of a long day.

a shadow of devotion | M | 6.9k | There's a new superhero in town, and Piers ends up being more closely acquainted with him than he ever expected. He's not complaining, tho.

before i even knew your name | M | 6.6k | Leon gets an accidental text sent into the wrong number and it ends up changing his life for the better. Soon he's flirting via texts with this stranger, and before he even notices he's grown feelings.

a dinner to remember | E | 4.4k | Leon wears a nice dress to welcome Piers home.

too much is all that I can feel | T | 4.2k | Leon gets hurt, again, and while he’s concussed and loopy from bloodloss he tries his best to flirt with Piers.

memories beneath the dust of years | T | 1.2k | Piers relives the worst time of his life in a dream, and Leon is there to support him through it.

in the end it's you and I | T | 3.5k | The sound of metal crushing was the worst. It screeched in Leon’s ears even when the car had stopped completely, finally meeting a big enough tree trunk down the hill. He's alone, injured, and unable to leave his car. Might this be the end?

time to finally breathe again | T | 3.4k | Leon tries to bury his feelings but then gets buried underground. Thankfully Piers is there to help. On both counts.

those nights | M | 5k | Leon and his difficult relationship with sleep throughout the years.

life is a chance to try | T | 5.2k |  Piers and Leon have been parents for mere months, and it’s become obvious their daughter isn’t entirely an ordinary human.

everything I've kept inside me | T | 5.5k | The one with severe injuries, some reminiscing, and finally sort of a retirement. Oh, and a blowjob pillow.

at the shore of the unknown | M | 26k | The world ends, but Piers and Leon find each other.

a merry little christmas (make the yuletide gay) | T | 5.7k | Piers and Leon and their first holidays as a married couple in their own home, of course with a visit from those closest to them.

right from the start | E | 19k | Leon gets some unexpected backup on his rogue mission in the Eastern Slav Republic. And it doesn't end there. (Much to his delight.)

Krauser/Leon

question all my doubts | E | 10k | Leon gets back home from Spain only to find none other than Jack fucking Krauser bleeding onto his living room floor. And no matter how many times Leon tries to walk away from Krauser he always ends up back to him.

(it might've been love but) it's over now | T | 1.4k | Krauser is dead and had no next of kin, so Leon goes through his scarce apartment to sort through the meager belongings left behind, while also sorting through his own mess of emotions.

(no one ever died from) wanting too much | M | 1.4k | Krauser gets injured but he can only focus on the dirty thoughts he has about Leon, while Leon tends to those injuries.

my tragedy and my desire | M | 2k |  Leon struggles through the mission to rescue the president's daughter, constantly feeling like he’s being stalked. He has no idea how right he is about that. And how bad things will end for him.

my religion my certain death my salvation my sacrilege | E | 2k | Krauser keeps Leon as his sex-slave. (sequel to my tragedy and my desire)

Piers/Leon with heavily featured Krauser or Krauser/Leon

all the tears and the fears and the lies and the cries of the past | E | 16k | Krauser kidnaps Leon on Wesker’s orders to use as bait. Piers heads out to save him, together with Chris and Jill. Things get really messy.

tear me open (and make me whole again) | M | 7.6k | Piers disappears, and soon after Leon starts receiving videos from an unknown email address. It's bad enough that Krauser is back, but watching him torture Piers to get back at Leon might just be the worst thing Leon has ever been through in his life.

haunt you like it's part of you | E | 3.7k | Krauser brands Leon as his own, ruining him for all others. For a while it seems he's won, but eventually Leon gets the happy ending he deserves.

OT3 (Chris/Leon/Piers)

never without you | T | 1.6k | Leon is tired, so tired, but Piers and Chris will not let him give up.

wish you were here | T | 2k | (pre-OT3) Chris is pathetically pining after Leon, doesn't even let himself examine his feelings for Piers, and then on top of it all he gets kidnapped.

Chris/Leon

whatever comes our way | T | 1.1k | Leon almost drowns and Chris panics.

Tyrants/Leon

buried so deep within | E | 3.6k | Leon finds out there's two tyrants. The tyrants find out that Leon can be used for all sorts of fun things.

Jake/Piers

pull me closer to life | T | 3.8k | Jake and Sherry save Piers when he thinks he’s left behind to die at the underwater facility. Then somehow, Jake never leaves.

Marcus/Dom (largely featured past Maria/Dom)

no battle like that of life | E | 3.7k | After losing damn near everything, Dom learns to live again. Marcus helps.

[asphyxiatedredherring]

[bihansthot]

I don’t usually post WIPs but I figured since this one might be long and might take a while to finish, I would. How are we feeling about it thus far? Feedback is appreciated. :) Also a title would also be really helpful. This will be a solo Syzoth x f!reader but there is an established OT3 with Bi-Han too because they’re all together and all happy because I said so, but Bi-Han won’t have a big role in his story. The main focus will be a desperate, animalistic, very much in need Reptile satiating his primal needs with the readers help. Again I don’t know if I’ll have this done by the game’s release, but I’m trying to, my partner is out of town for the next two days, so I have plenty of time to write, but I also have to look after Denny, so I’m trying to balance writing and park time. So, anyway I hope you loves enjoy the sneak peak of what I’m up to.

You yawn and roll around the bed groggily, you’re disoriented and groggy and more pressingly, cold. At some point during the night, your electric blanket had decided to turn itself off and you curse the automatic timer to yourself before burrowing deeper under the covers. Something feels off though, not right, and you roll over towards his side of the bed and realize he’s not there, “Sy?” You call out, unwilling to come out of your mountain of blankets as you search around the bed fruitlessly, “Bi-Han?” No answer from either, not that you expected the Grandmaster to actually still be in the vicinity of the bedroom, he had most likely been awake for quite some time overseeing mission paperwork and morning workouts. You shiver as you force yourself out of bed, very reluctantly, and throw on your heavy fur-laden robes as you make your way to the bathroom. You put your hair back before splashing some water on your face and scrubbing the cleanser onto your face, you take a moment to savor the hot water on your skin. You almost reluctantly pat your face dry with a nice fluffy towel as you set upon the rest of your morning routine, you yawn loudly as you make your face up, of course, both Bi-Han and Syzoth insisted your were beautiful as is, but you wore makeup for yourself, not for your lovers. Besides you didn’t like how sleepy and sickly you always looked without eyeliner on so you set to your task and draw a thin line of coal over your eyelids and make your final touch-ups. You change into your fur-lined day clothes and head out of the Grandmaster’s chambers.

You wander around the compound for a bit trying to keep an eye out for either of your lovers, but having little luck tracking down either. Slowly you make your way to the kitchen, breakfast was long over but if you were lucky you’d still be able to sneak a bowl of congee from the girls in the kitchen. Luck was in your favor as you enter the wonderfully warm kitchen and greet the girls, “Zhilan, good morning!” You call brightly as your morning fatigue seems to lessen upon seeing your favorite of the serving girls.

“Good morning my lady!” she replies happily, bowing lowly as a sign of respect for you, “I set aside a bowl of congee and some soft boiled eggs for you.”

“You’re a live saver Zhilan!” You smile happily as you take the bowl of piping hot congee from her before helping yourself to a nice hot cup of coffee. You take a seat on one of the wooden stools in the spacious kitchen as you begin to enjoy your breakfast, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the congee but it was hearty and warming and in the harsh climate of Arctika, nothing seemed to hit the spot quite like it. You take your time finishing your breakfast, but nearly gulp down the coffee, desperate for the satisfying buzz of caffeine. “Say, Zhilan, have you seen Bi-Han or Syzoth this morning? I can’t seem to find either.”

“The Grandmaster was overseeing the youth practice this morning, but I haven’t see Master Syozth, my lady, I’m sorry I can’t be of more help to you,” she looks down worried as Zhilan replies to your query.

“Ah ok, thanks so much, I’ll go pester Bi-Han then,” you slid the dishes into the sink before thanking the girls again and heading back out into the harsh cold. You make your way to the training grounds following the grunts and dejected cries from the young initiates, “Polar Bear, there you are!” You smile happily as you make your way across the training field and find the Grandmaster there sternly barking out corrections.

“Qīn, you’re finally awake I see,” he smiles playfully as he motions for Kuai Liang to take over directing the young warriors. He glares intensely at his students as he hears snickering and snide comments from a few of the more troublesome students, “you and you! See me after class. I have buckets with your names on them.”

You wince slightly at his tone and the harsh punishment of making the boys stand out in the cold for who knows how long holding heavy water-laden buckets with their arms extended. “Polar Bear, it’s my fault, I shouldn’t have interrupted class, maybe go easy on them for once?”

“There’s no mercy in the Lin Kuei qīn, you should know that by now.” Bi-Han sneers before steering you off to the side, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothings wrong, I don’t think at least, I just can’t find Sy and was wondering if you had seen him,” you answer truthfully.

“I saw him early this morning, something seemed,” the cryomancer pauses for a moment as if searching for a phrase that wouldn’t alarm you, “off. His eyes seemed unfocused and his breathing was hard, I sent him to the physician. I’m not sure a human physician will be able to tend to a Zaterran though.” Bi-Han answers as he cups your worried face and his cold fingers caress your cheek trying to assuage your worries.

“Is, is he going to be ok?” You ask worriedly, torn between staying with Bi-Han a moment longer and running to the medical bay.

“I think it’s just a fever qīn, I’m sure he’ll be fine once it breaks, Syzoth is a strong, powerful warrior, something like a little fever won’t keep him down for long.” Bi-Han reassures as he pats your head, his tall frame dwarfing yours.

“I’m going to go check on him, maybe the healers will have some more information,” you reply before reaching up on your tip toes to give Bi-Han a peck on his cheek.

“I’ll see you for dinner qīn, I have to work through lunch, there’s so many contracts to go through,” Bi-Han sighs as he bids you farewell and heads back to barking orders at the trainees.

You wave goodbye to your lover and his brother before making your way across the sprawling compound to the healers.

[late-to-the-party-81]

The Strongest Shape

AN: Wow - I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since I wrote something for my OT3! But here we are, with an update as to how they are doing now they are officially a throuple. It's also the first instalment without smut!

Beta’d by @lfnr-blog-blog-blog

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Moodboard by me

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Part Eight | Part Ten

Relationship: Artist!Steve Rogers x Reader (Cali) x Engineer!Bucky Barnes

WC: 2k

CW: Fluff, suggestive language, implied smut

The car lurched to the side and you threw out your arms to steady yourself, one against the passenger side door and the other against the warm, firm body next to you.

“Can’t keep your hands off me, can you darlin’?” Bucky’s teasing drawl sounded in your ear and he grabbed hold of you, pulling you as close to him as the seatbelts would allow. You giggled back.

“You wish, Barnes.” You snuggled in close, enjoying being cuddled up against him. “Steve, can you drive more carefully?”

“Sorry, Cali. Cabby pulled out without warning.”

You scrubbed at your face with your free hand, inching up under the piece of black cloth that had been tied over your eyes.

“And when can I take this blindfold off?”

“When we get to our destination. Ain’t that right, Buck?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Bucky nuzzled his nose into your neck. “Might never take it off, to be honest. The sensory deprivation could be… stimulating.”

You smacked your hand against him playfully.

“You’re incorrigible.” He nipped at your ear and you squeaked in surprise.

“You love it, and don’t pretend you don’t.”

Steve chuckled from the driver’s seat as he continued to drive you towards your mystery destination. You knew you were still in the city; Steve’s muttered cursing, the constant tapping of the brakes, and the fact you hadn’t seemed to have got 20 miles an hour gave it away.

It had been three months now since the three of you had changed the nature of your relationship, bringing Bucky into it as more than just Steve’s friend, and it wasn’t to say that you and Steve were unhappy before, far from it. But now? Now there was an extra dimension, someone else to share the load, more love to give and more love to receive. If one of you needed to be alone, you didn’t have to worry about the other. If one of you was feeling spicy, the chances of both the others not being in the mood was low. And well, if all three of you were in the mood…Steve and Bucky had ended up shelling out for a reinforced, California King for Steve’s apartment after his previous bed broke during one of your more ‘intense’ sessions. Luckily none of you had been hurt and the memories of that night had kept you all giggling for weeks after.

Before this, there was no way you could have ever considered not feeling jealousy seeing your partner being affectionate and intimate with someone else, but watching your boys together was something beautiful. Sometimes you weren’t sure which was better - watching or participating. You’d mentioned as much to the pair of them and they both said they felt the same way,

The only fly in the ointment was your living situation. Not only did you all have to get used to living with an extra person, even Steve’s apartment, which was the biggest, couldn’t sustain you all for more than a couple of days without you all tripping over each other and tensions getting frayed. But when either you or Bucky went back to your own apartment for space, it just felt wrong.

The car lurched to a halt and you were glad for Bucky’s arm around you, bracing you.

“Bucky, next time we go on a mystery drive, could you do us all a favour and you do the driving?”  The brunet chuckled as Steve gasped dramatically.

“You wound me, Cali. How could you be so cruel? I’m a very good driver.”

You heard Steve open his door, climb out and push it shut. Bucky’s hand slid down between you, releasing your seatbelt, and then your door was opened, Steve helping you to step out, as you were still blindfolded.

“I hope no-one sees us and thinks you are kidnapping me.” Your left hand was held in Steve’s large, warm grip, and Bucky was standing behind and slightly to the side of you, his hand resting between your shoulder blades. 

“Come on, darlin’. Let’s get on with the surprise. Careful now, there are some steps.”

Your boyfriends carefully guided you up, the steps wide and smooth. You were glad you had eschewed heels for this excursion; it made it a lot easier to negotiate your way into whichever building your boys were taking you into. 

Steve let go of you briefly to open the door; you heard the click of a lock and the creak of hinges and then Bucky ushered you forward. Your curiosity was piqued as you heard your three sets of footsteps echoing inside the space.

“Where the heck are we, guys?”  Neither of them answered, but Steve’s nimble fingers came up to the back of your head, loosening the knot on the silk scarf they’d used for your blindfold.

“You ready for the surprise, sweetheart?”

“Yes! Stop torturing me - It had better be worth it, Stevie.”

The fabric fell away and you blinked for a moment, adjusting to the bright light. Then you gasped. You were standing in the empty front room of a brownstone. Smooth wooden floors and decorative sconces grabbed your attention.

Steve’s arms enclosed you from behind, his beard tickling your ear.

“What do you think, Cali?”

“Is this what I think it is, Stevie?”

You felt him nod against the side of your head.

“Mmm-hmm. Buck and I have been scouring realtors, looking for just the right place. An enormous master bedroom, big enough for an Alaska king bed, another room with north facing windows, perfect as an art studio, and three others- so both you and Buck can have your own work spaces, plus a spare for guests, or if one of us is annoyed with the others.” He chuckled at the last bit and you playfully thumped him on the arm.

“Show me…”

Your boys lead you on a tour around the property they’d found, Steve hanging by your side, fingers entwined with yours while Bucky ran back and forth between you and the various features he wanted to point out. 

You tried to keep your mind on the house and what they were eagerly showing you, but you couldn’t help but marvel at the two men that you called yours, and how different they were. Despite being a Saturday, Steve was immaculately turned out, his dirty blonde hair slicked to the side, his beard neatly trimmed within an inch of its life. He wore black slacks, a maroon crew neck sweater and his long, black wool coat over the top; head to toe, the distinguished gentleman. Except when you got him home.

Bucky, on the other hand, was, well, Bucky. Jeans with rips across the knee, black boots on his feet, a black tee-shirt, which looked far too small, and his lemon leather jacket. His deliciously ‘too-long’ hair kept flopping over his brow, and the way he kept brushing it back just returned your attention to his clever fingers. Fingers that were now pulling you out of Steve’s arms so he could drag you up the stairs to your potential new bedroom.

The master suite took up the entirety of the top floor. There was a large walk-in closet too, that even had its own window, and you couldn’t help some of the thoughts that rushed through your head; alternative uses for the closet in the future. Also, Steve hadn’t been lying when he said there was space for an Alaskan king. Other thoughts filled your mind then, of all the things that could happen in such a bed. You couldn’t believe they’d managed to find a place like this.

Looking over the rest of the house, Bucky and you bickered good naturedly about which room you would each have for your own private space. The pair of you both had the same preference, but you knew that Bucky would inevitably concede, although probably not before you had to bribe him with a blowjob. 

You were also excited by the size of the kitchen, mainly because it had the space to fit in a massive refrigerator, big enough to house the mountains of food that your boyfriends went through.The whole house was currently empty of furniture, but you couldn’t help but envisage Steve’s couch here and Bucky’s bookcase there, interspersed with occasional tables from your own apartment. Then Steve’s art on the walls, turning the place from a house into a home. A home for the three of you.

“It’s perfect! But I don’t know if we can afford it?” It was Bucky’s turn to embrace you now.

“You think we’d show you this, if we weren’t certain of that? That would be cruel, darlin’. So don’t you worry, Steve and I can more than afford it on our own.”

“I’m paying my share, Barnes. I’m not being a kept woman.”

He nipped at your earlobe and a dart of heat went to your core, your brain no longer picturing furniture fitting into the space, but supplying you with images of all the places the boys could take you, and each other, apart in.

“Doll, you know you’re an equal partner in this. So the house would be equally in your name too. Remember, if it wasn’t for you I don’t think Stevie and I would have really admitted to each other how we felt. So now, not only do I have him, I also have you, and you have both of us. A triangle is one of the strongest shapes.”

Steve moved from where he was looking out of the window to where you and Bucky were standing, wrapping his arms around the pair of you, dropping a kiss on Bucky’s cheek and one on the top of your head.

“Are we really doing this, then?” Your voice was uncharacteristically quiet. This decision felt momentous. It was one thing to become a ‘throuple’, but this, pooling your resources, moving in with each other permanently felt like something else.

Scary, but also right.

“Only if you want to, sweetheart.” Steve spoke into your hair. “You’re the linchpin here, Cali. Everything is down to you.”

You rolled your eyes, glad he couldn’t see.

“Way to pile on the pressure, Steve.”

“Well, for the record, Buck and I are all in. We’d love nothing more than to be living all together, permanently. All cuddled up in bed every night…”

“Except when you’re away.”

“Yes, smartass, except when I’m away and you and Buck can starfish to your heart’s content. And I won’t be worrying about you, or Buck, cos you’ll have each other.”

“Yeah, and we can make ‘home movies’ to send to Stevie…” Bucky couldn’t help but lower the tone, making you smile. You turned to look at him, his misty blue eyes full of mischief.

“How soon after you saw this place did you start getting ideas?”

“Darlin’, as soon as I saw the floor plan on the website. My first visit I found the correct joist for the sex swing.” He winked dramatically and you couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Love you, Buck, even if you’re a big child.”

“Just addicted to making you smile, Cali. Now, whaddya say? We all gonna take the next step? Together?”

“Yeah, I think we are.”

Bucky let out a loud whoop. “Stevie - call the realtor, I’m taking our Cali back upstairs to show her which joist the swing is going on.” He looked at you slyly and licked his lips. “‘N maybe we start to find out how soundproof the floors and ceilings are…”

Steve rolled his eyes, but pulled out his phone as he watched Bucky chase you up the stairs.

“Don’t get too far without me!  Hello, yes, this is Steve Rogers. We’ll take it…”

Tag list: @christywantspizza @jobean12-blog @bucky-bucky-bucky-bucky @tuiccim @yarnforbrains @sidepartskinnyjeans @maladaptivexxdaydreaming @krissy25 @bodeckersdiamonddoll @goldylions @ohsymphony @luxeavenger @wheezy-stucky @doasyoudesireandlive @seitmai @marvelstarker-mha98 @talia-rumlow @pono-pura-vida @poppunksnowwhite

[powerpolyculeshowdown]

Here's some leverage ot3 propaganda straight from the episode transcripts:

Parker: What did you do?

Eliot: Don't ask me that, Parker. (looks at her apologetically) Because if you ask me, I'm gonna tell you. So please don't ask me.

(Parker nods)

-The Big Bang Job

Eliot: It was a good thing it was us. The two of us, we do things they can't. Won't.

Parker: Does that make us bad?

Eliot: It makes us... us.

-The Long Way Down Job

Parker: You have to make it through this... Because... Because you're my friend, and I need you. Do you hear me, Alec? I need you! (Alec is Hardisons first name)

-The Grave Danger Job

(Eliot and Hardison embrace)

Eliot: Never do that again, man. Don't do that again.

Hardison: Cool. I won't.

-The Grave Danger Job

Hardison: I-I never would have made it through that without you. You know that, right, Parker?

Parker: Oh, that's not true. Anyone can learn to hold their breath.

(Hardison leans in and gives her a lingering kiss to the cheek)

Hardison: Thanks for not hanging up the phone.

-The Grave Danger Job

Eliot: Hey, listen to me. You’re smartest man I’ve ever known, Hardison.

Parker: We agreed we all change. Better or worse, we change together. -The Run Down Job

(Hardison cries out in pain. Eliot spits blood)

Hardison: Did Eliot make it?

Eliot (scrambles for his hand): Here I am. Age of the geek, brother.

(they both shake with pain and can barely speak. Parker cries and takes Eliot’s hand)

-The Long Goodbye Job

Sophie: Promise me, (looks at others) you'll keep them safe.

Eliot: Till my dying day.

Nate: You know, Eliot, I'd say call if you need anything, but you never... never need anything.

Eliot: Yeah, I did. (looks at Parker and Hardison) And thanks to you, I don't have to search anymore.

-The Long Goodbye Job

Hardison (about Eliot): You see that cowboy? Man, for the last 12 years I've seen him risk his life to save hundreds of innocent people who will never know his name, all that he still gets up, you know what he says? 'I still got more to do.'

-The Too Many Rembrandts Job

they mean everything to me <3

i dont have enough hours in the day to consume all the media everyone keeps convincing me to help