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yoyomarules · 3 years

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Thinking a lot about this post and Eliot Spencer and the tough conversations, the arguments, about his limitations.

Eliot waking up in a room he takes too long to identify as one of their safe houses, head pounding. There’s a gauze dressing on his forehead, a bandage expertly wound around his right arm, his left in a sling. Hardison at his side, laptop open on his knees but with that slow pulsing dot of light on the back that means it’s in sleep mode. Parker in the window seat, knees pulled to her chest, the tension coming off her in waves even though she’s perfectly still.

‘You’re awake,’ Hardison says, closing the laptop. ‘How’re you feeling?’

‘Like I got kicked in the head a few times,’ Eliot grumbles. His throat is parched.

‘Yeah,’ Hardison says. ‘Getting kicked in the head’ll do that to you.’

He reaches for a glass of water, helps Eliot sit upright a little so he can sip at it.

‘Where we at with the job?’ Eliot asks.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ Hardison tells him. ‘You oughta rest.’

‘But did you get the patent?’ Eliot pushes.

‘Eliot, it’s fine.’

‘But we only have today to—we need to get back in there.’ He tries to sit up further but Hardison’s gentle hands guide him back down again.

‘You ain’t going anywhere; you look like you walked off the set of The Mummy; lie down.’

‘Fine, then you two need to—’

Hardison’s hands still rest on his shoulders, though he’s being careful not to apply any pressure. ‘It’s done, okay?’

‘You got it?’

Parker and Hardison glance at each other.

‘No,’ Hardison says, after a moment. ‘I mean the con’s done. I blew my cover when I came in after you.’

There’s a silence.

‘You came in after me,’ Eliot repeats.

‘Yeah.’

‘What the hell were you thinking?’ he demands.

‘I was thinking I’d save your life,’ Hardison replies, and his voice doesn’t rise but it’s cut through with frustration all the same. ‘You’re welcome, by the way.’

‘That guy Meyer hired as security’s a stone-cold murderer, Hardison!’ Eliot says, and his voice does rise. ‘He could’ve killed you!’

‘Yeah, and he would’ve killed you!’ Hardison snaps. ‘He’d’ve killed you ’cause he recognised you and “put down the Eliot Spencer” looks good on a hired gun’s résumé! And don’t tell me you had it handled,’ he continues, as Eliot opens his mouth to speak, ‘’cause you didn’t have shit handled. Why didn’t you say your shoulder’s still acting up, huh?’

‘Shoulder’s fine,’ Eliot says automatically.

‘That’s crap, man, and you know it.’

‘Okay, sure,’ Eliot says. ‘So I was a little slower than normal. That don’t mean you blow the whole con.’

‘I’d make the same choice again,’ Hardison says. He jerks his chin toward Parker. ‘We both would, every time. Wouldn’t even hesitate.’

‘Hardison,’ Eliot growls. ‘We made a promise to that family.’

Hardison shakes his head. ‘We didn’t promise you’d die for it.’

‘So that’s it?’ Eliot asks. ‘We make even more of a mess of their lives and then fuck off, is that how this goes?’

‘We got options,’ Hardison says. ‘We already spoke to Tara; we’ll let things settle down, try again in a few months with new faces—’

‘He’s gonna be on the lookout for a scam, and in the meantime he could—’

‘I don’t care.’

Eliot glances across at Parker. She’s still got her arms wrapped around her knees, but she’s turned her face toward them for the first time since he woke up, and her eyes are red, her words raw.

‘Parker, this is our job,’ Eliot says.

‘I don’t care!’ she repeats. ‘I don’t care how many people lose their money or their home or—or—’

‘You do,’ Eliot protests. ‘You do care.’

‘—I’ll steal it myself if it means we don’t have to lose you!’ And then she’s on her feet and shaking herself and heading toward the door. ‘I need a minute,’ she says.

Eliot watches her go, stunned, and then turns to Hardison. ’You gotta talk to her.’

‘No,’ Hardison says. ‘You gotta listen to her. You know she’s blaming herself for this? ’Cause she didn’t plan for your shoulder and she was so focused on cracking the safe she didn’t realise you were in trouble.’

‘Well, it ain’t Parker’s job to get me outta trouble.’

‘It’s her job to try to stop you getting into it in the first place,’ Hardison says. ‘And this was way too close.’

‘I’m telling you, I woulda been okay—’

‘You would not have been okay.’

‘You saying I don’t know my own limits?’

‘No, I think you know your limits just fine,’ Hardison says. ‘I just don’t know that you’re telling us your limits.’

Eliot stares at him for a long moment and then takes a sip of water. Then another.

Hardison watches him. ‘There something you wanna tell me right now?’

Eliot sighs and rubs a hand over his eyes, kind of hoping Hardison might forget he asked. But he’s sitting there expectantly, watching, watching, and Eliot squirms under his gentle scrutiny until he can’t help but admit, ‘It ain’t just the shoulder.’

‘What else?’ Hardison asks, voice carefully neutral.

‘It’s…lately I’ve been…’ He sighs again. ‘It’s like I still know how a fight should go, right? How I can beat ’em, easy. Long as I’m at a hundred percent.’

‘How often are you at a hundred percent?’ Hardison asks quietly.

Maybe it’s the head wound, but it feels like hours pass before Eliot confesses, ‘Less often, these days.’

The words hangs in the air between them. Hardison’s face shifts between devastated and scared and maybe just the smallest bit relieved, and he says, ‘Okay. So we gotta… we just gotta figure out around that, okay? More time between jobs, more cons where you’re just grifting—’

‘Hardison, c’mon; we can’t—’

‘And we have to know when to pull the plug. And look, you’re right—no one knows your body better than you do. So you have to tell us if something’s too much, ’cause I’m with Parker. We can’t lose you, man. We won’t.’

And it’s not like Eliot’s not aware of that fact, after seven years working together and two of those together-together, but he still swallows hard before answering. ‘If I agree to tell you when I need you to come in, are you gonna listen to me when I tell you to stay put?’

‘I mean, yeah,’ Hardison says. ‘Unless you’re obviously being stupid or some Estonian merc is actively at this moment attempting to bash your brains in. Or both.’

‘He was Latvian,’ Eliot mutters.

‘Okay, well, let’s say any Baltic state,’ Hardison suggests.

He rolls his eyes. ‘Fine.’

Hardison seems, if not satisfied, then at least willing to let the conversation drop for now. Eliot pulls at a loose thread on the bedspread. ‘I think I gotta apologise to Parker,’ he says.

‘Yeah, you should.’

‘And I guess I gotta thank you, huh?’

‘I know,’ Hardison says. ‘This must be awful for you.’

Eliot looks him in the eye and says it with a little more force than necessary. ‘Thank you.’

Hardison grins. ‘No problem.’ He leans over and kisses the bit of Eliot’s forehead that isn’t covered in dressings. ‘Get some rest, all right? We’ll be here when you wake up.’

‘Yeah,’ Eliot says, letting his eyes drift shut. ‘Yeah, I know you will.’

#eliot spencer #parker x hardison x eliot #leverage #you know when you have an idle thought and then 90 minutes later you've pretty much written a full-on fic #and it's absolutely none of the fics you were planning on writing #might expand on this because i also want the conversation after the too many rembrandts job fight #my fic #leverage fic

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moonlight-breeze-44 · 3 years

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Leverage Finale.

Thanks to my friend @echo-bleu, I just finished watching all five seasons of Leverage. The finale was exceptional, and the entire show is so extremely important to me. I’m going to do my best to articulate what I want to say, but it may come out jumbled. I apologise if it does - but this is too important and too meaningful for me not to comment on.

I started watching Leverage because Echo told me that it was the “original found family” and featured a borderline canon autistic character who was both badass and scripted extremely well. When I first started watching the show, I thought to myself: “What’s another favour for a friend? Maybe I’ll end up liking it, anyway.”

This may have been the biggest understatement of my life.

Leverage is so important to me. It’s genuinely one of the most meaningful, impactful shows that I have ever watched, and its message(s) shine clear as day.

Message #1: Family

The Leverage team is made up of Alec Hardison, an expert hacker with a huge heart and a desire to be surrounded by people he loves; Sophie Deveraux, an accomplished grifter with multiple identities who wants someone (or a group of someones) that takes the time to get to know the real her underneath all of the masks; Parker, an esteemed thief who wishes for a family that teaches her & helps her grow while loving her for who she is and respecting what she can do; Eliot Spencer, a badass hitter who craves to be recognised beyond the violence of his past and loved for who he really is and the heart he carries with him; and Nate Ford, an ex-upstanding citizen turned criminal mastermind who wants to see corporations like the one that let his son die be brought to justice, but knows he needs help to do it.

Together, they make up a ragtag team of criminals that love each other and have each other’s backs in every situation. Together, they form the Leverage team. They form a family.

Family is about love, about trust, about caring for each other and staying together even when things get rough. Family is Nate Ford, Sophie Deveraux, Parker, Alec Hardison, and Eliot Spencer from Leverage.

Leverage teaches its viewers that not all family has to be blood. Some families can be found. This show, these characters, this family? It’s exactly what family should be.

Message #2: Hope

Leverage doesn’t just appeal to every person’s desire to stick it to the high and mighty. While that’s a big part of it, Leverage is also about so much more than that. Leverage is about finding a home in the most unlikely of places, among the most unlikely of people. It’s downright inspiring.

Leverage is about hope.

Hope that it’s not too late. Hope that you aren’t too broken to be loved. Hope that you can have a home, a real home, the kind of home that you always dreamed of having. Hope that you can make a difference. Hope that you can achieve your dreams. Hope that you can love and be loved in return.

Everything about Leverage is executed perfectly, and the hope shines clear through it all. In the midst of nothing, a gang of criminals found their something. They found each other.

Nate tells Eliot in the season finale, “You know, I’d say to call if you need anything, but you - you never need anything.”

Eliot smiles at Nate and says, “Yeah, I did.” He looks back at Parker and Hardison, and the message is clear enough. “Thanks to you, I don’t have to search anymore.”

Sophie asks Eliot to promise her that he’ll protect them; keep them safe.

Eliot says, “Until my dying day.”

That kind of devotion, that kind of love, is something that everyone dreams of. Some of us have it. Some of us don’t. But regardless, it is everyone’s dream to belong. Everyone wants to belong in a different way, and everyone sees belonging differently, but everyone wants people who understand them and cherish them like the characters of Leverage understand and cherish each other.

With this finale, Leverage is telling everyone who has ever wished on a star or prayed to an angel that their hearts aren’t foolish or naive for daring to hope. Leverage is telling everyone who has ever wished to be loved and understood that they can be. They will be.

Leverage tells us that we’ll find our people, even if it takes us a long time, and when we do, it’ll all be worth it.

Message #3: The OT3

Over the course of the show, Parker, Hardison, and Eliot’s relationship continued to be something that spoke to me and made me feel more seen and validated than I had felt in years.

Going into this show, I heard from Echo and a few of my other friends that Leverage had an OT3 that was “as close to canon as possible”, but I’ll be honest with you - I didn’t believe them.

All my life, I’ve been queerbaited and kept on the edge of my seat by TV show after TV show, waiting for some big reveal that never happened because the show producers didn’t care as much about my views as they did about the views of their audience that might be offended by it. It’s not something that I’m even bothered by, anymore, aside from the principle of it; this is just the way the world works, and I’ve learned how to enjoy TV shows despite it.

Still, with that knowledge and experiences in mind, I didn’t go into Leverage believing that the OT3 would be this.

The Leverage OT3 is so much more than I could have hoped for; all three of them “died” holding hands, and they said words to and about each other that are the equivalent of marriage vows in the real world. The OT3 is, genuinely, as close to canon as possible for a USA 2012 television series, and that is beautiful.

I know I’m not the only person that has watched Leverage and felt this deep, emotional connection to the OT3. I know I’m not the only person that has watched Leverage and felt so validated, so represented, and to me, that’s worth everything. The OT3 was given time to develop, and the characters align perfectly with each other in ways that most of us never would have dreamed of a TV show doing. The Leverage OT3 consistently tells me and people like me that we’re loved, we’re valid, and they understand. We’re not alone.

The fact of that matter is, regardless of how much evidence there may be of that on the Internet these days, it can be easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world that’s like you when it comes to relationships if you never see relationships like yours or the ones that you want to have onscreen at any point. It’s easy to feel like you’re weird or strange or wrong somehow for how you feel without representation, and Leverage, I think, knows that.

Leverage casts light on and says I love you, it’s okay to anyone and everyone who’s ever experienced attraction to multiple people at the same time, who’s ever been in a poly relationship, who’s ever been in love with multiple people at once, who’s ever considered a relationship with multiple partners, and who’s ever realised that they are polyamorous. And that, my friends, is NOT representation that we get every day.

This kind of representation is so rare, but Leverage did it.

Leverage did so many things, and all in all, watching this show was one of the best decisions of my life. I finished watching with love in my heart and validation in my smile and beautiful characters sewn into my soul. I love this show.

There are so many more things I could say about why I love Leverage and why I think it’s one of the best shows to exist ever, but then this Tumblr post would be as long as a dictionary. For now, I’ll just settle with saying this:

Leverage is one of the most amazing TV shows I’ve ever had the honour of watching.

#long post #leverage #leverage finale #nate ford #sophie devereaux #parker #alec hardison #eliot spencer #ot3 #leverage ot3 #ot3: till my dying day #ot3: hitter hacker thief #ot3: we change together #the long goodbye job #s5 ep15 #my thoughts #my reviews #em rambles too much

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rebeccasteventaylor · 2 years

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So - The Harry Wilson is just full of ship, isn’t it?

Parker dressing in black and watching the news, echoing the black Eliot is wearing at the funeral

Hardison’s return and having to talk Eliot round (and Sophie knowing Hardison has to apologise to Eliot, not Parker)

‘We’re going to be with you forever’ cue Eliot’s rare fond smile

Measuring Eliot’s head while he’s asleep - whilst he is freaked out by robot bodies, he’s not all surprised at Hardison and Parker being around them he sleeps. In fact Eliot smiled more during this episode than he has in ages.

Hardison standing there waiting for Parker to jump through the window and he’s so proud of her. I love how proud he is of her skills, of her in general. And Parker pushed Hardison off a building again! Parker’s love language.

Eliot cooked again! We’ve hardly seen him cooking at all this season, but the minute Hardison is back he’s feeding him. And the last time we heard him talking about food wasn’t he telling Parker off for eating food he’d saved for a romantic dinner for her and Hardison.

Harry comes back, with Hardison, and gazes steadily at Sophie until he nods, while Hardison is talking.

Just - Sophie and Harry heart to heart

Harry can’t leave! I just learned to love him! Even if Sophie and Harry had that lovely moment together at the end. And a cheek kiss. And she called him Harry! And took off her wedding ring! He can’t leave now.

I enjoyed that. I hope there’ll be another season and that Harry will come back

#leverage redemption spoilers #leverage redemption #the Harry wilson job #yes I’m shipping again that is the whole purpose of my tumblr existence

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singledarkshade · 5 years

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Stealing The Thieves

Summary: Hardison and Parker get a small surprise when doing a little breaking and entering. Author’s Note: This is set in the same universe as Unexpected Family for the series I’m now calling ‘Not The Legends You Were Expecting’. I have never written for Leverage before so I apologise if the characters aren't done right. This is set around Season 3 of Leverage. Anyway, hope you enjoy. *********************************************

“Why are we doing this again?” Hardison demanded as he squeezed through the ventilation ducts of the building while getting covered in dust and spiders.

“The necklace being kept here,” Parker told him, “Is worth a fortune.”

Hardison frowned, “We’re here to steal a necklace?”

“Of course not, It’s being sold and the money going to an orphanage,” Parker pouted annoyed that he thought she’d do that since they were the good guys now, “I just want to see it.”

“And prove to yourself you could take it if you wanted,” Hardison nodded approvingly, “Then lead on.”

She beamed at him, that bright smile she gave whenever she was about to steal something and the one that Hardison would walk across glass just to see.

They started moving again

Reaching the security controls, Hardison watched the sweetest, sharpest, toughest, most delicate and brilliant woman he had ever known happily deactivate the security system.

“Ready?” she asked, with that gleam in her eye.

“Got my phone ready to take your picture for Elliot,” Hardison grinned.

Opening the grate Parker eased out of the ducts into the room, Hardison followed worried at her noise of annoyance. Looking around the room they’d entered Hardison saw no jewels.

“I’m impressed,” a voice came over the speakers, it was a man with an accent similar to Sophie’s, “I honestly didn’t think you would crack the security system.”

Sharing a worried look with Parker, Hardison stepped forward, “Who are you?”

All the answer he got was a bright light filling the room and then blackness.

Consciousness slowly invaded Hardison’s brain and he groggily tried to remember what happened. One thought hit him quickly.

“Parker?” he called pushing himself to sit up, realising he had been on sleeping on the floor of the strangely bland room, “Parker?”

A moan from behind him made Hardison spin and he sighed in relief to see her curled in the corner, forcing her eyes open.

“What happened?” she asked, looking around with the slightly wild look in her eyes Hardison had seen a few times before.

He shrugged, “Not sure.”

Staggering to his feet, Hardison checked his pockets frowning to find they were empty. Parker grimaced and started to check all the places she hid tools, finding them gone.

“My apologies,” the voice from before the flash of light said making them spin to find a thin man wearing black denims, a grey t-shirt, leather jacket and a long brown coat standing just inside the door. He had light brown hair and beard with sharp green eyes focussed on them, “I removed everything you could use as a weapon.”

Parker stepped forward challenging, “Are you sure?”

To Hardison’s surprise the man smiled very slightly, “I may have left ones in places deemed intimate.”

“Who are you?” Hardison demanded.

“I’m Captain Rip Hunter,” he introduced himself, “I’m from London,” he paused briefly before adding, “And the future.”

“The future?” Hardison asked with wide eyes.

Hunter nodded, “And I’m asking for your help to save it.”

Parker sat with a slightly bemused smile which was barely a fraction of how stunned Hardison felt at what Hunter had just told them.

“He’ll put us back where he found us,” he mused.

Parker gave him a side glance, “You want to go?”

“I mean,” he gestured around them, “This is a Time Ship, Parker. Okay, it’s no TARDIS but…” Hardison trailed off.

“Sophie is at the ‘funeral’,” Parker noted thoughtfully, “Nate went to see if she needs help in whatever job she’s pulling, and Elliot is meeting one of his old friends. They’re not due back until next week.”

“It gives us a little leeway for getting back,” Hardison grinned as they talked themselves into agreeing to help the man who had basically abducted them.

Parker smiled at the thought of the adventure they were agreeing to.

“I believe you may have an answer for me,” Hunter said as he appeared in the doorway.

Hardison took a note to work out how he did that before nodding, “We’re in.”

“Excellent,” the older man grinned, “Now we have a few more people to gather.”

“You mean kidnap,” Parker said innocently.

Hunter shrugged, “If you wish. Follow me and I’ll show you the bridge.”

As the man walked out Hardison bounced a little making Parker roll her eyes but he didn’t care.

He was going to travel through time.

#fic #legends of tomorrow #leverage #rip hunter #parker #hardison #AU Waverider crew

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overelegantstranger · 7 years

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prompt: Leverage OT3, ace!Parker explaining that she's ace to the boys

I really hope you like this and I apologise for my clumsy voices (this is my first Leverage fic, see)

She drums her feet against the sidewalk, heel-toe-heel-toe echoes of being told off for walking first flat-footed and then up on her toes; Nate and Sophie argue in her ear and she lets them, lets it wash over her in a comfortable fuzzy-edged wave. She closes her eyes and tips her head back against the wall. Footsteps, Hardison’s, it’s a very distinctive- she opens her eyes and works up a smile. He smiles back, wide and almost hears the baby girl before he even says it. He hands her a smoothie and it’s cold still, plastic wet with condensation. “Raspberry and white chocolate,” he says, and she hears his voice echo over comms.“Thanks,” she says, quickly and boxed in by pauses. She sucks the straw like she’s dragging on a cigarette except she doesn’t let it out like smoke because that would be a waste. It’s good. Sweet. Like him. She says so and he laughs. He doesn’t touch her arm but she wouldn’t mind if he did. She tips herself over a little, into his shoulder, and his hand against the small of her back once it gets there is warm, soft, solid. Hey, Eliot’s voice echoes over comms, cranky but just a little soft, you two get over here.She and Hardison make faces at each other and turn in sync, walking down the street at an invisible stroll. Gazes skitter over them without sticking and she presses herself closer to him, both hands around the smoothie still. It’s warming up a little and she drinks it faster, slurping. Stop that. She makes another face and slurps louder. Hardison says something in her defence she doesn’t catch, but Eliot’s You’re lucky you’re hot comes through loud and clear and she flinches, off guard.“Parker?”She shakes her head.

They pull off the con with only the usual number of disasters and stumble home to their hotel rooms at four in the morning; Nate and Sophie take one, with only a little teasing whistle from Hardison, and the three of them tumble into another a few doors down. They have separate ones but for weeks now they’ve been pouring into the same room, because it’s easier, gentler – and because, as Eliot is saying, who wants to sleep on the other side of the wall from whatever they’re doing, huh? She can still hear him on comms, even though he’s sitting folded up on the floor by the foot of what is technically Hardison’s bed.“Like hearing your parents, man.” “Not me,” she and Hardison speak at once and it makes her stiffen a little even as his voice calms her. It’s her room, by Sophie and Nate’s, and they’re quiet enough but she feels like she has to say something, to blend in a little. She shuffles her feet across the pile of the carpet, feeling its softness help her breathe. She carries on shuffling until her knees hit the bed and she folds herself down until she’s splayed out on it. Hardison tosses her a bottle of water from the minifridge and she catches it, twists the top off and necks most of it. “Cold,” she says in a bright voice when both the boys look at her sideways. Hardison sits down beside Eliot and tips his head back so it rests on the mattress. “She seem weird to you?” Eliot asks, and Hardison shrugs a little, though he looks a little worried.“Parker?” he asks, like he’s soothing a cat. “I’m ace,” she says, in a little rush. The word feels slippery on her tongue, new and plasticy, and Eliot grins.“Yeah, we know,” he starts, but then stops as if his brain caught up, “You don’t mean like flying ace, do you,” he carries on, soft and embarrassed.She nods, pauses, shakes her head. Hardison is quietly watching her, and he reaches his hand up to take hers. She squeezes until he mumbles something high pitched and aggrieved under his breath.“Sex,” she says, in the same bright voice she’d said cold, “It’s not-” she stops.“Not how you do things?” Eliot asks, and when she looks at him to nod he looks like he follows, like maybe he doesn’t need it explaining. Hardison squeezes her hand tight, uses her grip to pull himself up and kiss her forehead. Eliot stands up, goes to the phone and orders room service – wings, ice cream, beer – then puts the phone down and sits on the bed with her. “They,” Eliot says into the new silence.

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