#hardison: no! you ignored us!

[reinanova]

Consider:

Harry walks in on Parker kissing Eliot to comfort him (or vice versa) and he backs out of the room in a panic because this poor precious child is unaware of polyamory and the leverage OT3. So, in support of the Bro Code, he goes to Breanna and asks her to send a message to Hardison so he can talk to him.

Now Breanna, the wonderful little sis she is, asks Harry what’s so important that he feels the need to contact Hardison immediately. So Harry confesses that he just saw Parker cheating on Hardison with Eliot and that he needs to tell Hardison about it.

You cannot tell me that Breanna, our gay ace gen Z icon, is not aware of her brother being in a polyamorous relationship. And okay yes, maybe she “accidentally” found evidence of their relationship when she “accidentally” hacked into their phones but that’s hardly her fault. That was just the proof for her suspicions.

Back to Harry. Breanna is just holding back laughter at Harry’s obliviousness and of course she’s here for the drama (and listening to Hardison rant about the interruption) so she sets up a video call with Hardison, secretly sharing the video screen to the room Eliot and Parker are in.

So Hardison shows up on the call, visibly busy with lots of chaos and going ons behind him and is all, “Breanna, what’s wrong?”

And then Harry is all, “Hardison, I gotta tell you something” and tells him what he saw and is very apologetic that he’s informing Hardison that his girlfriend is cheating on him.

Hardison stares into the camera like he’s on The Office, visibly annoyed before going “Really man? Really??? You interrupt me while i’m dealing with [lists like five things he’s got going on right now] for this?”

And then turns to Breanna and says, “You let him call me for this?”

And she gives no fucks about it and just shrugs and is all “I thought it would be funny.”

Now Harry is growing more and more confused and he’s like, “Umm excuse me, are we just ignoring the whole girlfriend cheating on you thing?”

At this point, Parker drops in from the ceiling or something behind Harry and is like, “It’s not cheating when they’re both my boyfriend.”

And Eliot also pops up and says, “I should hope I’m able to kiss my girlfriend when our boyfriend isn’t around to kiss us.”

After Harry recovers from his mini heart attack after getting startled twice by Parker and Eliot, he’s like, “Cool, cool. Wait, what??”

But Eliot and Parker have already wandered off and Hardison is distracted with his stuff and Breanna shrugs at Harry before picking up her laptop and leaving to go catch up with Hardison while she has him on the call. So Harry is left standing there in confused but supportive spirit.

#could take place before or after Hardison gets stuck in space #if you wanna write this feel free (or if you know a fic like this lmk!) #kinda wanna write this but we shall see if i have the time/energy/motivation to do so #leverage #leverage ot3 #leverage redemption #parker #eliot spencer #alec hardison #breanna casey #harry wilson #thiefsome #eliot x hardison x parker #reinanova rambles #leverage redemption season 2 spoilers #leverage redemption spoilers

[myveryownfanfiction]

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

prompt from @creativepromptsforwriting:

"You almost died!"

"I think we should really focus on that 'almost' part."

tags: @eclecticwildflowers, @illiana-mystery

warnings: mention of death, swearing, blood, injury

I slammed the door to the apartment we were using, Eliot flinching at the noise. Hardisons head popped up from the couch and Parker paused in front of me. I stood staring at Eliot, ignoring Nate and Sophie opening the door.

“Eliot.” I growled. He flushed and went wide eyed. Everyone was still as the tension grew in the air. “You dumbass.” I marched over to him and drew my hand back. Eliot flinched and I paused. “How could you?”

“(Y/N).” He whispered, eyes roaming behind me at everyone else. “Can we not…”

“what? Afraid your friends will hear?” I snapped. “Afraid they’ll find out that you actually care about someone enough that you’re scared when you piss them off?” Eliot swallowed thickly and brought his gaze back to me. When he shifted his weight, I sighed and turned to everyone else in the room. “Can we have the room?” Nate nodded and started to usher everyone out. Hardison took a little bribing but he eventually left.

“look (Y/N)…” I hit Eliot’s arm and he immediately grabbed it. “Ow. Hey ok. What’s wrong?” He turned back towards the sink and continued wringing out the rag he’d been holding to his eyebrow.

“you almost died!” I screamed at Eliot as I hit him again. “You almost died and I had to sit there and hear it over the comms!” Eliot caught my hands easily and started to rub his thumb over my knuckles.

“I think we should really focus on the ‘almost’ part.” He whispered. I tried to tug my hands out of his grip but Eliot held fast. “Hey. Look at me. Look at me.” Eliot ducked his head to hold my gaze as I looked down. “Sure I almost died. But I’m a hitter. The best in the business. They can’t kill me.” I shook my head at him.

“el…” I whispered as I finally looked back up at him. Eliot dropped my hands and cupped my cheeks, wiping at the tears that had spilled. “You’re more than a hitter. You know that.” Eliot smiled at me before kissing my forehead. “But I worry anyway. Best in the business or not.” Eliot nodded and he pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me tightly as I cried into his shoulder.

“I know.” He whispered. “I know.” Leaning his head against mine, Eliot held me as I cried. “I’m sorry.” I pulled away, wiping my cheeks as I gazed at Eliot.

“no you’re not.” I said softly. “You’re not because if you hadn’t put yourself on the line, Sophie and Parker would have been caught. Nate would have had to abort and hardison would only have half a drive.” Eliot watched me carefully as I reached up to play with his hair. “And I would have had to go back in there to plant the transmitter that would allow Hardison to access it remotely. All running a higher risk than the one we took.” Letting my head fall against his shoulder, I hugged Eliot tightly. “I’m sorry for going off on you.”

“don’t be.” Eliot chuckled. “You have every reason to worry about me just like I have every reason to worry about you.” I pulled back to look at him.

“you worry about me?” I asked. Eliot nodded, kissing my nose.

“all the time.” He responded. “It goes both ways you know.” I chuckled and Eliot smiled. “Besides it’s fun to see the looks on their faces when you do that.” Leaning into him again, I sighed as he rubbed my arm.

“so you want me to keep doing that?” I asked, closing my eyes and savoring the moment.

“yes please.” Eliot laughed.

“will do.” I agreed as he pulled me tight.

#eliot spencer #eliot spencer fanfiction #eliot spencer fanfic #eliot spencer imagine #eliot spencer x reader #christian kane #christian kane fanfiction #christian kane imagine #christian kane fanfic #christian kane x reader

[wordybee]

Just reblogged your excellent Parker meta but was curious what your issue with the French Connection Job is if you're interested in sharing

I am very interested in sharing, thank you for asking! (This is the meta post mentioned btw.)

The French Connection Job breaks the generally well-followed Leverage rule of not creating out of character traits for the sake of a single episode or joke, which is bad enough -- but it especially irritates me that they do it for my two favorite characters, Hardison and Parker.

First of all, I don't believe for a second that Alec Hardison -- a character established as being so empathetic that Eliot surmises he would actually die trying to get the body of a dead mountain climber back to the deceased man's wife in "The Long Way Down Job" -- would ignore his friend/girlfriend when she's clearly feeling sad or upset about something.

Second, Alec Hardison tips. Alec Hardison has never met a system he couldn't rebel against, and the customer/worker capitalist class system would be no different. The implication that he would see customer service workers as "just doing their jobs" and therefore undeserving of tips is ludicrously out of character. Alec Hardison tips 100% of the check. When Alec Hardison is helped out by a worker who "isn't allowed" to take tips, he practices his pickpocketing skills by reverse-pickpocketing a $50 bill into that person's pocket. These are headcanons, but they're heavily supported by everything we know about Hardison, how he was raised, and how he's used his hacking skills. All evidence tells us he is a deeply compassionate person who would not argue over tipping unless it was to argue that the people living off tips really deserved more than they got. And then he would drop a fortune into his frazzled waitress's bank account just for the fun of it.

Third is the episode's implication that Parker would find anything wanting in how she lives her life, or that she is passionless and without feeling. Parker's passions for bank layouts, jumping off high buildings, Christmas, cash money, safes, and chocolate are weird passions to most people, but they're genuine passions and they clearly make her feel a full array of emotions. I don't think she would see herself as needing to change, and I don't really like the episode's implication that -- if she did see herself in that way -- she would be right. Parker does not need to have "normal" interests in order to "feel things". She feels things just fine and there is nothing wrong with the way she interacts with the world.

#leverage #leverage meta #alec hardison #parker #the french connection job #ask answers

[nival-kenival-art]

Summary:

Three estranged triplets walk into a high school reunion with their friends/partners. What could possibly go wrong?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: Other

Fandoms: Leverage (US TV 2008) The Librarians (TV 2014) Almost Paradise (TV)

Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer Eliot Spencer (Leverage) & Jacob "Jake" Stone & Alex Walker (Almost Paradise) Cassandra Cillian & Ezekiel Jones & Jacob "Jake" Stone Ernesto Alamares & Kai Mendoza & Alex Walker

Characters: Alex Walker (Almost Paradise) Kai Mendoza Ernesto Alamares Jacob "Jake" Stone Ezekiel Jones Cassandra Cillian Eliot Spencer (Leverage) Parker (Leverage) Alec Hardison Aimee Martin

Additional Tags: Eliot Spencer and Jacob "Jake" Stone are Twins Eliot Spencer and Jacob "Jake" Stone and Alex Walker are Triplets High School Reunion Fluff Angst Family Drama faking your death as compliant to 3 different canons as I can be while ignoring the parts of canon I dislike set post season 4 of the librarians post season 5 of leverage somehwere inbetween seasons 1 and 2 of almost paradise Found Family Family Reunions Hurt/Comfort technically leverage redemption compliant but you don't need to have seen it to read this as it's set prior to redemption changed rating to teen for language there's a lot of swearing coming suicidal thoughts mentioned briefly in chapter 5 Canon-Typical Violence

Language: English

Stats: Published: 2024-03-18 Updated: 2024-04-05 Words: 7,541 Chapters: 6/?

#leverage #almost paradise #the librarians #fanfic #fanfiction #leverage fanfic #almost paradise fanfic #the librarians fanfic

[faorism]

BILLOWS BEAT OFF WHISPERED WINGS: A DAEMON AU: i will be posting more of this series here and on ao3! i might change the title, who knows

hardison is an eastern red bat named t'pris (they thought it was spelled teepris until they watched star trek and were like AH designated trekkie by birth name). settled age sixteen. he is a witch that traveled dimensions when he was young, triggered by when he felt particularly lonely. then he got to nanas and he was :(( so he had the look in his eye and Nana was like OH NO YOU DONT and turns out she is a witch too. he does age at a human rate, unlike nana. 

parker's is a raccoon named jack, settled age nine. he had taken to rabbits and hares when she was very small, because they loved bunny. she was convinced he would be a jackalope (hence, why she think she gave him the name jack, but they cant remember if that was his given name in the first place). settled when her foster father took Bunny and jack needed lil clever thief hands to steal bunny back. they are stretched but not separated, so that jack can help out with thievery.

eliot has a cecropia moth, which is the biggest n.american moth. her name is hazel (although eventually hazel will use they/them, but im not sure when that will start). settled age fifteen. hazel and eliot are severed by age twenty-four, as is typical with elite soldiers and contractors and such. they do not have a good relationship, because age twenty-eightish, eliot abandoned left hazel with toby because eliot knew he was getting into some bad shit and didn't want her hurt.

MORE HEADCANONS ABOUT THE OT3 (but mostly hazel since the series would be mostly in her pov) IN THIS VERSE BELOW

when hazel realized eliot wasn't coming back for her, she begged toby to bring her to aimee. (partly because his daemon and her didn't mesh, partly because hazel missed aimee, and partly because she didn't want eliot to ever find her if he decided to drag his ass back.) 

when the crew does the job for the martins, aimee and her horse daemon hickory tell hazel she has to go back to eliot because (1) he's changed, give him a chance but mostly (2) aimee has to move on. hazel is Not Happy, especially when she learns eliot carries around a prosthetic dormant cicada in a bug case claiming thats his daemon.

hazel ignores eliot but does go to his apartment to grouse, and when they make it to boston she strictly hangs out at nates. 

since shes always there, hazel gives comfort to parker when parker comes crying after the psychic job, landing on her knee. parker is like. oh. i can feel how fuzzy your body is, i really like that, you probably feel... and hazel tells parker she can pet her. parker gets a couple strokes in before starting to cry, the last time she touched another person's daemon being her little brother's. 

hazel quickly falls into trust/in love with parker, who kinda just is like. okay so i guess hazel is mine now. everyone is like UM THATS NOT HOW THIS WORKS. but hazel, parker, and even eliot are like. hazel is her own daemon and can do what she wants independent of eliot (they are so stupid omg). hazel starts to go out on jobs grifting as parkers daemon, staying in her hair like an elegant headpiece while jack goes and does thievery.

later, hazel tries to get cozy with hardison but alec is like ABSOLUTELY NOT, STOP FLIRTING WITH ME, I AM NOT TOUCHING YOU. and then parker is like, duh, go ahead? we are dating and even though jack isnt ready, hazel is and she is independent. but alec is like, okay that's nice but also eliot is involved in this IM SORRY HAZEL, HE IS. so consent is not obtained. 

eliot eventually catches him and is like. hazel came to talk with me, saying you wanted "both coparent's" permission. just.... you have it. and alec is like. .......... internally: goddddddddsd I wanna kiss him so badddddd

when Alec is buried, poor t'pris was left behind, clinging to nate's coywolfs fur. She won't let go, so she ends up in the car with nate and eliot. they go in one direction and she starts freaking out, yelling that it's the wrong direction, they are gonna break them apart. they turn around immediately but t'pris is inconsolable. the coywolf and hazel both are like, come back here now eliot, she needs human warmth. eliot refuses to touch her, so he scoops her into his beanie and cradles her to his chest. 

after the ordeal, t'pris absolutely wants to be cuddled by eliot all the time as her and alec are dealing with The Trauma, so eliot gets one of those phone cases that goes on a belt or lanyard, and carries her that way. eliot has no right to laugh at the sling alec uses for jack once he warms up to being held.

the three of them freak leverage international newbies the fuck out who are like.... dear god if we join is there just daemon socialist anarchy???! and the answer is no but also technically kinda yes? everyone thinks hazel is parker's, t'pris is eliots, and jack is alecs.

it takes two years post s5 for the ot3 to get together despite them and their daemons being all over each other. they are awful and so very stupid.

t'pris likes to tease hazel about how eastern red moths' diet mainly consists of moths. hazel just pointedly flaps her wings and says GODDAMN. TRY. ME. t'pris does not try hazel.

eventually hazel and eliot make up, but it's probably telling of me that i am not sure how. eliot in the meantime is extremely deferential to her, and basically this verse is a love story between them two (aka, eliot and his soul) wherein (as @redgoldblue described) "eliot finds himself in his new family (as very explicitly pointed out in the two horse job) but he hasn’t FOUND himself yet it’s a process so his daemon… who also, separately, finds a home in the same family before ever coming back to eliot"

since the two fliers of the group have bodies about three inches long, jack loves using his weird lil hands to double fist his daemon partners' fuzzy lil bodies. 

#leverage #eliot spencer #alec hardison #parker leverage #leverage ot3 #thiefsome #faorism fanart #leverage daemon au

[theladyragnell]

luck magic, new leverage <3

(This uses worldbuilding I wrote in an original ficlet years ago, so if you like, you can check that out right HERE.)

Parker is Lucky but not lucky, a difference she still doesn’t understand sometimes. It seems stupid that the Luck she knows, the odds she plays (but not too much, because cheating makes everything less fun), aren’t the same thing as the kind of luck where good things happen to you without you having to change the odds.

There are a lot of thieves like her. The people that become Leverage, she knows them by reputation, because she hears the stories about the way events bend around them. She knows that Hardison has to try fewer passwords to get into a network than anybody else, that Sophie can always guess just who to be, that Eliot plays the odds about where a bullet will be and has watched him, with the right reason, walk through a field of them like he’s dancing. But they’re not lucky, like she’s not lucky: they lose people, screw up when they don’t know what odds they’re playing.

“Happy,” Eliot replies when she says so one night early on, face twisted like it is when she says something that isn’t normal even for people like them. “The word you’re looking for is happy.”

Parker scowls at him. “No, I mean lucky, because I mean whether things happen to make us happy or not is random. Or at least I never felt anyone playing the odds when bad things happened to me.”

“Nana always said chance and Luck aren’t the same thing,” says Hardison with a shrug. “Sometimes she said that Luck often comes to people life is hard on. I’m more focused on the future. I know how to play the odds these days.”

“Touch wood, man, that’s the kind of thing Lucky people say before they burn themselves out,” says Eliot.

Parker listens to them bicker, still undecided how she feels about it, but glad that for once she’s got other people around as Lucky as she is.

*

They don’t change each other’s odds. It’s a rule as hard and fast as “Don’t con your crew,” which means that sometimes Sophie ignores it, or Hardison pushes at the edge as a joke, but for the most part, they don’t do it, at least not on purpose.

A lot of Lucky people working close together, though, that tends to bend things. They don’t do it on purpose, but things start working out for them, when there’s no reason not to. Parker wins a box of chocolates in a random drawing without trying (not that she would have tried, she would have stolen a box and then left the payment later since it’s a small business and Eliot yells at her about that). Hardison orders groceries online and they accidentally put in twice the amount of orange soda. Eliot finds some weird hippie hair thing that makes his hair smell nice and does something he apparently likes at a farmer’s market. And it’s not isolated incidents, it’s just life: green lights and discounts and cool new safes in marks’ closets, all coming together without Parker making it.

Parker likes it, she kind of has to like it because it’s good, but it makes her nervous. She thinks it makes Eliot nervous too, but not as much Hardison. He’s always been a little luckier than they were, with Nana.

“I can’t decide if I like my Luck doing things without me wanting it to,” she tells Hardison and Eliot one day early in the time they’re in Portland. “I use it for jobs, and now all this is happening.”

“I like nice things happening,” says Hardison, rolling his eyes. “I don’t feel anyone tugging on the odds, so maybe it’s just chance actually working out for us for once.”

“But people say if a lot of Lucky people spend time together, odds turn in their favor.” Parker frowns, tries to find the words. They listen. They’re pretty good about listening, these days, waiting for her to figure out how to say what she needs to say. She’s lucky to have them, and not just Lucky. “If we split up, do things go back to being bad? I’d already be sad if we did, I don’t want to lose out on free chocolate too.”

Eliot grips her shoulder for a second before letting go, and Hardison offers his hand for her to hold. She takes it. “Nothing’s gonna split us up,” says Eliot. “Not for long. I’ll play whatever odds I have to, to make sure that happens.”

“What he said,” says Hardison.

It doesn’t quite fix this worry, but then again, a lot of the reasons Parker feels happy these days aren’t about chocolate or soda or hair care. They’re about her team. Knowing they’ll fight to get back to her helps.

*

When Hardison is gone, off on one of the jobs that only he can do, things always feel a little harder.

Which is stupid, Parker knows that. She and Eliot and Sophie are just as Lucky as ever. Harry’s a lot Luckier than any lawyer should be, and Breanna wouldn’t have survived a week in Hardison’s job if she weren’t as Lucky as he is. So it’s the same amount of Luck around, but it still feels like things aren’t easy, and she doesn’t know how much of that is missing him and how much of it is that her favorite cereal company goes out of business.

“Damn it,” Eliot says, exhausted, coming back home after a job, the last one since they all take separate flights. “Every leg of that trip got delayed.”

“You didn’t try to change the odds?”

“Couldn’t pull them enough without tipping someone off.”

She frowns. “That kind of thing wouldn’t happen with Hardison around.”

“No, but I wasn’t going to call him in space just to make him fiddle around with the control towers.”

“No, I mean—if he were on this job, it wouldn’t have happened. He wouldn’t have had to fix it.”

Eliot stares at her for a second, and then he sighs. “Nobody can be lucky all the time. You think I didn’t get delayed flights when he was still around? We just notice the bad luck more without him around, that’s all.”

“You said,” she says, and stops, tries to figure it out. “You said one time that the kind of luck that isn’t Luck is just happiness. You mean like that?”

His face softens into a smile. “Yeah, Parker. I know better what you meant these days, but I still think it’s about what we notice. Easy to notice things going wrong without Hardison going around. And you know he plays the odds to make things a little easier on us sometimes, even when it’s risky. Want to give him a call, let him know I’m home safe? What are the odds he’s free right now?”

“Pretty low,” says Parker, and puts her arm around his shoulders while she changes them.

#anonymous #answered asks #sometimes i write stories #down to three prompts #phew! #all those tech issues really threw me off my groove

[themirokai]

Dreamling & Leverage Crossover? Dreamling & Leverage Crossover.

Over on this post, I suggested that Hob could use his skills at creating new identities to help people in need. Then @themightybento suggested a Leverage crossover and my brain went ping.

Proofreading by the fantastic @argylepiratewd who has proofreading commissions open now. All mistakes are from where I ignored WD's suggestions.

You can read the whole story (2450 words) below or over on AO3.

Dreaming of Leverage

“Hardison, we can’t just trust the safety of our clients to someone from the dark web called the ‘Stranger’s Friend’!” Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Yeah, that sounds seriously creepy,” Parker said. She aimed another powerful kick at the punching bag, eliciting a grunt from Eliot, who was holding it for her.  

“He’s not just on the dark web. The best social workers know him, people who run domestic violence shelters have heard of him. He’s legit. I’m telling you, he’s like us. His tagline is ‘victimless crimes and noble causes only.’”

“We don’t work with people who have taglines,” Eliot growled.

“Ok, his motto, whatever.” Hardison spun around in his chair. “My point is that he is one of the good guys and he is the very best at this. We need help on this one, and this is the guy who can help us.” 

“How do you know he’s even a guy if you’ve never met him?” Parker asked.

Hardison didn’t have an answer for that one. 

“Look, Hardison, if you can find the human being behind the ‘Stranger’s Friend’ and set a face-to-face meeting, we will consider using him.” Sophie’s tone was definitive. 

“He doesn’t do face-to-face meetings.” Hardison sighed. “Victimless crimes are still crimes and it seems like he has a cover to maintain.”

“We’re criminals too,” Sophie said. “We face as much risk as he does from exposure. I’m sure we can convince him to meet with us.” 

~~

The monitor in the van blazed to life as the camera on the drone turned on.

“Okay,” Hardison said, “we’ve got visual.” 

The screen showed a spacious apartment with two men lounging together on the couch. The first had chin-length brown hair and kind brown eyes. Lying against his chest was an extremely pale man with blue eyes and messy black hair. 

Sophie’s gasp came over the comms. “That can’t be.” 

“What?” 

“I could swear that’s Ron Golden, but that’s impossible!”

“Who’s Ron Golden?”

“He was the executive director of a theater company I was in as a teenager. But he would have to be in his eighties by now. He looks exactly the same… and just as fit. God, I had a massive crush on that man.” 

Parker’s eyebrows knitted together. “Sophie, did you…”

“No. I wanted to, but he said he was too old for me. He was very kind about it.” 

“Hardison, can you get audio?” Parker asked. 

“Guys, this is clearly just a couple enjoying their evening. They’re not marks, and one is a potential ally. I don’t think we should be spying on them.” 

“We’ve been over this, Hardison.” Eliot was staked out near the entrance to the building. “We need to make sure we can trust him with our client’s safety. There’s too much at risk here.” 

Hardison sighed and turned on the audio feed.

The pale man’s eyes immediately snapped to the window. 

“We’re being watched.” 

The whole team gasped. 

“There’s no way he could see the camera!” Hardison whispered. 

The other man looked out the window as well but clearly didn’t see anything. He kissed his partner’s temple. “Really? Is this a you-problem or a me-problem?” 

“These individuals are here for you. Isn’t that right, Alec Hardison?” 

Hardison jumped out of his chair and started backing away from the monitor. “What the fuck? How did he - that’s impossible!” 

“They can hear us now?” the brown-haired man said. 

“Yes.”

“Hm. Then I suppose I should invite them in for a cup of tea. Do you want to go… home before I do that?” 

“No. Eliot Spencer is a far stronger fighter than you are. Though their intentions with you are largely benign, they do not trust you, and there may be a misunderstanding. I shall remain here while you speak with them.” 

“What the fuck, Hardison? Who the hell are these people?” Eliot hissed over the comms. 

“I - I don’t know. I just know that one of them is the Stranger’s Friend.” 

The two men were getting to their feet and the brown-haired one turned to kiss the pale one. “Being protective, love?” 

“Only when you need protecting.” The pale man smiled. 

The brown-haired man turned to the window. “I’m assuming you can find the door,” he called out. “Come on up. I’ll put the kettle on.” 

~~

Hob opened the door to see two women and two men on the other side. “Hello. Who are you looking for?” 

“Um, the Stranger’s Friend?” 

“No!” The woman with brown hair pushed to the front of the group. “You’re Ron Golden!” 

Oh dear. It was an identity he had used in the 1980s, and was actually the one he was using during his failed 1989 meeting with Dream, but he had discarded it shortly thereafter. And the woman looked very familiar. It certainly wasn’t the first time he had been recognized by someone who knew him under another name. He put on the sympathetic smile he had mastered hundreds of years ago. 

“Ah, you must have known my dad.” 

“Your dad, my arse!” she scoffed. “I don’t know how it’s possible, you must be eighty years old, but you are the same man!” 

Hob sighed and shook his head. “Really, I get that all the time. I know I’m the spitting image of him. My mom used to joke that she’d given birth to her husband!” He gave a chuckle and his most winning smile. 

“You’re lying! Just like you lied about my monologue improving!” Her eyes were shining now and Hob knew exactly who she was. 

“Were you in his theater troupe?” he asked, knowing the answer. 

Sophie stepped forward, but the man with long hair held her back and jabbed a finger towards Dream. 

“I want to know who that guy is and how he made us!”

“You may call me Morpheus,” Dream said from the corner. 

“Like from The Matrix?” the first man asked. 

“HRRRR HRRRR HRRRR!”

As always Hob couldn’t help but chuckle at Dream’s strange gravelly laugh. 

“Yes. Like from The Matrix.” 

All four of them stared at Dream, and Hob wondered if the name or the laugh or both was throwing them off. It probably wasn’t his appearance: Dream was looking relatively human tonight, if perhaps supernaturally pale. 

“Look,” the man who had asked for the Stranger’s Friend shook himself first and turned back to Hob, “we just came here to meet the Stranger’s Friend. We are trying to help someone who needs to disappear. We want to make sure it’s safe to have the Stranger’s Friend create our client’s new identity.” 

“But we’re not leaving without some answers!” the other man said. 

Hob turned to Dream. “Am I going to regret telling them the truth?” 

“You mistake me for my brother. I cannot tell you what the outcome of this meeting will be.”

Hob rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“They speak the truth. And they are confidence artists.” Dream’s eyes sparkled. 

Hob turned back to his guests with a smile. “Con artists? Is that what you’re doing these days, Sophie? You’d better come in. He loves con artists.” 

She stepped forward. “I didn’t tell you my name.” 

“No,” he sighed. “And I’m sorry, but your monologue was always rubbish.” Hob patted her shoulder and went to get the tea. 

~~

“Okay, okay.” Parker spread her hands on the table. “You—” she pointed to Dream, “—are a non-human supernatural entity who controls dreams and also sort of is dreams and can see into everyone’s unconscious mind and also is the Sandman.” 

“This is more or less accurate.”

“And your sister, who is Death, decided you needed a friend, so she made you—” she pointed at Hob, “—immortal.” 

“Uh huh,” Hob said. 

“And you are good at forging identities because you keep having to do it for yourself so that people don’t realize you’re immortal.” 

“That’s about the shape of it.” 

Hardison looked around at his partners. “So we’re agreed that we’re cool with Hob helping our client?” 

There were nods all around, but Dream sat forward. “Prior to that, may I ask you for the story of the Scheherazade Job?”

While Parker, Hardison, and Eliot began regaling Dream, Hob felt Sophie watching him. He smiled at her and inclined his head towards the kitchen.

“Sounds like I should put some food out.” 

In the kitchen, Sophie rested her back against the fridge. 

“So back then, when you said you were too old for me…”

Hob leaned against the counter and chuckled, then closed one eye as he did the maths. “About 610 years too old. But if I recall correctly, you were 17, Sophie.”

“And you were with Morpheus?”

“Ah, no. That’s actually a much more recent development. I mean, I knew him. I’ve known him since the fourteenth century. Probably been in love with him since the eighteenth century. But in the 1980s our relationship was… more complicated.” 

“Have you only dated other immortals? Are there many of them?”

Hob laughed. “There are very few other immortals in this world that I’m aware of and Morpheus is the only one I’ve been with.” 

“That sounds very lonely,” she said quietly, and he knew with certainty that she understood loneliness. 

“I’ve certainly had lonely decades,” he told her, “but I didn’t just wait around for him. I’ve had good friends, lovers. Been married a couple times. While 17 is too young for me, I stopped aging in my thirties, and I use that to set my parameters rather than my actual age.” 

She nodded. “Did you ever have kids? I always thought of you as someone who would be a good dad.”

The old pain pierced his stomach like a lance. He held it, looked down at the floor, and smiled. “Two that I know of. One died in childbirth along with my wife. The other was killed when he was 20.” 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “My husband lost his son from his first marriage. It nearly destroyed him.”

Hob looked back up at her. “The fact that you said ‘nearly’ means that he’s a strong person, and a good one. It took me much more than one lifetime to be able to live with the loss.” 

It was Sophie’s turn to look away. “He was a very good man.” 

Was. That explained the loneliness. “I’m sorry, Sophie,” he said gently. “How long has he been gone?” 

“A couple of years.” She breathed out, shook herself and looked back at him. “I’m lucky to have my crew. I’ll always miss Nate, but they’re the best family I could ask for.” 

“I’m glad.” Hob reached out and  squeezed her arm. 

~~

When Hob and Sophie returned to the table with snacks, Parker was giving Dream a calculating stare. 

Dream turned to her. “You wish to ask me something, Parker.” 

“Yeah. You’re the Sandman, right?” 

Dream nodded once. 

“So, you go into kids’ bedrooms and sprinkle sand in their eyes to make them fall asleep.” She was leaning forward intently. 

“That folktale is one aspect of my being. But that is not truly what you wish to ask me.” 

Parker’s mouth tightened as she stared at him, then she leaned further forward. “Can you walk through walls?” 

The tiny smile was far more than most humans ever got. Hob realized that Dream must like her. 

“My movement is not generally constrained by the physical boundaries of the waking world.” 

Parker looked to Hardison and Sophie. “That’s a yes, right?” 

Hob interlaced his fingers with Dream’s and kissed the back of Dream’s hand. “It’s a ‘sometimes,’ I think,” he told Parker. “It may depend on whether there are living things that dream on the other side of the wall.” 

Dream shot him a glare. “Hob Gadling, do not purport to understand the arcane strictures by which I am governed. Immortal though you are, your human mind could not begin to comprehend them.”

Hob kissed his hand again. “Yeah, but I’m right.” 

Dream rolled his eyes. “You are not entirely incorrect.”

“Okay.” Parker’s calculating look was back. “So, reaching into a safe is probably out, but you could, for example, walk into a locked room if there was a guard inside?” 

“Hrrr, hrrr.” 

“Parker!” Eliot hissed. “Tell me you are not trying to recruit the literal god of nightmares for a job!” 

“HRRR HRRRR HRRRR!” 

“He seemed interested in our work and he has relevant skills!” Parker hissed back. 

“HRRR HRRRR HRRRR!” Dream pushed himself back from the table and stood, then took a breath to recover from his mirth. “Ah, this has been most diverting, but I must return to my realm.”

Hob got to his feet too. “I’ll be there when I’m done with this lot. Will you be working?” 

“It is likely, but you may interrupt me. I will send Matthew if I am unavailable.” Dream ran his index finger over Hob’s cheek and under his chin, then drew him in for a kiss. 

Hob kept the kiss chaste, aware of his guests, even if the display didn’t bother Dream. Someone who changed the weather with his mood didn’t think twice about a PDA. 

“I’ll see you soon.” Hob squeezed his hand. 

Dream turned back to the others. “It has been a true pleasure to meet you all, and I thank you for the story.” He turned his gaze on Parker. “As well as the invitation.”

“If you ever want to walk through walls with us or sprinkle sand in security guards’ eyes so they fall asleep, you know where to find us!” Parker paused. “You do know where to find us, right?”

“Oh yes, Parker. I know where to find you.” With that, Dream’s coat materialized on his body, and he pulled a handful of sand from his pocket. It streamed through his fingers and swirled around him, then he was gone. 

Hob chuckled at his guests’ gobsmacked expressions. “Pardon my lover, he does like a dramatic exit.” 

Eliot was the first to recover. “That was creepy, right? It’s not just me - the ‘I know where to find you’ thing was creepy?”

“It was awesome!” Parker said, her eyes wide. “He has magic sand that makes him disappear! How do I get that?” 

“That only works for him, I’m afraid,” Hob told her. “Humans stole his tools once, and it went very badly for everyone.” 

Hardison held up a hand. “Just to be clear, we have absolutely no intention of stealing anything from Morpheus. Right, Parker?”

“Obviously,” she scoffed. “But could you make disappearing sand out of like nano bots or something?” 

Hob turned to Sophie as Hardison and Parker continued their nano bot conversation. “Let me get my laptop, and then you can tell me about what your client needs.”

#please enjoy this crack crossover #there is no heist please don't expect a heist #there's a lot of talking and some feelings #I couldn't get Matthew into this one sorry #the sandman netflix #leverage #leverage redemption #the sandman #dreamling #miro does sandman #mirokai writes #hob gadling #dream of the endless #sophie devereaux #parker #eliot spencer #alec hardison

[thegeeksideofsr]

The Daughter Part 2

It had been a few days since I met my dad's team, and helped convince him to get back in the game. At least for this one.

I was just finishing at work went my phone dings with a notification.

I pick it up and see it's a text from Hardison. Which is odd, because I never gave him my number.

' Job's done. Wanna meet at McRory's for a celebratory drink?'

'Sure. Be there in twenty.'

I finish up my last bit of work, gather my things, lock the doors, and make my way to the pub.

When I walk in I see my dad talking to the Kerrigan's. I watch as the girl turns back to give my dad a hug, girl gives him something then leaves with her dad.

I watch them leave, then meander through the room to the team, and stand next to my dad and Eliot.

"Still your last job?" Sophie asks.

"Eh, well. Maybe, um," Dad sputters.

"Yeees."

"Ya know, until I find a job I like enough to keep me out of the bars."

"Idle hands are the devil's work shop," Hardison adds in.

"And then I'm out. Done."

" Sure." Parker agrees before she and Hardison head for the door.

"Dad, I don't think you'll ever find a job you like more than this." I place my hand on my dad's shoulder, leaning I to him.

"Yeah. Cause your not a thief," Eliot says, his hand resting my dad's shoulder as he walks away.

He catches my eye, and jerks his head towards the door. I give one last glance to my dad and Sophie then follow Eliot.

"Where are we going?" I ask him ocen we're outside.

" Nate's place. Hardison wants to add so much stuff and we are gonna help."

"Oh dad's gonna hate that!"

"Yes he will."

Once we get into the apartment, Parker, Eliot, and I help Hardison unpack and hang six tv monitors.

Then I help Parker bring in a giant painting that she called 'Old Nate'. An appropriate name.

When we burst in the door with it, my dad is already yelling ate Hardison for the monitors.

"No! Parker I don't ever want to see that painting again-"

"Hi, I'm old Nate and I live here too," Parker says in a mocking voice as she continues to bring the painting in.

"And Y/N. You're helping. I feel betrayed."

"Oh come on, Dad. You have been grumpy since you came back from LA. Plus I kinda like the painting," I stand next to Parker admiring the painting "Hey Hardison any chance I could get a print of that for my apartment?"

"I think that could be arranged -"

"No. Absolutely not. And you can't just break in here and start hanging stuff-"

"Oh yeah yeah. For repairs and renovations your landlord has full access to your dwelling. It's in the lease."

"What are you doing reading my leace?"

"I bought the building," Hardison says with a smug smile.

I watch as my dad give Hardison the worst death glare I'd ever seen from him.

"You bought the- your my landlord?"

"Yeah!" Hardison puts a fist out for a fist bump, but my dad ignores it.

As my dad turns away from Hardison, a loud sound comes from the other side of the wall.

I watch as my dad comes to stand next to me as the four of us watch the blade of a chain saw come through the wall.

Dad tries to stop it, but soon the cut out is done and falls towards us, a cloud of dust with it.

Eliot walks through the cloud of dust, covered head to toe in it, holding a chain saw. He nods then let's out a wicked cackle.

Hardison and Parker toss their arms around my Dad's neck, while I stand next to Eliot.

He moves his dust covered goggles to the top of his head, a surprisingly goofy smile on his face.

"Was the chain saw really necessary?" I ask him as I brush some dust from his shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am, it was."

I shake my head, then turn to my dad who still looks like he's about to have a stroke.

"You ok, dad?"

He shakes his head in response, then makes is away up stairs, leaving the four of us left down stairs laugh at his reaction.

I stay a bit longer to help clean up the dust from the floor and Eliot before calling it a night. I grab my jacket and stuff, ready to head out.

"You leaving?" Hardison asks.

"Yeah early morning. This was fun though. I'll see you guys around."

I say one last good night to the three of them, then make my way down to my car parked a couple blocks from the bar.

As I hit the end of the hall, I hear someone running to catch up with me. I turn to see Eliot running up behind me.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I was wondering if I could walk you to your car."

"Oh, um, you can, but you don't have to."

"My mom would have my hide if I didn't make sure you got home safe."

"Well we can't have that."

I give him a smile, that he smiles back, giving me butterflies like never before.

He places a gentle hand at my lower back as we walk to my car. He walks on the out side of the side walk, his hand still at my lower back.

As my car comes into view I wish I had parked farther away. I unlock my car, I toos my stuff into the passenger seat then turn back to Eliot.

"Goodnight Eliot."

"Goodnight Y/N."

I step close to him and press a kiss to his cheek.

"Stay safe out there."

"Do my best."

I give him one last smile, then get in my car, Eliot closing it me hind me. We share one last smile before I pull away from the curb and head home

**************

Tag List:

@katbratsupernaturalwhore @fictional-hooman

#eliot spencer #eliot spencer x reader #leverage fanfic #eliot spencer x oc #christian kane #leverage

[caramelo7dulce]

multi-fandom Rec. List

Masterlist Here Katara/Zuko from “Avatar: The Last Airbender” Annie Edison/Abed Nadir from “Community (2009)” Parker/Eliot Spencer from "Leverage (2008)" Sherlock Holmes/Joan Watson from "Elementary (2012)" Keith/Pidge from "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Barry Allen/Caitlin Snow from "The Flash (2014)" Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper from "Sherlock" Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy from "Pride & Prejudice and Zombies (2016) The Asset/Elisa Esposito from "The Shape of Water (2017)" Jupiter Jones/Caine Wise from "Jupiter Ascending (2015)" The Doctor/Rose Tyler from "Doctor Who" Rick & Morty (Platonic)

Annie Edison/Abed Nadir from “Community (2009)”

Door Number Two by MC-Aitlyn - Flaming lips and wild hearts lead to a truly unexpected evening for Miss Annie Edison. 

Loose Ends by MC-Aitlyn - Annie discovers that getting what you want and learning what you need are often mutually exclusive. Will not make much sense without having read it. Sequel to Door Number Two. 

What's In a Name? by Thedupshadove - Abed is worried that these fantasies might not be the most moral thing he's ever indulged in, but they're too sweet to give up. Little does he know he's in for an even sweeter surprise.

always means always by  MicrosuedeMouse - Annie needs to get away from Denver for a bit, and Abed once offered his couch if she ever wanted to come to LA, so she asks if she can come visit for a couple weeks. She can come visit for as long as she wants, but Abed doesn't say that. He just says yes.

__________

Katara/Zuko from “Avatar: The Last Airbender”

lines in the sand by sweetsymphony - In order to bring peace back to his war-ravaged nation, the rebellious future Fire Lord is arranged to marry the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe. Despite their marriage being born of duty and not love, the Fire Lord and his new Lady discover they have far more to worry about than each other.

Fire On The Ice by Dyce - Lu Ten survives the siege of Ba Sing Se, and Iroh returns home to depose the usurping Ozai. Determined that no more sons or daughters will die in war, he begins peace negotiations with the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes.... offering Zuko and Azula, his secondary and tertiary heirs, as marriage-pieces. Zuko is offered to the Water Tribe... specifically, to Hakoda and his daughter Katara.

The Prince's Choice by FrostedGemstones22 - Katara is 18 and the Southern Water Tribe has held an uneasy allegiance with the Fire Nation for the last 100 or so years. When Katara's tribe goes through a food shortage, Katara takes it upon herself to make sure they survive. She agrees to enter a competition where the young Prince Zuko will choose a wife out of 35 women. Katara promises herself she only has to last a day until a truce she can't ignore is offered, and now Katara is in it for the long haul. A Zutara! Selection AU. 

__________

Parker/Eliot Spencer from "Leverage (2008)"

Self Defense by ifwednesdaywasaflowerchild - Eliot takes care of Parker, after an incident involving a drunk douche who couldn't take no for an answer.

What Did You Do? by Telaryn - In the aftermath of the San Lorenzo Job, Eliot realizes that he's been using Damien Moreau and the challenge of bringing him down to avoid his growing feelings for a crazy, blond-haired thief.

Drag Me Into The Light by DeannaWesson - When a special job goes wrong, who can Eliot depend on?

A Favor for a Friend by JadeSnowe - In which Parker convinces Eliot to teach her about sex so that she doesn't disappoint Hardison. But it's never that cut and dry when hearts are involved.

In the Bitterness by Glitter_Lisp - Parker's life doesn't follow anything like a normal schedule, but there are some things that are always the same: Alec is always home before her, Nate and Sophie are always home after her, and Eliot hasn't been home in years.

___________

Sherlock Holmes/Joan Watson from "Elementary (2012)"

Closer by 14winters - Sherlock goes to Joan for a favor. She accommodates him.

Closeted by Rochelle_Rochelle - The old tied to each other in a closet trope.

As long as you know who you belong to by sometimesmaybe - No wild jealousy or creepy, over-the-top possessiveness. Just Joan and Sherlock musing on their relationship and what it means to belong to someone. Wholeheartedly.

Benefits by Rochelle_Rochelle - They pulled away for air, forehead to forehead, Joan spoke between breaths, "My room? Your room?" "Sofa," he responded and stood up. "I don't think I can make it up or down those stairs." Joan smiled at him.

The four times Sherlock kissed Joan (and the one time she did first) by CamelotLady - The titles says it all, basically.

Four Times Sherlock Touched Joan (And One Time She Touched Him) by time_converges - Four times Sherlock made the first move, and one time Joan did.

__________

Keith/Pidge from "Voltron: Legendary Defender"

Heatstroke by steelrunner - Keith lends Pidge a hand. She returns the favor.

__________

Barry Allen/Caitlin Snow from "The Flash (2014)"

This is My Scar, Not My Birthright by chasingblue57 - Twelve neat crimson lines tie them together, even years before they meet, but perhaps it's the shared heartache and loss that truly make them soul mates.

__________

Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper from "Sherlock"

Fever When You Kiss Me by PetraTodd - Molly Hooper's fellow Betas at St. Barts wonder how she can deal with Sherlock's notorious bad Alpha behavior, but she enjoys assisting the detective. The only problem with the situation is that Molly is in unrequited love with him…and she isn't really a Beta.

________

Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy from "Pride & Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

To Put A Warrior At Her Ease Is A Potentially Painful Endeavour by Sarcasmismydefaultmode - Elizabeth is feeling justifiably diffident about her wedding night, and Darcy is willing to do anything to put his new bride at her ease, with interesting, and slightly painful, results for all involved.

A Warrior's Courtship by EriksTrueAngel - A courtship is a delicate matter. However, in these dark times, one does not have the luxury to wait for a considerate amount of time.

___________

The Asset/Elisa Esposito from "The Shape of Water (2017)"

When You Whistle by Tyellas - A maybe-jealous amphibian man and a hasty bathtub plunge in nylon stockings combine for an unforgettable afternoon.

The Shape of Me; The Name of You by Thaliel (Alodia) - He had no name, only titles and a series of noises that she wasn’t able to replicate no matter how hard she tried. They could communicate, yes, but culturally they were still worlds apart. Elisa brings them a little closer together, by giving him a name.

___________ Jupiter Jones/Caine Wise from "Jupiter Ascending (2015)"

In The Space Between Your Finger and My Skin by splash_the_cat - Sometimes Jupiter wonders if what she has to offer is enough for Caine.

That's What Love Is by ItsClydeBitches - Jupiter teaches Caine a thing or two about Earth promises.

__________ The Doctor/Rose Tyler from "Doctor Who"

I Think I'm A Tad Possessive by Vampiyaa - The Doctor knows he's possessive of her, but her constant flirting with and attention from pretty boys of all species causes him to have violent outbursts in secret

Thirst by Khaelis - A walk in the desert leads to unexpected troubles.

__________ Rick & Morty (Platonic) from "Rick and Morty"

Safe by RovingOtter - Morty has a conversation with another Morty in the Citadel about their respective Ricks. It sends him down a rabbit hole of questions, doubt, and discovery.

The S-943 Incident by Anonymous - He's busy but all Ricks are important and he will take care of every single one that walks into his building.

Finite by AwesomeMango7 - Morty realizes he’s painfully average, and is doomed to live a painfully average life. He could never be as great as Rick, he could never be as smart as him. He could never go on adventures without Rick. So he has to leave.

Firsts And Other Stories by Anonymous - A series of firsts and other observations, in a world where everyone has their own Daemon.

#annie edison x abed nadir #zuko x katara #parker x eliot #sherlock x joan #caitlin x barry #sherlolly #darcy x elizabeth #the shape of water #jupiter ascending #ten x rose #rick and morty #community 2009 #avatar the last airbender #leverage 2008 #elemntary (2012) #the flash 2014 #pride and prejudice

[winterroseposts]

Leverage Season 02 x 12 The Zanzibar Market Job

This was a really great episode.

Nate - "Eliot, I'm going to ask you to not do anything violent."

Eliot - "I only use violence as an appropriate response." Turns, sees Stirling and punches him in the face. A very appropriate response.

Hardison bribing the bartender to ignore the fight and Parker watching with sadistic glee.

Tara - "And this is?"

Nate - "Sterling. We used to work together. Insurance.

Tara - "He seems to rub Eliot the wrong way."

Nate - "You think?"

Sterling and Nate discussing how the robbery was done with Parker suddenly chiming in.

Sterling- "How long has she been sitting..."Nate just shrugs.

Parkers' bag of essentials for Maggies' escape, including explosives. It's sweet, in a very 'Parker" way.

Tara getting the information about the artifact without saying a word. Just using Eliots' killer glare.

Eliot getting Maggie and Nate back from the kidnappers and getting the real culprit arrested.

Parker switching the bomb from one elevator to the other and Hardison adjusting the floor numbers so the kidnappers don't notice.

Tara - when Stirling gets recruited by Interpol after the team catch the bad guy - "I hate this guy."

Eliot - "Now you're part of the team."

Leverage Season 02 x 13 The Fure Job

The team comforting Parker after Dalton Rand figures out about her brothers' death.

The team making Tara fake predictions for Dalton come true. Parker switches his coffee order for one with a different name and picks his pocket. Eliot tows his car and Nate almost runs him over.

Getting Dalton to confess on video.

#leverage #leverage rewatch #eliot spencer #alec hardison #tara cole #nate ford #parker

[roseknightred]

Santa’s Babies (OT3)

AO3

Ship: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer (Pre-Slash)

Fandom: Leverage | Missing Scene(s) from s5 e14 ‘The Toy Job’

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences (for swearing and an implied bj)

Words:  7,571 (One-Shot)

~*~

The team is on another job.

Corrupt toy CEO this time.

A puppy plushie with a level 3 choking hazard of all things. Turns out the material its nose is made out of will expand significantly in contact with bodily fluids, risking infant deaths upon swallowing… And we all know it will get swallowed by some kid. 'Get that out of your mouth' is just as common a phrase to new parents as it is pet owners.

Eliot's even growled the phrase more times than he can count with Things 1 and 2 under his wings. Mostly in regards to the junk they try to pass off as food but the sentiment stands.

Parker's breaking into one of their vaults to get the safety inspection records but if Eldon was fired for not cooking the books chances are they just got someone else to do it instead.

Nate's voice brings him back to the conversation over coms, "I'm saying that we, ah, we went overboard on Christmas gifts last year."

"Nate, I love my Ecosse motorcycle from last Christmas. Compliments of my Santa-baby," the distinctive sound of Parker's drill starting up.  

Eliot barely suppresses his eye roll. "You spent $100,000 on a motorcycle?" he hisses at Hardison next to him. It's not the money Eliot's frustrated about, though the 25 dollar Walmart waffle press he received stings just a tad stronger, it's the arrogant indulgence. Parker has perfectly functional bikes of varying calibers and in the year she's apparently had it he hasn't seen her use it once. With her obsession with money it's probably sitting uselessly in a vault, Hardison customizing aforementioned functional bikes for her anyway.

Speaking of customization, Hardison just continues to solder more equipment like it's a regular Tuesday and it's no different than knowing their coffee order. "Don't hate the gift. Hate the elf."

"I do hate the elf." Well, Eliot really really wants to hate the elf, but Parker deserves to be spoiled. They're good for eachother and Eliot shouldn't be judging.

It's not his place, he'll get over it.

"So, are you saying no Christmas presents at all? Not even something small?" To Parker, 'small' could mean anything form a lollipop to a diamond, and they'd yield the exact same positive response.

"No gifts," Nate stands his ground.

"But… How are we supposed to do Christmas without any presents?" Parker sounds like she'd about to genuinely get upset. Eliot hates the hurt tone in her voice.

He's about to crack and pipe in when Sophie beats him to it, "Let's just put a limit on spending."

Sounds like a reasonable compromise, if they weren't thieves who would just steal it anyway.

"Say $1,000 a…" she'd cut off by Nate pointedly clearing his throat.

"$100 a.." she tries to correct before cut off again.

"50 bucks a person." she rushes before anyone else can but in.

"Fine, whatever. I'm in," the conversation is well and over as Parker finishes up the heist, getting in and out with no trouble at all.

Eliot's just tired.

So he does what he always does when the teams finally safe and on standby until further notice, makes his way to the kitchen and distracts himself with fixing up the disaster that is Hardison's brew-pub menu ideas.

~*~

Yup, the books were rigged; unusable and irrelevant.

Nate cooks up a scheme with a rival toy, "We're gonna steal Christmas."

Parker ignores the Whirlie-Glee-Glee in retaliation but also because it just looks dumb. Even with her admittedly messed up childhood she'd never known a kid to get exited over a frisbee. Boomerang maybe. Eliot taught her how to use one of those when she asked if they'd really started out as weapons. He'd been very patient with her, never using the anger she knows he's struggled with. It was inspiring to finally let go of the anger she grew up with herself.

She finally understood what if felt like to be safe, that no matter how much she pushed those boundaries and anticipated that familiar anger, it never came. Family was never supposed to mean pain. Eliot would never be angry with her, even when she looked back and though he had the right to be. Maybe he'd had just as much trouble identifying and sharing emotions as she had.

She looks to the left of the Wobgly G-Whatever and knows, without a shadow of a doubt in her mind, 'This is it.' She wants 2. One for herself and one for Eliot's Christmas present. She can't cuddle him, since apparently that would be weird, or so she's pieced together from other interactions and similar topics in Hardison's coaching, but she can cuddle Mini-Eliot as much as she likes!

It ends up being the toy they feature in their con but she hopes the sentiment will translate all the same when she gets to present it to him in person.

Hardison thinks it's stupid, so for now she maintains that he's stupid. How dare he doubt her.

"Anything can be sold," Eliot defends her over the com, so she settles down for now. But it still hurts…

No Mini-Eliot cuddles for Hardison! He can cuddle Hardi, Parker 2.0 or whatever, this week.

~*~

"Look, it's happy. It's not so happy, but then it's happy again. It changes moods. It's pretty cool, right?"

Of course Nate would try to get the toy out there with the drug dealer approach. Because why the hell not. It's not like Eliot has been to this Farmer's Market before.

He couldn't look more like a stereotype, handing out free toys to random kids on the corner with his long hair, hoodie and rough appearance. He's generally pretty good with kids but today's just a bad day.

"No? Hey, here, take it. It's free." Any hesitation the girl had quickly evaporates as she takes the doll and excitedly shares with the other kids she sees.

He's cranky; he's uncomfortable. He's out here while the crew is talking as if he's not even there, because he's not.

He's just lonely.

They're already moving on, arranging the next steps in the con, things they don't need him for.

The dolls are all handed out and he's technically 'done' for now.

There's a cute Hawaiian kid working in one of the vendor stalls a little ways down. He'd passed by 4 times  already, probably to see if Eliot was going to be a threat to their little market, but seems to have deemed him safe. Even sent a few stray kids his way toward the end there.

He caught Eliot looking his way and smiled shyly when he noticed the empty booth.

'To hell with it,' there's nothing wrong with Eliot taking a moment to his downtime.

He welcomes the distraction.

Making his way over with a suave smile Eliot peruses through what's left of the vegetable selection.

"Hey there," he maintains eye contact as he lightly teases his forefinger down the length of a rather girthy carrot. "What time you gettin off today handsome?"

"You tell me Sir," the young man boldly lets slip before blushing profusely and babbles a bit correcting himself. "I mean, I guess I'm almost done for the day. This is usually when the crowd dies out and there's usually some stuff left over that people didn't want when I pack up. Wh-what did you have in mind?"

"Shame to let it go to waste, I'll take the lot of it," Eliot finds the rambling cute and tries very hard not to let it remind him of another stuttering darker skinned young man. "What say you, wanna help me with my load?"

The double entendre isn't lost on him as Eliot notices pupils widening and plump lips parting with a hitched breath.

"T-totally," his grin widens to take over his whole face and nervously condense everything down in to two crates.

Eliot slides behind the booth and slip the cash into his back pocket, gently palming the soft globe. Before they can get distracted and in trouble for public indecency Eliot swiftly manhandles the larger of the crates, letting his arms flex more noticeably than necessary, leaving the tiny crate for his new friend. Swaying his hips Eliot walks a few feet in the direction of his car and does his best 'come hither' expression. The man nearly trips over himself in his haste to flow, almost forgetting the second crate.

"I'm Alex, by the way. Alex Parker."

'Oh fuck me!' Eliot decidedly Does Not Think About It.

"Carl," Eliot leaves it at that. He tries not to leave anything he can be looked up by but he's pretty sure that's the alias he's been using lately.

~*~

Alec throws himself into his paparazzo persona watching Sophie sneak the demented doll into Sandy Matteo's bag. He does not worry about Eliot's absent commentary. He's fine, the man can take care of himself. Hardison has work to do. He has to focus so that he doesn't miss his opportunity or his shots.

'There. Got em. Done. Time to go.'

He does not check his systems again for signal from Eliot's com. The seven previous checks were for everyone's coms and perfectly rational intervals. The mark's career used to be in weapons.

'Can't be too cautious.'

Eliot's own rule.

So where the hell is he? Surely the dolls had all been handed out by now.

~*~

Eliot's a gentlemen first and foremost. So once the produce is safely in his car he offers to help clean up Alex's booth and they put away all their equipment like the rest of the vendors as the market closes for the day.

Alex seems pleasantly surprised and loosens up a bit, not rushing for anything and enjoying each other's company.

Splitting for a moment in the parking lot, Eliot pulls around and picks Alex up to finally drive back to one of his places. He has four scattered around the city, all staged to appear lived in as he rotates which pantry to keep freshly filled.

He rushes around to the other side after parking to open the door as he had when picking Alex up, receiving a gentle kiss for his efforts. The tension builds as they navigate around the entry way and down the fall., exchanging heated glances and more daring touches.

By the time Eliot's door is closed and locked behind them they're pressed flush against eachother.

He's long since turned off his com but his phone volume is up in case there's an emergency. No one's contacted him yet and he plans to take his time. He might look like a flirt around his team or on a job but it's been months since he's had the pleasure of taking care of someone.

He can't even recall the last time he'd gotten off but it's never really been about that. He's given out so much pain in his life, he can only balance it out by giving pleasure.

It's like an itch.

The one addiction he can't seem to curb.

Doesn't really want to.

Doesn't want to think either, so he doesn't.

He turns 'Eliot Brain' off and 'Carl' sinks to his knees, as easily as breathing. Breathing in the musk of the arousal he's caused. The pleasure he eager to give.

~*~

They're all back in the office after another day of grinding their gears. Plotting and conning and all the meticulous prep work Alec prides himself in providing for his family.

Their numbers still aren't high enough.

"Santa's little helper here is right. The doll's a bust," Eliot still sounds a little stand-off-ish but not nearly as bad as he had before the Farmer's Market so at least there's that.

Alec refuses to ask where he went afterwards and no clues have presented themselves.

"Whirlie stupid thing would have done worse," Parker on the other hand is sounding more irritated but the minute. She's stood unusually strongly about her doll.

He get's it that she's got some trauma and stuff going on upstairs but he can't get the memory of the fallen look off her face when she tried to present a second doll to Eliot in person but he'd already headed out for the night. Usually they finished off long nights with him cooking for them and escorting them to either Parker's warehouse or Hardison's penthouse suite; but that night they'd been left to fend for themselves.

"And you're an expert on this because?"

"GUYS!" Even distracted with the con Nate tried to cut the atmosphere.

"Because I was there. It spoke to me!"

"It spoke to you?"

"It reminded me of a toy my social worker used to make me do exercises with."

"You kidding me with that?"

"Oh, like you always do what you're supposed to?" Sophie didn't like the new tension either.

"E-exercises... What kind of exercises?" Nate redirects.

"Identifying emotions or something like that."

Well now Alec felt like shit. It made so much sense now. He could see the lightbulb go off in Eliot's head and winced in sympathy.

There's no way his self-sabotaging ass isn't going to add this to whatever redemption list he's compiled.

Alec won't even be mad when his anticipated steak dinner get's replaced with Parker's favorite Eggplant Lasagna tonight. Maybe they can put on one of her Christmas movies and crash on his couch, reconnect and make it up to her. Lord knows those two need all the anger-healing bonding opportunities they can get.

It's a different lightbulb that goes off in Nate's head. "That’s it. That's it. It's obvious. We can't con a 6-year-old. You know who we can con? Their parents. Okay, so, Hardison you get on that lecture thing, Eliot you get on the mommies," and the con evolves.

"And he doesn't mean that literally," Hardison can't help himself, trying not to sound bitter.

"That joke is never funny," Eliot sounds angry again as he gets up to storm out. There's something in his tone but Hardison can't place it.

"It's always funny."

"No, it's not. Comedy's about timing, and you don't have it!"

Good thing Hardison's studied early childhood development in the past, he's about to need it.

~*~

Right. Cause that's apparently who he is in the others' eyes.

Just a horndog. No self control. Not able to understand the directions Nate gives him.

It was One stinking time!

'Take them out Eliot.'

'Like, on a date or …?'

Eliot storms down to the kitchen on autopilot.

Basil. Ricotta. Tomatoes. Eggplant.

His consciousness resurfaces to the setting of a timer and dish safely in the oven.  

Hands absent of further distraction.

Picking up a knife Eliot goes through the motions of a meditative exercise. He keeps his movements fluid and practices techniques to pass the time while his mind is already planning arrangements to make it up to Parker. He didn't stick around to walk them home after the long night stealing the toy and he regrets that now. He just needed the night alone. He was torn, defend her interest and initiative was basically rewarding disobedient behavior when his training demanded she stick to the plan.

Divergence was messy and risky.

He'd had the urge to spread her across his lap for a spanking.

There was no way he'd let himself carry out that thought, so he nipped the impulse in the bud and left.

Looking back he wouldn't be surprised if his counselors had tried to use something similar with him. Then again he got enough shit for his 'feminine interests' like cooking, tailoring and medicine. Relevant skills he'd defended himself but he'd still been forced into sports, history and mechanics. He didn't mind them and they'd all proved useful; he still wishes he'd at least had a say in it.

By the time the young couple made it to his kitchen he'd just finished setting the table.

It was a rather quiet affair with everyone deep in thought.

Parker's mood seemed to lift somewhat with her favorite dish.

Hardison didn't make a peep about the routine dinner selection's change, probably anticipated it long before Eliot even decided. Smartass.

When they'd finished Hardison quickly took over cleanup without any prompting, pointedly declining offers to help.

Eliot took the opportunity to pull Parker in for a hug, physical comfort being something new they had both been slowly warming up to.

"Wanna talk about it?" he gently asked into her temple.

Shaking her head slightly she gave him a small smile. "I think you get it," she whispered back.

He spotted Hardison observing from the doorway, kitchen and table clean, lights ready to be turned off for the night. Waited for the moment to end he prompted, "Movie night? My vote's on Elf."

Parker's eyes lit up further as she dragged Eliot with her through the door. With each of the boy's hands in one of hers, no one let go the whole way there.

With credits rolling and twin snores coming from his chest-turned-pillow Eliot let himself relax.

It wasn't a good position for either to stay in long but he could wait and carry them each to bed after his 90 minutes of shut-eye.

'It's so right. It' not enough. It's too much.'

He'll take what he can get.

If he happened to stay knocked out for roughly 150 minutes, well that's no one's business but his own.

~*~

Hardison wakes up slowly and groggily. Parker curled up on his left with the demented baby-doll sandwiched between them.

His heart stops momentarily in fear that the doll has eaten and replaced Eliot between them before his brain catches up with his nose. Coffee and turkey bacon.

He and Parker's stomachs let out simultaneous loud gurgles that wake the blonde up.

"Morning," she whispers into his lips before her head swivels around in search of something. Not finding whatever it is in his room she drops a quick kiss to the dolls cheek and darts off the bathroom to start her morning routine.

He doesn't know why he's still laying there, basically cuddling the doll but he is.

Waking himself up further he makes the bed, tucking the thing in since he thinks it'll make Parker happy, he then makes his way down to the kitchen in nothing but his sweats.

He doesn't remember changing but it's not the first time Eliot's taken some liberties after they've fallen asleep on him. He originally thought the line about only sleeping 90 minutes a day was bullshit but turns out the guy was rounding up for their sake. It was more like 40 any time Hardison caught him and accidently woke him up breathing too loud from another room altogether.

Speaking of liberties, looks like the laundry has been done, plants watered, den put back together and local news playing lowly from one of the speakers.

Megabyte walked, fed and sleeping soundly by the door to his room. The dog somehow has already learned that he won't be getting table scraps and instead guards over him while Eliot and Parker are preoccupied.

Alec really wishes he could get them to move in already.

He gets that they need their own safehouses for peace of mind and all that but he never feels this settled and complete when he wakes up alone or to his admittedly horrible housekeeping habits.

He's gotten a set of drawers and closet space set aside for things Parker's left over and Eliot has 2 emergency bags, one in the closet one in the back of the secluded garage unit. There's a drawer dedicated to nothing but new, unopened, toothbrushes in the bathroom since both of them are weird about letting 'theirs' out of their 'sights'. The kitchen is pretty much off limits to the couple in fear they'd burn down all the hard work stealthily customized for the brute. The ventilation shafts were one of the first things he'd looked into before signing.

He may or may not have put the lease in the names of each of their three aliases, it's not like they pay that close attention to his paperwork anyway. He'd be insulted if the blind faith didn't do funny things to his chest.

He doesn't even care how long the day is about to get, the morning was perfect enough to carry his good mood through.

Or… so he thought.

~*~

"All right, cut," Eliot turns off the camera after Hardison's educational bit. "Dude, how do you come up with this crap?" He'd be impressed if he wasn't avoiding the 'Hardison will make a good dad - wait that means Parker would be a mom - who would I be to them' train(wreck) of thought.

"I studied early-childhood development. Look, man. Video's done. I make it seem like I'm talking to hundreds, upload it to the blogger mom sites, we're good to go."

"Dude, the blogger moms?" He knew it was gonna come up, Nate told them the plan last night. It was going to continue being a thing, doesn't mean he's looking forward to it.

"Yes, blogger moms. They talk about parenthood, schools, life at home. You get one of these sites to endorse you, your toy's gonna go viral. Trust me."

So not helping avoiding the 'Hardison's gonna be a good parent' topic.

An example of said blog is brought up with an attractive enough woman in the profile.

"That's a blogger mom?" he can't help but ask, not because she'd pretty, even though she is, but because of her eyes. She doesn't look tired, or proud; just like she knows she'd pretty and that's enough to give her a platform. The cheerleading job was enough to remind him that that's all that people really need, unfortunately, but with what he's seen his life he wouldn't give her the time of day for any level of credibility. Maybe not even an avocado toast recipe.

"Ah, Chardonnay Mom? Yeah, that's Allie Stanbrook. She runs one of the top blogger sites in the nation. She's local, too. PDX, baby," there's something in Hardison's tone that suggests he's on the same page as Eliot about her but when he looks over it's obviously not that.

Chardonnay Mom? Yeah, he can see her towing the line between believable caretaker and wine-snob.

Here we go, not like he has many choices here.

"All right, look, listen to me, if I'm gonna do this, all right, I want to be tough dad. You know what I mean? Cool dad. Just enough to turn her head. Don't go overboard on this. Keep it simple. You know, someone who's not afraid to make a PB&J, but still wants to go out in the yard, get dirty, kick the soccer ball around. Strict... but fair."

He's projecting, he knows it.

But my god he can't avoid the downward spiral of his thoughts.

If Hardison and Parker ever do want kids, that's the kind of uncle he want to be.

~*~

"After my wife passed, it was, um, it was very tough for me and my son, Dashiel, to communicate."

Well, it's been hard for him to communicate. Period. Let alone with the two adults he's unceremoniously adopted, but the best lies lie closest to the truth. Even if the imaginary kid's name is a nightmare in and of itself.

"But, that's when Baby Feels-A-Lot came into our lives. And, yeah, listen, don't get me wrong. I’m-I'm one of those dads, I had a problem with my son playing with a doll. But… I'll tell you something. It worked. We were talking again. You know, we were father and son. And I felt the duty. I had to get this out there. I had to let the other dads know what this product did for us. So, I started a blog."

Well, Hardison started a blog, and put his face on it.

Eliot feels creepy talking to these women. They all have kids, those kids have fathers, and they're looking at him like they want more. They think that he'll be for their kids what he appears to be for his own. And the widower persona hits a little too close to home remembering his own dad.

There's no way he'd have lived in an area like this growing up. He doesn't think he'd want to. One of their kids is probably name Skyler or Fennel or some crap. Sam. Sam was a good name for Nate to choose.

They still don't know what Parker's birth name is, and that's fine with him. He doesn't know if Alec is short for anything either. It's kind of Sophie's thing that Nate doesn't know her name, or pretends not to?

He's never thought one way or the other on his own. He tried to go by Spencer for a bit but felt to militaria.

Eliot doesn't even know why he's thinking about it.

It's never been a problem before, not since high school.

Since Aimee…

'Time to go.'

~*~

Alec can't believe this is his life right now. Sending Eliot off to mingle, and probably hook up flirt with the Desperate Housewives of Portland while he stews at his computer over what kind of parent Eliot would make.

Not just think about it, write it.

He listened to the few directions Eliot gave him, he swears he did. It was said with such conviction, like he'd been thinking about it. Like he wanted it.

Alec wanted it for him too one day, he does.

But selfishly he doesn't.

That would mean letting him leave.

Be something else for someone else.

Would he still protect and coddle he and Parker?

He knows they'd stay in touch, that they're stuck with eachother. He already had the schematics set aside and started for their next lives together as robots. Even though Eliot said he didn't want it, he's getting it.

Alec always knew he'd have kids one day.

Multiple, whether they were little carbon copies of himself or adopted like he was.

But now he has Parker, and they actually have to talk about those kinds of things.

'Fuck. Does Parker even want kids one day? It's a big enough deal she sees them as family now. Focus! Stew later, blog now.'

So he starts to reminisce about the father he wanted. The man missing from his life until Nate and Eliot came along.

He thinks about the adventures they've already been on, like finally trying the sandwich named after the guy after his evolution into loving baseball. It was almost as good as the sandwich he stole out the fridge so long ago. The one he thought was made for him after realizing how close attention Eliot paid to each of their preferences.

Firmly pushing any identity confusion into the 'never to be touched' folder of his mega-brain, Hardison let's the words flow freely.

It's an emotional roller-coaster, knowing that the team will be reading this, but it's also freeing. An outlet he didn't realize he needed right now. There are several entries he locks away not to ever be shared but he eventually edits it down into creative entries that highlight Eliot as he would be.

In another life. One untainted by the violence of his past.

'If only they'd met far sooner.'

Indulging himself with gummy frogs and orange soda Eliot's voice echoes in his head.

That they're not food.

That food is life and he needs to care more about what he's doing to his body.

He doesn't notice he can't finish the bag, replacing the urge for more by sucking on his thumb in between typing sessions.

He's barefoot, last year's Christmas present wrapped securely around his shoulders. A black and blue blanket Eliot had obviously crocheted himself, even if he hadn't verified the fact.  Megabyte curled up on his right and Baby-Feels-A-Lot in his lap.

It's growing on him, sue him.

Parker pointed out how similar his scowl was to Eliot after he caught her calling it Mini-Eliot and now he can't un-see it.

Blogs posted and queued up Alec remains in his little bubble for a while, enjoying the floaty headspace he's slipped into while it lasts. Soon they'll be back on the grind and this will all have been just another project for the job. They'll move on and forget he'd blended up his projection of 'Future Parent Eliot' with 'Father He Never Got to Have' all balanced and stuck to stern but protective 'Daddy Eliot' caricature.

Trying not to startle himself into being big enough to analyze any of that Alec cuddles his doggy and his girlfriend's dolly and falls into an uneasy sleep.

~*~

"Okay, I've written 3 months' worth of blogs for our sensitive dad over here. I got prices for the braces, Dashiel's chess club…" Alec still feels a little out of it after his impromptu nap earlier but the change of scenery into the office and Nate's intense presence help pull him back.

"You put in there we went to the Super Bowl?" Eliot sounds incredulous. Why? They were supposed to go together before job got in the way. Alec suspects he wasn't supposed to know Eliot had gotten them tickets but what did he expect when Alec was the wizard behind their identities and finances. It even helped him build a few files on Eliot's mysterious 'buddies.'

"Oh, yeah, man, yeah. You even met some of the players. Now, what I was thinking... Tell me what you feel. Ah, you guys go on like a-a road trip cross-country, you do a tour, something like that." Parker will still want to jump off of stuff but Eliot's been trying to get him to go camping. This is kind of his way of breaking down and agreeing to go, without the humiliation of actually having to say it.

"Yeah, I like that. I like that. Or... And I'm just gonna put this out there... What if I took him on a tour of all the ball parks in America? Hardison, huh? Or maybe took him to the opera or the moon, huh? Believable father-and-son stuff!"

"A little focus," Nate tries to intervene.

"Look at the picture he used, man!"

'What's wrong with the picture?!' It's one of Alec's favorites. He barely has any pictures of Eliot's truly infectious smile. He feels himself bristle and get defensive. He's not in the place he needs to be to have this conversation. It's like dry ice being pursed down the back of his shirt in less than 3 seconds flat.

"Hey, hey. Excuse me, man. I'm sorry if this kind of writing opens me up creatively. I'm stuck looking at codes all day. Maybe I was writing the father that I wanted one day," woops. He stutters to carry on, "What's the problem with getting emotionally butt naked?" Please shut him up!

"Oh, please, don't. Please, we-we don't want to see that," Nate's presence is both a blessing and a curse.

"I'm trying to share my feelings on paper," Hardison lets that be his final piece.

"Please, please don't. Now listen, Hardison, I'm very happy with your creativity and everything, but what I want to know is, what do you have on the blogger moms about Eliot?"

'Whoop-da-dee-fucking-doo…'

"Oh, what did the mamas say? Oh, what are they saying about the sensitive dad? I got something for you. I got something for your ass," he pulls up the tabs he couldn't bring himself to close after reading. "Boom. Chardonnay Mama. She cute, though, ain't she fine? Look what she says. 'Oh, this week, I was introduced to an amazing new toy called Baby Feels-A-Lot, thanks to a gentleman who couldn't be more kind, more handsome, or more sensitive single dad.' You don't deserve none of that!" Hardison pointedly ignores Eliot preening. It's usually kind of cute but today it just sucks.

"Now how are we doing with the toy's popularity?" Nate moves the conversation along.

"Saturation indexes are ticking up 'cause I did my job."

And just like that they're moving on to Sophie's update.

~*~

The job wrapped up rather nicely. Hazlit publicly humiliated, dangerous toy not going to market, Eldon getting his dream job. Eliot even got to avoid the blogger moms, only reaching out for the safety study and basically labeling himself celibate when their interest pressed past his boundaries.

Eliot watched Parker play with another of the same doll. He and Hardison had been given their own for Christmas, "Promise me those things will never hit store shelves."

"Ah, I'm keeping them all to myself. I've got them lined up in my warehouse like an army of joy and rage."

"You don't ever want to be in that warehouse alone. Ever," Eliot doesn't doubt that for a second, thinking back to wonder when Hardison might have been. Parker's still very peculiar about the privacy of her things.

"I think it's really sad that we're so cynical about gifts. I used to, ah, I loved Christmas as a child," a nostalgic warmth spreads across Sophie's face.

"Yeah, well, nothing's genuine anymore," Eliot can't help himself from pointing out.... rather hypocritically.

"That's not true, no. I've been thinking about this, and yo-you know what is genuine? Trust."

"Trust?" Parker sounds so confused. Poor thing's struggled with trust is no secret to the room.

"Yes, trust. I think, no, seriously. I think we should give each other some trust for Christmas."

"What, like that exercise where you fall back and someone catches you?"

"No, not like that."

"Good, because I did that once, and I dropped the person, and they had to get stitches."

"Still hurts."

"I know."

Eliot winces in sympathy, he'd been the one to administer the stitches.

It wasn't a few, over a small area. It was 11 down the back of his shoulder, 3 blending in with his eyebrow and 5 in the left V of his hip. They still wont tell him 'where' they'd tried it.

"I just think that, well, we've been through so much together, all of us, and we should give each other something personal this year, like, um, I don't know, a story or a secret."

Does he really need to be here for this? Eliot looks at his empty wrist pretending to check the time. Like he's got anywhere to be after this besides another movie night at Hardison's.

Thing is, he still got them presents.

Not everybody, but he saw them displayed in the window while they'd been out and couldn't help himself. He knows they'd been bummed and stressing over the 'Stealing Christmas' mess. What was he supposed to do? Continue watching the frown? He'd rather chop off hit foot with a spoon. But that's for later.

"No, come on. Bear with me, please. Please. Who's gonna go first?"

"Eliot."

'Really Parker?' Eliot can't help puffing out his chest a little bit, of course she saw the opportunity and snatched it.

Nate takes the 'head of the table' role upon himself to go first. Eliot doesn't let it bother him since he is kind of like a surrogate parent to the couple with Sophie having made the suggestion.

"All right. When I was a kid, I wanted a trumpet one Christmas. My father played Sinatra all the time, and, ah, Sinatra had this trumpet player named 'Sweets' Edison, Harry 'Sweets' Edison. Great sound, amazing. I wanted to sound just like him, you know? Christmas rolled around, and, ah, there was no trumpet, just a pack of baseball cards. My father said that Santa must have had a-a rough year at the track. So, there's... Anyway, a couple of days later, I wake up in my bed, and at the foot of the bed is, ah, is a trumpet. It's all tarnished and dinged up, my dad probably rolled somebody for it, but-but there it is. And I, ah, I played that trumpet every day for 10 years. You know, I never, I never ah, ended up sounding like ah, 'Sweets' Edison, but…"

Hardison looks down and Eliot want Nate to finish up so they can move on.

"So, I gave it to, um, I gave it to Sam on his 8th birthday."

Now Parker's looking down. Does he not see what reminding them of the child he's pretending to replace with them does? How fucked up it is? They probably don't even realize they're trying to live up to the ghostly parody of a dead 8 year old.

"And that was, um, his, um, first trumpet lesson was scheduled for the day, as it turns out, that he went into the hospital. And I, so, he… I don't have anything left from my childhood, but I did keep the trumpet. I keep it on the boat."

Sophie looks sad but Eliot can't tell if it's the atmosphere that's been created or sympathy for the man she loves. Maybe both. He get's it, kinda, but the guy could at least acknowledge that they don't have to be his replacement. That he's still proud of them as they are.

"Okay, who's next?" Eliot hold his tongue and instead settles on a story that'll bring the mood back, lest Sophie start waxing poetic about Fort Devereaux or some shit.

"I've got a nephew," Eliot bites the bullet before he can chicken out.

All eyes around the table snap to him and jaws hit the floor.

"Sorta," Eliot closes his eyes and leans back as if to look through the ceiling. "J named me their son's godfather just a few months before that first job. It's why I'd tried to retire before Dubenich sent me that offer. One last score before goin straight, or as close to it as I would have let myself get. Set up a nice college fund. I still touch base maybe once a year. Never on a holiday and never on a birthday. But if anything happens to me, I trust him with you." He makes sure to look both Hardison and Parker dead in the eyes with his final statement. Leave himself open, just for a moment, to let the sincerity and desperation shine through. Prove to them that they're enough, that they're perfect the way they are.

They may live in the shadows as thieves but he won't let them live in the shadows of the dead.

They're the light he'd once lost.

And one of these day, he will die to protect them.

~*~

Parker's too choked up to share much, not even sure she's doing this trust thing right.

"I blew up my house once to get back my bunny. They said to either be a better kid, or a better thief. It's obvious which one I chose." She's quiet and a little scared, but Eliot reaches below the table to squeeze her hand and she thinks she sees pride in his eyes. "He… He's snuggled up in the middle of my money, in one of my vaults."

She did it.

She said it.

And she'd not going to lose them over it.

The same feeling she has when she's jumping blooms in her chest.

She's freefalling and knows she's safe.

She… She thinks it's safe to retrieve bunny, and let him snuggle between Mini Eliot and Hardi.

~*~

Hardison feels emotionally wrung out. First the blogging, and the accidental little-space and now this. He knows little-space is what happened the other day, it'd happened before but not that deep in a long long time. It's almost what he shares, he's dying to freely be as little as Parker sometimes lets off. But not here, Not 'yet'.

Instead, "Hell… I've been arrested in drag."

Sophie sprays Nate in the face with the water she'd been sipping.

He chuckles a bit and reminisces, "It was actually the highlight of my night. I'd gone out to this nightclub but had already been banned for 'stealing  peoples cards' even though it's not my fault the bartenders couldn't remember who was who and each one thought I was a different person. I hope they got to keep the generous tips! Anyway, I liked the place and wanted to go back, decided to experiment. Turns out I was pretty convincing until I opened my damn mouth. Not too tolerant for what later turned into a gay bar. The cop that came on shift later that night was cute and asked me to teach him how I did my eyeliner. They'd accidently mixed me in with the girls cell and we had a good ol time. I think one of em left their abusive ex and settled down with eyeliner cop's partner."

He'd avoided eye contact through the whole reveal but looking around now, he couldn't suppress his grin at the variety of responses.

Parker seemed cool with it, as if it were no different than saying 'I didn't wear green on St. Patty's, what A rebel.'

Nate looked similar to when he'd tried the first beer he'd tried to brew but wasn't disgusted. More like he was going down memory lane looking for clues he'd obviously missed. A blow to his mastermind ego but not uncomfortable.

Sophies face was brighter than the Christmas tree Parker put up in his den, and the building's electricity bill had effectively doubled that day.

'Oh god! I've just doubled the opportunity of characters for her to write! I should have gone with the little-space reveal, or that he's got a new foster sister that's trying to rival him on the web, or lie about a tattoo…'

He looks to Eliot for help and…. He thinks he broke Eliot.

~*~

Sophie better pipe the fuck up before Eliot does something very inappropriate!

His lips are dry and his vision has zeroed in on Hardison's features, imagination spinning. He sees mascara and blush and lip gloss and long legs propped up and crossed as a dress skirt teasingly falls up to reveal shaven thighs. Heels. Hardison is already taller than him, everybody is, but in heels he'd tower over him. And fearless Parker would climb that like the Empire State Building. Freefalling for him to catch and sandwich between them….

'SOPHIE?!'

His soul sister finally comes to his rescue, "Tara and I first met pretending to be lovers. My cover had gotten really rocky and in walks this confident hot blonde, just my mark's type. So I rushed over and kissed her, praying she'd play along. She did, far more effectively than I was ready for, and without any prior coordination we'd convinced everyone we would have been married by then had the laws been different. Our backstories were a little rocky at first but was easily covered up with the 'having a story for the closet' excuse. We immediately got competitive once we figured out eachother were grifters, but it took a few weeks to 'come out' as it were."

That actually makes way more sense than he wants it to. No wonder Tara was so particular when judging Nate.

Eliot finds his footing again and beams around the table. This was actually a pretty good idea.

And Nate's face was PRICELESS!

"Merry Christmas you guys."

~*~

Parker and Hardison wait (im)patiently on the couch. No sooner had they made it through the front door had Eliot pointed to the couch and told them to sit and wait a moment before disappearing into the attached garage unit. Tonight feels like a fever dream, like any moment now they'll wake up in the middle of March to go after a new mark, business as usual.

They don't want to wake up.

Before their nerves become too much, out walks Eliot, in the Santa suit!

Hardison is so glad he put security cameras in the den. He WILL have pictures, videos, of this!

Parker wiggles excitedly by his side.

Rolling his eyes and opening the Santa Sack he passes them each a perfectly wrapped box. His is blue with a black ribbon and Parker's is green with a red ribbon.

They each scoot to a side and pull the man down between them, waiting patiently for the go ahead.

Hardison's already given them their upgraded phones and personalized art pieces. After all the forgeries he's done they encouraged him they'd cherish his original work as well should he chose to pursue it. He doesn't really remember what he gave Eliot last year but he hopes he'd like it.

Parker gave them each a sketch she's made from memory how the three of them looked when they first met. He plans to mount it either over the fireplace or in the master bedroom.

Reclining back with his legs splaying out and arms resting behind them across the couch cushions, the hitter waves his hand in a smug 'what are you waiting for' gesture.

It's a race to open theirs first but happy tears spring to their eyes as they look inside.

Wood carvings stare back at them.

Beautiful mahogany whittled and grooved  and polished to display a small wolf pack.

Three wolves encompass the majority of the center, two playfully teasing the third while he stands vigilant, tails wagging. What are presumably the alpha pair in the background watching fondly and a variety of animals mixed in with the surrounding foliage. The forest community if-you-will.

The pair look to eachother in wonder, turning to the man between them and reaffirm then and there:

They're never letting him go.

They don't think he'd mind.

#roseknightred #leverage #ao3 #ot3 #alec/eliot/parker #preslash #alec hardison #eliot spencer #parker #spoilers #missing scenes #cannon complient #archive of our own #sophie devereaux #nathan ford #angst #fluff #christmas #Leverage OT3 #oops i did a thing #fanfic #fanfiction #swearing #cursing

[stories-me]

Potential Character for Mrs. Kelsey and Tumblr 9/21/2023:

Parker, the Thief of Leverage:

Background:

(Spoiler Alert! Watch out and take care!)

An expert thief, cat-burglar, pickpocket and safe-cracker, memorably referred to (by Eliot, the Hitter) as “20 pounds of crazy in a five-pound bag”. The product of an abusive childhood spent in several foster homes, Parker is awkward around other people and has a terrible understanding of social norms. Over the course of the series, she comes to regard the other members of the team as her family, and for the first time in her life, trusts someone other than herself. Sophie (the Grifter) and other members of the team have attempted to improve gaps in her social skills on numerous occasions, usually with limited success. As they become closer, Parker develops romantic feelings for Hardison (the Hacker), but her inability to properly express her feelings leads to a slow, awkward courtship. While emotionally impulsive, she can demonstrate great physical self-control in her work using acrobatics, strength, and concentration to her advantage. Parker was trained at a young age by expert thief (and recurring character) Archie Leach, and her obsessive focus on theft is to the point that her safe house is filled with gear and rappelling equipment to help her in various jobs. Parker is often sensitive to cons involving children, and at several points, the team’s other members were thrown into danger when she went off-script to ensure an at-risk child did not end up like her. In season 5’s “The Broken Wing Job”, she proves that she can handle problems on her own while the other team members are away and seems to be, with Nate’s guidance, developing her ability as a planner. In the series finale, Nate retires and leaves the team in her hands as the new Mastermind.

How she is like me:

We both have trouble fitting in with others (like I’m usually obsessed with fan fictions, at times), we’re both smart, and we’re both loyal to folks we care about. Also, we both focus on things that are important to us. By the way, I’m WORKING on fitting in with others.

Kelsey Notes:

Her “terrible understanding of social norms” can relate to the communication and social skills deficits associated with an autism diagnosis.

In the past you have been open about not feeling embarrassed until the recent years as you have progressed-

When someone feels embarrassed, they develop more motivation to be accepting of social rules that have might have been ignored in the past (i.e. realizing that its gross to fart and pick your nose in public)

In addition to your fan fiction obsession, sometimes you might let your emotions get the best of you- people are less likely to want to form a friendship with someone who is easily frustrated and raises their voice at others. 

Over the years you have progressed greatly in your ability to keep calm when in situations where small talk does not revolve fanfictions- because of this you have been able to maintain a successful zoom with your friends for quite awhile now. 

Accepting that you have difficulty in understanding social norms makes it easier for you to communicate with others that some social understandings for you are just an area of weakness. 

It does not mean that you are rude or that you don’t care, your brain is wired differently to where social rules and expectations are big picture concepts that require learning over time

Emotionally impulsive- you can relate to this when you are faced with problem solving situations that require you to wait for a solution.

 Extended time required for problem solving is difficult for you

            In these situations it is more difficult for you to control your emotions as you wait for a problem to work itself out

#I Have Autism #Autism Blog #I #Have #Autism #Blog #Stories-Me #Stories #Me #Fan Fictions #Fan Fiction #Fan #Fictions #Fiction #Leverage #Parker #Thief #TV Show #TV #Show #Con Artist #Con #Artist #Kelsey Notes #Kelsey #Notes #How She Is Like Me #How #She #Is

[nival-kenival-art]

Summary:

Three estranged triplets walk into a high school reunion with their friends/partners. What could possibly go wrong?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: Other

Fandoms: Leverage (US TV 2008) The Librarians (TV 2014) Almost Paradise (TV)

Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer Eliot Spencer (Leverage) & Jacob "Jake" Stone & Alex Walker (Almost Paradise) Cassandra Cillian & Ezekiel Jones & Jacob "Jake" Stone Ernesto Alamares & Kai Mendoza & Alex Walker

Characters: Alex Walker (Almost Paradise) Kai Mendoza Ernesto Alamares Jacob "Jake" Stone Ezekiel Jones Cassandra Cillian Eliot Spencer (Leverage) Parker (Leverage) Alec Hardison Aimee Martin

Additional Tags: Eliot Spencer and Jacob "Jake" Stone are Twins Eliot Spencer and Jacob "Jake" Stone and Alex Walker are Triplets High School Reunion Fluff Angst Family Drama faking your death as compliant to 3 different canons as I can be while ignoring the parts of canon I dislike set post season 4 of the librarians post season 5 of leverage somehwere inbetween seasons 1 and 2 of almost paradise Found Family Family Reunions Hurt/Comfort technically leverage redemption compliant but you don't need to have seen it to read this as it's set prior to redemption changed rating to teen for language there's a lot of swearing coming suicidal thoughts mentioned briefly in chapter 5 Canon-Typical Violence

Language: English

Stats: Published: 2024-03-18 Updated: 2024-03-22 Words: 6,264 Chapters: 5/?

#leverage #the librarians #almost paradise #I made sure Eliot got a hug if it's the last thing I do

[singledarkshade]

Curses

Part Three

“I can sense evil within these walls.”

Sophie, once again dressed in her Madame Zathustra costume, walked dramatically through the house with Moonflower watching her.

“It wants your energy,” Sophie continued, flouncing as she kept the other woman’s attention solely on her which allowed Breanna and Harry to get out of the house and back to the food truck.

“Can you stop it?” Moonflower asked.

“My dear child,” Sophie cooed, “I will do what I can. First, we need to connect you to the spirit of the house and find where this object is hiding.”

Moonflower frowned, “How do we do that?”

“We need to talk to the spirits within the house,” Sophie told her, “My assistant has brought the equipment necessary, and I have called an acquaintance to help me contact such a dangerous spirit, but we need at least one more person. Do you have any friends here in town? Someone close to you.”

“I just moved here but…” she paused for a moment, “I know someone I can ask.”

Sophie smiled, “They must be here before midnight.”

“He will be,” Moonflower replied, “I’ll call him now. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll make us some tea while we wait for them?”

Sophie nodded, “That sounds wonderful, and I’ll have the peach blossom tea please,” she said as she walked out the room.

Heading back to the living room, Sophie murmured, “And she’s calling?”

“Her friend the judge,” Breanna told her, before letting out an ooh, “They seem to be more than friends. Something his wife does not know about.”

Sophie chuckled, “That’s good to know. Hardison, are you joining me?”

“I am looking forward to this one,” Hardison chuckled before asking, “How weird do you want me to be?”

“Go big,” Sophie told him.

She heard him laugh in her ear and could see in her mind the childish grin on his face.

“Parker,” Sophie asked, “Are you watching the judge?”

“Yep,” Parker said, “He may be evil but the air ducts over his office are very comfortable.”

“Don’t get too comfortable, babe,” Hardison reminded her, “We need what’s in his safe.”

Parker huffed, “Fine. Even if he’s got one of the easiest in the world to open. Harry could have opened it when we first met him.”

Harry sighed, “Why am I still the low bar?”

“Just get the information on the judge we need,” Sophie told Parker before anyone could say any more.

                         *********************************************

 “What did you find out?” John asked Rip as they walked the streets of New Orleans.

“The woman that Zathustra is after is called Moonflower Watson,” Rip told him.

John snorted, “Moonflower? Please tell me her parents didn’t call her that?”

“Birth name is Marge,” Rip replied, “Looks as though she changed it herself.”

“In some ways that’s even worse,” John rolled his eyes.

Ignoring his friend, Rip continued, “Something off about the information in the local database, Geoffrey is doing a deeper check but from the basic details he found she’s just inherited a house and an antique collection from her late estranged father. Although again, something doesn’t sit right with me in this.”

John grimaced, “Like what?”

“Geoffrey has found multiple calls between Miss Watson and the judge who ruled on her case against the niece of the deceased,” Rip explained, he frowned, “It’s possible she’s stolen this inheritance.”

Rolling his eyes, John sighed, “Doesn’t matter, still can’t let the witch go after her. What one do you want?”

“I’ll take the magic one,” Rip stated sarcastically, “Nothing can go wrong that way.”

“Smug bastard,” John muttered before sighing, “Give me the address and I’ll make sure that she hasn’t managed to manifest anything yet. You check into the judge.”

Rip tapped his courier, and the address was sent to John’s phone, “Keep in touch.”

“You too,” John said catching his friend’s shoulder, “If you need to…”

“I will,” Rip cut his friend off before he opened a portal and walked through.

When Rip disappeared, John called to the empty air, “Oh no, I’ll walk.”

 -

 Stepping out the portal into the alley just behind the building, Rip looked around checking his surroundings. He paused, feeling a few tremors through his body and took a few deep breaths. Gideon was going to lecture him for at least a day once she found out he’d left the base for a mission before he had recovered fully, but he did owe John. Not to mention he knew how dangerous Zathustra and the Jade Child could be. And to do this, Rip needed to be at his best. Meaning Gideon was not going to be pleased at all.

A man left the building and Rip recognised him as the judge who awarded the inheritance to Miss Watson, part of him wanted to follow the man but another part felt it was a better idea to find out all he could about this inheritance case.

Walking into the building, Rip frowned when his courier showed the security cameras were not actively recording, instead they had been looped remotely.

“Intriguing,” he murmured, “Geoffrey, scan the system. Can you find me who has looped the security cameras?”

“Not directly, Captain Hunter,” Geoffrey informed him, “The systems have been infiltrated by an experienced and talented hacker.”

“Well at least we’re up against someone who is good at their job,” Rip sighed, “Where is the Judge’s office?”

“End of the hall and turn left,” Geoffrey told him, “Third door on the right.”

Rip walked softly through the corridors making sure that he would not be caught on camera, even though they were currently not recording live. Reaching the corner, Geoffrey suddenly spoke again.

“There is someone in the office,” Geoffrey told him.

Rip frowned, “Who?”

“Unknown but she is currently rifling through the judge’s safe.”

“Interesting,” Rip murmured, he moved and slid a small drone to the door activating it so he could see inside the room.

Checking the feed on the courier, Rip frowned as he watched the blonde looking through the safe, she was talking to herself, tossing things out her way that she wasn’t interested in before taking an envelope. Rip grimaced, hoping that was not what he’d been looking for, but he was almost completely sure it was. Confirmed when he heard her let out a soft cry of triumph before saying, “Watson.”

Heading out the building he had the drone follow the woman so he could run into her and retrieve the information himself.

Holding out his hand, Rip saw the tiny tremors and knew he needed to stop them for a while at least.

“Captain, is that wise?” Geoffrey asked as Rip took out a small silver tube out of his pocket.

“Possibly not,” Rip replied pressing the end to his wrist and injecting himself, “But right now it’s my only option.”

Rip reached the car park and spotted the blonde practically skipping out the building.

“Oh good,” Rip waved to her acting like Phil, but with his own accent, “A person. Sorry to bother you but I’m here on holiday, went for a walk, I got turned around and I’m lost. To add to the fun my phone is dead. You wouldn’t happen to know how to get back to the Lillian hotel?”

The woman looked at him suspiciously, but Rip knew his accent and Phil’s physicality sold the tourist bit and choosing the name of one of the more boutique hotels helped.

“You’re not that far away,” she said, “Head back the way you came and turn right when you leave the carpark, walk six blocks and you’re there.”

Rip shook his head, “I’m so glad my wife isn’t here. You have no idea how mocked I will be if she finds out,” offering his hand, Rip smiled when she shook it, “Thank you for your help.”

Heading away he made sure it looked as though he was following her instructions before he opened the portal and headed back to his base with the envelope he’d lifted from the blonde woman in his pocket.

 -

 Parker watched the man walk away making sure he was gone before she headed for the car to return to the offices and check the information that she’d taken from Judge Green’s safe. Annoyance, and indignation filled her to discover that the man she’d given directions to had actually picked her pocket.

Eliot was never going to let her forget this.

She vowed revenge against whoever he was but also began to wonder why this man had wanted the information she had and what his connection was to their marks.

“Someone stole from you?” Hardison asked slowly, after Parker explained what had happened as she headed to the car.

She pursed her lips together, easily able to envision Hardison’s bemused face and her jaw clenched even more. She swung the car out of the carpark making several other cars honk at her.

“Do you have any idea where he went?” Sophie asked before anyone could make another comment to irritate Parker.

“He asked about the Lilian Hotel,” Parker said, “But that could have been just a ruse.”

“Still best to check it out,” Sophie mused, “Eliot, can you and Jonas take the food-truck and go have a look for this man, try to retrieve the documents we need them to get the judge. Jonas, stay in the van. Parker, I need you here at the house to help with the séance.”

Parker let out an annoyed huff before saying, “Fine. But if you do find him, then I want him kept somewhere I can take a piece of him. I also want to steal his coat.”

“Coat?” Jonas asked suddenly.

“Fine,” Sophie said, “Back to work everyone.”

 -

 Hardison was dressed all in black and after Parker had mentioned a coat, he found a long black one which would give him an impressive entrance. Reaching the door, he knocked and stood waiting, he held his hands in front of his face with his fingers and thumbs pressed together.

“I am here,” he intoned when Moonflower opened the door, “The spirits have called me.”

Sophie stepped forward, “My dear friend, Phantasma. It has been too long.”

Hardison dipped his head, “Zathustra, you are still as beautiful and bright as your aura.”

“This is Moonflower,” Sophie introduced, resting her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, “She is the one I have called you here to help.”

Hardison looked at the other woman and giving a horrified gasp cried dramatically, “Your aura is dark, a shadow has covered it like oil. We must clean it.”

“Which is why I asked you here,” Sophie smiled at him before turning to Moonflower, “All we need now is your friend.”

“He’s on his way,” Moonflower told them.

Hardison nodded, “Excellent.”

                         *********************************************

 Rip sat on the couch gripping the arm as he waited for the painful tremors to stop.

“Captain Hunter,” Geoffrey said, “You should not have used the stabiliser, it has interfered with your treatment.”

“I get enough lecturing from Gideon,” Rip snapped through gritted teeth, “I knew what I was doing. We need this information.”

Geoffrey said nothing, the silence speaking volumes.

“I didn’t think any AI other than Gideon could do passive aggressive,” Rip muttered, sighing as the tremor finally subsided, “How long until I can get my next treatment?”

“Three hours is the best option,” Geoffrey told him, “But I can give you it within the next twenty minutes at the earliest although I advise against it.”

Rip nodded, “Prepare it while I look over what I have. Did you find any information on who looped the cameras and who the woman I lifted these from is?”

“I do, Captain,” Geoffrey told him, “The woman had multiple aliases, but I managed to find a record to confirm her true identity. The hacker is connected with her.”

“On screen,” Rip ordered, staring in amazement when he read the information. “Is this right?” he demanded.

Geoffrey’s hologram appeared before him, “Of course, Captain.”

“I stole something from Parker?” he laughed, “One of the greatest thieves of all time.” He paused as realisation sunk in, “This is Leverage, we’ve somehow ended up crossing paths with the main Leverage team.” He gave a laugh again as this was a group of people he’d never expected to meet before he grimaced, “Bollocks, John. Geoffrey, call him.” “Mr Constantine is not answering his phone.”

Rip sighed, “Of course he isn’t.”

“Captain, I have scanned the city for the communications web that the Leverage team used,” Geoffrey told him, “I have located two of their team at the Lilian hotel. I believe they are looking for you.”

Rip chewed his lip in thought, “Scan the documents, once I have my treatment then I’ll return the information. I have a feeling they need it to put away someone hurting people.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“And keep trying Constantine.”

#ripfic #leverage redemption #sophie devereaux #alec hardison #parker #eliot spencer #harry wilson #breanna casey #legends of tomorrow #jonas hunter #rip hunter #John Constantine #crossover #friendship #family

[faorism]

with a love so deep and warm and true [masterpost]

a 50k parker-centric character study, featuring ot3 and all of the significant friendships in parkers life. most fanart is sfw and can be shared without connection to the fic itself other than my mention of it in the body of the post. please note that while this is not a dark fic, this fiction is an extended depiction of a character reclaiming intimacy, healing their relationship to their body, and establishing a sense of safety after experiencing childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a foster parent. as such, it includes many major themes that many readers may want to skip. full list of tags and content warnings are included on ao3, but some major ones are csa, food issues, light d/s, canon character death, references to alcoholism and sobriety, homelessness, and ableism. please take care if you choose to read.

read on ao3: Parker chose young to be really good at being bad—the very best—and since has made a lot of other choices of similar magnitude, like falling in love and in friendship, like seeking help and support, like deciding to not be alone anymore, and (perhaps the hardest of all) finding shelter for a wounded heart. || Eleven times Parker shares a bed and heals along the way.

tumblr promo post, with parker fanart in the header.

i'll be your shelter by taylor dane [lyrics used for title]: version one and version two, both are highly recommended.

parker/hardison [fanart]: Shortly after Dubai, when Hardison hums to her to keep her calm and proves he's got her back and won't let her fall, it starts to click for Parker. Slowly. Surely. And maybe it started before that, too. But…Parker looks at Hardison after Dubai and thinks, yes. She kisses Hardison and thinks, can't wait for the next one. She gets sleepy after playing video games with him and thinks, maybe tonight I stay.

parker/hardison/eliot [fanart]: They are in sync, coordinated through their familiarity built over the past four and a half years. It's why they came back after every walk away, and it's why they own a brewpub together now, and it's what saved them in DC, and it's why when they do finally do it for the first time, Parker knows it's gonna be so good; it's a familiarity held within this potential thing between them for as long as they've kept it, even before Parker and Hardison named for each other Eliot's place in their hearts.

parker & peggy [fanart]: Friendship is a kind of work. It’s a kind of opening up. It’s a kind of something. Something stable. Something important. Parker wants Peggy to know Parker as herself. It’s not a question of if that’s gonna happen—Parker realizes just before she closes her eyes to sleep—but when.

bunny | parker/eliot | parker & bre | parker & hurley [four fanart grouping]: She chose to be good as a bad guy, and she's long chosen to be herself, and she's chosen to fall in love and in friendship, and she's chosen to not be alone in leadership. And that background has given her the ability to become an awesome boss and, she thinks, a good partner and a fun friend.

parker | parker & sophie | parker & nate [three fanart grouping]: She sinks into the vanity chair, ignoring how unnerved she feels at the faint line of her reflection in the mirror. Parker is used to the slivers of herself caught in lowlight, obviously, but there's a humility in how she's hunched that makes even this—a contour in her periphery—seem like a stranger rather than a friend.

#with a love so deep and warm and true #of hearth and home and other promises #faorism work

[aj-lenoire]

nate: hardison get in the car!

hardison: no!! you killed lucille!

nate: HARDISON FORD YOU GET IN THIS CAR RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME—

#eliot‚ slamming the steering wheel: GET IN THE CAR #hardison: man‚ shut up! why don’t we blow up one of YOUR prized possessions and see how you take it? huh? #eliot‚ leaning across nate to yell at hardison: GET IN THE DAMN CAR OR I’M DRIVIN’ OFF WITHOUT YOU #hardison: give me your ponytail—blow it up right here‚ right now. see how you like it. #eliot: that’s it—I’M GONNA LEAVE HIM #nate: eliot you are not driving off without him—hardison PLEASE just get in #hardison: no! you ignored us! #nate‚ leaning out of the passenger side window: HARDISON GET IN THE CAR #hardison: NOT UNTIL YOU APOLOGISE #nate: GET IN THE GODDAMN CAR—DON’T MAKE ME CALL YOUR MOTHER #hardison‚ getting into the car: kiss my ass >:( #this episode is hilarious #honestly hardison was the MVP here #(which is twice as funny to say considering eliot was LITERALLY an mvp this episode) #he was just excellent all the way down‚ bravo #i’m still losing my shit over the japanese commercial—AND THAT ELIOT WAS SO DELIGHTED BY IT #also eliot is a damn slick driver??? #leverage #2.14 the three strikes job #alec hardison #nate ford #aj watches #aj watches leverage #found family