Fic: Togetherness (Leverage, Eliot/Hardison + Parker, PG)
Title: Togetherness
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1514
Pairing/Characters: Eliot/Alec + Parker
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: High School AU. Alec’s dreams of alone time with Eliot are thwarted by Parker.
Notes: This was written for hs_bingo for the prompt “jealousy." Takes place in the same ‘verse Bad Boys and Old Band Rooms, but you don’t need to have read that story to understand this one.
The first time Alec met Parker she put paste in his hair.
He had been in the third grade, and Mrs. McCoy had hustled him over to the arts and crafts table, telling him in a hushed whisper to “be nice to the poor thing.” The poor thing, as it turned out, had been Parker, the new girl in school. She had been quiet and dainty, and Alec had fallen in love with her instantly. And he had remained in love with her for exactly seventeen minutes.
And then Parker had put paste in his hair, and Alec had run crying to his teacher. Then and there, he had decided that their love was not meant to be. Heck, he didn’t even like her anymore.
Over the years, Alec’s distaste for Parker had progressed to tolerance, and by the time they were in high school, they had even developed on odd sort of friendship. They didn’t really hang out together or anything. But Alec tried to sit with Parker at lunch every day, and he volunteered to be her lab partner in Chemistry. He certainly liked her a lot more than most of the other kids in their school did, even if he thought she was a little weird. About the only other person who even gave her a chance was Eliot.
Eliot was Alec’s boyfriend-the first proper boyfriend he’d ever had, in fact. It had been two weeks since they had shared their first kiss in the old band room of their high school. Since then, they’d done a lot more kissing and a little bit of touching (though not nearly as much as Alec would have liked). But finding time to be alone together was proving to be a challenge. Alec’s house was out of the question. Between Nana and all his foster siblings, there was just no privacy. And though Eliot was an only child, his parents always seemed to be hovering nearby.
So when Eliot’s parents had announced they were going to visit relatives for the weekend and were leaving their son home by himself, it had seemed like the perfect opportunity for Alec and Eliot to finally have some alone time. Alec figured they could spend the evenings doing all sorts of things to each other without well-meaning parents or nosy siblings poking their heads in.
And then Eliot had decided to adopt Parker.
Eliot, as it turned out, liked to take care of people. He was what Nana liked to call a nurturer. He helped little old ladies carry their groceries up to their front doors; he defended smaller classmates from bullies; and he went out of his way to befriend the shy, awkward kid who didn’t have many other friends.
So instead of making out like the horny teenagers they were, Alec and Eliot were currently sitting on the couch in Eliot’s living room watching Die Hard with Parker sandwiched between them. Eliot had his arm around Parker and was tossing popcorn into her open mouth.
“Why doesn’t he have shoes on?” Parker asked.
Eliot waved at the screen. “He took ‘em off or something, ‘member?”
Parker frowned. “But it’s not practical for him to fight terrorists without shoes on.”
“It’s not supposed to be practical, Parker,” Eliot said gruffly. “It’s more realistic this way.”
“Hold up,” Alec said. “You think this is realistic?”
Eliot learned forward so he could look straight at Alec. “Well, it’s more realistic than him just happening to have combat boots and a flak jacket on.”
“Yeah, definitely more realistic,” Parker said, snuggling against Eliot’s shoulder.
Alec focused his eyes on the screen and tried not to notice Parker using his boyfriend as pillow. A very comfortable pillow, from the looks of things. After a few minutes, he sat straight up. “So, Parker,” he said. “You gonna need us to give you a ride home? I could take you now if you want.”
Eliot leaned forward again. “We’re watching a movie, man.”
“I’m just thinking of her,” Alec mumbled.
Parker patted Alec on the knee. “I don’t have to be home for a long time anyway,” she said brightly. “I can stay here with you guys all night!”
“Great,” Alec said, as he let his head fall against the back of the couch.
For about thirty minutes, Parker and Eliot chatted back and forth about the movie, and Alec sat with his arms folded across his chest. He couldn’t help but scowl at them every now and then. And fidget in his seat. And complain about being thirsty.
“Boy, am I thirsty,” he said, just as Eliot was making a point about why Bruce Willis was a badass. “Anybody else thirsty?”
“Go get a drink,” Eliot said, his eyes glued to the screen. “You know where the kitchen is.”
“Nah,” Alec said. “I can wait.” He cleared his throat.
Shooting Alec a look, Eliot leaned forward and pressed the pause button on the DVD player. “I’m gonna call and order the pizza now,” he said. “And get the grouch a drink.” He leaned forward and patted Alec on the shoulder. “My mom got that orange stuff you like.”
“Yeah,” Alec said without enthusiasm. “All right.”
After Eliot disappeared into the kitchen, Parker scooted closer and closer to Alec until she was right up against him. She stared at him for a moment, as if he was some strange puzzle she was trying to figure out. After a few seconds, she said, “You’re acting very weird tonight.”
Alec inched away from her. “I’m acting like I always do.”
“No,” she said. “You’re acting weirder than usual.”
“No, I’m not.” Alec stood up. “Man can’t be thirsty?”
Parker lifted herself off the couch and gazed intently at Alec. “I did something, didn’t I?”
Alec shoved his hands into his pockets. “No,” he said. “You didn’t do anything. You’re being nice and friendly. Very friendly.”
She let out a breath. “This is like the paste incident all over again,” she said.
“What?” He stared at her, trying to work out what paste had to do with anything.
She shook her head and headed toward the stairs. “One minute we’re getting along just fine, and the next minute, you’re hiding behind Mrs. McCoy.”
Alec threw his hands up. “Why you bringing up Mrs. McCoy?”
Frowning at Alec, she started up the stairs. “I’m going to the bathroom. Maybe you’ll be normal when I come back down.”
As Parker disappeared up the stairs, the kitchen door swung open, and Eliot walked into the room. “Here’s your drink,” he said, thrusting a bottle of orange soda into Alec’s hand. He glanced around the room. “Where’s Parker?”
“Her?” Alec said, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “She went to the bathroom.”
Eliot narrowed his eyes at Alec. “Okay, so you gonna tell me what’s bothering you?”
“Nothing bothering me.”
“Then why are you being a pain in the ass?”
“Aw, now that hurts.”
“It’s true,” Eliot said. “Did I do something to piss you off?”
“No.” Alec took a sip of orange soda, then sat down on the arm of the couch. “I just… I didn’t think I was gonna spend the night watching some hot chick with her hands all over my boyfriend.”
Eliot broke into a broad grin. “You’re jealous?”
Alec made a face. “Naw, I’m not jealous. Please.” He stood up and started to pace. “Jealous, my ass.”
“Look,” Eliot said. “She’s my friend. Last time I checked, she was your friend, too.”
“I know,” Alec said. He stopped pacing and turned toward Eliot. “It’s just… she’s getting all the Eliot time. I’m just sitting there, all the way on the other side of the couch. By myself.”
Eliot started to chuckle but then bit down on his bottom lip “Would it make happy if I sat in the middle?”
Alec reached a hand forward and ran his index finger along Eliot’s bottom lip. “Maybe a little.”
Grinning, Eliot grabbed Alec’s hand and placed a light kiss to his palm. “Done,” he said. “And for the record, the jealous thing is kind of cute. Unless you hurt Parker’s feelings… then it won’t be cute anymore.”
“I know,” Alec said sheepishly. “I’m kind of new at this boyfriend thing.”
Eliot smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Are we good now?”
“Yeah,” Alec said. “We’re good.”
“Good,” Parker said from the top of the stairs. “I was getting really sick of hiding up there.”
“How long were you there?” Alec asked, his fingers tightening on the bottle of orange soda.
She smirked. “Long enough to know you think I’m hot,” she said, breezing by the boys and plunking down on the couch. “Do you think I’m hot too, Eliot?”
“We both do, sweetheart,” Eliot said with a grin. He grabbed Alec’s arm and sat down next to Parker, pulling Alec along with him.
Parker looked at Eliot and shook her head. “I think Alec’s still mad I put paste in his hair,” she said.
When Eliot raised an eyebrow, Alec said, “Long story.”
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1514
Pairing/Characters: Eliot/Alec + Parker
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: High School AU. Alec’s dreams of alone time with Eliot are thwarted by Parker.
Notes: This was written for hs_bingo for the prompt “jealousy." Takes place in the same ‘verse Bad Boys and Old Band Rooms, but you don’t need to have read that story to understand this one.
The first time Alec met Parker she put paste in his hair.
He had been in the third grade, and Mrs. McCoy had hustled him over to the arts and crafts table, telling him in a hushed whisper to “be nice to the poor thing.” The poor thing, as it turned out, had been Parker, the new girl in school. She had been quiet and dainty, and Alec had fallen in love with her instantly. And he had remained in love with her for exactly seventeen minutes.
And then Parker had put paste in his hair, and Alec had run crying to his teacher. Then and there, he had decided that their love was not meant to be. Heck, he didn’t even like her anymore.
Over the years, Alec’s distaste for Parker had progressed to tolerance, and by the time they were in high school, they had even developed on odd sort of friendship. They didn’t really hang out together or anything. But Alec tried to sit with Parker at lunch every day, and he volunteered to be her lab partner in Chemistry. He certainly liked her a lot more than most of the other kids in their school did, even if he thought she was a little weird. About the only other person who even gave her a chance was Eliot.
Eliot was Alec’s boyfriend-the first proper boyfriend he’d ever had, in fact. It had been two weeks since they had shared their first kiss in the old band room of their high school. Since then, they’d done a lot more kissing and a little bit of touching (though not nearly as much as Alec would have liked). But finding time to be alone together was proving to be a challenge. Alec’s house was out of the question. Between Nana and all his foster siblings, there was just no privacy. And though Eliot was an only child, his parents always seemed to be hovering nearby.
So when Eliot’s parents had announced they were going to visit relatives for the weekend and were leaving their son home by himself, it had seemed like the perfect opportunity for Alec and Eliot to finally have some alone time. Alec figured they could spend the evenings doing all sorts of things to each other without well-meaning parents or nosy siblings poking their heads in.
And then Eliot had decided to adopt Parker.
Eliot, as it turned out, liked to take care of people. He was what Nana liked to call a nurturer. He helped little old ladies carry their groceries up to their front doors; he defended smaller classmates from bullies; and he went out of his way to befriend the shy, awkward kid who didn’t have many other friends.
So instead of making out like the horny teenagers they were, Alec and Eliot were currently sitting on the couch in Eliot’s living room watching Die Hard with Parker sandwiched between them. Eliot had his arm around Parker and was tossing popcorn into her open mouth.
“Why doesn’t he have shoes on?” Parker asked.
Eliot waved at the screen. “He took ‘em off or something, ‘member?”
Parker frowned. “But it’s not practical for him to fight terrorists without shoes on.”
“It’s not supposed to be practical, Parker,” Eliot said gruffly. “It’s more realistic this way.”
“Hold up,” Alec said. “You think this is realistic?”
Eliot learned forward so he could look straight at Alec. “Well, it’s more realistic than him just happening to have combat boots and a flak jacket on.”
“Yeah, definitely more realistic,” Parker said, snuggling against Eliot’s shoulder.
Alec focused his eyes on the screen and tried not to notice Parker using his boyfriend as pillow. A very comfortable pillow, from the looks of things. After a few minutes, he sat straight up. “So, Parker,” he said. “You gonna need us to give you a ride home? I could take you now if you want.”
Eliot leaned forward again. “We’re watching a movie, man.”
“I’m just thinking of her,” Alec mumbled.
Parker patted Alec on the knee. “I don’t have to be home for a long time anyway,” she said brightly. “I can stay here with you guys all night!”
“Great,” Alec said, as he let his head fall against the back of the couch.
For about thirty minutes, Parker and Eliot chatted back and forth about the movie, and Alec sat with his arms folded across his chest. He couldn’t help but scowl at them every now and then. And fidget in his seat. And complain about being thirsty.
“Boy, am I thirsty,” he said, just as Eliot was making a point about why Bruce Willis was a badass. “Anybody else thirsty?”
“Go get a drink,” Eliot said, his eyes glued to the screen. “You know where the kitchen is.”
“Nah,” Alec said. “I can wait.” He cleared his throat.
Shooting Alec a look, Eliot leaned forward and pressed the pause button on the DVD player. “I’m gonna call and order the pizza now,” he said. “And get the grouch a drink.” He leaned forward and patted Alec on the shoulder. “My mom got that orange stuff you like.”
“Yeah,” Alec said without enthusiasm. “All right.”
After Eliot disappeared into the kitchen, Parker scooted closer and closer to Alec until she was right up against him. She stared at him for a moment, as if he was some strange puzzle she was trying to figure out. After a few seconds, she said, “You’re acting very weird tonight.”
Alec inched away from her. “I’m acting like I always do.”
“No,” she said. “You’re acting weirder than usual.”
“No, I’m not.” Alec stood up. “Man can’t be thirsty?”
Parker lifted herself off the couch and gazed intently at Alec. “I did something, didn’t I?”
Alec shoved his hands into his pockets. “No,” he said. “You didn’t do anything. You’re being nice and friendly. Very friendly.”
She let out a breath. “This is like the paste incident all over again,” she said.
“What?” He stared at her, trying to work out what paste had to do with anything.
She shook her head and headed toward the stairs. “One minute we’re getting along just fine, and the next minute, you’re hiding behind Mrs. McCoy.”
Alec threw his hands up. “Why you bringing up Mrs. McCoy?”
Frowning at Alec, she started up the stairs. “I’m going to the bathroom. Maybe you’ll be normal when I come back down.”
As Parker disappeared up the stairs, the kitchen door swung open, and Eliot walked into the room. “Here’s your drink,” he said, thrusting a bottle of orange soda into Alec’s hand. He glanced around the room. “Where’s Parker?”
“Her?” Alec said, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “She went to the bathroom.”
Eliot narrowed his eyes at Alec. “Okay, so you gonna tell me what’s bothering you?”
“Nothing bothering me.”
“Then why are you being a pain in the ass?”
“Aw, now that hurts.”
“It’s true,” Eliot said. “Did I do something to piss you off?”
“No.” Alec took a sip of orange soda, then sat down on the arm of the couch. “I just… I didn’t think I was gonna spend the night watching some hot chick with her hands all over my boyfriend.”
Eliot broke into a broad grin. “You’re jealous?”
Alec made a face. “Naw, I’m not jealous. Please.” He stood up and started to pace. “Jealous, my ass.”
“Look,” Eliot said. “She’s my friend. Last time I checked, she was your friend, too.”
“I know,” Alec said. He stopped pacing and turned toward Eliot. “It’s just… she’s getting all the Eliot time. I’m just sitting there, all the way on the other side of the couch. By myself.”
Eliot started to chuckle but then bit down on his bottom lip “Would it make happy if I sat in the middle?”
Alec reached a hand forward and ran his index finger along Eliot’s bottom lip. “Maybe a little.”
Grinning, Eliot grabbed Alec’s hand and placed a light kiss to his palm. “Done,” he said. “And for the record, the jealous thing is kind of cute. Unless you hurt Parker’s feelings… then it won’t be cute anymore.”
“I know,” Alec said sheepishly. “I’m kind of new at this boyfriend thing.”
Eliot smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Are we good now?”
“Yeah,” Alec said. “We’re good.”
“Good,” Parker said from the top of the stairs. “I was getting really sick of hiding up there.”
“How long were you there?” Alec asked, his fingers tightening on the bottle of orange soda.
She smirked. “Long enough to know you think I’m hot,” she said, breezing by the boys and plunking down on the couch. “Do you think I’m hot too, Eliot?”
“We both do, sweetheart,” Eliot said with a grin. He grabbed Alec’s arm and sat down next to Parker, pulling Alec along with him.
Parker looked at Eliot and shook her head. “I think Alec’s still mad I put paste in his hair,” she said.
When Eliot raised an eyebrow, Alec said, “Long story.”