Leverage Bingo Round 1 Fic #1.21: can't seem to get away
Title: can't seem to get away
Author:
alinaandalion
Rating: K+
Characters: Sophie Devereaux and Marcus Starke, slight hint of Nate/Sophie
Spoilers: Up through "The Two Live Crew Job."
Summary: Post-"The Two Live Crew Job." Marcus Starke catches up with Sophie in London.
Notes: Written for
leverage_bingo. Prompt: Marcus Starke
Word Count: 561
Sophie takes a sip of her tea and pulls her sweater a little tighter around her body. She still hasn’t grown accustomed to being back in the damp London air. The noise of the busy streets has faded to a faint background clatter, and she is starting to feel like she can finally relax a little bit. After all, London has always sort-of felt like coming home.
She turns to glance out the window and just catches movement out of the corner of her eyes.
“Hello, Starke,” she says as she shifts back around in her chair.
He grins and leans back. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
“What? It’s not like I shot you or anything.” She drinks some of her tea and sets the cup gently back on its saucer. “Now, you have to have a reason for being here.”
“Can’t I just want to see you?”
“These games don’t work with me, darling. I’ve never fallen for them.”
He laughs a little. “I haven’t forgotten. I’m here to offer you a job.”
She arches an eyebrow and crosses her legs. “And what makes you think that I would be interested in working with you again?”
“Well, you’re here, which means you walked out on Ford’s crew.”
“I’m failing to see the connection.”
“Oh, come on, Sophie, I know you can’t really enjoy that crusading crap. I mean, I get you wanting to work with Ford. You always liked him more than you should.”
She stiffens and snaps, “I’m not finished with my team. I’m just on a break.”
“For how long?” He smirks at her and reaches across the table, placing his hand on her arm. “Admit it. You’ve missed the challenge. Ford can’t offer you anything. Come with me. We’ll be unstoppable, just like before.”
“I’m not interested.” She snatches her arm out of his grasp. “I like what I’ve been doing with Nate and the others. I like helping people, as hard as that may be for you to believe.”
He sighs. “Then what are you doing here?”
“I…needed some time to…figure things out.”
“You’re in love with him.”
She flinches at Starke’s words and shakes her head; she closes her eyes, and they’re a little wet when she looks back at him.
“This isn’t about Nate,” she murmurs. “It would be easier if it was.”
“Then what is it?” His voice is gentle, and she wants so badly to trust it, to believe him.
She sets her mouth into a firm line. “I’m not going to tell you that.”
“You don’t trust me?” He holds his left hand out, palm up. “I thought we were friends.”
“That doesn’t mean you’ll understand. Or that I trust you.”
He withdraws his hand. “I’m sorry to hear that. You know, I miss you, Sophie. You were the best partner I ever had.”
She gives him a small smile. “It was good to see you, Marcus.”
He stands up and takes her hand in his, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Her fingers slip from his grip, and she watches him walk away, her hand clenched tightly around the side of her chair. When his back disappears from the doorway, she turns to her now cold tea, and she feels more lost and alone than before.
Author:
alinaandalion
Rating: K+
Characters: Sophie Devereaux and Marcus Starke, slight hint of Nate/Sophie
Spoilers: Up through "The Two Live Crew Job."
Summary: Post-"The Two Live Crew Job." Marcus Starke catches up with Sophie in London.
Notes: Written for
leverage_bingo. Prompt: Marcus Starke
Word Count: 561
Sophie takes a sip of her tea and pulls her sweater a little tighter around her body. She still hasn’t grown accustomed to being back in the damp London air. The noise of the busy streets has faded to a faint background clatter, and she is starting to feel like she can finally relax a little bit. After all, London has always sort-of felt like coming home.
She turns to glance out the window and just catches movement out of the corner of her eyes.
“Hello, Starke,” she says as she shifts back around in her chair.
He grins and leans back. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
“What? It’s not like I shot you or anything.” She drinks some of her tea and sets the cup gently back on its saucer. “Now, you have to have a reason for being here.”
“Can’t I just want to see you?”
“These games don’t work with me, darling. I’ve never fallen for them.”
He laughs a little. “I haven’t forgotten. I’m here to offer you a job.”
She arches an eyebrow and crosses her legs. “And what makes you think that I would be interested in working with you again?”
“Well, you’re here, which means you walked out on Ford’s crew.”
“I’m failing to see the connection.”
“Oh, come on, Sophie, I know you can’t really enjoy that crusading crap. I mean, I get you wanting to work with Ford. You always liked him more than you should.”
She stiffens and snaps, “I’m not finished with my team. I’m just on a break.”
“For how long?” He smirks at her and reaches across the table, placing his hand on her arm. “Admit it. You’ve missed the challenge. Ford can’t offer you anything. Come with me. We’ll be unstoppable, just like before.”
“I’m not interested.” She snatches her arm out of his grasp. “I like what I’ve been doing with Nate and the others. I like helping people, as hard as that may be for you to believe.”
He sighs. “Then what are you doing here?”
“I…needed some time to…figure things out.”
“You’re in love with him.”
She flinches at Starke’s words and shakes her head; she closes her eyes, and they’re a little wet when she looks back at him.
“This isn’t about Nate,” she murmurs. “It would be easier if it was.”
“Then what is it?” His voice is gentle, and she wants so badly to trust it, to believe him.
She sets her mouth into a firm line. “I’m not going to tell you that.”
“You don’t trust me?” He holds his left hand out, palm up. “I thought we were friends.”
“That doesn’t mean you’ll understand. Or that I trust you.”
He withdraws his hand. “I’m sorry to hear that. You know, I miss you, Sophie. You were the best partner I ever had.”
She gives him a small smile. “It was good to see you, Marcus.”
He stands up and takes her hand in his, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Her fingers slip from his grip, and she watches him walk away, her hand clenched tightly around the side of her chair. When his back disappears from the doorway, she turns to her now cold tea, and she feels more lost and alone than before.