The Goodbye Job
Title: Just Me, Thinking of You (The Goodbye Job)
Fandom: Leverage, hints of Angel
Characters/ Pairings: 'One sided' Eliot/ Tiffany (OFC), mentions of Parker/ Hardison and Nate/ Sophie.
Words: --
Warnings: Uh... OFC? Christian Kane using one of his beautiful songs?
A/N: Song is 'Thinking of You' by Kane, as perfomed on Leverage season three episode, The Studio Job. Tiffany is an OFC character I made up when I first started watching it.
Eliot watched the team as they sank into Nate's couch or arm chairs. Hardison was trying to open a bottle of his orange soda, but the physical pain he'd endured during the latest mishap, had drained him. He felt a pang of guilt; he hadn't been able to protect his family. He didn't want to look at the girls, who were huddled up against their respective partner.
Parker was nestled into Hardison's good shoulder with a scraoe in her right cheek, and shoulder. Sophie was slumped against Nate who stroked her hair as he tried resisting the Scotch on the shelf, knowing it would only upset his Brit more.
Only Tiffany stood off by herself, her eyes staring out of the window and into the city lights. She had taken her com out, and tossed it onto the coffee table, replacing it with one candy pink earbud with a mini-hazard symbol.
He forced himself up, holding a hand to his bruised and fractured ribs. He sat next to her, without her seeming to notice. He carefully lifted the other bud up and slid it into his ear. THe song choice surprised him, as did the words that seemed to affect her.
And I'm thinking about the roads you're on.
I'm thinking about you coming home.
She was trying to hold her tears back, but Eliot could see the resolve slipping. he worried at his lip, pulling the bud out. He slid out of the room, and down to the parking garage. He slid onto his Ducatti, and Let the wind take away his worries until he'd gotten to his very large, simple and best of all, Parker and Sophieless house.
He loved them to death, but they were thieves.
He rummaged through his closest, grinning as he spoke through his com. "Hardison, tell Tiff to take her phone out of her pokcet. I know it's on silent and I need to talk to her."
"Whatever, man." the geek responded tiredly, doing as instructed.
He sent the text, 'Come to my place. -E.' to the blonde woman. He never recieved an answer, but as he started dinner, he knew she'd be coming.
*~*~*~*~*
"Eliot?" Tiffany opened the door hesitantly, unsure if the hitter would throw something. "Eliot, I'm coming in."
"Alright, I'm in the kitchen."
"That figures," she mumbled, smiling slightly as a warm, yummy smell drifted over her. She closed the door after kicking her snow boots off, without undoing the zipper.
Eliot peeked through the breakfast bar, watching her shed her faux-fur lined peacoat, snow still stuck in her hair. She was readjusting her black silky tank top, her face pale, surrounding a slightly red nose.
"El?" She crossed the living room, ducking under a chandelier he didn't particularly like. She stopped at a table in the hall, smiling softly. She let her fingers tace an intricate wrought iron picture frame, surrounding a picture of her and her long time friend. He had his arms around her, and she was laughing with him. She could see another girls pale hand, but felt an odd sense of happiness.
Aimee was folded out of his life. And she wasn't.
"In here, darlin'." She jumped, but turned away fromt he picture. She followed the sound of soft country from the kitchen radio, and stopped in the doorway.
"What'cha doing?" she asked.
"Your favorite." She tilted her head, blue green eyes narrowed slightly.
"And what's my favorite." she tested. Eliot grinned as he pulled a knife out and started slicing into something on the stove.
"Moussaka."
"Touche..." she leaned over the stove, reaching out to try picking at a piece of eggplant. He gently tapped on her hand with a spoon and she pouted.
"Come on, let's go eat." He led her out to the dining room, setting down the dish, and a large bowl of Ceaser salad. They sat down, and after a moment, Tiffany follwoed his suit and began eating.
"So... Eliot?" he glanced up, trying not to smile. "Why'd you invite me out here?"
"I wanted to talk."
"About?"
"Well... Me and you have known each other a long time."
"Since before you met A... Aimee." she clenched her teeth at the name, ducking her head and poking at her lasanga dish.
"Mhm. So... Can we talk?"
"Sure.. Shoot." she leaned on the table, nibbling on a lightly dressed piece of lettuce.
"Before Aimee and I got together, you were going to tell me somethin'. And lately, I've noticed some random things. Little song quotes on your arms and that notebook of yours." He nodded at her jeans; and she felt ridiculous for thinking he hadn't noticed.
"Like what?" she asked quietly, testing the water.
"I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top."
"She had a body like an hourglass, ticking like a clock. It's a matter of time before we all run out..." She muttered in horror. The retrival specialist was smarter than he put on- she knew that. But to notice and figure it out?
"When I thought he was mine she caught him by the pout." He leaned back, blue eyes appraising her. "What was it that you wanted to tell me."
"It wasn't important. It would never be important, because you were happy. And since you were happy, I didn't tell you."
"Tell me what, Tiffany."
"That I loved you," she grumbled. She stood up, feeling her legs wobble slightly as the tears converged in her eyes. "I'm going home now, Eliot. See you round."
"I don't think so, Trish." she stopped, reaching for her coat. "I thought that might be your real name."
"How'd you find out?" she asked quietly.
"I call Li9ndsey and he looked around." he replied casually. She sighed in defeat, falling into the couch.
"I didn't want to make things akward between us, El. I just wanted you tob e happy, and Aimee made you happy. Then we run into her again and... I don't know. Something just broke and it started leaking out."
Elot leaned on the doorframe, watching as she finally let down every defense so carefully created. "I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore." she whispered.
"And why would I want that, darlin'?" he asked. She looked up in surprise. "When you left... Why did you leavE?"
"I didn't want to ruin your relationship. And I had other things I could do that would make things better int he world."
"Like the Railroad?" he asked. He moved over to the couch beside her, unsettling her for a second.
"Mhm, I was appreciated there. They needed me like you didn't." The look in his eyes tipped her off to so mething being wrong; she'd always been able to read the hitter. IT was a gift.
"I needed you, Tiffany." Or not... "You were one of few friends, and you left."
"You had someone else to keep you occupied!"
"And then she dumped me, and I left for Croatia!"
"Big whoop." she muttered, head in her hands. "I didn't want to go, Eliot. I wanted to stay, and I wanted Aimee gone. I felt terrible for it so I left and didn't bother you for years."
"Then you waltz back in like it's okay?"
"I didn't know!" she yelled, her body shaking. "Damnit, Spencer, don't you get it? Had I known I'd have said no in a heartbeat, I would've been out of your life forever and you'd be better off!"
Eliot grabbed her tiny shoulders, shaking her slightly so he was staring into teary cloud colored eyes. "I needed you, I needed my friend, my confidant. I needed my partner in crime."
"You don't need me now. You have them. I'll just go."
"I ain't letting you walk outta my life again." he growled.
"Yeah? Good luck stopping me." she stood up, shaking his hands off. She grabbed her coat and slipped it on before dipping to grab her boots.
"I'm not gonna try to stop you, but that doesn't mean I don't want to. If I know you, you've already made up your mind. So, go on and go, if you're really leaving, put a million miles between us.
But you still feel me, like I'm right there at your side." she stopped, worrying her lip between her teeth.
"And when a new moon shines through your window, or you hear a sad song on the radio.And you don't know why, but you just start to cry." she closed her eyes, listenin got his soft voice. "Or you're drivin' round on a sunny day, and outta nowhere comes a pouring rain. And a memory hits you right outta the blue, it's just me thinking of you."
She turned her head, looking at him sadly. "Maybe one day, I'll come back, Eliot. But not now, I need... I need to get away for a while."
Eliot watched her, pulling her close for a quick, tight hug. She kissed his collar bone as she pulled away, making an escape.
He opened the curtains, watching her run to the red Jetta. And then, watched her drive away for the second time in his life. And for once, he prayed that history repeated. And as he glanced down at his couch, he grit his teeth.
Only one thing of his friend remained, and it wasn't her.