Roar in the Night
Title: Roar in the Night
Author: Magpie
Rating: pg-13
Genre: Nate/Eliot
Verse: BlackKing!WhiteKnight!Verse
Summary: Five time Tara realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot and one time he paid attention to her.
Notes: Tag to The Runway Job. Also I finally started getting serious about storyboarding Two Knight's Closeing. As for how long until we get there? Well I think I've got the last few short fics in this verse planed out. Look out for "House Rules", "Ten Seconds", "The Distance Between Two Points", "Dances With Wolves", and "The Way of Our World".
The first time, well the first time it really registered over the roar of every thought and analysis and process going on in her brain as she adjusted to the new team and tried to put Sophies briefings to work, was after the first briefing.
Nate had just done his man of mystery routine, walking off without explaining who or what a Caprina was and she snarked to no one in particular.
The others gave her little amused responses, she’d been counting on that, anyone with a leader as eccentric as Nate Ford (eccentric wasn’t the right word, but it made her feel better at the time) had to take a certain amount of amusement in making fun of his quirks.
What she hadn’t predicted was that even as Parker and Hardison walked off, grinning about “Oh, she’ll get used to him soon enough…” Eliot sat back, stretched his arms over the back of the couch and smiled a very different smile.
For just a moment Tara’s mind went still and that single smile was like a roar in a silent night.
She didn’t know what it meant quite yet but she realized she should be paying more attention to this man.
~*~
The second time she realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot was when he came back downstairs after storming off, ripping away his scarf in the process.
He looked good coming back. He did look fashiony in the right ways this time.
And she wasn’t even sure what had changed but the eyeliner was really starting to grow on her.
She watched from the side as Hardison glanced over, shook his head, and went back to what he was doing apparently unsuprised by the transformation.
She almost wondered if maybe earlier had been some kind of show…
Her half finished thought was cut off when Eliot walked past Nate and she caught Nate doing a double take. The man reached out unconsciously, fingers not quite catching Eliot’s sleeve before pulling back. Eliot turned, almost like he sensed the movement (probably did, knowing hitters).
Tara couldn’t see Nate’s expression, but the smirk on Eliot’s face spoke plenty.
There was something going on Sophie hadn’t mentioned and Tara just needed to pay a little more attention and she’d find out what that was.
~*~
The third time Tara realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot it was because she realized she wasn’t. They were running the con and Eliot was playing Julian and for all the bust his attempts at “fashiony” things had been at first and all the dread she’d had for seeing him try to play a roll it took her until they were waiting for Gloria to show to realize it wasn’t just that he wasn’t bad at it.
He was Good at this part, better than any hitter she could remember running across. Most approached the con like they approached a fight, intimidating to sell their part and being as subtle as a 44 caliber to the knee.
But Eliot just sort of faded into the background. He did his part and then he just disappeared only when she thought to look for him he was right there, in sight. And while he played his part he hit the right pitches, not over selling or underselling.
And Nate didn’t notice. Hardison acted like this was normal.
Later she actually asked Sophie why they needed a grifter and if Tara was there to make sure they didn’t realize they had someone capable of running most of the grifts they needed done.
Sophie told her that Eliot already had a job, had something that barely allowed for the small roles he played in the cons, and one he wouldn’t willingly give up.
His job wasn’t to hit people. It was to protect the team, make sure they got in and out safely. That was his first, last, and for the most part only priority.
Sophie seemed to really believe that. Tara wasn’t too sure.
Yet.
~*~
The fourth time Tara realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot was somewhere between when Eliot muttered about how he hadn’t dealt with cleavers in awhile and a few hours later when a very irate blonde thief was telling her off about ignoring Eliot’s “I seen bad guys with guns” voice.
It didn’t register at first, she was just pissed that Eliot was telling her what to do and assuming because she was a woman she couldn’t hold her own in a fight.
She ignored his orders to stay behind him and let him protect her. He was a southern boy cow boy type, but if she could show him she could hold her own in a fight he’d respect her more. Ever since she had started paying attention a little more she’d been noticing Hardison and Parker tended to take their cues from Eliot when Nate was being unreadable.
She was pretty sure getting Eliot’s respect would be the hard part and then the other two would, if not right out follow his lead, at least be given a solid nudge in the right direction.
So she fought and she won the fight and possibly Eliot’s respect while she was at it and she almost missed the moment that reminded her not to make assumptions.
It was the moment when the guys with guns were coming in, before Nate came to save the day (sort of), when it looked like they were about to be unceremoniously gunned down…
Eliot could have run and probably made it out alive. They were twenty feet away in a warehouse crowded with cover and plenty of exits. Eliot could have turned and run and Tara gave him good odds that he would have made it out of there alive.
She however…
But instead of moving to run Eliot tensed, his eyes on the enemies, his body shifting closer to them unconsciously moving himself just a little more toward her as if to shield her.
He could have run but instead he moved instinctively to protect her and even though it was later while Tara was waiting for the pieces she’d put into play to come together and save her life or get her killed she realized Sophie wasn’t the only one who believed Eliot’s job was to protect the others.
He believed it too.
And that was more trust and loyalty than she’d seen from anyone on this side of the line in a long long time.
After Parker finished berating her about how it was important to listen to Eliot’s “Guys with guns” voice and muttering about needing to resteal the Rules Tara asked Parker if there were any other “voices” she needed to listen out for.
Her only answer at that moment was “Nate’s ‘Eliot sees guys with guns’ voice.”
But Parker wouldn’t tell her why.
~*~
The fifth time was after the con ended and everything was settling down and she’d just finished her part of the wrap up. Hardison had told her that the upper floors of the building were empty of civilians and that a room on the third floor served as a training room for Eliot but the team was supposedly free to use it. She was heading up to check it out, slipping into the stairwell through a door who’s silence when opening and closing reminded her of who controlled this building, when she heard voices from somewhere above her.
“Close call today.” It was Eliot.
“Seems we’re having a lot of those lately.” Nate responded.
“Turned out alright.” There was a pause, movement, sound she couldn’t quite identify. “See… everythin’s alright. Go finish the wrap up, make sure Hardison’s not burnin’ himself out.” Another sound. “An’ be quick ‘bout it. I’ll have dinner done in an hour and I still want to check you over.”
Nate’s voice had that note of oh-so-cleverness as he responded. “Right, for injuries.” There was another pause and a sound Tara thought she may just recognize. She couldn’t quite make out what was said next but the responding noise sounding a bit too like a moan sent her retreating out of the stairway as silently as she’d come in.
She’d really have to pay attention now.
~*~
It was that night, very very late that night, when she realized she wasn’t the only one paying attention.
In the early morning hours as she sat in the window seat of her condo looking out over the city, never one to deny the fact that night was the time for thieves, spies, and whatever you’d call her she heard a roar far off in the night.
While it might go unnoticed in the chaos of the day the sound of a motorcycle in the streets was hard to miss in the quiet of this hour.
She almost paid it no heed until it roared down her street and she saw Eliot Spencer drive down her block, stopping not far from her building.
He let the engine idle, his attention seeming to wander but she knew he was doing a sweep of the area, taking in the details and looking for something.
He looked up and saw her watching and made a hand sign in a code she didn’t know how he knew that she knew that meant “All clear?”
The half begun suspicion that he was doing surveillance to take her out or something died and she found herself signaling the all clear back to him, watching as he kicked the bike back into motion and sped off without looking back.
It wasn’t surveillance for a hit.
It was a bed check.
It would be a long time before she admitted to herself that that night was when she first felt like part of the team.
It would be a lot longer before she’d admit that she’d miss that roar in the night after her time on this team was done.
Previous: Memory of a Gunman
Next: The Distance Between Two Points
Author: Magpie
Rating: pg-13
Genre: Nate/Eliot
Verse: BlackKing!WhiteKnight!Verse
Summary: Five time Tara realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot and one time he paid attention to her.
Notes: Tag to The Runway Job. Also I finally started getting serious about storyboarding Two Knight's Closeing. As for how long until we get there? Well I think I've got the last few short fics in this verse planed out. Look out for "House Rules", "Ten Seconds", "The Distance Between Two Points", "Dances With Wolves", and "The Way of Our World".
The first time, well the first time it really registered over the roar of every thought and analysis and process going on in her brain as she adjusted to the new team and tried to put Sophies briefings to work, was after the first briefing.
Nate had just done his man of mystery routine, walking off without explaining who or what a Caprina was and she snarked to no one in particular.
The others gave her little amused responses, she’d been counting on that, anyone with a leader as eccentric as Nate Ford (eccentric wasn’t the right word, but it made her feel better at the time) had to take a certain amount of amusement in making fun of his quirks.
What she hadn’t predicted was that even as Parker and Hardison walked off, grinning about “Oh, she’ll get used to him soon enough…” Eliot sat back, stretched his arms over the back of the couch and smiled a very different smile.
For just a moment Tara’s mind went still and that single smile was like a roar in a silent night.
She didn’t know what it meant quite yet but she realized she should be paying more attention to this man.
~*~
The second time she realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot was when he came back downstairs after storming off, ripping away his scarf in the process.
He looked good coming back. He did look fashiony in the right ways this time.
And she wasn’t even sure what had changed but the eyeliner was really starting to grow on her.
She watched from the side as Hardison glanced over, shook his head, and went back to what he was doing apparently unsuprised by the transformation.
She almost wondered if maybe earlier had been some kind of show…
Her half finished thought was cut off when Eliot walked past Nate and she caught Nate doing a double take. The man reached out unconsciously, fingers not quite catching Eliot’s sleeve before pulling back. Eliot turned, almost like he sensed the movement (probably did, knowing hitters).
Tara couldn’t see Nate’s expression, but the smirk on Eliot’s face spoke plenty.
There was something going on Sophie hadn’t mentioned and Tara just needed to pay a little more attention and she’d find out what that was.
~*~
The third time Tara realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot it was because she realized she wasn’t. They were running the con and Eliot was playing Julian and for all the bust his attempts at “fashiony” things had been at first and all the dread she’d had for seeing him try to play a roll it took her until they were waiting for Gloria to show to realize it wasn’t just that he wasn’t bad at it.
He was Good at this part, better than any hitter she could remember running across. Most approached the con like they approached a fight, intimidating to sell their part and being as subtle as a 44 caliber to the knee.
But Eliot just sort of faded into the background. He did his part and then he just disappeared only when she thought to look for him he was right there, in sight. And while he played his part he hit the right pitches, not over selling or underselling.
And Nate didn’t notice. Hardison acted like this was normal.
Later she actually asked Sophie why they needed a grifter and if Tara was there to make sure they didn’t realize they had someone capable of running most of the grifts they needed done.
Sophie told her that Eliot already had a job, had something that barely allowed for the small roles he played in the cons, and one he wouldn’t willingly give up.
His job wasn’t to hit people. It was to protect the team, make sure they got in and out safely. That was his first, last, and for the most part only priority.
Sophie seemed to really believe that. Tara wasn’t too sure.
Yet.
~*~
The fourth time Tara realized she should be paying more attention to Eliot was somewhere between when Eliot muttered about how he hadn’t dealt with cleavers in awhile and a few hours later when a very irate blonde thief was telling her off about ignoring Eliot’s “I seen bad guys with guns” voice.
It didn’t register at first, she was just pissed that Eliot was telling her what to do and assuming because she was a woman she couldn’t hold her own in a fight.
She ignored his orders to stay behind him and let him protect her. He was a southern boy cow boy type, but if she could show him she could hold her own in a fight he’d respect her more. Ever since she had started paying attention a little more she’d been noticing Hardison and Parker tended to take their cues from Eliot when Nate was being unreadable.
She was pretty sure getting Eliot’s respect would be the hard part and then the other two would, if not right out follow his lead, at least be given a solid nudge in the right direction.
So she fought and she won the fight and possibly Eliot’s respect while she was at it and she almost missed the moment that reminded her not to make assumptions.
It was the moment when the guys with guns were coming in, before Nate came to save the day (sort of), when it looked like they were about to be unceremoniously gunned down…
Eliot could have run and probably made it out alive. They were twenty feet away in a warehouse crowded with cover and plenty of exits. Eliot could have turned and run and Tara gave him good odds that he would have made it out of there alive.
She however…
But instead of moving to run Eliot tensed, his eyes on the enemies, his body shifting closer to them unconsciously moving himself just a little more toward her as if to shield her.
He could have run but instead he moved instinctively to protect her and even though it was later while Tara was waiting for the pieces she’d put into play to come together and save her life or get her killed she realized Sophie wasn’t the only one who believed Eliot’s job was to protect the others.
He believed it too.
And that was more trust and loyalty than she’d seen from anyone on this side of the line in a long long time.
After Parker finished berating her about how it was important to listen to Eliot’s “Guys with guns” voice and muttering about needing to resteal the Rules Tara asked Parker if there were any other “voices” she needed to listen out for.
Her only answer at that moment was “Nate’s ‘Eliot sees guys with guns’ voice.”
But Parker wouldn’t tell her why.
~*~
The fifth time was after the con ended and everything was settling down and she’d just finished her part of the wrap up. Hardison had told her that the upper floors of the building were empty of civilians and that a room on the third floor served as a training room for Eliot but the team was supposedly free to use it. She was heading up to check it out, slipping into the stairwell through a door who’s silence when opening and closing reminded her of who controlled this building, when she heard voices from somewhere above her.
“Close call today.” It was Eliot.
“Seems we’re having a lot of those lately.” Nate responded.
“Turned out alright.” There was a pause, movement, sound she couldn’t quite identify. “See… everythin’s alright. Go finish the wrap up, make sure Hardison’s not burnin’ himself out.” Another sound. “An’ be quick ‘bout it. I’ll have dinner done in an hour and I still want to check you over.”
Nate’s voice had that note of oh-so-cleverness as he responded. “Right, for injuries.” There was another pause and a sound Tara thought she may just recognize. She couldn’t quite make out what was said next but the responding noise sounding a bit too like a moan sent her retreating out of the stairway as silently as she’d come in.
She’d really have to pay attention now.
~*~
It was that night, very very late that night, when she realized she wasn’t the only one paying attention.
In the early morning hours as she sat in the window seat of her condo looking out over the city, never one to deny the fact that night was the time for thieves, spies, and whatever you’d call her she heard a roar far off in the night.
While it might go unnoticed in the chaos of the day the sound of a motorcycle in the streets was hard to miss in the quiet of this hour.
She almost paid it no heed until it roared down her street and she saw Eliot Spencer drive down her block, stopping not far from her building.
He let the engine idle, his attention seeming to wander but she knew he was doing a sweep of the area, taking in the details and looking for something.
He looked up and saw her watching and made a hand sign in a code she didn’t know how he knew that she knew that meant “All clear?”
The half begun suspicion that he was doing surveillance to take her out or something died and she found herself signaling the all clear back to him, watching as he kicked the bike back into motion and sped off without looking back.
It wasn’t surveillance for a hit.
It was a bed check.
It would be a long time before she admitted to herself that that night was when she first felt like part of the team.
It would be a lot longer before she’d admit that she’d miss that roar in the night after her time on this team was done.
Previous: Memory of a Gunman
Next: The Distance Between Two Points