Fic: Connection (Leverage "The Three Strikes Job" AU, Nate/Roy Chappell, PG)
Title: Connection
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1063
Pairing/Characters: Nate/Roy Chappell
Spoilers: Well, you have to have seen “The Three Strikes Job” 2.14 to know who Roy Chappell is, but no specific spoilers for the episode.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: Sports AU based on Eliot’s character in “The Three Strikes Job.” Roy Chappell is a soon-to-be-has-been baseball player, but he finds kinship in insurance investigator Nate Ford.
Notes: This was written for au_bingo for the prompt “Other: Sports" The basic premise of the story is that Eliot doesn’t exist, but Roy Chappell, his alias from “The Three Strike Job,” is very real.
Roy Chappell leaned against his locker, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. It wasn’t getting any worse, but it damn sure wasn’t getting any better. He knew he should probably go back to the team doctor, but he didn’t want to risk the chance that he might get pulled from next week’s game. With a ragged breath, he slammed the locker door shut and turned to leave.
The locker room was mostly deserted by now save for a couple of the newbies. They were nice kids, but that’s exactly what they were-kids. They were part of the new crop the manager was bringing in to attract younger fans. Roy didn’t bear those kids any ill will, but the idea of good solid players like Stevens and McNamara getting ousted for a couple of inexperienced rookies made his stomach churn. And though he didn’t want to voice it out loud, a small part of Roy wondered how long it would be before the managers brought in a new star catcher to replace him.
With those cheery thoughts coursing through his head, Roy didn’t feel much like going home to an empty apartment. Instead, he found himself pulling into the parking lot of a little bar where a lot of the players liked to hang out. It was crowded-a mix of old timers, guys from Roy’s team, a few townies. And of course, the ladies that followed the players around. Roy recognized a few of them-he’d even spent the night with some of them. And from the looks they were giving him, he could easily leave with one that evening.
And maybe he would. But these days, such encounters left him with a hollow feeling. Sure, it had been fine when he was younger. Now that he was a soon-to-be-has-been in his thirties, though, it didn’t seem to scratch the itch anymore. Letting out a breath, he waved over the bartender and ordered himself a beer.
For a while, Roy sipped on his drink and made small talk with a couple of the guys from the team. One of the ladies milling around the bar offered to take him “somewhere quiet,” but he refused her as gently as he could.
After he’d been there for about an hour, Roy noticed a handsome older man enter the bar. From the looks of him, Roy figured he might have been some kind of professional type-a lawyer or accountant maybe. And there was something about the way he carried himself that made him seem as lonely and disconnected as Roy felt. As the man lowered himself into a chair at an empty table in the corner, he happened to look up and catch Roy’s eye.
Roy nodded at the man, and he nodded back. And that was enough encouragement for Roy. It had been a while since he’d gone home with a man, but as his gaze traveled along the guy’s attractive features, the idea was becoming the most appealing one he’d had in a while. Beer in hand, he walked purposely over to the newcomer’s table, smiled, and held out his free hand. “Hey, I’m Roy,” he said. “Mind if I join you?”
The man smiled and firmly gripped Roy’s hand. “Be my guest,” he said, motioning to an empty chair. “I’m Nate.” They were quiet for a moment until Nate added, “So, uh, what do you do, Roy?”
Laughing under his breath, Roy sat down and started to play with the label on his beer. “Baseball. Minor leagues”
With a grin, Nate said, “Right. I guess that makes sense, since this is a player hangout.”
Roy smiled. “You a fan of the game, Nate?”
Nate nodded. “Oh yeah,” he said. “I was raised on it.”
Roy leaned back in his chair, “Me too. I have pictures of me as a baby sitting in front of the TV with my dad. So, what do you do?”
“Insurance. And yes, it’s as boring as it sounds.”
“Unlike the glamorous life of a minor league baseball player,” Roy said with a grin. “You have an accent. You from the area?”
“Born and raised in Boston,” he said. “But you...”
“Southern boy.”
Nate grinned. “Yeah I kind of thought you were.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good,” Nate said. “I like the South.” Almost as soon as he said the words, a blush started creeping across his features, and he shook his head and laughed. “Wow. I used to be good at this. I’m a little out of practice.”
“No, you’re doing good. Hey, you want me to get you a drink?”
“I’d like that. Whatever you’re drinking.”
Roy returned with a couple of beers, and he and Nate chatted comfortably for a long while. They stuck with small talk at first, then they started to dig a little deeper and chatted about their childhoods and their failed marriages. Nate told him that he’d only recently returned to the area, and that he was still settling in. Roy told Nate about his injured shoulder and his fears of being replaced by younger players. Talking to Nate came so easy.
After they’d been at it for a while, Roy figured he’d take a chance. Taking another swig of his beer, he motioned toward the door. “You want to get out of here?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Nate said with a smile.
The two of them stood up and headed toward the door. Roy hadn’t had much alcohol, but he felt a burst of warmth spreading through his body anyway. He knew that going home with this man he barely knew shouldn’t be any different than going home with one of the ladies here. But there was something about Nate, some connection that made Roy feel more at home with him than anyone else he’d met in a long time.
As the pushed open the door, Roy glanced back inside and saw the two newbies sitting at the bar chatting with a couple of well-endowed ladies. One of the newbies caught his gaze and flashing him a dopey grin, he waved at him from across the room.
Roy shook his head and followed Nate out to the parking lot. He may be a soon-to-be-has-been, but at least for tonight, maybe he’d go to sleep feeling a little less hollow and a little less lonely.
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1063
Pairing/Characters: Nate/Roy Chappell
Spoilers: Well, you have to have seen “The Three Strikes Job” 2.14 to know who Roy Chappell is, but no specific spoilers for the episode.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: Sports AU based on Eliot’s character in “The Three Strikes Job.” Roy Chappell is a soon-to-be-has-been baseball player, but he finds kinship in insurance investigator Nate Ford.
Notes: This was written for au_bingo for the prompt “Other: Sports" The basic premise of the story is that Eliot doesn’t exist, but Roy Chappell, his alias from “The Three Strike Job,” is very real.
Roy Chappell leaned against his locker, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. It wasn’t getting any worse, but it damn sure wasn’t getting any better. He knew he should probably go back to the team doctor, but he didn’t want to risk the chance that he might get pulled from next week’s game. With a ragged breath, he slammed the locker door shut and turned to leave.
The locker room was mostly deserted by now save for a couple of the newbies. They were nice kids, but that’s exactly what they were-kids. They were part of the new crop the manager was bringing in to attract younger fans. Roy didn’t bear those kids any ill will, but the idea of good solid players like Stevens and McNamara getting ousted for a couple of inexperienced rookies made his stomach churn. And though he didn’t want to voice it out loud, a small part of Roy wondered how long it would be before the managers brought in a new star catcher to replace him.
With those cheery thoughts coursing through his head, Roy didn’t feel much like going home to an empty apartment. Instead, he found himself pulling into the parking lot of a little bar where a lot of the players liked to hang out. It was crowded-a mix of old timers, guys from Roy’s team, a few townies. And of course, the ladies that followed the players around. Roy recognized a few of them-he’d even spent the night with some of them. And from the looks they were giving him, he could easily leave with one that evening.
And maybe he would. But these days, such encounters left him with a hollow feeling. Sure, it had been fine when he was younger. Now that he was a soon-to-be-has-been in his thirties, though, it didn’t seem to scratch the itch anymore. Letting out a breath, he waved over the bartender and ordered himself a beer.
For a while, Roy sipped on his drink and made small talk with a couple of the guys from the team. One of the ladies milling around the bar offered to take him “somewhere quiet,” but he refused her as gently as he could.
After he’d been there for about an hour, Roy noticed a handsome older man enter the bar. From the looks of him, Roy figured he might have been some kind of professional type-a lawyer or accountant maybe. And there was something about the way he carried himself that made him seem as lonely and disconnected as Roy felt. As the man lowered himself into a chair at an empty table in the corner, he happened to look up and catch Roy’s eye.
Roy nodded at the man, and he nodded back. And that was enough encouragement for Roy. It had been a while since he’d gone home with a man, but as his gaze traveled along the guy’s attractive features, the idea was becoming the most appealing one he’d had in a while. Beer in hand, he walked purposely over to the newcomer’s table, smiled, and held out his free hand. “Hey, I’m Roy,” he said. “Mind if I join you?”
The man smiled and firmly gripped Roy’s hand. “Be my guest,” he said, motioning to an empty chair. “I’m Nate.” They were quiet for a moment until Nate added, “So, uh, what do you do, Roy?”
Laughing under his breath, Roy sat down and started to play with the label on his beer. “Baseball. Minor leagues”
With a grin, Nate said, “Right. I guess that makes sense, since this is a player hangout.”
Roy smiled. “You a fan of the game, Nate?”
Nate nodded. “Oh yeah,” he said. “I was raised on it.”
Roy leaned back in his chair, “Me too. I have pictures of me as a baby sitting in front of the TV with my dad. So, what do you do?”
“Insurance. And yes, it’s as boring as it sounds.”
“Unlike the glamorous life of a minor league baseball player,” Roy said with a grin. “You have an accent. You from the area?”
“Born and raised in Boston,” he said. “But you...”
“Southern boy.”
Nate grinned. “Yeah I kind of thought you were.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good,” Nate said. “I like the South.” Almost as soon as he said the words, a blush started creeping across his features, and he shook his head and laughed. “Wow. I used to be good at this. I’m a little out of practice.”
“No, you’re doing good. Hey, you want me to get you a drink?”
“I’d like that. Whatever you’re drinking.”
Roy returned with a couple of beers, and he and Nate chatted comfortably for a long while. They stuck with small talk at first, then they started to dig a little deeper and chatted about their childhoods and their failed marriages. Nate told him that he’d only recently returned to the area, and that he was still settling in. Roy told Nate about his injured shoulder and his fears of being replaced by younger players. Talking to Nate came so easy.
After they’d been at it for a while, Roy figured he’d take a chance. Taking another swig of his beer, he motioned toward the door. “You want to get out of here?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Nate said with a smile.
The two of them stood up and headed toward the door. Roy hadn’t had much alcohol, but he felt a burst of warmth spreading through his body anyway. He knew that going home with this man he barely knew shouldn’t be any different than going home with one of the ladies here. But there was something about Nate, some connection that made Roy feel more at home with him than anyone else he’d met in a long time.
As the pushed open the door, Roy glanced back inside and saw the two newbies sitting at the bar chatting with a couple of well-endowed ladies. One of the newbies caught his gaze and flashing him a dopey grin, he waved at him from across the room.
Roy shook his head and followed Nate out to the parking lot. He may be a soon-to-be-has-been, but at least for tonight, maybe he’d go to sleep feeling a little less hollow and a little less lonely.