Mini-Pop fic
I don't really post fic on my journal and I don't wanna go through the trouble of filling out the AO3 form, so I'm posting the fic here:
Three Criminals; One Relationship
graphic by devon380black
Hardison wasn't sure when he realized, about Eliot.
With Parker, he knew right from the moment they met - she'd been the brightest, most captivating person he'd ever seen. She caught his attention like little else and he was always surprised to remember that she returned his affection. Sure, they'd taken a while to get there, but that was all right. Hardison would have waited forever for Parker to get to a place where she could reciprocate.
But Eliot. Eliot had surprised him. Of course he'd cared about Eliot - he'd always appreciated the way Eliot stepped between him and certain pain without hesitation or even much thought. How could he not care when Eliot had cracked ribs and bruised knuckles because he stepped between him and the mark's thugs? So he hovered, bandaged Eliot's hands and tried to think of ways to show his gratitude.
And somewhere along the way it turned from general concern and gratitude into something more.
"Babe," Hardison said, "Parker."
Parker sat at his desk, not comfortable yet falling asleep together. She'd come to bed later, sneak under the covers after he was fast asleep. Hardison didn't mind; it made waking up together all the more special.
"Hmm?"
"About Eliot." Hardison stopped, not sure how to go on.
Parker turned to face him, a set of lock picks in her hands. "What about Eliot?"
"I think--I mean--Do you like him?"
Parker frowned at him. "Of course I like him."
"No, I mean--" Hardison bit his lip, eyes on Parker. She was waiting, patiently, for him to find the words. Hardison had always appreciated that they were honest with each other, so he couldn't be anything else now. Especially not now. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I think I might have a crush on Eliot."
Parker laughed. "Silly! Who doesn't?!"
Hardison blinked. "What? Who does?"
Parker shrugged. "Lots of people, I suppose. He's hot, he's intense, he's kind and he can cook. No wonder you have a crush on him." She laughed again. "I have a crush on him."
"You do?"
"Yeah." She put down her lock picks and wheeled the desk chair over to the bed. "But I'm with you."
"And I'm with you." Hardison smiled. "But since we both have a crush on Eliot -- I'm just saying, we might, you know, talk to him about it..."
"Why?"
"Well, if you like Eliot and I like Eliot, there is no reason we can't date Eliot. Together." Hardison frowned. "Unless Eliot doesn't like us that way."
"Date Eliot? Both of us? I didn't know you could do that."
"You can. Not everyone approves, but then again..." He shrugged. People always found something to disapprove of. They'd gotten looks, occasionally. He tried not to let it bother him.
"Do you think Eliot has a crush on us?"
Hardison sighed. "I don't know."
"Maybe we should offer him some pretzels," Parker said. "Just to see what he says."
Hardison laughed. "Actually, that's not a bad idea at all. We should ask."
#
Eliot looked up when Parker and Hardison dropped onto the bench on the other side of the booth, Parker with three bottles of beer and Hardison with a bowl of snacks.
"Hi." Parker set the three bottles on the table and nudged one towards him.
Eliot took it with a nod and opened it, his eyes narrowing at the weird behaviour across the table. "Okay," he said once he'd set the beer back down. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Parker said, obviously lying.
"Uh-huh."
"Actually, Parker and I were wondering if you'd like some pretzels." Hardison pushed the bowl of snacks towards him.
Eliot looked down at the bowl of pretzels, not quite daring to breathe. Hardison couldn't mean-- but then Eliot looked up and caught Hardison's gaze. Definitely more serious than pretzels, so this was indeed about pretzels.
Ages ago, Parker had come to him talking about pretzels. It had taken a really long and frustrating conversation to find out what the hell she was talking about, and Eliot had been tempted to send her to Sophie, but from what Parker had said she'd already talked to Sophie. Eliot's advice at the time had been to take the damn pretzels if she wanted them. (And to make it known that she wasn't into pretzels if she wasn't. He'd told her to let Hardison down gently if she wasn't interested. So yeah. He knew all about pretzels.)
So now the question was: did he want the damn pretzels?
"I honestly never thought about-- pretzels ," he said eventually, still turning it over in his mind.
Parker looked disappointed, but Hardison merely nodded. "Well, they're on the table, if you come to a decision about them." He looked at Parker and held out his hand. "Come on, babe. Let's leave Eliot to his brooding."
"I'm not brooding!" he called after them. He was actually waiting for his date to show up. He hesitated, his cell phone in hand. Then he called to cancel his date and, after some thinking, he dialled up another number.
"Shawna, hey. -- No, actually, this is mostly a business call. -- Yes, really. I need some relationship advice. Can you fit me in sometime this week? -- Awesome; great. Thank you, see you Thursday."
#
"Do you think something is up with Eliot?"
"No." Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Nate shrugged. He's been off lately."
Sophie snorted. "You mean he's been happy."
"He's been different." Nate paused. "It can't just be the Brew Pub; he was cooking before, back in Boston. Do you think he's dating someone seriously?"
"Eliot is always serious about his dates."
Nate huffed in annoyance. "You're being difficult on purpose."
"Am I?"
Nate narrowed his eyes. "You know something."
Sophie gave an elegant shrug. The movement caused the collar of her large sweater to slide down and offer him a tantalizing view of her collarbone and her bare shoulder, lacy black bra strap included.
"And now you're trying to distract me."
"Am I?" Sophie asked, in a bored tone of voice. She gave him a mischievous smile. "Is it working?"
"It's... not not working," Nate admitted. "Maybe we should--argh!"
He jumped and Sophie dropped her phone when Parker suddenly dropped down from the ceiling.
"What have I told you about coming in through an upstairs window?"
"Not to do it unless you specifically told me to," Parker parroted.
"And did I tell you to come in the window?"
"No, but I was already upstairs, so I didn't break your rule."
"Okay, new rule: don't abseil from the ceiling and into a conversation." Nate had little hope that Parker would actually follow that rule, but it wouldn't hurt to try.
Parker sighed. "Can I talk now?"
"Sure," Sophie said, patting the chair next to her. "Did you find us a job?"
"No," Parker said. "I have something to tell you. Hardison and I are dating--"
"We know that, Parker," Nate said. "You told us when we moved her."
"And I'm pretty sure we all knew before then," Sophie said. "Although we were touched that you actually told us. With words."
Parker harrumphed and crossed her arms. "Yeah, that's not what I was saying."
Nate frowned. "What were you saying?"
"Hardison and I are dating Eliot."
Nate raised an eyebrow, a little surprised that Eliot had actually joined Hardison and Parker, but not altogether surprised to know that Hardison and Parker had welcomed him in their relationship. If anyone was obvious in his pining, it was Hardison.
Sophie caught his eyes and he shrugged. Sophie glared at him.
"Thank you for telling us, Parker. Is there anything else you need?"
"Nope. Just wanted to let you know." With that, Parker coiled up her rope and headed for the kitchen.
"Well, I guess that answers your question," Sophie said.
Nate hummed. Then he dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. "Not the second one."
Sophie grinned. "Well then."
#
Parker took a breath, picked up her lock picks and started on the first lock in front of her. A minute later, when she'd gone through all of her practice locks, she put her tools down and swivelled the chair around to look at the bed.
Hardison wore his usual sleep shirt, but Eliot, they'd discovered, slept in nothing but his boxers. He liked it when they lightly pulled his hair and he hated it when people touched his neck.
Smiling, Parker got up and tiptoed across to the bed. She looked down at her sleeping partners.
Eliot shifted and opened one eye, looking up at her. He inclined his head to the bed and Parker hesitated only for a moment before she crawled in and settled between them. Hardison let out an indistinct murmur in his sleep and Eliot turned on his side to wrap an arm around her.
"Okay?" he asked, his voice rough and sleep-heavy.
Parker nodded. "Okay."
Three Criminals; One Relationship
graphic by devon380black
Hardison wasn't sure when he realized, about Eliot.
With Parker, he knew right from the moment they met - she'd been the brightest, most captivating person he'd ever seen. She caught his attention like little else and he was always surprised to remember that she returned his affection. Sure, they'd taken a while to get there, but that was all right. Hardison would have waited forever for Parker to get to a place where she could reciprocate.
But Eliot. Eliot had surprised him. Of course he'd cared about Eliot - he'd always appreciated the way Eliot stepped between him and certain pain without hesitation or even much thought. How could he not care when Eliot had cracked ribs and bruised knuckles because he stepped between him and the mark's thugs? So he hovered, bandaged Eliot's hands and tried to think of ways to show his gratitude.
And somewhere along the way it turned from general concern and gratitude into something more.
"Babe," Hardison said, "Parker."
Parker sat at his desk, not comfortable yet falling asleep together. She'd come to bed later, sneak under the covers after he was fast asleep. Hardison didn't mind; it made waking up together all the more special.
"Hmm?"
"About Eliot." Hardison stopped, not sure how to go on.
Parker turned to face him, a set of lock picks in her hands. "What about Eliot?"
"I think--I mean--Do you like him?"
Parker frowned at him. "Of course I like him."
"No, I mean--" Hardison bit his lip, eyes on Parker. She was waiting, patiently, for him to find the words. Hardison had always appreciated that they were honest with each other, so he couldn't be anything else now. Especially not now. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I think I might have a crush on Eliot."
Parker laughed. "Silly! Who doesn't?!"
Hardison blinked. "What? Who does?"
Parker shrugged. "Lots of people, I suppose. He's hot, he's intense, he's kind and he can cook. No wonder you have a crush on him." She laughed again. "I have a crush on him."
"You do?"
"Yeah." She put down her lock picks and wheeled the desk chair over to the bed. "But I'm with you."
"And I'm with you." Hardison smiled. "But since we both have a crush on Eliot -- I'm just saying, we might, you know, talk to him about it..."
"Why?"
"Well, if you like Eliot and I like Eliot, there is no reason we can't date Eliot. Together." Hardison frowned. "Unless Eliot doesn't like us that way."
"Date Eliot? Both of us? I didn't know you could do that."
"You can. Not everyone approves, but then again..." He shrugged. People always found something to disapprove of. They'd gotten looks, occasionally. He tried not to let it bother him.
"Do you think Eliot has a crush on us?"
Hardison sighed. "I don't know."
"Maybe we should offer him some pretzels," Parker said. "Just to see what he says."
Hardison laughed. "Actually, that's not a bad idea at all. We should ask."
#
Eliot looked up when Parker and Hardison dropped onto the bench on the other side of the booth, Parker with three bottles of beer and Hardison with a bowl of snacks.
"Hi." Parker set the three bottles on the table and nudged one towards him.
Eliot took it with a nod and opened it, his eyes narrowing at the weird behaviour across the table. "Okay," he said once he'd set the beer back down. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Parker said, obviously lying.
"Uh-huh."
"Actually, Parker and I were wondering if you'd like some pretzels." Hardison pushed the bowl of snacks towards him.
Eliot looked down at the bowl of pretzels, not quite daring to breathe. Hardison couldn't mean-- but then Eliot looked up and caught Hardison's gaze. Definitely more serious than pretzels, so this was indeed about pretzels.
Ages ago, Parker had come to him talking about pretzels. It had taken a really long and frustrating conversation to find out what the hell she was talking about, and Eliot had been tempted to send her to Sophie, but from what Parker had said she'd already talked to Sophie. Eliot's advice at the time had been to take the damn pretzels if she wanted them. (And to make it known that she wasn't into pretzels if she wasn't. He'd told her to let Hardison down gently if she wasn't interested. So yeah. He knew all about pretzels.)
So now the question was: did he want the damn pretzels?
"I honestly never thought about-- pretzels ," he said eventually, still turning it over in his mind.
Parker looked disappointed, but Hardison merely nodded. "Well, they're on the table, if you come to a decision about them." He looked at Parker and held out his hand. "Come on, babe. Let's leave Eliot to his brooding."
"I'm not brooding!" he called after them. He was actually waiting for his date to show up. He hesitated, his cell phone in hand. Then he called to cancel his date and, after some thinking, he dialled up another number.
"Shawna, hey. -- No, actually, this is mostly a business call. -- Yes, really. I need some relationship advice. Can you fit me in sometime this week? -- Awesome; great. Thank you, see you Thursday."
#
"Do you think something is up with Eliot?"
"No." Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Nate shrugged. He's been off lately."
Sophie snorted. "You mean he's been happy."
"He's been different." Nate paused. "It can't just be the Brew Pub; he was cooking before, back in Boston. Do you think he's dating someone seriously?"
"Eliot is always serious about his dates."
Nate huffed in annoyance. "You're being difficult on purpose."
"Am I?"
Nate narrowed his eyes. "You know something."
Sophie gave an elegant shrug. The movement caused the collar of her large sweater to slide down and offer him a tantalizing view of her collarbone and her bare shoulder, lacy black bra strap included.
"And now you're trying to distract me."
"Am I?" Sophie asked, in a bored tone of voice. She gave him a mischievous smile. "Is it working?"
"It's... not not working," Nate admitted. "Maybe we should--argh!"
He jumped and Sophie dropped her phone when Parker suddenly dropped down from the ceiling.
"What have I told you about coming in through an upstairs window?"
"Not to do it unless you specifically told me to," Parker parroted.
"And did I tell you to come in the window?"
"No, but I was already upstairs, so I didn't break your rule."
"Okay, new rule: don't abseil from the ceiling and into a conversation." Nate had little hope that Parker would actually follow that rule, but it wouldn't hurt to try.
Parker sighed. "Can I talk now?"
"Sure," Sophie said, patting the chair next to her. "Did you find us a job?"
"No," Parker said. "I have something to tell you. Hardison and I are dating--"
"We know that, Parker," Nate said. "You told us when we moved her."
"And I'm pretty sure we all knew before then," Sophie said. "Although we were touched that you actually told us. With words."
Parker harrumphed and crossed her arms. "Yeah, that's not what I was saying."
Nate frowned. "What were you saying?"
"Hardison and I are dating Eliot."
Nate raised an eyebrow, a little surprised that Eliot had actually joined Hardison and Parker, but not altogether surprised to know that Hardison and Parker had welcomed him in their relationship. If anyone was obvious in his pining, it was Hardison.
Sophie caught his eyes and he shrugged. Sophie glared at him.
"Thank you for telling us, Parker. Is there anything else you need?"
"Nope. Just wanted to let you know." With that, Parker coiled up her rope and headed for the kitchen.
"Well, I guess that answers your question," Sophie said.
Nate hummed. Then he dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. "Not the second one."
Sophie grinned. "Well then."
#
Parker took a breath, picked up her lock picks and started on the first lock in front of her. A minute later, when she'd gone through all of her practice locks, she put her tools down and swivelled the chair around to look at the bed.
Hardison wore his usual sleep shirt, but Eliot, they'd discovered, slept in nothing but his boxers. He liked it when they lightly pulled his hair and he hated it when people touched his neck.
Smiling, Parker got up and tiptoed across to the bed. She looked down at her sleeping partners.
Eliot shifted and opened one eye, looking up at her. He inclined his head to the bed and Parker hesitated only for a moment before she crawled in and settled between them. Hardison let out an indistinct murmur in his sleep and Eliot turned on his side to wrap an arm around her.
"Okay?" he asked, his voice rough and sleep-heavy.
Parker nodded. "Okay."