Fic: That's m' brother
That's m' brother
Author: LMX
Fandom: Leverage
Rating: PG
Pairing: None
Spoilers: S02E11 (The Bottle Job) for a single irrelevent line, does not spoil episode
Warnings: None (Crossover ish. If you identify the crossing you get cookies)
Summary: All his life, Eliot's sister has never called him anything but brother
Note: This takes place in a 'verse I have plans for. Those of you who are cunning might identify the key players early on, but maybe not in this story. I have taken HUGE liberties with Eliot's backstory and when I have time, I intend to take more ;)
--
When he was eight, the most important thing in his world as his sister. In a family of four kids, with a mother and father who both worked relentlessly to keep them all afloat, his oldest sister - world-wise in his eyes at eleven - was everything he needed. It was like a badge of honour when she came 'round with her friends and he was pointed out - "That's m' brother." Like it made him somehow more than anyone else there.
By the time he was sixteen, it was wearing thin. When the rest of the family - a cohort two siblings stronger now and only their da left to earn what he could - were identified by name to the ridiculously hot girls his sister was working with at the club, he couldn't help but be a bit pissed off when he was still introduced as "m' brother". Not that it took much to darken his mood in those days. His sister shouldn't even have had to work at that horrible place, dark and smoky and stinking of booze, but it was income the family needed badly and his father was never strong enough or sober enough to tell her no.
At twenty he was going by another name anyway, and to phone home to a cheerful "hey brother," was somehow the best and hardest thing he'd ever heard. Leaving had seemed so right at the time, younger two sisters in the ground that winter. Home had been a painful word, and he'd needed an outlet for that pain that he couldn't find around the people he loved. He pointedly didn't cry down the phone at Francis, because it was her wedding day and the only thing worse than not being there for his oldest sister would be to tell her where he was calling from.
He was thirty seven when he finally got up the courage to ask her about it (because as much as it pissed him off, he kinda didn't want it to stop). He told her about Liam and Liam's nameless brother and she laughed. "Maybe 's because I knew ya wouldn't go by Eliot forever, huh Sweet? Whatcha goin' by today?" She laughed again, light, not expecting any answer. He thought about telling her that he's been going by Eliot again for a while now, but there was so much more to that story and he just didn't have the balls yet to tell her what he's doing with Nate and his crew. It was enough that he'd been able to send her the wedding present that never reached her, and make sure his niece and nephew were set for life.
"It's possession, bro." she explained eventually, quietly. "I love ya and yer mine, and I want everyone ta know that." She said it like it should have been obvious all along, like he was stupid to need to ask. It was small and idiotic and it had annoyed him forever, and somehow, Eliot couldn't bring himself to care any more.
Author: LMX
Fandom: Leverage
Rating: PG
Pairing: None
Spoilers: S02E11 (The Bottle Job) for a single irrelevent line, does not spoil episode
Warnings: None (Crossover ish. If you identify the crossing you get cookies)
Summary: All his life, Eliot's sister has never called him anything but brother
Note: This takes place in a 'verse I have plans for. Those of you who are cunning might identify the key players early on, but maybe not in this story. I have taken HUGE liberties with Eliot's backstory and when I have time, I intend to take more ;)
--
When he was eight, the most important thing in his world as his sister. In a family of four kids, with a mother and father who both worked relentlessly to keep them all afloat, his oldest sister - world-wise in his eyes at eleven - was everything he needed. It was like a badge of honour when she came 'round with her friends and he was pointed out - "That's m' brother." Like it made him somehow more than anyone else there.
By the time he was sixteen, it was wearing thin. When the rest of the family - a cohort two siblings stronger now and only their da left to earn what he could - were identified by name to the ridiculously hot girls his sister was working with at the club, he couldn't help but be a bit pissed off when he was still introduced as "m' brother". Not that it took much to darken his mood in those days. His sister shouldn't even have had to work at that horrible place, dark and smoky and stinking of booze, but it was income the family needed badly and his father was never strong enough or sober enough to tell her no.
At twenty he was going by another name anyway, and to phone home to a cheerful "hey brother," was somehow the best and hardest thing he'd ever heard. Leaving had seemed so right at the time, younger two sisters in the ground that winter. Home had been a painful word, and he'd needed an outlet for that pain that he couldn't find around the people he loved. He pointedly didn't cry down the phone at Francis, because it was her wedding day and the only thing worse than not being there for his oldest sister would be to tell her where he was calling from.
He was thirty seven when he finally got up the courage to ask her about it (because as much as it pissed him off, he kinda didn't want it to stop). He told her about Liam and Liam's nameless brother and she laughed. "Maybe 's because I knew ya wouldn't go by Eliot forever, huh Sweet? Whatcha goin' by today?" She laughed again, light, not expecting any answer. He thought about telling her that he's been going by Eliot again for a while now, but there was so much more to that story and he just didn't have the balls yet to tell her what he's doing with Nate and his crew. It was enough that he'd been able to send her the wedding present that never reached her, and make sure his niece and nephew were set for life.
"It's possession, bro." she explained eventually, quietly. "I love ya and yer mine, and I want everyone ta know that." She said it like it should have been obvious all along, like he was stupid to need to ask. It was small and idiotic and it had annoyed him forever, and somehow, Eliot couldn't bring himself to care any more.