Fic: All Right
Title: All Right
Author: sheryden
Rating: G
Word Count: 688
Characters: Gen, Nate and Parker
Spoilers: The Boost Job 3.08
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: Nate and Parker share a quiet moment.
Notes: Written for kissbingo for the prompt "body: top of the head." It's a glimpse into the somewhat paternal feelings Nate has for Parker.
It had been a good night, and now, Nate was enjoying the warm afterglow of dinner with his surrogate family.
Nate took a last glance around the kitchen. All the dishes-with the exception of his own glass, still half-filled with Jameson-had been loaded into the dishwasher. He thought fleetingly about running it tonight, but it could wait until morning.
Satisfied with the state of his apartment, Nate let his eyes travel toward the only other person left in the room. Parker sat at the table, pushing a bottle cap back and forth between her fingers. Usually, it was Eliot who lingered, but he had wandered off somewhere with Hardison almost a forty-five minutes ago. Sophie had left soon after the boys, leaving Parker to keep Nate company while he tidied up.
It was a bit unusual for Parker to hang around Nate’s place after hours-not that they never spent any alone time together. They had their little conversations, usually over cold cereal and morning talk shows, or during a case. But tonight, Nate suspected she was seeking him out, and that… that was atypical.
Walking over to Parker, Nate placed his hands on the back of her chair. “Thinking about Josie?”
She stopped playing with the bottle cap and peered over her shoulder at Nate. “I wonder if we did the right thing. What if that guy is an ax murderer?”
“I’m pretty sure he’s not,” Nate said with a smile.
“He could be,” she said.
“Well, don’t worry. I’ll be keeping an eye on her.” he said. “If that guy turns out to be an ax murderer, I’ll send Eliot after him.”
Parker nodded approvingly. “That’s a good plan.”
“I like it,” Nate said. After a moment, he added, “She’s gonna be all right.”
Parker hugged her arms around her chest. “Do you think we saved her from turning out as screwed up as me?”
Nate bit his bottom lip. He had often wondered what would have become of Parker had someone more responsible than Archie Leach run across her as a child. Was she hardwired to become the Parker they all knew? Or was it all the product of never having had a safe place and a nurturing family? It made him cringe to think of her as a young teenager living in a warehouse like the one she occupied now. No family dinners, no posters of celebrity crushes hanging on the wall. No parents to go to for advice or to care for her when she was sick. Even Nate, with his lousy father, had grown up with those little perks of childhood.
Nate let one hand slip off the back of the chair to give Parker a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. “I think you’re not so bad,” he said. He smiled to himself when she didn’t flinch or jerk her body away from his touch. There was still a part of her that was skittish about the simplest gesture, but she seemed to be getting more comfortable with at least the team touching her once in a while. Maybe she was starting to heal from whatever had broken her in the first place.
He stood there quietly, realizing how small and fragile Parker could seem at times. Then impulsively, he leaned down and gave her a soft, chaste kiss on the top of the head. Her hair was feather-soft against his lips and smelled like jasmine. As he kissed her, he gave her another squeeze on the shoulder. She reached up and patted her head as if she were expecting to find something in her hair. Then, tilting her head back to look at Nate, she scrunched up her face and gazed at him, her expression softening after a moment.
Finally, she rose to her feet. “I want some cereal,” she said. “Do you want some cereal, Nate?”
“We just ate.”
She patted Nate on the hand, as if he were a small child. “It can be dessert, Nate” she said.
Chuckling a bit, Nate followed her into the kitchen. “Hey, Parker,” he said. “You’re gonna be all right, too.”
My Master Fic List
***
Author: sheryden
Rating: G
Word Count: 688
Characters: Gen, Nate and Parker
Spoilers: The Boost Job 3.08
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: Nate and Parker share a quiet moment.
Notes: Written for kissbingo for the prompt "body: top of the head." It's a glimpse into the somewhat paternal feelings Nate has for Parker.
It had been a good night, and now, Nate was enjoying the warm afterglow of dinner with his surrogate family.
Nate took a last glance around the kitchen. All the dishes-with the exception of his own glass, still half-filled with Jameson-had been loaded into the dishwasher. He thought fleetingly about running it tonight, but it could wait until morning.
Satisfied with the state of his apartment, Nate let his eyes travel toward the only other person left in the room. Parker sat at the table, pushing a bottle cap back and forth between her fingers. Usually, it was Eliot who lingered, but he had wandered off somewhere with Hardison almost a forty-five minutes ago. Sophie had left soon after the boys, leaving Parker to keep Nate company while he tidied up.
It was a bit unusual for Parker to hang around Nate’s place after hours-not that they never spent any alone time together. They had their little conversations, usually over cold cereal and morning talk shows, or during a case. But tonight, Nate suspected she was seeking him out, and that… that was atypical.
Walking over to Parker, Nate placed his hands on the back of her chair. “Thinking about Josie?”
She stopped playing with the bottle cap and peered over her shoulder at Nate. “I wonder if we did the right thing. What if that guy is an ax murderer?”
“I’m pretty sure he’s not,” Nate said with a smile.
“He could be,” she said.
“Well, don’t worry. I’ll be keeping an eye on her.” he said. “If that guy turns out to be an ax murderer, I’ll send Eliot after him.”
Parker nodded approvingly. “That’s a good plan.”
“I like it,” Nate said. After a moment, he added, “She’s gonna be all right.”
Parker hugged her arms around her chest. “Do you think we saved her from turning out as screwed up as me?”
Nate bit his bottom lip. He had often wondered what would have become of Parker had someone more responsible than Archie Leach run across her as a child. Was she hardwired to become the Parker they all knew? Or was it all the product of never having had a safe place and a nurturing family? It made him cringe to think of her as a young teenager living in a warehouse like the one she occupied now. No family dinners, no posters of celebrity crushes hanging on the wall. No parents to go to for advice or to care for her when she was sick. Even Nate, with his lousy father, had grown up with those little perks of childhood.
Nate let one hand slip off the back of the chair to give Parker a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. “I think you’re not so bad,” he said. He smiled to himself when she didn’t flinch or jerk her body away from his touch. There was still a part of her that was skittish about the simplest gesture, but she seemed to be getting more comfortable with at least the team touching her once in a while. Maybe she was starting to heal from whatever had broken her in the first place.
He stood there quietly, realizing how small and fragile Parker could seem at times. Then impulsively, he leaned down and gave her a soft, chaste kiss on the top of the head. Her hair was feather-soft against his lips and smelled like jasmine. As he kissed her, he gave her another squeeze on the shoulder. She reached up and patted her head as if she were expecting to find something in her hair. Then, tilting her head back to look at Nate, she scrunched up her face and gazed at him, her expression softening after a moment.
Finally, she rose to her feet. “I want some cereal,” she said. “Do you want some cereal, Nate?”
“We just ate.”
She patted Nate on the hand, as if he were a small child. “It can be dessert, Nate” she said.
Chuckling a bit, Nate followed her into the kitchen. “Hey, Parker,” he said. “You’re gonna be all right, too.”
My Master Fic List
***