Fic: Eliot's No Good Very Bad Day (Leverage, Nate/Eliot pre-slash, PG)
Title: Eliot's No Good Very Bad Day
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1459
Pairing: Nate/Eliot (pre-slash)
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Minor language
Disclaimer: If they were mine, Eliot would be shirtless in every episode.
Summary: Eliot's sense of honor and chivalry gets him a trip to the doctor. Written for the hc_bingo mini-challenge using the prompts WILD CARD (bites), nausea, toothache, and blood loss.
Eliot should have disappeared into his home as soon as he realized his flaky neighbor and her teenage daughter were standing by their Volkswagen Jetta, arguing and talking with their hands. Had better sense prevailed, he would have slipped quietly inside and waited for them to leave. Honor and chivalry had won out, though, and Eliot had found himself jimmying the lock of his neighbors’ car in order to rescue an ill-tempered and sharp-toothed Pekinese named Cookie from the sweltering backseat. No sooner had he gotten the car door open, the dog had decided to show her appreciation by taking a bite of Eliot’s forearm.
As if the injury to his arm wasn’t enough, his pride and his jaw had also taken a hit when his neighbor had tripped him, knocked him onto his back, and clocked him with the sole of her boot as she attempted to stop Cookie from running out into traffic. Eliot had lain there in a pathetic heap while the bite on his arm had leaked blood and his jaw had started to throb. All he could do was remind himself that he was the same man who had taken on the Butcher of Kiev twice and had lived to tell about it.
Given their dicey relationship with law enforcement, the Leverage team tended to avoid honest-to-goodness doctors and clinics and hospitals unless absolutely necessary. If it had been left up to Eliot, he would have tried to tend the bite on his own, or he would have contacted his private and very discreet doctor. However, his neighbors had had other plans.
Apparently convinced that the bite would be fatal (or that Cookie was in mortal danger of winding up on the wrong end of Eliot’s temper), the women had insisted on dragging Eliot to the clinic down the road to get a tetanus shot. Eliot had called Nate on the way to explain where he was and to assure him he’d be at the briefing he was already late for as soon as he could pry himself away. Nate had chuckled on the other end of the phone, had muttered an “I’ll be there in a little bit,” and had hung up before Eliot had had a chance to tell him not to come.
So here Eliot was, sitting in a clinic listening to his neighbors reassure him that Cookie didn’t have rabies while the doctor tended to his arm. His patience with the whole situation was wearing thin, but he plastered on a smile and tried to act gracious.
“You know, Cookie is really a gentle dog,” his neighbor said.
With fangs, Eliot thought to himself. He didn’t really blame the dog, though. He loved dogs. Chances are, Cookie was traumatized by getting chucked into an overheated car one too many times. Yeah, the dog was a victim here. His neighbors, however…
“Plus,” the daughter said. “She’s very sensitive, and you have kind of a… a gruff way about you.”
Eliot scowled and bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn’t lose his temper. As he bit down, he groaned audibly and with his uninjured arm, clutched his jaw.
The doctor, who was probably younger than Eliot, smiled amiably. “We may need to do an X-ray of your jaw to see what’s up.”
“I know what’s up,” Eliot snapped. “I got kicked in the face.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his neighbor and her daughter whisper to each other, and he thought he heard the word “gruff.”
“Well, even still,” the doctor said pleasantly. His voice had a sing-song quality to it that made Eliot a little more pissed off than he already was. “Is your tooth loose, buddy? Feel it with your tongue.”
Eliot glowered at him. “I’m not your buddy, and it’s not loose. It just fucking hurts.”
“You may need to see a dentist.”
As the doctor finished with his arm, Eliot saw Nate stroll in through the sliding doors. One part relief and one part morbid embarrassment flooded over him as Nate approached.
“You okay?” Nate said with a grin.
“No,” Eliot groused. “No I’m not okay. I want to get out of here.”
The doctor shook his head. “Well, buddy, you’ve lost some blood, so I wouldn’t rush it. And what about that X-ray on your jaw, huh?”
“What about you get me out of here before they have to X-ray you.”
Nate placed a hand on his shoulder-Eliot suspected it was to both extend a bit of comfort and to put himself in position to restrain Eliot should the need arrive. “He gets a bit cranky when he’s hurt,” he said.
The doctor arched an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“Look, is an X-ray really necessary?”
“Well, he did get kicked in the face.”
Nate burst out laughing. “Did the dog kick you in the face?”
Eliot’s neighbor stepped forward and addressed Nate. “Now, I didn’t kick him. I just sort of stepped on him.”
Biting his bottom lip to stem the tide of giggles, Nate squeezed Eliot’s shoulder. “Listen, Doctor. I’ll watch him. If he gets worse, I’ll bring him back.”
The doctor gazed back and forth between Eliot and Nate and the two women. Eliot could see him trying to decide between his concern over Eliot’s jaw and his desire to get the lot of them out of his clinic. “You may want to take him to a dentist if the pain persists,” he said after a moment.
“Will do. Come on, Eliot.”
Freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom. Eliot immediately jumped down from the gurney, ready to head out the door. Then his stomach lurched suddenly and Eliot leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees to keep from throwing up.
He felt Nate’s steadying hand on his arm. “Eliot? Talk to me.”
“Just nauseous.”
The doctor piped up. “Like I said, he’s lost some blood. And I gave him some pain meds. The nausea is nothing to be concerned about. He should have some Sprite or juice, though, and he should probably lie down.”
Nate gripped Eliot around the waist and helped him straighten himself out. “I’m gonna sit you in this chair over here,” Nate said. “And then I’m gonna talk to the doctor a minute.”
Eliot thought about arguing, but sitting the little plastic chair offered him a reprieve from the gut-splitting nausea he’d gotten from standing up. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the wooziness and the toothache and the pain on his arm.
“Your boyfriend is really nice.”
Opening one eye, Eliot found himself face-to-face with his neighbor’s daughter, who was leaning down in front of him. “Boyfriend?” Eliot said. “Him?”
“Yeah,” she said. “And we think it’s great. It explains a lot.”
Eliot sat up and bit his lip against the nausea. “What does it explain?”
About then, Nate wandered over, carrying a handful of papers in one hand and a bottle of Sprite in the other. “Okay, I got you a prescription for pain meds and something to drink.” He unscrewed the cap on the soda and handed to it Eliot. “Let’s head out.”
“Finally,” Eliot said. He stood up unsteadily and followed Nate out the door. Glancing back at his neighbors, Eliot whispered, “Those two are scary, Nate.”
Chuckling, Nate stopped at a wastebasket and deposited one of the papers he’d been carrying. “Well, I’ll protect you if they come of after us.”
“Cute.” He pointed at the wastebasket. “What was that?”
“Nothing. They doctor gave me a referral for a therapist. He thinks you have anger issues.”
“For fuck’s sake.”
“I know, right? You’re a regular cuddly teddy bear.”
Once they were in the car, Eliot turned to Nate. “Hey, fill me in on the job on the way to wherever we’re going.”
“We’re going to the drugstore to get the pain meds, then we’re going home so I can make you some lunch and you can get some sleep.”
“What about the job?”
“I postponed it,” Nate said. “It’s not time-sensitive, so we can wait a few days.”
“You really didn’t have to cancel the job, Nate. I’m not an invalid.”
“I know.” Nate ran a thumb along the now-raging bruise on Eliot’s jaw. “But I figure we could use a break. It’ll give me a chance to give you some TLC.”
“Well, I guess that wouldn’t be so bad.” Eliot took a sip of Sprite, then leaned his head back against the headrest. Some quality time with a bed was sounding better and better. “Oh, hey. Check this out. My neighbors think you and me are a couple.”
“Huh,” Nate said. “So did the doctor.”
“For real? Isn’t that crazy?”
Nate smirked. “You could do worse.”
Master Fic List
***
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1459
Pairing: Nate/Eliot (pre-slash)
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Minor language
Disclaimer: If they were mine, Eliot would be shirtless in every episode.
Summary: Eliot's sense of honor and chivalry gets him a trip to the doctor. Written for the hc_bingo mini-challenge using the prompts WILD CARD (bites), nausea, toothache, and blood loss.
Eliot should have disappeared into his home as soon as he realized his flaky neighbor and her teenage daughter were standing by their Volkswagen Jetta, arguing and talking with their hands. Had better sense prevailed, he would have slipped quietly inside and waited for them to leave. Honor and chivalry had won out, though, and Eliot had found himself jimmying the lock of his neighbors’ car in order to rescue an ill-tempered and sharp-toothed Pekinese named Cookie from the sweltering backseat. No sooner had he gotten the car door open, the dog had decided to show her appreciation by taking a bite of Eliot’s forearm.
As if the injury to his arm wasn’t enough, his pride and his jaw had also taken a hit when his neighbor had tripped him, knocked him onto his back, and clocked him with the sole of her boot as she attempted to stop Cookie from running out into traffic. Eliot had lain there in a pathetic heap while the bite on his arm had leaked blood and his jaw had started to throb. All he could do was remind himself that he was the same man who had taken on the Butcher of Kiev twice and had lived to tell about it.
Given their dicey relationship with law enforcement, the Leverage team tended to avoid honest-to-goodness doctors and clinics and hospitals unless absolutely necessary. If it had been left up to Eliot, he would have tried to tend the bite on his own, or he would have contacted his private and very discreet doctor. However, his neighbors had had other plans.
Apparently convinced that the bite would be fatal (or that Cookie was in mortal danger of winding up on the wrong end of Eliot’s temper), the women had insisted on dragging Eliot to the clinic down the road to get a tetanus shot. Eliot had called Nate on the way to explain where he was and to assure him he’d be at the briefing he was already late for as soon as he could pry himself away. Nate had chuckled on the other end of the phone, had muttered an “I’ll be there in a little bit,” and had hung up before Eliot had had a chance to tell him not to come.
So here Eliot was, sitting in a clinic listening to his neighbors reassure him that Cookie didn’t have rabies while the doctor tended to his arm. His patience with the whole situation was wearing thin, but he plastered on a smile and tried to act gracious.
“You know, Cookie is really a gentle dog,” his neighbor said.
With fangs, Eliot thought to himself. He didn’t really blame the dog, though. He loved dogs. Chances are, Cookie was traumatized by getting chucked into an overheated car one too many times. Yeah, the dog was a victim here. His neighbors, however…
“Plus,” the daughter said. “She’s very sensitive, and you have kind of a… a gruff way about you.”
Eliot scowled and bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn’t lose his temper. As he bit down, he groaned audibly and with his uninjured arm, clutched his jaw.
The doctor, who was probably younger than Eliot, smiled amiably. “We may need to do an X-ray of your jaw to see what’s up.”
“I know what’s up,” Eliot snapped. “I got kicked in the face.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his neighbor and her daughter whisper to each other, and he thought he heard the word “gruff.”
“Well, even still,” the doctor said pleasantly. His voice had a sing-song quality to it that made Eliot a little more pissed off than he already was. “Is your tooth loose, buddy? Feel it with your tongue.”
Eliot glowered at him. “I’m not your buddy, and it’s not loose. It just fucking hurts.”
“You may need to see a dentist.”
As the doctor finished with his arm, Eliot saw Nate stroll in through the sliding doors. One part relief and one part morbid embarrassment flooded over him as Nate approached.
“You okay?” Nate said with a grin.
“No,” Eliot groused. “No I’m not okay. I want to get out of here.”
The doctor shook his head. “Well, buddy, you’ve lost some blood, so I wouldn’t rush it. And what about that X-ray on your jaw, huh?”
“What about you get me out of here before they have to X-ray you.”
Nate placed a hand on his shoulder-Eliot suspected it was to both extend a bit of comfort and to put himself in position to restrain Eliot should the need arrive. “He gets a bit cranky when he’s hurt,” he said.
The doctor arched an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“Look, is an X-ray really necessary?”
“Well, he did get kicked in the face.”
Nate burst out laughing. “Did the dog kick you in the face?”
Eliot’s neighbor stepped forward and addressed Nate. “Now, I didn’t kick him. I just sort of stepped on him.”
Biting his bottom lip to stem the tide of giggles, Nate squeezed Eliot’s shoulder. “Listen, Doctor. I’ll watch him. If he gets worse, I’ll bring him back.”
The doctor gazed back and forth between Eliot and Nate and the two women. Eliot could see him trying to decide between his concern over Eliot’s jaw and his desire to get the lot of them out of his clinic. “You may want to take him to a dentist if the pain persists,” he said after a moment.
“Will do. Come on, Eliot.”
Freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom. Eliot immediately jumped down from the gurney, ready to head out the door. Then his stomach lurched suddenly and Eliot leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees to keep from throwing up.
He felt Nate’s steadying hand on his arm. “Eliot? Talk to me.”
“Just nauseous.”
The doctor piped up. “Like I said, he’s lost some blood. And I gave him some pain meds. The nausea is nothing to be concerned about. He should have some Sprite or juice, though, and he should probably lie down.”
Nate gripped Eliot around the waist and helped him straighten himself out. “I’m gonna sit you in this chair over here,” Nate said. “And then I’m gonna talk to the doctor a minute.”
Eliot thought about arguing, but sitting the little plastic chair offered him a reprieve from the gut-splitting nausea he’d gotten from standing up. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the wooziness and the toothache and the pain on his arm.
“Your boyfriend is really nice.”
Opening one eye, Eliot found himself face-to-face with his neighbor’s daughter, who was leaning down in front of him. “Boyfriend?” Eliot said. “Him?”
“Yeah,” she said. “And we think it’s great. It explains a lot.”
Eliot sat up and bit his lip against the nausea. “What does it explain?”
About then, Nate wandered over, carrying a handful of papers in one hand and a bottle of Sprite in the other. “Okay, I got you a prescription for pain meds and something to drink.” He unscrewed the cap on the soda and handed to it Eliot. “Let’s head out.”
“Finally,” Eliot said. He stood up unsteadily and followed Nate out the door. Glancing back at his neighbors, Eliot whispered, “Those two are scary, Nate.”
Chuckling, Nate stopped at a wastebasket and deposited one of the papers he’d been carrying. “Well, I’ll protect you if they come of after us.”
“Cute.” He pointed at the wastebasket. “What was that?”
“Nothing. They doctor gave me a referral for a therapist. He thinks you have anger issues.”
“For fuck’s sake.”
“I know, right? You’re a regular cuddly teddy bear.”
Once they were in the car, Eliot turned to Nate. “Hey, fill me in on the job on the way to wherever we’re going.”
“We’re going to the drugstore to get the pain meds, then we’re going home so I can make you some lunch and you can get some sleep.”
“What about the job?”
“I postponed it,” Nate said. “It’s not time-sensitive, so we can wait a few days.”
“You really didn’t have to cancel the job, Nate. I’m not an invalid.”
“I know.” Nate ran a thumb along the now-raging bruise on Eliot’s jaw. “But I figure we could use a break. It’ll give me a chance to give you some TLC.”
“Well, I guess that wouldn’t be so bad.” Eliot took a sip of Sprite, then leaned his head back against the headrest. Some quality time with a bed was sounding better and better. “Oh, hey. Check this out. My neighbors think you and me are a couple.”
“Huh,” Nate said. “So did the doctor.”
“For real? Isn’t that crazy?”
Nate smirked. “You could do worse.”
Master Fic List
***