Work Text:
Pairing: Eliot/Parker (Leverage)
Setting: Season 2 AU
“Hey, look at this!” Parker was as joyful as Sophie had ever seen her when she came pelting across the room to show her the item in her hands. “Isn’t it great?”
“It’s wonderful, Parker.” The grifter smiled. “But I thought we talked about not stealing on the side for the moment, just sticking to the jobs, and...”
“Oh, I didn’t steal it,” Parker insisted. “It’s a Christmas gift. Santa left it for me, and it’s exactly what I wanted, isn’t that so cool?”
Sophie was bemused and was sure it showed on her face. Not that she expected Parker to pick up on that. Instead, she looked past her to Nate, who shook his head in the negative, and then, to Hardison, who seemed equally confused. Eliot was the one who didn’t look up at all from his food prep, giving Sophie all the evidence she needed as to what was really going on.
“I see. A gift from Santa Claus.” She nodded slowly. “Well, it is certainly a lovely present, Parker, and I suppose it could only be from someone so magical. After all, I can’t imagine anyone else who could possibly retrieve such a special gift as that.”
That got the hitter’s attention, as it was supposed to, just as Parker scampered off to give the rest of the team a better look at her present and show it off in general. Sophie moved closer to the counter and leaned down on it, eyes fixed on Eliot as he made a big deal of not returning her gaze, once again.
“You gonna stand there all day, staring like that?”
“Perhaps,” she told him, unable to keep the smile from her lips. “You know, you’re much nicer than you want people to think. Parker is thrilled with the gift when she thinks it’s from Santa. Imagine how happy it would make her to know that someone human and real and close by actually cares for her that much.”
Eliot stopped chopping and sautéing a moment, bringing his eyes up to meet Sophie’s own gaze at last. His lips twitched as if he planned on saying something, but no words came out. She hadn’t baffled him, not really, it was only that Eliot had trouble expressing himself when it came to any real feelings. He had plenty of them, Sophie was certain, but he had learnt long ago it was better to bury them, in his line of work.
“When are you going to realise, Eliot, you don’t have to hide from us,” she reminded him, her hand briefly touching his own, before she moved quietly away.
She said nothing more to him on the subject and nothing more to Parker either. She had done as much meddling as she would permit herself, given the potential complications of more romance within the team. That was why she was particularly surprised, the very next day, when she entered the apartment, only to see Parker and Eliot springing apart from each other like shrapnel, the second they realised they had company. Without a word, she stepped back out of the door, closed it behind her, yet lingered to hear what might be said after she was gone.
“It’s not my fault she walked in right then!”
“It’s your fault you were kissing me, Parker!”
“You were kissing me too, Eliot! And if you don’t want me to kiss you, then don’t get me the perfect Christmas gift!”
“You said you thought it was from Santa!”
“I thought I was supposed to keep it a secret from everybody else!”
A brief clattering sound followed, and then, silence. Perhaps someone else might have thought they killed each other, but Sophie knew better, and she absolutely would not be disturbing the couple again. Not until at least New Year’s!