"What was with you down in the bar, Eliot? All I asked for was a little manly hug."

"There's no such thing as a manly hug, Hardison!!"

"Says you!"

"Yeah, says me. And you know who else says that? Men!"

"Fine, I'll prove it to you."

"Pass."

"No, really, I'll tell you what. I will not talk tech with you for 2 whole days if I don't convince you that there is a difference between a 'huuug'" Alec said, intoning the word in a gentle voice, "and a manly 'HUG,'" he finished with an abrupt growl of the last word.

Eliot looked skeptical but finally said "Make it four days," and nodded.

"Okay, but you have to trust me Eliot. Don't look at me like that, you've got to show trust. Trust is key. Now close your eyes."

"Not a chance."

"Trust! Now, come on, I know you're not scared of a little affection, big bad you and all."

Eliot sighed. "Fine, but you better not make me regret this..." Eliot mumbled then, and closed his eyes, his body tense as if he were bracing for a punch to the balls.

"Now don't move no matter what," Alec said. He walked over to Eliot and wrapped his long arms around Eliot's shoulder. He moved his body forward so both their fronts were touching in a solid plane of contact from chest to knee. And he nestled his face down low as he could so that it rested in the nook of Eliot's neck. And then he closed his eyes and made a satisfied little sound as he stood still, cuddling around Eliot's body.

Though he couldn't see it, Alec could swear he felt the air move from Eliot's nostril flare.

"Hardison," he said slowly, through gritted teeth, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Dude, that's how people hug. Haven't you ever been hugged before?"

"That is not how people hug, Hardison! Not anyone over the age of five, and definitely not men."

"Sure they do, I've seen plenty of men hug that way."

"No, they do not, they don't touch anything but the chest and shoulders, and they pat each other on the backs as fast as they can, and then that's it! No snuggling up close, no leaning your head in, and definitely no closing your eyes with a happy noise!"

"What's the point of even hugging if you're going to do it like that?"

"Hardison! You are not that naive! You know damn well that is how men hug!"

"Oh, so there is such a thing as a manly hug," Alec said with a smile.

Eliot looked at him for a moment and then stormed off, mumbling, "Yeah, there's also such a thing as a manly way to break someone's jaw."

"Aw, don't do that Eliot," Alec taunted him as Eliot walked out, "Then I won't be able to show you the manly way to French kiss!"

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Written for comment_fic on Livejournal, a multi-fandom prompt community called "Comment_fic: Bite Sized bits of Fic," where you can request or write fic from any fandom.

Prompt was Hardison/Eliot, hug