Title: Feed – Chapter Three (complete)

Word Count: 6,121

Rating: hard R for adult content

Fandom/Pairing: Leverage slash starring Alec/Eliot, Nate, Sophie, Parker

Beta: for2rusty

Disclaimers/Warnings: No spoilers. Nothing too squicky but there are nightmares/night terrors involved so if you aren't comfortable with this please don't read. There's also some non-graphic violence and sex in this chapter.

Author Notes: My plan is to write my first 10,000+ story. I've exceed that so I'm happy. How did I do?

Summary: Alec gets what he wished for. Eliot's kidnapper gets punished and romance blossoms. Oh, and some fluff of the smexy kind happens.

Act Three: Reformation

"See, what had happened was..."

This is where Alec stops. Because he can't begin like that. And he doesn't know any other way. He could make Eliot turn around, say what he needs to say to his back, but Alec's no coward. Well, he tries not to be. At least not when it counts. Even though he's never actually told Parker how he feels about her. He's hinted and made indirect statements. But that doesn't count anyway. Parker doesn't always understand, and even when she does, she doesn't, so-.

"Hardison, stop geeking out and tell me what the hell is going on!" Eliot commands.

But Alec isn't geeking out so much as freaking out, which is a whole other story. Freaking out means he has no idea what to tell him. At all. Like, at all...

"...I..."

"Damn it, Hardison!"

When Eliot crosses his arms over his chest Alec knows it's his cue to speak or deal with the consequences. And as far as cues go it's pretty clear. Crystal. But Eliot's biceps are presenting themselves like two Picasso's or the Mona Lisa. He can't help looking at them. At Eliot's forearms with their wiry veins and smooth skin. At his hands hidden from view but memorized and imagined in detail. Alec can't help imagining those strong arms holding him so close he's unable to get away. Hell, he wouldn't want to. Eliot has the kind of arms Arnold Schwarzenegger would be jealous of. And those lips? Eliot's lips are full and rosy and entirely too kissable...

Eliot sounds a warning growl. It heads straight to Alec's nether regions the way a heat-seeking missile would.

"It's you, okay? Just...you!" Alec waves to indicate Eliot's person. "I was fine before, I swear to Nana!"

"Hardison, you sniff after Parker like a dog in heat. And she's hot and all but she's not exactly right in the head," Eliot points out.

"And you are? My track record ain't known for normal on good days, and now this?" He sighs and breathes in deep. "You think I want this? That I knew it was gonna happen? Cause I didn't!" He turns away from Eliot, afraid of what he will see if he looks into his eyes.

"So maybe you'll get over it?" the hitter asks a little too hopefully, which hurts more than Alec expects it to.

"Yeah, sure. It's just 'cause you're all, you know..." Alec picks up his dish again. "Whatever." He sets the plate in the sink and starts to walk back past the older man.

Eliot sighs. "Look, I, I mean, it's just that I don't do this." Alec blinks. "You know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah, sure, man. It's cool. Don't worry 'bout it," he replies as lightly as he can get away with.

Eliot attempts a smile that turns out more like a grimace. Alec waves a three-fingered salute and leaves. He's able to hold on and make it safely inside his apartment. Then the pain doubles him over. He hadn't realized, hadn't figured it out, until Eliot had acted so hopeful about his feelings fizzling out that he actually was in love and not just infatuated. He likes taking care of Eliot, likes being his rock, likes seeing the progress he makes with each passing day. He likes seeing him smile when he's accomplished something he hadn't been able to do when they first rescued him. And he cries inside whenever Eliot's expression freezes in exhaustion and horror. Eliot screaming breaks his heart each time he does it.

If that was all it was things wouldn't be so bad. But he understands. Just like he understands that somewhere along the line his need for the man became something more. Something else. So what's he supposed to do now? Now that Eliot knows and wishes he didn't?

"I can't sleep."

It's four o'clock in the morning and Alec is not asleep either. It's the only excuse he has for answering the phone in the first place. He's confused, though, as to why Eliot would be calling him of all people. No after what went down after dinner.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly. He may be cursing Eliot's very existence at the moment but he doesn't have it in him to be cruel.

"Green-eyed monsters." The hitter lets out a tired, weary breath. "I'm sorry but..."

"I'll be right over," Alec promises.

Eliot can't call anyone else. Alec is the only one to have seen him like this. So he grabs his keys and heads over to Eliot's. He mentally pushes down any feelings other than friendship that threaten to pop up, reminding himself of how much Eliot isn't interested. However, that plan is shot to hell when Eliot opens the door. He's shirtless, wearing baggy sweatpants, and he's sweaty. Alec's bottom jaw falls.

"Seriously? Seriously?" Alec covers his eyes with a hand. "Why the hell you all wet, man?"

"Would you just shut up and get in here?" Eliot pulls him in by the hem of his t-shirt and closes the door behind him. "I thought if I worked out it might help," he explains, exasperated.

"Are you tryin' to kill me? Seriously?" he repeats. "You had to call me after making yourself sweaty and shiny and-." He abruptly clamps his lips shut, otherwise the next word to slip out of his mouth would've been 'sexy'. "Jesus, I'm too young for this!" He sinks bonelessly into a corner of the sofa, refusing to look at Eliot.

Eliot takes mercy on him eventually by putting a shirt on. It doesn't matter though. He's seen enough. And it's a thin, long-sleeved jersey knit that clings to the sweat as if it's trying to highlight every muscle. Alec closes his eyes, inhales and counts to ten to calm himself. Once he's got a handle on his desire again he opens his eyes. Eliot is sitting in a recliner on the opposite side of the sofa from him, giving him some much-needed space.

"I would've called someone else if I could've, Hardison."

Alec's head rises upward as he twists and turns his head to release tension in his neck. "It's okay. Really, Eliot. I just wasn't..." Expecting him to be half-naked with a fine sheen of sweat glistening on his skin that makes Alec want to jump into his lap and plunder his mouth-. Alec quickly smothers that train of thought. "You wanna play some cards or watch a movie or something?"

Eliot murmurs something too quietly for him to hear.

"What was that?"

Eliot's gaze snares his before dropping to the floor. "I got no right to ask...Especially now..."

It'll be bad. Whatever it is. It'll be extremely bad and Alec will find himself doing it simply because the hitter has asked him to. That he can guarantee. "Uh huh...," he prods suspiciously.

"I...I sleep better when..." Alec quirks an eyebrow. If he was a betting man he'd be hitting it big right about now. "When you're close by," Eliot finishes softly.

Yeah. Of course. "Of course." Because what else would torture Alec more than to be in such close proximity with the man he loves, who doesn't love him? "Come on, then. Off to bed with ya."

Alec shoos him off to bed and settles in for another lonely, uncomfortable night on the sofa. Eliot kindly doesn't offer to let him share his bed. Not that he would now. This way only one of them will be having issues with stiffness in the morning. Alec shakes head. It already is morning, he scolds himself. The image of Eliot's arms and chest comes back with a vengeance despite his attempts to stop it. Because the sofa smells like the man, musky and earthy. It makes sense that he think about him. Alec sighs. It's gonna be a long night.

At five thirty there are sounds coming out of Eliot's room that are like nothing he has ever heard before, and he's heard a lot in the past couple months. But these are higher-pitched than any the other man's made before. The only comparison Alec has is to the whimpers Eliot made when he'd watched him on the feed. Alec figures he's having another night terror, which is good to know. It helps prepare him for what he might encounter when he walks slowly into his bedroom. Eliot is in bed, back arched tighter than a bow string. The same gray flat sheet blankets him so he can't see his fingers but he has a feeling they're curled into claws. Eliot's throat is stretched, his head thrown back. The position looks painful, and he's holding it faithfully.

When Alec approaches he calls Eliot's name gently. He reaches out to lay a hand on his shoulder. Eliot's blood is thrumming through his veins. That can't be good. Alec keeps saying his name in the softest, calmest voice, trying to pull him back from wherever he is. Finally, after five solid minutes with no change, Eliot begins to relax muscle by muscle. The process is slow but Alec doesn't let go and he doesn't stop calling to the man. Then, the hitter opens his eyes. It's Eliot in there, no question, but he's staring at Alec like he's his savior, or his god. The feeling Alec experiences can only be described as intoxicating. He's never had anyone look at him that way. Ever.

He clears his throat to gain control of himself. "Eliot? You here with me, man?"

When the man opens his mouth to speak no sound comes out. Alec hugs him out of reflex, ignoring how right it feels to have Eliot in his arms. Because he's trying too hard not to like being the strong one it takes him by complete surprise when Eliot surges up to kiss the life out of him. Eliot's obviously distressed from his night terror, obviously scared and hungry to experience something that has nothing to do with where his mind keeps taking him in his slumber. And normally Alec would be right there with him. It would be his chance to be with the man in the biblical sense, which he's pretty safe in believing would be hot as hell. But Alec can't, not when it's about his fear instead of them, so Alec pulls away as quickly as he can.

"Damn it, Hardison. Let me-," Eliot growls, grabbing at his hands to bring him back flush with his own body.

"El, you don't even like me!" he cuts him off. "Come on. You don't want this."

Alec never thought it possible but seeing Eliot like this and not taking advantage hurts as much as knowing any kind of sex right now would be wrong in the hitter's current state. It wouldn't matter that Alec has feelings for him. If anything more happened Alec wouldn't even need to be someone he knows. He could be a total stranger and the other man wouldn't care.

"I know you wanna forget, El," he continues gently, "but this isn't the way. Not with me." The last words sink in. Eliot's movements freeze as he backs up. He leans against the headboard and brings his legs up, wrapping his arms around his knees.

"Hardison, I...I'm so sorry..." Eliot pleads quietly. "...I shouldn't have done that..." He won't look at him. Just stares at his hands clasped and suspended above the space between his knees.

Why Eliot has to wait until after such an explosive kiss to realize he shouldn't have kissed him at all, Alec doesn't know. What he does know, however, is that his mouth tasted sour and metallic and he really wants to dive back into it. Because it was as good as he'd imagined. Hard and slightly painful and raw. Addictive. Alec doesn't need this, doesn't need to be so affected by this craving for another man, let alone the team's resident hitter. He doesn't need to always be looked at like he's an idiot and still want the man so fiercely his balls ache.

"It's cool. Just...don't do that again, okay?" He can't swear he'll be able to restrain himself if there's a next time. He also can't swear that it won't break him. But Alec doesn't add any of this. Neither does the older man mention how wobbly his grin is or how he purposely avoids his eyes. "Try to get some rest," he says, standing up. "I'll see ya in the morning."

Alec walks out of Eliot's bedroom, closing the door behind him, but something inside seems lighter than before he'd first gone in. As if he left something with him, something that makes it more difficult to inhale.

When Alec enters his bathroom it's for one reason only. What he's about to do requires privacy. He sits on the toilet cover and unzips his pants. Taking himself in hand, he visualizes Eliot's mouth as he strokes up, then down the shaft. Within seconds his orgasm rockets through him and Eliot's name etches itself onto the tip of his tongue. It trips out silently as he tips his head back. Alec tells himself he will eventually be fine, that tonight was an aberration and he'll get over it. The pep talk doesn't help. A tear slowly rolls down his cheek unchecked.

At seven the next morning Alec sneaks out of Eliot's apartment. He doesn't check on the older man before he goes. His shame and guilt won't let him. He just slips away without a word. He tells himself it's for the best. He'll forget about the kiss that made his toes tingle and his heart pound so hard it almost escaped from the inside of his chest. He won't though, and he knows it. He wants too badly for it to happen again. And again and again. Back in his own bed he drifts off to sleep with the ghost of Eliot's lips against his, dreaming about making love with him.

At ten he wakes to the soft ding of an alarm on his laptop. It sits innocently on the desk beside his bed but he bolts out of bed immediately. He knows what that ding is for. Alec has finally found out who kidnapped Eliot. He quickly dumps the information into an untraceable file on the laptop and grabs it along with his keys, speed-dialing the rest of the team on his cell to request a meeting. By ten thirty they'll all in the conference room. Alec looks at Eliot's neck as he begins, figuring if he actually looks into his eyes he'll never be able to speak.

"Eliot, I got something. You ever heard of a Chilean dude named Gonzalvo Reyes? 'Cause he's who took you."

The atmosphere in the room changes as Eliot blinks. Alec makes the mistake of raising his gaze, trapping himself in the cobalt flame of Eliot's irises. Everything else fades out as Eliot nods in acknowledgment of Alec's gift. Alec smiles back involuntarily. He may not be able to have more than this, but finding who hurt the man and handing the bad guy over on a silver platter softens the blow a little. Then Sophie clears her throat quietly, bringing him back to the present.

"Who's Reyes?" Nate asks, unaware.

Sophie winks at Alec while Parker sits and twirls a black ball point pen around in her hand.

"A friend of Damien's," Eliot answers. "And a bad man."

Shaking himself mentally, Alec says, "A very bad man. Like child prostitution bad. And slavery. And rumors that he's killed a few girls but no one could ever convict him of murder because he apparently bought off the judge presiding over his case. And you have a price on your head." When his chin indicates Eliot they all turn to watch the hitter. Eliot, for his part, is not surprised at this news.

"So what's the plan?" Parker asks. In her eagerness to get started a twirl goes haywire, flinging the pen toward Eliot's forehead. In the span of a second he plucks it out of the air and places it on the table in front of him. No one says anything but it's the proof they need that Eliot is ready to get back in the game.

Nate's plan is simple. Security in Chile is lax, especially outside of Peru where Reyes built his compound. Parker, who is amazingly efficient at hiding herself until she wants to be seen, easily sneaks in to release the girls. Luckily the townspeople in the region have wanted to oust Reyes for the past decade and have offered to help. Nate organizes a group of drivers to take away anyone not able to run while Parker points the way for those who are mobile. Alec, pretending to be a potential client, makes an effort not to cringe at the girl standing in front of him in Reyes's office. From the comm in his ear Eliot provides words in the local language for him to say so he won't seem suspect, but he feels dirty. He's buying someone who can't be older than eleven to be a servant in his mansion. Not actually having a mansion doesn't count. Nor does the fact that he has never had sexual thoughts about little girls. He still wishes he could jump in the shower and scrub himself with a wire brush to wash away the slime.

Alec reminds himself he's doing this for Eliot. Somehow that keeps him from making a mistake while he purchases 'the product' for what Reyes tells him is a steal. When he leaves he has the girl by the hand, striving for nonchalance as they walk out of the main house. No one else is around on the compound. Alec hopes this is because everyone else has been taken care of. The girl whimpers suddenly as Eliot runs up to them. He quickly comforts her in her native tongue as he looks around.

"You have to go. Nate and the girls are waiting in that old Range Rover next to the dorm. Take the girl and move."

"Wait, where you goin'?" he questions as Eliot backs off and heads to the front door of the house where he'd left Reyes. "El?"

"Gotta take care of something." Alec instantly thinks of the drugs he was given while he was held hostage, the white room he was kept in. Is it here on the grounds? And will the hitter kill Reyes if he finds it? Alec opens his mouth to argue. "Don't worry, Hardison. I won't touch a hair on his head. And I'll be back before you know it." He smiles. "Promise."

Alec takes him at his word and leads the girl to the SUV. Sophie hands her off to a local couple for safekeeping as Alec gets in the back.

"Eliot?" Nate queries once he sees Alec's alone. The hacker's eyes travel back to the main house. "Eliot!" Nate calls out, wondering why he's not answering. "Eliot, if you don't respond in one second I will drive this thing right through the front door!" He turns the key. The Rover's still capable engine growls as horsepower races through it.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Eliot finally says as he opens the door. He's grinning devilishly.

Then, as if by design, the house begins to smoke. A fire truck blares its horn as it barrels up the driveway to the house. Eliot jumps into the back of the Rover beside him. They drive in the opposite direction as the townspeople distract the policemen that show up. The little girl Alec bought waves goodbye. He blinks rapidly to clear the mist from his eyes but the grin he throws her way is bright.

It doesn't take long for him and his handy netbook to wipe away the team's tracks or to find out that Eliot had indeed left Reyes alive. He now sits in solitary in a prison awaiting sentencing for all the identifiable evidence left on the compound and the girls willing to testify against him. The locals in their statements to the police don't mention them at all. On the plane back to the States Eliot sits next to Alec, sleeping peacefully for the first time in months. Alec watches over him as always. Nate and Sophie talk quietly a few rows back while Parker sits on Alec's other side, playing Solitaire on her tray table. He takes a deep breath and asks himself the one question he was hoping never to have to answer. The search for Eliot's kidnapper is over. Who's he supposed to be to Eliot now?

Eliot shows up at his apartment an hour after they arrive home. He has a can of orange Crush in one hand and a steaming home-made pizza on a cookie sheet in the other. It's nine o'clock at night and he has jet-lag but he invites the man in anyway. The pizza smells awesome.

"What you did, finding Reyes and all, that was, I don't..." Eliot trails off.

They're sitting on Alec's sofa at each end. The pizza is gone, as well as the Crush and a couple bottles of Dos Equis Eliot had stashed at his place. Alec is exhausted and full. It's a trying combination with Eliot putting off heat even from 18 inches away. All he wants to do is crawl into the hitter's lap and fall asleep with his head on his chest. Instead he stays in his seat and remains quiet.

"You didn't have to."

Alec's head swivels around toward him. Eliot's not looking at him. His eyes are trained on the wall across from them. "You would've done it for me," Alec says to his profile. The words are a reflex. They're also true. Alec knows he would've moved heaven and earth if he had been the one in trouble. "You would've done it for any of us. Nate, Sophie. Parker."

"I'm not talking about them, man. You didn't give up, did you? Not once."

"...El..." He wants to tell him not to do this. Not when he's exhausted and wanting to run a hand through Eliot's hair. Not now when he's so defenseless. The expression on Eliot's face, however, paralyzes him.

"Hardison, I haven't had a relationship in longer than I can remember. It's easier that way. No one can be used against me and no one can hurt me." Alec thinks it's a warning until Eliot's gaze shifts to his eyes. "I'll screw up at some point. And there'll be days when you'll wanna punch me..." Eliot doesn't smirk. He smiles. Privately, flirtatiously. "...But..."

Alec, in spite of his fear, leaps. "But you'll make it worth my while, right?" he flirts back.

The smile drops as Eliot says in all seriousness, "Turns out geeks do it for me. 'Cause I can't get that kiss outta my head."

He's staring directly into Alec's dark brown orbs so he can see the impact the words have on the younger man. His own eyes twinkle victoriously as Alec's brain short-circuits. He stands up deliberately, stepping in front of the hacker.

"We should go to my place." Alec cocks his head, confused. "We can't do this here. I've seen your bedroom and it's a buzz kill. Come on."

Alec doesn't make any attempts to get indignant. Just takes his hand and follows the man.

Once they reach Eliot's apartment he hesitates. Eliot unlocks the door and turns around. Alec thinks maybe this is a mistake. What if the guy is just horny? Or looking for a little fun? What if he doesn't feel for Alec what Alec feels for him? Then Eliot pushes his hair back from his face with a slightly trembling hand. It's not a big thing, except to Alec it is. He's on stable ground after seeing the tell. He grins and pushes the man back into the family room, closing the door behind him. Surprisingly, Eliot lets him keep pushing until they're in the center of the room.

Moonlight filters through the curtains, showcasing Eliot's body. Alec watches him silently, caught up in how beautiful he is at the moment. This is the man he's fallen in love with. The one no one else gets to see. The vulnerable, open, trusting person who sees something in him that no one ever has. Eliot's eyes in the darkness are hypnotic, freezing him in his tracks. The hitter, though, has less patience. His right hand reaches out in the air slowly but surely, fingertips touching Alec's chest seconds later. He takes a breath as the fingertips slide down over his solar plexus, back up to his sternum, and down again to his stomach where his low-hanging jeans ride. The fingertips become a whole hand, resting there where his insides are fluttering uncontrollably. Alec hopes he can't feel how much they're twisting and turning. Neither speak for a minute while the tension builds. Alec can feel his knees starting to weaken. Finally, he breaks the silence.

"..." He clears his throat and tries again, whispering, "El, I gotta sit or lay down, man. Please!"

Maybe it's because the only light comes from the moon. Or maybe it's just Eliot. Alec isn't sure. Either way the floaty sensation he experiences when the man's mouth falls open at this admission knocks him off his feet. Right as his legs give out Eliot leans over to kiss him, wrapping a supportive arm around his waist. The kiss is sensual, languid, erotic. Alec can't hold back the groan that rumbles up from his chest, nor does he want to. This is how it should've been the first time, he thinks. Of course, on the heels of that thought is how good a kisser Eliot is. Not that the first kiss wasn't an indication of his skills, but this is different. This is, God, this is more than he ever imagined, more than he ever dreamt of. Eliot is taking his mouth over, opening it up and sliding his tongue in to stroke Alec's. Alec reacts by whimpering.

Eliot keeps kissing him, not letting go, not easing up, as he leads him back toward his bedroom. Alec has no idea how they make it without tripping over or running into anything. It's Eliot's doing but it he doesn't care. Eliot is taking his breath away step by step. When Eliot pulls back it takes Alec a minute to realize they're in his bedroom, standing in front of his bed. His arm is still around his waist and Alec's knees are still like jelly. Eliot gently pushes him down into a sitting position on the edge of the bed and moves to stand between his feet. Alec blinks before allowing his hands to rise up to Eliot's own waist.

"...Alec..." Eliot growls, using his first name for the first time that he can remember. And saying it that way, his voice deep, jerky, it sounds like more than a simple name.

Alec responds by placing his hands on his hips, ignoring the nervous tremor in his fingers. Eliot looks down at him, his hair falling like a shield around his face. It's sexy as all hell. And somehow it blocks out the rest of the world. Alec can still see his eyes and that's all that matters. Especially when he reaches down the pull his shirt up over his head. Alec moves his hands up the exposed flesh, murmuring words of desire, of need, as he touches the tanned skin before him. Eliot bites his bottom lip, throwing his head back, making Alec's already tight boxers grow impossibly tighter in the crotch. Knowing that he's the cause of that? It's an aphrodisiac. Thirty seconds pass before Eliot's head rights itself. When it does he takes Alec's jaw in hand and leans down to kiss him again. He's more aggressive now, owning Alec's lips, his tongue. There is no more teasing. Now Eliot is serious, showing the same amount of dedication to this as he does the each con. Alec scoots up the bed instinctively. Which is a good thing, since Eliot promptly lies down on top of him, kissing, groaning, grinding into his body carelessly. His legs spread to make room for the hitter, to bring his pelvis closer. He revels in the faint pain of Eliot's resulting thrusts, bringing his knees up to hold on to Eliot's waist while his hands tangle in Eliot's hair. Soon, too soon, Alec grunts out his name, climaxing hard enough to see stars. Eliot follows immediately after.

"Jesus!" It's all Alec has. His face is buried in Eliot's neck. The hitter's hair flutters with every exhale. He licks a line up the side of Eliot's neck up to his ear before sucking the lobe into his mouth.

"Fuck," Eliot whispers. "Babe..." Alec figures he hadn't meant to let that slip but it had. And it fills him with the confidence to lick and suck all over Eliot's neck. "I haven't...haven't c-c-cum in my jeans s-s-s-since I wasss fourteen!" he grumbles. He's stuttering though, lisping slightly, contradicting the gruffness.

The thing is, he's affected. It makes Alec proud and a little smug. He has no idea what kind of experience Eliot has with men, but right now, tonight, he is the one making him lose it. Although it could also be the orgasm. No, Alec thinks. It's him. He's doing this to the older man. He kisses Eliot in gratitude. Eliot kisses back eagerly, tenderly.

"Next time," Eliot says, pulling back to catch his breath, "we're doing this with less clothing on." He smirks down at Alec. Alec doesn't get the joke. He's too busy hearing that phrase repeat itself in his head.

"Next time?" he asks. What he means to ask is if there really will be a next time. If Eliot will permit it.

The smirk morphs into an understanding smile. "Yeah."

"Yeah?" A steady, calloused hand cups his jaw. Eliot pecks him on the lips and nods. "I'm down with that. I mean, you know, as long as you're down I'm down..." Alec babbles embarrassingly, joy and desire fighting for dominance inside as Eliot rolls off him to get off the bed.

"Shut up, man," he tells him good-naturedly, sounding just like the Eliot he sees every day. Alec likes that what they're becoming, whatever that is, won't change what they were before. It makes it easier to accept that this really might not be a novelty to Eliot, that the hitter might genuinely be in love with him too. "I'ma grab a shower," he calls over his shoulder as he walks to the master bathroom.

"Yeah, man, go for it," Alec replies, closing his eyes as he lay in the afterglow.

A pause. Then, "You comin'?"

Alec's eyes pop back open to see Eliot standing in the bathroom doorway, watching him. He's turned the light on and has a hand on the frame. The other stretches out in front of him.

"Oh?...Oh...Yeah, El. I'm comin'." He springs up from the bed in a hurry to take his hand. Once he does Eliot tugs him closer, aligning their lower halves. He looks into Alec's eyes, his own clear and sparkling like the ocean. "You're gonna be the death of me, ain't you?" It's kind of a stupid thing to ask but he can't help it because it's obvious. Eliot really will be the death of him. As sappy as he is he's pretty positive he'll go willingly.

"In more ways than one," Eliot kids, grinning. This time when Eliot kisses him he locks his knees. Until the man's deft fingers begin unzipping his jeans...

The next morning Eliot's cell starts ringing. A second later Alec's goes off. They both groan. Nate has found a new client. Alec takes his time reaching for his jeans on the floor. Eliot is lying next to him, naked and warm, relaxed, nightmare-free, and he doesn't plan to give that up sooner than he has to.

"What's up?" he calls hoarsely.

"Hardison? You alright?" Nate checks, sounding alert and a little concerned.

Alec huffs out a laugh. He doesn't say anything about how Nate is cock-blocking the morning quickie he was hoping to talk Eliot into before facing the land of the living again. Instead he remarks sarcastically, "Nate, it's..." He squints at the time on the screen, "eight o'clock in the freaking morning. And you woke me up from some actual rest. So, no, I'm not alright. But if you give me about an hour to shower, drink some coffee and look over whatever files you've sent me, I'll be fine, okay?"

"Right. Well." At this point he coughs slightly in what sounds like embarrassment. Alec rubs his face roughly to wake up. "Eliot didn't answer his cell so I'll assume he's with you. Is he...?"

Alec has an idea of what Nate's getting at, but there are different ways to end the question. "He's good, Nate," he says. Eliot turns his head to look over at him, rolling his eyes in resignation.

Nate seems satisfied by that and signs off with, "Good. Then see you both in an hour." He hangs up.

Alec closes his cell and slips it back into his jeans pocket. He tells Eliot what Nate said about meeting in the conference room, leaving out the part where Nate inquired about his state of physical and mental health. But Eliot is aware. He chooses to ignore it and shifts to lie on top of him.

"We got about a half hour, Hardison. Make it quick." He grins, his mouth sinking down into Alec's. Alec wraps his hands around his shoulder blades automatically, groaning when Eliot's tongue duels with his. Alec's last thought is to wonder how Eliot can have such god-awful morning breath after the night they had and still make him want more.

Exactly an hour later Alec walks into the conference room with Eliot behind him. Eliot sits in a chair on the opposite side of the table as usual, his professional face on. Nothing is out of the ordinary really, but Nate cocks his head curiously at Alec. His eyes narrow suddenly in understanding. He shakes his head, indulgent as only he can be. Alec doesn't acknowledge anything out of principle.

"Oh my god!" he hears. It's Sophie. Alec knew she would get it quickly. He just hopes she won't go overboard in her cooing. He doesn't want Eliot to get cold feet. "This is an interesting development. Very interesting..."

When Alec gathers the courage to look in her eyes she winks. He pretends not to see it and begins. "Okay, so, today's bad guy is someone Nate found for us-."

"Hey, wait. What's going on?" Parker asks. She looks at Sophie, then Nate, then he and Eliot. "What'd I miss?"

"I'll explain it to you later, Parker," Sophie tells her, patting her hand to distract her.

"I'm always the last to know!" she whines.

The pout is an adorable expression on her. One that Alec has always found attractive. Yet his eyes seek out Eliot's. Eliot licks his lips unconsciously as he looks back. Alec grips his pen in order not to drop it while he logs into his laptop. It's the only way to keep busy so he won't jump the man in front of the rest of the team. But he can feel Eliot's eyes tracking his every movement. If he falters at the start no one mentions it.

Alec informs the team of their new client with Nate's input and Sophie's insight. Parker and Eliot add their own opinions at times, and it feels so normal Alec almost can't believe it's not. Nate and Sophie know and neither care. Parker will be Parker no matter what happens. But, whoa, how the hell did it happen? When did he become happy? How did this dysfunctional team become family and, more importantly, how did Eliot become his lover? After the con has been decided on and everyone learns their parts they start to leave. Alec, unaware that he's even doing it, pulls Eliot into his space to kiss him as if he has the right to do so. Only Eliot doesn't halt the action so maybe he does. Alec grins into the kiss, pretending the wolf whistle coming from the Sophie, the exclamation from Parker and the awkward cough from Nate don't exist. Hell, they don't. Not once Eliot gives in to it and sags against his body. Surrounded by his family, Alec keeps kissing and Eliot keeps giving and it just doesn't get any better.

The End...for real...