AN: So I've been thinking about this idea for a few days now. I'm hooked on leverage (5 seasons in 2 weeks) and I also love Christian Kane's music. I've been thinking about how the lyrics to a bunch of Christian Kane's songs would fit really well with Eliot or some of the other characters and I haven't seen any song fics. So this is my first Leverage fic and it goes along with the song How I'm Living Now. This is the first of I don't know how many fics. Enjoy!

P.S. I don't own leverage or the song

How I'm Living Now

"They're doing good, they're safe and happy." Eliot said, smiling a little at the older man sitting next to him at the bar.

"What about you, Eliot? How are you doing?" Eliot looked at his drink and thought about it for a moment.

"I'm doing okay. I still get it on a little more than I should, but that's nothing new. We've had a few hard times but we make the best of it." He said, thinking of everything he and his team had been through these past two years without Nate and Sophie.

Nate nodded, "I'm proud of what you guys are doing. You've done well."

"How are you Sophie handling retirement?" Eliot asked with a grin that said he knew full well neither of the thieves had really retired.

"We've been having some fun. Went to back to Paris and Tuscany. We're not totally out of the game but we haven't drawn any attention."

Eliot nodded, he knew that they had done a few jobs, mostly small things that seemed to be stuff they wanted, not stealing for anyone but themselves or to piss off an asshole. Eliot knew his job was to protect the team and even though Nate and Sophie may have 'retired' they were still a part of the team. Eliot would continue to keep tab on where they were and what they were up to and they needed him, he would be there before they realized they needed him. He'd done it before and he'd keep doing it. That's what family does.

"Thank you by the way." Eliot looked at Nate, confused.

"For Paris, I don't think those guards decided to take a nap handcuffed to each other behind the bushes in the middle of their shift." Nate explained, with a knowing smirk.

Eliot shook his head, not sure he wanted to know how Nate had known he was there.

"You should have said hi, Soph had just been talking about calling in on you guys earlier that night."

"How'd you know it was me?" Eliot asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Few others could do what you did in the time you did it. Also Hardison mentioned earlier you had taken a few days off and went to Paris, the timing fit. So why didn't you tell us you were there?"

"You wanted time to yourselves, I was just making sure you didn't get yourselves killed trying to steal a diamond." Eliot replied, joking only a little.

"A painting, actually." Eliot let out a chuckle and sipped the beer he'd been nursing.

"You seem happier." It was said offhand but Eliot heard the question.

"I've changed some of my ways. I try to spend more time with friends, not just focused on the next job. It feels good for me to know I'm right where I belong. Making the old man proud and trying to focus on how I'm living right now."

Nate smiled, Eliot had come a long way from the hitter he started working with 7 years ago, the man he had bluntly told wasn't his friend. Now, he couldn't imagine not knowing the man sitting next to him.

Eliot looked at Nate in the mirror across from them and thought about the old man he was making proud. He wouldn't, maybe couldn't, tell the man next to him how much it meant that he had said he was proud of the team, of him. Eliot respected the man more than he would admit and his respect was something hard to come by.

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