Title Sophie's Grace
Author Devylish
Pairing Sophie/Eliot
Rating PG
Words 786
Disclaimer All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of the creators of the TV show Leverage. Any original characters, settings and plots are the property of devylish. devylish is in no way associated with the TV show Leverage and no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made.
AN unbeta'd AN2 First Leverage fic

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He kept his eyes on her as she graced her way around the conference room. His eyes were seemingly focused on the file he was holding, but in reality, he was watching Sophie. Watching her as she paced the room.

"Sophie stop it, you're driving me crazy."

She stopped for a second then started circling the table again.

He watched her openly now. Her hands grasping her arms, wrapped around her curvy body. He studied the grace of her hair around her neck and shoulders. The curve of her breasts. The turn of her hips.

Even wound up and agitated as she was now, she was beautiful. "Seriously Soph, I don't do well with people pacing around me all restless like. Makes me nervous."

She snorted delicately. "Ever so sorry... but it actually does the opposite for me. Calms me down."

It was his turn to smile. "If this is your version of calm, darlin', I don't wanna ever see you riled up." He paused for a second then took a stab in the dark. "It's amazing how dumb someone so smart can be."

"Great so now I not only make you nervous, but you think I'm dumb?"

"Hmmpf, no, the dummy that I was referring to was Nate."

That stopped her in her tracks.

"Nate?"

"Yeah." Eliot picked up his file again and slouched in the chair.

Sophie waited a few seconds then realized he really wasn't planning on expanding on his comment. "Oh no you don't," she pulled the file from his hands and held it away from him. "You can't make a comment like that and then just go all assassin-y quiet on me. What do you mean 'Nate's dumb'?"

"He's got somethin'… someone as amazin' as you wantin' to be with him, and he's saying 'no'. That equals pure, unadulterated dumb."

She smiled in spite of herself. "He… he's got some demons he's struggling with, demons that –"

"Darlin' we alllll have demons. Especially the members of this little team. But given the chance to –" He stopped before he said too much; gave too much away. Rephrasing his statement he continued. "If I cared about someone and I knew they were free and cared about me? There'd be no stopping me."

"You're a different man Eliot." She'd moved so that she was standing behind him, watching the back of his head. His shoulders.

"You can say that again, I'm not dumb."

She laughed whole heartedly. "Well I don't know if I'd go as far as saying that you're not dumb… I've pretty much noticed that to be an 'all man' kind of label."

"Should I point out what 'all women' are?" He offered with a slight smile.

"No. No. that's quite all right." She pulled out the chair next to him and settled down with a sigh. "Maybe… maybe he doesn't care for me." Her voice was soft.

"What's worse than 'dumb'? Idiotic? If Nate isn't attracted to you, if he doesn't care about you, then he's beyond dumb."

"I'm not everyone's cup of tea Eliot. I'm an actress who hasn't had a job in years. I'm a grifter who, these days, grifts for the side of good… and justice. What the hell is that about!? And," she turned her chair and faced her co worker, "apparently, I have a thing for unattainable, broken men."

"I'm broken."

The words were out of his mouth before he realized he'd said them; he went into recovery mode, "I mean, I –"

"Eliot?" Sophie's head was cocked to the side and she was staring at his face, a look of surprise lining her eyes.

He blew out a puff of air. "Uh, I'm broken," He looked her in the eyes then forced himself to look away, "And Hardison's broken, and Parker, yeah, Parker is way broken." He glanced back at her. "But being broken doesn't mean you can't care. Can't love." Sometimes, I think it means you love too much.

Sophie was silent. Looking at Eliot. He could feel her eyes burning his skin.

Standing up, she leaned over him, a lock of her hair falling to the side of her face, the soft scent of her shampoo and her perfume making his nostrils flare.

"Thank you, Eliot, for being broken." She pressed her lips to his cheek. "That's the sweetest thing any man has said to me in -- forever." Pulling away from his side she headed to the door of the conference room. When she reached the doorway she paused, "Eliot?"

"Soph?"

"I'm a little broken too."

"Beautifully broken." His voice was quiet, almost inaudible. Almost.

But Sophie heard, and she walked out of the room with a smile on her lips.