Title: Routine

Author: AyLee Cambell

Disclaimer: I don't own. Wish I did. If I did...oh man.

Warnings: None really, not beta'd

Summary: Eliot teaches Parker to fight, and also realizes something.

AN: This is for lovesrogue36 and musicforcylons (over at livejournal) because you know what you said/asked for! :P I hope you enjoy!

It started when they realized they went to the same gym. It was an out of the way gym, fully functional with a pool, a weight room, a workout room, and a sauna. They stayed open 24 hours and Eliot liked to go late so that there was hardly anyone around.

When he walked into the room weight room she was on one of the machines. He nodded at her, Parker nodded back and that was it.

It was kinda nice. Hardison would have talked, Sophie would have talked as well, but would probably never have been there, and Nate, well Eliot would have talked to him. Just because. But with Parker there was an almost comfortable feeling. Neither of them needed to talk, so they didn't. They exchanged a few words through the night, but they didn't stop and have a whole conversation.

This happened for almost a week. Some nights she wasn't there, some she was, and sometimes she came in later than him. Eliot didn't realize how much he liked her company until one of the nights she wasn't there.

The next night she was back though, so he didn't worry about it. Until he noticed the bruise across her shoulders.

"What the hell happened Parker?" He demanded, getting up from his machine and walking up behind her. Gently, so he wouldn't hurt her, he ran his fingers over the dark bruise.

Parker frowned at him, he could see it because he looked up and met his gaze through the mirror. "A security guard hit me. He wasn't supposed to be in that sector, but he was." She said, shrugging slightly and moving towards one of the weight machines.

"Whoa Parker, hold on. What else happened? Did you hit him back?" Eliot asked.

Parker turned to look at him. "No, I just got out of there. I had already collected what I came for so there wasn't any reason to fight."

"Darlin' there's always a reason to fight. Just sometimes the reason isn't good enough, but if he hit you, you should have hit him back." Eliot told her.

Parker shrugged, mouth pinching for a moment when the movement caused a spasm of pain. "I try not to get into fights. I'm not very good at it, what if they're better? So I just usually get out of there fast."

"Come on." Eliot said, taking Parker by the arm and leading her out of the room. He lead her into the workout room, that had mats on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Parker asked, curious.

"I'm going to teach you how to fight."

"Why?"

Eliot skimmed his fingers over her back, gently so she wouldn't be hurt from it. Than he looked her in the eyes.

"Because I don't always get to be there." He said than lead her out in the middle of the mats.

"Alright, first you're going to learn how to punch properly. After that I'll show you how to take someone down. You're stronger than you look, so they'll most likely underestimate you when they first see you. Use that to your advantage, and make sure that when you take them down they can't get back up." He told her and waited until she nodded before continuing.

"Alright, now get your hands up, like this." he said and showed her than stepped up behind her to correct her.

"There you go, like that. Now, to throw a good punch," He said and took her hand and curled it into a fist. "Never throw a punch with your thumb tucked inside your fist, that will just hurt you."

"Like this?" Parker asked, making a proper fist.

Eliot smiled and nodded. "Yeah, like that." He says than grips her hips so he can guide her into the best way to stand. "Stand with your feet apart, about shoulder length is best. This will keep you balanced and that will be your fighting stance. Hands up, feet apart. Remember that.."

"Do I need to keep my arms up?" Parker asked, more out of curiosity than because they were tired, because they weren't.

"You keep your arms up because they're your defense. You use your arms to block and then you use them to hit, and it's better to have your arms already up because than you'll be ready and you'll be faster." Eliot told her.

Parker nodded.

"Alright, now-" Eliot started, showing her the basics to what she needed to know.

They practiced for another hour before they headed home. But the next time they were both there, about a half hour after their workouts Eliot called Parker into the work out room and showed her new moves and ways to fight.

From then on, they started having regular work outs together.

He didn't expect teaching Parker to fight would be so much fun. But it is. She's full of energy and she keeps her face blank most of the time so it's difficult to figure out what her next move will be, and she's flexible and fast. She's also a fast learner and she's good.

They go running together at least once a day when they aren't on a job, and then they practice and work out together at least three times a week. Sometimes more. None of the team know and they don't feel the need to share with the rest of them. Hell, it's probably better as a surprise anyway. Someday they'll end up showing the team that Parker can fight, that he taught her, and they'll all be surprised and it'll be amusing.

Still, he doesn't realize how much time he's been spending with Parker until Hardison makes a comment that makes him stop and think about it. So really, it's all Hardison's fault.

"Hey yo man, I'm hitting a bar after work, it's supposed to be a cool new place. Want to check it out? It's lady's night." Hardison asks him as they get ready to leave.

"Can't man, got plans." Eliot tells him, without even bothering to think about it. He and Parker were going for a run, than going to practice for a few hours, than they would go eat. Parker tended to eat whatever she wanted unless he was there to make sure she ate at least semi-healthy.

Hardison grinned at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"What?" Eliot growled out.

"What's her name?" Hardison asked grinning as he sat down in one of the chairs in the room.

"What are you talking about Hardison?" He asked him, hoping Hardison would start making sense.

"You're turning down ladies night, and lately I've noticed that you practically run out of here when we're done. You're happier, more relaxed. Less grumpy for sure. Annnd-" Hardison said, drawing out the and. "You're credit card receipts say that you're going out to dinner pretty regularly, and you aren't eating alone. So you got to be dating somebody. Am I right?" Hardison asked, grinning smugly.

"Hardison." Eliot growled out, irritated and panicked. "Stay out of my credit cards. It's creepy when you do that."

Hardison held his hands up. "I only did it cause you was acting weird. I'll stay out of them from now one. But tell me, is she cute? Well, she would be if your interested. Is it serious? Do you looove her?" Hardison teased.

Eliot tensed up. "Hardison-" He started through gritted teeth than stopped. "I'm not- she isn't- I don't- crap. Stay out of my stuff Hardison." He said and turned and grabbed his coat and left, grumbling to the elevator.

Please, he was not happier and more relaxed lately. Or if it was it was because he was working out and releasing all his tension that way. Exercise was great for relaxation.

Walking out of the building he got into his truck and pulled away, trying not to think about what Hardison had said. He wasn't dating anyone, Hardison just didn't know what he was talking about…

Eliot paused to think about it for a moment and pulled off the road when he realized the truth.

Oh shit, he was dating Parker.

He had never thought of her that way before. He knew she was attractive, and all that. Both her and Sophie were but he hadn't been paid attention to either one in that way. They were both teammates and therefore off limits, but now he didn't know what to think. He liked spending time with Parker, liked it when she smiled or laughed because it was rare and something he was getting better at making her do.

Parker was still Parker, with her crazy and hard to understand moments, but he didn't mind it so much anymore and she put up with him, so he couldn't really complain. They got along better, understood each other better. She was comfortable around him, and he was comfortable around her.

But now things were different. Parker probably didn't get that what they did was pretty unusual. What had started as three days a week had slowly become almost every night that they were doing something together. Sure there had been running together in the beginning. But now they did more than that, they talked, they joked, they did other things besides fighting. Last weekend Parker had dragged him to museum out of town that was having an art exhibit.

(He was now the owner of a couple of nice antique swords.)

Before that, he had dragged her to a match that a friend invited him to. Next week they had a movie planned, and they had agreed to get dinner after Sophie's newest play. He just hadn't noticed it. But now he knew.

He was dating Parker.

"Damn it Hardison." He growled out. He could have gone on pretending if the geek hadn't pointed it out to him. Of course Hardison probably had no idea what he was pointing out, but that didn't matter now.

With a sigh he put his truck in gear and pulled out onto the road. He had to go meet Parker for their practice session and then afterwards they had planned to grab something to eat.

But now it was all different. They were dating without really dating and he didn't know what it all meant. He hadn't hung out with a woman this much since before he left home. Especially not in situations where they could be mistaken for dates, and he certainly didn't do anything that could be mistaken for serious. Normally he was in for a few fun nights, and they knew that ahead of time. But now, with Parker, he wasn't sure.

He didn't know what Parker was thinking about them, and that left him unsure. He didn't even know if she realized that what they were doing could be mistaken for more than just friendship, or if she even wanted something more.

The longer he had to think about it the more he realized that he had a problem. He liked spending time with Parker, enjoyed it even. (And who would have expected that?) He didn't want that to stop and might actually be starting to want more.

Once he got to the gym he grabbed his bag and went into the men's locker room and changed. Then he walked into the weight room and saw that Parker was already there. He stood at the door and watched her for a minute, until she turned her head and smiled at him.

That got him moving to his own machine and he started working out. It was routine. They worked out separately first, sometimes with him interjecting what he thought she should work on next, than after a half hour to an hour they moved into the workout room and practiced on the mats.

He needed the time to settle and clear his mind. He'd be rolling around on the mats with Parker soon and was going to need all the calm he could get.

Sitting across from Parker at their table in the restaurant he didn't look at her, instead he started playing with the salt shaker while thinking about how he was going to bring everything up.

"What's wrong?" Parker asked, looking at him.

"You're being quiet. More so then usual. Did I not get it right tonight or something?" She asked.

Eliot looked up at her. "No, you did great tonight. Now you know how to throw someone bigger than you. I'm just distracted." He told her.

It was the truth, she had done everything great. She was able to throw him a few times too while sparring, though he wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't focused or because her skill was growing. Probably a mix of both.

It hadn't been an easy night for him, grappling with Parker, since it involved them rolling around on the mats a lot. He had to make sure his hips were away from her most of the time and that hadn't been easy. But time on the mat, until she agreed to it, would just be about practice and not seduction.

"Than what is it? What's distracting you?" she asked, curious.

Eliot opened his mouth but was interrupted by the server bringing them their food. Snapping his mouth shut he waited until they were gone before turning back to Parker.

"We spend a lot of time together. I never really noticed it until today." He said, deciding to just go full in. It was better to try now then hesitate and if she said no, well he would try to convince her to change her mind.

"So?" Parker asked confused as she started cutting into her food.

"So that's kind of what couples do. You know, people in relationships." He said but she just looked at him blankly and he sighed. He was going to have to say it outright.

"Today when I realized that, I figured out something important. I want to be in a relationship with you, Parker." He said and watched her look away. His heart sank a little, but then Parker looked back at him.

"I don't do well with relationships." Parker told him quietly, eyes wide and a little sad.

"Parker, we're kind of in one now. The time we spend together, and the way we talk, that's what a relationship is. You just add in the physical stuff too." Eliot said, trying to get her to understand.

"Really? But this is easy!" Parker said and Eliot smiled at her.

"But what if it doesn't work out? I don't want things to change." Parker asked.

"We don't know if the team is going to stay together forever, but we'll both have to agree that if it doesn't work out between us, then we'll still work together. I wouldn't be suggesting this if I didn't think we could work as a couple though. I've never - not with anyone else." Eliot said, hoping she'd get it. He never had the connection, the comfort, the open honesty with anyone else, and probably wouldn't have it again. He wanted that, and he wanted it with Parker. He wouldn't want to try with anyone else.

He was just hoping that she wanted it too and was willing to give them a shot.

"Okay." Parker said slowly.

Eliot grinned at her. "Okay." He agreed and took the hand she was holding out.

He knew they would have to go slow, Parker wasn't used to being in a relationship and neither was he, but for once, that wasn't a bad thing.

Extra scene: A few weeks later.

"Move into the person this way." Eliot said, demonstrating for her. Than he watched her do it. "Close." He said, giving her a small smile.

"But more like this." he told her, coming up behind her and showing her how to move. He made her do it a few more times and ended up showing her again, but she got it.

"Alright just like that Parker." Eliot said, holding her hips. "When they go to punch you're going to curve your body away and to the side, then move in and grab their arm as they punch. Usually most people put to much of their weight into their punch, for more power, so it's easy to throw them off balance." He said and stopped to show her.

"That's why you do jabs instead, and keep your arms up and feet shoulder length apart. You're balance is important and you don't want to give someone else the advantage by throwing yourself off." He said and watched her nod before he continued.

"Okay. When you grab their arm you're going to pull so that they start to stumble. When that happens you move in to their space and hit them in the throat with your forearm. Then they'll start to choke and find it hard to breath. You can either run away or attack and make sure they stay down." He told her and showed her the rest.

"So disarming someone with a knife is similar to that. What you are going to do is-"

"Wait." Parker said. "We've already been through this haven't we?" She asked.

Eliot looked at her. "Yeah, but we've been doing a lot of take downs and grappling lately and I want to refresh your memory on this stuff, so we're going to go through it again."

"Can we go through it tomorrow?" Parker asked, turning to look at him and stepping closer.

Eliot narrowed his eyes, a slight smile forming on his lips. "Why? You want to get out of here?"

Parker shook her head no, her eyes gleaming and a smile on her face. It was her 'I want to do something you might think is crazy' smile. He was starting to like that smile, in certain places or situations. But not at the moment.

"I'm not having sex in here Parker, I don't care if we're the only ones in the room." He said, smile fading.

Parker pouted and he sighed. "There are people still here, and I don't want them walking in on us cause then I would have to kill them. For interrupting and for seeing you. It's not, as much as I hate to say it, it's not worth it." Eliot explained. It wasn't the first time he'd told her that either.

Parker smirked at him. "I wasn't going to suggest that again. I was going to say that I'm the only woman here tonight so the woman's locker room is a pretty safe bet." She told him, coming up closer and squealing slightly when Eliot's arms locked around her and tugged her to his chest.

"Well, why didn't you just say so?" He asked, and tossed her over his shoulder and walked towards the woman's locker room.