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Fic: Ficus eliot
Ficus eliot - Leverage/Stargate Atlantis - Gen (Eliot Spencer & David Parrish) - Words: 1,620
Written for Stargateland's Crossover Challenge.
Summary: Eliot's friend from high school comes to visit.
Content Notes: Injuries, discussion of kidnapping and bullying. PG-13
On AO3: Ficus eliot
They were just finishing up a job when Eliot felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He was standing in the back, letting Nate do his talking thing where he told the leader of the insurance racket exactly how he had conned him and how jail was actually okay, except they were taking the stolen money to give back to the people and that would go against him during the trial. The scam artist, though absolutely infuriated, was duck taped to a chair thanks to Hardison and Parker, and was no danger to anyone and all the thugs were already taken care of, so Eliot slipped his cellphone out and opened the text message.
I'm in town tonight - David the message read. Eliot looked around the room at his crew and the seething scam artist. He hated to take off before the police came and picked up their target but this was important.
"Nate, I'm out of here," Eliot said as he walked toward the door. He didn't need permission, wasn't asking for it, he was just letting him know that they was on their own if something else happened. He was stepping out the broken glass side-door of the skyscraper before anyone had a chance to respond.
David Parrish was a guy he'd gone to high school with and they had formed a close friendship despite the odds. David wasn't like most of the guys Eliot hung out with. Most of his friends were para-military, ex-special forces and other guys that beat the odds time and again. They were muscle-bound warriors who could paralyze with a glance and clear a room just by clearing their throat. David was tall, skinny, enthusiastic and way too into plants for his own good. Hardison often accused Eliot of not appreciating others skill sets, mostly meaning his own geeky brand of bad-assery, but Eliot figured that if he could appreciate what David did with plants then Hardison had absolutely no ground to stand on.
Their friendship had started the way that most of Eliot's friendships started; Eliot saved David's life. The group of bullies probably wouldn't have killed David, but when you're sixteen and in high school everything feels like life and death. Eliot had delivered a few beatings of his own for good measure before he let the bullies run off - he still hated seeing those who were helpless being picked on and he'd had a lot less control of his temper than he did now - and then he turned to David. Half of the kids he rescued were just as afraid of him as they were of the people who'd been beating on them, but David had just smiled and wiped the blood away from his face.
At the time Eliot thought that had been the end of it but a few days later he found a note and a strange plant in his locker; a thank you gift. Eliot had accepted the plant, because what else could he do, and found himself eating lunch with the freshman more often than not. David, who was seemingly so lost in his world of plants, was actually a good listener and an even better friend.
Over the past few years David had been in and out of contact with no more news than he was working for a secret project for the government and was out of the country. Eliot had a lot of friends in the military and knew more about secret projects than just about anyone and he didn't bother asking questions. He just told him to drop by if he needed anything or arrange to come see him if he was coming back in the country. From the lack of content in the text message Eliot figured this was more of an 'asking for help' visit than it was a 'drop by and go chat at a bar' visit.
I'm here, where are you? Eliot texted back and headed for his apartment to wash up and put on a different jacket. While the blood splatter had never really seemed to bother David it wasn't polite to show up wearing someone else's blood. He had manners after all, even if Sophie and Hardison sometimes questioned that.
Less than a minute later his cellphone vibrated again, this time with the address of a hotel that was only ten minutes from his apartment and the room number to where David was staying.
Eliot hurried back to his apartment, changed, and then went on to the hotel. He didn't bother to check with the front desk and went straight for the forth floor instead. The door to 417 was propped open with the security latch flipped between the door and the doorframe. Eliot silently eased the door open and slipped inside; he'd seen enough calls for help that weren't answered in time to guess that there might be someone other than David waiting for him.
There was a shadowy figure outlined in the mirror and Eliot paused for a moment until he recognized David. David was still tall and slender, but when he turned in the lamplight Eliot had a sudden flashback to high school. David's face and neck were a mess of cuts and bruises and one of his wrists was in a cast.
"What the hell?" Eliot asked, his fists already clenched as he pictured calling Hardison and having him track down the sons of bitches who had done this to his friend.
David jumped ever so slightly and then smiled apologetically at Eliot. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Eliot sat down on the edge of the bed, his knees almost touching David's. "I could say the same. Now, what the hell?"
"They're already dead," David said, looking away briefly.
"Good, but who are they?" Eliot asked. He was glad they were dead, but pissed that he didn't get to take them down.
"I don't need help, I just wanted to see you. You always make me feel safe," David said and smiled again.
Sometimes Eliot just wanted David to stop smiling, even though that smile in the face of anything and everything was partially why Eliot had gotten so attached to David to begin with. "I'm glad you came," he said, knowing he wouldn't get anything more from David until David wanted to talk. Nate and Sophie could read people and manipulate them into doing what they wanted. Eliot could read people just fine, used it when he had to, but mostly just saw and then continued on as if he hadn't.
"I was kidnapped," David said after about fifteen minutes where they both just sat and let the toes of their shoes bump against each other.
Eliot nodded because he knew all too well how secret missions for the military and getting kidnapped often went hand in hand.
"Only took a day for rescue to come, but I had to shoot someone during the escape," David said, looking down at his cast and running the fingers of his uninjured hand along the surface. "Just like you taught me."
"Good," Eliot said again. He had tried to teach David to fight, at least to defend himself, back in high school. David hadn't been great at it, but he'd managed alright. At the time Eliot hadn't quite the same aversion to guns as he did now, even then he preferred his fists or a knife, but he'd taken David to the firing range and taught him how to handle a gun. People had to use what they had and if David had to protect himself or someone else Eliot wasn't going to be choosy about the method.
"I brought something for you, but you can't show it to anyone because it's a secret. I thought it would go nice in your garden," David said, pushing himself to his feet and awkwardly kneeling down next to his bag to dig inside. "Don't worry, it's safe."
A moment later Eliot had a strange looking plant in his hands, something he knew he'd never seen before, along with a note with instructions for care of the plant and a simple thank you at the bottom. It was almost exactly like the note he'd found in his locker all those years ago. "This is what you're working on?"
David nodded. "Well, a little bit. This was kind of a pet project. Ficus eliot - I named it. I wanted you to have it."
Eliot reached for one of the leaves and quickly withdrew his hand when spikes came poking out of every green area of the plant before retreating just as rapidly. Eliot smiled, his smile matching David's. "I like it. Very much."
Eliot stayed a few days with David, watching as the bruises slowly started to fade, but before long they were both called back to work. The crew was in the middle of briefing for their next job when Eliot heard a shout from the side of the room and turned to glance over.
Hardison was cradling his hand against his chest and staring with wide eyes at the Ficus eliot. "Eliot, your plant just poked me," he said, backing away slowly.
"You shouldn't have been bothering it," Eliot pointed out.
"I was just trying to water it!" Hardison exclaimed, holding up his hand to show two small puncture wounds on the end of his finger.
Eliot raised his eyebrow and turned the page on the financial briefing he was looking over. "You shouldn't have been doing that either. Maybe that will teach you to leave my garden alone."
Hardison walked away mumbling something about a demon plant from hell and Eliot smiled again. David always knew how to make him smile.
Written for Stargateland's Crossover Challenge.
Summary: Eliot's friend from high school comes to visit.
Content Notes: Injuries, discussion of kidnapping and bullying. PG-13
On AO3: Ficus eliot
They were just finishing up a job when Eliot felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He was standing in the back, letting Nate do his talking thing where he told the leader of the insurance racket exactly how he had conned him and how jail was actually okay, except they were taking the stolen money to give back to the people and that would go against him during the trial. The scam artist, though absolutely infuriated, was duck taped to a chair thanks to Hardison and Parker, and was no danger to anyone and all the thugs were already taken care of, so Eliot slipped his cellphone out and opened the text message.
I'm in town tonight - David the message read. Eliot looked around the room at his crew and the seething scam artist. He hated to take off before the police came and picked up their target but this was important.
"Nate, I'm out of here," Eliot said as he walked toward the door. He didn't need permission, wasn't asking for it, he was just letting him know that they was on their own if something else happened. He was stepping out the broken glass side-door of the skyscraper before anyone had a chance to respond.
David Parrish was a guy he'd gone to high school with and they had formed a close friendship despite the odds. David wasn't like most of the guys Eliot hung out with. Most of his friends were para-military, ex-special forces and other guys that beat the odds time and again. They were muscle-bound warriors who could paralyze with a glance and clear a room just by clearing their throat. David was tall, skinny, enthusiastic and way too into plants for his own good. Hardison often accused Eliot of not appreciating others skill sets, mostly meaning his own geeky brand of bad-assery, but Eliot figured that if he could appreciate what David did with plants then Hardison had absolutely no ground to stand on.
Their friendship had started the way that most of Eliot's friendships started; Eliot saved David's life. The group of bullies probably wouldn't have killed David, but when you're sixteen and in high school everything feels like life and death. Eliot had delivered a few beatings of his own for good measure before he let the bullies run off - he still hated seeing those who were helpless being picked on and he'd had a lot less control of his temper than he did now - and then he turned to David. Half of the kids he rescued were just as afraid of him as they were of the people who'd been beating on them, but David had just smiled and wiped the blood away from his face.
At the time Eliot thought that had been the end of it but a few days later he found a note and a strange plant in his locker; a thank you gift. Eliot had accepted the plant, because what else could he do, and found himself eating lunch with the freshman more often than not. David, who was seemingly so lost in his world of plants, was actually a good listener and an even better friend.
Over the past few years David had been in and out of contact with no more news than he was working for a secret project for the government and was out of the country. Eliot had a lot of friends in the military and knew more about secret projects than just about anyone and he didn't bother asking questions. He just told him to drop by if he needed anything or arrange to come see him if he was coming back in the country. From the lack of content in the text message Eliot figured this was more of an 'asking for help' visit than it was a 'drop by and go chat at a bar' visit.
I'm here, where are you? Eliot texted back and headed for his apartment to wash up and put on a different jacket. While the blood splatter had never really seemed to bother David it wasn't polite to show up wearing someone else's blood. He had manners after all, even if Sophie and Hardison sometimes questioned that.
Less than a minute later his cellphone vibrated again, this time with the address of a hotel that was only ten minutes from his apartment and the room number to where David was staying.
Eliot hurried back to his apartment, changed, and then went on to the hotel. He didn't bother to check with the front desk and went straight for the forth floor instead. The door to 417 was propped open with the security latch flipped between the door and the doorframe. Eliot silently eased the door open and slipped inside; he'd seen enough calls for help that weren't answered in time to guess that there might be someone other than David waiting for him.
There was a shadowy figure outlined in the mirror and Eliot paused for a moment until he recognized David. David was still tall and slender, but when he turned in the lamplight Eliot had a sudden flashback to high school. David's face and neck were a mess of cuts and bruises and one of his wrists was in a cast.
"What the hell?" Eliot asked, his fists already clenched as he pictured calling Hardison and having him track down the sons of bitches who had done this to his friend.
David jumped ever so slightly and then smiled apologetically at Eliot. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Eliot sat down on the edge of the bed, his knees almost touching David's. "I could say the same. Now, what the hell?"
"They're already dead," David said, looking away briefly.
"Good, but who are they?" Eliot asked. He was glad they were dead, but pissed that he didn't get to take them down.
"I don't need help, I just wanted to see you. You always make me feel safe," David said and smiled again.
Sometimes Eliot just wanted David to stop smiling, even though that smile in the face of anything and everything was partially why Eliot had gotten so attached to David to begin with. "I'm glad you came," he said, knowing he wouldn't get anything more from David until David wanted to talk. Nate and Sophie could read people and manipulate them into doing what they wanted. Eliot could read people just fine, used it when he had to, but mostly just saw and then continued on as if he hadn't.
"I was kidnapped," David said after about fifteen minutes where they both just sat and let the toes of their shoes bump against each other.
Eliot nodded because he knew all too well how secret missions for the military and getting kidnapped often went hand in hand.
"Only took a day for rescue to come, but I had to shoot someone during the escape," David said, looking down at his cast and running the fingers of his uninjured hand along the surface. "Just like you taught me."
"Good," Eliot said again. He had tried to teach David to fight, at least to defend himself, back in high school. David hadn't been great at it, but he'd managed alright. At the time Eliot hadn't quite the same aversion to guns as he did now, even then he preferred his fists or a knife, but he'd taken David to the firing range and taught him how to handle a gun. People had to use what they had and if David had to protect himself or someone else Eliot wasn't going to be choosy about the method.
"I brought something for you, but you can't show it to anyone because it's a secret. I thought it would go nice in your garden," David said, pushing himself to his feet and awkwardly kneeling down next to his bag to dig inside. "Don't worry, it's safe."
A moment later Eliot had a strange looking plant in his hands, something he knew he'd never seen before, along with a note with instructions for care of the plant and a simple thank you at the bottom. It was almost exactly like the note he'd found in his locker all those years ago. "This is what you're working on?"
David nodded. "Well, a little bit. This was kind of a pet project. Ficus eliot - I named it. I wanted you to have it."
Eliot reached for one of the leaves and quickly withdrew his hand when spikes came poking out of every green area of the plant before retreating just as rapidly. Eliot smiled, his smile matching David's. "I like it. Very much."
Eliot stayed a few days with David, watching as the bruises slowly started to fade, but before long they were both called back to work. The crew was in the middle of briefing for their next job when Eliot heard a shout from the side of the room and turned to glance over.
Hardison was cradling his hand against his chest and staring with wide eyes at the Ficus eliot. "Eliot, your plant just poked me," he said, backing away slowly.
"You shouldn't have been bothering it," Eliot pointed out.
"I was just trying to water it!" Hardison exclaimed, holding up his hand to show two small puncture wounds on the end of his finger.
Eliot raised his eyebrow and turned the page on the financial briefing he was looking over. "You shouldn't have been doing that either. Maybe that will teach you to leave my garden alone."
Hardison walked away mumbling something about a demon plant from hell and Eliot smiled again. David always knew how to make him smile.