Fandom: Leverage
Characters/Pairings: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer, Mr. Quinn/Eliot Spencer
Rating: Mature
Length: 1,211 words
Written for: Written for Fictober 2022 Day 3 "That was not my intention."
Summary: When Eliot stops returning his calls, Quinn decides to take matters into his own hands. Of course, Parker and Hardison have to get involved too.
Originally Posted: October 4, 2022
CW: strong language and sexual situations
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Quinn leaned against the bookshelf and struck a casual pose even though he was almost positive that Eliot already knew he was there. Eliot turned around and scowled. "How did you get in here?"
He looked tired. Quinn wondered about how much sleep Eliot was getting lately. He tended to burn the candle at both ends a bit more than Quinn liked.
"What, you think I just hit stuff? You of all people should know better than that."
"I didn't mean you picking the lock," Eliot growled.
"Did you mean, what am I doing here when you've been very purposefully avoiding me for weeks." Not that Quinn had been hurt by it or anything. He'd just been worried, that was it.
"I haven't been avoiding you, I just haven't seen you."
"And you haven't picked up any of my calls either."
"I've been busy, doesn't mean you can go breaking into my place, man."
"And you haven't called me back." Quinn pushed away from the wall and took a step closer to Eliot. "I was worried. I thought something might have happened to you."
Eliot studied him for a moment, and nodded, seemingly satisfied with what he saw. "That was not my intention." Eliot raked his fingers through his hair roughly.
"Which part? The not returning my phone calls or the part where you were ducking them, to begin with?" Okay, maybe Quinn was feeling a little hurt.
"That's not what I was doing?" Eliot sputtered.
"Really? So it's been my imagination that you've been avoiding me ever since we sucked each other's cocks."
"Shhh..." Eliot whipped his head around like he was making sure no one was around to hear.
"What, you afraid your teammates are gonna find out? Is that what the problem is? Is that why you've been avoiding me?"
"No," Eliot scoffed.
"Then, what is it?"
"It's complicated."
Quinn sighed. "Yeah, okay." He turned around. "It always is, isn't it?" He started walking. He didn't know what the hell he thought coming here was going to accomplish.
"Quinn, wait."
Quinn stopped and turned around.
"Come on, let me make you lunch while I try to explain it."
He sat down at the table and watched as Eliot sliced chicken into thin slices, doused it in some sort of marinade concoction he threw together, and then tossed it in the fridge. Quinn liked watching Eliot cook. He'd only had the pleasure once before and that time had been a quick grilled cheese. This was a treat. The way Eliot's hand gently gripped the knife, the ease of the way he did everything without even cracking open a cookbook. It was so enthralling it took him several minutes to realize Eliot was stalling. "Thought you were going to explain everything while you cooked," Quinn pointed out.
"Gimme a few minutes here to get everything started. I still have the tortillas to make."
Tortillas to make? Who the hell made tortillas from scratch on a whim? Eliot Spencer, apparently. Quinn watched and waited. Finally, Eliot got to the point in the food preparations that he felt able to have a conversation. "The thing is, me and Parker and Hardison, we're more than just a team."
"Yeah, yeah, you're a family. You've told me this before." Quinn had always thought the closeness of team Leverage was a little odd, but who was he to judge? It seemed to work for them alright.
Eliot looked down at the counter. "Yeah, no. We're a little more than that."
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "You mean y'all knock boots together?"
Eliot looked up, crossed his arms, and nodded. As if he was daring Quinn to make something of it.
"All three of you?" Quinn asked for clarification.
"Yeah all three of us, you got a problem with that?" Eliot's voice was rough and tinged with anger.
Quinn put his hands up. "Whoa, no need to be defensive. I'm just trying to get a clear view of the matter, is all."
"Sorry, it's-" Eliot shook his head, words failing him.
"It's complicated, I get it. So, are you saying that when you and I -- you know.." Quinn rubbed his chin. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and have Eliot putting his fist in his face. "That you were cheating?"
"Nah, that's not it." Eliot turned around and got a cast iron skillet out of the cabinet. "You're kinda my free pass."
"I'm you're what?"
Eliot shrugged. "My free pass. Alec and Parker knew I was interested in you, there was a conversation, and they said they were cool with us starting something or whatever."
Quinn grinned. "You had a conversation about the possibility of hooking up with me?"
"Shut up."
"Then why ghost me?"
"I was supposed to let them know if something happened between us and I hadn't gotten around to it yet." Eliot started rolling out the tortillas and Quinn let the conversation lull. By the time Eliot had the chicken and peppers cooking, they were no longer alone.
Parker punched Quinn on the arm in what he was sure she meant in an affectionate manner but was hard enough to hurt either way. "Hey Quinn, did Eliot finally stop ignoring you?"
"No ma'am, he did not. I had to break in here to get his attention."
Parker's eyes went wide. "You broke in?"
"No, he did not." Hardison planted a kiss on the top of Parker's head and sat down at the table. "He was making such a fool out of himself that I took pity on him and unlocked the door remotely to speed this whole thing along."
Well, that explained why it was so easy to get into this place. Apparently, he'd been invited.
"Move what whole thing along?" Eliot set a plate of tortillas in the center of the table, Parker jumped up to get the plates, and Hardison stayed right where he was sitting as Eliot set the table up with the chicken, and all sorts of little accompaniments to wrap up in the tortillas. It looked and smelled delicious.
"The conversation," Parker said.
"You know, the one where you tell us about your little thing with Quinn and where it's going," Hardison said.
Uh-oh. Had he walked into some sort of trap? He turned to Eliot but he looked just about as freaked out as Quinn felt.
"Can't we just share a meal together in peace?" Eliot sat down and grabbed a plate.
Hardison turned to Eliot. "Do you like him?"
Eliot growled. He actually fucking growled.
"Do you like him? Yes or no?" Hardison repeated himself.
"Yeah, yeah. I like him." Eliot didn't look exactly happy about it.
"Okay, good." Hardison turned his attention to Quinn. "Do you like Eliot?"
Quinn leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Yeah, he's not so bad."
Parker clapped her hands. "Yay!"
Eliot shook his head. "Now can we eat?"
"Yeah, we can eat. Just don't go thinking this here's the end of the conversation," Hardison said.
Eliot shook his head and Quinn smiled. He had a feeling getting involved with Eliot Spencer was going to be a bit more complicated than he'd first thought. He welcomed the challenge though. Especially if it came with more meals like this.
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