A/N: So the reaction to my first ever Leverage fic was too good for me not to write some more. Besides which, this has easily become my new favourite TV show and E/P is quite definitely my ship of choice. So, without further ado, Part 1 of the 3-part sequel to 'Coffee Break'...
Disclaimer: Characters from Leverage belong to John Rogers, Chris Downey, and other important people that aren't me.
Part 1 of 3
Another job well done, so Nate had said. Eliot was just glad it was over so he could go home and sleep after what had been a long seventy two hours with little or no rest. As they all picked up their things and headed out of the offices, he and Parker just happened to be the last two.
"Hey, I meant to ask you" he said suddenly catching the blonde's attention as she headed from the briefing room to her own office, "How'd your coffee thing go with your new friend?"
"Good, I think" she smiled brightly like a proud child, that expression wavering within a moment as she thought on it too much, "I mean, she talked, I talked, we drank coffee" she elaborated, her fingers lacing and unlacing as she went on, "I tried not to mention theft or violence..." she shook her head, sending her ponytail flying around her head, "It's hard work" she sighed.
"Well, that's the way it is with friendships sometimes, darlin'" Eliot told her sagely as he swung his bag onto his shoulder and made to leave at last.
"But you were easy" said Parker, making him turn back from the door immediately, his eyes a little wider than before, "I mean, to have coffee with. To talk to" she explained, though she wasn't entirely sure why what she'd said in the first place was wrong, "I guess you and me just make better friends than the 'Alice me' and Peggy" she shrugged, backing up the few steps into her office at last.
Eliot had to think about that. He didn't have a whole lot of friends, mostly just acquaintances that owed him favours, old buddies with reps as questionable as his own. He certainly didn't have women for friends, not until Leverage when Sophie and Parker had entered the picture. He didn't spend much time with the grifter outside of jobs and she was so hung up on Nate, but he and Parker had got to talking lately. When they went for coffee a few days ago, they'd had a real conversation for the first time ever. Eliot had found they actually had stuff in common, that sometimes she made jokes that were actually funny and didn't involve zip-lines or razor-blades. He also found her straightforward way of expressing herself a little less strange these days, and kind of refreshing actually.
"Eliot" her voice cut through his deep thought in an instant and he snapped back to reality to find Parker in front of him again and staring strangely, "Your eyes glazed over" she explained, "Were you thinking about food or sex?" she checked, sure that was the two main topics that caused such a blank look on a man's face.
She was unsure why Eliot smiled the way he did before he answered.
"Neither" he assured her, "I was just thinking' about what you said" he told her, adjusting the bag on his shoulder, "I guess we are friends now, and that's... that's cool"
"Yeah, I think so" Parker agreed with a rare smile, "It's weird. I never thought I needed people" she considered, "No friends, no family, no boyfriend... I guess I always thought I couldn't miss what I never had, y'know?" she shrugged, picking up her own bag and walking past him to go.
"Wait a second" this time his words stopping her in her tracks right before she had a chance to reach a hand to the doorknob, "You never had a boyfriend?" he checked, one hand to his forehead like he was getting a headache.
He just couldn't understand this. Parker had an obviously pretty face and hot body, and though she was a little odd in her speech and behaviour at times, he couldn't understand how it was possible for her to never, ever have had a boyfriend.
"Its not like I'm some scared little virgin" she said with a snort of incredulous laughter and an eye-roll to match, "I just never had, y'know like a steady boyfriend... or a real date actually" she considered, apparently not particularly bothered by the fact but just stating it because it was true.
"Want to?" the words were out of Eliot's mouth before he'd fully thought it through and yet he found he had no wish to take them back, though some clarification might be good, he realised, given the look on her face, "A date, I mean" he told her, "You wanna go on a real date?"
"With who?" she asked, apparently geniuinly baffled still, or so the frown her face suggested.
"With me, Parker" he smiled, trying not to find too much amusement in her innocent confusion, "Would you like to go to dinner with me, on a date?" he tried again, in the clearest way he could find.
A verbal answer never came but it was clear she was pleased, from the frantic nodding of her head and the grin that spread across her lips. Looked like they were going on a date.
End of Part 1
A/N2: Hope this makes my fellow E/P fans happy. Parts 2 and 3 are on the way soon! :)
