Takes place after The Top Hat Job, season two
Sophie's in Control—The Let's Get Nate a Date Job
"So, when was the last time you had a date?"
There she went again. Sophie and her prying into his personal life. He was busy plotting the next con, the next client and here all she could think about was dating life.
The last client, a bus driver, had been a good job. Sophie took point, learned the ropes, that things could go wrong and rolled with the punches. Nate was very proud of her. Sure, he almost got caught impersonating a General in the U.S. Army. That would have been difficult to explain away if he had. His quick thinking combined with some big luck had gotten them out of that one.
Sophie was down in the dumps, attempting to control everything and everyone around her. She tried to get Eliot to date one of the waitresses at McRory's. What she didn't know was that Eliot had already taken the woman out, once.
Sophie wished he had someone in his life? He did. At least he thought he did and then she went and started dating before he could get his act together. Now what could he do? Sure, the guy bolted before getting to know Sophie, the real Sophie.
"Not gonna answer that question."
Nate poured her another glass of wine right after he'd poured the last one. Sophie was downing the drinks like they were water. It didn't bother him one bit. She needed to unwind, figure out in her head where she wanted to go, what she wanted to do. He understood, completely. He just wished she'd see him now, what he'd accomplished the past eight months.
"See, if you find someone, then you'd see what you were missing."
Yes, he knew exactly what he was missing and she was looking at him, a bit tipsy, but he could see her clear as day. He smiled a little at her, but didn't take the bait.
"Come on. Let's play a game. See that gal over there, corner table. What do you see?"
Nate glanced over at the woman seated in the corner, tapping her fingers on the table, looking at her phone nervously.
"Professional, probably accountant, waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. He's always late, and she puts up with it. See, now she's texting him to tell him that if doesn't arrive in the next ten minute, she's bailing."
Sophie narrowed her eyes at Nate. "No fair."
"What's fair about that?"
"OK, woman, bar, scarf around her neck. See, she's turning now."
"Oh god, Sophie. I don't want to play this game."
"Come on."
"Late thirties. Divorced. Waiting for her girlfriend to arrive. And when I mean girlfriend, I mean girlfriend."
Just then, another female arrived and gave the woman a kiss.
"Maybe she plays it both ways?"
"Sophie. She's a committed person. Just cool it."
Sophie had downed another drink while they were talking. That was four glasses of wine in less than an hour of them talking. She was just a bit tipsy, and if she continued, he was sure he'd have to either drive her home or call her a taxi.
"Ok, how about…" Sophie trailed off, watching the door open.
Nate watched as Sophie's eyes went wide and slightly tear up. What had just changed? Before he could ask, Sophie grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him to her, locking lips with him. He didn't know if he should participate or not, only Sophie wasn't having it and put enough pressure to urge him on. Slanting her mouth over his, he realized that either he was being used to hide her or he was being used against whoever had just entered the bar. He didn't care. Her lips were on his, finally.
Nate probably would have been slapped if she hadn't had those four glasses in quick succession. She probably also would have stopped after a quick smack of their lips. Only she wasn't stopping. Must be drunk, he thought. There was no way that Sophie Devereaux would be kissing him silly, in public, in McRory's where one of the team could see if it wasn't for a con.
Just as he thought he could pull away because the guy had paused at the door and stared, Sophie pulled on the back of his head, urging him not to stop. He complied, afraid for his life, or possibly his manhood, if he judged where her hand had landed on his thigh as she deepened the kiss.
When Sophie finally let him go, his brain was scrambled.
"Just, we, what, Sophie?"
"Can't form complete sentences?"
"You just…"
"I had to. Jack was there. I didn't want him thinking I was here alone."
And that was the con. The ex-boyfriend had entered their bar, probably looking for Sophie, or Katherine as she was known to him.
"You're not alone."
"Nate, it's you."
"Don't care."
He was getting exasperated with her because there had been no emotional reaction when she'd kissed him.
"I really appreciate what you did."
Nate tightly smiled back at her. "Let me get you a cab."
"I can drive."
"No. Four glasses (Sophie finished the last glass, which made five) of wine say otherwise."
"Oh, you're right."
Twenty minutes later, the two of them stood at the curb, waiting for the taxi that he had the bartender call for.
"Are we gonna talk about what happened in there?" Nate said to her as she swayed back and forth to keep warm.
"Oh, it's just I really didn't want to talk to the jerk. Now he thinks I've moved on. Good riddance."
"Haven't you?"
"Of course. It's just easier if he thinks I have a new beau."
"You think you're drinking because of him?"
Sophie lightly slapped Nate on the arm. "I am not drinking. I was having a drink with a colleague. That's entirely different."
"Yeah, says the recovering alcoholic. So, nothing?"
"Nothing what?"
Nate rubbed his hand over his face. He felt he was going in circles with her. Then he had an idea to see if she really didn't feel anything from that kiss.
"Soph, oh great, he's standing right over there. Quick," Nate lamented.
"What? I thought he was gone. Where?"
Before she could look around the area for the bastard, Nate pulled her to him, and dove in. Instead of letting her lead, he angled his head to deepen the kiss. Slowly, he backed her up against the building, not letting go. From the gasps of breath and the fact that she held on tight to his jacket, she had to be enjoying what he was doing.
"Is he gone?" she managed to get out after he came up for air.
"What? Soph, just stop."
He could feel how fast her heart beat, her breath on his cheek, the feel of her body pressed against his. She must have been affected, particularly since her leg was intertwined with his.
"Nate?"
"Yeah?"
"What was that?"
"Huh?"
He lowered his head again, lightly touching his lips to hers, gauging if she did indeed want it. Her moan of encouragement settled that matter. A car honking broke their concentration, making Nate realize that they were basically standing outside the bar in the middle of the night.
"I should go," Sophie whispered.
"I'll take you home. I swear, no funny business."
Sophie laughed, then took his hand to lead him to his car. She was quiet while he drove her back to her place, looking out at the scenery as he drove.
"Are we going to talk about what happened back there?"
Sophie had a habit of talking a subject to death. He just wanted her to think about what had happened.
"What do you want me to say?"
"You need a girlfriend, not me."
Nate's hands tightened on the steering wheel.
"Could you not tell me what I want or need?"
"I don't want to fight with you, particularly after what we did."
Nate wrenched the car over to the side of the road in a quiet section and turned the engine off.
"You used me to get rid of your ex? And you thought that I'd just sit there and not be affected?"
"No, I, I didn't think."
The night was quite dark, without the moon shining down. The place where Nate had decided to stop didn't have very many streetlights. It was quiet and serene. And here he felt she was attempting to start a fight to get his mind off what they shared.
"And I think too much."
Both sat back in their seats, neither turning their heads to look at the other.
"You were affected by what we did?"
"How could I not be?"
"Right." Sophie sighed, then crossed her arms over her chest. "He wasn't behind us, was he?"
"Well, no."
"Was it an experiment then?"
"Sort of."
"Sort of? What kind of answer is that? Did you want to kiss me or not?"
"What do you think?"
"Could you not answer me with another question?"
"I just, I'm not good at this."
"Good at what? The kiss? Pretty good on the scale I thought."
"Pretty good? Were you even there?"
He turned to look at her and could see the smirk on her face.
"Well, practice does make perfect. And it seems that you're out of practice, so…"
She turned her head just as he came closer. The car was getting colder, but neither cared as they looked at each other.
"Who am I supposed to practice with? That scientist?"
"Not likely."
If Nate had thought that he and Sophie Devereaux would be making out in his car on a deserted street on the way to her house, he never would have thought it would happen. But there it was.
"There's not enough room in this blasted car," Sophie moaned out as his mouth traveled down her throat.
"We should go back to your place then," Nate added as her hand started to roam.
"I'm not that easy, Nathan Ford."
"Since when?"
Shit, now he'd said the wrong thing. "I'll have you know that I didn't start this."
"You did, in the bar. Remember?"
Nate started the car, realizing that he possibly blew it with her again. Pulling up in front of her building, he stopped and didn't move from his seat.
"I should go," Sophie said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
His hand stayed her before she could get the door open. Reaching over, he slid his hand down her cheek, but didn't move any further. He'd let her make the next move, if there was one.
"Goodnight, Nate."
And that ended that. Not the way he wanted the night to end, but it did.
The next day, Sophie sat on one end of the table, Nate at the other. Eliot placed food down on the table at each of their places.
"Thank you?" he urged Sophie to see what was in front of her.
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Eliot."
Nate grumbled out his thanks too, not wanting to take on the hitter at the moment. He and Sophie had not said two words to each other the whole day, even though they had to work together to plan the con. It made for an interesting session.
"So, what are we fighting about now?" Parker blurted out.
Hardison's eyes went wide, while Eliot shook his head no.
"Oh yeah, gotta see if the Patriots will make it to playoffs this year. Eliot doesn't believe they will. I just think…" Hardison started.
"I'm not very hungry. Sorry. I'll see you tomorrow."
Sophie got up quickly, grabbed her coat and was off before anyone else could say anything to her. The rest of the team sat and glared at Nate as he picked at his dinner.
"You need to fix this," Eliot said to the mastermind as he was ushering his younger teammates out for the night.
"If there was something to fix, I would."
"You keep thinking that, Nate. Yeah."
Eliot sighed and closed the outer door quietly.
"Oh, hello."
Sophie peeked out her door, but not opening it much for Nate to see. He'd been there only once since she moved to Boston, but it had been for a quick trip for Sophie to get some clothes for a con. It looked to him like she didn't want him invading her space.
"I just, um, well, we need, can I come in?"
"Oh, sure. Good idea."
She opened her door and waved him in. The bottle of wine she had on the coffee table was half gone, a book sitting beside it. She'd built a fire, so it was nice and warm as Nate entered.
"I wanna apologize," Nate hesitated, but managed to get it out.
"For? Conning me into that kiss while we waited?"
"Not like you didn't con me while we were sitting there."
Sophie glared back at him, turning to face the fire. He was sure she didn't want to talk about what had happened between the two of them. Nate still wasn't sure this was the best idea, but he couldn't just let it go.
"I guess we both did things. Just, it was nice and I was wondering," he asked as he touched Sophie's shoulder.
"Wondered? I can't do this anymore, Nate. I don't know where I stand, who I am, what I want."
Turning back around, Nate could see her tears forming, threatening to spill. He hated it when Sophie did this. It broke his heart inside just a little to see her struggling with her identity.
"You are the smartest, most beautiful woman I know," he acknowledged, bringing up a finger to wipe a tear that had fallen.
"Who doesn't even know her own name. I have to figure this out."
"And when you do, I'll be here."
Pulling her into his arms, he enveloped her in a hug, but nothing more. She needed time, he'd give her time.
The couple who wanted to retrieve the Klimt was their next case. Only it had turned deadly with a bomb for Sophie in the form of flowers. Right before Nate left the room for the door, he quickly kissed her, being careful not to jostle the vase.
"For luck."
It all happened so fast, with Sophie pretending to be dead, the con to get the Klimt back and conning the other crew. In the end, Sophie walked away from him to find herself.
He understood. It took him months to stop drinking. It still hurt though, to watch her walk away the way she did. She'd come back, soon. It wouldn't take her very long to grieve her death. She'd be back, hopefully in his arms, soon.
Only she didn't come back, even when he begged. It took her too long, he started drinking again without her influence there to stop him, and he lost his way. He didn't blame her though. This was all his doing. But the con went very wrong without her to be his anchor, to make him realize when he stepped over the line. In the end though, she came back when he asked. He needed her. She needed him.