Disclaimer: I'm not making any money off this.
Summary: Nate helps Sophie find her motivation. One shot fluff piece with a touch of N/S.
Author's notes: I'm a brand new Leverage watcher and this is my first Leverage fic. Just an idea I had. Spoilers for 'The Bank Job" episode. I'd love some feedback so let me know what you think.
What's My Motivation?
Sophie smiled brightly at the Leverage group as they gathered up their things, all of them ready to go home after finishing another con. "So, who wants to help me rehearse for my audition tomorrow?"
Hardison spat out the coffee he was drinking, while Parker nearly choked on hers. Eliot looked down at the conference table, staring at it as though it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen. Nate looked out the window, trying everything in his might to avoid Sophie's eyes.
"Uh, I'd love to help you, but I can't, I have to, have to um…go home and wax my legs," stammered an obviously flustered Parker.
"I said I'd help her!" Hardison blurted out.
They all gaped at him.
"Didn't I, Parker?" Hardison said, shooting a meaningful, almost pleading glance in her direction.
It took a second for Parker to catch on. "Oh…oh, yes, of course you did." She gave a silly little unconvincing laugh.
It was Parker's turn to be gaped at. "Hardison is going to help you wax your legs? What exactly is he going to do?"
Hardison opened and closed his mouth several times. "I'm…I'm going to…provide moral support." He cleared his throat nervously.
"That's right!" crowed Parker.
"See, my gram said that beauty is pain and she knew a whole lotta pain cuz every week she'd go to the beauty parlor and come back cursing like a sailor cuz she said those ingrown hairs hurt like a bitch and-"
"Yeah, why don't you go ahead then," Nate hastily cut him off, holding up his hand as Parker and Hardison hastily grabbed their things for a quick getaway and Eliot mumbled something underneath his breath about Parker and Hardison still trying to out-weird each other.
"What about you, Eliot?" Sophie asked.
Eliot reluctantly raised his eyes from the table. "Uh…I can't. I have to go home and, uh…polish my gun collection."
"You don't like guns."
"Right! Right," stammered Eliot. "I have to go home and polish my, um, my, uh, thimble collection. Some other time, then?" His smile widened in a completely fake expression of regret and hurried out closely behind Parker and Hardison, Nate glaring at all three of them.
"Well, then, I guess it's you," said Sophie pleasantly to Nate.
"Sophie…I'm really no good at this kind of thing…" Nate shook his head.
"I need someone to run lines with, Nate. Please," Sophie pouted with her best you're-my-only-hope expression. "The audition is tomorrow!" She leaned forward and grabbed his hand and dragged him into her office.
Man, this is going to be a long night.
***
"So, what did you think?" Sophie smiled brightly, almost childishly.
Nate rubbed his eyes, trying not to sigh. "That was great," he lied, pulling his hands over his hair.
"Really? Not too over the top?"
"No. No." What had he done with that bottle of Aspirin?
"Yay!" Sophie clapped her hands, delighted. "The last director said I was having trouble finding my motivation. I wonder what that was about?"
Nate looked up, mildly curious. "Motivation?"
"Uhm-hmm. Something about how I should picture something emotional in real life whenever I do a scene."
"So have you been doing that?"
"Oh, yes. I've been picturing the scene in Cast Away where Tom Hanks loses his volleyball."
"…Volleyball?"
Good grief, no wonder she sucks at this.
"Uh, Sophie, can I give you a bit of advice?"
"Sure, Nate," said Sophie, a little skeptically.
"Maybe you should try picturing something more familiar, more close to home. Something that happened in your real life. This scene is about how this woman is going to lose the love of her life. So while you say your lines, think about something you love you thought you'd lose?"
Sophie nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. I can do that. Try it one more time then?" Nate nodded, cueing her to go on.
Sophie thought for a few seconds about what Nate had said. Clearing her throat, she went through her lines again.
"Well, what did you think of that?"
Nate blinked. He gazed at her in awe. She'd nailed it! She'd actually nailed it as good as the fake scene she'd done as a nun.
"That was great, Sophie!" He rushed up and pulled her in a bear hug.
"Really? You liked it?" Sophie smiled, ecstatic.
"Absolutely! You're totally ready for that audition tomorrow." Nate stood up and grabbed their coats. "Let's go get a drink and celebrate, what do you say?" She nodded as he helped her with her coat.
"By the way," said Nate. "What were you thinking of as you said your lines?"
The piercing sound of the gunshot, unmistakably the sound of Nate getting shot, echoed through the bank's lobby. "Nate!" Sophie shrieked, abandoning her cover to rush by his side, not knowing what she'd do if she lost him this time.
Sophie slowly looked up at him, meeting his eyes. Saying nothing, she smiled wistfully and walked out, Nate staring after her in puzzlement as he followed her out the door.