A/N: I know this has probably been done before. Takes place during the fourth season, as for the age thing in The Lost Heir Job it shows his passport and you can make out his birthday...August 16th, 1965. I hope you enjoy because I do not own Leverage :(
Nates Birthday!
~6:06 A.M.~
Nate sat at the table wide-awake a scalding mug of coffee in front of him. Ever since he had been a young boy he would always be up early on his birthday. No matter how much he tried he would still be up at 6. It didn't matter if he was celebrating or not. Sophie hadn't stayed the night; she told him that she had stuff to take care of at home. Sighing his took a huge gulp of coffee. His jaw dropped at the burning liquid and it spilled out of his mouth onto the front of his shirt and his thighs. It soaked through his clothing quickly stinging his skin. He quickly threw his clothes off huge red marks from the coffee. Nate groaned in pain and annoyance and grabbed a few ice packs from the freezer. He set one his thigh and one on his chest and stomach. Well his birthday wasn't starting off very well. Nate wasn't exactly thrilled about turning 47 but he didn't have a choice. Once he had iced the burns for 10 minutes he got up to go put on new clothes.
~6:37 A.M.~
He ditched the coffee and got some orange juice with a little vodka instead. It wasn't a lot, since his intent was no longer to wash away all his painful memories. Now he had just acquired a taste for it, without it the orange juice tasted strange. Nate was hoping nobody remembered his birthday. The only thing he would've wanted is another journal, the one Sophie had gotten him last year was almost full. He finished his 'orange juice' and went to go watch TV.
~8:12 A.M.~
Two hours of went by fast. Nate turned the TV off and went to grab his journal. It wasn't there.
Sophie watched as Nate went over to grab something to drink. His journal lay open on the desk teasing her with the secrets it might hold. The temptation was killing her. She read a sentence of it upside down.
I always wonder what Sophie dreams about...the way she smiles in her sleep or frowns, occasionally she'll kick me but I never complain. Her lips twitched into a smile at the words. Slowly she closed it and slipped it in her purse still slung over her arm. Just as Nate turned around she got off of his desk, leaving her purse there.
"Dammit Sophie" Nate cursed under his breath.
~8:56 A.M~
After some more looking and fussing over his journal Nate finally gave up. He walked over to the teams conference table and sat down. Although he barely knew how to work the thing he had figured out how to do some pretty basic stuff. Itching to write something down he brought up a word document.
Happy birthday to me. It appears that Sophie has stolen my journal; all hell is going to brake loose. It's odd...part of me doesn't want her to read it but part of me wants her to read it. I'm not sure which conscious I should follow. I may be the mastermind of the team but sometimes I feel very stupid. Or maybe naïve is the word. Anyway I was lonely last night since Sophie didn't stay the night. I missed having her next to me. I'm hoping that she stays tonight; it is my birthday after all. That just sounded creepy...I was up at 6 again, my damn internal clock is like "WAKE UP IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! WAKE UP!" Whatever, I spilled coffee on myself giving me burns on my thigh and up and down my chest. Great way to start a birthday.
Nate let out a long sigh as he felt he had vented enough. Of course he never wrote down everything, something's were meant for his mind and his mind only.
~9:34 A.M.~
Nate was idly flipping through a book not really taking in any of the words. He was begining to get rather lonely, so he called Sophie.
"Hello?" Came the grifters inquisitive voice
"Hey Soph"
"Nate why are you calling me so early?"
"It's 9:39"
"What?" Nate couldn't see it but Sophie had just sat upright in her bed in surprise
"Yeah I was just really bored since you didn't stay the night..."
"Oh well I'll be there in an hour"
"An hour?"
"Yes is that a problem?"
"What about a half hour?"
"Nate I can't get ready in ten minutes"
"Well come in a sweatshirt and sweat pants and you can change here"
"Nate you're so bad"
"I have my reasons"
"Fine Nate I'll be there in 25"
"Bye"
"Bye" The line went dead.
~10:04 A.M~
"Morning Nathan" Sophie leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek pressing a hand to his chest.
"Careful Sophie I burned myself" Nate backed away slightly
"How?" Sophie frowned
"I spilled coffee on myself"
"Here let me see" Sophie lifted his shirt slightly. Nate got the hint and lifted his shirt to show the huge red marks up and down his chest. "Aww you poor thing"
Nate blushed slightly. "Yeah it's not exactly the greatest way to start off..." He paused "to start off the day."
"Well I hope you feel better" She gave him a kiss holding it a few seconds longer the necessary
"Can I have it back now" Nate held out his hand
"What?" Sophie tried to hold back a grin
"My journal I'd like it back" Nate stared at her
"I don't know what you talking about?" Sophie shook her head
"Soph" Nate warned
"Come get it" Sophie pulled it out of her purse and dodged out of his grasp
"Sophie!" Nate yelled after her. She ran up the stairs into his bedroom and locked the door.
"You can have once I'm done getting ready" She yelled through the door
Nate growled. "Fine!" He walked over to the hall closet and dug out Parkers hidden stash of lock picks. Nate got down on his knees and opened the door.
"Nate!" Sophie sat upright on his bed. She had his journal in her hands
"Parker taught me how to lock pick" Nate shrugged
"Damn her" Sophie hissed
"Now give me my journal" Nate snatched it out of her hands and she pouted. "How much did you read?"
"The whole thing" Sophie confessed looking at her feet
"All of it?" Nate asked with slight nervousness
"Thanks Nate" Sophie whispered giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking out. Nate just stood there confused.
~10:47 A.M.~
"Look it's 10:47" Nate put slight emphasis on the 47 part
"Nate I'm not stupid" Sophie looked at him
"I never said you were" Nate furrowed his brow
"Open to the last page of you journal Nate" Sophie walked over behind him resting her chin on his right shoulder. Nate opened to the back and found a note
Sorry I stole your notebook the day before your birthday. You left it open on your desk and I just couldn't resist. Happy birthday Nate -Sophie
P.S. You've kicked me in your sleep too ;)
"You did remember" Nate smiled and turned to kiss her. She kissed him back, more then happy to press her lips to his. "You'll be staying the night then?"
"Don't be silly Nathan" Sophie smirked
"So is the rest of the team coming?" Nate asked
"Yeah, they're coming around twelve" Sophie shrugged
"Well that gives us some time to have fun" Nate eyed her
"Hmm you're such a perv" She muttered into his ear
"I know"
~11:57 A.M.~
"Dammit Nate where are my sweat pants!" Sophie yelled up stairs
"I don't know!" Nate yelled back
"Can I borrow a pair?" Sophie asked walking up the stairs
"Um let me look..." Nate started to look through his clothes. Suddenly she heard the door downstairs open and the team walk in. She panicked and grabbed the first thing she saw. Ironically it turned out to be a pair of Nates boxers she was just about to walk downstairs when Nate stopped her. "Soph you can't wear those"
"Why not I wear them all the time" Sophie looked back at him
"When the team isn't around" Nate hissed
"Look Nate they know about us I can wear whatever I want" Sophie waved him off
"Did ever think that I don't want the team to know what my boxers look like?"
"Oh" Sophie turned around and walked back into his room. "You go downstairs I'll be there in a little bit" She searched through his stuff and found a pair of navy blue sweatpants. She slipped them on along with her shirt and his jacket. Checking her hair in the mirror she walked downstairs.
"Hey Sophie!" Parker greeted her happily
"Hey Parker" Sophie sat down at the table. "When's Eliot coming?"
"Oh he should be here in 10 minutes" Hardison looked at his watch
"So how's the ol' birthday boy?" Parker punched him playfully in the arm
"I'm fine" Nate looked slightly annoyed
"Nate stop being so uptight" Sophie scolded
"I'm not uptight" Nate protested
"Loosen up, have fun" Just as Sophie said it Parker threw a handful of confetti over Nate
"Yeah I'll try that" Nate replied sarcastically looking at her.
Sophie giggled at him with confetti in his hair "Do it again Parker" she whispered to the blonde. Parker grinned and threw a handful of confetti over him.
"Man you look like Ke$ha puked on you" Hardison was holding up his smart phone
"Hey are you taking pictures?" He got out of his chair brushing the confetti out of his hair.
"You can't catch me!" The younger man dodged out of his grip.
"Is this your idea of a fun birthday?" Nate breathed once he grabbed the phone
~12:21 P.M.~
"Sorry I'm late guys" Eliot peeked his head through the door
"Um Eliot what are you doing?" Nate looked at Eliot
"You ready for your present?" Eliot grinned
"Eliot you didn't have too" Nate felt embarrassed that Eliot had gotten him a present
"It's from all four of us" Eliot walked in with a gray and white baby kitten in his arms. Nates eyes widened in surprise at the fact he now had a kitten and the fact that it was undeniably cute. He picked it out of Eliots arm holding it close. It meowed loudly licking his face.
"What's its name?" Nate asked nuzzling his nose into its fur
"It's a girl, she doesn't have a name" Eliot shrugged
"Thunder" Nate whispered and the cat meowed happily. He sat down on the floor and moved so he was lying on his back. Thunder sat on his chest and curled up moving up and down with the rise and fall of his chest. "Thanks guys"
"Sophie and Parker picked her out" Eliot said
"What made you pick her out over the others?" He held onto Thunder and sat up
"Well I liked her pattern" Parker traced the white strips on Thunders side
"I though she was so cute and small" Sophie smiled. Thunder moved so she was sitting on Nates lap and he scratched behind her ears making her purr.
"Nate, picture" He motioned Nate to look up, his Nikon already in his hands. Nate smiled the cat still in his lap. "And one with the other lovely lady" He gestured to Sophie and she moved over next to him and he put his arm around her.
"See we're making memories already" Hardison gave a stupid grin
~6:43 P.M~
"Ok who's ready for dinner!" Eliot had finished setting the table with Parker and Hardison. Sophie and Nate were sitting on the couch with Thunder. Nate got up gently setting Thunder on the floor.
"Looks great Eliot" Nate nodded approvingly
"Smells great" Sophie took a deep breath in
"Here you are Nate" Eliot handed him a plate with a 16-ounce New York strip steak. Nate licked his lips and cut into the steak. It was cooked just the way he liked it, medium rare. Every started to chatter about their perfectly cooked steaks. Sophie liked hers well done, Parker liked hers rare, Hardison liked his well, and Eliot like his medium rare.
"So what'd you do this morning?" Parker asked after she swallowed a bite of her steak
"Not much got up at 6 spilled coffee on myself, watched TV, found out Sophie stole my journal, and Sophie came over"
"You stole his journal!" Parker asked Sophie excitedly
"Well I didn't steal it..." Sophie tilted her head to the side
"I had to take it from you" Nate looked at her
"Wait you came over early Sophie?" Hardison asked
"Well yeah he called me" Sophie looked away
"Oh along with that, here's your present Nate" Hardison pulled out a thin square box wrapped in shiny green paper.
"Hardison you didn't have too you already got me a cat" Nate waved him off
"Open it" Hardison shoved it at Nates chest
"Hardison don't do that I'm burned there because I spilled coffee on myself" Nate shifted
"How'd you do that?"
Nate ignored the question and opens the box. "Seriously" He started up at the hacker his face slightly red
"What y'all nasty" He pointed to Sophie and Nate.
"What'd you get 'em?" Parker asked
Nate held up the handcuffs and Parker, Hardison, and Eliot all exchanged a look while Sophie blushed a deep red. "Ok moving on"
~7:24~
"Happy birthday to Nate" They all sang "Happy birthday to you!" Everyone clapped as Nate blew out the candles. He had told them he didn't want to do the whole candle and singing thing but they insisted. Nate cut the cake and handed everyone a piece. Eliot moved the large cake to the island so it was out of the way.
"Thanks guys this really was an awesome birthday" Nate smiled and raised his glass in salute. They clinked their glasses together. "Where's Thunder?" Nate asked and he looked over into the kitchen to see Thunder eating the cake. "Thunder!" The cat looked up with frosting on its face.
"Awww" Sophie cried picking up Thunder. "Aren't you the cutest" She wiped the frosting off that kittens face. It really was the best birthday ever.
A/N 2: Yes I made Nate like cats, so what? Yep this story is pretty much just a bunch of fluff and I started it yesterday night so any errors are my own :)