Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage nor am I associated with Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman or Dean Devlin.
A/N: I figured since I wrote a Christmas fic after the December 23rd episode, I should write a New Year's fic after the December 30th episode…
Champagne in Dixie Cups
Nate was holed up at the office, having become accustomed to taking refuge from his life there. For once, he wasn't sipping on a drink, but only sat in silence in the dark, empty conference room, thinking. He wasn't expecting anyone but, then, it shouldn't have surprised him he wasn't the only one who used the nearly empty office space to get away from it all. Nate glanced up as Sophie walked in, looking much refreshed after the nice long bath she'd drawn immediately upon returning home from the disastrous job in Juan, Texas.
Their plane had landed in Chicago four hours before and the team had scattered like leaves on the breeze. All were tired, hungry and dirty and wanted nothing more than soft beds and high-speed internet.
Sophie sighed from the doorway, thinking back on the horrendous day they had all (barely) endured. Slowly, she padded her way across the room, coming to a stop behind his chair and running her hands down his chest. The thick bandage wrapped around his torso bulged beneath his shirt. Sophie bit her lip, fighting back tears: tears of fear, tears of relief, tears of exhaustion. She pressed a kiss to his cheek just below his ear.
Nate lifted a hand to her wrist, first gently stroking it with his thumb and then pulling her around in front of him. The tears filling her eyes brimmed over slightly, sending a drop tumbling down her cheek. Nate lifted his arm to brush the drop away with his fingertips, unsuccessfully hiding a wince in the process. Sophie gently pushed him back into the chair, wiping the tear away herself. Holding up a finger to wait, she left the room but quickly returned with a bottle of champagne. Nate raised an eyebrow with a grin.
"Champagne?"
"I tucked it away; thought maybe I'd need to pull it out one of these days," she explained, her eyes shining with something happier than tears. Sophie popped the cork on the bottle, filling two Dixie cups. Nate playfully reached for the bottle but she held it out of his reach with a glare. "Don't even think about it."
Sophie pulled a chair closer to him and sat down, pushing a Dixie cup his way. He lifted the paper cup in cheers, "À vie," he murmured quietly, the French words rolling off his tongue with rusty ease.
"Et amor," she replied softly, clinking with him and taking a small sip. Setting the cup down, she pursed her lips. "You scared the shit out of me yesterday, Nathan, almost dying."
Nate was slow to react but finally he reached out a hand to her, cupping her cheek in it. He lifted her face so he could see her eyes, leaning forward. "Rappelez-vous Paris," he whispered, glancing to her lips.
Sophie grit her teeth, unwilling to let him have the upper hand but knowing he already did. He knew she was a sentimental fool and those days they had spent in Paris had meant a lot to her. She only hoped they meant as much to him. Glancing at her watch, she smiled slightly. "Happy New Year, Nate," she said, looking him in the eye.
Nate closed the gap between them, pressing his lips firmly to hers. She responded in kind, fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. Pulling away for the briefest of moments, much to her chagrin, he asked, "I didn't wait too long, did I?"
Sophie sighed irresistibly. "Would I still be kissing you if you had?"
À vie – To life
Et aimer – And to love
Rappelez-vous Paris – Remember Paris