The Starter Job

Fandom – Leverage

Pairings – Eliot/Nate

Rating – R

Disclaimer – I do not own the characters of Leverage or their world. I own the OC's and the copy right to this story. I don't make any money off this; It's just for fun.

Warnings – Heavy on the slash, m/m, so if you don't like that sort of thing please don't read my story. I only want people who like m/m to read this. Because that means they may leave me nice reviews. Lol. And due to rules, no sex scenes. But if I write them I'll put a link to those who are interested.

Summary – The team takes on a job for a same-sex couple who run a specialty bar. Only someone is using it to run cons and ruin their reputation. It's up to the team to piece the puzzle together and run the bad guys out of town.

A/N – I am going to try to write from more POV's this time around. I realized that I mostly did Nate, Sophie and Eliot last time. So, I'll try the others now. Also, the first chapter is all set up. I've also tried for a really long chapter. My document tells me it's 12 pages.

A/N 2 - I'm sorry I didn't get this up yesterday, so ya'll are in for a treat. 2 CHAPTERS today. :)

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Chapter 1

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It's a full moon night; not that it could be seen thanks to the bright city lights. Either way, the night is almost day and he has to get the job done or not get paid.

The man is tall is gangly, he wears a fedora; the sort that makes women hate him on site, calling him a 'Bro-nie' whatever that is. He isn't sure and he doesn't care. He takes the gas can and unstops it. He pours it all over the dance floor; the bar and anything else he knows will be caught on fire fast enough.

He waits until he's at the door before he takes out a matchbox; he takes out a match and lights it. He flicks it into the club and then closes the door. Behind him, the gas, lights up and soon enough the fire alarm goes off. The man whistles as he walks away, assured that the job had gone well and he'll be paid a pretty penny for something so simple.

He turns a corner as the fire engine along with her men arrived to put out the fire. Hopefully they'd be too late. But he really doesn't care; any damage is good damage to him.

0000

McRory's bar and pub is just beginning its lunchtime rush. No longer a hang out for mobsters and bookies, it since has lost its forbidden reputation and is a nice, safe place for families to have a nice lunch or dinner. The décor has been updated but still keeps the Irish pub feeling. Dark woods and greens compliment a bit of red and brown leather.

At a table in the middle of the hustle and bustle sit four people. No one bothers them except the waitress who takes their orders and comes back with alcoholic beverages and a glass of water for the woman.

Gerald and Henry hold hands as they sit before Nathan and Sophie. They both look weary, as if they'd been up all night. Their clothes are dusty with soot and Nate can smell the aftermath of fire on them. He pours them a shot of whiskey.

"What happened last night, fire?" He asks.

"Our place went up like a grass fire." Gerald sighed. He's a lean man with blond hair and green eyes. He wears a sky blue, button down shirt while his life partner wears a green button down. They each wear frowns and vibrations of anguish ripple off them and inflict itself on Sophie and Nate who can read the two men easily.

Henry, who is a bit more muscular than his younger life partner, tries to speak but is choked up. He's the main investor, Nate is sure, and he can't speak. He looks over to Gerald for help. Whose eyes are red and the two seem to believe that their whole world has come to an end.

Not if I can help them. Nate thinks. Sophie shifts forwards in her chair; "Tell us what happened from the beginning." Sophie tries to draw the younger one, Gerald, out. Henry doesn't seem too interested in talking, so he's left the job to Gerald.

Gerald takes a deep breath:

"We run a night club called Hope Flows; it's a same-sex bar. But we don't turn anyone away, unless they're all ready sloshed; you know? Anyway. We're pretty sure a team of con men moved into the neighborhood and took over out joint. We got plenty of complaints for something called a…pigeon drop…" Gerald said, confused as he related the name of the con.

"Ah," Sophie smiled a bit, "the easiest con in the book."

"What?" Henry asked. Curious. He squeezed Gerald's hand.

"Well, what you do is you help an elderly Mark keep a wad of cash safe for you. But you generate a situation where you switch the envelope that has the money with a different envelope that's the same but is empty or feels like the first envelope. Then you take off with the original envelope while leaving the Mark with the fake envelope." Nate explained, he must have done a good job of it because both Henry and Gerald nodded.

"That sounds about right," Henry muttered.

"But that's not the only con, some people have invested in a ponzi scheme; We keep telling them not to invest with people they meet at our club but no one listens to us and then they want us to take care of the problem. We can't, of course, we're hoping that maybe you could help us get rid of this….con artist team. We know there's at least three of them working our place." Gerald finished with a sigh; he drank the shot of whiskey in one gulp.

"It sounds to me like someone just starting out." Sophie clucked her tongue.

"Yeah," Nate agreed.

"What do you mean?" Henry asked. Gerald shot his partner a sidelong glance.

"Well, a bar is easy pickings for a con artist just starting out. They need to get in the practice before doing anything like what we do." Sophie shrugged. "We all have to start somewhere right?"

"And now it's practically dust," Henry frowned. The two men knew it was far too late for them. Their place is empty, cordoned off by the fire marshals, and lost.

"We can't even get the insurance company to pay out." Gerald said. He pours another shot but sips it this time.

"What company did you go with?" Nate asked, curious. Sophie rolled her eyes, Nate liked taking Insurance Companies down for one reason or another; he'd gotten over it a little bit. But, he still sometimes fell back into old habits.

She decided she'd have a talk with Eliot about it; the younger man could sometimes talk Nate around when she couldn't. Or he just left it, happy to let Fate drag them all by the legs and into a deep dark pit. One they had to climb out of as a team and family.

"Yellow Banana Incorporated." Henry rolled his eyes.

"Or better known as YBI." Gerald shrugged.

"All right, we'll contact you when the job is done." Nate said. The two men nodded, they all shook hands they took off for their home or business to see if they couldn't find a way to revive their club.

"Are you sure this is the sort of job for us?" Sophie asked.

"These People probably can't go to the police, they'll probably being investigated for the fire, it is exactly our kind of job." Nate replied.

The two abandoned the table for Nate's Apartment; which also doubles as the Teams office, much to Nate's consternation. He couldn't get them to leave and take their shit with them. So, he "allowed" them to use his place.

The others would disagree; they each came to some sort of epiphany during that six-month stint of being on their own. They didn't work as well as they did before they decided to become a team and help people during that first year. And once again, they pulled Nate into their clutches and he was quite happy to "let" them. Though they all knew they had successfully conned Nate back into the game, and that is how things were going to say.

Parker, Hardison and Eliot were arguing about something as Nate and Sophie joined them. Nate rolled his eyes and Sophie just gazed at them fondly. Whatever they were arguing about is dropped immediately.

"What do you need, Nate?" Hardison asked. He and the others gathered at the desk.

"YBI, look it up," Nate replied, he gestured at the monitors. He, Eliot, Parker and Sophie sat down at the desk-bar to await Hardison to hack in and get them the information they needed for the job.

"Wow, their security is nuts," Hardison shook his head, "that took me seconds to get into. Lame!"

"Why are you interested in them anyway?" Eliot asked.

"Our clients may not be able to get their claim put through." Nate replied, "their club went up in flames last night."

"Oh, I think we could fix that…" Hardison smiled. Parker giggles and they watched as Hardison approved Henry and Gerald's claim and put it through. It wasn't at the top of the pile, nor the bottom, he placed it in the data banks in such a way that it wouldn't be seen as suspicious.

"It'll take a few days, but they'll get the money." He turned back to Nate who smiled a little and nodded.

"Good Work," Nate said. Because sometimes Hardison needed a little boost to his otherwise big ego; not that Nate didn't appreciate what Hardison did on a daily basis, he just didn't say so as often as he should.

Hardison grinned and then went on about how cool he was with the entire tech and how he was needed. Nate wondered if Hardison felt like he wasn't useful to the team; and if that's why he always insisted on the rest of the team respecting him for it.

Nate sighed.

Eliot gave Nate a sidelong glance; "Really?" he said softly.

Nate shrugged; "Sorry, I just…" he flapped a hand at Hardison. Sophie watched Eliot and Nate have a quiet discussion about encouraging Hardison. Eliot saying not to and Nate saying sometimes because Hardison needed to know the team did appreciate him and all he did for them. She chuckled softly. This time Eliot flicked Nate's ear. Nate shifted away from him and frowned lightly.

"Hey! So what's the job?" Parker asked. Tired of all the flirting.

"That's the problem; we don't know." Sophie said, "All we know is that a team is working the local night club's with a pigeon Drop and fake investment deals." She explained.

"Okay," Hardison turned to them, "are you telling me that we have to check out all the night clubs to find a group of con men?"

"Yes," Nate nodded, "our clients weren't able to identify any one person, mostly because I think they made sure not to become regulars. So they probably rotated and found out the work schedule so that they weren't readily recognizable."

"Wouldn't it be better to be a regular though?" Parker asked.

"Yes and no," Eliot shrugged, "either way, as long as they looked normal and could blend in easily."

"So what's the plan?" Sophie asked.

"Hmmmmmm…..Hardison, let's see what complaints the police have had. We'll have to identify these people ourselves." Nate slapped the table then he turned and walked away and to the kitchen.

Seconds later Parker took a seat on one of the bat stools and watched Nate pour him self some coffee, he skipped putting liquor in it. This made her smile a bit. Taking a nonchalant sip, Nate turned to her. He blinked, not expecting her to be there.

"Yes, Parker?"

"So….you ever gonna tell him?" she asked; Parker twirked a thinly plucked brow at him.

Nate twitched back at her; "Tell him-who what?"

"Eliot," Parker rolled her eyes and snorted a laugh, "that you like-like him!"

She said it a bit loud and Eliot glanced over at them. Nate looked as if he were about to run but he kept his ground. Eliot smiled that smile he did when he was amused and knew he'd put someone else off his or her game. Mostly it applied to Nate.

Parker glanced back and waved at Eliot; who waved back. Sophie and Hardison are watching now and they get a knowing glint in their countenances. Nate licked his lips and looked down at his coffee cup. He really hated the lot of them sometimes.

"So?"

"Parker, please," Nate's voice is low. He knows she's just trying to help, or play matchmaker; but he isn't sure if Eliot has someone on the side they don't know about. In fact, he doesn't know if Eliot even swings that way. Nate, he could do both. The problem is that he wasn't sure if they could have a romance on the side and still put the team and their job first. It's a power imbalance no matter how anyone looks at it.

Parker snapped her fingers at him; "You're silly, Nate!"

And with that she walked away. Hardison and Sophie rolled his eyes at him and Eliot looked like the cat whose ate the canary, he is so pleased with himself. He runs fingers through his hair and Nate just glares at the lot of them.

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After Parker's little meeting with Nate, which went swimmingly as far as Sophie is concerned, she got Eliot alone as they exited the offices/apartment for the night. He usually walked her home while Hardison walked Parker to one of her places – if she wanted company – and sometimes Nate would call later to just to make sure. Their jobs were perilous, he wasn't checking up in a stalker like manner. Parker thought it was a fatherly thing for him to do, Sophie thought it was romantic before she – and he- realized they just couldn't do romance, and as far as Sophie knew – Hardison and Eliot didn't know about it.

"What do you think your next move is?" Sophie asked.

"Move on what?" Eliot asked, though he looked like he knew what she was asking him about. He is all too pleased with himself. Sophie wonders if he's always been angling for Nate or if it's a recent development. Still, Nate and Eliot could do worse.

"Nate," she said. A smirk flashed on Eliot's lips.

"I don't want to scare him off," he replied.

"Nate looked as if he were about to bolt back in that kitchen when Parker asked him about his feelings for you." Sophie nudged Eliot a bit, "he didn't, but we both know he wanted too."

"He's probably afraid," Eliot looked up at the elevator numbers. They'd reached the first floor and the door opened with a ding. The bar beyond is silent, everyone has gone home for the evening. They take the back door out, which locks automatically behind them. Though, they both have keys to get back into the locked building if they had too.

"And what about when Nate was kidnapped?" Sophie asked. "You seemed pretty worried about him."

"We were all worried, Sophie," Eliot reminded her.

"Yes, but you most of all, at least, from what I remember." Sophie shrugged.

"I guess."

"Well, you were very protective of him after that too. Remember when we did that con and Nate almost dropped it? you flew in there like a bat out of hell and beat the Mark and his goons up and they hadn't even touched Nate."

"They were going too," Eliot justified.

"Of course, and that's not criticism, he refused to call you in, of course it is the right thing to do. All I'm saying is that, it was really cute," Sophie said, trying to hide the smile but failing.

"CUTE!" Eliot stopped in his tracks and flailed at her. Sophie laughed.

"Yes, cute, or do you need to clean out your ears?"

"We're not cute!"

Sophie rolled her eyes; "Nate is cute, have you seen how his hair does the curls?"

"Of course," Eliot twitched his nose.

"And if he's uncomfortable he'll stumble around and change the subject? Or how about when he's perceptive and…"

"All right all ready, geeze, I know what you mean!" Eliot walked forwards and past her. Sophie had to job a bit in her heels to catch up.

"You love it, really. I mean, I do."

"Yeah, yeah," Eliot agreed, though he tried to make it sound like he didn't care.

"Anyway, you have to press your advantage," Sophie said, "kick the chair right out from under him and let him know you won't let him budge an inch."

"Did that work for you?" Eliot asked. They came to a stop at an intersection.

"Yes, well, not when he was married. He always had eyes for Maggie then, but before I could and afterwards took a bit of practice but I could do it when it really mattered. Nate sometimes just needs a push in the right direction."

"Push?"

"Just…you know…don't break an arm or something," Sophie slapped Eliot's arm affectionately. Eliot rubbed the spot but didn't say anything to her and they continued on their way.

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Hardison is having a good time kissing Parker; she smells like peaches thanks to the lip balm she uses and she taste just as sweet. He'd really like to get her into bed tonight. She always moaned in certain ways when he touched her and she giggled as she climaxed. But, tonight will not be that night, because Parker has stopped the kiss and she's biting her lip in that way she does when she's mulling something around in her head.

"What is it girl?" Hardison asks.

"It's just….Nate and Eliot…"

"Girl!" Hardison licks his lips and looks up at the sky before shifting his gaze back at her. "They're fine, you know that right? They'll have to figure it out for themselves. And besides, you weren't so worked up over Nate and Sophie."

"They were different, Sophie was handling it. She kinda just…made Nate follow her. You know? But Eliot's different." Parker lent back against the door to one of her hide outs.

"What do you mean different?" Hardison asked.

"He's….manly," Parker shrugged, "And I think Nate likes both. But he doesn't know how to do a man, you know what I mean?"

Hardison didn't, not entirely, but he tried; "I guess."

"It's just, I want them to be happy. Like us!" Parker took his hand in hers. Hardison smiled at her.

"They will be, when they get their shit together, they'll be fine. We just gotta let them be." Hardison replied. Parker didn't like that answer but knew it is likely the only one she'd get from him. Needless to say, she pulled her boyfriend into her loft and Hardison did not make it to meeting with some elves, orcs and rangers online set for later that night

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Nate sat in a leather chair by the window of his apartment nursing some water before bed. It's quiet since everyone has left and it feels empty. The lights are on low and he yawns. He should be thinking about the job, planning the most basic cons thanks to the limited information he has at that moment. But, he knows he probably won't use them because things will change when Hardison gets all the Intel they need.

And he can't help but think about Eliot. Because, as much as he is loath to admit it, he kinda does have a thing for the Hitter. Sophie pointed it out to him when she stopped their extra curricular activities. It was their last time together, in fact. She was getting dressed. He was just fresh from a shower and they were cleaning up their mess so the others wouldn't feel awkward.

It wasn't the passion she felt he lacked when he was with her, or the fore play. No, the fore play is nice, she reassured him. Sophie just thought he was trying too hard. She knew that he didn't want her to think he was looking at other people or cheating on her. Nate still had that honest streak in him and she told him so. She told him that things in life rarely worked the way they thought and she just wasn't feeling it anymore. She wanted to move on, and Nate respected that.

After that she stopped monopolizing his time; in fact, she practically pushed him at the others; preferring to take Parker or Hardison along for a con. Which gave them practice at Grifting and Nate couldn't deny them those opportunities. Of course, they sometimes pulled a con off together. But it is strictly business between them; now, he somehow always ended up with Eliot.

Eliot, who flirts with him nonstop; does the job, but he's different around Nate when they're alone; Eliot will put himself between the team and danger whenever he can. But he seems to always keep Nate in a place where he has an eye on him and anyone who poses a threat. Just last week, even, Nate had found himself on the business end of a gun.

This had the team in near hysterics. Eliot demanding to be called in, the other's urging Nate to do so. Afterwards, they accused him of not trusting them. And they had hoped he'd learnt that lesson when he was down with that injured leg and cold a few months back. When he'd gotten kidnapped, even, to top that whole experience off. Eliot had been there most taking care of him, and Nate remembered what Eliot said and did before he left him in bed that first night after he'd been rescued.

After that, they hadn't talked about it. Nate not wanting to press Eliot into a corner, and Eliot…. probably planning his other moves. And the feelings from earlier persisted. Somehow it was different with Sophie. Maybe it is because he chased her more than the others. Or, that he hadn't been with anyone who had the same parts as him since he was seventeen and had a roll in the hay with Brad Cheswick the summer his Mother sent him to Indiana to be with his grandparents.

Nate sighed; Hardison is right, he learnt his managing style from his Dad. But, they didn't really know. They didn't know that after Jimmy Ford's wife died that he was completely absent from his kid's life. All he wanted from Nate was to carry and fetch. Though he did try to teach him everything he'd have to know for a life of crime. Most of his knowledge about card games and tricks came from his Dad; only, at a cost.

Nate never felt as if he measured up after getting reamed by his old man; he knew he could never actually get what he wanted from Jimmy Ford and so he went the other direction. Instead of helping his old man with the books he took to hanging out at the police station. There he met a Priest and started going to Church regularly and eventually tried his hand at a Ministry college.

He had to drop out though when Jimmy caught pneumonia and needed his kid to be there to take care of him after his stay at the hospital. Nate never went back and he wondered if his Dad's manipulation had a hand in that. But, after he was back on his feet, Nate was back on the street.

Getting the job at IYS was a godsend. And he'd quickly climbed the ladder. Everything from that moment on led to this point in his life. Sitting in a chair, in his empty apartment trying to figure out if he should try for a relationship with Eliot, or not.

Eliot who'd most likely want to be on top; Not that Nate couldn't switch when he had too; the only time he was on the bottom, quite literally, was when he was with Brad, and he remembered that there hadn't been enough stretching, and that is why he'd always been careful with Women. Why he tried to make sure they were comfortable and turned on as much as possible before he inserted himself.

He wondered if Eliot was secretly a bottom; and basically he wondered if they'd have meaningful conversations afterwards. Not like what he and Sophie did. But, he would like a connection that is more than just sex.

And this is the point where Nate knows that Hardison is right; he does with hold affection. He doesn't tell them that they do a good job enough. And when he does they act all surprised. Like it's the first time he's noticed. Nate decides he'll have to work on that. He doesn't actually want them to think he's a big bag of dicks.

Nate finishes his water, and decides to turn in. The problem can percolate until morning.

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Eliot is in the middle or a free weight rep cycle when his thoughts turn Nate over, again. Ever since his discussion with Sophie he couldn't get the older man out of his head. And it really annoyed him. He sat on the bench and lost count of the reps but he threw the weight down on the floor. His hands flew to his hair and he grabbed at it as he gritted his teeth.

Nate. Nate. Nate.

What is it about Nate that makes him want to take the man and push him down on a bed, anyway? Eliot couldn't deny that he had a thing for him since the beginning. No, before that; it seemed that people in their circle of society knew everything about Nate Ford. How if he got a scent of a painting or artifact insured by his company that he wouldn't let it go. They'd never met face-to-face before the Dubenich job; and even after it was just hard to talk to the man. Especially when he was drunk off his ass.

Now though, Nate pretty much has that under control. Eliot doesn't feel as if he needs to keep an eye on him all the time. Well, most of the time. He can admit, if only to himself, that he didn't let Nate go too far on jobs. There was that close one when Nate misjudged the Marks and almost got his head shot off. Eliot rushed in even though Nate hadn't called his safe word.

Eliot growled and picked the weight up again; he did three or for reps and then switched arms.

He hadn't talked to Nate about that, not yet. Seriously, he didn't know why sometimes Nate put himself into danger like that. It wasn't a test. That much Eliot knew because he didn't need to be tested. Maybe Nate didn't realize he'd done it until it was too late, or he just didn't see that sometimes he took risks he shouldn't.

Whatever is going on with the man, Eliot knew he had to put a stop to it before he ended up dead. Retirement is one thing, Dead is permanent…

…Unless you happen to be Sophie.

TBC