Written for medjai_trowa's prompt on .com/comment_fic/
Prompt De-aged Eliot/Sophie, shoe shopping.
Title: Momma's Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.
Rated: G (Maybe S for sugary sweet)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, no harm intended just showing my love for the show.
The team split up the moment they entered the super-center. They each had a mission, and thirty minutes to complete it. Nate took a cart and headed to the grocery department to stock up on their depleted supply of toddler friendly finger foods, snacks, and other items. Hardison and Parker were on entertainment duty, as they called it, and headed off in different directions to locate kid friendly activities. Sophie having landed the job of keeping the toddler in clothing and shoes had said toddler in tow as she fought her way to the rear of the store.
Sophie slowed her pace keeping in mind the little boy that was trotting beside her trying to keep up. Tightening her grip on the tiny hand in hers she looked down at the child. Soft baby fine brown curls bounced with each step. Seeming to know he was being watched Eliot looked up at Sophie and grinned. His eyes, though always an intense clear blue, seemed ten times brighter. This combined with the sweet and innocently happy smile he have Sophie well, it just made her heart melted again. She couldn't help thinking that this could be what her child with Nate would look like if they ever worked everything out and got together.
The discount store was a mad house on Saturday mornings and this being a holiday weekend made it worse. Sophie barely managed to scoop the boy up into her arms before he was run over by a shopper talking on a cell phone and pushing a cart of prefab bookcases. Still regretting the fact that she hadn't been able to con the small boy into riding in a cart himself she managed to make it to the rear of the store unscathed. The shoe department was thankfully empty but she didn't dare let go of the boy. Eliot at 18 months, well she was beginning to wonder if the man had ever been afraid of anything, because judging from the situations the toddler got into she seriously doubted it.
Looking down at the little sneakers Eliot wore Sophie tried to remember what size they were but the only thing that kept going through her mind was tiny and cute. The shoes had lasted three weeks before holes had been worn in the toes. Eliot was spending most of his time crawling around on the floor playing with the plastic horses, wooden blocks, and Tonka trucks that the team had bought for him. Turning her attention back to the racks of shoes Sophie's mind reeled. Designer shoes she understood but this...? It seemed every pair of shoes either had a face, flashing lights, or heaven help her made sounds.
"Oh Eliot how about these?" She asked, lifting a little shoe from a box and showing it to the boy.
"No." Eliot's little nose crinkled and a chubbie hand pushed the white shoe with a smiling red muppet face away.
"Okay, no on the Elmo." Sophie replied placing the shoe back in its box and trying another pair. Only to be met with the same answer, only increasing in volume on the Train, Blue dog, and Spiderman. Fifteen minutes later a pair of Batman, a pair with flashing lights and the pair with sirens, to her horror, made the final cut.
After placing the three boxes together on the rack in front of them Sophie looked at Eliot. "Okay, you get to choose, which shoes do you want sweetie."
Eliot studied the boxes, little eyebrows shifting in concentration before turning to look Sophie in the eyes. "Boots." Eliot said then turning his head he pointed to the shelf behind them. Sophie turned to see the smallest pair of black cowboy boots she had ever laid eyes on. The hand that had been pointing was now making grabbing motions at the box. "Me boots peeeeeseeeee Sopeeee" The combination of pleading blue eyes and his sweet attempt to say her name had her melting on the spot. Placing a quick kiss on Eliot's forehead Sophie picked up a pair of the boots in his size. "Okay one pair of boots it is, these you can wear with your jeans, but we still need some sneakers because if I can teach you anything it is that you can never...ever... have to many shoes."
Sophie chanced another kiss this time to a chubby cheek. Eliot dropped his head but Sophie could still see the shy smile that tugged at his lips. Leaning into her he placed his head on her shoulder melting into her embrace. " 'ove you Sopee." He whispered then pointed to the one pair of shoes that had her second guessing her earlier statement. Stacking the box of obnoxiously loud sneakers on top of the boot box she had no doubt that if any pair of sneakers were indestructible it would be these. Oh well, if worse came to worse she was sure Hardison could make the batteries die.
Maybe it was cosmic fate or happy chance but when they met at the checkout stand Parker was holding a small black felt cowboy hat and a toy sheriff's badge. The picture Hardison took with his cell phone outside the store was one for the scrapbook. Nate had one hand on the little boys back keeping him steady as he rode the coin op horse. Black hat perched on his head and the biggest smile they had ever seen on the toddlers face. The summer sunlight glinting off the 'silver' badge, one hand clutched the reins the other pointed to his new 'towboy' boots. Sophie prayed for thousands more moments like this.