IMPROVISING
a/n This is a birthday present to my sister Emily, who is a HUGE Leverage fan. Love you!
It wasn't the first time Parker had gone off plan on a con. Heck, it wasn't even the craziest thing she'd ever done in those circumstances. But still-
Apparently putting the crazy blonde behind the bar at a karaoke place was a bad idea.
At first, she was just fine doing her job. Doling out drinks, flirting with the other bartenders to get info on the owner, avoiding the drunks grabbing at her hands or trying to buy her drinks, and subtly bouncing along to the music.
Then, two hours in, she seemed to give up on the job (which required her to NOT be noticed). With a little laugh, she told her fellow bartenders she'd be right back, hopped over the bar and dashed up to the microphone before the next person could get there.
Hanging at the back of the building, doing double duty as the new bouncer and Parker's secret back-up, Eliot groaned.
That caught everyone else's attention, and they all started demanding to know what was going on.
"Come see for yourselves," he replied, staying right where he was, leaning against the back wall.
He knew taking Parker to that karaoke place for New Years had been a bad idea.
The hitter listened to the reactions of the team as they each entered separately and took in the sight of Parker, picking a song and smiling around at the crowd.
"Oh… This is not good."
"Parker, this is not part of the plan! Get off that stage. Parker!"
"Man, what's she think she's gonna do? Does she even know any songs? Like, the actual real lyrics to any songs?"
And then the opening began to play, and Eliot glared to keep from grinning like a fool.
"I'm not surprised not everything lasts. I've broken my heart so many times I stopped keeping track. Talk myself in, I talk myself out. I get all worked up, then I let myself down.
"I tried so very hard not to lose it. I came up with a million excuses. I thought I thought of every possibility."
Here, she shoot a quick wink out towards the silent tough man she knew was standing in the back and watching her.
"And I know someday that it'll all work out. You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out. And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get. I just haven't met you yet!"
"Dude," Hardison sounded awed. "She's actually… not bad."
Eliot snorted. "She's amazin', is what she is."
And that got an enormous white grin to spread across the petite blonde's face, as she danced around under the spotlight.
"I might have to wait. I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck. Wherever you are, whenever it's right, you'll come out of nowhere and into my life.
"And I know that we can be so amazing. And, baby, your love is gonna change me. and now I can see every possibility.
"And somehow I know that it'll all turn out. You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out. And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get. I just haven't met you yet.
"They say all's fair in love and war. But I won't need to fight it. We'll get it right and we'll be united."
Then she was pulling the cordless mike off the stand and skipping down through the audience.
Straight towards Eliot, who met her with a grin that he couldn't hide anymore. And when she held out her hand, he took it and started dancing her around the room while she kept singing.
"And I know that we can be so amazing. And being in your life is gonna change me. And now I can see every single possibility."
As the music slowed and quieted, so did the two friends' movement, and Eliot pulled her close to sway back and forth.
"And someday I know it'll all turn out. And I'll work to work it out. Promise you, kid, I'll give more than I get. Than I get, than I get, than I get!
"Oh, you know it'll all turn out! And you'll make me work, so we can work to work it out. And I promise you, kid, to give so much more than I get! Yeah, I just haven't met you yet!"
He spun her until she was dizzy, and together they sang the last of the song.
"I just haven't met you yet. Oh, promise you, kid, to give so much more than I get.
"I said, love, love, love, love. Love, love, love, love. Love, love, love, love. Love, love, I just haven't met you yet."
And Parker, who had hated being touched when they all first met, threw her arms around Eliot's shoulders and tugged him down into a kiss.
The bar erupted into cheers and wolf whistles, and people all around them were holding hands and smiling at each other.
And the team just listened in, dumbfounded, as Eliot pulled back to quietly berate Parker.
"Well, that wasn't smart."
" I couldn't help it! It's your turn to get a song sung to you."
"Yeah, but that one?"
"What? I think it's perfect."
"There's somethin' wrong with you, Parker."
"And you love me!" came the happy, confident reply.
"Yeah, yeah," was the grumbled, but pleased, response.
Nate finally, politely, coughed into his com. "What exactly do the two of you think you're doing?"
They all watched Eliot jump and scowl, while Parker continued to beam and calmly answered, "Isn't it obvious, Nate? Improvising!"
fin.