Touch
Touch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth. ~Margaret Atwood
~~o0o~~
Our sense of touch is controlled by a huge network of nerve endings and touch receptors in the skin known as the somatosensory system.
~~o0o~~
Hardison knew that he had been lucky. He'd grown up in a foster home that was a lot better than some of the homes that kids with their real parents had. His Nanna had loved him and cared for him and done her best to support him even when she suspected that he might be getting into trouble. She done her best to hug all her children on their way out the door in the morning and on their way back in the house every night.
When he'd first joined the team he'd known that Nate and Sophie had a bit of a history and he was pretty sure there was something going on there even before there really was. He'd thought Parker was hot the first moment he'd seen her but about ten minutes into the job when she'd flung herself off the top of that skyscraper he'd been sure she was as crazy as her reputation said she was. Eliot had been prickly and intimidating and frankly a little scary.
Slowly as they'd grown together as a team and become more like a family he'd noticed that Eliot's prickly act covered for someone who was protective and often kind, if still growly and hot tempered. Parker wasn't really crazy but she didn't relate to the world like the rest of them did and he'd often wondered how much of that was really her and how much was damage caused by the neglect and abuse in her childhood. Parker often sought out his company or Eliot's and she certainly seemed to enjoy pushing her limits while pushing on Eliot's bruises.
Later when they'd all found out about werewolves and that they were part of a werewolf pack things had changed again. With a pack bond between them to keep things clear Parker had taken to cuddling up to Eliot when he was on the couch. It seemed to satisfy a need for touch that they both were still in need of. And on rare occasions Hardison had woken up after a late night movie with his face pressed into Eliot's side or and arm or leg tangled between Eliot and Parker. He felt awkward about that at first but he could tell that not only did Eliot and Parker not mind they seemed to welcome the added contact.
Since he'd become a wolf the need for physical contact was a constant pull. Parker went a long way toward satisfying that need and most of the time she was all he needed to calm his wolf and reaffirm the connection to pack and family. But sometimes his wolf demanded the connection to his Alpha.
Eliot was nearly done washing dishes and after watching Hardison fidget on the couch for half an hour he figured that would be the next thing on his list. Parker was who knew where and would be gone for who knew how long, so he didn't want to wait on her. He dried his hands and hung his apron on the hook near the stairs.
He walked around the end of the couch and sat next to Hardison. "What's going on man?"
At first Hardison leaned into Eliot's side and then just as quickly scooted around so that while their knees nearly touched there was a lot more room between their bodies. "Nothing. I'm just looking at getting some things lined up for the next job. I know we all agreed that we, …that I, need a little time to get the hang of things but a little prep doesn't hurt. See…"
Eliot noticed that Hardison had set his tablet to the side and was rubbing his fist across his stomach. "Stop. Just stop." He reached out and put his hand over top of Hardison's fist. "You are talking at almost warp speed and if you get any more keyed up you're going to go wolf by accident."
"I just…" Hardison fidgeted in his seat again. "I don't know."
"Here." Eliot scooted to the other side of the couch. "Sit here like you're watching TV." He gestured at the middle seat.
Hardison looked confused but moved to the middle seat.
"Control your breathing and try to relax." Eliot waited until Hardison was settled and then he set his hand on the back of Hardison's neck.
Hardison's eyes closed and he whined.
"It's okay."
"No it's weird."
"What's weird?"
"That that makes me feel better. As a straight guy it really shouldn't."
Eliot huffed a laugh. "Don't worry I haven't got the slightest urge to sleep with you. I'll leave that to Parker." He frowned for a moment. "The bonds have made things between you and me pretty clear haven't they?"
Hardison shrugged. "Still weird."
"You had foster brothers didn'cha?"
"Yah. Why?"
"Ever hug one of them when they were upset or put an arm around their shoulders when you were hanging out?"
"Yah. But this is different."
"Why? Because you're the one that needs it now?" Eliot gave the back of Hardison's neck a squeeze. "It's okay to need more contact. Wolves just do."
Hardison sighed.
"Why don't you turn on a game or a movie? Something to distract you until Parker gets back."
"Alright."
Eliot let go of Hardison's neck when he reached for the remote but when he leaned back into the couch Eliot put his hand back where it had been.
Eliot waited until it looked like Hardison was getting involved in the story line before he got up and went back to the kitchen. He used the pack bonds to sooth Hardison's wolf while he fixed popcorn. Once he had a werewolf sized bowl of popcorn he headed back to the couch. This time he sat right next to Hardison. He put his right arm across Hardison's shoulders while he pushed the popcorn bowl onto Hardison's lap.
Without comment Hardison scooted down so that his head was resting on Eliot's arm and his feet were propped on the coffee table. Their sides still touched but when he glanced at Eliot the man appeared to be focused on the movie. Hardison didn't feel anything different in the bonds than he normally did when all three of them were watching a movie together. But he did notice that his wolf had finally settled and he felt less on edge.
Eventually the movie wound down and Eliot took the bowl back to the kitchen. Hardison sat for another moment or two on the couch before he took up a seat at the kitchen island.
"It's still bothering you isn't it?" Eliot sighed as he bent to pull a pan out of a cupboard.
Hardison shrugged. "I guess. Like what you did there with the movie was good. It felt good, my wolf felt a lot better sitting next to you on the couch, and I could focus on the movie so it wasn't so weird."
"But the middle of the night is still awkward?" Eliot had to admit to himself that he'd never ever imagined he'd be sharing his bed with the rest of the team on an almost nightly basis. But his wolf was so happy with the situation he knew he'd probably hate to see things go back to the way they were all the time. Maybe a little more honesty on his part would help… That or the whole thing would blow up in his face and make the situation completely ridiculous. "My wolf… This whole thing. Having you as a wolf now. This is more than what I had hoped for. The way your wolf gets twitchy and that physical connection to another pack member is the only thing that's going to calm it down… That's how my wolf has been all along. Then I found you guys and you became my pack but I couldn't just start cuddling up with everyone." He smiled. "Imagine just how awkward that woulda been?"
Hardison gave him a half a smile.
"Then you guys found out and Parker started feeling the bonds too… It seems to me like that's helped her." Eliot shrugged. "Anyway she seemed to need that extra contact like you are now. But she's Parker so I don't think the situation being awkward ever occurred to her. And for me it's not awkward either." Eliot patted the spot on his chest where he felt his pack bonds. "I feel you two and what you want and need all the time."
Hardison was still looking uneasy.
"When you were a teenager at home did any of the little kids come to your room in the night because they had a bad dream or the weather scared them?" At Hardison's nod he continued. "For me it's like that. You need something and I can help with it. And frankly my wolf has never been so happy." Eliot started pulling things out of the cupboards and fridge to get dinner underway. "I don't know if your wolf will settle on its own over time but I think it will. In the mean time you can count on me for whatever."
"Parker is always telling me that pack is for comfort and I guess she's right."
"She's frequently right."
"Except when it comes to her love of throwing me offa tall buildings."
"Is that what she's doing today?"
"I told her I couldn't go in case I went wolf by accident."
Eliot laughed and went to get his apron and start dinner.
