AN: 4.08 – The Boiler Room Job, Character study (or something like it) for Hardison. Just a little way of putting last episode's events to rest I guess.
.oOo.
Hardison is back on the con. It's only a few weeks since he was buried, and Nate would never have forced this on him, but he's getting back in the saddle. It's worked better than expected so far.
He slept fitfully the first night after they saved him (the saving being the bit he has decided to focus on). He gasped awake searching for air only once but woke many times, drifting in between his couch and memories of the casket. Yet every time he opened his eyes he caught the blue light of the tv reflecting in Eliot's eyes and felt Parker move slightly against him, and it lulled him back to sleep.
Since bringing Javier down things has been going progressively better. He sleeps more, alone again, and remembers less dreams. He rides elevators and uses cramped public bathrooms and stands in the shower stall a few minutes longer than absolutely necessary. He's getting help. There's still a while to go before accepting even the thought of caving, or crawling through airducts, or other stupid stuff like that, but they've never been his favorite past-times anyway.
Hardison felt more trepidation before going in than he feels now, standing before the mark. He has Sophie's calm voice in his ear coaching him. He has Nate's mind spinning all the possible outcomes every second of the way. He has… Well no, he doesn't have Parker on standby to pick locks or rappel him away, but he has her stupid texts from the chocolate festival making him feel warm inside. He has Eliot, right outside, to pull him out if anything happens.
It makes him feel safe.