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fandomweekly2023-02-09 09:42 am
iluvroadrunner6) wrote in fandomweekly2023-02-09 09:42 am
Entry tags:
[#167] But I Know That You've Got Your Reasons (Leverage: Redemption)
Theme Prompt: #167—Things in Common
Title: But I Know That You’ve Got Your Reasons
Fandom: Leverage: Redemption
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 | Spoilers for 206: The Fractured Job
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 830
Summary: Sophie and Eliot touch base with each other after the job in Carson.
It’s ten hours from Carson to New Orleans and Parker gets bored with driving in the first three. She and Eliot trade off as soon as Eliot prepared the snacks for the road. As she, Breana and Harry retreat to the back to play a video game of some kind, Sophie takes the role of navigator. It’s more of an in-name-only situation, given that of course Hardison built a food truck for his best friend with a built-in navigation console, but he’s had a long week, and she doesn’t want to leave him alone.
So they sit in silence most of the time, watching the road slip by them, but Eliot knows her well enough to know that she’s concerned.
“I’m good, Sophie,” he says around the halfway point, and she glances over to him with a smile.
“I know.”
“Are you good?”
Well, that is the question, isn’t it? Ever since Arthur Wilde slid back into her life, she’s found herself second guessing her every move. Harry says that her self-doubt is her kryptonite, and he’s not wrong, but that’s not what she would discuss with Eliot. When it comes to her and Eliot, their conversations tend to scratch a little bit deeper.
“I forget, sometimes, with all that we have in common, that people can come to this life from a lot of different directions.”
Eliot glances at her, amused. “I think you know better just to assume that ability to knock heads came from a bad home life.”
No, she knows that. She knows that the military turned Eliot into what they needed him to be. But she had thought that who he started out as gave them a place to start from. That they saw his anger and fed him into their military machine and spit out the weapon that they needed. She should know better than to create narratives for people in her own head, but at the same time, it’s her job.
Though it’s her own failing that she didn’t consider the idea that Eliot’s anger came from the weapon that they turned him into, not the place where he came from. Maybe a little of both.
“No, I know.” Birds streak across the sky over the highway in the distance and she turns to face him. “I’m just saying that it’s nice to see, after all this time, that we can still surprise each other.” That they can pull apart each other’s layers and still find something new, even after fifteen years of friendship.
God, they’re getting old.
He makes a non-committal noise at that, and the companionable silence returns, before he says: “Are we going to talk about what’s going on with you?”
Sophie raises an eyebrow at the question. “I talked about it with Harry. It’s fine.”
“It’s not, and you shouldn’t be talking about these things with just Harry. Because as much as you need him to believe in you, you also need someone who knows the sound of your voice when you’re talking to a mark.”
She flinches at that comment, still, after all this time, because as much as she and Eliot are in a better place now, she knows all too well the mistakes she’s made. One hand comes off the steering wheel and takes hers with a squeeze.
“You’re not that woman anymore, Sophie. But we can’t do what we do without collateral damage. We just have to make sure that damage is directed at the right people for the right reasons.”
“That, by definition, is not collateral damage.”
“Good point.” He pauses for a moment, before gripping the edge of the steering wheel. “Let me put it this way. You’re allowed to change. Don’t let Arthur Wilde tell you who you are. I know who you are, and you wouldn’t be on those crew still if I didn’t think that you had everyone’s best interests at heart.”
That, in itself, is comforting. Because she knows that Eliot is more than willing to call her out on her missteps. She can trust him to put his foot down if he felt she was spiraling.
She knows she told Harry, she wanted him to be for her what she was for Nate, but she needs someone to tell her when she’s off the rails. And Eliot’s always been good at that.
“Thank you,” she nods, giving him a small smile. “I think I need that to be me, but not be too me.”
“If I see you slipping, I’ll tell you.”
“Good.” Sophie glances out the window, because if she’s honest with herself, she needs to say something else. “I can’t shake the feeling that Arthur and I aren’t square. Not yet.”
“Well, when he does come, we’ll be ready for him.” Eliot glances away from the highway to look at her. “You’re not alone in this either.”
No, she’s not. She just hopes that Arthur won’t realize that and try to hit her where it hurts.
Title: But I Know That You’ve Got Your Reasons
Fandom: Leverage: Redemption
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 | Spoilers for 206: The Fractured Job
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 830
Summary: Sophie and Eliot touch base with each other after the job in Carson.
It’s ten hours from Carson to New Orleans and Parker gets bored with driving in the first three. She and Eliot trade off as soon as Eliot prepared the snacks for the road. As she, Breana and Harry retreat to the back to play a video game of some kind, Sophie takes the role of navigator. It’s more of an in-name-only situation, given that of course Hardison built a food truck for his best friend with a built-in navigation console, but he’s had a long week, and she doesn’t want to leave him alone.
So they sit in silence most of the time, watching the road slip by them, but Eliot knows her well enough to know that she’s concerned.
“I’m good, Sophie,” he says around the halfway point, and she glances over to him with a smile.
“I know.”
“Are you good?”
Well, that is the question, isn’t it? Ever since Arthur Wilde slid back into her life, she’s found herself second guessing her every move. Harry says that her self-doubt is her kryptonite, and he’s not wrong, but that’s not what she would discuss with Eliot. When it comes to her and Eliot, their conversations tend to scratch a little bit deeper.
“I forget, sometimes, with all that we have in common, that people can come to this life from a lot of different directions.”
Eliot glances at her, amused. “I think you know better just to assume that ability to knock heads came from a bad home life.”
No, she knows that. She knows that the military turned Eliot into what they needed him to be. But she had thought that who he started out as gave them a place to start from. That they saw his anger and fed him into their military machine and spit out the weapon that they needed. She should know better than to create narratives for people in her own head, but at the same time, it’s her job.
Though it’s her own failing that she didn’t consider the idea that Eliot’s anger came from the weapon that they turned him into, not the place where he came from. Maybe a little of both.
“No, I know.” Birds streak across the sky over the highway in the distance and she turns to face him. “I’m just saying that it’s nice to see, after all this time, that we can still surprise each other.” That they can pull apart each other’s layers and still find something new, even after fifteen years of friendship.
God, they’re getting old.
He makes a non-committal noise at that, and the companionable silence returns, before he says: “Are we going to talk about what’s going on with you?”
Sophie raises an eyebrow at the question. “I talked about it with Harry. It’s fine.”
“It’s not, and you shouldn’t be talking about these things with just Harry. Because as much as you need him to believe in you, you also need someone who knows the sound of your voice when you’re talking to a mark.”
She flinches at that comment, still, after all this time, because as much as she and Eliot are in a better place now, she knows all too well the mistakes she’s made. One hand comes off the steering wheel and takes hers with a squeeze.
“You’re not that woman anymore, Sophie. But we can’t do what we do without collateral damage. We just have to make sure that damage is directed at the right people for the right reasons.”
“That, by definition, is not collateral damage.”
“Good point.” He pauses for a moment, before gripping the edge of the steering wheel. “Let me put it this way. You’re allowed to change. Don’t let Arthur Wilde tell you who you are. I know who you are, and you wouldn’t be on those crew still if I didn’t think that you had everyone’s best interests at heart.”
That, in itself, is comforting. Because she knows that Eliot is more than willing to call her out on her missteps. She can trust him to put his foot down if he felt she was spiraling.
She knows she told Harry, she wanted him to be for her what she was for Nate, but she needs someone to tell her when she’s off the rails. And Eliot’s always been good at that.
“Thank you,” she nods, giving him a small smile. “I think I need that to be me, but not be too me.”
“If I see you slipping, I’ll tell you.”
“Good.” Sophie glances out the window, because if she’s honest with herself, she needs to say something else. “I can’t shake the feeling that Arthur and I aren’t square. Not yet.”
“Well, when he does come, we’ll be ready for him.” Eliot glances away from the highway to look at her. “You’re not alone in this either.”
No, she’s not. She just hopes that Arthur won’t realize that and try to hit her where it hurts.
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