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phantismaFandom: Leverage (Vamp!Nate verse)
Title: The Truth or Dare Job, Part Four (Index to Vamp!Nate: Index)
Pairings/Characters: Nate/Eliot/Hardison, Ryna (OFC)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 778
Summary: Ryna questions Nate and Eliot about what's going on.
A/Ns & Summary: Fourth chapter of a 25 chapter arc, for my![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
angst_bingo card, found here. For the prompt "secret identity".
“Nate, can I ask you a question?”
Nate looked up from the newspaper and offered the little girl a smile. “Of course.”
She bit her lip and stared into her glass of chocolate milk for a long time. “Is Eliot okay?”
Nate sighed and lifted his coffee cup filled with whiskey, sipping at it before setting it back down. “I think so.”
She made a face at him. “I don’t like it when you lie to me because you don’t think I’ll understand the answer.”
“Is that what you think I’m doing?”
She looked him in the eye and for a moment looked so much like Eliot he had to blink. She was smarter than he sometimes gave her credit for, also so much like Eliot it was freaky.
“Okay, how about this…Eliot is doing good, considering everything he’s been through.”
She nodded and went back to her chocolate milk for a minute, though he could tell she was thinking hard. “Did you make him like you?” she asked after a long pause.
Nate choked and sat forward, squinting at her. “Did I what?”
She pushed her milk away and turned her chair to face him. “You heard me fine. Did you make him like you?”
Nate licked his lips and contemplated how to answer her. “Not exactly.”
She frowned at him and crossed her arms. “Explain.”
Nate stood and paced the kitchen. “I can’t. Not without Eliot.”
“He lies worse than you.” Ryna responded.
“Neither one of us lies without reason, Ryna.” Nate soothed, coming back to the table. “There are secrets we have to keep. To keep us safe. To keep you safe.”
“I can keep secrets.” Ryna insisted. “I haven’t told anyone about you. No one at school knows about you. Well, they know you’re part of my family and that you live here, but I told them you do insurance stuff. It’s like your secret identity.”
Nate had to chuckle. “Harmless insurance adjuster, huh? And what’s Eliot’s secret identity?”
“He’s harder. He’s all ‘grr’ and gruff. I told them he was a fireman.”
“A what?” Eliot appeared in the doorway, rubbing his face. He looked a whole lot better than when he had crawled into bed, though it was easy to see he was still rough around the edges.
“A fireman. Cause you’re always banged up and running off."
Eliot crossed his arms over his bare chest and gave his daughter a small smile. "I guess as secret identities go, that ain't so bad."
"See, I'm good at secrets." Ryna insisted, turning back to Nate.
"What's this about?" Eliot asked finally, pushing off the doorframe and shuffling to the coffee pot that Hardison had left half full.
“Nate won’t tell me what’s wrong with you.” Ryna turned to follow Eliot’s movements.
Eliot looked at Nate who shrugged minutely. “What makes you think there’s something wrong with me?” Eliot asked, turning back to Ryna.
She crossed her arms and gave him a look that could have been on his own face. “You’re crankier than usual, you go out late and come back dirty and smelly and you have blood on your clothes. I think Nate made you a vampire. Like him.”
Eliot frowned hard and shook his head. “No, of course he didn’t. You can’t just go around blurting stuff like that.”
“I didn’t blurt.” Ryna said indignantly. “I asked first, but you both treat me like I’m some dumb kid.”
Eliot inhaled and Nate could almost see the way his thoughts jumped around before he exhaled slowly and went to take Ryna by the hand, drawing her back to the table. He sat and lifted her into his lap.
“You are not dumb, and neither of us thinks that. You are still a kid though, and there are things we need to keep you safe from. Do you understand that?” She nodded and he adjusted her weight. “Good. Now, you are smart. I have changed. But I am not a vampire. Okay?”
She nodded slowly. “Are you okay though?”
“I’m working on it, Ryna. I’m still figuring it all out.”
“And you would tell me if you weren’t okay, right? Like…if you were sick?”
“I would. I promise.” Eliot said, kissing her forehead. “You done with your lunch?” She nodded and he nudged her off his knee. “Why don’t you go play with Merlin then, let Nate and I talk.”
Nate watched her run off, then watched Eliot pull himself together. “We won’t be able to keep the truth from her for long.” Nate observed.
Eliot nodded as he stood. “But for now, she doesn’t need to know how fucked up her father is.”
Title: The Truth or Dare Job, Part Four (Index to Vamp!Nate: Index)
Pairings/Characters: Nate/Eliot/Hardison, Ryna (OFC)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 778
Summary: Ryna questions Nate and Eliot about what's going on.
A/Ns & Summary: Fourth chapter of a 25 chapter arc, for my
angst_bingo card, found here. For the prompt "secret identity".“Nate, can I ask you a question?”
Nate looked up from the newspaper and offered the little girl a smile. “Of course.”
She bit her lip and stared into her glass of chocolate milk for a long time. “Is Eliot okay?”
Nate sighed and lifted his coffee cup filled with whiskey, sipping at it before setting it back down. “I think so.”
She made a face at him. “I don’t like it when you lie to me because you don’t think I’ll understand the answer.”
“Is that what you think I’m doing?”
She looked him in the eye and for a moment looked so much like Eliot he had to blink. She was smarter than he sometimes gave her credit for, also so much like Eliot it was freaky.
“Okay, how about this…Eliot is doing good, considering everything he’s been through.”
She nodded and went back to her chocolate milk for a minute, though he could tell she was thinking hard. “Did you make him like you?” she asked after a long pause.
Nate choked and sat forward, squinting at her. “Did I what?”
She pushed her milk away and turned her chair to face him. “You heard me fine. Did you make him like you?”
Nate licked his lips and contemplated how to answer her. “Not exactly.”
She frowned at him and crossed her arms. “Explain.”
Nate stood and paced the kitchen. “I can’t. Not without Eliot.”
“He lies worse than you.” Ryna responded.
“Neither one of us lies without reason, Ryna.” Nate soothed, coming back to the table. “There are secrets we have to keep. To keep us safe. To keep you safe.”
“I can keep secrets.” Ryna insisted. “I haven’t told anyone about you. No one at school knows about you. Well, they know you’re part of my family and that you live here, but I told them you do insurance stuff. It’s like your secret identity.”
Nate had to chuckle. “Harmless insurance adjuster, huh? And what’s Eliot’s secret identity?”
“He’s harder. He’s all ‘grr’ and gruff. I told them he was a fireman.”
“A what?” Eliot appeared in the doorway, rubbing his face. He looked a whole lot better than when he had crawled into bed, though it was easy to see he was still rough around the edges.
“A fireman. Cause you’re always banged up and running off."
Eliot crossed his arms over his bare chest and gave his daughter a small smile. "I guess as secret identities go, that ain't so bad."
"See, I'm good at secrets." Ryna insisted, turning back to Nate.
"What's this about?" Eliot asked finally, pushing off the doorframe and shuffling to the coffee pot that Hardison had left half full.
“Nate won’t tell me what’s wrong with you.” Ryna turned to follow Eliot’s movements.
Eliot looked at Nate who shrugged minutely. “What makes you think there’s something wrong with me?” Eliot asked, turning back to Ryna.
She crossed her arms and gave him a look that could have been on his own face. “You’re crankier than usual, you go out late and come back dirty and smelly and you have blood on your clothes. I think Nate made you a vampire. Like him.”
Eliot frowned hard and shook his head. “No, of course he didn’t. You can’t just go around blurting stuff like that.”
“I didn’t blurt.” Ryna said indignantly. “I asked first, but you both treat me like I’m some dumb kid.”
Eliot inhaled and Nate could almost see the way his thoughts jumped around before he exhaled slowly and went to take Ryna by the hand, drawing her back to the table. He sat and lifted her into his lap.
“You are not dumb, and neither of us thinks that. You are still a kid though, and there are things we need to keep you safe from. Do you understand that?” She nodded and he adjusted her weight. “Good. Now, you are smart. I have changed. But I am not a vampire. Okay?”
She nodded slowly. “Are you okay though?”
“I’m working on it, Ryna. I’m still figuring it all out.”
“And you would tell me if you weren’t okay, right? Like…if you were sick?”
“I would. I promise.” Eliot said, kissing her forehead. “You done with your lunch?” She nodded and he nudged her off his knee. “Why don’t you go play with Merlin then, let Nate and I talk.”
Nate watched her run off, then watched Eliot pull himself together. “We won’t be able to keep the truth from her for long.” Nate observed.
Eliot nodded as he stood. “But for now, she doesn’t need to know how fucked up her father is.”
