Angst Bingo - Bruises
Dec. 7th, 2011 07:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theroadhouseTitle: Intervention - With Breakfast
Author:telaryn
Word Count: 877
Fandom: Leverage/BTVS
Characters: Faith/Eliot + Nate
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Eliot forces Nate to start facing some of the more uncomfortable truths about his daughter's calling.
Author's Note: Written forangst_bingo, for the prompt "bruises".
Faith froze, two steps into Eliot’s living room. “Hey Dad,” she said carefully. “Everything all right?” She was suddenly extremely self-conscious about how much bare skin the tiny camisole and shorts she wore had on display. Could definitely have been worse, she reminded herself. If she hadn’t expressed a desire for food before getting into Eliot’s shower, the odds of her skipping clothes all together would have shot up exponentially.
Nate was getting to his feet – his attention clearly drawn by the greenish-black nightmare of a bruise that wrapped around her left shoulder. “You should have come home,” he said – his blue eyes wide and filled with horror.
Suddenly realizing what had happened, Faith glared at Eliot. The hitter shrugged. “You still hungry?” he asked. Without waiting for her answer, he retreated into the kitchen.
As soon as he was gone, Faith turned back to her father. “Nate, I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have called you.” She smiled weakly. “It looks worse than it is – honest.”
“Don’t blame Eliot,” her father said, closing the distance that separated them until he could touch her shoulder. “He’s been after me for a while now to face what you do and what it means.” He lay his palm lightly against her skin. “And this looks like a dislocated shoulder. You know you’re not supposed to be fixing this yourself.”
“If I was a normal human,” she pointed out. “Healing factor kicks in, as long as I can get all the parts in the right place.”
“Faith,” Nate said, glaring at her.
“What?” she countered, pulling back. “You want the reality of my life, Pop, this is it.”
She hated the look in his eyes, and hated that she was responsible for putting it there. “I’ve seen you shot, I’ve seen you stabbed,” he said – obviously miserable. “I lay awake nights wondering if you’re coming home.”
“I know,” Faith said – her eyes aching with the threat of tears. “I know and I wish I could be different for you.” She drew a shaky breath, determined not to cry. “You have no idea how much.”
“Honey no,” Nate said. He pulled her into an embrace, and Faith didn’t resist. “Faith, I’m trying to understand.” He stroked her hair as she buried her face in his shoulder. “I’m trying to be okay with this, but you have to be patient with me.”
***********
Eliot finished dishing out the chicken breast and scrambled eggs he’d thrown together. Faith needed the protein, and it was close enough to breakfast time that the eggs had seemed appropriate.
”How many times has Eliot stitched you up?”
He winced, carrying the frying pan to the sink and running water into it. The sound obscured Faith’s answer, but Eliot knew she wouldn’t lie to Nate under the circumstances. Which means I’ll be hearing about it, he thought. No matter how hard he tried to stay on the sidelines of their relationship, he inevitably ended up between the two of them – part of the time as referee, the rest of it as the source of the tension.
“Food,” he announced, carrying two of the plates out and setting them on the dining table. “You’re eating,” he said, looking at Nate.
The mastermind came to the table without argument; Faith took the chair directly across from him. Eliot returned briefly to grab his own plate. “I need to know when she’s hurt bad enough that you’re performing field surgery on her.”
Eliot glanced at Faith, who was neatly avoiding the conversation by attacking the food. “I’m not going to tattle on her,” he told Nate – spearing a forkful of eggs for himself. “That’s got to be between the two of you to figure out.”
“You had no problem calling him behind my back,” Faith grumbled.
Eliot started to answer the charge, but Nate beat him to the punch. “It’s not his fault,” Nate said. “He’s been after me for months to learn more about what’s involved in your slaying.” He grimaced. “And he’s right. I want to wrap you up and keep you safe, but I lost that chance and the right to do that years ago.”
“He deserves to know the real you,” Eliot added, looking at Faith. “And you deserve to see from somebody who matters that the real you is somebody people want to know.” Ultimately that was the reason he’d interfered and pushed Nate to this confrontation. Even now, after everything they’d been through, Faith was still afraid that the totality of her life was too much for somebody like Nate to accept – that while he would probably never deny their relationship, he would see her as being too dangerous to have around on a regular basis.
It was crap – of course – but after decades apart it was inevitably the simple truths that were hardest for the two of them to embrace.
“We’ll figure this out,” Nate said. He only had eyes for his daughter. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let my flaws keep you at arm’s length one second longer than necessary.” He paused, glancing at his plate before meeting her eyes. “You need to be patient with me.”
Clearly overcome with emotion, Faith finally nodded. “As long as you do the same with me.”
Author:
telarynWord Count: 877
Fandom: Leverage/BTVS
Characters: Faith/Eliot + Nate
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Eliot forces Nate to start facing some of the more uncomfortable truths about his daughter's calling.
Author's Note: Written for
angst_bingo, for the prompt "bruises". Faith froze, two steps into Eliot’s living room. “Hey Dad,” she said carefully. “Everything all right?” She was suddenly extremely self-conscious about how much bare skin the tiny camisole and shorts she wore had on display. Could definitely have been worse, she reminded herself. If she hadn’t expressed a desire for food before getting into Eliot’s shower, the odds of her skipping clothes all together would have shot up exponentially.
Nate was getting to his feet – his attention clearly drawn by the greenish-black nightmare of a bruise that wrapped around her left shoulder. “You should have come home,” he said – his blue eyes wide and filled with horror.
Suddenly realizing what had happened, Faith glared at Eliot. The hitter shrugged. “You still hungry?” he asked. Without waiting for her answer, he retreated into the kitchen.
As soon as he was gone, Faith turned back to her father. “Nate, I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have called you.” She smiled weakly. “It looks worse than it is – honest.”
“Don’t blame Eliot,” her father said, closing the distance that separated them until he could touch her shoulder. “He’s been after me for a while now to face what you do and what it means.” He lay his palm lightly against her skin. “And this looks like a dislocated shoulder. You know you’re not supposed to be fixing this yourself.”
“If I was a normal human,” she pointed out. “Healing factor kicks in, as long as I can get all the parts in the right place.”
“Faith,” Nate said, glaring at her.
“What?” she countered, pulling back. “You want the reality of my life, Pop, this is it.”
She hated the look in his eyes, and hated that she was responsible for putting it there. “I’ve seen you shot, I’ve seen you stabbed,” he said – obviously miserable. “I lay awake nights wondering if you’re coming home.”
“I know,” Faith said – her eyes aching with the threat of tears. “I know and I wish I could be different for you.” She drew a shaky breath, determined not to cry. “You have no idea how much.”
“Honey no,” Nate said. He pulled her into an embrace, and Faith didn’t resist. “Faith, I’m trying to understand.” He stroked her hair as she buried her face in his shoulder. “I’m trying to be okay with this, but you have to be patient with me.”
***********
Eliot finished dishing out the chicken breast and scrambled eggs he’d thrown together. Faith needed the protein, and it was close enough to breakfast time that the eggs had seemed appropriate.
”How many times has Eliot stitched you up?”
He winced, carrying the frying pan to the sink and running water into it. The sound obscured Faith’s answer, but Eliot knew she wouldn’t lie to Nate under the circumstances. Which means I’ll be hearing about it, he thought. No matter how hard he tried to stay on the sidelines of their relationship, he inevitably ended up between the two of them – part of the time as referee, the rest of it as the source of the tension.
“Food,” he announced, carrying two of the plates out and setting them on the dining table. “You’re eating,” he said, looking at Nate.
The mastermind came to the table without argument; Faith took the chair directly across from him. Eliot returned briefly to grab his own plate. “I need to know when she’s hurt bad enough that you’re performing field surgery on her.”
Eliot glanced at Faith, who was neatly avoiding the conversation by attacking the food. “I’m not going to tattle on her,” he told Nate – spearing a forkful of eggs for himself. “That’s got to be between the two of you to figure out.”
“You had no problem calling him behind my back,” Faith grumbled.
Eliot started to answer the charge, but Nate beat him to the punch. “It’s not his fault,” Nate said. “He’s been after me for months to learn more about what’s involved in your slaying.” He grimaced. “And he’s right. I want to wrap you up and keep you safe, but I lost that chance and the right to do that years ago.”
“He deserves to know the real you,” Eliot added, looking at Faith. “And you deserve to see from somebody who matters that the real you is somebody people want to know.” Ultimately that was the reason he’d interfered and pushed Nate to this confrontation. Even now, after everything they’d been through, Faith was still afraid that the totality of her life was too much for somebody like Nate to accept – that while he would probably never deny their relationship, he would see her as being too dangerous to have around on a regular basis.
It was crap – of course – but after decades apart it was inevitably the simple truths that were hardest for the two of them to embrace.
“We’ll figure this out,” Nate said. He only had eyes for his daughter. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let my flaws keep you at arm’s length one second longer than necessary.” He paused, glancing at his plate before meeting her eyes. “You need to be patient with me.”
Clearly overcome with emotion, Faith finally nodded. “As long as you do the same with me.”
