ultra_fic | Merry Christmas, meg63005! (Reply)

meg63005 - I decided to use your prompt in both the ways it might be intended, holiday as in Christmas, and holiday as in vacation. Hope you like :)

Title: Happy Holidays
Fandom(s): Leverage
Prompt: Parker/Eliot - First holiday as a couple
Timeline: post Season 5
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Any and all recognisable characters do not belong to me.

It had taken a while for them to get to this point. Parker always knew it would happen some day, she just hadn’t quite known when it would be. It took another occasion of mortal danger to throw them together, to make her realise that as much as she cared for Hardison, it was Eliot she needed most. A searing kiss in a moment of danger proved to all three of them that the wrong two were dating, and so the dynamic had shifted. Eliot and Parker were dating now, so very much in love, and Hardison had to learn to be the third wheel.

It wasn’t ever easy, but they coped. For the sake of the Leverage project, they made it work, but when Christmas time rolled around, Hardison was quick to say he was going home to Nana for the occasion. Parker was a little sad. She had hoped they could have a family occasion like so many years before, the three of them plus Sophie and Nate, but events conspired against them. She was in a deep funk for a week after realising that Hardison was going away, that Nate and Sophie wanted one last holiday season alone together before the baby came and changed everything.

Eliot didn’t know what to do to make it better, at least not at first. Parker sulked and groused for days, and nothing seemed to lift her spirits, no amount of decorations, diamonds, or Christmas cookies helped her mood. Then he hit on an idea.

Walking into their bedroom with a purpose, he found Parker idly counting through her rare coin and gem collection.

“Pack your bags, we leave in a half hour,” he told her gruffly.

Parker had known he was there in the doorway but still startled at his tone.

“Where are we going?” she asked, a frown creasing her brow as she turned to look at him.

“It’s a surprise,” he told her, expression and voice both softening just a little. “Just pack enough for a couple of weeks and dress warm,” he advised before he disappeared from her sight again.

Parker didn't know what to make of his words, and yet she realised she might as well do as he asked. She doubted it was a job they were headed out on, not without Hardison, but it could be. It really didn't matter to her where she was for the holidays this year anyway. As much as she loved being with Eliot and would never want to change it, she couldn't see Christmas being much fun with just the two of them somehow.

With a heavy sigh, Parker pulled her suitcase out from under the bed and started throwing her clothes into it. Sweaters, hats and gloves all went in since Eliot advised wherever they were headed would be cold, though she couldn’t imagine why he wouldn’t elaborate.

“At least we might get snow for Christmas,” she said to Bunny who sat dutifully on her side of the bed. “I guess that’s something.”

Eliot heard her from the next room and tried not to grin. Yes, Parker was definitely getting snow for Christmas, and so very much more.

Parker was paying little to no attention on the flight. Since it was a private jet, she had no way of knowing where they were headed from any flight listings or anything, and Eliot hadn’t a mind to tell her unless she asked outright. When it came to going places together, Parker never really questioned him, because of all people in the world, she trusted Eliot with everything she had and always had done, even though she hadn't been able to explain why for the longest time. Now she knew, because these days she understood what it was to be in love.

“Another half an hour ‘til we touch down, darlin’,” he said from the next seat over.

“Uh-huh,” she replied without looking up from her lock-picking practice.

Eliot smiled and shook his head. She was so full-on determined to be sad over her so-called ruined Christmas. There was no way Parker was going to be able to keep up on the sulking when she saw where they were headed.

A half hour later, just as Eliot had advised, he and Parker stepped off the plane into a landscape of pure white snow. She grinned at the sight of it, unable to help herself, and yet did not know where she was at first. Lots of places had snow, from Canada to New Zealand depending on which part you went to and when. They hit the bottom of the stairway and stood on frozen ground, Parker turned to Eliot with a questioning look, and the chuckle of laughter that escaped his lips made a burst of frost in the coldest of cold air.

“Still don’t know where we are, huh?” he checked, blue eyes sparkling.

Parker opened her mouth to say no, when suddenly she heard something in the distance. Sleigh bells, she was sure of it, and yet that seemed crazy. Looking away from Eliot into the distance, her eyes widened with surprise as she realised a sleigh was approaching, not pulled by reindeer but by dogs. Still, on the back of said sleigh was a familiar figure, a large gentleman dressed in red and white, smiling like a man in his position always should.

“Oh my...” she gasped, looking back at Eliot who move in closer and wrapped his arm round her shoulders. “Is that...?”

“Wanna meet an old friend o’ mine?” he winked at her. “See I made a call before we left home, told Santa that we were coming to his town for a change.”

Parker laughed and cried all at the same time, completely overwhelmed. This was too perfect. When she leant in to kiss Eliot’s lips, she all but took his breath away, so enthusiastic was she in thanking him. That was when Eliot knew he had really done good.

“This is the perfect Christmas,” said Parker, curling into Eliot’s embrace just as close as she could get.

Outside a veritable blizzard blew, battering against the cabin, but inside was as warm and cozy as any place had ever been. The fire roared in the hearth, and hot chocolate sat in two mugs on the table. Still, nothing was as warm as the love that encircled Eliot and Parker on this particular Christmas.

“I’m just glad you’re happy, sweetheart,” he told her, kissing the top of her head and holding her closer.

Bringing her to Lapland, it would probably seem crazy to anybody else, but Eliot knew it would make Parker as happy as she could be. What he maybe didn't entirely realise was that being here with him was what made her happiest of all. So much for thinking Christmas could never be happy with just the two of them, it seemed as if it was going to be the best either of them had ever had with anybody. Both Eliot and Parker had to hope it would be the first of many to come.