Title: The Love Con
Rating: PG
Fandom: Leverage
Pairings: mentions of Parker/Hardison, implied Nate/Sophie and Eliot/Aimee
Length: 1,698 words
Summary: Sophie's come up with a new con - and Eliot is not at all happy about it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage. I can't even figure out how most of the cons work before the big reveals.
Author's Notes: This is a companion piece to 'It's Never Just a Hug'. I recommend reading that one first because this really reveals what's going to happen in the other one whereas this one still contains a few surprises if you read the other one first. I hope you like it!

Eliot smiled at the woman sitting next to him at the bar before he looked down at his cell phone. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered as he read the text message.

He looked back up at the woman through his hair that was getting in his eyes and said, "I'm sorry, I really hate to do this but my... friend needs me. She uh, just found out her boyfriend was cheating on her. You know how it is, right?" He gave her another grin and drowned the last of his beer. Then he grabbed his jacket, put a few bucks on the bar and left.

Sophie drummed her fingers on the table. "What is taking them so long?" she muttered as she glanced at her watch. "Nate better not be off getting drunk again."

Eliot pushed open the door to McRory's and scanned the crowd for Sophie. Spotting her sitting alone at a table, he strode over to her. "What's so urgent I had to leave in the middle of chatting up a really beautiful woman? Honestly, do you have some sort of sixth sense that lets you know when I'm picking up someone?"

Sophie smiled up at him. "No, Eliot, I don't have a sixth sense about that. It's not my fault you do the same thing almost every night."

He rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better." He looked around a moment and asked, "Where's Nate?"

Sophie shrugged. "He should be on his way. I sent him a text to meet me here as well."

"Okay," Eliot nodded as he sat down. "So are you going to give me any of the details on this new con before he gets here or am I going to have to wait and hope he's not drunk?"

Just then Sophie saw Nate walk into the bar and waved him over. "No worries," she said, smiling at Eliot. "He just walked through the door."

"Thank god," Eliot muttered as he slouched down in his seat.

"Sorry, sorry," Nate said as he approached the table. "I was listening in on a conversation between a couple and I think I may have found a new job for us. Last week they-"

Sophie held up her hand. "Actually, Nate, I already have a job for us."

"You do?" both Nate and Eliot asked at the same time.

She nodded. "Yes, I do."

"So then why aren't Hardison and Parker here?" Nate asked, motioning to the bartender to bring him his usual.

"Hardison's probably playing one of his stupid computer games and Parker... no clue, but I wish I could be doing what I want if they're just going to bail on us," Eliot muttered.

"Actually," Sophie told them, taking a sip of her water, "my con is to get Parker and Hardison together. And you, Eliot, you're going to be a big part of it. In fact, you're going to be the one to get Hardison to step up and be a man."

Eliot stared at her. "Excuse me? I really hope you're not asking me to give Hardison dating tips. He can look those up online if he wants but I'm not giving him advice. Especially not on Parker, there's something seriously wrong with her."

Sophie shook her head. "Oh, don't worry. I wasn't even thinking about you giving Hardison advice. That could really screw things up."

"Then what exactly do you want me to do?" he asked.

Sophie explained her plan to Eliot and Nate. As she spoke, Eliot's jaw fell open in disbelief. "You want me to do what?" he demanded when Sophie had finished.

"Just what I said," Sophie said with a smile as she lifted her water up to her lips, a twinkle in her eyes.

"It's never going to work," Nate told her with a shake of his head. "Not on Parker and Hardison. They're going to see it coming from a mile away."

Sophie leaned in closer to them and asked, "And even if they do, who says they're not going to want it to happen?"

Eliot and Nate looked at each other and shrugged.

"Exactly," Sophie told them.

Half an hour later, Eliot was standing in front of a mirror, trying to get the right expression on his face.

"You doing okay?" Nate asked him as he walked up to him from behind.

Eliot looked back at him. "What? Oh, uh, yeah. Just, uh, trying to get myself ready for this. I mean... Parker? Really? She's never going to go for this."

Nate grinned, "Never underestimate Sophie and this whole romance stuff."

Eliot nodded, looking down at the shirt he was wearing as he started fixing the sleeves. "So, you and Sophie, are you two... you know?"

"Let's uh... let's not talk about that right now," Nate said, somewhat uncomfortably. "Let's just focus on you convincing Parker that you're so happy you're going around hugging everyone in sight, including her, and then convincing Hardison it's something else entirely."

"Yeah, like I'd ever be interested in that nutcase," Eliot muttered. "Hardison would have to be an idiot to believe that."

Nate patted Eliot sympathetically on the shoulder. "Just do your best."

Eliot took a deep breath before going out into the main room. "Okay, Sophie," he said quietly, yet loud enough so she could hear him through the earpiece. "How much longer until Parker gets here?"

"Don't worry," Sophie said into her earpiece down in the bar, "she'll be up in a few minutes. Just be sure to send Nate out after you hug him so that he's not up there when Hardison arrives. He'll be less than a minute behind her. You've got to make sure it looks like you and Parker have finally found a moment alone to do... whatever."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, "I get the picture. I'd rather be doing it with that woman I was talking to earlier though. Hell, I'd rather be doing it with just about any woman other than Parker."

"Shut up," Sophie hissed, "Parker just walked in. I'll send her up right away." She waved to Parker and called out, "Parker! Over here!"

Parker looked over at Sophie, confused, as she walked over to her table. "Sophie, what's going on?" she asked.

Sophie gestured for Parker to lean forward, which she did, and whispered, "I just wanted to warn you, Eliot got some really good news about Aimee. You remember, his old sweetheart in Kentucky? Well, he's trapped Nate upstairs with him, going on and on about it. He even hugged Nate - twice - while I was still up there."

"So I'm not allowed to go upstairs then?" Parker asked.

"Oh, no," Sophie shook her head, "you can go up if you want to, I just didn't want you to be alarmed if he hugged you or something."

"Oh," Parker smiled, "Okay. Thanks for letting me know, Sophie."

"Not a problem, Parker," Sophie told her before Parker walked off towards the stairs leading upstairs.

Sophie glanced over her shoulder and watched Parker go upstairs. "Eliot, Nate, she's on her way up."

The door opened again and Hardison walked in. "Hardison's right behind her," Sophie said. "Nate, get ready to bolt out of there and I'll follow Hardison up. Then you and I can wait outside and see how things go."

"All right," came Nate's voice through Sophie's earpiece, "but this had better work. We don't need our team to break up over this."

"Don't worry, we won't," Sophie reassured him.

A little while later, Sophie was ushering Eliot out the door while Hardison and Parker were making out. "You'd better not do anything to my pocket knife, Parker," Eliot warned. "I swear I've killed people over things that are less important to me than that."

"Less important to you than a pocket knife?" Sophie asked him when they were out in the hallway and she'd closed the door behind them. "What's so special about it?"

Eliot glared at her before stomping down the stairs. Sophie and Nate exchanged knowing glances and then followed him down to the bar.

"So," Nate said, once the three of them were sitting at the bar. "A pocket knife," he mused. He took a sip of his drink. "Not many people would have figured you for the sentimental type."

Eliot didn't respond. He gulped down some more beer and then turned to Sophie. "I did exactly what you asked, I hugged Parker and she stole my pocket knife, I convinced Hardison the hug was more than it was, and then I had to endure him hugging me. Any chance you think I've earned anything? Say, tomorrow night off so I can do whatever the hell I want? Like, I don't know, picking up women?"

Sophie smiled. "Sure, I can do that, it's no problem. But I can't promise Nate will leave you alone."

He nodded. "I guess that's good enough for me." He finished his beer and put some cash on the bar. "I'll see you guys later, I'm going to find a hotel to crash at for the night, I don't really feel like listening to Hardison and Parker moaning and groaning all night long."

Nate smirked. "All right, Eliot, have a good night."

He watched Eliot leave and then turned to Sophie once he was gone. "So, ever think you should become a professional matchmaker? You might even be able to find the right person for Eliot."

Sophie smiled as she looked down at her water. "No, I don't think I'd be able to help Eliot with that. I might be able to recognize who the right person for him is but it'd be up to him to stick around long enough for it to work out. That's the important thing, not only loving someone, but trusting them completely and being able to recognize their needs as well as your own."

She looked up at Nate. "I don't think Eliot's ready for that just yet. He doesn't have that sort of personality. Not like some people I know."

Nate nodded as he smiled back at Sophie. "Yeah, I guess you're right."