Luke's, Thursday Afternoon

[geniuswithasmartphone]

After leaving the radio station, Hardison had gone running after his shirt and scarf, intent upon getting them back from the wind. It was just wind, how hard could it be?

...By the time Hardison returned to Luke's, he was wearing nothing more than some strategically placed shamrocks and a scowl. Someone had fought the wind all right. And that someone was not successful.

Normally, he would have just headed right upstairs and gotten new clothes, but the smells coming out of the kitchen were enough to draw him in. "Not a damn word," he said, holding up a finger to forestall the staff. "We ain't even talkin' about it. Just fill up my plate and don't say another word."

Today's Specials
Apple and Brown Sugar Corned Beef with Irish Heritage Cabbage
Sausage Coddle
Irish Tea Cake

[Open, though the OCD is flying as freely as Hardison is!]

Comments

[vdistinctive]

Eliot stopped into Luke's after class. He'd heard the radio broadcast. If anyone was going to lose to non-storm winds, it was going to be Hardison.

And yeah, okay, he himself was down to his undershirt right now. That wasn't the point.

"Pony tried to make me fly kites with her today. I think hers mighta been made out of your shirt."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"The pony got my shirt?" Hardison complained. He was very grumpy today. He'd gotten mugged by the damn wind. "Man, that ain't even fair. You seen my scarf flyin' around? You know, the colorful one?"

[vdistinctive]

"Really?" Eliot's eyebrow went way up. "That's what you're worried about findin'? Not, you know, your pants?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"They were just jeans," Hardison said dismissively. "I got others. But I liked that scarf!"

In fairness, Hardison liked a lot of scarves.

[vdistinctive]

"You have, like, a billion scarves." Eliot didn't even think he was exaggerating that much, there. "And they're all colorful, by the way."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"It's a very distinctive scarf," Hardison retorted, sticking his tongue out like the mature and rational adult he was.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot smirked. "Well, it got swapped for some, uh. Distinctive shamrocks." He glanced down, then back up. "So at least it didn't leave ya empty handed."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Left me all but butt-nekkid is what it did," Hardison grumbled. "You wanna know how much I paid for that scarf? No you do not, but believe me, it's more than this paper shamrock is worth."

[vdistinctive]

"You know you've got a change of clothes right upstairs," Eliot said. He had the urge to start pulling shamrocks off, but that was inappropriate in public. "Several of 'em, even."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"I had a hard day," Hardison said around a mouthful of coddle. "I needed somethin' to eat."

[vdistinctive]

"You needed to eat something," Eliot repeated, incredulous. "Before you put some clothes on. When you literally live right. Up. Stairs."

Were Hardison's priorities ever going to start making sense to Eliot?

[geniuswithasmartphone]

No, never.

"It smelled really good, a'ight?" Hardison said. "An' this way I can sit here an' feel sorry for myself because I got mugged by the wind!"

At least he was honest! For a criminal.

[vdistinctive]

"God help this island if a health inspector ever shows up," Eliot muttered.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Yo, if a health inspector every showed up on the island, they'd have mad other things to worry about. Like keeping their clothes on," Hardison said, showing exactly zero remorse. "Besides, I ain't in the kitchen, am I?"

[vdistinctive]

"Oh, right, because that makes it all better," Eliot said dryly. He kind of wished Hardison still had his scarf, just so he could drag him upstairs with it.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Well, maybe if his boyfriend would go out and beat up the wind for him, he could get his scarf back!

"Don't it?" Hardison asked. "If you really don't think it matters, I could head back there for seconds?"

[vdistinctive]

Eliot didn't pick fights he couldn't win. And he was very, very good, but he still couldn't beat up air.

"I think you got somethin' better to do than get seconds," Eliot said, folding his arms over his chest.

He was going to have to drag Hardison upstairs by the scruff of his neck, wasn't he.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison believed Eliot could beat up anything. This was based on the very scientific process of having seen Eliot beat up everything he'd encountered so far.

"Do I?" he asked, unaware of his imminent scruffing. "Does it involve gettin' my scarf back?"

It was a good thing Hardison was pretty. Sometimes he forgot he was a damn genius.

[vdistinctive]

Yeah, because he didn't fight the things he couldn't beat. Well. Unless they were actively trying to kill someone, anyway.

"Not really, no," Eliot said. Scruff of the neck it was. Hardison wasn't holding anything that'd spill, was he?

Eh, either way. They'd clean it up later.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"H-Hey!" Hardison exclaimed, snagging his slice of cake while Eliot dragged him up and out of the booth. "The hell, man?! There ain't even a health inspector here!"

[vdistinctive]

"Hardison," Eliot said, put-on growl blending with the laugh trying to get out. "You're naked. In my diner. Now come on and let me help ya outta those clover-things."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"But I can get 'em off--oh." Guess whose brain had caught up with the rest of the party. "Heyyyyyyyyyyy."

[vdistinctive]

"Finally." Eliot's grumble was pretty well ruined by his grin. "Now, we goin' upstairs, or d'you need to fortify with some more corned beef and mopin', first?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Nah, nah, I'm good," Hardison said, leaving the cake behind on another table. Someone else could definitely deal with that. "So all that growlin' about bein' naked in your diner, what? Some kinda sexy possessive thing? Cause I just thought you were bein' grouchy."

You know. As usual.

[vdistinctive]

"I was bein' grouchy because you shouldn't just be hangin' around my diner naked," Eliot said. "Wind apparently blew all the sense outta your head, too. . . ."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Ain't my fault that getting mugged by the wind is hard work." Hardison said. "Or that that was where the food is. Besides, look how much better it made your day."

He got to complain and seduce at the same time!

[vdistinctive]

"Right, 'cause this is definitely the only way I see you naked."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"But this time it was a surprise." Hardison nodded sagely.

Because, honestly, who expected their boyfriend to lose a fight with wind?!

[vdistinctive]

Eliot. The minute he'd found out the wind was stealing clothing.

Possibly Parker, too.

"I did not expect you to be sittin' down here buck-ass naked," Eliot agreed.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Now that was just hurtful and for no good reason.

"See? An' that just livened up your whole afternoon, ain't it?"

[vdistinctive]

"Nope. Not till I've got you upstairs."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison shivered; almost a year and the promise in Eliot's voice could still make his knees go a little weak. Hell, almost ten years and his heart still squeezed whenever either Eliot or Parker looked at him with love in their eyes.

"Then what're we waitin' for?" he asked, voice thick. "You need to make me forget about losin' my scarf. I think you can do it, too."

[vdistinctive]

"Boy, I'm gonna make you forget your own name."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hnnnngh. Hardison couldn't stifle a groan and, suddenly, that shamrock wasn't hiding enough. "That's one helluva promise," he said. "Lucky I know you're a man of your word."

Eliot's hair needed playing with. Just to even the field a bit.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot paused, swaying back just a bit into Hardison's fingers.

"Dammit, Hardison." He didn't manage to sound even a little bit mad. "We still gotta make it at least to my office."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"It is a lot closer than the 'partment," Hardison said, not letting up on Eliot's hair at all. "Who's stoppin' you from getting there?"

Well, that extra tug in his hair might be impeding his progress just a little.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot leaned into the grip again, then growled and twisted, lightning fast, to throw Hardison over his shoulder and carry him to his office.

"Don't bother us unless the place is on fire!" he called as he slammed the door behind them.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"An' at least try to put it out before you do!" Hardison yelled, muffled through the door.

And then he wasn't saying much at all. Or, rather, nothing for public consumption.

Know what? This wind was kind of awesome.