Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, All Day: Part I

[bigdamnprincipal]

The last picnic for new arrivals had involved a bonfire, but there was no need for artificial warmth today. The weather outside was sunny, and just breezy enough that no one would roast, hopefully. There were tables and chairs arranged around the lawn, along with a long table of food, drinks, and desserts for anyone who stopped by.

There were stacks of nametags for people to label themselves with, and lists to help folks find their siblings and roommates. With everything in order, it was time to welcome some new people!

[OCD is up! This is part one of the picnic, specifically for meeting siblings, roommates, and teachers. The rest of the picnic is happening here. Since it's outside, the picnic is open to all students, teachers, and townies!]

Comments

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

Eliot's expression couldn't quite decide on scowling or smiling. "You don't just buy someone a restaurant, man!" He was dead set on ranting, though. "You especially don't do it without tellin' them. We coulda had this whole thing worked out more than a year ago!"

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"I'll keep that in mind," Hardison said, unable to get rid of the grin. "Is this the point where I tell you that you own Luke's, too? Free an' clear an' all legal an' aboveboard? I mean, it ain't in your name, cause I wasn't sure if you'd want to own somethin' openly, but it's yours, man."

Beat.

"Why the hell did you think I'd want a brewpub?" he asked. "You think I'd signed up for a year full of you bitchin' about the menu just for kicks?"

He was going to have to tell Parker all about this.

Re: RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

". . . Yeah." It was generally how they communicated with each other, after all. "Why the hell did you buy out Nate's building? You buy expensive crap you don't know how to run to mess with us."

Dammit, did this mean Sophie'd figured it out and didn't tell him, too? It had to. This was exactly the sort of thing she noticed.

RE: Re: RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Okay, fair point.

Also, like Eliot was the only person to confide in Sophie. please.

"I bought Nate's building so I could put in the needed upgrades to tech an' security without anyone bitchin' about it. Especially Nate." Because...Nate. "I bought the brewpub cause I thought you'd like it. Same reason I put bigger 'n average vents in there an' raised the ceilings."

Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

"Yeah, that part I figured out." Everyone had figured out that part. "But you decided the offices were going to be in Nate's apartment to mess with him."

That was why Eliot had used a chainsaw to cut a new door in the wall. Messing with Nate was fun.

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"It was just more convenient that way," Hardison said, looking as innocent as he could. "I did it for the team. Just doin' somethin' to mess with Nate would be wrong."

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

Eliot smirked. "And we all know how much you hate doing anything wrong."

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"I would never. My Nana raised me right."

Which was why he never made unauthorized backups or watched sex tapes or anything else. Really.

"So still think I ain't pursued no guys over the years?"

Re: RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

"Oh no, you've made it very clear that you've just done it incompetently."

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Pretty sure you're the only one who didn't figure it out," Hardison said, his smirk not fading in the slightest. "So maybe I ain't the incompetent one."

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

"When it takes a guy six years to figure out you're even interested, Hardison, y'ain't doin' something right."

Admittedly this could easily be turned back around on Eliot. But he hadn't actually been pursuing Hardison until about a week before he said "let's have a threesome", so.

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison was notorious for slow-playing things! Notorious!

"If you say so, man," Hardison said. He was still grinning. "Why? How long were you interested in me for?"

Re: RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

"That's totally different. You were obviously chasin' after Parker. I didn't want to complicate things."

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"That doesn't answer the question," Hardison said.

Because now he wanted to know!

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

"What're you, fishin' for compliments?" Eliot rolled his eyes. ". . . The car bomb."

That'd been it went from "obnoxious young punk knows he's hot" to "oh god I have a thing for a baby". It'd taken a bit longer for it to become anything Eliot could take seriously, by which point -- well. Like he'd said: Hardison had obviously been over the moon for Parker.

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"All the way back then, huh?" Grin? Going nowhere. "I guess I was pretty hot right then."

You know, when he'd defused the bomb. Instead of kicking it.

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

And, you know, there was Eliot's now well-documented thing for adrenaline rushes.

"You were, like, twelve. I felt like a dirty old man."

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"I was twenty-one," Hardison snorted. "Totally legal for whateeeeeeeever dirty things was going through your mind when you thought 'bout my sweet ass."

Helping!

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

Eliot groaned. "Yeah, and I was thirty-three." Oh god, he was old. "You could barely drink and I was almost old enough to run for president."

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Legal's legal," Hardison pointed out, smirking. "I'd've been down, you know."

He tilted his head a little, touched his chin. "You curious? About me?"

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

Desperately.

Eliot smirked. "What, you mean it wasn't love at first sight?"

No, that'd been with Parker.

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Hell naw, man, you were annoyin' as all hell," Hardison said, laughing. "Though, it was totally hot when you took down all them guys at once. Woulda done ya right there if we'd had more time."

Because, hey, honesty!

"An' then again, when you picked me up an' saved my ass on the way outta that warehouse." He was a little more serious now, his smile fading away. "I really thought I was gonna die. I tripped an' fell an' you'd already gone all 'every man for himself' before an' I just knew I wasn't gonna get up in time. An' I didn't--but it didn't matter. You grabbed me an' you hauled me up an' you didn't let go till we were free. So, that's when I was interested."

But there was still more. If, you know, Eliot wanted to hear it.

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

"I wasn't gonna just leave you to die," Eliot said.

Not that Hardison had had any reason to know that. Not with Eliot's reputation. Hell, he'd been barely off the wagon, then.

"Alright. So when'd it get past 'interested'?"

RE: Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"While we were runnin' through the woods, handcuffed together, gettin' chased by some crazy, racist rednecks." Like there were other kinds, really. "Man, you were--that was your element. You knew everything we had to do to keep us three steps ahead of 'em. You were gonna get through an' you were gonna get me through--an' then, I stopped up from gettin' on that train an' you listened. You knew it was important an' you listened. An' agreed. You respected me. That's when I realized that, damn, what I felt for Parker, I was feelin' for you, too."

Re: Meet Your Teachers [Summer 2015]

[vdistinctive]

Eliot just thought that over for a long moment. That explained why it took this long for him to notice; by the time Hardison had it worked out, Eliot had already decided how it was going to go. He'd already been in deep for Hardison by then, madly shoving it all down and away because Hardison was into Parker and Eliot loved her, too, and he wanted them so much for each other, more than he wanted them for him. He'd protect them and make sure they got each other and he'd be fine with it.

And he had been. He really had -- right up until the moment he realized he could have more.

Absolutely none of that made it out of his mouth, though. When he finally looked over at Hardison again, what he said was ". . . took you long enough."