So itâs after The Stork Job and theyâre just back from Belgrade and Hardison finds Eliot in the kitchen at the office, and he knew Eliot could cook, is reminded of it now by the rich smell of an entire vat of bolognese on the stove, but he didnât know he baked.
And heâs also just now learning that Eliot has at some point lost his mind, because thereâs an industrial quantity of cookie dough rolled into balls on a tray on the counter, along with a cooling pan of brownies and a batch of cupcakes that Eliot is furiously decorating.
âAre we⌠hosting someone?â Hardison asks, hovering in the doorway.
Eliot doesnât answer the question but rather informs him, nodding at the cookie dough, âIâm gonna freeze those. Same with the sauce; gonna freeze it in portions so people just gotta heat it and boil some pasta.â He holds up a box of freezer bags. âYou wanna be helpful, you can divide this up for me.â
âHey, I never said anything about wanting to be helpful,â Hardison objects, but comes and takes the box from him. âSeriously, whatâs the occasion?â
âYou all eat like damn teenagers,â Eliot says, âand I canât cook after every job.â
Thatâs⌠fair. The bakeryâs-worth of treats feels like itâs encouraging rather than staving off the teenage diet, but Hardisonâs very much not inclined to ask further questions.
So really, Eliot chooses to give himself away. âYou hear what Parker was saying?â he asks, intensely focused on creating a perfect spiral on the cupcake in front of him.
Hardison ladles sauce into a freezer bag and ties it, then reaches out to snag a ball of cookie dough. âWhen?â
Eliot yanks the tray out of his reach, glaring. âI said theyâre for freezing!â
âOh no,â Hardison says, biting into the dough. âWe may not have enough to see out the decade. Whatâd Parker say?â
âAbout, uh.â Eliot pauses, piping a delicate flower onto the next cupcake. âIn the briefing. About knowing that kid was orphaned.â
âYeah, man, I think this one kinda hit close to home,â Hardison says, though exactly how close, he isnât about to share. âWe might wannaââ
And then he breaks off, taking in the spreadâfeast, reallyâin front of them, as he remembers exactly what Parker said.
âOh, I get it,â Hardison says, smile spreading across his face, warm, warm feeling spreading through his chest. âYouâre a softie.â
Eliotâs murderous look is only slightly undercut by the piping bag full of pink frosting in his hands, but he doesnât deny the obvious: as long as he has any say in it, Parkerâs never going to feel so much as a little snacky without having food immediately available to her.
And Hardison already likes Eliot, might even be crushing on him a little. But right then he thinks, yeah. I could fall in love with you.
âHey,â he says, pointing at the cupcake. âWill you teach me how to do those flower things?â
âAnd Parker likes sprinkles,â Hardison adds.
Eliot ducks his head, but not in time for Hardison to miss his smile. âTop right cupboard,â Eliot says, and moves over to make space next to him at the counter.
