Leverage OT3 Recs: Getting Together (Alec or Parker POV)
The OT3 get a lot of development on screen as a relationship, but we never actually get to see them actually figure out that they’re all in love with each other. Here are my favorite stories of how Parker, Eliot, and Hardison said “yes” to their relationship, told primarily from Alec or Parker’s point of view. A heart symbol next to the fic (❤︎) means it’s a special favorite.
Feel free to reblog with your own additions!
The 40 mg Job by norah (3834 words, rated T)
Eliot grunted disbelievingly. He was right up in Alec’s face, angry and dangerous, and when he grabbed a fistful of Alec’s t-shirt Alec closed his eyes, waiting for the blow to land.
Eliot kissed him.
Parker’s time at the Second Act rehab clinic causes her to re-evaluate her priorities and try something new. Along the way, she gets Eliot and Hardison to re-evaluate their priorities too.
Fair Share by shaenie (9579 words, rated E)
“Eliot’s the baby spoon,” Parker announces, and rolls off of Alec to shove Eliot on his side. She immediately spoons in behind him, and then looks over expectantly at Alec. “You’re the big spoon,” she says impatiently, and Alec rolls over to spoon her, and, by extension, Eliot.
He tries very hard not to laugh. “How you doing over there, baby spoon?”
“We’re taking turns being the baby spoon,” Eliot says grimly, but Alec can tell he’s having a hard time being grumpy.
Leverage is pretty big on food as a metaphor for love, especially when it comes to Parker, and this fic does a great job showing us Parker falling in love with Eliot and Hardison as a series of meals.
First on the List by thingswithwings (7323 words, rated T)
Parker opens her mouth, and this time Alec has the presence of mind to cover his ears before she yells. “Eliot!”
“What!” Eliot yells back, from wherever he is. He sounds grumpy, but Alec hears his footsteps hurrying on the wood floors anyway.
“Come get minor surgery from us,” Parker yells.
Leverage fandom has a way of making the strangest things romantic – pretzels, black noodles, and in this fic, implanting trackers in each other’s arms. But thingswithwings really imbues it with meaning, Alec’s trackers inside all of them, so they’ll never lose each other.
The Helpful Hacker’s Guide to Gummies, Geekery, Grifting, Guys and Good Teamwork (or the Alec Hardison Doesn’t Panic (Much) Job) by @poppetawoppet (9567 words, rated T)
Step One: make all of Hardison’s favorite foods.
Step Two: Make sure to stay as undressed as possible in the bedroom. Suggest sleeping separately but come up with excuse to sleep together.
Step Three: Pick out movies that Hardison likes, make a slight fuss/annoyance
Step Four: Tell him about the time you used Star Trek to get a guy
Step Five: Let Parker in on the plan somehow
In which Eliot, Hardison, and Parker all try to con each other into a relationship – except, of course, that they don’t have to. A.k.a., the one where Hardison and Eliot are fake married.
It’s How You Land by BlackEyedGirl (4121 words, rated T)
It is true, Parker guesses, that on their jobs they turn out to need all sorts of unexpected things. But she doesn’t think that’s what this is about. Hardison likes building homes.
This fic takes a silly premise – the team has to build a flying house – and turns it into a sweet story about Parker, Hardison, and Eliot figuring out their relationship. Parker’s POV is so on point in this fic.
Parker’s Surprise by zvi (813 words)
Parker says, “It’s complicated and you’ll laugh at me.”
Alec responds to the twist of her lips that says: if you laugh at me, I’ll have to kill you, which I don’t actually want to do.
It’s a bit of a trope in this fandom that Parker is super direct about talking about sex, but it’s a trope I really enjoy. Parker gets Hardison and Eliot together and helps them get right to the point of what they want.
❤︎ Shelter Me by thingswithwings (21,193 words, rated E)
“Do you want to be our dog now instead?” Parker asks, without guile. “Our little pitbull?”
Eliot’s silence is heartbreaking, and so delicate that Alec can’t bear to disturb it, so he waits as it spins out before them, fine as the thinnest thread of blown glass.
After a long time, Eliot says, “I think so.”
“That’s what you already are, anyway,” Parker says. “Our loyal protector. Part of our family.”
In which Eliot knows he isn’t a good man, but he thinks that for Parker and Hardison, he could be a good dog. In this fic, a dom/sub relationship is fundamental to how the OT3 is able to healthily function, and it is a beauty to witness. Warning: if you don’t already have a puppyplay fetish, you may develop one after reading this fic.
❤︎ something good can work (and it can work for you) by queenklu (8787 words, rated E)
“’Cause I know you,” Eliot says like he didn’t hear, “I know you’d steal the moon for her if you could.” “Who says I can’t?” Hardison demands, but Parker rolls her eyes and elbows him. “No, listen, Eliot. Eliot.” He waits for Eliot to meet his eyes, see the truth in them. “I’d steal the moon for you too.”
I absolutely love this fic for the way it shows Parker and Hardison establishing a rock-solid, beautiful relationship with each other, then welcoming Eliot into it. It’s like they’ve built the foundation they needed to be able to support each other and Eliot. And Parker and Hardison’s totally accidental seduction of Eliot is too cute for words. I’ve read this fic three times and I’m sure I’ll read it again.
Track My Moves by summerstorm (3527 words, rated M)
Parker’s hands are climbing all over his chest, underneath his t-shirt, and she’s kissing him.
What the fuck.
Parker breaks away and says, “You’ve been really good to us lately,” and he’s about to ask who ‘us’ is when Eliot walks in, locks the door behind him and ambushes him in a manner similar to Parker.
“So,” Eliot says, glancing at Parker, “thanks. And stuff.”
In which Parker feels the need to thank Hardison for everything he does for the team, and enlists Eliot to help her come up with the right kind of thanks.
Twelve Steps by @rembrandtswife (3941 words, rated E)
Besides, outside of bed, he was more, well, touchy-feely with Alec than he’d ever been with another guy. They were bros, except that bros didn’t usually share a girl on an ongoing basis. It wasn’t like Eliot had never done a threesome before, but–this was different. Because both his girl and his guy were going to be there the next morning.
His guy. Was that what Alec was?
This fic deals with internalized homophobia in a way most Leverage OT3 fics don’t – the idea that Hardison and Eliot might have some reservations to work past in order to love each other in all the ways they want to. I enjoy the complexities of this developing relationship.
we are for some reason all the time bleeding by hypotheticalfanfic (1581 words, rated T)
Eliot peers carefully at her as she kisses Alec and then crosses to kiss him — and that’s interesting, isn’t it, that this happens right now? Just a soft press of lips, nothing more, nothing like anything at all, just what people do to say good morning, and yet here it is, already, like it has always been this way and Eliot and Alec just haven’t noticed until now. Which, given the sureness of Parker always being in charge, is certainly possible.
In this story, the OT3 fall together into a relationship right after The Rundown Job without even really talking about it, which makes so much sense to me. The line between being together and not is so thin for them that they just stumble right over it without noticing.
