i can't remember if hardison's nana is still alive in the show or not but how about parker meeting nana?
(she is, I think I remember Parker once actually saying “I should meet your Nana.”, also thank you that’s an awesome prompt. here goes nothing)
—-ao3—-
“She’s going to love you.” Alec assures her for the sixth time that week.
“You don’t know that.” Parker says with a glare and within a moment is swiftly turning around to march back to the car (for the third time in the past two minutes). Alec grins and softly grabs her by her shoulders again, steering her back around and making her face their destination once more.
She’s the one who wanted to meet his nana, but since the moment it turned into an actual plan Parker’s been a mess of contradictions. Gleeful one minute and biting her nails the next. On their way here she’d been almost bouncing in place with the kind of excitement usually only reserved for falling off buildings and chocolate, but now that they’re standing in front of his childhood home she looks more nervous than Alec has ever seen her.
Well… that’s not entirely true, now that he thinks about it she looks about the same she did when they had their very first ‘pretzels’ conversation.
The thought immediately makes him slow down and step around Parker so he can look her in the eye.
She’s biting her lip, her eyes fluttering around and avoiding his. He cups her face gently with his palm, starting to run his thumb over her cheek and waits for a few moments until the strain in Parker’s shoulders starts to ease.
“She’s going to love you Parker!” He repeats himself. “Because I love you. And because you’re amazing, and because Nana’s been waiting to embarrass the hell out of me since I started talking her ear off about you. Believe me, the woman has stories. And if one of us has any reason to be worried that this night is going to be hell, believe me, it’s gonna be me, girl.”
That catches her attention, her nose scrunching up in that adorable way that always makes Alec’s heart do the salsa.
“What kind of stories?” Parker asks, her face having turned from uncertain and vulnerable to curious faster than Hardison could have hacked into a surveillance camera (well… faster than most other people in their line of work could hack into a surveillance camera anyways).
Alec grimaces, his mind immediately going to all the things he’s pulled that his nana might have a mind to bring out and share with a toothy grin and no mercy, and suddenly he’s the one who kinda wants to turn around and high-tale it to safety.
Parker obviously catches his expression because her mouth is already pulling into a wide smile again and her eyes are sparkling like one of those priceless gems she likes to decorate the team’s Christmas trees with.
She grabs his hand and starts pulling him toward the front door, her steps sure and fast and eager.
He almost digs his heels in, mind going back to a number of dinners he’s been a part of where one of his foster-siblings brought around a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Oh, hell.
But in a moment they’re at the door and Parker’s ringing the bell and there’s Nana in all her glory smiling at them both and pulling them into warm hugs. He really has missed Nana’s hugs, and with Parker right there beside him the feeling of home blooms in his chest even brighter than usual.
“Well, come in, come in, dinner’s almost ready.” Nana says as loud and boisterous as ever. “Shoes by the door.”
“Hardison said there’s gonna be Alec stories.” Parker says as soon as they’re inside and Alec gives into his fate, head dropping forward and seemingly suddenly fascinated by the patterns of the carpet as he follows Nana’s instructions. “I’ll trade you mine for yours.”
Nana grins, eyeing Parker with absolute interest and Alec groans. This was a mistake, he’s made a huge, huge mistake.
“Oh, I think I’m going to like you.”
He looks sideways at Parker, sees her eyes light up as the last traces of nervousness flee her expression and takes back his last thought at once.
