In a fishing boat off the coast of Key West, Sunday afternoon

[vdistinctive]

Like Eliot was going to work a job in Key West without dragging his team out for some fishing? Sure. Right. It wasn't like Hardison could fuss about racist militias on the OPEN OCEAN, after all.

. . . He was waiting for the argument about pirates. Or maybe mosquitos. Or sharks. Whatever, they had a cooler full of beer, a boat to themselves, and an extremely low probability of running into any magic monsters this far from Fandom. Eliot was going to call it a win.

[ooc: for Leveragians and likely slow play.]

Comments

[vdistinctive]

Eliot dutifully pretended not to notice the adorable dopey smile. "Well, you know, it coulda used a little less shrieking like a startled child, but other'n that. . . ."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"M--man, I flung myself into danger for you!" How quickly we changed our story, Hardison! "You're damned lucky my drawers were still clean and be grateful all I did was shriek like a startled kid."

And speaking of dopey smiles... "Bet Joey, Ada, an' Spike woulda loved to fight that thing."

[vdistinctive]

And there was one from Eliot. "Man, they woulda ripped that thing apart." The smile went slightly bemused. "Or made friends with it and asked to keep it as a pet."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"No tentacle monsters in the house," Hardison said immediately. "It's a rule I'm makin' up right now. Absolutely not."

[vdistinctive]

"Does it look like I'm arguin'?" Eliot asked.

The line that had been dragging behind the boat went taut and Eliot lunged for the rod. "We got a bite!" He shoved himself into the seat the rod was attached to and grabbed on, his feet coming up to brace against the back of the boat. Unlike with Parker, this one didn't tease. It held on and Eliot held on back with a shout and a broad grin. "It's a big one!"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Umm, okay!"

Hardison had no idea what to do. Film this maybe? For posterity?

"You, uhh, reel it in!" he called. "Parker....grab the net?"

Did they have a net?

"I'mma record your amazin' battle with a creature with a brain the size of a fig so you can relive this triumphant moment for always."

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

"Smile!" Photos. And. "Net? Net!"

See, she could help!

[vdistinctive]

Eliot just grunted in return, muscles bulging as he fought to reel the fish in. The marlin crested over the wake of the boat for a moment, a good twelve feet or so long, not including its swordfish-like bill. It dropped back below the water a few times before leaping up into the air. The force of it diving down again nearly pulled Eliot to his feet as the rod bent sharply -- and then the line snapped.

Eliot whooped anyway, sitting back in the seat and wiping his forehead, not even trying to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. "She's a beaut!"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison was laughing--not at Eliot, but the sheer delight on his face. "Lookit her go!" he hollered, zooming in with his phone to follow her wake. "Man, anyone doubts you, we'll show 'em this video! That thing was huge! Almost the size of our boat!"

In a few minutes, Hardison would remember to panic about that and how easily they could have capsized. For now though, caught up in the moment and Eliot's exhilaration, he was whooping and cheering along.

[vdistinctive]

And Eliot would point out that the boat was literally built to handle fish just that size. Eliot didn't skimp when it came to equipment.

Right now he just whooped again and clapped Hardison on the back before dragging him in for a one armed hug. "Don't think we'll be gettin' better'n that, today."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison hugged him back, then dragged Parker in for an embrace as well. They didn't die! Hugs for all!

"So you gonna try for somethin' smaller?" he asked. "Or is it lagoon time?"

[vdistinctive]

"Dunno," Eliot said. "Wanna try for a barracuda?"

He knew the answer to that question. But he wanted to see if he could get Hardison's eyes to bug out again.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"THOSE THINGS HAVE SERRATED JAWS ELIOT, WE AIN'T WRESTLING ONE ON THIS BOAT, YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND?!"

You were a very mean man, Eliot.

[vdistinctive]

He used to kill people, Hardison. "Mean" was kind of a given.

"Alright, fine, we'll find a nice mangrove island and park it for awhile." You know, a lagoon. "Maybe we'll catch a tarpon on the way. They only get to be eight feet long."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison only knew what mangroves were because he played video games. Tarpons...who even knew? For all he knew, it was something Eliot had just made up to mess with him.

"You bring anything along besides beer in that cooler?" he asked. "Or were you plannin' on catching us lunch an' cookin' it over an open fire, roasted in mud and leaves or somethin'?"

...Don't tell him that was a legit way to roast fish, Eliot. He'd be heart-broken to realize his sass had misfired.

[vdistinctive]

"Why the hell would you roast a fish in mud?" Leaves on the other hand. . . . "I brought some sandwiches. You'd refuse to eat fish ever again if you ever saw me actually prep one."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"What kiiiiind of sandwiches?"

IGNORE THE GRIN ELIOT, IT MEANT NOTHING.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot smirked. "The kind you think I don't notice you stealin' from the fridge all the time."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Man, you--I can't--there's no--Trust, Eliot! It's all about trust! An' respect! An'--you still usin' those cameras you installed?"

No reason, just checking!

[vdistinctive]

"Nope," Eliot said. "You don't think I can figure out where the sandwiches go when they go missing from the fridge?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Could be anybody."

Admittedly, that went over better back when there was Nate and his drinking as a potential suspect.

"The busboy's pretty shifty, you know."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot laughed. "That busboy is terrified of me." Admittedly, this was because Eliot had punched him in the face not that long ago.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Maybe you could stop treatin' tentacle monsters as a sport then?"

It couldn't hurt? Especially since Eliot wasn't going to be hitting anyone in the near future.

Well, not any allies, anyway.

[vdistinctive]

He had to hit someone. He got all antsy and out of sorts when he didn't get to hit anyone. "Hey, that was about protectin' my diner."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

They lived on Fandom now. Someone in dire need of hitting would almost certainly appear before the month was out.

"An' the boyish grin an' sense of glee? That was also about protectin' the diner?"