Dammit, Hardison

[ciiriianan]

Eliot means a lot of things when he says, “Dammit, Hardison.” Hardison has a mental list.

1. It means, of course, “Why are you not infallible?” Hardison curses at himself when that happens. When it’s deserved, at least. Sometimes, Eliot has totally unreasonable expectations.
   
2. It means “Why are you so hard to keep safe?” “Don’t DO dangerous things like the one you just did!” Hardison finds that one both scary and comforting. Scary, because it means he’s in danger. Comforting because Eliot is coming.
   
3. It means “Why are you trying to show affection to me?” Hardison likes provoking this one, but it’s also wonderful to be able to slip affection in under Eliot’s radar, and see him actually let himself enjoy it.
   
4. It means “Why do you not understand these things which are very simple to me?” This one’s been getting less common. Eliot is figuring Hardison out.
   
5. It means “Why do I not understand these things which are very simple to you?” Hardison’s working on that. It helps to remember that it actually hurts Eliot’s fingers to type. He’s devising other interfaces.
   
6. It means “Why do I love you?” in that baffled Elioty way that is astounded to be capable of human emotion at all.
   
7. And it means that Eliot does love him.