crossoverfic | FIC: Age(s) of the Geek, part 1 of 5, PG, Leverage/Buffy

Title: Age(s) of the Geek, part 1 of 5.
Author:

deepbluemermaid.
Fandoms: Leverage / Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Rating: PG for non-graphic horror themes.
Genre: gen crossover, with brief mentions of canonical Buffy relationships.
Length: 5,600 words.
Spoilers: major spoilers for seasons 1-4 of Buffy. Set many years pre-canon for Leverage, so no spoilers except for Hardison's background.
Summary: what if Willow Rosenberg was the one who taught Alec Hardison how to hack?

Author's note: the working title for this series of Leverage crossover fics was "Five times that Alec Hardison crossed paths with other geeks", and that pretty much covers it! The stories cover Hardison from age 14 to age 30, suggesting that he met fellow computer geniuses (from Buffy, Veronica Mars, Doctor Who, Heroes and Supernatural) along the way.

Alec Hardison met Willow Rosenberg when he was 14. They were both competing at the National Science Fair, Willow as a sophomore and Alec as a freshman. As they'd each worked on a computer-related project, their exhibits were set up at adjacent tables.