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Eliot had more security on his home than a normal person, but less than Parker expected. It didn’t take her long to bypass his system and she made a mental note to tell him where he could make improvements. Later, though. Right now she just needed to sleep.
It took a few minutes to find his bedroom and she hesitated a little at the door. Eliot was sprawled on his back, one hand low on his stomach and the other was flung over his head. The covers were pushed down to his waist and the moonlight streaming through the window highlighted the even movement of his bare chest. He looked peaceful; something Parker didn’t see in him much when he was awake. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he wouldn’t understand. Parker shook her head and soundlessly crept to the other side of the bed. She was here and she was so exhausted there was no way she’d make it back to her place.
Parker put her boots next to the bed and slid under the covers. She turned on her side to face Eliot and hesitantly reached out to put her hand on his arm. The next thing she knew, Eliot had her pinned to the bed and was holding a knife at her throat. She squeaked in alarm and knew her eyes had to be wide as saucers, but otherwise didn’t move.
Eliot hovered over her and blinked a few times before focusing on her. “Parker?”
“Knife,” she managed to whisper.
Eliot frowned then seemed to realize what he was doing. He groaned and rolled off of her, placing the knife on his bedside table. He put his hands over his face and mumbled, “Jesus, Parker, I could’ve killed you. What the hell are you doing here?”
Yeah, this hadn’t been one of her better ideas. She’d have to find somewhere else to sleep. She started to get up, but Eliot clamped a hand on her arm and she stilled.
“Answer me, Parker,” he said softly. “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?”
She lay back down and looked at her teammate and friend. He looked annoyed, but that was normal, and she could understand it even more now. She had woken him up after all. He also looked honestly curious.
“I-“ she started, but didn’t know what to say. How did she explain that she didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts? That Dalton Rand had stirred up ghosts she’d tried so hard to put behind her? “I can’t sleep,” she offered lamely.
He looked at her blankly. “So you thought you’d come over and watch me?”
She shook her head and tried again. “Sometimes…sometimes I can’t sleep unless I’m next to someone. But I can’t just pick up some random guy. They’d want more than just sleep and they’d think I’m weird and I wouldn’t know them so I wouldn’t be able to relax and it just doesn’t work. I can’t go to Nate because that just feels strange and I can’t go to Hardison because I don’t want him to read more into it than there is. I maybe could have gone to Sophie, but she’s gone and I don’t know or trust Tara. But you…I trust you. Do you ever get lonely, Eliot? Do you ever just want to hold someone for the sake of holding them?”
Eliot looked at her for the longest time before he sighed and pulled her closer. “I understand,” he said. “I’ve got your back.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Parker tucked her head under his chin and listened to the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. His arm came around her and she felt cocooned in safety. Her whole body seemed to go boneless and she sighed in contentment. This was exactly what she needed. She drifted off to sleep knowing that Eliot would keep the ghosts at bay. He was good at that.
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