"Honestly, I'm just relieved."

"Yeah, well, keep it to yourself. Stop babying me," The hitter swatted away Hardison's hands as the young man tried to check his temperature by laying the back of his hand against the disgruntled fighter's forehead. "Get off!"

"Calm down," The hacker rolled his eyes. "Let me help, will you?"

"Haven't you helped enough?" Eliot snapped.

"No! You're still a mess. Honestly, if I knew you'd be this ungrateful..."

"I don't need this," Eliot asserted, "you don't need to be here."

"Yes I do."

"There's nothing to stitch, no concussion to watch for, I'm fine! You have no excuse to stick around this time. Just go."

"You were in a cage!"

"This isn't the first time!"

"For a week!"

"So?" The hitter parried, put off. "Lazy bastards didn't even do anything. All that happened was I got itchin' for a fight. And that didn't even end up goin' down."

"You could barely walk."

"I was in a cage for a week!"

"Exactly!"

Eliot sat back against the headboard with a huff. Hardison cocked a brow at his wince.

"Shut up," The hitter retorted.

"Come on, man," Hardison urged. "Just let me help. I can make you some soup. Oh, do you need more pillows? I know your back acts up sometimes. Let me get you some more pillows."

"You're so romantic when you're worried about him," Parker claimed in a sing-song voice as she walked in with a stack of pillows. Hardison was about to argue, but she stuck her tongue out at him and plopped the pillows down on the bed. Without asking, she took Eliot by the shoulder and made him lean forward. He complied with an annoyed sigh. His shoulders tensed as the movement reignited the aches that days of being trapped in a small space caused. When he leaned back, though, the pillows provided just the right support and he sank back into them with a sigh, not of annoyance, but of relief.

Parker gave Hardison a victorious look.

"How would you manage without us?" The thief pulled the comforter up to Eliot's shoulders and sat at his side.

Eliot gave her an irritated look.

"Fine, we get it, you could get by sleepin' on a concrete floor and eatin' nothin' but scraps and all that. But you don't have to. There's a big, soft bed and warm food and friends here. So stop whining and just thank the woman, would you?"

Eliot looked at Hardison, then at Parker.

"Thank you," He conceded.

The thief grinned. She pecked his cheek with a kiss before darting out.

Hardison stood. "I'm not one to be left out." He leaned down and placed a kiss at the hitter's other cheek. Eliot blushed.

"Shut up," The hacker blurted and left.