By the time they wake again, the morning is half gone. They would likely have slept through the whole thing were it not for the banging on the door. Hardison grumbles getting out of bed, but Parker just nestles deeper into the covers. As he nears the door the banging becomes more insistent. It couldn't be anyone but Eliot.
"Parker's missing," he says the moment the door opens. "Sophie wanted me to check on her this morning and she's gone."
"Uh…Are you sure?" Hardison stalls. No matter how innocent last night was, he knows how it looks. Eliot has threatened bodily harm for a lot less.
"The girl lives in an empty warehouse. It's pretty easy to see if she's there or not." Eliot walks in, subconsciously scanning the room as he always does.
"She lives in a warehouse?" asks Hardison still rooted to his spot at the door. "I thought she lived at-"
"So did I. Decoy."
"A warehouse, huh?"
"Yeah," Eliot says as if it were the most natural thing in the world, like living in an empty warehouse was the latest trend. "Makes sense," he continues at Hardison's dubious look. "Quiet at night, lots of space, easy to spot any suspicious characters and various exit possibilities," he lists off without much thought. The hacker just shakes his head in astonishment. "Do you still have a tracker in her shoes?"
"Yeah, but it's only one pair and she ain't wearin' them," He replies distractedly. He's weighing Eliot's potential wrath against running barefoot in January. "Maybe you should check her place again…right now."
"And, how is it that you know which shoes Parker is wearing at any given moment?" Eliot turns back to Hardison who is still hovering near the door.
"He saw me take them off," Parker says flippantly, strolling between them toward the kitchen. "That's probably how." Eliot's face is frozen aside from his eyes that widen as he takes in the situation, noting the matching pajamas.
"It's not what it looks like!" Hardison interjects, already raising his hands in defense.
"What does it look like?" asks Parker from behind the refrigerator door.
"She broke in! I am the victim here!"
"Yeah, because when somebody breaks into my apartment I always give them my best pj's and invite them to bed!" Eliot states sarcastically and moves to close the gap between Hardison and himself.
"If they looked like Parker, you would." He has a point, although the elevated tone of his voice undermines his credibility.
"Did you know that I don't like sleeping alone?" Cereal bowl in hand, Parker leans against the counter, unaware that Hardison's life might be in danger. "I just found out yesterday! All this time I thought sleeping alone was fine, but it turns out sleeping with someone is way better."
She takes an enormous bite as Eliot's brotherly instincts kick in. His protective feelings toward her are sweet, but potentially hazardous for Hardison.
"She means the regular kind of sleeping, Eliot!"
"What other kind of sleeping is there?" Both men turn to her with odd expressions. "Oh, you mean sex! No, I just came here to sleep."
"Parker, I have a spare room and my apartment is three blocks from your place. You're always welcome there," Eliot informs her. Hardison relaxes a bit as the hitter's voice becomes less raspy.
"I thought you might have a girl over." It's a fair assumption.
"No chance of that here," Eliot mutters.
"Hey!"
"And, I don't like that mattress," Parker adds, ignoring Hardison's indignation. "It made my back hurt last time." She walks over to the couch and misses the look that Eliot is giving her.
"When were you in my apartment?" he asks coolly.
"I go there all the time. You have the best water pressure." Eliot is too stunned to respond. "He uses really fancy shampoo," she whispers to Hardison, who, now feeling safe, has sat down at the other end of the couch.
"Parker!"
"What? I do it to everybody. It's good practice."
"So, you've broken in here before too?" Hardison inquires disbelievingly.
"I do all my laundry here. Plus, I like your bed the best."
He is slightly wounded by this revelation. She came for the bed. The fact that he was in it was just a coincidence.
"Sophie has the best food," Parker continues. "And, Nate's place has the best hiding spots. Did you know he whistles when he's alone? Well… when he thinks he's alone," she corrects.
"I have to call Sophie," Eliot announces.
"To tell her I steal her food?"
"No, to tell her you're alright! She was worried about you." He then turns to stare Hardison down. "And, you…"
"I know! Blah, blah, blah, you'll rip my arms off and beat me with them," the hacker surrenders.
"We'll talk about this later."