Prompt #3: I'm here
Chapter: Questions and Answers
Warning: Smut.

The house was dark and silent. With the blinds drawn, the guest room where Eliot was staying was shrouded in total darkness. If it had been anyone but him standing there, it might have gone unnoticed.

"What?" he asked with irritation in his tone.

The blinds of the window slid up, moonlight streaming in and outlining her silhouette in a silvery blue.

"I didn't know you were awake," Parker said softly before crossing over as he sat up in bed. Of course he'd been awake. He rarely slept and even when he did, it wasn't a sound sleep. He was always aware of his surroundings.

"What, Parker?" he asked again, his voice gruff.

She moved gracefully from her spot in front of the window to the edge of the bed, moving to sit on it with one foot still on the floor and one bent beneath her. He'd had a few dreams that had started like this in the past, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away. As his eyes quickly adjusted to the dimness, he met her gaze.

"I wanted to…explain," she said softly, averting her gaze. And that was Parker. Not Parker the thief or Parker the mastermind. It was the Parker they'd found crying after Rand had done a cold reading on her and uncovered raw emotions about her brother. The Parker that had so desperately wanted to find some answers while posing as a patient in rehab. It was the Parker that, despite himself, tugged at his heartstrings the most.

His expression softened and he let out a breath, "Fine. Explain."

"Archie came to me with a job. An emergency. His daughter's husband is ex-military and somehow he got tangled up in a mess – threats were coming in against the whole family. They learned who Archie was and they made him a deal." Her gaze was focused down on the comforter where she traced an imaginary pattern with her finger. "He was worried about his family and I knew I could help but…they knew about me. Not just me as a thief, but us and what we do – I was a liability for the whole job and there were eyes on us – you, me, even Hardison out in London," she shook her head. "So I knew the only way I would be able to get in and keep you out of it is if they never saw me coming and if none of our former marks from Wilmington knew that I was on the move, it would have put everyone in danger."

"I could have come with you and helped," he protested.

"Dammit, Eliot!" she whispered harshly, effectively silencing him. "Don't you get it – for once I was trying to protect you." She looked up and met his eyes, inching closer. "I thought if you knew right away that it was all a con, you'd come after me and I'd never forgive myself if something happened. I knew if I fooled you and you found out, you'd be mad and probably not come after me. It wasn't a smash and grab, it was infiltration and heist. Slip in, slip out unnoticed, let it all solve itself. I was better off doing this alone."

Eliot watched her for a moment before reaching out and gripping her shoulders, hauling her closer to pull her into his arms. "That's some real Parker logic, right there," he said gruffly. "You think I didn't try to go after you? Hardison, Nate, Sophie, Jenny, Archie – they all put up roadblocks for me every way I turned. When Sophie told me you were in Moscow, my first instinct was to go, but Jenny and Hardison put blocks and red flags on all of my passports so that you could see this through the way you wanted."

Parker looked up at him, she opened her mouth to say something but then relaxed slowly into his embrace. "That's because I insisted…"

"Drove me crazy is what you did."

"You've got to start letting people take care of you, too, Eliot," she insisted softly, her eyes fluttering closed as his hand rubbed circles on her back.

"You've gotta understand what went through my mind when I thought I lost you."

"You didn't lose me though," she insisted and peered up at him. "I'm here." She said it plainly, as though he was silly for worrying when she was sitting there in the room. She straightened up a bit, pulling back slightly to look up at him, her voice more serious, "I'm right here."

Eliot swallowed thickly.

Yes, he had in fact had dreams that had played out this way.

He leaned forward slightly, his arm moving from around her body to bring his hand beneath her chin and tilt her head up more before leaning down and brushing his mouth against hers. She gasped softly when his mouth made contact and he wondered if it was the wrong thing to do before she shifted closer and he used her parted lips as an invitation to kiss her deeply. Her lips tasted like the sugary cereal she often ate and she smelt like jasmine. He shifted so that he could haul her even closer; the fibers of her black sweater were smooth against his bare chest.

She pulled back after a moment and she looked up at him uncertainly and he knew that this sort of thing was uncharted territory for her. Yes, she'd dated Hardison. Yes, she probably knew exactly what her being there pressed against him was doing to him. But this was them – Parker and Eliot. He smirked at her and kissed the tip of her nose, "C'mere, darlin," he drawled, dragging her further onto the bed, she scrambled quickly to join him under the covers and leaned against his chest.

"Does this change everything now?" she asked uncertainly, wondering about everything – their friendship, their team, their feelings.

"Only what we let it change," he responded, truly unsure of how to answer that question. "Why don't you rest in the meantime, and we'll deal with it tomorrow?"

"Okay, but – Eliot. You're naked."

He suddenly became painfully aware that her hand that had rested on his chest slipped below the covers and down his torso, not feeling the waistband of any sort of boxer or brief.

"Yep," he said, his voice stiff.

"Should I get naked too?" she asked.

Eliot thought about the layout of the house, Hardison was on one side and another thin wall separated his guestroom from Mélanie's bedroom. He groaned, "No, Parker. You, uh, you stay like that."

Parker couldn't deny that her feelings for Eliot were stronger than ever upon seeing him. She'd masked them for years as being similar to that of siblings and best friends. But he made her feel so safe, made her insides feel so warm. He was a light sleeper, but she was quickly able to extract herself from his grasp to slip out of his room. She needed to take some time to work through her hang ups, to talk herself out of all of the reasons she'd given herself for staying away from him and running off.

But even her morning yoga ritual fell flat when she realized her shirt smelt like him from being tucked up against him all night – a realization that made the churning on her insides increase tenfold.

Come morning, she was out of his bed and he woke up to find the space beside him still warm. Sighing, he forced himself up and pulled on a pair of boxers and pants before walking out of his room and down the hall and stairs to the kitchen. When he reached the first floor landing, he spotted her, in the living room doing yoga or pilates or yogalates or whatever the fuck she did to stay so…bendy. He smirked and walked past her, "Well don't you know how to drive a man insane," he remarked before passing into the kitchen and getting out everything he needed to make the special pancakes he'd promised Mélanie.

He worked in the kitchen, his back to Parker. But he felt her slide onto a stool at the breakfast bar and offered her an Oreo without a word.

Sophie's voice interrupted the silence between them, "Well, glad to see you're both getting along," she quipped before moving around Eliot to make herself a cup of herbal tea. Slowly, Hardison and Nate both filtered into the room, McKenzie still asleep.

The five of them fell into comfortable routine, Sophie lecturing Hardison on not overselling his grifts and talking to him about the team he was running in London. Nate asking Parker a few fleeting questions while Eliot let them sample bits of his ingredients as he worked.

He heard little footsteps padding their way into the kitchen and turned around just in time to see Mélanie. "There's my number one girl," he drawled, offering her an Oreo as well.

She giggled with delight before he hoisted her up onto a stool and let her sit with the adults. Mélanie, as evident from her party the previous day, had plenty of friends her own age, but it was her mother and father's friends that she liked most. Parker was always teaching her funny slight of hand tricks despite Nate's protests that she'd never be a thief. Hardison helped her download all of the episodes of her favorite kids shows onto the iPad he'd bought her for her sixth birthday. And Eliot, well Eliot called her Princess and protected her. She was happy as a clam to sit with them all.

"Uncle Eliot," she giggled. "I'm not your number one girl, though. Isn't that Aunt Parker?"

"From the mouths of babes," Sophie swooned, ever the romantic.

Eliot looked up at Parker who just offered him a half smile before turning back to the little girl. "Well Parker's my number one woman, you're my number one girl."

Mélanie and Parker were both pleased by this, but no one more than Sophie, who looked between Parker and Eliot as though she were observing a tennis match. Eliot scowled, "Dammit Soph!"

By the time that McKenzie woke up to join them, the pancakes were ready and the seven of them sat around the table and ate together, making simple conversation that, luckily, flew over the little girl's head.

Halfway through breakfast, something dawned on Eliot and he excused himself before walking to the guestroom and retrieving something from his overnight bag. He returned down the steps, stowing his secret item behind his back until he stood beside Parker and knelt down. "I believe this is yours."

"Bunny!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide as she reached and hugged the plush rabbit to her.

"Couldn't leave him behind in Wilmington, could I?"

And then, without warning, Parker leaned up and pressed her mouth against Eliot's. He chuckled when they pulled away and pointed at her pancakes, "Eat." He then turned to Sophie, "Stop!" the woman stopped gawking and took a sip of tea.

After breakfast, they spent the majority of the late morning lounging around and catching up while Mélanie played with her birthday presents. Hardison and McKenzie were the first to leave, in need of catching their flight back to London. Parker glanced over at Eliot, "You want to give me a ride. Quinn drove me here."

Smirking, Eliot nodded at her and after packing up and saying fond farewells to their former partners and Mélanie, they hopped into his pickup and he took off.

"Where to, darlin?" he asked.

She laughed, "Hadn't really thought of that."

They drove in amiable silence for a while before it became too much. He was aware of Parker's sidelong glances and when she finally took a breath, she commanded, "Eliot, pull over."

His eyes darted around and he carefully pulled them into a nearby truck stop off of the interstate.

"What are we doing?" she asked softly.

He looked at her uneasily before deciding, "Whatever you want us to be doing."

"I care about you, Eliot. You're part of my family. You're one of the closest friends I've ever had. You're…" she frowned. "Hardison and I – we got off lucky because we decided on things together. What if…"

Frowning, Eliot undid his seatbelt and slid across the bench seat, his mouth silencing hers. "Now, you listen to me, Parker," he ordered. "Nothing's gonna happen unless you want it happening. But no matter what, from now on, we decide things together. We compromise – if we're going to be friends, family, a team, or whatever the fuck else you want. No more faking your own death and taking off, no more running – at least not from each other."

She smirked up at him, "Only if you agree to ask for and accept my help now and then."

"Okay."

"Alright," she agreed softly. "Then I'm right here, and not going anywhere."

He bobbed his head easily and then suddenly groaned when Parker sent her mouth crashing against his. Within moments, she'd maneuvered so that she was straddling his lap, her hands making quick work of the buttons on his flannel shirt. In the daylight, she could see ever mark and scar on his chest and she danced her fingers lightly along each mar.

He watched her with concern before she bent down and began pressing her lips against the trail her fingers traced. Grunting, he tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her mouth to his. Her hips started moving over his and he knew that he was painfully hard already. To prove it, he grasped her hips and arched up, smirking against her mouth when she gasped from the feel of the bulge in his pants.

It was awkward maneuvering in the cabin of his trunk, but somehow he managed to get her jeans off and his open and down his thighs. He kissed her as though he was a starving man trying to devour her, and he realized he was. He wanted every bit of her and had for a long time and now he was determined not to let her go.

Her nails scraped down his arm and when he couldn't take it anymore, he pushed her back lightly until she was leaning against the dashboard. He slowly and carefully drew his erection from his boxers and then wrapped one arm around her, hauling her close once again. His eyes nearly crossed when her delicate hand reached down and began stroking his long, thick cock. He wasted no time in reaching between them and dragging the crotch of her panties aside, finding her wet and ready for him.

When he slid inside of her, they both gasped from the sensation of it all.

Coming up: Conclusion to the smut. Possibly more smut if ya'll liked it. And a conclusion to the story. Tell me what you think.