"It was nothing," he said, voice low. But I heard the crack in it. Felt it.
I crossed the room in two steps, grabbing Grayson and pulling him into a hug. His arms wrapped around me immediately, solid and sure.
"Thank you," I whispered against his chest.
"Anything for you, Parker," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple.
I didn't let go. Instead, I reached out, crooking my fingers toward Kearan. "You, too. Come here."
For a heartbeat, he just stared. Like the idea didn't compute. Then he moved… stiff at first and unsure until he slid into the circle of our arms.
We held him. Held each other.
Kearan's breath shuddered against my hair. His lips brushed the top of my head. I felt it break something inside him. Then I felt Grayson's joy crash against mine through the bond.
I'm glad you included him, Grayson's voice whispered inside my mind, a brush of thought against thought.
I wouldn't leave him out, I sent back, feeling Kearan's hesitance give way to something softer. I care about both of you. And I'm tired of being in denial about it.
Grayson's eyes gleamed when I looked up. Not just happiness. Gratitude. Fierce, wild love.
When we finally pulled apart, Kearan gave me a real smile. Small but real.
Something shifted between the three of us. Locked into place. Permanent.
"Alright," I said, voice low and certain. "Let's get this done."
Kearan's grunt shattered the moment like a slap.
He pulled back fast, retreating to the side of the room without a word. His hands moved with sharp, controlled motions, spreading out thick dossiers across the nearest table.
So much for the progress I was making. The space he left behind ached. But I didn't chase him. Pushing Kearan too hard never ended well.
"Give him time," Grayson murmured, voice low and steady.
I nodded, offering him a tight smile. Kearan would come around. He just needed space to feel safe. I'd earned pieces of his trust. Not all of them.
Not yet.
"Thank you," I whispered, brushing a kiss against Grayson's cheek before slipping away.
I crossed to the table, drawn by the neat stacks of files. Each one meticulously labeled in a sharp, deliberate hand. Descriptions filled the margins—quirks, tics, habits, anything that might stick in a mind that couldn't always hold faces the right way.
"For me?" I asked, voice caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.
Kearan's gaze met mine for half a heartbeat before he dropped it, busying himself with straightening the papers he'd already aligned twice. "Thought it might help. Names, faces. Anything you could use to pin them down."
My throat tightened. "Kearan... that's—" I swallowed, the weight of it hitting harder than any grand gesture. "That's incredible."
Grayson brushed the edge of my mind, silent, steady, wrapping around me like armor. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to.
"If this doesn't work," Kearan muttered, still not quite looking at me, "we'll figure something else out. Grayson can push the names to you telepathically if it gets bad."
Both of them… always thinking about what I needed before I could even ask.
"You two..." I started, but my voice cracked. I shoved the emotion down, locking it tight. "You've already done so much. I don't know how to repay that."
Kearan finally looked up, something raw flashing through his eyes. "You repay it by staying alive," he said. "By fighting beside us."
