First on the List

Trapped in darkness, Alec Hardison clings to fantasies of rescue - of Parker's smile, Eliot's cooking, and the feeling of safety in their arms. When they finally burst through that door, battered and bloodied, he knows their bond runs deeper than friendship. But survival isn't enough. As he designs a tracker to ensure they'll never lose each other again, he discovers the true depth of their connection - a love that will bind their bodies, hearts, and futures together forever. Tonight, the rules change. Tonight, they stop being a team... and become something more.

First on the List

Trapped in darkness, Alec Hardison clings to fantasies of rescue - of Parker's smile, Eliot's cooking, and the feeling of safety in their arms. When they finally burst through that door, battered and bloodied, he knows their bond runs deeper than friendship. But survival isn't enough. As he designs a tracker to ensure they'll never lose each other again, he discovers the true depth of their connection - a love that will bind their bodies, hearts, and futures together forever. Tonight, the rules change. Tonight, they stop being a team... and become something more.

The beeping of medical equipment cuts through the haze of pain and exhaustion. I blink slowly, trying to focus on the familiar ceiling of our team's headquarters. My body aches from the beating I took, but the worst pain is the memory of being alone in that concrete cell, wondering if they'd come for me.

"Look who's finally awake." Parker's voice, normally so confident, wavers with relief as she appears above me. Her fingers brush my cheek, just barely, as if afraid I might break under her touch.

Eliot materializes behind her, his expression unreadable - the same look he gets before a fight when he's calculating every possible move. But there's something else in his eyes now, something raw and exposed.

"Thought we lost you," he says, his voice lower than usual. I try to speak, but my throat is dry and scratchy.

Parker presses a glass of water to my lips, her other hand still resting lightly on my chest, as if confirming I'm really here. "Don't try to talk yet," she murmurs.

I'm home. I'm safe. But safety isn't enough anymore. As I look between their worried faces, I know what I need - something more permanent than promises, something that will bind us together when words fail. I need to make sure they'll always find me... no matter what.

"Tracker," I manage to croak out. Both heads snap toward me.

"What?" Eliot asks sharply.

"I need to build it," I say, stronger this time. "A tracker. Under the skin. So you'll always know where I am."

Eliot's jaw tightens. Parker's fingers still against my chest. For a long moment, neither speaks. Then Parker smiles - not her usual grin of excitement over a new heist, but something softer, something that makes my chest ache.

"Okay," she says simply.

Eliot nods once, his eyes never leaving mine. "Whatever you need."

They don't understand yet what this really means - that it's not just about finding me if I'm taken again. It's about connection. Permanence. A bond stronger than any we've shared before.

As I sit up slowly, ignoring the protest of my bruised body, I know tonight changes everything. The tracker isn't just for emergencies. It's the first step toward something none of us have dared to name - until now.

"Help me to my workshop," I say, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "I've got work to do."

And beneath that work, a truth hangs unspoken: when we're done, nothing between us will ever be the same.