Author's note: Thank you so much to everyone for reading this story.

I started off knowing exactly how I wanted it to go, but it has evolved into something different. I apologize for the inconsistent writing style.

There are a lot of edits I want to do to the previous chapters to straighten out the details. I think I had so many plot ideas for this story that I tried to cram them all into one. I know it's not perfect and I want to thank you for leaving reviews and favoriting.

I know you want to see more of Han and now that I have a better idea of where this story will go, I can write him in better. With that being said, all the Hiro fans...I hear you as well. The next chapter will be pivotal to the plot. Enjoy :)

There were two things ElJay noticed the next day. Her mechanics class were all being mindful of her, not mentioning anything from the day before and Hiro was avoiding her. He had shot her a brief smile in their morning classes, but otherwise didn't spare her a glance. She sat with Rin at lunchtime taste-testing some new creations the culinary specialists had created. Satoshi had joined them, offering her his notebook of his half-completed summative. ElJay was grateful for the reprieve. She had given him some good suggestions and he respected how easy they came to her. He offered to help her with math and while she had no interest, he found that she was able to solve the problems after taking a single look.

She kept on glancing at Hiro sitting three tables down. He was leaning back in his chair, with one hand in his pocket, using the other to vaguely gesture as his group of friends listened intently. Then with a smirk, he said something and everyone started laughing. There were a few girls at the table and they had exchanged furtive looks with each other before refocusing on his smirking face. He did look exceptionally handsome. He commanded the attention of everyone. Nobody could walk past without sneaking a look.

He caught her eye. She gave him a tentative smile, but his gaze was already looking elsewhere. She was used to him paying attention to her and now something felt wrong when he looked past her. Suddenly, his scarf felt like dead weight and she felt stupid for having his picture on her phone.

"Let's go?" Satoshi asked towards the end of lunch. She nodded, saying goodbye to Rin and they walked towards the dome buildings.

Everyone resumed working on their summatives and Arai-sensei told her she could do regular schoolwork. No mention of the day before was uttered and ElJay didn't offer her thanks even though she felt grateful. Hiro hadn't shown up to class.

She had taken off his scarf and placed it in her bag. Sinking lower in her chair, she stared dejectedly at the math formulas swimming before her eyes. She took out her mechanics notebook. The beginning pages were filled with symbols and formulae that actually made sense. She was startled when Yoshio flopped down carelessly in the seat beside her. With his usual scowl he observed the notes intently before his eyes flickered to her face incredulously.

"How can you be so shitty at math when this makes sense to you?" he pondered," this is like a bazillion times harder."

ElJay pursed her lips and gave him a small smile," it's not harder, it's just more work figuring out the basic structuring of the problem."

"Except it's all for nothing, isn't it?" Yoshio scoffed, suddenly looking angry," you're not going to accept the internship." He said it with such conviction that ElJay couldn't spin a lie to counter it.

"It's not that easy," she hardened her tone.

"We could all do it if it were easy," he was unfazed," you're not just anyone."

"Who am I then?"

His fist slammed down on the table as he struggled to control himself," You can make a difference."

Now it was her turn to scoff," please."

He ran a hand through his hair giving her a hard look.

"Cars, trucks, buses are the substantial contribution to air pollution. Vehicles are the primary source for hydrocarbons and all the other fucking oxides that make ozone. How many people die of diseases or have to suffer organ damages because of exposure? Too many. Because it's far more important sustaining a larger population and its economy as opposed to worrying about individuals. You know why? Because people like you who have gifts focus on protecting themselves from the world instead of changing it."

Her eyebrows furrowed at the reality of his words. If Yoshio saw her panicked expression he didn't lighten up.

"It's not just about diseases. How about the crops destroyed from acid rain? Forests? Animals? What about global fucking warming? If I could reach even half of the potential you possess I would focus on changing it all. Change the fuel that burns in an engine. Reduce the by-products during the combustion and evaporation process. Yeah, people are still trying. But who the fuck wants to take a smart car on the racetrack? You can reinvent the auto industry, Jay. Make it less harmful. You have to work with people who are smarter than you. You can't do that being stuck in a classroom with us. If it's anyone, it has to be you."

A hand gripped her shoulder gently and ElJay didn't realize she was shaking.

"Don't project, Yoshio," Hiro's cool voice spoke above her.

"I'm not projecting shit."

Hiro gently helped her stand," She could be responsible for the currency devaluation of many countries who export oil if she made a car like that."

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid, Kobayashi," Yoshio knocked the chair over," what the hell are you doing in this school anyway?"

"Yoshio," Arai-sensei's voice rang out sharply," go take a walk."

"Fuck this shit." Yoshio shot her one last glare before striding away.

ElJay wanted to say something, but her throat had constricted. Takuya had noticed her expression and gave her a reassuring smile as he went after him.

ElJay stared blankly at her hands when she saw Hiro gently clasp her wrist. She followed him as he grabbed her bag and began pulling her away. It was raining in the otherwise deserted schoolyard. He led her over to a bench underneath the concrete covering. ElJay sat down numbly, her hands clenched in her lap and staring pointedly at the ground.

"Why did you take it off?" he pulled out the scarf from her bag and wrapped it around her neck a few times. Her hair was covering her face as he knelt down in front of her with a sigh. She looked so completely vulnerable. It was a strange sight from her normal indifference. On impulse, his warm hands cupped her freezing fists.

"You shouldn't have said that to him," she spoke in a hard voice.

Her tone surprised him," I didn't like the way he was talking to you." He tightened his grip and felt her hands warming up.

"You made him feel like everyone was against him, Hiro," she looked up and shot him a glower," nobody should ever get used to that feeling."

"I'm sure he'll get over it," Hiro scoffed sarcastically, standing up and sitting beside her with an incredulous expression.

"Did you?" she implored, turning her head to see him looking at her intently. She looked back at the pattering rain.

"That's why you're here," she continued in a sure voice, glancing at him with expectant eyes. He didn't betray the surprise he was feeling.

"Because those kids are just kids." She continued, staring him down. He stared back with a guarded look that only seemed half-hearted.

"And that's kind of the point," she said with finality.

They had reached a mutual understanding that Hiro didn't think was possible to achieve with anyone. He never talked about his thoughts because nobody understood anything. Everything that was left unsaid built up impenetrable walls. Brick by brick, they stacked higher each year until he was completely isolated.

"I kind of wish I was like that," she crossed her arms over her chest," An angsty teenager who has no idea how to deal with life and takes it out on the people around her."

He said nothing, but a small smile appeared as he pictured her throwing a fit. He stared at her profile for the longest time. She easily gave her trust and to anyone else he would dub that foolish. With her though, even if someone betrayed it she would just accept and move on. It was a seasoned innocence. He wondered how many times she'd been let down to the point where she stopped expecting. There was a part of him that hoped she expected nothing from him because he would betray her soon. Another part felt differently.

He agreed with Yoshio. She couldn't reach her potential here. She was a racer. There was freedom and adrenaline blurred together in those seconds when the finish line was in sight. He understood why she liked the speed, but he knew better than anyone that you couldn't outrun your demons.

"The visa for the UK…" she started, looking pointedly away from him," it's almost impossible to get for Japanese passports."

Hiro knew the process. Only a thousand people were randomly chosen each year.

She started to chuckle and he furrowed his brows wearily.

"You really think I could devaluate the Canadian dollar?"

He blinked as she beamed up at him. Hiro had been schooled in intermarket analysis from a young age and had a thorough understanding of how globalized economies were influenced. He hadn't expected her to understand, but she always surprised him.

"The Russian ruble too." He noted, assuredly. She looked exhausted all of a sudden and he cursed himself for not bringing the car today.

"Come on, I'll take you home," He pulled her up by the elbow.

He frowned at his watch," if we hurry, we can still beat the afternoon rush or—"He pulled his phone out," I can just ask for the car to be brought here."

Her hand on his forearm stopped him. She smiled and shook her head," don't inconvenience people because of me."

He scoffed," I pay them to be inconvenienced."

She shot him a playful glare and was already walking away right towards the rain. He had managed to get his umbrella over her just as she stepped from the awning. She chuckled, not used to seeing him fumble for anything and the sound settled pleasantly with him once again.

The subway was relatively empty and they found a quiet place in the last car.

ElJay sat back with a contented sigh and watched the skyline. She turned to find Hiro's eyes staring at her hands. They were a pretty sore sight.

"Ah, before I forget," she fished into her bag and took out a neatly folded plaid cardigan," this is yours."

Hiro blinked. He had torn the buttons off, but as he examined them now, they were neatly sewn into place. He thought she had left it at the store and to be honest he had plenty of other replacements, but as he clenched the navy-blue material his heart stuttered.

"Did you sew these back on?" he asked, examining the stitches.

"Yea," she replied sheepishly," I'm used to dealing with heavy machinery so this needle and thread thing was a bit difficult to grasp, but I tried not to ruin the expensive material."

"I could've just bought another one," his fist clenched at the material.

"I know you could've," she commented with a sigh," but I really like this colour on you."

Nobody had ever done something like this for him and Hiro wasn't sure how to react. His mother, although kind followed his father's wishes and therefore was never around. He had a household full of servants whom he could order around. When one of his toys broke or his clothes got dirty he would simply request for its replacement. He didn't think much of his affluence at the time. In his mind, he wasn't being selfish. He had access to the money he was born into. What was the problem with using it?

Then there she was. The girl who was fixing things all her life. The marks on her hands were proof of that. She didn't know, but the simple gesture of sewing on a button was one that Hiro craved for secretly. To have someone fix his tie. To rip fried fish with their hands and place it in his rice bowl. To smile because it was him. He wanted all of these things.

To know that someone cared enough about him to do a thing like that. For this one thing, he was willing to give her everything.

"Thank you." It sounded robotic even to his ears. The attempt at being genuine after years of falseness. He was sure that his vocal chords weren't capable of voicing sincerity.

"You think you're cold-hearted, but I know better," her smile was so bright and his heart clenched once again.

"So I'm not cold-hearted?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You are," she sighed in resignation," but I know that that's not all you are."

He averted his eyes to look at the window, expressionless. She gave a small laugh through her nose and also turned to look at the high-rises. Some time had passed before their eyes met through the glass. She had sensed his demeanor change beside her, but the soft smile that graced his lips was stunning all the same. It wasn't mocking or cruel. It was honest and sheepish, wavering in-between curiosity and appreciation.

They had arrived at the station both in good spirits.

"You were mad at me today," she stated as a cool wind nipped her ears.

He said nothing. He couldn't tell her. There were over twenty girls he could call. Miho. Rina. Tomomi. Irena. He had scrolled through them all on his phone the previous night. They were just names. He couldn't remember age, what colour hair they had, whose twin sister worked at Kabukuro. He stopped remembering when he met her. It had only been a few months. The time was short enough for Hiro to be skeptical. He had tried talking himself out of it many times. He was a healthy male, so it's just the work of the biological clock. It's only because he never spent too much time with anyone, it could happen with any girl. He had labeled her as his, so of course he would feel possessive if another guy talked to her. His uncle had asked him to get close to her and….

"Hiro?" her voice brought him back.

"Well—" he started with an easy smile, ready to make a joke. His cellphone went off at that moment. He wasn't going to pick up until he glanced at the caller id. Several things happened at once. Her face morphed into one of complete horror as he placed the phone to his ear. A gust of wind from a car whizzing by sent her hair flying just as a soft voice spoke "we are back for a few days." There was unexpected moisture gathered in her eyes as she helplessly looked after the car.

"Your father needs to meet with you, Hiro."

She grabbed onto her bag and a look of realization crossed her stricken face. He noticed the license plate.

"Now."

She was shaking her head. The car made a screeching turn down an alley that caused her to wince.

"Jay," he started.

She took off at that moment. He cursed knowing that reckless style of driving all too well. She was already up ahead making the turn. He ended the call, not bothering to answer and ran after her.

ElJay uttered a small cry as she watched her car leaving grotesque tire markings as it made another turn. She had left the keys in her room. Nobody was allowed in there except Han and this wasn't his technique by far. In her mind the mental calculations started. She customized her car to match her precise technique. It wasn't suited for this rough drift. Whoever this driver was, they were applying full acceleration and hence using only the torque from the engine to spin the wheels. Retuning the suspension, replacing the wheels entirely, she grimaced as she thought about the flywheel and crankshaft. Above all else there was rage that was amplified tenfold when she rounded the corner and saw Gisele getting out. She slammed the door too hard and with a small laugh threw the keys to Han who was also grinning.

"Just like old times," he commented.

"I do believe this is the reason you said you were in love, hmm?" she smiled coquettishly.

When he finally noticed ElJay stalking towards them his face turned indifferent. Her long curls were flying wildly around her face. Her school sweater was hanging loosely off one shoulder and her bag straps were limp at her elbows.

"Oh hey Jay," Gisele glanced at her brightly," nice car."

Han saw her purpose and reached for her hand with a warning," Jay."

"Don't touch me, Han," she kept her glare focused on the woman. The anger kept building up.

"Are you telling me you like this style?" she gestured at Gisele, flashing him an incredulous look," a woman who conceals her weakness by being a brash and abrasive cynic. Who thinks she's invincible and can do anything? Do you know what she just did?" she refused to acknowledge the woman currently regarding her coolly," she ruined my fucking car. The one I built. Do you know how much I had to sacrifice? "

At this, Han shut his eyes.

"She didn't have the mental capacity to open the hood and examine exactly what personality this car is suited for. And the worst part is, you just let her." She pushed at his shoulder.

He didn't budge and instead of saying anything he watched her get more incensed, unused to seeing her get worked up over anything.

"How could you do that to me, Han?"

The question registered in his mind, but the blazing grey eyes called to him more.

She pushed him again," You're just going to let this woman come here and do what she wants?"

"It's just a car," Gisele finally spoke up harshly.

ElJay grew livid, but refused to even look at her," not to mention she can't shut the fuck up."

"Why don't you tell me where you got this engine from?" Han asked in a calm voice. She was momentarily stumped.

"Go on. Lie to me," he pressed. This wasn't how it was supposed to work. She was suddenly taken back to one particular day in the mountains. A couple of months after Han found her, he took her drifting one weekend. He was leaning on the hood of his car and she was doing her best to copy him. Her fingers were still going through therapy after the accident and so they awkwardly grasped at watermelon slices. She was a messy eater then and the sweet, pinky water had gotten all over her face.

"That's why he never wins without damaging his car entirely," she asserted brightly. Han looked down at her with his cool expression," Who? Ikeda?"

"Yep," she nodded, grasping another slice, grimacing slightly when her fingers didn't bend properly," He just doesn't get it. The height of his car is all wrong. If he adjusted his rear 4 millimeters then that would help with his understeering."

Han blinked, hiding his wonder," where did you get the number 4 from?"

She pursed her lips in deep thought," 4 makes sense. I can't exactly tell you how I know."

He smiled lightly and lifted her up to sit on the hood. She was so fragile he felt like she would break in his arms. The grimace that she tried to hide wasn't lost on him, but he pretended not to notice. He wiped down her face with a wet towel and then took to massaging her fingers all while she chattered about Ikeda, the former drift king.

"Maybe you should offer your tips to him," he suggested.

Her eyes grew wide," No way, Han, I'm just going to be your personal mechanic."

"If you raced Han, you would be the fastest," it was the infallible faith that got him. He knew she wasn't a regular kid. He had grown up with the wrong affiliations himself to know that he could lose her any day.

"If I raced, it wouldn't be for a title," he grinned at her.

She chuckled," It's easy calling someone a title. In that one second that someone calls him drift king, Ikeda spends hours working on his drift style."

Sometimes he just didn't know how to take care of her. She said things that stumped him.

"What kind of title do you want?" he asked.

She covered her mouth with her hands and giggled," Your wife?"

He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his mouth," what do you think a wife is?"

"A best friend," she placed a tiny hand on his forearm," Somebody who is always with you."

"So we'll have to stick together?" he asked.

"Naturally," she nodded with a grin," as long as you're always on my side."

"Not by your side?" he asked.

"You're silly," she laughed," we can't actually be together all the time, Han."

"Why not?"

Her eyes became blank all of a sudden," I can't exactly tell you that either."

She was brought back to a hand firmly wrapped around her shoulder. Hiro shook her lightly asking if she was ok.

"I'm fine," she said quietly. She shut her eyes momentarily and Han watched as she started leaning into his embrace. She seemed to realize what she was doing at the last moment and steadied herself.

"Let's go see," he gestured to her car.

Han observed their encounter wordlessly. Things were different now and she wasn't eleven and he wasn't good at showing his feelings. She had fixed her silver orbs on him completely devoid of emotion. He couldn't be there for her like before. She was shaking and he noticed the thin material of her school shirt. Just as he had the thought, Hiro adjusted her cardigan and ran his hands over her shoulders trying to warm her up. She stiffened at his touch until he dropped his hands and looked at her questioningly. Han knew this look of utter determination well. Nothing would matter to her except cold metal now. True to his thoughts, she walked into the garage without looking back.

"Does she know?" Han asked Hiro, who was staring after her inscrutably.

"Know what?" They walked a ways away to stand beside a Supra," anyways, I've got it covered. You and Gisele can go seek the happily ever after you're so desperate to find."

"Still bitter?" Han stuck his hands in his pocket and leant against the lacquered door.

"Not really," Hiro breezily replied, running a finger against the shiny decal," Don't forget, I've been there, done that."

Han ignored the comment," Tonight, Hiro."

"She really is adorable, I don't know how you kept your hands off," Hiro commented in a low voice," hell I don't know how I'm controlling myself." He knew a comment like that wouldn't get a reaction from the stoic Han, but he still felt the need to put it out there," she practically begged me to sleep with her, perhaps I'll do just that."

Han smirked knowingly placing a hand on Hiro's shoulder and leaned close to his ear," you won't do it." The way it was said had his blood boiling. As if Han thought he knew everything.

"Won't I?" Hiro leered," either way you hate the idea."

The man in question was spared a reaction by ElJay who had changed into grey sweats and a white muscle tank and had put her hair in a loose side bun.

"Keys," she gruffly stuck out her hand and looked at Han with a cold eyes. He dropped them into her open hand. She ignored the cool wind as she stalked back to her car. Examining the front door in slight disgust she sat behind the wheel. Both of them watched as she did a sleek 160 reverse and backed up expertly into the garage. Hiro let out a low whistle and turned his calculating gaze to look at Han who was staring into space. He shook his head mockingly before pushing himself off the car and making his way towards her. Her movements were rough and agitated. She had wheeled out jack stands and was already in the process of elevating her car. Her arms were thin and milky white, but they expertly handled the cold metal. ElJay placed one foot on an automotive creeper, her eyes perusing through the pages in a black folder. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and kicked the creeper towards the elevated vehicle.

"What's the verdict?" Hiro asked, taking off his blazer and rolling up his sleeves.

Her eyes blazed with malice," I swear it's like she was riding a goddamn bull."

"Oh come now, just because she's Spanish?" Hiro raised an eyebrow.

The anger died slightly," I didn't mean it like that," she admitted, rubbing her eyebrow bone with the palm of her hand.

He grinned at her, tugging the folder from her hand. It had a hefty stack of papers detailing the car parts and accessories she used. Most recently she had drawn up the 629i in great detail. The engine she had before was also drawn up neatly. Then there were pages among pages of calculations. Newtonian mechanics, projectile motion formulas, two pages dedicated entirely to fuel conservation and another four to minimizing the release of CO2. They were complicated formulas, but he found he could follow her step-by-step write up.

Hiro looked up in complete awe only to find her staring at Han. Her face was impassive, but the longing was there. Her eyes followed him as he accepted the beer Gisele held out to him. They narrowed when he gave a half smile of thanks and closed completely when he made his way upstairs. He leant sideways against the railing of the second floor talking to one of the mechanics. Hiro knew he was watching them though his periphery vision.

"My father built this engine."

It took a lot of effort not to react. Hiro was desperate to grab onto this first bit of information she had shared about herself.

"I didn't think I would be able to find it," she continued wryly," I look like a joke compared to him."

"No," his voice spoke on his own with so much vehemence that she finally looked over at him. His hand latched behind her neck and he brought his face eye-level to hers.

"You," he started, eyes flashing dangerously," are the most infuriating person I've ever met." At that moment his domineering persona radiated over the entire room. His grip was firm and he ran a hand over her shoulder until his thumb settled just above her collarbone. He noted how cold her skin was and his eyes involuntarily flickered to the kettle in the kitchen. She stared without seeing him.

He reached out to pinch her side and she jerked away in surprise. He let her, even giving her a light push so she stumbled backwards into her car.

"Stop that!" He saw a rosy blush colour her cheeks and smirked.

"What can I do?" he asked, gesturing to the car.

"You want to help?" she asked, propping the hood open.

"Can I? Is the real question." He replied, good-naturedly," Somebody gets a bit stingy when it comes to her car."

She wasn't sure why she felt comfortable handing him a wrench. He had driven her car before and she liked the way he handled himself. She started disconnecting the battery, the starter, and the transmission. Hiro got a collection pan to start draining the transmission fluid and crept underneath to locate the drain hole.

When she got an idea of what she was working with, she started explaining the situation. His eyes didn't glaze over. Instead, he scanned her notes thoughtfully and he nodded in agreement at her game plan.

"I have to check the entire timing belt." She gestured to only a part of it visible under the hood. Hiro had donned on gloves and proceeded to push her aside.

"Let me."

She watched with a steely gaze as he removed the air intake pipe and radiator hose surrounding the belt. Her hands would've had fresh scars, but that was mainly because she didn't like to wear gloves. She watched him like a hawk and leant her head closer to his as the belt came into view. His ear obscured most of her view and she craned her neck cursing his big head. She must've voiced her mutterings aloud because he shot her a knowing smirk.

"Just make sure there are no cracks or oil leaks or…" and as her mind went through the whole list, she desperately tried to crane her head further.

"Or shredding, or slack," Hiro listed them off for her, keeping his head stubbornly in place," I know a thing or two about this."

She was at a loss at what to do. Throughout the whole process, he was there, assisting her with the disassembly and trying to convince her to put gloves on. When she refused, he very seriously told her to let him to the work. He didn't shy away from hard labour like she thought he might. They stood side by side, assessing their work so far. He looked at her profile to find her flipping through her folder, her mouth moving silently as she read the words. His hand snaked around her cold shoulder and he gently pulled her into him, hoping the heat emanating from him was enough. He pointed to the engine and then the drawing of it, noting that she had missed a small calculation. She blinked in shock and as she let it sink in, his pencil was already making contact with the paper and writing it in.

"Happens to the best of us," he commented as she looked at him with a huge smile. He unconsciously placed his thumbs on the corners of her mouth and pulled, exaggerating the smile.

Han watched the exchange from the second floor recalling his fear of touching her. Time had passed, but he could still remember her small, flinching face.

"He acts very well," Gisele came to stand beside him.

He was silent, choosing instead to take a swig of beer.

"You jealous?" He shot her a look telling her he notice the forced indifference in her tone.

She sighed," even I was fooled. He can make himself very believable."

"You're just impulsive."

She was slightly taken aback by his jibe. Taking her own sip, she leant against the railing. "Dom called."

He didn't spare her a glance this time," I got the memo."

"When are we leaving?" She tried again.

He didn't reply.

"Han."

He turned to her," Go without me. I have to take care of something."

"Thank you." A soft thud on the table alerted him. It was past 1 am and he had been watching her re-examine everything for the third time. Everyone had gone to the club next door so the garage was silent. He had dozed off with his arms on the table before he knew it.

Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder. She seemed unsure at what to do as he glanced up at her bemusedly. Grimacing, she brought it back down awkwardly.

"Would you believe me if I said I had a good time?" he asked, good-naturedly.

"Did you?" she grinned, taking a seat and pushing the steaming cup of earl grey towards him.

"I don't usually hang around people who can intellectually stimulate me," he explained, taking a sip.

"Is that why you fell asleep?" He was pleased to note that she seemed completely relaxed.

"You tire me out," he winked as she laughed.

"Can I ask you?" she ventured after a while," what exactly do you want to do?"

"Does hotel magnate, economist extraordinaire not suit me?" he said it smugly, but she thought she could hear the bitterness.

Her smile was slight," it does, but that wasn't my question, was it?"

His thoughts drifted to one recurring image that he had been having lately. He looked at his phone which continued to light up periodically indicating that his mother was still trying to reach him. He looked back at her expectant face.

"It's getting late."

She noticed his phone as well and nodded," somebody's looking for you?"

He would be honest with her with this one," my mother."

Her eyes lit up," really? Let's go then, I'll drop you off at home." She stood up abruptly, almost knocking her chair down.

"Do you want to meet her?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Truthfully, she did. ElJay had seen the different ways he interacted in different situations. She was curious what he would be like with his mother.

"It'll give us a chance to test drive," she had gathered her keys, closed the hood, and opened the passenger door for him.

Hiro wondered if she even noticed the way she had grouped them together. He took in the bags under her eyes and slightly sick pallor. She hadn't eaten since lunch. He froze at the thought. He was angry this morning for reasons that seemed pointless now. He had seen her pick at her food at lunch, but didn't spare it a second thought. She had fixed his cardigan and he was a jerk who couldn't make sure she was fed. He immediately put the blame on Han. They spent how many hours now, fine-tuning her car? It was because of him.

"No, El," he picked his blazer up with an index finger and regarded her strangely, noting her thin appearance.

"You go eat something, ok?" He walked around her car to shut the passenger door. His thumb rose to brush the soft skin of her cheek. He couldn't do it tonight.

"Eat something and then sleep," he stared at her until she nodded," I'll see you soon."

He walked away. Plans would need to be adjusted. He would worry about it later.