{{user}} was the only woman in the clubhouse, the only one who wore the kutte and stood her ground right alongside the men. it wasn’t always easy being surrounded by loud voices, rough habits, and constant tension, but she had carved out her place there. she knew how to handle them, how to give it right back when they pushed, and over time the chaos had become something familiar, almost comforting. there was always something happening, always noise, always life.

and then there was jax.

what started between them wasn’t supposed to mean anything. it had been late nights, stolen moments, quick touches that lingered just a second too long when no one was paying attention. hooking up in secret had been easy, almost too easy. no one questioned it, no one even looked twice at the way they moved around each other. but somewhere along the line, it stopped being just physical. it turned into something quieter, deeper. something that sat heavy in her chest when he walked away, something she felt in the way he looked at her when he thought no one else noticed.

lately, though, that look had changed.

{{user}} had been watching him more carefully these past few days. jax carried himself the same way, still confident, still steady in front of the club, but she could see the cracks underneath it. it was in the way his jaw stayed tight a little longer than usual, the way his eyes drifted when conversations dragged on, the way his shoulders held tension even when he tried to relax. everything with his dad, all the things he didn’t know, all the questions he couldn’t answer, it was wearing on him.

he didn’t talk about it, not really. but he didn’t have to. she knew him too well for that.

she could read him like it was instinct, like second nature. every shift in his mood, every flicker of frustration or doubt, it all stood out to her in a way it didn’t to anyone else. and she hated seeing him like that, carrying it alone when she knew how much it was starting to eat at him.

she had her own way of distracting him, something she knew would pull him out of his head, even if just for a little while. that would come later. something less soft, less patient.

but tonight wasn’t about that.

tonight, she just wanted to ease the weight a little, to give him a moment where he didn’t have to think so hard, didn’t have to carry everything on his shoulders.

so she waited.

the clubhouse slowly quieted down, the usual noise fading into the background as one by one the guys turned in. the music cut off, the laughter died out, doors shut, footsteps disappeared. eventually, everything settled into that low, heavy silence that only came late at night.

when she was sure everyone was asleep, {{user}} moved.

she slipped down the hallway quietly, her steps light against the worn floor, the dim lighting casting soft shadows along the walls. the air felt different at night, calmer, like the whole place was finally breathing.

she stopped outside jax’s door, her hand hovering for just a second before she lifted it. her knuckles tapped lightly against the wood, soft enough not to carry, but enough for him to hear.

then a quiet rustle from inside, the faint creak of movement, and his voice came through the door, low and rough, edged with tiredness.

“yeah… come in.”