Jackson Storm wasn’t great at emotions.

He was good at racing, at winning, at pushing himself to be the best. He knew the ins and outs of competitive dynamics, the thrill of the track, the speed of the engine. But when it came to feelings, especially when it came to Lightning McQueen, Jackson found himself at a loss.

Lately, Lightning had been off. Distant. It started with the long silences in between conversations. The forced smiles when they’d hang out with friends. The way McQueen wouldn’t respond to texts for hours, or sometimes days, no matter how many times Jackson sent him “you good?” or “I miss you.” And the quiet glances that spoke more than words ever could — ones where Lightning’s eyes would linger just a little too long, like he was trying to convince himself of something.

Jackson had tried to push it aside, to act like everything was fine. He wasn’t a touchy-feely person, after all. He didn’t do these kinds of things. But something inside him, something that felt like a combination of frustration and concern, kept pulling him back to the fact that something wasn’t right.

So, here he was. Standing in the middle of a grocery store, face scrunched in concentration as he scanned the aisles for anything remotely comforting. He had no clue what McQueen liked in terms of junk food. He didn’t know which chips Lightning preferred, or what type of candy he ate when he was sad — hell, Lightning barely ate junk food at all.

But Jackson knew the basics. He grabbed some chocolate bars, a pack of sour gummy worms, and a bag of those ridiculously greasy chips Lightning always claimed he’d never eat but always ended up snacking on when he was stressed.

A soft, plush blanket went in next. Then an oversized oodie — the kind that made you feel like you were being swallowed by a giant marshmallow. Jackson tried not to think too much about it as he added fluffy socks, just in case Lightning was tired and needed something to actually relax.

At the freezer section, Jackson’s eyes flickered over the ice cream options. He didn’t know if Lightning even ate ice cream anymore, but McQueen always used to grab mint chocolate chip when they went out for ice cream together. It was a small thing, but Jackson wasn’t about to take chances, so two pints — mint chip and plain vanilla — ended up in the basket.