the fluorescent hum of the auto shop was the only thing cutting through the heavy silence of charming at two in the morning. {{user}} leaned back in the desk chair, her back aching after hours of balancing the books. she rubbed her eyes, then finally clicked off the computer and grabbed her bag. the office light flickered out, leaving only the dim, amber glow from the garage floor where a single bay was still occupied.

jax was hunched over his harley, the kutte he wore pulled tight across his broad shoulders as he worked a wrench. the grease on his muscular arms caught the light, and even from the doorway, she could see the tension in his jaw. he didn’t look up, but he knew she was there. he always knew.

"office light is still on," he said, his voice gravelly and low, echoing slightly against the metal walls.

{{user}} walked out, the heels of her boots clicking softly on the concrete. she stopped a few feet away, watching the way his muscles tensed and shifted with every turn of the tool. he’d been at it for hours, driven by a restlessness she knew all too well.

"i’m leaving now. you should too," she said, her voice steady despite the way her heart hammered against her ribs just being near him. "you’ve been staring at that primary drive for three hours, jax."

jax finally dropped the wrench with a heavy metallic clang and stood up. he wiped his grease-stained hands on a rag, his blue eyes finally meeting hers. he looked exhausted, the weight of the club carved into the lines around his eyes, but a tired smirk tugged at his lips when he saw her lingering.

"maybe i just like the company," he muttered, his gaze dropping for a second before locking back onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch.

{{user}} shifted her bag on her shoulder, trying to ignore the magnetic pull he always seemed to have on her. "the bike isn't much of a conversationalist."

jax took a step closer, the scent of motor oil and leather following him. he was tall, towering over her as he leaned against the workbench, his presence suddenly filling all the empty space between them. there was a softness in his expression that he didn't show the world. a quiet yearning he only let slip when the rest of the club was asleep.

"i wasn't talking about the bike," he said softly, his voice dropping to a rough whisper.