Cars © Pixar/Disney
Summary: Cruz always did small things for the racers on the holidays. She treaded lightly when it came to Jackson Storm though. But this time, she was willing to give it a go. After all, how could anyone hate Valentine's Day?
First go at writing a Cars story (one-shot really), and I knew it was going to have to be StormXCruz. I'm not big into Valentine's Day, but I imagine Cruz is optimistic enough to see love in the air, everywhere. XD
Also, I don't know if the Cars universe has different holidays as in the U.S., but I'm just going to stick with it for the sake of this one-shot, lol. And yes, I know Valentine's Day isn't even really a true holiday, but I wanted to write something.
This one-shot is a day late because I had to really think about the ending and what I wanted from it. But here is the one-shot nonetheless! I thought it was pretty decent, actually, for not having ever written these characters before. I quite like the ending, in my opinion. *shrugs* I haven't written for much in a long time, so this is an accomplishment in of itself, but I really wanted to write a Cars one-shot between these two.
Enjoy!
One-Shot:
Heart-Shaped
While she had only been racing for two years now, Cruz Ramirez felt like a part of the racing community. She had made friends among many of the racers, and being Cruz, she had to show her appreciation for that friendship.
Without fail, Cruz always did small things for them whenever a holiday rolled around. Whether it was during the season or not, they were her friends.
Lightning McQueen wasn't about to argue with her actions. He understood that she felt welcomed and made friends. He wasn't about to tell her that sending them a gift was unusual.
Still, he had to look long and hard at a can of oil with a pink ribbon around it. A heart-shaped balloon was attached to it.
"Valentine's Day, Cruz?"
The sound of race cars practicing on the track went unnoticed by the two cars. Cruz was busy trying to put a red bow on another can of oil. "Just small things, Mr. McQueen. Why? Too much?"
He stifled a chuckle as he drove around to face her and her many other gifts. "There are more gifts here than racers you know, Cruz. You know you don't need to go all out every time a holiday rolls around, right?"
"I for one, love holidays," Cruz snorted defiantly. She wasn't going to let him talk her out of it like last Valentine's Day. "And I know it might seem like it means something more due to this special day, but honestly, I'm just appreciative of their friendship."
"And...are some going to see it that way?" He was wary.
Last year-her first year of racing that she dominated-was a little odd in this department. While the retired racer had managed to talk her out of Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day gifts, there was no stopping Christmas or New Year's.
"Pfft, it's a can of oil." Cruz rolled her eyes a little. "I know at times it may seem they might be flirting and all, as I'm one of the only female racers, but there's nothing to worry about."
"Uh huh."
"I promise. Now, if you'll excuse me," Cruz finished putting the bow on, although it was a little lopsided, "I must give these cans of oil out."
"With heart-shaped balloons. Subtle."
"It's Valentine's Day, Mr. McQueen! Maybe instead of worrying about what I'm doing for my friends, you should worry about what you and Sally are going to do tonight."
He shrugged. "Fancy dinner like usual. Is that bad?"
Cruz gave him an unimpressed look. "Wow. Such a romantic."
"Okay, I'll think of something else." He reversed to head in the direction he came. "I'm going to find Luigi and Guido. You need to change your tires. I want you out on the track in half an hour. Should be enough time for you to give your friends their cans of oil."
"Thank you for the clarification on that last part," Cruz droned sarcastically. She set the can if oil next to the others. There was a pile, that was for sure. And every one of them had their own little signature touch.
Upon looking at them more closely, McQueen stared back at the lonesome one-the one with the pink ribbon and the heart-shaped balloon. It was the only one with a small balloon on it. And he couldn't help but think that it might be for more than friend.
He motioned to the can. "Is that for someone special?"
"What?" She seemed caught off guard.
"It has a balloon. The others don't have a balloon. And you've separated it from the others-like you have in mind who that one's for whereas the others could go to anyone."
If cars could blush, she would have been as red as a tomato. "Well...Yes. It's for someone in mind, but not necessarily...more special than the others. Still just a friend, though."
"Oh?" he gave her a inquisitive look, as if he knew she was lying.
She was only partially lying. "Yes, now if you'll excuse. I'll see you in thirty minutes."
McQueen watched her push along a handful of cans and disappear to the trailers. He shook his head with a light smirk before going on his way to find Luigi and Guido.
"You've hit 212, Storm."
The familiar black car finished his extra lap before exiting the track. Another racer flew past him as he slowed down-he barely heard his crew chief, Ray Reverham.
Today was a slower day for Jackson Storm. Frowning at the thought of only going 212 mph, he went on his way to his hauler. His crew chief wasn't far behind.
"You were slowing down too much on those turns today, Jackson. You weren't on your-"
"Line. I know." Storm was getting accustomed to being "off his line." It was something the racers had begun to figure out. And while his crew chief was managing at training him on that aspect, Storm found himself not caring anymore.
He was beaten.
"If you want any chance of beating Ramirez this season, you need to focus, again." Ray came to a halt and sighed. "Look, I'm not going to push you past your breaking point. We've been at this for months, Jackson. And we know you can't keep pushing yourself. Next-Gen or not. All cars need a break."
"I don't need a break," Storm retorted, reversing to glare at Ray. "I'm fine."
"No racing tomorrow. Not on the simulator or the track. On the outside, you're fine. On the inside? You need a break," Ray shook his hood. "And if you don't listen to these orders, then expect a doctor to help prove my point."
"Fine," Storm hissed in response. He went on his way to find Gale, now pouting and mumbling incoherent words to himself.
I don't need a break. I don't need rest. I'm fine. I could do this in my sleep. Two miles per hour off my usual-so what?
Turning the corner around some of the trailers, he spotted a peculiar sight that made him stop in his tracks.
Ramirez. What the heck is she doing?
The female racer had been a pain in his side from the day she beat him. But that didn't stop her from being overly friendly with everyone on the track-even Storm. He chose to ignore her, however, and for the most part, it seemed to work.
She let him be.
But that didn't mean Storm didn't catch a glimpse every now and then of Cruz doing something so stupid that it was endearing.
And this time, she was placing a can of oil at the entrance to Danny Swervez's garage. It was already an odd thing to be doing considering Danny wasn't there. But what caught Storm's eye was the ribbon laced around the can in a criss-cross pattern. It was purple to match the racer, no doubt, and it also had a little smiley face bobble-head attached with tape to the can.
Just when I thought she was already odd. She never ceased to amaze him-that much was for sure.
Perhaps Storm was softening up to the other racers, but he didn't let the thought exist for more than two seconds.
No. I stick to myself and my strategy. The race this week is mine to win. Or lose. Self-doubt was also a new thing that never ceased for him. Never ceased to grab him mentally and drag him down.
"Cruz!"
Storm glanced back up to see Cruz jump in fright. Danny Swervez came into view with a smile playing at his lips. "Now what could this be?"
The yellow car was sheepish all of a sudden.
Storm scoffed. So, she's got a little crush on a racer. How painfully adorable. He thought sarcastically to himself.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" she gave an awkward laugh as she moved the can of oil towards the racer. "I'm going around and giving everyone gifts."
"Wow," Danny stared at the can with a genuine smile. "That's very thoughtful of you, Cruz. You didn't have to do this."
"It's nothing, really. I just want to show everyone how much I appreciate them. Even if it means a simple can of oil," she laughed a little, as the idea of the present now seemed ridiculous to her. Perhaps McQueen was right about the whole present stuff.
"No, no. I really like it." Danny made a point of his gratitude by moving the can of oil into his garage space. He reversed into the garage and stared at the can with something akin to affection. "Just when I came to take a break from the track. Big day coming soon. You ready?"
"Oh, yeah," Cruz waved it off with her tire. "Gonna go do a practice lap in a few. Got to get everyone's gifts to them in the meantime. Before my crew chief comes after me, ya know?" she chortled.
Danny found himself smirking at the car in front of him. How peculiar and delightful she was to be around...He blinked back into reality upon realizing he had started to trail off. "Yeah? Well, be safe out there."
He cringed at his own words. "See ya around, Cruz!"
"See ya!"
"Thanks for the gift!"
"No problem!"
Cruz made a quick move to get out of the awkward exchange, but Danny stopped her yet again.
"Hey, Cruz!"
"Yeah?" she turned around to look at him, forcing a smile to make it seem like she wasn't purposefully trying to leave hurriedly.
He gave her a charming grin. "Happy Valentine's Day."
She might've hallucinated it, but she could've sworn Danny winked at her. Biting her bottom lip, she returned with, "You, too," and left a little more slowly this time.
Watching the conversation, Storm found himself gritting his teeth together. He stopped upon noticing his mouth hurt.
It would seem someone has a little thing for someone.
This time, Storm wasn't assuming Cruz had a crush on Danny. It was the complete opposite. He was only more convinced when he watched Danny stare at the can with a bigger grin on his face than before.
Pathetic. It's a can of oil. Not even the good stuff, anyway.
It was a cheap gift, he decided.
Storm went on his way towards Gale.
However, he was so lost in thought about what Cruz had said that he went right past Gale's trailer. Gale, who was right by it, noticed. She watched the young racer with a confused look on her face.
"I'm going around and giving everyone gifts."
Everyone? That's a lot of people.
Storm was almost curious enough to wonder if that meant him, too. He tried to wipe away the thought, but it kept coming back for some reason.
Why would she get me a gift? No. I bet she only meant certain people. She couldn't have gotten everyone a gift.
Still. A small part of him liked to hope.
But why?
Well, it could have been because he didn't remember the last time someone gave him a gift. He didn't talk to his parents. He didn't have siblings. Or other relatives that he really knew.
So, the sudden hope that maybe someone out there had noticed him wasn't about to leave, as much as he wanted it to.
"Storm?"
He was stopped by a familiar voice. Turning around, he saw Gale, who looked a little worried. Upon noticing his surroundings, Storm could tell that he went a little too far.
Slowly coming back towards her trailer, Storm didn't make a peep. He was a little embarrassed-not like he'd let that show though.
"Are you okay?"
She was cautious in asking him certain things. Storm wasn't much for conversations that were more...touchy. And the last few days, Ray had been riding him about rest.
"I'm fine."
The trailer door opened and settled down on the ground. He hesitated before driving onto the ramp. Mostly because he stopped to see if something was inside. Gale noticed he seemed to be looking for something. And then he drove in without another word.
The ramp shut behind him.
Gale wasn't sure if she should hook up to the trailer and drive somewhere, or if he just wanted to be alone. Deciding the latter, Gale drove as quietly as she could away. Perhaps if they just let him be, he would finally get some rest.
He's been pushing himself so hard this last year. Gale thought with a little frown. Having been beaten by Cruz...that wasn't easy on him. His arrogance was sure shot down, thank goodness. I'll admit mine was, too. He wasn't unbeatable anymore. He isn't. And I think that scares him.
Stopping in front of the trailer, Gale decided to rest as well. A short little nap or something. Unless Ray came along, then she would simply direct them elsewhere to let her racer sleep. When she didn't hear any music coming from the trailer, she let all worry go.
Normally, no music was a bad sign. It meant he was fuming. Like the night when Cruz beat him for the first time. And every night after that until she won the Piston Cup. Now, he listened to music still, but it wasn't so high of volume.
And when he wasn't listening to music, soft snores could be heard. Although, that was once in a blue moon.
Gale decided that this was one of those blue moons.
Shutting her eyes, it felt like only five seconds of sleep before she was being prodded awake. In reality, it had been ten minutes.
"Hey, Gale, look I know you and I are okay and whatnot, and that Storm and I are even less so, but I have a favor to ask of you."
The Dinoco racer in front of her caught her completely off guard. She blinked awake. "What?"
"Look," Cruz hurriedly recapped her words, "I don't have much time before I need to be out on the track. And I need a favor from you."
"What kind of favor?"
"Well, firstly. Happy Valentine's Day."
A small can of oil was pushed towards her. It was sporting a blue bow. Gale found herself smiling at the racer. Despite Cruz being her racer's number one rival, she knew that Cruz had a good heart.
"Thank you, Cruz…" she softly murmured. It was nice. It was unnecessary, but then again, Gale didn't recall the last time anyone got her anything on Valentine's Day.
"I just want to show my appreciation for being given this opportunity to race and to share such wonderful memories," Cruz quickly spoke as she counted down the minutes in her head. Her thirty minutes were almost up. "Now, although you and I have never spoken one-on-one like this, I just want to let you know that I'm a friend to you."
Gale continued to smile, which made Cruz continue her short speech. "But, there's one person left that I haven't given a gift to."
"Storm."
"Right. And well, I know that he's completely separate from all of the other racers, and I understand that I'm the last racer he'd want to talk to, but if you could just let me put this in his trailer…" Cruz was fumbling her words and trailed off at the very end.
She hadn't thought that Gale of all vehicles would be the one to know that the can of oil with the heart-shaped balloon attached to it would go to Jackson Storm.
Gale stared at the gift with something akin to shock. The small balloon had no words on it, it was just a simple heart. But it still caught her by surprise.
Cruz giving that to Storm of all racers? Why?
As much as Gale wanted to ask her, she decided against it. She had no clue what went on between the racers on the track. For all she knew, Cruz and Storm might actually converse on the track.
"Well...He's in his trailer right now. I'm assuming he's sleeping, though," Gale mentioned. "I don't know what you want to do with that."
"Oh...Well, then…" Cruz's plan was falling apart.
She had planned on leaving the can of oil in his trailer. Wanting to leave it anonymous, she figured that he would eventually put the pieces together when everyone else would thank her for the gifts later. She was willing to do that instead. If she gave him the gift face-to-face he might openly reject it.
And she really didn't want to listen to that.
"Is he a heavy sleeper?" she wondered out loud.
"Considering he's been tired the past few months, I would guess that he's gotten to be a pretty heavy sleeper. And before then, he was usually asleep while his music was blaring."
"Okay, then...May I?"
The fact that Cruz was asking for permission made Gale respect her even more. She gave her a nod of both permission and encouragement. Watching the racer go around to the back of the trailer, she waited in anticipation.
The ramp came down.
Cruz swallowed heavily, pushing the can of oil a little.
Just shove it in front of him, sleeping or not, and then make a break for it. Head straight for the track. He'll never know.
The heart-shaped balloon was making her even more anxious.
It was a stupid idea. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What if he hates it? What if he thinks more of it and then makes fun of me for it? I'll never live it down. The other racers will judge me for sure.
They'll think I have a crush on him. He'll think I have a crush on him. He'll use that totally tear me down. Because what's worse is that…
The ramp settled down on the ground, and Cruz caught her breath.
He was fast asleep.
Facing towards her, Storm was entirely stuck in dreamland. Soft snores came from him, which made Cruz smile fondly.
Because what's worse is that...He's not all that bad. Sure, his cockiness has been kicked down several notches, and he doesn't talk to anyone still...But there's something about him that's intriguing.
Pushing the can onto the ramp, Cruz realized that this was the first time she had ever been this close to his trailer.
Heck, she was on it. And soon, she would be partially in it.
Cruz continued to push the can towards him, hoping that it wouldn't wake him up at the last second. The last thing she wanted to see at that moment were those familiar gray eyes. So, she silently prayed that he remained sleeping.
As long as those snores continued, she was clear.
When the can wasn't too close to him but in the trailer enough that the excess ribbon wouldn't get caught in the ramp, Cruz reversed. Watching the ramp close was the most agonizing part of it all, probably.
It was so slow. She was sure he would wake up.
But then the click of the ramp signaled to her that the door was shut. And after a few seconds of idling there, Cruz didn't hear anything.
It was quiet.
With hope that he hadn't woken up, Cruz gave Gale a triumphant grin and thanked her. The Next-Gen hauler watched the giddy racer disappear to find her crew chief.
Well, I'll be.
As much as Gale wanted to see Storm's reaction to the gift, she knew her racer needed sleep still. So, without making any noise, Gale went back into her spot in front of her trailer, looking at the spot where Cruz once was.
The rest of the day for Cruz was long.
McQueen's training for her was rougher than usual. She figured it was because a new racer was on the track and looking sharper than ever. It was just another racer to her.
She even said hi.
"That's enough for today, Cruz. Come back in." McQueen watched from his Dinoco/Rust-eze podium as Cruz slowly got off the track.
She was the last racer to leave. The sun was already setting.
By the time her and McQueen went over her training for the day, Cruz was exhausted. McQueen figured that tomorrow they would hit the track again and try something different for the turn three she struggled on.
Cruz couldn't think of anything but a small nap, though. "Are you taking Sally out to dinner still?"
"I figured that was too boring," McQueen snorted. He thought his original plan was fine. "I decided we'd go on a drive instead. Still try a new restaurant around this town, but just drive. See the area."
Cruz gave a shake of her hood in understanding.
"Are you going to the small get-together the racers are having?"
"The what?"
"You know. It's Valentine's Day, Cruz. They have to be here for the race in three days, practicing and whatnot. When those things happen, they do a little party of their own-at least some of them without loved ones in the area. Tex will be there. It'll be on the grass-where the extra fans are at the race, you know?"
"Yeah. I might go," Cruz bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if she wanted to face certain people. Like Danny. Or worse: Storm.
But he probably won't go. And he's seen the gift by now. Unless he's that exhausted, in which case I just feel bad for the guy.
"Well, get some rest. Mack will be here. Luigi and Guido are at the hotel with Mater. Ramone and Flo are out on a date of their own. If you need anything, just call Sally. We'll be there."
"It's alright, Mr. McQueen. I'll be fine," Cruz shrugged him off, but gave a small smile of appreciation. "Thanks."
He returned the grin before disappearing towards the exit. Cruz watched him leave before going to find Mack. She wasn't sure when this party was going on, but she figured Mack knew.
Upon finding the hauler, she greeted him warmly.
"Hey, Cruz! Good practice run there, today. You almost hit 210."
"Yeah. Not my best day."
"You aren't the only one," Mack chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
He motioned towards the empty track. "Oh, I saw Jackson Storm race today. He couldn't hit his top speeds like usual."
A little concern swelled up inside her. She frowned. "That's too bad. It's not as fun when your competition is having their off days."
"I figured you'd be happy to hear that."
Cruz narrowed her eyes. "Why? He's another racer, Mack. We push each other to the limits-I think that's the biggest factor in why it's so fun. For the most part, it's all just playful banter with the racers."
"And with Storm?"
"Sure, he's never enjoyed my company on or off the track. Or anyone's company for that matter. But that doesn't mean he should continue to suffer like this."
Mack gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
"I spoke to Gale today. Gave her a present," Cruz shrugged. "He was exhausted, Mack. I mean, I know that ever since I beat him the firsttime, he's been struggling with something. So much that look at us now-I've won a Piston Cup. I mean, yes, I worked my tail off. But at times, it felt too easy. You know?"
"Like you knew something was wrong with him?" Mack suggested.
"Exactly."
He waved it off. "That's just him pouting, Cruz. He was undefeated for a year. Arrogant and rude to anyone who would think otherwise. I'm glad you put him in his place. He's just riding the pity train at this point."
"Maybe. But he's never stopping, Mack. If he was drowning himself in self pity, don't you think he wouldn't be pushing himself like this? He's constantly on that track, isn't he?"
"Well…yeah…"
"Then I don't think it's him pouting," Cruz could barely believe she was defending her rival. "I think Gale was right. Something's wrong with him. He's tired not just physically, but mentally. I'm sure he had a lot of pressure on him when I beat him the first time. When his cockiness dwindled down with each race, I think that pressure was catching up with him."
Mack sighed. "Makes sense." He wasn't going to argue with her, even if he didn't personally like the guy. "So, did you give him a gift?"
"Yeah."
"What'd he say?"
"I don't know. He didn't see it by the time I had to go," Cruz admitted. "Maybe he'll give it to Gale or something. Discard it like it wasn't for him. I think he's unsure of how to deal with stuff like that."
"Stuff like what?"
"I don't know. Friendship? Actually doing something nice for someone other than himself. Things like that," Cruz hummed in thought. "Hey, Mack?"
"Hm?"
"Are we going to that party they're putting on tonight?"
"Yeah, if you want," Mack softly responded. "I didn't know if you'd be too tired. Lightning seemed to be pushing you hard out there today."
"A little. But nothing I can't handle." She offered him a smile. "When is it though?"
Mack gave her a knowing look. "If you want to take a short nap beforehand, Cruz, you've got plenty of time. It's not in another two hours. They're still setting up small little decorations to make it feel more homely for the racers, I guess. I should probably go and help."
"Okay."
"I'll leave you to sleep. I promise to come and get you before it starts," he chuckled as he drove away.
Cruz smiled happily at the thought of a nap. "Perfect."
Driving to her trailer, she sat there with her eyes closed, waiting for the ramp to come down. As it did, she reversed onto the ramp, but stopped short when something caught her eye.
Blinking, now wide awake, Cruz got off the ramp and faced inside the trailer. Her mouth was agape at the sight before.
A can of oil with a note.
There was no ribbon or anything extra on it.
She swallowed nervously as she drove onto the ramp to see the note better.
What if it's his? And he gave it back? But why would he keep the balloon of all things? What if it's not his? What if it's not even from him? It could be from Danny. Or someone else. It could be from McQueen or Mack.
Shakily, Cruz read the note.
Now everyone has a Valentine's Day gift
Staring at the can of oil and then back at the note, Cruz noticed it was a different brand of oil. So, it wasn't someone bringing it back.
And the note…'now everyone has a Valentine's Day gift'...
She was puzzled.
I spoke to plenty of people today when handing out gifts. So, it could be anyone. But the note sounds familiar-
Her eyes widened.
"Now what could this be?"
The charming smirk before she left, and the possible wink she was now 85% sure he gave.
"I'm going around and giving everyone gifts."
She bit her bottom lip as if to stop it from quivering. It was just Danny…
A part of her almost thought that it could have been Storm. But when she came to the harsh conclusion that that wasn't his style, she accepted that it was simply Danny Swervez.
But...Why would he leave it anonymous? I hope I didn't lead him on or something. It was just a gift of friendship, really.
She was wary, but nonetheless, she went into her trailer. The door shut, and she slowly closed her eyes.
The can of oil being the last thing she saw before she slipped into a deep sleep.
Storm wasn't one for parties. Especially not these little get-togethers that were literally just any racer's who showed up and their team.
Or even just their team.
He could already see that half the racers weren't there. And it was already thirty minutes into the so-called party.
Next to him was Gale. She noticed he seemed to be counting the heads that kept coming into view. The grass was nice and cool as the Christmas lights decorated around wooden poles illuminated the place along with the track lights. It was a different atmosphere that neither were used to.
She gave him a small smile, looking down at him. "What are you gonna do?"
"Huh?" He seemed lost in his thoughts.
"You know. With the gift."
Storm wanted to hide the fact that he received a gift. But he knew that Cruz wasn't dumb enough to just open the ramp without asking. It was unlike her. So, it wasn't a surprise when Gale told him that it was indeed Cruz who left the gift.
It was just an embarrassment.
He wanted to keep the little feeling in side of him contained. It felt personal-this gift. And what was worse was that Gale had a gift already for him to give Cruz in return.
"I'm not doing that."
"Yes, you are, Jackson Storm. You are going to Mack, and you are giving him this to give to Cruz when she gets off the track."
And when Gale had laid out the plan, she made sure that Storm stuck to it. Watching him from afar, she had been pleasantly surprised that he didn't stray from the goal.
He had arrived at her trailer, but Mack was nowhere in sight. After a few seconds of thought, he just decided to pull a Cruz on Cruz. And as soon as he had gotten the can of oil into her trailer and the ramp closed, he was gone.
Gale had to admit that she was still proud of him, however.
"I suppose it would be a waste if I didn't use it...But if you always want it, go right ahead," he offered.
"Oh, no. No. I wouldn't want to use your balloon as an antenna ball."
He glared at nothing in particular. "That's not what I meant," he growled under his breath as Gale laughed lightly.
"I'm only teasing. But you should keep the gift. Even the balloon. I'm sure she'll appreciate someone else giving her a gift. Although, I was a little shocked when you gave her a note. I wasn't about to force you to do that."
"It was a simple note."
"What'd it say?"
"Stop it." Storm made a point to end the conversation by driving a little forwards, as if he were headed away from Gale.
She stopped short of her words. "Fine. But don't look now. The car you've been looking for all night is finally here."
Without another peep, Gale was off. Storm couldn't even tell her to shut up because she was gone so fast. And it might have also had to do with the fact that he was preoccupied, as sure enough, Gale was right.
Cruz had finally showed up.
And Storm had no idea why he was suddenly driving towards her.
She was unaware of his presence though, even when he was almost fender to fender with her. She was busy watching Danny talk to another racer.
Storm cleared his throat, and was confused when she jumped. She seemed startled to see him, and also...scared?
"Oh..Um. Hi?" Cruz fidgeted.
Why is he here?! He would never be here in a million years!
Jackson Storm was there in front of her, in all his glory. He had a blank expression on his face like usual, making it hard to read him. Cruz, however, was easy to read.
She was embarrassed. He figured it was due to her gift.
"Thank you."
Caught off guard, Cruz swallowed. "What?"
He seemed bored already. "I said thank you. Normal people say you're welcome."
"I'm sorry," she quickly responded before facing him completely. "But are you talking about the...gift?"
"No, I'm talking about how slow you were on the track today. Yes, I'm talking about the gift." He tried to hold his tongue, he really did. But it sort of slipped.
She flinched at first, but relaxed as he finished. Cruz understood that this was just his way of communicating.
"You're welcome…"
He almost didn't hear it, but when he did, he found himself softening his gaze. Cruz glanced up, never thinking such a warm look could be given by someone like him.
They made eye contact for more than a few seconds. For some people, it would have seemed awkward.
But not to them.
The two racers just stared at each other as if seeing one another for the first time.
Storm was the first to break eye contact. He cleared his throat again and glanced to the right at the grass. "I hope you enjoyed your gift."
His voice had changed from the usual arrogant tone to a smooth, soft one. Cruz took a moment before she spoke.
"T-That was you?"
"Gale's idea." He didn't want her to be getting the wrong notion. He didn't care about the nuisance. No. He just...thought it was nice to get a gift. It was his first gift in a long time. "I wrote the note, though."
"That's a coincidence," she now seemed curious. Storm found it humorous, almost. "Danny and I had a conversation with similar wording."
"Yes, well, it might have been a conversation between the two of you, and I might have been driving by."
"Oh." She didn't have much else to say. "Thank you, then. I didn't even realize...that I was practically the only one without a gift."
Normally, Storm would have said something that would have insulted her I.Q. or made her feel inferior. But, this time, he managed to hold his tongue and think before he spoke.
"You're welcome."
His new tone was catching her even more off guard. It didn't feel like she was speaking to Jackson Storm. It felt like a different person who could actually show care and affection to someone other than themself.
Cruz had to stop herself from thinking about how the soft lighting from the Christmas lights made his exterior look soft. How it made his expression warmer.
"Not much of a party," he broke the quiet and turned to the tiny crowd of racers, team members, and sponsors. "Nice night, though. Even the track is lit."
Storm didn't shy away in annoyance this time when he felt her drive up next to him. He took a glimpse out of the corner of his eye.
"Do you wanna go?"
"Hm?" He gave her a confused look. "You just got here."
"No," Cruz smile gently with a breathless laugh that he had never heard. A laugh that nearly made him hitch his breath. "I mean, do you wanna go on the track?"
"Like a race?" He wasn't willing, honestly. Storm was thinking of a quiet evening in his trailer. But he drove himself to a party with Gale in an attempt to at least thank Cruz.
"No. Just a drive."
A drive?
Storm couldn't remember the last time he went on a simple drive. Mostly because Gale took him everywhere in the trailer.
Heck, I probably have never been on "just a drive." I was built to race. And now she wants to go for a drive?
...I mean...It's just a drive. Just a chance to rest and enjoy life's moments. A chance. Like the one she took on me when she decided to give me a gift. A chance that maybe I should give her.
At the sudden silence, Cruz figured he would decline her offer and leave the party. At least he had made an attempt to talk to her for the first time in over a year. And he had thanked her.
She would call that progress either way. But she was further stunned that night.
Glancing up at him, brown eyes met gray. Both filled with something neither could put words to. A gentle smirk played at the corner of his mouth, and this time, it wasn't arrogant.
"Why not?"