DISCLAIMER: Mature language warning! I own nothing except: Angel aka Diablo, Aunt Suki, Uncle Jah, Kei, Jose, Catherin, and the plot line.
It took them the entire time Han was out to piece together one lift, and even after it was pieced together they still couldn't get the hydraulics to work until Angel hit the lift in frustration with a wrench. Angel sat back and looked at the lift as it finally moved and then at the wrench in her hand.
"All right then... good to know that beating things with a wrench actually works once in a while."
"Just once in a while?" Han teased coming in with a trailer attached to the RX, "So I think we may need to re-bend the back, but I have gotten you a couch."
Angel sighed and rubbed her face, "Well that just means that I am going to reinforce your backend so them we won't have to worry about this next time you decide you want to hook up a trailer to your RX."
"Yes because I am totally going to make it a habit to go get you couches with my RX. Might as well get a moving van for that crap," Han shrugged looking at their work, "Looks good you two. Who knew you were handy Tosh?"
"Funny Han, real funny," Toshi rolled his eyes at his friend, "Now when can I go take your cousin out for a drink or two?"
"If it's up to me never, you're a good friend but I need that brain of hers focused on building this garage with me. After that I don't care what the two of you do."
"How gracious of you Han," Angel deadpanned, "Remind me to let Aunt Suki know how well you are looking after my love life."
"Wait you have one of those?" Han gasped in mock shock and yelped as Angel beamed him with the wrench she was holding, "OW! That fucking hurt you bitch!"
"Oh sorry did I hurt you?" Angel sneered sticking her tongue out at Han who rubbed his shoulder.
"Yes you did! I'm going to have a bruise you-," Han saw her reach for another wrench, "I'm stopping while I'm already injured. But seriously this tendency to throw wrenches at me should really stop."
"Would you rather I hit you instead?"
"Not really," Han said taking the wrench from her, "I'd rather you scream at me and then we hug it out and leave it behind us. Cause you are one violent chick when you're mad and or annoyed."
Toshi snorted and hugged Angel kissing her temple, "Why don't we all call it a night? Unpack the couch and grab a few beers over dinner?"
"Cause there is too much to do," she whined leaning into Toshi with a huff, "I mean seriously look at this place. We have to finish this and then we still have to fix up the clubs before we open."
Han smiled, "It can wait an hour or so while we recharge. Come on, let's move that couch and then we can get some alcohol and food. Well alcohol for the adults in the room."
"You're an ass Han… I'm almost 17 man gimme a break," Angel grumbled.
"Yeah and tell me when you hit 18. Then I will buy you booze and get you drunk off your ass."
Toshi smiled and kissed Angel's head once more before going with Han to get the couch. Angel looked over the garage and picked up the wrench she had thrown, the first time had been an accident. She had beamed Han out of frustration over trying to do the original demolition work in the club. But nothing seemed to be going right at the time and frustration had got to the both of them and she had thrown the wrench at him after some comment he had made.
Angel rubbed her face and tried to focus as more memories of Dom struggled to surface of her mind.
"So Daddy T, when are we gonna go see your real garage?"
"You know I would take you to see it Angel, but your daddy wouldn't like you going so far out of sight," he said with a sad look as he brushed some unruly curls away from her eyes.
"Oh…" she said looking down, "I'm sorry my dad doesn't like you and Dom, Daddy T… I know my mom would have liked you guys."
"It's okay kiddo. One day when you get your own place, I'll come see your garage. Just remember to never let go of your dreams, no matter how hard everything gets, never stop fighting. Don't stop until you are who you want to be."
"Angel?" Toshi's voice stirred her from her blurry focus on the lift, "You okay baby?" his fingers wiped at her damp cheeks until she turned her head away from him.
"Yeah I'm fine Toshi…" her voice distant as Han walked over to them.
"You thinking again D?" Han asked softly tipping her chin up.
"Yeah… just thinking," Angel replied voice soft, "You guys go get some food and booze for yourselves. I need to clear my head."
"Angel," Toshi gripped her arm lightly, "Just be safe okay? I don't want to lose you."
Dom caught her as she slipped from the tree in her backyard, "Angel are you okay? I was afraid I was going to lose you there for a minute."
"But you didn't. You caught me when I fell, I know you Dom, you'll always be there to catch me when I fall down," Angel beamed wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You won't lose me Toshi. There is always going to be someone to pick me up if I fall down," She said thickly as she slipped into her car and took off.
20 minutes later Angel was sitting on top of DK Mountain in tears. Pulling the parking brake she got out of her car and sat on her warm hood trying to stop the tears from falling. Her head was so screwed up with memories trying to surface from her childhood she couldn't focus. Everything she did stirred more memories from the darkness she thought she had buried them in. It hurt to think about everything she had lost coming here to Japan, but hurt worse to know that she had been so angry with her father still that she had passed over the one golden opportunity to go home. Wiping her eyes Angel took a deep breath and leaned back on her hood looking up at the stars above her. Yes, she had passed up the opportunity but she hadn't been ready to go home with nothing to show for it. She wanted to go back with her head held high, wanted to show her father that she could do anything she set her mind to.
Angel wasn't done in Japan yet, she wasn't who she wanted to be. The tears stopped falling as she watched the stars and just lay there looking at the stars loosing herself to more memories.
"It's too cold out here," Letty whined leaning on Dom's shoulder as Angel had the other one.
"If it's too cold then go inside. We're supposed to have a lunar eclipse tonight and I want to see it," Dom bit back still holding onto both girls.
"It's not cold if you don't think about it," Angel stated simply pressing closer to Dom in her sweatshirt, "Plus anyway Dom's warm so stop belly aching."
"You both are a bunch of babies," Vince growled from the other blanket with Mia.
"You know they are always going to fight Vince," Mia said with a sigh, "Oh a shooting star! Everyone make a wish!"
Angel spotted a shooting star and smiled, "I wish I could see Dom again."
"So who is Dom?" Takashi asked leaning over Angel's legs as she jumped in surprise, "Sorry did I scare you?"
"Yes Takashi you startled me… Dom is an old friend back in the states. Why are you up here?" she asked sitting up with a hand over her heart trying to calm it back down.
"You're on my mountain," he shrugged stepping back and to the side to lean on the hood, "He sounds like more than a friend the way you said his name."
She slid off Reaper and looked him over, "Just a friend Taka. Don't worry I'll be getting off your mountain soon."
"You can stay here if you really want Angel," he walked away and back to his car, "But you may want to let Toshi know your heart is set on someone else. I'm fine with you telling me no, cause it won't change a damn thing, but he doesn't need you dragging him along."
"What the hell does that mean Takashi!?"
"It means I will have you Angel. Even if you don't love me, I will have you. Toshi isn't like me; he'll expect you to love him unconditionally. That I know you can't do while your heart is somewhere else. So why don't you drop him and focus on you?" He said before slipping into his car.
"You're an ass Takashi," she screamed after the Fairlady, "and I hate it when you're right…"
Angel growled slipping into her front seat and slammed her hand on the wheel. She had some time to figure things out, even if it wasn't meant to be with Toshi she had to try and make things right.
Han and Toshi looked up from the second lift as Angel pulled into to the front of the garage. She still hadn't made up her mind about what she wanted to do about everything but she wouldn't tell anyone until she figured it out.
"You have a good drive?" Han asked cautiously as she slammed her door.
"Yeah it was great until Taka decided to harass me while I was star gazing," Angel snapped without her normal zest.
"And how was the star gazing on DK Mountain?" Toshi asked smiling, "Only place he'd bug you at."
"Fine… saw a shooting star," she said smiling back at Toshi who wrapped her in a hug, "I'm okay Toshi, just needed to get away from all the stress is all."
"I know the feeling," Han snorted, "I got you some food girly. Go eat up, then you can help us knock this one and the next one out."
"You're the best Han," she grinned blowing him a kiss before she gave Toshi a quick kiss on the cheek before she pulled away to the food.
"Remember that when you're trying to maim me with wrenches missy!"
"I would never maim you, gotta keep that pretty face of your in one piece so I can send you out to get people to come here," Angel teased opening the bag of food they had gotten as she opened a soda from the 6 pack in the mini fridge.
"Oh so it's my pretty mug that is going to bring people it? I'm pretty sure that will be trumped by your work. In case you haven't noticed the influx of work you and Kei have since you put out the dragon car and then the solar system car… I mean social media has blown up about Japan's own master detailer the mysterious Diablo," Han called from the lift as she flopped on the couch and ate.
"Well someone has to try right? Once I do this modeling thing for Toshi's friend we will see what happens next."
"Speaking of which," Toshi said grabbing his phone, "I have to go and tell him that you can do it. Then I promise I will be back to finish helping tonight," he said giving her a quick kiss.
Han moved and flopped down next to Angel, "Alright out with it."
"Out with what?" she asked innocently as she ate.
"The distant looks, the tears, the sudden need to go for a drive… Out with it right now," Han snapped looking at her.
"Well… everything I keep doing, keeps stirring up memories of Dom and my friends in the states. I just…"
He sighed and rubbed his face, "You're either crazy home sick after 6 years or you just realized you may be in love with your best friend Dominic."
"Those are my options?" She teased half heartedly, "My money is on a combo platter, and all the stress and lack of sleep is making my emotions haywire."
"Which is why once we finish this other lift I am kicking Toshi out, I'm going to close that garage door and you and me are going to use this damn sofa couch," Han stated kissing her cheek, "Now finish your food. We'll figure this out tomorrow."
"M'kay…" she muttered with a sigh shoving more food into her mouth.
"So what do you want for your birthday missy? It's like in a week," he reminded her as worked on the lift.
"Hm… nothing I ain't already got here. I don't need anything else," Angel smiled curling onto the couch, "Well except for the finished garage."
"Yeah we are working on that," Han snorted and motioned her over, "Can you help me with this before I hurt myself?"
"Yeah sure," she said moving off the couch and holding the piece up so he could bolt it into place, "Just come and get me when they are ready to move the lifts so I can help you place them alright?"
"Not a problem," he grunted finishing off tightening the bolts as Toshi came back in.
"So Angel, tell me you're open in two days for this shoot…"
"Yeah I can clear off my schedule, it will be short notice and I'd have to go straight to work afterwards but should be okay," Angel shrugged as he sighed relieved.
"Okay perfect. My friend is running late on his photos and that's the latest he can do it. He wanted to do it tonight and I told him there was no way that was happening."
"Yeah definitely not tonight, we are too busy and I am way too tired to pose for some photos," she sighed crouching as she bolted the other side together while Han held the lift still.
"Alright that is two lifts done. We got one more to go and then we are all going to call it a quits," Han said dusting his hands off.
"Then maybe I can take you out?" Toshi asked looking at Angel with a soft smile.
"Like I said Toshi I'm just too tired tonight alright? Soon though okay?" she smiled softly the expression not quite meeting her eyes as she turned to Han and started to help him piece the third lift out.
"Yeah sure, it's fine Angel. Just let me know when you got some time for me alright?" Toshi agreed disappointed, "I'm going to leave you guys to it. Get some sleep Ang."
"Yeah you too," She replied waving him off before looking at Han, "I'm a horrible person aren't I?"
"You're not a horrible person Angel, you just need to figure your shit out is all," Han shrugged, "Now come help me put this last lift together and then we can hit the sack."
Angel nodded and walked over to him with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Sure she was a bit distant, but who wasn't, right? Sure she had her moments where she really enjoyed Toshi's company but why were they still outweighed by the memories of Dominic? It was like someone had replaced her heart with a block of ice that only her memories seemed to melt through. That uneasy feeling was something she knew she had to take care of and sooner rather than later. She just didn't know how she was going to deal with Toshi now that she knew that she wasn't as into the relationship as he was.
She ran her hands over the lift hydraulics and sighed before bolting them down, "So how do I tell him?"
"Well don't do the whole 'it's not you it's me' routine. Other then that I think you'll be golden. I mean you guys are pretty much just friends with some kissing involved anyway. Safer you break it off before he thinks it's going to get more serious…"
"So can I break up with him because I actually don't have time for a relationship?" Angel pondered looking at Han.
"You know it wouldn't be a lie, and won't burn any bridges if you think you want to try your hand at dating him again," Han shrugged looking at her, "But honestly don't get his hopes up if you know you aren't going to deliver. Now you may want to move that hand of yours before I start this bad boy up."
Angel yanked her hand away from the lift and took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. It was going to have to be done quickly, like a band-aid, that way it would only sting for a little bit before it was all over. Watching as the lift moved she sighed and backed away from it rubbing her face, her life was getting too messy she decided. The more steps she took towards the garage the more of a mess her life became. At first it was just a careful balance of work and school. Then it was this complicated mess of work and building the garage, while trying not to completely avoid Toshi. Now it was work and building and taking time out of her already packed schedule to do a photo shoot, and then back to school when it came back to that time.
Groaning Angel pulled the sofa apart and opened up the pull out, fishing her knife out of her back pocket and cutting the plastic off the bed. Hands squeezed her sides as Han ruffled her hair before he pulled his RX inside the garage before closing the door and locking up.
"Come on Ang, let's get some sleep…"
"You got a pillow or a blanket?" Angel asked making a face at him.
"Pillow no, blanket yes…" He grinned opening his passenger side door before tossing a massive blanket at her, "Now get that ass in bed."
"Fine ya brat," she grumbled making a face at him before she kicked her shoes off and flopped onto the bed using her arms as a pillow as she wrapped herself up in the blanket.
Han slipped under the blanket after shutting the lights off and put his back against hers, "Good night Angel…"
"Good night Han, thanks for the pull out couch."