Ben jolted at her touch, and while his face remained impassive, his shoulders did relax by a hair.

Showing her how to scan her ticket to allow them both access through the turnstile, he led her to the platform, where the train was just pulling to a stop. The doors opened and he led her into an empty car.

He chose a seat, a bench parallel to the wall, with space on either side. He slouched, just a bit, finally letting himself feel how exhausted he was.