She tilts her head. "Would you like to join me?"
"Yes."
She feels a smile begin to spread over her face – as she often does when Zack agrees to accompany her somewhere, and when they figure out something important together.
Eating is only important because the human body needs nourishment to function properly, but she finds that she's excited to eat with Zack. It's most likely because as of late, they haven't spent much time together and she (tentatively) considers him a friend of Angela's status.
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As soon as she swipes her card, Angela is beside her, grinning. "And where were you when I came back, huh?"
She rolls her eyes – she thinks that Angela might be thinking romantically again. "Le Bon Café, for lunch."
She feels much more 'at home' in her lab coat than she does out of it (Angela told her once it was 'worrying,' though she thinks it's more convenient than anything), so pulling it on feels like friendship. Her lab coat doesn't hound her for details – Zack doesn't, either. She finds herself impatient for him to get back from the restroom so they can continue their work; Hodgins must be finished by now.
"So? Did you call Booth?"
"Why would I call Booth, Angela? It was just lunch."
Her friend sighs. "Sweetie..." She seems to rethink her decision to say something, because she suddenly brightens. "Well, I know if you had lunch alone, you would have brought something back here. So who was it?"
She shrugs and wishes she could walk to the bone room; Temperance doesn't know why, but she wants to wait for Zack. "I just-"
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Dr. Brennan," says Zack, hurrying through the door. His hair looks slightly disheveled, as though he's been running, and despite herself a smile spreads across her face again.
"Wait – you went to lunch with Zack?" Angela sounds oddly distressed. Temperance doesn't know what could be distressing about this situation, and decides she must be wrong in her assessment.
"Yes; we had nothing to do, and I wanted to make sure we ate something before we were too busy. I think things will get busy fairly soon, so I need to go to my office for a moment. Let's go, Zack."
He follows her quickly and quietly – again, the snap responses she likes – and leaves behind Angela, who is wearing an expression Temperance thinks is bemusement.
"Angela seems upset," he says, tilting his head in thought. "I don't know why."
"I don't know either," she admits.
Hurriedly, and with some kind of mild concern, he asks, "Do you think we're supposed to do something? I just finished a book about modern social etiquette and it says one should provide comfort to a distressed friend. Is this an appropriate time to try it?"
She laughs lightly. "Angela keeps talking about calling Booth; I think she must want to speak with him, and so talking to us will do nothing except possibly annoy her. We have to talk to Hodgins and get back to work, but I need to pull up my hair first. You can get the information and meet me in the bone room."
He lingers a little longer than necessary, watching her search for a hair elastic, but just when she opens her mouth to ask what he's doing, he turns and nearly bolts out of her office. It's odd, butZack is odd. In truth, she doesn't mind when he studies her. He seems to like what he sees, and though she'll never admit it out loud, she's flattered.
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"Hey, Bones," he says, and she sighs. It's not worth the argument anymore; he's not going to stop calling her 'Bones' any time soon. She's learned to consider it a sort of endearment anyway.
Be mine
Start from the beginning
