Between the work, and the hurt and the whiskey

Mai had moved offices about two weeks ago, and she couldn't claim to be very put out about it. Scorpius obviously knew that she was living with Theodore, after what happened at Christmas, and she was becoming more and more paranoid that he might look at her middle, might just happen to glance down, and would see the difference in her stomach and the fit of her clothes. She had made it two more weeks, though, thankfully. That was two weeks of avoiding an argument.

At the same time, though, she was sort of quietly wondering in the back of her mind why Scorpius had not made a big deal of fighting for her. It isn't that she wanted him to come sweeping in and get rid of Theodore, but it was hard to realize that the first person she had ever wanted to be hers no longer wanted her in return. It was almost sick of her to think about it that way, she reminded herself. But she had to know. Was he pretending not to be interested? Was she just oblivious to the fact that he was angry about Theodore still? Both were possible. But it was just as believable that he was done with her.

He hadn't heard about the trial, she supposed. The one for her and Keiran and their aims to take Ana down. He probably didn't know that she wasn't at all sure they would win. She hadn't mentioned it to Theodore, though, either. So it didn't make a lot of sense that her co-worker and ex-fiancé should have heard first, did it? Mai wished they weren't so distant, because she would have asked for advice or reassurances. Not that she really expected he would want to give them to her, though.

This was all her own fault, aside from the part where he had left. That wasn't on her, even if she thought he still blamed her for his absence.

She was supposed to go to that Ministry fundraiser thing after work, which meant she needed to get her work done so that she could leave a bit earlier than usual. She had promised Kenna that she would talk to Keiran during the event, but Merlin knew if they would actually have any time. Deciding that she ought to get lunch early and then come back and work through the afternoon, Mai gathered her things and left a sign on her door, heading towards the lift. The Ministry's cafe would be good enough, and probably wouldn't take too long, either. It wasn't until she had closed the door behind her and had gotten halfway down the hall that she noticed who was in front of her.

Oh no.

"Mai," Scorpius greeted, softening his voice just in case it cracked. How long had it been since he'd greeted her, properly? How long since he'd looked her in the eye, and spoken to her? Scorpius didn't know. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

He'd tried to avoid her, really. Avoid her physically, avoid thinking of her, avoid anything and everything that could be tied to his once fiancée. Well, everything he could. There was only so much of his own life he could avoid. It was a little terrifying, how many nooks and crannies the witch had managed to worm her way into. Mai probably hadn't even realized that she'd done so. Knowing that helped little.

Scorpius had been aware, of course, that he would have to face her eventually. That they would have to talk. That Scorpius would not be fully comfortable in his own head again until they did. And really, that time might was well be now. Scorpius was plenty things, but patient wasn't one of them. They should talk now. Would talk now. And maybe, just maybe, Scorpius would sleep better tonight.

"It's been a while," the wizard stated, injecting an alarming amount of confidence into his voice, of which he felt none, "we should have lunch. It is late enough for a early lunch, is it not?"

Unbidden, images flickered behind her eyes when he greeted her. Of walking into his office and watching his features light up in a smile that she hadn't known, at the time, was just because of her. Of barging in, instead of just walking, because someone had just set her off and she needed to get out of the office. For lunch.

She would never have asked the question so stiffly or formally. And she found herself almost in awe of his ability to be so determined and apparently comfortable after what had happened. It made her feel almost ridiculous for worrying about it. The question of whether or not he actually cared had been gnawing at her every day, though she couldn't very well go home and say as much to Theodore.

"Um," she attempted, pausing to roll her lips together in a moment of thought. "Well, I was headed to the café, if that suits you."

Mai knew exactly how it must have sounded. She wasn't going to change her intended location for him, and she wasn't entirely sure that she should have been asked to do so. It sounded rather cold, even to her, but she kept her expression as neutral as she could manage, given the circumstances.

His reply was concise enough, but when he started off down the hall, Mairen found herself frowning a bit at his back. It didn't seem like they were headed to eat together at all, did it? Perhaps it was better that way, though, because they could each have a little while to come to terms with what they wanted to say. She wasn't confident that she even understood why he wanted to eat with her at all, especially when she so often ate with Theodore and his daughter.

He crossed the threshold into the café first, but Mai wasted no time in making her way over to the counter to request her usual. She knew the man who worked the first lunch shift quite well by now, and greeted him easily, as though she wasn't at all bothered by the blond who she was meant to sit with.

They exchanged smiles and she lingered by the counter, waiting to pick up her tray until Scorpius had done so, then hedged towards one of the booths, preferring them for the feigned privacy they provided, as well as the additional comfort of being entirely separated from him by the table.

"Um," she attempted, setting her plate and glass down before setting the tray aside and reluctantly sinking into her seat. "Things are good for you, I hope?"