Bobby looked up and smiled, ignoring the pain it caused his face, as Hayden sat down across from him.
"Hey..." she started.
"Hey... I know."
"You're looking well," she replied, trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh thanks, I've been using a new night cream," Bobby joked.
"Seriously," Hayden said, flagging a waitress. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, a little bruising, that's all." Bobby didn't want to get into the fact that it was because he was a mutant. He would spring that on her later in the conversation.
"You know, you should speak to someone about this abusive relationship," she joked.
Bobby was silent for a moment and Hayden sensed she'd said the wrong thing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean - "
"No, no, it's just... my wife and I... we decided to take a break yesterday."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
The two sat in silence for a second, before the waitress came over to take their orders. They made them, and then went back to being quiet.
"So, are you ok?" Hayden asked gently.
"Surprisingly, yeah," Bobby replied. "It's hard to explain, without me coming off as a bad guy..."
"Well, I won't judge, I promise," she said, holding her hands up.
And so, Bobby launched into the drama that his life had become since he and Julie had first met, carefully omitting that he was a mutant. Which, made the tale relatively less long and drama filled, but the core issue was there.
Hayden and Bobby
Lunch, 2 coffees and a shared plate of chips later, Hayden and Bobby finally finished talking.
"They're so going to kick us out," Hayden laughed, pushing her chair back. "We should go."
"Yeah," Bobby agreed, grinning. "I didn't anticipate such a long catch up."
"Neither, but I had fun," she replied.
"Same, and I apologise for dumping my whole life story on you," he said.
"Oh that's alright, next time, I'll dump mine on you."
"Sounds good."
Bobby threw a few notes down on the table for the two of them, and then led her out of the cafe, and the pair stood awkwardly on the street for a moment.
"So, I guess I'll catch you later?" he said.
"Sure. And hey, if you ever need an ear, I'm always willing to listen," she offered.
"Thanks."
Bobby and Hayden hugged, then went their separate ways.