Thanks again everyone! Short one this time around, but it'll pick up soon! Promise.
HG nearly jogged to keep up with Pete who walked quickly away from the Astrophysics building. Just as she was about to call to him, he slowed his pace, allowing HG to catch up. He threw her a smile, but HG knew that it was nothing like the wide, child like grins that he usually displayed. He was uncomfortable with her.
She wanted to clear the air between the two of them, even if it wasn't going to be as easy as it was with Myka.
They started walking again, HG fell into to step beside him this time. "Pete?"
"Yeah?" Pete was suddenly interested in every other person on the campus.
"I, just realized that I thanked Myka for trusting me… after everything." She altered the discussion slightly to better suit what she thought Pete needed to hear. "But I haven't thanked you yet."
Pete huffed and squinted in a gesture that she already recognized as something that he did when he was really uncomfortable.
"It's nothing." His smile came back. HG thought he was a terrible liar, but she allowed the discussion to end, trying instead for a tactic of winning over Pete by solving the case and bagging the artifact.
"Right! Ok then." She took a deep breath, mimicking Pete on a subconscious level. "There has to be more than one way to get into that office." Pete let out the tension collecting in his chest.
HG smiled and let her British accent droll out. "Legally, of course." Pete did his laugh when he breathed out at the same time. That worked, HG thought.
"So." Pete clapped his hands together. "How do we get the good Professor to see things our way?"
"Do you think there is a way?"
Pete crinkled his nose as he considered. "Not really."
HG's lips parted into a smile, effected by his charm. "So, the question is…" Her eyes caught what she was looking for. "- is there another way into the office?"
Pete followed HG's gaze to a woman emptying the garbage bin.
