The time between Cobra sitting down in the room and Lucy returning seemed to stretch into eternity. The only good thing about the minutes dragging by was the fact that it gave Cobra enough time to figure it out.
Well, probably not completely, but he mulled over the events of yesterday enough to see his actions in clearer hindsight. He'd gone and made a scene with his response during the strange man's request, which caused Lucy to openly gape at him and look concerned. They'd left with his awkward comments never being discussed. The incident would have left a sour taste in anyone's mouth, not to mention someone who already had her own problems to worry about.
Not that she's willing to explain herself to me either, he thought almost bitterly before pushing the feeling down. He wouldn't be caught in the familiar trap of blaming someone else for his own problems. Of the two of them, it was he who made the atmosphere uncomfortable–sometimes even on purpose. Lucy was only trying to do the job she'd been graciously given, and he knew he was starting to get in the way. If he messed around, it meant hardly anything to him, but to her, this job was literally her lifeline. She couldn't afford to say weird things or have more pressure applied than already was.
For a moment he remembered the note as well…undoubtedly something even more out of his reach was written on there, as evidenced by Mira's insistence that Lucy read it privately. Prying into that would certainly be the worst thing he could do at the moment. He was better off not knowing.
He resolved to try, at least a little bit harder so that they could both make it through in one piece. Less dark jokes, less emotional baggage, less…him. As his thoughts began to drift, mulling over various ideas, Lucy entered the room with her hands full, holding a muffin and two drinks.