Our past is our future... [attn: Owen]

Lynne looked over the menu. "I'm not even awake...I have no idea. Surprise me," she laughed as she leaned her head to rest on his shoulder.

Today was going to be a long one. She'd planned on sleeping half of it away while Owen was at work, but now she had other things to do...and Lynne had no clue where to even begin...

Owen ordered two highly caffeinated drinks. He draped his arm around her as they waited for the drinks to be made. "It's going to be a long day," he sighed.

Lynne looked over at him, surprised. "I was just thinking that to myself just now..." she replied with a small laugh. "You're preaching to the choir, babe. Don't I know it. I should've just kept my big, fucking mouth shut and let her have her way like she always does, until I was ready to move out..." she sighed.

Owen kissed the top of Lynne's head as the barista finished the drinks and put them on the counter. He stopped forward and picked them up, handing one to Lynne. "Where do you want to sit?" he asked.

"I'm sorry you had such a rubbish roommate. I'll see if I can find something for you..."

Lynne took her drink and smiled a little as Owen kissed the top of her head. She really loved it when he did that. It made her feel safe...and loved, even if she wasn't going to tell him that, because it might not be true. "Wherever. Someplace where I'm not facing the windows...my eyes are burning for lack of sleep and the sun isn't helping," she sighed.

Owen expressed sympathy for her situation and once again offered to help. "Between the two of us, we'll find something for me. Thanks again, Owen," she said sincerely.

Owen smiled and let out a small laugh. "Tell me about it," he joked as he led Lynne to a small table in the back, away from the sun. "God, I hope Jack's not a complete arse about lunch today," he thought aloud before taking a sip from his drink.

He took Lynne's hand from across the table, "If you need anything, anything at all, just ask, okay?"

Lynne took a sip of her coffee and smiled a little. "I hope he's not, too, because if you can't come out to lunch, I'm not eating. I hope you know I expect you to pay for my meals whenever possible, so I don't go into complete poverty," she joked. "But seriously, I hope he's not; I'll be all kinds of run down today and having lunch with you would be amazing."

Owen took her hand and Lynne smiled at him as he spoke. "Thank you," she replied. "I will."

"I might just have to kill him," Owen said, only half joking. "I very much don't want you to starve." He took another sip of his drink and sighed heavily.

Lynne smirked and took a sip of her drink. "I could stand to skip a few meals," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. "You're gonna call when you're ready to leave work, right?" she asked, not sure if she was referring to the possible lunch or the evening once he was done for the day.

Owen rubbed his eyes in a continuing attempt to wake himself up. "I'm going to call you and tell you whether or not I can come to lunch, and then I'm going to call you when I get out of work this evening..."

Lynne leaned across the table and kissed him gently. "Sounds like a plan," she said. "I hope you don't have too much paper work to do when you get in...that's gonna be a bitch on your eyes..." she sympathized.

"Well," Owen started in response to Lynne's concern for his tired eyes, "Fortunately I work with Ianto, god of coffee, so it shouldn't be too bad. I still hope I don't have much paperwork, though... It's always so boring..."

"You know, I think you've said that before about Ianto...or maybe he said it about himself, I can't remember, but...I really need to try that man's coffee, if it's so good," Lynne laughed in response. "Has he got a girlfriend or anything? We should double, sometime," she suggested casually before taking another sip of her coffee.

Owen drew his mouth tight and stared at his cup. "He's got a girl, she might be a girlfriend... I met her... once, I think. I don't know about a double date, though... I mean, I don't really like Ianto..."

Lynne smiled upon hearing that Ianto had a girlfriend, but then the smile fell. "Oh, right..." she sighed. She'd been excited at the prospect of meeting Ianto's girlfriend; perhaps making a new friend. It seemed as though, the idea was shot down before it could really go anywhere, though. "Yeah, never mind," she added, looking away, at nothing in particular as her tired eyes zoned out and she took another drink.

Owen stroked Lynne's fingers with his thumb. "I'm sorry... I could propose the idea, at least. As far as I can tell, Ianto likes you well enough. And we're... pleasant enough to each other." He tried to smile warmly, but he didn't really like the idea of it. It was the least he could do, though, Jenny and Lynne had gotten along so well before Owen RetConned Lynne. Which was something he'd forgotten about until just now...

Lynne's eyes went back into focus at the sound of Owen's voice and she looked back at him. "No, never mind, it's okay. I don't want you to have to spend more time with Ianto than you have to if you don't like him. Besides, if you don't like him, I probably won't like her, right?" she said with a small smirk.

Owen smiled politely. "She seemed nice enough when I met her, but that was briefly." He took another sip of his coffee.

Lynne shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm not gonna make you hang out with Ianto if you don't want to. It's really not that deep, Owen, I promise," she assured him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Owen nodded slowly. "If you really want a double I could ask Gwen... She'd find it endearing enough to agree. ...But then we'd have to listen to her and Rhys giving me, well, us, all the relationship advice they could think of, so maybe not." He let out a small, nervous laugh.

Lynne thought about it for a moment. Deep down she felt like there was more to Gwen than Owen was probably saying, since he'd mentioned her so much at lunch and had been quick to brush it off. "Yeah, maybe, up to you," she replied. "If you think she and I would get along and you could stand doubling with them," she added.

Owen took a sip of his coffee. He smiled warmly at Lynne. "Gwen's a good mate, and Rhys is an alright bloke. So, maybe."

Lynne gave a half smile over her coffee cup as she took another sip. "Sounds like a plan, then," she replied.

If he was willing to introduce her to Gwen, then maybe her instincts about his relationship with her were wrong. Usually her gut feeling was correct, but maybe, in this case, it was more about her own insecurity than instinct. "I should really start making my own friends..." she said absently as she pulled the lid off the coffee and stirred it idly with the thin, plastic stirrer she'd grabbed on her way to the table.

Owen laughed. "I really can't comment on that. I don't really know anyone outside of work. Well, besides you, now," he added, smiling awkwardly.

Lynne giggled a little. "Well if it makes you feel better, the only person I considered a friend before you just kicked me out of her flat, so..." she said lightly. "I've met a few people...you know that you've introduced me to and there was this guy John at the bar...uh, also some girl that was with him, but...I wouldn't consider any of them friends."