Usually, when Lucas meets Hamil or any of the other guys for a drink after work, they hop around to a few different places, but today Hamil doesn’t suggest leaving. He might be annoying, Lucas thinks, but he’s a great friend where it counts. Hamil catches Lucas up on his new job as an events promoter, they talk about their friend Andrew, who’d recently followed his girlfriend to California, they argue about football clubs - and eventually, Hamil stops shooting teasing looks at Lucas whenever his attention falls to Sarah.

It happens a lot.

Lucas doesn’t want to think too hard about the sudden protectiveness he feels toward Sarah. He’s attracted to her, that’s all; it’s a physical thing, which he can’t help. Plus, she’s his friend, and he wants his friends to feel happy and safe and all that good shit. It’s definitely got nothing to do with any actual feelings, or anything. Definitely not. He really should try to cool it and not glance over every ten minutes. Really. He should try.

Besides, Sarah can obviously take care of herself. Because he’s bad at taking his own advice and he has been kind of checking in, he knows that the table of guys he’d seen earlier are definitely not the only people in the bar who have hit on her tonight, though none of them that he sees after seem to physically impose on her. She handles them all with a practiced ease, and Lucas’s reminded of the fact that she’s worked here since long before he’d known her, and that she didn’t need a babysitter.

He still kind of wants to be back on the couch with his arms around her, keeping her safe, but he fights the urge. He can learn to evolve.

Around eight, the crowd has died down a little. Lucas’s kind of surprised until he remembers that they’re in the Financial District, which can be kind of dead once the time for after work drinks or dinner is through, especially on a Wednesday. Sarah comes to their table with a sheepish smile and her hands in her apron.

“Hey, it’s slowing down, so I’m getting sent home early, since I’m just covering a shift,” she explains. “Do you guys mind if I settle up with you? You can start a new tab with Teresa, she’ll be taking over.”

“Sure, Sarah,” Lucas says immediately. “No problem.”

Hamil pulls out his wallet. “Big plans for the rest of the night?”

Lucas smiles at that; he imagines that her night will have something to do with Netflix, a blanket, and maybe a glass of Lillet.

“No big plans, unless you count watching Black Mirror,” Sarah answers, taking Hamil’s credit card.

“You’re really predictable, Dalton, you know that?”

Sarah rolls her eyes at him. “Give me your credit card, Lucas.”

“Now Sarah, is that any way to get a good tip?” he teases, handing her his card.

“Careful, Lucas,” she warns with a wink, “I know where you sleep.”

Lucas grins at her. “Threats, Sarah? You wound me.”

“Why don’t you join us?” Hamil interrupts. “Have a drink.”

Sarah hesitates, like she’s trying to turn down the offer but in a friendly way. Lucas’s about to jump in with an easy out for her, but she replies before he can speak.

“If you guys want to go somewhere else, then sure,” she says, to Lucas’s surprise. “But I really don’t want to hang around work anymore.”

“Sure, we can go somewhere else,” Hamil agrees. “There are a few places on the next block.”

Sarah gives him a closed-mouth smile, her shoulders a little tense. “Great.” She meets Lucas’s eyes; he grins at her cheerfully, and she relaxes. “I’ll go run these,” she says, holding up their cards, then leaves.

Once they’re settled up, Lucas and Hamil wait outside. The air has gotten a little chillier, but it’s still June in London, and he doesn’t think he’ll be cold for months. Hamil’s got his cell phone out and is talking to god-knows-who - he’s got a more involved social life than Lucas could ever want - so it’s only Lucas paying attention when Sarah walks out of Logan’s. She’s ditched the apron in favor of a purse slung across her shoulders, and her hair is down now.

“Hey,” Lucas greets quietly, taking a few steps away from Hamil. “I just wanted to apologize for earlier - you can take care of yourself, Sarah, and I know that. I realized after it seemed like maybe I thought you couldn’t, and I am not trying to insinuate anything.”

Sarah seems caught off guard by the apology, but after a couple of seconds, she just shakes her head and smiles at him. “Oh Lucas,” she says, touching his elbow. “It was really nice of you to check in. Everything was fine, but it means a lot to me that you cared enough to ask. Now are you going to buy me a drink, or what?”

“Am I going to buy you a drink?” Lucas exclaims, feigning shock. “Babe, I just gave you a twenty-five percent tip. Should be asking you that.”

“I’ll make you cheese bread on Saturday,” she bargains.

Lucas frowns at her. “I saw you get groceries yesterday. I know you were going to make that anyway. But yeah, yeah, okay, can’t say no to you, Sarah.” Hamil, still on the phone, beckons for them to follow him; Lucas slings an arm around Sarah’s shoulders and ducks his head conspiratorially. “If we play our cards right, maybe Hollywood over there’ll buy us both drinks.”

Sarah laughs. As they walk down the street, Lucas is pretty sure that she leans into him a little.