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Andy watches from the corner as Hatty discusses Stenonychosaurus with visitors at the museum, mainly small children with their reluctant parents.
"Now, Stenonychosaurus had really long back legs, which indicates it could run very quickly."
Andy grins and stares off into the distance momentarily. "Especially when it notices someone following it."
"It's believed to have eaten both meat and plants, making it an omnivore like you and I. It was small compared to the average adult and was rather intelligent by dinosaur standards, although that doesn't mean much compared to animals we see nowadays. Stenonychosaurus had feathers as well as its long legs, I actually have one to show you all– "
His eyes follow her as she lifts a Stenonychosaurus feather that she believes is the replica she painted — the truth is that Andy accidentally let it fly across the museum before making its way out of a window because he turned the fan on too high.
He went 75 million years back using his time-traveling grandfather clock to follow around a Stenonychosaurus and find a fallen feather, plus nearly get Hatty's backpack eaten by a Carnotaurus — the usual routine.
She stares at it for a few moments before mumbling, "This looks more realistic than it did earlier..."
Hatty pushes the fake ferns blocking her view to Andy so she can talk to him. "Thank you for keeping this feather safe and tidying up, Andy."
"You're very welcome, Hatty. I'm happy to help!"
Andy stares off into the distance once more, putting a finger to his lips, "Shh... See you next time."
"Hey, Hatty! Can we talk for a moment?"
He asks while she's crouched down in a bush, trying to reorganise the fake ferns before she clocks out for the day.
"Just a minute, Andy. Almost..." She twists one fern in the right direction before standing up and dusting herself off. "...done. What do you need?"
"I just needed to — well, I wanted to talk about..." Andy rubs the back of his neck, feeling nervous about what he truly wants to ask. He decides to chicken out like usual. "This dinosaur exhibit, of course!"
Hatty grins at him, stepping off the platform that is being used to display "prehistoric nature".
She talks for nearly half an hour about the new exhibit she's putting together for Ankylosaurus — one of the few dinosaurs Andy would recognise without his gizmo helping him out. He watches with eyes full of adoration, already planning on what dinosaur elements to add to their future wedding.
"Any questions?" Hatty asks, waving her hand in the air to focus his attention.
"What– Uh, no. I think you covered all bases with your explanation."
She smiles and starts to walk away. His heart aches as he watches her leave. He searches his mind for any excuse to keep her company for a while.
"Would you like to get dinner together?" Andy blurts out without thinking.
Hatty stops in her tracks, turning to face him. She seems to consider it for a few moments before looking at her watch with a disappointed expression.
"I should really get going home, I'll be knackered in the morning if I don't and I have pride decorations to order..." She appears pensive. "How about lunch tomorrow?"
"That sounds great!"
Andy nods a bit too enthusiastically — not that Hatty seems to notice, thankfully. He lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding as he watches her leave once more. This time, it was a less sad sight. He has a date!
Andy woke up at 5 AM to shower, style his curly hair, and pick out the right cologne to wear to work that day. Nothing would stop him from making sure this is the best lunch date Hatty has ever been on. Maybe it was the first, she didn't seem like the dating type. He wouldn't mind if she was, though! The more experience, the better!
They hadn't seen each other all morning since this was one of the rare times that she hadn't asked him to grab things for her latest exhibit. Andy did his usual job — walking around, waiting for things to do, and trying his best not to break anything.
He was the first person in the building to enter the cafeteria after hours of doing nothing, wanting to claim a table for Hatty and him before anyone else could. His leg bounced as he waited. He'd never felt so anxious about something before in his life. His heart skipped a beat every time someone else entered the cafeteria and it felt like he was being stabbed when he saw it wasn't her.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Hatty walked in. She smiled when she saw him — an action that lit his heart on fire. He returned her smile and watched as she walked over to the table.
"It has been such a good day, Zaglossus attenboroughi has been officially declared as not extinct. It's fantastic news."
Andy nods along as she talks, not quite sure what any of that means. Just the sound of her voice makes his confusion worth it. She could recite her grocery list and he would hang onto every word like it's gospel.
"That sounds really interesting, Hatty. I do have something else we could talk about, though. It's a little important."
"Oh no. Is it about one of the exhibits? Wait, is this about the pride decorations I ordered for the museum? Please don't tell me they're arriving late. I worked so hard on picking those out."
Andy shakes his head.
"It's actually about... well, us."
Hatty looks at him with confusion written all over her face. He starts to feel nervous, not sure where exactly he's heading with this conversation.
"I really like you, Hatty."
"Aw, I like you too, Andy."
He pauses, taking a moment to process her response.
"You... do?"
"Of course, you're a great help at the museum and not too bad company. I have fun working with you, you're one of the best here."
Andy's heart sinks into his stomach after realising she hadn't quite understood what he meant. He thinks for a few moments, trying to figure out the best way to explain that he is madly and deeply in love with her — more in love than he has ever been in his entire life.
"No, Hatty... I really like you a lot. I'm, well... in love with you, I suppose."
"Oh... oh." Hatty's face twists with confusion and possibly slight disgust. "Andy, that is very sweet but I can't... We can't."
"Is it because you're basically my boss? Look, I will quit if I have to. I think we could make a relationship work if we tried. I could get a job somewhere else, it's fine."
"Oh, Andy. You're just... You're really not my type. And I mean, really really not my type."
"Could I become your type?" Andy asks, now feeling less confident about all of this. "I'm willing to try..."
Hatty shakes her head, looking like she feels guilty about this. She goes to say something but quickly decides against it, standing up and walking away. She looks back a few times and every time she does, Andy's heart shatters over and over again.
Andy coped the only way he really knew how to — time travel.
It didn't quite feel the way it did when running off to fix something for Hatty but it helped to keep his mind busy, even if he was still picturing the wedding that would never happen now. She'd wear a beautiful white dress, he'd buy his first suit, they'd laugh and dance the entire time. It would've been perfect, he thinks.
He watches a Carnotaurus mating ritual happen near the tree he's sitting in. The branches are leafy enough to hide him from the view of most dinosaurs and he was sure no sauropods were going to be found here. The female Carnotaurus does not appear very interested in the male one's dancing.
"Poor guy..." Andy mumbles. "I know how you feel."
His curiosity piques when he watches the female Carnotaurus walk over to another female and perform the dance for her instead. It takes a few moments for Andy to realise and it's like a lightbulb had gone above his head. That's why Hatty said no. Everything makes sense now — him never being able to be her type and why she was the one invested in incorporating pride into the museum.
Hatty was a lesbian.
Hatty was a lesbian and he was an idiot.