Since the 2016 election, Barack Obama has been keeping a pretty low profile, fueled in equal parts by existential angst, the desperate need for a vacation, and calculated silence. He's slowly been re-emerging, acting on a steady plan to campaign for Democrats ahead of the midterm elections in the hope of taking back one or both houses of Congress and making good on the fabled "blue wave."

And on Tuesday, both Obama and Joe Biden made a surprise appearance at Dog Tag Bakery in Washington, D.C., which employs and trains disabled veterans. The two have been the subject of nearly nonstop fan-fiction, inspiring memes, the un-ironic use of the word "bromance," and (deep sigh) a Hardy Boys–esque mystery book. But rabid fanbase aside, Obama and Biden work well together in public, with Biden bringing a fun-loving veneer to a former president often accused of academic stuffiness.

High-profile Democrats are slowly positioning themselves in anticipation of the 2020 primaries. If Biden is seriously considering being a contender, then we may see a lot more of these lunch dates in the future.