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In the short walk it took to reach the car, Natalie had taken several deep breaths. There was only a limited amount of time to calm down, and she found herself struggling to do so. Another breath, and her fingers curled around the handle of the door, drawing it open to settle into the seat. When her gaze landed on the lawyer, it still drew a smile out of her - because she was wonderful - but it lacked its usual brightness.
"Hey," Natalie greeted, extending one of the drinks towards Teddy. She did her best to keep a level tone, but the trainer was never adept at hiding her feelings. There was a stinging behind her eyes, forcing a wrinkle between her brows as she tried to fight it. "I got you a smoothie. Hope you like strawberries."
Sitting in the carpark all but gave Teddy a front row seat to the events that unfolded on the street. And with precise eyes, catching the words tossed about wasn't all that difficult; she could lip read like the best of them, and in cases like this, it was impossible not to pay attention to the altercation.
Natalie looked upset when she walked away. Teddy thought to get out of the car, but she'd caught sight of the lawyer's Lexus and was heading over in time. The second she sat down beside her, her eyes carried concern immediately. She took the drink out of her hand and settled it in the holder, offering her a quick break from her eyes being stuck on her. "Thank you." She said. Manners first, after all.
Beautiful eyes also felt heavy, and in the small break offered, she put her own drink down. But when she looked up again and such a simple question was asked she felt the first sign of her eyes beginning to water. She sucked a quick breath in to keep it from getting worse.
It must have been so obvious.
"I just - I realized a friend isn't really who I thought she was." She explained, wondering how to explain something like this.
Concern was the highest emotion Teddy could allow herself to feel. She didn't know the woman she had her interaction with, and had no right to feel any kind of way about her. What became her primary focus was the clear way she looked like she might cry about this, whatever this really was.
It was a simple explanation, but could easily be so complex. It lacked shading, like so many summaries did. Reaching out, she rested a hand against her leg. "Listen, if you don't want to talk about it, you dont have to."
There was a heavy contrast between the woman she had just dealt with and the one sitting in the car. Concern in Teddy's eyes brought on a new wave of emotions Natalie hadn't quite expected. The hand on her leg forced her eyes shut as she tried to will any potential tears from falling. She didn't want to cry.
She let a hand settle on top of Teddy's, fingers curling around her palm to offer a little squeeze. Because she was offering a way to opt out, and the trainer heavily considered the option. "It's okay. I just - it's a little awkward." Even she had to let out a little laugh at that, despite her spiked anxiety. "She's nice - we just view life very differently I think."
When a hand held her own, Teddy at least knew she wasn't wrong to reach out. Whatever history circled the situation she'd found herself in was clearly a personal one, and so there had to be no pressure. Viewing life differently between friends was vague considering the emotional state she was in.
"Forgive the intrusion, but I saw you both on the street." She admitted, despite how everything she'd ever learned told her not to admit such a thing. "And because of my eyesight, I'm fairly certain I know at least a little of what you were talking about." She did her best not to make any of that sound awkward, because that was the point. Sure, she had some kind of intimate relationship with this woman, but that didn't excuse her from being a friend when necessary.
"So, if you have reservations over talking about this with me, just know that I won't feel a certain way if you tell me you're not just friends." She added a smile for good measure. Compartmentalising how she felt was all part of the job.
Teddy's response was an answer to a question the trainer hadn't voiced. She wondered if the lawyer could see what display Lena and herself had brought outside, and she should have realized that with a skill like hers, she could pick up details others wouldn't. Strangely, it wasn't irksome in the least. It brought a comfort knowing that Teddy was already aware that there was more than just a friendship.
"She was the first woman I slept with." Natalie gained the confidence to explain. "But I've known her for years before, and when it happened it was like... I was a stranger to her." She sucked in a breath. "I didn't expect it to be so cold."
Her eyebrows furrowed, the idea of this being her own fault starting to sink in. "I was bothered by it, and I think it's ruined the friendship I have with her because of it."
Teddy didn't know what to expect when it came to the relationship shared between Natalie and the other woman engrossed in the heated discussion. When it was explained to her, he hadn't expected it, but the exchange witnessed definitely made more sense.
It all sounded harsh, but why it felt so was still a mystery. Still, it wasn't such a strange situation to be in. Teddy paused long enough to consider a careful set of words that weren't necessarily crafted to make her feel better.
"It's a big responsibility; to be that person for someone, I mean." Gender didn't negate the importance of most people's first partner. "Some people don't see that importance when they're on the other side of it."
It felt strange to be able to talk about this; her last attempt to talk to a friend turned into a panic attack on the listening ear, and although she would never blame Clarke for how she handled the news, it was a refreshing shift to have someone so calm on the other end. Her thumb brushed back and forth against her hand lightly, using the small motion to keep her grounded. At least the threat of tears was slowly easing away.
"I wasn't sure what I was expecting," Natalie confessed with a humored breath, shaking her head. She sucked in another breath, breaking eye contact to look forward. Just or a moment to keep her composure. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Of course she didn't know what to expect. How could she? Teddy found it a simple situation to sympathise with regardless of a lack of personal experience in the matter. She smiled lightly for the stoic way she tried to handle the public dispute; most people would have given in to being upset by now.
"It's fine." She replied, washing the apology away with ease. "What's important is what that friendship means to you. It's a lot to lose over anything, but it does happen." Deciding what was worthwhile and what wasn't was a fine line to navigate.
She looked away to draw away the strength she knew her eyes carried. She must have known that some people could differentiate between sex with and without feelings, and this just sounded like it boiled down to that miscommunication. "If you can really be forgiving? Great." Teddy knew she was kinder than most, but the importance settled in how genuine that forgiveness would be.
There was an overt need to apologize for somehow dragging someone so perfect into the middle of a mess, but it was waved away like there was no such problem. She was far too kind, and the advice she offered was sound within itself. She gave a firm nod in recognition of the fact, her gaze turning back to the lawyer only to find that she lost hers. It was easy to get caught up in the moment when emotions were high, but the lawyer hit the point square on the mark. She hadn't wanted to lose a friend over this.
"Thank you." She smiled, genuinely meaning those words. She leaned across the console, free hand pressing against Teddy's cheek as her lips pressed to the opposite. It was far more innocent than the contact she often opted for with the lawyer, but it felt appropriate to the moment. To thank her beyond being just a listening ear.
"Thank you." She smiled, genuinely meaning those words. She leaned across the console, free hand pressing against Teddy's cheek as her lips pressed to the opposite. It was far more innocent than the contact she often opted for with the lawyer, but it felt appropriate to the moment. To thank her beyond being just a listening ear.
A vote of thanks hadn't been expected, but it was appreciated nonetheless. Lips pressed lightly against her cheek did wonders to make her feel good about encroaching on her personal life outside of this. Turning her head, she looked back at her again.
"I know that we're..." Her voice trailed off. There was no label to properly define this, so she left it clear, "But I'd like to be a friend of yours, too. I don't mind if you talk to me about things like this." She tried to be reassuring. It wasn't the most conventional conversation to have, but she was happy to try.
When she shifted to look back at her, Natalie only made for enough room to properly catch her eyes, remaining leaning across the small gap between them. The corner of her mouth rose into something of an appreciative smile. There wasn't really a defined title for what the pair were, and that was fine. Better, was that whatever it was started to grow. Her hand settled down at the base of the lawyer's neck, lingering in the connection.
"Teddy Eden James, you are most definitely my friend." She confirmed, eyebrows daring to quirk up a little bit. It was strange how quickly she managed to bring comfort to the trainer. "And I'm glad you are."
It felt smart to outline what she was looking for now. Despite the in-depth conversation they'd shared about how skewed a sense of want could be, it felt right to offer something in the way of a friendship. She absolutely hoped for the same connection if something ever happened to her. It was good to have more than one friend in the city.
Confirmation earned a warm smile from her. It was nice to feel necessary for anyone, and her attention nature suited that need perfectly. "I feel the same way." She admitted, but given the weight behind the turn of conversation, she had to wonder if they were still talking about simple friendship.
Were the situation reversed, Natalie knew that she would want to offer a listening ear for the lawyer. There were many layers that built up between them, and the outline of friendship was just as important as any other. The reciprocation of feelings brought a warm smile to the trainer, but there was a different weight behind those words, or maybe she was just overthinking. Regardless, there was significance in those words, and Natalie was thankful for it.
Her arm slowly fell from Teddy's shoulder, resting instead on her arm that reached out to her, still not ready to tear away that extra point of contact. "I'm really glad I've met you. And that we're -" like her counterpart before, she left the definition open, faltering back to a little laugh instead.
