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When Olivia hadn't turned up for work on the first day, Teddy hadn't thought much of it. She'd been told the paralegal was sick, which made sense given how she looked the day before. Teddy had been serious about her taking some time off, and it seemed that it was taken on board. It was just unfortunate that they worked to such a tight schedule; it made work a little more difficult to manage without her capable hands. As the second day approached and there was still no word from her, she decided to pay her a visit.
Thoughtfully, she waited until after work that day before she left the office for good and made the short trip from there to Olivia's place. Just another moment to be thankful she lived so close by, lucky as she was. She took a quick breath before she raised her hand, unsure of what she was bound to find when that door finally opened. But without anymore hesitation, she raised a hand and knocked on the door, intent to greet her with some kind of smile.
Being sick as someone's assistant was terrible. Even more so when she couldn't even find the energy to make sure the person she was assisting knew why she wasn't in the office. In addition to that, Olivia also felt on some level, the sickness was absolutely psychosomatic.
She didn't miss seeing the kiss Natalie and Teddy had shared in the office, something Olivia had refrained from doing because of their professional boundaries. She had held out hope when Natalie came over that there was nothing between the two women.
But the moment Natalie had put her hands on Teddy, Olivia wasn't the only one who was staring. She saw some of her co-workers looking at her like it was some kind of personal victory of theirs that Teddy had someone else. Someone who so clearly wasn't Olivia in any way.
The doctor had given her four days off work because her fever had been through the roof and though she could have taken all of them, she knew it wasn't fair to Teddy due to the amount of work they had. But as the second day approached, Olivia found herself even sicker than the day before. Her medicine wasn't working and bed rest only made the sickness bolder.
She hadn't expected anyone to come over while she looked like death but when she heard the knock on the door, Olivia groaned before wrapping her blanket around her and shuffling through the hall to get to the door. When she saw it was Teddy, she was grateful that she did looked and felt like death. At least Teddy wouldn't see her expression falter beyond her sickness.
"Teddy...what are you doing here?" She asked before a hacking cough came over her. "Sorry..."
Being in the company of someone who was sick was never overtly enjoyable. Teddy couldn't even think of the last time she'd called in sick, let alone had a normal day off. Never did a day really go by without someone on the other end of the line needing her for something, even if it was advice. As she stood in the place she'd been not all that long ago, her eyes fell on Olivia and she received very quick confirmation that she wasn't faking it. Eyebrows rose immediately when she apologised, like she had anything to apologise for.
"Don't be ridiculous, it's fine." She pointed out, waving her hand at the thought. The formality Olivia always held was still true, even when she was in recovery. "I just thought I should come check on you. I can't imagine you're coping well being out of the office for as long as you will be."
Teddy was acting so normal. Like she hadn't been flirting with another woman in the office for everyone to see. Olivia didn't know whether to commend her or think her revile for being so stoic.
"I'd invite you in but I really shouldn't. Germs, contagion." Olivia waved her hand in a vague gesticulation. If this had been two days ago, Olivia would have been overjoyed to see Teddy's face.
She knew she was being petty but she was far too sick to give a crap. Part of her wanted to ask Teddy about Natalie and what that meant for them. But another larger part was just eager to slam the door in Teddy's face.
Was that concern that flickered about on Olivia's featured? Few could read a person like Teddy, thanks in large part to her eyesight. Impossible cues were her forte. "Well, the contagious period for illness like this is actually about a week before you get this bad, so I'm going to be fine." She replied gently, but could understand why someone so sick wouldn't want company.
"Have you eaten?" She asked then. Most people struggled to take care of themselves when in such a state.
Funnily enough, Olivia did want company. Just currently not the one that had shown up at her doorstep. But of course, she was much too polite to say anything so she gave Teddy an amused smile for her little factual quip.
When Teddy asked about eating, Olivia just then realised that she didn't even know what time it was. She'd just been in bed the whole day but her stomach didn't even show any indication that she needed sustenance so she hadn't actually eaten.
"Is that all you're here for, Teddy?" She asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. A little sneeze escaped before another coughing fit which Olivia turned away from Teddy for before swiveling back to look at her boss.
No response was rarely a good response when it came to something like this. Teddy waited for the inevitable no to pass her lips but it never followed through; instead, she found herself questioned. She allowed surprise to colour her features immediately. It wasn't that Olivia was short with her. Perhaps the illness just wore on her patience.
"I'm not here for work, if that's what you're asking." She replied with a laugh. The last thing she'd do was push that hectic life on someone who was sick. "I was worried about you, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Is that alright?" It was probably just rare for her to have someone put in such effort.
Olivia didn't find it as amusing as Teddy that she mentioned work. She had to have known what exactly Olivia meant but of course, she was always in control. She couldn't let anything slip.
Whatever happened had to have just been in Olivia's head and her being so pissy in her head wasn't helping her at all.
"Of course it's alright." Olivia forced a smile before letting it drop. "But I'm not okay as you can clearly see." She gave a short bark of laughter as she gestured to herself. Another cough came before she looked up at Teddy. "And that's not what I'm asking."
Olivia was feeling quite faint and she needed to sit, but she didn't want Teddy to come in, not really. If she came in, Olivia had to be hospitable, something she didn't want to be in present company.
But she didn't want to let Teddy think she was pissy for no reason. And she had clearly made a point that this conversation was far from over. She cursed under her breath before opening the door wider and then heading into the kitchen. She draped her blanket over a chair and brought down two mugs before she made warm honey lemon drinks for the both of them.
Just when Teddy considered quipping that she clearly wasn't alright, Olivia beat her to it. She had to give a short laugh to the mere fact that they'd considered saying the same thing.
What confused her more than anything was the way it felt like Olivia snapped. Again, she let herself wear surprise for the attitude. She deftly considered leaving then and there, but the door was opened wide enough for her to enter before she moved away completely. After a moment of thought, Teddy shut it behind her.
Without a word, Teddy squared off a few steps away from her. Eyebrows twitched upwards once as she looked at her expectedly, not quite willing to be he one to take the floor. Whatever it was, it was her issue to introduce.
Once the drinks were made, she put one mug on one side of the kitchen table while bringing the other to her side of the table. "You can sit down if you'd like." She said after a while. Her eyes dropped down to Teddy's feet but didn't say anything about putting on house slippers. She didn't think Teddy would want to stay longer once she knew why Olivia let her in.
"I'm not entirely sure how to raise this issue but I just want to know, did you forget to tell me you're also seeing Natalie? Or were you just waiting for me to find you with her to get the hint that you don't want to see me anymore?" Olivia's voice was surprisingly level despite the emotions brimming at the surface.
Without being offered a seat, Teddy didn't think to take one. She didn't even consider her shoes until her feet were stared at. Even then, she'd already committed to the steps she'd taken inside. She wasn't even sure how long Olivia would want her to stay.
A level voice chose to accuse her of... Something. She chose that silence to move to settle opposite her.
"I didn't forget to tell you." She admitted then. It wasn't as if the thought had completely left her mind, but she was level headed as always as she addressed it now; "I was unaware that you wanted any details about who else I was seeing."
Always composed. Olivia knew if she continued her line of accusations, she'd be the hysterical one. She didn't want to be. She was far too tired.
"I see." Olivia nodded and took a sip from her mug. "I wasn't aware that I had to." She said before looking up at Teddy, focusing on her eyes. It was easier to look at them, after getting comfortable with her.
"Does she know you were seeing me?" Olivia asked, knowing that Teddy would pick up on the past tense Olivia had deliberately used. Whatever Teddy's answer was going to be, Olivia wasn't sure whether she wanted to continue pursuing a relationship with Teddy after knowing she had someone else. It just didn't seem right to her.
She wondered whether Teddy thought it seemed right.
It was hard for anyone in Teddy's position in life to view anything in a different light. Calm and poised was the only way to get to the bottom of any problem. For her, the was no point in getting overly emotional if she needed to get to any kind of point.
But Olivia struck home. Her choice of wording had good aim, and she gave the slightest falter in her stoic appearance at the use of a past tense to describe them. Teddy reminded herself sharply that she wasn't to go to that level. "No, she doesn't. She didn't ask, either." Was the concept of dating without exclusivity so foreign? She offered the facts over her own thoughts and feelings.
"Would you like me to tell her?" Teddy asked lightly instead, doubting that conversation would go anything like this one, "If it's what you want, I'm willing to oblige."
Seeing the falter in Teddy's armour didn't feel as victorious as Olivia thought. It just made her feel even more horrible. She was used to second guessing herself but she had thought she didn't have to around Teddy.
When Teddy offered to tell Natalie, Olivia took a deep breath that caused her to cough once more. She was so over this sickness. She took a longer, slower sip from her mug, remembering her mother's little home miracles that didn't make sense but somehow worked.
"That's on you, Teddy. I personally don't like being blindsided is all." Olivia rubbed her eyes again, stifling a yawn. "I knew we weren't exclusive but...couldn't you have told me before I..." she stopped herself from continuing. She hated being vulnerable with someone who revealed pieces of themselves only when asked.
Fact of the matter was, Olivia had been invested in them. They'd gone slow, Teddy had respected her boundaries but Olivia was so close to opening up even more but now that this had come to light, she didn't see the point. Who knew how far along Teddy and Natalie's relationship was? For all Olivia knew, they might have already been together longer than Teddy and her.
Based on the display she saw at the office, it looked far more intimate than she would have been comfortable with. "Thanks for stopping by, Teddy. I really appreciate it." Olivia offered a small, genuine smile.
Teddy knew she clearly seemed upset. On her own way, she had a right to be had she been watching the events as they unfolded in her own office. Natalie was more affectionate than Teddy had initially thought she would be, sure, but she hadn't denied it. Now she wasn't sure whose feelings they were talking about, but she let it be.
Despite the genuine smile, Teddy very much felt like she was being pushed out. Eyebrows knit together and she took seconds to consider her next move. In the end, it seemed better to be forthright with her thoughts.
"Forgive me, but I feel like I'm missing something here." She admitted. It was rare for her to willingly point out she didn't understand something. She would have sooner ducked and left than give any kind of weakness. "I don't understand what's going on."
