|
|
Olivia's face immediately shared a curious mixture of emotions that weren't easy to establish in one moment. Even perfect eyes couldn't piece together the natural response to Teddy's words. Maybe even she didn't know.
"It can be hard enough navigating all this on your own, let alone while trying to factor in someone else's feelings." She explained. And her lips pressed to a frown before she managed to completely maintain it and revert back to something neutral.
"Two weeks was a long time." Teddy tried then; it wasn't easy to try and explain any part of her side, but the strain must have been evident in her tone, "Maybe it didn't have to be. And maybe it would have been even longer if you hadn't found someone to talk to when you did."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Teddy knew without a second to spare that Natalie would immediately question her. She was too kind not to. Combating that thought before it could reach the air between them was proving to be a worthwhile artform.
A small point of contact against her lips was hardly enough, and it only left her wanting more. Putting a timeline to this was the worst decision she'd ever made.
"She's actually known about you from the very beginning. She has friends in the bar where we met." Teddy tried to explain, wondering what kind of person that made Emmett sound like. She didn't seem bothered by the fact; that was just how she was, "She knows everything about how I feel about you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Again, Teddy found herself practically stuck in the space so close to this woman. It was so difficult to maintain a proper conversation with her when there was nothing left between them. The threat of believing in luck appeared again, and she did her best to ignore it.
"You could come over. Bring everyone. I could ask her if it's okay." She offered then, and while it wasn't something she complete thought through, she was positive of one thing; "She's dying to meet you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
The invitation of visiting the small space wasn't lost on Teddy. Though she imagined it would end up being quite the distraction, even she couldn't deny how interested she was in simply watching the way she worked. She doubted there was a single moment in time where this woman wasn't the personification of kindness.
And a hand traveling down her neck forced her own to lift, reaching out to lightly curl into the fabric at her shoulders.
"I could spare a few hours." She admitted. She was sure Emmett would find her way into her home if she wasn't there anyway. She gave her a key for a reason.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Now that the pressure of that talk had lifted, everything felt freer. There was less worry to maintain any kind of distance, because she was reaching out like it didn't matter. Being the first to break that distance made her so perfect. She felt her strength wounded just from the single connection.
Though she never saw herself as wonderful, it was nice to know someone who thought she deserved such high praise.
"I like it." She said finally, easing in with a small step. It was like a growingly familiar, magnetic pull, and she was so weak against it, "I just wanted to see it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Admittedly, it wasn't the topic Teddy had expected to come up between them, but she supposed every conversation was free game. AT the very least, she hoped it was clear she didn't feel any type of way about it. It wasn't really her business, but it suddenly felt like it absolutely was.
A vote of thanks seemed to seal it all away completely, like it was the kindest way Natalie could think to finish talking about the only other woman she'd slept with.
Conceding with a smile, Teddy sought her eyes and shrugged her shoulders lightly; "I'll talk to you about whatever you like."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Teddy was sure Natalie seemed so troubled by her lack of a good answer. She looked at her with obvious sympathy, and she felt for the difficulty that coincided with this particular woman.
"Maybe it's not your answer to find." Teddy offered then. Though she had no idea how the past conversations had progressed between the two, she guessed Natalie acted as she always did. She probably put in a great amount of effort, because she couldn't help the way she cared so much.
"Or maybe all you need to do is ask her what she wants from you. You said yourself that you're willing to forgive whatever happened. Maybe the power to fix it isn't yours anymore." And cycling power was always a difficult thought to accept,
|
|
|
|
|
|
A lengthy connection was always the hardest to let go of. Teddy understood that better than most, but she felt no need to voice it. Not when it seemed Natalie was having some kind of personal revelation about such an aged relationship.
It all made sense. It was common sense, really, to try and fight for something deemed worthwhile by any means.
"How do you think you'll achieve that?" Teddy had to ask. If she could see the solution she wanted, that was good. If she could actualise it, that was even better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hands filtered back into the pockets of her coat again; anything to keep them out of reach while a discussion like this took place. Teddy could see the way worry formed in her eyes before it trickled to the rest of her expression, and she fought the desire to ease back in through the break she'd created.
It was like watching a thought be finally realised, but given that look, Teddy couldn't tell if she was happy with it or not. "You can still want to be friends with her without actually needing anything from that... Relationship." She reassured her. There was no right or wrong answer to something so complex.
|
|
|
|
|
|
A lack of eye contact must have been refreshing for someone underneath the lawyer's eyes so consistently. Teddy tried to give her a break every now and then, and this topic was no exception for that. Communication between the two was clearly lacking, but it wasn't her place to comment on the very obvious reason why that was.
She tucked those little strands back behind her ear, small smile caught on her face in the silence they briefly shared. Then she eased herself back completely, freeing her other hand as she took a step away.
"What do you need from it all?" She had to ask. After all, it seemed that asking Natalie what she wanted would only draw them in circles.
|
|
|
Apr 12, 2018 11:41:38 GMT
|
|
|
|
|
|
It was difficult to imagine a version of this woman who wasn't true to her newfound self. Teddy also struggled to see how anyone could expect anything else from her; she was so genuine that any kind of lie was obvious, and she had to guess that a lack of her usual personality would be clear. She was lucky never to experience it.
This situation required a kind of delicate nature; a care so few were willing to provide when such a topic came up. "You're very easy to miss." Teddy pointed out, drawing directly from her own experience as she reached up with her free hand to curl idle strands of her hair between her fingers. The last few nights were a drag, but she didn't want to specify that. Her eyes studied her own movements, instead.
"Does she know what you want? Have you actually told her?" It didn't take perfect eyes to see Natalie registered some kind of void only this particular person could fill. She pressed her lips together to try not to think about it in depth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Though Teddy had no real desire to linger in the idea of another person, she had to make an easy assumption to draw the point Natalie was trying to make. Sure, he supposed on some level that Lena counted as something in the trainer's history, but it sounded more like a minor blip than a legitimate spike.
"You? Bitter? Shocking." She had to tease her for it. Any negative emotion didn't suit her expressions, and that little comment might have been as far as she was able to go. Easing through the minimal distance, she took her potential current stance as a friend for granted and pressed herself in close.
"I thought you found her worthy of staying close to."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Authority based by gender was the best descriptive term Teddy could think of. It sounded so clever coming out of her mouth that she must have looked a little impressed. There was an easy relief in sharing such an important sentiment. Sympathetic eyes watched over her as she continued to explain herself, even if she couldn't catch her gaze anymore.
"You should never feel the need to change a single thing about you." She explained finally. Of course, they were such obvious words to give. "Everything about you is worthwhile."
"Besides, it's not hard to be better than the last person you were with." Teddy pointed out, leaning in a fraction to give the news like it was some secret.
|
|
|
Apr 11, 2018 22:57:47 GMT
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scepticism for someone so new to all this was natural. It seemed that when it came to her choices in this country, Teddy simply couldn't avoid it. But just as it was with Olivia, she did her best not to hold that potential for ignorance against her. Thus far, Natalie had never come across as someone who didn't seem to know what they were doing. She was perfect.
"So, you find that there's a distinct difference between dating based on gender?" She asked, genuinely curious. It wasn't as if she had a point of reference. It wasn't like she could truly count herself lucky, but she might have represented her own gender impressively.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Teddy allowed herself to be drawn in; easy steps had her following the woman who held her hand like she owned it. And she let her eyes drop to the picture shown to her, giving faces to the individuals who she wouldn't quickly forget, given her eyes. It was a true family photo; the kind that was easily heart-warming.
"I have no problem with you being new." She pointed out quickly. That was hardly something to hold against her, and she needed to make that obvious.
"What would you consider your longest relationship?" She asked then, given she was free to do so.
|
|
|
|