ONCE BURNED was made by MEL. Copying, altering, or stealing any of the site's content is prohibited. All of ONCE BURNED's characters are the original work of their owners and may not be replicated or stolen. All images and graphics belong to their rightful owners and ONCE BURNED does not claim to own any of them.
Seconds passed and a hand was back on her again, providing ample distraction considering the conversation she was trying to carry. Teddy was beginning to wonder if there was a little part of her that liked being such a distraction from her work. Yet she still asked about it like she really cared. Truthfully, Teddy was sure she wouldn't speak a word if she didn't care.
"Oh, they'll be fine." She reassured her. Maybe she really did need that reassurance.
"This is great for that ego we're building for you." Teddy said then, nose crinkling given the way she grinned about it, "I haven't even considered taking an unscheduled day off in years." And while this didn't really constitute a day off, it was close enough in the workaholic's books.
Once her hand was on the lawyer, it wasn't prepared to leave. Instead, fingertips tracked down the length of her form with ease, ducking under the covers to keep the connection alive as it traversed down to her hip. A humored huff of air escaped her lips. "You're absolutely right. It's starting to feel a little inflated," she joked easily. Though, in part, it was true. Knowing that she was the force that kept Teddy from going into work did well to make her feel special, even if a little guilty.
The tip of her nose drew a trail along the length of her jaw, lips reaching her ear as she pressed another kiss to her ear when she reached it. If anythings he was only more intoxicating now that she was staying, were that even possible.
Keeping focus on one thing was already growing to feel impossible. Teddy doubted she actually meant to be such a distraction, and so her eyes narrowed in scrutiny when a hand filtered beneath the bedding they shared. But she lost the ability to look at her eyes, because she was leaning in. Lips brushed against her ear and forced a greater curve to her neck instinctively. It was hard not to give in.
"What about you?" She tried anyway, eyes drawing to a quick close, "What are your plans for today?"
Every reaction Natalie was offered encouraged her to keep going. Teddy moved so easily, and so when the opportunity was given, she pressed another thoughtful kiss to the curve of the lawyer's neck. There, she lingered for a few moments before finally drawing herslef away enough to properly speak.
"I'll have to make a phone call as well." She explained with a shrug of her shoulders. Though she loved her job, taking a personal day wasn't nearly as hard of a decision.
Teddy doubted she'd actually get an answer to her question. Pressure against her neck forced a harsher breath to leave her lips. Doting was the trainer when she had the time to be, and Teddy had just offered her hours at her own free will to do as she pleased.
She felt the shrug beneath her hand as it filtered to her shoulder. But she didn't apply her own pressure either way; not a pull or a push to a certain direction. She could do whatever she wanted.
"You should still go." Teddy said finally, like she could be one to talk in a situation like this. Though she hadn't been pushed to change her mind minutes ago, she couldn't really help herself; "Just not in the morning."
It was ironic that the lawyer - who made the decision to call out of work in what Natalie imagined was likely a decade - tried to convince Natalie to still go in for her own job. A humored hum pressed against the curve of Teddy's neck, letting a short exhale dance across her skin. "We'll see." It would be hard, if not impossible, to leave her home if she knew that her counterpart was opting not to go into the firm. Her students would likely be happy for an unexpected day off.
Slowly, she eased herself on top of Teddy, pressing another kiss to her neck. Slow. Thoughtful. Her fingertips dared to draw along the length of Teddy's stomach. "When did you decide you weren't going in?"
That was without a doubt the weakest argumentative return Teddy had ever been given. She had to laugh, because inconclusive words like that resided themselves to the fate she was trying to fight. She remained sure that Natalie shouldn't take an entire day away when she couldn't offer the same.
Determination to carry a conversation seemed to be at the forefront, but it was difficult. Hands were adoring, matching the weight and care her lips took against her skin. "When I decided to stay the night." She admitted. But it was so much better to tell her now as opposed to all those hours ago.
A laugh did nothing to dishearten the trainer. She knew well enough that it wasn't a solid argument, but she let it settle regardless. Because humor found its way into her own breath as she learned that Teddy had decided this the prior night, and somehow that seemed so like her. She was almost mathematical in her approach, but what stood out the most to Natalie was that she had hours to change her mind - to convince herself that it was her duty to go into the firm. Yet there she was, staying. If Natalie ever knew what an ego felt like, it must have been exactly like this.
She pushed herself up, enough to try and catch those bright eyes she adored. Even without the aid of acute sight, she was sure it was obvious that Natalie was appreciative of those words. Of her decision. "You are wonderful." She breathed.
Partially stripped of her choice of adoring moves, Teddy was finally able to catch her eyes again. There was no need for powerful sight to understand that just like that, there had been some kind of shift. She had an uncanny way of dragging the seriousness out of a throwaway statement. Of course, there was weight in every thought and action the lawyer took, but she didn't expect it to mean quite so much.
Her eyebrows rose as her eyes took a softer expression. She was surprised by the turn, but it wasn't bad. It was the kind of attitude to savour and appreciate. Her ego didn't need any help, but she'd take whatever was given. She thought to tell her to stop - lightly, of course - but she knew it would be taken too seriously. Surely she could think of something better. But her mouth pulled into one of those unforced, broader smiles.
"Okay." She said, because surely it was better than complete silence.
It was easy to become enveloped with physicality, and although Natalie never willingly liked distance, there was something else entirely in the way she was looked back at. A single word response was perfect in its own way; accepting of the descriptor that Natalie easily labeled the lawyer with. Wonderful. She almost wanted to say it again. Though other words crept forward in her mind, and she felt the way her lips parted as if she could actually voice them. Her tongue ran over the length of her bottom lip, briefly humoring the thought.
And silence came forth, because surely that was better. Natalie leaned down to press against Teddy again, taking in the form perfectly flesh against her own as she kissed her.
Teddy found comfort in the silence they were wrapped up in. She couldn't think of an eloquent way to continue the conversation even if she'd tried; her mind was not her greatest ally when it came to this woman's overwhelming nature. She actually looked at her mouth when she parted her lips, but there was nothing there for her to hear. When she looked up at her eyes, she had to wonder what the trainer was humouring.
A body melted back against her own instead, capturing any wayward curiosity and forthcoming questions with a clever kiss. Thoughts of questioning her at all filtered away with a little too much ease, and she gave up in favour of keeping her close until she needed to catch her breath.
"We should get up." She offered eventually, the thought like a voice of reason. But reason was quickly lost when she was catching her lips again.
Reciprocating pressure against her lips was exactly the motive to keep her quiet and closer. It was far too easy to give into physicality when it was so willingly taken and given. It was affectionate. Purposeful. And even when she felt short on breath, she tried to maintain that connection until her lungs desperately cried for oxygen. And in that moment, there was reason. Something that Natalie couldn't entirely argue with, but quickly realized she didn't have to when Teddy found her lips again.
"We should," she even managed to agree between kisses, like there was something in being on the same level of understanding, despite the way her hands found Teddy's thighs.
It was good that Natalie agreed. Responsible, even. There was at least one phone call to be made and the sooner it happened the better. But Teddy had never been good at denying her of anything, else she would have gone to work that morning.
Arguing with her was the furthest thing from her mind when those hands were tracking down low beneath the covers. Easing her away now wasn't impossible, despite how it would have sold her earlier point perfectly. She didn't want to.
She exhaled harshly, forcing a break to the heavy way the trainer kissed her. When she dragged a breath in, she forced herself to speak; "In a minute."
At the very least, there were a few short tasks that needed to be done that morning, all of which were put to the wayside when she was kissed like that. And if it weren't enough to drag Natalie's mind away from any sort of responsibility, there was the phrase she offered. In a minute. She'd heard it before and knew it was exactly the sort of encouragement the trainer needed to know she was making the right move. That Teddy's desire to stay in the comfort of bed was just as high as her own.
Even if she let out a little humored breath, it was lost in the way she moved forward and kissed her again, or how her hands moved with defined purpose.
Though other, imperative commitments had managed to catch her attention, that hold had been so brief. It was amazing how this woman could be so overwhelming without even trying, and she clearly didn't even know it.
When her body finally settled, she allowed herself to look again. Bright eyes opened to catch the warm set her counterpart always offered. But there was nothing left to say; nothing clever enough to break the silence between them. She certainly wasn't willing to try and be reasonable after how it failed her already.
