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.
Lingering contact and close proximity weren't things Natalie considered anyone might notice outside of themselves. She was too caught up in it herself.
As much as she might have wished otherwise, it didn't come as too much of a surprise to hear that the lawyer's day was far from done. After all, she had just tied her lunch break into a meeting. And although there was still much to learn about her, Natalie knew how dedicated she was to her job.
At the very least, there was an offer for dinner, and that was enough to make her eyes light up. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, drawing it wider. "I'd love that." She replied genuinely, eyebrows quirking up. "Should I dress up?"
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."
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."
The hand at her waist did everything to keep her close, and Natalie felt her breath go light at the proximity between them. Even in a professional environment, her overwhelming nature was so intoxicating. Natalie dared to let her fingertips graze the border between fabric and skin, lingering against the line as she let out a light laugh.
"Next time I'll call." Her eyebrows twitched upward, because there absolutely would be a next time. It was hard to ignore the magnetic energy that pulled her towards the lawyer.
The corner of her mouth rose upward. "For the rest of the day," she confirmed with a nod.
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.
The smile her counterpart wore only made her own grow, and as Teddy stepped closer, Natalie let out a content breath, leaning into the little bit of contact granted. She inched a little closer, letting herself press against the lawyer.
When distance was finally created, Natalie set the cups down on the desk, and with free hands, she let one fall on Teddy's shoulder - because any connection was one worth being savored.
"Olivia let me in; it was very nice of her." She explained, fingertips grazing across the expensive fabric. "How was your meeting?"
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."
At the sound of the door opening, Natalie's head immediately turned. A warm smile spread across her features when dark eyes collided with bright blue ones. Instantly, the trainer rose from her seat, hands still holding both travel cups.
"Hey," she replied as she took a step towards the lawyer. "I'm sorry, I should have told you I was coming. I thought I'd surprise you." She lifted the cups up. "I know you're busy."
She kept her smile nonetheless, because it was still a pleasure to see her, even if it was for a moment. "Though I think the tea I brought is cold now."
There was an easy acceptance to her request for more space, and Natalie had to be a little thankful that Lena didn't argue it. The trainer wasn't meant to be a fighter, and she already felt exhausted from the conversation they just had.
That didn't stop her from catching the strain in Lena's voice when she said to take care. "You too." She had to offer, because despite her anger she still wished for the redhead to be well.
Turning, she looked back to the parking lot, dark eyes landing on the black car that was there to pick her up. She had to wonder if she witnessed anything before making her way to the vehicle.
It was so easy to become distracted by the form on top of her. Fingertips against her skin Sid well to insure that her heart rate would never settle. It was a conflict; to talk and learn more about this fascinating woman, or to succumb to the physicality of the way her hands moved.
She let her own detangle from dark locks, keeping them from falling into Teddy's face as she secured them with the other. It gave for the chance to keep touching her. To let short nails graze across her shoulder and back.
"You're bound for failure if you go in with defined expectations on everything you want." Natalie agreed with a hum.
She tilted her head upward, pressing her lips to the base of the lawyer's neck, lingering in the connection.
Settling into bed, the trainer chose to lay on her back, but her head turned to face Clarke, giving her a small smile. "And you, too." It had been a lot for both of them. She was thankful they were laying down. The heavy topics were exhausting, given that they weren't something common between the two of them.
Dark eyes glanced up towards the ceiling before slowly shutting. Jodie's chin on her leg brought genuine comfort. "Yes, we should. Way more often."
Worked up as she was, it was hard to calm down and take a step back. Because what the brunette gathered most was that she still couldn't understand what the problem was. It brought guilt running through her veins, like she had no capacity to properly explain herself. Or that these thoughts were so obscure that they really didn't make sense at all. She lifted a hand, running it through her hair as she tried to just breathe.
"I'm sorry." And she meant it. The words carried a sort of defeated sadness she didn't quite know how to handle. "I don't want to lose your friendship, but... this is really hard. I just - I'm going to take some space."
Fast steps had her out the door and the brisk air was a welcome change, even if didn't have a jacket on to protect her from the chill. Dark eyes looked around for a familiar car, but before she could catch sight, she was being called out to.
Briefly, she considered not turning around, especially when the redhead was offering a recap of the whole event. When she did turn, she felt shaken. By no means did she want to fight, but it was so frustrating that Lena didn't seem to understand at all. "You keep saying things like that. That you have feelings for me and that I'm your best friend, but your actions are so much louder. It makes it hard to believe what you're saying."
With the two drinks Natalie purchased secured in her hands, she had every intention on leaving, but it required her to circle back around to get to the door. When an apology left Lena's lips, it hauled a sigh out of the brunette. Why was she apologizing if she didn't even understand what it was for? It felt like an out. "I had just told you." Her anger was getting to the better of her at this point, causing anxiety to skyrocket.
Was it really too much to ask to be treated like more than some fling? There was a middle area between full commitment and complete disregard for a person. Or, at least, Natalie believed it to be so. For the dancer, she wasn't so sure.
"I thought I could be okay with this, but I'm not." She started for the door, though slowing down a little to look at the dancer briefly. "I've explained it to you as best I could. Why don't you just think about it for a little bit?" Turning again, she headed out the door, hoping that there was a Lexus in the parking lot.
The look of confusion only seemed to make matters worse for the brunette. Like she couldn't put it together that every step taken that morning had such a huge influence on the way they sat across from one another now. Worse, was how she failed to recognize something Natalie struggled with herself; admitting when she deserved something. "Why don't you think on that." Natalie replied instead, tired of having to spell it out for someone. She needed to put in the effort.
With perfect timing, her drinks were called out and Natalie was quick to stand up. "If you were a little more open to yourself, maybe you'd be able to see that." She stated before starting to go get the smoothies.
