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Natalie immediately shook her had at the idea of knowing what Lena was feeling. It was almost enough to make her laugh at the situation itself, if only because she had no idea how to react. Her lips pursed tightly as she exhaled heavily through her nose. Finally, she made a shift of her posture, leaning forward only to press her forearms against the table, as if the hard surface could somehow ground her.
"I'm not asking for a relationship. I didn't want commitment with you." Was that really necessary to point out? "What I'm asking for is to be treated more than just some stranger you hooked up with at a bar." They'd known each other for years - didn't that earn something? "I deserve better than that."
At least her friend wasn't afraid to come into her room. When the redhead sat next to her, she offered a small smile, but it lacked it's usual brightness. Because concern couldn't go away so easily, let alone when it was over Clarke. The night's progression had been so off kilter to their norm, she lacked what to say to really bring her friend comfort. She sounded fine, and Oz's wagging tail and thoughts gave way to information that she had calmed down significantly. Still, it was hard to ignore the anxiety translated to her just a few minutes ago.
"We all care." Natalie reaffirmed, pressing her hands down against the bed as leverage to ease back further down it. "A good night's rest will help, too." At least she thought and hoped. She eased herself under the sheets, making room for Clarke while Jodie and Oz jumped up to join them.
There was a pause after her question that Natalie wasn't expecting. Though she found no issue with the silence that could fall between them, Natalie wondered what was running through mind in those few seconds.
A gentle laugh escaped her lips at the descriptor of lawyers. It fell into a stereotype that apparently at least a little true. The corner of her mouth twitched up into a wider curve as she pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
"I suppose it's all about finding the right fit." Whether that was in the same field or not didn't necessarily matter, as long as there was understanding.
Nat kept her hands firmly in her lap, each hand tightly wrapped around the other. It was something to focus her frustration on. Because questions were thrown in her direction, but her attention grabbed onto that last statement.
"So are you saying you do have feelings? Because I don't think anyone would have guessed that." Her tone sounded almost bitter, eyebrows furrowing. "I'm not stupid, Lena. I know you're casual, but that doesn't excuse you from lacking any place on the emotional spectrum when it came to us." She did her best to keep her tone as quiet as she could, given their location, but it was still painful to have to break it down in such a public place.
"You know it was my first time with a woman." They had been close, after all. "Did you take any consideration to that after you fucked me and wanted to move on with your morning?" It wasn't like Natalie to use a curse so forcibly, but it was the best descriptor for the moment. "Because you definitely didn't act like you did."
With the confirmation, Natalie nodded and started to follow the woman. It was nice of her to allow the trainer to wait in Teddy's office, and even offer to call up the lawyer. To brought a warm smile to her lips, coming to a halt when the woman turned around to face her.
"Oh, if she's in the middle of something important, I wouldn't want to disturb her." Natalie replied. She had been informed that she was practically married to her work, after all. "I'm Natalie by the way. It's nice to meet you."
It was a lot to say that her friend didn't care, but the stress that built up was hard to contain. Natalie felt cornered - more so given that they weren't even talking about this in private. Her lips pursed tightly, eyes drawing shut for a few moments as she took in a breath to try and collect herself. Or, at least to calm down. Part of her just wanted to walk out. She wasn't even good at arguing in the first place.
"Then why'd you act like you did that morning?" She questioned with a kind of desperateness. Really, she wanted to know the motives behind Lena's moves. "Or - if you really do care, why are you trying so hard to pretend not to?"
Natalie's eyebrows rocked upward at the reply she received - though it shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Lena was always quick to argue her point, especially in the case of a threat. And she supposed - by that defensive reply - that Natalie was considered to be one.
Tension ran through her jaw as she clenched it. It wasn't like her to get so easily frustrated, but this was a situation she never found herself in before.
This wasn't the place to do this - and frankly, Natalie didn't want to do it here. In a public place she frequented, but this sparked an aggression in her that she wasn't often known for. "You lied to me about caring about me as a friend or otherwise." Blunt words cut to the point. "Or you do, but you're lying now and trying to act cool about everything."
There was no doubt in Natalie's mind that her counterpart worked for everything she did. That much seemed so obvious in her demeanor and how she spoke of her work.
Fingertips against her skin - light as they were - made it impossibly hard to think. She was a distraction. A slow breath escaped her, still wavering in nature even if it wasn't as heavy as it was a minute before. Still, she wanted to talk. To learn about this woman. "I can tell. You're so passionate about it."
She thought another moment, eyes drawing shut as her back curved up against the bed. Just a little. "Does that mean you don't have interest in meeting someone in your field?" She had to ask, and when her eyes opened again she did her best to try and gauge a reaction, even in the lack of light. "Because one is enough?"
Natalie's eyes instantly went wide when she realized that her own actions were the cause of distress in her friend. It hadn't even occurred to her that she had never changed in front of the redhead before, and she was hit with a quick stint of guilt over seemingly putting her friend over the edge. "I'm sorry." She apologized genuinely, folding her arms over her chest as if to somehow shield her friend from her.
"They're just worried," Natalie reassured. After all, the various creatures in her house were all familiar with Clarke; seeing her panic would surely spike their concern. "I am, too." She sat on the edge of the bed, eyes never wavering from the person standing in front of her. "You've had an... intense day."
A the frown Lena wore was obvious, and Natalie sucked in a quick breath at the sight of it. Hard as all this was, she still didn't want to cause any potential pain. But she was asked, and Natalie squeezed her hands together as they rested on her lap.
"You're not really... honest." Really, the trainer didn't know how to voice her thoughts gently, despite how low her voice was. "At least,not to me."
Given that one of the two beverages would get cold before the person it was intended for could drink it, it only made sense to offer it to someone else that might appreciate it. Though denied, Natalie nodded. Given that it was a stranger, she decided to withhold any commons on the benefits of drinking tea over coffee when sick. Really, given how tired the woman looked, she wondered why she was working at all. But if she was anything like the lawyer Natalie was so fond of, it made sense.
"Oh, thank you." Natalie smiled warmly at the offer, beginning to look around again. She still had no idea where her office exactly was, but when her gaze landed on glass walls and a perfect interior, she assumed she found it. "Is that?" She lifted a hand, pointing in the direction o fit. "Is it really okay that I wait there?"
They dove into details about a subject that Natalie never was able to properly learn about in the years she had known Clarke. Dark eyes went a little wide at the details, in part because she was surprised that the redhead was opening up to something Natalie knew she didn't like sharing. An explanation of manifestation was usually something a best friend would learn about, but it hadn't been the case with them.
She set a hand on Clarke's shoulder, offering a little squeeze. "Is it always so panic inducing?" She asked, well aware of what every animal in her house could sense, and thus share with her.
Lena was often the more chatty person between the two. In the past, it was often easy to keep a conversation going, given that the dancer would fill in any gaps left. As they walked downstairs to the smoothie bar, that didn't seem to be the case. The silence wasn't really uncomfortable, but it strayed away from the norm. As Lena ordered her drink, Natalie considered the options in front of her, placing an order for two before making her way over to sit by the dancer.
She looked so frustrated, and Natalie felt the tension rise again.
Her eyebrows furrowed at the statements offered to her, lips forming a little line as she waited a beat. Were they going to dive into this here? Apparently so. "I don't think they are going to go back to normal, Lena." She replied honestly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just - trying to figure out who you are."
Really, Natalie knew it was a steep request. She herself would likely falter at such a broad question, but the curiosity remained. A small, humored exhale escaped her at the idea of literally suing over a misspelled birthday cake. Given their prior subject on names, it was practically a perfect connection. The story peaked her interest, but it brought another question to the forefront of her mind. There was so much she wanted to know about the woman she met earlier that evening.
"Were your parents lawyers, too?" She segued into, given the subject landed on them and a threat to sue.
At the news that Teddy would be gone for at least a half hour, a small crease formed between Natalie's eyebrows. She, too, looked down at the cups in her hands before back up at the helpful woman there. "Tea," she corrected, but still keeping her friendly demeanor; there was no reason to be upset with the person delivering the news. "She prefers it."
She wondered if it would be too much to wait for the lawyer. It sounded like she had a busy day, given she was having a lunch meeting.
"Would you like this?" She tilted one of the cups in the woman's direction. "It's good for a cold." She had heard her cough before approaching, and could only assume.
