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Changing in front of people wasn't something that Natalie considered at all abnormal. She hadn't considered at all how it might have caused Clarke to react, given that the moment she turned around, Natalie heard the bathroom door close and assumed that the redhead went in there to prepare for bed. She changed completely, only noticing something strange when Jodie came trotting into the room, and quiet steps brought her towards the bathroom door when she could see Oz sitting outside it.
Instantly, a frown formed on the trainer's face, eyebrows furrowing as she went back to her room, waiting. When Clarke appeared again, she instantly sat up from where she found a place to sit.
"Is everything okay?" She asked instantly, heavy concern working into her features.
Really, it would have been smart to offer some sort of warning to Teddy and let her know that she was stopping into visit. However, that would have ruined any sort of surprise. She'd never been to the her workplace before, bit it was easy to find. At least, the building was. When Natalie exited the elevator, she instantly realized she had no idea where she was supposed to go from there.
A few steps inside, the brunette was looking left and right, searching for anything or anyone that she could have possibly offered some sort of clarity. Two take away cups were in her hands, and at the very least, she would have to find a place to put the drinks down before she could bring out her phone. However, before she could get too far, she was being approached. The poor girl looked tired, but she seemed nice enough and it drew a warm smile out of the trainer.
"Oh, yes." Her smile grew. "I'm looking for Teddy. This... is the right floor, isn't it?" She had to laugh at the possibility in winding up in the wrong area all together.
As the class progressed, Natalie was happy that she had made the decision to come. It was something she missed, and the idea of never returning wasn't even an option for the trainer. When the class wrapped up, she stretched out her legs, leaning forward again with her head tucked down by her knees. Just enough to loosen up before she stood again. When she sat back up, she caught sight of the dancer, and a familiar offer was on the table.
A quick glance at the clock informed her she had the time. "Sure," she replied. "I've been craving one." Hopping to her feet, she started to roll up the lime green mat. When she secured it, she stood up straight. "Shall we?"
Distance created forced Natalie's eyes open, despite how heavy they were starting to feel. Unlike her counterpart, it took far too long for them to adapt to the darkness. She couldn't make out any definitive details, but she at least tried, and her hands kept tangled in her hair. A smile took to the curve of her own lips at the sound of her name. It was starting to grow familiar wrapped in her accent.
Breath still staggered, she didn't care as she caught her lips again. Gentle pressure had to remain short, given the strain on her lungs, but it was well worth the connection. "Tell me more. About you." It was such a broad request that the trainer thought she might have to narrow it down, but there was genuine interest in learning more about the lawyer. "What was it like growing up as Theodora Eden James?"
A set of wonderful lips pressing to her neck made Natalie wonder if she could feel her rapid pulse through the connection. It was clever not to catch the trainer's lips; they were parted with a desperate attempt to catch her breath.
Eyes remained tightly shut, because she feared that if she caught a glimpse of the lawyer, it might be too overwhelming. So much of her was already, in the best of ways.
"Teddy." She breathed again, hands filtering up to tangle in dark locks.
As she grabbed her clothes for the night, Natalie tossed them on the bed. She smiled at her dog, who was wagging her tails frantically in all the excitement. Any attention, and she always went a little overboard, but the thought quickly left her when her friend started to stammer.
It was almost incomprehensible, but Natalie got the general gist of the question. Another little laugh escaped her. "Yeah, unless you'd prefer to sleep on the couch. But there's plenty of room here." She always made sure to have a larger bed, given the animals that often tried to hog up space.
Her hands curled around the hem of her shirt, drawing it up and over her head before tossing it into the hamper before she grabbed her oversized pajama shirt.
It took no strength to get her to move. She barely felt the pressure before she was shifting onto her back, hands pressing with a matched lightness against her back to keep any real distance from being created.
They stayed there, slowly finding a force that the usually passive trainer didn't display. She couldn't not hold on.
And the sounds that escaped her throat took shape in the form of a word. A name. She had just been told she could refer to her as either, and her decision stood as she let the shortened version leave her lips.
Of course Clarke planned this, only drawing more humor out of the trainer, though it definitely wasn't a bad thing. It was nice to see her friend making progress, ironically as it was for it to be on this day. She pressed a hand to Clarke's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "You're always welcome here," Natalie offered genuinely. "You know I've been saying that for years." And tonight hadn't made the statement any less true.
Letting go, Nat started for the bedroom. "Oz is excited you're staying." She pointed out, glancing down at the smaller dog wagging its tail happily before entering the other room and making her way to the closet.
With the change of topic, Natalie found herself able to get more settled. There was something irksome about Lena's curiosity, and fortunately the crowd that came in stopped her from voicing it too quickly. She still smiled genuinely to hear that Lena's career beyond teaching was going well. She was, at the very least, enthusiastic about it.
And like that, the redhead went her own way. A squeeze to her arm, and Natalie smiled, offering a nod of confirmation. It was silly to think that things would be able to be a little more resolved, but this felt a little worse. With her own stretches finished, she reached for her phone, only putting it away when the instructor came in. At least she could focus on the class they were taking.
Every kiss added heightened emotion to the moments they shared. She wanted to see her again, and she would love to. An agreement many hours before they would inevitably have to part ways. It was a thought to hold onto.
But for then, Natalie chose to hold onto her. The drumming of her heart banged in her ears, making it hard to concentrate on anything other than the woman responsible for its heightened state.
So she kissed her again, and with it came the crack of her willpower, making it impossible to pull away so quickly.
The day was filled with surprises, because as soon as Clarke asked if she wanted to stay over Natalie couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her lips. In part, because of the statement that followed. "Why would it be inappropriate?" She asked genuinely. "You're my best friend. Best friends do things like stay the night." Even if they were rounding the corner of thirty. As the dogs came back inside, she closed and locked the door.
"Is your routine going to be okay?" Natalie had to tease, at least a little, given the last time she invited her friend to stay the night.
Teddy offered compliments with such ease, but they hit the trainer with full force. She sucked in a harsh breath, because although she had only met her earlier that night, she spoke like she knew her. And it was absolutely believable. The kisses between her compliments made a moment all the more overwhelming, and in their shortness she found herself struggling to keep any distance between them. She leaned into any and all contact, catching her lips again with the last statement.
"You are amazing." Though she risked sounding like she was offering a compliment only because she received one, it was worth it. "I want to see you again." Because although they had the night and morning again, she wanted to make it known. And again, she breached the distance between them.
Finished stretching her legs, the trainer went on to cross an arm over her form, and with a slight pull she felt the stretch of her shoulder and arm. For a moment, she thought the conversation would drift towards another subject, but Lena seemed genuinely interested in Teddy, and she hadn't even learned her name yet. It was like she was genuinely happy for the brunette; and it conflicted with everything she considered over the past week about her friend.
"In a bar." Natalie offered her that much, and that within itself must have been a surprise for the dancer. She rarely went out unless a special occasion called for it. And before she could offer anything else, another person made their way into the room. The class was starting soon, and the room would inevitably be more crowded within minutes. "Are you still enjoying your work at that club?"
It only felt fair to offer her name in its entirety to the lawyer - but just as importantly, she wanted to give it to her. She deserved anything Natalie could offer, and the response she was given drew a little laugh out of the trainer. She probably had one of the least common names in the whole state, given it's Caucasian population. "My parents moved here from Israel before I was born," she offered as an explanation.
Humor shone in her features. "I can imagine the only name that could be native to New Hampshire is something like Smith." Her own joke drew another laugh out of her.
Natalie hadn't been quite sure what to expect as a reaction from the dancer - the last time she saw her, she offered sincere concern over what had happened. The news that Nat was seeing someone could surely bring tension to this delicate relationship, but honesty over the matter was well worth it. What she hadn't expected was an exclamation of excitement. Her knee was grabbed, throwing the trainer off balance both mentally and physically. A palm hit the floor to offer a little bit of balance.
Her eyebrows twitched together a little bit. "She." That clarity was imperative, and strangely the first thing she could think to say before considering continuing. "She's very sweet." Nat landed on, because it was hard to describe her in such a vague way but the word certainly fit, and as tempting as it could have been to go into details, she opted not to in her current company.
