Life Changes (Teddy, AST Killinger, open-ish) - Creator's Workshop

The blond leaned over and kissed his forehead then his lips.
"Just relax, lover..." she whispered before getting up and pulling away, though she did so reluctantly.

The bloodied clothes were tucked into a hamper although she would see to it that they were burned the next night before she stepped out of the bathroom, leaving the door open. Now, a lot could be said about her use of disciplines, but the fact was that a few extra arms, although conjured from shadows and really meant to be used as a weapon, helped speed things up a bit and she did move fast.

First she fetched cold water and scrubs, the shadowy tentacles each helping to remove as much of the blood as possible. Then there was bleach and more scrubbing. And then finally warm water and soap to cover the sharp smell of bleach and to wash the last away. First when the place was clean did the shadowy tentacles disappear, leaving behind no trace of their existence as Teddy gathered the scrubs and the used towels and put them away.

She stripped the bed too. Gathering the bed linen and replacing it with fresh clean sheets and covers so everything would be clean and welcoming for him.

And when that was all done? She gently, silently stepped back into the bathroom to check in him.

He was a corpse.

No, really. His eyes were closed and he was laying perfectly still in the tub. A corpse, really, that didn't open its eyes when she came into the room. Processing. His brain was trying to process the whole night, thus far.

The Caitiff sat down on the floor by the tub without a word, resting her shoulder against it as she gazed at him, a mixture of concern, of worry and love in her eyes as she reached over to lightly brush her fingers through his hair.

Her love... her heart... and he was hurting without her being able to soothe his ache. It hurt her too, a lot more than had it been her pain to begin with.

His eyes came open when she touched him, blue eyes meeting hers. There was a little bit more there, this time. Not quite fully there, but some there, anyway. He reached up to touch her hand, watching her carefully for a few moments before speaking. "Do you hate me now?"

"No!" she exclaimed, her hand cupping his cheek. "Heavens, no, Medwyn" she pushed herself onto her knees so she could reach over and cup his other cheek with her free hand as well. Bright blue eyes locked with his, a soft expression on her face though perhaps a bit pained that he would even ask such a question. Think such a thing.
"I love you Medwyn... with everything I am, everything I'll ever be, I love you" the blond's soft but determined words passed her lips. "And I will remind you of that every night because you make me soar... you make me smile, you make me feel wanted and safe. And I desire only you... because I love you... I love you...." she sighed softly, brushing her thumb softly across his cheek in a loving gesture.

"I love you. I still want you. I will always want you. I've never met anyone with a heart as beautiful as yours... she swallowed, bit her lip and kept her gaze locked with his. "I told you, I will do everything in my power to make you happy, please, never think otherwise.... Medwyn, will you still let me be yours...? Do you still want me to....?" her voice dropped a low whisper. "Or have I hurt so badly you hate me....?"
Because the thought that he was hurting because of her... was almost unbearable.

He reached up, wet hand cupping her cheek. The water was warm, though for the first time, his skin was cold. He was cold to the touch, not yet having learned all of the intricacies of his blood. The funny part? Intellectually, he knew exactly what he needed to do. He had been a ghoul long enough to know what he should be doing, what Jamie had to do, what he had been taught that all Kindred needed to do to keep the Masquerade. But right now, he was too lost, a little too disoriented, to be able to remember to warm himself. Or blink, or breathe...

"No, Teddy. You haven't hurt me. I don't hate you. I'm just... I don't really know what to do with myself right at the moment."

Her eyes drifted closed as he touched her, one hand leaving him to gently be placed over his as she leaned into his touch. Just giving herself a few moments to linger in that touch before slowly opening her eyes to gaze at him again.
"Just relax... give yourself time to adjust and feel again. I'll be here, I'll be here the whole time.." Teddy said softly. "Can I do anything for you? I can scrub your back if you want... we needn't do anything but relax tonight..." the blond said softly, brushing her fingers slowly across his cheek.

He looked up at her, once again lost. Like a child or a puppy, his fingers curling to grip tightly at hers. "I don't...how long does it take? To adjust, I mean?"

God it hurt to see him like this. But her gentle smile remained, her touch reassuring and gentle as she squeezed his fingers gently with her own.
"I think that's different for each individual and I... I woke up alone and... I'm probably the wrong person to ask" Teddy sighed, her hand at his cheek sliding to the back of his neck to gently pull him towards her while she leaned in a little closer.
"Right now you're in shock, your system is in shock... you've died and come back Medwyn. That's a lot to process..."

He nodded slowly. "I thought this was going to be different." He kept saying that, as though he had expected it to be...not quite as bad as it was. "I just think I'm a little at a loss. The fact is that everything is so different, and yet, nothing really seems different. I guess that's something I'll get used to." He looked up at her, and for the first time, he started to smile. "Thank you for being here, Teddy. Thank you."

He... he smiled? He smiled at her...

Her smile brightened, the gentle touch of her hand on the back of his neck pressing its fingers against his skin with a light tremble as she bit her lip. Her breath, unneeded as it was, getting caught in her throat.
"Of course I'm here, Medwyn. I'll always be here for you. There is no one else I'd rather be with" she whispered. "You're my heart Medwyn... all I want is to make you happy..."

He smiled at her again. Really, he was so distracted by his own changes, in the weird sensations that went through him, that he had forgotten. He had forgotten to notice what kind of toll this whole thing might have on Teddy. In a rush, he felt terribly guilty. It showed, in his face, his eyes lowering. "I love you, Teddy. My God, I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize I was being selfish..."

"Oh, Medwyn, no.."
She didn't care that she would get soaked as she leaned over the edge of the tub to move her arms around him, to pull him in close, to hold him tight. One hand resting on the back of his neck while her other arm wrapped around his shoulders.
"You're not being selfish, not one bit, love... Please don't say sorry? Please?" she whispered, nuzzeling into the corner of his neck with closed eyes. "The last thing you need to sorry about is that"

It was probably a good thing she didn't care if she got soaked. He pulled her right into the tub with him, right into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face against her shoulder. "I have to. I'm sorry, Teddy." He held a finger up to her lips to quiet any of her protests. "The fact is that I'm focused entirely too much on myself. I haven't even thought about what you might be going through."

He pulled away, pulled back enough to look her in the eye. He brushed hair out of her face so he could cup her cheeks, leaning close enough to brush a gentle kiss over her lips. "I'm not the only one being affected by this. Are you okay, my love? How do you feel about all this?"

Soaked clothes, couldn't care less. Soaked floor, totally oblivious. The simple fact that he pulled her in, that he touched her and held her was all she cared about in that one precious moment. Her embrace tightened, her fingers closed in his hair and held on tight. Just for a little moment.

And he was right, she would've protested but his touch gave her no chance to do so. And that brief soft brush of his lips against hers? The shiver that rushed through her was one of relief. As was the gentle sound she made when she drew her breath.
He still wanted to touch her.

"I'm okay" Teddy said softly. "I just want to make you smile again. I want... I want to make you happy" she whispered as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "I... I want to still be yours... I'm alright as long as you are. Medwyn, you're everything to me..."

He held her there, in the bath. His eyes met hers, his lips curving into a smile. Then he chuckled quietly. "I think... I think I'd be upset if you didn't want to still be mine." He glanced at her lips, then gave her another kiss, almost like an afterthought. "Most of this? I did for you. I hope... I just hope you don't hate me now." He shook his head. "I hear that I'm likely going to have a much more sharp temper now."

For her... he'd done it for her.
Oh, God, she hoped she could be enough. She hoped she would be able to make it worth it.
"I could never hate you... please don't even think that I could..." Teddy whispered, meeting his eyes before leaning in to kiss his lips and cheek before once again nuzzeling into the corner of his neck.
"I hope I can be worthy of this...I don't know what I'd do if you ended up despising me for this...." the Caitiff whispered, almost whimpered in fact as she voiced her greatest fear.
"I love you so much" she whispered against skin, kissing the side of his neck with gentle lips. "Brujah temper and all... I love you"

He was content for her to be nuzzled. He leaned close to brush a kiss over her lips, nodding as though her answer had satisfied him. "Okay...okay. Good. I can...I can handle this. I just...I'm not even sure what I need right now." He chuckled, dryly. "Thank you for being here. I'm not sure what I would do if you weren't."

"I think you just need to be reminded that nothing has changed between us" the soaked blond said softly, drawing her breath as she brushed her lips across his skin with a loving touch before pulling back just enough to gaze into his eyes.
"I still love you. I will always love you... and for as long as you will have me, mine will be the face you see when you fall asleep, and mine will be the smile you see when you wake up..." Teddy smiled gently, lifting a wet hand to brush the back of her fingers across his cheek. "You.. Medwyn Bauer... is all I've ever dreamed of... and I hope I can be the same for you. I will do everything I can to be that for you too..."

Silly man... worrying about her when he was the one who needed the comfort, who needed to be reminded that he was still loved and wanted.
He'd done it for her... a part of her couldn't get over that fact, that he'd chosen away so much for her.. just her. Was she.. was she worth it?

"You're still you. Maybe you just need a little time to realize that, love.."

He was searching her eyes as though there was some sort of comfort to be found. His head tilted to the hand that brushed over his cheek and he was silent as he listened. His arm around her started to caress her gently, running slightly over her hip. Slowly, he started to smile. "I like the sound of that, Teddy." He answered her quietly. "That it will be your face I see when I sleep and when I wake. That you love me." It meant more to him than she maybe knew. "I really like the sound of that."

"I love you so much...." Teddy whispered, leaning in to rest her forehead gently against his as her eyes closed to the feel of his touch, a gentle smile lingering on her own lips in response to his. The fingers at his cheek continuing their slow, loving caress as she simply stayed like that for a few moments before opening her eyes to meet his gaze.
"Yours... Medwyn... I'm yours.."

His fingers were gentle as they continued to caress her. He smiled to hear it, to hear the words from her as though nothing at all had changed. "And now I am truly yours, Teddy."

And those words? They had the effect of the little blond drawing her breath in an almost soundless gasp before biting her lip softly and nodding slowly while she looked at him.
"Mine..." she whispered, bright blue eyes searching his, wanting to know... wanting to know if he truly meant it.
"I... thank you..." and while she smiled it sounded almost as if she wanted to cry, biting her lip a little harder though with a smile both to her lips and to her eyes that was unmistakable: she loved him, she wanted him. Nothing would change that. "Thank you..."

He brushed his fingers over her lips, a gentle caress. He was smiling at her, shaking his head as he watched her eyes. He didn't want her to cry. "There's no reason to thank me, Teddy, my love. No reason at all. I told you that I would do anything for you. I just hope you see the truth of my words now."

"I do" the hand at his cheek pressed its fingers lightly against his skin with a hint of a tremble, really, there was a hint of a tremble to her entire body as she said it. "I do... I never doubted you I..." the blond's soft voice faded on her lips as her blue gaze stayed locked with his, the smile lingering as the brush of his fingers over her lips had her eyes half way closing.
"I don't deserve you... but I will try to make it so that I do.. somehow" she whispered, keeping from crying, even if they would've been tears of joy. Her tears weren't beautiful, she knew that, so she pushed them away and simply smiled because that's what he made her do, he made her smile, from the heart.
"And I would do anything for you... anything"