Holding Out For A Hero (Teddy, Open)

"C'mon. You put the DVD on and I'll grab a blanket" and she could pretend, for a while, that it was still their home to which they'd return to sometime in the future.

He laughed. "All right. Hurry, though." He turned toward the living room with the bag of goodies so that he could set up the DVD player.

And sure enough, she did hurry. The blonde quickly returning with a quilted blanket and jumping onto the couch to spend the night watching cartoons.

He laughed when she jumped onto the couch, then sat down next to her and held out an arm for her to snuggle close.

She curled up to him, one hand resting on his chest as the first episode started.
Pretending everything was normal.
Pretending it would last.
Lying to herself.

But at least she got to see him smile... For that she was grateful.

He continued to just watch the television, a look of skepticism on his face. Because, yes, he was skeptical.

She wouldn't say anything. If he, by the end of the first episode, didn't like it, she would apologize gently.

He didn't say that he didn't like it. He seemed like he was going to reserve judgment at the moment, though he did wrap an arm around her shoulder while they watched, his other hand sliding into her hair to play with it gently while they watched the anime.

And she quietly closed her eyes and let her fingers gently close in the fabric of his shirt. She knew the series by heart anyway. And she wanted to focus on him and a touch that she missed as much as a dying man in the desert missed water.

He did, to his credit, give the anime his full attention. He just petted her and held her while he did so, not even bothering to check the time or how many episodes they might have watched.

Which meant that they'd easily make it through three episodes at least before she'd pause the dvd and look up at him to see what he thought of it so far.

He still looked skeptical. "Not sure how I feel about it."

"Mm, then I'm sorry. I think it's really good so... I thought maybe you would to" Though God knew why she'd thought that, considering the two of them didn't really exist on the same planet anymore. "Would you like to watch something else instead? Or maybe go back to Jamie's" Teddy said with a light shrug, figuring he rather do that to be honest.

He chuckled. "No, no. It's fine."

"Uhm, no you don't wanna watch someting else? Or no, you don't wanna go back to Jamies? Or...?" she kinda needed more to go on than that.

He laughed. "Both. I'm fine right where I am, watching this with you."

"Then one more episode?" she turned it back on again and remained exactly where she was, curled up to him.
Had she known it would be the last time they would get an evening like this, she would've perhaps tried to draw it out even more. To get every possible minute with him.
But, she knew that he would need to get back, to read and study. So, one more episode. Just one and she would let him go again.

He laughed. "Sure. One more."

As before though, she ended up barely watching the episode, focusing more on the precious time she got with him than anything else. Because as soon as it was over, it was back to a reality that would once more be them drifting apart.
This though? This monent? It was as it should be. It was right.

And he, for the moment, seemed content to just watch the screen and cuddle with her.

So yeah, one more episode. Another half hour of feeling like he was still hers before she let out a small sigh as she smiled and reluctantly moved to get up.

He seemed a little confused by that. "There's plenty of time before sunrise. Where are you going?"

"Mm, I figured you'd want to get back to your studies. I've already taken up a lot of your evening" she smiled at him. "I don't want to be in the way" as he tended to treat her as if she were.

He smiled. "I need to get back to my studies. But that doesn't mean I'm going to."

The blonde looked at him, not entirely sure what he wanted to do then since the books were kind of his main focus and had been for some time.