holdin' all this love ┊ teddy

[TATIANA.]

[align=center][div style="width: 350px; text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 1.4; color: #6B6953;"]the past week or so had been full of anxiety for tatiana. the symptoms were minimal at the start, but than began to grow more and more frequent and stronger as the time passed. at first, she tried to come up with other excuses on why she was experiencing them, brushing them off as eating something bad or the casual anxiety she had normally. after noticing that she had missed periods and eventually asking around at the few mothers in the badlands - mainly juliette - she had finally come to the hard realization that she was pregnant.

there was no doubt that it was teddy's, anya wasn't one to have many partners and most of them other than teddy were commonly other women seeing as how she never really had much interest in being around a lot of men. things had been going so well between the two, there wasn't a doubt that teddy always had a handful of lovers at his finger tips, but there was a deeper connection between the two - from anya's gaze at least. a man like teddy wasn't meant to be tied down with children. she knew that, and it scared her.

anya sat in a robe brushing her hair in the mirror, an uneasy feeling once more filling up her stomach as she tried to work up the courage to tell teddy, her brown eyes looking at his reflection in the mirror behind her. eventually she sat down the brush and turned around to face him, resting her hands in her lap. "teddy?" she began, her voice soft and filled with uncertainty. "i need to tell you something." anya could feel maia's soft fur rub against her leg, momentarily, and thankfully, taking her mind off of the matter for a brief moment as she reached down to lightly pet the bengal cat for a bit of comfort.

as she relaxed for a moment and found the right words in her head, she straightened back up and looked at teddy. "i'm-" as her eyes met his, she faltered with her words and the scarce amount of confidence she had gained was lost. part of her was about to shy away from the topic again, wanting to save it for another day and savor the last few moments before things would change between the two lovers. she couldn't though, she had to tell him. "i'm pregnant, teddy."anya finally said, her voice timid and quiet as she anticipated his reaction.

[TEDDY.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; text-align: justify; font-family: andale mono; font-size: 6.5pt; letter-spacing: 2.5px; word-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px; color: #484a4d"]The morning was customary as it often was. Teddy would wake up with Tatiana in his bed, and he’d cherish the moment as he often would when spoiled with her company before they’d wake and get ready to begin the day. Today had been similar to any other late morning. Slicked back blond locks, dampened with the water Teddy used to smooth his hair back, and he was nearly fully dressed as he shrugged his linen shirt over his shoulders. Anya was talking, and Teddy’s gaze appeared vaguely attentive as most of his focus had initially been on the buttons that he was doing up on his shirt. He gave Anya a short hum to signify that he was listening, glancing over towards her as she turned to face him before she spoke.

Pregnant.

Her words penetrated the air, and Teddy’s breath hitched in his throat as the following silence was an overwhelming whir in his ears.

It was the contented mew of Maia that grounded him again, fingertips rigidly pinching the final button of his striped cloth cabana whilst his attention was affixed to the woman sat at his vanity stool. Teddy swallowed hard, urging away the sudden awareness of the increasing tightness in his throat. It was as if subconsciously his mind knew not to say anything at all as, in perilous times such as these, any disconcerted fumble of words could make or break whatever relationship he enjoyed with Anya. He had to choose his next words wisely, but it was near-impossible when there was a disorientating haze of discomposure clouding his thoughts.

The silence for the next couple of seconds was deafening, only magnifying the apprehension in Teddy’s face as his eyes fell to look down at his hands. Eyebrows bunched together in thought and his face twitched at the lip, Teddy exhaling a short breath through flaring nostrils before doing up the final button and brushing his shirt down cleanly. ❝ Okay. ❞ He finally acknowledged in a soft murmur, eyelids blinking progressively more in haste as he ruminated on Anya’s divulgence. He soon returned his gaze to Anya before he lowered himself onto the end of his bed, hunched over slightly as hands rested on the mattress either side of him.

❝ Uh… Okay, so — what now, then? ❞ Teddy questioned, hesitating momentarily before he gestured a hand towards her. ❝ We’re somethin’. I dunno what, and I don’t plan on labelling it anytime soon, but I don’t wanna… end things just because of this. ❞ He made the revelation appear as if it was entirely on Anya for falling pregnant rather than on Teddy’s contribution. ❝ But… ❞ Lips tightened to form a thin line, Teddy pondering on his next, uncompromising words carefully. ❝ I don’t want you to tie me down. I'll be as involved as ya need me to be, but that's it. I’ll give you everything you’ll need for it, I’ll make sure you'll never have to worry about you or the baby’s safety around ‘ere, hell I’ll take it off your hands if ya ever need a break. I just… can’t drop everything I’ve been working towards for this kid. For you. Ya understand me? ❞

His life as an epicurean, a bachelor, a bon vivant. The sartorial womanizer who’d never spend the night alone if he so wished. He was a gregarious socialite yet a barbarous entrepreneur par excellence; he was not willing for his reputation to be suppressed by commitment. Micah pulled off the look of a doting yet fiercely protective father and husband, willing to instigate the degloving of his enemies if they were to ever look at his family the wrong way. He looked frightening, broad and muscular with a mean scowl and an abrupt voice. But Teddy was softer in appearance, unassuming. His eyes were cold and his words could sting, but only because it was the impression he worked hard to leave on every person he met because the look didn't come naturally; it came with the reputation he maintained. Teddy was hot and cold, generous and dangerous. He wanted to be unpredictable and wild because that was the thing that made people adore him and fear him all the same.

Would a child destroy everything that he had ever worked towards? Would Anya expect him to sacrifice that so that they could play a conventional game of happy family? Teddy waited with bated breath as he anticipated Anya’s long overdue outlook. There was an uneasiness which settled in his chest. Whether it was because of the unexpected news of his unborn child or the fact that Teddy surprised himself with his level of cooperation (if it were anyone else, Teddy knew that he would likely have cut all ties on the spot. But beautiful Anya, the thought of being without her was near-devastating.), he wasn’t quite yet sure. With a sigh, Teddy eventually held his hand out in the hopes that Anya would take it. ❝ I’m sorry. I don't mean it like that… We’ll deal with this, okay? I won’t leave you nor the kid high ‘n’ dry. Never, and that's a promise. ❞ As much a promise he could offer for the time being, at least until he could figure out his conflicting thoughts.