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Tweak says, "Hey, Sonny-boy!"

Theodore Weyland (themonsterinme) wrote in containmentrp,
@ 2015-07-07 19:46:00

Entry tags:

2215-02-02, natasha, teddy

Who: Natasha, Teddy and Elizabeth and Adam Weyland (NPCs)
What: DINNER!
Where: Osteria Salina (Upscale Italian Restaurant)
When: Thursday Night

Teddy's nerves were running in full swing as he'd rushed to get ready after work, though he felt more like a chicken with its head cut off than an adult human being. He'd already had an outfit picked out, but he'd changed it around twice after hitting the shower. Osteria had required reservations a few days in advance, his mother picking Italian as it appeared his father wouldn't be joining them, and Teddy taking the initiative on picking a place. A nice place, to be sure, pricey, but for a good cause. In the end he'd forgone the tie, recalling the fact that this was the same outfit he'd worn when he'd first met Natasha, except now he was wearing the deep-necked waistcoat that went with the storm-gray slacks. Hair smoothed and pulled back, though a few renegade strands from the top slipped out of the tie and around his ears. He tried twice to improve that, but to no avail. He almost opted for some sort of product but it always felt weird, and what if someone tried touching it later? His earlobes had reddened a little at that, and more on what sort of situation that might entail before he mentally berated himself for how absolutely stupid that was. He'd glanced at himself from as many angles as possible, fussing with the buttons, trying to figure out how many to leave open from the collar, also a familiar problem from that very first meeting.

Shit. He needed more clothes. What did that actually say about him? Natasha was classy, well put together, dealt with a hell of a lot more upper-tier people than he did. If anyone could help him expand his wardrobe she probably could. Eventually. Maybe. Honestly, he just wanted to get through dinner first.

Open collar, in the hopes that it might help him feel more comfortable. Sleeves rolled neatly a few inches below his elbows, because that made him feel more like him. Two bracelets encircling his right wrist, one silver and one a dark brown leather. Was he leaning too casual now? Should he rethink the tie?

No. He was going, dammit.

Look good? Check. Smell good? Check. Check again. Wallet. Keys. Comm. All check.

He'd cleaned out the jeep earlier that day, though that hadn't required too much work. He'd sprayed air freshener just in case, knowing that if there was a smell he'd probably adjusted to it so much he hadn't noticed. He'd actually had one of the guys at work check, swearing that they didn't smell anything at all, but it was best to be safe.

Fuck, his nerves.

It hadn't gotten much better by the time he'd gone to pick up Natasha, vaguely aware of the chime of his comm as a message came in. The information scooted out of his mind the second he saw the red dress. Hell, he even forgot dinner, remarking on how stunning she looked before his brain caught up and he opened the door for her to get inside. Nerves returned on the way, his thumbs tapping nervously against the steering wheel as he drove through the slush-covered streets. He almost missed the restaurant, another reminder of the first day they'd met. Great start to the evening.

He nearly stepped into a puddle as he slid out of the jeep, making his way around the front to open the door for her again, at least glad that it was more dry on her side. He knew about the old gesture of a gentleman tossing his coat down so his lady friend didn't get soaked, but only after he'd closed the vehicle door again. Not that it would have been relevant. Maybe if he were more Clark Gable and less Curly Howard that evening. At least he managed to get them to the restaurant entryway without any unintentional slapstick events.

"Welcome to Osteria Salina, do you have a reservation?" The polite man at the entrance asked after a quick once-over of his companion, smiling appropriately. It didn't quite reach his eyes, though Teddy hadn't exactly been expecting it to. He also couldn't blame the guy on that first part.

"For Weyland," Teddy replied, almost surprised that he hadn't needed to think about it too hard with his mind rushing the way it was. "My mother might already be here."

"You're the first," the man replied without looking, and if he'd been the one seating patrons all evening then he'd most likely be the one to know. "Would you prefer to wait for the rest of your party?"

"Sure," Teddy replied, once again not really thinking about his reply. There was seating available near the entryway, but maybe Natasha would have preferred to sit down at the table, where there was no threat of a draft from the door. It was polite though, wasn't it? To wait for everyone to get there? Still, he should have asked. "Sorry," he managed to her with a sheepish sigh of a laugh.

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_believeinme_
2015-07-14 01:06 pm UTC (link)

Natasha wondered if Teddy would have ever wanted to cook for a living. He seemed pretty happy with what he was doing, but she couldn't help but think that maybe Drake limited him in what he could do for a career. Maybe the Council placed him and that was that. She glanced at Teddy when he leaned over and she laughed a little before setting her menu on the table.

"Honestly," Natasha said with a knowing smile, "I don't think we've spent any time together that didn't involve food. Not that I'm complaining. With my work hours, there are days I forget to eat dinner, or I just don't have the time. So it's been nice spending time with someone who knows how to cook, and likes to eat. It just means I may need to add an extra hour to my exercise time."

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themonsterinme
2015-07-14 10:17 pm UTC (link)

Teddy didn't know why, but the fact that Natasha's statement was very, very true was a little embarrassing. Not enough to be worried about, but maybe he had a problem. They were capable of doing something without food involved, weren't they? But food was great! They both liked it! It was necessary for survival, even!

The word 'exercise' drew his attention again, and he frowned playfully, or tried to. The attempt drew the ghost of a smile across the corners of his mouth as he glanced over at her. "Is that the cost of Taco Tuesday?"

"Taco Tuesday? Really?" Elizabeth was laughing again, looking up as their drinks were served and the waitress politely relayed that she would be back in a moment for their food orders, should they be ready. "You guys figured that out, but not an official date for the wedding yet?"

"Priorities." Teddy's reply was almost immediate, proud, and playful, though his mother did have a point. He was certain that she was more than aware of that as well, and the subject would undoubtedly come up again later.

"So, I heard that you work for one of our illustrious Council members, Natasha." Adam chimed in pleasantly, and Teddy couldn't help but feel glad that he was staying away from the elephant in the room, for the moment. "That's got to be pretty wild."

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_believeinme_
2015-07-15 03:18 pm UTC (link)

She knew there wasn't a specific date yet, but there would be. Soon. Once they decided on a place to hold the ceremony, it would go quickly after that, right? Right now, it was just nice getting to know Teddy. A lot of the pressure had eased some, and Natasha found she was no longer in a real hurry the way she had been when they first met.

Natasha picked up her wine and took a small sip before her gaze drifted to Adam. Her drink was cold and delicious and she savored it for a brief moment before lowering her glass and smiling at Teddy's father. "Oh, no, not really. I know it sounds exciting, but it's a lot of tedious work. It can be a bit stressful from time to time, especially lately. But I'm hoping it leads to some opportunities in the future. I want to make a difference in Haven, and I think this is the best stepping stone for that."

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themonsterinme
2015-07-15 04:23 pm UTC (link)

Hearing Natasha speak about work only reminded Teddy of the super secret plan she'd mentioned before, the one she hadn't been comfortable sharing with him at the time. It only made him curious about it again, but it certainly wasn't the place to bring it up. Was it really his business to anyway? It felt like one of those things that she'd mention when she was comfortable doing so, and not before, and he sure as heck didn't want to push her into it. Besides, what if she still didn't quite trust him enough to talk about it? Did he really want to know that?

"Well, that's a pretty big goal. Not many people get a chance to throw ripples into the water like that." Adam nodded, obviously a bit impressed by that response, and Teddy couldn't help but feel a bit proud. "Good on you."

"Sounds like a lot of work," Elizabeth added, though she didn't sound particularly bothered by that idea. After all, she spent more time in the restaurant keeping it afloat than her husband did, which was saying a hell of a lot.

"All the best things are," Teddy chimed in, raising his glass to take a drink.

"He said, probably thinking about food again," his mother answered without missing a beat, finally opening her menu to figure out what she wanted to eat.

"It can apply to plenty of things, Ma." Teddy took the teasing in stride, though he mirrored her idea, not wanting to make the poor staff wait just because they were busy gabbing away. "What page was that squid pasta on?"

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_believeinme_
2015-07-15 07:35 pm UTC (link)

It wasn't so much that Natasha had some secret plan to take over Haven. But she was always wary about talking politics with people she didn't know well - and at the time, she didn't know Teddy very well. In some ways, she still didn't. Maybe in time, when they got past the surface things and delved deeper into what made the other tick.

"It's a lot of work," Natasha said, agreeing with Elizabeth. "But it's all I've ever wanted to do, so I'm willing to do it." She drank more wine, careful to pace herself. It wasn't just she and Teddy this time. She glanced at Teddy and then chuckled before reaching over to turn the page in his menu to the pasta. "I can't help but feel like our future children are going to be bottomless pits."

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themonsterinme
2015-07-16 11:06 am UTC (link)

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut the instant kids were mentioned, but she did her best to keep her smile on. Teddy read into that instantly, and figured that was what the conversation had been about before they'd arrived. Honestly, he was already worried about what sort of topics would come up along those lines, and he'd been naively hopeful that maybe they'd be able to scoot around it for that evening.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Elizabeth intercepted, shaking her head. "Just let him do all the cooking. It's going to be his fault." She cleared her throat, flipping through the menu. "Everyone know what they want?"

"Speaking of kids," Adam drawled, closing his own menu and gently setting it onto the table top. "Have you guys talked about what you plan on doing? I assume that the Council got something prepared just in case."

Just in case they're monsters, was the implication, and Teddy reached for his drink, replying with a little more firmness than he'd intended. "I haven't heard anything, no. We haven't really talked much about it."

"Poor Alex is gonna have her hands full, then." Adam laughed, shaking his head as if he were making a joke. The tone was wrong, forced. There was concern now, a little dread, as if he were already starting to expect the worst on some small level.

"Alex is moving out, dad." Teddy replied in the same manner than he had before, and for a few seconds both of his parents only stared at him.

"I don't- is that safe?" Elizabeth spoke first, frowning thoughtfully.

"Apparently the council thinks so," Teddy shrugged a shoulder, finally taking a drink from his glass. Well, there went their nice dinner.

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_believeinme_
2015-07-16 02:17 pm UTC (link)

On the surface, Natasha's statement about their future children was innocent enough. But she knew what she was doing. They needed to get this conversation out there, and dealt with. Natasha remembered talking to Teddy in the past, his revelation that his parents were worried about his future kids, and if they may be creatures like Drake. It was obviously a source of tension in his family, and maybe it was better for everyone to deal with it now rather than later.

She stayed silent as they spoke amongst themselves. She listened. Observed. When she felt like she could, Natasha set her wine glass down on the table and spoke. "It's not a guarantee that our children will be like Drake. And if they are, we'll handle it. Alex will still come around frequently, but marriage is difficult enough between two people, let alone trying to make it work with an extra roommate. As for children, I suppose we have the advantage that you and Elizabeth didn't," she told Adam simply. "We know this is a possibility and we can prepare for it. It won't sneak up on us. I'm not worried about this." She was on some level, but not as much as she had been initially. Natasha knew Teddy better now than she had before. And she had met Drake. It wasn't going to be as complicated as she thought and that was comforting.

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themonsterinme
2015-07-18 12:39 am UTC (link)

"Your intentions are good. And I'm glad that you're optmistic about all this," Adam was nodding, his tone sympathetic if not convinced, even as Elizabeth moved her hand to slide over his in a silent effort to remind him that they were having a nice dinner. It was futile, Teddy knew from experience. He knew what was coming, had heard it plenty of times over the past two decades. Still, he appreciated the effort, and his own hand mirrored his mothers, but more subtly, his warm palm lightly resting on her knee, even as a small voice in the back of his head told him that might not be appropriate. He didn't really care, it wasn't that kind of touch. Support, something he likely needed a lot more than she did. Appreciation. Backup.

Thank you.

"You're not wrong. The kids might not have Theodore's powers, but dont bet on that chance." Adam's tone was conversational, not as jovial as it had been, trying to firmly prove a point without being forceful. "It's something you should be worried about, because there could be times when you'll be the only one there to deal with it. If he turns, and the kids turn-"

"Dad," Teddy finally spoke up, his gaze even over the surface of the table, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "It's something we'll deal with when and if it comes to that."

"It's easy to say, but handling it and dealing with it when it's actually on top of you-" Adam started, but Elizabeth chimed in, her brow furrowing curiously.

"Honey, don't you still have the basement set up for when you turn?" Elizabeth's hand had floated back to her own lap as her other reached once more for her drink. "It's big, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we could convert some space if we needed to," Teddy sighed, the tension in his stomach easing slightly as he realized is mother was actually trying to come to their rescue. She couldn't be sold on the idea, but she was at least being constructive. "And all the security systems are up to date."

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_believeinme_
2015-07-22 02:32 pm UTC (link)

Natasha knew that on some level, this was none of her business. Her future was her business, of course, and any children she and Teddy may have. But it bothered her that Adam was distancing himself from his own son because of something Teddy had no control over.

"I've been alone with Teddy when Drake made an appearance," Natasha said, ignoring the discussion of the basement. Her eyes were still on Adam. "When the Furies came into Haven that morning. Drake showed up to go outside and help people, but he and I were alone in my apartment. He didn't hurt me. He didn't even attempt to hurt me. I know we'll have a lot to deal with if our kids happen to inherit that particular ability, but we're prepared. If the Council didn't believe that Teddy was capable of fathering children, they wouldn't have matched him with me, or anyone."

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