If someone had told you six months ago that youâd be dating Teddy, you wouldâve laughed in their face.
For months he had been on your trail, finding reasons to text you, call you, and always finding more reasons to be wherever you happened to be.
You had done your best to keep your distance.
Teddy had a way of throwing you off your axis. One text from him could ruin your concentration for the rest of the day. One phone call could have you smiling when you knew better.
That was exactly why you tried so hard not to get involved.
Then one night, he stopped trying. There was no flirting and no attempts to convince you to give him a chance. Just an honest conversation that lasted until the early hours of the morning.
His laugh, the way he listened, and seeing a side of him youâd never paid much attention to before, you realized Teddy wasnât nearly the person youâd convinced yourself he was.
Two months later, he asked you to be his girlfriend.
Saying yes had been the easiest decision youâd ever made.
You were stretched out across his couch, takeout containers scattered across the coffee table while watching whatever Teddy had put on the TV.
One of your legs was tangled with his, your sock-covered foot wedged between the cushions while Teddy occupied more space than one person shouldâve been allowed to.
His arm rested across the back of the couch behind you, brushing against your shoulder whenever he reached for another fry.
A disturbing scene flashed across the TV.
You made a face. âTeddy, what even is this?â Reaching for your drink, you glanced between the screen and your boyfriend.
Teddy looked at you like youâd just insulted him. âThis is my show.â He gestured towards the TV.
You looked at the screen and then back at him. âItâs bullshit.â
Teddy scoffed. âItâs better than that Bridgerton mess you keep trying to force me to watch.â
Your eyebrows shot up. âBridgerton is amazing.â
âItâs people staring at each other for eight episodes.â
âAnd this is what?â You pointed at the TV. âSomebody getting dismembered every fifteen minutes?
âSo does Bridgerton.â
You smacked his chest. âTeddy stop.â
He laughed. âYou donât have to get violent just because I donât like Bridgerton.â
âYou just hit me.â Teddy pointed to his chest.
You scoff. âIt was barely a tap.â
Teddy grabbed your wrist and a smile pulled at your lips. âTeddyyyâŚâ you whine.
âWhat?â His tone letting you know that heâs about to annoy you on purpose.
You laughed as he tugged you towards him. âTeddy.â you say his name trying to sound serious.
You tried to resist him but he pulls you into his lap, his arm wrapping around your waist while yours settled around his neck.
You brushed your nose against his.
A smile tugged at Teddyâs mouth. âMmm.â The sound vibrating off his chest.
His fingers drifted behind your ear. âYou knowâŚâ
You narrowed your eyes. âI know what?â
Teddy looked at you before his eyes dropped to your lips. âI could watch you instead.â
Your hand comes up to rub through his hair as your eyes flick over his face. âYouâd get bored.â
He shook his head fingertips brushing along the shell of your ear. âThereâs nothing boring about you.â Then - SMACK! Right on your ass.
âOuch!â You jerked back, rubbing the spot.
âThatâs for hitting me.â
You scrunched your face. âI didnât even hit you that hard.â
That only made Teddy laugh. Rolling your eyes, you grabbed a pillow and launched it hitting him square in the face.
You frowned, rubbing the spot again.
Teddy stopped laughing and sat up on the couch. âNow I feel bad.â
âYou want me to make it feel better?â The teasing pout on his face made you roll your eyes again.
You took a step back as Teddy pushed himself off the couch. âDonât touch me actually.â
Teddy reached for you anyway. A laugh slipped from your lips as he caught your wrist again, pulling you flush against him. Before you could complain, he tipped your chin up and kissed you.
The kiss stole the rest of your argument before it ever had a chance to leave your mouth.
When he finally pulled away, he had one eyebrow raised looking down at you with a smirk. âSo,â he said, brushing his thumb against your waist. âHow can I make it up to you?â
You pretended to think about it. âHmm.â
âYou can start by taking me on a proper date.â
The confidence on Teddyâs face vanished. âWhat?â
You bit down a smile. âA proper date.â
He frowned. âWeâve been on dates.â
âNo, weâve hung out.â
His face twisted. âThe beach.â
âYour friends were there.â
âWe got there late and spent most of the time complaining because we missed half of the movie.â
You laughed. âIt doesnât.â
Teddy crossed his arms. âIt absolutely does.â
âIt absolutely doesnât.â
He shook his head. âYouâre unbelievable.â
You pressed your lips together trying not to laugh again. âTeddy, Iâm not saying youâre a bad boyfriend.â
You roll your eyes laughing softly. âI just said weâve never been on a proper date.â
âWhich is crazy to say.â
âLook at us arguing over something that doesnât even matter.â You saying holding your hands out and then crossing them over your chest.
His eyes narrowed. âIt matters now.â
The look on his face told you he was taking this too seriously. âYou think I canât take you on a proper date?â
âAnswer the question.â
âI didnât say that.â
âBut youâre thinking it.â
âYouâre definitely thinking it.â
âIâm so for real right now.â
That only seemed to encourage him.
A slow grin spread across his face. âBet.â
Your stomach dropped. That smile never meant anything good.âNo.â
âYou wanna proper date?â His grin widened. âIâll give you the perfect date.â
Teddy started to act strange.
Heâll end calls suspiciously fast whenever you asked him what he was doing. Took longer to respond to your text messages. And heâll abruptly change the topic in conversations when you got too close to what he was trying to hide.
Not that he was doing a very good job of hiding it.
You caught him staring at his phone more times than you could count. Every time you asked what was wrong, heâd lock the screen and tell you to mind your business.
Watching him pretend not to be stressed put the cherry on top because he was terrible at it.
By wednesday, heâs turned down dinner because he was âbusy.â
You had to refrain from laughing in his face.
When Thursday came, you gave up trying to get information out of him altogether. Whatever he was planning, he clearly wasnt going to tell you.
Which was why you werenât surprised when he called you later that day.
âWhat?â you answered.
The offended noise he made - made you smile.
You rolled your eyes. âWhatâs up.â
âIâll pick you up tomorrow.â
You smiled. âFor what?â
âOh, weâre still doing that?â
âOf course weâre still doing that.â
The confidence in his voice made you smile wider. âOkay.â
You can hear the smirk in his voice. âGood night baby.â
You squeal quietly at the pet name. âGood night Teddy.â
You found yourself smiling at the phone when the called ended. Whatever Teddy had planned, had you wondering how much effort he put into it. He was serous about it and you found that incredibly endearing.
At exactly seven oâclock, a knock sounded at your door. A smile pulled at your lips as you smooth your hands down your dress, making your way across the the apartment.
When you opened the door, Teddy looked as if he had forgot whatever he was about to say. His eyes slowly traveled from your heels to your face.
His head shook slightly. âSometimes I really canât believe youâre my girlfriend.â
Heat rushed to your cheeks.
Teddy grabbed your hand and spun you around. The skirt of your dress moved with you as you completed a full turn. When you faced him again, the look on his face made your stomach flutter.
âYou look beautiful.â he said softly. Gosh he was making you so giddy and shy.
You stepped forward and kissed him quickly.
Then you took a step back to look him over. Your eyes slowly dragged over the fitted black button-up, the watch on his left wrist and the confidence that sat on his shoulders.
You licked your lips dragging your teeth on your bottom lip before releasing it.
Teddy stepped closer. âTread carefully. His hand snaked around your waist. âYou keep looking at me like that and weâre not making it to dinner.â
âIs that a threat?â you ask, batting your eyes at him.
His grip tightened at your waist as he leaned in until your nose brushed with his. âYouâll find out if you keep running your mouth.â
Your eyes flick over his face, taking in his expression. Not wanting to push further, you poke his nose wiggling out of his grip. âFine. Iâll behave.â
Teddy straightened, holding his hand out to you. âGood. We have reservations.â
You grabbed it and he led you to the passenger side of his car. When he opened the door, a huge bouquet of red roses sat in the seat.
âOh my gosh!â you gasp.
Teddy already has that stupid smile plastered on his face. âDo you like them?â
You carefully lifted the bouquet into your arms. âI love them.â
The look on his face made it obvious heâd been hoping youâd say exactly that. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your forehead. The gesture was so sweet it made your chest ache.
Once you settled into the car, Teddy walked around to the driverâs side and climbed in.
You glanced at him. âWhere are we going?â
He shook his head. âI want you to turn your brain off tonight. Then reached over and squeezed your hand. âI got it, baby.â
You blink at him before nodding. âI can do that.â
Teddy gave you a wink. âThatâs my girl.â
He wanted you to turn your brain off for the night and you did exactly that. You sat back in your seat, flowers resting in your lap while music played softly through the speakers.
Every now and then, your fingers would brush Teddyâs as his hand rested on the center console. A small squeeze from his hand would follow.
When he pulled into the restaurant parking lot, the smug look on his face had only gotten worse.
You glanced up at the building before looking back at him. You couldnât help but smile. âLook at youuuâ you beamed.
Together, hand in hand the two of you made your way inside.
The hostess greeted you with a polite smile. âGood evening.â
âGood evening.â Teddy gave a polite smile back. âReservation for two, under the name Teddy.â
The hostess nodded and began typing. A few seconds passed, then a few more. The smile on Teddy face slowly faded.
The hostess frowned at the screen, then typed again and again. âIâm sorry,â she said. âWhatâs the name?â
She entered it once more before looking up. âIâm sorry, sir. I donât see a reservation under that name.â
A small crease formed between Teddyâs brows. âThat canât be right.â
You watched him pull his phone from his pocket, scroll for a few and then turned the screen toward her.
âI booked it a week ago.â
The hostess glanced at the confirmation email before looking back at her computer. âI understand, sir. Let me check again.â
Teddy nodded. It was stiff, it told you that he was actively trying to keep it together.
The hostess typed again and then sighed. âIâm sorry. I still donât see it.â
You slowly looked over at Teddy, his jaw tightened.
âI have the confirmation.â His eyes never left the hostess.
âLook.â Teddy demanded pointing to his phone. âItâs right here.â he emphasized.
You ball your lips together.
The hostess gave him a sympathetic look. âThe next available table is in about an hour and a half.â
You physically watched Teddyâs soul leave his body.
You grab his hand and he finally looked at you. The frustration in his face made you feel bad.
âItâs okay.â you reassured softly.
âI know.â you squeezed his hand.
Teddy exhaled heavily and shoved his phone back into his pocket. âFine.â He pointed to the door. âPlan B.â
As soon as the two of you got back into the car, he plugged a new address into the GPS.
You glanced at the screen. âWhatâs Plan B?
A reluctant smile pulled at his mouth. âThereâs an outdoor movie showing by the water, there playing one of those old movies you like.â
You look over at him. âOkay, thatâs kind of cute.â
He smirked keeping his eyes on the rode. âI figured weâd walk around for a bit, watch the movie, maybe get dessert after.â
Warmth spread through you because of the effort behind the plans. Every detail sounded like something youâd enjoy and that he actually been paying attention. You turn your attention to the window before he can catch you smiling to yourself like an idiot.
Unfortunately, the weather had other plans.
Neither of you paid attention to it at first. A few raindrops tapped against the windshield before disappearing beneath the sweep of the wipers. Then more followed. And more after that. Within minutes, the rain had picked up considerably, turning the city lights outside into blurry streaks of color against the glass.
You glanced over at him. His eyes remained fixed on the road, but the tightening of his jaw gave it away. It was the same look heâd worn back at the restaurant when the reservation had fallen through. The same look that appeared whenever things werenât going according to plan.
âYou have got to be kidding me.â
You looked through the windshield before offering him a small smile. âMaybe itâll slow down by the time we get there.â
Almost as if the universe had been listening, the rain came down even harder. You pulled out your phone to check the weather app only for it to show that it will be raining for the rest of the night.
Your brows pull together as you lock your phone and look over at him.
He hadnât said another word.
His head rested against the headrest, one hand still on the steering wheel while the other rubbed slowly over his jaw before dragging down his face with a long, defeated sigh. He gave a small shake of his head and stared blankly through the windshield.
The sight was so pitiful you couldnât help the quiet snicker that passed your lips.
He looked over. âNot funny.â
That made you laugh harder.
Teddy tried so hard to stay serious but a hesitant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he pinched the bridge of his nose.
You reached across the center console and gently rubbed the back of his neck with your fingertips and he leans into your touch. The frustration hadnât disappeared, but you could feel some of the tension leave his shoulders.
âSoâŚâ you said softly. âWhere to now?â
He eased the car onto the shoulder, the rain continued beating against the car as he shifted it into park.
Teddy leaned back in his seat, let out a disbelieving laugh, and slowly shook his head. âI think we got a flat.â
You turned toward him opening your mouth to say something, but he was out of the car before you could get a word in.
âWhat is he doing?â you whisper to yourself.
You leaned toward the driverâs side window just in time to see him stop beside the tire. Rain poured over him as he stood there with his hands on his hips, staring at it like he was hoping itâd magically fix itself.
A laugh bubbled in your chest.
Rolling the window down, you called out, âGet back in the car before you catch a cold!â
âCome on. Weâll figure something out.â
Teddy was still standing there like it wasnât pouring down raining.
âPlease,â you laughed. âYouâre getting both of us wet.â
Finally he climbed back in the car and you immediately turned on the heater. Water dripped from his hair onto his shirt while he stared blankly ahead.
âThe devil is working overtime tonight.â Teddy sound defeated.
You burst into laughter hauling over, you couldnât help yourself. âThis is your karma,â you managed between laughs. âYou shouldnât have smacked my ass that hard earlier in the week.â
Teddy was not laughing. And that smile he attempted didnât reach his eyes. Seeing that, your laughed slowed.
You reached over, brushing the wet hair away from his forehead before letting your fingers trail to the back of his neck.
âAww come on..â you say softly. âItâs okay.â
He shook his head. âNo, itâs not. I put my time and effort into planning this date.â
You nodded with a smile. âAnd that hasnât gone unnoticed, I appreciate everything that you do for me.â you reassured.
His eyes finally met yours.
âI noticed everything.â Your thumb brushed against his cheek. âThe flowers. The restaurant. The movie. Dessert afterward.â You smiled. âYou paid attention to everything I like.â
You slipped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. When you pulled back, you cupped his face and pressed three quick kisses against his lips.
He leaned in and pressed his forehead to yours. âIâm so lucky to have you.â
You look up at him, eyes finding his. âI think Iâm the lucky one.â Your fingers wandered through his hair while his hand rested against your cheek.
He leaned in again, pressing his lips to yours. The kiss was slow, his hand cradling your face while your fingers stayed tangled in his hair. When you finally pulled away, your foreheads found each other again.
Teddy smirked. âIs my girl hungry?â
You covered your face. âDonât judge me.â
His eyes wandered toward the passenger window, you turn your head to see what caught his attention. Across the street, glowing through the rain, sat an In-N-Out.
Your eyes lit up. âThe nightâs not over.â You kicked off your heels and reached for the door handle. âLast one there buys dinner.â
âYouâll get soaked!â
You shrug as you threw the door open and sprinted into the rain. You then hear another car door slam shut and footsteps splashed through the puddles as Teddy took off after you.
When the two of you made it inside In-N-Out, you both were soaked. Your hair was damp, Teddys hair was dripping, looking nothing like what you planned to hours ago.
You didnât care, you were busy devouring your burger. Teddy couldnât help but smile as he watched you happily take another bite.
You caught him staring and you rolled your eyes before taking another bite. His hand reached over with a napkin, gently wiping a spot of sauce from the corner of your mouth.
âThanks,â you mumbled around your food before reaching for your drink.
Once youâd both finished eating, he slid an arm around your shoulders and pulled you against his side.
âThis has probably been the worst date youâve ever been on.â
You huff a laugh. âTrust me.â You looked up at him. âIâve had worse.â
His eyebrows lifts and your hand found his. âThis was my perfect date.â
The doubt in his face softened. âAre you happy?â Teddy asked quietly.
âIâm always happy with you.â Your fingers brushed gently along his face, and before you knew it, heâd pulled you into another hug, burying his face against your neck.
You squealed through your laughter as he pressed a few quick kisses against your skin. âOkay,â you laughed, trying to push him away. âOkay!â
He finally leaned back, smiling wider than youâd seen all night.âThatâs how you make me feel.â You couldnât help but laugh with him.
When the laughter faded, you settled comfortably against his side once more. Outside, the rain continued to fall, the sound pattering softly against the windows while your fingers absentmindedly played with his.
Your eyes drifted across the street until they landed on his car.âI think we should call a tow truck.â
He followed your gaze before letting out a quiet laugh.
First of all, thank you guys so much for reading. 𼚠I really hope you enjoyed this one. Shout out to @plan3tch1ld for the idea this one is for you boo! I hope it made you all smile as much as it made me smile while writing it.
Also⌠thank you for 600+ followers. đĽšđ Whether youâve been here since the beginning or just recently found my page, thank you for reading, liking, reblogging, commenting, and just supporting my little corner on this app. It means so much to me!
As always, let me know what you thought! Iâd love to hear your favorite part (mine was definitely Teddy vs. the universe đ). Thank you again for reading, and Iâll see you guys in the next one. đ¤
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