Claustrophobic (Teddy Duchamp)

24

Teddy woke up abruptly to someone shaking him.

"I'm up... I'm up!" he groaned. He squinted up at the person. It wasn't his mom. He groped around on his nightstand for his glasses and slid them on. "Cecelia?"

She was shaking slightly, and her light brown hair in quite a state. "Teddy, I- I'm sorry. I just really needed someone to talk to, and you're the only person that would understand."

Teddy sat up and flipped his sheets off of him before blushing profusely. He realized he was only in his underwear. "Uh... Let me put some clothes on first."

Cecelia, whose eyes had gone wide and cheeks gone crimson, nodded. "A-alright." She turned away as he got up and dressed.

When he had put on a shirt and some shorts, he sat back down in his bed and gestured for her to do the same.

Cecelia sat across from Teddy, cross legged and all too ready to tell him.

"Can I tell you now?" she asked.

He nodded. "Go ahead."

A fiery look came into her eyes as she recounted what she had seen. "I knew it," she concluded. "I always knew it was that bitch, excuse my language, but I just can't believe my dad." She looked down, her voice came out choked and watery. "I wanna tell my mom so bad," she looked up with tears now streaking her cheeks, "but I don't want her to be upset, you know? She's done everything for me, for my family, for that fucking asshole I call my father. I just can't believe he'd do that to her." She was shaking her head in disappointment, her face stony with anger and sadness and just so much emotion.

Teddy could hardly believe what had just happened. When Cecelia had first told him of her thoughts, he thought maybe, just maybe, she was just a little too suspicious, but this... This was real.

He wanted to just take her somewhere else. Somewhere out of the situation. He did the next best thing and wrapped her in his arms.

He remembered what she had said about how walls couldn't love her and realized that he really did love her.
_____

Cecelia buried her face in Teddy's shoulder, the tears dried from her cheeks with his t-shirt. She sat up and looked at Teddy.

"What's gonna happen to my family? I don't even know if Franky knows. If he does, I doubt the idiot cares. He takes my dad's side on everything. And the girls and Anthony. They're all just kids!"

"Shhh..." Teddy coaxed, rubbing her back. "It'll all turn out for the better, whatever happens. Alright?"

Cecelia nodded and leaned into Teddy again.

He kissed the top of her head and continued to rub her back.

She sat up again and just looked at Teddy. Her eyes softly scanned his face, taking in every detail, before she pulled him forward into a kiss.

She kissed him roughly, which caught him by surprise, but he kissed back after a second or two. She was so driven with all of her emotion, she took the lead and slipped her tongue into his mouth, letting it explore.

Her hands ran up and down his sides, causing little shocks coarse through his back. He pulled away abruptly. "Celia? Are you alright?"

She bit her lip. "Of course I am... I just I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry."

He took her hands in his. "Don't be. I just don't want you doing anything you're not comfortable with just because you're out of sorts."

She gave him an adoring look. "Thank you."

He smiled in response. With a glance at his clock, he jumped a little. "Shit, it's nearly 3 in the morning. You should get home, shouldn't you?"

Cecelia looked surprised herself at the time. "Yeah, I should. Damn..." She got up and walked to his window, which Teddy just realized was how she got in. "Thanks, Teddy for everything." She slid out the window and waved to him before looking around and starting on her way home.

Teddy watched her as she walked away until she was out of sight. When he couldn't see her anymore, he turned around and sat under his window looking blankly across his room.

He was thinking about Cecelia and about his own family and then her family. He wasn't sure which was worse, a father that cared and couldn't help but hurt his family or a father who didn't really seem to care and had complete control over what he did to his family.

He decided that he could learn to be a whole lot better because Cecelia was one of the best people he knew and she had that going on. He knew which was worse.

I don't even know how to feel about this.... I'm sad and just lahdbdisnelandie rn. I shouldn't get feels from my own book.... Should I? Idk. Hope y'all liked it! M'kay.

~Mariah