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Ted walked into the stadium on Monday morning with his usual pink box looking forward to his biscuits with the boss chat. Over the past couple weeks since having been relegated Rebecca and Ted had been working together tirelessly on strategies to secure promotion by the end of the upcoming season. While the work hadn’t been the most exciting, he found that he and Rebecca made a great team so he genuinely looked forward to going into work every day.
Much to his surprise when he got up to Rebecca’s office he found it empty. In the nine months since he’d been with the team Rebecca had never been late before so Ted was perplexed.
Almost as if on cue his phone dinged with an incoming message from the boss herself.
‘Won’t make it in today, came down with a bought of the flu. There’s not much to work on since we last spoke on Friday. Unless you have work to do with Beard and Nate, feel free to take the day.’
Ted read the message with a frown. Rebecca taking a sick day must’ve meant she was really feeling bad as Rebecca Welton did not do “sick days”. What was even more distressing to him was realizing she would be alone all day. With Keely and Roy in Spain for vacation, and Sassy in Disneyland with Nora, Ted suspected that there would be no one around to check up on her.
Ted didn’t give it a second thought as he headed back outside shooting Beard and Nate a quick text explaining that he would be out for the rest of the day.
He quickly made his way over to the store where he picked up just about every type of cold and flu medicine he could find. His rationale being he didn’t know what Rebecca liked. He also picked up some ingredients to make soup and some chamomile tea, making sure to get the brand she always had stocked up in her office.
The cashier gave him a funny look as he rang up the treasure trove of medicine but said nothing. Ted just gave his classic curt smile before hurrying out of the store.
Rather than walking like he usually did Ted called an Uber hoping to get to Rebecca’s as fast as possible. It was only while he sat in the back of the Uber that he realized he wasn’t sure if he had made the right decision. ‘What if she didn’t want the company? What if she wasn’t actually sick but just wanted the day off? Nah she wouldn’t do that, right?’
Before Ted could overthink it even more they were pulling up in front of her house. With a quick thank you to the driver Ted made his way up her front steps pausing for just a second before knocking. After a few seconds of no response Ted feared that she might be asleep and he would only be waking her up if he knocked again, but he didn’t have the chance to worry as the door opened.
“Ted, what-what are you doing here?” Rebecca said looking rather surprised.
The first thing Ted noticed when he saw her was that her usually bright green eyes were now cloudy, her cheeks donned a shade of pink he realized wasn’t due to makeup, and the tip of her nose was raw and red. Even so Ted couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she looked. He shook the thought from his head and held up the bag of goodies he brought.
“I figured you might not be feeling up for going to the store for supplies, so I brought ya some.”
Rebecca frowned slightly at that, “Ted that really wasn’t-“ before she could finish her sentence she dissolved into a coughing fit, beckoning Ted inside as she went to get a glass of water.
“Oo I got something for that.” Ted said cheerily as he reached inside the bag pulling out some cough medicine.
Rebecca had managed to stop coughing but the grimace she wore on her face told Ted she was far from fine. She appreciatively took the medicine Ted was holding out for her.
“I’ll admit it’s been quite a while since I was last sick and I’m afraid I don’t have any of the medicine I need. You’re a life saver Ted Lasso.”
“I serve at the pleasure, ma’am.” Ted said with a salute, earning a smile from Rebecca.
“Ted I don’t think you should stay much longer I don’t want you to catch what I have.”
“Oh no boss, got my flu shot months ago, and I take my vitamins every day. Haven’t been sick in years so I’m good to go, no need to worry about me.”
Once again Ted saw a frown cross Rebecca’s face but she must have decided that it wasn’t a battle worth fighting, “alright if you say so, but if you get sick don’t blame me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it darlin” Ted said with a wink. He mentally cursed himself as soon as he did because he noticed her cheeks become even redder.
“Right so what can I do for you boss? I brought the fixings for chicken noodle soup if you want some, or I can whip you up whatever you want.” Ted said feeing the need to break the awkward silence.
“Honestly, just a cup of tea if you wouldn’t mind. My entire body hurts and I can’t stop shivering so I just want to curl up in bed.”
“Not a problem. Go lie down and I’ll bring it out to you.”
As he began filling up the kettle to put on the stove Ted began to wonder why he had such a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest. He decided he could chalk it up to simply being happy to be able to care for a dear friend in
her time of need. Yes that’s it, ‘just a dear friend.’
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To say Rebecca was surprised when she opened the door to find Ted Lasso standing there was an understatement, though in hindsight she probably should have known better. Ted was most certainly the type of person to show up unannounced with a bag full of medicine for his sick friends.
She was grateful for the medicine Ted had offered her, and she wouldn’t admit it but having Ted around was making her feel better already. And then she heard him call her darlin’ with his deep southern drawl, pronounced more than usual, and it made her heart flutter in a way she couldn’t explain. The experience was polar opposite of when Rupert used to call her darling, his condescending tone never failed to make her blood boil. But Ted wasn’t Rupert, in fact in the twelve years she was married to the man she couldn’t recall a single time he ever took care of her like Ted was now. It made her appreciate Ted all the more.
Soon she made her way to her room and quickly tried to pick up the used tissues and clothes strewn about, not having had the energy to do it earlier but also not expecting any visitors. She suspected Ted wouldn’t have cared in the slightest to see her room messy though.
She hastily climbed under the covers and tucked her self in hoping to stop shivering from the fever wreaking havoc on her body. When she stopped moving she could make out some quiet humming coming from the kitchen. It made her wonder if Ted even realized he was doing it. She smiled as she let her eye lids flutter closed picturing Ted in her kitchen absentmindedly humming making her tea.
She was glad when she heard Teds footsteps coming down the hall, a few moments longer and she would have been asleep.
“One chamomile tea for the lady, on the house.” Ted said smiling as he pretended to be a fancy waiter donning an invisible napkin on his arm.
Rebecca sat up a little with an eye roll but gave a genuine smile in return. Ted’s antics that others sometimes found annoying only ever amused Rebecca, though she would deny that in court if you asked her.
Ted came around to sit on the edge of her bed handing her the cup of tea which she took eagerly. Even the slight movement of sitting up and exposing her shoulders caused her to start shaking again, much to her dismay.
Rebecca simply focused on trying to steady her had as much as possible as she sipped the warm tea. Ted had somehow managed to make it the perfect temperature where it wasn’t too hot to drink, but it was hot enough to warm her insides as it went down. When she felt the bed shift suddenly she looked up to see Ted standing over her taking off his sweater revealing his button down underneath. She watched curiously for a moment before he reached down offering his sweater to her.
“You look mighty cold boss, and I would’ve offered to get you one of your own sweaters but see this one here is all nice and warm from me wearing it so I thought it would be better.”
Rebecca looked at Ted stunned for a moment before setting her cup down and graciously taking the sweater. Before she could stop it she felt her throat get tighter and her eyes well up.
Ted instantly saw this and knelt beside her, “Becca what is it, did I do something wrong?”
Rebecca forced herself to laugh a little to lighten the mood, “no, no you didn’t do anything. It’s-it’s silly really.” She said wiping at the few stray tears that had escaped.
Ted just grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as if to say that he was listening if she wanted to explain more.
“It’s just that Rupert never once cared for me like you are now. From what I can remember the few times I was sick during our marriage he always went to the club, which he said was in order to not get sick himself, but I realize now he probably never actually went to the club. He just went to sleep with whatever young woman he fancied that week.”
Rebecca had to look away from Ted’s face as she said this, she was too ashamed and embarrassed to look him in the eye. But Ted being Ted just slowly ran his thumb over her knuckles still holding her hand tightly, which she was grateful for.
She took a few breathes before meeting his eyes again, “You know how I told you that when I left him he told me I would be alone?”
Ted just gave her a slight nod signaling he remembered, “Well I realize now that even while we were together I was alone. Physically we were married, but in every other way that could possibly count I was alone.”
She sat back in silence as Ted studied her for a few moments and then he surprised her for the second time that day as he reached forward with his free hand and brushed her last tear away.
“Becca I’m so sorry you went through that. The way Rupert treated you was- was just wrong. When you love someone you take care of them even at their lows -especially at their lows. And for him to just run away to play hooky while you were at home sick is beyond despicable, you deserve better.”
His words triggered something deep inside her. She realized that she truly did deserve better than Rupert. She deserved someone like Ted.
Her foggy brain couldn’t keep up with the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her, so she moved out of Teds grasp to put on his sweater. Even with her stuffed up nose she could smell Teds cologne on the sweater, and it made her insides flutter yet again.
Ted smiled at her warmly once she was settled with the slightly large sweater enveloping her. “Looking good boss.”
“Thank you Ted, for the sweater, and for everything.”
“Anytime.”
Rebecca knew that he meant that in all sincerity. She smiled again but it was cut short by a large yawn that she was unable to stifle. Suddenly, it felt like her eye lids were made of bricks.
“You look like you’re about to nod off boss, so I’ll leave you to get some rest.”
Before Ted could move an inch Rebecca reached out and grabbed his wrist. She wasn’t sure if it was the fever clouding her judgment but she desperately didn’t want Ted to leave.
“Wait, stay.” She all but whispered.
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As Ted moved around Rebecca’s kitchen preparing her tea he was pleasantly surprised at how natural it felt. He wished he could have more days like this, he would cook for Rebecca everyday if she asked.
As he made his way down the hall with a cup of tea that he had vigorously tested in order to make sure it was the perfect temperature, he caught sight of Rebecca curled up in bed noticing her eyes were closed. She looked incredibly small in the sea of blankets and pillows gathered around her. There was a part of him that wanted to stop and just stare at her like that forever but just then her eyes flickered open and lit up at the sight of him. He reasoned with himself that her reaction was purely because he was bringing her a cup of her favorite tea and not at all her reaction to just seeing him.
He made his way over to her side of the bed, perching carefully on its edge to hand her the tea cup. As she sat up and began drinking he saw her body shiver and it made his heart physically ache. There were few worse feelings than the uncontrollable shivers that accompanied a fever, so he did this first thing he could think of and began taking off his light grey AFC Richmond sweater to hand to her.
What he was not expecting were the tears that formed in her eyes, and suddenly it felt like he had been punched in the gut. He had no idea what he had done to upset her. But then she told him why she was really upset and he realized it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with that son of a bitch Rupert.
Ted wouldn’t describe himself as a particularly aggressive person but hearing Rebecca talk about the horrible things Rupert had done made Ted want punch him squarely in the face. Instead he resolved to hold her hand reassuringly.
When it was clear she was fading fast Ted decided it was time for him to leave and let her get some rest but before he could move her hand was gripping his wrist as her quiet voiced asked him to stay.
Time felt like it froze for a few seconds as he tried to process her words, and what they meant. Rebecca was a strong woman so the fact that she was willing to be vulnerable with him meant a great deal. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to say no to her, especially not at a time like this.
“Sure thing boss. Whatever you need I’m here.” Ted said in an attempt to lighten what was quickly becoming a very intense situation. ‘She’s your boss, she’s your boss, she’s your boss.’
Rebecca just turned slightly to pull down the other side of the bed spread, patting it lightly, “wanna watch some tv with me?”
With a nod Ted followed orders and made his way around to the other side of the bed climbing under the covers and almost gasping at how comfortable it was.
Ted was pleasantly surprised when Rebecca turned on the newest episode of the Great British Bake Off. He had mentioned a few weeks ago how much he liked it during one of his usual rants, not expecting her to remember it.
As they both settled in to watch the show, Ted tried very hard to keep his eyes fixed on the tv, but every few seconds he looked at her out of the corner of his eye checking to see if she was still awake. As he expected not five minutes into the episode her breathing evened out signaling her decent into sleep.
Ted took the opportunity to turn to his side and focus solely on the woman fast asleep next to him. He realized there were very few people in this world that have witnessed this side of Rebecca, and he was honored she chose him to be one of them.
Ted wasn’t sure if it was the company or the bed but soon his own eyes started fluttering, and he simply decided not to fight the feeling, letting sleep overcome him too.
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The first thing Rebecca noticed when she woke up was a mans arm wrapped tightly around her waist. For a brief, horrible second she thought she had just dreamt the last year and a half, and that the arm around her was Ruperts’. But as she came to her senses she remembered whose sweater she was snuggled up in.
Slowly turning her head she saw Ted Lasso on his side, one arm tucked up under his head and one strewn across her midsection. His mouth was slightly open as his chest slowly rose and fell.
Rebecca couldn’t help but smile at how cute he looked. Suddenly, the guilt of forcing Ted to stay with her bubbled up. Certainly her actions broke protocol in their owner/gaffer relationship. But then she looked at Ted again, and he looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him. Deep down she hoped he wanted to stay just as much as she had wanted him to, and wasn’t there just out of pity.
Almost as if he knew he was being watched, he slowly stretched out his legs and opened his eyes. Rebecca could see the clear confusion on his face as he attempted to get his bearings.
Very suddenly he must have realized his arm was wrapped around her, as he drew it back so quickly it looked like he had just burnt himself.
“So sorry about that Boss.” He said sheepishly. “I’m a snuggler, just ask Beard.”
Rebecca giggled at the mental image that his words conjured up, “it’s quite alright Ted, no harm no foul.”
Ted gave a quick nod before turning to reach for his phone to check the time.
“Golly would you look at that, 4pm already?!” Ted said astonished.
“Is it really? I can’t even remember the last time I took a nap let alone a 4 hour one.” Rebecca replied.
“Ditto.”
“So how are you feeling?” Ted asked after a beat.
“Much better.” Rebecca replied truthfully, “I think the fever is gone, as are the aches and chills. Just a sore throat and a stuffy nose are left.”
“Glad to hear it boss. Can I get you anything? Maybe you like to try some soup now?”
Before Rebecca could respond her stomach growled loudly earning a laugh from Ted, “I’ll take that as a yes then.”
“Yes some soup would be great. I think I’ll have a shower while you make it.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
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As Ted made his way to the kitchen to prep the soup, he couldn’t help thinking about waking up in Rebecca’s bed with his arm around her. He enjoyed it probably more than what was considered appropriate given she was in fact his boss. Truth be told, in all the times Beard and him had shared a close space while traveling with the team he had never once woken up like that. The white lie came out without much thought in his attempt make things less awkward. He didn’t even want to think about the world of trouble he could have been in if Rebecca hadn’t been so understanding, though to be fair she had invited him into her bed in the first place. ‘No, she’s just a friend. A friend who was sick and in need of comfort. Nothing more.’
Shaking himself from his thoughts he continued to cook up the soup using a new recipe he found that he couldn’t wait for Rebecca to try. The funny thing was, whenever something good happened recently like finding a new recipe, he couldn’t wait to share it with her. Somehow everything seemed more fun and exciting when he could share it with her.
Suddenly he had a flash back to the early days of his relationship with Michelle when he had almost the exact same thought. It made him sad and confused all at the same time.
He didn’t get a chance to ponder it more however as Rebecca joined him in the kitchen wearing a new set of sweatpants while keeping on his sweater. ‘Man, she looked good in that sweater.’
Her freshly washed hair smelled like lavender and rosemary. After studying her face for a second Ted could see that her eyes looked more clear than before and her cheeks were noticeably less red. Her nose was still red and it reminded him of Rudolph, though he would never tell her that.
“That smells delicious Ted.”
“Well I’m glad to hear you say that. This here is a new recipe I’m trying out just for you.”
“Ooo well I will be your official taste tester any time you’d like.”
“I might just take you up on that boss. Now go have a seat, your order will be up in just a moment.”
Testing it one last time to make sure it was perfect, Ted poured two bowls of soup and made his way to the couch where Rebecca was waiting.
“Thank you Ted.”
“Not a problem.”
Ted waited with baited breathe to see what she thought.
“Hmmm, damm that’s good.”
Ted took the opportunity to try it out himself, and whole heartily agreed with her reaction. The pair ate in comfortable silence, too hungry to waste time chatting between bites. Once finished Ted made a move to collect Rebecca’s bowl but she stopped him with a hand on his chest.
“Ted, honestly you’ve done more than enough, let me clean up.”
“No can do boss, you’re sick, let me take care of it.”
What he really wanted to say was let me take care of you, but he didn’t want to scare her off.
Rebecca relented with just a few murmurs of protest, and in record time he had joined her back on the couch after cleaning up.
“Ted, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me today. It means more to me than you’ll ever know.”
Before he realized what was happening Rebecca had thrown herself into his arms in a tight bear hug, something that had become quite common for the two of them. Ted didn’t hesitate to return the hug back, relishing in the feeling of holding her in his arms.
And then it was her turn to surprise him as she pulled back, but only slightly, still keeping her arms around his neck, her face mere inches from his.
Ted thought he felt his heart physically jump. Yet again he chose not to overthink things as he leaned in to press his lips against hers. For a split second he thought he might’ve misread her as she didn’t move a muscle, but then she kissed him back with more force than he would’ve thought possible for someone who was still sick.
A part of him knew that all the vitamins in the world probably wouldn’t stop him from getting sick after this, but there wasn’t a single atom in his body that cared.
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Epilogue
Some six odd years later Ted was tucking his twin daughters into bed, having just finished reading their favorite bedtime story that ended in the prince and princess kissing (though in this version both parties were conscious and consenting).
“Daddy, will you tell us about the time you and mommy first kissed?” Ella asked.
Ted laughed at the innocence of this question, “well one day mommy was sick and felt really awful, so daddy when to go take care of her.”
“Did you make her the soup?” Evie interrupted.
It was a wonder that Ted was ever able to get through a story. With two curious girls who took after him in the talking department, they were hardly ever quiet for more than a few minutes.
“Well little lady, as a matter of fact I did.”
“That soup was what really won me over.” Rebecca said having appeared in the doorway.
Ted turned to face his wife with a smile, “what it wasn’t my deviously handsome charm?” He asked in mock hurt.
“Oh right, yes that’s what I meant to say.” Rebecca responded with a coy smile.
“So anyways, after I won her over, or rather the soup did, I picked her up and spun her around and kissed her.”
“Just like the prince did?” Evie asked, referencing the story they had just finished.
“Yup just like the prince.” Ted replied giving Becca a wink.
“Wait but daddy I thought you said Mommy was sick?” Ella asked.
“She was. But I kissed her anyways.”
“Ewwwwww.” Both girls chorused, “that’s yucky daddy.” Ella responded.
“Nah it was worth it.” Ted said shooting a big grin at his wife who just rolled her eyes.
“Alright girls time for bed.” Ted said leaning over to give Ella a kiss on the head and then swapping with Rebecca to do the same to Evie.
“Goodnight my loves.” Rebecca said before closing the door behind her and Ted.
“I believe you left out that part of the story where you got sick three days later.” Rebecca said as they made their way back downstairs.
“Eh wasn’t important.” Ted responded.
“So getting sick was worth it?” Rebecca asked cheekily.
“Oh absolutely. You are always worth it darlin.”