Chapter Text
Ted looked up at Beard who had still not yet turned a single page in his book. In twenty minutes. He knew something was up, but also knew his friend wouldn’t talk about it with anybody in listening distance. Ted had a hard time getting him to open up even when they were completely alone.
He got up, closing both of the doors before sitting back down and staring. Waiting.
Beard finally sighed a moment later, shutting his book. He raised an eyebrow at Ted.
“What’s on your mind?” Ted asked.
Beard simply shook his head, almost shrugging as if it was nothing. Ted knew better.
“You haven’t read a single word in that thing,” he said, pointing at the book where it now rested on the desk. “Usually you’re like a little sponge, soaking up all that knowledge. What’s going on?”
Beard looked around, being sure that nobody would be able to listen. When he was satisfied that it was just the two of them, he leaned in a little closer.
“Uh,” he raised his brows, sighing, “I found out I have a kid.”
Ted’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, mouth gaping open.
Beard continued, “Her mom never told me she was pregnant. I only found out because the kid reached out to me last night.”
Ted took a moment in silence, and Beard was almost proud of himself for finally striking him speechless. Finally, Ted regained his composure, letting out a heavy sigh before he spoke.
“I— I can’t believe it. Are you gonna meet ‘em?”
Beard nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I already invited her to come here. Offered to pay for the flight, especially since she said she wanted to get away from her mother.”
“I’m glad you’ll see her. That is just— Insane in the membrane, coach. How old is she?”
“Well, I haven’t been with her mother in probably twenty five, maybe twenty six years. We were right out of high school and didn’t last long.”
Ted sighed again, leaning back in his chair.
“Wow.”
Beard nodded, unsure of what else to say. Both of them sat in silence for a little while longer, then went back to work.
You sighed, dropping a box down on the floor and looking around the room. You were glad to have found an apartment for rent so quickly, and thanked yourself for being able to save up enough to keep you on your feet for a little while.
You picked up your phone, dialing your best friend to let her know you’d gotten everything into your new place.
While you were able to bring with many of your own clothes and personal items, any and all furniture had to be bought. Much of it had been delivered in the past two days, and you were excited to really start getting it all together.
However, you’d underestimated how much mental energy it would all take, so your night ended up taking a sharp turn towards the nearest bar. You walked into the little pub, smiling a little at the boys yelling something at the television in the corner, apparently playing some type of sport.
You took a seat at the bar and eventually were greeted by a very friendly woman.
“How are you dear?”
“I’m just fine, hoping to unwind a little after a long day. I just moved in from the states a few days ago,” you said with a smile.
Her brows raised. “Oh, another American, are you?”
You laughed a little. “Another? You got more of us hiding around here?”
She nodded once. “That we do.”
She turned, waving over a man who had a mustache and an overly-cheery disposition.
“Hey, what’d ya need?” He asked her, his accent putting a little smirk on your face.
She gestured towards you. “This young lady just came in from across the pond. Thought you might be happy to meet another yank.”
He laughed, looking to you. “Where are you from?”
“Illinois. You?”
“Kansas.”
“Ooh, so we’re both well-versed in corn fields, I assume.”
He laughed again, taking a seat next to you. “Have you gotten a drink yet?”
You shook your head. “Uh, not really sure what I want yet.”
“You drink beer?” He asked, briefly holding up his own mug. “They got some great stuff around here.”
You shrugged. “On occasion.”
He looked back to the woman, asking for another and thanking her by name. You smiled at him, and fell into easy conversation for a while. You’d learned his name was Ted, he had a son in the U.S., and he genuinely took interest in the matters of others. He was kind and joyful, and you were thankful for an ounce of familiarity in, what was to you, a strange place. It wasn’t until an old man walked by and called him a ‘wanker’ that you were snapped out of your trance and back into reality.
Your eyes went wide, a nervous laugh bubbling from your lips.
“Wow. You get that often?” You asked as a joke, though he only nodded his head.
“I do, actually. Guess I’m kind of a local celebrity around these parts.”
“Enough of one to be called names in public?”
He laughed. “They say it in love. Well, now they do. Didn’t start out that way.”
You smiled, shaking your head. Then, some type of courage must have overtaken you because you asked him if he wanted to keep the night going. He looked surprised, but enthusiastic in saying yes.
Maybe that fifth drink was a little too much for the both of you.
You stepped into the night air, laughing and practically leaning into one another.
“Uh, can we go to your place? I just moved in and still have a lot to do,” you said, suddenly a little nervous going home with a stranger.
He nodded quickly with a smile. “Of course, whatever makes you comfy.”
The nerves melted fast at that point, and it wasn’t long before you were stumbling into his flat. Though you were pleasantly surprised he wasn’t far from you: part of you hoped you might see him more often after this.
The first kiss you shared had you thankful you’d suggested all of this in the first place, and the way he held you had you excited for more.
Your eyes opened slowly, a smile creeping on your face as you felt the sunshine on your face and smelled cinnamon rolls baking.
Wait. Why are cinnamon rolls baking?
You looked around your room to find that you were not, in fact, in your own bedroom. You decided you didn’t quite have the mental capacity to accept the fact that you’d ended up at a stranger’s house the first week you were in a new country. You closed your eyes, turning back over and pretending like this wasn’t happening. Though, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t pretend you didn’t feel a dip in the bed and a hand brushing against your leg a moment later.
“Good mornin’,” he said, sounding altogether too chipper. “I made you breakfast if you’d like to roll outta bed.”
You peeked up at him, almost thankful it was who you thought it’d be and not some stranger. Well, at least not a stranger who had broken in. He was a safe stranger.
Probably. Hopefully.
“That is, if you eat cinnamon rolls and like coffee. I guess I should’ve asked before I went and did all that,” he chuckled, and a soft smile crept onto your face.
“That sounds great. Thank you,” you said, sitting up and being sure to bring the blanket up with you. “Uh, I know we just—”
“Need privacy?” He cut in, picking up on your drift before you’d even spoken.
You nodded quickly. “Please.”
He smiled, patting your leg again.
“I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready.”
You quickly got ready, trying to make yourself as presentable as possible while dressing in last night’s clothes. You found your way into the kitchen, Ted sitting at the table, sipping on a mug of coffee.
You sat next to him, looking at the untouched tray of rolls and full mug of coffee in front of you.
You quirked a brow at him, “You not hungry?”
He raised both of his, looking to the cinnamon rolls in front of you, then shrugged.
“I just wanted to wait until you were ready.”
You smiled, fighting the heat trying to rise to your cheeks. He just had to be a genuinely nice guy. You sat, mostly quietly, next to a man you’d just met as you ate breakfast together. You sighed softly, nearly laughing to yourself the longer you thought about it. He was way too kind to be the casual, one-night stand type. Everything was feeling incredibly domestic, though you didn’t quite mind.
“So,” you started, sipping the last of your coffee. “You said you’re a local celebrity, and I didn’t press further last night, but I am so curious. What did you do to get that status?”
“Oh!” He exclaimed, setting down his mug. “I’m a coach for one of the teams around here, actually.”
“Really?”
He nodded with a smile. “I assume you don’t follow sports much, huh?”
You shook your head. “Not at all. I know my dad is involved in… something with football around here, but honestly I’m not really sure what he does.”
He nodded slowly. “Huh! Small world. Do you know which team he’s with?”
“Not a clue. We haven’t really caught up with each other… In a while.”
You rationalized that it wasn’t quite a lie. You weren’t sure you were prepared to tell a stranger that you were around to meet your father for the first time that day. Or that you were here almost a month early to do so, and that you were more than nervous to spring a surprise meeting on him.
He raised a brow. “Seems like a touchy subject, huh?”
You smiled, relenting. “A little. It’ll be fine though, I’m excited to see him.”
“Uh, speaking of seeing people… Um, listen, I know I’m a little older than you—”
“Clearly I don’t mind,” you interjected with a chuckle.
He nodded, smiling. “Right. Uh, well then, I know this is supposed to be a one-and-done situation, but honestly I’m no good with stuff like that. I was wondering if maybe I could take you out on a real date sometime?”
He asked, clearly a little nervous and with wide eyes waiting in anticipation. You cracked a small smile.
“I’m really not good with this stuff, either,” you admitted with a light giggle. “Tell you what, just because you put all this effort into breakfast for a practical stranger, I’ll give you my number. You just name a time and place for a proper date. I’m job-searching right now, but I have a pretty open schedule for the time being.”
He grinned, nodding as he pulled out his phone.
“I normally don’t do this— ask people out— either, but you just seem like an actual nice person. Hard to come by sometimes, and a good friend of mine keeps telling me I need to put myself out there.”
“Not the worst advice,” you quipped.
You took the device from him, punching in your number. You then stood, giving him a quick goodbye, and went back to your new apartment.
You sent a quick message to your father asking about where he wanted to meet, and hoped for the best.
It turns out that place was his workplace. Though, you didn’t quite mind getting a tour.
“So, what do you think?” your father asked hesitantly, guiding you through the building.
You glanced around the halls as you went, though you couldn’t exactly read each and every placard.
“This is awesome. I just had no clue you were so… Involved in any of this. But, then again, I came here with the idea in my head that you were from England,” you said with a laugh.
He shrugged. “Guess neither of us had a clue about, well— anything. I’m still a little shocked you came here so soon.”
You chuckled at that. “I’ve always wanted to visit London, so I was hopping on the plane practically the second you agreed to meet me. Besides, anything to get away from my situation back home right now sounded great.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry about—”
“My mom being insane and never telling you about me?” You glanced at him as you walked along. “That’s not on you. As much as it sucked not having my dad around, it wasn’t your fault.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re awfully well-adjusted.”
“Some people are hurt by their surroundings growing up. I was one of the lucky ones who could learn to just not be like her. Partially due to my friends’ parents being there for me, but I was very fortunate growing up.”
He nodded, though he struggled with trying to find a new topic. You’d sensed it from the way he seemed to buzz with anticipation for something new to come up.
“But,” you started, changing the topic for him. “That is all something we can talk about some other time. What’s next?”
He shrugged. “Uh, well, I could give you a quick tour of the locker room. Nobody’s there right now.”
You nodded quickly. “That’d be awesome.”
He gave a quick, unsure smile, then led you down to the locker room. A comfortable silence fell over the two of you, and he seemed to appreciate that. ‘Something to remember’, you noted internally.
He pushed open the door and you walked in, glancing around at all the signs with names on them.
“Wow, it is surprisingly not gross smelling in here,” you laughed.
He chuckled back, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Wait till after a game.”
He walked ahead of you, trying to gauge what you were taking in for the first time.
“I know these names probably don’t mean much to you, but they’re pretty well-known around here for the most part.”
You nodded. “Some day when I’ve actually seen a match and become your guys’ biggest fan this will be such a cool memory.”
He laughed again, a little awkwardly as if it wasn’t something he did quite often. You smiled at him for a moment before you noticed a large yellow sign above a closed door.
“That’s cool. Like one of those motivational posters, but like… Without the cat,” you chuckled to yourself at the lame joke.
He turned. “Oh, yeah. Uh, my friend, head coach here, he put that up. I think he’s around here somewhere if you’d like to meet him?”
“I’m actually kind of tired. You mind if I come back tomorrow? Maybe check out a practice if that’s alright?”
He raised his brows. “Yeah, of course. You want me to walk you back?”
“That’s alright, I can manage. But I’ll text you when I’m back to let you know… You know, if you wanna make sure I just didn’t get kidnapped.”
“Yes, yeah. That’d be great. Wanna come here around 11? We could get lunch and then you can come check out our training.”
“Sounds awesome.”
The rest of the night went quickly as you finished setting up most of your furniture. There were only a few things left, your bed being one of them, and you hoped that maybe that could be something to bond with your dad over. Until then, your temporary bed was made on the living room carpet with pillows and plenty of blankets.
As you settled onto the ground for the night, your phone dinged with a text.
‘Hi, this is Ted! How does dinner tomorrow sound?’
You smirked at the message, then sent your own back:
‘Sounds great :) What time?’
The text bubble started and stopped a few times before a new message from him popped up.
‘Is 6:30 okay? I can meet you at your place if that’s alright with you, buckaroo! :)’
You agreed, giving him your address, and going to sleep with a smile on your face.
The next morning you got ready quickly, and decided to leave early so you could walk to Richmond. As much as you were used to driving everywhere, the change in pace was actually pretty nice. You started on your way, making it there just a few minutes before 11 struck. You walked into the building, telling the lady at the front desk you were there for ‘Coach Beard’. She gave you a certain look of confusion before calling him up, and he finally showed up for you a few minutes later.
He started walking you down to the locker rooms again, making a little small talk about how practice had gone that morning.
You got there, breathing out quickly as he pulled open the door.
“Man, you weren’t kidding about the smell getting worse,” you said with wide eyes.
He half-smiled, letting you walk in first. “Oh! One second, I gotta go grab someone. Uh, Coach is in the office down at the end and has been dying to meet you.”
He was gone before you could say another word. You walked down towards the office, knocking lightly on the door as you stepped in.
“Hey, I’m—” you started and quickly stopped as a familiar face looked up at you in surprise.
“Hey, there!” He said cautiously, moving the paper he was writing on to the side. “Uh… What are you doing’ here?”
You stood in shock for a moment before putting all of the pieces together. He said he coached a team. He’s from America… And it was at that point you decided to never drink again.
“Shit,” you sighed, covering your face.
He looked on in confusion, but couldn’t get a word out before Beard was walking in with Roy.
“Uh, Roy, this is my daughter,” he said, gesturing for him to go ahead into the office.
Formalities were exchanged nervously, though nobody seemed to be as shocked now as Ted did. He stared on in horror as the pieces began connecting for him, unable to move or speak as you made small talk with Roy and Beard. He’d slept with his best friend’s daughter. No going back, now.
Beard turned. “What do you think? We look alike?”
You couldn’t help but laugh at that, though Ted struggled to pull himself together.
“Must’ve gotten her mom’s genes,” he finally said with a light laugh, trying to break the one-sided tension.
Beard scoffed a laugh. “Probably a good thing.”
“Definitely a fuckin’ good thing,” Roy said, the ghost of a smirk on his face.
Ted stood quickly, still unable to take his eyes off of you. You felt bad, but at the same time relished in how much control you seemed to have over the situation.
“So, how about lunch?” You said, looking to your father who was blissfully ignorant of your existing… Connection with his coworker. Then, to said coworker. “Are you coming with us, Ted?”
He swallowed. “Oh, come on now, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“I’m already intruding, so if you don’t do it too, I’ll look like an asshole,” Roy said, looking at him.
He put on a smile, nodding once. “Well, alright then. Where to?”
You went back to the pub you’d visited two nights prior, the Crown and Anchor, being greeted again by the same woman.
“Oh! Dear, it’s good to see you back,” she said as you walked in first. “How are you settling?”
“Just fine, thank you. Uh, we’re looking for a table to fit the four of us?”
She waved her hand. “Oh, please, sit wherever you’d like.”
Then, she noticed who you were with, very nearly making a new exclamation before Ted approached her. You kept an eye on the situation as you settled at a table with Roy and your father, noting how her eyes widened in shock, a scandalized smile striking her face. He came over and sat just a moment later next to you.
“You never told me you had a daughter!” She exclaimed to your father as she approached.
He only shrugged silently, looking up at her. You spoke for him.
“Neither of us knew about the other. I just found out yesterday when I met him that he wasn’t actually from England.”
She gave you a knowing look, nodding her head slowly.
“I see. Well, I’m glad you have some familiar faces around you now.”
You nodded, hiding a smile. She took your orders, trying and very nearly failing to not strictly be staring between you and Ted. Luckily, the other two men at the table seemed to be oblivious to her poorly concealed interest in the situation.
She came over after everything had been finished, dropping off dishes.
“Now, I hope I see you come around more often, Y/N,” she said, smirking at you.
“Of course, Miss Mae. Wouldn’t do you the disservice of getting blasted anywhere else.”
She laughed, walking back towards the counter. Light conversation flowed between all of you, many questions about your upbringing and current plans were discussed.
“Where are you living?” Roy asked, looking to you.
“Uh, just down the alley a little ways. Not far from here at all. Actually, that’s how I stumbled across this place to begin with,” you said with a short nod.
“Not far from you then, Ted,” Beard mentioned, shoving a few fries in his mouth.
“Oh? You live nearby?” You asked him, nearly laughing at the way his gaze shifted nervously to you.
He nodded carefully. “Yes, ma’am. Only a few minutes down that way from here.”
“Good to know,” you smirked, looking back to the others. “Where do you two live?”
“I’m living with my girlfriend, Keeley,” Roy mentioned.
It wasn’t exactly an answer to your question, but he seemed much more interested in his meal anyways.
“I’m close by, too, just down a different alley,” Beard said, nodding a little.
“Sounds like I picked the right flat to rent out,” you quipped. “Oh, would you be able to help me finish putting some furniture together? Just my bed needs to be arranged now. Maybe my couch when it arrives.”
He looked up at you, a little surprised, and nodded silently. Then, Ted looked to his watch.
“We should probably head back, but I was glad to meet you, Y/N,” he gave you a tight-lipped smile.
“Oh, I was actually going to come back and watch your guys’ practice today,” you smiled back at him.
He raised his brows. “Oh. I did not know that.”
“Figured you wouldn’t mind,” Beard said, looking to him.
“Not at all! Be happy to have a new, smiling face around for the day,” he nodded his head. “We should probably—”
He trailed off as Beard stood, throwing a thumb over his shoulder towards the bathroom. He went off, with Roy mumbling something about needing to go too before he followed after. That left you alone with Ted again for the first time since news broke.
You glanced at him. “So… Is dinner still on tonight?”
He couldn’t help but break out a smile at that.
“Not so sure now that I know you’re my friend’s daughter.”
“You’re gonna turn a lady down?”
He looked at you with a soft gaze. “I don’t think either of us can risk being spotted like that.”
You leaned forward. “Why not?”
His eyes widened a little. “You’re trouble.”
“How about you come to my place and I cook you something instead, then?”
A little smirk made its way back to his face.
“Guess I can agree to that.”
“I think we have some talking to do anyways, huh?”
He nodded. “Oh yeah we do, Miss Magoo.”
You sat out watching practice with only a few stolen glances shared between yourself and Ted, and figured that as long as it was live, this was certainly a sport you could get behind watching.
“It’s so much better when you’re not behind a screen,” you said, walking back to the office with the coaches.
You trailed behind them a little, taking note of the way they interacted with one another.
“There’s a certain magic to it when you get to see it all play out live, huh?” Ted affirmed, looking back at you.
You nodded in agreement. “I might actually find myself becoming a fan in time.”
“I’d sure hope so,” he said with a smile.
Beard glanced at him sideways, then shook his head. He turned his attention to you afterwards.
“I’ll make sure you always have tickets on hold.”
“Oh!” Ted exclaimed, standing for a moment until he fell in step with you. “Our boss, Rebecca, I’m sure would love to have you. She and Roy’s girl, Keeley, always sit together up in the owner’s box. I’m sure they wouldn’t oppose having you with ’em.”
You raised your brows. “Wow. You’re all awfully friendly here, aren’t you?”
“We try,” he smiled as he spoke. “Helps when we’re all stuck together whether or not we want to be.”
“Sounds like it’d be more of a detriment.”
“Not when we want to keep our jobs. Peace is kept a heck of a lot easier when we gotta apologize for our mistakes all the time.”
You chuckled, nodding. “I see.”
“Ay, where are you working?” Roy asked, turning briefly to catch your eye.
“Uh, right now, nowhere. Trying to find a job.”
“You know, Keels has been looking for someone to help her out. I can have her talk to you and see if you’d be a fit.”
Ted looked delighted at that. “Well, that’d be awfully kind of you, Roy.”
“Oh gosh, like too kind,” you said with a sigh. “I mean, theoretically that would be incredible. I just only have the right to stay in England for about six months.”
“Get an extended visa. You get breaks here where you can head back home for a little while, and then you’ll be able to come back. Fuckin’ simple.”
Ted hummed in agreement. “That’s how I’m operating. Beard, too.”
Beard nodded, interest piqued at the topic.
You shook your head with a breathless laugh as you walked into the office. “I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to talking about it.”
“Come on, then,” Roy said, directing you right back out. “It’ll keep you away from being stuck with the players.”
“And their after-game smell, right?”
He smirked, nodding a little. You turned, giving a quick goodbye to the other two as you were ushered away.
“So, how long have you been dating this Keeley?”
He glanced at you with a raised brow.
“Does it fuckin’ matter?”
You shrugged. “No, but I’m always up for a good love story.”
He hid a smile at that. “Not as long as you’ve been eyeing Ted.”
Your brows raised fast. “Whoa, who said I was eyeing Ted?”
“Don’t have to say anything when it’s fuckin’ obvious.”
“I was not.”
He grunted, you’d assumed in disbelief.
“Come on, that’s my newfound father’s friend and coworker.”
“Keeley was my enemy’s ex and a coworker.”
“Okay, an enemy’s ex and dad’s friend are two very different things.”
“Not very.”
“Still different.”
He scoffed a laugh, dropping the subject as he opened the door of a large office.
“Hey, babe!”
A bubbly blonde lunged off the couch and towards Roy.
“What are you doin’ up here?”
He nodded over at you. “Beard’s daughter’s here.”
“Beard has a daughter?”
“Is that not what I fuckin’ said?”
She laughed, turning to the woman still seated at the couch who watched on with intrigue.
“Did you know he had a daughter?”
She shook her head. “No idea.”
You decided it was time to jump in and offer an explanation.
“He didn’t know either til a couple weeks ago. I didn’t know who he was most of my life due to an insane mother,” you said with half a smile.
“Huh,” Keeley said, staring you down for a moment. “Well, I’m Keeley. That’s Rebecca.”
“I’ve heard a bit about you both, it’s great to meet you,” you said, holding a hand out for her to shake.
She giggled, then pulled you in for a hug instead. You noticed Rebecca coming to stand near her as she pulled away.
“I’m okay with a handshake if you prefer.”
You shrugged. “I’m really alright with whatever. Honestly, I’m just happy to meet people who don’t treat me like shit.”
Rebecca laughed, eyes wide. “Well, alright. You’re going to fit in with no problem.”
You accepted a quick hug from her, then glanced back over at Roy, a little apprehensive.
“Um, I’m actually here because Roy mentioned to me that you’re looking for an extra hand around here?”
Keeley nodded in excitement. “Yeah, babes. Are you interested?”
“I’d love to chat about what would be expected and if I’m a good fit. I have a feeling I’m going to be sticking around the area for a while. Lots of catching up to do, you know.”
“Right! Here, come sit, we can figure it all out,” she said, leading you back to the couch they’d been on when you entered. She glanced back up at Roy who stood, waiting. “Bye, babe.”
He wore an amused look on his face at that, nodding once as he left the room.
That night you worked on dinner for yourself and Ted, waiting for him to arrive. You decided to look a little nicer than you had earlier that day, and felt pretty confident as you cooked away, swaying to music.
A knock on the door was heard as you were nearly finished, and you went to open it. He stood on the other side, a smile on his face and flowers in hand.
“Hey, I know this might be too much, I just haven’t done this in a while and didn’t really know…” he stopped, looking down at the bouquet before handing them off to you. “Sorry, I’m— rambling.”
You smiled at him, stepping aside to let him in.
“No worries. This is very sweet.”
He smiled, cheeks turning a little rosy as he walked in past you, glancing around the place.
“My couch just got delivered a few hours ago and… Uh, I guess I don’t really know what to call him,” you said, laughing a little nervously as you brought the flowers to the kitchen. “My dad came and helped me put the bed together.”
He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck as he watched you fill a glass with water. You placed the flower stems inside, setting it down on the counter and admiring the bouquet.
“I know, kind of a mood killer, but as much as I enjoyed it the first time, I didn’t exactly invite you here for sex. I hope that’s not…”
“Of course not!” He exclaimed as if he was worried he may offend you. “No, no. I asked you out cause… I mean, I liked you.”
“Liked? Wow, I lost it that quick, huh?”
“No! Gosh, no, I definitely still do, I just—”
“Ted,” you said, looking to him as you tended to dinner.
He looked at you, calming as he did. Then, he laughed, shy.
“Sorry, guess I’m a little nervous today.”
“No kidding. It’s been a lot of… Interesting news for the both of us today,” you said with a small grin. “But, this is all finished, so why don’t you come take a seat and eat with me?”
He nodded with a smile, coming to sit at the counter in your kitchen. You put two plates up next to each other, and got drinks for the both of you. He looked at it all, then to you.
“This is incredible, thank you for doing all this.”
You shrugged. “No biggie. I love doing stuff for people, especially when they’ve been as kind to me as you.”
You sat next to him, though his eyes didn’t pull from you quite yet. You nearly melted when you noticed how he was looking at you, heat rising to your cheeks.
“What?” You asked, suddenly feeling a little shy.
He raised his brows. “What?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He shrugged, looking back to his plate. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re full of crap,” you laughed, digging in. “I hope this is alright for you. I didn’t realize I never really asked what you liked to eat.”
He shook his head quickly. “No! This is awesome!”
You ate quietly for a while, not doing much more than enjoying one another’s company and chatting a little more about your lives. But, you knew there was a conversation to be had at some point, and figured sooner was better than later.
“So,” you said, pushing your now-empty plate away from you, “Maybe we should talk about where we go from here.”
He nodded, turning a little to give his attention to you.
“Not sure exactly what the plan is going to be regarding my dad, and we should probably figure it out before he finds something out on his own.”
“We can’t tell him what happened. I think he might come after me like… ‘Taken’ style.”
“I think Roy already knows something’s up, so I’m not sure if we’ll be able to hide it very well,” you said, a laugh bubbling out from you.
He raised a brow. “How do you figure?”
“He said so.”
“Oh, well, that’s just peachy.”
You furrowed your brow. “Ooh, Mr. Grumpy-Pants is coming out now, is he?”
He smirked a little. “No. But, I don’t exactly want to have to tell Beard I… Did things with you.”
“In your defense and mine, we hadn’t met at that point and had no way of knowing.”
“That’s true. What about tonight?”
“Well, we haven’t gotten all hot and heavy tonight, so…”
The both of you laughed at that.
“Yes, but I’m still here,” he continued.
“One more thing kind of sucks about this, too,” you said with a sigh.
His eyes widened a little. “What’s that?”
“I don’t think I can’t not be super attracted to you.”
A blush covered his cheeks again, and he glanced away.
“Come on, now.”
“But seriously, it might be hard to explain away why I can’t keep my eyes off you,” you exclaimed, standing and placing the dishes in the sink. “Roy already called me out for it, it’s only a matter of time now that I’m going to be working with you guys.”
“You got the job?” He asked, standing up in excitement.
You nodded. “Start in two days!”
“What?! That’s great news!”
He pulled you into a big hug, practically pulling you off the ground in doing so. You laughed, arms around his neck. He set you back in place, barely pulling away as he did. Though, you were never one to turn down an opportunity.
He looked at you again, admiration in his eyes that you wished didn’t turn you into a puddle. You leaned up, pressing your lips against his again. Apparently he wasn’t one to turn down an opportunity, either.
He immediately kissed you back, deepening it until his tongue was brushing against your lip. You were eager to let it go further, whole body pressing further into his, and his arms snaked tighter around your waist.
His lips broke from yours and you almost whimpered at it, until he started kissing down your jaw to your neck. His facial hair brushed against you as he did, tongue pressing into your skin as he moved downward. Your hand moved up his neck, winding in his hair and scratching against his scalp. He groaned a little when your nails met his skin, and you swore your heart started beating a million miles a second.
He started moving back up and towards your lips, but before he could get there you stopped him.
“Remember how I said my bed’s put back together?”
He nodded enthusiastically, and you essentially dragged him to your bedroom. You collapsed together on the fresh bedding, and he leaned over the top of you to continue pressing his lips to yours. Your hands cradled his face, and you could feel each time he couldn’t help but let a smile overtake him. His free hand trailed down your waist and rested respectfully on your hip.
He broke away from you after several moments, bringing his hand back up to stroke a thumb against your cheek.
“You’re really just… Sweeter than a fresh-baked pie.”
You giggled at that. “What a gentleman you are.”
He grabbed you, rolling over and taking you with him until you were rested on top of him. You looked down at him with a smile on your face, about to lean back in, when…
Knock! Knock!
You practically jumped out of your skin, as did Ted. He looked at you with a slight panic in his eyes, and you scrambled off of him.
“Uh, just stay here for now, okay?” You said, trying to make yourself look presentable.
“Will do, darlin’,” he replied, sitting up.
He looked almost like a child who’d just gotten in trouble for something. You would have laughed if you weren’t nervous about who was on the other side of the door. You rushed out of your room, shutting the door behind you and heading to see who was waiting for you.
You opened the front door, peeking out.
“Hey, babes!” Keeley exclaimed with a smile. “Sorry for showing up like this, I just wanted to bring you a little housewarming gift.”
She lifted up a large gift bag, looking giddy with excitement.
“Oh, wow, you didn’t have to do that,” you said, letting her in. “That’s really so kind of you.”
“It’s nothing,” she shrugged, handing you the bag.
You took it from her and guided her towards your living room.
“How did you find me?”
She looked to you. “Oh, your address was on all those forms we filled out today. Hope it’s alright I just… Dropped in.”
She sat on the couch, suddenly realizing that it may have been inappropriate to show up unannounced to a new coworker’s home.
You laughed. “It’s fine. I appreciate the gesture.”
You looked in the bag, setting it down on the couch to reach inside. You pulled out a large, fluffy blanket and a matching throw pillow, exclaiming at how soft they were.
“Thought you might like some comfort items seeing as you’re all alone in a new country…”
She started, though you both stopped in your tracks when you heard a very loud sneeze coming from behind your bedroom door. She turned and looked at you slowly, a grin forming in her face.
“Or not so alone,” she squealed. “Do you have someone in there? Who is it?”
“It—It’s nobody, Keeley. Don’t worry about it.”
She got up, starting towards the door.
“Please can I just take a peek? He’s gotta be right fit to be keeping up with you,” she said, again with a laugh.
You rushed after her, trying to stop her from finding out who was there.
“No, no. Please don’t, it’s just— We’re in a complicated situation right now and I don’t want…”
“Holy shit,” she said with wide eyes, standing stock straight. Then, she broke into a whisper, “Is it Ted?”
You could swear you nearly had a heart attack.
“What? No, no, of course not. Why would it be—”
“Roy was saying he thought something weird was happening earlier when I was talking about you getting the job. It’s him, isn’t it?”
She made a move towards the door before you could stop her, peeking her head in and letting out another squeal before she flung the door open.
“I knew it!”
“Keels, you cannot tell anybody, please,” you started begging.
“Aw,” she said, looking to you with a little pout. “You called me Keels.”
You furrowed your brow, looking to a very scared Ted in question. He shrugged.
“Oh, we are going to be best friends,” she said, lunging at you with another hug. “I promise I won’t say anything.”
“It’s just— With my dad…”
Her eyes widened a little further. “Right. So this is like, a big secret, yeah?”
You nodded. “We met before I knew who either of them were, a few days ago, and…”
She started smiling again. “I want details later.”
Ted stood now, “I-I don’t think you need details for that type of thing.”
She raised a brow at him. “It’s girl talk. She’s going to hear all about me an’ Roy, I think I should get the favor returned.”
You laughed at that, looking back to Ted. He didn’t look very pleased at the idea of his sex life being shared with Keeley, but it was kind of adorable.
“I promise I won’t share too much,” you said, looking at him.
He softened a little. “We don’t even know where this is going right now.”
“Exactly. Now, if we decide to start something up for real, she might get a little more.”
“Oh, please do,” she said, looking between the two of you. “You would be great together. So cute.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that, Keels,” you said with a nervous chuckle. “I don’t even know how we’re possibly going to deal with telling my dad what’s already happened.”
She hummed in agreement, seemingly lost in thought for a few moments before she looked back to you.
“Well, you know, if you two ever need a wing-woman, I will be more than happy.”
“Thank you. What about your man? You think he can keep quiet?”
“Roy?” Ted laughed.
Then, laughed harder, looking to Keeley who couldn’t help but join in. He regained his composure a few moments later, looking back at you wearing a very confused look on your face.
He continued, “Yeah, that fella can stay quiet if he’s asked. He hardly talks to anyone as is, not really the gossipin’ type.”
You nodded. “Okay, well that’s good.”
“And Higgins and Nate are… generally clueless. If Rebecca has suspicions, I can keep her quiet. The team won’t pay enough attention,” Keeley went over a mental list, then nodded when she was satisfied. “I think this can work.”
Ted walked forward now, a hand up as a makeshift way of pausing the conversation.
“Well, hold on, now. Y/N and I haven’t talked about whether or not we want to keep this going. I don’t know how I feel about keeping anything from my right-hand man.”
You smiled at him, “That’s adorable.”
He furrowed his brow, looking to Keeley who only shrugged a little in agreement.
Considering she’d barged in at the wrong time anyways, you invited her to hang around for a little while. She accepted, though left half an hour after some conversation about the job… And some definite gossip about the budding romance between yourself and the bubbly man next to you.
You walked her to the door, bidding her a good night, then found your way back to the living room. Ted sat back on the couch, hands folded in his lap, just looking around the place. You sat next to him, resting your head on his shoulder.
“What are you thinking about?”
“You could use some decoration in here. You’re so… Bright and fun. I think you should live in a place that reflects that.”
You smiled, glancing around the room. “I guess I could use some stuff on the walls, huh? Maybe a few candles, too.”
“That’d be nice.”
You paused a beat before continuing.
“You know, we’ve only known each other for a couple days. I don’t want you messing up a friendship over me, Ted.”
“What?” He asked, sitting up straight. You turned to face him. “No, I don’t want you worrying about that. I— I’d like to try this with you. Maybe actually take you out someplace if that’s alright, and then…”
“Test the waters first?”
He nodded. “Right on the nose. I like you, and I’d like to see if maybe we can work something out. We got the hard part out of the way, already.”
You laughed at that. “Was it really that difficult for you?”
He settled back into the cushions, taking you with him with an arm around you. Your head settled against his shoulder once more, taking in the scent of his cologne. You considered looking into a candle that could replicate the scent. Then your place would certainly feel more homey and bright.
“Not like that,” he chuckled. “Just— The intimate part is already out of the way.”
“How about, for right now, we just sit, and put on a movie, and enjoy the night?”
He squeezed you closer into his side.
“That sounds perfect.”