Chapter Text
You and Beard were sitting at a table in the Crown & Anchor, nursing a beer and reading your respective books.
It had become a weekly tradition that the two of you referred to as Reverse Book Club: only reading and under no circumstances would there be any discussion, but occasionally if the book was good enough you would swap. Ted had asked to be included once he learned of it but he was much too…active of a reader. Lots of giggles and asides, and god forbid when he read a really good line and just HAD to read it out loud. He was not invited back, but he was unperturbed about the whole thing, still enthusiastic about his best girl and best friend spending time together.
You and Ted had been dating for six months and you could honestly say you’d never been happier, even if on paper the two of you were an odd match: he was an older, American football coach with a son and a sunny disposition and you were a young art gallery director, moody and pessimistic without a single athletic bone in your body (or sports thought in your head). But when Ted popped up in your art gallery one day all earnest interest and thoughtful, if misguided, commentary, well you couldn’t deny you were smitten. It still took you asking him out on three separate occasions for him to understand you were interested in him romantically, and to this day he still frequently seemed shocked, even though you regularly greeted him after work with your tongue in his mouth and your hands fisted in his shirt collar(s). Six months wasn’t a lot of time, but it was enough for your lives to start to weave together, enough for him to casually mention the idea of moving in together—though that was also helped along by the fact that both of you had upstairs neighbors that made their displeasure for your nighttime activities well known.
And of course, there was Reverse Book Club; the two people who understood Ted best in the whole world enjoying an hour of quality non-talking time. Until today, when Beard quietly slipped his bookmark (a Tesco receipt from 3 weeks ago) into his book and looked at you pointedly. You checked the time on your phone; it had only been 30 minutes. You raised an eyebrow at your friend quizzically.
“Plans?”
“Nope.”
“Boring book, Coach?”
Beard tapped his hand on the cover, the title reading: The Black Joke: The True Story of One Ship's Battle Against the Slave Trade . “British naval history could never be boring, Director.” You were always amused when Beard used your job title the same way you used his, it felt like a sign of respect. “I just, well, forgive me for breaking the rules of Reverse Book Club here but I guess I was just curious how you were feeling? If you’re looking forward to it…or…”
You didn’t have to ask him for clarification; you knew your friend was asking about your impending meeting with Henry. You and Ted had been talking about it for weeks and his son would finally be there the next day; he was excited to introduce the two of you in person. You liked kids and you were good with kids, but you couldn't deny it felt like a test you needed to pass for your relationship to progress. If Henry didn’t like you there went moving in together, vacations to Kansas or anywhere else, hell, potentially there went the whole relationship. You scrunched your nose at Beard.
“Looking forward isn’t quite the phrase I would use…”
Beard’s eyebrows crinkled together in an expression you read as offended on behalf of Henry.
“Oh, I’m thrilled to meet Henry in person. You know I’ve met him on FaceTime and all that,” you waved a hand, “he’s smart and funny like his Dad, and I bought this art series Lego set for us to build together. Felt like a good introduction to my world since galleries aren’t the most… kid-friendly places. But I guess, I mean, I just…” you trailed off, chugging a bit more of your pint. “It just feels like I’m about to take an A-level I didn’t study for, you know?”
“Makes sense. But this isn’t something you pass or fail. It's more like a…mile marker.”
You tilted your head at him, with an expression he read as expand on that.
“You see it, you experience the mile passing, you move on. Sometimes it affects your road trip because you realize you’ve been going the wrong way the past 30 miles. And sometimes it marks a spot you want to remember, a nice view, a midpoint as you get to your destination.”
“Mmh,” you respond carefully. “Metaphor.”
“Metaphor, bay-bay.”
Beard picks his book back up and you follow suit, but you catch his eye again as he turns the page.
“How far is a fucking mile anyway?”
-
“How was Reverse Book Club?”
Ted leaned in for a sweet greeting kiss, despite the fact that you had seen him just a few hours ago and you smiled into the affection.
“Good. Think we might swap books next week.”
“Oh yeah? Beard wants to read,” Ted leaned down to check out the title of the pink book you had just sat on his kitchen table, “ Red, White, and Royal Blue ?”
You chuckled. “Probably not, but it's fun to get him out of his comfort zone.”
“Well, I’m sure he also trusts your sensibilities. Hungry?”
You shake your head no as you move to the couch, picking up Ted’s Kansas City hoodie he always left on the back for you and slipping it over your head, the familiar scent of sandalwood and pepper from his cologne wafting over you. It settled you somewhat, but not enough to stop you from worrying your bottom lip with your teeth as Ted looked you over.
“You eat at the Crown & Anchor?”
“Nah, just, uh, not hungry.”
“Hm, well that just won’t do. What are you not telling me?” It wasn’t that you wanted to keep things from Ted, but you didn’t want to give him the wrong impression about how you felt about meeting Henry. You were touched that he wanted you to be a part of his son’s life, but it didn’t stop the nervous energy coursing through you that made eating an impossible task. So why couldn’t you just say that?
Ted made his way over to the couch, peeling an orange as he flopped down next to you, your thighs pressing together, shoulders brushing. Neither of you said anything, and you watched as he split the fruit into segments and popped one onto his tongue, licking a drop of juice from the corner of his mouth. It was…oddly seductive and your stomach fluttered for a reason that wasn’t nerves. He met your eyes and smirked as if he could read your mind, offering you a segment and you felt spellbound to accept. Something about the loving gesture, the way he let you sit and didn’t push, despite the fact that you were being cagey was something you hadn’t experienced in a relationship before, and you sighed, knowing that this man could make you bare your whole soul with a quirked eyebrow and a piece of fruit.
“I’m nervous about meeting Henry. I mean, I’m excited. But I’m worried that if it doesn’t go well, this,” you gestured between the two of you, “can’t go on. And it’s not like I would blame you, I mean he’s your whole world and that’s how it should be. But I, God, I just love you and I want it to be, I mean, I hope—”
“Honey, you’re spiraling.”
“I know.” You took a deep breath. “I know you’re going to tell me that everything is going to go perfect and that I should believe, and you’re right. I know you’re right…”
“But?”
“But. I worry. It’s just how I’m built.”
Ted chuckled. Somehow over the course of the conversation he had snuck you most of the orange and he finished off the last segment before tucking you into his arms, your head resting under his chin.
“I get it. Of course I do. And I could never fault you for being nervous, especially when I’ve never been in your shoes. But I gotta say…”
He looked down at you pressed into him, a goading look on his face. You rolled your eyes and the two of you spoke in unison.
“Rom-Communism.”
He dropped a kiss on the top of your head. And then your temple. And then your cheek and the space behind your ear that always made you shudder and then finally your lips.
“Alright, to sleep. We have to pick up the boy bright and early,” he whispered as you separated, tugging you up to your feet with him.
You pouted. “I’ll go to bed. But we’re not going to sleep.”
“We’re not?”
You slipped the couch hoodie and your shirt off in one fell swoop before taking his hand and leading him into the bedroom. “Don’t pretend like you didn’t know what you were doing with that orange.”
Ted laughed, moving his hand from yours to fit both of his large hands around your waist and gently tossed you to the bed, climbing over you as you giggled.
The alarm went off early and Ted snuffled, the sun from the window just beginning to trickle over his bare back with one arm wrapped around your waist. He never reacted to the first alarm, he knew you liked to set three because you had an awful time forcing yourself out of bed, but today you were wide awake already, staring at the ceiling. It was going to be your last night in Ted’s bed for the next two weeks, both of you agreed that there would be no sleepovers while Henry was still getting used to the idea of having you around. It had been your idea—you didn’t want Henry to feel like you were pushing into his dad time.
At the second alarm, Ted roused. You could tell because his breathing was more shallow and there was the faint tickle of his eyelash against your neck where his face was tucked against you.
“I can hear those gears turning, lil lady,” he grumbled. “They woke me up.”
“Sure they did,” you teased. “Couldn’t have been the alarm.”
He kissed your neck before sitting up and luxuriating into a stretch and you watched with obvious interest as the muscles in his back and arms rippled. He caught your eye over his shoulder and smirked.
“Impure thoughts this early? Why Y/N, am I just a piece of meat to you?”
You laughed as you draped your body over his back, your arms coming around to hold him against you. “A piece of meat that I’ll be missing for the next two weeks, that’s for sure.” Ted chuckled as you kissed his cheek. “Join me in the shower?”
The two of you arrived at the airport just before the flight was supposed to land, your hand gripping Ted’s as you sipped the latte he bought you on the way. Caffeine probably wasn’t the best choice today, considering it often made you jittery and anxious, but the routine of it was also soothing. He led the way to the check-in counter to present Henry’s itinerary and get a pass to pick him up from the gate and you tuned out, doing a little people-watching as Ted got the details sorted. You tuned back in when you realized his tone was frustrated.
“What do you mean my son is not an Unaccompanied Minor? Did he not get on the plane, I don’t understand.”
“Sorry, sir, the system says the ticket was originally purchased as an Unaccompanied Minor ticket, but it shows that the service fee was refunded because they’re now traveling with someone over the age of 12 making them no longer unaccompanied.”
“Someone? Someone who? I don’t—”
“DAD!”
Both of your heads whipped around to the sight of Henry Lasso somehow running full tilt across the airport, and despite Ted’s recent frustration (not at the attendant, never them, just the situation) he couldn’t help but grin. He turned back to finish his conversation with the attendant and apologize but you pushed him towards his son and answered for him. “Looks like we got it all figured out somehow, thank you. Appreciate you.”
Ted had made it to Henry and spun him in a circle, other travelers be damned, and you made your way over cautiously. You couldn’t help but find the father-son joy a little bit infectious.
“Y/N is here too! Cool!” Henry flung his arms around you as if he had known you all his life, and it was enough to release at least some of the tension you’d been holding. You got down on his level to give him a better hug.
“It’s so cool to see you in person,” you smiled at him sincerely, “You know I thought when I met you, you’d only be like this big.” You held your hands apart, about the length of an iPad, and Henry laughed.
Ted grinned at the two of you interacting as you stood up and he ruffled the boy’s blond hair. “We were gonna come meet you at the gate kid, but they said someone was traveling with you?”
Henry was about to answer when a voice spoke up from behind.
“Hi Ted.”
You nearly choked on your sip of coffee when you turned and saw the woman that was undeniably Michelle Lasso. Ted’s ex-wife.