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Something is wrong with Ted.
Not wrong enough that Rebecca feels like she should worry for his health or safety or anything of the sort, but she's noticed in the last week of Biscuits With The Boss that his energy has shifted, retreating into his thoughts and not being his fully typical extroverted self when they meet in the mornings, or when they'd reconvened at the pub with their friends last Friday night, or when he'd invited her over the previous weekend to help him cook a vegetarian lasagna he'd been wanting to make from a recipe book he'd recently picked up, that he'd sent her home with half of.
Though they've grown comfortable enough that the pair can exist in a calming, comfortable silence more often now when they're alone together— Peaceful dinners and drinks at either of their homes a welcomed reprieve from their busy lives on nights Henry is with his mum, or sometimes the boy will even join them and they'll end off the night with popcorn and a Marvel movie instead of cocktails and Bake-Off reruns—Ted's still normally the one to take the lead into their conversations, and this feels different.
She wonders if it's the changing seasons, his depression acting up as the summer heat gives way to an autumnal bite in the air as they near October; Or Henry being back in school, even though the boy now lives between two opposite ends of Richmond proper instead of across an entire continent— Thanks to a conversation nearly a year ago held on FaceTime with Ted and Michelle, leading the family to pick up and move to London for good back in January— and Ted missing the days he got to spend all summer bonding with his little boy. He's never mentioned his depression spiking seasonally, but Rebecca herself feels a shift every year, no thanks to her own personal vendetta against the month of September, and after the first difficult holiday season he'd had in London that she'd borne witness to, she wouldn't put it beyond the realm of possibility.
Which is why on her lunch break that Friday afternoon, she calls down to the practice pitch in the middle of training, an idea having formed near the end of her final morning conference call.
"Ted?! Ted! Would you meet me in my office after you're finished for the day?! There's something I'd like to discuss with you!"
*****
At three o'clock almost on the nose, as promised, Ted is standing in the doorway to Rebecca's office, his knuckles rapping gently at the doorframe to announce his presence. At the sound, Rebecca shuts her laptop and stands, rounding the front of her desk and wordlessly opens her arms, inviting him in between them.
She'd mentioned onstage all those years ago that she was never much of a hugger, but Ted had changed something in her that night when he'd found her outside at the gala. Now, it was their preferred form of silent comfort and affection, though typically Ted was still the one to initiate every embrace, usually when she was having a hard day or he could sense that she needed the extra support.
Every instance of being wrapped in Ted's arms fills her with a golden, soothing warmth, and all Rebecca wants, regardless of if Ted opens up to her about what's been going on or not, is for him to feel those feelings in return.
He takes her bait near-immediately, a soft, sweet chuckle falling past his fond little smile before he crosses the room and wraps her in his soft, strong and warm arms, one draping over her shoulders while the other snakes all the way around her waist. His grip only tightens when Rebecca does so first, her own arms coming up over his back enough for her hands to rest gently on his shoulders, then squeezing him closer to her, encouraging him to reciprocate. Never enough to hurt or overwhelm, but just enough that it feels safe and secure with their bodies tangled together.
Ted sighs. A soft, sweet thing that has his breath gently ghosting against her neck where he's dropped his head to her shoulder, and then he finally speaks.
"Well hey there, Boss." She can feel his lips curl against her skin at that, and it's infectious, "Not that I don't love huggin' on you, but... You doin' okay, Rebecca? Is somethin' goin' on?"
Oh, this sweet, darling man. Bless him, and whatever force or higher being that had chosen for him to grow up to be so wonderfully kind and selfless, and subsequently dropped him mustache-first into her life when she'd needed him the most.
"Oh darling, I'm okay. Shall we sit?" Rebecca manages to nod in the direction of her sofa while barely lifting her head from Ted's own shoulder, and she giggles— giggles!— When Ted begins to walk them both sideways toward it without ever detangling himself from her, ending up with Rebecca nearly in his lap when he drops gently back onto the sofa and tugs her with him, her knees hooked over his thighs as she cuddles further into his chest in this position.
"You've been quiet this week," She begins, voice soft, "Moreso than you usually are when we're quiet together. Keeley would probably say something like... Like your bloody vibes are off or whatever the fuck—" He chuckles again at that, and the wave of her hand that accompanies her impression of their friend, "But I just... I would never force you to tell me what you're feeling if you don't want to, of course, but I just thought— You've always been there for me, so I thought that this time around you could at the very least use a hug too, God knows it always makes me feel better when you hold me on a bad day."
Her admission is barely above a whisper, but in the quiet of her office Ted still catches it, and she hears him sigh sweetly in response.
"Well shoot, that's real sweet of you, Bec." Her heart sings at the nickname, still relatively newly bestowed on her the night of Henry's birthday party back in July, "And 'm glad I can help you like that, makes me happy. 'M okay honey, I promise you don't gotta go worryin' 'bout me. I'll come out the other side before too long, 's just... This time of year— September, mostly— Gets me feelin' pretty blue is all. I'll tell you one day, swear, it's just... It's a lot to take in, lotta memories. 'M sorry, I know you probably thought bringin' Henry over would do more to sort me out up here, but—" He gives a little tap to his temple as he shoots her an apologetic, almost sad smile that has Rebecca's heart fracturing in her chest.
"I understand," She soothes quickly before he can finish that sentence, one of her hands leaving his back to instead smooth over his chest in soft circles and applying a barely-there pressure, where she knows that all-too-familiar knot of anxiety lives inside him, "You never, ever need to apologize for what you can't control, Ted, and you especially don't need to justify your mental health to me. Me too, actually. September." She shrugs, as if the month alone is explanation enough. "Would you like to just... Take some time? Sit here awhile?"
"Y'know, I'd really like that."
***
When Rebecca comes to again, the lighting in her office has shifted to a dim purplish-pink and her body feels significantly warmer than it did when she and Ted had sat down on the sofa, and she quickly realizes it's because of the soft chenille knit throw that's been placed over her shoulders, presumably by Ted as she slept.
Stretching her fingers, Rebecca realizes the man in question is still there, his jumper still underneath her hands, seemingly having held her the whole time that she'd napped.
"Mornin', sunshine," She both hears and feels, the vibration of Ted's sleepy tenor rattling pleasantly against her ear, "Nice nap?"
"Mm, God, I didn't even notice falling asleep... How long was I out?" She asks, looking up at him through half-open eyelids and delighted to see Ted's adorable bedhead above her.
"Not sure exactly, think I zonked out right after you... Phone says it's half-eight, though."
Rebecca shoots up straight at that, sleep evaporating immediately from her body as she begins to worry that she's kept him trapped beneath her sleeping form, desperate to get home to his son for hours, eventually having to relent and sacrifice a night with him and sending him to Michelle's instead because he hadn't had the heart to wake her.
Ted doesn't know it outright, but ever since Henry and Michelle agreed to her offer and moved across the pond, Rebecca's been absolutely vehement about Ted getting to spend as much time with his son as his custody agreement allows, going as far as insisting on shortening his workday for the same salary, getting to spend more time getting to know Ted's sweet little boy reigniting a form of the guilt and anxiety that had run rampant when he'd initially left to return to Kansas last spring, believing she'd selfishly and heartlessly stolen a father from his beautiful, wonderful son in ways she'd started to think would do irreparable damage, and needing to atone for it by giving them all of the bonding time they could ask for, and then some.
"It's what—?! Shit, Ted, shit— I'm so sorry, do you... Did you have Henry tonight? Fuck, you could've woken me—"
"Hey now, hey..." Ted soothes, his gentle tone immediately making Rebecca's breathing slow, "Henry's at his mom's all this week, honeybunch, no worries! Her aunt 'n' uncle are visitin' from down south, remember? Just me and that leftover lasagna we made on Sunday in the flat til tomorrow mornin'. I promise, if I'd've rather been anywhere than right here I woulda woken you."
That makes Rebecca breathe a sigh of relief as she remembers Ted telling her as he'd chopped aubergine and she'd grated cheese beside him about Henry's great-aunt and uncle making the trip over, though she still regretfully makes a move to leave the warmth Ted's arms and stands, knowing the custodial staff has likely seen her office light still on and are probably waiting on them to leave so they can lock up for the night.
"Alright, Coach, then let's get you home to that lasagna."
***
When Ted insists Rebecca drive herself home first, saying he'll just hoof it the rest of the way home across the green, she can't help but smile.
"Gender roles aside, just wouldn't feel right not seein' a lady to her door at the end of the night." He says, pushing his hand through his hair as Rebecca pulls into her drive and parks the Rolls-Royce, giving her a boyishly shy grin.
He follows comfortably close behind when Rebecca exits the car, though hardly crowding her as she steps up the path to unlock her front door.
Cracking the door open just a bit, Rebecca pockets her keys again and turns back to face him.
"You're welcome to come in for a drink, if you'd like." She offers, gesturing behind her. Ted shakes his head and her heart sinks, though only for a moment before he clarifies,
"Temptin' as that offer is honey, I should get home and fix up the flat before the kiddo gets in tomorrow, finish up some laundry I had in the den to put away... I'm sorry." He pouts sweetly, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze, and, taking her by surprise, pulls her in close again, hugging her briefly to his chest again. "Thank you for today, Rebecca, for tryin' to help. It meant a lot— It means a lot, that you see me the way that you do, even when I'm goin' through it."
She can't help it then, tilting her chin and raising her hands to form around his jaw when he releases her from the hug, and finally, finally, closing the distance between them.
"I love you, Ted." Rebecca says softly as they part, and really, it's always been that simple. She loves him, he's her best friend, and she'd do anything for him, in the good times and the bad; his mental health no match for how deeply she adores every single ounce of him.
Ted doesn't look at all surprised to hear that, his sweet smile staring back at her as he brings one of his hands up beside her face to echo hers, tucking a stray lock of hair that had fallen from her updo behind her ear.
"I love you too, Rebecca." He replies, the words making an adorable pink flush flood his cheeks, "Hey, see you this weekend sometime? I know someone's been waitin' on his promised pizza and Iron Man 2 night with you."
He laughs, a full-bellied thing that crinkles the corners of his gorgeous eyes, and Rebecca has to force herself not to tear up at the sight. There he is.
"I wouldn't miss it; I know how much you love Robert Downey Jr." She teases, giving him another short kiss before stepping back and crossing the threshold into the house. "I'll pick our usuals up from Sebastian's, just text me what time. Goodnight, Ted. Sleep tight."
Fucking hell, she is so gone on this man.
"Sweet dreams, Rebecca."
And oh, she's sure they will be.